#of me so i genuinely just do what i want and act how i want all the time. which i am learning is not a thing a lot of people do 24/7

[frooogscream]

I am LITERALLY DYSLEXIC and I one hundred percent stand by “If you can’t write unassisted by AI, fuck you!”, and as a dyslexic person am beating you with hammers!

Cause how dare you use people like me as an excuse for your art-stealing resource-guzzling regurgitated soulless slop!

How dare you steel the opportunity to find joy in writing from kids and teenagers who struggle with dyslexia like me or because of other issues, by making them believe that they will never be able to do it and don’t need to because there’s a computer to think for them! I loved writing as a teenager, I filled notebooks upon notebooks with poems and essays on my newest hyperfixation, I always was top of the class when it came to creative writing and now as an adult even my spelling isn’t atrocious anymore! And do you know how I did that?- Because I fucking LOVED STORIES, I read 3-5 books a week despite taking longer than other kids, I wrote those fanfics despite every second word being marked red by spellcheck. And lo and behold I got better at it! You don’t have to be the fasted or the best at the beginning (you don’t EVER need to become the best at it but be assured you will get better), you don’t need to be able to do things without assistance like a correction software or speech to text (that is actually assistance instead of doing the work for you), it dosnt even matter if you have a significant disadvantage due to some form of disability/learning disorder.

If you genuinely WANT to create art or study a topic or write an interesting think piece, you can ALWAYS do that to the best of your abilities! And even if you genuinely think it sucks, it is already better than anything generative AI frankensteined together because it contains your original idea, something new that has never existed before. And you yourself have gone through the experience of creating it, you will know that you are capable of doing this and that is the best feeling in the world. And the next time you do it it will already be a little more easy. Even if we are talking about “bothersome” acts of creation that you genuinely don’t want to do like university papers/homework: at this point it is easier and faster for me to just sit down and write an essay exactly the way I want it, then it would be to type in a prompt so neatly specified that it approximately generates what I want and then having to manually correct all the details that don’t work for me. You can be FASTER AND BETTER at the task then a computer and you’ll have that ability for the rest of your life to rely on, isn’t that neat and way more effective?

If I -a bitch with ‘can’t write can’t read’ disorder- can become a prolific bookworm and “weird kid who sits in the corner and writes gothic poems during recess”, then YOU have no fucking excuse to let your creative brain be replaced by a fucking machine!

Hey, you reblogged that AI post and I was surprised to see something so mean on your blog. "If you cant write unassisted, fuck you, youre a disgrace to the community." Is that really something you want on your blog?

Just in case this isn't a spam message:

Posting AI-generated content to a platform intended to be an archive for writers is not appropriate use of the platform. On a platform intended for human creation, it is rude and inappropriate to clog search results with AI-produced content which often plagiarizes the work of human authors.

Use of generative AI is also horrible for our environment, leading to massive waste of fossil fuel energy and water. We should not be doing damage to our planet for the sake of generating (robot-produced, often plagiarized) fiction, especially when the joy of fiction comes from the creation and emotion of real people.

Rather than giving a prompt to a generative AI, people should consider attempting to write their own work, or asking another writer from the fandom if they would be interested in writing it. Anyone who is capable of typing a prompt into ChatGPT is capable of writing a story. The first attempts may not be amazing, but that is true of any skill, and anyone can improve with time and practice - and while ChatGPT may give you big returns in your time, it doesn't give you practice, growth, or creativity, which is where the joy of writing should come from.

[pagesfromthevoid]

Future Fest | b. f.

Bob Floyd x teacher!reader

High school recruitment isn’t usually on the short list of things to do during the day, but it is today.

Word Count: 2.7k

Warnings: None

Author's Note: I don't even know what possessed me but here I am. Also, the feral things the students say in this are actual quotes from my actual students.

Masterlist | Talk to Me! | AO3

She really needs to learn how to say “no” when people ask her to do things at work.

It’s a bad habit –a combination of the incessant need to be liked by everyone and genuinely caring about what the students would want–that she just can’t seem to break. 

