#it was a very patient group so we all learned a lot

[the-lancers-log]

I didn't manage to clear M2S today, but I did get to enrage so that's good progress! It's not nearly as much of a wall I thought it would be, considering how the normal mode went.

[giantkillerjack]

Uh-oh! You are like, SOOO awkward!!

You're so awkward that it is occasionally mildly uncomfortable for people!

You're so awkward that sometimes people are confused by you and then there are awkward silences!

You're so awkward ...... that ultimately no one is harmed!!

Oh damn!!! What a vile crime you have committed! What an unforgivable thing it is to make a fellow human briefly confused!

Why, if *I* were ever briefly confused and kind of uncomfortable as a result, I'd be devastated.... by the absolute net zero change in my happiness and health! - From which I might never recover!! Yes indeed! No punishment can ever be enough for you!!

So you better absolutely hate yourself for it.

Better be SO MEAN to yourself about every single missed social cue so you don't forget your horrible crime! Meaner than you'd ever dream of being to someone else for the same thing! This is YOUR responsibility!

You need to show the world that you KNOW you are bad by punishing yourself constantly! After all, think of all the people who BENEFIT from you punishing yourself! - No, really! Think about it! Think about who benefits from your pain.

Think of alllllll the definitely-good people that your definitely-necessary self-torment definitely helps! I mean, you can't just cut off their definitely-life-sustaining supply of your suffering, right?? Sure, everyone else has a breaking point, but you're probably the only person in human history who doesn't, right? Best not to question it probably. Sure, it's a symptom that billions of people with trauma have had, but who knows? You could be a one-in-seven-billion exception. Anything's possible!

Instead, better just accept that idea that bullies carry like guns in holsters - the idea that people who have trouble with social cues deserve to suffer. Better carry on the burden they placed on you until you drop. Aid the cause of the callous by enforcing shame and suffering upon yourself extra hard; try your best to do their work for them. They're very busy.

Better not recognize that you need patience and kindness to heal from your trauma. Better not find out that it was trauma rather than personal weakness filling your head with self-hating thoughts. Better not find out it wasn't your fault.

Better not find out that awkwardness is not inherently harmful or unkind, and, in fact, the people who act like it is *are the ones enacting harm and being cruel.*

Better not get righteously angry when you realize just how much unnecessary damage this has done to you. After all, if you get mad, you might realize you deserve better. You might even feel brave enough to DEMAND better! You might build boundaries that keep you safe! You might make other people think they deserve to feel safe too! And we obviously can't be having that, so...

Better not show yourself even a little kindness a little bit at a time.

Better not make a habit out of it after all that practice.

Better not get confident.

Especially if you can't first wipe out every trace of awkward. (And you probably never will. Because people who experience absolute social certainty at all times tend to be insufferable assholes that enforce the status quo. And you just don't have the stock portfolio for that.)

Better not be confident and awkward because then you might confuse and delight people

- you might accidentally end up making other people feel less shame for their social difficulties

- you might make isolated, traumatized, and shy people feel like they deserve to be included in social situations

- you might even make them feel they can be themselves around you

- you might start loving the effect you have on a room

- you might enjoy conversations more

- you might forgive yourself and bounce back from shame more easily and frequently

- you might come to enjoy some of those moments of harmless confusion you cause because NOBODY expects the Confident Awkward, and that can genuinely be an advantage in social situations

- you might stop apologizing so much.

- you might find that socializing is like a video game: it requires practice but also a safe space for it to be fun and positive.

Or if you can't become assertive and confident, better not remain awkward and shy and quiet, and then love and forgive yourself anyway!

Why, it would be carnage!!

In either scenario, you run the risk of finding out that it's not your fault that safe spaces full of kind people can be really hard to find, create, and nurture. You could end up building a skillset that helps you do those things if you're not careful!

If you start giving yourself even the tiniest amount of grace at a time, you will find that you've accessed a gateway drug with extreme long-term side effects:

- You might realize that it was never your fault that it took so long to like yourself.

- You might realize that you were always worth talking to, even when you didn't like yourself and communication felt impossibly difficult.

- You might realize that you'll still be worth talking to even if communication becomes harder as you age and/or experience disability.

- You might come to know that you deserve to be heard even on bad days when words come slow and blurry.

You might discover that you were always deserving of kindness, first and foremost from yourself.

So. As you can see, it's FAR too much of a risk to start granting your awkward self free pardons for your many heinous and harmless crimes. Better to just leave it there.

[catgirl-kaiju]

i have a transmasc friend who has been feeling really bummed recently that he hasn't seen much in the way of transmasc positivity on his dash, and i see how much it impacts his mood and self esteem. i care about him a lot, so i want to do a little something to maybe help raise his spirits a little bit:

share some memories of trans masc folks you know or have known, who left a positive impact on your life!

i'll start:

here's to a boyfriend i had years back! he was a very autistic demiboy with a reptile special interest and a love for aquariums! we'd go visit a small local herpatarium together, and he'd tell me all about the animals there. his excitement was contagious! he even had a pet snake who was so cute. we both loved Pink Floyd, and i really treasure the time we spent sharing music with eachother!

here's to a friend i had back in Texas! he was a really warm and chill dude, always so kind and patient. he loved his community and organized a local trans social group so that we could have something more laid back than a support group. he was a scholar in queer and jewish history, as well as jewish theology, and i learned so much from him.

i have a friend now who is a very kind and sweet guy. he's been there for me in some of my darkest moments and is a delight to be around! he is a very skilled cook and baker who helps make incredible food for our household. he has a passion for hair and has helped everyone in the house with cutting and styling our hair. he loves musicals, and i've learned so much about musicals from listening to him and watching movie musicals with him. i could say more, but i know this post is going to be long enough as is lol

[where-does-the-heart-lie]

Grand Line Crew Modern Au Gang!

i hope yall enjoy, this took a while to get all together, here

ASL post

East Blue Crew post

Friends we made along the way 1 post

Friends we made along the way 2 post

i dont have many additional headcanons for this lot, but i did write a short story with them :) enjoy

Brook only wears the absolute grooviest of clothing at all times.

Brook only wears the absolute grooviest of clothing at all times.

Brook only wears the absolute grooviest of clothing at all times.

That’s just gonna have to be there 👆 tumblr likes to glitch out my posts.

Dont give chopper caffeine. He’ll either have a heart attack or operate on 5x speed, its a gamble every time.

robin and franky love watching home improvement shows, house hunters, how its made, myth busters, and other technical shows together.

When Luffy shows robin memes on his phone, she takes out her reading glasses and holds the phone like a mom does. Ya know that squint. You know.

Jinbei used to be a trucker and had a convoy with s bunch of his truckin’ buddies. They had matching leather jackets with “the sun truckers” embroidered on the back

Franky has a wig closet. It is vast. If you went in there you'd think you were in Narnia or something

Chopper is BEYOND CONVINCED that Sabo is a vampire.

One day, sabo volunteered as an assistant in a medical class chopper was taking. He was acting as chopper’s patient as he was learning the patient procedures of a checkup.

It was all going fine, chopper got all the patient identification out of the way and next was to acquire blood pressure, breath count, and heart rate. But the stethoscope and pressure monitor wasn’t working, and it make it seem like Sabo,,, didnt have a pumping heart,, or blood,,, or really breathed at all(he doesnt take very visible breaths).

Chopper was stricken with fear at this and assumed the absolute worse as he looked in horror at Sabo’s naturally pale complexion and long canine teeth. Chopper simply jotted down the average count of each recording instead of getting new equipment, and tried not to think about it, but

“huh, all of those numbers are usually lower than that. Maybe all that Special Concoction™ i drink is finally catching up to my heart rate.”

“how much have you.. drunk?”

“like for today? Or since I woke up.”

Chopper is fucking horrified. Sabo woke up to being a vampire and drinks blood as a special concoction. He cannot believe this.

”Never mind, I don't need to know, its all normal, you're normal.”

“Wow… that's the first time a medical practitioner has called me normal. My brothers are gonna get a real kick outta this.”

CHOPPER IS FUCKING HORRIFIED. HE HAS BRETHEREN??? Chopper just keeps his head down and finishes up the check up practice as Sabo remarks he has another class in the blood bank, which was lemon in the paper cut for chopper.

For a month or so after that day, Chopper didn’t see Sabo at all, and he forgot about his fear for a little while. However one night as chopper was hanging with Luffy and a few others in the straw hat friend group, there was a knock at the door. Chopper happily said “I’ll get it~” as the rest of the group continued in conversation.

