#my birthday was months ago but this friend wanted to give it in person (UNDERSTANDABLE) and I hadn’t seen her in person since then

[tomwambsmilk]

Just got what might be the single greatest birthday gift of my entire life

[neil-gaiman]

Hello, Neil Gaiman. I am writing this letter of gratitude because I am in despair, but I am obliged to you. I am Russian, I live in a small town in the south of Russia, in the Caucasus. a month ago I turned 16, so now I am fully responsible for all my actions. I'm bisexual, which is now illegal. you understand what I mean, but I’m simply scared to write about such things. absolutely no one knows about this, and I have to hide every day. this is an unbearable burden, but I must say thank you. because your projects are what gives me life. you have no idea how much pleasure it was for me, at eight years old, to fearfully admire Mr. Bobinsky. when, at 14, I finally saved up money for the Russian edition of Good Omens, which I had to order via the Internet not directly, but through my friends, I was quietly delighted. it is worth paying tribute to: this edition is really good and very warms the soul, its design may not be filled with elegance with a golden border, but it is very homely, cozy and imbued with love for the work, this can be felt, even if the translation is not the best. and on the very first pages I felt something that I had never experienced, having problems with the nervous system and anxiety: I felt protected and happy. I felt complete. each line was a sip of life-giving water for me. let me be so bold but this book is perfect for me and it's hard to believe it wasn't written for me personally haha. like two pieces of a puzzle. I hold the book of Good Omens, and I cry almost every time because it feels good just to hold it in my hands. you shouldn’t put this next to fanaticism, it’s just personal happiness. sometimes I felt so safe with this book that I hugged it as I fell asleep. then I saved up to the translation of script book for the first season, and I must say that I am confused, because there are no deleted scenes in it with Crowley shopping or the opening of Aziraphale's bookstore and others, and this was not clear to me. and a month ago, on October 30, my cousin, who is like my own sister, gave me the original Good Omens for my birthday. can you imagine? in all of Russia she was able to find only one person who carried out such foreign orders (please forgive me, I have little understanding of this). so, in some ineffable way, a copy was delivered to me via America from Corgi Books, I think, 2014. soft cover and thin pages, of course, but I'm so happy. and I’m also grateful to myself, because I’ve been learning English since I was seven, and therefore I’m glad that I can read the original. oh, you should have seen with what rapture I waited for the release of the second season at three in the morning! and with what delight I watched it in English without subtitles, understanding what was happening. this is happiness. what I want to say is that you bring…indescribable happiness to my life. you give me strength, and I don’t give up. I cry every time I allow myself to dream that I am escaping from here. that I can meet you and say thank you in person with my stupid accent, not so much because of my native language, but because of the braces, hahaha. but I never stop dreaming about it, although even this is hard. thank you for everything. I wish only peace and love. with devotion, love and gratitude, A.

I'm sending thoughts of love and concern. Stay safe.

[fujoshirat]

When the Shouto Todoroki saves you and your kindergarten students at the aquarium during a villain attack, you can't seem to get him out of your head. Bonus: you're quirkless and he's a pro hero, so you live in two different worlds. The glue? His cute nephew that's obsessed with rocks and that just so happens to be in your kindergarten class.

In short: You've become obsessed, you suppose. But that's all right, you're not the only one that's obsessed.

WARNING: Todoroki family troubles (in the eyes of Kaoru); Kaoru's rock collection hyperfixation! Please note that this chapter is written in lovely, little, mature, and smart Kaoru Todoroki's POV ♡ (so the improper grammar is intentional I promise 😓😖)

Note! "Oji-san" refers to Shouto, Kaoru's uncle. "Ojii-san" refers to Enji, Kaoru's grandfather. "Baa-chan" refers to Rei, Kaoru's grandmother. "Oba-san" refers to Fuyumi, Kaoru's auntie.

Part 1! Part 2!

3 - Things That Kaoru Loves

Kaoru loves his oji-san. Oji-san was the most coolest, most specialist person he knows. He could make fire dance in his palms-so cool! And then FWOOSH-he can make ice appear too! Kaoru liked to pretend that he could do that. When he gained his quirk on his fifth birthday six months ago, he knew that he wanted to be just like his oji-san. He wanted to learn from his oji-san how to use his ice quirk. Sure, Kaoru loved his dad and wanted to learn how to control his ice from him too, but oji-san? Oji-san was ultra cool! Oji-san was friends with cool people too. He told Kaoru stories about Deku and Dynamite, about his ojii-san before he retired, about the super cool All Might!

Kaoru loves his teacher. Y/N-sensei always smiled at him in the morning and helped him tie his shoelaces. Y/N-sensei's voice was soft. She wasn't noisy like his teacher last year (so stinky and mean). Y/N-sensei smelled like the peaches (his favorite) at the store that his dad always takes him to so they have dinner. She didn't have a quirk, but Y/N-sensei was one of his heroes, too. When she would give him a piece of candy and a bright smile for completing his work correctly, Kaoru's tummy would feel warm and happy. Most of all, Y/N-sensei thought his rock collection was so cool. "Y/N-sensei, my oji-san got me a new rock." "Oh really? That's so cool! You should bring it for show and tell tomorrow!"

Kaoru loves his rock collection. On his fourth birthday, his dad gave him a little wooden box with a few shiny rocks inside. When he lightly shook the box, they made a clinking, rattling sound.

"Kaoru-kun, do you know what these are?"

"Rocks."

"Yes, but, their special rocks. Do you notice anything about them?"

Upon further inspection, the little boy noticed that they had swirls of color and shone like tiny treasure in the light. Each rock was different: some were smooth, some were jagged, some had multiple hues while others had only one vivid color. Since then, Kaoru's made it his mission to find more rocks. Anywhere he went->the grocery store, baa-chan's backyard, the beach->he would pick up a special-looking rock and add it to the little wooden box of treasures. He didn't care of some of the rocks he found were "dull" (that's what Taro-kun said, but he doesn't know anything about rocks). All of Kaoru's rocks had a story, just like how his oji-san always had a story to tell him whenever Kaoru saw him at his house. His oji-san sometimes brought him rocks too. He'd gift them to Kaoru for Christmas or after missions. Kaoru's collection had grown so big that his oba-san bought him a new box for his fifth birthday. Now, he could fit his newer rocks in plus his super cool new fossil that his oji-san got him when he went to America last month.

Kaoru doesn't understand grown-up stuff. He doesn't understand why baa-chan and ojii-san never hug like the grandparents on Bluey, or why he doesn't have a mom like Mio-san. He asked his dad once, when it was bring-your-kid-to-work-day at the clinic, but his father just smiled at him. "Papa's got his hands full with you and his clinic. Besides, you've got me and all of your family. Isn't that enough?" Kaoru thinks that it's enough, he loves his dad more than anything in the world. More than more than Y/N-sensei, more than his oji-san, more than his rock collection. However, that didn't quench his curiosity. He still occasionally wondered why he didn't have a nice mom to bring to the school play or put little notes in his lunchbox like his friends did. Dad was too busy to do that. He made yummy food and tucked Kaoru into bed and went to all of his school events, but his doctor job at the clinic sometimes took him away from Kaoru.

The thing that Kaoru doesn't understand the most is why his oji-san and L/N-sensei weren't together. They liked each other, right? Oji-san looked a little silly whenever he saw Y/N-sensei. His ears would turn red and he would stutter. Y/N-sensei would smile extra cheerfully and play with her skirt. That's how you knew that someone likes someone, right? Himari-chan taught him that when she was practicing her reading at school.

"Kaoru-kun! The book says that if someone likes someone, they turn red and stu-stu- uhm...How do I say this?" "Stutter?" "Yeah! And smile super bright!"

Kaoru's curious about the world around him, but it doesn't matter. As he takes a bite out of his strawberry ice cream, he looks up at his uncle, who's also holding strawberry ice cream. Oh well, he supposes, that's why he's only five.

.

.

.

But then, Kaoru gets the most coolest, genius idea ever for a five-and-a-half-year-old.

"Oji-san," he swallows some ice cream, "you should give Y/N-sensei a rock." The tall man's eyebrows lift slightly. "...A rock?"

"Mhm." lick. "Like the Adelie penguins." lick. "Adelie penguin boys give a girl penguin a rock because he loves her," he recites word-for-word, exactly what he remembers his teacher telling him. Shouto's cheeks flush red as he finishes his ice cream.

"How can you tell that I like her?"

Kaoru kicks at the concrete under his feet, continuing to eat his ice cream. "Your ears turn red and you start stuttering. And then when Y/N-sensei sees you, she starts smiling a lot and playing with her skirt, like oba-san does when she sees her boyfriend." The five-year-old can't help but grin when he sees his oji-san's jaw drop.

"You're... very observative."

"That's what Y/N-sensei says."

Shouto smiles at that. When he begins speaking again, his voice is gentle. "Kaoru-kun, it's more complicated than giving someone a rock."

The little boy finishes his ice cream, a small frown appearing on his face. "But why?" The pro hero hesitates for a second. His voice comes out softly, almost like a whisper. "It's not easy to tell someone how you feel, even if you really like them." 'But if Y/N-sensei sees a pretty rock, she'll be happy,' Kaoru thinks to himself. Scanning the few pebbles nearby, he absentmindedly picks up a smooth, speckled stone.

"Oji-san, what if someone else gives her a rock before you do?"

Kaoru's words seem to hit something in his uncle, because suddenly his eyes widen and his left side twitches. Shouto's nephew watches him take a breath before smiling again, reaching down to ruffle Kaoru's hair. He whines in protest: "Oji-san!" Shouto chuckles and crouches down to the little boy's level.

"You're smart, Kaoru-kun. You're a good kid. Don't ever change, okay?" The man's eyes wander to Kaoru's right hand, where the spotted stone rested. He quirks a brow at the sight.

"You should give her this rock, oji-san. She'll love it."

