#like i 'knew' them. but i didn't KNOW them. i didn't internalize.

[novelconcepts]

While I'm out here dropping unasked-for advice, another one:

Teach yourself how to feel proud of other people instead of disappointed in yourself. It seems like such a small brain shake-up, but learning how to be excited for other people's successes is so much healthier than berating yourself for being "behind" or "failing" in comparison.

[flemingology]

blurb request! a soft one where leah comes home from international break and spends the evening with r. maybe then have a cute movie night with pizza and cuddle on the sofa with a blanket draped over them? just overall cutesy and lovey dovey haha 💗

home is where you are ─ leah williamson x reader

in which: leah and you reunite after the international break

warnings: none

wc: 1.3k

Leah loved playing for England. She loved putting the shirt on, feeling the weight of the badge on her chest, wearing the captain's armband with pride. She loved winning with England. Whether that was a useless friendly, a Nations League group stage game or a major tournament, Leah was addicted to winning. But the thing that Leah loved most about her international breaks, was the prospect of coming back home to you after being away for the best part of two weeks.

The weight of what had been a grueling 14 days rest heavily on her shoulders. Sarina upped the intensity in training off the back of what had been a disappointing camp back in November. Leah wasn't one to shy away from training hard, but it had taken its toll on her body. It was the first time since her ACL injury that the England captain had played a good, consecutive run of games and she was starting to feel the consequences. She was happy, beyond happy, that her body finally felt like it had before her surgery. No more setbacks, no niggles, just her body, her knee and herself working back towards the level she was at before the dreaded injury.

Leah was lost in thought as she expertly navigated the streets of your neighborhood, her limbs aching more with each turn she took, as if her body knew that she was nearing home with each passing minute. She parked the car in the driveway and exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding in as she saw your car was there too. You had your own international break to attend, traveling to Spain for your own camp, so she was relieved to find out you'd made it home safely. You hadn't really texted today, the both of you caught up in traveling home, too busy thinking about the prospect of being in each other's arms again at night.

The defender took her bags out of the trunk and locked her car behind her, crossing the driveway to the front door in a quick few strides. Leah knocked on the door, not finding the energy in her to fish out her house keys that were probably somewhere at the bottom of her England backpack. The cold London air nipped at her exposed legs, silently cursing herself for not having changed into a pair of sweatpants before she left St George's Park.

Leah got pulled out of her thoughts as you opened the front door, dressed in one of her old Arsenal sweaters and a pair of fuzzy sweatpants. Your hair was slightly tousled from where you had been lounging on the couch, waiting for your girlfriend to come home. Your lips formed a small smile and Leah didn't bother saying anything before she dropped her bags on the ground and pulled you into a tight embrace.

She soaked you in, the warmth of your body spreading towards hers as she buried her face in your neck and inhaled your scent, which she had to miss for the past two weeks. "Hey, baby," you said softly, your Spanish accent laced through your voice as you spoke the defender's mother tongue. She pulled you tighter against her, mumbling something incoherently against the exposed skin of your neck, pressing a couple soft kisses there before pulling her head away and looking you in the eye. "I missed you so much," she voiced. Not awaiting your reply, she rested her hands on both sides of your waist and pulled you closer, capturing your lips in a searing kiss.

You'd never get tired of kissing Leah. The way her lips perfectly captured yours time and time again, it always made you feel like you were made for each other. She let her hands roam across your back and then settled them on your bum. You pulled back a couple moments later for some air, and you breathlessly leant your forehead against your girlfriend's. "Can we go inside, please? I'm getting quite cold," Leah chuckled.

Leah and you spent the rest of the evening cuddled up on the couch, telling each other about everything that happened while you spent two weeks away from each other. You ordered pizzas, opened a bottle of red wine and enjoyed your evening together.

"You can't leave me again." Leah's voice startled you as you were engrossed in the movie she had put on earlier. "Hmm?" You cocked your eyes at her. "You know, for football. You can't leave the country anymore. I miss you too much." You let out a breathy laugh and snuggled a bit deeper into her chest. "I missed you too. Spain was nice, but not nicer than here. Although it was a welcome change from all the rain."

One of Leah's hands ran through your hair while the other rested comfortably on the small of your back. You were nudged in between her legs with your head on her chest, one of your hands on the side of her face. You couldn't possibly get any closer to one another, but you wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

"I hate it when you leave. When we're not together. I know it sounds cheesy, but I just feel like a part of me is missing," Leah whispered. The room was dark, only slightly illuminated by the tv, but you could feel the sincerity in your girlfriend's gaze and words. You sit up a little and cupped her cheeks with both hands. "I will never leave you for a reason other than football or family, mi amor." You pressed a soft kiss against her lips and tried to pour all the love and adoration you had for her in the moment. Leah's hands gripped your waist tightly like she was scared you were going to leave again if she didn't hold on tight.

"Next month, just come with me. I'm sure we can get the club to fake an injury or something." You chuckled at your girlfriend's suggestion, but soon quieted down when you sensed she was being serious. "Le, you know I can't do that. As much as I love you, and I'd love to spend every moment of every day with you, I have my own football career too. And I know, deep down, that you want me to do good."

Leah sighed dramatically, throwing her head back against the arm rest of the couch. "Ugh. I guess?" She drew out the syllables of her words, feigning annoyance but you didn't miss the slight smile that crept up her lips. "Te amo, mi vida. So much. I'm yours. Forever." Leah's eyes locked with yours and you didn't miss the unshed tears that were pooling there. You brushed your thumbs over her cheeks and pressed kisses all over her face, whispering soft reassurances and declarations of your love her between the presses of your lips against her delicate skin.