Chopper skips over to the door and when he opens it, he sees the figure of Sabo standing in front of him. Tall and opposing, smiling a big toothy grin with bright blue eyes shining from the overhead lighting. He’s wearing a long trench coat with the collar popped and an ascot was wrapped around his neck.

What chopper was seeing before him.

Was the vampire.

He let out a scream right out of a horror film and promptly fainted.

A minute or two later, he awoke laying on the couch, feet elevated and vest unbuttoned, to his friends looking at him from the foot of the couch.

He goes to stand up, but a strong gloved hand stops his movement and guides him back down

“Don't get up too quickly, little man.”

Chopper looked next to him and saw The Vampire. What was he doing in his house?!?!?

“Are you alright, bud? You opened the door for me, screamed in my face, and then passed out.”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Chopper said with the highest voice-crack to word ratio in his entire life.

“Right. Well again, dont get up too quickly, if you need water or anything let your friends know. I just came here to pick up Luffy cuz some family stuff came up. Have a good night!”

“…you too, and thanks for taking care of me…”

“No prob!”

“One last question?” Inquired chopper.

“What's up?”

“Did someone invite you in?”

the end

PS: Sabo's "special concoction" consists of Red Bull and Espresso. He hasn't slept in 72 hours. This will have lasting effects on his health.

thats all for now! thanks for reading~

[sophie-frm-mars]

I just wanna gush about DBT for a second

DBT saved my life so I'm gonna spend a moment telling everyone how helpful it can be because I know there are a lot of people with BPD out there who need to hear it.

so cluster B personality disorders are characterised by, among other things "unrelenting crisis" - this is the combination of the feeling that every small problem you encounter is just yet more insurmountable bullshit and the reality that you have a lot of bad shit going on in your life, some of caused by the wider world beyond your control and inevitably some of it self-inflicted. The problem is, to someone who is constantly activated and feels life as this kind of non stop catastrophe, it's really hard to practice skills learned in therapy to do anything about it AND it feels impossible to judge what is an appropriate thing to spend your energy on, where to even begin tackling your problems.

The group component of DBT is explicitly justified in the therapists' manual as tackling this, which I think is genius. A borderline patient will bring new problems to their therapist every week and not focusing on them will trigger feelings of abandonment but the patient will definitely have forgotten all about this problem and moved onto a new one by next session or the one after so you have two therapies, one talk therapy one-on-one and the other a group setting like a class where you learn the DBT skills, and then in the group setting no patient feels like they're being especially ignored by the therapist because they're all there to learn the skills as peers. I just think that's really clever

The bit that really whips though is the skills around Accumulating positive experiences and Building mastery. Okay so your life feels like shit, right? Like one shit thing after another? Your therapy is to have a nice time and get better at something in a way that makes you proud. There's a whole acronym for the skills you need to use to keep yourself well, ABC PLEASE, but C and PLEASE are all essentially preventative skills to stop you having an actively bad time or worsening your mental health, and A and B (Accumulate positive experiences, Build mastery) are the ones where you're proactively creating your life worth living and I love it so much.

Accumulating Positive Experiences really does just mean having a nice time in an intentional way. It can literally be watching TV, it can be whatever you want, but you approach it thinking about what will make good experiences that will actively make you feel like you are leading a life worth living. My girlfriend and I went to the planetarium and took edibles last month and it owns so hard that according to DBT that's therapy

Building Mastery is all about helping you get a sense of momentum and direction by improving at something, ideally something that isn't also what you do for work. I know "get a hobby" seems like such basic advice for helping someone out of a rough time but like I've been bouldering since early last year and seeing myself get better at it has been impossibly good for me.

I've been getting into cooking this year as one of my Building mastery practices, at first just regularish like "how can I feed myself in a way that feels like I'm showing myself care at all" like finally learning how to make some of the comfort foods I had in childhood like beef stew, or trying out new things on my very basic salmon, potatoes and broccolli, like teriyaki glaze on broccolli or making hasselback potatoes. Then after a while it became a thing where I felt confident enough to actually thing about a little project and do it like around when my gf and I started officially dating I made her roast lamb and dauphinoise potatoes (nothing photographs well, sorry in advance lol), or we started rewatching Twin Peaks and I really wanted cherry pie so I made my own, which I had never done before!

and at the same time as improving at that stuff I felt like I was good enough at it that cooking for other people was a way I could show them care, which was something I had always wanted but never put in the time to making a reality.

In The Endings Machine: Technology & Teleology I talked about how cooking vegan food in groups is more effective in several ways that going vegan yourself and afterwards my sister (who helped with recording) said to me and a friend "I've been thinking about this ever since filming, we should do this!" and we've been holding a rotating vegan group meal at other's places fortnightly since then, and it's been really good! (This idea btw was partly inspired by my time on the ZAD where communal living leads to group cooking on a rotation, mostly vegan) For the first one I made a spicy mushroom pasta, then I had to bring the dessert to one and I made a vegan chocolate tart with coconut milk instead of dairy making a coconut chocolate filling and it was SOOO good

Last week the vegan meal was at mine again and it fell on halloween so we invited more people and arranged a little spooky movie screening and I made SOOO much food and it was all fucking fantastic. My gf and I made dhal makhani, aubergine rice, parathas, vegan raita and onion bhajis and served them with some mango chutney and some oven-cook samosas that were just from big tesco. I'm so fucking proud of myself, I've never cooked this much before and it went so well! I guess what I really want to get across is how looking at this from the DBT perspective I gotta get across how good this shit is for your mental health and how absurdly well it dovetails with building community.

There are all sorts of other ways Accumulating positive experiences and Building mastery help, because DBT is a very holistic approach to helping people get better - like if you know what things you like doing and you plan them to be available to you, you know that you're going to be happy with your own company, which means if you're having a shit time around someone else you're happy saying "I would be having a better time being alone right now" and just leaving. That makes it easier to live up to your self-respect goals, which are a big part of the DBT interpersonal effectiveness skills, as well as helping to tackle every cluster B girlie's deep seated fear of abandonment.

I could go on an on, but the salient thing right now is that there are a lot of people struggling with stuff I relate to as someone who has had my shit rocked by Borderline Personality Disorder for years and years, and I know that the biggest feeling at core is like "what is this all for? what is the thing that we are all trying to do in the space we are chaotically scrabbling to try to clear all the time?" and this is the answer: you want to accumulate positive experiences and build mastery, and when you get to doing it you have such a profoundly more grounded sense of being in the world, of what it is that's worth being here for and what stands in the way of life just being like that for everyone and a more meaningful drive to try and make it be that way for everyone.

I also wanna go on and on about how Interpersonal Effectiveness makes everyone better at organising too, but I think the Life Worth Living is the better sales pitch for DBT. idk in short a close friend pitched it to me a little while ago that all leftists should learn DBT and it would make the revolution way easier and the more I live of my life worth living the more I agree.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Four sighed, taking a sip of his beer as he looked at the embers glowing and crackling in Time’s fire pit. “I hate seeing people in pain and not being able to do anything about it.”

Sky glanced at his friend, wondering where that statement came from. Nobody said anything for a moment, and then Legend piped up.

“Yet you chose to work in a surgical-trauma ICU where everyone is in pain all the time,” he quipped with a little playful smirk to take the edge of the sarcasm.

Warriors snickered, leaning back in his chair, beer bottle held lazily between his fingers. Sky almost laughed at the sight of it, recalling that he and Hyrule had been refilling the bottle with water after their friend’s first drink. The army nurse hadn’t commented on the matter.

“Oh shut up,” Four laughed as well. “I know I set myself up for this. But I… I wanted to help. And I wanted to do nursing that made me feel like I was thinking through puzzles and able to focus on as few patients as possible so I could really get into taking care of things. And I like the thrill of it. But…”

He trailed off a moment, looking around at the group relaxing by the fire pit. Twilight paused briefly in the act of throwing another log on the fire, glancing at Four, before finishing the action, sending sparks showering into the air briefly. Time and Malon watched Four quietly, bundled together under a plaid blanket, Malon’s head on Time’s shoulder. Warriors perked up from his slumped position, head tilting towards the ICU nurse while Legend’s playful smile faded. Wild and Wind paused from eating their s’mores to give Four their attention while Hyrule sat up from where he’d been laying in a burrito of blankets on the grass.