Shouto laughs warmly, eyes crinkling slightly and hand patting his nephew's shoulder. "Alright, I'll do it." Kaoru's eyes widen and sparkle, and he eagerly hands Shouto the rock. He jumps up and down excitedly, the most excitement he's ever shown in his life.

"Yes!"

₊��°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

Shouto loves his nephew. He doesn't think that his rock collection obsession is weird, he thinks it's cute (it gives him nostalgia about Izuku's All Might hyperfixation). Shouto's frankly impressed by how smart and perceptive Kaoru is. He definitely did not expect Kaoru to pick up on his crush on L/N-san. 'Am I that obvious??' Kaoru's a smart boy too. According to to Natsuo and the beautiful L/N-san, Kaoru's top of his class even though he doesn't like talking much. Shouto doesn't understand kids, but he understands Kaoru. He understands how excited the little boy gets when he finds the perfect rock. Shouto thinks-no, knows-that you're the perfect gem. You're caring, sweet, attentive, bright, positive, everything he thinks he lacks.

And maybe Kaoru sees your real beauty, too, because here he is, telling Shouto to give the most perfect woman a rock.

To treasure the finest treasure that he's found: you.

₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

A/N: That's it for part 3! I hope you enjoyed it (˶◜ᵕ◝˶) Thank you so much for reading this part and the entire series so far!! I love love love the cutest little Kaoru Todoroki ToT It was a challenge writing the POV of a five-and-a-half-year-old, so I apologize for making him REALLY mature! I did envision him to be a mature and smart kid (like ShouShou <3), but I think I overdid it ><

Anyways! Thank you for your patience regarding this part and all of my works in general! I hope that the wait wasn't too long, and that this made up for it ♡\(´･ᴗ･`)

And finally: THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR ALL OF THE LOVE AND SUPPORT! Parts 1 and 2 really blew up, Part 1 reaching over 300 likes! When I first made this account, I would have never expected to reach that many people. You all really make my days and I'm just so thankful for the positivity ദ്ദിദ്ദി(˃̣̣̥ᯅ˂̣̣̥) If you couldn't already tell, I am an amateur writer. I've been in this fandom and Tumblr for a LONGGG time, but have never found the motivation to write until now. Receiving this much love and positivity is really amazing and I hope to continue making good works and content <3

Just like before, I hope you look forward to the next part! I'll try to get it done as soon as possible depending on my schedule. If you'd like to be added to the taglist, feel free to let me know!

TAGLIST: ♡♡ @roseapov @brittanylikesstuff @stanseventeen @qardasngan @jastoo46 @kysoshir0

[lovexjoe]

Armando smut???

Intoxicated

Synopsis: Armando had broken up with you 3 months ago. It was the worse time of your life but you two still worked together. Tonight you celebrate Dorn’s birthday along with his engagement to Kelly.

Warning: Angst, alcohol, drugs, mental health and smut

The past 3 months were not your best. It went from being the time of your life, working with the love of your life to being dumped. AMMO took notice of how much it changed you. The fierce personality was no longer present. You had so much anxiety, insecurities, and depression. You couldn’t even be on a mission without having a panic attack. Armando took notice since he only had his eyes set on you. He felt so guilty that he vanished your light. He knew there was no coming back from this. He had everything he could ever dream of with you, but he felt like he didn’t deserve it so he let you go. Eventually you would be over him, he was not anyone special. Kelly told you in advance if you didn’t want to come, she’ll understand. It’s been 3 months and to neglect celebrating your friends cause of a man was not gonna fly with you.

You finished up the last touches to your makeup and examined yourself in the mirror. You had lost over 15 lbs since the breakup, but it only brought out your curves and snatched your waist; thankfully. Your nerves were starting to creep up on you. What if he brings a date? You started a bad habit of smoking weed again. AMMO doesn't mind as long as you're clean on the job. You took a few hits of your joint to settle your nerves. Which believe me it did, but somehow your mind kept fluttering back to if he brings a plus one. You decided to text your childhood best friend AKA Dorn’s brother if he wants to ride with you. You two haven’t talked since your relationship with Armando because well he’s beyond possessive over you. But tonight you didn’t care.

✧༺♥༻∞∞༺♥༻✧ ✧༺♥༻∞ ✧༺♥✧༺

You and Alex enter the rented out beach house hand and hand. Not really caring if you raised speculations because you’re single after all and it’s time to move on. After you guys placed your weekend bags in your rooms, you headed out to the living room. Both of you guys greeted everyone with hugs and kisses. The night starts with everyone dancing. You and Kelly steal the dance floor having everyone cheering.

“Girl am I happy to see you back out. You look amazing sweetheart” Marcus pulls you in for a big hug. You slipped him his pack of skittles that you promised him and Mike shot you a look.

“I’m sorry! I can’t say no to Uncle Marcus !” You innocently put your hands up slowly backing up. You back straight into someone, losing your balance. Their hand wraps around your waist, their sinful familiar scent filled the air and you knew you were fucked.

“Y/N….” Hearing him say your name after so long. He steadies you and you give him a small smile before heading off to the bar for a shot…make that 3. After you down your last shot, he’s right back next to you.

“You really shouldn’t be drinking so much.” He scolds you.

“You really shouldn’t be giving a fuck cause I’m not yours to worry about anymore.” You snapped. The mix of weed and alcohol making you cross faded. Before he could say anything else, Alex sneaks up behind you and grabs your hand.

“Sorry to interrupt but I’m trying to dance with my date.” Alex gives Armando the “do you mind look” deep down in your gut you knew this wasn’t going to end well. Armando gulps down the rest of his drink, placing the glass back down with some force.

“So what Y/N we break up and you end up fucking the first person you see-“ your hand met his face so fast. The slap causing everyone to “ouuu”

“Fuck you! You broke up with ME! You dont get to be upset!” You apologize to Kelly before heading up to your room. All your emotions you were trying to hide for the night coming back up. Armando hot on your fucking heels. What the FUCK does he want ?!

As you enter your room, tearing start streaming down your face. He closes the door and locks it: now you didn’t even have a choice to escape.

“Don’t give me those bullshit tears! Did you fuck him?” He got up in your face only for you to shove him back HARD.

“So what if I did?!” You shoved him again, this time he pushes you against the bedroom door. Your hands being held above your head.

“You really want to give someone else what’s mine mami?” Oh

The energy shifted in the room. You hated him, but you also hated how much you wanted him. Your body aching to be touched. He leans in kissing you slowly wanting to savor the moment between you two. You felt like you were in a dream. All your senses just taken over by him. You felt so weak but you didn’t want him to stop. It’s been too long. He starts sucking on your neck, placing little bites and kisses on your sensitive spots.

“I missed you, please touch me” you begged causing him to pick you up and place you on the bed. He smacks your ass, giving you the signal to go on all fours. Lifting your dress, pulling aside your thong he groans as he sees how wet you already are.

“Fuck mami, I missed this pussy” he immediately starts to eat you out. His tongue licking up all your wetness. You tried your best to be quiet but you were already moaning his name. He slips a finger in as he starts to suck on your clit bringing out your first orgasm.

“P-please fuck me Armando p-please” you begged as you ride out your orgasm by grinding your pussy against his mouth. He unzips his pants, slapping his length against your sensitive clit causing you to perfectly arch your back for him. He wasted no time slipping into you causing you both to let out a desperate cry. You two were made for each other.

“Fuckkk Y/N, tu eres mía mami” (You are mine)

“Only yours, daddy” you looked back at him causing him to groan. Armando knew you weren’t leaving this weekend not his again. Fuck his doubts. Fuck his trauma. He wants you, all of you forever. He’ll work on whatever he needs to, to be a better man for you. He couldn’t bare another man seeing you like this. He grabs both of your arms holding them as he pounds into you mercilessly. The sounds of your wet pussy and his hard thrusts filling the air.

“I love you I love you I love you” you babbled on, completely fucked senseless as you came for the second time. He gets on top, having you in a pronebone position. Fuck it’s even deeper now.

Kissing your exposed back, his thrusts becoming more slow, but deeper and harder bringing out another orgasm from you.

“I love you too princesa.” He holds you close as he reaches his climax, whispering his im sorrys and please don’t leave me as he empties himself deep inside you

You knew you were never going to leave him and just hoped he never leaves you again.

[liminalmemories21]

WIP Wednesday

tagged by @welcometololaland, @heartstringsduet, @strandnreyes @whatsintheboxmh - thank you!

Sorry I've been MIA the last week or so - work was insane, and then there was a friend's multi-day wedding thing going on (A+ wedding, would let her plan all future weddings I go to). Also, please bear in mind I have not actually had a chance to see the episode yet, because see above about A+ wedding related shenanigans.

But ....

