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manonssunset · 4 months ago

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"UNWRAP ME"

pairing: huh yunjin x fem!reader

synopsys: yunjin mentioned she has a special christmas surprise waiting for you. when you arrived at home, you were surprised to find out that the special gift was her, seated beneath the christmas tree, ready for you to "unwrap" her.

warnings/tags: language, smut, nsfw content under the cut, established relationship, service top!reader, yunjin is the one giving commands, lingerie, dry humping (thigh riding)

wc: +3,4k

a/n: happy new year, guys! this is my special (super late) gift for you all, also first time posting something like this on the blog. I hope you find it hot, lol. this took me longer than expected, but I’m satisfied with the way it turned out. I reduced the smut part substantially because, honestly, you would have had to wait another 10 days to read it, bye 💀. but I still wrote almost 600 words of just them kissing, so there's that.

working through christmas was always quiet and a bit annoying, with clients constantly bragging about their exotic holiday plans or the luxurious gifts they were preparing to buy. but the truth was, you had no reason to feel envious. after all, you had the most priceless gift of all: yunjin, the kind of girl most could only wish for.

the sharp ding of your phone’s notification pulled you out of your thoughts. it was a sudden interruption, cutting through the steady rhythm of clicking fingers on keyboards, sounds that were all too familiar in the office. you glanced at the screen, expecting to see an email or maybe a quick reminder from a colleague. instead, your gaze fell on a message from your girlfriend. she often checked in on you while you worked, and you always found it endearing.

this time, however, the message wasn’t the usual question about how work was going or a casual mention of what she was making for dinner. no, this one felt entirely different.

[jen💋] your special gift is waiting for you under the tree, please get home as soon as you can ;)

(05:46 p.m.)

[you] 10 minutes and I'm out

(05:48 p.m.)

the message felt playful, almost teasing, and you were thrilled at the thought of what awaited you at home. she had mentioned before that she had something special prepared just for you, a gift that, in her words, you were going to absolutely love, said in that sensual tone of hers that always left your head spinning. to say you were eager to find out what she meant was an understatement.

-♧-

your hand trembled slightly as you gripped the keys to your shared apartment, anticipation rising with every turn of the metal. when the door finally clicked open, the soothing scent of vanilla and wood greeted you, wrapping around you like a warm embrace. as you stepped inside, you were immediately struck by an unexpected darkness in the room, the only light coming from the flickering glow of candles scattered around the space.

the silence was unnerving, an absence that made you pause. the only sound was the occasional crackle of the candles, yet it felt like something, or someone, was missing. yunjin’s presence, which you had so eagerly anticipated, wasn’t there to greet you as you had expected. she had promised to show you the long-awaited gift she’d been teasing you about all week, and yet, there was no sign of her.

your gaze instinctively shifted to the bottom of the christmas tree, and for a moment, you froze. your heart skipped a beat, and it took a second for your mind to catch up with what your eyes were seeing. she was there, wearing a black silk robe, held together with a red rope tied into a bow, like some kind of living present waiting just for you. the light from the candles reflected off the fabric, giving her an almost ethereal glow. she lay on the carpet, looking up at you with an inviting, seductive gaze.

your breath caught up in your throat, and for a brief second, you weren't sure if you should move closer or stay rooted in place. you gulped as you stood still, speechless, completely captivated by the sight before you. “you're finally home, I've been waiting for you” you felt your knees weaken at the tone of her voice, filled with control and sensuality. you couldn’t form a response, too overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment to be able to articulate anything.

she rose with grace, and, as she closed the distance between you two, each of her steps were accompanied by heels tapping against the floor. It was as though a muse was walking towards you, her hips swaying from side to side with an elegant, almost hypnotic confidence. your heartbeat quickened as she got closer, and instinctively, you started taking steps back, your senses heightened, your mind a mix of conflicting emotions. part of you wanted to ask what was happening, but another part was curious to see where this moment would lead.

the back of your legs collided with the couch, and you suddenly felt cornered, with nowhere to go, no escape from her approaching presence. a sly smirk tugged at her lips as she closed the distance, gently pushing you to sit down. the coldness of the cushions on your skin contrasted sharply with the warmth spreading inside you. your gazes locked, and in that instant, the desire in her eyes was so intense it felt almost magnetic, drawing you in, making you want to lose yourself in her and everything she embodied.

she positioned herself comfortably on your lap, her movements slow, milky legs peeking out from beneath the robe. it was then that you noticed the meticulous attention she had paid to her makeup, each detail enhancing her beauty. she had even chosen your favorite perfume, a sweet vanilla scent that perfectly complemented the fragrance of the candles. it was clear now that she had carefully orchestrated this moment, aiming to give you a show that you were bound to enjoy.

the sudden closeness caused heat to flood your face. the slight pressure of her body pressed against yours sent your mind into overdrive. you could feel every subtle shift of her weight, making it hard to focus on anything else that wasn’t her. your hand instinctively went to her thighs, gently massaging the soft skin that radiated warmth under your fingertips. she gently traced her fingers up your arms, the light touch sending a wave of goosebumps across your skin, before placing them on top of your shoulders.

you stilled as her face inched closer, her lips just centimetres from your ear. in this proximity, the intoxicating scent of her perfume magnified tenfold, its sweetness filling your senses and clouding your thoughts. her breath was warm against your skin as she whispered “unwrap me”, her voice drenched in the same seductive tone that never failed to unsettle and allure you in. she noticed the subtle tension in your body after her words, the air thickened, growing more charged than before. your hands slowly made their way to the ribbon, fingertips grazing the soft fabric, before you finally gripped its ends.

you trembled as you undid the knot, the cool, soft fabric of the ribbon slipping smoothly beneath your fingers. the knot was simple but each movement felt agonizingly slow, as though time itself was stretching, drawn out by the weight of her gaze. her eyes, full of expectation, never left you, and the intensity of her look made your breath catch in your throat.

you held your breath as the ribbon finally loosened, your heartbeat thudding loudly in your ears. all the anticipation that had built from the moment she’d sent that text was unraveling now, piece by piece, and you couldn’t help but feel the tension hang in the air.

your eyes followed the path of her robe as it fell open, slipping off her shoulder to reveal what she had kept hidden until now. you couldn't help it when a gasp escaped your lips as you finally took in the sight before you: yunjin, all dolled up for you, wearing nothing more than a red lace set of lingerie. it accentuated her curves in a way that left your jaw slightly open, yet her elegance remained unmistakable. her set was far from tacky or overly explicit, it clung to her body with a sensuality that balanced provocativeness and sophistication. it revealed just enough, embracing her shape while maintaining a sense of grace and modesty.

the warm, golden hues of the room bathed her exposed skin, creating a soft, radiant glow. she resembled a living version of venus, as if she had stepped out of a renaissance painting, one that belonged in a museum. arousal swept through you as a tingling sensation began to rise. the tightness that had formed in your stomach spread lower, a pulsing ache that clouded your mind with lust. it was clear that the feeling was mutual. the intensity of her gaze and the way her eyes locked with yours was a telltale sign that she was consumed too by the same need. her restless shifting, searching for the friction she desperately craved, also spoke volume.

she broke the silence with a question, her voice quieter, tinged with an unexpected hint of uncertainty. “do you like it?” despite your obvious reaction, she still sought confirmation, her usual confidence momentarily slipping. “jen, I don't think you understand how much I love it,” you said, almost baffled by her question. it wasn’t just about the lingerie, although it was stunning, it was everything she had done for this moment, all the care and effort she had put into it, just for you. and above all, it was her, the most important person for you. “thank you, baby,” she replied, her seductive tone returning as she cupped your face with both hands and leaned closer. “now, let’s get to the good part.”

her lips crashed against yours with urgency, the relentlessness evident in the way she yanked you closer, her fingers gripping the back of your head, anchoring themselves in your hair. the contact was frantic, as if she couldn't get enough of you. she tilted her head slightly to the side, deepening the kiss as you let your hands roam her body freely, your fingers caressing her skin before resting on her waist. there was a raw desperation in the way she kissed you, as if she was trying to devour you; her longing for you was unmistakable, like she could no longer keep it contained.

the way her lips moved with yours was soothing, the warmth of her skin sinking deep into you, making everything else fade away. your bodies were so close, it was almost as if you were breathing each other in, each subtle movement heightening the feeling of intimacy. the kiss was the physical manifestation of the desire you had both been hiding, the need to feel every part of each other becoming almost overwhelming. it wasn't anymore just about meeting lips, it was about being intertwined, your bodies pressing against each other in perfect harmony.

you both pulled away briefly, her breath was ragged and shallow, a soft whimper escaping her as you squeezed the flesh of her ass. you both lingered there, a brief pause from the intensity of the session, both of your lips slightly parted as you caught your breath, chest rising and falling in sync. her pupils were dilated, a hint of something in her eyes, an unspoken impulse that was being held back, waiting to be released. you heard her mumble a quiet “fuck it” and before you could even register her words, she tugged you forward by the collar of your shirt, your lips making contact again.

her tongue ran gently over your lips, applying pressure as a silent invitation to enter. you granted her request, allowing her muscle to invade your mouth, lightly sucking on it. she let out a surprised gasp at the sensation, her fingers tightly gripping the fabric of your button up shirt. as you massaged your tongues together in a gentle but intense dance, teeth clicking and saliva exchanging, your hands returned around her waist, pressing into the softness of her skin. you carefully bit her bottom lip, drawing it between yours as you continued sucking. it was all too much for her, the sensation was overwhelming, and her control slowly slipped away.

she began grinding on your lap as you were still kissing, her body moving effortlessly as she chased her own pleasure. you guided her hips and pressed her down further more, and she let out little, desperate gasps every time your lips parted to allow oxygen in. you couldn't lie and say that yunjin using you as a way to get off didn't turn you on, the sensation was electrifying, and you felt your own desire seep through your panties, soaking them.

“mmph–ahh, jesus—” her sweet moans were muffled by your lips, creating a delicious symphony that reverberated in the confines of your mouth, sending shivers down your spine. the rough fabric of your work pants against her thin panties generated the ideal friction on her clit, making her mind go fuzzy. her hands roamed aimlessly, grasping and gripping whatever lay within reach: the fabric of your shirt, your arms, the back of your neck, your hair, and so on. she was riding your thigh so desperately it was almost cinematic: erratically moving her hips, grinding down, attempting to rub every time on the same perfect spot that gave her immense pleasure.

the room was starting to feel too hot for you. the heat from the candles, but especially from the union of your two bodies so close together, was becoming unbearable, so you decided to break the kiss to remove some of your clothing. after you delicately pushed yunjin back, allowing her body to rest on your legs, your eyes widened in surprise at the sight before you. it was beautiful; a clear, glassy strand of saliva was still connecting the two of you, a quiet reminder of your closeness. she was about to whine at the loss of contact when she also realized what she was seeing, and a small genuine smile tugged at her lips.

you took advantage of the quiet moment to finally contemplate your girlfriend’s physical state: her face had a subtle pink flush that still peeped through even under her makeup, her lips were a strong red color that matched her lingerie, and they were quite swollen, an evident consequence of the kissing. her eyes were like a window to the multitude of emotions that pervaded her: delight, confidence, a bit of frustration, and, above all, desire. as your gaze moved lower down her body, you spotted a wet patch on her underwear; the fabric turned a much darker shade of red, and you wanted nothing more than to get a taste of the source of that change.

she noticed your intense stare and turned her head, flustered. “stop staring at me like that,” she said softly, her voice pulling you out of your trance as you felt her left hand brush over the skin of your face, settling on your jaw. in that moment, all your focus was on her. “no, but seriously,” she started, her tone firm like she needed you to be serious with her. “why did you stop?” her question was accompanied by a tiny pout, which made you smile, her frustration evident in her puppy-like features. you let out a slight chuckle in response, placing your hand over hers as a sign of reassurance.

“I was honestly just too hot and wanted to take my shirt off,” you truthfully replied with a grin, finding the simplicity of your answer pretty amusing. as the words left your mouth, her pout melted away into a smile, mirroring yours. underlying her happiness though, she felt a tingling sensation begin to rise, a silent excitement at seeing you without your shirt. “do that then,” you caught her need by the urgency of her command and by the way she looked at you, as if she had already taken your shirt off with her eyes. you were more than happy to comply, gradually undoing all of your buttons just to tease her.

her whole demeanor was full of anticipation, she had folded her hands diligently on her lap while she watched you do your thing. as you slowly stripped for her, dragging out all of your movements since you knew it would turn her on more, she spotted your sculpted abs and your muscular arms, finally free of your shirt. the sight hit her all at once, causing her thighs to impulsively clench around yours and her hips to buck into the air.

heat flooded her face as she blushed in embarrassment, her reaction an obvious indication of her neediness; her head dropped into the crook of your now fully exposed neck, as if she was trying to hide from you. she took advantage of the closeness to inhale the scent your body. it was a mix of the aquatic and musky fragrance you used at work, one she could never resist whenever you wore it, mingled with the natural, comforting aroma of your skin. this mixture was fatal for yunjin, the scent did unspeakable things to her, her already soaked panties now starting to leave a wet spot on your own pants, and she was growing more desperate with each second that passed.

you were quick to detect it, knowing exactly what she was craving for in that moment, taking the lead for the first time that night. “come on, ride my thigh,” you ordered as you patted your right leg, knowing that having just one of your thighs between her legs would cause her far more friction than simply rocking into your lap. the sudden switch in your tone of voice went straight to yunjin's core as more of her fluids gushed out. she weakly nodded and stood on her trembling knees, holding onto your bare shoulders and submissively following your order. you gripped her waist to keep her stable as she moved over to your thigh, carefully positioning herself.

“fuck!” she exclaimed when you suddenly pulled her down onto your leg with force, the unexpected contact with her sensitive clit causing her to gasp loudly in response. her face contorted with pleasure as she began riding your thigh, her hips moving like waves, crashing and withdrawing in a rhythmic pattern. “oh–oh my god,” she moaned beautifully, letting out melodic sounds with each movement of her hips. “this feels so good,” the pleasure she was experiencing led her eyes to close tightly and her mouth to open.

