#i've had really good luck with this company for other stuff up to this point

[blackjackkent]

9pm update: one of the HVAC guys is still here and his coworker has left with the truck(???) and is also the only one of the pair that speaks English fluently. So me and the guy here are speaking my broken Spanish and his broken English and fiddling around with Google Translate and desperately trying together to figure out how the new Nest thermostat works.

I feel bad cos this guy is trying his best and clearly desperately wants to be done with this process too and I don't know why his coworker bailed on him. Theoretically the guy is supposed to come back soon?

IDK what's going on. Supremely weird.

[gguk-n]

Balancing Act (Daniel Riccardo x Jung Hoseok's manager!Reader)

No face claim. Pictures from Pinterest

Wishing Daniel all the best with his future endeavours 😭😭

Series Masterlist

{Reader's POV}

When I had joined BigHit, I has started working as an assistant to BTS's manager. He was a kind and helpful man, who made transitioning to the job so easy. The boys were also very kind and understanding. It was a blast to work with them honestly. Later, as I gained more experience I was assigned to other groups. I did miss hanging out with the boys; I missed Hobi the most.

After I had stopped working with BTS, that was when I realised that I had a crush on Hoseok. I told myself it was due to the close proximity or the fact that he was just kind, but he was kind to everyone. And I decided to bury those feelings since K-Pop agencies didn't take dating lightly. Even though I barely saw Hobi at this point, my heart would always beat really hard and I would find myself looking for him in common spaces.

Whenever Hobi had individual schedules, I was brought back. The first time I had to work with him after I realised that I love him was nerve wrecking to say the least but Hobi's energy made me feel right at ease and I've never felt so relaxed before. I practically became his personal manager after Hobi started having individual schedules. He was a joy to be around and his energy and laughter was infectious. The tiny crush I had denied having had turned into a full blown infatuation. But, what was I supposed to do when Hobi would smile and sweetly greet me, even going as far to get me coffee. I couldn't not love him.

I was travelling with Hobi for his performances and the final promotion shooting before he was supposed to go for his mandatory military enlistment when I realised I had to tell him. The major reason being that I felt like maybe he liked me. It was the way his eyes would look at me or the way he would softly utter my name. I just felt it in my bones, he liked me. Oh, how wrong I was.

"Hope, congratulations on a successful promotion and preparing so much for ARMY" I said patting his back. "Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you" he laughed his infectious belly laugh. "No no, you are very talented. You could've managed with out me" I insisted. "Nope, my english is so bad, I would've never left my hotel room if not for you" he reasoned. I smiled at him, this was the right moment. "Don't mention it Hobi, just doing my job. I wanted to talk to you about something" I said, it made my tummy rumble and knot up. "Sure" he said turning his full attention on me. I breathed in deeply before saying, "I like you a lot, I've liked you for a while. Will you go out with me?" I asked looking at my feet. I heard Hobi sigh, this wasn't a good thing; "I'm sorry, Manager Y/L/N." he mumbled. The last name hurt. "I've never liked you that way and I'm sorry if I ever gave you the wrong impression. You are a good friend and colleague who I'm grateful to have but I don't feel that way" he apologised. I laughed dryly, "Yeah, it's okay." I sighed trying to hold back tears. "Let's still be friends. I don't want to lose a friend because of my stupid mistake" I croaked out. "You won't. I promise" he said trying to hug me. I walked back. "I have to give the company report on your schedule and stuff. Good luck with the military. I'll see you once you're back" I shouted out backing away. I had tears in my eyes as I turned the corner.

I may have cried myself to sleep for a few days after that but knowing Hoseok was leaving for the military and I wouldn't have to see him for a while made things easier. I knew I needed a change of scenery and pace so I took a few months off and went on a vacation.

I was in Spain when I met Daniel. He was charming, charismatic and easy to get along with. He would make me laugh and had great joy remembering how we met. "Excuse me" I asked tapping the tall man in front of me. He was wearing a hat and sun glasses. "Hi, Nice to meet you. Would you like a photograph or an autograph?" he asked turning around. I was so confused. "No, I just wanted directions. Can you help?" I asked. He tipped his sunglasses down his nose, scanned me up and down, "You are breath taking" he whispered. I felt a blush creep up my face. "Thank you" I mumbled pointing to a name on my phone, "Do you know where this is?" I asked. "Sadly, I don't but my friend does." he said calling his friend 'Carlos', he sounded Spanish when he spoke to me and gave me the directions. I thanked the two men and started walking in the directions when the taller man with an Australian accent ran up to me, "Hey! I'm Daniel and I don't know if this is crazy but you are so pretty and I just can't let you walk away so would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked. "Sorry, I'm trying to get over someone right now" I said apologetically. "Nothing better than a shoulder to lean on as you get over a stupid man" he winked. "Let's have a drink together. You can tell me all about your relationship woes and I will patiently wait for when you are ready to date me" he laughed. "I don't drink with strangers" I pointed out, walking away.

After that, I met him in Austria again. It was as if the stars were aligning and that's when I finally agreed to have coffee with him. He was a great listener and would give good advice. As I spoke to him and got to know him, we did end up on a date, a few weeks after Austria. I was continuing my trip in Europe and he had work in Europe, it seemed. It was only after a few dates, did he tell me that he was a Formula One Driver. I almost didn't believe him until I Googled him. I may have spent way too much of my time watching Daniel Riccardo funny videos and his interviews and his race highlights.

We decided to keep our relationship on the down low for a while since I did have to go back to work after my vacation. The vacation was the best thing I did for myself. Daniel would visit me if he was at a race near by which was many months later since he was in Singapore and Japan but I cherished every moment I got to spend with him. After his season was over, he was in Seoul to spend some of his holidays with me. I loved waking up to Daniel in bed or to a nice cooked meal when I got back from work. He would joke about being my stay at home wife and we would laugh as we enjoyed the meal. We would explore the streets of South Korea and even going on small weekend getaways so I could show Daniel around.

He did return to Australia to spend time with his family but we would constantly be texting each other or on call. After almost a year of dating, Daniel asked me to come to a race of his, specifically Spain since that was the country where we first met. I cleared up my calendar and I was off.

danielricciardo

Liked by y/n.y/l/n and 1,298,032 others

danielriccardo Happy 1 year baby!!🥰🥰I've never been happier than I've been with you!! I love you!!❤️❤️

y/n.y/l/n aww!! You make me the happiest. Love you too babe❤️❤️ landonorris both of you are like the otters that hug each other while floating away.🫢Congratulations btw❤️ maxverstappen1 congratulations to the cute couple❤️Hope you won't forget me Daniel🥲 user7 OMG!! They are literally the same version of each other🥹🥹 user8 I need a boyfriend like Daniel😭😭 user9 The photography skills😘😘 user10 It's so cute!! Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary❤️❤️

y/n.y/l/n

Liked by danielriccardo, uramyhope and 356,930 others

y/n.y/l/n Happy 1 year to the man who never fails to make my heart flutter!!😭😭Thank you for being the best boyfriend ever!!😘😘Love you more than I can explain🥰🥰

danielriccardo you're gonna make me cry.😭Love you most!!❤️❤️ y/bff/user both of you are so cute, I'm feeling very single😭😭 user11 I've known her since she started in BigHit, can't believe I might watch her get married😭 user12 both of them are happy viruses😌😌 user13 cutest couple on and off the grid🥹🥹 user14 Hybe should sign Daniel, he can be their model😏😏 user15 they are making me believe in love🥺🥺

After the Spanish race, I wasn't able to join him any other races due to work until that fateful call; "hi babe" I chirped. "hey" he greeted, his voice heavy. "What happened?" I asked. "Nothing" he hummed. "Don't lie to me" I reprimanded. "Nothing gets past you, does it?" he chuckled. "Nope" I grinned. "Now spill Danny" I prompted. "It's just.... they might be booting me by the next race" he sulked. "What? Are they crazy? How could they do that? Is this allowed? Can I file a complaint?" I rambled. He laughed. "No, and it's okay. It was gonna happen, I had a feeling" he said. "Now I feel bad, I should've taken time off to see my wonderful boyfriend race" I sulked. "It's okay, you can come to Singapore" he pointed out. "yes!! We'll celebrate!! It's your last race in F1 and we're going to go out with a bang" I said already making plans in my head. Daniel smiled at me, "I can't wait"

I flew to Singapore on Thursday; I will always regret not going to more of his races. We had a blast, there was a rumour going around that Daniel was leaving but there was no official announcement so he couldn't say anything. I spent the better half of the weekend consoling Daniel and trying to make the best of the situation. After the race and the interviews, we walked out of the paddock hand in hand, "I'm so proud of you. Being in a sport for 12-13 years and giving it your all. Being smart, talented and wonderful, being one of the best drivers and helping others learn from you all with a smile is hard, in any field let alone something like formula one. Being a friend when you are all competitors is a talent. I love you so much for doing so well" I said, stopping to cup his cheeks and kissing him. "I love you Y/N" he said in tears. "I love you more" I smiled. "No more crying, you are the best driver" I stated. "To you" he corrected. "And that's all that matters Riccardo" I pointed out. "yes it does" he hummed and started walking out hand in hand. "I'm gonna mooch off you now" he laughed. "I will gladly let you mooch off me" I smiled. "Love you Dan" I said taking his hand to my lips and pressing a kiss. "And I love you" he kissed my hand.

We were both saps but we were each others sap. I couldn't have hoped to meet someone better than him and some one who loves me more than him.

[mcflymemes]

STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE (1977) PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue from the film, adjust as necessary

uh... everything's under control. situation normal.

this will be a day long remembered.

in my experience, there's no such thing as luck.

i have you now!

let's blow this thing and go home!

great shot, kid, that was one in a million!

look, a few minutes ago you said you didn't want to just wait here to be captured. now all you want to do is stay?

he doesn't like you.

it's a wonder you're still alive.

no reward is worth this.

i'm surprised that you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself.

the more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.

screaming about it can't help you.

i see your point.

i wonder if he really cares about anything, or anybody.

what is it? some kind of local trouble?

i have the death sentence on twelve systems.

this little one's not worth the effort.

i sense something.

should i have your ship standing by?

you don't believe in the force, do you?

i've flown from one side of the galaxy to the other. i've seen a lot of strange stuff.

there's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny.

the force will be with you, always.

how did my father die?

if there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's furthest from.

i don't know what all this trouble is about, but i'm sure it must be your fault.

you watch your language!

we seem to be made to suffer. it's our lot in life.

either i'm going to kill her or i'm beginning to like her.

aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?

the force is strong with this one.

i fear something terrible has happened.

we had a slight weapons malfunction, but... uh. everything's perfectly all right now.

we're fine, we're all fine here now. thank you. how are you?

we're sending a squad up.

we're doomed.

it's not over yet.

i ain't in this for your revolution, and i'm not in it for you.

i expect to be well paid. i'm in it for the money.

use the force, [name].

i find your lack of faith disturbing.

this bickering is pointless.

hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side.

look, your worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight. i take orders from just one person: me.

give us a few minutes to lock it down!

who is this? what's your operating number?

[name], we're gonna have company!

you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. we must be cautious.

let me see your identification.

you can go about your business.

move along.

my ship has fallen under attack.

this is our most desperate hour.

you're my only hope.

i've gotta get home! it's late! i'm in for it as it is!

i'm getting too old for this sort of thing.

look, i can't get involved. i've got work to do.

it's all such a long way from here.

evacuate? in our moment of triumph? i think you overestimate their chances.

we have no weapons!

you're far too trusting.

i recognized your foul stench when i was brought on board.

marching into a detention area is not what i had in mind.

that's what i'm afraid of.

this is all your fault.

i don't know who you are or where you came from, but from now on you'll do as i tell you, okay?

surely he must be dead by now.

i have something here for you.

there was nothing you could have done.

[laladellakang]

insecurities

masterlist | wattpad

italics dialogue = english

della doesn't let most hate get to her, but that doesn't mean she's impenetrable

contains: angst, insecurities (anxiety), unintentional self-harm. just dark stuff.

i've been through it lmao. sorry it's really triggering.  a few of you requested angst and i'm not really good at that so i bring forward stuff that's inspired by what i've gone through (altered because della's problems are different from mine)

after 'we missed you'

"Guys! Come out!" Jake yelled out. "Gather in the living room! Everyone!" he made his way to the couch while holding Della's hand.

"I'm scared..." she told Jake timidly.

"It's okay. Just get it done and we'll go back to normal in no time," he didn't want to tell her that it would go well, as he himself won't know just how angry his other members will be. "Good luck."

Besides, she was greatly at fault.

Jake could see the amusement and relief on the guys' faces as they slowly came to the living room. On the other hand, Della only stared at her lap with wide eyes, trying to hold back tears and a potential panic attack..

"What is it?" Jungwon asked, closing the master bedroom door behind him.

"Della has something to say," Jake leaned back with crossed arms. "Lala?"

"I-" she took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry for ignoring all of you," short and simple.

The seven men stayed quiet while patiently waiting for an explanation, yet the girl was as still as a rock.

"Is that it? Tell them what you told me," the sternness in Jake's voice was evident, though not to the point of being mistaken for anger.

"A.. sasaeng- a crazy fan got a hold of my Katalk contact and they said some things that really got to me," her eyes were starting to tear up again.

"She didn't report to the company or to us," Jake added.