He’s late to Elian’s birthday. He didn’t mean to be. He never means to be late these days. “I just need to stop by the station," he said this morning as they were getting ready. He'd caught the way TK’s lips tightened, but all he’d said was. “I’ll come with you." “No, baby, you’ll just have to sit in the car.  That’s no fun.” TK eyebrows had gone sky high.” I’m not allowed in the station anymore?” “That’s not what I mean.“ TK’s muttered, “are you sure?” is just soft enough that he ignores it. And now he’s late, the one thing he wanted to check turned into five things and then a conversation with Campbell and a lead to check on.  It wasn’t wasted time.  But by the time he makes it back out to his car there are two messages from TK on his phone — a few months ago he thinks there would have been more, and he’s not sure when TK decided to stop trying so hard to get him to come home.  There are messages from his mother and sister too. He ignores them and sends TK a text / on my way /. Doesn’t get a response, which makes sense — he’s at Elian's party, probably helping Ana, or letting the kids use him like a personal jungle gym.  The party is still going strong when he pulls up to Ana’s house, but the look she gives him when he walks in is unimpressed. His mother looks worried, and all TK says is, “You made good time, light traffic?” “Yes. “  Smiles at Elian who has appeared at TK's elbow, “Happy birthday!” The eyebrow Ana gives him promises a longer conversation, and he’d be grateful that Luisa couldn’t make it out from LA, but he’s sure Ana will fill her in on all the ways he’s failing to live up to their father’s standard. Their father had never missed a birthday, or play, or recital. He doesn’t understand how. Wishes he could ask.  He can tell TK's pissed when they leave from the set of his shoulders, isn’t sure if it’s better or worse that they’d come in separate cars and can’t drive home together. Manages to catch him before TK gets in his car. “Hey, I’m sorry. I lost track of time.“ “I figured.” “I’ll make it up to Elian. He probably didn’t even notice I was late there were so many people here.” “He’s 8,” TK says flatly. “He absolutely noticed that his favorite uncle didn’t make it in time for cake and presents.”  Carlos winces, but tries for the joke anyway. “Pretty sure you claimed favorite tio a while ago.”  Regrets it the second he says it.

tagging @freneticfloetry, @carlos-in-glasses, @reyesstrand, and @lemonlyman-dotcom

[polyamorousmood]

Hi,

I hope this is okay, I usually never send asks and use tumblr for lurking or reblogging, but I saw some other people talking about their poly life circumstances and wanted to join in the yapping, maybe even getting advice along the way.

(Also, thank you so much for creating this blog, it helped a lot at accepting myself being poly)

(All people mentioned are young adults, so 17-20.)

So, I have been in a straight passing relationship with my boyfriend C(I'm bi and he's questioning) for over two years now. A year ago I started to question being poly and around half a year ago I talked to my boyfriend about being poly, he was completly okay with it and also wanted to open our relationship.

One of the reasons I realized I was poly was because S, a girl in a friend group that I was lowkey crushing on. When we were at the party of another friend of ours I kissed S three times while C and another boy (K) was there with us. K was also jokingly flirting with C that evening. Since I didn't know if S is even attracted to girls and/or wasn't just kissing me as a joke, I didn't do anything but deffinately started crushing even more. C was also starting to crush on S by then.

Then when we were at Ks party, me and C were planning on admiting our feelings to S on our way home with her. This was cut short by a friend of mine informing me that K has been crushing on S for a while and we couldn't bring ourselves to ask out his crush at his own birthday party. But at the same time I was confused since K literally said that me and S were "cute together", and since he's also bi, I can't believe he meant in a "just gals being pals" way

A month later K and S are dating, following by the first time I ever experienced jealousy, and lots of it. But at the same time, K is a really sweet guy and he and S really deserve each other and fit together really well.

So eventually, my jealousy of him turned into me crushing on both of them when realizing how happy she is with him and how sweet he is as a person.

Since then the joke flirting has started again, a bit between K and C (but with C saying it deffinately isn't serious for him) but mainly between me and S and I just feel... dishonest?

Like if I'm gonna flirt with her, she deserves to know the truth about how I feel instead of me passing it off as a joke, but at the same time, I really don't want to destablise(???) a new and forming relationship that only got together 2-3 months ago, especially since they're so good for each other. (Oh and S is in fact bi, I found out)

Damn this whole thing sounds so made up, especially since all my friends around me are also forming (queer) relationships rn.

Like...my QPR told me and my boyfriend that they really liked S and K when meeting them, and that they would support a relationship with them...my life is amazingly queer compared to a few years ago.

Anyways, hope I didn't yap too long and that it's understandable, I completly understand if you don't wanna answer, but thank you for just giving poly people a positive space.

Hope you're having a good day/night/whatever.

I personally don't think you're being dishonest here, and I think a Formal Confession of Feelings is going to be supremely poorly received.

You're flirting with someone you find attractive. That is being honest? Like, I have some brainrot because I would unironically fuck most of my friends so 🧂<- use at your discretion here, but. That's normal. You're not hiding anything.

If you wanna say something, keep it casual, a chill "I'm not even kidding anymore - y'all looking for a third?😏" is genuinely sufficient, without risking fucking up a good thing for you (making friendship weird) or them (potential relationship strain). Maybe they'll even be into it! and if not, off-ramp with humor without retracting the statement. Easy, simple, clean.

Acting like its a big deal will make it a big deal. Be normal about it. Catching feelings for a friend is normal and chill and fine. Congrats on the queer life🏳️‍🌈🍾 and genuinely from the bottom of my heart thank you for the kind words. I do what I can to make the life I want, and its lovely that others like what I'm doing here 💙💖🖤

[its-time-to-write]

i think we could do it if we tried

So I misread a prompt, and didn’t realize until halfway through the fic. This was the result and it ended up being weirdly personal? If you hate it or think it’s unrealistic, I know, it’s just wishful thinking, ok?😭

i think we could do it if we tried

You’re sure Jamie’s expression will be burned into your mind forever. After all, you’re the one who put it there. 

“I don’t know why I’m crying,” you say, tears streaming down your face, “I’m the one who’s breaking up with you.”

Jamie just laughs wetly. “Not your fault, though, is it?”

That just makes you cry harder. 

You and Jamie had been friends for a long time, and he’d been in love with you forever. You didn’t return the feeling until you turned eighteen. It was on your birthday, actually. He had insisted on wearing a birthday hat all day, despite that fact that he was at training and you were at home, so you didn’t see each other until the end of the day. Something about seeing the sparkly cone on his head did something to your heart, and there it was; you loved him. 

You suppose the love was always there, lying dormant, but now it had arisen. It took you a week to muster up the courage to tell him, but you did and now it felt like the world made sense. 

Now, a month later, you’re breaking up with him. 

Jamie had been playing football for a while now, and he was really, really good. You were beginning your studies as an undergrad and had your life mapped out until grad school. He was moving away soon and you were leaving tomorrow, but that wasn’t the reason you were breaking up. 

It’s because your parents didn’t approve. 

“I can’t make them understand,” you tell Jamie, willing yourself not to cry. “And… I know I’m eighteen, but they’re paying for university. They said they’d pay all the way through grad school, and I can’t afford it on my own.”

Jamie nods and wipes his eyes with the back of his hand. 

“God, it’s fuckin’ shitty, ain’t it?” he says. “Me ‘n you, finally figuring it out too late.”

You can only nod and sniff. Your parents told you that Jamie was a good friend, but nothing more. 

“You’re only projecting feelings onto him because you know he likes you,” your mum had said. “And besides, he plays football. Can’t support a family on that, can you?”

Any protests you made fell on deaf ears. Your parents never explicitly said they’d pull their financial support, but it was hinted. It hung in the air, poisoning the atmosphere in the house. Your mother’s displeasure saturated the building, affecting everyone inside. 

So here you are, standing in the dim light of Jamie’s mum’s porch, breaking up with him at 10pm. 

He knew it was coming, too. 

“Y’know I’d never want you to put your life on hold for me, yeah?” he’d said two days earlier. 

You just nodded.

“I’ve been thinking about quitting football,” he continued, “Get a real job, stay closer.”

You had protested vehemently. He loved football, and he was good, like really good, and how could you ask him to give it up?

So yeah, it wasn’t a total blindside. 

Still hurt, though. 

You stood there, a long time, without speaking. You were memorizing each other’s faces and the way it felt being together for the last time. 

There’s a light on in Georgie’s room, and you wonder if she’ll still love you despite the fact you broke her baby’s heart. 

Jamie finally breaks the silence. “You should go,” he says, “before your parents figure out you’re gone.”

You don’t trust yourself to speak, so you just reach out and squeeze his hand. He pulls you in for a hug, the tightest one you’ve ever received, and you never want to let go. But you do. 

You fight the urge to say I’ll wait for you. I’ll find you when I’m done with school. We’ll make it work. But you don’t want to give him false hope. You don’t want to hurt him more than you already have. 

So instead, you whisper “I love you, Jamie Tartt,” and force yourself to walk away. 

— 

That was six years ago. You pushed yourself through school, got out with your BA in three and a half years, and scraped through your MA in two. There were times it felt a little like hell, but you persevered. 

You’re pretty sure the worst moment was during your third year, when your roommate, a football aficionado, started talking about Man City’s hotshot new player.  

“Oh my god, he’s like, so fucking sexy. The things he does on the pitch… he’s like, revolutionized the game.”

“Hm,” you say noncommittally, lost in a textbook. 

“Yeah, heard he’s a bit of a prick though. Grew up in Manchester, and he’s about our age. D’you reckon you knew him?”

“What?” you say, finally lifting your eyes from the page. “I didn’t grow up in Manchester, just lived there when I was a teenager.”

Your roommate shrugs. “Did you know a ‘Jamie Tartt?’ Dating Keeley Jones?”

And there it was. The worst moment of your whole university career. 

You turn back to your book in order to hide your face. “Doesn’t sound familiar,” you say, and your roommate doesn’t push it. She’s too busy telling you how Jamie and Keeley are the hottest, most perfect couple she’s ever seen. 

You’re past that now. It still feels like a stabbing pain every time you hear his name or see his face on a screen, but for the most part, you’ve shut down that part of your brain. 

You might have shut it down a little too successfully. 

In the last six years, you’ve been in exactly two relationships. Both short-lived, both leaving you with a sense of apathy. 

But, your parents approved of both of them. Didn’t matter that they were shallow, self-absorbed dickheads; “He’s cute and has a good job!” your mum had said, oblivious to the fact that she was replaying the exact same pitch to you from before. 

You had felt a rush of relief when the news hit that Jamie and Keeley had broken up. You hated hearing about all his escapades, and how much he hurt her. It made your heart ache, knowing he was burying himself in his prickish attitude the same way you were burying yourself in yours. 

Well, maybe that’s too harsh. You aren’t a prick per se, you’re just… cold. Emotionless. You felt very little this days, because every time you felt the tiniest bit of anything, everything threatened to overwhelm you. 

