#not about anything in particular i'm just getting ready for my last work meetings of the year and tossing thoughts into the void

[astromechs]

man, you ever get tired of ship-based fandoms?

[caramelcal]

Hi, I love your story!! I wanted to know if you can do a when theo is jealous and leave hickey to fem reader. If your not comfortable that’s fine thank you 🤭.

LOVEBITES AND POTIONS

word count: 1.4k

a/n: hiya lovely! thank you for sending a request<3

warnings: fem!reader, no house specified. jealous!theo. boyfriend!theo, playful allegations of cheating/going on dates with others. hickeys.

"Hey, y/n!" A voice called out from behind you, halting you in your movements.

It was a Friday, and you had just left your last class of the day, ready to relax over the weekend with your boyfriend, Theo. That's where you were heading right now; to his dorm.

Well, until someone called out from you.

"I'm glad I caught up with you," The voice said as you turned around, eyes catching onto Zacharias, a Hufflepuff boy in your year, and your potions partner.

"Hi, Zacharias," You gave the boy a pleasant smile, trying to be as nice as possible. You held your books in your hands in front of your chest, looking at the boy who seemed a little out of breath.

"Hi, um-" He started, scratching the back of his neck as his eyes cast away from you for a second, "I wanted to talk to you about our potions project."

You looked at him with a small smile, urging him to go on as he took a deep breath. Tons of students bustled around the two of you, loud, excited to get off to their dorms or hang out with their friends, and although you wanted nothing more than to run to Theo's dorm, you were patient with the boy in front of you.

He seemed nervous.

"Well, I was thinking we could get a headstart on our project, maybe tomorrow in the library?" He proposed, his eyes looking pretty much everywhere but your face, "I mean, I really need a good grade on this project, and I know that you like to..."

Zacharias continued, but you zoned out a little as your eyes caught on to a particular group of Slytherin boys. They all joked about, pushing each other, and just acting generally boisterous. Not a single one of them wore their robes, all claiming to be far too cool for them, their ties loosened and white sleeves rolled up.

Your eyes caught onto the familiar tall figure of your boyfriend as he laughed, his blue eyes catching onto yours as you smiled, getting a smile in return. His friends all started to notice you too, riling Theodore up as boys do when they saw the look in his eyes.

"Y/n?" A hand gently brushed against your shoulder, drawing your attention back towards Zacharias, his eyebrows slightly drawn, and a slight redness in his cheeks.

"That sounds like a good idea, Zacharias," His face brightened a little, "but I can't do tomorrow, I have plans with my boyfriend, sorry."

"Oh."

"We can start on Sunday though? How does that sound?"

A small smile makes its way back onto Zacharias' lips as he nods, "Yeah, that sounds good."

Before you can respond, however, to work out times or anything, you hear a call from behind you, "Y/n! C'mon! We don't have all day!"

Your head whips around, hearing Draco shout after you to get you to hurry up, only to realise all of the Slytherin boys are staring at you, waiting for you to come with them. With a smile, you turn back around and say your goodbyes to Zacharias, before practically skipping over to the boys.

Your eyes don't move from the tall blue-eyed boy, your arms thrown over his shoulders as you reach up and peck him on the cheek. His eyes don't quite meet yours, focusing on something behind you as his hands snake possessively around your waist, a kiss being placed on your forehead.

Then, you're whisked away to the Slytherin common room, and soon enough, Theodore's dorm. The door shuts behind your boyfriend as you place your books down on his bedside table, and he wastes little time pulling your robe away from your neck and down your shoulders, slipping it off your body.

"I missed you," You spoke quietly as you turned around in your boyfriend's hold, your hands going over his shoulders and curling into the hair on the nape of his neck.

Your head is on his chest, breathing in the scent of his cologne and cigarettes, eyes closing at the comfort it brings you.

Theo hummed in response, pulling back a little as he picked you up with ease, placing you down on his bed as he sat beside you, facing you.

His lips soon find yours, his hand sitting around the back of your neck, keeping your lips firmly on his as his thumb caresses your hair away from the side of your neck. His free hand pulls at your tie, then unbuttons the top two buttons of your shirt, moving the fabric to free the side of your neck.

Then, his lips latch onto your neck, near your jaw, and the second you feel him suck and his teeth lightly graze over the skin, you know exactly what he's trying to do.

"Theo, lower. Those marks are going to be visible above my uniform."

Yet, he doesn't stop. In fact, he seems even more eager to mark up the side of your neck when he hears those words tumble from your lips.

"Theo."

He pulled away a little, but you could still feel his soft breaths against the bare skin of your neck. You looked down at him with a quizzical look.

"Why are you doing it so high?"

He avoided the question, his hands pushing your hair back once more as his eyes cast back down to the skin of your neck, "You excited about your date with your little boyfriend?"

"I didn't realise we'd planned a date this weekend."

"I'm talking about your other boyfriend," He quipped back sarcastically, before his lips made contact with another spot on your neck, littering what you can guarantee are going to be countless dark bruises along your neck.

Your eyebrows furrow at this remark as you try to piece together what Theodore could possibly be talking about. What other plans did you even have?

"Are you talking about Zacharias? He's just helping me with our potions project," You informed your boyfriend, your hand coming up to grab at the strands of his soft hair once more.

"Tell him to leave it, I'm better at potions anyway. I'll help you," Theodore bargained, without his mouth moving away from your neck.

He wasn't wrong. Theodore was brilliant at potions, but regardless of that, it was your and Zacharias' project, not you and Theodore's.

"Wait," A subtle smirk came to your lips as you began to piece together what was happening, your hand pushing Theo away from your neck, "Are you jealous, Theo?"

You held him in such a way that he was unable to attach his lips to your neck to continue his attack, your head tilting a little as you waited for a response.

Theodore rolled his eyes in response, mumbling, "No."

"Are you sure?" You pouted a little, raising an eyebrow at the way his eyes were cast to the side, not looking you in the eyes. His hair was a little messed up, and a small pout had made its way to his lips, too. He crossed his arms over his chest, almost comically, as if he was a child in a huff.

"That puff has nothing on me," He mumbled cockily, making you laugh softly as you moved your hands from holding him back. Not skipping a beat, Theo latched his lips back onto your skin, on the opposite side now.

"Stop," You laughed a little, "Snape's going to have a heart attack if he sees these."

You had absolutely no doubt that these were going to be a pain in the ass to hide. Even with your hair down, it was going to be a real struggle. With how many Theodore had left too, you knew the chances of you being able to cover them with makeup was going to be difficult, too.

"Hope the puff does, too," Theodore mumbled almost childishly.

"Don't be jealous, Theo," You spoke softly, your hand coming up to play with his hair once more, your other hand rubbing his back, "You know I'm yours."

"You're right," Theodore responded, pulling away from the last hickey he made, then pressing a soft kiss against your neck, now littered with marks, then your jaw, then your lips. Finally pulling back, his blue eyes meet yours, a smile coming to his face as he surveys his work, then your face, "All mine."

[tlouadditc]

roommate!ellie x f!reader [cont.]

WARNINGS: smut, 18+ ONLY, switch!reader, switch!ellie, reader is an anxious and shy ass bitch, strap on usage, ellie has a potty mouth [LMAOOO], degradation, praise, pet names [mostly baby and princess again], oral [e receiving], fingering [e receiving], a bit of dumbification and dacryphilia if u squint

word count: 1.7k, rating: MATURE

a/n: thanks for 300+ likes on the 1st part!! i hope u guys enjoy, im working on my writing so pls lmk if anything is confusing/weird, lmk 😭 enjoy! + this is not proofread sorry

she flashed a small smile before saying, "i'm okay, baby. get some rest." before you could protest, she got up and planted a kiss on your forehead. "let's get you to bed, princess."

the next day was awkward as hell. you don't know why, but you felt like you shouldn't talk to ellie at all that next day. maybe it was your fear of her getting randomly disgusted. maybe scared she'll bring it up and use it against you. she wasn't like that.. but your fear still made you ignore any unnecessary contact.

halfway through the day, your phone buzzes in your pocket. you check, and you see it's ellie. you nervously open it;

ellie: u okay? why rnt u talking to me?

you sigh, not wanting to scare her away. you quickly type:

you: im sorry, busy day :((

ellie: busy? maybe i can help you again, princess

that name again. maybe she still wanted this, you think. you exhale deeply before texting back:

you: movie night tonite?? ill be home by 6 :o

ellie: those lil emojis r too cute.. also hell yea!

you smile before hearting the message and putting your phone away. you're just overthinking again. everything is good.

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

you finally finish your last class of the day, quickly packing your stuff and prepare to walk to your dorm. suddenly, your phone buzzes. it's ellie again.

ellie: outside! :))

confused, you walked outside to see ellie in her car, waiting for you. you happily walked [practically ran] to the passenger side.

"els!" you say, putting your bags down while looking at her with a big smile on your face. "you didn't have to."

"i wanted to." she said, just as happy as you. "don't want my princess walking home when i can pick you up."

she chuckles when she sees your face heat up, starting to pull off. "so," she begins, "what movie you wanna watch tonight?"

you think, long and hard, before answering, "a horror movie!"

she nods in approval before asking, "any movie in particular?" you shake your head and she says, "good, because i have a movie already; hereditary."

you slightly cringe. "sounds scary." no response from her, just a smirk. you take this as a moment to study her look her hair is down, meeting her shoulders, her lips slightly chapped, but still looking as soft as a pillow, her eyes attentive on the road ahead of her, her arms slightly muscular and defined in the sunset. as you take in all of her features, she glances over and smugly mutters, "like what you see?"

you snap yourself out of your trance, sitting up in your seat. "sorry," you mumble, making her laugh again. "don't be sorry," she replies, "when you're in those cute little skirts, i do the same."

your face flushes again, but before you could answer, you realize you're at the dorms and ellie's shutting the drivers door. jumping out the car and walking up to ellie, you utter, "thank you, els," and begin walking with her.

getting into the dorm, you quickly walk to your room. "ill order pizza," ellie yells, "be ready in an hour!" you were gonna yell out, "for what?", until you remember your movie night. "okay!" you yell, gathering clothes to freshen up.

in the shower, all you can think about is how tonight could play out. could you just watch the movie and never talk about what happened last night? would it happen again? would she completely reject you? it was too much to think about, too much to worry about. you wore your usual lounge outfit- shorts and an oversized shirt- and let your hair airdry.

walking out of the bathroom, you see the living room set up for your movie night [or date at this point]. "fancy set up," you utter, coming around to sit by ellie. "well, i wanted to make tonight special." for what? you want to ask, but you ultimately decide to not question it.

the movie starts, you're both eating pizza and actually paying attention. you can swear you feel ellie's eyes falling onto your bare thighs, but you ignore it. let her make a move, you tell yourself. don't wanna embarrass yourself.

as the movie goes on, you slowly lay onto her and get closer, feeling her wrap her arms around your waist. if you're honest, you can't even pay attention to the movie anymore; your body craves more of her touch, just how she did it last night. you whimper, getting flashbacks of her fingering you into oblivion.

"you alright, princess?" ellie asks, concerned tone, "movie's too scary?" you gulp, glancing up at her before shaking your head slightly and laying back down on her shoulder.

everything's becoming overstimulating; the rhythm of her breathing, the warmth of her fingertips under your shirt and on your waist, rubbing up and down- you need something. crossing your legs and rubbing them together, you create friction to stop the throbbing in your core. you can feel ellie move her hand from your waist onto your thigh, making your breath hitch. you let out a quiet mewl as she moves her hand to your inner thigh, spreading your legs. she slowly moves her hand closer and closer to your cunt. "ellie," you silently whimper, breathing heavily under her touch. you hear her groan and whisper, "fuck this movie."

you turn your head to face her. she crashes her lips onto yours, passionately kissing you while cupping your core with her hand. your hips buck up, attempting to get any sort of pleasure. she smirks in the kiss, pulling back to say, "be patient, baby, i promise i'll make you feel good." you slowly move your hand over her crotch, palming at her soaked heat. "m'not letting you neglect yourself again," you say, locking eyes with her. "let me help you."

you kneel in front of her, small smile on your face. she hesitates before sitting back and helping you remove her shorts. the way you gaze at the glistening wet spot on her boxers makes her look away in shame. "it's okay," you reassure, making her bright red face look back at you as you slowly peel them off her body. her pussy is glistening with slick, puffy red lips hiding her swollen clit. you only do one touch and she's slightly squirming, gripping onto the couch for support. light touches on her dripping slit turn into your pointer finger stimulating her bud as you tease another into her sopping wet hole. she throws an arm across her face, attempting to muffle her whines. "am i doing good?" you ask, looking up with doe eyes. all she can do is nod before you fully extend your finger in her cunt. "god- so good, b-baby," she breathes, trying to keep her composure. without warning, you pump the finger in and out, filling the room with obscene sounds. kitten licks are applied to her swollen bud, making her moan your name with her head tilted back.

"m'gonna- fuck- cum all over your face, p-princess," she practically sobs, bringing a hand down to push you further into her pussy. you speed up, letting her take control of your head, as her heat squeezes around your finger and soaks the bottom half of your face.

both of you are catching your breath, completely fucked out. removing your finger, you pop it into your mouth, watching ellie's eyes lock onto your mouth. "you... you dirty slut," she mutters, getting up from the couch. you worriedly watch as she walks to her room, rummaging in a drawer. you start to freak out, thinking you did something wrong. you hear something.. buckling. you think she's leaving until she walks out something on:

a strap.

"get on the sofa," she demands, looking down at you with hungry eyes. you get up, and sit on the sofa, waiting for the next command. "so obedient for some cock, huh?" she teases, leaning down and slightly pulling at your waistband, signaling for you to take them off. you comply and she pulls your legs up, making you lay on your back with your legs thrown over her shoulders. she runs her hand over your heat, collecting slick and applies it to the strap. "you ready?" she asks, genuinely this time. you slightly nod, nervous about how she's gonna fuck you with this thing.

"such a pretty little cunt," she coos, slowly inserting the entire strap into you. the painful sensation causes you to let out a loud sob, making her shush you lightly and whisper, "i know, i got you, angel." once you adjust and she wipes your tears, she moves out slowly. "you okay?" she asks, keeping her eyes on your face as she moves. you nod, whimpering when the tip hits your cervix slightly. "i'm gonna go a little faster, okay?" she speeds up, just enough to make your mind go blank as you keep your eyes on her.

her calloused hands hold onto your hips, keeping you in place. she can feel herself getting wetter by the second just from seeing how fucked out you look, eyes rolling into the back of your head. "mm, going dumb on me, slut?" she utters, a stupid smirk on her face. you're unable to make sentences as you moan her name. all you can do is whimper and babble about how good it feels. "so pathetic," she'd breathe, "can't even speak properly from my cock." she speeds up, adding a thumb on your clit, making you go crazy. "m' so close," you cry out, eyes tearing up from how good it feels. she looks down, breathing heavy, before she says:

"go ahead, princess, cum on my cock like the slut you are."

your walls convulse around the strap, legs shaking while ellie continues to pump into you and talk you through your orgasm.

"go ahead, baby, just like that." she caresses your face and plants small, soft kisses as you come down from your high. "i got you."

after you completely recover from your orgasm, she slowly removes her cock from your cunt and goes to get things to clean you up. when she comes back, the strap is off and she has towels and some water. "you okay, angel? did i go too hard?" you shake your head and utter, "no, no, it- you were perfect." her face flushes as she helps you clean up.

as you guys cuddle, you have the urge to ask her the daunting question; what are we? you guys just started this, but you don't wanna just be a fuckbuddy.. but is now the time to ask?

[to be continued >:^) hope u guys enjoyed this long ass smut JESUS!]

[coraniaid]

I'm pretty critical of Buffy's final season (because ... well, I've watched it), but there are some things I think it does well and, since I'm trying to talk myself into working on my S7 AU fic again, I thought it might be worth trying to write down what they are.