No matter how many times the two of you would have to spend international breaks apart, the prospect of coming home to her was one you'd never, ever get used to or take for granted. Nothing felt more like home like Leah's arms, laying in her embrace under a soft blanket on the couch. Soft kisses and whispers shared while nursing a glass of wine, munching on some pizza that definitely wasn't on your meal plan for the week. But you wouldn't have it any other way.

[rubidimum]

Okay quick (long) rant on a few things partially related to this

Hear me out. I still love Arcane, season 1 was insanely good and season 2 was still---fairly well done.

But the most frustrating part of it was that Vi and Jinx were the heart and soul of the last season, they were the most compelling relationship, the most compelling thematically, their conflict was THE conflict that drove the show, and a lot of nuanced and interesting dynamics between the other characters existed because of it. And then this season Vi was basically a side character? and Jinx and Vi were just immediately are fine with each other after two minutes? It was a dishonor to both their characters honestly.

Vi's erasure as a main character fucked up Jinx's too, because her character arc got basically reduced to something unfinished-- like they started out this very interesting parallel with Jinx and Isha and Vi and Jinx, that basically got reduced to suprise factor? and then Isha is never mentioned again? They set up this super amazing parallel between Silco/Vander and Vi/Jinx, that basically got a line of dialogue in the mining tunnel and that's it?

AND the Vi/Caitlyn conflict is barely expanded on either. Like Vi just becomes a part of Caitlyn's internal strife--- which goes without really having much resolution at all.

I just found it weird---they kept setting up these interesting dynamics and ideas and then not resolving them properly at all. So many things from last season were just kicked out the door. Don't get me started on Piltover and Zaun.

It's also frustrating, because the characters that we see get more screen time-- Viktor, Jayce, Mel also have, in my opinion, half assed character arcs.

AND, unpopular opinion, something that really annoyed me was that the Ekko centric episode was basically about him being Jinx'/Powder's love interest-- which was barely hinted at or developped beforehand. Ekko was sooo interesting in the first season because his character was centered on the Piltover/Zaun conflict-- which also gets absolutely swept under the rug.

The first season is an absolute work of art because of how it set things up and then resolved them. You understood every action of the characters, you saw everything they experienced, you understood deeply why almost every character did the things they did. It was profoundly difficult to dislike any character because you knew why they did that, why they thought that, and even though a lot of the different character's actions led to tragedy-- you couldn't hate them for it, or at worst you felt conflicted about them. This season characters just kind of did things. Viktor just kind of chooses to leave Jayce, but you don't really get what's going on in his head. You kind of understood why Caitlyn succumbs to Ambessa's manipulations but you didn't really feel for her, because her character in the first season just didn't seem set up enough towards that. It felt unnatural. Why does she start sleeping with Maddie? what lead up to that? they basically just put that there for shock value. Like it makes sense that that would happen, but in the first season we would've gotten more explanation. Nothing Vi ever did really seemed like any kind of crazy culmination of her actions, things just sort of happened to her. Viktor's actions don't really make sense either, he just chooses to do stuff seemingly at random. Jinx is clearly having this intense internal conflict all season but it just wasn't expanded on enough.

I just feel like season 2 did not even begin to live up to everything that the first season was. So many things seemed abandoned and everything seemed unfinished. I don't know.

LMAOAOAOAOOO

[gloomskulls]

LIMERENCE [tasm!peter parker]

pairings: tasm!peter parker x reader

warning(s): obessive peter, creep peter, stalking, masturbation, panty sniffing, dirty thoughts, breaking in, just peter being hopelessly in love. If any of this finds you uncomfortable, please click out do yourself (and me also) a favor. lemme know if I missed any!

If you don't want to see my dark stories in the future please block the tag #madi: dark content

A/n: my first ever fic posted on Tumblr, yippee! This is also my first ever smut so it probs be equivalent to horse poo but anyways, don't steal any of the shit I've written or else i'm gonna turn you into Vicky from Terrifier/srs

Peter didn't understand what was so special about you, you were just a crush. Or that's what he convinced himself. Every single place you were in, Peter would carefully trail behind you, like there was a magnet strapped onto you, and Peter was the metal, he would always find himself drawing next to you. Peter Parker was no stranger to keeping secrets. It was, after all, the epitome of his double life. A mask, a costume, a name that wasn't his at all. There was one secret, however, that even the Spider-Man's mask couldn't cover—his growing infatuation towards you.

It started out really simple. You decided to give back the nerdy boy's pencil in sophomore year and defended him from Flash Thompson in his junior year, it was all simple really, something a person with decency and was taught with proper manners would do. But Peter took it as more than that.

Candid photos here and there, purposefully falling of his skateboard so you would help him, cryptic notes in your locker, sometimes a random flower if Peter was lucky to find any.

Limerence, as some might say

The first people who would ever notice Peter's strange behavior where the people who raised him. Uncle Ben would notice this girl in the screen of his nephew's computer, so did Aunt May when she saw many polaroid photos of the same face underneath Peter's bed. Peter shrugged it off, saying the same exact words to the both of them.

'she's just a crush'

Peter Parker was very good at being hidden in the open. Sure, he didn't want to be invisible, but it is what it is. One of the self-working "losers" with horrible punchlines and pretty much the face screaming "nerd". Well, it didn't bother Peter much. He had many other more important things to think about. You

It's been years now. It was already senior year of high school, still, he hasn't mustered up the courage to do speak to you, afraid that you won't reciprocate the same feelings he has. His been watching you from a distance, stealing glances in class and making mental notes on all the little things you did, like doodling on the corners of your notebooks or, how you tucked your hair behind your ear when you were concentrating. He knew that it was weird, creepy even, but Peter couldn't stop himself.