“good girl, keep moving,” you purred into her ear as your hands dragged her back and forth. her brain short-circuited at the name you gave her: she squirmed on top of you, her hips stuttering as a familiar sensation started to build inside her. she mewled in response; the commanding, dominant yunjin who had left you flustered just minutes ago was now a moaning mess under your touch. “ah— god” she threw her head back as she felt your thigh twitch and stiffen beneath her, providing the perfect solidity against her clit.

as she continued to hump, your hands left her waist and slowly worked their way up to her chest, not without lightly scratching her skin, causing a burning sensation to spread beneath the surface. you began massaging and caressing her tits over her bra, lazily rubbing circles with your thumbs across the fabric. just the light pressure was enough for her to feel pleasure as more lewd sounds left her mouth. so it came as no surprise that, when you exposed her nipples and pinched them with your fingers, she let out a guttural scream. “fu-fuck–please, keep— ahh— keep doing that,” she begged as you twisted and pulled her sensitive buds.

her insides started to burn, a tight knot in her low abdomen indicated that her orgasm was near. “are you close?” you asked as you noticed her movements become sloppier and her moans rising in pitch. “y-yes, I— please— please let me come.” her voice trembled as she pleaded for your permission. as much as you wanted to tease her, to push her just a little further, you couldn’t resist and granted her request. “go ahead baby,” the moment you were done speaking you felt her body still in your hands, her back arched and her head thrown back. her vision faded to black as she reached her climax, a wave of pleasure washing over her as she cried out a mixture of curse words and little “thank you”s.

she collapsed into your arms, her body was now a limp weight pressed against your chest. her head nestled against your neck, her eyes closed as she focused on regaining the stable rhythm of her breath. you gently stroked her hair as a comfortable silence enveloped the two of you, the only sounds being the soft crackle of the candles and her breathing. the warmth of her body pressed against yours was like a gentle caress, a comforting embrace that made you melt into your seat. “can we stay like this for a bit?” she asked softly, her voice hoarse from all the moaning, and her arms tightened around you as she clung to your torso. “of course,” you replied, leaning your head over hers and caressing her back, savoring the closeness. “whatever you want.”

a/n: oof, this one was really long to write, I'm so sorry for the wait, guys, hope you like it!

#le sserafim x reader #le sserafim #le sserafim smut #le sserafim yunjin #huh yunjin smut #huh yunjin #jennifer huh #yunjin x reader #thigh riding #yunjin smut #yunjin #huh yunjin x reader #marty talks #christmas smut #le sserafim imagines #kpop smut #wlw

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stickylizardcave · 6 months ago

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longass kingleader au comic rough

gonna be under the cut bc hrhs its 48 panels long and i dont have the script ON the panels. I've been calling this the Codemaster AU (cause it's like half inspired by Chez's Gamemaster Kinger) but also I'm not sold on that name but also also I have literally no other idea for it bc this literally only exists for this one comic lmaooo;; I have nothing else planned

(1) CAINE: -and there will be a grand prize waiting for you! (2) CAINE: When you get ba-[STATIC BUZZ] (3) POMNI: ...Caine? What was- (4) CAINE: Nothing to worry about! Off you go!

(9) CAINE: ...Kinger? (10) KINGER: Caine? What are you doing here so late? (11) CAINE: I...am experiencing a problem, and I need your assistance.

(12) KINGER: Oh dear...Is this what happened to you earlier? CAINE: Yes. It has been...not pleasant. And occurring more frequently. (14) KINGER: Well, it's not a virus, at least as far as I can see. Nor a hack since your firewall would pick that up first. Strange that it's glitching your model like this...I may need to see your code directly. CAINE: That's fine.

(16) KINGER: Execute command code. Admin request. Profile Kinger. Password GLTC-G05WX. (17) CAINE: ...Access granted.

(25) KINGER: Found it. (26) CAINE: What is it? KINGER: You have a bit of a looping statement that's self-updating, but causing a leak. It's iterated itself to gibberish at this point. (27) CAINE: So it should be an easy fix... KINGER: I'll need to look through the backlogs to make sure I get it all, but yes. Just a small patch.

(28) CAINE: Such a simple thing to affect me so much...how humiliating. KINGER: It's been going on unnoticed for a while now. With everything that's happened recently, you've been working overtime and it finally caught up to you, that's all. No shame in it. Would you like me to cycle you down for the update? CAINE: If you would be so kind, my dear. (29) KINGER: I'll put the Circus in stasis, don't worry. (30) KINGER: Execute command. Rest mode.

(38) KINGER: Welcome back. How are you feeling? CAINE: Much better, my dear. KINGER: That's good to hear. I want to make sure the clean-up didn't mess with anything important. Would you mind running a diagnostic?

(41) CAINE: Scans came back clear. Thank you very much, my dear! KINGER: It's never a problem, old friend. (42) KINGER: Now then, it's late and I think it's time for me to sleep. (43) KINGER: Execute command. Remove admin permissions from Profile Kinger.

(44) CAINE: Accepted. Executing... (45) KINGER: What are you doing? CAINE: Getting more comfortable, of course.

(47) KINGER: You don't need to stay here, you know. I'll be alright. CAINE: Nonsense, you stayed with me until I woke, it's only fair to do the same for you! KINGER: If you insist... CAINE: I do! Now, off to sleep you go. I have a grand adventure to plan for tomorrow. KINGER: Ha, alright. Goodnight, Caine. CAINE: Goodnight, my dear Kinger.

#tadc kinger #kingleader #royalteeth #tadc caine #the amazing digital circus #tadc #tadc au #codemaster au #alors art #the script is probably a little whack but whatever. ive been awake for almost 24hrs at this point;;;#ive got a couple of other details for this au but yeah thats basically it there is no further story other than Old Men Yaoi times #gif /#admin kinger au

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ryanisasleep · 30 days ago

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MISC SMUT PROMPTS

Credits to @airaibunny for this list. Pls tell me if I should take it down or not as I didn't see anywhere if you were comfortable with this <3.

So, as I stated before, I need to know if I am up to continue writing smut. Once finished Sweet Dawn, I'll focus on these. If you want to request something, go ahead as these inspired me ngl.

I'll try to write (for the first time) for a threesome :)

1. “no underwear? did you plan this?”

2. “are you just going to watch?”

3. "but the cameras" - "they can't see us from this angle, if you can stay still"

4. "you're such a needy boy"

5. “you just keep doing what you're doing”

6. "you're fucking soaked"

7. “you make me so wet”

8. “can i ask you for something?”

9. “please don’t think i’m weird for this…”

10. “Does that turn you on?”

11. "i need your fingers"

12. “say/do it like you mean it”

13. “scream my name while you cum”

14. "Why don't you make it up to me?"

15. “touch yourself, I want to watch”

16. “on your knees”

17. “turn around”

18. "Bend over"

19. “spread your legs”

20. “open wider”

21. “sit on my thigh/face/etc”

22. "lift your leg"

23. “i’m bored, let’s play”

24. “i can see you staring at my tits/thigh/ass”

25. "harder"

26. “it’s my turn now”

27. “i didn't mean to call you that, i'm sorry” - “no! don't apologize, i liked it…”

28. "spank me"

29. "choke me"

30. "bite me"

31. “you can practice on me”

32. “this is a one time thing”

33. “i thought you said it was a one time thing?”

34. “we can’t do this”

35. “i ordered us something”

36. “that looks too big”

37. “you bought a vibrator?”

38. "sit here"

39. “while standing?”

40. “give me your hand”

41. “i'm/it's all over your chin”

42. “do you think about me when you touch yourself?”

43. "Why are you being so shy? it's not like i haven't already seen all of you"

44. “you’re so spoiled”

45. “Can we use a toy?”

46. “can i use a toy on you?”

47. “just like that”

48. “Nobody can know about this, okay?”

49. “How are you so close already?”

50. “i can see how wet you are through your shorts”

51. “Can you be quick?”

52. “please, i’ll finish fast”

53. “use your mouth”

54. “Why do you get so shy when I use that word?”

55. “where do you want me to touch you?” - “down there…” - “you have to say the word”

56. “on the counter/table/etc?”

57. “have you seen the things the fans write about you and *other celeb*?”

58. “pull my hair”

59. "open your mouth"

60. “you're such a messy girl”

61. "take off your underwear" - "but, there's other people here" - "they won't see you, there's an entire table here"

62. "open your eyes"

63. “look at me while you cum”

64. “do you want me to use my fingers/mouth?”

65. “do you want to join me?”

66. “How bad do you want it?”

67. "it's too late for this" - "you don't have to do anything, just stay laying down"

68. “can you stay quiet if i take this call?”

69. “we could get kicked out for this”

70. “don’t make me say it, you know what I want”

71. "you're so annoying" - "would i still be annoying eating you out?"

72. “put your leg over my shoulder”

73. “there’s no one else here, be louder”

74. “i'm going to fuck you against the windows, i want everyone to see how good you are for me”

75. “stop being gentle”

76. “you can’t leave marks”

77. “we are not doing this standing, there’s a bed right there”

78. “do you like it when i spank you?”

79. “use my thigh”

80. “if you hate me so much, why are you letting me do this?”

81. “you're really telling me to stop while both of your hands are in my shirt?”

82. "I still hate you"

83. “this is just sex, no strings”

84. "fuck you" - "well, that's what we're doing isn't it?"

85. "You can take it like a good girl, right?"

86. “that was a nice way to wake up”

87. "how about we give them something to talk about?"

88. "dressing room, now"

89. "you/we need to be on stage in 15 minutes" ... "i don't care"

#cod x male reader #call of duty #male reader #call of duty modern warfare #cod mw2 #simon ghost riley #ghost cod #tf 141 #simon ghost riley x male reader #gaz x male reader #john price x male reader #soap x male reader #nikolai x male reader #konig x male reader #rudy x male reader #alejandro vargas x male reader

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burntheedges · 4 months ago

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hold me like water

Marcus Moreno x f!reader | 2.9k | 18+ | ao3

summary: Marcus is a ball of nerves, just waiting for you to come home.

a/n: this is my late submission to @wannab-urs' Dom that Middle Aged Man Campaign! Sorry again for being late. I had something different planned originally but this week it turned out what I needed was something a bit softer. Maybe you could use something a bit softer, too? Thank you to @katareyoudrilling for beta-ing and Gin for taking a look. 🧡 (also yes, I'm still behind on replies, but I will catch up. love y'all)

tags/warnings: dom!reader, sub!Marcus, established relationship, established dom/sub dynamics, bathing together, acts of service?, subspace, a very intense handjob, restraining (with your body), (1) bite, referenced orgasm control, pet/dynamic names (from reader: baby, baby, my man; from Marcus: love), I named Miracle Guy Rob just for fun

...

Marcus is fidgeting again. He can’t seem to make himself stop. There’s a buzzing under his skin, a tension he can’t seem to shake.

She’s been away for 10 days, and he’s not sure how he’s going to make it to 12.

Two more days, he tells himself as he wakes up his computer and finds too many emails – and decisions – waiting for him. Barely 60 hours, he bargains as he doesn’t let himself pour a third cup of coffee, knowing it’ll just keep him awake. Only two more nights alone, he promises himself as he takes off his shoes in his empty house, too quiet with her out of town and Missy at school.

“Less than 48 hours,” he answers when his phone rings.

“Hello to you, too, babe,” she laughs, and Marcus feels something inside of him settle at the sound of her voice. The buzzing under his skin quiets to a low hum.

Soon.

…

You want to groan aloud as you step off the third – and final – plane, ready to be done with travel for a long while. You’re tired and all you’ve thought about since you stepped foot into the first airport this morning, hours ago, was getting home. To him.

Two weeks is far too long to go without the man you love.

You make your way to baggage claim and let your mind wander to the anticipation of being home. You picture it – walking in the front door to find Marcus waiting for you, arms open, expression soft. You smile to yourself as you step off the escalator.

When you turn, you almost freeze at the unexpected sight that greets you. A smile grows across your face as you rush forward.

Marcus is standing by the baggage claim area, grinning. He looks as handsome as ever and like home and you’ve never been so happy to see anyone in your life.

You drop your carry-on next to his feet just before you throw your arms around his shoulders. His arms wrap tightly around your waist as you fall into each other.

“Babe,” you say, smiling. “I thought you couldn’t pick me up.”

Marcus’ face is buried in your shoulder and you feel him nuzzle into your neck. He sighs. “I canceled my meetings. Couldn’t wait another minute.” He squeezes you tighter and you press a soothing kiss into his hair.

“Missed you too, babe.” You let yourself sink into his arms until you hear the announcement that the bags from your flight are arriving on the belt. You pull back slowly. “Come on – all I’ve been thinking about today is being home with you.”

When you finally meet his eyes and really look at him, though, your breath catches. That’s your Marcus, you know him better than you’ve ever known anyone. You can read him like a book. And right now he looks like he hasn’t rested or slept at all in two weeks. You haven’t seen dark circles like these since the time Missy got the flu and scared everyone, a couple of years before she went to college. Before you lived together. You think back to what he said – he couldn’t wait another minute – and you feel your heart start to beat a little faster.

“Marcus? You didn’t tell me–”

He smiles, rueful. “I didn’t want to worry you.”

You step closer, mindful of the crowd moving around you. “Hey. Baby, no. You’re mine to worry about. Right?” Your voice dips a bit lower, and you see him shiver in response.

“Right,” he agrees, and when you meet his eyes again the emotions in them tug at your chest. He sighs. “I haven’t been sleeping well. And work…” he trails off and shrugs. “Rob was out because the baby was sick, and it was a lot. And fuck, I just missed you so much.” He smiles but it looks more sad than anything and it hurts to look at. You need to get him home. All you want is to get this man home where you can take care of him. You know just what he needs, and just what you need, and the knowledge settles in your chest, warming you. You cup his face in your hand and the way he leans into it tells you just how right you are.

When you lean forward to press a soft kiss to his lips you hear the low noise he makes in the back of his throat and you know. We need to hurry.

“Come on,” you say, reaching down and lacing your fingers together as you step away. He grabs your bag and starts to walk with you. “We need to get you home, baby.”

He nods, already looking more at ease as he lets you lead him forward. “Yes, love.”

…

You keep a firm grip on Marcus’ thigh the entire drive home. He tells you more about what really happened at work while you were gone, and you can feel him opening up to you like a flower in the sun as he lets you start to take care of him. By the time you pull up at the house, the tension in his spine has started to disappear.