I like the sense of completeness there is in going back to some of the show's beginnings. I like seeing Buffy in school again, but this time as an adult with a job. It doesn't just let us re-examine the high school years from a new perspective, it gives Buffy's arc over the last few seasons a nice sense of direction. I like what little we see of Dawn in high school. (I wish there were more episodes like Help.) In principle, I even like the fact that this season's Big Bad is a supernatural threat we've seen on the show before.

While I think there are a lot of problems with the execution (and even with the wider concept) of making the First Evil the primary (frequently the only) antagonist, the First being around does give you a lot of possibilities for having characters literally come face to face with their pasts. I like the final scene of Lessons and I like Conversations With Dead People and I like seeing the Mayor on screen again. I wish the show had done more with this concept.

I like meeting new (Potential) Slayers and finding out more about past Slayers. I like Robin Wood. I like Kennedy. (I wish the show did a better job making the audience care about any of the other Potentials.) I like that Faith comes back. I like that there is a focus on what it means to be a Slayer this season (compare how the show opens, with Buffy taking Dawn on patrol and telling her "it's about power..." [which Dawn doesn't have], to the scene in Chosen where Buffy asks the Potentials "what if you could have that power?").

I also (sorry) really like the fact that the writers resisted the urge to make Dawn a Potential or have her suddenly develop any magical powers as a result of being the Key (which there are at least rumours they were talking about doing). I like that the show stuck with the idea that Dawn is the part of Buffy who gets to be an ordinary girl.

For all its flaws (silly CGI battle against monsters I don't care about which is resolved by a random mcguffin from a different show; weird retcon about Sunnydale apparently being inland; a bunch of other unfortunate writing choices I won't get into here) I really do like Chosen a lot. It feels very fitting that the show ends with Buffy both finally getting to leave Sunnydale and with her no longer having to shoulde the burden of being "the" Slayer (or one of only two Slayers, anyway) anymore. I love how open-ended and hopeful that manages to be.

And speaking of Chosen, I like Buffy's "cookie dough" speech. I like the fact that the show lets Buffy end the series single, and recognizing that she doesn't have to be in a serious romantic relationship if she doesn't feel she's ready for one right now. (I like post-S7 Fuffy as a concept a lot, sure, but I think I prefer it as something that neither of them rushes into.)

I like that Amy comes back? I mean, I don't like anything the season does with her, but still: points for remembering she exists, I guess.

I like the fact that Willow gets to grieve Tara but also move on with her life and start dating again. [I don't know if I would have killed Tara off if I was writing S6 -- I think probably not -- but given that Tara did die I think this is the only good option.]

Empty Places is a good .... name for an episode?

For all my (many, many) issues with Andrew Wells this season (and in particular with just how much Andrew Wells is in this season, which is ... a lot), I think Storyteller is ... pretty good? I liked Jonathan, I think it's sad he dies (and his speech about missing high school now that he's left is another good moment from this season) but I wouldn't really have wanted to have him turn up and help save the day either. Having Andrew kill him (and then have to face up to the fact) feels like the right choice, to me, if you were going to bring either character back [I'm not really sure I would have done that though, to be honest].

Equally, for all my irritation at the time wasted on the "is Giles the First Evil?" subplot and at some of the other character deaths the writers did go for, I'm glad that the Core Four all survive. What the season actually does with Giles isn't very good, and neither Xander nor Willow are in this season enough (especially not in its second half), but at least they all get to live.

Oh, and Anya. I'm glad the writers didn't give in to the temptation to kill off Anya for some sort of cheap shock value, the way some leaked early drafts of Chosen suggest they were thinking of doing. Can you imagine how infuriating that would have been? I don't know if I would ever have accepted it. I might even now be living in denial. Thankfully common sense prevailed there and Anya definitely survived.

[putschki1969]

🇹🇭YKL vol.#20 ～Asia Tour 20th Special SETLIST～　【Bangkok】 Live Report🇹🇭

Wow, what a week it has been. My Thailand trip was an exciting but very exhausting experience. I'm finally back home and after spending an entire day just relaxing on Tuesday, I feel somewhat ready to tackle this live report. I'm back to work and there's a lot to do but I still want to post as much as possible before I lose all of my motivation. Still took me several days to finish this so I am sorry for the delay🙏 I'll start with some general stuff from the day of the live and then continue with a detailed report. Without further ado, let's get to it〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

Before The Live

The concert was held on November 15th at Bangkok Union Hall. At that point I had already been in Thailand for two and a half days doing all sorts of Kalafina and touristy stuff. Needless to say, I was quite exhausted from my previous activities (more on that in a future post) but I was determined to enjoy the day to the fullest. The only major thing planned for that day was a meet-up with some fellow fans to get lunch and dinner so thankfully, nothing too strenuous. Although one could argue that social interactions like this are always a big struggle for me :P Anyway, I headed to the venue quite early in the morning to meet my friends. We were doing some last-minute shopping at a nearby mall to complete the presents for Keiko and Hikaru. Also, we wanted to check out our flower stand which had been put up earlier that morning. I was beyond happy to participate in this particular flower stand project. The HiKei chibis turned out super cute and the banner was also adorable (just look at little Moo Deng🦛). I'm a little bummed though that I didn't get to take the cardboard print home with me since the girls requested the flower stand to be brought to their dressing room after the live (initially, we had planned to take all the decorative stuff off the flower stand after the concert before the flower shop picked it up but alas, it wasn't meant to be). Oh well, we got all those sweet pics with Keiko and Hikaru so that pretty much erased any feelings of disappointment. Thankfully, I got my acrylic key-holders and stickers as a little consolation. I will certainly treasure them forever. During the meet-up with some fellow fans, I also got a bunch of presents, including some gorgeous fan-made articles for the two lives in China. Honestly, I feel so blessed to have received all of this. Thank you so much to everyone who thought of me!

Speaking of fellow fans, I appreciated everyone who came up to me to say "hi". I was also very happy about all the yummy souvenirs. The suncakes from Taiwan saved my life during the following days because I always had a lovely snack to accompany my morning coffee. Sorry if I came across as awkward or reserved to some of you, I am not used to being in big crowds like that and meeting strangers is not among my strengths. Also wish I had gotten more commemorative pics with everyone but oh well, in the heat of the moment it's easy to forget about stuff like that.

For lunch we had planned to go to a Hainanese Chicken place but unfortunately, they didn't have enough room for our group so we ended up going to KFC XD. I forgot to take pictures but our order was honestly not that exciting anyway. I was so eager to try spicy food during my stay in Bangkok but that stuff at KFC was a total let-down (probably our fault though for not looking properly at the menu - they may have had some spicier stuff that we just didn't see). Dinner that day more than made up for it though since my main dish was incredibly delicious. Don't ask me what it was called, it was some sort of fried pork concoction with garlic and chili, simply fabulous and probably one of the best things I had during that trip.

Despite having a lot of fun during these activities, I kinda regret not being able to see anything of the Loy Krathong festivities that day. The weird timing of the concert would have made it very inconvenient to check out any of the festival sites and on top of that there were some bad weather forecasts so no one wanted to risk getting wet😢 It's a real shame but oh well, I guess the live was worth it.

♪The Live♪

Seat

I was very lucky to have dedicated friends who made sure I'd get a VIP front-row seat right across from Keiko's spot on the stage [the picture below was taken at the end of the concert when I was already walking outside so it doesn't properly reflect my point of view - I was seated a little more to the right side]. She was pretty much right in front of me during the entire live so of course, I was in heaven. Taking my eyes off her was a real challenge and at times I honestly felt a little bad for the other singers because I didn't really pay that much attention to them whenever Keiko was on stage. Also, this might make me sound like a perv but I was absolutely mesmerised by Keiko's legs. During her main solo parts she would always turn to the side or turn her back to the audience. Not sure why (maybe because so the audience would focus on her singing rather than her gorgeous face? Or she was a little self-conscious? Who knows). Either way, during these parts her legs were on full display and since her skirt was quite short on one side, you could basically get a glimpse of her tiny safety shorts with every tiny move she made 🫣

One tiny complaint I had was that the stage was quite far away from the audience area and they even felt the need to put up a relatively high metal barrier which created a weird sense of distance despite being all the way up in the front. Nevertheless, the concert felt very intimate to me and I think for that reason, I enjoyed it much more than my past Yuki Kajiura live experiences. I also gained a new appreciation for certain songs that I previously didn't care for all that much. I honestly can't stress this enough, experiencing a concert like this in such an intimate manner is vastly superior to watching a DVD/BD/live stream or even attending it in a spot somewhere further away from the stage. Everything feels and sounds completely different. Your entire body is getting caught in this spectacle and you get a full-on adrenaline rush. It's during these moments when I barely notice any flaws or mishaps. I've been made fun of in the past for always writing these overly positive and raving reviews of concerts but I personally don't even notice half of the bad stuff when I am on such a high. Plus, I don't enjoy lingering on the negative stuff which is why you won't see much of that in any of my reports.

Venue

To be fair, it wasn't a particularly good concert hall, at least in my opinion. The venue was a lot smaller than expected and it felt more like a convention hall rather than a proper concert hall. There are much better venues available in Bangkok but they were probably already booked or too expensive. Also, from what I've heard, the concert tickets didn't sell that well so it was probably a good thing that they stuck with this sort of venue. At any rate, it was very conveniently located at a MRT/BTS station so yay for that. The acoustics were decent enough I guess but nothing to write home about. The sound system could have used some improvements though, I don't think the instruments and vocals were very well-balanced throughout most of the concert. But maybe that could be chalked up to my position in the audience. Just a little disclaimer here, I am not very tech-savvy in that regard but on more than one occasion I noticed that the sound was kinda off...Mind you, not to an extent that would have taken away from my overall enjoyment of the concert but enough for me to notice it several times.

Setlist:

the world: Will always prefer Keiko on main but it is what it is, Joelle on main is fine too. It's a good song so it's a treat to hear it live no matter who is leading. The harmonies at the end didn't quite work for me. Was a bit all over the place. I think the sound system was at fault here.

in the land of twilight, under the moon: Not usually one of my faves but I thoroughly enjoyed this rendition.

vanity: What a blessing to hear this live in concert again! My first time was in Taiwan and I don't think I ever recovered from it. Correct me if I am wrong though but they made a big change during the performance regarding Keiko's epic yayayay part. She flawlessly did her solo of course but then when Joelle starting to sing that final chorus, she didn't continue to sing in the background which she would usually do. I found that very unusual. Also checked the bootleg recordings from the live in China and she did the same thing there too. Huh...Since when did they change it? That was a bit of a bummer to be honest since the very final part felt less epic because of it.

My long forgotten cloistered sleep: So, so good!! Huge fan! Joelle is getting better at it too so I am enjoying her version more and more.

I swear: Wow, what a revelation! I did not expect to suddenly fall in love with this song. I am obviously a huge Keiko-stan but due to her using her cutesy voice in this, it's never really appealed to me. It's always been one of those songs that I preferred to skip during re-watches of home video releases because it didn't really do anything for me. This time though, it felt like Keiko was serenading me specifically (a delusion on my part of course but let me have that little fangirl moment XD). Anyway, this is what I meant earlier. All of a sudden, a song has a new meaning to you and it's only because you get to experience it on such a personal level. The lyrics couldn't be more appropriate: "♪I know, I’m in love♪"

fiction: Not my cup of tea so I tend to skip this but Joelle in particular always does a great job with this song. Her voice is a perfect fit. Definitely my favourite performance so far because I was more into it than usual.

I reach for the sun: Love, love, love.

in the garden of sinners: Damn it, this one hurt so much, I literally almost cried. I don't even really know why but I could barely handle it. All I wanted to hear was Wakana together with Keiko and honestly, it was her voice in my mind, Joelle didn't exist for me in those moments. No matter what happens, I will always associate these melodies with Wakana and Keiko. On one hand, this performance made me incredibly sad but on the other hand, it made me feel even more grateful about the upcoming Kalafina Anniversary Live. Just the thought of hearing the three of them together again is bringing tears to my eyes.

ARIA: What a shame. I knew what to expect of course but it still hurt to hear Joelle sing the chorus. Unlike others, I didn't think that Hikaru sounded all that bad so she could have definitely handled the chorus (especially being backed by Keiko). She might not have sounded her best but who cares?! This is HER song so she should be in the lead. Period. I remember someone saying that Yuki wanted to go back to the original key (more of a speculation, as far as I know, it's not actually confirmed) so she gave the chorus to Joelle but Joelle was kinda struggling with it too so ultimately, we didn't really gain anything from having her in the lead. On a side note, I am just so relieved that Keiko and Joelle didn't do the infamous arm gesture that Wakana and Keiko used to do all the time. All of this sounds rather negative but to be honest, I still liked the performance despite being a little disappointed with the vocal arrangement. it's one of my all-time favourite Kala-songs so it's always a pleasure to hear it.

Magia: By now I am used to the FictionJunction cover version of this and it's really quite good. Solid performance. No notes.

Kimi no Gin no Niwa: Again, good stuff but since I don't particularly like the song it was just okay to me.

ring your bell: Ugghhh, probably my least favourite performance of the night. It's such a difficult song to perform and I honestly don't even like most of Kalafina's live versions but this one was hard to get through. Maybe the sound system was to blame a bit because LINO LEIA's microphone did some weird stuff that made her singing sound worse than it probably was. Plus, I honestly don't think she is a very good fit for the song. Hell, not even Wakana is a good fit for the song 90% of the time. For some reason, LINO LEIA kept using her more generic singing voice when instead, she should've opted for a more controlled head voice. Towards the end we heard a more solid delivery but the rest was unfortunately a bit messy.

to the beginning: Okay I guess. It's certainly one of the better Kalafina covers they do at YKL because Joelle and Yuriko add a lot of dimension. And since I have never been a fan of the song to begin with, it's not like I am missing Wakana too much.

Yasashii Yoake: The See-Saw section of the live was so much more fun than I had expected. Actually really surprised how much I enjoyed it since I am not too familiar with Yuki's old work and don't usually listen to any of it. Also, with Keiko not playing a big role in this corner, I thought I wouldn't be into it. But I guess the songs are just really good with catchy melodies so I couldn't help but like them. Also, my proximity to the stage once again helped me to have a bit more appreciation for the music. All three songs were featured at Kaji Fes. but I don't recall them leaving a huge impression on me. Back then I didn't mind them but I didn't get too excited. This time, I was having a great time from the get-go. Love the Joelle/Yuriko duo here. Joelle's voice works super well for this type of song.

Obsession: I remember not being particularly impressed by the Kaji Fes. performance but the Bangkok version was so cool. LINO LEIA and Keiko did a great job. So cool!! After that rather mediocre "ring your bell" performance, it was nice to hear LINO LEIA sing in a more comfortable range.

Senya Ichiya: Starting to love rito's vocals more and more. She's so criminally underused during these lives. Despite being promoted to "regular" singer, she really doesn't get to do much.

the main theme of “L.O.R.D”: One of my all-time faves. Joelle's best song if you ask me. Will never get tired of hearing it. Although I feel like at this point Joelle had already run out of steam a little because the performance didn't quite hit the spot in terms of oomph-factor. I think it's because Joelle had to carry 90% of the show and was thus running on low-heat towards the end. Still had a blast!

absolute configuration: Love having all the girls on stage for these sort of epic battle songs. Gorgeous harmonies.

luminous sword: Same as above. Perfect transition and a lovely continuation of the epicness.

蒼穹のファンファーレ: Typically not one of my favourite songs but yet again, I found myself enjoying it more than I usually would. The heat on stage was contagious so I simply got swept away in the excitement.

En. the image theme of Xenosaga II: Don't remember much of this but it was nice.