"It was so fucking dumb. I was hoping that I could have you guys hate me and eventually break up with me so you can move on and get proper girlfriends who's not shitty and fucked like me and have them all to yourselves-" Della suddenly went on and on.

"Della stop," Jay cut her off.

"But at the same time, I don't want that at all and I want to keep things as they are-" Sunghoon called her name next, yet she still kept going. "But then that's incredibly selfish of me because who the fuck has more than one lover and just lets them share?"

"Kang Della," even Heeseung resorted to her full name.

"It's incredibly dumb and I should've just talked to you guys about it if it really bothered me that much but I was just thinking that getting you all to hate me was best for you to move on but then I didn't consider our group dynamic and-" that's when Niki had enough, so he shut her up with a kiss.

'Shit- I was about to do that," all six remaining boys thought.

"Della, listen.." Niki pulled back to let the girl focus on Jungwon's words. "I'm not going to lie, what you did was really shitty. All of us just felt like shit for the past few days," anyone could tell the leader was mad and serious.

"None of us will blame you for getting hurt over some stranger's words or for having insecurities. It's more about how it doesn't seem like you trust us enough," Jungwon continued sternly. "You have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven boyfriends. We're your members and best friends, you can tell us anything."

"Jungwon-ah," Sunoo shook his head at the leader.

"Look, I don't want to make you feel worse or anything but we gotta make that clear first," Jungwon continued. "We love you, Della! We won't leave you that easily! You can ignore us for months and we'll still come back to you," he pulled her head into his stomach (as he was still standing in front of her) and caressed the sobbing girl's hair.

"Don't do that again, okay? You trust us, right?" Heeseung rubbed her back, and the girl could only nod in response. "I don't wanna add fuel but doing that is never going to work. All it does is just hurt us- hurt all of us including yourself."

"I'm sorry," Della kept sobbing into Jungwon's shirt. "I'm so sorry."

"Anything else? The ones who didn't speak?" Heeseung looked at the other members.

"I just want all of this to be over and done with. Don't ever do that again please. That's a stupid reason to break up," Jay had his arms crossed and let one hand go to stroke her hair for a bit.

"That's right. Della don't do that ever again please, just talk to us. Any one of us," Sunoo just stared at the many hands comforting her. "You're not fighting this alone. This hurts. It really does."

"I have nothing else to add. I just want this done," Niki managed to sneak an arm to her thigh to gently rub up and down.

"Ack! That tickles," Della's thigh suddenly shoots up, causing the members to chuckle.

Heeseung noticed that one member remained silent and was physically further away compared to the others.

He focused his gaze on Sunghoon and saw that the guy looked really angry, more so than the leader, who immediately let out his feelings. He was spaced out and had his jaw clenched. It was clear that he had a lot on his mind.

The younger seemed to feel the pair of eyes on him, for he snapped out of it to meet Heeseung's stare. The two stayed that way until Jungwon eventually broke it.

"Sunghoon-hyung?" Sunghoon looked over at everyone else. They were all (including Della) looking at him.

He sighed before opening up his arms for Della to enter.

"I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm really angry right now," he whispered into her ear. "I thought that you trust me, trust us- any of us. I wouldn't be mad if it wasn't a big deal but it is and you brought seven other people down with you. You shouldn't do that," he could feel Della's tears soaking his shirt. 

"You trust us, right?" he continued. The girl could only nod frantically. "You love us, right? We're not just members, are we?" she nodded again with an additional whine. "Don't do that again, okay? Talk to us. You always said communication is key. It'll save everyone the heartbreak and emotions, yeah?"

"I'm sorry, oppa," Della hugged him tighter. "I'll try my hardest," Sunghoon let out a sigh.

"Honestly, I would have probably asked for some space right now but since you already gave me- gave us that, I just want things back to normal. Make it up to us, I'm sure they're also still pissed. They just miss you too much to admit it," he stroked her hair. "Alright?" she let out a small 'okay' "Okay. Let's stop crying. Let's talk or something. Go cuddle with someone," he kissed her head before pulling away and directing her back to the couch.

"Can we see the texts?"

[kdl]

2023 is shit already.

I hate myself.

I hate myself so fucking much.

No matter how many negative comments I get, no one could ever hate Della as much as Della herself.

It's true that hate can barely get to me, though that doesn't mean I'm immune to everything. 

Why is everyone so adamant about the guys dating Aespa?

And suddenly with the slightest curiosity, my Tiktok for-you-page is now filled with the boys' ships.

I was mostly fine with them. Obviously, since idols aren't (mainly) in control of that. Yet I just can't help it at times. The images of how good they look together constantly cloud over my mind- I'm sick and tired of it.

There's a reason why I can't seem to get too close with certain girl groups or members.

It pains me to distance myself from the girls of Aespa or Stayc or heck- even some of the Ive girls just because of my dumbass insecurity. They seem like such lovely people but I can't even look at them in real life without thinking of the fucking ship contents.

Fuck, don't even get me started on the ones with my actual friends. 

Unbearable anxiety keeps creeping into me whenever Wonyoung or Yuna apologises for shit they're not even responsible for. Most of my texts with (half of) the Le Sserafim girls are their long-ass apologies.

What if they don't want to be my friends anymore? What if they're uncomfortable with all of this?

Wouldn't have happened if you didn't catch feelings, dumb fuck. You should've known not to fall in love. This is what you get.

I'm going through all this personal stuff already and guess what's the cherry on top of this shit sandwich.

The hate is worse than ever before. A lot worse than when Enhypen first started- and that's saying a lot.

There are hundreds- maybe thousands (okay that's an extreme exaggeration) of videos, comments, and posts that hate on every single fucking thing I do.

I noticed that it started from me getting a bit touchy with the guys during award shows. By touchy, I mean by holding their hands when I start to get really anxious. Apparently, it was seen as 'pick me behaviour' since I wouldn't let peoples' ship moments happen for long.

Then it spiralled into people compiling all the moments where I acted really 'territorial' or 'pick me' around the guys. Then it just went to everything. My singing. My dancing. My rap. My clothes. My mannerisms. My habits. The way I talk, eat, walk, look at people- everything.

What's worse is that even some of my fans are starting to agree.

I could usually cheer up a bit if I focus on the positive posts but even Engenes are saying stuff like 'I love Della but she's...' 'Della's my girl but...' 'I don't wanna hate on Della but...'

It wouldn't stop. It came to the point where I had to avoid all social media, including Weverse, just so I can have a chance to breathe. Even then, I still have this shit anxiety to deal with.

The boys, my friends, my family, the loyal fans, the concerts are all there to distract and comfort me. I've been very vocal to the guys and I'm actually attending weekly therapy. 

It worked, of course, but it's not permanent. Over a month has passed, yet the anxiety keeps coming back.

It got so bad that my therapist advised me to go see a psychiatrist for medication options, which I would gladly do. The company disagreed though. Something about how antidepressants make people gain weight.

I'm exhausted. Physically, mentally and emotionally. I don't want to pretend to be happy anymore. I just want to disappear.

I hate how I have anxiety. I hate how I'm not good enough. I hate how I can't be happy. I hate myself, I just hate Della so much.

"DELLA, NO!" Niki abruptly grabbed the grater from me and hugged me tight. "STOP. STOP. SNAP OUT OF IT!" he shook me a little. What?

"Huh?" I looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. 

"HYUNG, GET A TOWEL!" he pointed to a towel nearby. What?

"Holy shit- JAY-HYUNG! GET A FIRST AID KIT!" Sunoo wrapped the towel around my right hand.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" the other guys apart from Jay came into the kitchen frantically.

"Della- Lala was grating and- and she grated her hand," Sunoo looked at them with wide eyes. Huh?

"Holy fuck- why is there so much blood?" Jay entered with the first aid kit.

Suddenly I felt a terrible sting on my palm. I turned my attention to the hand Sunoo was holding and could see the heavily red-tinted towel.

I was grating potatoes. I was getting close to the end of it so I held it with my open palm, as I usually do... and then I guess I zoned out. 

Oh shit, the potatoes.

"The- the potatoes," I looked at the most recently grated ones. They were unusable. They were completely red.

"DELLA, FUCKING SNAP OUT OF IT!" Niki shook me again.

"How did you not feel that?!" Jake yelled. 

"I... I..." I didn't know what to say. It was painful, yet familiar. "I- potatoes- dinner."

"DELLA PLEASE!" Sunoo screamed out, hanging his head down.

"PLEASE, STOP!" "SNAP THE FUCK OUT OF IT" I could hear the others yelling too.

"Let's sit her down. Niki, bring her to the living room," Jungwon instructed shakily. "Come on, Lala."

"My- my hand," it hit me. My hand was completely fucked. It wasn't even a small injury like how it usually is.

"It's okay. It's okay. Look, Jay's treating it," Sunghoon tried to calm my building-up panic attack, even though his voice was also filled with nerves.

"I'm sorry," yet I couldn't help it. My eyes brimmed with tears and my voice started to shake. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop, stop. It's getting treated right now, it's okay," Heeseung pat my head with a sniffle.

"This is gonna sting. I'm sorry, Della," Jay's voice sounded like he had a lump in his throat. "One, two, three."

Now this familiar feeling, I hate. Treating the wounds hurt so much.

I hissed loudly at the pain, while the members tried to calm me down by saying reassuring words. Their voices overlapped one another's, but it was mostly 'shhh's, 'it's okay's, and 'just a little bit more's.

"I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY!" I screamed in pain. "I didn't mean to, I swear!" I cried out.

"We know, we know," Niki rubbed my shoulder. I was sat on his lap as he was still holding me.

"Almost there," Jay croaked out. "Just gotta wrap it."

"I hate myself so much, I don't know what to do," I sobbed into Sunoo's arm. I talked to the boys, I talked to my therapist. I did it right this time. So why am I still like this?

"I'm sorry, Lala," Jungwon held my uninjured hand. "I wish we can take this away from you."

"Do you want to have a break? A hiatus? We can talk to the company together," Heeseung offered.

"Noo, not now," I managed out. "The- the tour, the comeback, fashion week-"

"Don't worry about it. You need to have some rest, Della," Jake ran a hand through his hair.

"The company-" I was cut off by a chorus of 'we'll help's and 'we'll talk to them's.

I was the only member of Enhypen who is not allowed to have a hiatus. If I had to go on one, the whole team does too. The company said they can't have Enhypen look like a boy group or people would get used to it and say it looks better that way.

"No! Please! Give me one more chance- I'll get better, please!" I can't be selfish. I can't be selfish.

"You're not being selfish, Della, please," Sunghoon pleaded.

"NO! PLEASE! JUNGWON PLEASE!" I turned to the leader. If I can convince him, everyone will follow. "Please... One more chance. Please."

"But Lala.. You-" his eyes glossed over the state I was in. "Look at you! We can't let you move on like this!"

"Psychiatrist!" Niki spoke up. "She can take the medicine," he tried to somewhat defend me.

"I-" I wanted to protest but I knew I had to agree. Look at your boyfriends, Della. You fucking hurt them. Again.

And again.

And again and again and again-

Shut the fuck up.

"Yes! Try the medication, please, Della," Jake sounded desperate and lost.

"What if it doesn't wo-"

"IT HAS TO!" Jay yelled, causing all of us to flinch. "IT FUCKING HAS TO!"

"Jongseong-ah," Heeseung tried to calm him down.

"If it doesn't work then hiatus! Leave the group! Anything! Just please-" his voice cracked again. "Just come back. Get better, please."

No. Anything but leaving the group. I can't let something as dumb as my insecurities get in the way of my dreams that I worked so fucking hard on. Both the career of my dreams and the relationship of my dreams.

And after going through so many member departures, I know how heartbreaking it is for the fans and members.

This anxiety has to get better. It has to.

"Either way, we piss off the company, right?" I joked with a small chuckle. "Might as well choose the option that'll make me look hotter."

My aim was to make them laugh a little. Instead, I got them crying even harder.

"I love you all so much. I'm so sorry you have to deal with m-" Sunoo managed to speak through his tears and cut me off.

"We're not dealing with anything, Della. We'll go to the ends of the planet to find a cure for you."

happy birthday month to della and i. happy anniversary month to della and the guys 🤍 i'll try to update as much as i could. starting things off a little dark..

requested:— we missed you pt. 2— angst— della regarding enha x aespa— della hiatus (though it's only talks of it)— della gets into an accident (though not as extreme as a car crash)

taglist! @afiaaaa19 @riikiblr @one16core @toriluvsfics @i90snoo @danyxthirstae01 @seulgifted @cla-iii @hiqhkey @nichmeddar @jiwlys @duolingofanaccount @nvmbheart @studioreader @sarang-wonie @fairydosii @hoonstrology @jaetint @4sahii @8-itsmee-8

[boyswanna-be-her]

Lmao the walk was super fun but only two people showed up (my biggest fan, who was obvs gonna be there, and a new friend who we both met at the same time through volunteering which is cute and fun, he's a p good deal younger than us). Since it was just the 3 of us, we hiked the WHOLE trail system and had a blast. Got lunch afterwards. I invited them to come out to the beach with me, and my friend decided to follow me straight out and new boy went home first but then flaked and never ended up coming to the beach.

So the clown dance continued, we swam and sunned and laughed, came back to my apartment, eventually got hungry and went to dinner, our third meal together in a row today. At every point they were hesitant to leave and happy to be invited to do the next thing. The only reason why we're not together now is that we're supposed to lift tonight at their place with someone else joining, so they headed back to their own side of town while I went home to take a shower.

