#i will process my rightness or wrongness on the issue in the privacy of my own mind and home thank you VERY much

[dollwrites]

ᴍɪsᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴛʏ ! ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ʀᴀғᴀʏᴇʟ

𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 ∣ smut ( minors dni ), fem!bff!reader, sex toys mentioned but not used, noise control, dub con technically ( for him… kinda TRUST THE PROCESS ) prank gone wrong for reader lol, creampie, has absolutely no spoilers or deep lore, all characters featured are aged 18+

𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 ∣ please reblog && leave feedback. HAPPY 4/20! i was gonna do some dizzy drabbles but i couldn’t get this out of my head. not proofread ( and written when i was in the clouds ) so there’s probably mistakes. thanks for reading < 3

what had started out as a fun prank on your best friend for revenge ended with you completely at his mercy, unbeknownst to him.

picking up around the studio wasn’t something you did too often, considering it a breach of Rafayel’s privacy, but when you got there and he wasn’t home, you let yourself inside like you usually did. you were about an hour early, anyways. you hadn’t taken two steps when you stumble over a pile of crumpled sketch paper. you scrunched your brows as you gazed around your environment. scattered brushes, broken pencils, and a canvas half-painted in the middle of the floor. you sighed; perhaps Rafayel had hit a wall with his muse and had gone for a walk on the beach. the least you could do for him, you’d decided, was to clean up a bit. after all, a clean space is a productive space, right?

that was when you came across it, left carelessly on his bed, swaddled in a sea of white sheets and the comforter. you’d never seen one in real life until this moment, and at first you mistook it for a woman asleep in his bed with her butt sticking out of the blankets— but, it was fake. a plump, nearly life sized ass sitting atop the mattress.

does Rafayel really use something like this?

you found your cheeks heated up with embarrassment when you pictured him mounting it, both of his smooth palm against the cheeks, svelte digits digging into the silicone to spread it open wide enough for him to push inside…

shaking your head to snap yourself out of the fantasy, you look around, making sure no one was around to see you get lost in your own desire for him. “S—stupid.” you muttered to yourself, stepping closer to touch the fleshiest part of it. surprisingly soft, as soft as your own skin. your brow quirks, fingers sliding to the waistband of a pair of cerulean, lace panties that adorned the faux lower body. it seemed so strange to have clothes on something that was meant to stay hidden and used in private, as if the silicone slab had been laid out meticulously…

no, Rafayel didn’t use this for his own pleasure, you decided. this was a prank. an elaborate one, but one meant to fluster you when you came over.

he was such an ass!

“Oh yeah?” you challenge under your breath, grasping the panties and tugging them off of the toy, “You want to play games? I can play, too.” determined to outprank Rafayel, you toss the panties on the bed and stash the toy beneath the bed. it was surprisingly heavy, and made a splat when it hit the surface of the floor, you had to stifle a chuckle as just hilarious this was. you didn’t want him to win, even if he wasn’t there to see it. quickly unbuttoning your pants, you discard them and the panties you were wearing, kicking them under the bed, too. then, you grab the cerulean lace and pull them on— perfect fit! you took a moment to glance in a nearby mirror, turning slightly. your ass had a similar curve and complexion, and you hoped it was enough to fool him, at least long enough for you to scare him when he least expected it. then, you climb into the bed, scrupulous as you nest your top half under a pile of blankets, the pillows resting on the top of your shoulders to hide your head. there was also the issue with your legs. it took a great amount of wrapping sheets around your thighs as you kick and squirm, before you’re finally perfectly positioned— identical to the way he’d left the fake ass, your own sticks out as if inviting him, as you wait for him to return.

at first, it had been difficult to keep yourself from jittering, too excited to see the look on his face when you jump out, effectively one-upping his lewd joke. but, as the minutes ticked on, with your entire body hidden within his bedding, you’d started to sweat, breathing in the dense air trapped under the pillows with you, and you had to readjust several times. it took so long that you were just about to give up on the prank and unbury yourself, before you heard the door open.

showtime.

you felt knots of excitement tying themselves together in your belly as you willed yourself to be as still as possible, and appear as the lifeless, silicone toy.

you could hear him moving about the studio, sighing, and your heart was starting to beat faster in your ears— you hoped that he would hurry to his room, so you could reveal yourself soon, and you could get out from under this suffocating duvet.

when he’d stepped into the bedroom, you hear the door close behind him, and you have to physically keep yourself from kicking your feet in excitement. it was almost time to scare the living daylights out of your best friend. your muscles tighten, ready to jump up, but a sound abruptly stops you.

a zipper.

you freeze, listening silently to the sound of rusting fabric. soft thuds as he kicked out of his shoes, and a whoosh that follows towards the floor.

was he undressing?

your eyes widen only when you hear a heavy breath, followed by the click of a cap. squeezing, then a low moan coming from behind you. it was Rafayel. your eyes widen. you’d never heard such a sound from his mouth, and you had a pretty good idea of what he was doing. the subtle skin slapping that started slow, but sped up shortly after, his breath getting heavier simultaneously. you realized how wrong it was to hear Rafayel pleasuring himself, especially when he didn’t know that you were there. you should really say something, open your mouth and let him know that he wasn’t alone, but when your lips parted, you couldn’t force any sound from it. you were too stunned by these sounds to give him any kind of warning. you listen, mouth agape and eyes big, staring into the headboard of his bed as he takes a few steps towards the foot of it. your mind races, realizing that he had not placed the toy on his bed for you to find it—

this had not been a toilet-humor prank that he was putting together. he simply hadn’t had the time to hide his private toys before you stumbled upon them.

to solidify this revelation, you feel one hand tracing over the shape of your ass. his fingers were warm and slick, and you nearly gasped, sealing your lips just in time for his digits to curl around the panties and tug on them, inching down your thighs. he would definitely discover you were disguising yourself as the toy when he couldn’t take them all the way off, and that thought was equally humiliating and comforting. you didn’t exactly love the idea of him finding out now, after exposing your cunt to him, and now that you’d gotten an earful of him jerking off, but at least things wouldn’t go further. Rafayel doesn’t, however, try to pull the panties down completely. instead, he seems content to leave them around your thighs, and his fingers trace upwards, slowly and skillfully, until they trace your netherlips, slathering your sex in what had to be lube, cool and wet.

oh, god. your top teeth sink into your lower lip as his fingertips swipe full laps between your folds. the pads rub against your most sensitive nub, leaving it throbbing and begging for more attention before they drag downwards, teasing your opening. he didn’t seem to notice that your cunt spasms, attempting to clamp down on his fingers, before they run another lap. he lets out a heavy breath, the sound of his palm smacking against his abdomen as he fucks his own hand in tandem to the way he was unknowingly teasing your pussy making your head spin.

this was so wrong.

you had to tell him right now.

your tiers part once more, this time determined to stop this before—

the swollen, slippery head of Rafayel’s cock rubs against your slit. one hand covers your mouth to keep any sound, words or otherwise, from escaping as you realize that it’s too late to expose yourself now. you’d look like a total creep, taking advantage of your best friend by pretending to be his sex toy. “Huh—uhh…” Rafayel emitted a low moan as he rubbed his dick against you a few more times, before planting one palm on your ass, the other holding tight to his base as he plunged inside.

it took all you had within you to not let out a cry of surprise at the sudden entry. your free hand grips the sheet so tightly you fear your nails will rip holes in it, and your toes curl beneath the mattress. Rafayel had been under the impression that he could be as rough as he wanted, because the pussy was nothing but a silicone replica, and so his rhythm was steady, deep pumping almost immediately upon bottoming out in your guts. “Fuck,” he breathes out, hips thumping against your ass, both hands grasping at it. “F—feels good… yeah,”

he was right about that, and you wished you could vocalize it. your walls fluttered about in delight as he pounded into you, his cock was longer than you’d thought it would be, the tip bold in its deep exploration, prodding against your g-spot with every, full thrust of his hips. you fought the urge to bounce back, meet his movements with equally eager grinding. instead, your eyes began to roll and your lids flittered, and the grip on your own mouth tightened to keep any of your stifled mewls and whimpers from escaping. you couldn’t, however, keep from gushing when he hit the perfect depth with his fervent stroking, and you could only hope that his thorough drenching you in lubrication would be enough to mask this.

you could hear him panting, moaning, swearing, as he fucked you with reckless abandon. his fingers digging into your warm, satin skin, his cock twitching and throbbing inside you. it was as if you felt every, single vein as they rub your walls, autographing your insides, claiming them as his as he uses you.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…!”

he was getting louder, his hips bucking more powerfully, more erratically, and the throbbing in your core was a testament to just how close to cumming he was.

you knew how wrong this was, but all rational thinking was dissipating; you were enjoying being fucked like this; greedy, careless pounding, by your closest friend too much to ruin it, now. you didn’t want to stop it, not until he was fully satiated.

“F—fuck, yeah,” Rafayel swoons, grabbing full fists of your ass, pulling your ass back to meet his hungry hip-snapping, “more, more, more!”

you couldn’t take much more, and you push your face into the mattress to keep quiet, both hands scrambling to hold on to something, squeezing the edge of the mattress with your nails sinking in— anything to relieve the pressure he was forcing as deep into you as he could. your feet wanted to kick, your back wanted to arch, and you wanted to scream out in pure pleasure, so you clung to the bed as tightly as you could in hopes that you could ride out the orgasm he was ripping from you.

he didn’t even seem to notice your twitching and subtle squirming beneath the blankets as he made you drop off and come undone, which you were thankful for, because he was too caught up in chasing his own high. “Gonna cum, gonna cum!” Rafayel was sputtering, desperately trying to get there, pressing all of his weight against your ass as he pumps a few more, deep and hard, thrusts into you before he grunts, and releases. as if he’d been pent up for quite a while, you felt a spattering of warmth, and then it spreads as he fills your belly with his essence. you nearly lose it in this moment, and almost blow your cover, your walls clamping down on his cock as he starts to retract. it felt so good to be full of Rafayel that you didn’t want him to pull out, but he does so with a ragged moan. there’s an uncomfortable emptiness that follows his abandoning of your cunt, the feeling of being fucked deep and left there, your oblivious best friend’s cum dribbling out of your used pussy as it twitches and your muscles stay tense. you knew you were leaving a small puddle on his sheets below you, but you could hear him milling around the room instead of focusing on you, now.

“Damn,” he mutters to himself, and you his phone unlock, then the rapid-fire tapping of his fingers on the keys. was he… texting?

you were answered when you heard the faint vibrating of your phone in your pants pocket, hidden under the bed. he texted you?! at first, you think he must’ve heard it, because everything went silent, and you waited for him to start shouting, but he doesn’t.

a few moments later, the door opens, and his footsteps fade as he swaggers down the corridor, satiated, and a moment later, you hear the shower turn on.

for the first time in several minutes, your muscles relax for a moment, before you swim out from your heated prison in a hurry, scrambling under the bed to grab your phone. every move you made, you could feel his release swirling around inside you and dribbling down your thighs, and you groan at the sensation, and the trail you made before you pulled the panties up to keep any more from leaving evidence. staring at the screen, panting and fucked out, your eyes barely focusing, you read the message in disbelief.

just woke up so i’m running late. stop on the way and buy lunch or something i’m starving

liar.

but you didn’t have time to dwell on the message; you get dressed as quickly as you can, what with your legs trembling like shaken jelly and your insides sore from Rafayel’s eager plowing, and hoist the fake butt back into place on top of the bed. you had to make a stealthy exit before he got out of the shower. stuffing your own panties into your pocket, you decide the best way to avoid an even stickier mess on his floor that would certainly be noticeable, you had to wear the panties meant for the doll. you could only pray he didn’t realize they’d gone missing right away, and later today when you could sneak away to the bathroom, you’d put them back in place.

so, stumbling and trying to catch your breath, freshly fucked, you leave through the sliding back door, the one that faces the shoreside, and closes it behind you to complete your escape.

once outside, you exhale deeply, lean against his car, hidden from windows’ views, to evaluate the damage, beyond the mess of him in your panties. you groan, covering your face with both hands in belated guilt.

you could never, ever tell him about this!

[deadtired-highkeyenergetic]

Happy Birthday

Just a really self-indulgent fic for my bday. And yes I am going to spend my entire birthday on bg3 trying to romance this fictional vampire.

Summary: Astarion struggles to come up with a gift for you birthday.

Astarion knew your birthday was coming up, but he didn’t know what to get you. What did you want that you already didn’t have? You already seemed rather content with whatever you had, and you barely glanced at trinkets in the markets, content with whatever loot you found during the journey. He was at quite the loss for in the romance books he had read, flowers, jewellery, perfume had been the typical gifts given and yet you had never quite been inclined towards such things.

“Astarion? Is something wrong?”

He blinks, startled and realises that you’re standing right in front of him.

“Oh, it’s nothing darling, don’t you worry,” he smiles, gently cupping your cheek. He presses a kiss to your forehead, thumb gliding over your skin. You frown but don’t press the matter further. If he was comfortable with telling you about it, he would share it with you. You weren’t going to make him uncomfortable by forcing him to tell you what was on his mind.

“Just…know that you can tell me anything, alright?” You ask worriedly, giving his hand a squeeze. He nods, lifting your hand to his lips and presses a kiss to your knuckles. You smile, pulling him in for a hug and he nuzzles you in return, happy about the small act of love.

“I’ll see you later tonight,” you lean in for a kiss on the lips before quickly pulling away to head off with Wyll to scout the area ahead. He watches you go, an imprint of your warmth lingering on his skin and heads back inside his tent, trying to ignore the way his undead heart pounds against his chest, words stuck in his throat.

He spends the next few days wracking his brain on what to get you for your birthday while taking out his frustrations on the poor goblins the party encountered along the way until one day, he found something that had caught your attention. Of all things, it had to be some mediocre cloak.