So, when Mr. Warren announced a paired project for biology, Peter's internal monologue kicked into overdrive.

"Pair work begins today," Mr. Warren said, his smile a gruff overture that still Peter thought unnecessary. "Choose your partners wisely, just choose somebody you will along with. You can really screw up over this project if you don't!"

The room broke out into a low buzz as students shuffled their chairs and moved toward their friends. Peter didn't move. He never did. Choosing a partner was like finding a needle in a haystack type of task for him

Alright, Pete, it is not such a big deal. You are not going to end up with her or anything. Just relax, find someone cool, and—

"Peter!"

Your voice broke through his thoughts, and he looked up to see you in front of his desk, clutching a notebook to your chest

"By any chance do you have a partner? My friends kind of made their own pairs" you asked, your lips curving into an easy smile.

Peter blinked. His brain short-circuited.

"N-nope. I'm totally solo. Flying solo. A lone wolf. A…"

"Awesome! Then let's team up."

Peter turned to you, his mind racing, he blinked, trying to absorb this. You were choosing him? He nodded frantically; his heart was hammering at a top speed that he was convinced you could hear it

You smiled at him, you fucking smiled at him

For the rest of the class Mr. Warren instructed everyone to plan for the project for the rest of the class. You kept bouncing ideas back and forth, and Peter felt a strange, thrilling sensation of in his heart. You were funny, clever, and surprisingly very easy to communicate with. Every time you laughed at one of his jokes, he felt like he was soaring.

When the bell rang, you packed your things and turned to him. "We should work on this at my place. Tomorrow after school?"

Peter nearly dropped his notebook. "Uh, yeah. Totally. I mean, yes. That works. Perfect. So super normal."

You laughed again. "Cool. Here's my address."

And with that, you scribbled it on a scrap of paper and handed it to him before walking away, leaving Peter frozen in his seat.

That night, Peter was sitting in his room staring at the address. To most people, that was just a little detail, probably not even worth a second thought. But to Peter, it was an invitation, or perhaps a key, even just for a second to get into your life. To know every little thing about you

Unfortunately, though, that's not enough.

He felt his hands shaking as he opened the drawer in his desk to reveal a small trove of hidden treasures; poorly taken pictures of you from a distance, bits of paper that you had thrown away during math class, and a small stash of hair strands that he meticulously collected from your hair comb when you weren't looking

This was love, wasn't it? The desperate consuming desire to be around her, to know everything about you.

And tomorrow, he shall get his chance.

You invited him, but Peter just knew it was really more than what you would ever willingly give.

His love was a web, and you were stepping into it, one delicate thread at a time.

Peter stood outside your house with a crumpled piece of paper clutched in his rather sweaty hand. The address on it was correct, but doubt clouded him. What if she had forgotten about this meeting? What if this was simply a joke? No, she would never do that, he tried to convince himself

Peter Parker was standing at your porch. Each thump of his heart sounded like one of the drums in the music club. He raised his hand to knock, hesitating for a moment. Maybe it was a terrible idea to come here after all; he could fake being sick, sending her an apology while rescheduling. Just then, the door swung open before he even had the chance to run.

"Hey, you found my house, I actually thought you would get lost cause I wrote the wrong color of the rooftop on the note" you said while stepping aside to let him enter.

"I was actually hesitant to knock, because it didn't look like the description" He quietly said. You actually got everything right, I was just being a huge pussy so I didn't come immediately, he thought to himself.

"Come in. I have started working on the diagram."

Peter plasted a grin and forced his legs down inside. "Well, look at you. Overachieving already. I guess I'll just sit back and let you do all the hard work."

You rolled your eyes and laughed, your voice making him feel that the world wasn't so bad after all. "Nice try, Parker. Grab a marker. You're on label duty."

"Come on, we can work in the dining area," you said, leading him across the house.

The dining table was already loaded with supplies, with textbooks scattered everywhere, colored pencils, sheets of poster paper, you name it. You positioned herself and gestured to him to join you.

You fell into a rhythm, your hand sketching the parts of the circulatory system while Peter scrawled out the labels in his neatest handwriting. He cracked jokes every few minutes, drawing out your laughter like a lifeline. It would be so easy to lose himself in the moment, pretend that you both were just two friends hanging out and not a guy hopelessly infatuated with someone who didn't even know half the truth about him.

Both of you had a relatively smooth first hour of working, few questions were asked here and there on the project. Peter kept his answers short, being extra cautious with what to share, but it seemed you did not mind. You sketched diagrams, jotting down notes with an ease that made Peter's hands tremble every time he made an attempt to help.

"So Peter," you suddenly announced after the silence, "why is it that you don't talk very much? At school I mean"

The question staggered him, rendering him blank while the colored pencil just hovered above the page.

Peter jerked up his head and looked surprised. "What do you mean? Talking is what I do. I mean, there's even people begging me to stop."

You smirked but didn't let it down. "I mean really, you're funny but I know nothing about you. What's your thing, Peter Parker?"

He didn't answer immediately but fiddled with the marker. "I'm just… some guy. Pretty boring, honestly. Not much to tell."

Your expression softened, "I don't buy that. You're not boring".

Your words made Peter's chest tighter. He wanted to believe you, yet the voice at the back of his mind reminded how wrong youwere. If you only knew the real him, the guy who had spent countless nights staring at your window, memorizing your every move, you wouldn't be smiling and sitting here before him.

"Hey, don't overthink it. You're cool. Let's just finish this masterpiece, okay?" you said, flicking his arm before he could answer.

Peter smiled forcedly

And when they finished the day's work, you walk him to the door once more, your smile as warm as ever.

"Thanks for coming over," you said. "You're actually a pretty decent partner, Parker."