Today, it’s Future Fest. The very first event of the year where any student sixteen and older can ditch their regularly scheduled classes and come down to the gym to talk to different college representatives, explore career choices, and interact with military recruiters. About 75% of those students are there to actually get an idea about what they want to do after high school –that other 25% are there to get out of class.

Not that she blames them, of course. She probably would have done the same thing if this had been a thing when she was in school. 

The college and career counselor at the school had asked her to help out, since most of her students had signed up to go anyway (and unfortunately for those who didn’t, they got to go anyway because of her). It’s all hands on deck when it comes to these sorts of events, just to ensure that things go smoothly and none of the kids act like fools. Plus, she’s getting paid for “covering” a class three periods in a row –not a lot, but it’s certainly better than nothing. 

Her task is to just walk the aisles and keep an eye on things. Talk to some of the representatives, thank them for coming to the school, encourage kids to talk to them too. It’s easy enough, and she jokes with many of the representatives that she’s getting her steps in today.

“Miss!” One of her students practically screams, running up to her and grabbing her arm. A gaggle of sophomore girls are trailing behind, carrying pamphlets for the Navy. “Have you seen the military guys?”

She peers over the heads of the students, towards the back of the gym, where the recruiters are. She can sort of make out their faces, but she’s not truly all that interested.

“I haven’t made my way over there yet,” she offers, pulling her arm free from the girl. “Why?”

“They’re hot.”

“You know, normal teenagers don’t tell their teachers when they find people hot,” she points out, rolling her eyes.

She’s suddenly surrounded by teenage girls, and she wishes for a moment that the kids didn’t like her half as much as they did. Boundaries are important, and teenagers have no idea how they work. They tell her things she truly does not want or need to know –though it’s a double edged sword. For all the weird, practically feral comments they make, they tell her things that are important to know. How their lives at home are, if they need help, if they’re struggling. She reminds them that she loves them, but they need to remember they’re not friends.

“Yeah but we’re not normal and you’re our mom, so like…it’s fine.”

They call her the school mom, which is…better than being their friend, she supposes.

The girls are insisting she go and talk to the recruiters, or at least look at them, so she throws her hands up and heads over. But she tells the girls they have to talk to three college representatives if she does that –they agree quickly and hurry off, though they’re watching to make sure she actually goes over there.

Rolling her eyes, she holds her hands behind her back and strolls down the aisle until she sees the banner for the Navy –then below it, a sign advertising the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program. She thinks that’s a mouthful, though also knows the program is highly sought after by many of the students at the school. Being the closest high school to the naval air base will do that, though.

As she approaches, she can hear two of her students talking to the recruiters –one tall, blonde and holding a helmet that’s labelled “Hangman.” He’s confident, and he’s cute (she’ll give him that much), but she doesn’t particularly like how he’s talking to the boys in front of him. Beside him is another pilot, she assumes, since she’s wearing her flight suit and the helmet in front of her says “Phoenix.” She’s trying to cut in, but Hangman seems to be more interested in bragging than anything else. She catches the tail end of their conversation, something about their call signs and what they are. 

Beside Phoenix, however, is someone who looks too sweet to be in the military. He’s talking to a junior, showing him something on a tablet that looks like blueprints. But he’s smiling ear to ear, seemingly enjoying whatever he’s talking about. His glasses are slipping down the bridge of his nose, but he’s too caught up talking to the student to notice. 

He, she thinks, is cute. And he’s nice to the students, which is important to her.

She steps around the student, standing to the side as she waits for them to finish up. From this angle, she catches the name on his tag –Floyd –and makes a mental note. However, it’s Hangman who finishes up first, and approaches with an award-winning (and cocky) smile.

“Well hello there,” he offers, extending his hand. “Lieutenant Jake Seresin, at your service.”

She takes his hand politely, shaking it, and introducing herself. “Nice to meet you, lieutenant. I was just stopping over to thank you guys for coming out. It means so much to the school.”