“What’s so interesting about that…thing?” Astarion frowns. “I could purchase a cloak made with far better quality elsewhere.”

“But it’s handmade! It’s a product of someone’s hard work, time, effort and heart! How could you not appreciate it!” You huff, handing over the gold to the grateful merchant and hug the cloak close to your chest, smiling brightly. Astarion rolls his eyes and pulls you along before you can spend more gold on ‘mediocre items’, but this encounter has given him an idea of what to gift you for your birthday.

The moment the two of you reach camp, he slips into his tent and sneaks out the sewing kit he has stashed away in the deepest depths. A number of items he can sew for you run through his mind, but the one thing that nags away at his mind is a scarf. It has not escaped his notice how you often shiver on chilly nights, brushing it off whenever Karlach confronts you about it. He never misses how you jump whenever he touches your bare skin on such nights before giving him a reassuring smile and leaning into the touch despite the chill.

So he begins sewing a scarf, weaving it together with fabrics of your favourite colours whenever the party decides to set up camp for the night.

You raise an eyebrow when Astarion hastily disappears into his tent without even saying a word to you for the third night in a row, wondering what is going on. The first two nights you let the issue slide, thinking that he just needed some space to process whatever was going on in his head, but this was the third night and it was getting worrying.

Making your way to his tent, you pause outside the flap, wondering if by doing this you’re intruding on his privacy but decide you’d rather risk getting yelled at for sticking your nose into his business than let his potentially dark thoughts consume him.

“Astarion? I’m coming in!” You call before lifting up the tent flap, hearing a small commotion as you step in but are only greeted with the sight of Astarion holding a book, sitting on his bedroll with a smile.

“Hello, dearest.” He’s sitting rather stiffly for someone who ‘has been reading for the past however long’, stirring suspicion within you but you pretend that you haven’t noticed anything, hoping that you can coax whatever it was out of him.

“You haven’t been feeding lately.” You start off with a simple comment to lower his guard.

“There are plenty of bears around these woods, darling, don’t you worry.”

“I thought you said bear blood isn’t as tasty as mine?”

“You have been rather busy as of late, darling. I didn’t want to tire you further.”

“You’re the one who has been rather busy as of late, disappearing into your tent immediately after we set up camp.” You point out, arms folded across your chest. “Is there something that’s bothering you?”

“No?” He blinks, “I’ve just been rather engrossed in this book as of late.”

“So engrossed that you can’t even set aside some time to spend with me?”

Oh. He screwed up.

“I didn’t mean to —”

“Am I really less interesting than a book?”

“Of course not!” Astarion shifts anxiously. Was he going to lose whatever was going on between the both of you? He hadn’t thought about how his fixation on getting that scarf sewn on time for your birthday would affect you, the message his actions would send you, and how…all he wanted was to make you happy.

Your gaze softens and you apologise for being so harsh with him, which he automatically brushes off with a fake smile and a laugh, saying that it was alright but you could tell you had set something off in the deep recesses of his mind.

“Astarion.” You say gently.

“Yes darling?”

“Please tell me if I’ve hurt you. I never intend to, but I need to know if I have so that I won’t repeat it again,” you plead, worry gnawing at your insides. What if his guard was back up, leaving him alone with his own mind that tore him apart? What if he was pushing you away, you couldn’t imagine a life without him in every facet of it. What if he had grown tired of you, or worse, afraid of you? You didn’t want to lose the bond so painstakingly forged and greatly cherished, the very thought that he would leave scared you far more than anything in the world.

“It’s not that!” He quickly stands to his feet, swiftly closing the distance and wraps his arms around you tightly. “It’s…nothing, I promise. Don’t leave me.”

He whispers the last part but you catch it anyways. Burying your face into his chest, you wrap your arms around him as well, breathing in his scent.

“I won’t ever leave you, you’re my star, I’m lost without you.”

His eyes widen for a fraction of a second and a wide smile graces his face, a smile you cannot see and he doesn’t want you to see. A giddy feeling bubbles within his chest, he had never thought he would ever find anyone who would love him, and yet here he was, standing in the arms of someone who considered him their everything.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, the half-sewn scarf left forgotten. He would much rather spend the rest of the night with you, in your embrace and so he does, happily purring away when you massage his scalp and pressing as many kisses as he possibly can to your face.

Your worries are washed away when you see him relax like this, slipping into a trance whilst he’s curled up against you. Maybe you were worried about nothing after all. You run your fingers through his soft silvery curls, humming a lullaby you remember from your childhood as you feel sleep claim you and you drift off soon after, burning the image of a trancing Astarion into your mind.

You and Astarion fall into a routine in the following days where he would spend the first half of the night alone in his tent, doing whatever secret private thing he was doing and then he would move over to your tent for the remainder of the night, spending it either cuddling or reading with you. It was an agreement the both of you were satisfied with, and the whole party was relieved that the tension had faded. Bit by bit Astarion inched closer towards a finished scarf, and the night before your birthday, he finally had the complete product.

“Finally!” He groaned, collapsing onto his bedroll. It wasn’t the best scarf he’d ever seen, but it was decent enough, at least for his standards. Then the doubt started creeping in. Would you like it? Would you wear it? What if all the effort he had put into making the scarf was for naught? But then he remembers how until now, you’ve been wearing that mediocre cloak you had bought because it was handmade and it reassures him a little. He wouldn’t know how you felt about his scarf until he gifted it to you.

When the sun rose on your big day, Astarion waited until the others had said their well wishes and given you their gifts before approaching you.

“Y/N.” He says.

“Yes, Star?” You tilt your head in confusion. He rarely called you by your name, and when he did it was usually a serious matter.

“Happy birthday,” he says quickly, embarrassed as he thrusts a neatly wrapped package into your arms.

You beam, eagerly tearing it open and gasp when you see what lies inside.

“A scarf! I’ve been meaning to get one!” You cheer. “Thank you, Star! Really!”

His heart warms at your words, his lips curling up slightly as he watches you struggle to put it on.

“Would you like some help with that, my love?” He reaches over anyways, untangling you from the fabric and expertly wraps it around your neck before finishing it with a peck to your fore head. “There, done.”

You happily twirl around, playing with the ends of your scarf and giggle, throwing yourself at the vampire.

“Thank you so much!”

“Anytime, love.”

“Where did you buy this from?” You ask, happily burying your face into the soft fabric.

“I…I made it myself,” he mumbles, twiddling his fingers.

“You did? It must have taken so long to make this! That makes it even more precious!” You hug him tightly.

“I’m glad you like it,” he kisses the top of your head, all worry long washed away.

“Of couse I do. Anything you give me, I like it.” You grin up at him. “Now, can we spend the rest of the day together?”

“I would like nothing more, my love.”

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

So, the Miraculous Ladybug TV Tropes page recently added this under the Broken Aesop section on the YMMV page:

Adrien/Cat Noir had many instances where he could have discovered the identity of Ladybug/Marinette, but always respected the private life of his beloved, despite knowing that learning it would bring them closer (The only time when he learned it accidentally, Adrien was punished with the apocalypse, no less, and a Retcon.) His attitude was presented as the right thing to do. In the meantime, Alya has been akumatized on the fact she wanted to know Ladybug/Marinette's secrets. Both times, she tried to violently force the issue with her powers and the second time was after she tried pressuring her into revealing them. But, as a reward for her pushy behavior, Alya has been entrusted with Ladybug's identity and the secrets of the Miracle Box. And Adrien's reward for respecting her privacy? He's still (and more and more) left in the dark, and will very likely be the last one to know.

Any thoughts?

I don't fully agree, but it's also not exactly wrong.

I love Alya, but I've never been a fan of the fact that she learned Marinette's secret identity, especially because the episode where it happens - Gang of Secrets - really failed to make the confession feel like a wise move. It's one of the many episodes with a wacky moral.

For those who don't remember, the episode has most of Marinette's female friends worrying about her. They know that she's keeping secrets because, for some reason, Marinette didn't tell anyone about her breakup with Luka:

Rose: They were so cute together! Alya: Yeah, except they broke up. Juleka: He was like super sad when they did. Alya: But the real problem here is that Marinette never told us anything. If Luka hadn't told Juleka, who told Rose, who told Mylène, who then told Alix, who finally told me. Then I, her BF in the whole world would still be in the dark! Yesterday I was in the restroom and I heard her crying.

This is... really weird. Why didn't Marinette tell them? The episode never explains and I can't figure out her logic because they'd obviously learn the truth. There's no way that Juleka wouldn't know!

My best guess is that the writers wanted a conflict over secrets, but they didn't want to have Marinette's girl friends pick up on her Ladybug-based lies as that would invite a level of complexity that they really can't resolve. But that's a meta reason. As far as the actual text goes, there's nothing to explain this baffling choice.

What's even more weird is that making it about the Ladybug secrets would have worked if Alya was the only one worried because the episode ends with Alya learning the truth. Having the episode only be about Marinette and Alya would make a lot of sense. Instead, it's about the whole, rarely-seen girl group so we're stuck with the Luka conflict. Yay.

Either way, I'm not wild about the actions Alya and Co take. Their first choice is to call Marinette. When she doesn't pick up, they leave a very sweet message. If things ended there, then we'd be fine, but right after that, we get this:

Alya: Maybe we should go to her house. What do you think? Mylène: We'll give her an eternal friendship bracelet so she never forgets that friends can tell each other anything and that we'll always be there for her.

This isn't a terrible idea. Checking on a friend when you're worried about them is a reasonable thing. The problem is the way that check up goes down. The girls basically invade Marinette's room and start messing with her stuff like this is some fun little hangout session, almost discovering the miracle box in the process:

Marinette: What are you doing here? Alya: We're just checkin' in on you, girl. Rose: Aw, it looks just like a real house, look how the roof comes off to show the inside! Marinette:(frantically) No! No, don't touch that! Move away! (As Rose opens the roof, Marinette gets down, pushing past through her friends and Rose as she hides what is inside of the dollhouse, while Rose accidentally drops the roof, which cracks. The girls gasp in shock.) Rose:(kneels to pick up the cracks) Sorry, Marinette! Marinette:(angrily) Will you please leave my room?! Alya: Chill out Marinette, it's just a doll house. We'll totally help. Marinette: No you won't, please go! Alya: Okay Marinette, there's clearly something wrong and we're not leaving you like this till you tell us what it is.

The scene goes on like this until Marinette lashes out and tells them to get out even if it means ending her friendship with them, which is a response that I find totally justified. Marinette is quite obviously very distressed by her friends' presence and they are refusing to listen to her pleas to leave. They're also giving that refusal in a highly confrontational manner, which is the completely wrong tone for conveying concern. They do not come across as caring. They come across as demanding.

Marinette has every right to be upset by that. It's okay to not want people to invade your room, touch your stuff, and demand to know you're secrets. It's also okay to get upset when people keep ignoring your clearly stated and perfectly reasonable boundaries.

While I fully support wellness checks, this is not how you do them. It's like a variation on the scenes where people confront Gabriel in Adrien's name. They're all impressively terrible examples of how you handle a very complex situation. Worst possible way you could go about it. Children, do not try this at home!

Of course, Marinette's justified reaction leads to the girls getting akumatized, leading to a fight, leading to Ladybug saving the day, leading to everyone being friends again even though the girls never apologize for how they went about their wellness check. Rose's quick sorry for breaking Marinette's doll house is the only one we get in the entire episode. Then we get this:

Alya: You go ahead girls, I just have one last thing to say to Marinette. (closes the door to Marinette's room) You didn't tell us everything, did you? A journalist and a BFF can tell these things. I won't try to figure it out or force it out of you. (sits beside Marinette) If you can't tell me what's in your heart, it's your right. Marinette: Will we still be friends? Alya: Marinette. I'm your best friend, and I'll always be. That's why it kills me that I can't help you with whatever's making you feel so alone. (Alya sighs, and is about to leave Marinette's room when Marinette grabs her hand.) Marinette: Alya, wait! Stay. You're right, I am alone. (grows increasingly emotional) More than ever before. I can barely take it anymore! You know why I broke up with Luka? Not because I don't like him, he's amazing! It's 'cause there's something that I can't tell him. You know why I have to forget Adrien? For the exact same reason! You're right, I keep secrets, I lie all the time! I lie to my friends, to my parents, to everyone and the worst thing is, I can't do it any other way! Alya: There's always another way. Marinette: No, not this time. I have no choice. All this is bigger than us, Alya. Way too big. Alya: If it's too big, two of us can handle it better than one. Marinette: If I tell you, things will never be the same between us again. (shakes her head) It'll mess up everything, maybe even destroy it. Alya:(voice breaking) Marinette, I'm your very best friend. Marinette: And I… I'm Ladybug.

Maybe this is just me, but this doesn't feel like Alya respecting Marinette's boundaries. It's certainly not as bad as the earlier scene. In fact, I like a lot of this in a vacuum, but because of that earlier scene, this one feels uncomfortable. Once again, Alya is so sure that she knows what she's talking about even though she really doesn't.

In the first scene, Marinette was right that they all needed to get out so that she could protect the Kwamis and in this scene she was right that the Ladybug reveal wasn't the kind of thing where sharing was the clear right choice. This would all play so much better if Alya said her first few lines and then actually left, only to be called back by Marinette several hours later. Then we'd really feel like Marinette was making an informed choice instead of revealing her identity in a panic.

Another option would be to have Alya offer comfort without needing to know what is upsetting Marinette, maintaining the secret identities while also giving Marinette some much needed support. Saying she'll support Marinette no matter what and then getting up to leave just doesn't feel super supportive to me. It feels like Alya is (unintentionally) making Marinette panic by saying one thing while technically doing another.

Remember, Marinette just had a really stressful day where she almost lost all of her friends, making this an incredibly charged moment that ends with Alya leaving while clearly disappointed. Of course Marinette would try to salvage that! Her brain isn't focusing on Alya's genuine words. It just sees Alya leaving and panics. It doesn't help that this opening line would put a lot of people on edge:

You didn't tell us everything, did you? A journalist and a BFF can tell these things.