Sky watched Four try to ask what he wanted, and as much as he wanted to prompt his friend he knew to wait.

“Does it ever get better?” Four finally asked. “The compassion fatigue. I’ve only been in nursing a short while and I can already feel it. Am… am I done?”

Sky bit his tongue, remembering when he’d asked Legend a similar question. But Sky had been through a war and had been flying sick, injured, and dying patients for years now. Four was still a fairly new nurse, wasn’t he?

He supposed it didn’t matter. Everyone’s exposure and experience was different. Four very clearly was uneasy about this.

Warriors spoke up first, sitting up. “It comes and goes, buddy.”

“Sometimes you just have to stop and remember they’re people,” Legend added. “We… you know, when everyone’s worst day is your workday you have to shut it off. It’s not…”

“We have to protect ourselves,” Sky picked up for his dear friend. “We suffer when they suffer. But if you let it get to you then you can’t focus on helping them. You’re not a bad person for doing that. For…”

Well. Were they bad people for feeling nothing when their patients were in pain?

Honestly, Sky knew there wasn’t a single person in this group who felt absolutely nothing. They just redirected what they felt into something else. Dark jokes to make a bad situation funny, frustration to turn strong emotions into rambling with coworkers… they all felt it somehow.

But it did make it hard to remember who they were taking care of sometimes.

Sky was grateful he just flew his helicopter. He wasn’t sure he could tolerate much more exposure than that, honestly.

“I don’t know if it ever gets better,” Warriors finally said. “It’s kind of just something you learn to live with.”

“I’ve seen nurses who have all the compassion in the world,” Twilight noted. “But I also have no idea how they do it, honestly.”

“Oh, you mean like you, Mr Biggest Bleeding Heart in the Room?” Legend remarked. “I bet you’re everyone’s favorite CNA over there. I don’t know how the hell you deal with sick kids day in and out.”

“It’s a lot easier when you’re the tech walking in and out of the room instead of the nurse responsible for that kid’s life,” Twilight argued mildly. “I mean, I do get attached and I want to take care of all of them, but I’m also so spread out it makes encounters shorter. So like… I don’t know, not as much burnout I guess. Except for the chronic kids.”

“Well, techs make a hell of a difference,” Four noted. “I’d be so screwed without you guys.”

“Back to the point,” Twilight frowned, waving a dismissive hand. “I’m sure even the kindest nurses have moments when they just can’t let themselves get hurt anymore. You’re not a jerk for being worn out from constantly watching people suffer.”

“What’s important, love, is getting out and having moments like this,” Malon piped up. “You boys all tend to self isolate when you’re not working, and all that does is make work your entire life. Take time for yourself but go out in the world too. We’re all here for each other. That’s why we had this tonight.”

Four sighed a little, glancing down at the fire. Sky elbowed him teasingly, smiling. “Hey. You can’t be any worse than Legend.”

The travel nurse perked up, face flushing and eyes wide with irritation as Warriors wheezed. “HEY!”

Everyone started to laugh while Legend rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air. But Sky knew it was just theatrics; after all, he and Legend had talked about this very thing a few weeks ago.

Healthcare broke people. They all knew that. But a little crack here and there could be supported, one person holding the other up. Sky wasn’t sure how long any of them could last in any one area, but he knew they’d try to make it work.

[wings-of-fire-confessions]

Alright let’s talk about the fandom. Seriously.

Immaturity and bad takes are impossible to avoid since this is literally a book for pre to post teens, a lot of older people either love or grew up with it, but have left because of the loud majority of minors. This post is mostly for those younger people, so keep that in mind.

I’ll just say this real quick, if you’re 12 and under. Get off, it’s truly for your own safety you shouldn’t even be online, be patient and wait, it will be worth it I promise. Young minds should definitely NOT be interacting with this fandom at all.

These books and the fandom means a lot to me, and to see it on fire breaks my heart, so here I propose some temporary solutions and suggestions:

Draw people’s ocs! No matter how off cannon or op they may be, this fandom is full of children and a little kindness can go a long way

Encourage nuance, I know it’s not our job to parent the kids who are left abandoned on the internet, but I think it’s important to understand where these kids are coming from. Learning is hard for some but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be held accountable for your actions. Differing opinions might be trivial to some who grew up in an echo chamber of the same views as them, so take a mindful approach of sharing new ideas, don’t just say “This idea is correct and because you don’t think it is you’re wrong”.

Positivity and kindness. This one is very important, you need to listen to one another and give everyone a chance to speak, there are so many diverse people across the fandom and we all just want to enjoy our dragons. Ruining the fun by harassing innocent people is not okay, relax a bit and step back, this is all just a series about a fictional species with rules that can be easily bent for fan content, everyone is having fun together, and you can either watch, partake, or ruin it.

I think that’s all I have to say for now, I just love psychology and growing minds are fascinating to me, I love children with all of my heart (not like that) and it’s upsetting to see them fighting with each other or getting dog piled by older people! Please, this fandom has to be way more mindful of it wants to continue, minors in fandoms are unavoidable but you can easily make 16-18+ servers or groups.

With that being said, I genuinely love you all and I wish to see this thrive, continue doing your art, your writing, or whatever the hell you do, I’ve seen so much amazing mixed media projects about these dragons and it makes me so happy that people are sharing this stuff with the world. I love you artists, fellow fandom siblings, and to all else who reads this, have a good day/night 💖

.

[celestial-sphere-press]

Carmilla (Le Fanu) & The Vampyr (Polidori)

Starting off the new year right! I was incredibly blessed to spend 8 days in January in Athens, Greece, attending a leather bookbinding course taught by dimitris_bookbinding_corner alongside a lovely group of fellow @renegadepublishing members from around the world!

Dimitris was a fantastic teacher, patiently dealing with all of our in-jokes, quips, and my bad habits (even if they made him cringe 😂). His teaching style satisfied my own thirst to know *why* you do something, not just that you're supposed to do it. Dimitris also challenged us to push outside of our comfort zones (I'm sorry guys before this every endband I ever sewed I opened up the book for every tie-down. yes, even all the ones in the last post.). I learned so much, and I hope to be able to put it into practice in the future. I highly recommend his classes!

We bound a stunning Carmilla + The Vampyr combo typeset, created by fellow Renegade member @zhalfirin with art frames from Alphonse Mucha. I got a chance to work on leather and brass tooling skills in person (both things I was very nervous about!), repped Star Wars a lot, eat delicious Greek food and snacks, and best of all, the opportunity to spend a whole 8 days in Greece with the best group of people (and a whole lot of friendly cats!).

[gladiatorcunt]

alsooo… food for thought! modern!coryo learning that you’re a virgin and what he’d be like when he gets to fuck you for the first time 😏😏

🍽️ SEND ME ASKS ABOUT CORYO, LUKE CASTELLAN, OR ANAKIN (THIS IS A THREAT)

CW: afab!reader, feminization/use of bride/reader's pussy is assigned she/her pronouns, extra extra political empire heir coriolanus snow in tears over pussy read all about it, fair amount of marriage talk, mentions of being willing to murder others & trap reader, mandatory sejanus mention, coryo puts on his person suit just for you <3, this is not the darkest point in the au but the au is "soft" dark content overall

One thing about modern!coryo is that he gives you much more grace than some of his other friends would have. (Festus is "rumored" to be carrying multiple stds and Felix's family has a whole section in their budget just for child support. Sejanus is the only one in that group that's kind of normal by comparison.) When you start dating, he can tell that you're inexperienced at least; but the green-eyed monster always on his shoulder doesn't let him fully believe that you're a virgin.

He's... patient unlike most college boys. He's horny beyond comprehension, but he doesn't latch onto you like a leech after the first date (He's so kind 😊). Sure, there's a festering need sweltering under his skin and boiling his blood, but he's no strange to playing the long game. To him, every time he fucks you is going to feel like your wedding night (Cause he's in this for MARRIAGE). You're the only one he would use the phrase "making love" with. Before you, every other whore that hung off his dick was just there because he was high on his status (and a couple other things). He apologizes about being with others before you as if he were actively cheating on you.

He'd pay to have them disappear if you wanted.

Anyway.

He finds out in a benign way; you're making out on your creaky twin bed in your dorm. (You hadn't moved in together at the time, so he had to settle for his long limbs awkwardly knocking against the wall and nightstand every time you were getting intimate.) He keeps the kiss going as he rises up on his knees and nudges you on your back. He shoots his hands out under your body to catch you just in case (and so you can't leave).