After you turn off the car you scan him with a careful eye. His shoulders are looser, his expression more open. Good.

“Marcus. My handsome, wonderful man. I’m going to take care of you. Alright, baby?” He nods, and you smile as you run your fingers through his hair gently. “I’m sorry I was gone for so long. But you can’t hide things from me, not like this.”

He nods again, and you can see the regret in the lines of his face. “I won’t. I’m sorry, love.”

You hum, thoughtful. “This was my first long trip in a while. We’ll do better, prepare better, if it happens again. Together. Ok?”

Marcus smiles softly. “Ok.”

“Alright.” You can hear the change in your voice, and you know Marcus hears it, too, when he straightens slightly in his seat. “Now, I want you to take my bags inside and then head up to our closet. Go inside and take off those clothes and find something more comfortable. Don’t put them on yet – take your time, and meet me in the bathroom in ten minutes.”

Marcus lets out a deep breath that seems to lift the weight of the time you’ve been away off his shoulders. “Yes, love,” he breathes, and you smile as he immediately starts to do as you said.

You step out of the car and hurry to the door – you only have ten minutes.

By the time Marcus steps inside the bathroom holding his softest clothes and wearing nothing but his underwear, you’re ready for him. You’ve filled the large bath with hot water and oils in the scents you know he likes best. The lights are low, the towels are ready, and you stopped by the kitchen for water and snacks. You’re sitting on the edge of the tub, still dressed, waiting.

“Put those down, baby, and come here.”

He does, and then moves to stand in front of you. You let your eyes trail over his bare chest and legs, appreciative as always. You know he can see it in your expression when you meet his eyes again. He’s flushed, looking pleased.

You stand, slowly, and gesture him closer. “Help me undress,” you say, voice low. “I need to wash off all that travel.”

He quirks a small smile at your words, and you know he’s remembering all the times you’ve said that before, here in this room with him.

“Of course, love,” he murmurs, already moving to do as you asked. He doesn’t rush. He lets his fingertips brush against you as he slowly undresses you, and you sink into the sensation of being there with him.

Soon enough you’re standing bare before him, and his appreciation is obvious. It makes you smile, and he blushes.

You step into the bath, Marcus’ hand immediately coming up to steady you. As soon as you’re situated against the wall, you gesture him forward. He kneels next to the tub, so quickly you feel warmth growing in your chest. You reach out to brush your fingers across his cheek and he turns into the gesture, making you smile again.

“Help me wash.”

He nods, and you can see him sinking into the familiar motions. He reaches for the soap and a cloth and begins eagerly. You have done this together so many times, you move together easily. He lifts your arm and you turn towards him, watching as he carefully and attentively washes every bit of you that he can reach. He’s so focused on his task that it becomes almost meditative, and you can see him starting to slip into that space you know he needs, held completely within your control. His body begins to forget his stress – his shoulders relax more with every movement. Every gentle pass of the cloth relaxes you, lets you sink deeper into the moment you’re building together.

Eventually Marcus guides you to stand and, after paying the same attentiveness to your legs that he did to the rest of you, moves to drain the tub. It refills quickly, and as it does you hold out your hand to him.

“Join me,” you say, and he does. You sink into the fresh hot water again and lean against the wall of the tub. You guide him to lean back against you, between your legs. The warmth of him is so familiar, and so missed, you can’t help but wrap yourself around him. His head comes to rest on your shoulder and you feel the remaining tension start to leach out of him into the hot water that surrounds you. You nuzzle behind his ear and smile when you feel him shiver in response. “Thank you, baby,” you murmur, pressing a kiss behind his ear. “You’re so good at that.”

He stretches a bit, pleased, but you can tell he’s amused. “At bathing?”

“Yes,” you agree, sincerely, “but particularly at doing as I ask. My wonderful man.” Marcus relaxes further into you at that, and you smile again. “Now, hands on the side of the tub, please,” you say, and he immediately complies. “Rest your hands comfortably, no need to stretch. Good?” He nods and you notice his eyes have fallen closed. Good. “Keep them there, baby. Until I say.”

“Yes, love,” he murmurs, and you hear in his voice that he has let go of everything outside of this room. He’s just yours, now, and you’ll take care of him.

You run your hands lightly down his sides and watch his sharp intake of breath. You hum as you trail your fingertips up his chest, tracing swirling designs across his skin under the hot water. “I missed you,” you say, lips brushing against his ear. His grip tightens around the edge of the tub. “I missed talking with you, and waking up next to you, and sleeping by you at night,” you continue as your hands press more firmly against his chest and arms. You can see his interest, which had flagged a bit as he washed you so attentively, start to grow again under the water. “I missed taking care of you,” you whisper, wrapping your left arm around his upper chest firmly and squeezing. “And I missed how perfectly you fall apart under my hands... My handsome man.” He moans, softly, and you slide your right hand down, smoothly, right to where you both want it.

You wrap your hand around his cock, gently, and begin to tease at his length. He’s already hard, and you feel his breath catch at your touch.

“Did you touch yourself while I was gone?” You pump his cock slowly as you ask.

He shakes his head before burying his face in your neck.

“No? I told you you could.” You’d known, though, that he wouldn’t.

“No,” he says, and his voice is low and soft. “I didn’t want… not without you.”

You smile and press a kiss into his hair. “My sweet man. I don’t want you to neglect yourself.”

His hips twitch forward as you move your hand smoothly down and back up, teasing around the head. Your pace is so slow it’s barely a pace at all, and you know the anticipation will send him falling steadily downwards and inwards until he’s limp in your arms.

“I wanted you,” he gasps, and you wrap your arm tighter around his chest. “It’s always better with you.” You admire the strength in his arms and his back as he wrestles against himself, keeping his hands firmly in place on the sides of the bath. It’s beautiful.

You file away a thought about how to handle this, if you have another long trip – phone sex, probably. And the thought sends a tingle of anticipation down your spine.

“I always want you, baby,” you murmur, squeezing a bit tighter and moving just a bit faster. He twitches gratifyingly in your grip. “Now let me take care of you, hmm? You can let go, now. I’ve got you.”

Marcus sighs and somehow curls even more snugly into your arms. You start a slow and steady pace and feel his heart rate increase in his chest.

“That’s it,” you whisper into his ear, pressing a kiss just in front of it. “My handsome man, relax for me, hmm?” You move just a bit faster and feel his hips thrust forward. “You’re so beautiful like this, baby. So perfect for me.” When you twist your hand around the head of his cock, Marcus whines, softly, and you smile. “You love me so well, Marcus,” you say, softly, and he gasps. “You’re so good, baby. So good for me.”

You move your hand faster, grip his cock tighter, and the sound he lets out is almost like a sob. He has a vice-like grip on the sides of the tub and you wrap your legs around his, holding him down and in place. Marcus’ chest begins to rise and fall more swiftly with his unsteady breaths and the water of the bath moves choppily around you.

You press a soft line of kisses up his neck. “I’ve got you. Let go for me, baby,” you say, voice firm. “Now.” You bite down on his shoulder, and with a sharp exhale, he does.

Marcus’ body goes tense as he moans your name, and you feel his release overcome him completely. You pump your fist two, three more times, and then he goes completely boneless in your arms.

You release his cock, wrapping both arms around his chest, pressing soft kisses all along his neck and shoulders. “Yes, Marcus,” you praise, “that was so beautiful, baby. You did so well.”

He says your name again, softly, and you tighten your arms around him. You know he’ll need a few minutes to come back, to swim back upwards through the pleasure and relaxation and release. “I’ve got you, baby.” Your voice is low, meant just for him. “Take your time.”

You whisper and murmur soft praises to him as he drifts, and you feel his arms twitch as he starts to come back to himself. The water is still warm, but you know you’ll need to get out soon. Slowly, you release your hold on him and smooth your hands along his arms. You carefully encourage his hands to let go of the sides of the tub, gently massaging his palms as he does.

When he sits up slightly and turns to look at you, you smile. “Hello there,” you greet him, and he smiles back.

This Marcus is so different from the one who met you at the airport. He looks well-rested, with all the cares of the world lifted from his shoulders. His brow is soft, his eyes warm as he looks at you. The soft smile that plays at his mouth is so handsome it takes your breath away.

“Hello, love,” he says, and leans in to kiss you. “Welcome home,” he murmurs against your lips, and you smile.

“Thank you,” you say between kisses. “Next time, we won’t let it get that bad, hmm? And you’ll talk to me. And tell me the truth.”

He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, love. I promise. I got so lost in my own head. All I could do was wait for you to come back.”

You run your hand through his hair gently, before bringing it down to rest against his cheek. “We’ll talk about it later, alright? But I think I know how I want you to show me just how sorry you are.” You let a bit of teasing enter your voice, but you know he knows you’re serious.

He leans into your hand. “Anything, love,” he breathes, and his desperation to please you makes you smile again.

“Well, baby,” you tighten your grip on his hair and smile when he gasps and leans into it. “I’m going to go lay on the bed, and you’re going to dry off and meet me there.” You kiss him and nip softly at his bottom lip. “And then you’re going to make me come with your mouth as many times as I want until I tell you to stop.”

He shudders in expectation and smiles. “Yes, love,” he breathes. He watches, wide eyes tracking your every move as you stand from the tub. “Please.”You smile and lead him towards the bedroom. My perfect man.

...

a/n: thoughts? lol

#marcus moreno x reader #marcus moreno x you #marcus moreno x f!reader #marcus moreno fanfiction #pedro pascal character fanfiction #dom/sub dynamics #DMAMC2025 #x reader

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zg0nuwa · 2 years ago

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Hey, hope you're fine...and i see that you're another fan for Miguel (we are) can you write the father day with his daughter and the reader as his wife please:(?....(i just hate my daddy issues)

★ best dad ever ! ⎯⎯

i don't think you understand how much power you just gave me with this (i had like half of this written already but tumblr crashed and i was one step away from going into my joker era)

miguel o'hara x wife!reader

warnings ; angsty fluff, i tried experimenting with the spanish but i feel like i failed miserably, lowercase intended, i'm not a spanish speaker so you're free to correct me on the spanish.

miguels work schedule was very unstable. there were times when he would be gone for the whole day and then there were times when he could spend most of the day at home. you understood, for the most part, he had the multiverse on his shoulders no matter how hard you wished for him to have a much less dangerous job. of course not everyone knew why he sometimes had to disappear for long periods of time.

and one of them was your daughter. all she knew was that " daddy does very important things and he has to go but he will always come back ".

this year, fathers day rolled up on a sunday which meant not only your daughter was home but also you. for your husband it was a little more complicated. he woke up in the middle of the night to a notification from lyla about another anomaly going nuts in the wrong universe. you loved the ai but in this particular moment you wanted to explode her with your mind.

" i'll be back before sunset, i promise " with that and a kiss on your forehead he left through the portal in your bedroom.

the next time you woke up that day was because of your daughter. she climbed onto your bed and started to shake you lightly with her small hands.

" mom? where’s daddy? " you opened your eyes to gabi hovering above you with her favorite plush animal pressed close to her chest. she had this disappointed expression on her small face. you knew it was because of miguel being gone. she planned this whole day for him, you even helped her organize everything.

" i’m sorry sweetheart… daddy had to go to work. " you pulled her in so her head was under your chin. she clung to you like a small koala bear as you played with her thick brown hair. definitely his genes.

" but, he promised he'll be back before your bedtime sooo, we can still make something special. what do you say about that? "

after a small argument about who gets the cooking part of preparations, which obviously ended with you being responsible for it, you and gabi got to work. as you were looking through your old mexican cuisine recipe book [ that you definitely didn’t bought only for miguel to feel more at home during meals ] you saw your dughter holding a box of artsy stuff.

" cariño, ¿qué estás haciendo allí? "

" making daddy a poster! it's going to say 'el mejor papa de todos'! " you couldn't help the big smile from appearing on your face. you knew how much time miguel put into teaching gabi spanish and it always warmed your heart when they sat down at the dining table and simply talked in spanish, your husband making little corrections in pronounciation or grammar from time to time. but no matter what he always looked as if he had hearts in his eyes.

★

you knew miguels work schedule was unstable and sometimes took him out of the house for a whole day, and you understood. but gabi not so much. so here you are, 10:48 pm on the clock and no sign of your husband. you spent the past two hours comforting her and promising her that it wasn't miguels fault and that he loved her. finally at around 11 pm she fell asleep in her bed. you turned off the cat shaped nightlamp and as quietly as possible closed the door to her room.

with a heavy sigh you went back to the kitchen to start cleaning everything up. while puting away food into the fridge you heard a specific glitching sound and you already knew who showed up home.

" you're late. " you weren't really mad at him , it was just tiring sometimes.

" i know, i'm sorry love... it's just - things got a little out of control. " you didn’t look at him and his first thought was to come behind you and hug your waist hoping it would make you feel even a little bit better. “ was there something that i forgot about today? is that why you’re angry? “

" i’m not angry, but your daughter is. she planned the whole fathers day for you. "

" ay, coño… " he sounded defeated, tired, and disappointed in himself. you pulled yourself away from him and came up to the poster gabi made, its was rolled in a tube to not spoil anything before the big reveal. you handed it to miguel with a tiny smile on your face. he was a bit confused for a second but he got the memo and rolled out the paper to it’s full extent. you could see the tears forming on his waterline as he chuckled. probably because of the spelling mistake made by gabi that you didn’t have the heart to point out.

" me and gabi made a deal for you, you have take us to the zoo tomorrow, and she demands that you let her piggyback the entire time to repay for your sins. "

" i guess there’s no other option. " he said with a smile.

cariño, ¿qué estás haciendo allí? - honey, what are you doing there?

el mejor papa de todos - the greatest dad ever

ay, coño - oh, fuck

#atsv miguel #miguel o’hara x reader #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara #spiderman across the spiderverse #spiderman 2099 #spiderman 2099 x reader #spiderman atsv

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dat-town · 4 months ago

Text

hold my hand, my love

Characters: Jaehyun & female reader

Setting & genre: hurt/comfort, established relationship, college au

Summary: Jaehyun pushes himself too hard. You’re there to hold him when it becomes too much.

Warnings: crying, exhaustion, insecurities

Words: 1.7k

Author’s note: set a few months after the end of another social casualty but can be read on its own. title is from Jaehyun’s last line from Call Me. i have too many feelings and thoughts after seeing Jaehyun cry at m countdown like that. i sincerely hope they can rest before they start the tour preparations and please somebody give that boy a hug.