"I know you're still keeping secrets, but I respect that" is not the best way to start a conversation with someone who is clearly struggling.

Because of these issues, I don't feel like Marinette truly decided to make this serious choice. I feel like she blurted it out in the middle of a panic attack, so this scene never gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. This is especially true because we never get to truly see the fallout of Alya processing the reveal and comforting Marinette. The scene just ends and the next episode has them back to their usual dynamic, just with the bonus element of Alya knowing the whole Ladybug thing.

To be fair to Alya, a lot of this comes back to our oft-discussed issue of Miraculous trying to speed run major story lines in 20 minutes because it's a formula show so it can't let things play out properly. That doesn't change the fact that this feels rushed and unsatisfying. It's not the natural conclusion to an episode where Alya learns to respect Marinette's boundaries, but I don't think that's actually the lesson here. The lesson seems to be that Marinette should share her secrets with her friends to lessen her mental burden.

Once again, that's a lovely lesson in a vacuum, but a really weird one for the show that gave us Chat Blanc and Miracle Queen in the previous season and that will include Sentibubbler, Ephemeral, and Nino accidentally outing Alya to Gabriel in the exact same season. Season five will even see Luka leave the country because he knows the secret identities!

Writers, when it comes to secret identities, you really need to pick a lane. Are they good or bad? Is sharing them a No Good Very Bad Thing, an act of trust, or no big deal? The inconsistency around this topic is a major issue for the show as the Alya reveal really undermines everything going on with Ladynoir. While there's solid logic for Ladynoir not sharing, similar logic applies to Alya at this point because Gabriel literally knows her secret identity! Through no fault of her own, Alya is not a safe person and that makes it really hard to watch Alya get the reveal while Adrien stays in the dark. I can justify him not knowing. I can't justify Alya knowing.

I'll wrap this up by saying that I don't agree that Adrien has respected Ladybug's boundaries to the point where it feels like he should have been rewarded (narratively speaking, of course. This is a story after all). He may not be all that pushy about an identity reveal, but he's pretty freaking pushy about Ladynoir becoming a thing, so Ladybug not being ready to trust him does feel earned. Plus, as I said above, it's not like there's no logic behind them keeping their identities a secret. We know that they're dating on the civilian side, but as far as they know, they're total strangers.

If you look at it from that perspective and ask, "what are the benefits of a reveal," you'll find that they're not overwhelming, especially when compared to the risks that come with a mind-controlling super villain on the loose. I totally get why Marinette isn't telling him a thing, I'm just not really sure why she needed to tell Alya. The more logical route here is for Marinette to keep her secrets and look for support on the Ladybug side of things. Ideally that support should be Chat Noir or Su-Han, but it could be Alya, too. I still think that's a bad call since Alya's identity is in the villain's hands, but it would still make more sense than Marinette telling Alya all of her secrets. Another route would be for Alya to learn by accident. She walks in at the wrong time and, ooops, no taking that back. That's the only way I'd personally write Alya learning at this point in the story.

Sorry if this one was a bit of a ramble, the writing around the topic of secret identities is one of the elements I truly don't understand. I have no idea what the writers are doing here. It's not even a "you didn't think this through" thing like the sentimonster stuff. It's a "you spent all of last season telling us that identity reveals are bad and you're about to spend all of this season also telling us that, so why do we randomly get an identity reveal that's magically okay? Rena Furtive doesn't even do anything useful for the plot, why make her a thing?? Are you even trying to tell a coherent story???"

[definitelynotshouting]

re: that last ask i LOVED seeing grian saying “do you have to?” and mumbo answering “actually, yeah, kinda” bc it’s so innocuous unless you know what he’s planning AND how little grian’s been reaching out. plus it touches on that thing you’ve mentioned before of like. this is a bad situation for everyone, nobody is trained for this and nobody is operating at 100% capacity rn.

also not to be all pepe silvia but mumbo’s willful ignorance thing kinda reminds me of in that s7 (i think) oneshot where mumbo mentions grian’s wings being completely unfamiliar. like what you said about scar and pearl knowing more about this than he does, mumbo has very little context here. he’s working off of outdated cues and lands on “okay yeah my friend is in a bad spot but he’s getting better because he has to. and he always has before.”

AUGH. anyway. <3 -📞

previous ask in question

YES YES that is actually EXACTLY what that side fic was meant to show!!! The fact that he KNOWS something is wrong but is willing to let it slide and sort itself out under the hood is a character trait i find fascinating to explore in him!!! And tbh, writing it has been a very quiet set-up to this chapter the entire time. I just really wanted to shed light on his inner thought process for similar situations and show precedence for this specific behavior-- Mumbo shies away from prying and getting heavily involved with emotional situations!!! And sometimes this can be good, and initially protected Grian's privacy while he got used to freedom again when he first joined hermitcraft.... and then sometimes-- like right now-- it can be very, very bad for the entire situation. I just think its a neat interpretation to run with and run with it i certainly have :]

OUGH im so glad that little line of Grian's paid off so well-- it makes me so so happy that it seems to have hit in the exact way i wanted it to 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 im really enthusiastic that everyone has had so many feelings about it!!! Ohhh Grian..... your issues<3 thanks phone anon, im really happy you liked the chapter!! :DDD

[gamesception]

Sception Reads Cass Cain #34

Robin (1993) #88 - May 2001 Story: Chuck Dixon & Scott Beatty Pencils: Pete Woods, Ink: Andrew Pepoy Letters: Willie Schubert, Colors: Noelle Giddings

Guest appearance again this week. A bit more of a notable one because as far as I know this is officially the first time Cass Cain and Stephanie Brown meet. Kind of more significant in retrospect than in the moment, as they don't exactly hit it off right away, but still.

So the basic setup is that Bruce has decided Stephanie isn't going to just go away and stop doing Spoiler stuff so he might as well take her on officially and train her, a decision spurred on by Tim working more and more on his own & not answering Bruce's calls. When Tim disappeared from the country completely without telling Bruce where he went Bruce turned to Stephanie to check up on him, in the process telling Steph Tim's secret identity, which iirc (my Robin knowledge is limited, I could have this wrong) previously Tim had used as the reason they couldn't be in a relationship. Like "I can't date you, you don't even know who I am, and I can't tell you that even though I want to because it might give away Batman's identity, which isn't my secret to share. Also my life is super dangerous, and Batman doesn't think you're ready, and as much as I like you I have to respect his professional opinion on this"

On the one hand it's dicky of Bruce to not respect Tim's privacy the way Tim respected his, but on the other hand Tim blowing up about it kind of implies that all those things he told steph were excuses, and the real reason he didn't want to date her was that he just wasn't that into her. Or maybe he was, but got mad at her for getting pregnant by someone else after he rejected her and now doesn't want to date her because of that? Did that happen already, or after this? Again, I don't know the details of Robin Lore, but reading just this issue and the previous one for background, Tim is absolutely the one who comes off as worse here between him and Bruce.

So anyway that's what's going on. Cass shows up in all of this when Bruce takes Stephanie to one of his training caves and has Cass demonstrate a training routine that Steph is struggling with.

Which, yeah, I guess this is pretty badass or whatever,

But if this were a real life situation, Cass would have just decapitated like seven dudes. 100% fatality rate for the criminal dummies. You'd think Bruce would be a little less glowing in his praise over that, considering how much of his shitty behavior towards Cass started when he found out she might have (definitely did, but denial is a powerful drug) killed somebody.

Cass gives Steph the cold shoulder. Giving Dixon & Beatty the benefit of the doubt for a moment, this does fit very much into the recent evolution of Cass's character, becoming harder and harsher as she gets more isolated. She also may be picking up on and echoing Batman's lowish opinion of Stephanie as a vigilante / person, even if it has softened enough for the moment that he's willing to train her.

And it sets up for future interactions where Stephanie basically puts in the work to break through Cass's walls, despite her initial frosty attitude, to become the friend Cass needed when when she didn't have any others. The whole arc is honestly pretty touching and really speaks to Stephanie's character, and it isn't possible without this initial attitude from Cass.

....

On the other hand, this plays into an obnoxious trend of the entire bat family being written as incredibly rude and dickish towards Stephanie, in ways that very often feel completely out of character. Even (especially) Tim, her supposed love interest. Even Alfred!

Yes, calling Alfred 'the Butler' is rude, but Alfred was uncharacteristically rude and dismissive to her first in this scene.

And since it so often feels out of character, you get the impression that the people who actually hate Stephanie aren't the characters themselves, but rather the writers and editors at DC. That is eventually undeniably the case, once DiDio is in charge and War Games is happening.

But that's still 3 years away! I had to check, because the way the narrative is treating Stephanie right now, the way all the characters we're supposed to think are in the right here are treating her (Alfred, Tim, not Bruce), feels very much like the build up to War Games, with Stephanie finally getting a chance to shine and getting some respect from bruce, but with the overall narrative implying that's a bad thing somehow and that she isn't worthy, that despite all her work and earnest commitment she's somehow only coasting on hubris and setting herself up fro a fall, one that we as the audience are supposed to find, like, cathartic, or maybe at best tragic but in a cosmically justified sense that she brought on herself.

And it all kind of sucks, because no, she really doesn't deserve any of it. Or rather she hasn't been written to deserve any of it. The differences between her and Bruce's other sundry teen sidekicks and hangers on have overwhelmingly been in how others have been written as treating her, not the things she's been written as doing or in her personality or whatever.

I guess that's a free writer tip for you. If you want the reader to not like a character, write that character as doing or saying or thinking unlikable things, or acting for distasteful motives. Or give that character things they don't deserve or appreciate without having to work for them. Don't make them sweet and put-upon and have them try hard to do the right thing despite coming from a bad place and struggle to earn respect that others get for free only to have it denied to them anyway and then have all your main characters shit on them constantly for no reason or even explicitly for doing things that they all do and get rewarded for.

If you do all that, your readers will end up identifying with the character you want them to dislike and disliking the characters you want them to identify with.

EDIT: oh, I almost forgot, we do get this one cute 'proud papa' moment from Bruce:

Always nice to see those, especially amid all the less positive stuff going on with him and Cass right now.

[lillyspeakz]

I saw an ask regarding adhd just wanna give an advice bcs I suffer a lot from mental health including MDR if yk MDR then good else in short it's Major Depressive disorder not only this but I have trauma issues due to my past and like I have slight autism with panick disorder and anxiety disorder I panick a lot. Weeks before I was suffering from ADHD but it was not huge and no doctors will give someone antidepressants for ADHD they need to check like what it's for and for kind info there is no particular med for ADHD it's mainly treated by SNRI and SNRI stands for Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor it's bcs ADHD comes with depression as per ik like depression is the first thing and when it stays for year without any treatment it will cause other issues such as ADHD, panick disorder etc. ADHD is a disease where someone lacks from attention deficiency and it might be due to the person was sad and the brain is trying to focus on escape like yk. And there is no medicine which can fix particularly ADHD only like it will act on it moreover ADHD is caused bcs of a hormone named norepinephrine, this hormone gradually decreases due to some reason and when it happens our brain can't act normally this medicine contains some drugs which binds on the nerve receptors slowing down the absorption and there is the magic as the absorption slows down in the nerve there is excess hormone which remains in our brain and this helps not triggering ADHD. And same goes for Depression but it's bcs of lack of serotonin and lack of serotonin can cause other hormone to decrease bcs serotonin is a mood regulator, we basically have two hormone for happiness oxytocin and dopamine but Serotonin is like a commander for them controlling them if there is a lack of serotonin people will find difficulty to process emotion, causing mood swings including depression. So to keep it ok SSRI are used. SSRI stands for Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor process is same but it got different drugs and this drugs are legal and safe and SSRI targets the serotonin receptor and it works in the same way like SNRI does.

So what I wanna say is not to blame the doctor bcs it totally depends on the patient on how they co-operate if they don't tell doctors openly what they are suffering from doctors aren't god that they will understand it. In my case at first I used to be afraid but i gradually gain confidence and right now my doctor is like a bestfriend for me I openly talk with him with any difficulty I am facing, and just months ago I used to take SNRI bcs I had slight ADHD it eventually got fixed but as my main issue is Depressions he gave me a better SNRI like a change and better one than my previous SSRI it's not bcs that med wasn't working it's bcs I was getting a bit dependant on it moreover he is a MD in General Medicine and he was a professor plus doctor in one of the most reputated medical College and hospital of our city where most reputated doctor of our state comes and it's a government hospital and college right now he is a professor and doctor in another well reputated Government Medical College and Hospital of our state.

And if this person have openly communicated with their doctor then I will say to change their doctor, but I still feel fishy about this as no doctor will give someone wrong medicine bcs it will literally result in cancellation of their license. Anyway not blaming anyone also if it's that person whom ik I won't mention their name for privacy then they can put an ask and i will give the doctor's number even though he doesn't do any private chambers unless for emergency or any close one the doctor is a good friend of my dad so that's why I can go for check up to him, I said this bcs that person ik also had this same disease anyway sorry for putting this long ask just wanna help people in need despite anything pls do post this ask.

You’re all good love, thank you for spreading awareness and helping!!

[marshmallowprotection]

omg…. i read your post regards saeyoung’s paranoid tendencies and i’m wondering if a MC that is too private(like, something potentially dangerous or harmful happened but tends to keep the situation to themselves and solve it alone if you know what i mean?) would end up being a dealbreaker. i think maybe it would be complicated to develop a mutual trust (i have hardcore commitment and trust issues SPECIALLY with people i like, so that would probably make it worse 😭😭)

It's not a dealbreaker, but I think you and Saeyoung would need to learn to communicate on your own.