En.nowhere: Wow, wow, wow! What an amazing performance. So much more energised than during the Kaji Fes concert. Definitely one of the songs where I very much appreciated my closeness to the stage. I could really feel the heat and had such a blast, especially when Keiko began to really interact with the audience. Almost made me want to stand up but in the end, I remained seated (really not the type to move a lot during a concert). I have to agree with everyone who has already shared their thoughts on the other Asia live performances, this was definitely one of the highlights for Hikaru as far as her vocal delivery was concerned. Her voice was very powerful here.

En.into the world: I love that this has become almost a staple of YKL. It's such a gorgeous song with a beautiful message and I think Joelle as well as Yuriko manage to improve the overall harmonies with their added vocals.

[randomname360]

Undertale Fandom Headcannon

Okay everyone knows that Error and Ink have a truce when it comes to Outertale. Error likes stars and silence that Outertale has to offer so that's why he doesn't destroy Outertale. Ink noticed this and started coming to the au as a way to talk to him because he knew the Destroyer wouldn't do anything bad there. This made the place a neutral zone.

I think Nightmare and Dream should have a place like that. People might say they already do because of Dreamtale and where the Tree of Feelings was but I think we need a place more random. Ccino's Cafe would be the perfect place. I can already see Killer going there because of the cats then eventually maybe he brings the rest of the gang. Maybe the gang gets tired of the fad and stops coming but Nightmare doesn't. Maybe he starts coming on the regular because he likes the desperation of the customers in the place. I mean the people who come to coffee places go to either drink coffee to stay up to work on something, meaning they are stressed, or because they are having a mental crisis and need a coffee break, meaning they are ready to give up and just cry in a ball. Both types of people come to the Cafe feeling negative emotions, they might come to Ccino's Cafe in particular to cheer themselves up with the adorable kitties- this means there is a lot of negative auras that come to the place.

Nightmare might grow acustom to the cafe's aura and start drinking staying there for a few hours at a time. Maybe he drinks some coffees while enjoying a book. Maybe Dream comes by to chat with Ccino but notices Nightmare there just enjoying himself. Maybe he starts coming more often to keep an eye on Nightmare because he's afraid Nightmare might hurt Ccino. Maybe he confronts Nightmare and Nightmare says he wouldn't hurt a being here, not yet at least. Maybe he quotes Error saying the whole "I'm destroying this place last." Maybe Dream starts coming and having civil conversations with Nightmare.

The two could talk about whatever: make the place an informal meeting spot to talk about work, a girl talk space to talk about their days and teammates, or make it a hang out spot where they just do their own things and sit near each other.

Just my own personal headcannon that I think more people should think about.

[myown-worstenemy-2003]

Play It Again, Play It Again, Play It Again

A/N: Part two of the mini-series! As always I hope you enjoy it as much I did writing it! I love seeing feedback! And feel free to request something! Let me know any feedback that you have! If you feel up to it send me a request and I will do my best to give it justice!

Summary: You're invited to a party by one of your new friends. Let's see how the night ends.

Word Count: 1963

It had been a couple of months since you had broke things off with Billy. Since that you've kind of tried to keep to yourself but everyone needs someone to talk to, especially to make it around here.

What made it better was that you met a couple of mothers when you would pick up Rhiannon from daycare, and started your own friend group. All of them were around your age and their kids were already playing with Rhiannon during daycare anyway. Nancy had a brown-eyed shaggy-haired boy named Theodore. Piper had a little curly-head girl named Rosemary. And then there is Robin, she doesn't have any children but she comes and picks up Theo or Rosie every now and then, even both sometimes.

It was nice that you and Rhiannon had some friends in town finally. Especially Rhiannon, you didn't want her to be lonely.

But at this particular moment you weren't sure if you were happy that you had friends anymore.

"Come on (Y/N)! You never leave the house unless it's work or taking Rhiannon somewhere! You need to have fun sometimes!" Robin tried to convince you.

"Yeah, I'm sure I can tell you what you do everyday. Get up, get Rhi and you ready, take her to daycare, go to work, pick up Rhi, have dinner and then go to bed," Nancy said watching the kids play on the playground.

You sigh, because she was right. You don't do anything fun that doesn't surround Rhiannon.

"Who's gonna watch Rhi though? I can't really afford a babysitter right now. I can barely afford daycare as it is."

"Piper's mom is going to watch the kids, I'm sure she won't mind watching Rhiannon," Nancy suggested and Piper nodded.

"I don't know guys," you hesitated, parties have never been your thing. The last time you were at a party that's when Rhiannon was conceived and here you are.

"(Y/N), you are 24. We are never gonna be this young ever again. Just this once and if you don't like it, you can leave and we'll never ask again," Piper chimes in, sitting on the bench next to you with a book on her lap that she hasn't touch since she got here, "We all need to let loose every once and a while."

The girls nodded, you groaned, "Fine. I'll go but only for two hours. That's it."

"That'll work! You'll have fun, I promise!" Robin said excitedly.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You were on your way to the party. Riding with a friend from work. Dressed in something more warm and comfortable than it was cute since #1 it was October and it was cold during the nights; #2 you weren't really looking for anything right now since your thing since Billy. You were just there to hang out with friends and maybe meet some new people.

As you approached you noticed that there were a lot of trucks and some haybales, and everyone else was parked on the other side of the road. You didn't even think about bringing your own chair. You figured that there was going to be enough going on that you might not need it. But past you was too ambitions compared to present you so was full of nervous at the moment.

How the hell did you do this when you were in college?

Jessica put the car into park and got out and you followed suit.

"Hey I'll see you around? Around 1?" Jessica said with a smile. You nodded and smiled back.

You stood outside of the car for a second to catch your breath.

"It's all good. Everything will be okay. Just three hours. Yeah, only three hours and then you can go home," you hyped yourself up. You brushed yourself off (like you had dirt on you) and headed toward the crowd of people gathering around the bonfire.

"There she is! I wasn't sure you were going to show!" Robin said as she walked up to you and hugged you, "Here's the rest of the gang for you to meet!"

"Everyone this is (Y/N)! Be on your best behavior!" she said, jokingly, you heard some laughing and a, 'Booooo'.

"This here is Vickie, she's my girl," Robin introduced you to a ginger with freckles. You shook her hand, "Nice to meet ya."

"You know Nancy," Robin said and you hugged her as she came up. There was a nervous looking man behind her with brown hair, Robin said, "This is her husband, Jonathan. Theo looks like him."

"I can see it," you smiled and shook his hand too. Piper came up next, "I'm so glad that you made it! We want you to have fun too."

"Thanks, it's good so far," you smiled.

"Oh yeah!" she said, she turned to look behind her, "This is my husband, Eddie. It's where Rosie gets the curly hair from."

"Hey there, I'm Eddie, like she said, nice to meet you," Eddie said, he had long wild curly hair with a denim vest over his leather jacket.

"I like your pins. Iron Maiden is the best," you said as you looked at his pins.

Eddie literally beamed, "Thank you! I collect them from music stores. These are my favorites."

"Really cool!"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Dude, have you met (Y/N)? She's awesome!" Eddie said to Steve.

"Is this another fantasy person that I'm supposed to learn?" Steve asked. Eddie looked at him with a weird face, "No, she's real man. She's friends with Piper and the others. She over there."

Eddie pointed to where a girl was sitting by herself on the tailgate of Piper's truck. Her legs swinging as she watched the fire crackle.

"She's got to have a boyfriend here. No way that she doesn't," Steve said, looking around for someone that was looking for her, "Is she Joe's girlfriend?"

"No man, Piper said that she's single. Not really looking for anything at the moment, just new friends," Eddie explained, "Buuuuut...you should try and make more than friends."

"I can make friends with her," Steve nodded and walked toward you.

"Good job babe," Piper said as she came up next to Eddie and fist bumped him and watched what was about to happen.

Steve walked up, "Hey, this seat taken?"

You looked over to the new voice.

Not going to lie, he's pretty cute.

You smiled, "Not at all," you slid over to make sure that he has enough room to sit.

"My name's Steve," he said as he sat down, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Nice to meet you, I'm (Y/N)," you said smiling.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

God how am I already falling in love with this woman already?

"Honestly, I love new wave music! The Cure is probably my favorite from the bunch as of right now, but that changes from month to month," you said, talking to Steve.

You've been talking to Steve for what felt ten minutes but it's actually been hour. You could do this all night.

"You know, I think that-" Steve started but then a familiar song came on the speakers and you're eyes lit up, and you jumped off the tailgate, cutting him off.

"This is my song! I've been listenin' to the radio all night long, hopin' that it would come on and here it is!"

You hold out your hand, "C'mon, come dance with me."

Before Steve could say anything, you grabbed his hand and dragged him up. He tried keeping up with you but he was too distracted by you to keep up. You had a carefree smile on your face and your body was moving in ways that was very bad for his groin area in public.

As the song came to an end, you kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you for dancin' with me."

"Play it again!" Steve yelled to see if someone could rewind the tape and start it over again so he could gain the courage to ask you out.

You smiled and yelled, "Play it again! Play it again!"

You both laughed and then heard the next song play, looking at each other almost in a trance.

"I-" Steve started to say but you looked down at your watch, "I had a lot of fun tonight Steve but I'm afraid that I have to go."

"Are you sure?" Steve asked, not really wanting you to leave just yet but understanding.

"Yeah, I gotta check on my-" you hesitated, "my pet. She's not used to being alone this late."

"I understand. Let me walk you to your car?" Steve offered.

"I actually rode here with one of my coworkers. So I guess I need to find her."

"I'll help you, who is it?"

"Jessica Cooley," you answered starting to look around for her.

"Jessica? She left already. Left with Matt Hargrave about an hour ago."

"What? You're kiddin'. I guess I'll ask someone else for a ride," you said a little upset.

"I can take you home," Steve offered, really hoping that you would take him up on the offer.

"Are you sure? I don't want to burden you. I can just have Piper or someone take me home," you said hesitant because you didn't know him, but you had a feeling that you could trust him.

"I'm sure. Come on, let's get you home."

You smiled, "Okay thank you."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You were looking out the window, thinking about something to start a conversation but you couldn't think of anything that wouldn't be considered small talk or just bad in general.

That was when Steve turned on the radio and you started singing along to (I've Had) The Time Of My Life.

It didn't take too long to get to your house, maybe three songs if you remember correctly, but for some reason it felt like it was taking a little longer than usual. And you weren't upset by it at all. It had been five songs already and you sang along to every song that had came on the radio.

But it was only when you getting ready to pull on your street was when Steve started to scan the radio, almost frantically.

"This is me," you said and Steve pulled into the driveway and put the car in park.

"Thank you for the ride home, I really appreciate it. I don't have cash on me right now, but I can run in and get some for gas?"

"It's no trouble at all. I don't want money. But if you really want to pay me back, let me take you out on a date?" Steve asked wearing a charming but hopeful smile on his face.

You smiled, "I would like that."

He smiled, "Sounds great, how Friday? Dinner and a movie?"

You nodded your head, "I would love that."

"Cool, let me walk you to the do-," Steve said and just as he said that, your song came on the radio.

"No way! There is no way that this song would play twice in one night!" you exclaimed excitedly.

"Come dance with," you said as you got out of the car. He followed you and started dancing in the headlights.

It was like straight out of a movie. Everything was perfect, the lights, the song, the weather, and you.

As the song started to fade out, you got caught up in the passion of dancing and the feeling of it, you kissed Steve.

It was just like everything else, the kiss was perfect.

When you broke the kiss he looked at you and said, "I'm gonna call the DJ right now and get that song played again right now."

You threw your head back laughing, "Goodnight Steve, thank you for the perfect night."

He smiled, "You took the words right out of my mouth."

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Okay idk if u wanna do this but May I request a crossover of vita Carnis and Mandela Catalouge headcanons?..

For Adam,Jonah and Mark. Basically they arrive at theyre s/o’s House..and find out they have a pet trimming named Meatloaf or something.s/o treat them like they’re baby like any pet owner would,what are they’re reactions?

Awwwwe yeah my two current analog horror fixations let's goooo

.......

Adam

He shows up at your door right as you were getting food for your pet.

It was especially important that you fed it at this particular time so it would settle down for the night...

But Adam's persistent knocking forces you to stop and answer the door, momentarily leaving it with an empty bowl.

"Adam? What are you doing here so late?"

"Did you get my message? Our client wants us to go to his place now. I got the salt and everything."

"...he's gonna have to wait a minute. I just gotta feed my pet and-"

"C'mon, babe. We can't lose this offer. I'm sure your pet's not gonna starve to dea-"

All of the sudden, both of you hear metal scraping and a loud whining noise that sounded like a dying animal, startling Adam while you just stare blankly at him. "You were saying?"

"..what the hell was that?????"

You decide it's better to just show him, so you go back inside and introduce him to your pet: a small six-legged fat lump of raw red meat with a collar around its neck.

"What the fuck is that?? An alien??"

"No, it's a Trimming. And their name is Meatloaf."

"....that literally explains nothing."

After feeding your Trimming and calming it down, you told Adam a little bit about its role in the Vita Carnis family.

Where you're from, they're common house pets, being even more popular than dogs or cats as they were docile and willing to eat anything.

When you're done explaining, he just stares at Meatloaf for a while, who's now swaddled in a blanket and curled up in your lap.

It looks kinda gross, but he is intrigued.

Apparently, it's trained to sniff out Mimics and scream when it detects one....which has saved your life on multiple occasions, and it did the same when it sensed an Alternate in your house not long after you moved here.

That's cool.

He thinks you should bring it on BPS assignments.

Jonah

On the other hand....

When you mentioned owning an exotic pet, Jonah didn't expect anything like this when he showed up uninvited, letting himself in with a spare key.

"Hey I brought some pizza for--WHAT THE HELL IS THAT, S/O?!!

Babe, please don't scream-"

"Am I tripping or is tHAT A FUCKING FETUS??!!!!" He points wildly to the Trimming sitting in your kitchen sink, covered in soap and looking saddened bc your bf interrupted bath time.

Meanwhile, you're pissed off by his yelling and covered its sensitive ears, glaring at him. "Will you calm down? This is a Trimming..you haven't heard of them?"

"No???? It looks like the goddamn chestburster from Alien! What is it?!!"

He was ready to run out of the house, but you convinced him to stay and you explained what a Trimming is, rinsing off the soap while doing so.

Poor guy's still trying to comprehend why (and how) a thing like this even exists, eyes wide as he watches you dry it off and care for it like you would a puppy or kitten.

It doesn't help that you call it "Meatloaf" and have a cute little bow on its collar/head.

Nothing you say will stop him from getting nauseous, suddenly losing his appetite for the pizza (especially since he got pepperoni and sausage on it).

You reassure him it's not gonna go to waste, instead feeding it to Meatloaf in bite-sized pieces.

Jonah's just in shock as it happily devours them with no hesitation, before it waddles back into your arms for cuddles.

You made it your mission to get him to hold it, trying to show him it's not scary at all.

It's....still a work in progress.

Mark

You knew exactly what he was gonna think of your Trimming.

So you explained what it was exactly, even showing him a photo so he's better prepared to meet it when he comes over.

The last thing you wanted was for him to scream "demon" and throw a bible at your sweet little nondemonic meat pet.

But still...he clams up when you greet him at the door, holding Meatloaf in one arm.

"O-Oh, it's..uh....cute...?" Mark tries his best to be polite, yet his face is as pale as a ghost's.

You're just relieved he didn't panic and cause a huge scene.

However, for a normally social creature...Meatloaf became unusually shy around him, flinching away when he attempted to pet it and whining if you put it down for too long.

It constantly followed you, refusing to be in the same room as him.

This keeps happening whenever he visits, and he's unsure what to do.

So one day he asks if it'll ever warm up to him.

"Oh! How could I forget? Trimmings usually like it when they're sorta "involved" in conversations..if that makes sense." You tell him. "Meatloaf probably thinks you're unfriendly because you talk to only me when you come over."