Old habits are not easy to shake off.

You see it in the way Jaehyun has a hard time saying no to both other students and professors, the way he joins a student association and the university magazine on top of his tutoring part-time job at a hakwon, the way he wants to achieve 120% at every test, assignment, exam. Also in the way he tries to be a dependable boyfriend who always has time for you even if it means he shows up at your date on the verge of exhaustion.

You know that he loves doing all of these: studying a major he likes, writing, organizing and socializing university-wide, but sometimes it’s too much. Since you’re not in his shoes, you just try your best at being a supportive girlfriend, reminding him gently to take some time for himself, bringing him food because you know he tends to skip dinner when his seminar class finishes too close to his tutoring class’ start, suggesting rain calling your dates in case he’s tired or busy and while most of the time Myung Jaehyun is a mature adult understanding that you just want to help, showering you with affectionate butterfly kisses over your face, the last one is a hard take for him. The first and only time you mentioned it, he thought you wanted to break up with him and you felt bad making him think that way when you actually feel more and more in love with him every passing day. So it’s delicate, this topic with him, you try to approach it slowly and with caring hands. But he makes you worry some days when your text messages go unread for more than half a day and you lie awake in bed, anxious about his well-being, his tired voice from the morning echoing in your ears.

You’re half asleep when the second ping pulls you out of the slumber and your hold tightens around the slipping phone. The brightness of the screen blinds you for a moment but seeing Jaehyun’s name in the notification makes up for everything.

[00:48 jae 🤍] are you awake? [00:50 jae 🤍] ah it’s late sorry [00:51 you] i am! [00:51 you] how was work? did you just get home? [00:52 jae 🤍] can i call you? [00:52 you] of course

You sit up in your bed before the familiar ringtone cuts through the air and answer the call right away, a small smile already spreading on your lips.

“Hey,” you greet him softly, quietly, voice a bit hoarse, something Jaehyun would make fun of in his playful way but there’s nothing but silence and the longer it stretches, the more worried you get. “Jae?”

You hear him exhale, a little shaky sound, then there’s a quiet sob and your chest tightens, your heart aches.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to hear your voice,” the boy whispers and his words are followed by more sobs, louder this time. You wish so bad that you were there with him, to hold him, to tell him it’s going to be okay.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! It’s just…” Jaehyun trails off, never finishing the silence. Vulnerability is a concept you both are still learning. You hear the sound of shuffling, him wiping his face with the sleeve of his hoodie in lieu of an answer. So you ask an easier question.

“Where are you, Jae?”

“Still at the hakwon.”

You would like to know why he’s still at his workplace when he should have finished at 10 the latest but instead of questioning him like that you decide to focus on the fact that he’s just a bus ride away, not too far.

“Do you… do you want to come over?” You blurt out, tentative but hopeful. Of course, he has been at your place already, especially when he visited you at the end of your shift at the café and then you migrated upstairs to watch a movie or just talk over your mom’s delicious homemade meals. But he has never slept over before. He’s probably thinking about the same thing.

“I don’t want to intrude,” he mumbles. It’s not a no but he’s hesitating, probably not wanting to come off as needy. Years and years of people relying on him, it’s hard for him to believe that you don’t think of him as any less of a good boyfriend if he leans on you for comfort sometimes.

“You are not. I am asking,” you tell him but Jaehyun doesn’t say anything. “I miss you,” you add in a whisper because it’s the truth and because he needs to hear it as a final push, so he can get over his insecurities of being ‘too clingy’.

“I miss you, too,” he says with so many emotions in his voice, you feel a physical ache in your chest. “I will text you when I get there.”

Twenty-three minutes later you open the door for him. He looks so pale under the street lamps, eyes rimmed red, dark circles visible, you want to wrap him in your arms and protect him from the world. So the moment he steps over the threshold, closing the door behind him quietly to not wake your mother, toeing off his shoes, you reach out a hand for him to hold and lead him to your room.

The soft glow of your bedside table lamp lights the room just enough to comfortably see without blinding you. You have already prepared water for both of you and an extra pillow for him on your bed. If this happened under normal consequences you would probably be shy. He’s seeing you in your pajamas in the middle of the night for the first time and you’re about to suggest sleeping together in the same bed even though it’s not made for two people. But the couch or the floor would be uncomfortable and you know that he needs you close right now, you need him too.

Still holding his hand you turn to face him, wiping the dried tears off his cheeks gently with your free hand’s thumb.

“Would you like to shower before bed?”

“I don’t want to wake your mother,” Jaehyun crunches his nose and you have the urge to sigh but suppress it. He’s always so considerate, his own needs always seem to be the last.

“That’s not what I asked,” you remind him gently, cupping his face. You want him to know that he can be less selfless with you. Your relationship should be a safe space for both of you.

“I… I’m tired,” he admits leaning into your hand, closing his eyes. “But…”

“No buts. I don’t mind,” you cut him off before he could apologize for dirtying your bed or something like that. Sure, you’re usually a ‘no outside clothes on bed’ type of person but you will survive one night. There are more important matters at hand. “Are you comfortable with sleeping beside me?”

Jaehyun opens his eyes at that, his unguarded gaze meeting yours.

“Yes,” he whispers before squeezing your hand. “Are you?”

“Yes,” you nod, honest because it’s the truth even if it’s admittedly a bit awkward, an unknown territory for both of you. But you tug on his hoodie and help him pull it off, smoothing down his messed up hair and white tee, then get in bed while Jaehyun gets rid of his jeans because those would be uncomfortable to sleep in.

You can tell he’s stiff as he gets under your covers, keeping his distance as much as he can in such a limited space probably to respect your boundaries. It’s quiet once you turn off the lamp but you can hear his breathing and it’s too fast for it to be normal.

“Do you want to talk about it?” You whisper in the dark, turning towards him with your body.

“There’s not much to tell,” he says, deflecting, and you shake your head against the soft pillow.

“It’s okay. I’m here to listen anyway,” you promise and wait for those long moments while Jaehyun makes up his mind.

He turns to face you too and he starts slowly, his voice quiet, his words carefully chosen. He says nothing extraordinary happened, just everything came crashing down on him all at once. His boss messing up his schedule, him not finishing an article for the deadline at the university magazine because he mistook what day it was, barely catching enough sleep because he studied for a test worth 33% of his grade and at the end of it all, he needed to stay back at the hakwon because one of the parents came in, thinking it was his fault their son didn’t do well enough on a test. The more he says, the more he’s reliving the frustration, choking up on tears between two broken sentences. You slide closer to put a hand on his chest, soothing, patting. It’s almost like he needed this one touch to crumble and without further prompting, he nuzzles close, burying his head just under your chin, arms circling around your waist, bare calves grazing under the covers whenever you shift.

You lift your hand to his head, stroking his hair gently and scratching his scalp lightly. He hums, much calmer, almost content.

“I’m glad you called me,” you tell him, because he needs to hear it. He needs to know that he can and should do it again if there’s a next time. You know he would do the same for you and you’re proud of him for letting you in, for not shutting you out to deal with this alone.

“I love you,” Jaehyun whispers, his breath fanning against your neck and you’re sure he hears and feels the way your heartbeat changes.

“I love you too,” you say it back without hesitation, closing your eyes with a small smile when your boyfriend’s embrace tightens around you. You listen to his breathing get even and keep up with the soft caresses until he falls asleep.

Some days might feel too much but you would like to believe that it will be fine, that you will figure it out. Together.

#boynextdoor x reader #bnd x reader #jaehyun x reader #myung jaehyun x reader #bnd jaehyun x reader #stories

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cheynovak · 1 month ago

Text

Flirty text POV

part 5

Summary: Y/N is drunk texting Jensen… He might like it. Things might slightly escalade over time. You can either read it in a before Danneel or after Danneel setting just how you like.

Just because it's fun and you guys seem to like us flirting with Jensen 🙈

**hot shot 🔥** (11:42 PM): you should be here. sitting next to me.

**hot shot 🔥 ** (11:45 PM) Great now is the seat taken. But no worries there is room for you.. A little closer. Like on my lap 😏

**hot shot 🔥** (11:55 PM): you do like me a little, right?

**hot shot 🔥** (12:07 AM): y/n?? This is getting awkward.

**princess ✨️** (12:10 AM): Jay. It's late... Are you drunk?

**hot shot 🔥** (12:11 AM): a little...

**hot shot 🔥** (12:12 AM): but that doesn’t change the fact that i miss you

**princess ✨️** (12:14 AM): you should be enjoying your night out with friends.

**hot shot 🔥** (12:15 AM): and yet, you answered

**princess ✨️** (12:17 AM): someone has to make sure you don’t get yourself into trouble

**hot shot 🔥** (12:18 AM): trouble is my middle name, princess

**princess ✨️** (12:19 AM): i swear...

**hot shot 🔥** (12:20 AM): swear what?

**princess ✨️** (12:21 AM): swear you’re lucky i like you

**hot shot 🔥** (12:22 AM): So you do like me 😏

**princess ✨️** (12:23 AM): go home, to sleep, jensen. We'll talk tomorrow.🙄

**hot shot 🔥** (12:24 AM): One condition...

**princess ✨️** (12:24 AM): ??

**hot shot 🔥** (12:24 AM): Only if you stay tonight. And be there when i wake up. 😏

hot shot 🔥 (12:52 AM): You should come. Either to the bar or to my place. Or the bar and then my place 😉

hot shot 🔥 (12:55 AM): I can’t stop thinking about how good it would feel to have you here with me.

hot shot 🔥 (12:57 AM): You’re making me crazy, princess.

hot shot 🔥 (1:02 AM): Imagine how it would feel if you were here, with me. Fuck the things I'd do to make you feel right!

hot shot 🔥 (1:04 AM): I’d take my time with you. Slowly.

hot shot 🔥 (1:06 AM): Touch you in all the right ways.

hot shot 🔥 (1:08 AM): Feel every inch of your soft skin under my hands.

hot shot 🔥 (1:10 AM): I can’t stop thinking about it, y/n.

hot shot 🔥 (1:12 AM): Don’t make me wait any longer.

princess ✨️ (1:14 AM): Jensen... you don't know what your saying. You're drunk and horny, I'm sure it's not me you want.

hot shot 🔥 (1:18 AM): Please, princess. Don't say that!

**princess ✨️** (1:28 AM): Jay, you’re too drunk to know what you say.

**hot shot 🔥** (1:30 AM): You like it, don’t you?

**hot shot 🔥** (1:32 AM): Are you... imagining it?

**princess ✨️** (1:43 AM): What?! No!

**hot shot 🔥** (1:46 AM): Then why the late response, baby girl?

**princess ✨️** (1:48 AM): I’m not playing this game, jensen. You never text like this!

**hot shot 🔥** (1:50 AM): I’m not playing either. Just want you to know, I’d make it unforgettable if you let me.

**princess ✨️** (1:54 AM): This is not you talking, it’s the alcohol.

**hot shot 🔥** (1:56 AM): Maybe. But it’s what I want.

**hot shot 🔥** (1:58 AM): It’s always been what I want.

**princess ✨️** (1:58 AM): Jay...

**hot shot 🔥** (2:00 AM): please... even just once.

**princess ✨️** (2:00 AM): Oh so you just need me to be a quick hook up...

**hot shot 🔥** (2:00 AM): Kiss you slow, until you can't think straight.

**hot shot 🔥** (2:02 AM): I'd have you pressed up against me, feeling every inch of you.

**hot shot 🔥** (2:04 AM): And when I finally get you alone, I wouldn’t rush it.

**hot shot 🔥** (2:06 AM): I’ve been fantasizing about this for years now.

**hot shot 🔥** (2:08 AM): Imagining what it would feel like, what you’d taste like.

**hot shot 🔥** (2:10 AM): I'd love to make those dreams real.

**hot shot 🔥** (2:12 AM): You’re all I’ve been thinking about, y/n.

**hot shot 🔥** (2:20 AM): Good night Princess... 😘

**hot shot 🔥** (9:05 AM): Hey, y/n... You okay? Haven’t seen you on set yet.

**hot shot 🔥** (9:07 AM): Is everything alright?

Princess ✨️ (9:09 AM):

Typing…

**hot shot 🔥** (9:11 AM): y/n?

**hot shot 🔥** (9:13 AM): Did I cross a line last night? You’re not answering, and I’m starting to get nervous...

**princess ✨️** (9:15 AM): I don’t know what to say.

**hot shot 🔥** (9:17 AM): I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said those things. I was drunk and got carried away.

**princess ✨️** (9:19 AM): And you really meant it?

**hot shot 🔥** (9:21 AM): I didn’t lie. I meant everything I said. But I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable.

**princess ✨️** (9:23 AM): So you only wanted me once?

**hot shot 🔥** (9:25 AM):What?! NO!

**hot shot 🔥** (9:25 AM): I should have been more careful with my words. But I was really thinking about you, and I guess the alcohol made me braver than I should have been, but I really care for you!