"Wait….” You say and bury your hands in his hair to try to pry his mouth off of your neck, “Coryo, stop. I need a second."

He almost pouts but he relents and moves back to hover over you. Some of his curls dangle down and tickle your face but you just scrunch your nose up like a bunny at the feeling.

His brow furrows in confusion, "What is it, baby? Are you okay?"

You squirm under his body for a moment in embarrassment until you decide to just rip the band aid off. You run your hands up his torso and over his shoulders, curling them around the nape of his neck and giving him the little head scratches he likes. His eyes flutter shut as electricity shoots up his body.

"I'm uh...... I've never done this before, ever." He barely hears it with how quietly you whisper.

He can't help teasing you in response, "Baby, you can just say that you're a virgin if that's what you are."

He chuckles when you "playfully" smack him in the chest. Coryo makes sure you can watch his gaze soften as he brings a hand up to tuck some of your hair behind your ear. You've given him a gift, and Coriolanus Snow is nothing if not an avid appreciator or gifts. He leans down to rub the side of your nose with his, bringing his other hand down to press on your lower belly.

"Petal... I don't care that you're a virgin, we don't have to do anything today. I won't mind, don't worry."

He can see your brain working hard to make a decision, the cogs in your cute little head turning. You don't bite you lip for very long (which is a good thing because his dick was about to explode) before you're canting up to kiss him.

You've gotten a lot better at it overtime, and Coryo has adored every second of helping you get to that place. He's never been in love before so it's almost like you're teaching him new things too. He wonders if this is how his father felt, only having room in your heart for one person and closing it to everything else. He almost can't blame him, now that he's got you.

It was all going so well until he's wrestling your lace down your smooth legs, he's pressing tiny little pecks along your skin as your underwear travels. He doesn't quite take them off and just leaves them pooled around your ankles. The material stretches as he slides his hands up your inner thighs and spreads them.

You give him your best 'do NOT fucking rip my underwear' look but he just sends back an answering 'you know I'll buy you new ones.'

The puffy pussy that winks up at him makes him want to cry. Aphrodite could come down to earth right now and bend over right in front of him, but all he'd see is his future wife's glistening folds. He'd never really found a cunt cute before, but yours was bringing forward yet another wave of cuteness aggression. You have no hope of getting through to him once he's got his thumb hooked under your hood. He honest to God coos as he gently scrapes his thumb nail against your clit.

The giddy laugh that bubbles up when you involuntarily kick at him makes your cheeks heat up in what is unfortunately not embarrassment.

"Shit." He sniffles and wipes away an actual tear as he tilts his head to the side to get a different angle, "She's beautiful..."

It's the same tone he'll have when he says his vows.

Coryo then decides that he's tired of waiting so he tugs your panties off your ankles and uncaringly throws them somewhere on the floor. He smiles and lays down in between your legs, leaving some space in between your bodies so he could see where you two will be joined.

His curls hang in your face again as he leans down to nip at your nose, so you won't really notice when he shoves his pants down.

You can't hide how much you want to see all of him, he watches you glance down at his hard cock that slapped against his stomach as it flopped free. Despite Coryo obviously not having the biggest build in the world, the third leg he's been apparently carrying around all this time is more than enough for him (and for you). It's an angry sort of purplish red, thick and long like his fingers with a mushroom head that might as well have been calling your name.

"My eyes are up here, you know." He chides you as he gets your attention back on him by shaking his hefty cock in his balled fist, getting drops of salty pre cum on your pussy before sandwiching it between your folds.

He blissfully sighs and tosses his head back as if he were a king celebrity a long-awaited victory with a toe-curling fuck.

Essentially, he's like "fresh pussy just for me 👉👈🥺?” He's sat right at the dining table and ready to dive into his favorite three-course meal (your holes).

[floralcavern]

My biggest complaint with SBG

Red sucks at writing Taylor, Ben, and ESPECIALLY Logan.

Allow me to talk about the dynamics of each character:

Ash and Aiden: Aiden saw a lot of his past self in Ashlyn, which caused him to want to be close with her, since he doesn't want her to be alone like he was. Ash, who is her own person, gets frustrated with Aiden because he can't seem to understand that she is fine, but over time, they both begin to understand each other much more, the two's bond growing over time. We see that Aiden sees her more as an actual friend then a target for him to cling to, and Ashlyn begins to appreciate Aiden more for how much he cares.

Ash and Tyler: Tyler and Ash are both very stubborn people who get annoyed very easily. Tyler, being the more upfront of these two, finds it very frustrating how she's the leader and he's not. Ash, not being a people person, doesn't want the leader role, but understands she is the most suited to the role. Because of this, her and Tyler often argue, but as time goes on, the two reach an understanding of why the other is the way they are and coming to their own flaws in that process. This comes to fruition when they meet again in the hospital.

Aiden and Tyler: Of everyone in the group, they are the most different while also being the most similar. Because of this, they don't get along at all. But despite the teasing and aggression, they are friends, and they do care, as we see when Tyler is in the hospital.

OK, let's see the other three's dynamics with these guys...

Ash and Taylor: They are friends, and I would even say that Taylor was Ashlyn's first friend. But.. we don't have a clear idea on why they click so easily. Most we can guess is that Taylor is very patient and empathetic, allowing her to understand Ash easily.

Aiden and Taylor: Um... we have nothing. All we have to go off of is official art on Red's Instagram. In that, we see they do loads of bestie dumb shit, but.. we have nothing in the actual comic.

Tyler and Taylor: OK, this one is actually easy! After losing their dad, Tyler felt like he needed to provide for and protect his sister and his mom, leaving Taylor guilty, but also without a brother and with more of a weird father figure. But they both do everything they can for the other to be safe.

Ben and Ash: Um.. they get along. They're both very quiet, so they probably bond over that. We know Ash lets him braid her hair...

Ben and Aiden: The cousins ever. Aiden shows genuine care and protectiveness for Ben, and in turn, Ben is kind of Aiden's wrangler, keeping him out of trouble. They're each other's first friend, I would say.

Ben and Tyler: ... They play guitar with each other-? (As we see in official art on Red's Instagram)

Logan and Ash: When they first met, Ash compares him to a puppy, and she later says she likes dogs, so that's sweet. She also wanted to help him learn defense. Um, what else...? In some official art on Red's Instagram, we see them cuddling in a shopping cart.

Logan and Aiden: ...Um, Logan seem intimidated by him..

Logan and Tyler: Tyler was ready to beat up Barron when he saw him bullying Logan.. so he cares. (Notice how for all of Logan's, I never talked about how Logan views them.)

Now, how these three see each other...

Logan and Taylor: We see them hanging out in the background of the comic, so we know they're chill.

Taylor and Ben: Ben is mute and represses his emotions, and Taylor is an empath, allowing the two of them to have a close understanding and feeling of safety, as we see in that one scene in the comic.

Ben and Logan: Um.. They're both super quiet and awkward. When Ben saw Logan getting bullied, he was ready to throw hands... but, then again, Ben hates bullies and would do that for anyone... hm.

So.. ya. Only a few characters have very strong bonds with one another. Red definitely plays favorites, and I would say that Logan is probably her least favorite. All we really have is official art and our own headcanons. And it sucks! The fun of having these big friend groups in stories is to see all the fun and unique dynamics. Think MLP, ATLA, or Dungeon Meshi!!

[batwritings]

Hi Bat! Merry Christmas, if you celebrate! I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve seen you do group headcanons; can I get Keegan, Ghost, Gaz, Konig, Horangi, and Soap (if that’s too many, I completely understand! you can just pick a few.) on a mission alone with their lover, maybe infiltrating a facility of some sort, when their darling simply just pulls them aside declares they want to give them a quick handjob/blowjob, out of neediness. Maybe the reader’s just a little too into the thrill of them possibly getting caught, or maybe they just can’t wait until they get back. Thanks!!

-Hybrid

Okay but like...I'm fairly certain I would be said reader. >.> Not that I like thrills, I just have ZERO shame. /hj Also, Merry Christmas for those who celebrate, as well as a blessed Yule and a Happy Hanukkah and holidays! Enjoy!~

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keegan P. Russ Keegan normally took missions as a ghost VERY seriously. He knew communication was essential during these missions, especially when dealing with Rorke back on the loose. So when you pulled him into a nearby closet for a quick little thrill, he was quick to ask what the actual fuck you were doing. Unfortunately, Keegan is weak as hell for you, so the moment you get your hands on his member, his eyes roll back a bit. "Make it quick kid," he growls, switching the channel on his comms so the both of you aren't heard, even on accident. You're true to your word, making sure there's no evidence of your little stint. "Pull something like that again, and you'll regret it once we're home."