"....so..how do I fix that? By talking to it myself?"

"Yep!"

"Will it...understand me?"

"Not sure, but it just likes hearing chatter." You then speak to Meatloaf, scratching under its chin to stir it from sleep. "Hey, Loafy. My boyfriend wants to tell you something."

With the Trimming now looking at Mark, he feels...awkward, but he finally stutters something.

"H-Hey, uh...so I'm Mark. But you probably know that. S/o talks about me a lot and...uh....anyways we've been together for a few months. Sorry if I didn't seem that "friendly" to you, but I hope um...you...approve of us..?"

He trails off as it shifts out of your hold and climbs into his lap, curling up and cooing happily.

His eyes are HUGE and he's filled with fear(tm), but eventually makes the brave decision to pat its fleshy head, hearing it...purring?

Then you see his smile.

You're extremely happy about this bonding moment and had to snap a picture of the two.

'Yeah, this one's definitely for the books'

[pandenewie]

14 - Real Men Clean Bathrooms

Prev | Masterlist | Next

AN: I’m back !! I will be back to my regular posting schedule from now on :))

WARNING: She's a little suggestive...

Jungwon has been called Wonnie most of his life… by his older sister, his parents, and his older friends when they’re trying to tease him… even the lady next door whenever he walks her dog or takes out her trash. Despite hearing the nickname from so many people, nothing will come close to the gentle flutter his heart feels whenever it slips past Y/n’s lips.

“Wonnie!” Y/n calls for what seems like the tenth time, poking his dimple to get his attention. A small habit they’ve started recently. Jungwon finally snaps out of his thoughts, remembering that Y/n is, in fact, standing right in front of him. “Oh, sorry uh… what were you saying again?” Jungwon asks sheepishly. He really didn’t mean to space out, it’s just that spending more than a minute in Y/n’s presence causes him to lose his train of thought.

“Mr Kim told me to talk to you. I’ve got detention again and he said I need to use that time to help out around the school or something.” Y/n shrugs. Jungwon can’t help the downturn of his mouth at the mention of yet another detention. They’ve been getting those a lot lately. “Um… I’ll have to check what the council is currently working on. It’s probably just cleaning desks and picking up litter though.” Jungwon says, grabbing his laptop out of his bag to check the minutes from the last council meeting.

Y/n leans over curiously, watching as he taps away on the laptop. “Is there anything you wanna do in particular?” He asks, scrolling through the list of volunteer work for the council. Y/n pretends to think for a moment, tapping a finger against their chin for added effect. “I’ll do whatever you’re doing.” 

If Jungwon wasn't already blushing, he certainly is now. "Um… I'm just cleaning out the out-of-order bathrooms… making sure they're ready to be renovated. It's pretty boring." Jungwon mumbles. It does sound boring… but Y/n's eyes light up nonetheless.

"You mean our spot?" They ask excitedly, causing Jungwon's eyebrows to furrow. "Our spot?" He asks. Since when did they have a spot? That feels like something he would definitely remember. "It’s where we skipped class together, don't tell me you forgot already?" Y/n pouts. Of course, he didn't forget! He could probably remember every interaction he's ever had with Y/n. He just assumed that Y/n didn't… or at the least, never thought about it.

"I mean… you can clean with me if you want. It's a pretty big job though. Hence why the other council members are doing easier stuff."

That made Y/n angrier than expected. Of course, Jungwon would get stuck doing the most difficult task by himself, while the rest of the council runs around picking up rubbish. God, if Y/n could name another member, they would definitely be going in their death note.

"I'll stick with you." Y/n says, surprising even themself with how genuine the words sound. Jungwon seems surprised too, his eyes widening slightly as the tip of his ears turn a pinkish red. He mumbles a quiet thanks before quickly typing Y/n's name next to his on the task sheet.

"Was this place always such a dump?" Y/n asks, looking around the small room in disgust. There's graffiti all over the walls and mirrors and the floors are covered in rubbish and drywall. Even one of the toilet stalls has had the door ripped off its hinges.

"Believe it or not, this is the better of the two." Jungwon sighs. "I'm pretty sure the girl’s bathroom has rats." He adds, causing Y/n's face to screw up at the thought.

The bathrooms certainly didn't look like this when the two were last in here. That was only a few weeks ago.

"How did it even get this bad?" Y/n asks, pulling a pen out of their pocket and walking towards the discarded stall door. Jungwon watches curiously as they crouch down, scribbling something on the piece of metal.

"Because people do things like that." Jungwon sighs, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling developing in his stomach at the "Jungwon and Y/n were here" outlined in a heart.

Jungwon actually starts to get to work as Y/n continues to look around. After a few minutes, they let out a small gasp - gaining Jungwon's attention once more. 

"Omg, I forgot about this!" Y/n exclaims, pulling Jungwon towards the scribbles on the wall. He looks at Y/n confused so they elaborate. "It's a list of everyone who hooked up here." This doesn't help. "In the bathroom?" Jungwon asks, his nose scrunching in disgust. "You'd be surprised. It's a pretty common make out spot." Y/n smirks, making sure to send Jungwon a playful wink in the process.

"Have you made out with someone here?" Jungwon asks, the question coming out a little louder and more urgent than he expected. Y/n can't help the smirk that spreads across their face. They place their hand under their chin, tapping repeatedly as they pretend to think. "Once or twice? I don't know… check the list." Y/n teases.

Jungwon doesn't want to look at the list - scared of what names he'll see engraved next to Y/n's. Scared of what feelings will come over him once he puts a face to the people who have been with Y/n. People he can only dream of being. But his restraint is limited and before he knows it, he finds his eyes quickly scanning the scratchy list of names.

It's not that bad. At least that's what Jungwon tries to tell himself. There's a handful of names written alongside Y/n's - mainly those who have already graduated, with a few from their current year level. It's not that bad. But Jungwon can't stop the bubbling feeling of jealousy that begins to form in the pit of his stomach.

"Find your answer?" Y/n asks in a teasing manner, despite their attention now being placed on picking up rubbish. Jungwon hums quietly, his eyes scanning the list once more before he gets back to work. "You're on there a lot." He mumbles, earning a scoff from Y/n. "You're slut-shaming me?" Jungwon stiffens for a moment but relaxes once more when he sees that Y/n is joking. "More like judging your hook up spot."

This comment causes Y/n to gasp in feigned offence. "Excuse me? How dare you judge the fine art of bathroom make outs?" Jungwon laughs slightly at this. "I'd hardly call kissing in the corner of a trash-filled bathroom a fine art." He gestures around the room to prove his point. 

"That is exactly how I know you've never kissed in here." Y/n jokes, causing Jungwon to sheepishly rub the back of his neck. "Why do you say that?" He asks, laughing awkwardly. "Well, first of all, your name’s not on the list." Y/n points out. Jungwon goes to mumble something about it being the destruction of property but is quickly interrupted. “Secondly, you've been blushing this entire conversation.” Y/n continues, taking the chance to quickly poke Jungwon's dimple. "And thirdly, you don't just kiss in the corner. That's where the spiders are. The basin is much more comfortable."

Jungwon struggles to hide his shock as he chokes on his saliva. He doesn’t know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t the basin. “Need a demonstration?” Y/n asks, smirking. Before Jungwon can even comprehend a response (at least one that wouldn’t result in him embarrassing himself) Y/n is already pushing the remaining trash and drywall off the basin and onto the floor. Jungwon watches in half shock, half amusement as Y/n lifts themself up onto the now clear basin.

“So whoever you’re making out with would sit here. You’ve just gotta be careful of the tap because let me tell you, hitting your tailbone on that hurts like a bitch.” Jungwon’s not sure when this turned into a walk-through but he watches carefully anyway as Y/n playfully smiles at him.

Jungwon loves their smile - even though most times he’s seen it has been when they’re teasing him. He still loves the way it sits proudly on their face, the way their eyes shimmer and crinkle the wider the grin spreads. He also loves the smile that they show when they don’t think he’s looking. The genuine one, given only to those close enough to deserve it. Jungwon hopes to one day be one of those people.

Amidst his trance, Y/n decides to begin the next part of their tutorial. They quickly reach out to grab Jungwon by the collar of his shirt, pulling him in so that he’s standing between their legs. Being caught off guard, Jungwon presses his hands tightly against the basin on either side of Y/n, catching himself in order to not fall completely on top of them.

“This is where you would stand.” Y/n says innocently as if the position they are now in isn’t entirely suggestive. Jungwon is stunned. Being this close to Y/n brings back all the memories from the library - the way their warm skin felt beneath his cautious touch. Jungwon needs to stop this, for his own sanity.

“We should keep cleaning.” Jungwon mumbles, avoiding eye contact in fear that Y/n’s eyes could convince him to stay. Convince him to do things he most definitely shouldn’t be doing. “I’m just helping, Wonnie. It’s educational.” Y/n pouts, bringing their hands to rest gently on top of Jungwon's. The sudden touch causes his eyes to shoot up to meet Y/n’s.

His first mistake.

Now that they know Jungwon’s attention is fully on them, Y/n continues with their “lesson”. “There’s a lot of different places you could put your hands, depending on what you’re feeling. Most common would be my hips.” Y/n states, bringing Jungwon’s hands to follow their words. “You could also press a hand against the mirror behind me if you need the support.” The add. Jungwon stays silent, the only sound being that of his breathing - which is growing heavier by the minute.

“Any questions so far?” Y/n asks, holding Jungwon’s hands firmly against their hips. Jungwon doesn’t know what to say - doesn’t want to speak in fear of ruining the mood. But in classic Jungwon fashion, he can feel himself responding to Y/n’s question before he can even think. “What if you fall in the sink?”

His second mistake.

Y/n stifles a laugh, which causes Jungwon to blush slightly with embarrassment. “I’d hope you would catch me.” Y/n whispers, bringing one of their hands up to gently push at Jungwon’s chest. “But I would also hold onto you, that way if I do slip, you’ll be able to hold me up…” Y/n trails off, wrapping their arms securely around Jungwon’s neck. They make sure to gently play with some of the hair there, earning a slight but definitely noticeable shudder from Jungwon. “And all that would be left to do is kiss.” Y/n mumbles, blatantly staring at Jungwon’s lips. 

The two are silent for a second as the reality of the situation begins to set in. Y/n glances back up at Jungwon’s eyes, smiling cheekily at him. Jungwon’s eyes ever so slightly flicker down to Y/n’s lips. A move so quick, that if Y/n weren’t looking directly into his eyes, they most likely would have missed it. But with the close proximity of their faces and Y/n’s apparent love for eye contact, the tiny glimpse does not go unnoticed.

His third mistake. 

Jungwon continues to make a few more decisions that could be considered mistakes. Such as the mistake of leaning in as Y/n brings their lips closer to his. The mistake of tightening his grip on Y/n’s hips as they pull him closer to their body, adjusting the angle so their lips lock together just right. The mistake of opening his mouth when Y/n’s tongue gently brushes against his bottom lip. And many, many more.

Kissing Y/n is something Jungwon thought he could only ever dream of doing. But as Y/n’s hand tugs gently on his hair - bringing him even closer into their hold and pulling him into yet another kiss, it finally starts to sink in exactly what he’s doing.

Jungwon should be overjoyed. But an over-looming feeling of confusion starts to wash over him, the longer his lips stay intertwined with Y/n’s. In his experiences, people kiss him because they see him as more than a friend. With Y/n, he can’t even tell if they see him as a friend. In a few weeks, they’d gone from absolutely hating his guts, to kissing him in an abandoned bathroom. The sudden switch up makes Jungwon feel like he’s got whiplash.

A sudden commotion of people in the halls causes Jungwon to quickly pull away from Y/n’s lips. The teachers are talking about him - likely wandering the halls in an attempt to track him down and ask for some help. He mentally battles with himself on what to do. Getting caught making out in the bathrooms by teachers is embarrassing for any student, let alone Jungwon. It’d do wonders to his reputation - not in a good way. But on the other hand, he will likely never get the chance to be this close to Y/n again.

Y/n can practically see the dilemma on his face and reaches forward to gently peck his lips. “Go do your job, Prez.” They whisper, reaching up to poke his cheek once more. Jungwon gulps, mumbling a quick apology before stepping away from Y/n completely.

That’s how Y/n finds themself sitting alone in the abandoned bathrooms - the feeling of Jungwon still fresh on their lips despite him being gone for almost 10 minutes now. Jungwon’s not the only one feeling confused, as they sit there wondering what the hell just happened. Kissing him was certainly not part of the original plan. But they suppose if it’ll help with convincing Jungwon to change the dress code… there’s nothing wrong with getting something extra along the way.

TAG LIST (closed): @kang-yeosangs-initials @kpopstanmeg @b1ndignity @soobiverse @dudufodd @mikadorbs @pagesofmiracles @tya0 @ilovewonyo @bringer-ofchaos @huening-ly @ifearjwn @callmeblondie @run2min @straykids-riley (can't tag) @rikimylove @chaechae-23 @lacimolela @n1ght-maring (can't tag) @luvvsjungwonn @yenqa @tzuyusluv @viyqe @vocaloshin @deadgirlwalking3 @flamiricky @hanniesss @grayscorner @wonqr @neozon3nha @beomgyusonlywife @ahnneyong

[robvandamdatass]

today pluto left capricorn, and entered aquarius where it will be for the next twenty years. i felt the transition .. or maybe it was sleep deprivation. either way, i'm feeling bittersweet about it. here are some unorganized reflections about this time for me:

in astrology, pluto represents transformations and rebirth to whatever it touches. in capricorn, which represents societal structures and government, i think we've all witnessed and woke up to the fuckery of it all.

pluto entered capricorn back in 2008. sixteen years ago! i was either 16 or 17. while in capricorn, pluto transited my seventh house of relationships (whole sign- this could mean any form of relationships. platonic, intimate, enemies, etc.), and transiting my eighth house of death/taxes (placidus- from feb 2019 on until current day where it will journey for the next ten years i believe), really anything money and paperwork related. i guided my mom on how to handle money during this time/mainly 2020 and i began to save for the first time in my life.

a lot has happened to me personally during this time frame, and i grew in so many ways that i cannot articulate. even when i was fighting change, felt unsure or confused, i eventually surrendered to the realities of life and watch society change and crumble around (and not benefit) me at the same time. it was for the best. i had to learn to trust myself in making decisions and to prove to my authoritarian counterparts that i can be trusted in those decisions. being a female, you're forever viewed as inferior and no one ever takes you seriously until its too late. its something i've been challenging since i was 10.

i made many unforgettable connections. i met people i look up to, and engaged in conversations with them (i still can't get over peter buck from rem and meeting s club omgomgomg) and even formed friendships. if you know me irl, i am reserved and uncomfortably shy with a resting bitch face. i look unapproachable. but i am far from this. i realize, everyone is human and feels like this as well. no matter their position in life.

i lost a few friendships too. one in particular was incredibly difficult. but that's when i knew i had to set BOUNDARIES on how i wanted to be treated, and remain firm in them. change was coming at me in different ways. i'm pretty sure the election that year was the culprit as well.

paramore's "after laughter" woke me tf up to a lot of the mentioned above. i cried many nights to that album. i finally understood why i was feeling the way i was. it is still on constant replay to this day.

in january 2017 i was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). a chronic hormonal disorder where my ovaries became enlarged and formed small cysts to the outer edges of my ovaries. this put me at risk of diabetes, high cholesterol and infertility.

i began to have irregular bleeding around feb 2011. i was 19 omw to 20. i was having menstrual cycles/periods that lasted more than one month. the longest i experienced had to be approaching three months. i went to the hospital where they tried pushing birth control at me. i refused this as an option. i was not sexually active. why would i use something not for its intended use? i knew the risk of taking birth control, especially as a black woman, how it would react to my body (blood clots, weight gain and other complications). i also knew whatever was happening to my body, BC would further complicate it. i ended up researching home remedies and alternatives, and it worked for a few years. i kept track of how long my periods lasted and/or when i missed cycles. but eventually the irregular bleeding returned in late 2016. pushing one of my many fears aside. i went to the gynecologist for the first time where i was diagnosed.