**princess ✨️** (9:27 AM): I need some time.

**hot shot 🔥** (9:29 AM): I understand. Take all the time you need, princess.

**princess ✨️** (9:45 AM): Sends link < Boys from supernatural meet fan >

**princess ✨️** (9:47 AM): Wow really thought of me there...

**hot shot 🔥** (9:59 AM): I was, I still am! I swear, y/n, I’m being honest!

**princess ✨️** (10:01 AM): You kiss that girl, tell me you want me, but then add *just for one night*?

**hot shot 🔥** (10:03 AM): Even, EVEN for one night… I didn’t mean it like that.

**hot shot 🔥** (10:05 AM): I... I didn’t mean it to sound like that, y/n.

**princess ✨️** (10:11 AM): [Name changed to Jensen Ackles]

**Jensen Ackles** (10:13 AM): What the... Y/N, come on. Don’t do this.

**Jensen Ackles** (10:15 AM): I messed up, okay? But this isn’t helping.

**Jensen Ackles** (10:15 AM): Princess talk to me, please!

Jensen: @jackles010378 @libby99hb @winchesterwild78 @suckitands33 @mostlymarvelgirl @deans-baby-momma @ancles @tulipsvanilla @thesilmarillionblog @jays-bonnie-on-the-side @kr804573 @kamisobsessed @hobby27 @globetrotter28 @kindollss @muhahaha303 @shadysoulangel @lyarr24 @spxideyver @impala67rollingthroughtown @panickedbitch @deansimpalababy @livya99 @yvonneeeee @ladykitana90 @stoneyggirl2 @imsiriuslyreal @panickedbitch @roseblue373 @n-o-p-e-never @ariasong11 @lmpala1967 @sherlockstrangewolf @spnaquakindgdom @writtenbyhollywood @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @healojane @star-yawnznn @cevansbaby-dove

#flirty text pov

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porty · 4 days ago

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drinks or coffee

lovestruck!oikawa x f!reader

summary: oikawa only wanted one more night with iwaizumi before heading off to argentina. to celebrate his new job as an athletic trainer. but turns out the party is for two people, iwa and someone else…

contents: sickening fluff || time skip!oikawa || kawa is feeling things… || idk… || red string of fate trope ||

word count: 1.1k

divider credit: @/saradika-graphics

iwaizumi scoffed softly. “i don’t really want you there but… i guess you can…”

tonight, his new job at the jva was hosting a little something for their newest additions - two bright, freshly-hired athletic trainers. naturally, Oikawa had whined and moaned his way into coming as iwaizumi’s so-called guest of honor.

“you’re my snuggle pookie bear. you won’t regret it!” oikawa had chirped with a grin. these were his last few nights in japan before heading off to argentina. not that he was complaining - playing as their official setter was a dream. but spending one more night with his best friend? that sounded a lot more comforting at this very moment.

he heard iwaizumi groan, strained, and fed up. “i’m already regretting it… and you will not steal my spotlight tonight.”

oikawa scoffed faintly as he stuffed his final sweater into his suitcase. “i would never… how can you think so low of me, iwa?”

before he could finish his dramatic sigh, iwaizumi cut him off. “because you’re the worst.”

rolling his eyes, oikawa muttered, “anyway, iwa, pick me up tonight and i’ll be the hottest date there.”

“i hate you, shittykawa…” iwaizumi grumbled and hung up the phone, leaving oikawa pouting on the floor of his half-empty room. he looked around slowly - this might really be the last time he saw it like this. everything felt too quiet. too final. he let out a soft sigh and zipped up his suitcase.

that was it - his life in japan would end in the next 48 hours.

after what felt like days, his phone buzzed with a message from iwaizumi: ‘come down… you have 10 seconds…’

of course, oikawa ran faster than sonic straight to the car.

“this is NOT how you treat your da—”

“i will run over your foot right now.” iwaizumi snapped.

oikawa yelped and slipped into the passenger seat without another word. “thank you for inviting me, iwa. that’s very kind of you,” he said softly, fumbling with his seatbelt.

“so you know, mattsun and makki synced,” he said after a beat of silence, breaking the tension.

iwaizumi raised a brow. “those two?”

“yeah. it was only a matter of time… so what about you, my friend?” oikawa asked curiously, eyes drifting to his own red string - nearly faded away. that damn string. that faded red color kept him up st night.

“i cut my string. i don’t have time for that. my career matters more,” iwaizumi said bluntly, eyes locked on the road.

oikawa had always believed in soulmates. in the red string of fate. but he was never one to fall in love at first sight. he liked attention, sure, but it would be nice - really nice - to spoil someone special. even so, with him leaving for argentina in about 48 hours, falling in love now would be downright stupid.

the car fell silent again, and stayed that way until they pulled up to the restaurant.

“well, well, look at you. they rented out a whole restaurant in your honor?” oikawa teased.

“it’s not just for me. they hired someone else too. and you will be on your best behavior,” owaizumi warned, eyes narrowing.

oikawa raised his arms in mock surrender. “alright, i will…”

but it only took about 30 minutes for boredom to catch up with him. he scanned the room, hoping for something - anything - fun to do. just a moment to poke fun at iwaizumi. but his best friend was stuck talking to stuffy old men. oikawa groaned under his breath and played with the ice in his drink.

“i am so sorry we’re late!!”

the soft voice made him lift his head.

and then he saw you - rushing in with cat boy and owl boy. not that he cared to remembered their names. all he saw was you.

“yn, kuro, and bokuto - good to see you,” iwaizumi greeted you and you smiled. a smile so bright it nearly blinded Oikawa.

before the conversation could go anywhere, one of the stuffy old men called you and your friends over. oikawa took advantage of that moment and rushed to iwaizumi’s side.

“iwa! who is that?” he tugged on his string, eyes wide. for a split second, he swore… swore… that the pigment had returned - it was dark red for a couple of seconds.

iwaizumi didn’t even look at him. “shittykawa, can this not be about you?”

“please, it’s important,” oikawa groaned. “just tell me her name.”

he must’ve looked truly pathetic, because iwaizumi caved. “fine. that’s yn. we’ll be working together.”

yn… yn…

yeah, that name just rolled right off the tongue.

“yn?” he repeated softly.

“yes, and that’s all you’re getting. you should be worrying about argentina. you don’t have time for a silly crush… especially not if that person isn’t even the one.” iwaizumi glanced at oikawa’s almost invisible string.

of course, iwaizumi knew oikawa wanted to fall in love. but he also knew that argentina was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. throwing that away for someone who might not even be fated to him? too risky. too stupid.

“tooru, be realistic. come on, i’ll drive you home so you can finish packing.”

oikawa nodded, though iwaizumi didn’t know - he was already done packing. he’d be returning to an empty room. a small bed. just him and his thoughts.

thoughts of you.

the girl he’d probably never see again. the girl he was already creating “what if” scenarios for. the girl he’d affectionately nicknamed as ‘the one who slipped away’. when he will talk about you to others.

as he followed iwaizumi out, he couldn't help to steal one last glance at you, for the one final time. you were laughing at something cat boy said. and it sent shivers down his spine. in the best way possible.

“let’s go…” iwaizumi called out. oikawa said his first and final silent goodbye to you.

the drive back was filled with iwaizumi’s usual lectures. unfortunately, oikawa tuned all of it out. which that would piss iwaizumi off, of course - but it was worth it. his mind was too full of you.

he wondered what kind of person you were. what you liked. what you hated. and most importantly, who was at the end of your string.

but what got his mind and heart racing was the moment he saw you - and his string seemed to darken. just a bit.

who are you, exactly?

“get out,” iwaizumi barked, snapping oikawa back to reality. they were parked at his home.

“oh. thanks, iwa…” oikawa muttered.

iwaizumi grunted and waved him off, speeding off as soon as oikawa closed the door.

left alone with his thoughts, oikawa went to his room and sat on the floor, reaching for an old volleyball. wondering what your first date will look like.

“i wonder if she prefers getting drinks or coffee?”

AN: say thank you to the rosé, the knicks, and the yankees… also for my starlight is causing me stress and stomach pains…

@porty || do not plagiarise or translate any of my work. I do not own any of the Haikyuu characters all rights goes to Haruichi Furudate.

#haikyuu oikawa #oikawa tooru #oikawa x you #oikawa x reader #haikyuu #haikyuu imagines #hq oikawa #oikawa fluff #oikawa toru x reader #oikawa imagines #drabble #oikawa drabbles #haikyuu drabbles #hq x reader #hq fluff #hq x you #iwaizumi hajime #hq iwaizumi #haikyuu iwaizumi

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antiporn-activist · 1 year ago

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I thought y'all should read this

I have a free trial to News+ so I copy-pasted it for you here. I don't think Jonathan Haidt would object to more people having this info.

Tumblr wouldn't let me post it until i removed all the links to Haidt's sources. You'll have to take my word that everything is sourced.

End the Phone-Based Childhood Now

The environment in which kids grow up today is hostile to human development.

By Jonathan Haidt

Something went suddenly and horribly wrong for adolescents in the early 2010s. By now you’ve likely seen the statistics: Rates of depression and anxiety in the United States—fairly stable in the 2000s—rose by more than 50 percent in many studies from 2010 to 2019. The suicide rate rose 48 percent for adolescents ages 10 to 19. For girls ages 10 to 14, it rose 131 percent.

The problem was not limited to the U.S.: Similar patterns emerged around the same time in Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, the Nordic countries, and beyond. By a variety of measures and in a variety of countries, the members of Generation Z (born in and after 1996) are suffering from anxiety, depression, self-harm, and related disorders at levels higher than any other generation for which we have data.

The decline in mental health is just one of many signs that something went awry. Loneliness and friendlessness among American teens began to surge around 2012. Academic achievement went down, too. According to “The Nation’s Report Card,” scores in reading and math began to decline for U.S. students after 2012, reversing decades of slow but generally steady increase. PISA, the major international measure of educational trends, shows that declines in math, reading, and science happened globally, also beginning in the early 2010s.

As the oldest members of Gen Z reach their late 20s, their troubles are carrying over into adulthood. Young adults are dating less, having less sex, and showing less interest in ever having children than prior generations. They are more likelyto live with their parents. They were less likely to get jobs as teens, and managers say they are harder to work with. Many of these trends began with earlier generations, but most of them accelerated with Gen Z.

Surveys show that members of Gen Z are shyer and more risk averse than previous generations, too, and risk aversion may make them less ambitious. In an interview last May, OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman and Stripe co-founder Patrick Collison noted that, for the first time since the 1970s, none of Silicon Valley’s preeminent entrepreneurs are under 30. “Something has really gone wrong,” Altman said. In a famously young industry, he was baffled by the sudden absence of great founders in their 20s.

Generations are not monolithic, of course. Many young people are flourishing. Taken as a whole, however, Gen Z is in poor mental health and is lagging behind previous generations on many important metrics. And if a generation is doing poorly––if it is more anxious and depressed and is starting families, careers, and important companies at a substantially lower rate than previous generations––then the sociological and economic consequences will be profound for the entire society.

What happened in the early 2010s that altered adolescent development and worsened mental health? Theories abound, but the fact that similar trends are found in many countries worldwide means that events and trends that are specific to the United States cannot be the main story.

I think the answer can be stated simply, although the underlying psychology is complex: Those were the years when adolescents in rich countries traded in their flip phones for smartphones and moved much more of their social lives online—particularly onto social-media platforms designed for virality and addiction. Once young people began carrying the entire internet in their pockets, available to them day and night, it altered their daily experiences and developmental pathways across the board. Friendship, dating, sexuality, exercise, sleep, academics, politics, family dynamics, identity—all were affected. Life changed rapidly for younger children, too, as they began to get access to their parents’ smartphones and, later, got their own iPads, laptops, and even smartphones during elementary school.

As a social psychologist who has long studied social and moral development, I have been involved in debates about the effects of digital technology for years. Typically, the scientific questions have been framed somewhat narrowly, to make them easier to address with data. For example, do adolescents who consume more social media have higher levels of depression? Does using a smartphone just before bedtime interfere with sleep? The answer to these questions is usually found to be yes, although the size of the relationship is often statistically small, which has led some researchers to conclude that these new technologies are not responsible for the gigantic increases in mental illness that began in the early 2010s.

But before we can evaluate the evidence on any one potential avenue of harm, we need to step back and ask a broader question: What is childhood––including adolescence––and how did it change when smartphones moved to the center of it? If we take a more holistic view of what childhood is and what young children, tweens, and teens need to do to mature into competent adults, the picture becomes much clearer. Smartphone-based life, it turns out, alters or interferes with a great number of developmental processes.

The intrusion of smartphones and social media are not the only changes that have deformed childhood. There’s an important backstory, beginning as long ago as the 1980s, when we started systematically depriving children and adolescents of freedom, unsupervised play, responsibility, and opportunities for risk taking, all of which promote competence, maturity, and mental health. But the change in childhood accelerated in the early 2010s, when an already independence-deprived generation was lured into a new virtual universe that seemed safe to parents but in fact is more dangerous, in many respects, than the physical world.

My claim is that the new phone-based childhood that took shape roughly 12 years ago is making young people sick and blocking their progress to flourishing in adulthood. We need a dramatic cultural correction, and we need it now.

1. The Decline of Play and Independence

Human brains are extraordinarily large compared with those of other primates, and human childhoods are extraordinarily long, too, to give those large brains time to wire up within a particular culture. A child’s brain is already 90 percent of its adult size by about age 6. The next 10 or 15 years are about learning norms and mastering skills—physical, analytical, creative, and social. As children and adolescents seek out experiences and practice a wide variety of behaviors, the synapses and neurons that are used frequently are retained while those that are used less often disappear. Neurons that fire together wire together, as brain researchers say.

Brain development is sometimes said to be “experience-expectant,” because specific parts of the brain show increased plasticity during periods of life when an animal’s brain can “expect” to have certain kinds of experiences. You can see this with baby geese, who will imprint on whatever mother-sized object moves in their vicinity just after they hatch. You can see it with human children, who are able to learn languages quickly and take on the local accent, but only through early puberty; after that, it’s hard to learn a language and sound like a native speaker. There is also some evidence of a sensitive period for cultural learning more generally. Japanese children who spent a few years in California in the 1970s came to feel “American” in their identity and ways of interacting only if they attended American schools for a few years between ages 9 and 15. If they left before age 9, there was no lasting impact. If they didn’t arrive until they were 15, it was too late; they didn’t come to feel American.

Human childhood is an extended cultural apprenticeship with different tasks at different ages all the way through puberty. Once we see it this way, we can identify factors that promote or impede the right kinds of learning at each age. For children of all ages, one of the most powerful drivers of learning is the strong motivation to play. Play is the work of childhood, and all young mammals have the same job: to wire up their brains by playing vigorously and often, practicing the moves and skills they’ll need as adults. Kittens will play-pounce on anything that looks like a mouse tail. Human children will play games such as tag and sharks and minnows, which let them practice both their predator skills and their escaping-from-predator skills. Adolescents will play sports with greater intensity, and will incorporate playfulness into their social interactions—flirting, teasing, and developing inside jokes that bond friends together. Hundreds of studies on young rats, monkeys, and humans show that young mammals want to play, need to play, and end up socially, cognitively, and emotionally impaired when they are deprived of play.