Simon "Ghost" Riley Simon Riley is a no nonsense man, even more so on missions. But even you could see how his anger was affecting him and the decisions he was making. As an intervention, you pulled him aside while the team was switching positions. "You need a quick destress," you tell him, getting on your knees and pulling his member out before he can protest. Any argument Simon tries to make is muted the moment you get his cock in your mouth. He's finished as quick as it started as you help him straighten his appearance. "Not a word of this later." He threatens, despite his soft brown eyes telling you that he was thankful.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick Gaz, albeit serious about his work, is much more impulsive than the rest of the task force. Which means he's a bit more amenable to following you when you pull him aside for a moment. He's genuinely confused until you get on your knees, which he gives you a smirk in response to. "Cheeky thing aren't you?" He groans when you get your hands and mouth on his cock. He's so tempted to ask you to leave the cum splattered on your lips and cheek but Gaz knows better. "Next time we should take care of that before we go yeah?"

Kim "Horangi" Hong-jin Horangi has become a lot more at ease with himself over the years, and in that knowledge comes learning when to give into urges. He's never been one to let his relations with you interfere with missions for KorTac, but even a man as strong as him had a weak spot. He'll contemplate if the quickie is worth it before inevitably following you off. "씨발," Horangi would curse, trying his best to cover his noises. He felt lowkey bad for slightly abandoning the mission in exchange for pleasure, but the smile on your face made it worth it. "There'll be more where that came from if you can be good and patient."

König The normally reserved König you knew in closed quarters was gone on missions. As a colonel, he had a bit of a reputation to uphold. And yet...here he was, getting pulled to the side by you for a quick blowjob. "Scheiße, quickly now schatz," he'd groan, head knocking against the metal wall behind him. You hit all the right spots, all the points that normally made him sob in pleasure, whining quietly as he comes across your face. "Good pet...now, let's rejoin the others. We'll talk about this later in my quarters."

Johnny "Soap" MacTavish Probably the riskieset of this group of people. Soap is the type of person who would do it while doing recon and still respond to comms calls. He wants to see how far the two of you could go without getting caught. "He's moving LT," The Scotsman would report to Ghost, immediately groaning when you lick over the head of his cock. Moments after he comes, he'd be on the move, helping you up as he messily puts himself away. "More later yeah?"

[hrtsvivis]

𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 ᯓ★

lee know x fem!reader

summary: Lee Know decides to teach YN one of the group’s dance routines. At first, YN feels nervous and self-conscious, worried about keeping up with such a skilled dancer. However, Lee Know’s patient and encouraging helps her a lot.

word count: 500 words

Lee Know stood in the middle of the practice room, his eyes focused on the mirror in front of him as he perfected a series of sharp, precise moves. The rhythmic sound of Stray Kids' latest track blared from the speakers. He wanted to be able to do the dance perfectly.

Y/N stood outside the door, then nervously opened it. She didn't want to disturb him because she knew how important and stressful all of this was for him. Hearing the door open, Lee Know immediately turns his gaze toward it, expecting one of the members. He smiled when he saw thar it was Y/n.

"Hey" you said walking slowly toward him. Lee Know softly replied hugging you, seeking some kind of peace. Suddenly, he had a brilliant idea - to teach his girlfriend the dance. This way they will spend some time together while doing something he loves very dearly.

" I have an idea. Do you want to teach the dance im working on. It will be nice, i promise. " Minho suggested. You thought about it for a second, but then agreed because you just can't say no to him. Dance was a big part of his life and you knew that.

"You ready?" your boyfriend asked, his tone light and encouraging.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she replied, her voice trembled slightly.

Lee Know noticed and stepped closer, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll do great. Just follow my lead, and remember to have fun." He started with a simple warm-up, guiding her through the basic steps. "So far, so good" you thought still feeling kinda nervous. You tried to follow every move he does, eyes fixed on him. Despite your best efforts, you were new to dancing so you stumbled a few times, the self-consciousness creeping in.

"Relax, YN. It's okay to make mistakes. That's how we learn," he said gently. He may not be so patient with his members sometimes, but with you, it was different. After a few minutes, you were to do it perfectly, and everything seemed fine and more relaxed. It wasn't that bad after all.

As they continued, Lee Know's patience and encouragement began to work their magic. Your nerves began to ease so you started to move more freely. After an hour of practice and hard work you finally danced through the routine together flawlessly.

"You did it!" Lee Know exclaimed, pulling you into a hug. "See, I knew you could."

You smiled happily and thanked him. "I couldn't have done it without you," you admitted. "Thank you for being so patient and encouraging."

Moments like these seemed to make up for all the time you are separated due to his busy schedule and concerts.

"We can show it to the others tomorrow. Im sure they would be very impressed" Lee Know said. As you two left the practice room hand in hand, you released that you could face any challenge as long as you have him next to you.

note: second oneshot i post yay. Im so happy to write and post here. Hope you enjoy it and sorry for any mistakes. Leave requests if you have any.

© hrtsvivis — do not steal, edit, or repost my works.

[herejusttosufferalong]

Re: To the anon asking about Rory.

They’ve been close friends for AGES. He’s not going anywhere sadly.

I don’t really like his vibe

Hey, I’m the one who asked about Rory—thanks for replying. I know they’ve been besties forever, but what I meant was if Rory was a huge part of L’s life before HBS. I don’t remember seeing him much when L and J were together, except in a couple of stories and the singing vids. Also, are Tom and Charmaine married? I like them for some reason; they don’t give me the ick like Rory and his gang do.

Continuation of my earlier ask:

My BFF and I talked to two of our male friends, and they patiently listened. We just finished filling them in on the drama from yesterday and today. We’ve been chatting since 5 am lol. Here’s what they had to say:

Luke and Nic are in love: There’s a lot of eye-fucking to prove it. The tension suggests they haven’t acted on it, which is expected. The guys think Nic wouldn’t be okay with that, and Luke seems decent enough not to have crossed that line. However, they do believe they might have hooked up before Luke had his HBS. They could be reevaluating their relationship, using intimacy tools to see if it’s genuine affection or just heightened emotions and sexual tension from filming their season.

Luke’s friend group seems toxic: By friend group, they mean just Rory. The others seem fine. L dating a young girl soon after Rory did confirms Rory as the alpha of the group, and L as gullible since none of his other friends are doing the same. Maybe J dating someone young also influenced L dating A. It could be an ego thing, a guy thing, or both. L will probably cringe at this situation looking back. They said this whole relationship has nothing to do with Nic. This is Luke’s problem—a midlife crisis, even—and he needs to figure it out, which won’t happen as long as he’s with Rory and his gang.

A is super insecure: It doesn’t make sense because she’s the one who bagged the hot Netflix lead and goes on vacations with him. But her social media behavior reeks of insecurity and constantly seeking validation. This confirms that L isn’t invested in the relationship, which confirms to us he’s VERY much into Nic. So, think about this whenever A’s trolling upsets you. 😉

Nicola doesn’t care: The guys think L and N might have discussed their feelings, but Nic sees that L has issues to deal with—mainly himself. She’s hustling and thriving, not caring about his current relationship. Posting their pictures shows her character and work ethic. This only benefits her, and Luke should learn from it. They think L should make a final thank you post, even if people find it disingenuous. It’s better than nothing.

A needs to chill with the Hailey Bieber cosplay: The white outfit was an exact recreation of Hailey’s, and it’s weird. She keeps track of her comment section and allows comparisons to Hailey, which is embarrassing to say the least. The guys think A will stick around as long as she can. L seems to struggle with breakups, and now that A’s integrated into his friend group, it’ll take a lot of time to end things. She might be playing into his guilt, which is why he’s still liking her posts. She's young but smart enough to understand that. They think the only way out is for L to keep busy with work, but he doesn’t seem to have any now. Expect things to get worse before they get better. If he works, he can slowly distance himself from the relationship, and it will inevitably end. Either that or he’ll meet Nic, talk, realize they still have feelings, and that will give him the courage to end it with A. Even then, he has to make it up to Nic for all the shit he’s pulled.

