#it might take me a while to get to these but i'm gonna try my best so. ty <3

[tpwk-formula1]

Lando Norris, Thin Crust, Red Sauce,Pineapple, BBQ Chicken , Vodka redbull, Sparkling Water, Coke, Yes

With a plus-size reader, if you can. I fear there's not many plus-size fics out there with lando. If you could please and thank you. 🧙‍♀️

Lee-Lee's Pizzeria Menu

thin crust brother's best friend red sauce rough sex pineapple "Look so pretty wrapped around my cock" bbq chicken “Gonna let me cum in you? I know you wanna have my baby” vodka redbull squirting sparkling water spitting coke spanking dessert yes served by Lando Norris

Lando x Plus size Fewtrell! reader

TW unprotected sex, squirting, spanking, creampie, rough Lando, talks of insecurities

WC 1600+

Y/N POV

"Love, I'm not feeling the best. I think I'm gonna stay in for the day," I tell Lando softly while he was talking to my brother about the plans for today.

"You were okay this morning, what's going on? What are you feeling?" Lando asks clearly getting worried.

"It's nothing major just think I ate the wrong thing this morning," I tell him softly not wanting the whole house to hear the conversation.

"Do you need us to get you anything?" Max asked clearly being worried. I just shake my head no before turning on my foot and heading towards Lando and I's room that we have been sharing while here on Holiday for summer break.

"Hey love, what's really going on? I can see this perplexed look on your face clearly showing me that you're overthinking something," Lando asks me after he had followed me into our room.

"No I promise I'm just having tummy issues," I continue to uphold the lie. Said lie falling from my lips far easier than it should, but I was used to faking illness to get out of something.

"Love, drop the act," Lando says softly making me groan at being caught.

"Lando, I- um- I'm just a little worried about the hike to the clay. I'm not sure I'll be able to do it as fast as the rest of you guys. Don't wanna hold you back," I tell Lando softly making his face drop in realization.

"Baby, no one cares if we have to take it slow," Lando tells me making me groan and shake my head.

"You don't get it love, you're an athlete surrounded by other athletes, your 'take it slow' is basically my sprinting," I tell him softly trying to hold back tears.

"i'm sorry. Maybe I'm not the best fit person for your lifestyle," I add softly watching Lando's face snap up and turn into a dark expression.

"Hey Max I think I'm gonna stay back with Y/N and take care of her," Lando walks to the bedroom door where he opens it and shouts to my brother.

"Okay! Maybe we can go again tomorrow if Y/N is up for it," Max shouts back before Lando is closing the door and striding towards me.

"Do not turn this into our breakup. As a couple it is our job to figure out how to make our lifestyles mesh. I don't give a fuck if you're not some Olympic athlete, I don't care if a one mile walk took us 100 years to complete, that's 100 years spent with the love of my life, so I'll be fucking damned if you think you're not 'good enough' to be with me," Lando stays while striding closer to me.

"Lan, I just think you might be happier with someone who can keep up with you and your friends," I tell him softly. I wasn't trying to argue and I sure as hell don't want to break up but it's a tough conversation we need to have.

"I've grown up with you and Max our entire life, I'm used to walking in the back with you, not because I was that slow but because even at 12 I genuinely liked you and any time I could spend with you I would," Lando tells me making me think back to when we were younger and he really would walk in the back of the pack with me always the last two to arrive. Even having Lando defend me a few times against my brother and his teasing words.

"I'm sorry I've just really been in my head a lot lately," I tell him softly making him hum and pull me into his arms.

"I know I could tell, but I thought it was cause you were stressed with work not because you had been stressing about our relationship," Lando tells me softly before placing a kiss on my forehead.

"I'm sorry for not talking to you sooner. I was just embarrassed," I admit making Lando scoff.

"I'm embarrassed that my own girlfriend was too worried to talk to me about what was bothering her pretty little mind," Lando tells me while kissing my forehead and leading us to the bed where we climb into it and throw on a random movie to watch.

Midway through the second movie Lando leans down and places a kiss on my lips and climbs into my lap.

"Lando, right now?" I questioned in a hushed tone as if anyone was still home.

"No one is here, and I need to show you who you belong to," Lando tells me while starting to pull his shirt over his head leaving me to start at his tanned chest.

Once Lando had discarded his shirt somewhere in the room he made quick work of pulling off my shirt leaving us both completely bare from the waist up.

"Fuck, love these tits so much," Lando mumbled before leaning down and sucking one of my nipples into his mouth.

"Oh, Lan," I moan softly while arching my back bringing my tits even closer to his face.

Lando pulls away and roughly flips me onto my stomach where he pulls me up by the hips so I was presenting myself to him. I was only wearing a flimsy pair of sleep shorts I had thrown on a little bit ago to get more comfortable. Lando just yanks them down my legs and lets the pool at my knees where he starts slapping my ass.

"Ow, what is that for," I whine when I feel the continued spanking.

"You need to realize how fucking beautiful you are. I'm not gonna let you walk around thinking you're anything less than perfect. So everytime you sit down for the next day, you will be reminded," lando explains with a cocky smirk.

Once Lando had reddened my ass to his liking hi quickly yanks his briefs down before roughly burying his cock into my pussy and giving me no time to adjust before he is roughly thrusting into my sopping wet pussy.