This is actually a great holding pattern as far as I'm concerned. We spend as much time and I'd be willing to spend with someone I was dating, and I enjoy spending time with them more than being alone (USUALLY more, sometimes they're in a mood and I'd rather split). It's been so long since I've ACTUALLY enjoyed someone's company more than my own that I wasn't sure that would ever even happen again for me. I'm happy with this. The chemistry is there but--and holy shit i can't believe im saying this--I don't actually want to risk our friend...ship? Lmao? Who am i?

I also made an offhand comment about planning something fun and they responded "I don't really drink so that can make it hard" and of course in light of recent life changes on my side I'm like 👀👀👀 that is the opposite of a problem! But it also makes me sad bc they have been drinking with me some on our off hours and it sounds like they were just trying to keep up with me/not murder the vibe and that was SO not necessary. It also makes some stuff track more in retrospect (like "oh what was up with them that night?" ends up being "they were sleepy bc they dont drink booze normally"). Anyway, since it came up organically I told them that I was actually working on my sobriety and that it was difficult with my parents as enablers/people who want a drinking buddy from their child--and wouldnt you fucking know, bc we have everything else in common, they also have the SAME dynamic w their parents. And they seemed happy that sobriety was something I was thinking about and valued, but possibly more relieved that I actually DO enjoy our time together when we're both sober and want to do more of that.

We're finally getting into some deeper shit and I'm learning about their history and what makes them tick. Like they speak their mind super freely, but they are SO private about their family and personal life to the point that it feels almost too intimate to learn some of this shit that people who have known them longer are oblivious about. On the other hand, I'm a open book about everything I've been through and my mental health but good fucking luck getting an earnest take out of me on anything unless i deeply trust you. It makes for a weird game of learning about each other. I thanked them today for being a friend who's down to clown with all of my stupid suggestions and admitted that I normally just do everything alone but it's more fun with them. They expressed it all back to me. Alone for a long time, fine with that, surprised to find me, thankful for that too. It's just like, hm. Very comfy. And I don't worry about being wanted or wearing out my welcome, and I don't get taken advantage of, and they stand up for me and do nice things for me, and feed me and worry about me. That's such a nice change for me from being either The Provider or a person who wants for nothing or no one. It's scary to want someone in my life, even in this capacity, but it's more rewarding than I thought it could be without, yknow, actively trying to date or hook up. I feel like the possibility of something more is stalking us from location to location like the monster in It Follows--sometimes our knees are nestled together while we talk and it's breathing down our necks and sometimes we're both distracted and moody and it's not something either is thinking too much about, but fuck if it isn't always there and a thing I think we will inevitably make a choice about in the future but.

[kapi-tanka]

If you don't do commissions what artistic work you do? I want to get an art related job too but I don't really know how and where to start :(

oh well. i'm sorry but honestly i don't think i can help much since my experience is very specific to russian-speaking communities plus i'm very lucky in terms of upbringing. my mom's an editor and my dad worked as a designer for a long time. they passively taught me a lot of stuff and kind of presented me to my first clients back in the day, plus i've always had to do small things for their own projects too. at this point i just know a bunch of other editors, authors and designers who recommend me to people they know. sometimes new people find my behance portfolio and contact me. i also read a bunch of chats/pages where people post art/design vacancies. but connections were my bread and butter the whole time. i don't even have an art degree, only word of mouth and skill and uhh i also can't say i recommend my field?? i mostly do vector stuff and, to put it lightly, it's boring. the most fun stuff i did was children's book illustration/children's and pedagogical periodics but i feel like it's an overpopulated field in russia and they rarely pay well my current job is okay, though it's very tech and business oriented. their current theme is autopiloted aircrafts lmao. very fun objects to draw, you have no idea, anon. the "best" part is that i have to understand the principles of all the stuff i draw about to depict them properly and to convey the basic concept behind them. i'm not an expert by all means but somehow i end up working on such projects (the worst time was when i had to make infographics on nanotubes and carbon, etc., it was very stressful and scientists weren't great at explaining stuff to dumbasses regular people like me lol). but in my experience this field isn't as crowded as children's illustration since not as many artists want to draw shit like. geodesic drones. i've also had my fair share of corporate vector art. was relatively easy for me (i'm good at adjusting to company artstyles and i like drawing people) but it didn't feel right (imagine drawing APPEALING and ENGAGING pictures on taxes in singapore plus you're an anti-capitalist plus everybody in art community hates how it looks and you just kinda have an existential crisis every single time you draw a smiling dude in a suit)

so yeah. i do lots of labor i don't really enjoy/want to do and i kinda got used to it by adding stuff i find appealing to my work illustrations (such as people, interesting compositions, fun details), BUT i hope you'll find something that suits you personally and something that will bring you joy. good luck!!! (my work doesn't suck 24/7 though, i just tried not to sugar-coat it)

[catastrothy]

here is a little chronicle of my sickness journey btw. bc i feel like i need to write this down because its been hilariously awful lol

warning 4 gross stuff, oversharing, and me bitching, unsurprisingly

back in early august i got sick with what i thought was a cold. basic symptoms, fever, achiness, runny nose, etc. things are relatively normal at first, i've gotten sick dozens of times because i'm particularly prone to sinus and ear infections so i brushed it off

And Then The Hives Began.

all over my limbs and very rarely on my torso and neck. even had one on my face. at one point my throat got very itchy and i had a panic attack thinking i would get anaphylaxis for the first time in my life. thankfully i took a shitton of claritin + pepcid + benedryl and it kicked in fast enough that i was okay

i go to the local urgent care. the doctor is amazing and gives a shit and prescribes me some steroids + recommends i keep taking what i've been taking. tells me to follow up with my primary doctor and to come back if things get worse.

Things Continue To Get Worse.

i go to my primary doctor. she is not very helpful. i've been thinking of switching providers anyway because i'm moving and this has kind of solidified this decision because i'm told "well that's weird! just uhh. keep taking your antihistamines and don't go out in public. good luck :)" the only thing is its been a hot minute since i switched providers and i dont really remember what the process is like and i will inevitably get social anxiety about it.

this continues for a while. i'm managing, i feel like shit. but i am managing. now here comes the really gross part. this morning (9/15/23) i am chilling on my computer. i go to scratch my stomach, only to find... there is crust. around my belly button. why is my belly button so crusty? what? it turns out there is discharge of some sort coming from there. why? who knows! it's not too painful but between the fact my fever is now higher than it's ever been (although still a low grade one) and i have this unexplained discharge it throws me into one of the worst panic attacks i've had in a while. all the worst case scenarios (sepsis, my second greatest phobia besides anaphylaxis) are running through my head but i remind myself every time i've thought shit was mega fucked it turned out okay. mira also helps comfort me and im able to collect myself and go to the urgent care (again). also on top of this i have like 3 cold sores and my period going at the same time so i am extra suffering!!!!!!!!!!

the doctor there is again really understanding and wonderful. i love this woman. she tests me for flu, covid, strep, and mono. she says she tests for mono specifically because a lot of other doctors miss it and make patients suffer for no reason. all tests come back negative thankfully (or maybe unthankfully... because we still dont know what the fuck i got). she puts me on like 5 new different meds (antiviral, antibiotic, steroid, nausea meds, and an antifungal to help if i get a yeast infection while on the antibiotic). at this point i am genuinely wishing i could make this lady my primary doctor but alas, 'tis not to be.

i am now given 1 shot each of antibiotic and steroid. one in each butt cheek. my ass hurts so badly. sitting is vaguely uncomfortable.

i am given some gauze and also told to buy dial soap for the belly button infection. i go home and lay on the couch. and thus this is where we are now

also my electric company charged me like $200 for electricity which we do not have atm so thats a cool cherry on top

anyway moral of the story is that my immune system is garbage and i wish it attacked the virus instead of me <3

[aniamra]

Open Source Audio/Visual Editors

I always find myself thinking about how frustrated I am there's a lot of open source projects for some things, and then just none for others and I wonder how that even happens.

For example, Blender is not JUST an open source CGI tool, but a contender for being on par with the likes of Maya. Krita is a bit more young and hasn't been able to quite reach some of the features Photoshop has, but it's certainly powerful in its own right, more time will just refine it and with any luck, start changing the industry like Blender has.

However, if your field is in Audio or visual and you want to find an open source competitor for FL Studio or Logic Pro, or a video editor as good as Adobe Premier or Vegas, I'm certain there are no staples that come to mind unless you're already deliberately looking for it like I am. Most of the options you'll find with a cursory search are either other varying levels of paid software, a handful of clunky, often questionable or bloated freemium, and that's it. I often wonder to myself, why is it, that audio and multi-media editing has for this long been largely untouched by open source initiatives? Why in the 2020's do those forms of media editing continue to be walled gardens?

Some might suggest just pirating the existing software but I feel like that dodges the real problem, and this has nothing to do with the 'morality' of pirating. The truth of the matter is, pirating software still continues to perpetuate the hold on the industry that software has. You're still elevating the proprietary file formats of that company, even if you're not directly giving them money. Just like how no matter how many alternatives we have to Photoshop, we're still kowtowing to it just by having it's PSDs be the only universal file format. Krita can make it's own open source file formats to support multi-layer styles and text layers, but unless all the other companies communicate with each other and accept the file format into their own libraries, it won't do anything. Business licenses will be the biggest contributor to money those companies make, and as long as their file formats are the standard they have an obligation to continue using the same software. It is my opinion that pirating the software just perpetuates this. And to be clear, this isn't a judgement to say you should or shouldn't, I genuinely do not care, but this is to say that pirating on it's own isn't really 'sticking it to the man' like some people think it is. It's a neutral act, it's neither productive or disruptive, but supporting open source initiatives, that will always make waves.

So all that rambling aside, I've done a little digging and there are some options, but they're still pretty small in size. But I'm hoping more awareness that the projects even exist will make people try them out and contribute/give it more traction.

Audio Editing

For those that don't make music this might not be something any one thinks of beyond small audio edits, but as a person that's started to think about dipping my toes into making music, all the software out there is prohibitively expensive. I had been hoping for an open source option to pop up for ages and I think I finally found one.

https://lmms.io/ This is the best I've found for a Digital Audio Workstation that's along the lines of FL Studio or Logic Pro, however I don't have enough personal experience with either of those to tell you if it's a decent alternative or not. But I am glad that it exists and I hope with support it does reach that point. But it means I have a means of being able to experiment and try out stuff for myself without having to rely in the hoops of pirating software.

https://ardour.org/ This seems to be a Digital Audio Workstation, but I can't tell if it's midi only or if it works with the same kind of audio libraries other programs do. But it still looks to be a supported option.

https://tenacityaudio.org/ This one might also be a good option but it feels closer to a competitor for Audacity than a full Digital Audio Workstation but in time it might change. But hey we can always use more free audio editors than just Audacity as much of a staple as it is.

Video Editing

In the realm of visual editors the only free ones I had known of previously were DaVinci Resolve and Hitfilm Express, and neither of these are open source. All they are is freemium editors, and I have been hunting for SOMETHING to use to edit videos that isn't the same freemium options and I finally ran into a couple.

https://kdenlive.org/en/ There is some notes about this one being possibly laggy and buggy but that seems to be a year ago. As with all things open source, new builds can often mean a world of difference.

https://www.shotcut.org/ Seems to be about the same as KDen, from what I could tell the features appeared to be on-par with one another. However it does have ads on the windows version unless you get it from Windows Store/Flathub/Snap Store so, take that as you will.

https://www.olivevideoeditor.org/ This looks to be brand new, as they are only just reaching their 0.2 version, but may be worth keeping an eye on.

https://natrongithub.github.io/ Unlike the other three, this is less a competitor for Premier and more like a competitor for After Effects. It specializes in effects editing and compositing. The above three programs are for your meat and potatoes structure of your video, Natron is for the polish after the fact.

Hopefully this may be useful for you, dear reader, but I know I'm certainly benefiting from finally having viable audio/visual editing options.