Nic and Newts dating: Once they start dating, we won’t get a hard launch or pap pics. They might return to their old social media banter and comment and like each other’s posts.

So yeah, I’m really grateful to have my brother and these friends who indulge and listen to me. I think it’s safe to say they’re roped into the ship as well lol. Love to see what you guys think. Omg, also, I watched a TikTok of Luke singing as a teen, and the guy in the back looks like Rory. If it is, HE’S the one who glowed up, not L lol.

It is Rory in the background looking jealous AF

Thank you for sharing anon, love seeing the different perspectives

💜🥃

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

ID: A thread of tweets by PinkRangerLB, a trans lawyer, that say the following.

"We in the LGBTQ+ community must understand that our dead were real people. Vital, awake, worlds unto themselves, like us. They didn’t live and die for the sake of our learning, but they have a lot to teach.

I want to tell you about Hart Island and hope in the darkness. /1

When I say they were real people I mean I do not believe they are necessary sacrifices, or that our dead paid a cost for us. They loved, they feared, they had favorite TV shows and candy bars. They were here and it will never ever ever be okay that they’re gone. /2

They’re not symbols or metaphors. They had books to write, vacations to take, meals to cook, and the world would be better with them still in it. We aren’t enriched by death, but we can stand in their shoes and see the future. /3

Hart Island, if you don’t know, is where New York City buries bodies that aren’t claimed by a licensed funeral director. At the height of the AIDS epidemic funeral homes were urged not to embalm AIDS fatalities. /4

In New York, as elsewhere, stigma toward the queer community was at a level that even now it can be difficult to remember. Many queer people who died of AIDS had been disowned by their birth family because of their identity, their HIV status, or both. /5

To make matters worse, their partners and found families had no rights to their medical care or their bodies after they passed. The hateful families that could claim them often didn’t, and the families that loved them were powerless to see to their wishes. /6

You can read more about all this at the memorial’s website, here:

hartisland.net/aids_initiative

/7

You can feel their weight, can’t you? The absence is heavy. And it’s important we understand that weight, because it’s a flat fact that current attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, trans rights especially, will kill people. There will be more absence, and it is not okay. /8

And when we say we have hope we are not saying it’s okay that they will be gone.

None of this ignores intersectionalism, higher rates of infection in targeted communities, death rates higher still. When I say things *can* get better I am not ignoring that improvement favors /9

the privileged.

Things got better. ACT UP and other activist groups organized and gained ground through community building, mutual aid, and grassroots action. Culturally, the tide began to turn. Federal action by Reagan and then Clinton contributed very little /10

(and in fact often caused harm). Direct action by activists galvanized AIDS research and the tide turned with very little government help.

In New York City, the death rate for HIV/AIDS patients fell by 62% from 2001 to 2012. So here’s what I’m saying. We’ve been seeing /11

an escalating backlash against LGBTQ people for years now. It gets very easy for us to come to expect the worst case scenario. Trump won, states are attacking trans kids, Roe was overturned. So now we say WHEN the Supreme Court overturns gay marriage, WHEN a national /12"

abortion ban passes, WHEN trans healthcare for adults gets criminalized.

And don’t get me wrong, those are all very real threats. We have to fight like hell. I am not pretending that times aren’t dark, that people won’t die, or that it will ever be okay that our people will /13

suffer and die. But things can, and do, get better when we fight, when we look after each other. The tide will not inevitably turn, but *we* can turn it. We can say that when the wall finally fell, our hands were there, pulling it down brick by brick. /14

And those we lost, if we remember them, honor them, we are their hands too. /15"

[corriganatheart]

His Maddest Desire Pt. II (He LOVES her, but she HATES him) Jude Bellingham x reader

Synopsis: She was the opposite of what he needed; the shadow that no one noticed but him. Since the beginning, Jude had always liked Y/N, and his feelings grew every time he saw her. His reputation as a womanizer only makes her question his intention and pushes him away, but that never stops him from chasing after what he wants.

Pairings: Jude Bellingham x fem! Reader

Genre: Forbidden romance x Enemies to Lovers x One-sided love x Dark Romance

Warnings ⚠️: Cursing, and mentions of sexual contents🔞

“That’s too short. Go change,” your brother immediately says as you step into his car. You look down at your skirt and realize it is much shorter than before, meaning you’ve either gained weight or your new shoes made you taller. “I can’t; this is my uniform,” you said. Rowan looks down at your legs and then your uniform jacket. “What is the point of making y’all wear jackets if your legs aren’t covered?”

You shake your head, “don’t ask me. Ask your parents,” Rowan rolls his eyes and puts on his seatbelt before leaving the gate. He was overprotective and a bit of a drama queen.

“You know, I remember the uniform being longer when I was still in high school,” he said, still not satisfied with the length of the skirt, despite you trying to pull it down a little. “It’s very dangerous for high schoolers to wear that.” You rolled your eyes, “Oh please; the security at our school is so strict even boys are scared to say hi to us.” Rowan laughs, “Well, they didn’t catch me when I was in the closets.” You groan and make a barfed face. “Too much information, bro!”

You sighed as your history teacher explained information you wouldn’t use in the future. High school was irrelevant; the whole school system was outside because people were getting all these degrees to learn more on the job. It makes no sense that people are required to get thousands of degrees to have to teach themselves or be trained once they get hired.

“Pssssh, Y/N,” your classmate behind you whispers. You ignore him and continue to look out of the window. If your parents didn’t run the school, maybe you’ll be more interested, but knowing that the teachers are too scared to give you a bad grade makes school irrelevant. “Are you going to invite us to your sister’s birthday?” He asked. You rolled your eyes and lay your head on the table; this was your life, a spoiled rich kid.

“Hey Y/N can we get tickets to BVB game?”

“Hey Y/N! How is Rowan?”

“Hit me up with your sister’s bday!”

You walk down the hallway with a book in your hand as you try to tune out the people around you. They all had a mission, and that was to attend your sister’s birthday. She had always been popular, especially with the male audience, and there was no way she would want a whole bunch of hormonal teenagers at their party. And besides, she barely noticed you, so there was no point in inviting someone.

“Isn’t she embarrassed to be wearing her skirt so short?”

“Her sister is way prettier than her”

“I heard she has been passed around by every football player”

“Ew, I hope she gets run over by a car”

You hear a group of girls laughing behind you as you quickly escape from the crowded hallway. You commonly hear people talking trash, mainly because you get a lot of attention. The girls in school barely liked you, let alone want to befriend you. If they did, it was because they wished for your brother or wanted to get close to your sister. There has never been someone that wanted to be your friend genuinely.

You slow down your pace when you finally reach the school gate. Patiently waiting for your brother, you look down at your shoes. They were platform heels that made you look taller and slimmer. Your mother started making you wear those in middle school when she realized you wouldn’t go past 5’6.

“Omg he’s so hot!

“Ahhhhhh!!!!”

“Omg it’s Jude Bellingham!”

Your heart immediately stops, and you look up from your shoes. Standing before you was Jude Bellingham in a black turtle neck and jeans. He looked lovely, leaning against his Jaguar car and staring at you intensely.

He smirked cockily when he saw your mouth gasp. The last thing you expected was for him to show up out of nowhere, let alone your school. “What are you doing here?” You asked while glancing at the crowd that started to gather. Jude shrugged, “Rowan got holdup.” You grit your teeth, wanting to strangle your brother immediately. He knew this would be on the news, and people would speculate about your relationship with Jude. Some obsessive fans would even go as far as tracking you down. “He couldn’t have set a driver?” You spat. Jude looks at you from head to toe, and he stops at your legs. “No,” he says. You sighed and decided it was best to get in the car before everyone started to go crazy.

Jude looked happy yet content as he drove. You see him constantly glancing at your thighs before he awkwardly shifts in his seat. He seemed uncomfortable, but If anything, you should be the one feeling uncomfortable, because this was your first time in a boy’s car.

“Isn’t that skirt a little too short?” He suddenly asked. You narrow your eyes and lay your backpack on your thighs. “Ok, Rowan, number 2. I have no control over the school’s uniform.”

Jude glared at you and gripped the steering wheel. “The boys could see up your ass if they tilt their head.” Why was he getting upset over the school’s dress code? If anything, he can go to his precious mother-in-law and complain to her instead of me. “Aren’t you being a bit dramatic?” You asked. Jude looked at you and shook his head, “no one wants to see their girl getting hit on by guys.”