Listen, he is a private person, too. It's not that he's an open book... he most certainly isn't an open book. The only people he trusts with the truth are those in his inner circle. He doesn't want the world to know everything! It is important to have him his privacy is valued, he would get why a person would feel the same way as him, and that's the real truth.

Do you know he has often bit his tongue to keep his loved ones safe?

He would hide every dangerous threat in the world if he could do so because he knows sometimes, ignorance is bliss and he would rather have you and Saeran believe everything is okay and nothing could ever go wrong. But, withholding information from people that could help them in a moment of anxiety is wrong. You shouldn't lie to others about something dangerous or harmful. Privacy is one thing, and this is something altogether.

Even if you think you're doing the right thing, you're not. It's okay to know that you need to handle something alone, like, if you need to be able to face some hard truths, get some therapy, and work on fears... that's okay. There are certain things that we have to do by ourselves. There isn't anything wrong with that. But, if you're lying through your teeth about something that could get you hurt or someone else hurt in the process?

That isn't okay, my friend.

It sounds like you and Saeyoung are two birds of a feather, and that means you flock together. You both need to learn how to be open and honest with the one you love. This won't destroy your relationship but it will force you to face some hard truths about what is and isn't okay for your physical and emotional wellbeing. Use your words. Talk with Saeyoung face to face. Work out the problem and find a boundary to ease your troubles.

"If I am in danger, I will call you for help."

"If I need to talk, I will open up when I'm ready."

"If I can't do something alone, I will ask for help."

"It's not that I don't trust you. I was hurt before and now I need to learn how to trust again. Give me time."

[where-fading-princesses-live]

eBay Rant

Boy, oh, boy do I have a juicy eBay rant coming your way.

 So, I’ve been buying on eBay since 2016 and never run into major issues with sellers.

 The stupidest seller I ever came across was one such person who thought it smart to ship me a *porcelain* doll in a cardboard box with no outer protection, and of course, she broke into a million pieces and I basically got her for free, lol. I never thought anyone could be more stupid than that.

 But this one takes the cake.   🎂

 So, I’m looking at this from two sides—as a buyer and a seller. I’m also a part-time seller myself. I don’t sell very often because I don’t have too much to sell; but if I want to downgrade and need the money, I’ll part with a few items in my own collection. I usually sell occasional doll items and have never had a major issue with buyers (I’ve had more issues with Facebook Marketplace than eBay), but naturally, if a customer had a complaint, I would not have responded in the way this bloke did.

Well, there’s a first for everything, right?

I’ve been buying and collecting high quality photos of old Hollywood stars for some time now and I purchased a Don Knotts photo on Sunday, January 1 (Don Knotts is one of my faves and I have quite a collection on him). The photo finally arrived on Monday, January 9 but unfortunately, it was not the high quality I expected. The seller claimed in the item description that the photo was from an original negative from a film print of a Steve Allen show episode (which are hard to find; only a few episodes exist on DVD). But naturally, the old Steve Allen shows (as most old tv shows back in the 50s) were not on film. They typically ‘’filmed’’ live using a process called kinescope, which is not tape or film, and the quality tends to be very low (you’ll notice any Steve Allen show episodes uploaded to YouTube are very poor quality, because that was the low, cheap quality they processed the show to be shown on the very small tv screens; there is no high definition version that exists, even with restoration. The quality looks worse on our big flat screens, something that was not very noticeable back then on small tube television sets in the 50s). But judging by the seller photo, it looked like it might be a higher quality glossy that I’m used to. I’ve also purchased some photos from the Red Skelton Hour that also used the same process of The Steve Allen Plymouth Show, but they were actual stills used to advertise the show in the newspapers at the time, so the quality was better. So, that’s what I was expecting, more or less.

 But I get a photo that looks like this:

And to be fair, that is the quality of the videos you will see, but the seller photo just made me think otherwise.  Normally, I don’t buy items from sellers who are too cheap to afford a basic scanner to scan their items, because it’s hard to rely on crappy cell phone pictures that don’t determine what the photo will look like in person, but I decided to take a chance, because you know… I’m a simple man. If I see Don Knotts, I click, lol. And I’m a big fan of The Steve Allen Show.

 The seller, despite only being on eBay since January 2022, also had good reviews from buyers (I always review their profile and reviews before buying, if I haven’t bought from them before just to make sure they’re okay). He was at 100% when I bought the photo but more on that later.

So, to make a long story longer, I requested a refund on the day of delivery (January 9). I stated why I was returning the item when I opened the refund request. The seller responded on Tuesday, January 10. First red flag was that he did not use pleasantries. ‘’Hi, how are you? May I ask why you are returning the photo?’’ That’s how I would respond.

 No, here was his abrupt response. And terrible grammar to boot (no punctuation at the end of his sentence, but I’m not here to be a Grammar Nazi).

 ‘’What is wrong with the photo?’’

  (And I’ve blocked my name but really this seller does not deserve to be protected for privacy reasons; he is a cautionary tale for anyone on eBay.)

But another thing that was strange, too, was that I have returned some photos before in the past or requested refunds for photos that were not to my standards, and the sellers were always polite and very rarely ever asked questions about my returns. They always refunded me promptly. There’s really no reason for a seller to ask, ‘’What’s wrong with the photo?’’ Buyers don’t necessarily need a reason for a refund; sometimes they change their mind. Yes, I’m aware of buyer scams, but I’ve cancelled orders before for buyers who just had their own reasons for no longer wanting the item. It isn’t my business to ask. For instance, someone wanted to buy an American Girl Doll from me and changed their mind at the last minute because they had a surgery coming up. Understandable. I moved on to the next interested buyer. The less you ask of your buyers, the better. They don’t need to explain themselves. If they don’t like it or it doesn’t match the item description, they have a right to return it.

 I wanted a refund for an item I thought was going to be higher quality, but I got a very fuzzy, blurry photo. It wasn’t the seller’s fault; it just wasn’t what I expected.

 Well, this guy has only been on eBay since January 2022 (and he’s not just a seller, but also a buyer; in fact, he has more reviews as a buyer than a seller, five pages worth, and he only had seven reviews as a seller at the time I bought the photo), so I should’ve known right off the bat he’s a newbie who isn’t familiar with the standard eBay procedure in how to deal with customers.

 But in my experience, the sellers NEVER directly message me to ask me questions about why I’m returning the item or requesting a refund. I always state why when I make the request.

 I always maintain cordiality no matter how rude the person I’m dealing with (I’ve worked customer service for years, so I’m used to it), so I just responded with an honest answer. I always try to treat sellers the way I would want my buyers to treat me. Most buyers would just yell at the seller for no apparent reason.

 The seller seemed to soften after I kindly explained the issue and only then, did he start to use pleasantries. Because see? Niceness goes a long way. Usually if you’re nice about it, they’ll be nice right back. Usually.

 Well, he clearly stated that I did not need to return the photo and that he would give me a full refund on Wednesday evening (January 11). Good. I thought the matter was solved and I wouldn’t have to worry about it. I received a notification via email that the seller accepted my return. eBay did send me a shipping label to return the item, but again, the seller told me to keep it, and I did not want to waste more money sending it back anyway (the item was $10, and shipping was $10. With tax, the total came to be $20.84, for a photo that was not very good to begin with), so I hoped the seller would keep his promise and refund me ASAP.

 Come Wednesday evening, there’s no refund. I waited a few days and heard no response from the seller, so I reached out again on Monday, January 16. Most buyers wouldn’t even wait this long.

 The seller did not respond so I reached out again the following Wednesday, January 18. I never heard a response. Again, the seller promised he would refund me LAST Wednesday. It had been over a week now. I think I gave him more than enough time to issue me that refund. I also saw him listing new items on his store between the time I messaged him three times, so he was clearly more preoccupied with his own business than actually assisting a customer. He was ignoring all my messages. I was not a priority to him.

 I wasn’t sure if I should wait for his response, but I was starting to think I was never going to see that $20 again. My first mistake was not asking eBay Customer Support to step in, but they gave me a message on the 9th when I opened the case that they would only be available to help until January 13, so it was already past the window for me to contact them, and I couldn’t figure out how to contact them through the website directly anyway (there was a number to call which I should have tried, and their live chat wasn’t very useful either). In all my years buying on eBay, I never had to escalate a return case to eBay Customer Support because the sellers always resolved the issue in a timely manner and never ignored my inquiries. Frankly, I just wasn’t sure what to do next. This seller was purposely giving me a hard time.

 So, I was admittedly losing patience now and reached out to PayPal directly on Wednesday, January 18 (PayPal always refunds me for merchants who refuse to do so). I gave them all my documentation. I explained the issue and provided them with screenshots of my eBay order, the conversation I had with the seller showing that he clearly promised me a refund, and an Account Statement that detailed my credit (showing date of purchase, the order ID, and the card I used to pay for the item).

 On Thursday, January 19, I left a negative review for the seller because he ignored all my messages and I think I waited long enough for him to respond, and if he just issued me a refund in the first place like he said he would, I wouldn’t have to be going through all this. This is also the first negative review I've ever had to write up simply because I never had to before. I prefer not to write them if I can avoid it, but this experience has been very trying. Most buyers would just go straight to the reviews and start lashing out at the seller before contacting the seller first, but I think I followed all the steps. I contacted the seller first, chatted politely with him in private, and agreed to settle the issue, so there was no reason for me to write a negative review, and that’s usually how I go about it. I’ve only written maybe two neutral reviews (which one seller had eBay remove and another asked me to change to positive after he refunded me the difference for overcharged shipping), but otherwise, I try to avoid it. I’m not out to ruin a seller’s perfect 100% rating on purpose. But this seller did not handle the issue properly and I think I gave him a fair chance. I also worded my review as kindly as possible despite my frustration. His rating is now down to 99.1% (not counting the false positives he’s received as a buyer from other sellers but more on that later).

 After reviewing the details of my case, on Tuesday, January 24, PayPal denied my case because I accidentally deleted the PayPal receipt, and I wasn’t able to recover the file from my email because it was more than 7 days ago. PayPal did give me from Tuesday, January 24 to Friday, January 27 to provide them the additional documentation of my receipt, but there was no way to recover it. All I had was the Account Statement to show proof of credit. They said ‘’because we never received documentation that proves you are due a credit’’ they unfortunately had to deny me. Because I reached out to PayPal, the Return was automatically closed on eBay on the 18th. Well, I was a little disappointed they didn’t see my side. It was the first time PayPal denied me.

 It’s mostly my fault because it’s the first time I’ve failed to save the PayPal receipt. I usually always archive them in my emails when I place the order and save the receipt until the order arrives in case I need a refund, but I guess I just wasn’t thinking. Oh well. I had 10 days to appeal my case to PayPal, but since I can’t recover the receipt, I decided not to pursue the refund further and let it go. Sure, I’m short $20 now but I know for the future to just save the receipts and ask eBay to step in first. It’s not really a big deal, just a lesson to be learned.

 I thought about disputing the charge directly through my bank or credit card company, but it’s such a hassle to go through all that for $20. If the charge was more, I would consider it, but I also don’t want the bank to think I’m attempting to commit ‘’friendly fraud’’ so again, I just decided to let it go. Life’s too short to worry about stuff like that. It’s not worth the aggravation and I have more important things to worry about.

 On the same day PayPal closed my case, I did manage to reach out to eBay Customer Service via Facebook messenger (which I should have done in the first place) to just to double check if there wasn’t anything more they could do. They were very sympathetic to my case, but they explained because ‘’a dispute was opened with PayPal. Once this happens, it would take precedence over our claims process, and we would no longer have the ability to issue a refund on the order. It definitely isn't that we don't want to help, our hands are just tied. If you haven't already, I would encourage you to reach out to PayPal and see if the case can be appealed, or what other options they may have to help. We hope this is resolved soon.’’

 So, that was that, and I just decided to let it go because there was nothing else to be done, and I didn’t think more of it. That was four days ago.

 BUT WAIT... THERE’S MORE 

So, this morning, I see the seller messaged me at 11 AM, practically harassing me over the negative review I left for him. Like I need more stress in my life, lol.

Sorry, I’m lmfao right now, this is so rich.

  🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

And, oh the awful grammar. Dude, please do yourself a favor and go back to school. I’m losing brain cells trying to make sense of this.

 Something’s wrong with me? Mmkay. No, I think something is wrong with you. I asked you three times for a refund, and you chose to ignore me. You do realize it’s been three weeks, right? Or can’t you tell time?

  First off, I did not ‘’keep the photo free of charge.’’ lol what? 🤣 I paid appx. $20.84 for the photo that you NEVER REFUNDED, so you basically kept my $20 for yourself. Even if I printed out the return label to ship it back to you, you probably STILL would not have refunded me, and I would have been short even more money than I already am right now. (I’d return it now, but I no longer have the shipping label, and I doubt anyone would want this crummy photo. The 2 bids you see were both placed by the Gixen Mirror service on my behalf. There was no other competition.)

 Also, sorry I wasted YOUR precious time sending you three messages, two of which you ignored, and having to go through PayPal and having them review my case for an additional week. Yes, I clearly wasted YOUR time. 🤣 Dude, really. It’s been 20 days since I opened the return on the 9th, and it’s been 18 days since I last heard from you. I gave you more than enough time to refund me, which you failed to do.

 I’m sorry, I just can’t right now. XD I honestly think this guy is brain damaged. Ngl

(Also, a funny thing happened when he shipped me the item. He assumed I was married (for some reason???) and addressed me on the envelope as ‘’Mrs. So-and-So.’’ Like… you *never ever* assume a woman’s marital status, or *anyone’s* marital status for that matter, like for real… I didn’t let it bother me, but still, it was hilarious. I don’t think he’s very smart.)

  🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

In all seriousness, I did not think my review was unfair. I only stated I'd been waiting for a refund the seller promised since January 11. I understand, of course, if he was busy filling other orders, but I gave him more than enough time to refund me and sent him two additional follow-up messages, one on January 16 and another on the 18th and he never responded to my inquiries. He's just now responding.