[the-firebird69]

Couple more things might be helping the more locker evacuating. We said they were at 19% couple nights ago and down to 18% yesterday it's at around 17.6% today they're going to evacuate tonight in in larger numbers we think maybe one or 2% that will bring it down to 15 or 14% and those numbers are not massively significant yet but it will be felt and we move in and the other two big groups slight change everyday but we think that the evacuations will intensify throughout the weekend and into next week we have recorded it says by the end of next week it's at 5% and these people are running for their lives and the pseudo empire was taking control and they have programs to run and things there's one more big one

-their attitude is very sour they're demeanor is horrific of the of the morlock and they're running around all day long challenging people saying dumb things telling people they're the greatest and it's just absolutely not true they're not well cats and their bodies are not in shape their weak their bones are weak their muscles are weak and they're sick and their brains are shot people have noticed that globally they said we have a pile of people with a certain level of zombie all over him and it is not effective at helping our realm and they are silly and don't have the math right and you talk to him the say it like they had it recorded and you see they're looking at notes and they're trying to survive by threatening him only and it is a disgusting show it's all over the world this talk and yeah he's going to get help

-other things his birthday is in July and it is spring March April and May and June and Dennis's birthday 3 months nobody is successfully got him practically anything just his insurance company salesperson and she's a Wonder for real it's a problem and I've always writes him says it's them doing things and her husband's got mad and it's ridiculous there's nobody here with any common sense practically and they get buried under and pushed under and it's horrible but they're going to try and they already started trillions of dollars a day no it's trillions of people a day and each area seems like take a turn and they're trying to get code there and they saw dilip doing pretty good compared to what he was doing and he became governor and they're trying to send just $20 so that's going on what we feel is at some point those letters might make it and they say no and they're fighting and disappearing it's going to increase every month by several factors and it will knock a lot of them out

-along with all this more luck are getting beaten up some of the pseudo empire but not really all over the world they want them out and they're pushing them out they're evacuating their global population is lowering and even on minority more luck Islands they don't want them there and they're coming here from there and say they'll go to the islands after and that's kind of our plan and they've always been kind of a Bedouin society for real it's going on that way and it's taking some time but that's what's going on with them. And as it goes they are going to displace people here that will actually help they're fairly nice and decent to our son and they helped with the roof greatly that was a disaster and John remillard was a nightmare and everybody noted he's a horrible horrible person to him needs to leave and really he fell off the cabbage card and refuses to get back on since he doesn't do anything and he's a liar and a cheat and it's disgusting and he needs to get he needs to leave heels are sent tons of money and we're going to court with him and everything on all sorts of stuff and him falling will make a big difference that's in the news now he is not getting appeals through he is not stopping court cases he is not winning any court cases he has not posted a bond and they're going to pull his card and force him to pay if he doesn't pay he goes to jail and a president too suing that is not going to become president he's going to get blacklisted and all sorts of stuff going to come out of the bag if he refuses to step off

-few other things major major assistance is coming we have a huge program going and that program is now lit on fire it is because of the interstellar comments and they did the calculations they know how far things are they have lasers that can measure the distance exoplanets for found the hull thickness was given out a little and it was tested and found to be true and accurate I'm heating and cooling systems were tested a year or two of running very hot and very cold was done all of this stuff can be seen and the superiors are telling them yes and they have fast objects that can go through interstellar space as well and navigate and it's hard wire stuff it's not necessarily all computerized so this is the way it's going right now there's more to it but basically the morlock have fallen down in are not prepared to do things except for bja but right now he is not able to really a lot of it comes down to what Trump is doing

Thor Freya

Olympus

Zues Hera

[vodka-redbull-daily]

November 26th, 2023

*Graphic Sexual Content*

I've been trying out a few new sites here and there. In all honesty, most of them are ass. seeking has a million and a half scammers, but at least people actually reply to you and I should try to set things up. so many of these other places requires so much money even to function on that site.  you have to pay $3 to read a message on some of these sites.  just to read it. not even to reply. I wouldn't be surprised if it also charged you to make a reply, but I haven't done that yet cuz I'm not paying $3 to read a stupid “hey how are you”.  the only one that seems to have any promise is Secret benefit. I've been able to talk to a few guys on there already. I'm hoping it's not just good luck.

one of the guys off the new site is named G---. I met him today. we went out for a barbecue at a place I'd never heard of. he's originally from California, but his parents are Greek I think? he's got a little bit of an accent, but I really can't tell where it's from. he told me about his last sugar relationship. oh yeah. that's the thing about Secret benefit. it is definitely advertised as a sugar site versus a vague “arrangement”  site. I like that because a lot of the profiles that these guys have are way more direct and to the point. I've been looking for something consistent for so long, this might be the exact thing I need.  I honestly think that's more of what W---- is at this point than anything else. he doesn't give me money every time I sleep with him, but he does always pay for all the food, anything we go do, all the drinks. and tonight, as I was driving to go meet G---, he sent me $350 to get an outfit for the party on Friday. that is true sugar daddy Behavior

G--- and his last sugar baby actually met on a flight. the girl was from some European country, I actually kind of forgot and I feel a little bad about it. they met on the flight going to Los angeles, G--- was coming back from vacation and the girl was moving to the US, if I remember right. I had a little bit to drink, so it is a little bit fuzzy even though I didn't drink that much. vodka with ginger beer, since it was a barbecue and they didn't have red bull. he talked about how he was with her for 6 years and he had an amazing time. he talked about all the travels they went on and about all the marvelous places he seen before, how much he likes camping and hiking. We had a really good conversation and it honestly seemed like he really liked my company. on my side, he was okay. he's definitely not somebody I would choose to spend my time with on my own, but given the lineup of everyone else I've talked to, he would definitely be pretty high up on my list of people that I  would want a second date with. the barbecue  was also really good.

when we are about winding down from the meal,  he talked about how He was happy that we had met, he was looking to get back into the life so after a year-long break, and that he was glad that I looked like my pictures. not the first guy to say that, I do find it a little bit weird even though I understand that people catfish a lot. he said he was having a great time and that he had rented out a hotel room earlier just in case.   he asked if I wanted to go back  there was him to talk some more, especially about the sugar stuff since we were in public. of course, I said yes. we hadn't talked about price or anything like that and I was again making that rookie mistake. in the end, it turned out fine, but I guess I should really start paying more attention and that kind of stuff.

we drove over to where his hotel was  and he took me up to the room. for some reason, I really did think that we were actually going to talk for a little bit before jumping into the sex, but no. almost as soon as we were in the room he pulled me over to a little couch, pulled me into his lap, and started making out with me. I guess I was really good at that conversation after all. pretty amazing that I would manage to seduce him with my social charm,  since that's normally what I'm the worst at. we made out for a little bit,  slowly removing each other's clothes,  before he finally moved me over to the bed.  we got through the mandatory dick-sucking before he asked me what I liked. I kind of hate it when men ask me this question.  don't get me wrong, I love the sentiment behind it, but they're always so vague. I really need them to be more specific. what do you mean by that? I like a lot of things. I like cheese. I like embroidery work. I like anal. what do you mean? do you want to hear about my kinks? do you want to hear about what I've tried? Do you want to hear about what I might like?  I just answered with doggy style, because it's true and I'm not really sure what else he meant.

he had me ride him for a little bit And then we didn't end up actually getting doggy style. it must be an older man thing, because he was also leaning really heavily on my shoulders like P----- and D-- had done. luckily, he didn't put nearly as much pressure as those two had so it wasn't in pain. he didn't last too long, but it wasn't the worst I've had. afterwards, he went to the bathroom to clean himself up. he came back, we laid in bed and talked for a while. we talked about the places I've traveled to, which weren't that many. I talked to him about places I'd like to travel to and about how he's already been to them. he didn't say it in like a bragging way, just sharing his experiences and talking about how much fun it would be for me to go. we talked about how I've never been on a cruise before and how he likes to do it. he talked about how it's pretty easy to get a three-way on a cruise. we joked about how the ocean makes people crazy like that. we talked a little bit about my Kinks, but again everyone's so vague that I don't really know what they're asking me. I would honestly just prefer the Yes No Maybe list.

we ended up fucking again. I think it was a mix between the fact that he probably hasn't had sex in about a year, the fact that I'm eternally horny, and the fact that when I'm laying with somebody, I tend to draw lazy circles along with my fingers. it's not necessarily A seduction tactic, it's just what happens. my  hands just kind of naturally do that.  even when we were just cuddling in bed, he kept saying I was acting incredibly affectionately. W---- said something similar. I don't understand what they mean by that.  do other girls just immediately get up, put their clothes on, I won't touch them again after they cum?  I'm not sure why they keep acting like it's so surprising that I cuddle with them after sex.  in fact, I remember the first time I slept with T----- how hurt I was that he didn't want to cuddle. well, maybe hurt isn't the right word.

or maybe it is, but just not in that way.

I wasn't hurt that T----- I don't want to cuddle with me, it was more like I was hurting because I wanted him to cuddle with me. because I wanted to be having sex with him, but I was having sex with T------ instead. because T------ wasn't him. because  T------ couldn't go round after round after round like he could. because T------ just kind of laid back and immediately went to sleep afterward instead of holding me close, kissing my neck, Whispering about how much he liked me Like he had. remember the first time it was with T------ and I just laid there and started up the ceiling, grinding my teeth and clenching my fist to keep myself from bursting into tears. T------ was asleep, snoring next to me, while I sat there and thought about how much I fucking hated being in his bed and wanted so bad to be in J----'s.

of course, I had to suck G---’s dick before we were able to actually have sex.  like I said, it's basically mandatory. After a few minutes of that,  he put another condom,  had me ride him for a little bit, Then Fucked me missionary style.  again, it didn't last very long but I've had worse. he went to the bathroom again to clean himself up and I ended up starting to get dressed. at this point, it was already pretty late at night. he also got ready to go with me and slip some money into my pocket as we were heading out the door. I had honestly fully expected him to not give me any money and just completely stop talking to me. I'm glad  he didn't  and I didn't count how much it was in front of him because that seems a little rude. he walked around to my car, laughed at all my stickers, and waved me off as I started home.

Turns out it was $400.

And he said he wants to meet again soon. It’s going to be hard with my schedule, though. I love second shift, but it sure makes sugaring hard. 

Total Earned: $4,210

Body Count: 16

Dick Pics: 13

Head Recieved: 3

Head Given: 14

Sex Ranking:

B------

Him

T----

W----

P-----

F----

G---

A---

G--

R--

T------

J--

M--- (x2)

D--

A----

[honeyedwordsandblades]

I'm not in any means truly knowledgeable about DnD or Forgotten Relams stuff. I've been kinda toying with the idea of doing DnD myself for sometime now and am now more looking into things because of BG3. So take all I say with a huge grain of salt. But...

artemis-entreri's reply (screenshotted below for everyone's convenience) is certainly interesting. Again I do not really know much about the DnD world, in-universe or the outside meta real world goings on, so I have no idea how true and reliable the first part they said about Ed Greenwood is.

(Coming back after doing a quick Google search about it, seems Ed Greenwood created Forgotten Realms and very much himself says the original intention was that it (Faerûn) was a continent on a world, one of many worlds (ours included), in a multiverse connected by portals and because of this was influenced by things brought into that world (and vice versa into ours, i.e. the idea of dragons, vampires, etc. - called Forgotten Realms bc we on Earth had forgotten where those portals were). So, there wasn't truly any real analogue of real world places. It was supposed to be a whole other world of its own.

What happened was that outside of that story, meta real world speaking, he never had full control over Forgotten Realms stuff. TSR, Inc., the publishing company, did. They changed the multiverse portal stuff so that dumb young kids didn't get themselves into trouble/hurt/or even worse fates looking for them in the real world. Other than that, Ed doesn't really say in the article I'm looking at. I'm not sure if TSR had made any changes so there were then real world analogues or if that was just the nature of DnD players/fans doing that on their own. From the article, he seems to imply the latter, but I've got no clue about TSR's involvement there. Food for thought, I suppose. Up to you, how you interpret and use it for what you're doing.)

Now how reliable the second reddit link part is: After looking at it, it seems… pretty dubious and questionable. (A commenter gives a list of comparisons and says he'll link the post he got that from but never does?? Ehhh… Hmm. Not great.) (And from I learned from that Campfire article with Ed, doesn't truly seem to matter much anyway.)

I will say one thing though. The whole reason I decided to actually reply and make a big to do with an actual post: I've actually in curiosity on my own, for multiple different reasons, across multiple different times, have wondered about some real world analogue for the Forgotten Realms world (Hello Mexican ancestry wanting to know about any fictional counterpart and certainly finding it) and also, after discovering Faerûn was just one continent of the planet (analogous to Europe, I think we can all agree), wanting to know if the planet has a name of it's own. It does actually! It's Toril. Or apparently it's full but much less commonly used name is Abeir-Toril.

Here's a map of all the continents of Toril. Full-page about Toril on the Forgotten Realms Fandom.com site. (I know, I know. Fandom.com bad. I know. I am unaware of any other wiki site for Forgotten Realms currently. If anyone else knows, let us know.)

Maztica is clearly supposed to be an analogue to Mexico, while above it is very plainly labeled "Unknown Lands" (i.e. the rest of the analogue for North America). On the wiki page for Toril, however, it appears it does actually have a name?? Anchorome, (pronounced ang-kor-OH-may) apparently. That appears to be a good jumping off point for what you're looking for. I don't know how canon that is, but as we've already established "canon" analogues with Forgotten Realms was already kinda of shaky at best. But good luck with your own personal worldbuilding though!

Here's another question

This one's aimed at folks who have a pretty good grasp on the geography of Faerûn:

I'm well aware that Faerûn is meant to be based on aspects of Afro-Eurasia, but if y'all were to compare nations and/or cities to areas of the United States, based on like culture, geography, or climate, what equivalents would you come up with?

I've been trying to research the continent of Faerûn and all the different cultures/nations/histories it contains and it's making my head spin

[soyouthinkucanwrite]

The money thing (part 1/2) - Daniel Ricciardo

It's always the little things, isn't it? The smallest stupidest things make almost no difference and then make all the difference in the world. They make everything special, but they also have the power to tear everything appart.

You and Daniel fight about money for the thousand time and he's had enough of it.

Warnings: super angst, but with a happy ending :)

Guys, this turned out WAY BIGGER than I expected, so I'm just gonna do a part 2, okay? Okay, thanks for understanding!

Song that inspired me: A list by HVOB

You and Daniel had been dating for a couple months now, having met through a common friend and hitting off almost instantly. You lived in Amsterdam and he, well he lived all over the world really, but his "time off" (meaning not racing) was spent between Monaco and London (for work), and Amsterdam now too, of course.