One crucial aspect of play is physical risk taking. Children and adolescents must take risks and fail—often—in environments in which failure is not very costly. This is how they extend their abilities, overcome their fears, learn to estimate risk, and learn to cooperate in order to take on larger challenges later. The ever-present possibility of getting hurt while running around, exploring, play-fighting, or getting into a real conflict with another group adds an element of thrill, and thrilling play appears to be the most effective kind for overcoming childhood anxieties and building social, emotional, and physical competence. The desire for risk and thrill increases in the teen years, when failure might carry more serious consequences. Children of all ages need to choose the risk they are ready for at a given moment. Young people who are deprived of opportunities for risk taking and independent exploration will, on average, develop into more anxious and risk-averse adults.

Human childhood and adolescence evolved outdoors, in a physical world full of dangers and opportunities. Its central activities––play, exploration, and intense socializing––were largely unsupervised by adults, allowing children to make their own choices, resolve their own conflicts, and take care of one another. Shared adventures and shared adversity bound young people together into strong friendship clusters within which they mastered the social dynamics of small groups, which prepared them to master bigger challenges and larger groups later on.

And then we changed childhood.

The changes started slowly in the late 1970s and ’80s, before the arrival of the internet, as many parents in the U.S. grew fearful that their children would be harmed or abducted if left unsupervised. Such crimes have always been extremely rare, but they loomed larger in parents’ minds thanks in part to rising levels of street crime combined with the arrival of cable TV, which enabled round-the-clock coverage of missing-children cases. A general decline in social capital––the degree to which people knew and trusted their neighbors and institutions––exacerbated parental fears. Meanwhile, rising competition for college admissions encouraged more intensive forms of parenting. In the 1990s, American parents began pulling their children indoors or insisting that afternoons be spent in adult-run enrichment activities. Free play, independent exploration, and teen-hangout time declined.

In recent decades, seeing unchaperoned children outdoors has become so novel that when one is spotted in the wild, some adults feel it is their duty to call the police. In 2015, the Pew Research Center found that parents, on average, believed that children should be at least 10 years old to play unsupervised in front of their house, and that kids should be 14 before being allowed to go unsupervised to a public park. Most of these same parents had enjoyed joyous and unsupervised outdoor play by the age of 7 or 8.

2. The Virtual World Arrives in Two Waves

The internet, which now dominates the lives of young people, arrived in two waves of linked technologies. The first one did little harm to Millennials. The second one swallowed Gen Z whole.

The first wave came ashore in the 1990s with the arrival of dial-up internet access, which made personal computers good for something beyond word processing and basic games. By 2003, 55 percent of American households had a computer with (slow) internet access. Rates of adolescent depression, loneliness, and other measures of poor mental health did not rise in this first wave. If anything, they went down a bit. Millennial teens (born 1981 through 1995), who were the first to go through puberty with access to the internet, were psychologically healthier and happier, on average, than their older siblings or parents in Generation X (born 1965 through 1980).

The second wave began to rise in the 2000s, though its full force didn’t hit until the early 2010s. It began rather innocently with the introduction of social-media platforms that helped people connect with their friends. Posting and sharing content became much easier with sites such as Friendster (launched in 2003), Myspace (2003), and Facebook (2004).

Teens embraced social media soon after it came out, but the time they could spend on these sites was limited in those early years because the sites could only be accessed from a computer, often the family computer in the living room. Young people couldn’t access social media (and the rest of the internet) from the school bus, during class time, or while hanging out with friends outdoors. Many teens in the early-to-mid-2000s had cellphones, but these were basic phones (many of them flip phones) that had no internet access. Typing on them was difficult––they had only number keys. Basic phones were tools that helped Millennials meet up with one another in person or talk with each other one-on-one. I have seen no evidence to suggest that basic cellphones harmed the mental health of Millennials.

It was not until the introduction of the iPhone (2007), the App Store (2008), and high-speed internet (which reached 50 percent of American homes in 2007)—and the corresponding pivot to mobile made by many providers of social media, video games, and porn—that it became possible for adolescents to spend nearly every waking moment online. The extraordinary synergy among these innovations was what powered the second technological wave. In 2011, only 23 percent of teens had a smartphone. By 2015, that number had risen to 73 percent, and a quarter of teens said they were online “almost constantly.” Their younger siblings in elementary school didn’t usually have their own smartphones, but after its release in 2010, the iPad quickly became a staple of young children’s daily lives. It was in this brief period, from 2010 to 2015, that childhood in America (and many other countries) was rewired into a form that was more sedentary, solitary, virtual, and incompatible with healthy human development.

3. Techno-optimism and the Birth of the Phone-Based Childhood

The phone-based childhood created by that second wave—including not just smartphones themselves, but all manner of internet-connected devices, such as tablets, laptops, video-game consoles, and smartwatches—arrived near the end of a period of enormous optimism about digital technology. The internet came into our lives in the mid-1990s, soon after the fall of the Soviet Union. By the end of that decade, it was widely thought that the web would be an ally of democracy and a slayer of tyrants. When people are connected to each other, and to all the information in the world, how could any dictator keep them down?

In the 2000s, Silicon Valley and its world-changing inventions were a source of pride and excitement in America. Smart and ambitious young people around the world wanted to move to the West Coast to be part of the digital revolution. Tech-company founders such as Steve Jobs and Sergey Brin were lauded as gods, or at least as modern Prometheans, bringing humans godlike powers. The Arab Spring bloomed in 2011 with the help of decentralized social platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. When pundits and entrepreneurs talked about the power of social media to transform society, it didn’t sound like a dark prophecy.

You have to put yourself back in this heady time to understand why adults acquiesced so readily to the rapid transformation of childhood. Many parents had concerns, even then, about what their children were doing online, especially because of the internet’s ability to put children in contact with strangers. But there was also a lot of excitement about the upsides of this new digital world. If computers and the internet were the vanguards of progress, and if young people––widely referred to as “digital natives”––were going to live their lives entwined with these technologies, then why not give them a head start? I remember how exciting it was to see my 2-year-old son master the touch-and-swipe interface of my first iPhone in 2008. I thought I could see his neurons being woven together faster as a result of the stimulation it brought to his brain, compared to the passivity of watching television or the slowness of building a block tower. I thought I could see his future job prospects improving.

Touchscreen devices were also a godsend for harried parents. Many of us discovered that we could have peace at a restaurant, on a long car trip, or at home while making dinner or replying to emails if we just gave our children what they most wanted: our smartphones and tablets. We saw that everyone else was doing it and figured it must be okay.

It was the same for older children, desperate to join their friends on social-media platforms, where the minimum age to open an account was set by law to 13, even though no research had been done to establish the safety of these products for minors. Because the platforms did nothing (and still do nothing) to verify the stated age of new-account applicants, any 10-year-old could open multiple accounts without parental permission or knowledge, and many did. Facebook and later Instagram became places where many sixth and seventh graders were hanging out and socializing. If parents did find out about these accounts, it was too late. Nobody wanted their child to be isolated and alone, so parents rarely forced their children to shut down their accounts.

We had no idea what we were doing.

4. The High Cost of a Phone-Based Childhood

In Walden, his 1854 reflection on simple living, Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The cost of a thing is the amount of … life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.” It’s an elegant formulation of what economists would later call the opportunity cost of any choice—all of the things you can no longer do with your money and time once you’ve committed them to something else. So it’s important that we grasp just how much of a young person’s day is now taken up by their devices.

The numbers are hard to believe. The most recent Gallup data show that American teens spend about five hours a day just on social-media platforms (including watching videos on TikTok and YouTube). Add in all the other phone- and screen-based activities, and the number rises to somewhere between seven and nine hours a day, on average. The numbers are even higher in single-parent and low-income families, and among Black, Hispanic, and Native American families.

In Thoreau’s terms, how much of life is exchanged for all this screen time? Arguably, most of it. Everything else in an adolescent’s day must get squeezed down or eliminated entirely to make room for the vast amount of content that is consumed, and for the hundreds of “friends,” “followers,” and other network connections that must be serviced with texts, posts, comments, likes, snaps, and direct messages. I recently surveyed my students at NYU, and most of them reported that the very first thing they do when they open their eyes in the morning is check their texts, direct messages, and social-media feeds. It’s also the last thing they do before they close their eyes at night. And it’s a lot of what they do in between.

The amount of time that adolescents spend sleeping declined in the early 2010s, and many studies tie sleep loss directly to the use of devices around bedtime, particularly when they’re used to scroll through social media. Exercise declined, too, which is unfortunate because exercise, like sleep, improves both mental and physical health. Book reading has been declining for decades, pushed aside by digital alternatives, but the decline, like so much else, sped up in the early 2010s. With passive entertainment always available, adolescent minds likely wander less than they used to; contemplation and imagination might be placed on the list of things winnowed down or crowded out.

But perhaps the most devastating cost of the new phone-based childhood was the collapse of time spent interacting with other people face-to-face. A study of how Americans spend their time found that, before 2010, young people (ages 15 to 24) reported spending far more time with their friends (about two hours a day, on average, not counting time together at school) than did older people (who spent just 30 to 60 minutes with friends). Time with friends began decreasing for young people in the 2000s, but the drop accelerated in the 2010s, while it barely changed for older people. By 2019, young people’s time with friends had dropped to just 67 minutes a day. It turns out that Gen Z had been socially distancing for many years and had mostly completed the project by the time COVID-19 struck.

You might question the importance of this decline. After all, isn’t much of this online time spent interacting with friends through texting, social media, and multiplayer video games? Isn’t that just as good?

Some of it surely is, and virtual interactions offer unique benefits too, especially for young people who are geographically or socially isolated. But in general, the virtual world lacks many of the features that make human interactions in the real world nutritious, as we might say, for physical, social, and emotional development. In particular, real-world relationships and social interactions are characterized by four features—typical for hundreds of thousands of years—that online interactions either distort or erase.

First, real-world interactions are embodied, meaning that we use our hands and facial expressions to communicate, and we learn to respond to the body language of others. Virtual interactions, in contrast, mostly rely on language alone. No matter how many emojis are offered as compensation, the elimination of communication channels for which we have eons of evolutionary programming is likely to produce adults who are less comfortable and less skilled at interacting in person.

Second, real-world interactions are synchronous; they happen at the same time. As a result, we learn subtle cues about timing and conversational turn taking. Synchronous interactions make us feel closer to the other person because that’s what getting “in sync” does. Texts, posts, and many other virtual interactions lack synchrony. There is less real laughter, more room for misinterpretation, and more stress after a comment that gets no immediate response.

Third, real-world interactions primarily involve one‐to‐one communication, or sometimes one-to-several. But many virtual communications are broadcast to a potentially huge audience. Online, each person can engage in dozens of asynchronous interactions in parallel, which interferes with the depth achieved in all of them. The sender’s motivations are different, too: With a large audience, one’s reputation is always on the line; an error or poor performance can damage social standing with large numbers of peers. These communications thus tend to be more performative and anxiety-inducing than one-to-one conversations.

Finally, real-world interactions usually take place within communities that have a high bar for entry and exit, so people are strongly motivated to invest in relationships and repair rifts when they happen. But in many virtual networks, people can easily block others or quit when they are displeased. Relationships within such networks are usually more disposable.

These unsatisfying and anxiety-producing features of life online should be recognizable to most adults. Online interactions can bring out antisocial behavior that people would never display in their offline communities. But if life online takes a toll on adults, just imagine what it does to adolescents in the early years of puberty, when their “experience expectant” brains are rewiring based on feedback from their social interactions.

Kids going through puberty online are likely to experience far more social comparison, self-consciousness, public shaming, and chronic anxiety than adolescents in previous generations, which could potentially set developing brains into a habitual state of defensiveness. The brain contains systems that are specialized for approach (when opportunities beckon) and withdrawal (when threats appear or seem likely). People can be in what we might call “discover mode” or “defend mode” at any moment, but generally not both. The two systems together form a mechanism for quickly adapting to changing conditions, like a thermostat that can activate either a heating system or a cooling system as the temperature fluctuates. Some people’s internal thermostats are generally set to discover mode, and they flip into defend mode only when clear threats arise. These people tend to see the world as full of opportunities. They are happier and less anxious. Other people’s internal thermostats are generally set to defend mode, and they flip into discover mode only when they feel unusually safe. They tend to see the world as full of threats and are more prone to anxiety and depressive disorders.

A simple way to understand the differences between Gen Z and previous generations is that people born in and after 1996 have internal thermostats that were shifted toward defend mode. This is why life on college campuses changed so suddenly when Gen Z arrived, beginning around 2014. Students began requesting “safe spaces” and trigger warnings. They were highly sensitive to “microaggressions” and sometimes claimed that words were “violence.” These trends mystified those of us in older generations at the time, but in hindsight, it all makes sense. Gen Z students found words, ideas, and ambiguous social encounters more threatening than had previous generations of students because we had fundamentally altered their psychological development.

5. So Many Harms

The debate around adolescents’ use of smartphones and social media typically revolves around mental health, and understandably so. But the harms that have resulted from transforming childhood so suddenly and heedlessly go far beyondmental health. I’ve touched on some of them—social awkwardness, reduced self-confidence, and a more sedentary childhood. Here are three additional harms.

Fragmented Attention, Disrupted Learning

Staying on task while sitting at a computer is hard enough for an adult with a fully developed prefrontal cortex. It is far more difficult for adolescents in front of their laptop trying to do homework. They are probably less intrinsically motivated to stay on task. They’re certainly less able, given their undeveloped prefrontal cortex, and hence it’s easy for any company with an app to lure them away with an offer of social validation or entertainment. Their phones are pinging constantly—one study found that the typical adolescent now gets 237 notifications a day, roughly 15 every waking hour. Sustained attention is essential for doing almost anything big, creative, or valuable, yet young people find their attention chopped up into little bits by notifications offering the possibility of high-pleasure, low-effort digital experiences.

It even happens in the classroom. Studies confirm that when students have access to their phones during class time, they use them, especially for texting and checking social media, and their grades and learning suffer. This might explain why benchmark test scores began to decline in the U.S. and around the world in the early 2010s—well before the pandemic hit.

Addiction and Social Withdrawal

The neural basis of behavioral addiction to social media or video games is not exactly the same as chemical addiction to cocaine or opioids. Nonetheless, they all involve abnormally heavy and sustained activation of dopamine neurons and reward pathways. Over time, the brain adapts to these high levels of dopamine; when the child is not engaged in digital activity, their brain doesn’t have enough dopamine, and the child experiences withdrawal symptoms. These generally include anxiety, insomnia, and intense irritability. Kids with these kinds of behavioral addictions often become surly and aggressive, and withdraw from their families into their bedrooms and devices.