His girl. That is what he sees and refers to you whenever you guys are alone. And you knew he would do that in public if you allowed him.

“I am no one’s. I have told you before Jude. WE DON'T FIT.”

You see his knuckles turn pale as he grips on his steering wheel. And instead of turning towards your street, he decided to turn the opposite. “What are you doing?” You asked, panicking as you looked back at your road. “I want to take you somewhere,” he says. Your heart starts to race. If he was to get caught with you, your brother and family would go nuts, and god knows what your sister would do. “Have you ever thought how bad it would look for you to be seen with me?” You asked angrily. Jude shrugs, “I like being seen with you.”

You groaned; it was so hard to argue with this boy. “Your career, your life, your relationships are at risk. I am not the biological daughter of the L/N family!” Jude frowned and just stared ahead angrily. He doesn’t respond nor care to listen to your pleading. The last thing you needed was for your parents to ground you or send you away. You have less than a month till graduation, and you’ll be going off to a university; you didn’t need Jude’s shit. “Jude, we can’t keep going like this,” you mumbled. “I hate you, and you hate-“

“Will you look at the view,” he interrupts you.

You look ahead to see that he is parked close to a cliff, and the city view and the sunset are right before you. It was beautiful, and this was the first time you’d seen the city outside your brother’s and your parent’s car. “You see the view?” He asked. You look at him, and he smiles, “It could be ours if you just say yes.”

You gulped and looked away, scared to face him because you might have the temptation. “I know you want this to Y/N,” he said as he carefully took your hand. “You’ve nothing to worry about. I want this more than you think, and you want this more than you believe.” Your heart starts to race as he slowly caresses your face gently. “No one understands how this feels, and no one needs to. It’s just you and me, baby.” You hold the hand caressing your face, and he brings your forehead together. “I will do anything for you. I would hurt the world for you. I have loved-“

Jude pauses when you immediately cringe at the sound of your phone ringing. The ringtone was explicitly set for your brother, and your heart beats rapidly causing you to return to reality. “Hello, Rowan,” you answered, and Jude rolled his eyes. “No, we are coming,” you said and signaled Jude to start driving, which he frustratedly did. “No, I’m not doing anything weird; what do you take me as?” You asked. You hear the suspension in Rowan’s voice as he questions why the ride takes thousands of hours. “Whatever, your, not his type anyway,” your brother said casually before he hangs up. You look at Jude, who seems incredibly frustrated at the situation. You don’t know how long it’ll take him to realize that this was for the best, but a sickening part of you hopes that he never does.

It has been days, weeks, and almost a month since you have seen Jude. And yes you were counting because although you try not to be aware of him, every day you longed for him. You were terrible for him as he was bad for your heart, but still, the heart wants what it wants.

“The theme is Bridgerton,” your mother says as she passes your sister a photo. Your sister nods before she reviews the party scene. “You will be dressed as the Diamond of the season,” your mother said. You looked up from your book and stared at the color scheme. It was a bit dull for your sister’s taste, and she really didn’t want the theme to be historical.

“Rowan suggested Jude be your escort,” your mother exclaimed as she smile at the pictures on the table. Anastasia sighed and looked over the many pictures laid on the table. “But I wanted Marcus to be my escort,” she said.

You examine the way your sister nervously fidget with the pictures as she tries not to blow up. Although you never bonded with Anastasia, you knew she was going through something similar to what you were going through. She was Ms. Perfect, and she didn’t want to disappoint anyone, especially her parents. “No. You’re the season's diamond; you must be with someone in your league. Marcus is nowhere near that,” your mother harshly said.

You bite your lower lips, trying to hold back from inserting yourself into the conversation. “Mother, I think Jude would like to bring his own date,” Anastasia says. Your mother folds her arms and stares at your sister disappointedly. “Don’t tell me you have feelings for that Marcus Rashford!”

“Mother, please,” you begged as you stared at your sister’s frightening form. “Y/N, stay out of this!” Your mother warns.

You immediately shut down and stood up before walking out of the room. It was no use trying to argue with the lady of the house. If she had her mind set on Anastasia being with Jude, then that’s what she’ll get.

“That sounded fun,” Rowan pops out of his office and smirks. You roll your eyes at him and continue to walk down the hall as he follows. “Where are you going, little sis?” Rowan asked while trying to grab ahold of your arm. “None of your business, brother,” you said sternly and turned to the library. Rowan follows you into your family’s library and whistles at the numerous books on the table and floor. “You got a shit load of time,” he mumbled as he scanned the books you’ve read.

You ignored his comment and sat near the window with your current read. It was awfully quiet today due to the absence of your father and his workers. Rowan also stayed home more often than usual, and lately, he has been nosy about your life. “What do you think?” Rowan asked. You look up from your page to see him grab a couple of romance novels. “What about them?” You asked, annoyed that he was still here. “Do you prefer a one-sided crush or someone being obsessed with you?” He asked. You frown and look outside at the garden where you always watched Jude play. “I rather keep my feelings inside,” you said. “Less hurts.”

Your brother hums, and you shake yourself out of the image of Jude. He has been filling your mind since that day he dropped you off, and you wanted nothing but to see him. “Jude is taking mom’s request of having Anastasia’s hand,” Rowan says as he flips through pages. Your brain immediately stops, and your heart starts speeding like it was trying to catch its last breath. You knew this day would come, but you weren’t expecting this reaction. It was hard to think about it, and now it was happening.

Rowan also knew something was up, or else he wouldn’t have asked. Although he was an asshole, your brother was smart enough to know the dynamic between his best friend and his little sister. “And how do you feel about that?” You asked. Your brother drops the book on the table and smirks, “I like it.”

You stare at yourself in the mirror; amazed by how delicate, and elegant you looked.

Your mother picked out a beige dress for you and have you style your hair in an updo with flower decoration. She was pleased with the way you looked when she walked out of your bedroom, and you knew she had something up her sleeve, something that you’ll hate.

“We’ll don’t you look dashing little Y/N,” your brother says as he leans against your bedroom door with a glass of champagne in his hands. You rolled your eyes and look at him through the mirror, “I can assure you, it’s all thanks to mother.”

Rowan smirks and starts walking towards you, causing the hair dresser, stylist, and the other staff to giggle and whisper about how good he looks. Rowan stops a couple of inches behind you, and caress your shoulders, “tonight, you’ll be my date,” he whispers in your ear. A cold shiver immediately runs down your spine as you stare into his eyes. It looked dark, cold, and almost sinister. “Your mother would not like that Rowan,” you said sternly. He chuckles deeply, “I am mother’s dearest, she’ll like anything I like.”

You hid behind the concrete pole again as you peeked at your family, greeting the guest. Your mother looked incredibly gorgeous with her green dress and her brunette hair, which was also styled in a curled updo. Your father, who you haven’t seen in months, looked like he hadn’t aged a bit. His black locks were slick back, and his black suit fitted him perfectly. He looked intimidating, like he was ready to harm anyone who didn’t belong in this room.

Your eyes continue to scan the room, looking for a certain someone, but he is nowhere to be found. But you did spot Trent, Kylian, and Rowan, who were unapologetically checking out girls and gossiping in their circle.

“We have to stop bumping into each other like this, L/N,” a soft, husky voice said. You immediately recognize the voice and turn around to see Marcus Rashford. He was wearing a navy blue suit and looked incredibly handsome. Your heart softened, feeling relief that it was him and not someone else. “Indeed, we need to stop,” you chuckled. He smiles and glares over at the direction you were looking at, “I see your brother is still popular amongst footballers,” he says. You nod your head, “yes, he seems to attract them often.” Marcus chuckles and then looks over at your mom, who obviously did not like the woman she was talking to. “Your mother request that I don’t show up,” he mumbles, “but Anastasia would be pissed.” You glanced at the way he looked when he mentions your sister. It was a bit of sadness and loneliness and you aren’t sure what to think of his feelings towards her. “I think she would appreciate a dance with you,” you said. Marcus doesn’t respond but instead smiles down at you, like he was avoiding the subject. “I was going to ask you to save me the first dance,” he said and reaches for your hand. “If you would allow me.” You smile softly, appreciating his gentle touch, “of course Marcus.” He smiles and kisses your palm, before excusing himself.

Everyone was anticipating for your sister’s arrival as you go from one dessert plate to another. Although you really didn’t want to be here, at least you’ll get to eat food that made up for your lack of nutrition.