 I just think it’s ridiculous that I’d been waiting for him to refund me since January 11, and, even if he was busy, he could have temporarily set aside his orders for a measly minute. I’m sure it doesn’t take nearly as long to send a refund. It took him six days to ship my order, so he’s clearly in no rush to fill orders. There was no reason for him not to take two minutes out of his day to issue me a refund. Most sellers I’ve dealt with in the past issued me a refund in no more than three days at most. He intended to drag this out longer than necessary. Also, the cordial thing for him to do, if he was so busy, was to reply to my messages explaining he would get back to me as soon as possible, and I would’ve understood. I’m aware sellers have lives outside of eBay, but usually if there’s a delay for whatever reason, a *good* seller will always keep me informed.

 A *good* seller cares about customer satisfaction, as in responding to customer inquiries at your earliest convenience. If it were me filling a refund request, I would not wait weeks and weeks to get them their money. I would do so right away. And if life happens, just reach out. I basically did all the work messaging the seller regarding the issue. He did not have the common courtesy to reach out to me and explain why it was taking him so long.

One time, I messaged a seller to ask when they would ship an item after a week had gone by since placing the order, and they responded by saying their wife had suddenly passed away and there would be a slight delay in shipping, and of course I understood, and wished them sympathy and simply told them to take all the time they needed. Another time, a seller informed me they were out-of-town on vacation and would ship my item as soon as they returned, and I wished them a good trip and there was no rush. I received both items as promised from these sellers who were kind enough to take the time to explain the delay. This seller, however, did not bother telling me he was busy filling other orders, so how was I to know? Also, a few more reviews were left for him from other buyers a few weeks AFTER I opened my return case, so he should have refunded me first before he filled other orders. Why keep me waiting? And he only had until January 31st before eBay closed the Return. Why wait until the last minute? I feel like he was doing so on purpose, lol. There was absolutely no communication with him. Most sellers will ghost you if you agree on a refund. Sometimes, they say they will refund you and never follow through, and just keep your money, so naturally I assumed I’d been ghosted.

 Again, he just didn’t go about this the right way. If you say you will issue me a refund on January 11, but there’s a delay for whatever reason, he should have reached out to me. Again, I waited several days before reaching out to him, trying to give him time to respond. I tried to follow up with two additional messages which went completely ignored, so at that point, there was no more excuse. The fact that he’s just NOW responding to me on Saturday, January 28, 11 days after the Return was closed by eBay and four days after PayPal closed my case, it just says enough about this seller in general. Obviously, a procrastinator. It shouldn’t take you nearly a whole month to give a customer’s money back. JMO

 I always maintained cordiality and never resorted to threats, so I'm not sure why he feels the need to threaten me now. I have since blocked him, but I did reach back out to eBay Customer Support on Messenger and showed them this seller is going out of his way to harass me. I've been buying on eBay since 2016 and never encountered a character quite like this one. No buyer has ever left me a negative review either because I always try to be reasonable and understanding. I don't want to cause any more trouble, I'm just letting them know this eBay seller is prone to harassing his customers and I just hope he doesn't treat other customers in similar fashion in the future.

 So, eBay did respond and said, ‘’Thank you! You're completely entitled to your feedback, and you don't have to delete it. We'll go ahead and report the seller on our end so our Trust team can take appropriate action based on their findings. On your end, I recommend not engaging with this user further. Please keep us in the loop and let us know if you run into any other issues, we're here to help.’’

 So, I hope nothing more comes of this and this guys just quietly goes away.

 BUT WAIT... THE PLOT THICKENS

I did investigate him further and found out, as a buyer, he has several false positives from other sellers. He’s had at least four complaints from four different sellers for failing to pay for items, despite their constant notices and reminders. I wish I looked into him further before buying from him, because obviously, if he has an issue paying sellers, then he surely has an issue refunding his customers. But I probably wouldn’t have taken that into account, since I rarely request refunds and rarely experience issues with my items. I’m not sure if anything was done about it, apart from the orders being cancelled, or if these sellers tried to contact eBay’s Trust team to report him, but I’m just putting it out there. Unfortunately, sellers cannot leave negative feedback for buyers, so if a seller experiences an issue with buyers, and they leave a review, it will just be counted as a false positive. I wish I’d read all the reviews thoroughly. So, despite his generally positive reviews from other buyers, I wouldn’t let this deter you. He clearly has issues when it comes to money, whether it’s paying on time or issuing a refund.

If you ever deal with him, proceed with caution.

 I will say this whole experience has given me weeks long headaches and an upset stomach, but I also won’t say it wasn’t at least remotely entertaining. Shakespeare would’ve loved this kind of drama.

[she-karev]

Girl's Night In

Previous Part Here

Age Rating: 12+

Chapters: Three of Five

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Summary: At April’s insistence Amber listens to the voicemail from Andrew that takes her by surprise.

Words: 1265

Chapters Links: 1,2,3,4,5

March 25th, 2020

Amber stands under the waterfall shower of Jackson’s bathroom enjoying this warm and blissful moment to herself. The dark hair dye streams down her back and into the shower drain below her feet. She tries to wash the stress of Andrew’s pending voicemail down the drain but it doesn’t work. If only pain and humiliation can be so easily remedied.

Her blissful moment is cut short when she hears a knocking on the glass shower stall. She opens her eyes to find the knocker was April who stands outside the stall wearing a shower cap from the red hair dye Amber just applied before going to wash her hair of the excess.

“Hey you still got 30 minutes left get out.”

“Trust me I wouldn’t interrupt you especially when your hurt and pissy but I have something you should hear.” April holds up Amber’s phone showing the voicemails, more specifically the one from Andrew that was opened.

Amber widens her eyes at the phone and gets angry at April for violating her privacy and listening to the voicemail, “What the hell is wrong with you? I told you I didn’t-”

“Want to listen to the message I know but I had to listen to see if it’s as bad as you think it is and if it was, I would have deleted it and spare you from more pain.” Amber opens her mouth to object, but April keeps talking, “And before you strangle me just take a second to remember when you interfered in my personal life and betrayed my confidence by going to my ex and telling him about my divorce after I explicitly told you not to.”

Amber closes her mouth but is still glaring at April who looks unashamed, “Now were even.”

Amber groans and turns off the shower before coming out naked in front of April who widens her eyes, “Wow you obviously don’t have boundary issues.”

Amber wraps a towel around herself, “I guess we have something in common after all, delete the damn message. Hell block his number I am not subjecting myself to this crap anymore, I grew out of it and I am not gonna get back in.”

April still holds out the phone to Amber in the middle of the bathroom, “I would agree with you full heartedly but before you do you should really listen to this message he left you.” Amber scoffs, “Amber, I like you. On and off but you’re not just Jackson’s friend, your mine and as a friend I wouldn’t open your heart to another dagger thrown by your ex. I am telling you to listen to this message and you can decide then if you hear the man you love on the other side or not.” Amber narrows her eyes at April who continues, “At this point he can’t hurt you worse than he already has can he?”

Amber stews in her anger holding the towel around her before grabbing her phone from April’s hand and pressing the message and holding the phone against her ear.

‘Hey it’s me…I’m sorry.’

Amber stops surprised to hear not manic ramblings or erratic backlash but sincerity and calmness that she was sure she would never hear again from Andrew. She was sure the mania was gonna eat the man she loved alive and leave her with another mental case to hurt her. But instead, she hears the calm and gentle man she fell in love with. She listens to the message as it keeps going.

‘I am so sorry for all of it. I am taking my meds and going to therapy, and I know now that you were right to worry, and I was wrong to lash out. I know it doesn’t make up for it now, but I want to if you’ll let me. Can we please meet and talk? I want to talk and see if…see if I can get us back to where we were before I screwed everything up. I love you, I miss you and I promise I can be better. Okay good night.’

The message ends and Amber is processing the message for a few moments with April looking at her in suspense for her reaction. Instead of reacting Amber walks out the bathroom with the towel wrapped around her leaving April who looks shocked. April snaps out of it and follows Amber to her room where she changes into her pajamas.

“Well?”

Amber puts her sweater on and turns to April, “Well what?”

April’s eyes widen, “Are you gonna call him back and talk to him?”

“Talk about what? About how he compared me to my horrible parents and kicked me out of our apartment?” Amber recounts still feeling the heartbreak she is trying so hard to mend, “Or how he left on his motorcycle and only came back for Webber and not for me?”

April winces at that but persists, “He seemed sincere on the message maybe he’ll be sincere about making it up to you.”

Amber scoffs, “Why would I want to make up with him? After everything he did to me? I am not some country singer in a music video who goes back to the man who hits her I know my limits and I told him that I reached it with him. And suddenly he thinks I can go back on my word and be his punching bag again?

“It’s not like he wanted to hurt you of his own free mind. He was manic and the illness-”

“That’s why I can’t go back!” Amber tells April in a broken voice before lying down on her bed in despair staring at the ceiling, “My mother’s schizophrenia hurt me, my brothers nearly killed me and my boyfriend’s mania kicked me to the curb after getting me to trust and love him. I have had too much crazy in my life, and I have been neglected, abused and almost killed because of it. I can’t be in that again; I can’t date that! I told him I was done with that life I told him that and he still…” Amber grabs a pillow and screams into it frustrated.

April stands by frozen by Amber screaming into the pillow that takes her by surprise. It lasts for a few seconds before Amber puts it away and continues, “Oh god he told me to leave April he-he was the one who said we were over.”

April sits next to Amber who puts her hands over her face trying to keep herself from crying, “Okay look I’ve known you and DeLuca for a long time, and I can see the love you two share and it is something out of this world. And in this dark and unfamiliar world we need as many people as we can to help us brave the storm. I know he hurt you and you’re right that you have been a victim of mental outbursts for too long and I think you should hear what he has to say. If he’s sincere in his guilt and he wants to make things right and if you want that too then maybe you can work through this. If not then it’s not meant to be after all.”

Amber groans as she keeps staring at the ceiling, “…I need a drink. Or 20.”

April nods understanding Amber doesn’t want to talk about it anymore, “Well lucky for us my ex-husband has very expensive liquor downstairs, let’s go!” April pulls Amber off the bed so they can continue their girl’s night.

Next Part Here

[caffeineandsociety]

The thing is, I don't care how Problematic someone's kink ACTUALLY is. If they engage in it exclusively alone or with other consenting adults, it's none of my business. Yes, even if it's about pretend-violating every justified taboo in the book. Yes, even if there's a bigoted center to it. It's still none of my business.

Why?

Because the benefit of fighting it is extremely limited - no one has ever been kinkshamed out of being a bigot nor into any other self-improvement that may be necessary, this is treating the symptoms of any relevant problem while ignoring the deeper issue (if there even actually IS a problem and not just someone processing fear through boners) - ESPECIALLY when contrasted against the harm this kind of absurdly invasive, entitled attitude about the divine right to judge everyone's sex life is KNOWN to do.

Sure, fine, I'm sure someone has a bigoted fetish for people like me that they roleplay in the privacy of their own home. So what? I don't know about it any more than theoretically. They're not harassing me. Until they do, why is it any of my business? I'm not being hurt by this.

But I certainly do get hurt when the goddamned sex police can demand my paperwork and certification for looking at the Wrong Media under threat of airing my dirty laundry all over the place and, for completely arbitrary reasons, branding me with crimes I did not commit.

The difference is obvious.

[withacapitalp]

this got so long i'm sorry lol. that post about jonathan hurting steve just reminds me of my number one issue w steve and jonathan/nancy becoming closer which is that the onus is almost always placed on steve to make amends and take that first step w/little to no emphasis on that effort being reciprocated. like, steve apologizes to jonathan for everything in s1 (as he should) and saves his life twice. whether or not you think jonathan should apologize for how intense the fight got is up for debate (i would just like acknowledgement of how seriously he did/almost did hurt steve) but steve def deserves an apology for 1)the photos (which he never got - obv he broke the camera but then he also bought jonathan a new one all w no actual apology to steve on jonathan's part, it wasn't only nancy's privacy he invaded) 2) the fact that he slept w nancy knowing she and steve were still together (which he literally verbally acknowledges when nancy says she waited for him or w/e). that second one obv also goes for nancy bc she also doesn't apologize to steve for leading him on for a year while having feelings for someone else then cheating on him. this isn't me saying jancy are terrible ppl and entirely unsympathetic (nancy is obv v traumatized and struggling w barb's death tho this does not excuse the way she treated steve) but they both did some fucked up shit to steve that ppl rarely make them acknowledge or even feel bad for, which creates a v unbalanced dynamic imo.

Oh boy this did get long!!

So this might just be curating different fandom experiences, but I don't personally see a ton of Steve being the one who has to make amends in fandom or Jonathan and Nancy not having introspection on their pasts. In canon I totally see that though, and it's a lot. Like I think they're all just really human, which I love. They fuck up, and they mistrust, and they have to learn and grow into being close. It isn't automatic.

I think like.......here's my thought process. Apologies are nice. Apologies are good. The right thing to do is always to apologize if you feel like you've wronged someone.

But I also think Steve wouldn't accept it.

Okay I'm putting the rest under a read more because I'm going on a little meta rant on Steve Jonathan Nancy and why apologies are a complicated thing for them and ultimately not what any of them really need.

First Steve because he's my blorbo. Steve is a really interesting character. He has this veneer of extreme self confidence that hides a really soft core of a person that ultimately experiences a significant amount of rejection. He has this brittle exterior that's bitchy and snarky and gives as good as it gets, but things touch him in a deeper way that I think is easy for a lot of people to ignore. I could totally see Jonathan awkwardly trying to bring things up to maybe try and apologize only for Steve to be like nah man we're fine! It didn't work out no biggie, I'm aok, you guys work together and we didn't.