His colleague Phoenix, extends her hand next, smiling as well. “Lieutenant Natasha Trace. It’s not a problem –we love coming out and doing stuff like this.”

“So you’re all pilots?” She asks, motioning towards their helmets. 

“Me and Phoenix are –Bob over there is a Weapons System Officer,” Lieutenant Seresin explains, though he’s smirking some as Natasha –Phoenix –elbows Bob to get his attention. 

Bob looks up, as if suddenly realizing she’s not a student and she’s an adult, and he turns a bit pink in the ears as he sets down his tablet.

“I’m sorry about that, ma’am,” he offers, then extends his hand to her. “Lieutenant Robert Floyd, though most people just call me Bob.”

She takes his hand and offers a real smile –not that she wasn’t smiling properly to his colleagues, but Bob seems sweet and it's hard not to offer him a proper one. She reintroduces herself one more time.

“It’s a pleasure –like I was saying, I just wanted to thank you guys for coming out and doing this. Future Fest is our big thing and the kids really love it. Having you guys join us is a big deal.”

“Oh, I love doing stuff like this,” Bob offers, and the smile on his face just hasn’t gone away.

She’s a bit distracted, caught up in just how genuinely interested he seems to be in the whole thing. Most people aren’t terribly excited to spend their day talking to high schoolers –but Bob actually seems to mean it. And she appreciates that, because she’s someone who also enjoys working with the students (though it would be a shame if she didn’t, given she’s a teacher). It helps that he’s got the prettiest blue eyes she’s ever seen, and he’s got some sort of accent that she can’t place but it’s nice to hear. 

Was it weird to flirt at school? She vaguely remembers her mom saying they used to flirt with the firemen when they came to her school, so it can’t be terribly inappropriate. It’s not like she’s doing anything lewd –she’s just talking. And smiling. 

“So what does a Weapons System Officer do, Lieutenant Floyd?” She asks, both because she’s interested and because she wants to keep hearing him talk. 

“Here we go,” Hangman says, rolling his eyes but Phoenix elbows him as they turn their attention to a student who approaches.

Bob beams at the chance to explain, taking up the tablet again and holding it out to her. “So WSO’s –that’s what I do –are responsible for manning the weapon systems of the F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter from that jet's aft seat. That’s just the back,” he explains, pointing to where he must be stationed when he’s in the plane. “Depending on the mission, when designated as the mission commander, I’m the one responsible for all phases of the assigned mission, especially if there are multiple aircraft involved.”

“So you’re in charge?” She asks, leaning against the table and zooming in on the inside of the plane. Though truthfully, she has no idea what she’s looking at. It’s just a lot of buttons and numbers she doesn’t quite understand. She’s certain, however, if she asked, he would explain it step by step to her.

“Like I said, it depends on the mission,” he offers, pulling the tablet back in front of him to show her something else. 

She must be staring, because from a few feet away, she hears her name being called, a handful of giggles and then,

“Ooh, miss! Get it!”

She blushes. Bob blushes. Hangman and Phoenix are paying attention suddenly and laughing.

“Savannah Johnson, you absolute menace,” she scolds, standing up straight. She turns to Bob, smiling sheepishly. “I’m sorry about that, Lieutenant Floyd. You’ll have to excuse me; I need to go remind the kids that they can’t be unhinged in mixed company.”

“Only in mixed company?” He jokes, but the blush has spread from his cheeks down his neck.

“I keep a running list of all the things they say in class all year,” she offers with a laugh, and she’s very aware that she’s being watched now but can’t help it.

“I’d love to see it,” he says and she really can’t help it now as she picks up a business card with his name on it.

“This your cell phone or your work phone?” She asks, holding it up in front of him. 

Bob swallows hard and shakes his head, but takes the card from her and a pen from his shirt pocket. He scribbles his number on the back and hands it back to her, almost timidly.

“I’ll send you a few when I go to lunch; then you can decide if you want the whole list.”

“Sounds great, miss.”

She turns on her heel to walk away, feeling the heat rising to her cheeks, as her students practically scream at her. She shoos them away, telling them they need to act better if they’re in public. 