"Decent?!" Peter gasped, clutching his chest in mock offense. "Wow. Don't hold back; tell me how you really feel."

And you laughed, shaking your head. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Peter waved. You waved back at him, as he strolled down the street, but he did not go very far. Instead, he found himself across the street in the same place, hidden under the shadow of the oak tree.

you were in your living room again, curled around a blanket and a pillow as you watched whatever was on your screen, your face glowing softly from the light of the television. Peter leaned against the tree with both hands shoved in his jacket pockets and simply watched.

How long he'd been there, he couldn't tell, but he didn't want to leave. This was the closest he ever felt with you, even if you didn't know he was here.

He knew this was crossing the line, but he couldn't help himself. He found himself sneaking into your house. Now he really felt like a robber trying to intrude a home, expect he wasn't really going to steal anything, or so he thought.

It was late at night, you and your family were already asleep at this point

Peter knew that the right thing to do was to head home. He knew for sure that this crossed a line even he wasn't sure he could come back from. But before he could stop himself, he was moving, slipping across the street and into the shadows of your yard.

His palms were slick with sweat as he scanned the side of the house. The metal trellis leading up to your window wasn't very solid, but it would hold him if he was careful.

He carefully climbed the trellis, not putting too much weight on it. And his heart was pounding as he got to your window, his fingers brushing against the cool glass.

It wasn't locked.

At that moment, his body froze. The rational part of him screamed to stop, to climb back down and pretend this never happened. But then his hand was on the window. And that soft sound of it sliding open seemed to be deafeningly loud in the stillness of the night.

He slipped into his feet and landed silently on the carpeted floor. Your room smelled of lavender and something warm and sweet like vanilla. A little bit of moonlight filtered through the curtains and brightened the room in pale silver.

There she was

You laid curled up in your bed, the blankets pulled up to your shoulders, your face peaceful in sleep. Peter’s breath caught in his throat. You looked so serene, so utterly perfect, that it made his chest ache.

He stood there for what felt like an eternity, just watching you. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to feel—satisfaction, maybe, or relief. But all he felt was a strange mix of awe and guilt.

This was wrong.

He knew it.

But he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

He looked around your room, it was full of polaroids of either you or your friends.

He started walking around your room quietly, careful to not wake you up in your slumber, because God knows what will happen if you saw him in your room with all its glory, he couldn't even imagine the disgust on your face.

But one thing caught his eye

Your bathroom was open, and in your bathroom was a basket with what he assumed inside were dirty laundry.

He knew it was disgusting, heck, over the top creep award would probably go to him, but he found himself walking towards the bathroom. It was wrong, but he still did it, he needs to get help, he thought to himself.

One second ago he was walking towards your bathroom, next thing you knew he was rummaging through your dirty laundry, occasionally smelling some of your shirts. He cherished the way your scent overwhelmed his nose, he was in Cloud 9.

While he was rummaging, a little piece of clothing caught his eye. With shaky hands he picked up the piece of clothing, it was your pink underwear with little cherries scattered everywhere as design.

He brought it near to his nose. He suddenly sat down in the neat cold tiles of the bathroom floor, he smelt it as if it was his oxygen.

He let out a small moan. He didn't know if it was an invisible force making him do such things, but he found his hands unbuttoning his pants

Peter Parker sat in the rest room; hand clasped tight around the lacy edge of the pink panty. He took out his hardened length of his boxers. The scent of dirty panties wafted his nose.

He imagined you wrapped around his throbbing cock, he thought of the feeling of your tight little pussy riding his cock, he wanted the sweet nectar from your lips, while having a feast on your quivering hole. His cock throbbed in his palms, his hands were much faster now, stroking his hardened cock. He had to bite his tongue to keep himself from moaning

Why was he doing this? You were literally there, outside the bathroom, sleeping. And Peter was here, out in the open, jerking off to the smell of your used panties

He was drenched in sweat as his hairs stuck to his wet forehead. He fantasized about your perky tits; perfect little nipples erect in anticipation. Pumping the shaft rapidly, imagining you on all fours begging for more, the bounce of your tits while riding him moaning his name like a mantra, Peter, fuck Peter, Peter, oh my God!

Peter was breathing heavily, his release was near, he profusely pumped his manhood, his hands and cock covered in his sticky pre-cum.

He wanted to feel you inside him, want you to quiver in pleasure as he fucks you over and over again.

He felt a sudden wave of pleasure hitting him, before he knew it, he released a flooded torrent of jizz into sticky cum as it scattered all over the floor. He slumped against the wall, heaving as he tried to steady his racing heart. He looked outside the door, finding you in the same spot as you were. You were sleeping oh so peacefully

He gazed at you, his heart full of unfulfilled yearning. He desperately wanted to be part of your world, to be someone you chose to let in. Yet no matter how many jokes he made or how close you seemed; he knew deep in his heart that he was not enough.

A soft sound broke the silence.

Peter's eyes snap to the bed, and his stomach lurch at the realization that you were stirring. Your brows knitted, your breathing started shifting, just as if you were going to wake up.

He immediately threw your panties back into the basket as he stood up and fixed his underwear and pants

He felt panic surging him, he immediately sprinted near the window. It made a loud a thud, now he was fucked

He moved quickly and quietly without thinking as he quietly ran towards the window. Just as you were about to opene your eyes, he slipped stealthily past the fluttering of curtains.

He tried scrambling down the trellis and found the ground, shivering and shaking as he did so.

He was hidden in a shadow corner, looking up towards your window. You were sitting up now, rubbing your eyes and looking around your room with a sleepy confusion.

Peter's chest tightened.

What's the matter with him?