"Look so pretty wrapped around my cock," Lando groans while still keeping the brutal pace.

"So good, Lan," I whine burying my face into the pillow to try and muffle my moans but lando roughly grips on my hair and pulls me face up.

"I wanna hear your screams," Lando tells me while thrusting harder and faster to try and pull the loudest noises from me.

"Fuck," I scream out when Lando continuously hits my G-spot only bringing me closer to cumming.

"Cum for me," Lando groans when he feels my pussy clenching around his cock in anticipation.

I let go almost instantly cumming all over Lando's cock and squirting all over the bedspread.

"Fuck such a messy girl," Lando groans while helping me ride out my orgasm before he picks up the pace again.

"God, I love when you get like this," Lando groans.

Lando pulls out suddenly before he flips me over onto my back and roughly starts fucking me in missionary.

"Fuck Lando," I scream at the new angle not fully prepared for the way I was feeling Lando.

In the midst of my loud moans, I feel Lando lean down over my face before roughly spitting in my mouth. Most of it went straight down my throat but some of it sprayed my face making me whimper slightly.

"Fuck, I love seeing your tears, the way you take my cock, opening your mouth like a good slut to take my spit, fuck you were made for me," Lando groans before starting to place with my sensitive clit again.

"You're gonna cum with me this time," Lando groans while speeding up his actions making me feel the build-up of my orgasm again.

"I'm gonna cum," I warn Lando knowing I wasn't gonna be able to hold back much longer reaching the point of no return far quicker than I would have liked.

“Gonna let me cum in you? I know you wanna have my baby,” Lando groans out.

"Yes, fill me up Lando, wanna have your baby," I beg desperate to cum again.

"Cum with me," Lando groans before his hips started to falter from their rough thrusting before I feel his cum start to paint my walls making me cry out in another squirting orgasm.

"Fuck," I scream as I feel my squirt spray all over Lando and I making a proper mess out of our bedding.

When Lando and I finally come down from the highs of our pleasure Lando is softly pulling out of my pussy before watching his cum leak from my gaping pussy with a smirk on his face.

"God, I love making you mine," Lando groans before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

"So good," I mumble out before turning into Lando's chest for comfort.

"Did so well, gonna have to clean this up before everyone gets home," Lando tells me with a smirk on his face making me groan in embarrassment.

Lando quickly got out of bed before turning the bath on where he let it fill up before coming to get me and he gently placed me in the bath before going into the room again to clean up the bedding so we had fresh sheets for when everyone arrived back.

After about 10 minutes Lando climbs into the bath me, letting my beck rest against his chest.

"I cleaned up all the evidence of how messy you get for me," Lando tells me with a smirk clearly laced in his voice. I just groan and try to hide my face in his neck while he just laughs.

"On a real note though, next time you feel like that promise me you'll talk to me," Lando tells me softly making me turn my head to face him.

"I promise," I tell him softly before leaning up and placing a kiss on his lips.

"i love you," I tell him softly making him smile before he tells me he loves me too.

[wittlesissyb4by]

"Doctor Bailey will be in in a minute, I'm going to check your diaper and run some tests okay?

Awww! Don't be shy. You think you're the first 'man' I've seen in diapers? Ever since the Blowout, the Matriarchy has been turning more and more men into diaper dumpers. I can see you were no exception. Now are you going to behave? Or do I need to go get your wife to help me put you in the restraints?

That's what I thought.

Now I'm just going to open your diaper and have a look around okay? Ooooh you're quite the soggy little guy aren't you?! Let's get these tapes off...

Kssssk! Ksssk!!

Oh my!! Somewon has quite the bit of leakage in their cage! Are you excited?? Awww!! Don't be embarrassed! I've seen lots of little baybee dicks like yours! Not all of them are quite as leaky, but that's okay! Some enjoy their diapers more than others. Awww! Your poor wittle balls are so blue and swollen!

Alright, so first I'm gonna take your temperature, okay? Now I know this thermometer is a little big, but it's necessary to get a proper reading. And yes, it has to go in your little bum bum. It's okay sweetie, you can handle it. Take a deep breath for me...

See? That's not so bad is it? Look! You're leaking even more now! Just hold still, it'll all be over soon. Theerrrre we go!!

Now open your mouth! We need to check your gag reflex. Dr. Bailey might recommend you for a gender swap or even a sex change, so we need to make sure your throat can handle what that will entail if you're going to be a sissy baybee girl. I'll give you a hint: it will involve lots of special milkies from the Alphas.

Oh look at you! You're able to handle quite a bit of my penis-shaped tongue depressor! Yes...somewon is certainly on their way...

Okay, sweetie, last thing. I need to get a sperm sample. Awww! Don't get too excited. I won't be removing your cage. No...instead I'm going to perform a procedure called 'milking the prostate'. I'm just gonna lube up these two little fingers and...well...I'm sure you can guess where they're going. Don't worry! It won't take long. I've had plenty of practice, and usually the losers like you that have that much buildup in their balls don't take longer than a few minutes. I think you'll be surprised how good it feels. I've had several AB's come back to me on their second or third visit thank me for teaching them how to 'masturbate' while they're locked away in their cage.