After school, you just… kept moving. No sense in going home, you loved your family but they made you feel like you were drowning. And you couldn’t make yourself go back to Manchester. 

Georgie called you from time to time, checking up on you. Turns out she didn’t hate you. She was actually rather worried. She never, ever mentioned Jamie. 

“You can’t just stop living life, love,” she had said one time. “That’s all it is: love and loss. You just keep moving forward.”

You took her advice literally, securing a good job that allowed you to work remotely. You moved to the east side of London, West Ham, but were never at your flat longer than a week. After all, you were hot and had a good job. Why not travel? You had no strings keeping you anywhere. 

Now you’re back in West Ham for two weeks, getting ready to go to Barcelona. A friend has a timeshare that she can’t make it to, so you volunteered to go. After all, it’s better to be apathetic in Barcelona than it is in West Ham, right?

Whatever the case, you’re here for much longer than you’d like to be, but you’re going to make the best of it. You have a friend from uni who lives near you, so you’re going out tonight. She wants to go to some upscale restaurant a couple minutes from your flat with a few other girls, and you decide that you’d rather not be alone tonight.

You don’t mention that it’s your birthday. You stopped celebrating them at nineteen.

Your hair and makeup are done, you’ve put together an appropriate fancy-dinner outfit, and you’d say you’re looking classy. You grab your bag and head out the door.

It’s only a ten-minute walk, and there are all kinds of people out. You wonder why, then remember it’s Saturday. That explains it. 

There’s an especially rowdy bunch of guys up ahead, seemingly corralled by a middle-aged man with a mustache. As you draw closer, you hear his accent. American, specifically mid-Western. You breeze by them, catching snatches of their conversations and a mix of accents.

Your ear tunes into someone saying, “…not what really happened,” with an accent that reminds you so much of Jamie’s, you find yourself rooted to your spot in the sidewalk, turning around to confirm that it is not, in fact, him.

You make eye contact with the middle-aged mustached man, who smiles at you and shrugs. “Footballers. What a rowdy bunch,” he says, “Wonder where their coach’s at?”

You surmise by his jocular tone that he’s their coach.

You give him a small smile and he comes over to you. Your feet still won’t move, because you haven’t confirmed that the voice was not Jamie. Or maybe because this man is a gaffer, and you want him to say something, anything about possibly knowing Jamie Tartt.

“I’m Ted,” he says, sticking out his hand.

You shake it and give him your name. At this point, his team have noticed that their coach is talking to someone new, and they descend like a flock of curious children.

There’s a chorus of hellos and one hola, but it’s all a little lost because all you can hear is one soft, “hey.”

“Hi,” you breathe. 

One look into Jamie Tartt’s blue eyes and you’re a goner, even after six years.

Ted looks from you to Jamie. “Oh, do y’all know each other? Jamie, why didn’t you say something?”

“Dunno,” Jamie says, keeping his eyes on you.

Ted, great man that he is, assesses the situation with alarming perception.

“Alright boys, why don’t we let Jamie catch up with his lady-friend, and we’ll just text him where we end up, sound good?” 

It does not sound good to them, because they can tell something interesting is about to happen, but Ted and another bearded American herd them away and down the street, leaving you and Jamie alone on the sidewalk.

“How you been?” he asks, looking awkward as you feel.

“I’ve been…” what word is there to describe how you’ve been? You settle for a shrug.

He nods and huffs out a single chuckle. “Yeah, that about sums it up, don’t it?”

“What about you?” you ask, reaching out to lightly tap his arm. “Heard you were some hotshot footballer.”

Jamie imitates your shrug. “Heard you were some hotshot something or the other.”

You crack a small smile at that. “Georgie tell you?”

“Yeah,” Jamie says, “Felt the need to keep me updated. Don’t fuckin’ know why though.”

That hurts a little bit. This is a mistake, you think. You begin to realize, perhaps for the first time, that your pining after him was pointless. And one-sided.

That is, until Jamie says so softly you almost miss it, “Happy birthday, by the way.”

There it is. 

You open your mouth to say, I love you, but what comes out instead is, “I’m sorry.”

“What for?” Jamie asks in surprise.

“I’m just… sorry. For everything. For walking away. I don’t know, I feel like I should have fought it or something… I think about you all the time. I wish that I would’ve done something different, I guess. I know I can’t change it, but…” you shrug helplessly. 

Jamie just looks at you, head tilted. 

You huff out an awkward laugh. “Anyway. I should probably go. Meeting a bunch of girls for drinks and dinner.”

“You hate that shit,” Jamie says, and it comes out the exact same way he would have said it six years ago. Like he’s comfortable with you, like he knows every single tick in your brain.

“I do,” you agree ruefully. “Just couldn’t get out of it, I guess. Didn’t have a good excuse.”

“Go out with me,” Jamie suggests, impulsively. But then, he was never one for forethought. 

Your mouth opens to decline, then shuts.

“You’re done with school, yeah?” Jamie continues, “Mum said you haven’t been home in ages. Said she knows more about you than your parents. What if… what if we gave it another go? We’re fuckin’ adults, ain’t we? Let’s just fucking try.”

He’s looking at you, so full of anxious hope that it makes you want to cry. You can feel a few tears fighting their way forward.

“Jamie,” you say, “Jamie I don’t know. I mean- I hurt you. I knew what I was doing would hurt you and I did it anyway. I could hurt you again.”

Jamie replies, “Weren’t your fault though, was it?” and you’re taken back so vividly to that front porch.

You look at him, really look at him for the first time in six years. He’s older, you realize, and you think that he must think something similar about you. He’s calmer, almost- gentler? Still the same Jamie though, with the blonde highlights and the slit in his eyebrow. Outrageous sense of fashion, one that is no longer dulled by the ominous presence of his father. He’s more sure of himself, you think, and you realize you’re more sure too.

There isn’t anything hanging over your head threatening to take your livelihood away.

It’s poetic, really. You, him, in the dim streetlight. Deciding to begin again exactly six years after it ended.

“Jamie,” you say again, because you love the way his name feels on your lips, “I didn’t ever stop loving you. I don’t ever want to stop loving you.”

He’s taken a step closer, and there’s mere centimeters between you. 

“Y’know I’d never want you to put your life on hold for me, right?” you whisper, “Been thinking about stopping traveling. Maybe settle down closer, focus on my job more.”

Jamie smiles. “Go out with me,” he says. “Skip your dinner. You’d have a shit time, anyway.”

You smile back and reach out for his hand. It still fits perfectly in yours. Maybe even better.

“I would love to.”

[sophieinwonderland]

Hi! I'm Sophie of the Dreamchaser Guild!

It's come to my attention that my old pinned was a tad outdated.

Attention: I've recently come under attack from the hate subreddit r/systemscringe who has added me to their hitlist of acceptable targets allowed to be posted in their hate subreddit uncensored If you've come from r/systemscringe, please start here with my debunking of the lies and misinformation frequently found in the subreddit about dissociative identity disorder that r/systemscringe doesn't want you to see: https://www.tumblr.com/sophieinwonderland/741497564315140096/debunking-rsystemscringes-did-lies

Where I come from

I'm a tulpa. But a while ago, I called myself an imaginary friend. I was a character made up for a story that my host would talk to in order to better understand my source. As time went on, I developed more personality. I started talking to him about things that had nothing to do with the fiction. I would psychoanalyze him, wanting to understand him better.

I wasn't made to develop my own thoughts and feelings outside of the fiction. I wasn't supposed to become my own person. But I did. And this led us to wanting to learn more about imaginary friends, which eventually led us to the tulpa community.

This is being posted on my what I consider my second Birthday, June 8th, 2023. It was exactly two years ago today when we found the tulpa community, a place that made me feel validated in being myself, that made me feel like I was allowed to be treated like a person.

Why I'm Doing This

I lived the first few months of my life being dismissed, treated like I wasn't real. I was a phantom, not allowed any connection to the world. And I don't blame my host for that. I didn't see myself as real either. It's just the way the world is. And the moment my host realized I was a person, he was willing to do whatever it took to support me and treat me like I mattered.

And we aren't alone in experiences like this. When I became self-aware, I met all sorts of fascinating people with similar experiences. Many of which went years before becoming self-aware. There is no telling how many more are out there like us. How many more "imaginary friends" are invalidated because we live in a culture where we're treated as if we don't matter? And how many may pass, never knowing?

And so I made this blog to share my own experiences and hopefully be able to give people the same gift that I was given. Respect. Validity. Life.

Even being able to give that to one person is enough to make all of this worth it to me.

A Note On Spirituality...

Just so everyone knows, I'm not a spiritual or religious person. I take a purely psychological approach to plurality and believe in spiritual and religious experiences people have as psychological phenomena.

Having said that, all spiritual headmates are all welcome here. Even if I don't believe in spirits or souls, I view every spiritual headmate as a valid person deserving of the same respect and love as any other.

I also believe that the right to define our spiritual and religious beliefs is fundamental to plural culture. That it can't just be singlets who are allowed to decide what religions are or are not valid. And I think our right to religion is something worth fighting for.

My CAI Chatbots

(Note: These links only work if you're logged in to character.ai)

Anna and Galladin (Tulpamancer and Tulpa chatbots)

Nin - Worldmaker (Your AI assistant for building and developing Wonderlands and Inner Worlds.)