Steve is constantly searching for validation and love (Implied because his parents are neglectful or at the very least have an extremely bad marriage that would be enough to add layers to anything) I think that the bullshit conversation really impacted Steve in a significant way, but if he shared that, then he's leaving himself vulnerable to getting hurt again, so he would do everything in his power to truly make everyone think he's okay, even potentially making himself think he's okay too, when deep down he isn't.

I alsoooo don't really think that Nancy or Jonathan necessarily feel bad. If Steve is pushing so hard to say he isn't hurt, then eventually I could see them not thinking too hard on it. Jonathan because in canon they aren't really friends obviously (Which is a goddamn travesty by the way I wrote an entire series of fics because I hated that they weren't friends) and Nancy because Nancy is an extremely self focused person.

Not selfish. I think it's important to make the distinction between selfish and self-focused. I don't think she's intentionally doing things to hurt the people around her for her own gain, but she thinks about how things effect her and how things impact her first and foremost. Not even just with Steve, but with everyone. A good example of this is in season three when she cost Jonathan his job too with her sleuthing. Her boyfriend who is in a very bad financial situation at home and could have really used a job that actually pertained to his interests and might have lead to future relationships in his industry. She didn't feel bad about that, she was too focused on the injustice to her. Even something as simple as never knocking when he's in the dark room and ruining his pictures over and over.

She just doesn't think about other people, which makes sense! She's a teenager, she's a privileged person, and she's smart as all hell. She gets extremely focused on doing the 'right' thing (according to her rules and her mind because she knows she's smart and thinks she's the smartest in the room always) and she misses doing the best thing a lot of the time.

For Steve, someone who is clearly extremely not self focused-which is also not a great way to be because extremes never are- and Jonathan- Someone who has been forced to put his family first his entire life- that is always going to be a point of conflict in her relationships with them.

But I don't know if we've ever seen Nancy give a genuine apology in the show, and I honestly doubt we ever would. It's not in her character really. But! Regardless of all of that, apology isn't really the end goal. Saying your sorry shouldn't be the end of something. I would much rather see Nancy Steve and Jonathan grow into people with more empathy and ability to own up to their shit/call people out on their stuff in the future rather than rehashing their past again. Unfortunately I have a feeling season five is gonna be a lot of rehashing lmaoooo

[lorwolf-salt]

What you receive when you email A (names shortened to align with rules):

“I will start off with some backstory: Q was a volunteer moderator until he was promoted to Head Moderator last June. All seemed well until over time I became aware of his growing unprofessional attitude towards the community, his work, and other staff members. He has been reprimanded twice before for this unprofessional behavior.

I thought things would end with his first reprimand, but sadly, things continued. How he addressed the community was the second issue. His conduct in front of players resulted in moments of conflict where he’d agree with players and state to them that ‘he keeps trying to bash the right ideas’ into the developmental team’s heads. By acting un-unified with the Dev team, if left unchecked I felt that this would create a Dev vs. Head Mod/Playerbase environment. On top of this, Q did not present himself with an impartial attitude. Discussions with others would become quickly heated when he was proven wrong, and he became very agitated by any mentions of religious groups, holidays, or things he disagreed with. Contention continued to rise as his compilation of suggestions work was bullet points at best and full of swearing at worst. The back and forth over the lack of clarity caused a lot of friction between us.

His third reprimand came in January when he broke his contract to divulge lw’s developmental information to others. He claimed he was under the influence at the time, but this was not the first instance that he has shared things without my permission. After stating that we’d need to prioritize our professional relationship while remaining friends, I reassured him I wasn’t angry, just disappointed and needed some time to process. The morning after this professional discussion, he decided to inform me his desire to end his life. As you may already know, my mom passed away last year. What I haven’t told the community yet is that my mom took her own life as a result of her lifelong battle with depression, and I’ve been struggling with it ever since. Q was the first person on our mod team that I entrusted with this information, and yet he decided to put me in the position of wondering if someone I cared about was alive or dead. It was only when he reappeared to talk to a couple of our other moderators that I was informed he was alive. Knowing he was fine, I requested he not contact me as I take time to process. All of this occurred right around the one-year anniversary of my mom’s passing, which he was aware of, making it that much more difficult for me to deal with.

I realized that our friendship was unhealthy and that Q was not a suitable fit for Head Mod. Eventually, I explained this to him and that he was being let go - as this was not the only time he had reacted so strongly and negatively to professional criticism. He once again informed me, as well as a couple of our other moderators, of his intent to end his life. He disappeared for a length of time not letting any of us know if he was okay. When he finally messaged me, I was relieved he was alive, but I felt manipulated and re-traumatized. I explained this to him, wished him well in seeking help and once again asked him not to contact me. Again, he ignored this and continues to this day to do so.

I have also provided a link to a google drive folder where I have included records of our interactions during these events. I have blocked out names and graphic messages about suicide to safeguard the privacy and dignity of the parties involved. I have also deliberately left out many messages between these screenshots, which I felt were extremely personal in nature and sent by someone who was experiencing a crisis. I mean Q no ill-will by posting these messages, I simply want to show my side of the story and proof of his harassment. The screenshots provided are ordered by date the messages were sent, spanning from January - today. The initial instance that Q mentioned his intent to end his life, I unfortunately did not get a screenshot of before he deleted it. As you will see, Q frequently edited and deleted his messages - and I was not screenshotting our conversations at the time he started deleting his messages. When I blocked him on Discord, he proceeded to create alternate Discord accounts to rejoin the server, and he messaged me on Tumblr and emailed me directly. The screenshots of these conversations have been included as well.

In the months since this occurred, I have come to believe that Q knows intimate details about myself that I’ve never shared with him. Additionally, in speaking with our moderators I’ve learned that he essentially stifled communication between myself and the community by instructing users not to message me if he felt I didn’t want to be interrupted - which he did without my knowledge or permission. I entrusted him with being the voice of our community and to inform me of the player’s wishes, which he failed to do effectively in many ways.

As for his request for credits in the game for his work, he was fully compensated for all of his time and work spent on helping us with Lorwolf. I have no desire for Q’s name to appear anywhere on the intellectual property owned by our company, as I have been personally threatened, stalked, and harassed by this individual for several months now. Additionally, I feel incredibly manipulated by this person due to the fact they have forced my hand in revealing the private conversations I have had with them, and making me feel that I have to defend myself by revealing details about my personal life. This is not how I wanted our community to learn about how my mother passed. Because of this, and his own breaching of the contract to begin with, I will not be adding his name to our credits.

As a side note, we allowed Q to play Lorwolf until yesterday, but he has since been banned as a result of him posting this letter on Lorwolf.com, which contained suicidal ideation and other content not suitable for our playerbase. I hope this has helped to explain the situation, please let me know if you have any further questions.” Discord Screenshots:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1blsevQGmKgLlzJNZhhr-9yXodQmdVF99?usp=sharing

Tumblr Screenshots:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TVlpEY95NJddwParyw4E7VVSwK_xapa7?usp=sharing

Email Screenshots:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GxdL0TjpVn3S8zLt-gxPl7XW6hkM13nF?usp=sharing

and honestly after seeing everything, Q feels a lot like an ex boyfriend trying to get back together with her by guilt-tripping. I know this whole thing seems unprofessional and it probably is, but A is in an emotional state rn and i know I wouldve reacted much worse

[thessalian]

Thess vs Armchair Quarterbacks

I need to go out for some last minute supplies, hopefully beating the rain, but I needed to stop a moment and say, “What the fuck is wrong with people?”

It’s my own fault for engaging in a “Recommended For You” post on Facebook. It was one of those, “You sleep for eight hours and work for eight hours; you have fourteen hours--” (yeah, the maths is wrong, I know) “--to do great things. Time is not a factor”. And I had to see the comments.

Someone was flagging up that actually, we have to work for more than eight hours just to be able to afford the electricity bill these days. And someone else responded, “Well, just move out of the USA and to someplace that has decent pay, sick pay, paid holiday, and all the benefits!” Presumptive as fuck on a number of levels, the first one being that OP was from the US. I’d figured him for a Brit, given his talk of benefits, and I double-checked to be sure and what do you know? I also figured that the guy replying was from somewhere in the EU, which turns out to be right. So I ... got involved. I flagged up that OP was from the UK, and the issues that we’re having here as regards pay, inflation, and the energy price increases.

The response I got? “Unionise!”

..................First sentence off my fingertips: “The people currently striking for higher pay are all in unions!” I then flagged up how Thatcher kind of undermined the unions’ power base, the current Tory government wants to more or less finish the job of destroying the unions, and Labour’s not stepping in to support the very labour unions that birthed his political party in the first fucking place. Finished with the statement that simple one-sentence solutions don’t help anyone because there are logistics to think about, particularly with the one about “Move away!” Because, seriously - WITH WHAT MONEY?!?

And, while I was typing this, one more response from this person. “Good time for a revolution, no?”

In principle, I agree? But again, logistics. Here’s what would happen:

We’d start with the usual kettling, indiscriminate tazer use, and usual police tactics. When and if the knives (or the explosives) came out, so would the armed police. Because this country does still have a few.

If this continued? I would not put it past this government to institute martial law, and probably make some adjustments to allow them to keep power by, like, scrapping the next election. Yes, despite it being nearly two years from now. I put nothing past this government. Plus, I mean, the army’s already out and about because they’re apparently stepping in (read: crossing the picket line) during the ambulance workers’ strike.

They would also use that martial law to force in some of the utter bullshit they’ve been trying to get through Parliament. The few remaining scraps of “right to protest” we have would go out the window, as would most privacy laws, I’d imagine.

Meanwhile, the attempted ‘revolt’ itself would cause the US to point at us and go, “See? This is what happens when you take away people’s guns!” This despite the fact that an armed general population would not have helped and would in fact only have increased the number of lives lost.

Also the number of elderly, young, and disabled people who would die in the process would be obscene. Noncombatants always suffer in these situations. And given how a lot of our media works, the spin would put the blame on the revolutionaries, not the government that sparked the mess in the first place.

Yeah, it’s nice that the dude is in a comfortable enough place that he doesn’t have to worry about this shit. It’d be nice, though, if he extended one ounce of actual empathy and looked at what people are actually going through instead of giving us “big-shit-eating-grin” emojis and one-word ‘solutions’ that would only cause more fucking problems. It’s fine to be an armchair quarterback about an actual American football game; not so much when people’s lives are on the line.

[theagstd]

One Night Stand ; 11

➥ rundown ; as if the unexpected twist of a one-night stand turning out to be your CEO boss wasn't surreal enough, the situation takes a more challenging turn when both of you discover that you're expecting his child.

→ genre ; strangers to lovers | CEO au | pregnancy trope | slowburn

→ Jungkook x y/n

→ contains smut, fluff and angst

→ Chapter eleven ; wc | 5.5 k

primarily on Wattpad

index ⇢ next chapter

Jungkook isn't comfortable in letting you in his personal space but he's got no choice. he wants to make sure everything is safe, and you're safe. he's letting you to his house not his room. so he thinks it's fine. 'I have no clue why he's being so insistent. I didn't ask for any of this,

and frankly, I don't want it,' you think to yourself, your scowl deepening as you stared at Jungkook in disbelief. "There's no way I'm going with you, Jungkook!" It took you a good five minutes to process his words. Jungkook was visibly frustrated. He just wanted to help you, for once hoping you'd stop resisting. "Look, Y/N—" he began, trying to reason with you.

"I'm not looking anywhere, and I'm not going to listen to a word you say," you interrupted, your anger rising. Jungkook sighed deeply, placing a hand on his forehead as he paced around, while you leaned against his car. "Y/N, please," he pleaded softly after a moment, aware that raising his voice would only escalate things.

He knew your temper well enough not to provoke it, especially not here, outside a hospital. You had your own anger issues; you needed space when you were mad, especially from someone like him, but he was right in front of you, a stubborn presence you couldn't ignore.

Taking a deep breath, you surveyed the nearly deserted parking area, the few remaining cars around you creating a small cocoon of privacy. "Speak. You've got five minutes, no more," you finally conceded, meeting his gaze.

Jungkook nodded, clicking his tongue nervously before launching into his explanation. "I understand you don't want to come with me. It's reasonable. But since I've taken this responsibility, I intend to fulfill it diligently. The doctor strongly recommended you be around someone, and since you have no one else, I'm volunteering to help."

He searched your face for any sign of relenting behind your stern expression.

Your glare was unwavering, arms crossed defensively, adding to the pressure he already felt. No, he wasn't scared of you; he just didn't want a scene, not now, not like this. "I'm not forcing you into anything, but logically, it's safer to take precautions and avoid any potential emergencies.

I'm simply asking you to stay at my place tonight until we know the baby's okay. Can you cooperate?" he asked, his tone almost sounding like Mr. Jeon rather than just Jungkook, his words practical and direct.

His argument made sense, whether you liked it or not. You softened slightly, dropping your guard a bit as you listened and understood. "Are you sure about this?" you asked cautiously. He nodded immediately. "Yes, I'm sure," he affirmed, and you nodded back, resigned to the plan. Glancing around, feeling uneasy about what lay ahead, you reluctantly got into the passenger seat of his car.

"This feels so wrong," you whispered to yourself, conflicted but knowing it was the right thing to do for your child's sake. Today had been harrowing, and tonight promised to be sleepless, especially in Jungkook's unfamiliar home.

"I need to grab some clothes," you muttered, relieved he heard you the first time. Louder, you added, "Sure." Without protest, he drove you to your place so you could quickly pack essentials for the night and the next day. The tension between you was thick as you packed.

Normally quiet around each other, tonight the silence felt heavy with unspoken emotions. Jungkook waited patiently in the parking lot, giving you space to collect yourself and your things, reflecting on the unusual turn of events. He couldn't quite believe he was doing this—taking responsibility, stepping up in a way he never had before.

he's always been, but never when it comes to girl matters, he was never with his mother nor his own girlfriends. 15 year old Jungkook wouldn't have been this way, he would've left you all yourself and told you to fuck off with the child. but here he is, mature, understanding, intelligent and moreover a gentleman. which he wasn't ever before.