Alright, here we go, are you ready? Deep breath, and don't bother trying to hold back your pitiful little moans. Let it all out. Enjoy yourself! I think you're going to like coming to the Doctor's Office...

[clawsdevour]

hq charas play fighting w/ you hcs

wc: 0.5k content warning: all fluff!!, not proofread

⠀︵ ིྀ ⠀𓈒

-the type to fight back with you. of course, holding back with all their might because one knock down meant one strike for them as your boyfriend. well.. let's just say the playfully hitting turned into more and they accidentally bump you a bit too hard to the point where you had to take a moment because you just got k/o-ed, making them feel bad to the point they have to beat around the bush with themselves while taking care of you.

"take this! -oh sorry.. that must've hurt a lot. i'm sorry love, i didn't mean to do that. i didn't mean to hit you so hard.. come here" immediately changing the atmosphere to take care of the wound they unexpectedly landed on you, craddling you tight in their arms while they coo out sorry's in your ear.

charas: bokuto koutaro, ushijima wakatoshi, daichi sawamura, kita shinsuke

─

-the type to use their words more than their hands to fight back. matching your playful antics, this fist-on-hand battle turns into a bickering arena where each roast becomes more daunting and goofier as you both end up erupting in paint from laughing so hard.

"oh yeah? you wanna fight like that?? then come at me. -y'know what that's why your breath stank, uh huh. you think i don't brush my teeth and what? what about it? wait a minute...!"

charas: hinata shoyo, sugawara koshi, osamu miya, nishinoya yu

─

-the type to for sure rile you up more while you guys are fighting for dominance. palm in palm, putting all your might into pushing each other back with all the force you can muster while you both snicker at each other making remarks to tease.

"i bet i'm gonna last longer than you just watch. you're not match for me you here that. purr all you want about being stronger than me."

charas: kuroo tetsurou, oikawa tooru, atsumu miya, tendou satori

─

-the type to attempt to brush you off. how so? they hit you with their blunt sarcasm instead of their hands which has you turning red in irritation which will either work or make you want to land a finishing blow on top of their head till a big red bump appears.

"whatever.. you really think your little fingers can do even just the little of littlest damage on me? you've got to be kidding. your power is like weak as an ant don't play with me right now."

charas: kenma kozume, tsukishima kei, suna rintarou

─

-the type to stand there as you prod and nudge them on with your hands. they get what you're trying to pick at but it simply won't work as they enjoy the little gestures you do. your antics are just part of who you are and they secretly think its cute.. well sometimes a little bothersome but more on the cute side when they're trying to dodge your little hits and take in your weak shoves between chuckles.

"what... what do you wanttt???? you really think you could get my attention just like that? haha well you got it."

charas: kageyama tobio, sakusa kiyoomi, iwaizumi hajime, akaashi keiji

masterlist here

[tiredandoptimistic]

As someone who likes a lot of "bad" media, or media that starts out kinda slow but builds into a bigger plot over time, I see so many different opinions on what bits are "okay" to skip in order to get to the good part, and it's just wild to me. Bouncing around between the highlights doesn't actually give you the experience, and filler is so important when it comes to just...creating a vibe and building up the relationships between characters and with the audience.

For instance, Red vs Blue is probably my favorite show (ever, of all time), and while I will admit that the first five seasons are not my favorite, I still think they're essential to the show, because those five years of relatively low stakes adventures set the tone so that it can be upset by the bigger plot points. The impact of a big twist is reduced if you haven't spent the time to get invested in these characters when they're just hanging out and being silly. Most importantly though, even once the plot really gets going in season six and we get into the more serious Freelancer and Chorus arcs, Red vs Blue is still fundamentally about a bunch of idiots standing around and talking. If you have to force yourself to put up with the majority of the show, then you might just not like this show.

I was talking about this with my friend, and they said it's kinda the same thing with Homestuck. Yes, it does get "better" as time goes on, but it's still the same thing it's always been, and if that's not something you enjoy then skipping to the bits you do like won't change what it is.

Or like, I freaking love The Order of the Stick, and last year I reread it from the beginning for the first time in a while, and I half convinced myself that I'd just made up how good it is (because volume one is funny enough but nothing to write home about). However, I hit a certain point where I realized that I wasn't just reading out of a sense of obligation but because I adore these characters and am unspeakably invested in this plot. You can really tell that it's been a story happening over the course of 20+ years, you can see the writing and art improve dramatically as time goes on. I could just recommend that someone start with volume two or three, and summarize the plot up till then so they don't feel lost. However! That would rob them of the experience you get from watching these characters grow. You can't fully appreciate Belkar's arc in volume six if you didn't see what he was like on day one, y'know?

On another note, I love the Shadowhunters Chronicles, and I know that a lot of people will give The Mortal Instruments shit and call it the worst series or whatever, but those people just hate fun. Yeah, there are other series that might have stronger plots and better writing, but there's a reason that TMI's main characters have been iconic for years. Sometimes, things are just silly, and if you don't like that then you're not gonna have a good time here.