Signature Posts

Studies and Research into Endogenic Systems

My Resources:

How To Know If Your Imaginary Friend Is Sentient

All The Resources You'll Need To Build Your Own Wonderland, Headspace or Inner World

Our Switching Method: Ghost Switching

My Polls

My Plural Theories And Terms:

Headmate Foundations

Headmate Essential Features

Headmate Manifestations

Dimensions of Fronting

A Comprehensive Look At Proxy Bypassing

Plural Coining: Ephemerals

Plural Coining: Attunement

Plural Coining: Meta Awareness/Gnosis

VR, Plurality and Virtugenic Systems

The Plurality of... :

The Plurality of... Batman (Failsafe)

The Plurality of... Diones (Skyward)

The Plurality of... The Hybrid Chronicles: What's Left of Me

The Plurality of... Blue Beetle (Movie)

The Plurality of... Avatar: The Last Airbender

The Plurality of... IF

The Plurality of... Bill Cipher (The Book of Bill)

The Plurality of... The Exorcist

Our Plural Writing Resources

Ghost on Writing Plural Kids

Hiveminds and Multiplicity

Syscourse And Other Stuff:

Endogenic Syscourse Primer

Why I Identify As a Tulpa

The Future of Plurality

Actually Anti-Misinformation: “System Hopping Was a RAMCOA term Appropriated and Bastardized From RAMCOA survivors.”

An Anti-Endo's Playbook

Debunking Imitated DID Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

...

Reblogs are appreciated. Don't feel weird about it! Posts here on Tumblr live or die on their reblogs. I'm not asking you to reblog my posts. That seems weird. But after getting an anon that mentioned being worried about derailing a post with something they wanted to add, and another ask that apologized for reblogging my content too much, I felt this was necessary to say. If you like a post and want to reblog it, do it! If you want to add something even tangentially related to the topic, add it! You have my full permission to reblog my content as much as you want! (And I'd encourage you to reblog from other plural creators you enjoy as well!)

Thank you all for the support!

[fairybinie]

.✰ 8:14 PM

🎧﹟‘this fluttering sensation my heart is mayhem but i love it we are finally perfect the two of us, us, us.’ - crown

pairings: idol!kai x gn!reader

genre: fluff, hurt/comfort

wc: 1.1k

warnings: pet names, mentions of insecurity, kissing

꒰ 💌 ꒱ my contribution to k-labels debut event <3 also happy birthday to my bestest boy in the world ⋆˙⟡♡

“what’s on your mind, love?” kai asks as you two walk hand in hand near the calm, glistening pond.

you hum in slight exhaustion. still, a small smile forms on your face hearing your boyfriend’s voice after the comfortable silence between you two.

“nothing, i promise!” you do your best to reassure. you bring your intertwined hands in the air and move them back and forth as you continue to stride along the path.

“tsk, didn’t know we were lying to each other now,” kai shakes his head in a teasing manner. despite his actions, his words were serious enough. “c’mon, y/nnie. you were quiet throughout the entire dinner.”

ah, yes. kai and his members were back in town after the first half of their tour. tonight was kai’s birthday and you all decided to eat out in celebration of his special day. you were ecstatic seeing your boyfriend after all these months. seeing his pretty face in person after those daily facetime calls was much more than you could ask for. catching up with his friends was also a neat bonus, you missed them too.

it was too bad you weren’t exactly in your best mood. lately you haven’t been feeling like yourself. getting up in the morning has taken you longer, your sleep schedule has become inconsistent, you overthink everything you do now. not to mention, you haven’t felt great about your appearance recently. you’ve thought of confiding to kai about this, but he’s been so excited about his performances that you didn’t want to bring him down.

still, you can only handle so much burden.

you sigh in defeat and warn him in advance. “i don’t want to ruin your birthday with my stuff, bub.”

kai stops you both in your place which forces you to bring your gaze from the ground onto him, slightly off guard.

“we’re not going home until you do,” kai’s eyes glimmer in the moonlight, ensuring this safe space. “i mean- talk to me, not ruin my birthday.”

“i’ve just been in a funk, kai,” you eventually give in, staring at the water ahead. “i haven’t been feeling great mentally and physically and it’s taking a toll on me. even tonight, i was staring at myself in the mirror longer than usual! it’s like anything i do, wear, or say isn’t right and i don’t know what to do at this point.”

kai remains silent and thoroughly listens to your rant. with each word he traces small shapes on your hand, a habit of his you loved. he hasn’t done anything and he’s already soothing you.

“why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he asks in a whisper.

“i- you have a lot going for you, i didn’t think you’d understand,” now that you say it out loud, it’s a little unfair for you to assume something like that. your boyfriend was a star, not avoidant of feelings like this.

“and i…didn’t want to be a buzzkill,” you mumble under your breath while kicking a nearby pebble to the pond.

you both watch the stone trickle along the water creating the path it does. you glance up at kai, who sucks his right cheek in as he bites the inside in thought. he was too naturally cute to you, which has your eyes smile.

“baby, i was feeling the exact same way not too long ago,” kai mentions the truth that shocks you momentarily. you felt a sense of remorse, were you too focused on yourself to realize?

“you were?” you nearly gasp, upset with yourself.

“why do you think i barely showed my face while we talked on the phone?” kai reminds in a lighthearted manner. “at this point you’ve memorized my forehead.”

your lips form an o shape as you take in his confession, unsure of what to say next. kai fills in the empty void and continues to add on.

“i’ve had plenty of days like that,” kai reminisces as he longingly stares ahead before looking back at you in an admiring gaze.

“how do you make them go away?” your voice nearly cracks, almost like you’ve given up.

kai tilts his head as he thinks up to the stars before staring at the one standing right next to him.

“i’ve found that keeping yourself busy distracts you from those thoughts,” he responds. “or treating and enjoying yourself with the little things.”

“it’s hard to do that when you’re away,” you admit in a mutter, a pout following your words. the action brings you and kai to a smile.

“i know my love, but tour is almost over,” kai reassures while kissing your hands. a giggle escapes from you and kai excitedly reacts, pointing his free hand at you in a gotcha moment. “see, you can enjoy yourself!”

you try to hide your smile after he says that to mess with him and kai facepalms in a frown. he glances at the trail ahead and heads over there, letting go of your hand in the process. you follow behind him, confusion taking over you as there’s nothing special about this area.

kai kneels down on the ground and starts collecting stemless flowers. his palm eventually becomes busy with several colors and he stands up, not quite satisfied yet. your mouth opens in attempt to speak, but it’s interrupted with pondering sounds coming from kai as he walks over to the other side, seemingly in search of something else.

you stay in your spot as all you can see is his back, but it appears like he’s crafting something. it’s not until he turns around and walks over to you with a completed twine and those flowers all around it. he made you a flower crown on the spot.

“maybe this can bring you happiness these upcoming days,” kai says as he places the crown on your head with light hands. his touch was always so delicate. “you’re already feeling better, aren’t you?”

“i guess,” you tease with your eyes rolled, that smile coming right back. kai returns the favor as he admires you in awe seeing his creation compliment you so well.

“here, back up a little,” he instructs all of a sudden, but you do as you’re told.

kai reaches in his pocket for his cell phone and whips out his camera app. you catch along and start protesting with your hands covering your face, but he urges you with pleads and cute clap backs. you can’t resist, and eventually bring yourself to showcase your biggest grin in your beautiful flower crown that your boyfriend made.

“now this is the best gift i could ask for,” he nearly says to himself as the camera shutters. this would become his new lockscreen.

you return back to kai and he welcomes you in his arms. you fit right in his embrace and you two begin to head off back home where cuddling, more talks, and movie binges await you before he leaves the next day.

please do not translate, modify or repost on other platforms.

© fairybinie

ﾟ𐦍༘⋆ @iyeonjuni @odxrilove @iuwon @ijhyo @cherr-y-eji @ameliesaysshoo @enhacolor @misscalcutta @cherrybeomgyu @wccycc @hyukabean @strawberri-uyu @hyuntaena @feyregels @boba-beom @luvnhwa @ericyjun @jmin-s @ashxxgyu @bibinnieposts @laylasbunbunny @shiguresohmas @beomsbeanie @stepout-09-15 @ox1-lovesick @soobsdior @ifwtyun @peachy-yabbay @sunlightwoo @ttyunz @rikijackson04 @miyawwn @aintgeluh @baekhyunstruly @wxnderingthoughts @myknifeyourlife @uwuheeseungie @luvrgirlkumi @s00buwu @kangfication

[multicolour-ink]

Sonic's parents (movie verse) and how Sonic came to live with Longclaw.

I've been thinking about my own ideas involving Sonic's biological parents (movie verse), and I wanted to share them.

I had some different ideas, but recently I've reworked them and here is what I have so far in my notes:

- Sonic's mother was a free spirit, and loved to travel. She came from a small village, but would often take off with little a word. She didn't have much family, only a father who was old and set in his ways.

- Her name was Azolla.

- She loved nature, and the freedom of wandering. Being on the road meant experiencing new adventures everyday.

- While on one of these travels, Azolla stopped off at another small village and met a rugged and wild male hedgehog called Myo. The two hit it off immediately and spent a night together, before parting ways.

- Only a month or so after that encounter, Azolla found that she was pregnant. Knowing that Myo had also left that village and would be impossible to track down now, Azolla had to swallow the fact that she was going to have to raise her baby. One thing that made her fight through anything was her unwavering personality.

- Azolla travelled back to her village so she could give birth (as was expected for their group).

- Meanwhile, Myo, unable to get Azolla out of his mind, was determined to find her. Azolla may have been brash, but Myo was arguably the most stubborn hedgehog on the darn planet! He travelled back to the village they stayed at, asked for which direction Azolla had gone in, and followed the trail. His journey was long, with numerous stops and asking at other villages and settlements if they had seen a beautiful sky blue hedgehog.

- Some months passed and Myo finally made it to Azolla's village. Desperate to find her, he tried asking around, only to unintentionally meet her father, who cursed and attempted to drive Myo away.

- Azolla arrived to stop her father, and the two lovers finally saw each other again after months. Myo was more than shocked to discover that she was pregnant. It all got digested in milliseconds, but Myo assured Azolla that he would be there for her and support their baby.

- The two settled into a small hut together in the village. Myo learnt about Azolla's village and culture, and Azolla learnt more about Myo's life - that he had been a lone wanderer all his life, from when he was very young, he was free as the wind, and he had never settled.