The bell rings for lunch, and she’s waiting for the students to exit the gym, when he approaches her this time. She turns and smiles when she sees Bob, standing just a few inches taller than her, with a shy grin on his face. 

“Sorry to bother you, miss. I was just…,” He hesitates but she just smiles, waiting. “I was just wondering if you would like to have lunch with me? Phoenix and Hangman went off campus, but I brought my lunch.”

She bites her lip and nods some. “That sounds nice, actually. I usually eat in my classroom, if you want to go up there with me.”

She’d have to tell her velcro kids they need to go elsewhere today, but they would understand. Or they’d sit outside the door –either way. Bob nods and they make easy conversation as she leads him through the hallways of the school. She explains little things that he asks about –murals, artwork on display, awards. Everything he asks is tinged with actual interest and it makes her heart pound. 

There’s four or five kids sitting outside her door when they get upstairs, and they all look up at her in confusion as she opens the door. Bob waves at them politely.

“Sorry guys –I have a guest today,” she explains, though she still motions them inside. “Grab a snack and off you go.”

They huff and puff but grab whatever they need from a drawer at the front of the room, then leave with a flurry of goodbyes and thank you’s. Bob watches them for a moment before taking a seat at a desk. She leaves the door open –if anything because she doesn’t need anyone assuming the worst (and the kids will). Then she grabs her lunch from the mini fridge in the corner, setting it on a desk in front of him and turning it around.

“I haven’t sat in one of these in a long time,” he chuckles, taking out his very neatly organized meal. It makes her thrown together lunch look kind of sad, honestly. “I can’t imagine sitting here every day again.”

“They hate them, but I’m hoping I get some grant money to get something better next year.”

“It’s a shame you have to get grants just to have decent things in the classroom.”

“Well, all that military spending does make a dent in the education fund,” she teases, and she’s grinning at him playfully as she does it.

“Ouch,” he puts his hand over his heart, wincing some at the jab. “I don’t know what to say outside of I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” she reassures him, taking out her phone and opening her notes app. “Okay, you ready to hear some of the feral things high schoolers say when they’re way too comfortable with you?”

“I don’t know,” he laughs, leaning back in the seat. “It can’t be that bad, right?”

She gives him a look of warning, then scrolls down…and down…and down…

“That is…a long list,” he comments, peering over the top of her phone. He almost sounds concerned.

“Oh, it is,” she promises, then stops to find her favorite so far. “‘Laws are temporary but friends are forever.’”

Bob chuckles through a bite of his sandwich. “That’s not so bad.”

She puts her finger up. “‘His parents are getting divorced. I hope neither of them want him.’”

“Oh my god.”

“‘I’m going to be a legal pot dealer after college.’”

“What does that even mean?”

“He wants to be a pharmacist,” she explains with a laugh. “I’m just happy he isn’t dropping out.”

“Okay, that’s fair,” he concedes, motioning for her to continue.

“‘I learned the other day that my dad looks up goth girl ASMR online.’”

She pauses and looks at Bob, who's trying not to choke on his sandwich. Setting her phone down, she leans back and opens up her bag of grapes with a laugh. For a few minutes, that’s it —they’re eating and laughing. When they stop laughing, she reads another and they laugh again. This goes on for most of the lunch period, up until her alarm goes off to warn her she has three minutes before the bell rings. 

“Oh shit,” she says, quickly packing up her things. “I have to actually teach now. I didn’t realize what time it was —,”

Bob quickly stands and packs his own stuff up, then flips the desk around with ease for her. She stares for a moment, watching how his arms flex as he lifts the desk without issue. Oh dear. 

“I don’t want to be too forward,” he says as students are trying to trickle in. He quickly shuts the door, looking down at her. “But I…I would really like to take you out on a date, if you’d let me.”

Kids are peering through the little window, knocking on the door. She waves them off a bit, looking up at him with a soft smile. 

“I would really like that.”