I could go on! I also like a lot of episodic shows like MASH, Community, Tangled: the Series, the whole DC animated universe, Supernatural, etc. I could come up with lists of my favorite episodes to try to hook somebody, but all of those episodes lose a lot of their impact when taken out of context. Skipping the filler doesn't give you the ultimate experience of Only The Best, it takes away your chance to fully spend time with these characters in a variety of settings. And sure, lots of shows with multiple writers do have some episodes that are just bad, but that's not what I'm talking about. There's a difference between something being bad and something being low-stakes. Maybe you personally don't enjoy things that are low-stakes, but that might just mean you shouldn't be watching a sitcom.

So yeah, this has been an excuse for me to rant about things I enjoy for a while but I'm sorta out of time and need to eat lunch, so I suppose this post has reached its conclusion. All my favorite media are my favorite for reasons I couldn't articulate in an elevator pitch, and putting together a highlight reel will never substitute for truly being in the trenches. If you're truly having a good time with something then you won't need to skip to the good part, because the whole thing is enjoyable.

[wolfnight2012]

Place your bets now, do we have 1 last Polites reference to look forward to, or 2?

So far, we've had some sort of Polites reference in Each saga

Ocean Saga:

"Open Arms" chords heard in "Luck Runs Out" (confirmed by Jorge in this video here)

Odysseus: "I still believe we can be kind. Lead from the heart and see what starts"

Polites: "We'll be fine if we're leading from the heart"

"Everything's changed since Polites" in "Keep Your Friends Close

Circe Saga:

Circe: "You've given me no reason to bestow you with my trust"

Polites: "You can show a person that you trust them, when you stop & lower your guard"

Odysseus: *lowers his guard by telling Circe his true motivations & gains her sympathy/help in the process*

Circe: "Maybe showing one act of kindness, leads to kinder souls down the road"

Polites: "Kindness is brave"

Underworld Saga:

We actually get Polites back/Open Arms refrain

"I lost my best friend" from "Monster"

Thunder Saga:

The siren uses Polites' instrument while trying to lure Odysseus into the water in "Suffering" (Jorge talks about that in this video here)

Wisdom Saga:

We get Polites back again/another Open Arms refrain in "Love in Paradise"

(Also, check out my post talking about how the Wisdom Saga argues for Polites' open arms philosophy to see just How Much it is referenced/paralleled/called back to in that saga)

Telemachus: "Maybe, it's all gonna turn out great. I know we'll be fine"

Polites: "Whatever we face, we'll be fine if we're leading from the heart"

Telemachus: "Boy I wish I could, so I could bring the world some light"

Polites: "No matter the place, we can light up the world"

Now, it could ABSOLUTELY be a coincidence that Jorge referenced Polites/Open Arms in every saga & maybe the Wisdom Saga will be the last we hear of him

OR, it could be a pattern, in which case, Polites will show up again in SOME way in both the Vengeance Saga & the Ithaca Saga (be it his instrument (like with the sirens) the "Open Arms" chord progression (like in "Luck Runs Out") or the "Open Arms" chorus (like in "Underworld" or "Love in Paradise")

Now, I've already mentioned a few times how I could see Telemachus being used to call back to Polites (such as at the very bottom of my response here) ESPECIALLY after the Wisdom Saga & how much Telemachus parallels Polites both personality-wise & in his beliefs.

So I'm thinking IF we have one last Polites reference it might be when Telemachus & Odysseus finally meet/speak.

Perhaps a semi-reprised lyric (such as another lyric about "bringing the world light" or Polites-like optimism) combined either with Polites' instrument or chords from "Open Arms"

Which could both remind Odysseus of Polites & show that the values of "Open Arms" still live in Telemachus, even if Odysseus couldn't manage to uphold them himself.

(I also like the thought of making it more explicit, with Odysseus acknowledging he sees Polites in Telemachus with lyrics such as "I look into your eyes & I think back that friend of mine. You're as old as he was, when we left for war."[which I got from @midnight-drip art here] BUT, I don't think this is likely)

A Polites' callback could come from Athena of all places, given that in the Wisdom Saga she realizes she was wrong to demand Odysseus turn off his heart.

However

Personally, I like the idea of one last "Open Arms" reprise in the Ithaca Saga, BUT not the chorus.

If you check out my break down of "Open Arms" you'll know my interpretation of "Open Arms" is Polites' noticing Odysseus' stress/trauma & trying to help him heal.

What if after Odysseus takes care of the suitors he's left unsure of how to approach his family? The wife he hasnt seen in 20 years. The son he's never known?

What if they're standing across the stage from each other, both parties unsure of how to proceed, then we hear a soft

"This life is amazing, when you greet it with open arms"

BUT, we don't get the chorus. After the pause, Polites' voice continues:

"I see in your face, there is so much guilt inside your heart"

Odysseus shudders, staring longingly at his family but still not daring to approach them after everything he's done.

"So why not replace it? And light up the world here's how to start..."

Telemachus takes the initiative. He takes a tentative step forward, then another, and another, until he's standing in front of his father.

"Greet the world with open arms, "

Telemachus reaches slowly for his father, willing to breach the gap but unsure if his touch is welcome.

"Greet the world with open arms..."

Odysseus opens his arms & yanks Telemachus into a crushing hug. He starts to sob. Telemachus hugs him back just as tightly. Penelope starts to make her way over, though she gives them their space for now.

Odysseus & Telemachus pull apart just enough for Odysseus & Penelope to face each other. Odysseus extends his hand to her & she slips her hand into his.