The changes were small and subtle at the beginning, like your weekends being spent traveling to meet him wherever in the world he was and consequently spending almost all your savings on plane tickets. You never complained to him (you planned on spending the money traveling anyway, so you didn't see the point), but didn't accept when he offered to buy your tickets, either. There's been some awkwardness around the subject but it usually died on its own.

*beginning of flashback*

"You’d have gotten here in time if you'd gotten the early flight like I told you" you remembered him saying that time you got in the paddock after the qualifying session had begun and couldn’t kiss him good luck.

"Baby, I told you. It was crazy expensive! Absurd even!"

"(y/n) for god's sake! What are we saving money for? I told you, you have my credit card number, I've offered to get you one, this is ridiculous, I can't believe I literally earn millions and my girlfriend wasn't there with me because the ticket was too expensive! I'll fucking fly you private if I have to!" he was almost yelling in his driver's room. You could only stare from the corner.

He took a deep breath running his hands through his hair. "Sorry. It's just... it was crap out there. I needed you" you grimaced at his words.

"Sorry. I really am..." you tried to approach him. "I'm here now?" you touched his arm. "It can't have been that bad, you're still on the top 10 and we both know what you can do from the 8th car..." you smiled at him.

*end of flashback*

He started to spend much more of his time off with you at your place, so you decided to get a place by yourself (having a roommate was great for company and splitting the rent, but having a roommate there while you guys just wanted some much-needed privacy was not working). Then there were more traveling to meet him, furniture for the new place, clothing for all the events (GPs or not), uber rides here and there... all of that without mentioning that you weren't being able to get the freelance jobs you used to get to make some extra money, so yeah, to say things were tight was an understatement. You tried to do all your shopping alone, so he wouldn't offer and you wouldn't refuse or be awkward about it, but Daniel seem to be glued to you whenever you were in the same city (not that you’re complaining).

He started to spend much more of his time off with you at your place, so you decided to get a place by yourself (having a roommate was great for company and splitting the rent, but having a roommate there while you guys just wanted some much-needed privacy was not working). Then there were more traveling to meet him, furniture for the new place, clothing for all the events (GPs or not), uber rides here and there... all of that without mentioning that you weren't being able to get the freelance jobs you used to get to make some extra money, so yeah, to say things were tight was an understatement. You tried to do all your shopping alone, so he wouldn't offer and you wouldn't refuse or be awkward about it, but Daniel seem to be glued to you whenever you were in the same city (not that you’re complaining).

The thing is, you always had trouble dealing with money. Sure, you liked to pay for your own stuff so as to not owe anything to anyone (especially boys), but it was so much deeper than that. Ever since a kid, you hated asking for money from your parents, and sometimes even the thought of buying stuff that was a bit more expensive made you sick. You couldn't explain why, you just felt guilty having so much and knowing that most people have never even seen that amount. It's not that you didn't want to spend it and save for the sake of it, you just didn't handle the idea of money very well. Needless to say, dating a millionnaire was bound to cause trouble in the relationship for you.

You were currently at his place in Monaco. It was the summer break and you had decided to spend some days just chilling at home, just the two of you - which you were glad since going out means hair, makeup, clothes, accessories, shoes... and, let's be honest, the kind of places he usually took you is not the kind of places you just throw something together last minute (the Instagram models and other driver's girlfriends looking you up and down were enough to make you think about spending money you did not have to hire a stylist or something like that). The whole situation was really stressing you out and you knew you would have to be honest with him eventually, instead of only dodging the subject and refusing most of his offers to pay. You tried to. You kind of tried. You suggested staying at home, in bed, most of the time, and he gladly agreed, but that strategy wasn't gonna work forever. You had to be honest with him. But at the same time, you knew what he was going to say and do, and the thought of him spending money on you, even if just by handling the restaurant bill, wasn't something you were much more comfortable with. Besides, it was only a matter of time before the "gold-digger" term starts to fly around in the small world that was the F1's.

You were laying on his couch, the Olympics playing on the TV but you were too busy overthinking the money thing to pay attention. Daniel was laying with his head on your lap, absently caressing your thigh and watching the TV. His phone went off and he moved to pick it up.

"Hello?" you watched as he answered the phone. "Hey mate, how's it going? Uh nothing, we're just chilling at home. Getting some rest... Yeah, I'm getting rested, you dirty-minded son of a bitch" you rolled your eyes while he laughed out loud on the line with someone. "Yeah, I know... the 19th is it? No, it's fine. Yeah, yeah. I'll be there. Alright, mate. Thanks for calling. Have a good one! Bye!" he hanged up and leaned in to peck you on the lips.

"Good news?" you asked him.

"Not really. Just wanted to kiss you" he shrugged, smiling. You smiled back and hugged him, pulling him in for another kiss. He was always so caring with you, always finding an excuse to kiss or touch you. You knew some people didn't like it, but you loved it. Physical touch was definitely one of your love languages.

"What's happening on the 19th then?" you asked him once you guys set apart from the kiss.

"Gotta be in London. Gonna run some testings and other boring race stuff..."

"Hum..." you hummed in understanding.

"You know what would make it less boring though?" he asked and you just looked at him, you already knew what he was going to ask you and it wasn't that you didn't want to spend every minute of the day with him, but you simply couldn't afford any more traveling, especially not in such short notice. "If you came with me. Huh? What do you say? A week in the Queen's land? Then we can fly together to Spa and after the race, I can go with you to Amsterdam. The next one it's the Dutch GP anyway, I'll just get there sooner" he laughed. It was crushing you, the man of your dreams was literally beaming at making plans with you, talking about spending the next few weeks glued together and you couldn't say yes.

"Dan, I have to work" you smiled sadly.

"Can't you work from distance? Or, I don't know, I mean... I know it's tiring, but you could come to London and fly home a bit early, then just meet me in Belgium?" great, his solution includes even more flying. And the thing is, you really didn't mind the flying. You always slept during the whole thing anyway, so you never got tired and the jetlag was minimal. You could work from distance, sure. Your boss wouldn't mind, as long as you got there eventually to check in on everything. But the whole logistics were just too expensive. There was no way you could afford it.

"I... sorry, I don't think I can" you said sadly and watched as his face dropped.

"That's fine, baby. I get it. I'm asking too much, all this traveling... don't worry about it" he tried to mask his emotions but you knew better. He knew you could in fact work from distance, so he was probably thinking the reason you couldn't do it was because you didn't want to.

He got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. Meanwhile, you couldn't help but bury your face in your palms. This was so frustrating!

"You wanna go for a run or something? Maybe get something to eat?" he called from the kitchen, already moving on from the subject. You knew this whole thing was only gonna keep build up till he got tired of your excuses or you blowing up, probably the former, but you just keep going.

"Yeah, sure" you answered, getting up from the couch.

You and Daniel were both very active so going for a run, hiking, riding bikes, or whatever in the middle of the day was really routine for you. The Monaco summer weather was as beautiful as always and the sun was shining bright. You enjoyed the rest of your afternoon racing each other, kissing in the harbor, and just taking in the views, spending quality time together. Money wasn't even a thing in your bubble for a while.

"I'm getting hungry" he said on the way back home.

"Me too, and I'm super hot. I could go for a juice or something right now" you were all sweaty from the running, but you didn't care, he was too.

"You're always hot baby, I don't think juice gonna help with that" he grinned at you and you just rolled your eyes at him.

You passed by one of his favorite spots for food, nearby his place and he suggested getting some take-out, to which you agreed.

"Green juice, and a chicken wrap?" you tried to decide while the both of you waited in line.

"I'll never understand how you drink that"

"I've seen you drink that too, it's actually very refreshing"

"Because I'm forced to, I'm a high-performance athlete baby. But I'm on a break, so I'll have a coke, thank you very much" you laughed at him. He was holding your hand and tried to kiss you, wrapping his arm around you, you didn't dodge his kiss, you would never, but still laughed at the fact he wanted to kiss the sweaty mess you were right now.

"I'm gross, only you" you laughed.

"That's my baby, with no makeup she a ten" he rapped shrugging and grinning.

"Alright Lil Wayne, I know that one, don't even finish the verse" you laughed at him, making him laugh out loud, getting everyone's in the restaurant's attention.

"It's true, though"

"Sure..." You just shook your head smiling. Then you heard someone call his name.

"Hey! Daniel!" you both turned around to see Charles and Charlotte sitting in a corner, him waving at you two. You had met Charles a couple of times before but never spoke too much to him. They seemed to be leaving anyway, so they walked towards you guys, instead of towards the door.

"Hey mate, how's it going?" Daniel greeted him with a handshake. "Hey, Charlotte! You know (y/n) yet?"

"Hi! I don't think so, hi! How are you?" she greeted you smiling.

"Hi! Nice to meet you. Hi, Charles!" you said.

"Hey, (y/n). You're keeping him in line during the break? Char won't let me cheat my diet either" he laughed.

"Oh, that ship has sailed long ago! Daniel will just roll into the paddock if it's up to him" you laughed back.

"Hey! I think I've earned the right to some extra calories, we've been working out extra hard lately" Daniel said waving his eyebrows suggestively, making Charlotte giggle, Charles rolls his eyes and you go even redder than you were from the actual workout, while he just laughed out loud.

"I don't even want to know" Charles said. "Always great running into you mate" he was getting ready to say goodbye.

"Are we seeing you guys tomorrow?" Charlotte asked you.

"Tomorrow?" you asked her.

"Stefano's birthday" she said like it was obvious. Stefano Domenicali was the President and CEO of Formula 1, but you didn't know that yet - still, her tone made it seems like it was someone Daniel knew, so you just looked at him. He just rubbed his neck, looking a little embarrassed. "Oh, wait. Please tell me I didn't just said something I shouldn't" she looked at Charles.

"No, no. He invited me. Us, actually" Daniel reassured her. "I don't think we're going though, forgot to mention to you" he said looking at you.

"Uh mate, I wouldn't skip that if I were you. He didn't even invite all the drivers I heard" Charles said. "Maybe just stop by to say hello?"

"Stop by... a yacht... at the sea?" Charlotte said grinning at him. Daniel looked at you.

"You feel like going? It should be fun" he asked you.

"Sounds fancy... I mean, I don't mind if you go" you said.

"Common... I’m not going alone" he nudged you.

"I don't even have anything to wear, Dan" you told him.

"Oh! We can go shopping together!" Charlotte said and you had almost forgotten they were still there.

"Perfect!" Daniel answered for you. You could only imagine the types of stores she shopped.

"Tomorrow morning, then? Daniel can text your address to Charles for me? I'll pick you up!" she was being really nice about it.

"I thought you wanted to go today?" Charles said.

"That's when I thought I would have to go shopping with you, so I could use the extra time since you're the worst shopping partner ever!" she laughed at him.

"Burn!" Daniel laughed.

"His fashion taste is not the most reliable, let's face it" she laughed and kissed his cheek. "It's a date then (y/n)?" she looked expectantly at you. You didn't want to let her down, it was so hard to make friends with the girlfriends of other drivers, they were usually so... not nice. You could always just help her and find something to wear in your own stuff later.

"Yeah, sure! See you tomorrow, at 10?" you said simply.

"Perfect!" she beamed.

>>> end of part 1 <<<

[helloalycia]

teenage dirtbag [five] // wanda maximoff

summary: spending the afternoon with the Maximoff twins proved to be interesting... and prom night finally arrives!

warning/s: none.

author's note: here’s the final part to this mini series! i’m so glad you all enjoyed it and i appreciate every note i get, thank you 😊♥️ i’ve still got other wanda stuff in the works that will be posted soon, so stay tuned!

part one | part two | part three | part four | lil bonus bit for after p5 |masterlist | wattpad

After a few tries and encouragement from Pietro, I managed to win the black cat plush toy for Wanda. It was strange, her brother wanting me to make a move on her, but I guess it reassured me a bit to know he thought I was actually good enough for her.

The two of us headed to the diner next door to find Y/BF/N and the other Maximoff twin, myself hiding the plush toy behind my back.

"Finally, you two took forever!" Y/BF/N exclaimed when he saw us approaching their table.

"Y/N here is one stubborn girl with that machine," Pietro explained with a smile as we took our seats. His eyes fell to the drink in front of him. "Oh, you ordered!"

"Just the drinks," Y/BF/N said, before looking to me as I slid in beside him in the booth. "I got you a Cherry Coke. Your favourite."

I smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

"So, what d'you win?" he asked, quirking a brow.

Feeling the heat rising up my neck, I looked to Wanda who was sat opposite Y/BF/N. She was leaning on her hand as she stared at me with a kind smile on her lips.

"You said you wanted the black cat," I said nervously, before holding it out to her. "Here."

Taken aback, she raised her eyebrows but accepted the gift. "Aww, Y/N... you didn't have to!"

I shrugged, smiling awkwardly.

She grinned, studying the toy before looking up at me with sparkling hazel eyes. "I love it. Thank you."

Nodding, I glanced at Pietro who was grinning with pride before me. I could feel Y/BF/N staring at me and when I looked his way, he was smirking and wiggling his eyebrows knowingly. Rolling my eyes, I focused my attention on the menu to distract myself.

"So... what shall we order?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.

After relaying our order to the waitress, Pietro was the first to speak up.

"Okay, I have to ask," he began, leaning forward slightly as he looked between Y/BF/N and I. "Are you guys dating?"

I almost choked on my drink as I looked over my glass to see him grinning cheekily. He knew full well that Y/BF/N and I were only friends, so what was he playing at?

"Definitely not," Y/BF/N answered with a chuckle. Y/N here is practically my sister."