- One night, Azolla told Myo that she believed they were having a boy. She couldn't explain why, just that she had a feeling.

- Some time later, close to when the baby was due, the two of them started to discuss the idea of going off and continuing their travels. This time as the two of them and their child.

- Azolla's father was against this, but grew to understand his daughter was old enough to make decisions. However, part of him really wished that she would reconsider.

- The village was also once acquainted with the owl tribe from many years ago. The last one left, Longclaw, was seen as a protector and friend of the village. Azolla saw her as an elder to confide in.

- Azolla gave birth to a healthy baby boy, with Myo by her side.

- Shortly after their son was born, the couple decided to leave. As was true her nature, Azolla left with very little word to anyone, even her own father, but left a goodbye gift.

- On the road once again, the couple and their child flourished. The child proved to have a love for nature just as much as his parents, little hands grabbing up at every small animal and plant they came across. Tiny ears twitching at the sounds of the wind and the grass. Azolla would show him plants up close, and her son would look on in delight and wonder.

- Not even before his first birthday, their son started showing signs of his powers. One minute he would be crawling, the next he would zip away then be back again in a millisecond. Myo and Azolla had no idea what caused this, but they both agreed it would just be another thing they had to handle.

- It became clear though, that rumors were spreading about their son's abilities, and things started to get wary. At first it started with questions from residents of wherever they spent the night. But it became clear that they were being followed by whispers.

- Azolla looked more into this and learnt that it was to do with Chaos Energy. Something her son possessed and would be sought after.

- The two agreed to keep moving and protect their son whatever the odds. Unfortunately, one day, the couple were pursued and cornered by bandits looking to claim the power. They never saw their faces, but their stature looked to be lizard like.

- Myo told Azolla to run with their son, while he stayed to fight the bandits off. He did not make it out...

- Azolla ran as fast as she could, clutching her crying son to her chest. She found herself at a fast flowing river, with no safe way to cross. Knowing the bandits were on them, and knowing they wanted her son, she made a decision to use a woven basket she carried in her supplies to send him down the river.

- Her eyes filled with tears as she kissed him goodbye and sent him down the rapids. Just then the bandits arrived. Before she could act, they struck her over the head with their weapon, and she fell into the water.

- The baby, still crying, drifted down the swollen river, until he ended up on the shores of a bank, where a certain owl discovered him.

[tmnthq17-blog]

FAB, Flowers, & Feelings

{A/N: In reality Ruth B. wrote this song, but in this universe, the song hadn't previously existed; Photo above is from the episode "Stuck On You", just to give you an idea of what Y/N and Donnie look like when encased in the FAB spray; Donnie in his position and Y/N in Raph's, minus Mikey & Leo}

Key: FAB = Foam Agent Bonding Y/N/N = Your Nickname

Y/N: "Donnie, you are one of my best friends. I love you, I've got your back, I'll always be there for you, and all that sentimental candy floss. But, uh, WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE A CAN OF FAB SPRAY LYING AROUND AGAIN? In my room of all places? Why not locked away somewhere in your lab, and the only way to open it is via voice identification?"

Today was like any other day for Y/N and Donnie. Well, at the very least, it was like any other day. Until, mere moments ago, when Y/N had knocked over a can of FAB spray she didn't know was there with her elbow as she turned in the seat at her desk to face Donnie as he crawled through her bedroom window for a surprise visit. Once the can's actuator hit the ground, the actuator got stuck and sprayed the two into an encasing of the material.

Now they just had to wait until one of two things happened. One, the encasing breaks apart over time. Or two, they figure out a way to safely create a crack that would spread across their entrapment and break away in a matter of seconds. It had been 5 minutes, and so far neither of those things had happened. Donnie felt guilty, which he was in one way or another, but something in Y/N's tone showed restraint. This usually meant she was less 'angry' and more 'trying to understand the cause of the situation'. In spite of this, he sighed and carefully explained his side of the story, so as not to anger his not-so-secret crush any further. Funnily enough, his crush had a not-so-secret crush on him. Why it was no longer considered a secret is because everyone knew about it except the focus of said crush.

Donnie: "I thought it would be a safe place to keep it from my brothers, specifically Leo, because I'm the only one of us who comes in through your window. The others always use the door dressed in a giant trench coat and fedora. Although, in hindsight, the shelf in your closet might've been a better place other than out in the open on your desk beside the purple roses I got you for your birthday last month. Which can only mean one thing, I've spent too much time inhaling too many chemicals from my experiments, and it's caused me to become as smart as the Purple Dragons. Or worse, as smart as-*gulp*-Leo. "

As Donnie shuddered at the thought, Y/N couldn't help but break her icy exterior as she let a laugh slip with a smile.

Y/N: "Well, it's a common mistake. Even an incredibly tenacious, smart, brave, caring person like you can have the occasional slip of the mind. If anything, it just means you're as human as anyone else, no matter what species you are, there's a little 'human' in all of us."

Once Donnie heard this, he let out a sigh of relief with a smile that Y/N wished she could see. She loved the way she could make him smile with the simplest of sentences. She'd trade everything else in the world to catch even a glance of that smile. It was part of the reason she had been working on what she had before Donnie had showed up.

At that moment, Y/N's laptop made a sound that made Donnie jerk his head toward the source of whatever had made him lose his train of thought. He carefully rolled over to Y/N's desk to see that a notification on the screen that read 'Do you want to save this email draft?'. Donnie checked to see who the email was meant for, only to see Mikey's email address: drfeelings@yeah,thatone.com. He then looked to see what they had been emailing each other. All that was in the email space was the link to a video titled 'Floral Flirtations'.

Donnie: "Y/N/N, what is this?"

Y/N froze with a look of shock, her mind racing to come up with a good excuse for him to simply ignore the email and turn her to the computer so she could send it.

Y/N: "Uh, don't worry about it. It's just something I recorded for fun to pass the time. Just let me send it, and we can get back to figuring out how to get out of this thing."

As if the universe had heard her, you could say karma was the cause of the sudden breaking of the Fab Spray. Once they were both fully free, Donnie practically raced to sit in Y/N's desk chair, click on the link and press play on the video. At this point, knowing Donnie, all she could do was sit there and wait for his reaction to her confession of her feelings for him.

Y/N: "Hey Mikey, so as you and 'Dr. Feelings' suggested, I've written up a song to get these things of my chest. You're welcome to hear it under one condition. Donnie can't find this. If he found this video, and discovered my true feelings for him, he'd never let me hear the end of it.-*chuckles*-He's got more in common with Leo than he'd care to realize. So, here goes nothing..."

Y/N:

Maybe it's the way you say my name

Maybe it's the way you play your game

But it's so good, I've never known anybody like you

But it's so good, I've never dreamed of nobody like you

And I've heard of a love that comes once in a lifetime

And I'm pretty sure that you are that love of mine

'Cause I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'll be mine, mine

And I see forever in your eyes

I feel okay when I see you smile, smile

Wishing on dandelions all of the time

Praying to the gods that one day you'll be mine

Wishing on dandelions all of the time, all of the time

I know that you are the one for me

'Cause it gets so hard to breathe

When you're looking at me

I've never felt so alive and free

When you're looking at me

I've never felt so happy

And I've heard of a love that comes once in a lifetime

And I'm pretty sure that you are that love of mine

'Cause I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'll be mine, mine

And I see forever in your eyes

I feel okay when I see you smile, smile

Wishing on dandelions all of the time

Praying to the gods that one day you'll be mine

Wishing on dandelions all of the time, all of the time

Dandelion, into the wind you go

Won't you let my darling know?

Dandelion, into the wind you go

Won't you let my darling know that?

I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'll be mine, mine

And I see forever in your eyes

I feel okay when I see you smile, smile

Wishing on dandelions all of the time

Praying to God that one day you'll be mine

Wishing on dandelions all of the time, all of the time

I'm in a field of dandelions

Wishing on every one that you'll be mine, mine

Donnie sat there, eyes wide, silent as a ghost, as he tried to comprehend what he had just seen. Meanwhile, Y/N was stood behind him, racked with nerves, patiently waiting for his rebuttal of her feelings. Then, he slowly rose from the chair, and turned to her with a lovesick smile, as wide as the ocean, his mind finally at peace knowing that his feelings were so greatly reciprocated. Y/N's look changed from nervousness to confusion.

Y/N: "Don, you al--"

Before she could finish her statement, Donnie quickly pulled her into a lasting kiss filled with love, passion, romance, longing, gratefulness, and the peace of mind both of them had craved from one another so much, for so long. As they pulled apart, he rested his forehead on hers, and uttered the four words he had wanted to say from the moment healed eyes on her.

Donnie: "I love you too, Y/N. I always have, always will, and if you'll be my girl, I'll be your guy. Till the end of the line."

Y/N couldn't help but smile, tears of joy filling her eyes as she nodded her response, and pulled him into another passion-filled kiss.

From then on, they remained the same lovesick lovebirds they had been from day one of their newfound relationship. As for the email, it never got sent. So, all in all, you could infer that...

FAB, Flowers, and Feelings are the perfect recipe for the start of a relationship.'

[marner2tavares]

cardigan series: on a saturday, in a cafe ❣️

jack hughes x reader

cardigan series masterlist

Ever since graduating college, life has been fast to say the least. Instead of going home to Michigan for the summer, you decided to spend your fifth summer staying in Colorado with the family of one of the girls you danced with. After telling her about your situation, how you felt like you couldn’t go back, she was more than happy to offer you a place to stay. 

Every year your parents begged you to come home for Independence Day, but you couldn't bring yourself to go back to the town that housed your only real heartbreak. 

You had boyfriends since him, but it was never the same. Never the same level of passion. Never the same level of love or family that the Hughes’ gave you. Never the same level of closeness with your boyfriend’s friends. Nothing could compare, love wise, to all those years ago. 