Then we get the final line, fading/echoing, as if it were making its exit:

"You can relax, my friend"

Signaling Odysseus can let go now. Its over. He's allowed to let go of "the war and bloodshed" and of the screams.

Then song 39 starts (which like, in my defense, if "Love in Paradise can have both an introduction by Athena AND midway commentary from her, then song 39 could open up with one last Polites reprise)

Not that I think this WILL happen, but it wouldn't be unprecedented for this musical.

Something like this would tie up that Polites/Open Arms narrative thread + it would fit in with the canonical fact of Polites' being Odysseus' emotional/mental support

(Also, check out my analysis/break down of Odysseus & Polites' relationship as depicted in EPIC for more on how Polites is canonically Odysseus' emotional support & his death moves the entire plot)

AND something like this would give the audience closure/reassurance that Odysseus' journey HAS indeed ended. He will relax now, he will put away the sword/warrior, something he wanted to do since the Troy Saga but couldn't (both as an explicit command from Athena & because of the whole Polyphemus/Poseidon business)

Don't read past here if you dont want spoilers for song titles!

[AND, just for funies, if you wanna read a Really long post breaking down the song "Open Arms" lyric by lyric, you can see my analysis of it (and of Polites' character) right here!]

[other-shades-of-sapphire]

Just in case – Lee Know

Minho x high school friend turned girlfriend Iris, circa September 2024

Even after years of being together, Iris was still not used to being taken care of. And even after years of being together, Minho was always ready and prepared, just in case.

This is for all my fellow girls with the eldest daughter syndrome out there; because we need a reminder from time to time that it is, in fact, okay, to let ourselves be taken care of every once in a while.

Minho only saw the text around half an hour later, during the short break in between practice sessions. He thought he'd never clicked on the call button so quickly in his life. 

Iris answered on the second ring. "Hey. Didn't expect you to read the text this fast." 

"We have this thing called breaks," Minho told her. Then he noticed the faint sound of traffic from her end. "Are you driving to Pohang? Alone?" 

"Yes and yes. How else was I supposed to go there?" 

"I don't know, maybe take the perfectly fine train? You know, with significantly less travel time and you can just sit back and relax while it gets you there?" 

"Then I'll have to ask someone to come pick me up at the station." 

"So be it? Hell, I'll order you a car from here myself." 

Iris sighed. Minho hated himself for immediately knowing where this was going. "You know I don't like depending on people." 

"Even on me?" 

"I'm still working on it. Besides," Iris added before Minho could interrupt, "having one more car around helps the logistics to transport people around. Not all of my relatives have one, and I have quite a handful of aunts and uncles and cousins." 

Minho found himself fighting to keep the frustration out of his tone. "Iris, that is not your responsibility." 

This was far from his first rodeo of reasoning with Iris' chronic eldest daughter syndrome. Throughout the four years of their relationship he had to convince her numerous times that not everything was her responsibility, that it was okay to let other people take care of her from time to time. She already started loosening up with Minho by letting him do small things for her: making her light bites, buying her things she needed, driving her around whenever he had the time. But when it comes to her family, especially the extended family from her mother's side – who all always saw and treated Iris the eldest grandchild as an adult, even before she legally became one, due to her responsible nature – it seemed like everything Minho had tried just disappeared and they were back to square one. She's back to the eldest grandchild who just had to take care of everyone, even those older than her. 

Through the phone, he heard her hissed through her teeth. "It still feels like it. I know you've been trying to help me with this, I'm sorry." 

Didn't want to revisit the recurring issue over a phone call, let alone at a time like this, Minho suppressed his sigh. "I'll just have to try harder from now on then. How are you feeling?" 

There's a beat of pause. "I don't know, but on the top of my head? I want to get there as soon as possible because I'm afraid it's gonna be messy. This uncle, his wife is one emotional aunty and their children are still, like, pre-school age and basically a baby. I fear she might cause a disruption for her children in her grief." 

Minho had to hold his tongue from shooting her another "that's not your responsibility". Instead he asked, "How about your mother? How is she taking it?" 

"She was crying when she called me," Iris sighed. "But knowing her, I think she's gonna spend the entire drive there crying her eyes out, just so that she can put up a front and be composed once she's there." 

Like mother, like daughter, Minho couldn't help but think. But he didn't let that one out loud. "She's not driving, though, right?" 

"No, the entire gang are coming down from Gimpo. Think my dad and brother take turns for the wheel." 

At that time, Jeongin's head poked out of the practice room's door. "Hyung, we'll start again in a minute." 

"Okay, I'll be right there." 

"You have to go?" Iris asked. 

"Yeah." Minho didn't like the thought of Iris spending the three-plus hours' drive all alone. He knew perfectly well that she could take care of herself, but it didn't make him feel any better about it. Right now there's nothing he could do about it, though, so he just had to bear it and settled with, "Please drive carefully, okay?" 

"As if I'm not one of the best drivers you've ever known," she said in a teasing tone, but Minho knew she understood his underlying sentiment nonetheless. 

"You know I'm one call away. Just in case." 

"I do know that." 

"And please try to remember that not everything that is happening over there, however messy, is your responsibility," Minho said slowly, hoping to increase the impact of the important message. "Take care of yourself too, you hear me?" 