"Exactly," I added, giving Pietro a look that basically said I'm going to murder you. "He's been my best friend since we were kids."

"So there's never been feelings there?" Pietro continued to question curiously, leaning back in his seat.

Wanda slapped his arm gently. "Leave them alone, Piet."

"Never," Y/BF/N answered for us both. "Like I said, she's my annoying little sister."

I quirked a brow and looked to him. "Little? I think I'd be the older sister in this fake sibling relationship,"

"But I'm a month older than you," he stated like that was explanation enough.

"But you act like a child," I retorted. "I'd be the older one."

He rolled his eyes, though a smile was playing on his lips. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."

I rolled my eyes, too, before looking back to the twins. Wanda was smiling as she sipped her drink and Pietro had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he looked to me. What the hell was he thinking?

"So you're not interested in Y/BF/N," he thought aloud. "And you definitely weren't interested in me..."

"You made a move on Y/N?" Wanda asked suddenly, looking to her brother with knitted brows.

I breathed out through my nose, eyes falling to the table with embarrassment.

"Yeah, but she made it clear she didn't like me," Pietro said with a shrug, before looking to me again. "So who do you like then? Or is their a girlfriend we don't know about?"

Looking up, I saw three sets of eyes on me and I suddenly felt nervous. Y/BF/N and Pietro were watching with amusement dancing in their eyes as Wanda chewed her lip curiously, awaiting an answer.

"You know there's nobody, Pietro," I said through a forced smile as I looked to him.

His cheeky smile was still present as he said. "Really? I thought you mentioned someone back then. Whilst we were playing in the arcade."

Oh, boy, was he going to die.

"You misunderstood," I played along, before kicking him in the shin to shut him the hell up.

Of course, it was just my luck that the leg in front of me was actually Wanda's. She squeaked an 'ow' as she bent down to rub her leg.

"What was that?" she asked with confusion.

Pietro must have pitied me, having put me on the spot enough in the past two minutes, as he looked to his sister with an apologetic smile. "My bad, Wands. My foot just twitched."

I breathed out with relief as Pietro looked to me, trying not to laugh. He was lucky we were with company otherwise I would have killed him there and then.

—

I wasn't expecting to be hanging out with the Maximoff twins on a Saturday afternoon, but by the time dinner came to an end, I realised how much I enjoyed the day. And I think I could say the same for Y/BF/N, too.

The rest of our meal was pretty uneventful after Pietro's initial teasing, to my relief, and Pietro eventually quit it with the overt hints towards his sister. The last thing I wanted was for Wanda to feel uncomfortable, so I was glad he eventually cut it out.

At the end of the meal, Pietro and Y/BF/N offered to split the bill between them – something about chivalry not being dead, I don't know, all I knew was Wanda and I were getting a free meal so why complain? – and headed to the till to pay, leaving Wanda and I alone.

She was hugging her new black cat plushie on her lap adorably, making me smile.

"Aren't black cats supposed to be bad luck or something?" I asked, earning her attention.

She put her arm on the back of her seat, leaning her head on her hand as she gave me her full attention. "I didn't peg you for the suspicious type," she taunted.

I smiled. "I never said I believed it. Just what I've heard."

She chuckled, licking her lips. "Fair point... I don't believe it either. I just love black cats. They're so cute and get way too much stick for merely existing."

It was my turn to laugh. She had such a unique way of thinking that I couldn't help but be attracted to. Something as simple as the way she was smiling at me right now warmed my heart.

"How is your hand by the way?" she suddenly asked, eyes looking down to it.

I squeezed it into a fist and released. The purple bruising along my knuckles had turned yellow-green which meant it was getting better, but it did still hurt a little. Nonetheless, I didn't want to make Wanda feel bad, so I gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's okay," I said, making her look up at me with concerned eyes. "I mean, it hurts a little, but it's getting better."

She pursed her lips, nodding. "Nate really did deserve what you did. Bet it felt good."

I raised my eyebrows with surprise, certainly not expecting that. "I guess it did a little, but..."

"It's okay, I'm not biased," she promised with a slight smile. "We broke up, remember?"

I relaxed before mirroring her expression. "Then yeah, it felt pretty great. Karma for hitting me with that stupid football."

She chuckled, leaning back into her seat and clutching her cat. "Karma, indeed." There was a pause, before she grew excited. "So prom is coming up. How are we feeling?"

I groaned playfully. "We're feeling exhausted already. I'm not a huge prom fan."

She gasped. "Seriously? Y/N, come on, it's our last one! How aren't you excited?"

I pulled a face. "The concept of dancing in a hall with people I barely speak to isn't exactly appealing."

She straightened up, hugging her cat closely. "So what, you're not gonna go?"

"I'm not sure yet... Y/BF/N has plans to ask someone and really wants me to go, too," I admitted. "But I've not decided. I might just leave him to it."

She tilted her head to the side curiously, eyes studying me intensely. "What if somebody asked you to go with them? Then would you go?"

I tried not to laugh as I leaned my head in the palm of my hand on the table. "Nobody is going to ask me, Wanda. Nobody even knows who I am."

She scoffed playfully. "Now that's just not true. You're beautiful, Y/N. Funny. Kind. Intelligent. Someone is bound to ask."

I rolled my eyes, hoping to distract from the heat rising to my cheeks. I knew she was just saying all of that stuff to be nice, but God was I awful at accepting compliments.

She must have noticed as she leaned forward on her own palm, eyes glowing with entertainment. "Okay, what if you asked somebody?"

Appreciating the subject change, I leaned back in my seat. "I wouldn't even know who to ask."

She thought about it for a moment, before saying, "Pietro was being annoying earlier with all of that questioning, but he's right. Is there nobody you're even remotely interested in at school?"

I quirked a brow, wondering if she was serious. The way she was watching me patiently, a small smile tugging at her lips, made me believe she was. And I found that I couldn't bring it in myself to completely lie to her. So, I didn't.

"There's one person," I admitted reluctantly, swallowing hard. This piqued her interest as she sat up straight, an excited look on her face. I continued, "But I could never ask her."

She gave me an are you serious? look. "And why not?"

I tensed my jaw, smile fading at the thought. "She wouldn't say yes."

Wanda's expression softened. "I doubt that."

Feeling a little uncomfortable, I shuffled in my seat. "She wouldn't. And it's fine anyway! I mean, I wouldn't even know what to say. It's pointless."

"Try," was all she said. And in response to my confused face, she added, "Try asking me. Practice what you would say if I was this girl."

I shook my head. "Wanda, that's not–"

"Just try!" she insisted, sitting back in her seat and smiling encouragingly. "No harm, no foul, right?"

Maybe a little, I thought, but straightened up anyway.

"Okay, er..." I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling nervous as her eyes followed my every move. Looking up, I felt intimidated by her gaze, even though she had the softest smile and kindest eyes directed my way. "Wanda, would you like to go to prom with me?"

Without hesitation, she nodded. "I'd be honoured to, Y/N."

It was fake, this whole thing was 'practice'. But God, I wanted it to be real so bad. She held my gaze, confident and startling and wonderful all at once, and I had no idea what to do. My palms were getting sweaty and my heart was racing the longer she stared. My gaze fell to her lips at the wrong time, as she licked them and I wanted to lean in, wanted to kiss her. I wanted to kiss her hard and tell her how I felt. I wanted to ask her to prom and dance with her in the school gym. I wanted to hold her hand and pull her close, staring into her eyes without fear of going too far.

I wanted her.

"Okay, we're all done here," Pietro's voice broke our staring contest. He clapped his hands together, stopping by the table. "You both ready to go?"

Wanda nodded, already sliding out from the booth. "I'm ready. Y/N?"

I looked up and forgot how to breathe when she smiled down at me.

"Y-yeah," I got out, wiping my palms on my jeans before sliding out the booth. "All ready. Let's go."

—

Prom came upon us in no time and I'd made the decision to attend. My sister ended up convincing me with Y/BF/N, the two of them rambling about how it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a rite of passage before graduating high school. As much as I hated the thought of attending, I knew they were right, so I agreed to go.

Y/S/N came over to help me get ready, as she was the one who picked my dress. I wanted to wear a cute pantsuit, not really one for dresses, but after her complaints – "you're really milking that whole 'I'm a lesbian' look aren't you?" – I agreed on a dress that she chose.

She helped me do my hair and makeup before taking loads of embarrassing photos of me at the door. I went to prom with Y/BF/N and his date – some girl he liked in his Maths class – which wasn't too bad, but I didn't want to third wheel too much, so I gave them space when we actually arrived.

The school had done a good job at converting the gym into something unrecognisable, I must admit. Plus there was food, which was always a good distraction.

Some acquaintances from some of my classes said their hellos to me and engaged in some quick conversations before moving on. Admittedly, it wasn't too bad catching up with people I'd shared class with over the past several years. Y/BF/N even had a few dances with me, both him and his date, which was sweet, but honestly, I still felt out of place.

Two hours in, I was already fed up of the experience, opting to stand on the sidelines by a cocktail table with a sad glass of punch. I definitely didn't expect to see Wanda approaching me with an impressed smile on her lips. I hadn't actually seen her since arriving, the place full of students and myself barely recognising anyone as it was, let alone in a full gymnasium.

"You came," she said when she stopped my table, eyes looking me up and down. "You look amazing, Y/N."

She was one to talk. I tried not to drool over how beautiful she looked. I assumed she'd be one to wear a dress, but I guess I assumed wrong as she was pulling off a burgundy suit and white blouse. Her hair was curled and left out, paired with a smokey eye makeup look that only complimented her eyes perfectly.

"Says you?" I replied with a smile. "You look gorgeous, Wanda."

She smiled bashfully. "Thank you... so what made you change your mind in coming?"

I laughed uncomfortably, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Partially forced by my family, partially felt like I had to."

She laughed alongside me. "Well, I feel like you made the right choice."

"Not too sure about that," I joked, before straightening up. "So, who was lucky enough to bring Wanda Maximoff as their date to the prom?"

She rolled her eyes at my compliment, smile on her lips still. "Nobody. I came alone. Well, alone but with my brother."

I was surprised at that, but tried to hide it with a nod. "Alone works, too."

"Says the girl who also came alone," she teased.

I couldn't help but smile with amusement. "Yeah. Says she."

Setting her purse on the table, she began to open it. "I was looking for you earlier. But I couldn't find you."

I watched as she fumbled around in her purse. "Yeah? And what did you need?"

After a moment of searching, she finally pulled out two slips of paper that looked like tickets. Holding them up with a small smile, she said, "I've got two tickets to the Paramore concert happening in the summer."

My jaw dropped with disbelief. "You're kidding."

She shook her head, holding them towards me. I accepted them, looking to see if she was pulling my leg. She wasn't.

"These are really good seats," I pointed out, before looking up at her. "You scored big time."

She laughed as I held the tickets out to her. Accepting them back, she said, "I did. And I bought them for a reason."

I raised an eyebrow as she watched me.

"We've got to get matching tee shirts somehow, right?" she joked lightheartedly before looking to me with certainty. Green eyes sparkled with hopefulness as she said, "Come with me."

My mouth went dry. She was asking me to go with her, holy shit.

I opened my mouth, about to speak, but she cut me off.

"Don't say maybe," she said, chewing on her lower lip nervously. "Say yes."

The music and the dancing students and the lights all faded into nothing as Wanda waited for a response, stepping closer to me, way too close to be platonic. I was overwhelmed, definitely not expecting this. Never in a million years did I think Wanda Maximoff, the most popular girl in our grade, would be asking me to see Paramore with her. I didn't even think she knew I existed! 

Her eyes darted between mine patiently, sending shivers down my spine. I could feel her breath tickling my lips as she waited and I looked down to hers, suppressing the urge to lean in.

"Yes," I finally spoke, voice barely a whisper as I swallowed hard. "I'll go with you." 

She nodded, but that wasn't enough as she licked her own lips. I looked back to her eyes, only to see her looking down at mine.

"Can I kiss you?" she muttered softly, making me freeze in place.

Her eyes looked back to mine, dark and patient. I managed to nod weakly, and she wasted no more time when pressing her lips to mine a in a slow, gentle, warm kiss. Her hand wrapped around my waist, tugging my body close to hers, as the other rested behind my neck, giving me goosebumps and turning my insides to jelly.

I closed my eyes, melting into her embrace, one hand planted firmly on her waist as the other rested on her chest. She tasted like peppermint and her floral perfume was infiltrating my senses, making my head dizzy in the best way possible.

When she pulled away, I opened my eyes and was immediately submerged in pools of green. Still so close to her, I kept ahold of her waist as she did the same with me, eyes flickering down to my lips once more.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," I admitted breathlessly.

She looked to me again. "Why didn't you?"

Her lips were swollen slightly, red lipstick ruined. I could only imagine the mess on my own lips, but I didn't care.

I smiled nervously. "You were with Nate."

She tried not to laugh. "How stupid of me." Eyes falling to my lips again, she added, "I should have broken up with him sooner if it meant I could do this."

I smiled widely, heart fluttering in my chest at her words. Leaning forward, I took her bottom lip in mine, giving her a final kiss that was long overdue before pulling away.

"In case you couldn't tell, you were the girl I wanted to ask to prom," I said, stepping back slightly, but taking her hands in mine.

She bit her lip to contain her smile. "I figured... and for the record, I would have said yes."