He hurried as he turned away, his footsteps quiet against the pavement

The cool night air wrapped around Peter Parker like a cold, suffocating blanket as he walked back toward his house. Each step seemed to slant further and further as if his sneakers were scuffing wet against the cracked pavement in a slow and deliberate rhythm.

It was as if the world had gone still—entirely quiet. No cars were heard, no distant chatter, no hum of the city. Just Peter, the quiet whistle of wind through leaves, and the pounding thuds of his thoughts.

With that, he shoved his hands deep into his jacket pockets, his fingers curling into tight fists. Replaying the scene, he heard the soft sound of your breathing, the warmth of your room, and the way you stirred in your bed as if you had felt him there.

What the heck are you doing, Parker? He hadn't intended to climb into your room. He hadn't intended for it to get this far. Watching from the shadows was one thing, but tonight… tonight he had crossed a line.

He stopped moving and leaned against the lamppost, his breath escaping him in short, sharp gasps. Above him, the light flickered, shining unevenly across his shadow on the ground.

"This isn't me," he whispered to himself, the voice trembling.

But wasn't it?

Hadn't he been staring at you for years, taking notes while you weren't looking, memorizing all of your movements, laughter, and smiles? He had told himself that it was just harmless admiration from a distance, but now it was clear.

What would you think if you knew?

He sighed, Peter threw back his head and gazed up at the sky. Above him the stars, though cold and distant, seemed on to him— judging him in silence.

With the words of Uncle Ben echoing in his mind, With great power comes great responsibility, Peter winced.

Peter's jaw clamped down. Not great power; not yet. But wasn't all this part of it? Taking responsibility for his actions, owning up to his mistakes before they spiraled uncontrollably out of hand?

It hit him like a gut punch.

He wouldn't ever be able to take it back. Nor would he ever be able to wipe away the fact that he'd violated your space, your privacy, in a way you might never forgive. But he could stop it from going any further. He could ensure that you never found out.

@gloomskulls 2024. DON'T COPY, TRANSLATE OR USE ANY OF MY WORKS HERE OR ANY OTHER WEBSITES. Photos don't belong to me

[ray935sworld]

The Christmas cat (Pedrenzo)

2.12 winter writing challenge

Dani just couldn't help it. He had to do it. There was no other way for him. He just had to do it.

As soon as the idea had entered his mind, there was no more holding back.

He remembered talking to Jorge the other day and the conversation had just made him more determinend to make his plan reality.

"How about we decorate this weekend?" he had asked. It was winter break. They were at home.

"Eh? For what?" he had replied with his brow furrowed. "For Christmas. Obviously" he replied without thinking much about it.

He laughed about his boyfriends confused face. "I... I'm not sure." he had just muttered and Dani nodded. He decided not to push the subject anymore. Instead an idea popped up in his head.

He took it as a sign that Jorge wasn't a fan of decorating himself. He couldn't blame him. His father wasn't a big fan of orchestrating ornaments and Christmas figured either.

And his mother was a stubborn woman with much determination to make her concept reality so maybe it was for the better.

He blamed Jorge's hesitant reaction on that and decided that maybe that was a good thing too. It gave dani free range. After all they had an entirely different taste.

So he decided to make it his mission to surprise his boyfriend by decorating their little house.

He had already a bit of decorations that were hand me downs from his family. And some lights he may had........ borrowed from a corner of the Honda headquarters.

In his defense they just laid there, still packed away in a lost corner. And so far he hadn't heard anyone complain about missing lights. So he decided he was save.

He bought the rest at the store. He even got some very funky, very unlike Dani things that probably fit right in Jorge's taste.

After spending an unholy amount of money that caused him to thank his career for giving big pay checks, he drove home again.

He had chosen a day on which he knew Jorge wouldn't be home the whole day. He had left early in the morning and would only return in the evening, giving Dani almost 12 hours for shopping and decoration.

So he did the only reasonable thing. He took out his favorite Christmas CD and turned the music up.

He was dancing through the whole house, singing as loud as he could - luckily their neighbors were an old couple that didn't know motogp and couldn't hear very well anymore.

Hours passed and the house turned into a Christmas home.

He had placed the little figures all around. There were lights and candles placed in between. The decoration was up. He was happy. He was really happy with his idea.

It was cozy and had a lovely atmosphere. He was proud of his work.

He spent the rest of the day cleaning up and then started cooking. It was nothing fancy but he wanted to surprise his boyfriend.

He peaked up when he heard the car park in the drive way. Quickly he changed the song to something more romantic but still Christmas.

He decided not to greet Jorge at the door. Instead he sat down on a corner of the table and just waited.

He was already giggling and smiling, hoping his surprise worked.

"Dani!" he heard his boyfriend voice through the house. "I'm home! I - You there? I'm-"

There was a short silence and Dani was internally giggling. His Christmas hat was jiggling on his head as he nodded along the music.

Jorge must have spotted the decoration in the hallway. Or maybe he had seen through the Glas door that there was more inside.

But then he heard his voice and it was nothing like he expected "What the fuck is all this shit?" he asked with a distance voice.

Dani froze.

Happiness sounded different. He sounded cold. Distance. He sounded surprised but not in the good way.

Quickly, he jumped up from his place and went towards him.

He saw Jorge looking at the lights with a confused look. It seemed like he didn't understand them. Maybe that's why he had been hesitant, Dani suddenly thought. Maybe he just didn't like decoration and lights.

Maybe he didn't saw a point in them and thought they were annoying. Anxiety peaked up in the smaller man. Fuck. What had he done? Why had he thought that was a good idea?

"I... Sorry, I thought... It's christmas soon so I thought it'd be nice to decorate. I... I might have gone overboard with it. I'll take it down if you don't like it."