Iris didn't answer right away. 

"Iris?" 

"Alright," she finally muttered in a soft tone. "Thanks, kitten." 

It's been hours since Iris last reacted to his message, but still Minho hadn't heard anything else from her since. 

Frowning, Minho put his phone down to the kitchen counter and put his focus back to the pudding he was nursing. He knew she would be busy with things and wouldn't have time to be on her phone, but still Minho wasn't able to go to bed peacefully without hearing from her. He hadn't heard of how "messy" things were over there, and he wanted to be here to provide what emotional support he could give her when she finally had time to update him. Hence the decision to get out of bed altogether and wait for her with this vanilla pudding he really liked. 

"You looked like the pudding did something to offend you." 

Minho looked up and saw Jisung walking into their shared kitchen, still in his outside clothes – as if he just got home. "What were you doing out until this hour?" 

Yawning, Jisung dumped himself on the chair across Minho. "Working on a couple songs with the hyungs at Changbin and Hyunjin's." 

"Poor Hyunjin. Even his new place is still disturbed by shirtless dudes eating chicken breasts." 

Jisung laughed at the old reference. "Nah, he's had enough of us and decided to have a sleepover with Jeongin at his and Chris hyung's place. Now, what are you doing still up until this hour? Surely not to pick a fight with your pudding?" 

Minho sighed. "I'm waiting for Iris." 

"What, is the noona coming here? At this hour?" 

As Minho filled him in with the necessary details, Jisung helped himself to Minho's abandoned pudding. "You know, even after all these years, it still feels a little weird seeing you being a softy like this," he admitted after swallowing the last spoonful of pudding. "I mean, you never stayed up this late to give me emotional support." 

Minho snorted. "That's because I know you'll ask yourself, even wake me up in the middle of the night if you have to. Iris, on the other hand, would never ask, so I just need to be prepared and offer it to her. Just in case." 

"Fair point," Jisung chuckled. "But still, that's so sweet of you. It's a foreign look on you, but it's a good one." 

Before Minho could rebut, his phone on the kitchen counter pinged, its screen flashing a new message with Iris' picture on it. Noticing it too, Jisung stood up, bringing the now-empty pudding cup with him. "I guess that's my cue to leave you alone. Night, hyung." 

Took ten second of silence before Minho's phone lit up again, this time announcing a call from Iris. He thumbed the green button immediately. "Hi there." 

"Are you really staying up just to wait for me?" she blurted. 

"Yeah, just in case." 

"Why are you always sweet to me?" 

"Someone has to," Minho said firmly. "Because you're not being sweet to yourself, especially around your extended family over there. How's it going, by the way?" 

There was a few seconds of pause. "Can we not go over that now?" she asked quietly. "I don't think I can tell you about it without going through a full-force, mindless rant, and I can't afford that right now. Need to stay level-headed for the funeral tomorrow." 

Oh dear, Minho thought. So it was that level of messy. "Of course. What do you need?" 

"You really don't have to do anything, you know," Iris muttered. 

"I know, but just in case. So, ideas to make you feel better. Go." 

Another pause, then: "Can you... just, talk? Tell me about your day, or anything really. I'll listen." 

It was an rare dynamic between them. Iris was usually the talker among the two, and Minho had always been more than glad to listen to anything she was talking about, from her experience of buying groceries to her thoughts about the new health policy. For her to ask him to talk was very rare, and it always happened on the worst of her days, the kind that drained her towards zero – and for Iris, who possessed seemingly limitless energy most of the time, it took a lot to drain her. 

Truth be told, Minho had had an exhausting day himself, and talking definitely sat on the bottom of things he wanted to do at the moment. But he wanted to provide some sort of support for Iris any way he could, and if to do so he had to talk his mouth off, then talking it is. 

Even though he wasn't as good of a storyteller as Iris and had to put in the effort to think of interesting bits to share with her – something that always seemed to come so naturally for her. 

Iris seemed to notice this eventually. "I'm sorry," she said when she finished laughing at Minho's story about the mishap he had with Changbin in the practice room earlier. "You're exhausted, and I'm making you yap." 

"Did it work though? Make you feel better?" 

"It does," she said, in a small but pleasant voice. "Makes me feel a lot better. Thanks a lot for that." 

Minho smiled, filled with the sense of pride he always felt knowing he made her feel better. It was as if every thought he'd ever had about being exhausted faded away to nothingness. "When are you coming back?" 

She let out a sigh, but it sounded more of content, as if the mere idea of going home was pleasant enough for her. "Tomorrow. No matter what happens, I will be on my merry way in the afternoon. I'm setting boundaries on taking care of people here, kitten, aren't you proud of me?" 

"That's great! Glad what I've been doing for the past few years left some dent in there." 

"That, and Mom made me promise to be scarce by 3 p.m. the latest. She said I've done enough." 

"Hear hear," Minho said firmly. "You should go have some sleep then. You need some if you're going to be driving tomorrow." 

Before Iris could answer, Minho heard a faint sound of a baby crying on her end. She sighed; not contentedly this time, rather as if she was bracing herself. "That's my cousin." 

Minho could hardly believe her. "Iris Park, are you freaking babysitting right now?" 