My cheeks began to heat up, but I smiled nonetheless. "Well, in that case... Wanda, would you like to go to prom with me?"

She grinned. "I would be honoured, Y/N."

I mirrored her expression. She held out her free hand.

"Do you wanna dance?" she asked gently.

I accepted her hand, squeezing it gently. "I'd love to."

Before either of us could make a move to do so, we heard Pietro's voice shouting in the distance.

"Fina-fucking-lly!"

We turned to the left to see him racing towards us in his blue suit, a knowing smile on his lips.

"You took forever," he said with disbelief to his sister. "I thought I'd have to keep flirting with Y/N in front of you for you to get the hint and make a fucking move."

Wanda rolled her eyes, but I smiled as her cheeks dusted pink.

"And you!" he said, looking to me. "You're so oblivious it hurts."

"Wanda didn't know I existed before this year," I told him, half joking and half serious. "I had every right to be."

Wanda squeezed my hand, earning my attention. She shook her head. "That's not true. I always noticed you."

I gave her a knowing look. "Seriously?"

With an endearing smile, she nodded. "Seriously."

I sighed, looking away and definitely not expecting that. "Well, okay then."

She laughed, pulling me close and wrapping an arm around my waist comfortably. "I believe you owe me a dance. C'mon.

Pietro opened his mouth to speak, but Wanda merely pushed past him, guiding me to the dance floor.

"Not now, Piet," she said, before looking to me with sparkling eyes. "I want to dance with my girlfriend."

I was sure it was impossible for me to smile anymore.

"Girlfriend," I noted aloud, nodding. "I like the sound of that."

She grinned before standing opposite me, holding out her hand. And as I accepted it, I felt a warmth spread all over me that was only possible because of one girl and one girl only.

Wanda Maximoff.

[bitchesgetriches]

hi! so I'm in a weird-ish spot and i wanted to ask for advice bc i feel like at least 50% of my problem is that i'm psyching myself out. so i just graduated from my bachelor's and got a job offer at the company that i was interning at! which is super exciting! and then my colleague who was sort of my supervisor while i was an intern has taken me aside and told me that he wants to be completely transparent with me and make sure i know what i'm getting into so he will be willing to answer any questions i have. and honestly that offer has me kinda worried bc it feels vaguely ominous or like he's hinting that it's not a great place to work? idk. the option of not taking up this offer isn't really on the table, bc i seriously cannot afford it. but i do wanna take advantage of his offer and go in with my eyes open. but i don't really know what to even ask? a lot of the usual stuff that you'd ask - like about culture, responsibilities, performance, etc i feel are kinda moot bc i've interned there for 4 months and we're a small team so i know literally everyone. and the whole thing is just making me anxious, esp since we're in this whole virtual thing and it's just the worst. any thoughts?

One time when I was going through a hiring process, I asked the head of the company if I could meet with someone who would be a peer when I was hired. She was on the cusp of offering me the job, so she agreed to set me up with another editor I would be working with.

During our conversation, I asked him if he knew why my predecessor had left the company. He got really weird and quiet. Then he pulled out a post-It note, wrote a name on it, and showed it to me. After a few seconds he said, "Did you memorize her name?" When I nodded yes, he ripped the paper into a thousand tiny pieces and threw it away.

So I looked up the name on the paper (it was the woman who I'd be replacing). Turns out we went to the same college, so I reached out to her on LinkedIn. Floodgates, cans of worms--it all came pouring out! She told me horror stories about working for the head of the company. Gave me so much information about how it was an awful, abusive place to work. Because of what she said, I turned down the job offer.

All of which is to say: do not pass up this opportunity to get an insider's view of what it's like to truly work there. Ask your supervisor out for coffee or to another neutral location away from the office. Here are some sample questions to get him to do for you what was done for me back in the day:

"What do you wish you'd known about the company before you were hired?"

"Is there anyone you think I might have trouble working with?"

"What's it like to work for the boss?"

"Do you have any regrets about taking on your job?"

"What do you like/dislike most about the job?"

And straight to the point: "You offered to be completely transparent and tell me what it's really like here. What specifically did you have in mind when you made that offer?"

Good luck, kiddo. Even if you must take the job, forewarned is forearmed.

Are You Working on the Next Fyre Festival?: Identifying a Toxic Workplace

Workplace Benefits and Other Cool Side Effects of Employment

My Secret Weapon for Preparing for Awkward Boss Confrontations

[erensproudsimp]

Work out

Armin Arlert x reader Oneshot

⚠ Sexual Content Ahead ⚠

Summary : I woke up, thought of gym sex and wrote it

Word Count : 2.3k

"Come on y/n, going to the gym is not that bad plus Mikasa would be joining us too", Annie encouraged you.

"Working out seems so much of trouble that I certainly don't want to partake as I'd rather spend my energy to binge watch anime", you replied flatly eyes not moving away from your phone.

Snatching your phone Annie said with a serious face, "Y/n how do you expect to pull any of your anime crushes looking like a potato? "

"Hey! Give me my phone back and even if I do look like a potato Sasha would love me and don't bring my husbands in this topic!" you ran after her to retrieve your phone.

"Alright then, I'll pay you a KFC meal if you come for one day to at least try it out", Annie suggested.

"I don't know why you're so adamant about taking me to the gym but if there's free food involved, I'm in", you gave in.

"I just want you to stay fit you know and we're starting tomorrow so go to sleep", your roommate said preparing her gym bag.

"Whaaat nooo", you complained unaware of the impact that a stranger you're going to meet will have have on you.

The next morning both Annie and you hopped into Mikasa's car to go to the private gym owned by Mikasa's family and family friends.

"That's actually a relief to be able to work out without fearing strangers looking at you", you reassured yourself.

"Yeah it's gonna be really comfortable and I also would like to introduce you to some of my friends y/n, I know you're gonna like them", Mikasa added.

"Well can't say I'm not excited to meet them", you replied looking at your phone reading a fanfiction.

Couple of minutes later you reached your destination. From the outside the building looked very modern with transparent glasses through which you could see the inside and barely any life around made the place peaceful.

When you went inside, Mikasa took you both to the changing room where you left your stuff on the shelf to change your outfit.

Putting your towel on your shoulders followed by Annie, Mikasa led the way to her friends who were lifting weights.

"Hey guys", Mikasa said to get their attention, "This is y/n and Annie and this is Eren and Armin", she said pointing at each person respectively.

"Pleasure to meet you two", Armin said as Eren nodded with him.

You swore that the moment you saw the blonde boy, your heart skipped a beat. He was so effortlessly gorgeous.

"Same here, hope to have a good gym buddy relation with you two", Annie replied as you were lost in your reflection. Snapping yourself from your thoughts, you agreed with her.

After that y'all left the boys to let them do their previous activities and went to train yourselves. With your unfit body you were tired from the first exercise itself and was laying on the ground trying to catch your breath.

You failed to understand how could Mikasa and Annie keep going but you were not going to give up and decided to look at it as a new challenge for yourself.

Picking yourself up, you went to do something easy as a starter which was skipping ropes.

Little did you know that the blonde guy had been sneaking peeks at you from time to time smiling to himself.

One hour later, everyone decided to take a break to refuel their energy.

"So, what are we going to eat", you questioned.

" Why not soup? I've been craving miso soup for a while," Armin proposed, everyone settling on soup.

Getting into the car, Eren drove us to the nearest fast food restaurant. Inside you sat between Annie and Armin. Filled with anxiety of Armin being so close to you, you fidgeted with your hands to keep yourself stable. Armin noticed your restlessness and asked if you were okay but you couldn't possibly tell him that you were crushing hard on him so you just replied with a 'I'm fine' and concentrated on your food.

"What are your majors?" Eren asked you and Annie to make conversation.

"I am doing engineering and y/n's an art student explaining why she's so lazy", Annie responded.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Annie, I am not lazy", you said passive-aggressively looking at Annie with murder in your eyes.

"Says the girl who could barely run to take her phone from me yesterday", she coughed smirking.

"No- I - bye-", you stammered making Armin erupt into a fits of laughter. His laugh gave the impression as though angels came down on earth to bestow you with blessings which in this case was the cute sound of his voice. You didn't realise that you were staring at him until Armin spoke, "Is there something on my face?"

"Yes," you said casually swipping the little ketchup stain near his mouth with a tissue. His cheeks were a light pink colour because of your action and he thanked the heavens for not letting his friends noticing what just happened.

"Th-thank you", he bashfully thanked.

"Sure", you said looking away to hide your blush.

Finishing your meals, y'all returned to the gym to continue training then took your leave after two hours. Saying your byes to the boys, Mikasa gave you both a ride to your dorm.

Throwing your body on your bed you heaved a sigh of relief that you were able to survive this first day of going to the gym.

"Tired already y/n ? Too bad we're going to do this routine everyday", Annie commented.

"I guess time to fill the fridge with energy drinks", you jumped out of bed to buy bundles of different brands of said drink.

The only thing that would be keeping you going about working out was that you were able to see Armin everyday.

Due to your classes running late one day you reached the gym at 06 00 pm. Everyone was still there; you greeted them and went to use the treadmill. At around half past seven your friends were hungry and decided to go to a nearby takeout to bring food to the gym because you didn't want to come out of exhaustion.

"You guys go ahead, I would keep y/n company", Armin told them.

Soon you were left alone with Armin and not knowing what to say out of shyness you excused yourself to the bathroom.

There you freshened up yourself to make yourself look more presentable to your crush. Luck was in your stars as you were wearing leggings that gave your ass a nice curve with a matching colour sportsbra.

When you came out, you saw that Armin was missing. You assumed that he too went to the restroom and decided to do squats. A little while later the man indeed returned from the wc. His breath was caught in his throat when he saw you.

He came up to you and asked if you needed any help regarding your training.

"Actually I do, would you assist me in doing sit ups?" you requested.

"Yeah sure, I'll hold your shoes while you're doing them," Armin accepted.

Laying your body on the mat, you watched Armin going in front of you to your feet and held them down. You began to lift your body with your hands on the back of your head as you realised how close your faces were being when you were raised up. You never realised how broad his shoulders were until then and you gulped hard.

"How much do you plan on doing?" Armin asked.

"I'm setting a limit of thirty but let's see if I manage to exceed it." He nodded. Gosh, how does someone manage to look cute and hot at the same time?!

At your 15th sit-up you lifted up your body to make eye contact with him as you were with the previous sit-ups but this time it lasted longer because you stayed still. Both of you gazed into the eye of each other without saying a word your faces becoming closer. You didn't realise what you were doing. It wasn't long until both of your lips touched each other. When your senses were brought back to you, you pulled back so quickly. For a second you saw a frown on Armin's face.

"OMG! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do this, I swear," you apologized frenzily.

"It's okay, I don't mind at all," Armin just chuckled at your reaction. He came closer and tucked your hair to your ear.

"Have you ever realised how beautiful you were?" he whispered in your ear making all your blood rush to your head.

"I - I- mmph," you were cut off by Armin

colliding his mouth with yours. He sucked on your lower lip asking permission to let his tongue enter your mouth. You opened it a little only for him to stuck in his whole muscle.

You left out a small moan feeling his tongue roaming everywhere while his hand untied your hair and was playing with it.

He had the most tender lips that you ever felt in your life. Giving you a forehead kiss, he held your face in his hands stroking it with his thumb.

You crawled to sit on his lap as he continued to shower you with affection. His head pats were so gentle, you were melting under his touch. He bowed to gain access to your neck and gave it a subtle lick and then proceeded to find your sweet spot kissing you everywhere. A small mewl left your lips when he kissed a certain spot. The man was proud of himself to have found it and attacked it with hickeys. At this point you were shaking on his thighs and in his embrace.

Your hands reached the bottom of his shirt and pulled it off him. His sweaty body glowed in the light yet he looked so heavenly. You couldn't help but lick his collarbones leaving your saliva on his skin.

The fear of getting caught by your friends during this sinful moment turned you on.

Armin's hand gave your ass a tender squeeze before making you lay your whole body on the mat as he left a trail of kisses from your neck your stomach. He grabbed your waist to kiss your on your bellybutton.

"Is it okay if I remove it?" he said hinting at your leggings. You lifted your lower body to help him remove it and threw it away. He gave your core a kiss then carried you in bridal style to place you on the bench press.

He spread your legs and buried his face between them. You wouldn't have never expected such an innocent face to do such unholy things to your body in your life. He sucked your clit which sent electrics all throughout your body. He ate you out as though you were the most tastiest meal he's ever had. You crushed his head with your thighs but he didn't seem to mind that as he continued doing his job. You were pulling his hair so hard screaming his name making sure people passing nearby could hear how good he was making you feel.

His soft hands ran through your thighs making small circle motions on them to soothe you.

"Ar-Armin, I-,"

"It's okay love you can spill it on my face, I want every single drop down my throat," Armin panted.

What he said set off a trigger and the knot in your stomach snapped. All your juices went on Armin's face and he ensured to have swallowed everything.

He retreated away from your opening swipping your cum with his fingers and licking them off. While you were collecting your breath, Armin took off his sweatpants and let his hardened dick free.

"Do you mind if I -," he insinuated with his dick at your entrance.

"Please Armin don't hesitate," you were practically begging him. You expected him to slide it in but instead he was stroking your folds with his swollen member. This felt so good it sent you in a rollercoaster of immense pleasure. You could feel his veins pulsating against your own pulsating clit.

While he was caressing your cunt, his hands went to grab your boobs and fondled them.