Social-media and gaming platforms were designed to hook users. How successful are they? How many kids suffer from digital addictions?

The main addiction risks for boys seem to be video games and porn. “Internet gaming disorder,” which was added to the main diagnosis manual of psychiatry in 2013 as a condition for further study, describes “significant impairment or distress” in several aspects of life, along with many hallmarks of addiction, including an inability to reduce usage despite attempts to do so. Estimates for the prevalence of IGD range from 7 to 15 percent among adolescent boys and young men. As for porn, a nationally representative survey of American adults published in 2019 found that 7 percent of American men agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “I am addicted to pornography”—and the rates were higher for the youngest men.

Girls have much lower rates of addiction to video games and porn, but they use social media more intensely than boys do. A study of teens in 29 nations found that between 5 and 15 percent of adolescents engage in what is called “problematic social media use,” which includes symptoms such as preoccupation, withdrawal symptoms, neglect of other areas of life, and lying to parents and friends about time spent on social media. That study did not break down results by gender, but many others have found that rates of “problematic use” are higher for girls.

I don’t want to overstate the risks: Most teens do not become addicted to their phones and video games. But across multiple studies and across genders, rates of problematic use come out in the ballpark of 5 to 15 percent. Is there any other consumer product that parents would let their children use relatively freely if they knew that something like one in 10 kids would end up with a pattern of habitual and compulsive use that disrupted various domains of life and looked a lot like an addiction?

The Decay of Wisdom and the Loss of Meaning

During that crucial sensitive period for cultural learning, from roughly ages 9 through 15, we should be especially thoughtful about who is socializing our children for adulthood. Instead, that’s when most kids get their first smartphone and sign themselves up (with or without parental permission) to consume rivers of content from random strangers. Much of that content is produced by other adolescents, in blocks of a few minutes or a few seconds.

This rerouting of enculturating content has created a generation that is largely cut off from older generations and, to some extent, from the accumulated wisdom of humankind, including knowledge about how to live a flourishing life. Adolescents spend less time steeped in their local or national culture. They are coming of age in a confusing, placeless, ahistorical maelstrom of 30-second stories curated by algorithms designed to mesmerize them. Without solid knowledge of the past and the filtering of good ideas from bad––a process that plays out over many generations––young people will be more prone to believe whatever terrible ideas become popular around them, which might explain why videos showing young people reacting positively to Osama bin Laden’s thoughts about America were trending on TikTok last fall.

All this is made worse by the fact that so much of digital public life is an unending supply of micro dramas about somebody somewhere in our country of 340 million people who did something that can fuel an outrage cycle, only to be pushed aside by the next. It doesn’t add up to anything and leaves behind only a distorted sense of human nature and affairs.

When our public life becomes fragmented, ephemeral, and incomprehensible, it is a recipe for anomie, or normlessness. The great French sociologist Émile Durkheim showed long ago that a society that fails to bind its people together with some shared sense of sacredness and common respect for rules and norms is not a society of great individual freedom; it is, rather, a place where disoriented individuals have difficulty setting goals and exerting themselves to achieve them. Durkheim argued that anomie was a major driver of suicide rates in European countries. Modern scholars continue to draw on his work to understand suicide rates today.

Durkheim’s observations are crucial for understanding what happened in the early 2010s. A long-running survey of American teens found that, from 1990 to 2010, high-school seniors became slightly less likely to agree with statements such as “Life often feels meaningless.” But as soon as they adopted a phone-based life and many began to live in the whirlpool of social media, where no stability can be found, every measure of despair increased. From 2010 to 2019, the number who agreed that their lives felt “meaningless” increased by about 70 percent, to more than one in five.

6. Young People Don’t Like Their Phone-Based Lives

How can I be confident that the epidemic of adolescent mental illness was kicked off by the arrival of the phone-based childhood? Skeptics point to other events as possible culprits, including the 2008 global financial crisis, global warming, the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting and the subsequent active-shooter drills, rising academic pressures, and the opioid epidemic. But while these events might have been contributing factors in some countries, none can explain both the timing and international scope of the disaster.

An additional source of evidence comes from Gen Z itself. With all the talk of regulating social media, raising age limits, and getting phones out of schools, you might expect to find many members of Gen Z writing and speaking out in opposition. I’ve looked for such arguments and found hardly any. In contrast, many young adults tell stories of devastation.

Freya India, a 24-year-old British essayist who writes about girls, explains how social-media sites carry girls off to unhealthy places: “It seems like your child is simply watching some makeup tutorials, following some mental health influencers, or experimenting with their identity. But let me tell you: they are on a conveyor belt to someplace bad. Whatever insecurity or vulnerability they are struggling with, they will be pushed further and further into it.” She continues:

Gen Z were the guinea pigs in this uncontrolled global social experiment. We were the first to have our vulnerabilities and insecurities fed into a machine that magnified and refracted them back at us, all the time, before we had any sense of who we were. We didn’t just grow up with algorithms. They raised us. They rearranged our faces. Shaped our identities. Convinced us we were sick.

Rikki Schlott, a 23-year-old American journalist and co-author of The Canceling of the American Mind, writes,

"The day-to-day life of a typical teen or tween today would be unrecognizable to someone who came of age before the smartphone arrived. Zoomers are spending an average of 9 hours daily in this screen-time doom loop—desperate to forget the gaping holes they’re bleeding out of, even if just for … 9 hours a day. Uncomfortable silence could be time to ponder why they’re so miserable in the first place. Drowning it out with algorithmic white noise is far easier."

A 27-year-old man who spent his adolescent years addicted (his word) to video games and pornography sent me this reflection on what that did to him:

I missed out on a lot of stuff in life—a lot of socialization. I feel the effects now: meeting new people, talking to people. I feel that my interactions are not as smooth and fluid as I want. My knowledge of the world (geography, politics, etc.) is lacking. I didn’t spend time having conversations or learning about sports. I often feel like a hollow operating system.

Or consider what Facebook found in a research project involving focus groups of young people, revealed in 2021 by the whistleblower Frances Haugen: “Teens blame Instagram for increases in the rates of anxiety and depression among teens,” an internal document said. “This reaction was unprompted and consistent across all groups.”

7. Collective-Action Problems

Social-media companies such as Meta, TikTok, and Snap are often compared to tobacco companies, but that’s not really fair to the tobacco industry. It’s true that companies in both industries marketed harmful products to children and tweaked their products for maximum customer retention (that is, addiction), but there’s a big difference: Teens could and did choose, in large numbers, not to smoke. Even at the peak of teen cigarette use, in 1997, nearly two-thirds of high-school students did not smoke.

Social media, in contrast, applies a lot more pressure on nonusers, at a much younger age and in a more insidious way. Once a few students in any middle school lie about their age and open accounts at age 11 or 12, they start posting photos and comments about themselves and other students. Drama ensues. The pressure on everyone else to join becomes intense. Even a girl who knows, consciously, that Instagram can foster beauty obsession, anxiety, and eating disorders might sooner take those risks than accept the seeming certainty of being out of the loop, clueless, and excluded. And indeed, if she resists while most of her classmates do not, she might, in fact, be marginalized, which puts her at risk for anxiety and depression, though via a different pathway than the one taken by those who use social media heavily. In this way, social media accomplishes a remarkable feat: It even harms adolescents who do not use it.

A recent study led by the University of Chicago economist Leonardo Bursztyn captured the dynamics of the social-media trap precisely. The researchers recruited more than 1,000 college students and asked them how much they’d need to be paid to deactivate their accounts on either Instagram or TikTok for four weeks. That’s a standard economist’s question to try to compute the net value of a product to society. On average, students said they’d need to be paid roughly $50 ($59 for TikTok, $47 for Instagram) to deactivate whichever platform they were asked about. Then the experimenters told the students that they were going to try to get most of the others in their school to deactivate that same platform, offering to pay them to do so as well, and asked, Now how much would you have to be paid to deactivate, if most others did so? The answer, on average, was less than zero. In each case, most students were willing to pay to have that happen.

Social media is all about network effects. Most students are only on it because everyone else is too. Most of them would prefer that nobody be on these platforms. Later in the study, students were asked directly, “Would you prefer to live in a world without Instagram [or TikTok]?” A majority of students said yes––58 percent for each app.

This is the textbook definition of what social scientists call a collective-action problem. It’s what happens when a group would be better off if everyone in the group took a particular action, but each actor is deterred from acting, because unless the others do the same, the personal cost outweighs the benefit. Fishermen considering limiting their catch to avoid wiping out the local fish population are caught in this same kind of trap. If no one else does it too, they just lose profit.

Cigarettes trapped individual smokers with a biological addiction. Social media has trapped an entire generation in a collective-action problem. Early app developers deliberately and knowingly exploited the psychological weaknesses and insecurities of young people to pressure them to consume a product that, upon reflection, many wish they could use less, or not at all.

8. Four Norms to Break Four Traps

Young people and their parents are stuck in at least four collective-action traps. Each is hard to escape for an individual family, but escape becomes much easier if families, schools, and communities coordinate and act together. Here are four norms that would roll back the phone-based childhood. I believe that any community that adopts all four will see substantial improvements in youth mental health within two years.

No smartphones before high school

The trap here is that each child thinks they need a smartphone because “everyone else” has one, and many parents give in because they don’t want their child to feel excluded. But if no one else had a smartphone—or even if, say, only half of the child’s sixth-grade class had one—parents would feel more comfortable providing a basic flip phone (or no phone at all). Delaying round-the-clock internet access until ninth grade (around age 14) as a national or community norm would help to protect adolescents during the very vulnerable first few years of puberty. According to a 2022 British study, these are the years when social-media use is most correlated with poor mental health. Family policies about tablets, laptops, and video-game consoles should be aligned with smartphone restrictions to prevent overuse of other screen activities.

No social media before 16

The trap here, as with smartphones, is that each adolescent feels a strong need to open accounts on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and other platforms primarily because that’s where most of their peers are posting and gossiping. But if the majority of adolescents were not on these accounts until they were 16, families and adolescents could more easily resist the pressure to sign up. The delay would not mean that kids younger than 16 could never watch videos on TikTok or YouTube—only that they could not open accounts, give away their data, post their own content, and let algorithms get to know them and their preferences.

Phone‐free schools

Most schools claim that they ban phones, but this usually just means that students aren’t supposed to take their phone out of their pocket during class. Research shows that most students do use their phones during class time. They also use them during lunchtime, free periods, and breaks between classes––times when students could and should be interacting with their classmates face-to-face. The only way to get students’ minds off their phones during the school day is to require all students to put their phones (and other devices that can send or receive texts) into a phone locker or locked pouch at the start of the day. Schools that have gone phone-free always seem to report that it has improved the culture, making students more attentive in class and more interactive with one another. Published studies back them up.

More independence, free play, and responsibility in the real world

Many parents are afraid to give their children the level of independence and responsibility they themselves enjoyed when they were young, even though rates of homicide, drunk driving, and other physical threats to children are way down in recent decades. Part of the fear comes from the fact that parents look at each other to determine what is normal and therefore safe, and they see few examples of families acting as if a 9-year-old can be trusted to walk to a store without a chaperone. But if many parents started sending their children out to play or run errands, then the norms of what is safe and accepted would change quickly. So would ideas about what constitutes “good parenting.” And if more parents trusted their children with more responsibility––for example, by asking their kids to do more to help out, or to care for others––then the pervasive sense of uselessness now found in surveys of high-school students might begin to dissipate.

It would be a mistake to overlook this fourth norm. If parents don’t replace screen time with real-world experiences involving friends and independent activity, then banning devices will feel like deprivation, not the opening up of a world of opportunities.

The main reason why the phone-based childhood is so harmful is because it pushes aside everything else. Smartphones are experience blockers. Our ultimate goal should not be to remove screens entirely, nor should it be to return childhood to exactly the way it was in 1960. Rather, it should be to create a version of childhood and adolescence that keeps young people anchored in the real world while flourishing in the digital age.

9. What Are We Waiting For?

An essential function of government is to solve collective-action problems. Congress could solve or help solve the ones I’ve highlighted—for instance, by raising the age of “internet adulthood” to 16 and requiring tech companies to keep underage children off their sites.

In recent decades, however, Congress has not been good at addressing public concerns when the solutions would displease a powerful and deep-pocketed industry. Governors and state legislators have been much more effective, and their successes might let us evaluate how well various reforms work. But the bottom line is that to change norms, we’re going to need to do most of the work ourselves, in neighborhood groups, schools, and other communities.

There are now hundreds of organizations––most of them started by mothers who saw what smartphones had done to their children––that are working to roll back the phone-based childhood or promote a more independent, real-world childhood. (I have assembled a list of many of them.) One that I co-founded, at LetGrow.org, suggests a variety of simple programs for parents or schools, such as play club (schools keep the playground open at least one day a week before or after school, and kids sign up for phone-free, mixed-age, unstructured play as a regular weekly activity) and the Let Grow Experience (a series of homework assignments in which students––with their parents’ consent––choose something to do on their own that they’ve never done before, such as walk the dog, climb a tree, walk to a store, or cook dinner).

Parents are fed up with what childhood has become. Many are tired of having daily arguments about technologies that were designed to grab hold of their children’s attention and not let go. But the phone-based childhood is not inevitable.

The four norms I have proposed cost almost nothing to implement, they cause no clear harm to anyone, and while they could be supported by new legislation, they can be instilled even without it. We can begin implementing all of them right away, this year, especially in communities with good cooperation between schools and parents. A single memo from a principal asking parents to delay smartphones and social media, in support of the school’s effort to improve mental health by going phone free, would catalyze collective action and reset the community’s norms.

We didn’t know what we were doing in the early 2010s. Now we do. It’s time to end the phone-based childhood.

This article is adapted from Jonathan Haidt’s forthcoming book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.

#phones are bad #childhood

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aannonn · 9 months ago

Text

⭑.ᐟ˚⭐彡 // bold text , strong colors , spoilers

A TLDR about the podcast for those who don't really want to watch the whole 1 hour and a half video !! :> ( I had posted it here before but I deleted it cause I wanted to wait a bit until I finally 'completed' it (technically speaking 'cause I'm only really making a TLDR at what my brain stuck onto or else I may get burnout. (っ °Д °;)っ) so I wouldn't have to edit this post every time . . lol ... feel free to add anything else in the reblogs/notes though !! ^ _ ^ )

The Most Successful Stick Animator in the WORLD Ft. Alan Becker - Dojocast Ep.6

。─ ⭐ Animation vs. Animator/Minecraft Stuff !!