He nods, opening the door now. Kids are pushing through to get settled in, but he’s awkwardly standing in the doorway with a boyish grin and a blush. She pushes him gently out the door, but follows him out as she waits at the door for stragglers. 

“I’ll text you after school.”

“I look forward to it.”

She waves him off, smiling dreamily as she watches him walk off. He turns and walks backwards for a moment, waving at her before finally disappearing out the hallway doors. 

When she shuts the door and returns to her classroom, her students are staring at her with wide eyes. 

And then the chaos ensues.

—————

Part Two

[wisgoat]

I am not gonna pretend. I wasn't a petty unhinged asshole perfect victim who did nothing wrong, cuz I lashed out and I was scary and uncomfortable to be around as I was facing salem's ex and their friends constantly harassing and bullying me sending me crazy transphobic things, feeding mine and salem's stalkers private informations they are in no right to share, denying ever doing it amd constantly playing the victim like it's a normal thing to just release to the public someone's disability earnings and to disclose exactly how he uses it, there has been so many instances of just breeches of privacy, genuine obsession and gaslighting and I did lash out at the person doing all of this a lot.

The fact they demand a public apology from me and salem after being a sex pest, obsessing and publicizing and speculating about our Sex life in the most intrusive and inappropriate ways, hanging out and being okay with people who are extremely fucking transphobic towards me, and straight up just called me a breeder TIM who will never be a woman, nothing else than salem's fetish? Really? You're gonna complain I was an asshole to you? When all you do is not only reblog, and add context and clarify and add details to my stalkers and help them stalk me easier, you also deny doing that and say you're just sharing your experience and how dare I even insinuate you're stalking us. Let go of salem. He is not coming back to you. Stop being in fucking denial and stop trying to get us to break up. You act like your page which is filled with fucking crazy lies and smears and exaggerations among some things that are true that I did that were genuinely awful, nasty responses to being stalked, you act like it isn't used in like 15 callouts where you put selfies of me next to porn salem made, acting like you aren't the direct reason why he was ran offline for nearly half a decade now. Youre always saying "I didn't mean to, it wasn't me, I only put your faces, fetishes, steamID, earnings, ethnicity, gender, exact days you were born, if I had phone number I would put it in there too, every single friend I have that's not involved in any of this, and also random bad faith reading of a post in a way that makes you a pedophile and zoophile, but im allowed to talk about my experiences"

You're full of shit! You spun me into a devious crypto nazi because i shared a story how i was abused by my dad who was very reactionary and basically a nazi, insinuated i only transitioned to escape this so i socially am not seen as a nazi, you hang out with people who call me an ARYAN FUCKINH PERSON or simply just "white european". IM POLISH, MY GREAT GRANMA WAS A SLAVE FOR NAZI FARMERS, MY GRANDMA LIVED THROUGH THE WAR TOO, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MY FAMILY HAD TAKEN AWAY FROM AND SUFFERED BECAUSE WE WERE NOT TREATED AS WHITE ENOUGH. Of course you dont, why would you. You're a dumb fucking american who knows nothing about the world, thinking the fact ur partially Mexican absolves you from ever educating yourself. Get a grip.

All that while spewing straight up hitler level anti sex purity culture narratives and demanding we both act to your morals. Nevermind that ive seen drawings you made that are embarassing and fantasized about everything you called me out for, and everything you called your ex you did to her and fantasized about it. You can deny it say i have no proof but ask me this. Do you really want me to? Do you really want me to post porn you made that's embarassing the same way you did to both me and salem? Or are you doing this just to avoid responsibility of having to justify or saying sorry for things you did.

You're not getting an apology from me, go fuck yourself and as for what i want from you, i want every moment of your life to be filled with grief and guilt that you are capable of doing this to someone and that youre not a perfect victim. It's the least you deserve, and I dont care what yoy do as long as i dont have to deal with my boyfriend's ex discussing how my boyfriend secretely doesnt love me and how we like to have sex and this and that ITS NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS YOU CREEP

[crushpunky]

actress!reader gets asked about drew

masterlist | actress!reader masterlist

based on this ask. a sort of compilation of y/n telling cute stories <3

Y/n settled in the chair opposite the podcast’s host, Claire, adjusting the mic as the interview began.