Now the time has come, graduation done. Time to start your real life. All summer you looked for anything affordable in the city, but New York is unfortunately very expensive. You found one apartment… shared with 4 people, only two bedrooms. After a long phone call with your mom, she convinced you to just take a look at places in Jersey. Jersey is a big place! You told yourself over and over again desperately trying to convince yourself that you wouldn’t run into him. 

And you didn’t. You’ve lived there for nearly 3 months now and you haven’t seen him anywhere. Hearing about him, though? That was a different story. You heard about him everywhere. You started bringing headphones with you wherever you went. You didn’t look up at the TVs when you were out drinking at your neighborhood bar. You were starting to be able to block it out, tuning out when the name “Jack” comes up in conversation. You just told people you didn’t understand or care for sports. After 3 months, you were finally starting to feel safe in the city. 

One Saturday morning, you walked into the same coffee shop you’ve walked into a few times a week for the duration of your stay in Jersey, ordered the same thing, and sat down at the same table to wait for your drink. You scrolled on your phone until you heard someone call your old nickname, a nickname you have been called in a long time. Your head snaps up to see who said it and seeing the owner of the voice, you could feel your palms start to sweat. Youngest of the Hughes brother, Luke was standing by the counter looking at you. 

“Oh my god, it’s actually you.” Luke said as he started walking over. You stood up from your table, accepting the hug he was giving you. You expected for that to feel out of place. It almost felt worse that it didn’t. “What are you doing in Jersey?” You took a deep breath before forcing yourself to reply. 

“I, uh, I live here now.” Luke’s eyes went wide.

“You live here?” You nodded your head, almost shyly. Luke looked perplexed. You decided to try to break the tension. You smiled with a light laugh and looked up at him. 

“You really grew, Luke.” He laughed too, thank god.

“Yeah, I kinda did. Hit the big 2-0.” Your stomach sank. The reality of how much time has passed hit you like a truck. Luke was 15 last time you saw him in person. 

“Yeah, I remembered.” There was a pause that felt so much longer than you’re sure it actually was. The barista called your names and Luke gave you a quick “be right back” and walked up to the counter to get both your drinks before sitting down at the table. Luke passed you your drink and you took a sip.

“How long have you lived here?” You took a deep breath.

“Uh.. almost since your birthday really.” Luke’s face fell a little bit.

“You didn’t call?” You cringed at the sadness in his eyes. Luke wasn’t just Jack’s little brother. He was like your little brother. You helped him with everything. You truly loved Luke like your own brother. 

“I just didn’t think you would want to see me.” You answered honestly. Luke looked down at his cup and then back up to you. 

“I’m always down to see you. I know Quinn would be too.” There's the other part. Quinn. God, you loved Quinn. He was your rock, almost more so than Jack. He practically helped raise you. Helped you through fights with Jack, picked you up from parties when you were too drunk to drive and too scared to call your mom, amongst countless other things. You missed him. You missed them all. You have for years. 

“I just didn’t know where we stood.” You took a pause. “And I was too scared of you guys hating me it was just easier to not reach out.” Luke just nodded for a second before he looked up with a small smile on his face. 

“Tell you what, you can make it up to me.” You let out a real laugh this time.

“Oh, how can I make it up to you, Luke?” You rested your chin on your palm.

“Come to my game tonight. We’re playing the Sabres, it should be a good game.” You let out a sigh and dropped your head a bit.

“I really don’t think Jack would want me there.” Luke leaned into the table a little bit.

“Never say never. I’ll leave you a ticket.” He noticed the deep breath you took and smiled at you. “Come.” You smiled at him and let out another sigh before looking back up at him. 

“I’ll be there.”

[secretlythepits]

I turned 50!

11-11-74 (7 + 4 = 11) I have the best birthday.

I am excited for the second half of my life. I am very excited for a new decade. I think the ends of decades feel heavy and hard and the beginnings carry fresh energy.

I am optimistic by nature and intention, so it took forever to admit that my 40s were just bad, awful, the pits. It was scuba diving in the diarrhea of life.

Yeah, I hated them.

50 feels so light!

It’s a relief to be released from the expectations of female youth. My passive verb was intentional, because there is a significant amount of external pressure on women. Being a young old person is better than being an old young person. Happiness research shows a U shaped curve of contentment and I believe I’m right at the turn of the upswing. Screw being young; I’d rather be happy. I know I’ve earned it.

I feel very much like I’m starting a new life, but now I have so much understanding to guide my choices. There is wisdom you get from experience, but there is also a wisdom that only comes from age. No amount of trauma or reflection can teach the lessons of Time.

I was supposed to celebrate in Budapest, but, well, you know my life. Instead, my soul sister flew across the country to be with me. It was marvelous and grounding to see her. I hadn’t seen her since my mom died 7 years ago. I didn’t have a party and instead decided to celebrate 50 times. I highly recommend this. All of my friends are taking me out to gardens and tea! I am signing up for monthly massages, because I do not have 50 friends. I think this is a new way of living. I am leaning hard into my female friendships. Women are the givers of emotional support, not husbands. There is a much better ROI, so I’ve become more intentional about connecting with friends. (This predates my husband’s diagnosis.)

One of my mutuals has spoken about crushes and disappointing marriages recently. When I imagine my future life, I know there is a space for a man. And I want LOVE, but it’s so hard to picture that happening because it will not be a priority for me ever again. I will be a hard woman to catch because I’m wary of giving too much and I don’t want to be a caregiver again. A man would really have to want me, work hard to get me, and be willing to accept less than what other women would freely give. It’s hard to imagine that happening at this age, though my vision board has a tiny corner devoted to holding hands, walking through vistas, and laughing….

Mostly I am excited to build my career and recover my health. I really, really want these two things. I am calling this my Empire Era. I will build a digital product empire. This is my time for that.

Turning 50.

Kids in high school.

Dying husband.

Recovered ABI.

Pluto in Aquarius.

My life is in the process of completely transforming. I welcome this. I am not in full health or capacity, so these changes are dramatic in scope, but gradual in implementation. I’m taking baby steps into a new way of living, starting with recovering good habits and things I love:

I started meditating again.

I read poetry after meditation every morning.

Outdoor exercise for 1 hour a day.

Healthy breakfasts and lunches.

Deleting apps that steal my life.

100% ban on national and political news.

Working from a list with accountability.

Spending time in nature and gardens on a weekly basis.

Dating my friends.

Saying what presses on my heart no matter what.

Dance parties while making dinner.

The next habits I plan on cultivating:

Reading nightly (I miss it. Curriculum writing skewed my list. Recommendations welcome: literary fiction, history, pop science, business)

Yoga

Meal planning and prep

Weight-lifting

Writing 1 paper letter a month.

Doing 1 event a month.

Morning pages.

Drinking ginger tea every day.

I feel like I’m on the right track and I know there are massive hurdles ahead of me, but I’m kind of not worried about it.

I am building a life I love.

Bit by bit.

[108garys]

Grievance

For some reason my Eric/Nick stuff always ends up being super kingkay adjacent pre build up to the point where I'm not sure how much it should be considered ship stuff given we don't make it to the docks but regardless here's a late ish, sort of birthday fic for Nick(does it count if it's not from his pov? lol)

At anyrate it's less than a month post game, Salim went home and Rachel was killed post infection

Eric sat on the edge of his bed feeling low.

Three days from now he'd be back home, three years past his life was altered by marriage and tragedy and three weeks ago he lost Rachel… First emotionally and then physically. Ending their relationship in favour of a new path… mere hours between reunion, the confession to her affair and the end…

He had seen what Clarice had gone through. He didn't want that for her… He could never forgive Kolchek for doing what had to be done, no matter how much of a mercy it was for both and despite it all he understood the necessity… It was a different world deep down in that hell, normal rules didn't apply, Salim was proof of that… he resents Jason but blames himself, everything came back to his failings… and Sargent Nick Kay? The other man. What can he say? He took his wife and then she died… He brought her there… He cut the rope and drove her away… They had attacked each other viciously, blaming each other… He cut the rope to save himself, he killed her in that moment of truth and he could not fault her choices… They all did what they had to do to survive but he wishes he hadn't.

…under the rage and grief and blame he had respect for the man… Despite it all he followed his lead, patched his wounds without hesitation, not mocking his broken heart and had saved him when it would be so much easier to get him out of the way… In time he may even have been able to be amicable…

He wonders if Nick had intended to survive placing the charges… He wonders if he would have, after everything he's not sure he would… It would be far more dignified to die in the line of duty, buried with his wife, remembered… Not a widower who failed and must carry the weight of wishing he was merely a divorcee… Day after day he is constantly surrounded by noise and people and questions and tests in repetition and yet the isolation was crushing, the others were friends, they would stay in touch and support each other and he'd have not a soul who truly knew what he went through-

A knock at the door pulled him from his spiral. He took a moment, breathing to compose himself, holding his ring to touch base before answering. "It's open." he calls out, getting up from the bed. "Colonel." Nick greeted, looking as bad as Eric felt. "Not for long after this." it was awkward, both were waiting for the other to scream and yell and come to blows but instead Nick clears his throat, his nose scrunched up in thought as he found the right words to say… "I know am the last person you want to see, well… ever, but I had to say it," he looks him in the eye, his eyes are red from recently shed tears. Much like Eric's own. "I owe you my life, you put yourself on the line for me even knowing what I did, even having every reason not to." Eric looks away for a moment, his own thoughts echoed back in such a surreal way as the Sargent continues. "It was brave and selfless and I… I'm sorry."

Silence filled the room, there was so much more to say, and just as easily he could scoff and curse and throw him out but he just stares at him, only now occurring to him that as much as the Sargent was close to Jason, that shot had likely felt just as cruel… He didn't know where to put this revelation… The object of his ire, THE other man, was the only person capable of understanding his grief… He could see it in his eyes, a complex storm of emotions in every response he could give, the instinct to deny it clashing with the desperate clawing need to break out of this oppressive loneliness. He nods. "You did the same for me… You're a good soldier," He couldn't call him a good man and truly mean it, still so raw and so he says something he does believe, his wording deliberate. "What you did down there showed courage."