His up and down motion continued as he was mixing his precum with your wetness.

Your overwhelming neediness pushed you to grind on him as he was moving so slowly. With instinct you lifted your hips as shivers were sent through your spine. Noticing this Armin picked up speed and with his hand rubbed your clit hard. He bent over to give you a kiss on your nose then to make out with you.

"Ah-ah, y/n-I'm going to cum," Armin moaned.

"Cum with me Armin," you breathed.

Suddenly he picked up more speed and thrusted faster. His dick was moving so quick on you, the lewd sound of your pussy's liquids filled the gym. Armin held your hands and intertwined your fingers. He let out a grunt as he came on your stomach and you on the bench.

He looked at you with such love in his eyes and reached out to wipe your tears and kissed your hands.

He fetched your leggings while he also cleaned the bench leaving no marks of this incident. Since your legs were shaking so much you could barely walk, Armin carried you to the bathroom.

After you went to pee, he made you sit on a stool and he tied your hair back in a ponytail. Hugging you from the back he asked, "Are you feeling okay now beautiful or do you need anything?"

"Water?" you replied.

"Anything for you," he went to fetch the requested item.

Just at that moment your friends returned.

You thanked the universe for not making them arrive while you were making love with Armin and you kept your cool acting as though nothing happened.

Thus, this was the start of a wonderful relationship.

End.

Thank you for reading. :)

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 29

First time reader click here

Feels like this story is flopping. Is it flopping? Idk. This chapter is 100% plot and it is spooky. Cursed demon box. Helpful Stephen Strange and grumpy Wong. Hovering Bruce and Tony. Loki being a honorary Gen-Z. Found family but make it ✨superheroes✨.

"That's a lot to unpack," Peter stated once I had given him the bare bones report of the situation at hand. "Uh, are you okay?" The boy was obviously upset at my predicament, placing a supportive hand on my shoulder.

"Kinda?" I offered, making space for Wanda and Pietro who decided to join me and Peter, away from the arguing adults. The mission discussion - an absolute disaster - started as soon as Peter had walked in. Evidently experienced in such matters, the boy ignored the bickering and came over to steal me from Bruce's clutches to peacefully finish his egg sandwich in the company of his peers.

"I wanted to ask if I could see your memory of that time," Wanda meekly offered me a piece of candy. I accepted it - sugar sweet sugar, how I love thee so! The witch continued with a smile: "I think it would be helpful to see what we're dealing with, magic-wise."

"Sure," I trusted her. "Just don't scramble what's left of my sanity, please," All of us laughed at my remark as I laid down on the cold floor with my head in Wanda's lap. Her powers felt like small brain zaps, tingles that began at the front of my forehead and ran down into my spine. I followed her instructions and thought about the times I remembered, finding the box, placing it into my closet, the nightmares. I had a mild headache by the time she was done; no grudges against her - Wanda tactfully avoided my private moments and looked only at the ones containing the artifact.

"You've gotten really good," I complimented her with pure adoration.

"Thank you," She blushed, smoothing back my stray hairs. "That stuff is really strong. I don't think you should go near the box," She admitted. "And Doc should take a look at you. You have a residue left. I don't think that's good either."

"Well, fuck," I said in muted resignation.

"Press F to pay respects," Pietro joked in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

"Your luck is almost as bad as mine," Peter pointed out.

I scoffed. "Well, if I see any spiders around, I'll be sure to stay away in case they happen to be radioactive OsCorp runaways."

All of us laughed. Despite the grim situation, I didn't feel doomed. I was surrounded by friends and my boyfriends and my bestie who happened to be a mythical omnipotent god- welp, once again, I was getting too emotional. Once the adults were done arguing, we could start making sense of this mess and hopefully clean it up before the monster is out of the box.

"Mortals," I heard Loki scoff. The next moment, the Asgardian sat down noisily next to me, pout on full display. "This house is a nightmare."

His expression - or the accidental use of a meme - sent me completely, tension leaving my body via copious amounts of nearly hysterical laughter. Through tears and hiccups, I saw Wanda cackle with me and Peter show the meme in question to Loki, noting that he had been once sent to time-out on top of the fridge by Tony himself. Soon, all of us were laughing, much to the displeasure of the adults.

"Children, what is the issue?" Thor asked, irritated.

"We're just waiting for you to be done with arguing," I spoke before Loki could start bitching about Thor calling him a child. "Then I can show Steve and Loki where exactly have I buried the box so Stephen can take me to the healers and get this thing out of me or whatever," I pointed out the most logical plan of action.

Two long strides and the sorcerer was standing over me, boom-boom-whooshing and generally making very pretty golden patterns to appear and land on top of me. Tony and Bruce anxiously hovered behind him, both of my boys concerned and ready to mother-hen me. Ugh, so disgustingly adorable. Wanda's hand encompassed mine - she was nervous.

Stephen took a solid five-minute silence break before coming to a final conclusion. "Wong can get rid of the residual traces of the artifact's influence," The sorcerer announced curtly. "It's good you got rid of the artifact, a few more months and you would have started slipping into insanity if the magic within it was not released," He explained, slowly reaching out a hand to place it on top of my head. I wasn't sure if it was a gesture meant to bring comfort or another diagnostic test but leaned into the touch nonetheless. "Tell me, did you have any behavioral... Disturbances after...?" He trailed off.

I chewed on my lip, evaluating. "I honestly don't know. I've always been kind of an asshole," Honesty was the best policy. "Nothing seems out of order, sleepwalking aside."

"I see," Strange gave me a tight-lipped smile. "Perhaps, it was your stubborn nature that forbade the artifact from corrupting your mind completely. As evidenced by Captain Rogers, even undesirable character traits bring good into this world now and then."

That seemed a little bit hostile. I frowned, giving a questioning look to a frowning Loki.

"Speaking from experience?" Not the one to hold back upon witnessing first-grade bullshit, I withdrew from Stephen's touch, raising a sarcastic eyebrow.

Surprising everyone, the man laughed soundly, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I most certainly do," Shooting me a positively mischievous wink. I felt like I was missing something.

The room's inhabitants slowly ticked out in pairs and threes, eager to complete their assigned tasks. Loki had insisted on coming along to the sanctum with me, even almost getting up in Stephen's face, but Bruce - out of all people - managed to calm the Asgardian down, and together we convinced him his magic would be considerably more useful during the retrieval of the cursed box. Loki was worried - everyone with a pair of functional eyes could see that the spiky attitude was his way of showing he cared about me, which made my insides briefly turn to mush. I didn't expect him to take the title of my best friend so seriously and I definitely was not complaining.

Tony was the last to leave, jittery and shaky, clutching me like it was his last time seeing me, kissing me hungrily in front of everyone. The joke or two he made were weak ghosts of his usual sharp snark.

"I love you and I'll be back soon," I whispered into his ear, feeling him freeze and his fingertips dig almost painfully into my sides. Louder, I repeated: "Not planning on dying any time soon, y'all gotta chill. Let's go, doc?" I addressed the tall sorcerer who was tactfully pretending to be busy with his smartphone.

Wanda pressed a duffle bag into my hands mouthing "clean clothes" a split second before Stephen opened a portal and with a great deal of curiosity, I stepped through it, eyes immediately drawn to the dimly lit space filled with books and antiques. So many books, so many unusual trinkets. The chandelier that hung over our heads rivaled the ones I'd seen in million-dollar-homes of dad's friends.

"Follow me," Stephen extended an arm in the direction of a smaller door, "Please do not touch anything."

I walked a pace behind him, satisfying my curiosity by looking around like a child in a candy store. The air smelled different in the Sanctum, almost as familiar as Loki's magic but less frosty... Warmer. A dash of red fabric swished from somewhere towards me; I giggled. The Cloak of Levitation liked me - not nearly as much as it liked Peter though - so I brushed my fingertips along the fabric, greeting it quietly. Talking loudly in this building was out of the question. I felt like any moment, a disgruntled librarian would appear to chastise me for making noise.

"Strange," A short Asian man appeared, book in hand and looking none too happy. Guess that's the librarian... "I got your text. The room next to yours is prepared for the ritual," The man I assumed to be Wong gave me a curt nod in the way of greeting, doing a quick 180° and walking us back to a small but tastefully decorated room with a single cot in the middle. It was pleasantly warm, a small fire lit in the fireplace, willowy smoke of incense rising from a few strategically placed sticks.

"The bathroom is that way. I'm afraid you'll have to be fully nude for the procedure," Strange declared apologetically, pointing to a door hidden behind the divide.

I snorted, but of course, the weird voodoo shit would require me to be naked. Not that I was embarrassed or anything but still. Tony would have a field day. Locating a chair, I dumped my duffle bag on it, flying out of my hoodie and sweatpants in record time. My underwear and socks followed, feet unpleasantly chilly despite the carpeted floor. I ran a hand over the faint bruises on my hips, evidence of last night, fondly - either Tony or Stephen had left marks on my body and that was... It was great. I loved it, drugs or not.

I heard someone clear their throat and turned around, nearly cracking up at the way both men suddenly averted their gazes, blush riding high on their cheeks. I snorted: "I'm hot, what else is new?"

Wong shook his head, busying himself with some sort of a book; Stephen lingered, eyes fixated on the very same bruises. His tongue darted out, wetting the plush of his bottom lip, and damn, this wasn't the time to get horny. I shook my head and with that, the sorcerer caught himself too, mutely motioning me to lay down on the cot.

"Whenever you're done eye-fucking each other," Wong piped up sarcastically - wow, I liked this man already. Stephen grumbled something quiet and rude, provoking another snort from me.

I followed their instructions - shortly after the Asian man began reading - or rather singing - something in a language I didn't know, I felt myself fall into a deep sleep. Or, I thought I was falling asleep. At one point, my eyes opened to an empty room, a thin sheet covering my bare body, and a silence that made chills run down my spine.

"Stephen?" I called out. I sounded like I was underwater to my own ears. "Wong?"

I was met with silence so deafening, I had no choice but to sit up and look around. The fire was burning strong in the fireplace, several logs blackened from it as sparks flew. It took a second for me to realize it made no sound - there was no crackling. Something was very wrong, the dread was creeping up on me.

Very familiar dread.

With the sheet firmly wrapped around me, I hopped off the cot, suddenly noticing the drawings on my arms, my legs. I was covered in runes similar to the ones I had seen on the cursed box - and my memories weren't missing. As clear as day, I recalled messing around with the box, debating on opening it, taking it out of my room only to find it back on my desk in the morning, some serious Anabelle shit.

I jumped as the floorboards cracked somewhere in the house. Every logical thought I had, backed up by every horror movie I had ever watched, screamed at me to NOT go towards the creepy noise; like moth to a flame, I was drawn in and couldn't resist the unnatural urge to investigate it. On silent feet, I padded out of the room, desperately trying not to think about the lonely, dark hallways filled with strange ancient objects. My steps made no noise.

On the couch, in the main room we'd arrived, sitting lazily, was Tony. I'd recognize his hair anywhere - and the Led Zep tee, old, frayed edges and loose threads. "Tony?" I asked hopefully, trying to make sense of this...

He turned around.

It wasn't Tony. Whatever it was, it wore Tony's face, it held his brown eyes and crow's feet around them - it wasn't him. Wrong, like the lack of sound in this place, misplaced and unnatural. The doe browns didn't sparkle, lifeless, dull color of dried mud. As much as I wanted to go and bury my face in his chest, my limbs filled with lead, my whole body screaming "DANGER".

The impostor kept quiet which only solidified my suspicions. Real Tony would be running his mouth already, poking fun at my impression of a sheet ghost.

"Princess?" The... Thing asked in Tony's voice, but it fell flat and monotone.

"Whatever you are, you sure as Hell ain't Tony," I stated firmly, hoping for some answers. "What the fuck?"

Not-Tony's face changed, familiar features twisting into something sinister, the malice making me sick to my stomach. The creature stood up, causing my feet to take an involuntary step back as he advanced slowly.

"You have no choice but to submit," The Thing replied calmly. "You're not getting out of here. Not even your little Asgardian pet god can save you," Its tone was absolutely flat. I would have thought the thing was a robot if not for the obvious involvement of magic in this situation. Its words filled me with dread as thick as molten lava; unfortunately for the creature, unlocking my memories gave me enough rational balance to be acutely aware of it and therefore, able to fight it.

I could fight it. I didn't know how exactly, but I could resist it. "That's a really bold thing to say for something that... What even are you? Magical STD?" As my brain desperately focused on finding a solution to a problem I didn't know all the details of, my mouth had a mind of its own.

The creature growled, a far more primal noise than a human could make. "You don't know what you're up against, child. I am one for we are many," Suddenly, the room was filled with shadows as if someone had turned off all the lights and cranked up the moon to be the brightest it ever was. The shadows moved, oozed, motion sinister without any light to back it up.

I had no choice but to pucker up. Nobody was coming to rescue me; in fact, I always have taken pride in being a self-saving princess. Damsel in distress wasn't really my style. The hunch in my shoulders disappeared, giving way to a stubborn and stiff expectation of the upcoming altercation, hands bailed in fists.

"I mean, like Legion the demon from the Bible?" I recalled what little I knew from Wikipedia. "I mean, I'm agnostic myself, but if you feel like identifying with that, you should probably see a therapist."

The entity growled, shadows gathering around it like fabric on a string, and lunged. Paralyzed by sudden blinding, deafening fear, I turned tail and ran.

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