“Hello and welcome to another episode of Chit-Chat with me, your host, Claire Hale!” Claire said cheerfully before turning to face y/n. “Today we are going to be talking with the wonderfully talented y/n y/ln. Welcome!”

“Hi, thank you so much for having me.” Y/n smiled, smoothing a hand along her pants as the two of them launched into casual conversation, ranging in topics from y/n’s childhood to her favorite movies and her morning routine.

“So, I think the people are dying to know, how is married life?” Claire said, dropping her jaw open exaggeratedly. Y/n laughed, absentmindedly fidgeting with the diamond ring adorning her finger.

“It is great.” Y/n smiled. “I didn’t think it was possible to be this happy, y’know? Like I thought that I was happy before we got engaged, but actually being married is a whole other level.”

“Ugh, that’s so cute.” Claire swooned, causing y/n’s cheeks to warm as she thought back to the memory of waking up this morning in Drew’s arms. It was something that happened nearly every morning, but each time it made her heart flutter and fall impossibly more in love with him.

“I’m not even trying to over exaggerate or put on an act, I am just genuinely so happy right now.” Y/n continued, folding her hands in her lap as she smiled to herself.

“I think we are all so happy to hear that.” Claire nodded. “You and Drew have been together for such a long time, it’s so nice to just see two people who truly love and care for their work and each other. Speaking of, how do you guys sort of find that balance between work life and personal life, with both of you spending so much time away acting or away on projects?”

“It’s taken a lot of practice,” y/n chuckled. “Lots of hours of late night FaceTime calls and missed dinners until we both kind of decided that we needed to set up some boundaries and some of what we call ‘no excusers’.”

“‘No excusers’?” Claire asked, leaning in intently with a quirk of her brow. Y/n nodded, thinking back to when Drew and her had originally come up with the term. It had been after Drew missed a dinner with y/n’s parents, a dinner he had promised to be at amidst his busy schedule, just a day after y/n had to cancel on one of their preplanned coffee dates.

“Yeah, Drew and I sort of set up this system where we have certain things that we call ‘no excusers’.” Y/n explained. “They are things that the other person has to be at, or at least help to reschedule to be at, no excuses.”

“Both of us have such busy schedules, so it can just be super easy to retreat into yourself and just say ‘oh I’m too busy’ or ‘I can’t’, but we both knew that we wanted to be there for the other person when they needed it most, even if it was hard.” Y/n continued. “So, with the ‘no excusers’ we are sort of making a promise to the other person that we can count on them to be there for us, no excuses.”

“Really making sure to set aside time for you guys and your relationship and what’s important to that relationship.” Claire clarified.

“Yes.” Y/n agreed. “Neither of us had really been in a relationship with another actor or person in the industry, so we knew we had to make time for each other in our busy schedules if we wanted to keep this relationship.”

“That’s really sweet.” Claire grinned. “So, speaking of busy schedules, how did you guys find time out of yours to get married? I mean both of you had such huge and busy years last year, so I think everyone was pretty shocked to hear that you guys got married.”

“I think we were pretty shocked that we found the time too.” Y/n joked, causing Claire to laugh. Y/n remembered back to all the hectic planning on sets and over FaceTimes, getting dresses tried on between meetings with producers, tasting different cakes from the comfort of their home, pajamas on.

“No, but in all seriousness, I think we were both just so excited to get married that we were going to find time for it no matter how busy our schedules were.” Y/n said. “Both of us could barely wait a minute longer, like I remember that we had a countdown on the whiteboard in our kitchen, ‘Days Until We’re Married’, and we just made a huge deal of it each day counting down. Music, dancing, cheering, the whole shabang.”

“Stop, that’s so funny.” Claire chuckled.

“Our neighbors probably hated us, but we didn’t care.” Y/n giggled. “Like, did you expect me to not be excited to marry the love of my life?”