"It's the youngest of my late uncle, Minho. Her mother is currently too distracted to care for her." 

Minho knew he should be holding back, shouldn't risk breaching the sensitive topic at this hour with the two of them being exhausted, but he couldn't help himself. "Iris, my flower, that is not your responsibility."

Another sigh. "I know, but it's the least I can do. I should go – talk to you later, kitten." 

"Try to get some sleep!" Minho managed to say just before she hung up. Though, knowing Iris, he doubted she'd get any blink at all tonight. 

Putting his phone down to the counter, Minho pressed the heels of his palms to his closed eyes. If he hadn't liked the thought of Iris driving the three hundred-plus kilometers distance between Seoul and Pohang before, he disliked the idea of her driving said distance with little to no sleep even more. 

Then an idea suddenly occurred to him. It just so happened that he had these two days off; he'd planned to spend some time with his mother, who's currently in town for the next couple days, but now his brain was starting to formulate a different plan. His mother would understand, he thought, because she loved Iris too. 

Which was why, on the next day past lunchtime, Minho found himself getting off the car he'd ordered to take him from the train station to the address Iris' father had given him. It was a small house her mother had bought before moving to Gimpo, where their family always stayed whenever they came here, and that was currently empty because everyone was still at the late uncle's residence for the funeral wake – as promised by Iris' father, a means to ensure Minho's privacy. Minho couldn't help but feel touched by the thoughtful gesture. 

Despite already being told where they kept the spare key and to "make himself at home", Minho decided to wait on the front porch and get comfortable on one of the chairs there instead. Hence when the car he recognized as Iris' entered the driveway not an hour later, he immediately saw it and got to his feet in an instant. 

"What the – " Even over the sound of the car's machine, Minho could already hear Iris' exclamation from inside the vehicle. She quickly turned off the engine and scrambled out of the car, making her way to Minho with long, heavy strides. "What in the world are you doing here?" 

Minho grinned at her. "Just in case you need something more than listening to me yap." 

"But why – when – how did you – " She seemed to be at a loss of words. Still grinning, Minho opened his arms just a little bit, just as a little suggestion. Just in case. 

Iris seemed to catch on the hint. With a defeated sigh, she finally stepped forward and into Minho's arms, letting him envelope her in a hug and hold her tight. He felt her melt against him, burying her face on the crook of his neck. "I have so many questions," she said, her voice muffled. "But not gonna lie, I'm also very, very tired." 

"That's okay," he murmured to her hair. "You can both ask your questions and have your overdue rest on our way back to Seoul." 

She lifted her head to look at him. "Did you seriously come here only to drive me back?" 

Minho shrugged. "You know, just in case." 

"Unbelievable," she said, as if to scold him, but the effect was softened because she was leaning her forehead to his. "Lee Minho, I've told you many many times before, you can't just keep doing things like this for me." 

"I'm not doing this for you though," Minho countered. "I'm doing this for me. Doing things like this makes me happy." 

Iris let out a half-hearted scoff. "Traveling from Seoul to Pohang just to drive me back to Seoul makes you happy?" 

"It does." He gave her shoulders a little squeeze. "Because I get to take care of you, something not many other people get to do. And as I've told you many many times before, you better get used to it because I'm not stopping." 

She held his gaze for a few silent seconds, then offered a small smile. "Thank you," she said softly. 

Minho leaned forward to press a kiss on her forehead. "Now let's go get your stuff and go home."

previously on

Find more stories from Minho & Iris and the rest of Stray Kids here!

[manasurge]

bleh

[forgotten-daydreamer]

vent moment but my health is a bit worse than i let on, which is weird ik since it seems like complain about it all the time here, and apparently i also look sick, because two separate people in their 40s or 50s asked me, 24, if i needed their seat on the bus. kind of them. but humiliating nonetheless.

[candlebel]

I cared. I still do. I still think of you and I still cry over you. You were importat to me. You still are.

[medicinemane]

It's amazing how quickly you can make someone turn on your company by making a stupid and insulting move

Force me to go through the front door and scan my card when I have backdoor business that never needed a card before (what? ...I was going to somehow... sneak in and... purchase things with a borrowed card? ...which I totally can't do from the front door after scanning it?)

Or like... twitterify your layout right after your users give you a bunch of money just cause they like you, and then refuse to walk it back

...or all the other things companies do that just kinda piss people off and then they refuse to acknowledge maybe it sucks and is stupid cause "hey, the customers didn't leave"... yeah... yet

[blueshykitsune-blog]

Anyone on Tumblr got a good guide for long lasting scars?

Specifically for a variety of different type of skin tones.

Or even like explanations on scar colors?

Like dark colored scars versus light colored.

Preferably about those ghat last years if not for life?

(I'm trying to figure out the best way to make my character look a bit accurate in plushie form.)

[running-in-the-dark]

things are going well with the kitchen. my father-in-law was here to help again today, and this time I decided to stay in my room and let the two of them work on the kitchen on their own. it was just too annoying the last two times.

that was the right decision. my husband called me over a few times when they had questions and even that was almost too much. but anyway, I'm glad he helped (again), and we'll be done soon I think. that'll be nice. I'm really excited to organise all the cabinets!