i was at my highest weight, depressed and ready to end my life. my mom, bless her, guided and reassured me i can and will get better. her unwavering support of me, not only during this time, just in general, is unfathomable. i'm an anxious mess.

i had only told a few people about this. mind you, i was still reeling from the end of said friendships and my trust in people, even to those closest to me, was nonexistent at this time.

i thought it was the end of my dream before it even began. i wanted to be able to have children in a "traditional" way one day. as a child of adoption, in my head, i wanted to prove i can do something natural and right in my lifetime. as an identifying female, and choosing to be celibate from a young age (for non religious reasons), until i found someone who matched my convictions, along with childbearing, it was all i have control as this gender. it was a harsh wake up call to my convictions. it also brought a huge awareness on how i was treating my body and my relationship to food and my psychological being.

since the diagnosis, i lost 32 pounds and have maintained this for four years now (even after covid/2020 where i gained 15 of those pounds back- i lost it quickly the next year as the world began to "open" up again). i want to lose more. but no matter how much exercise i implement, or walks i take, it remains stagnant.

this past summer, i took it upon myself to see every basic doctor. a fear i developed over time: taking care of myself. i hadn't seen most of these doctors since i was a child. i saw regular (blood work was good!), dentist (fear- insecure about my teeth/got some fixed and a very thorough cleaning i've been maintaining since), eye (fear- i developed trichotillomania in 2012 due to financial stress my mom and i were experiencing at the time/i can tell you now since july 2024 i now have eyelashes again and i wear glasses after finding out i have slight astigmatism in my left eye and only having 20/40 vision- something i knew i had a long time ago i just didn't want it confirmed), dermatologist (fear- related to my menstrual cycle/around 13 (pluto in sagittarius was a wild trauma forming time btw more on that for another time) i developed hidradenitis suppurativa- i don't think it had a name at the time and i had no idea how to treat it beyond home remedies/after 20 years, seeing the dermatologist saved my life) and the gynecologist. as of september 2024, after a very painful and annoying ultrasound checkup on my uterus, according to my gynecologist my ovaries were back to normal!!!!!! phew.

it is true if your mental health isn't right, your physical health reflects it. and my life hasn't been an easy one. i do believe everything i've lived through did not help my mental and physical health and growth (scars left on my heart, formed patterns in my mind- is a pmore lyric that comes to mind every time). i internalize like no one's business. but i realize suppressing and avoiding is the wrong route. it has to be released and addressed.

i will continue to manage, and do what i've been doing since being diagnosed, to help my body release and heal from life's hovering death grip and learn to love itself. its astonishing the stress and trauma our bodies store from the time we are born, and builds up over time. we don't notice until its late, and an illness has formed from it.

i took a break from astrology in the early 10's. but i eventually returned to it during my progressed lunar return around 2016/2017/during the beginning stages of my diagnosis. i was looking for answers as to why life was happening so much during those years, and gained a deeper understanding on how it works. lo and behold i was officially becoming an adult who was approaching her saturn return (which coincided with covid/shut down- i was freaking the fuck out but i was prepared mentally because i knew it was coming .. just not in the way it presented itself: the pandemilovato). with pluto creeping up right alongside saturn, it has been a double whammy on my psyche for sure.

as i mentioned above pluto is about transformations. saturn is all about karma and accountability. its about growing the fuck up. for REAL. you cannot avoid what it continuously puts in front of you for so long. the moon is your emotions, and mines were being amplified strongly whether i wanted it to or not.

understanding myself, my life and the way its played out so far and understanding others in this form is a privilege not everyone has and i'm not pushy nor braggy about it. if you know about it, cool. if you know i do readings and interpretations, cool. whenever you're ready to know more, i am more than happy to discuss astrology with you. but i would never try to persuade you. you have to come to that conclusion yourself. i'm just trying to make sense of this world, and be a guidance to those who need an ear to hear.

there was loss on many levels throughout this journey. but i gained knowledge, perspective and so much love for myself.

i come out of all of this knowing my boundaries and who i am in my convictions. to remain calm and still within chaos, internally and externally. accept change, and learn to let go.

[x-stephanie-sinnz-x]

Stephanie Love, or Stephanie Sinnz ?

As some of you may know , my husband and I gave up the hotwife lifestyle for more of a traditional christian lifestyle, and I/we have kept from any type of outside indulgence........

That is up until last week.

I'm not sure exactly how long it's been since we/I have done  anything outside of our marriage. The best I can guess is several months.

During that time I have been incredibly horny, to the point I'm soaking through my panties, and have been soaking wet during sex with my husband.

Last week I had off work, and with no money and no place to go, hubby and I just stayed home. During that week hubby and I engaged in sex as we normal do, but one particular night was different.

Lately when he cums, if he doesn't cum inside me, he'd pull out and cum on me.

The thing is his orgasms have just been kinda flowing out, not the usual lengthy shots I/we are accustomed to.

This one particular night I was in the missionary position and he pulled out and blasted his cum on my face and up over my head, hitting the headboard.

Oh wow! I said.

Both of us being pretty surprised, I asked him what that was all about.

He admitted to me, that he was imagining my soaking wet pussy was leftover cum from other men. 

 

After a long talk that night, we agreed to start back up into our old lifestyle, but we should probably take it slower this time, and maybe practice a bit more attentiveness and prudence.

The next day we talked about a cum and dump, a gangbang, a train, etc , due to the fact we had a full free week.

The only problem was that it's been many months and I wasn't sure I was in shape for all that. Not to mention, we had just agreed on starting off slow. Lol

I have many many phone numbers blocked on my phone, so that night I unblocked but only one, that one was Quincy. I made the call , and he sent me to voice mail.

Before I could even process what the fuck! He messaged and it read 'I'll call you back'.

Roughly 30 min later he called.

We talked for a bit and got the long time no sees and he missed me etc, out of the way.

He said he had a new girlfriend but he still definitely wanted to do something with me.

I explained to him the whole hotwife lifestyle I was living and the change my husband and I took, and he agreed to help out in anyway possible, including meeting my husband, coming to our house, letting my husband watch, etc .

We planned for the following night, and so hubby and I controlled our urge to have sex in anticipation for the following night.

The night of I/we where ready. I made the phone call, no answer, I messaged, no response.

It was at that point hubby and I gave up.

We sat around talking. My husband was trying to boost my damaged spirit by saying what a fool Quincy was, and what a great wife I am, etc.

Hubby suggested we watch a feel good movie naked in bed, then he was going to make sweet love to me.

Halfway through the movie,  I get a text from Quincy, 'sorry, im here now, is it okay?' it read.

Still naked I spang from the bed, opened the door and he told me that we had to be quick cause he told his girlfriend he was just runningto the store. He told me that he had just fucked her, and that she had just cum all over his cock.   Hearing him say that got me instantly horny and I knew I wanted to taste her cum. Entering the bedroom where my husband still layed, i introduced them quickly, and they made a quick "Hi" .

I pulled out his cock and started taking it down my throat as best I could (he is big, very big). He was right that he must have cum recently and I could taste that he had just been inside of a pussy. 

I licked him clean before hopping on top of him and riding him hard until the thought of him fucking me right after he fucked his girlfriend made me cum hard. After I came he lifted me up and down until he filled me up with his cum. He made me lick him clean before he rushed out of the car and back home so his girlfriend wouldn't know. 

The whole thing prob took only a few minutes but it was enough time to stretch me out and fill me full.

My husband waisted no time in ravishing my used body, and cumming super hard inside me.

Ps. The next day I made a doctors appointment because I was have pain and cramping down there.

I got a clean bill of health, but apparently I was hurting because his big dick stretch me out so fast, and the cramping was because his big dick was slamming my uterus.

Basically,  I'm just out of practice. Lol

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #242

What feeling do you have the most difficult in expressing? Jealousy. It's not something I experience often, and I think because it's rare, I have NO idea how to handle it.

Do you make your bed everyday? Why/why not? Only roughly. I just straighten the cover a bit.

Does any particular season make you happier than others? Why/why not? Autumn. I just love this time of year.

Do you give money to homeless people/beggars? Why/why not? No because I literally HAVE no money. I do not own a dollar. I'm also very afraid of people, but if there ever is a time I finally have my own income, I would like to. My mom is the friendliest person to homeless people that I know and she inspires me a lot.

What do you feel is your number one flaw? Are you doing anything about it? When it boils down to it... maybe that I have zero faith in myself and my abilities. That causes a lot of problems in my life. And I mean yeah, I'm in therapy and I've worked very hard on being kinder to myself and just trying to learn to believe in me.

Do you see yourself as worthy of love? Why/why not? I... struggle with this. I'm working on it.

Do you think you are competitive? Do you really dislike losing? No, and I really don't vibe with competitive-ass people. Everyone wins some, everyone loses some. That's the way of life. My mama raised me to believe everyone has their turn.

On which topics do you feel qualified at giving advice? I dunno. I'm too self-doubtful for this.

Will you be single over winter? I don't see the future. I wouldn't think so though, Girt and I are doing great.

Do you add random questions into surveys when you take them? No. I only ever delete some for a variety of reasons.

Would you get married if you could right now? I'd prefer not to right now.

Do you consider yourself spoiled? It depends. I am REMARKABLY lucky that my mom still takes care of me when I'm pushing 30; she understands that I'm a mentally ill person with a lot of struggling points and is being a true mother in never giving up on me. She does what she can, but I'm going to take the phrasing the last person used: I don't think I'm spoiled in a bratty sort of way. I don't get everything I want and stuff. I'm just very lucky to have a mom who didn't kick her chick out of the nest before she was ready.

Do you remember the first time you kissed the last person you kissed? I do.

Have you ever slept on a couch with that person? Not a couch, no. I'm a big person, we ain't gonna be comfortable enough to sleep cuddling on a couch lol. Or rather, I wouldn't be, no way in hell. I already struggle to sleep in bed.

Have you written a letter to a soldier? Not that I remember. I suppose it's possible from elementary school, but I don't remember it.

Where are the majority of your clothes from? Probably Walmart.

Does being in love make you nervous? Yes, because I've been hurt so badly by love before.

Would you do your own surgery to keep yourself alive? (ex. stitches) I have no idea. I would have to be in this situation to know.

Have you ever had any really infected injuries? I've had two infected piercings and those sucked. The cyst I had got BADLY infected, that was hell on fucking earth.

Is racism for losers? It sure fucking is hunny!!!!!!!

Is there any band out there that you like every song by them? No, not even Ozzy or Rammstein.

Are you popular on any websites? No.

Have you ever cussed/swore in front of younger children? Accidentally, yes. I try not to do this in respect to however their parents are raising them. Most don't want their kids hearing words like that.

Will you go to your high school reunion? No. I have no desire to go back there.

If you could meet one famous person, who would it be? Markiplier, probably. I'd love to hear some motivational talk from him.

Do you hate it when people look over your shoulder? Dude it doesn't matter WHAT I'm doing, how innocent it is, don't fucking do this, it makes me insanely uncomfortable.

Would you consider yourself hypocritical? Everyone is a hypocrite to some degree, I think everyone knows that.

Do you know anyone who had had a heart attack under 30 years of age? I don't believe so.

Are you considered popular at school? I wasn't.

If you were starving would you eat food out of a garbage can? Ugh fuck this question, it makes me think of my worst fucking fear in the world, being homeless and having to live like this. If I was LITERALLY STARVING, I'm sure I'd probably eventually look, because it's that or fucking die. I mean, look at the food we sometimes throw away, it's oftentimes fine, we're just being picky. I would never do this if I wasn't in this exact situation though.

When you last watched a movie, did you watch it alone or with someone? With someone. I never watch movies alone.

Does your job allow piercings or tattoos? No bullshit, I wouldn't work somewhere that didn't. Get with the fuckin' times.

Ever had a caricature done of yourself? How much was it, and were you satisfied with it? No.

Do you like peanut butter and fluff sandwiches? I haven't tried this since I was a child, but I remember I didn't as a kid because the texture bothered me.

Ever been to Gaia Online? Do you have an account? No, I've only heard of it.

If you got married and then got divorced, would you want to re-marry? I don't know.

Would you ever enlist in the army? I'd rather diiiiiiieeeeeee <3

Last time you were at a job interview? How did it go? Maybe like... 2019. I got the job. Didn't last long.

What’s one place you’d NEVER want to work at? I would never, EVER work in food, especially fast food. Hungry people are fucking mean. I also write super slow so would write down orders too slowly but more importantly than that, my memory is actual garbage and I KNOW I'd often fuck up, and that pisses people off.

Do you use Tumblr? What do you normally post? Yes, my main blog focuses on Rammstein.

Did you tease freshmen in high school? No, because I found it remarkably immature. Like, you were once a freshman too and didn't want to be picked on.

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? Nope, that's farther than I've ever traveled.

Do you like Taylor Swift? I don't like any billionaire, thanks.

What’s your favorite Disney Channel movie? Disney Channel movie? I dunno.

Do you ever have to do yard work? No.

Do you have any live versions of songs in your music software? Yes.

Does your favorite band have a male or female lead singer? For both, male.

Do you prefer group or individual work? Individual. I fucking dreaded group work when I was in school. Thankfully most of my teachers trusted me to work alone.

Do you have a key to anything besides your house? No.

Have you ever been to any sort of convention? I went to the country's most popular NARBC with Sara.

Is your mom or dad the older parent? Mom.

Last thing that pissed you off? Seeing a video of pet meerkats. I struggle to understand why it's legal in some countries.

What about kids on leashes? What do you think about that? People overreact immensely to this. Like what, would you rather your kid be snatched? Or have them wander off? "Well teach them to stay by you!" That doesn't always work. What about kids with mental issues that are more inclined to wander and stuff? I'd rather your kids be safe.

New tats in your near future? How about piercings or re-piercings? Tattoos, no, not in the near future. I want loads more, but they're not a priority right now for whenever I am gifted money. Perhaps I'll get my nose repierced for Christmas, but I don't know.

Would you ever visit a psychic medium? If you would, what would you wanna know? I don't fuck with scam artists.

What’s something you have a very strong opinion about? Abortion rights, to name one thing. I have a lot of very strong opinions.

Are you family-orientated in everything you do? No.

Do others consider you to be stuck up? I can't see how anyone would think that.

Would you often call yourself a moody person? I know I am.

Are you self-sufficient? Honestly, no.

Sleep position? Side or stomach. I physically cannot sleep on my back.

Who is your best friend? My boyfriend.

Do you have an online best friend as well? My closest online friends are Tez and Mazzy.

Who is your favorite person to spend time with? My boyfriend.

Have you ever had tendinitis? No.

Do you know how to grill a steak? Sure don't.

Do you mosh when you go to concerts/shows? I never have and wouldn't. Mosh pits scare me.

When’s the last time you went to a nightclub? Never been to one, don't want to.

Are you good at playing darts? I wouldn't really know, but considering I'm really uncoordinated, most likely not.

Are “school friends” and friends different to you? Yes. They can overlap, but not all "school friends" are true friends, y'know?

Do you like breaded chicken sandwiches? Love 'em.

Ever been friends with someone you didn’t expect? Yes.

The last time you kissed someone, were your arms around their neck? No.

Have you had any form of exercise today? No.

Do you know anyone who is pregnant right now? Yes.

Your first dog? I was born into the family with a collie named Trigger, but I have no memories of her, she died when I was young. Who *I* consider to be our first dog was Angel, because I remember her. She died of parvo when young, though. She got quite unlucky, she also had her leg run over by a car... Don't ask me why she was outside unleashed.