Jorge stared at him in disbelief.

"You... You did all that?" he nodded. It felt weird. He loved Christmas and it meant the world to him. But Jorge had a distance look in his eyes.

It was like he was in a different world. He looked sad. Maybe even on the verge of angry.

And Dani felt stupid. He had made himself vulnerable. He was acting like a little child. He was acting like a kid excited for Christmas. He had completly forgot to check with Jorge. After all this was his place as much as it was Dani's.

He should have had a say in it.

"I'm sorry. I should have checked with you. It's just- I will take it down. It was stu-"

He didn't manage to finish the sentence because two strong arms grabbed him and actually lifted him off the ground.

He squeaked too surprised to react more and just hold onto Jorge. He knew he could hold him up. Jorge could lift him up pretty easily actually as certain make out session had previously proven but still.

But dani was wrong. It wasn't the kind of decoration that was up. The decorations wasn't even the problem in the first place. He thought they were beautiful.

It was the same thing that always haunted Jorge. It was the same thing that seemed to always tried to destroy his happiness, even now, after he got away.

It was his father voice haunting his life.

For Jorge Christmas had long lost it's charm. Christmas was just another day his father had been home, making his life pure terror.

There was no Christmas feeling in the house he escaped not long ago. He had tried. Once. He had decorated his room, just a few lights and figures he bought from his pocket money.

He had been just a kid.

It had ended with the small figure of a cat wearing a Christmas outfit shattered on the ground and him crying under a blanket.

And now he stepped inside the home he and Dani created for themself together and saw a figure of a cat - this one slightly bigger, just like he was now bigger than he was back then - tilting it's head, dresses in a Santa hat, a Christmas red shirt and a little scarv.

It had sent his mind spiraling for a moment. For a moment he wasn't stepping inside the home he bought with the money he made. He stepped inside his childhood. He expected yelling and screaming. But it never came.

Dani came. Dani entered the hallway, leaning in the door, watching him.

He at the older man and then looked at the Christmas decoration, slowly realizing he was actually free. He could decorate his home. He could listen and sing along with the Christmas music.

He could take Dani's hand and dance through the whole house while Christmas lights were blinking in the background.

He looked up, Dani, wearing a Christmas hat, was standing infront of him. He looked unsure. Almost apologetic.

Dani. In a Christmas hat.

"I will take it down"

It took him straight back to reality as he immediately went to hug him. He hadn't known how much he needed it.

"Jorge?" Dani asked after a short moment. "Don't you fucking dare take any of it down" he replied, whispering against his chest. "Or I will put it right back up. That stuff is not coming down."

"You like it?" he asked sounding hopeful. Slowly he was letting dani down again just to cup his face with both his hands and kiss him.

"Yes. I love it. It's the best surprise I could have imagined"

He kissed him softly and long, filled with all the love he had. Dani's lips were soft. He tasted like Christmas cookies. He tasted warm and soft and perfect.

Jorge decided he would never give up that feeling. No matter what he may lose, Dani was worth more.

He grinned at him. It was a big smile. His teeth flashed and he looked at Dani's smile and decided to kiss him again. This time just a quick kiss.

He was still squeezing his cheeks and laughed at the way they felt under his hands.

"I love you so much, Dani. You're the best, thank you so much"

The cat in question

[quickdeaths]

It was natural for Sonia to be surprised, she supposed. After all, she'd already convinced herself that she deserved her poor treatment, as penance for what she'd done. Indeed, what she laid out to Shinobu sounded as a punishment - a cold castle from which one could seldom leave, in a foreign nation, surrounded by people who were entirely unsympathetic to the Queen of Novoselic and, likely, anyone who aligned themselves with her. How wretched that the likes of Togami saw fit to send Sonia back there at all, merely to consolidate their own power and enrich their own pocketbooks.

Sonia didn't seem to understand that with each sentence further impressing upon them the awfulness of the situation, their resolve was further bolstered. That Future Foundation was willing to send her there with minimal protections and no regard for her emotional well-being was a black mark against the organization Shinobu worked for, in her eyes, whether or not they had their reasons. Perhaps, had she more faith in them to take care of Sonia, she wouldn't feel such a strong desire to intervene personally.

But then again, likely not. As Shinobu looked at her, she knew it would be too difficult to walk willingly out of her life again. "Mm, I've thought it through thoroughly," she said with a nod. "I'm a combat veteran with a great deal of expertise in sensitive situations, and my physical condition is improving by the day. I'm not worried about my own safety, and, I hope that by being near, I'll be able to extend some of that safety to you, as well."

That was certainly part of it. Seldom did Shinobu consider themselves to be of any use to anyone, but they could at least keep any harm from coming to Sonia. More importantly, though... "I know it's a strange thing to ask, from your perspective, but as long as you aren't opposed to it, then I'm glad." It was hard to keep looking at her, and so Shinobu turned her attention first to the kittens, and then to the ceiling as she sat back. "They're going to send someone along with you regardless of anything I do or say. If the situation is as dire as you say, if you'll be isolated and alone in a dangerous place, then I'd rather you be accompanied by someone who cares about you, rather than some indifferent or unsympathetic Future Foundation agent simply doing a job."

Of course, Togami did present an issue. Sonia was right that he would likely see no reason to approve Shinobu's request, out of petty sentiments rather than any belief in it as the best choice. For a few moments, the archer considered whether they could just kill him. His money would be better used by Future Foundation without his presence, and it wasn't like he was especially popular or likable. Shinobu may have made up her mind to quell the violent urges inside of her, but there was always room for exceptions. Togami wasn't even physically imposing, so it would be easy to enter his office, and leave with his brains splattered across the table, or the imprints of her hands black and blue around his neck.