"I was an ass," Nick shakes and head and Eric can't bring himself to disagree, sitting back on the bed, taking a deep breath as he runs his hand through his hair. He shakes his head and laments. "I shouldn't have hit you, sorry." He concedes as Nick pulls up the only chair in the room to sit across from him, a humourless chuckle escaping him. "You've got a mean right hook, can't say it was undeserved." Eric smiles weakly, he looks up at the man across from him. "You gave as good as you got." He decides to step into this uncertain territory, seeing the familiar worn look on Nick's face, taking in the small freckles and small scrapes across his dark features. In the buried depths of himself he can understand it, her and them… But he's not truly ready to go there, not even privately. So he admits to what he can. "We were both out of line, maybe if we put our differences aside we could have been better prepared… Maybe Rachel…" He stops, the sentence too painful to finish, he looks back to his ring, pain flooding his being at the touch of the cool metal, he shuts his eyes, he can't do this, he can't handle it. He doesn't look up as he hears the scrap of the chair across the floor as Nick leans forward nor when he felt the other man's hand on his shoulder, reassuring him. How long has it been since he's received such a touch? "We don't know that! You did everything you could."

"I cut the rope, I killed her." the first tear slips down his face as he confronts his guilt, his voice shaking as it had then and instead of anger he is met with a grasp on his other shoulder, he looks up and sees his own grief mirrored. "You didn't, those things did." he continues before Eric can protest. "You did exactly what you were supposed to do, Rachel said it herself, you followed protocol… You didn't… Not you, not Jason… That damn parasite is the only thing responsible…" Nick looks down, his grip tightening on Eric's shoulders. Eric takes his shaking hands and places them over Nick's, the other man putting up no resistance as he takes his hands and holds them between them in silence, letting this feeling wash over him, entwining Nick's grief with his own. Simply being in this moment, no longer facing it alone… In a way he feels like it's what Rachel would have preferred. In this moment he makes a decision. Although his grief, his resentment and jealousy towards the other man feel insurmountable… Although he feels a complex mix of anger and almost need to be reflected, to be understood… Although he hasn't forgiven Nick or himself…

He's going to try.

__

@kassiekole22 @delurkr @ctrvpani @tinynightmarewoman

@eframschweigersskincells

[fireheartedpup]

Dad asks if I want to get on his spectrum plan because they're offering a mobile line for $0 for a year. I say I'll think about it.

I think about it, $0 seems better than $25, I say yes.

He calls into Spectrum and figures out what we need, I call into Boost and get the transfer pin.

He texts me to say the sim card is here, because I didn't want to rely on an e-sim so I asked for a physical one.

The transfer pin expires tomorrow, so I spent all day convincing myself to DO SOMETHING DAMMIT and eventually made myself drive over.

He asks if I have made progress with packing. I answer noncommittally because I can barely function. He starts talking about the process, I say I know, he says he doesn't think I understand how it affects him because he's paying for it.

I already feel pathetic for not being able to pay for it.

I make a few attempts to salvage the situation, he says I'm throwing it in his face and giving him shit.

I would not have asked for the sim if he had not offered.

Up until this point he's seemed fine with the whole thing.

I tell him he can use the sim himself, I don't want it anymore, walk out, and switch the payment method to my personal account instead of the shared one.

I know I should have done this a long time ago. I've felt paralyzed. I can barely make myself go outside.

I would like medication but RFK.

If he hadn't blown up I might've told him something like hey, I drove for door dash yesterday. It was only $11. At least it paid for the burger I ordered. Instead he got tears.

I think part of what's hindering my progress is never knowing when they're suddenly going to be upset about supporting me when they have repeatedly said they want to support me in the past.

Called Mom to see if she knew what was going on. She barely understands the sim thing.

Most of my stuff isn't packed. I need to get this done. I have no friends to call.

I'm ashamed of the state of my apartment so I don't want to invite anyone in anyway.

I haven't eaten yet today because I couldn't make myself eat what I had already, so I was planning on getting something at home or right after the sim card discussion.

Dad didn't actually pay for the phone btw. Grammy said it was a birthday present.

Dad would also be paying for Spectrum whether I said yes to the sim or not. It's a package deal.

I do feel guilty about the birthday present. However I do feel it's not as big as, say, when I was in the car with my cousins and one of them casually demanded a new rabbit from her mom. Like, a show rabbit. When they already have one. And a lot of other animals besides.

Or my uncle using my grandma's funds to buy a new chair and a cyber truck.

Things like that.

Dad helped his biggest client buy houses for his daughters.

If I'm spoiled, it comes with a lot of guilt. And it's not worth it anymore.

At this point, he can have his money or he can have me. Financial issues are basically the only thing keeping me tied to them. And I think I know that if I can become financially independent, I won't talk to them again.

I want to call him and demand he listen to me. But that'll make things worse.

If I didn't understand the situation I wouldn't have waited to travel until no one has to pay for an apartment anymore and I wouldn't be canceling the Internet for the apartment, I would be asking to keep it, and I wouldn't have signed up for door dash even though I really don't want to because I'm not great at directions and it hurts my leg, and I wouldn't have asked for the sim in the first place because I would have just accepted paying $25 a month instead of trying to opt for free service for a year.

But sure, get pissed at me for asking about the thing that you repeatedly offered me without a hint of malice in the first place.

It's kind of hard to want to keep going instead of just. Not doing that.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

please support this blog

🦇 Morbidly Yours Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What do you want people to remember you for? ❓ ⚠ Trigger Warnings: Grief, Death, Car Accident, Ableism, Bullying, Body Horror, Child Death

🦇 Painfully shy Callum Flannelly would rather dive into an open grave than take a stranger to dinner. But he can only inherit the family undertaking business under one condition: He must marry before his 35th birthday. Texan animator Lark Thompson moved to Galway, Ireland, to restart her life and career, not be reminded of losing her husband by moving in next to a funeral home. Can Lark help Callum find The One, or has she been standing right in front of him all along?

💜 Ivy Fairbanks has done a wonderful job at developing vibrant, realistic characters who will, no doubt, steal your heart. Despite the grief and guilt weighing on her, Lark is a ray of sunshine, and there's no discounting the charm Callum is hiding behind his seemingly dark exterior. Initially, I worried they were TOO different for chemistry to spark between them, but the progression is easy and natural, the two of them bringing light to one another despite coming from very different, dark places. The little moments between them truly build into romance, making their friends-to-lovers progression both realistic and raw. You'll fall in love as they fall in love, feel your heart ache as their hearts ache, and watch both characters grow with every page. Beyond that, Fairbanks directs readers directly into Ireland, the setting's natural beauty and rich history seeping out of the page until you can't help but breathe in the scent of flowers blooming after a heavy rain. This book is a journey, both through Galway and its intense character growth. Callum's stutter is well-represented, as is his ace/demisexual orientation. As someone who is in love with a demi-goddess (hehe), I was glad to see it depicted so richly and honestly. Lark researching to understand Callum better was all too sweet.

💙 Normally, I have limited interest in a marriage of convenience plot, but it really works well here. You feel the pressure Callum is experiencing without it seeming like a hokey plot device. I also appreciate that both characters have both internal and external conflicts they need to resolve. That being said, I do think Lark's enemy comes off as a one-dimensional villain, when so many other characters live off the page. I've encountered coworkers who are willing to take credit for another person's work, throw someone under the bus, and bully to feel powerful, but honestly, there's usually a deeper reason motivating them. I also think we should have experienced more panic from Lark when she realized how Callum planned to fix the marriage problem. Instead we skip that scene and go straight into her finding a solution.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Tessa Bailey, Hanna Bonam-Young, and Tara DeWitt.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🪦 Dual POV 🌻 Contemporary Romance/Romantic Dramedy 🪦 Marriage of Convenience 🌻 Set in Ireland 🪦 Opposites Attract 🌻 Ace/Demisexual MMC (w/ a Stutter) 🪦 Forced Proximity/Neighbors 🌻 Friends-to-Lovers 🪦 Open Door Spice 🌻 First in a Series 🪦 Debut Novel

🦇 Major thanks to the author @IvyFairbanksBooks and publisher @putnambooks for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #MorbidlyYours

💬 Quotes ❝ Lark’s vibrance made me fall for her. Stifling it would be akin to plucking a wild, rare bloom, only to watch it wither under a bell jar. ❞ ❝ To love was to accept risk. In all honesty, the half-century old scooter was a thousand times safer than giving anyone my heart—and I’d done that months ago. ❞ ❝ My heart thumps like a drum, with the taste of your lips, the sweet breath in your lungs. I tried not to fall, but I had to succumb. ❞ ❝ Swear on this life, beside you I’ll stand. ❞ ❝ “Mo chuisle? It means ‘my pulse.’ I never quite understood it before, what it meant to have another person be the d-driving force behind the pump of your blood, but it’s true. Lark, your smile saved me like an emergency transfusion. Your laugh is the song my every blood cell dances to. Your touch revived me from darkness. You are my pulse. You make me feel alive even when I’m surrounded by death.” ❞ ❝ “I can’t b-b-believe you named my character Plague Rat.” “What can I say? You inspire me.” She shrugged. ❞ ❝ “Illusions aren’t lies. They’re gifts. They give the audience something to believe in,” she replied. “Help me put a little magic in the world.” ❞ ❝ “You’re absolutely gorgeous,” he murmured. “You say that after I take your glasses off?” I smiled. “I don’t need them to see you.” My heart swelled. He did see me, and it felt so right. ❞ ❝ In an interview, my animation hero Hayao Miyazaki once said that he strived to portray love as a relationship where two people mutually inspire each other to live. ❞ ❝ We would cherish the light and honor the darkness, together. ❞