I got a lot done in my room, too. one wall is almost entirely taken up by Billy shelves now, and there's a huge Kallax on the opposite wall (it's three stacked on top of each other actually so it's a 3x6 - it almost reaches the ceiling and there's also stuff on top of it). it's just about enough (I have too much stuff, I know). did a lot of organising; I think I've unpacked all my boxes now, unless I find more in the storage room - which is currently so full that I can't check :')

unfortunately I did too much yesterday (built two shelves for my room, and did a lot of sawing with a stupid tiny hand saw because it's the only one I have), so my arms and especially my hands hurt very very badly last night. the pain kept waking me up. then, it disappeared at some point during the day. I immediately forgot about it, and only remembered when it started hurting again even worse than before 😭 soo tonight is gonna suck.

[tennis-kittens]

[chipped-chimera]

FOR THE TIRED PEOPLE: Some new research about Chronic + ADHD(inattentive) related fatigue, and BCAAs

[DISCLAIMER // I AM NOT A DOCTOR. I AM NOT A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER. I AM NOT A DIETICIAN. I'm just a big tired nerd with way too much time on my hands who likes science. I am however, sharing this because this could potentially help others and BCAAs are already safe for human consumption, widely used and easily accessible. If you are uncertain about adding BCAAs to your diet please talk to your doctor first. There are also some medications which interact negatively with BCAA's. Do your research. Also generally be careful about taking medical advice from the internet! ]

I was going to post about something else but I went down the rabbit hole of explaining this study I read and decided that no, this needed it's own thing or it's gonna be a mile long.

So in one of my usual weekly fatigue breakdowns where I was scraping the internet for any kind of information that might point out something I've SURELY missed to explain why I feel the way I do, I stumbled across this study published last year (2022) -

[ The relationship between central fatigue and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder of the inattentive type ]

The TL;DR on the paper - our previous assumptions about the tryptophan-serotonin system might be wrong (tryptophan being the precursor for a bunch of stuff, including melatonin which is the sleepy chemical - aka why people say drink warm milk before bed to help sleep, that's tryptophan) what was previously assumed was reducing tryptophan = bad because it could affect serotonin production.

Testing in rats (so grain of salt here) indicated that higher levels of tryptophan =/= higher levels of serotonin and when reducing the level of free tryptophan in the bloodstream it returned to baseline. High levels of tryptophan were associated with fatigue and inattention, and rats on a tryptophan deficient diet by contrast took longer to reach a state of exhaustion. I'm skipping over a bunch of stuff but basically - research is now pointing to both Chronic Fatigue and ADHD related fatigue being related to Central Nervous System Fatigue which up until now, has only really been associated with the fatigue athletes experience when exercising really hard (now just picture me doing jack shit and feeling like that every day. Yeah). I've only just stared to see bits and pieces pop up about this recently but nothing in relation to this tryptophan study.

Anyway, the thing about BCAAs: BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids) are currently used to reduce the uptake of tryptophan in the brain for better performance in athletes, help with reduction of exercise fatigue (CNS fatigue) and muscle building. You can pretty easily find BCAA's added to protein-shakes or in it's own kind of supplement. It also occurs naturally in some foods (Beef, Chicken, Eggs, Lentils, Chickpeas, Brown Rice etc.) so it is absolutely safe to consume. It's also generally fairly affordable (especially compared to the lengthy process of treatment + medications that might not even work and you have to keep changing them, yes I am talking from personal experience).

Again, this is all very new and absolutely needs so much more research because up until now, no one has really been sure what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but tests have shown that those suffering CFS demonstrate similar activation of their muscles as fatigued athletes - as in they could activate them but not to their full capacity. This connection is only considered 'possible' and it might take a good few years before we can say anything with certainty.

But as an extremely tired bitch who is extremely tired of being extremely fucking tired, I am sharing this because it's easy to get, safe, and affordable and if you're like me you're about ready to try anything. And it's not another goddamn pill (I'm on 14 a day).

Also for the ADHDers specifically: protein rich diets are usually advised for us because it helps with the metabolism of stimulants, and can help with softening medication crashes when they wear off. So adding a protein shake with BCAAs to your morning routine might be a good idea. Or just any protein shake in general.

There can be side effects to taking BCAAs, but it is considered rare and this depends entirely on the person. Cross check existing medications, talk to your doc etc. if you are not 100% certain adding BCAAs to your diet is possible. Stay safe peeps.

[kingspuppet]

Yesterday was a lot busier than I had expected it to be. But my mom enjoyed her birthday so that's all I care about! That being said though, I didn't get to do things on here like I had planned (which I figured could very well happen). So like I said yesterday I'm just going to celebrate Goro's birthday all weekend!! I'm not sure how much I'll actually be able to get done but I'll certainly do my best!!

[cerbreus]

it’s been a hellish last couple months dealing with being caught in the crossfire between incompetent rental car agency that is mad at me and incompetent car insurance company that didn’t tell me the person handling my claim fucking QUIT and MY CLAIM WENT FORGOTTEN FOR MONTHS and it still isn’t resolved in fact things have gotten worse and tbh, when i have major stressful setbacks in life, my body and brains’ response is to just. not. do anything. just shut down. intense fatigue, inability to focus on literally anything because the background level of stress is so high.