“What a surprise; I rarely get to see you anymore.”

You froze at the sound of the voice, and turned to see Jobe Bellingham smirking down at you with a plate full of desserts.

“Hey princess,” he says cheekily.

You smile, surprised by his presence, which is very rare.

Jobe became friends with you after his brother introduced the two of you. He also went to your school, but about a year ago, he got signed and had to switch to online schooling.

The two of you get along just fine; mainly because there was only a year age difference and because he stood up for you at school.

“Jobe, what the heck!” You exclaimed and immediately put your plate down and basically lunge yourself at him. “I miss you too Y/N,” he says and pulls you into a very tight hug.

At the corner of your eyes, you can see your brother and his friends whispering and glaring at the two of you. A couple of feet where their standing, Marcus was talking to people while also staring your way. “Your brother’s staring isn’t he?” Jobe whispered in your ears. You giggle and nodded your head, causing him let out a chuckle.

The two of you then broke the hug and stepped away from the dessert and the crowd.

"So, how is life treating you?" he asked while guiding you down the hallway where the two of you used to chase one another. "Same old same old," you shrugged. Jobe smiles and awkwardly scratches the back of his neck, "what about my brother?" he asks. You tensed up, looked down at the floor, and then glanced at the wallpaper. "He's going to be my sister's fiance," you mumbled. Jobe chuckles and shakes his head, "You know, I always wondered why you never give him a chance," he says, "but after growing up and experiencing fame, I can only imagine how challenging it must be."

You smile and stop in the middle of the hallway. You turned to Jobe, who was already smiling down at you. "I'm so happy you are back," you said, brushing your palm against his cheek. Jobe grins cheekily, and you realize how much of a difference his height was, compared to yours. He was no longer the middle schooler from years ago. "For now," he winks. You laughed, flushing from the warm and familiar feeling of childhood happiness. "I hate your stupid ass," you said and playfully hit his chest. "Nah, you love me," he shrugged.

Smiling, you were about to make a cheesy comment until the both of you heard someone clearing their throat. You turned to your right to see your sister wearing the most beautiful pink gown you have ever seen. She looked beautiful in her curled updo and light makeup. She was the definition of beauty and brain and the most elegant face the world had ever seen. "What are you two laughing about?" she asked curiously, looking between you and Jobe. "Just catching up," Jobe responded. Your sister looks at you sternly and then smiles at Jobe.

As she converses with Jobe, your eyes stare at the arms she is holding. Without even looking, you already knew who it was. You can feel his eyes on you already, examining, judging, and questioning your motives. Your heart races as you go from his arms to his eyes. The moment your eyes meet his black ones, your heart skips, jumps, aches, and all the emotions held inside explode.

It has been so long since you last saw him that you wanted to take him in. And you aren't the only one affected by this because Jude was doing the same thing. He was taking you in from head to toe, ensuring he got all the details. Although he was still, his eyes were moving everywhere, from your dress to your hair, to your exposed neck, then your lips, then your eyes, and then your lips again. He roamed everywhere, forgetting that his date was the most beautiful woman alive.

"Are you two partners?" your sister asked while eyeing you. Jude immediately looks at his brother, whose eyes widened like he was guilty. "Nope! I got my own date!"

You rolled your eyes at Jobe's cowardness and returned to your sister's judging eyes. "We were just catching up," you shrugged. And immediately, you saw satisfaction in her eyes before she tightened her hold on Jude's arms. "Well, the guest is expecting me, so we all should go back to the ballroom and do the first dance," your sister smiled. Jude looks down at her and smiles; he then brushes the strand of her on her face and tucks it behind her ears. You knew he only did that to cause a reaction out of you, but you weren't going to show any signs of jealousy. "Of course, I am looking forward to our first dance," he says.

You glance away from the scene, feeling two pairs of eyes on you. Jude can get into your brain and heart, but he doesn't know. He thinks you are playing hard to get and that you might actually hate him. But if only he knew how much he affected you and how he means to you. But he can never know because the two of you just don't fit. "I heard our brother volunteered to be your date sister," Anastasia said. Jude stares down at you and then glances over at his brother, who is quite entertained by the scene. "Actually, yes, Rowan is my date, but as you can see, he is nowhere to be found," you said frustratedly. Anastasia chuckles and lays her head on Jude's arm, "Well, I guess you just have to watch us dance."

Jude smirks down at her, and your heart drops from how he looks at her; it is almost like he enjoys her presence. "Y/N, maybe we should just go," Jobe steps in and grabs your elbow. "I apologize, Mr. Bellingham, but I believe Ms. L/N promised me her first dance."

Your sister's eyes widened after realizing who just spoked. Jude's jaw tenses as he stares at the person. You turned around to see Marcus walking towards you, not looking at anyone else but you. "I was looking for you," he smiles and holds out his elbow. You immediately elope your hands around his arms and smile, internally thanking him for saving the day. "Sorry, Jobe, but I asked her first," Marcus says. Jobe grins, enjoying the upcoming drama that was about to take place. "Nope, she's all yours," he said cheekily.

Without another word or glance, Marcus Rashford guided you back to the ballroom while two angry pairs of eyes were staring at your back.

@meadowpond @btamms @laylaynaynay130 @lanussysworld @o0sportbike0o @gimmefood @yongboksfreckles @lalunaenamoradasworld @xjval @berriesarenice @soup1752862 @forjudebellingham @chacomieiteecafe @fayypooh1 @urmotheris

@footballbroadcast @aryy-23 @noodle81937 @lestappenbaee @tzuyuzzs @his-girlllll

[izzyspussy]

So, if the dog motif is made into a more blatant metaphor, and we say Izzy is a dog bred for one thing, then trained for blood sport, then his owner suddenly quits dogfighting after becoming enamored with a newbie livestock rescue ranch owner and expects Izzy to immediately take to herding just because he tossed him in the enclosure with the sheep, and then the ranch owner gets cold feet and goes back to his high powered city businesswoman leaving the ranch and the sheep and Izzy's owner behind, and Izzy finally Gets herding and starts doing the job but only after the owner who had wanted him to in the first place has become the wolf/poacher/cliffdrop Izzy needs to protect his sheep from...

More info on these breed groups to help you pick which you think fits Izzy's personality best:

Herders* are easily distracted from tasks that aren't challenging enough but incredibly focused on activities that fit their instincts, attentive, energetic, sociable, eager to please, use barks and nips to make the animals in their charge move where they want (the inventors of "all bark no bite" - unless of course you are a predator in which case say goodbye to your carotid artery), and will do their jobs effectively with or without supervision. If you do not give them animals to herd, they will herd you. *I'm including livestock guardians here, as you might have sussed from the description, even though it's not their official classification. Personally, I think the instincts and (non-combat) temperaments are similar enough, and lots of breeds from both classes are often used for the other type of work or both. Listen, you're already humoring me, so just go with this too, okay? <3

Sporting dogs are not typically that sociable with other animals, have a very good memory, are devoted, loyal, eager to please, curious/adventurous, and resilient. They are highly trainable and can learn basically any trick or call, but will be anxious, distracted, and uncontrollable without clear and consistent direction.

Scent hounds, like the examples I listed, have exceptional stamina, endurance, and agility, are persistent, tenacious, and often will not quit even when told to until the job is done to their own satisfaction or they can't do it anymore. They are naturally gentle and patient, but can get loud and mean if they don't get enough alone time or breed appropriate work to do. They are also known for their pretty voices.

Working dogs are the type of smart and stubborn that makes them opinionated about the rules and commands they're given, to the point that they might choose to purposefully disobey, or even engage in malicious compliance. They are highly trainable and devoted, but they really make you earn their obedience and loyalty. If you are not at least as smart, competent, and confident as they are, you can't handle them - and they are not afraid to prove it.

Terriers are also smart and stubborn and will make you earn good behavior. They need consistency and are very territorial, very energetic, and equally persistent and unwilling to quit as hounds. They don't have a lot of patience and are emotionally/mentally sensitive, easy to frustrate or upset.

Companions are also territorial, intensely loyal, need a lot of attention and are likely to get jealous of other pets, babies, and new friends/partners. They don't have a lot of self-awareness, especially regarding their size (i.e. very large breeds that think they are lap dogs & very small breeds that will try to start something with much bigger animals). Maybe that last bit is more applicable to Con than Izzy lmao.