Perhaps it said something about how she felt about Sonia that it was so easy to bend and break her own internal rules on her behalf. But, no, killing Togami would likely not help the situation, she admitted to herself - even if everyone would be better off were he a hideously mangled corpse. "I imagine that Togami would not be amenable to such a request, no." She'd simply say that much. There was no need for Sonia to know that, for a short moment, she'd been considering how best to murder him

"However, I'm not above going around him. I worked underneath the chairman in the 2nd Division for a number of years, and although I wouldn't call us personal friends, I would hope that we have a degree of mutual personal and professional respect." Munakata did understand violence, and while she hoped he would accept her request out of personal affection, she was prepared to put him in the unenviable position of choosing between a former subordinate, and somehow who he rather disliked, in Togami. They'd all sent her to Jabberwock Island due to believing her unstable and unsuited for traditional work. It wasn't hard to believe that if denied a simple request, she might act irrationally, and do something dangerous to the person who she saw as most impeding it.

Well, Munakata was probably too sharp to be drawn in by such an act, but if he was her only option, then Shinobu would do whatever was needed. "I'll speak to the chairman on my own time - I'll arrange a visit when I return to Japan, and speak to him in person about it. Hopefully he'll be willing to hear me out, and might see the logic in my proposal." There were indeed a number of obstacles to her taking a place at Sonia's side in Novoselic, many of them far more troublesome than simply speaking to Sonia. Still, it had been securing her approval that had been the source of Shinobu's hesitation - the fear that Sonia may not want her around like that. "As long as it's alright with you, Miss Nevermind, then I'll do whatever I can to ensure it comes to pass."

She seemed almost optimistic, Sonia thought, as she sipped her tea. Rather strange for a woman who was mostly solemn, if not dour most of the time. Unfortunately, her time as a Remnant of Despair left Sonia cynical. Mass murder leading the man she loved, a fellow murderer, to be disgusted by her did a number on a woman. "I'm not sure they'd care what I called them, if I called them anything," She replied dully. "As long as they're with their mother, fed, and kept safe, I doubt I can offer much more for them. Animals tend to know good and bad people, don't they? I suspect they'll suss out the truth about me soon enough."

Though with all of her doubts, the newborn kittens didn't look capable of hating her. Of hating anything, as they clung to their mother's nipples and drank and drank until their tiny bellies could hold no more for the meantime. Their tiny mews were quickly quieted by Miss Kitty, who began to groom each one despite her sheer exhaustion. Sonia sighed gently, petting the mother cat behind the ears. If anyone needed looking after, it was her.

Mostly, she was in a room full of strangers. Miss Kitty had relied upon her for food, the kittens were minutes, if not hours old, and Yaguchi she barely knew anything about. Only that she'd come from Japan, had attended Hope's Peak and was part of the Future Foundation, enjoyed coffee and for some reason, spending time with her. It wasn't like her former classmates, whom she'd befriended and murdered alongside and endured a simulation of joy and murder that had never truly happened. Convoluted and strange and painful and yet she would be bonded to them all forever, even when her time on Jabberwock Island was up. How could she form such bonds with anyone else ever again, after what she'd done?

"Sorry, but I'm afraid I wouldn't know," She muttered, relinquishing her hand once Miss Kitty had wrangled all of her babies to cuddle against her belly, and she nuzzled each one before closing her eyes for a well-deserved nap. "Your descriptors, that is. You said you attended Hope's Peak but I cannot place you from my time there. Again, I apologize: I keep trying to remember more of my time there but it comes in bits and pieces. Fragments, if you will."

Her own class, for example, she could remember vividly. But when Naegi and his cohorts insisted they too had once attended Hope's Peak Academy, Sonia had been surprised and bewildered. She hadn't remembered meeting any of them, despite the fact they assured her they did. Maybe Yaguchi was the same.

At least she'd understood her meaning: she was far more free than Sonia was and would ever be. That alone made her wealthy: with life, with experiences she'd be able to have in the new, rebuilding and changing world. "It would be a bit surprising, yes, but I cannot blame you," She assured her between sips of tea. "Despite once being billed a tropical paradise, this place is anything but. If you are able to go elsewhere, places that are less confining and more pleasant, you should. No one here would hold it against you, myself included."

They'd rather live vicariously instead, the ones who wanted off Jabberwock to experience something different: climate, view, people. Anything that wasn't seawater and excessive sun, reminders of death and despair for most of them. Even if they were envious, they couldn't hold it against the members of the Future Foundation who could come and go as they pleased.

And yet, Yaguchi's much-contemplated request wanted to do away with all of it. The freedom to make her own way in a new world, no longer beholden to her talent from Hope's Peak...all of it. Gone. If she was to accompany Sonia into her own future: behind thick stone walls and iron bars, time in the gardens and courtyards when she was on her best behavior and it was safe for her to do so. A world even smaller than Jabberwock, if that was possible.

Hopefully Sonia's shock, then, was understandable: wide-eyed and slack-jawed, she stared at Yaguchi as if the other woman had admitted she was eager to rip off her own fingernails and pour salt into the wounds. A long torture that would never fully heal.

"W-well, I cannot say I am opposed to the idea," Sonia began in a stammer, setting her mug on the end table. She worried that if she held it any longer, she'd spill it onto the bedspread. "I find your company pleasant. But Yaguchi, have you truly thought this through? Whoever is sent with me will be mostly confined to Novoselic Castle alone, unless it is deemed necessary, if not safe, to venture into the capitol. Unlike Japan, your safety and freedom aren't guaranteed. No one who has chosen to remain in the Castle loyal to me is, and the anti-monarchists who wish for my demise are only growing in numbers. From what I have observed in recordings and photographs, Novoselic is not the home I remember."