He's never had a woman stay over before; he's had a few encounters, but they always left immediately. Jungkook never allowed them to stay, saying he wasn't going to take on the burden or deal with their sober selves. So, he feels nervous, jittery even, knowing that it's you—his one-night stand, his former employee, and now the mother of his unborn child. What a mess.

You put on long pajamas; shorts wouldn't be appropriate at his place, so long-sleeved PJs would have to do. Fortunately, your bump was still in its early stages, small and not quite round yet. Toothbrush, undergarments, perfume, makeup, office kit, and a casual kit. "Alright—uh, avocado!

How could I forget you? Wouldn't it be weird if I take you with me?" You looked at the plushie and pouted; cuddling it helps you fall asleep. "I'm taking you. This doesn't make me a kid, don't worry, Y/N."

You zipped up the bag and sat on the edge of your bed, looking at the floor and taking a few minutes to process everything. Does he live with his parents? He can't have a girlfriend, right? It hasn't been long since that club night. What if someone is waiting for him?

What if someone questions you? What are you going to say? Should you just decline his offer and lie that you'll call a friend? No, Dr. Sohee suggested you be with someone; lying to him won't do you any good.

This is about you, not him. 'Just go, spend the night there, Y/N, it's just for one day.' You walked out of your apartment, switching off all the lights and locking the door. What if he left? you thought, but when the elevator doors opened, there he was with a frown on his face.

He's always frowning. "What took you so long?" he questioned. You wanted to mistake his impatience for worry, but then he sighed and bent to take the bag in his hands. "Allow me—"

"No, it's fine. I can help myself." He nodded, rolling his eyes. Fine, he really didn't bother at this point; he just wanted to go back home. It's way past Bam's dinner time, and his poor puppy is surely famished. You both took your seats and drove to his place. You closed your eyes for 15 minutes.

It was quiet, not even the radio was on. Jungkook really is a boring guy, you thought. Not once did you hear him turn on the radio; your dad is a better representative of youth than Jeon Jungkook himself.

He kept his focus on the road until the car stopped, and you opened your eyes to face a beautiful contemporary modern mansion. Well, that was expected. Looking at the doors gave you anxiety; there has to be a whole family inside. Jungkook removed his seatbelt, his eyes meeting yours.

You gave no reaction, making him think maybe you've seen his place before or something. He didn't really mind. You walked behind him as he led you to the entrance.

It was rather suspicious—why was there no doorkeeper? The Jeon Jungkook arriving back home should have 20 service workers, but no. It seems you were wrong because he used his finger to type a code, granting him access to walk inside. "Ah," you whispered to yourself. Fancy.

As you walked inside, you were met with a strange sense of gloom. A sense of loneliness, absence of presence, and a dim lobby. Where the hell are his parents and his entire bloodline? It was quite awkward to stand there and look around. Well, at least the interior of the room had luxurious comfort, sophisticated like the owner of the house himself. "Firstly, what can I get you to drink—"

Jungkook's words were cut off by a pair of loud barks that erupted from the left side of the room. As you both turned to face it, an adorable little Doberman ran towards you. "Bam—" The dog reached your leg, screaming staccato barks with courage and protectiveness towards his owner.

The bravery of the little pup was commendable; it surprised you, considering his height didn't even reach your knee, but he barked like he would eat you alive if he found you to be a danger to his keeper.

"Bammie, she's safe. Come here! She won't hurt me, boy." Never had you heard Jungkook speak to anyone or anything so kindly and softly. You never knew he had that bone in him, but he seemed close to his dog.

In fact, Jungkook was trying his hardest to whisper it only to his dog; he even spoke louder with a manly tone just so you wouldn't hear him speak softly to his pup. The dog growled as he maintained eye contact with you. Huh, this little one's guts.

Bam forced himself to walk to Jungkook as he squatted, calming down a bit under his appa's pats. You had a soft smile on your face that kept getting wider. You've always been a dog lover. You have puppies back at home.

They mean the world to you, although they don't really like talking to you, quite angry that you left them alone with the two oldies. "Sorry about him, I never really have guests," he began to apologize when it wasn't even necessary.

You squatted near the dog. "May I?" you asked the owner for permission before laying a finger on the animal. You know how irritating it is when people randomly touch your pets without your permission. Jungkook nodded. The doggie snarled, trying to intimidate you, but in fact, that only increased your desire to pet him.

You placed your soft palm on his head, caressing his thin, soft ebony fur. He calmed down fully and moved his head along with your palm, wanting you to rub him more. His actions made you giggle. Maybe the puppy love inside you had grown, and you just missed Lana and Dubi even more now.

"There, you're my friend now," you whispered to the boy who circled around your ankles for more affection while Jungkook looked at the two of you with adoration, he'd never seen anyone pet Bam before, it's always him and the caretakers.

His one night stands would always be disrespectful and shoo Bam away. Standing upright, you met Jungkook's eyes, which had softened after witnessing the scene. He held back a smile.

"You're gonna crop his ears, right?" Jungkook's eyes widened as if they would pop out of his sockets. "No, never. What made you think I would do that?" You shrugged and looked at him. "You look like the type who'd have a dog that looks rude and egoistic like his owner and.... most people do that so."

He ignored you and gestured for you to take a seat. "What would you like to drink? Coffee, tea—" "Water is just fine." He nodded, walking to the kitchen, with Bam following his appa. "Five minutes, Bam. Dinner will be ready in five. Go, sit."

Jungkook filled a glass of water himself, which was quite surprising, leaving you to look at him in disbelief. Where are his maids? When he served you the water, you accepted it with a smile before finally voicing your thoughts. "You don't have a staff of your own here?" He tilted his head,

eyes looking around. Somehow, he knew that he would be questioned about this. He's literally the CEO of Jeon Industries; it's a wonder that a wealthy man like him lives alone without stay-at-home workers offering service 24/7. "Why so, Ms. Lee? Does every rich man require helpers? Is that some sort of norm?"

He inquired, dodging your question with a smirk and a raised eyebrow while loosening his tie with his thumb, index, and middle finger. Sighing, you gave him a smile, tilting your head while you gulped down the last few drops of water from the glass that probably cost a fortune,

considering how fancy it looked. "Didn't quite imagine Mr. Jeon lives such a down-to-earth life for all that ego you carry around." That fake, sarcastic smile sat lovely on your face.

He might even— "If you'll excuse me, my dog is waiting for his dinner." "Why sure—" "By the way—" He stopped in his tracks and turned to face you, suddenly remembering that you were together the whole evening. "What about your dinner? What would you like to have?" "I don't have an appetite. Thank you for asking."

"You must eat, fuck. Have you seen yourself? You don't look healthy, and ma'am decides to carry a child." The tone he used—how dare he. What is he, huh? Your boyfriend? He'd love to be, but wait, did he just call you ma'am to mock you? Oh, Jeon, you're in trouble.

"You don't get to decide for the child. What if he or she is hungry, but you're not feeding anything because you've so kindly said you have no appetite. I'm gonna cook a meal." "Excuse me?" You stood from his leather lounge sofa. "What do you mean by the way I look? Did i ask for your opinion?" This made him snigger. You're so hyper.

He guessed it was your pregnancy hormones slowly making changes internally because you got mad at the slightest thing. It was almost laughable. He looked at your eyes and rolled his own, tucking his hands back into his pockets. "You don't look healthy. It's actually very concerning. I'm not joking." He walked away toward the kitchen. You somewhat agreed with his words.

You've noticed the major weight loss, fully aware of the changes within you, and it is a serious matter. You've got to ask Dr. Sohee about this. Jungkook placed Bam's meat into his dog bowl and then patted his head to get him started. Before he prepared anything, he walked to you and spoke, "I'll guide you to the room you'll be staying in.

You can have a shower while I cook—" "While you cook? You can cook?" A blush crept up on Jungkook's cheek. He felt slightly embarrassed to admit it. No one knew about this. God, why couldn't he keep quiet? It's too late and he didn't want to order take out and wait for another hour until it arrives. "You'll see." Biting the inside of his cheek, he grabbed his bag and walked you upstairs.

He pushes open a door to the most serene room you've ever seen. The color palette—neutral shades of white, beige, grey, and a hint of pink—was simply marvelous to look at. What is this place? It's better than anything you've ever seen. "You can occupy this room. The washroom is right there, that door." Nodding at his words, he let you be, closing the doors behind him. You sat on the bed, absorbing the luxurious surroundings.

Isn't this weird? At your CEO's place? There's got to be some motive behind this. God, what is it?! You grabbed your clothes and walked into the shower. Holy shit, it's freaking huge. Your apartment and this—damn, you had one single shower, and here there's a shower for two, a massive bathtub, and what not. Is he insane? Where are the people? Why does he freaking live alone?! 'I'm off, I'm gonna take good advantage of this stay...'

Jungkook's pov

Honestly, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I invited her to stay with me. It's out of character for me, especially since I'm very protective of my personal space. Listening to her argue made me think I might just leave her to deal with things herself.

But then, I found myself explaining why it was important for her to have someone nearby, at least for the night. It's a duty and i've got no choice but to be part of this. as a gentleman. When she agreed, I felt relieved that i didn't have to argue anymore. However, sitting together in silence only heightened my nerves about the situation. Waiting for her to pack was tough too.

She took so long that I started to worry she locked herself in to avoid leaving with me. If she did, I was ready to confront her. Yet, I also felt concerned, checking my watch anxiously. It took her 15 minutes. I've never waited for anyone like that before, let alone brought someone, especially a woman, to stay at my place. But then, I realized it was her. Walking towards the elevator, the doors opened to reveal her, carrying a bag with her few belongings.

She was okay. Thank god was my first thought. How quickly life can change in just a few days. A few months ago, we were at a bar together, passionately involved. Now, here we were in my car, heading to my place to take care of... our child? It feels strange. Don't think of it that way, Jungkook.

Walking into the lobby, as usual, Bam greeted me, but today he was wary of Y/n's presence, forgetting how nervous he gets around strangers. However, when Y/n gently touched his head, all his fear seemed to melt away.

She handled him delicately, and I could see Bam was taken with her touch, just like I was. They looked good together, an unexpected sight. It was surprising to see Bam warm up to a stranger so quickly, but that's just who he is — affectionate. Offering her a glass of water led to questions about helpers and why I live alone, things I knew she would bring up.

Who wouldn't question that? But coming from Ms. Lee Y/n? If that isn't irony, I don't know what is. Arguing with her was like fine wine — the more you engage, the more frustrating it becomes. But seeing her in this state, I didn't want to escalate things, so I let it go. She's upset and has no appetite. Who needs an appetite when you're eating for two?

Does the baby have a choice? No? It already seems like she's not the most responsible mother, so how will she handle it when she's still a kid herself? I don't know her well, but from what I do know, she can be quite immature. Leading her upstairs, it seemed best to have her stay in the room closest to mine, in case of any emergencies, as the doctor suggested she shouldn't be alone, right? Back to cooking dinner, I wasn't sure what to make or what she would like, and I didn't ask. But does it really matter?

Pesto alla genovese it is then. Rolling up my sleeves, donning my brown apron,

I begin by pulling out the ingredients from the drawer and fridge, sipping on my usual green tea upon returning home. Making pesto pasta isn't too challenging—it's my go-to dinner, especially since I skipped my own meal, so a small portion will suffice. In about 20 minutes, dinner is ready. Y/n must be in her room because I hear no sounds from upstairs.

I serve the pasta in a bowl with a fork, placing it on the coffee table. I'm not going to cater to her hand and foot. "Dinner's on the table. Enjoy," I inform her after knocking on her closed door. I wait until I hear her response, which comes as, "Thanks, Mr. Jeon," accompanied by her irritating fake accent. I roll my eyes, grateful she's only here for one night.

Author's pov

You cautiously peek out of the room, but there's no sign of him. You're not very hungry, which has been the case ever since you found out about your pregnancy—quite odd for someone who always thought pregnancy was just an excuse to eat everything in sight. Despite this, Jungkook was right; your stomach is growling, so you force yourself to eat.

You make your way to the coffee table he mentioned in the TV area. There's a bowl with a fork and a glass of orange juice. Sitting down on his velvet beige couch, you pick up the bowl. It looks appetizing and feels warm, freshly prepared. The aroma of it heightened your senses, and you twirl your fork to gather a bite. Damn. The taste surprises you as it hits your tongue. Why does it taste so incredibly good?

Oh, the joys of food. It takes you less than 10 minutes to finish the entire dish, as if you hadn't had a proper meal in ages—which, technically, you haven't. You let out a deep exhale, sinking back into the couch, the lingering taste of pesto on your tongue. "No, why did I eat it so fast?" you whine to yourself, closing your eyes to savor the flavors. "I thought you had no appetite?"

Jungkook's voice startles you as you open your eyes to see him leaning against the wall, hands in the pockets of his silk black pajamas, that smug expression on his face that always irks you. "I had to eat. It would've been disrespectful not to,"

you retort, and he chuckles, approaching you. Peering into the empty bowl, not a leaf or pasta strip remains. "That bowl says otherwise," he teases. Rolling your eyes, you stand up, gathering the empty dishes to wash. "There's more pasta," he informs you, causing you to pause and turn to face him. "S-so?"

Jungkook tilts his head, smiling as he moves closer, taking the bowl in his hand. "Thought you might want seconds? Do you?" You avoid meeting his eyes, nodding with a slight pout, secretly hoping he doesn't notice your gratitude.

"C'mon," he beckons, and you follow him into the kitchen. Oh my god!!! The kitchen is stunning; you've always dreamed of having such a beautiful black kitchen, and his is exactly what you love. You find his entire home amazing. Jungkook retrieves a bowl from the refrigerator, removing the glass cover and warming the cold food in a pan. "There's a microwave right there," you point out. He glances at the microwave and back at you. "I know."