Is it easy for you to pretend everything’s okay? No.

Do you prefer mint, citrus, or cinnamon toothpaste? Mint.

What’s your favorite color out of these five: Green, Yellow, Blue, or Purple? Purple.

Have you done anything sneaky lately? No.

Do you keep notes, drawings or letters that people give you? Yes, I have a box for that.

Have you had a significant other that you never kissed? I've dated people I've never kissed. "Significant other" sounds more serious.

Do you depend on people at all, in any way? Quite a lot. I've already sorta covered how much I depend on my mom. I live with her, don't work, don't have some other stream of income. I don't drive because I panic behind the wheel and it makes me unsafe.

Have you written or drawn anything for somebody else? Yes to both, many times.

Do you have any pictures of yourself with the person you like? A few, but not many. Neither of us are picture people.

[taomyou]

The Romance of Reimbursements - Chapter 6

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Reader Status: COMPLETED Summary: There’s a guy you see every Friday on bus 143, and you think he’s pretty hot. It wouldn’t hurt to tell your best friend about him, would it? or, you and Levi take the same bus home from work every Friday, and you fall in love slowly, clumsily, and with all the time in the world to fold as many paper stars as your heart desires. Word Count: 5.9k Tags: slow burn, friends to lovers, modern au, office au, fluff, romance, meet-cute, matchmaking

(A/N: this fic is entirely available on ao3 here if you would like to read it there instead!)

Chapter Navigation Accompanying Playlist

table for smith

When you wake up, it's not your alarm that gets you. No, you never turned it on before bed last night. Instead, it's the sound of your phone ringing. You're tempted to let the phone call go, but you don't want to miss anything important enough for someone to call in the first place. You can barely bring yourself to open your eyes, much less check who's calling, but you tap the green "accept call" icon and wait for whoever's on the other end of the line to speak first.

"Hello?" The voice says to you. You genuinely cannot tell who's speaking, so you rub your eyes to try and get used to the light sneaking in from behind your blinds. Surely, it's not a client right now—you have a different ringtone for the ones you have pre-saved in your contacts.

"Who is this?" Your voice sounds groggy, but you can't really bring yourself to care in this moment. You hear a bit of commotion in the background of the call, but still no voices you can decipher. You pull your phone away from your ear to check the caller ID, but it's an unsaved number. Before you can hang up, however, a different voice speaks up, and you do recognize it this time.

"Hello!"

You immediately bolt up and get yourself seated on your bed, holding your pillow to your stomach. "Isabel?"

"The one and only!"

You let yourself fall back onto your bed, closing your eyes again.

"How'd you get my number?" You ask, voice still weak having just woken up. You're not angry—just very, very confused.

"I asked Hange for it!"

You guess that explains it well enough. Still, why is she calling you?

"Okay... why are you calling me so early in the morning?"

"What're you talking about? It's almost 12," Isabel says.

Again, you peel your phone away from your ear to check the time; 11:57 AM.

That late already? It felt like you were just texting Levi and closing your eyes.

You sigh and press the speaker icon before getting up to get ready for the day, not that you have anything planned in particular, though. Maybe you'll head over to the store later to get some ingredients for dinner; you feel like making something for yourself. In the background, you can hear the first voice from earlier say something to Isabel along the lines of "what kind... butter..." You choose to ignore that and instead reply to Isabel, and you start getting up to head for your bathroom.

"Sorry, I just woke up."

"That's okay! Good morning to you!"

"Good morning." After setting your phone down on the sink counter, you unscrew the cap for your toothpaste before squeezing some out onto your toothbrush. You quickly run it under some water and pop your toothbrush into your mouth before walking back to your bedroom while Isabel talks.

"I'm really sorry to bother you, but could you stay on the phone with me while I'm grocery shopping?"

You put your phone face-up on the spot next to you as you sit down.

"Sure, but what do you need me for?" Your voice is muffled, seeing as you're brushing your teeth, but when Isabel doesn't ask you to repeat yourself, you figure that she can hear you clear enough to understand you.

"Well, me and Furlan decided we would try our hand at making the egg tarts with the recipe you sent Levi last night, but we don't really know what we're looking for."

At the mention of Levi, you take a quick pause.

Well, it does make sense he'd share the recipe with them, but you figured he'd be there to help them figure out what they needed. You don't know who Furlan is, but his name has come up enough times in conversation with the group for you to just assume he's a close friend of Levi and Isabel's. Well, seeing as you don't have anything to do today, what's the harm in staying on the phone with them?

"Yeah, give me a second to finish brushing my teeth first." You leave your phone on your bed to go and finish brushing your teeth and handle other bathroom business. After you finish washing your hands, you head back into your bedroom to take your phone with you into the kitchen. "Okay, I'm back."

There's a quiet before Isabel comes back to you. "Thank you! Okay, so which butter do we need? Does it matter if it's made in Europe?"

You hum, going to fill your kettle with water and turn it on. "No, just take whatever's cheapest. And it'd be better if it was unsalted, but it doesn't really make much of a difference."

You hear a bit of laughter in the background. "See, I told you that it didn't matter if it was expensive!" You hear a bit of shuffling around where you assume that the phone has been handed over to someone else, and that voice is clearer. "We haven't met before, but this is Furlan."

You tell him your name, reaching above to your upper cupboards for your teapot. "Nice finally meeting you. Well, at least over the phone." Once your teapot's safely on your counter, you head over to grab some tea from a small basket near your kettle. You decide on some raspberry tea to start the day.

You go back and forth like this, with either Isabel or Furlan asking you what brand, type, or even color of something to get should be.

It's quite hilarious, kind of like backseat driving. Your mother would do the same for you when you were younger and had trouble picking out the best vegetables and whatnot at the supermarket, and you did the same for your brother every so often when he needed the help. All the while, you're sitting peacefully at your dining table and sipping your tea, careful not to burn your tongue.

Isabel and Furlan excuse themselves from the call, but thank you for your help before it ends. You smile as you say your "goodbyes" to them and quickly add Isabel's number into your contacts. Stretching your arms and legs, you get up from your spot at the table and head over to get dressed and go to the supermarket. You make sure everything's clean before leaving, too, just so you won't have to fiddle around much before you can get to cooking.

The supermarket you frequent near your apartment complex looks overwhelmingly busy and there's no parking, probably because there's some kind of sale, so you decide to ignore it and drive the extra 5 minutes to try your hand at the market on Rose. Maybe Sasha's working so you can thank her for helping Mikasa's birthday run well last night. You applaud yourself for your decision to go there instead, seeing as there's plenty of parking available and you don't need to take a long walk to get to the entrance. You make sure you lock your car before heading in.

There's a big, loud sign at a bin full of cabbages promoting a sale, so you settle for making a nice meal for yourself with them. You pick up a few, seeing if they're good to use, and eventually bag some to put in your cart. It's still quite cold out, so you figure a stew pot would be nice. You pick out a few other vegetables before heading over to grab some other things you need. You take your time going through the aisles before heading over to the bakery, memory of them fresh since you were here just a few hours ago.

You can see Sasha a bit away, putting a cake into the display case. She seems to be talking to a customer all the while, so you wait for them to finish their interaction before you head over and wave. When she notices you, her eyes light up, and she returns your wave. You exchange greetings while she finishes up with the display case, then moving over to the counter to get closer to her.

"Whatcha' doin' here?" She asks, putting her hands into the pockets of her apron.

"I'm just getting some stuff for dinner, but I also wanted to come back and say thanks for having a good time with Mikasa yesterday. She seemed really happy she got to go out with you guys," you tell her. She smiles and gets into the same mock salute from yesterday.

"You're very welcome!" She relaxes, and the two of you giggle. "It's been a while since we all got together, since her, Eren, and Armin are all worked to death—no offense to you, of course."

You wave her off. "No offense taken, I'm also overworked."

"You know, there's a position open here for assistant baker," she jests.

"I'll send in my resume tonight."

Funnily enough, you wanted to be a baker when you were younger, hence why you make so much time to bake even now. It's a dream that never amounted to anything that made you money, but you realized at some point that it was better to keep that part of yourself separate from work. It's nice, though, that Sasha's been able to pursue that, regardless of if it's her long-term goal or not.

You notice a few pastries you hadn't seen before in one of the display cases at the other end of the bakery area, and you strike up conversation with Sasha about what they are. She's a bit surprised that you're well-informed about baking as she's explaining everything, but you can tell that she's happy to be talking with someone who can understand her when she's talking about her work. You can see the edges of her eyes crinkling as she smiles, letting you know that she's genuinely enjoying your conversation. You pull up certain steps she explains on your phone, and she talks you through things you don't know.

The exchange goes for quite some time, but before you can let her go, she waits for you to finish talking about something before looking over your shoulder.

"Is there someone waiting for you?" She asks. Looking behind you, you see Levi at the end of one of the aisles. When he makes eye contact with you, he just as quickly looks away at something on the shelf in front of him.

After yesterday, you feel a bit nervous to see him, but it's nothing for you to necessarily be afraid of. You nod to Sasha, and she quickly goes to grab you a pastry from the back kitchen before you have to exchange "goodbyes." You promise to come back soon, and she promises to look forward to that.

Seeing that Levi's still in the same place, you make your way over to him, careful to not bump into any of the displays in your path.

"Hi. It's nice seeing you here," you greet.

"Yeah." Not much of a talker today, huh. He's wearing athletic clothing, which is quite different from the formal or semiformal attire you usually see him in, so he probably came from doing some exercise that tired him out. Even with the lack of formality present in his outfit, he still looks good. Great, even, but that's not really any surprise. He looks over at you, then glances over at your cart. "What're you here for?"

"Just getting some things for dinner. What about you?" You take note of his lack of cart or basket, coupled with a lack of item in his hands.

"My roommates texted me during my run and told me to buy a bag of flour."

Come to think of it, Isabel and Furlan never asked you what kind of flour they needed. Not that the answer would be anything crazy or out of the ordinary, but you figured they knew that already and didn't bother asking you.

"Isabel and Furlan are your roommates?" At the mention of them by name, he looks at you again.

"How do you know that?"

"They called me earlier for help picking stuff out. I figured you were talking about them."

He groans, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I told them to wait for me to text you, not for them to fucking call you. I didn't think they were serious about making anything today." You laugh, bringing up your hand to cover your smile. "Sorry about them."

"It's no problem. Besides, I wasn't busy with anything, so I didn't mind."

"Still." You hum. Remembering the pastry you have from Sasha, you tear half of the parchment sheet she used to wrap it, then use that to tear off half of the sweet. You hold it out to Levi. "What's that?"

"Take some, the baker here gave it to me." When he doesn't move to take it, you keep going. "Or if you don't want it, you can give it to Isabel."

He sighs before taking it, careful to not touch the treat itself. "Thank you. I'll give it to her when I'm home." You take that as your cue to say goodbye, but before you can do that, though, he calls out to you. You stay in place, nodding for him to keep talking. "What flour do I need?"

You smile, then putting your hands on the handles of your cart. "I'll show you."

After you put your half of the pastry in the smaller section of the cart and he does the same, careful to make sure the parchment prevented the pastry from touching the cart, the two of you walk alongside one another. It's almost like the time you came for the eggs and butter all the while ago, but this time, you aren't upset about work. Well, it's still a pain, but that first week was especially rough.

When you reach the flour, you point out which ones he could get, and he picks the cheapest bag he can. You offer to let him put it in your cart, which he does, and the two of you head over to the cash register together.

As you're laying your things on the conveyor belt, you can't help but feel a bit shy. It feels quite domestic, the way you two are out right now. It felt different the last time you were here together—back then, you were both dressed in work attire and lugging around your respective bags and struggling to make conversation, but it's not like that at all this time around.

You're both dressed rather casually, and there's no pressure or rush for you to be anywhere at all.

While Levi's looking down at his phone, you take away the little divider that would've separated the flour from your things. He doesn't realize it until after you've paid, but he doesn't say anything to you in protest. Instead, he wordlessly helps load everything back into the cart and pushes it himself out of the store.

Once you're out of the store and out of the main walkway, you both stop. You hand Levi his half of the pastry and a bag with the flour after checking to make sure that none of your things are in there.

"Thanks for paying for the flour," he says.

You wave him off. "Don't worry about it. It was, like, 5 bucks." He nods.

"Again, sorry about Isabel and Furlan calling you. It probably woke you up."

"It did, but it was almost noon anyway."

"Sleeping in that late now?"

You playfully go to punch his shoulder, careful not to knock anything out of his hands. "You're the one that told me to sleep well."

He rolls his eyes, swatting your hand away. "Yeah, yeah."

You take your bags out of the cart before pushing it back into another one in the general area where they are. Him not having moved, you smile at Levi and instinctually go to wave, but you feel the weight of the bag keep your arm down. He rolls his eyes again, probably in his own way of laughing at you, but returns the "wave" with his own.

"It was nice running into you, Levi! Get home safe!" You yell after him, given the distance.

"I will, you get home safe too." He doesn't speak any louder than he does before, but there's no one around for you to not be able to hear him. You nod at him before turning to make your way back to your car, smile not leaving your face.

Once you've gotten everything in your trunk and you're seated at the wheel, you go to message Levi to remind him you're free if him, Isabel, and Furlan need any help with understanding the recipe. After the short drive back to your apartment and a somewhat longer walk back up to your unit, you check your phone to see that he replied, saying that you should prepare yourself for a barrage of phone calls from Isabel when they get started. You laugh, and have your phone on the counter as you get dinner prepared.

It's nothing difficult; you're basically just cutting things up and throwing them into a pot, but it's relaxing, and you feel satisfied taking a sip of the broth as you're waiting for it to finish cooking.

You get your first phone call from Isabel around 5, just after you finish putting away your cutting board and knives. When you pick up, you hear chaotic banging of what sounds like pans and other metal appliances in the background of her asking if you need to butter the tins (and her also thanking you for half of the pastry Sasha gave you). You tell her that you do need to butter them, and you can practically hear Levi rolling his eyes at her as an "I told you so."

The second phone call you get from her phone is not even 5 minutes later, and this time it's Furlan who asks you how to measure everything without a kitchen scale (which, to his credit, is on you for only writing in the weight measurements for everything), and you direct him as best as you can, your own recipe book open to the page in front of you to make sure the conversions are correct. You can hear Isabel and Levi arguing faintly in the back, though it's mostly Isabel trying to get Levi to stop criticizing how she washes the dishes as they're being brought out. All the while, you're taking small spoonfuls of your stew, savoring the flavor.

The third phone call you get from Isabel is her asking things completely irrelevant to baking, mostly just random questions that pop into her mind. Furlan and Levi take the phone away periodically to actually ask you how to do things, but Isabel always wrestles it back from them to ask another "would you rather" question that you answer in earnest. During this phone call, you finish up with your dinner and head over to the sink to get everything clean and then put the rest of it into the fridge for the next day. When she ends the call to wait for the tarts to bake, you decide to skip over to the bathroom and take a quick shower.

As the water falls over your head, you let yourself feel relaxed. It's the first weekend you've had in a while that wasn't out spending time with Hange, Erwin, Levi, and the rest of their crew, not that you hated spending time with them or anything, but it gets you a bit tired at the end of the day. Sure, you ran into Levi earlier and you've spent most of the day basically with Furlan and Isabel, but that felt refreshing in its own way. Maybe getting to sleep in instead of being dragged around by Hange was what made it feel different, but you'll ignore that. When you step out of the shower, you brush your teeth and grab a towel to dry your hair before going to bed early. You let yourself melt into your mattress, but keep your phone near you in case Levi or Isabel calls again.

You can feel yourself slowly drifting off, but before you're fully gone, you hear your phone ring again for the fourth time. "Hello?"

"Isabel told me to tell you to look at the pictures she sent you," Levi says.