Jabberwock, for all of its faults, was at least quiet and peaceful. No riots in the streets, no burning down homes and businesses, no looting and fighting over resources. Novoselic would be anything but and worse, she'd be forced to see it all from her windows, unable to meet the people in person and ask for their forgiveness. She couldn't understand why Yaguchi would willing choose such a future, when she had so many other options ahead of her. Ones Sonia would never have, and she wanted the best for her when this was over and the Future Foundation deemed Jabberwock Island a waste of time and expenses.

"And besides, the person who is facilitating my Future Foundation assignment is the person currently in charge of my counseling and well-being," She added, giving Yaguchi a glum look: she could guess what was coming. "Togami. And barring him, it'll be the current Leader of the Future Foundation who will sign off on such decisions, Munakata. And well, you aren't exactly Togami's favorite person right now." She couldn't speak for how Munakata would see it, but she had a feeling that anything Yaguchi truly wanted, Togami would be all too pleased to deny her out of spite and a broken nose.

[kyouka-supremacy]

(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

[sherlock-is-ace]

the imposter syndrome i feel every time i even slightly think i might be autistic is insane, specially for a person who highly relates to the lived experiences of people who are professionally diagnosed.

Like I was just watching this one youtuber, and she was talking about very specific examples in her life and childhood where she saw autistic traits that made her realize she was autistic and then seek a diagnosis and then get one, and everything she was saying was like she was describing my life! But yeah no, I can't be autistic tho

[horangslay]

really scared we're about to watch n.SSign fall apart...scared I've been stanning bullies, I seriously had no clue; it's like a BOMB went off

[oceanstrap]

First of all, I never said I was a fan of them. I never said they had the best writing in the world, not least because everyone knows where they're coming from and the era they're from. It's funny to see you talking about how they were written by a man, where do you think Caitvi came from? However, I will compare the two, especially since one of these shows didn't have to go to desperate lengths just to shock the viewers and then suddenly act as if everything had been resolved. Cait and Violet have almost no conversation; their conflict is poorly resolved. Caitlyn literally hit Violet, and then they tried to fix it with a sex scene that came out of nowhere, because the creators knew that fans of them wouldn't care. Something like that being done in the middle of 2024 is a case of major revolt. For God's sake, they had everything they needed not to make the same mistakes as other wlw couples, and yet they did it. And don't even get me started on "they're complex, blah blah blah." No, they're badly written. Violet spent her entire adolescence being beaten up in jail. That's reason enough for the character to have some internal conflict and not want to engage in something like that. At least she should have some internal conflict, right? But they probably forgot about it. Besides, they made Violet do things that go against her own principles without any explanation. She became almost an extra and again didn't evolve at all. Goodbye!

Me when I see people comparing my love of Caitvi to this thing that is Korrasami :

[sysig]

Totally unaffected by this gesture of affection, definitely (Patreon)

[bluebellplayinggames]

this has been bouncing around in my head for a few days so bear with me here.

i have seen the cutscenes in re4 (2023) more times than i can probably count by now and i was watching through them not too long ago and i realized a little something about leon.

he's scared. and he's trying really hard to hide it.

it's something that's only really visible in little expressions and actions that he makes but it's still there. it's definitely not as visible or obvious as someone like ashley, who is in an entirely unfamiliar and terrifying situation, having to rely on someone she barely knows because she's defenseless. it's something that no other character really picks up on, because he hides it so well.

[heartshapedgreen]

sorry for rambling on about this but i thought i was being dramatic when i blocked all the transmiso intersex blogs and now that i only see intersexuality mixed with disability politics on my dash (i need to see more fat lib but i'll get there) i feel soooo refreshed... this is what i wanted, this is why i kept complaining. thank you hapi & hermaphroditus 🙏

like i live under a rock when it comes to intersex politics and i just mind my own business, but i wanted to partake in Community more, at least online - despite being disillusioned and jaded when it comes to finding that. there were some blogs from those i blocked that i wanted to follow before i saw the complete disparagement of the tme/tma terminology among them (sorta new to me in this context) with racist undertones, and it was like oh... right. this is why i stay under my rock.

but it's nice to see intersex transfems being listened to more and more, though i do have to make an effort to find them among the very loud transmisogynists. recently saw a very well written post mention ipsogender and it's like we truly are out here, creating words and talking about our experiences without being essentialist, individualistic & ill intentioned. good things can be possible when you aren't obsessed with your internalized dyadism.

[first-blight]

i think i just felt the emotion that white dads feel when they watch football at home and feel the urge to scream at the tv

[nonuggetshere]

I NEED to update my Radiance's gijinka design I stg I have such cool art ideas for her and PK but I am. So lazy.

Two sides of the same coin, equally as awful morally grey people that would maul each other to death if put in the same room, I love them 💜

I need to also focus more on her role in my AU because while I've rewritten pretty much the entire thing she was left behind and now idk what to do with her in the long run oopsie. All ik is that she ends up being mortal or near mortal after her fight with Ghost and Flower and she is Not happy about it, but it's also the only way PK would have left her alive and Flower is big on second chances so now she's just here, bitter and angry and a shadow of her former self (and actually I just didn't have it in me to kill her before I could do something cool with her + I like the potential dynamic she could have with other characters)

[weidli]

international law taught by europeans is a great situation as someone who grew up in the usa and is most familiar with the usa's concepts of legality and the way the usa likes to tell history because the international law professor will be like yeah here's the general rule of this kind of situations in völkerrecht and as an example of an act that either goes against it or gets very close to going against it, please see this one time where the united states ,