"Then use it." "Electromagnetic waves aren't healthy," he states, prompting a laugh from you as you cover your mouth, amused by his response. "What's so funny?" he asks with a puzzled look. "Why do you even have one then? Just for show?" you joke. "For the fun of it," he replies shortly, and you nod in acknowledgment, pulling out a dining chair as he transfers the pasta to a freshly cleaned bowl.

"Never did I imagine Mr. Jeon would be doing all this for me," you whisper to yourself, hoping he didn't catch your words, but he did. "Never did I either, Ms. Lee, but here we are," he replies, placing the bowl in front of you. You begin to savor the warm capellini pasta while he leans against the counter, cleaning the nonstick pan. Bam circles around his feet, leaving a smile on your face.

The silence makes him uneasy, so he glances at you, noticing your distant expression with concern. You don't want to tell him, but the shower today was difficult—

the sight of spotting of the blood frightened you. And you want to thank this man somehow, but you're unsure how. "Doesn't taste good anymore?" he questions, and you turn to look at him before returning your gaze to the pasta, your appetite suddenly gone. "No, not really. I..."

You hesitate for a moment before smiling. "Thank you for helping me. I-I appreciate it," you manage to say. Jungkook nods and offers a brief smile that quickly fades. He doesn't like smiling in situations like these. "I had to help anyway," he states, making you pause.

Is he forcing himself into this, or does he genuinely want to help? "Had to" doesn't sound very sincere. Letting it go, you continue eating, hunger naturally returning to you. "If you need anything, feel free to shout. My room is right here, okay?" "Sure," you reply, rolling your eyes and heading into the room, locking the door behind you. Jungkook scoffs but follows suit, lying on the bed after switching on the night lamp. He gazes up at the ceiling, his mind racing with thoughts.

He's just a wall away from you. There's nothing wrong with that, but it feels strange. Thinking about who you are... If this isn't weird, then what is? "Damn life," he mutters, turning onto his side to face the window, gazing at the dark sky lit up by city lights and the moon.

He tends to overthink, just like you. You're hugging your plushie, staring out the window too. The bed is comfortable, the atmosphere peaceful with soft lighting, yet your mind is suffocated by the worst scenarios you can imagine regarding your baby.

What if there's no baby? What if the blood meant something serious days ago? What if there's a major complication? What if this is all your fault? What if this was your only chance to be a mom, and it's slipping away... Tears stream down your face once again when you remember hearing the soft heartbeats of your child the other day.

You bury your head in the silk pillow, sobbing loudly, clutching the soft toy tightly to your chest. Both of you had a rough night, struggling to sleep, but eventually, you do because there's simply no other choice...

-

In the morning, both of you prepared for the day ahead. By 7 a.m., Bam's caretaker and the other helpers were already busy in the kitchen, preparing breakfast as Jungkook had instructed them the previous night to make enough for two. You both walk down the stairs together, Jungkook insisting that you eat breakfast before leaving the house. You sat at the dining table, a plate in front of you.

Maya, the cook, was visibly surprised to see you up and about at this early hour, something she hadn't witnessed in her three years working for Jungkook. She silently speculated about the reason behind this change. Petting Bam affectionately, you chuckled as he playfully circled around you. "I'll come visit you one day, alright?"

Jungkook glanced at both of you and cleared his throat, breaking the moment. "Shall we get going?" You nodded, bidding Bam farewell with a wave before taking the passenger seat in Jungkook's car as he drove you to the hospital. Despite his calm exterior, Jungkook felt the tension building inside him, mirroring your own nervousness. Though he had no personal connection to you or the child, he sensed an unexplainable concern.

The wait for the nurse to call you in was terrifying. Jungkook observed your nervous habits, like knuckle-breaking and lip-biting, as you tried to release your stress. "Ms. Lee Yn?" "Yes." "Come in." Inside, Jungkook checked with you if you preferred privacy or if he could stay. You didn't mind his presence, so he remained by your side.

"Morning, Yn, please take a seat," Dr. Sohee said, glancing at Jungkook with a raised eyebrow. "So, Y/n, how were you last night? Okay, or?" "I was fine. I just had a tough time overthinking," you replied, stealing a glance at Jungkook, who did the same. "So, which was why you had to be with someone? Panicking would've made things worse. Alright,"

Dr. Sohee straightened her back and placed her elbows on the table, adjusting her glasses. "We need to do a pelvic test and a scan, so if you would join me?" You stood from the chair and followed her to the examination area, while Jungkook's eyes remained fixed on the white curtain that conceal his view of you.

The doctor conducted the scan first to check the placenta for any signs of separation or miscarriage. Her eyebrows furrowed as she scrutinized the monitor and moved the ultrasound probe over your abdomen.

You couldn't interpret the black and white images, but the doctor's serious expression made you anxious. "What's wrong, Doctor?" She sighed and wiped off the gel from your abdomen, proceeding to the pelvic test to check for ovarian cysts or infections. She remained silent, heightening your anxiety with each passing moment. "I'll explain," she finally said.

You both returned to your seats, and Jungkook watched your face intently for any signs of distress, finding none. Dr. Sohee removed her glasses and placed them on the table before speaking. "Firstly... best wishes to you; the baby is completely fine."

You let out the biggest exhale of your life, tears welling up in your eyes. You covered your face with your hands, taking a moment to absorb the news you had longed to hear for days, feeling like you had waited years for this moment. Jungkook exhaled too, nodding his head and offering a brief smile.

"Happy for you, really happy." You nodded in agreement, wiping away the tears that had stained your silk top. So hee smiled sympathetically at both you and Jungkook, retrieving a pen to jot down some notes. "Here's my analysis: due to your hormonal imbalance,

drugs and the challenges it presents, your body is adjusting slowly to pregnancy. This imbalance may have weakened you physically, contributing to the stress-induced bleeding. Stress increases these issues, so it's crucial to rest, eat well, and manage your weight loss. You must eat three meals daily, stay hydrated, and avoid stress at all costs. Understood?"

You nodded again, taking in her words as Jungkook accepted the prescription she handed over. You thanked her sincerely, and she responded with a gentle chuckle, which you echoed in relief.

"I don't encourage frequent scans during pregnancy due to the waves that are not very healthy for the unborn baby so i'll meet you for your 5 and 6 month scan then." "of course, Dr. Thank you very much." 'always welcome." Exiting the room, Jungkook suggested you wait in the car while he fetched the medications. Leaning back in your seat, you took deep breaths, gently caressing your growing bump. "Didn't I tell you that you'll be fine? See, you're absolutely okay, baby,"

you whispered reassuringly to the little life inside you, finding comfort in speaking to your unborn child. Jungkook returned with the vitamins after about five minutes, clicking his tongue before speaking. "You don't have to work. Let's get you home—"

"What? No, I will work. You can't stop me," you interjected firmly. 'Here we go again', Jungkook thought, leaning back and closing his eyes. "You were advised to rest, not work." "But how could I just not work? I can't stay at home doing nothing." "I'll take care of your expenses," Jungkook offered, to which you gaped in surprise, questioning his sincerity. "I can pay for them myself, Jungkook. This is—insane. I need to work. You can't just say that—"

Turning fully to face him, you expressed your frustration, pointing accusingly at him while he listened quietly, avoiding confrontation. "I've made my final decision. Either you work from home or not." "Jungkook, I'm fine. I can't stay in my apartment for months. Working at the office gives me peace—" "How are you going to hide the bump? Ever thought about that?" he interrupted, both of you glancing down at your growing belly. Frustration rushed through him, evident in the tension of his neck and the reddening of his ears.

"Now's the time for major changes. You can't be stressing out too—" "What? Afraid that your reputation would be tarnished because of this?" you retorted sharply, catching him off guard. He stared at you, taken aback by your accusation. Lately, he hadn't even considered his reputation, especially while assisting you these past few days. If reputation had mattered, he wouldn't have helped you at all. "Y/n?" His eyes started to redden with anger.

Realizing he needed to calm down before losing control, he forcefully hit his arm against the steering wheel, causing you to flinch. He hated assumptions and false allegations, not driven by his name or reputation at this point but genuinely caring—couldn't you see that? "For heaven's sake, I'm just concerned and helping you out," he insisted, but you responded with a sly smile. "I don't believe what I see most of the time—"

"I'm not doing you a favor, Y/n. I'm genuinely helping you, so let me!" he spoke loudly, unbuttoning his coat and a few shirt buttons, his anger constricting his chest. Knowing exactly how to provoke him, you crossed your arms defiantly. "Fine then!" "I'm taking you to my place!" he declared suddenly, his words catching you off guard. "What?!" You looked at him, stunned.

"Did you not hear the doctor? I'm sure you did." he thought a bit to himself and sighed, decided to ask you calmly. if you say no then it's a no, he won't force you for more. "Do you want to be at my place?" Jungkook asked, making eye contact. Despite his flaring anger, his eyes conveyed genuine concern and a promise to care for you.

After a long moment of silent understanding, you nodded, signaling your acceptance of his offer. It was an unusual situation, filled with unspoken words between you both. He had no obligation to help you, yet he did. Perhaps it was a spark of something in him, driving his actions, even though he seemed conflicted. As you both locked eyes, it was clear, he had as much chaos in his mind as you did, if not more.

"Are you sure about this? I'm not forcing you. I could drop you at your place and—""I'm sure." And with that decision made, neither of you could predict how dramatically things would unfold from here.

next chapter ⇢

[theagentoftheworld]

I was in a random twitter thread and I found my fucking boss

Like I entered a twitter thread arguing about grammar rules (as is tradition) and I was checking out what insightful discussion was happening and I saw my boss drop a random one liner on one of them

The craziest part of this is I thought to myself "oh this is 100% her kind of discussion" and I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't on the lab chat room and I'm still processing how insane it is to find someone you know while on your online-exclusive account (second time to happen to me btw, although the first time is actually potentially indicative of a serious issue regarding privacy online) Actually, let's segue into talk about the first time. I long while ago, I made a twitter account, and as is normal, filled all my personal particulars wrong. The only irl person I ever interacted with was my friend and his account was also completely disconnected and he didn't even follow anyone. Guess who I was recommended to follow in a few days? That's right, who else but my schoolmate-slash-neighbour-slash-busmate from a few roads over!!! Until this day, I have no sweet clue how that happened-there was no location info given, and I had not interacted with any school people AT ALL. Even if location data was forcibly taken somehow, that wouldn't be enough since she was technically far enough to not be considered "in my locality". Absolutely bonkers how they found it and even assuming them as having all my information some other way isn't enough to explain it. (By the way, my only other recommends till then were various content creators)

[emmanuelouise]

Recipe For Protecting Data: The Three Principles of Data Privacy and Security | Written By: Louise Baylon

Principles serve as the backbones of a system, if we are to ignore the principles in which a system is built upon - then what strength does the system itself hold? In this week's discussions with our instructor, we give light to the foundations of data privacy and security. Three principles that, in which our instructor has time and time again emphasized, must be kept at heart if one wishes to understand and practice the concept of protecting personal data. As I continue to embark on a journey of educating and be ridding myself of ignorance, I shall digest and internalize these three principles.

When preparing a meal, what is the first requirement a cook must prepare? The ingredients, of course! As one cannot bake cake without eggs, flour, and sugar, so is data privacy and security without informing or being informed, making sure that your objectives abides by the law, and that you are only collecting what's necessary. Let us go over each one. To inform or to be informed embodies the first principle, the principle of transparency. It is the right to know what your personal data will be used for when giving it to someone and the responsibility to let people know what their data is used for when you are the one collecting it. As someone who used to skip the part in surveys or account sign ups where they explicitly explain why they need the information they're asking for, I am ashamed to say that I have been very passive with exercising my rights to know. I am not sure if they intentionally make those parts a real drag to read, but my eyes usually glazes over to the next segment just from how lengthy and wordy they are. Hopefully, moving forward, I will put in a little more effort in exercising my rights and actually read what they do with my data. I've had my fair share of asking people for their personal data, especially in surveys, and I am proud to say that I do inform them of my intentions and objectives. I also never write them in unnecessarily excessive lengths to boot! Making sure that your objectives abide by the law, as the principle of legitimate purpose suggests, ensures that you don't infringe on a data subject's rights when collecting processing data. Out of the three principles, this one might be the most straightforward. If you collect data, make sure it will be used only for its specified purpose and nothing more. If I were to give out surveys, as I have in my past academic years, I must not use a responder's name to search for them on social media and stalk them (not that I have done it before, of course). Doing so infringes the responder's rights as I have used their data for another purpose outside of what I informed them. Only collecting what's necessary, stated by the principle of proportionality addresses an issue that I've been seeing for years but never noticing. We go back again to surveys, but this time I am the respondent. It has always baffled me why they need my contact number for answering a simple questionnaire or even signing on an attendance sheet for an event. I used to fear that if my answers were a bit too problematic they would contact me and confront me about it. That is a long gone thought process of mine, thankfully. Now knowing about this third principle, I can't hep but feel validated with my gut feeling that something was wrong. This principle talks about only collecting what is needed. In the aforementioned questionnaires and attendance sheets, my contact number wasn't a necessary data to be collected. The purpose of the questionnaire was for them to acquire my opinions on matters and the attendance sheet was to record my presence during the event - not one of them required a contact number to fulfill their purpose. I will be keeping my eye out for things like these in the future, that's for sure. And there we have it, the recipe for protecting data! By internalizing the three principles of data privacy and security, not only can you help yourself by exercising your right as a data subject, but also help others by practicing your responsibilities as a data collector. Data privacy and security is a system, like a cake that had too much flour or too little egg it crumbles - because a system without principles is a system that holds no strength.

Discussion Dates: 02/20/24 - 02/22/24 Image sourced from Microsoft Bing Image Creator.