You hum, putting your phone on speaker and then tapping around to open the message from Isabel. It was sent a couple of minutes ago, which explains why you didn't hear the notification over the sound of the shower.

The first one is relatively simple, just a small plate with three tarts on them. They all look a bit different from one another, so you assume they're all made by different people.

The second photo is a selfie of (who you assume is) Furlan with Levi and Isabel arguing behind him in the kitchen, which you laugh at.

The last picture is of Levi taking the tarts out of the oven, with Isabel and Furlan's hands at the bottom of the shot in a thumbs-up. You roll your eyes, but make sure you save all of them to your photo gallery.

"You guys should open a photography studio."

You hear Levi scoff. "Yeah, right." You yawn before pulling your blanket over yourself, turning over to your side. "Are you in bed already?"

"I'll have you know that," you check the time on your phone, "8:32 PM is a perfectly good time to be in bed."

"If you say so."  You laugh, switching your phone back to regular volume instead of having it on speaker. "Don't let me keep you up then."

You yawn again. "Nah, I have a few more minutes left in me." It's a complete lie, but you don't really want the day to end, even if you didn't end up actually doing much.

"You definitely do not," Levi says, then calling over Isabel and Furlan. "Okay, say 'thank you.'" You laugh at the visual of this; he's acting like a dad forcing his kids to say 'thank you' at Christmas. You hear Isabel say something first.

"Thanks for helping us today! They turned out really yummy, even if we didn't wait for them to get cold."  You tell her it's no problem, then it's Furlan's turn.

"Thank you, we couldn't have done it without you. They're good, but they're not nearly as nice as the ones you sent with Levi."  At the compliment, you hum, closing your eyes. You again tell Furlan it's no problem, and that you'll send more with Levi when you get the time, and maybe you can meet him in-person sometime too. Furlan gives the phone back to Levi.

"What they said," says Levi. You laugh.

"No 'thank you?'"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." You yawn for the third time that phone call, stretching out on your bed. "I think I gotta go."

"I can tell." There's a pause before he speaks again. "Good to know you're getting your sleep back."

You nod slightly to yourself. "Me too."

"Take it easy at work."

"I will. I don't know much about how work is for you, but if Hange's right and you're really as famous as they say, you should take it easy too."

"They're not wrong, but I don't care. About being famous, I mean."

You make mental note of the fact, though it probably won't register with how tired you are. "Goodnight, Levi."

"Goodnight. Sleep well."

Before you even need to think about getting the energy to pick up your phone and end the call, you hear the end note from Levi's end and let yourself fall asleep.

✰

Sunday goes smoothly enough, again not doing anything quite productive. You took Levi's words to heart, pretty much sleeping the entire day away.

Monday passes well enough, without having to see many clients. You stayed later than usual to finish some of Tuesday's paperwork early, leaving the office dead last at 8 in the evening and just barely making the bus, but you went to bed decently happy and excited for the next day, seeing as Hange got you and them a reservation at Sina's Kitchen for the two of you.

Sina's Kitchen is the hardest restaurant to get a table at in the city, and you've never been able to get in before. Not that you tried particularly hard, but the website boasted a months-long waitlist, and you couldn't be bothered to figure out how to even set up a reservation. When Hange first invited you to dinner with them for Valentine's Day, you figured they were just going to take you to a small local diner, and the two of you would finish out the night with whatever bad reality TV would be on air when you got back to your apartment. You asked on Sunday morning over the phone where you'd be eating so you could preemptively choose an outfit.

"Where are we going on Tuesday, anyway?"

"Oh, did I forget to tell you? We're eating at Sina's."

You sarcastically laughed at them. "Yeah, sure we are." When they didn't laugh with you, you just had to ask. "We are?"

"Yeah!"

Upon the knowledge that you'd be going to be having dinner on what is one of the busiest days in the dining industry at the most famous restaurant in the city, you texted Mikasa to ask if she wanted to get ready together. You knew she was going to spend her Valentine's Day with someone, her having mentioned it on Friday at her office birthday party, though you didn't know who she was seeing. You don't ask her, and she doesn't ask you who you're having dinner with. She replied that she was wanting to ask but wasn't sure if you'd be up for it, to which you told her she'd be welcome over anytime at your place.

Which brings you to Tuesday, where you've gotten most of your work done for the day yesterday, and you can finally have lunch with Eren, Mikasa, and Armin again in your office. You've missed having them spend this time with you, but work was still too unforgiving to let that happen unless you stayed late like you did yesterday.

When you're back from a quick trip down the hall to deliver some paperwork before lunch, Eren looks over at you from his spot at your desk. You smile at him as you go to sit at your seat, then stretching your arms above your head and yawning. He keeps his gaze on you but seems to be thinking over what he should say.

"What's up?"

"Who are you seeing tonight?"

"Huh?"

At Eren's comment, Mikasa kicks him underneath the table. "I told you not to ask."

Your phone beeps several times, and you pick it up to see several text messages from Hange.

Hange - 12:25 PM

Don't forget dinner tonight! Dress fancy :D Maybe that dress you wore to your Barrister's Ball? Actually, make sure you wear something blue Maybe like blue-grey? Idk what color exactly but something like that And that one necklace you wore! I think you wore it when we went out with Erwin and Levi the first time

You roll your eyes halfheartedly and reply to your friend.

"See! She's smiling at her phone! She's texting her date!" Eren accuses.

Now, it's your turn to kick Eren's leg underneath the table. "Yes, I'm texting my hot, sexy, rich date. I'm telling them all about how much I hate a green-eyed, brown-haired intern working at the same firm as me." He angrily takes a bite from his sandwich, trying to kick you back. You bring your legs closer to yourself before he can.

"Eren, calm down, she doesn't hate you," Armin reassures him.

"Oh, yes. I do." You all, save for Eren who rolls his eyes, laugh before going back to your food and casual conversation. "Got anything planned tonight, Armin?"

"Not really, just going to catch up on some studying." You smile bitterly at him, nodding.

"It's okay."

He wipes away at an invisible tear, a smile on his face. "I know."

"See, Eren, there's a man who's secure being single," you joke. Instead of him sending an insult in return, him and Mikasa look at each other, and then at you. Armin's also looking at Eren and her. Weird. "Anyway, how's everyone doing? I haven't really gotten to talk to you guys much lately. Well, except for Mikasa, I work with her everyday."

Armin slumps further into his chair, and Eren groans dramatically.

"I want to quit," Eren whines.

Armin nods. "It's getting to be a lot, is it normally like this?"

You reach for your teacup, frowning slightly. "It gets bad, but it hasn't ever lasted this long." You trust that management is trying their best to get things solved, but Erwin still hasn't been able to tell you yet what's going on for you to really think things will get better soon. It's gotten a little better and most people in the office have had a cut in their paperwork, but you haven't really seen much of a difference for yourself. "You get used to it eventually."

The four of you move onto making lighter conversation, talking about past Valentine's Days and gossiping about other people in the office. Just as you always do, you shoo Eren and Armin away after lunch has run its course, and you and Mikasa get to work.

You end your work relatively early, seeing as you handled most of it yesterday, so you help Mikasa with hers until you're both done and ready to leave around 3. Petra took the day off today, and so Mikasa was able to bring her car for the two of you to leave and get ready at your place. She's having dinner at a restaurant near Sina's, so you both figured it would be easier to have her drop you off, and have Hange drive you home after.

You're both too tired to really carry any sort of conversation, seeing as work has drained you both once again, but she lets you connect your music to her car, and you try to choose music that you think she'll enjoy. You speak up to let her know what highway and roads to turn into, and she follows along. When you reach the parking complex at your apartment building, you offer to carry her backpack so she can carry up her dress and other items she needs to get ready.

She follows you inside your apartment, and once you've both had a second to settle in and get something to drink, you drag her with you to your room where you have a full-body mirror, and you both start getting ready. It feels fun—almost like you're teenagers getting ready for a school dance.

You get in a blue dress, just as Hange directed (you assume they want to match), and Mikasa puts on a well-fitted red dress before you pull her again in front of your bathroom mirror with a box of your jewelry. You let her try some on, and once she puts on a pair of dainty moon drop earrings, you force her to take them. She does the same with some of the hair accessories she brought, and she forces you to keep a hairpin that has a small star and a few crystals hanging from it.

After checking and making sure you both look ready, the two of you make sure you have everything you need before heading downstairs back to Mikasa's car.

You carry on a bit of conversation now that Mikasa's driving again, but it's nothing particularly deep. Better to not accidentally sour the mood before Valentine's Day can really get itself started.

"Wait, so who's your date tonight?" You ask, knowing you won't get the chance to ask again before you get to Sina's. Even under the dim glow that the city lights provide, you can see her blush.

"Who are you about to see, then?"

"I asked first, but I'm with Hange today, so you know that's not a date. Now you answer."

She seems to hesitate before answering, but there's a small smile on her face when she does tell you. "Eren."

Your mouth gapes open, and then it closes. That's why they were being so weird earlier. Not your place to really judge in the first place, but they actually do seem like they'd be good together. There's probably some HR person that would disagree with you, but Eren and Mikasa can deal with that when (not "if") they get hired. Oluo and Petra make it work, so they probably can too.

"Good for you, Mikasa." She rolls her eyes (out of love, hopefully) before making a turn to get you to Sina's. You check the time; 7:58 PM. A bit late for your liking, but right on time for 8. Once she's parked, you make sure you have all your things in your purse before getting out. She rolls the window down.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Astraea."

You smile at her, waving. "Happy Valentine's Day. Tell me all about it tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah."

And with that, you see her car drive away. Well, more like you see her car get lost in city traffic.

When you get inside the restaurant, you take your phone from out of your purse and check for any messages Hange left. Sure enough, there's a text telling you they're already inside and to use the name "Smith" for the table. When you text back asking why, they tell you that Erwin's the one who got the reservation. Earnestly, you don't question it. Erwin's a powerful enough man in this city, even as only a managing associate at the firm, so you're not all that surprised Hange reached out to have him book you the table for the night. Explains how you got the spot on such short notice.

Pocketing your phone, you go up to the reservation desk. "What can I help you with today, ma'am?" The reservationist there asks.

"Hi, I have a reservation under 'Smith,' at 8," you tell him. He looks over at the computer situated under the countertop of the desk and lightly bobs his head, and you can hear the faint clicking of his mouse scrolling through what is likely the reservation list. He nods before calling over a hostess over to look at whatever's got his attention. She nods before looking over to you, her hand gesturing for you to follow her.

As you're walking through the booths and past other people, you feel a bit star-struck. Not really because you see anyone particularly famous, but it feels like such an elite environment to be in. You don't feel out of place, seeing as you're a lawyer and you're in these types of settings quite often, but it still feels unfamiliar in most regards. The people aren't particularly loud and the lights aren't too bright for your eyes, but something about being there feels overwhelming.

"Here you are," she says, placing the menu at the table. "Your server will be with you shortly." You nod to her, and she leaves. You can't see Hange, since they're seated on the same side as where you're standing, so you walk forward to get to your place in the booth where there's already a glass of water for you. Before you can sit, though, you hear them choke on their drink, and you look over at them to instead see...

"Levi?"

✰

Next Chapter

[amadeusgame]

Amadeus Devlog 1: from Concepts/Ideas Into An Actual Demo

Well, as of this past Saturday, the demo for Amadeus is live. I hope it's a good introduction to the world, story, titular character, and general atmosphere/ambience of the game.

Over the next year, I'm going to be shifting my sights toward getting the full release of Episode 1 ready by next summer. I'm planning to post at least monthly long-form development updates, both here as well as devlogs on the itch.io project. I'm considering a newsletter, but that hasn't happened yet - in the event it does, I've created a Linktree to track all of the resources relevant to the ongoing development of Amadeus. Give this a bookmark and check back: https://linktr.ee/amadeusgame

Without further ado.... the first update about the ongoing making of Amadeus! Or, in this case, a retrospective on making the demo. If you're curious about how this project started, and how various inspirations and circumstances helped me see it through to a released demo, give it a read! It's a bit long, so if you'd rather skip it, you're not missing anything but context on what's already done. Future devlogs will be shorter and have more news looking forward.

Amadeus the character has existed in my brain for several years, now. Solea - who is mentioned in the demo, but has not yet made an appearance - was conceptualized at the same time, but she was originally named Solaris. I changed her name because it felt strange to have both main characters' names end with the same sound. Now that it's changed, I think Solea fits her better.

Below are the first sketches I made of these characters. It's interesting how little Amadeus changed, but Solea on the other hand is almost unrecognizable. Her characterization changed so much that I felt she needed a new design to accompany it. As for what that design is... that's something to be revealed later! I think she's an incredibly compelling character, and I can't wait for everyone to meet her.

What motivated me to turn these characters into protagonists of an actual, real video game, was a series of concurrent Things during my second year as a grad student studying music composition, last year. At the time, I was:

Taking an elective course on C#/Unity, and learning how to Actually Make A Game

Writing a music piece for solo marimba and electronics (for a different course), and using Professor Layton music as inspiration

Thinking about a particular scene I had just come up with involving Amadeus

#2 is extremely relevant here. There was one evening when I was listening to a WIP of the marimba composition I wrote, and realized it evoked the exact kind of melancholy that might fit my story - so, as a form of fun procrastination, I played the track back on loop and sketched out a title screen for Amadeus's story in a small notebook.

Yep... the very first thing I made for this game was a title screen. Not exactly the conventional way to do things. (That marimba piece eventually turned into "Spellbound Mischief," the BGM track during the largest interactive/investigation scene in the demo. It was greatly inspired by the "Kodh" BGM in Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, and "Bewitching Puzzles" from Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney.)

Meanwhile, in the Unity class, I had just learned how to make a very basic title screen with a button to proceed to the game on it. So I opened a new instance of Unity, imported a phone camera picture of the drawing I did as a title screen asset, and made a "proceed to game" button that deactivated the title screen. I went ahead and put the in-progress version of the marimba piece as background music while I was at it.

And so the development of Amadeus began.

The very first build was made in one weekend, after I had finished my actual Unity/C# homework for the week, and wanted to apply what I had learned to building a game. Unfortunately, a game needs art assets. I found that it was incredibly difficult to motivate myself to work with pure greybox assets, so I sketched up very placeholder-y assets (a background, a walk cycle) and played around with them. As a visual artist, I find it easier to work in pencil and paper than digitally, so I sketched the assets in the same notebook as before.

Behold the glory of Prototype Amadeus:

I ended up building out a very rough skeleton version of the first scene in the demo, almost exclusively using Unity buttons as functionality, because that was what I understood best at the time. The portraits for Amadeus and the Witch are used in the final game, as well as the hand sprite and the door scene (all of which I put considerably  more effort into than the placeholder walk cycle and manor, seen above.)

...In fact, if you're REALLY bored, the prototype still exists here on itch.io: https://arcanaxix.itch.io/amadeus-prologue-demo (password is "werewolfdepressionsim").

If you're not that bored, you can hopefully still appreciate how much better the released demo version of the text UI looks, compared to this:

At this point, the professor of my Unity course introduced us to our final project: we were to create a Game Design Document for a game, a timeline with finishing major benchmarks to complete the game as proposed by the day our final project was due, and then have a fun party where we would all play each others' games. The game didn't have to be anything very involved at all (it was music school, expectations were not very high), but I was getting excited about actually making a game with MY CHARACTERS, and I wanted to use this assignment to build a playable point-and-click chapter.

I also wanted to learn how to try and code a drag-and-drop puzzle mechanic, not just for this game, but also to try and help with the ongoing development of another exciting project I am part of (Project DuskPuppy). At any rate, I used the final project of this class to build a very janky "chapter" of Amadeus.