° . They have been working on AvA 11 for over a year ;; 20 minutes long ;; Probably the biggest one they have ever worked on ;; They are doing their best to push it as early as they can , possibly around early december or even late november // { 54:07 }

° . They have a Minecraft Short being worked on about BedWars ;; This one's been really complicated since they are using real Minecraft acting with stickfigures // { 54:56 }

° . Next thing coming up is a Three-Part series about Green ;; It's a surprise. lol // { 55:40 }

° . AvA is going to be atleast Three seasons ;; As long as AvA and Minecraft are popular they are gonna keep going // { 57:08 }

° . King Orange used to be King Gray for a long time ;; Alan was considering to make him a light purple for a while // { 58:10 }

° . Alan's favorite is The Second Coming // { 1:06:36 }

° . Alan had different ideas for the 'fight scene in the box // { 1:19:29 }

° . Animator vs. Animation was originally supposed to be a trilogy ;; At the end of AvA3, everyone was supposed to die ;; His senior year college Teacher, who knew about his animations, gave him the idea to continue the series // { 16:45 }

。─ ⭐ Alan Becker's Production Team & Other Stuff !!

° . Alan's biggest inspiration was his lead animator; Terkoiz = The same one who worked on AvPhysics // { 1:00:07 }

° . Alan is the lead creative ; Hatena is the line producer ; There are three project leads = One takes care of AvA , One takes care of AvM , One takes care of Everything Else ; The animators are not segmented into only a certain series , they work on everything based on their skill set ; Also a Production Assistant that helps Hatena takes notes // { 1:02:34 }

° . An advice for any animators struggling to break into the industry/studios be it Indie or major ones : TLDR: The best thing you can do as an Independent artist is post your work as much as you can, and eventually opportunities will land and you have to take them as they come. You have to put yourself out there; Get yourself into as many doors as possible, and just get to know everyone. // { 1:07:29 }

° . They got inspiration from BoxOfCrayons' Voices Plus Faces !! // { 1:15:27 }

° . Alan made Animation vs. Animator 1-4 completely on his own. ;; Animation vs. Minecraft was when he decided to experiment in having a team of animators, and he did it with the diamond armour as it was an extremely tedious process (he taught 5 animators to do that). ;; in Animation vs. Youtube, Stone and Oxob were the first two animators he trusted to animate stickfigures. // { 27:45 }

° . ABTV is basically a loop compilation of all the AvA/M videos they ever made ;; They are trying to make it fun by adding little transitions between the episodes like "you're watching ABTV !! ^0^" ;; Eventually it'll get to every single transition between episodes; Is unique // { 48:44 }

#Obun #ava #avm #animation vs animator #animator vs animation #animation vs minecraft #alan becker #have a good day/afternoon/evening/night !!! <3

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yuurei20 · 7 months ago

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For the radio station video with Vil, Rook, and Epel's VAs, would you possibly be willing to post a transcript/translation? I tried to watch it but it is not available in my country :( is there somewhere else I would be able to watch it? I am struggling to find it, very sorry if this is a bother!!

Hello hello!! Certainly! 🥳 Here is a summarized transcript!

0:00 - 2:18

Begins with the voice cast introducing themselves! Vil’s Aiba (👑), Epel’s Tsuchiya (🍎) and Rook’s Itokawa (🏹) all say “Pom pom!” after their self introductions, confusing Deuce’s Kobayashi (♠️).

🍎 explains that himself and 👑 came up with "Pom pom" during their video together introducing the Twst Exhibition (since removed from YouTube) but 👑 says that 🍎 just suddenly started doing it. The group also did it together during Twst Fes, and decide it is basically official now (there is a hand gesture, too), encouraging others to do it as well.

2:19 - 3:34

♠️ points out that 👑 was on the show in February, appearing as a special guest in an episode hosted by Jack’s Ban, so this is his second time this year while it is 🍎 and 🏹's first time appearing.

♠️ asks if 🍎 and 🏹 have appeared together representing Twst since Twst Fes in 2023 and they say no, they haven’t met since Twst Fes. They say they don’t really overlap despite how all three Pomefiore members are active in musical theater, none of them meeting since Twst Fes.

(Left to right: Epel's Tsuchiya, Vil's Aiba, Rook's Itokawa at Twst Fes)

3:35 - 6:22

The “opening talk” segment of the show! This is a recurring segment where the host/guests of the episode answer a question that was asked by the host/guests of the previous episode.

This month’s question, set by Ruggie’s Ichikawa (🍩), Idia’s Uchiyama (💀) and Ortho’s Aoi (🤖), is: “Are you the type to plan out details in advance when you take a trip, or the type to just go with the flow once you arrive?” 🍩 said last month he is the type to make plans, while 💀and 🤖 both said they prefer going with someone else who has made plans.

👑 says he likes traveling, 🏹 says that 🍎 seems like he enjoys to travel and 🍎 says yes, he will shortly be taking a trip to Mt. Fuji.

🍎 says he makes plans, but just checking things off a list is boring, so after arriving in a place he will prioritize the things he is most interested in.

♠️ says he is the same: he will decide to travel to Osaka, for example, but not decide where he will have dinner in advance, preferring to set a vague plan involving places he wants to go and then going with the flow.

👑 says that if he is traveling with someone who wants to make the decisions of what to do on a trip, he will gladly follow along and leave it to them.

🏹 says that he is the type that likes to make restaurant reservations in advance. He doesn’t like situations like arriving at a restaurant, being turned away because they're full, then going to another restaurant and getting turned away again, etc. He doesn’t like waiting in lines. He says he is willing to wait up to 9 minutes but that is his limit. 🍎 asks if he is never late anywhere and 🏹 says he can’t handle being late. If he is meeting a friend somewhere and his friend is running late, he’ll get annoyed.

🍎: “I’ll take note of that.”

6:23 - 10:48

Time for the letter segment! This is also a recurring segment for Twst radio, where they read aloud letters from fans and answer their questions. The first letter-writer says they are a Vil oshi, and they like how he is so unshakeable in his convictions and demands. They ask if the host/guests have anything like that.

👑 says he might not have any. ♠️ rephrases the question, asking if maybe they have things that they absolutely must have with them when they stay overnight in hotels or go on trips, for example. 👑 says he is impressed by how Vil is so unmovable on certain things, but he is the exact opposite. He does not have any fixed routines and is flexible.

🍎 says that his biggest demand for himself might be to not make any demands, and that he wants to be flexible at all times.

🏹 says that as a theater actor he has to be able to adapt to new situations and people all the time, so his only unshakeable point is time management. He and his manager were stressing today, getting stuck in traffic and thinking they might be late.

♠️ suspects there may be more if they dig deeper and asks if 🏹 is okay with people borrowing his things without asking, like in dressing rooms. 🏹 says that has happened to him before and it made him really mad.

10:49 - 14:40

🍎 reads the next letter, asking about memories that the cast have from culture fairs at school.

🏹 says he was a class leader in his third year of high school, and that is his strongest memory: getting his classmates all together and working out what they would do for the culture fair and what their strategies would be for the sports festival. He says he just thought of another memory: at his school the third-year students would hold what they called “pageants,” which were like skits, and his class did the theme of “What if Snow White and Cinderella switched places?,” and he played the role of Cinderella. ♠️ comments that he was predestined for Twst.

👑 says at his school people would come together in the gym during the culture festival for something of a talent show, with each class showing what they could do. His class created a haunted house for the festival but their talent show entry was a dance, and he was both one of the four dancers and the choreographer. 🍎 calls him Vil-sama.

🍎 says his class also did a haunted house, but he’d thought it sounded boring to be one of the monsters or someone on the inside so he took the role that no one wanted: being in charge of the reception desk, making sure people lined up properly, etc. He would talk to people in line about where they came from, whose family they were, etc., and enjoyed the communication.

♠️ says he was in a band in high school, and they performed in the gym for the culture fair, with him on vocals and guitar.

14:41 - 18:03

🏹 reads the last letter, where someone asks if there is a place they absolutely want to visit, or something they absolutely want to be able to experience at some point in their life.

♠️ says he wants to see the northern lights. He has a friend who was able to see them, and told him that if you go in Alaska you are able to ride a sled pulled by sled dogs.

🍎 says he wants to climb Mt. Fuji.

🏹 says he loves basketball, so he would like to be able to watch a basketball match at the olympics where Japan is competing. That is his dream.

👑 says he wants to spend the New Year in Hawaii someday, like celebrities do. ♠️ says the three should all go to Hawaii together. 🏹says he’ll be the timekeeper.

18:04 - 37:28

Next segment is discussing Pomefiore.

1) Impressions of Vil

🍎 Vil-sama is beautiful. You have to do what he says.

♠️ That’s not Epel speaking, it’s you?

🍎 It is great how different he is from Aiba (Vil’s VA).

👑 Vil is very serious about beauty, has a high level of professionalism, there are a lot of things that can be learned from him, like lifestyle. 👑 says that he understands Vil’s seriousness about his job. He is strict to others, which his VA says he is not, but says he wants to learn from Vil’s good points and improve as an actor.

2) Impressions of Epel

🍎 says that Epel’s cuteness level has increased for him during the game, and he thinks he has become cuter, too, as a result.

♠️ Don’t say that about yourself!

👑 says his initial impression was of how cute Epel is, and he is so small, and he likes the difference between his appearance and how he is inside.

🏹 says that Epel is the Twst character with whom he empathizes the most, as he is also on the small side but wants to be viewed as strong.

3) Impressions of Rook

🍎 says he couldn’t figure Rook out at first, but now he sees him as a very deep character. And he finds it curious that Rook is voiced by Itokawa. ♠️ agrees, saying that he can see 🍎 and 👑 voicing Epel and Vil, but he can’t imagine 🏹 voicing Rook.

👑 says he thinks Rook is odd, and his otaku side is interesting, and he has a lot of depth. We still do not know the true Rook, and it seems like there is more to see.

🏹 agrees that he is odd and difficult to read, you cannot tell what he is thinking, and that’s what makes him fun to voice, like a jack in the box.

4) About voicing Vil

👑 says he is difficult to voice and he struggles every time. Despite how much voice work he’s done by now when he does new recordings for Vil it is always a storm of retakes. Vil has a lot of nuance, and 👑 says he hasn’t managed to pin down exactly what is the perfect Vil voice yet. And the character is always evolving so he is always practicing a lot, and it is very difficult.

⚠️Book 7 Spoilers⚠️

♠️ asks about the newest chapter of the main story.

👑 says he portrayed Vil with a worse personality and an even stronger attachment to beauty, increasing his desires.

⚠️Spoilers End⚠️

5) About voicing Epel

🍎 says that his approach for Epel has evolved as the character has grown in things like events. The foundation at the start was the awkwardness of Epel's situation with his being forced into a cute role that he didn’t fit and didn’t want. 🍎’s focus was on portraying Epel's discomfort. As the game progresses in events and things Epel's character is developing more depth. While cuteness is still his core trait it is becoming more nuanced with fewer instances of Epel breaking character. This gradual change involves 🍎 refining his portrayal, moving from having to emphasize Epel’s awkwardness to exploring more depth while still retaining his charm.

♠️ asks if 🍎 struggled with Epel’s accent at first and 🍎 says he didn’t, as he just went along with his own original dialect. There were some difficult parts sometimes but now he thinks he has gotten used to it.

⚠️Book 7 Spoilers⚠️

🏹 mentions Epel’s appearance in Book 7 and 🍎 says that that was a bit of a struggle to record. There is a line where Epel says one of Vil’s lines from Book 5, which has become a popular point with fans. 🍎says that at first he said it just naturally as Epel would, but staff asked him to say it like Vil does, and he realized how difficult it is to portray Vil. He said in that moment he realized he will never become Vil.

⚠️Spoilers End⚠️

6) About voicing Rook

🏹 says he has finally gotten used to voicing Rook. He struggled with Rook’s long monologues as he couldn’t figure out when to take breaths, but now he has finally come to think of Rook as 100% fun to voice.

⚠️Book 7 Spoilers⚠️

🏹 says the Book 7 recording was very fun. ♠️ asks if voicing Rook when he is speaking quickly isn’t difficult, and 🏹 says it was, and he kept overdoing it. He says he was able to hear the sound production staff laughing.

⚠️Spoilers End⚠️

7) About the Main Story

Book 5: 🍎 says he was uncertain how loud he was meant to go for Epel’s yelling scenes. The staff prepared a volume gauge for him as a guide for how loud he needed to go to match how loud ♠️ had gone, as they needed to be at the same level.

He had been worried that ♠️ would have had more power in his yelling. ♠️ says that they recorded separately, but there were instances where they were able to listen to recordings of each other’s voices as they recorded themselves.

Book 6: On Vil becoming old at the end, ♠️ brings up how 👑 shared during Twst Fes that he recorded two versions for Vil, one with a female voice and one with a male voice. He says that everyone in the studio laughed at his female-voice version of Vil and he thought he’d done well, but then they used the male voice in the game.

⚠️Book 7 Spoilers⚠️

Book 7: 👑 says that dream Epel made him laugh. ♠️ says that 🍎 has gotten more muscled and 🍎 says that no, he has just gained weight. ♠️ says that since 🍎 has such a cute face, if he works out a lot he might turn into dream Epel.

⚠️Spoilers End⚠️

37:29 - 40:06

A recurring segment where they review a schedule of upcoming events. The announcements of the Nightmare Before Christmas event, Jack’s Birthday, Trey’s birthday.

40:07 - 44:34

Review of the episode: everyone says they had fun and thank you, etc.

They set the “opening talk” for the next episode as “Halloween memories.” 🍎 says he has one as an example: when he was in high school it was about 5 years before Halloween started to become popular in Japan, and he and his friends dressed up and went to Shibuya to hang out, a tradition that became so popular that it was banned in 2023 due to safety concerns. ♠️ says that 🍎 must have been the founder of the tradition.

#twstask #twisted wonderland #twstradio

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