I learned so much working on that, and at the end of it, I had something that was Technically Playable, an absolute nightmare in terms of user experience, and in which half of the assets were scribbles. But I shared it with friends, and one of them gave me the following feedback, which (thanks ZeroJanitor) basically directed my continued development of the demo:

"i love the whole tone of this game, the paper cutout sprites and somber music set a really cool tone, which compliment the character dialogue and theming really well! also it functions from start to finish which is always nice"

I'm including this because I think it's important for people to know just how much their comments can influence and motivate creators. Hearing just one person say that the paper sketch visuals - which I was using originally NOT out of any aesthetic direction, but literally just because I personally find it easier to draw assets on pencil and paper, and needed assets to implement - set an interesting and unique tone? Well, that settled it! I decided to double down on the pencil sketches from then on, and have used the same notebook that I sketched the original title screen in to draw every single art asset in the game.

This has come with its share of difficulties - a couple of the sprites I needed to entirely re-draw, because they were drawn at a different scale in my notebook, so the line thicknesses didn't match up with the other sprites. This would have been much easier to tweak digitally, but for pencil-on-paper, I had to just start over.

The second version is an improvement anyway; but I ended up using the "rough" version as an in-between frame in an animation, and by sheer luck, it happens to flow pretty well. So the original still made it in after all!

Anyway, that all came later -- at the end of 2022 I simply had a technically playable version of the game that was extremely rough and was mostly held together with Unity buttons deactivating and activating things, but it was Enough of an accomplishment that I started to feel like I could see this through into a real release.

I had learned:

The basics of how C#/Monobehaviors work, and enough of an understanding to be able to look up answers and resources for further learning

How to make a game design document and break a HUGE task like "make a game" down into every single small task within it, and prioritize/schedule those to get something made

That no matter what you will never actually finish everything on time, and to make peace with that

(Regarding Point 3: my original script for the movement could not handle the upper limit of movement on a screen being anything except a horizontal line, so for the scene with the grave on a hill, I just.... rotated the camera and Amadeus' sprite. I figured out a more elegant solution later, but sometimes, deadlines mean you have to slap on a band-aid that sort of works!)

And, crucially, I had the OK from my professor to continue asking him code and Unity questions after the course was finished, with the caveat that he would respond when he had the time. This is probably the only reason I actually finished the Amadeus demo. Being able to ask for help when you need it is invaluable.

The next important thing that happened was over winter break I spent 2 weeks obsessively binge-reading the visual novel Umineko When They Cry. This was, I cannot emphasize enough, THE most motivating thing I could have possibly done. I was struck by several things: the insanely catchy soundtrack, the fascinating abstract sound design choices, and the CHARM of the MS-paint graphics. I had been surrounded by an obsession with big budget games at school and the idea that music that's too melodic or looping distracts from the game, but here was an example of a soundtrack with some of the catchiest tunes I've ever heard that hit incredibly hard during key narrative moments.

(The development of Amadeus had to take a brief pause while I painted the Golden Witch Beatrice on my laptop. But this means that the majority of serious development for Amadeus happened on a laptop with the Golden Witch Beatrice on it:)

Playing Umineko was exactly what I needed to completely throw the "soundtracks should support the game but not draw attention to themselves" value out the window. I had just played a masterpiece of a game in which the soundtrack hit you over the head with itself and it ruled so indescribably hard. Moreover, I had just played a masterpiece of a game in which almost all of the art assets were clearly drawn by one person doing their best, and it ruled so indescribably hard. So I doubled down on my values: I was going to create a game, with my own hand-drawn assets, and my own music, and it was going to be chock full of certified bangers if it was the last thing I did.

(May as well plug the soundtrack again while I'm on the topic: https://arcanaxix.bandcamp.com/album/amadeus-demo-original-soundtrack - I was studying music at music school during the majority of this game's development, so unsurprisingly, the music and sound are by far the most polished part of the whole affair.)

On the subject of music-! My last semester at school I didn't have a C# course giving me deadlines to work on the game, so I had to learn how to make my own deadlines. I drafted a calendar that originally scheduled the release of the demo for the end of May, 2023. I broke down the remaining tasks for a "complete" demo and scheduled them across the remaining months.

I did not follow this calendar at all. What I did do, was learn more about myself, and how to motivate myself. As you can see, the demo got released - so that means I managed to find a way to keep myself on track! And that was to take advantage of the fact that I was in music school, making music.

The whole project was started because of a piece of music I was writing. So it made sense to me to channel that, and to use my remaining time at school to create the perfect soundtrack, and to draw inspiration for the game itself from the music I was writing. Sometimes the game inspired my music, and sometimes it was the other way around! The point being: I still had deadlines, but they were music deadlines now, so I used that to motivate my development of the game.

A few examples:

Spellbound Mischief: I worked alongside percussionist Jay Lee on this composition, and engineered the recording session. Because of that, I had the backing track and the marimba recording split into two different audio stems. This gave me an idea: what if I had the marimba stem fade in and out? The actual nature of the dynamic soundtrack in the scene changed a lot over development, but it was inspired by the fact that I had multiple audio stems to work with in the first place.

Fugue ~ Interlude: The underlying composition of this piece is just what it says - a fugue. My final project in my counterpoint course was to write a fugue. The nice thing about fugues is that, once you understand the process, fugues more or less write themselves; this was written entirely divorced from Amadeus. So I wrote this fugue, and a different friend (thanks monstrman) gave me the feedback that it sounded like a Final Fantasy villain theme. I started thinking about it and I realized it had a ton of potential as a theme in my game... and much later, when I created the "Amadeus opens the notebook and thinks to himself" scene (added after playtester feedback that the narrative flow was hard to follow), I realized that I could use it there.

Deal With a Witch: I knew I needed a witchy theme. I didn't have one. So when I got assigned to write a contrapuntal ABA form piece, I wrote one in minor on the harpsichord, and it felt suitably witchy. The clarinet was added after, and I don't even remember why I added it other than that I know someone who plays a mean clarinet. It was definitely the right call.

A Riddle for Thee (Demo Version): I'm being a bit rude by including this one... this piece was written as a final project, a "Theme and Variations" for a course on 20th century harmony. However... this piece is going to manifest very, very differently in the complete game. I won't tell you what that is, but I will say this much, and hint at it very heavily: I hadn't quite figured out how to structure the complete narrative of Amadeus, other than that it would be in episodes; but writing this piece finally gave me a very compelling idea.

So I continued to work on the audio assets while I was in school, and resolved to have a mastered version of every track before I left campus for the last time. Once I graduated, I took the "end of May" deadline very seriously and focused on knocking out all of the remaining tasks to get the demo ready for private playtesters. Privately, I extended the actual demo release to the end of July, to give myself some time.

And here is where I have learned the most about keeping myself on track, as an individual with ADHD, no formal deadlines, and a lot of passion for this project:

Make your own deadlines, and make them ones with accountability.

I didn't follow my calendar because there was no accountability. What I DID do was finish a private-ready demo by end of May, because I had announced that it would be ready by end of May, and had a handful of people ready and excited to playtest it. And I finished the public version by end of July, because I had announced that it would be ready by the end of July.

You may be suspecting something... that's exactly what these monthly devlogs are going to be! I have a private calendar with benchmarks to meet in order to ship the finished Episode 1 of Amadeus by next summer, but the best way to be sure I meet those benchmarks is to write about them each month. This also helps keep you all informed too, and hopefully, excited about the project.

I know this has been a long write-up, but hopefully you gained some insight into how this project started, and how I as a musician-slash-multimedia-artist with one semester of C# under their belt managed to cobble together a game demo. And I hope you're as excited as I am about the complete game. I can't wait to make it so you can all experience it!

[arseniy-arsenicum33]

A bunch of abandoned WIPs...

Sometimes you spend a lot of time on an idea, that for some reason isn't worth pursuing... Let me yell into the void about this year's pile...

So, my Idea for the duration of this season, was to make little vignettes with funny or memorable moments from different POVs, since I already watch nearly every Hermit... How did it go? Terribly... It stopped right after the first batch at the end of February...

The Ministry of Ministers governing The Neighbourhood...

Let's start with the most complicated it terms of reasons to abandon... At the start of the season, 9 hermits have settled so close to each other, that it somewhat organically formed the neighbourhood... With its own HOA and everything... I really thought that this bit would last longer than it did... And tried to make a model for every minister... I've got four...

Ren appointed himself as a Minister of Ministers, and Cleo as a Minister of Garbage... There was talks about a coop, I was very excited for this... Here is Cleo getting ready to smash Ren's head with two garbage can lids... But no coop come to fruition... They already overthrew him in season 9, and didn't want to end up with all Ren's responsibilities AGAIN... Understandable... Still, there was no reason to post this, so I didn't...

Stress got the role of Minister of Food, and was very happy with her poisonous potato hat... Shame, she isn't part of Hermitcraft anymore, but I respect her decision...

Sometime later Wels has also became the Minister of Light... So here he is lighting up street lamps with torches... He never got the hat, as far as I'm aware...

Oofff... Here he is... Remember, then at the start of the season, Beef and Iskall had this whole sitcom situationship? Iskall repainted Beef's house red with netherrack? While Beef was desperately trying to be left alone on his farm? Good times... Here they are parodying the American Gothic by Grant Wood... Let me just say, I've made this in may, and this is the last model I'll make of Iskall... No graces for him, get out... Moving on...

Here are all the other Ministers... I just haven't came up with fitting poses for them... And because I like to make long themed posts, in order to not clog up the Hero Forge tag posting them one by one, I couldn't post any of them, while the others are unfinished... Somewhere down the line Keralis became the secretary and was pooping in the meeting room, so my workload increased... Xisuma is the tricky one, you see, he was the Minister of Idiots, meaning, he's the one wrangling the Villagers... The reasonable thing to model would be some villager interaction... But you see... His hat... Is a separate model of a whole person hiding inside Xisuma's body... And Hero Forge doesn't allow more than two human models on the same base... So, no villagers for me... Nowadays, this problem could've been solved with kitbashing... But even if I get the monthly subscription, there are the guaranties that I would have the time to model anything and not be overtaken by my job and other hobbies? To risky, I don't have that kind of money to subscribe to things... Oh, and Juppet is also here... I really like Joe's skin, I really do... But, boy, is is making my life in particular more troubled than it needs to be... This is seriously the best I could translate his skin in Hero Forge, this Ugly-Sonic-Live-Action-Muppet-Remake-Looking-Ass... This is the reason, you are not getting any Juppet models, I gave up... For someone, who is a total nobody in the fandom circle, I sure do have a lot of high standards...

Tall Claims Court Episode 1: ZombieCleo vs Docm77...

I wanted to make something akin to courtroom sketches that would illustrate the trial... And quickly run out of breath, the plan was just to big... Courtroom drama works in part because it's in a room, in an enclosed space, with stands and furniture and whatnot... And Hero Forge is built...not for that... I did manage to model something resembling a table for Cleo...

But for Doc I've just ran out of juice and was putting back this model, until it became utterly irrelevant... Juppet is also...not helping... I like Joe's skin this season, but it made my life specifically very hard... So the model is unfinished to this day, and undoubtedly, will stay this way forever...

RenDog's testimony... I like to make my models viewable from every angle, and here I just couldn't bring myself to model a whole witness-stand, then I can just crop out the dangling legs, and False's tail, holding the shield/table... To much work for not enough payout... And I was supposed to make the same stand for Beef's testimony about Doc's esophagus... And Judge Bdubs's... No thanks...

Here's a good look at Ren's GigaCorp uniform, that I also, probably, would never use...

Stranglers from season 9...

Mmm, the real coop, how I miss you... These poses are taken from this absolutely gorgeous animatic by Mefazy at 2:24... I already had models for HotGuy and Gorgon Cleo... So it was only fitting... But it couldn't fit in any other posts, so here it is for the first time...

The coronation of the Dungeon Queen... I don't even remember my reasoning for making this... Could've been part of DND-Hermits... I just couldn't make the pose work as I wanted... No matter what I did, Tango's gaze kept getting sultrier... Not the mood I'm trying to express here...

Eeeeehhh... Could've been cool, if I had any skills in photoshop to put small Grian onto his palm... You can tell the model is old, because now we have better options for hand poses...

Somewhat recent...

Scientist Gem! Studying Pearl from a distance... I just dressed her up and forgot to pose properly...

And this was supposed to be Mumbo's death in Wild Life... I wanted to make explosion from the horse tails... Just couldn't bother... So here is Mumbo deathly scared of this abomination...

Okay, I've got them of my chest... Let's hope, in the new year, I will develop a work ethic, and stop putting so much on myself, while being unsure about the necessity of my labour... I was supposed to make these for fun, there did the fun go? I'm free...

[soulsuckrrs]

open to: m/f/anyone plot: I just need a pirate plot in my life. hmu if you wanna plot details but I'm pretty open to anything & all the world building! connection: captain of the pirate ship.

The salt in the air as it filled his lungs was welcome and calming, with so many years spent sailing the seas, Lance felt at ease when he was close to the waves of the tempest waters. But no more comfort than he felt upon the deck of the Howling Waves a ship he had found more than just a home but also a family, he was the first mate and if he were to boast or brag (which he did plenty of in the humblest of ways) Lance would say he earned that spot. Under a captain that was not only fierce, strong, and capable, but beautiful as well. He was constantly caught in a cycle of adoration and lust but he valued them beyond that as well, they had saved his life in more ways than Lance had admitted and for that he owed the captain. 

Stepping onto the ship Lance shot a glance around, usually the first one on the boat after a few days resting in any port but today he was sure to be the first one there. Finding himself alone Lance set about his duties before he crossed paths with the cook of the ship, they shared a few moments in the early morning and a nod while Lance moved to inspect the helm. When the first mate was finished with his duties some of the other crew members started to drift back from wherever they had stayed on their three day stint in this particular port. Lance grinned before he made his way down into the kitchen, the warm scent of brewing coffee and cooking food meeting his senses. 

“Mmm, smells ‘eavenly, Bel,” the blonde man cooed as he followed the scent over to where the older man cooked, Belwick had been the cook on the ship well before Lance had ever shown up and the older man liked to keep Lance guessing on how long ago it really was he’d birthed on the ship. Belwick grinned some at Lance before shoveling several strips of ham, eggs, potatoes a hunk of toasted bread onto two plates as Lance helped himself to pouring two cups of coffee. 

“Dunno if it smells ‘alf as heavenly as that sweet little thing I saw hangin’ all over ye last night,” the cook replied with a mischievous tone and glint in his eyes as Lance moved back around to grab the tray of food that Belwick offered to him after Lance had sat the two mugs of coffee down on the tray. 

“Hold yer tongue old man, yer gonna get me in trouble,” Lance half-scolded with the slightest of chuckles brushing past his lips as he shot a glance over his shoulder at the stairs which were empty. It wasn’t that he and the captain were anything exclusive or anything at all, but they had found each other in bed on more than one occasion. “--- ‘sides, I bathed ‘fore I came back.” Lance added with a smirk, taking a few steps backwards towards the stairs before he bumped into a small frame and shifted to the side, tray steady in his hands. 

The cabin boy, Hennrik, rubbed sleepily at his eyes with one hand while the other scratched absently at his backside, hair still a mess from sleep. Lance nudged the boy and shared a glance with the cook before he turned to start up the stairs as Belwick affectionately scolded the tired boy for being late. Taking two stairs at a time Lance came out onto a more bustling deck than he had left on his way down to the kitchen, with an educated, stern, and proficient eye the first mate scanned the crew as they worked on getting the Howling Wave ready to set sail were that to be the captains wishes. Lance cast one last inspecting look over the crew and the deck before he tapped at the door to the captains quarters, he didn’t wait much time for an answer before he pushed the door open and let himself inside.  Yes, he risked the chance of there being someone else there with the captain or finding them in any stages of dress but Lance liked to think of himself as a good thorn in their side. “I came bearin’ gifts, cap’n,” Lance said, accent thick against his tongue and eyes averting the bunk as he moved over to set the tray on the table in the room.