“No, you’re right, I can only imagine how excited you guys were.” Claire nodded. “I mean, you’ve been together for so long, like, four years?”

“Publically, yes, but privately about five.” Y/n giggled as Claire’s eyes widened.

“How did you guys even manage that?” Claire asked incredulously. “I mean, Outer Banks, like, blew up during that time, you must’ve had so many eyes on you.”

“Ha ha, yeah, that was certainly a very interesting time.” Y/n chuckled, remembering how the two of them would try and sneak around downtown Charleston, ducking into darkened allies to kiss like teenagers.

“It was during COVID, so for a while we just stayed inside. There weren’t very many opportunities to catch us, aside from the occasional social media post or livestream, but I think that we kept it pretty lowkey. I mean we already lived together, so we weren’t going back and forth between each other's places or anything like that.” Y/n continued. “But when things kinda started going back to normal, and we were going out more and more eyes were on us, it certainly became a lot harder.”

Y/n thought about a particular time in which a fan had snuck a picture of the two of them sitting on a bench just off the beach. The two of them shared AirPods, chatting casually. They hadn’t even realized that y/n had ended up perched in Drew’s lap, his hands resting on her hips as their faces sat just inches away from each other. They were too caught up in the moment, and in each other, to realize they were in public until they saw the photos later that afternoon.

“There were… multiple times where people pointed out something or noticed something that we hadn’t even thought about and we thought like ‘oh shit, we’ve been caught’, but we always managed to sorta weasel our way out of it.” Y/n giggled, brushing a bit of hair away from her face. “It was hard, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

“Yeah,” Claire nodded. “That sort of situation definitely helps you guys to keep the relationship real, y’know? How did you guys decide to keep it private for so long? Was that a mutual decision?”

“Yes, yes it was definitely something we both agreed upon.” Y/n said. “I think we both wanted to make sure that our relationship was authentic and real, not just something shaped by other peoples’ perspectives or opinions. I really do think that that time where we kept things between ourselves helped to shape our relationship.”

“I know you said you kept it between yourselves, but other people definitely knew, right? They had to.” Claire asked.

“I honestly think that some of them knew before we knew ourselves.” Y/n laughed. There were so many moments and stares shared by the people around them who recognized the very obvious feelings between y/n and Drew. So many friends and family members would comment on the almost magnetic attraction the two exhibited, practically unable to go anywhere without the other. 

“But in all seriousness, yes people knew.” Y/n continued. “We kept it just between us for like… a month, month and a half maybe? But then we shared it with our friends, the Outer Banks cast, but they kinda already knew since we were all living together. Then a little after that we told our parents on FaceTime— because of COVID— and they also kinda had their suspicions.”

“That’s so funny.” Claire grinned. “Well, y/n, I really appreciate you taking the time to Chit-Chat with us! It was so much fun!”

“Thank you so much!” Y/n grinned. “Thank you for having me, it was a lot of fun.”

“Once again, thank you for watching and thank you for Chit-Chatting with us!” Claire said, her and y/n waving goodbye to the video and listeners at home.

[mistressofthemanor]

masterofthemanor

It took everything within him to hold his act together and not get crushed by his own guilt that grew steadily with every word that left his daughter's mouth, especially when when she'd confirmed that he was playing with her trust and putting her patience to a test. Naturally, he had been aware of that already, however, to hear it from her that she was aware of it as well had made everything more serious and official. Leaving Celeste in the dark for the time being was a huge risk, however, it was one he was willing to take if it meant that both Narcissa and himself earned some more time to settle everything between them and figure out together just how they'd present the news to their daughter- if it ever came to that, for he was withholding an information, or rather a story that he feared might ruin everything between them. Nevertheless, he'd remained hopeful, mostly as he'd taken a leap of faith and realised he had no power over how any of them would take what they'd be faced with and that only time would tell whether he'd made the right decision or not when choosing his path. "Thank You!" He replied softly, deciding against saying more than what he had already as he feared he might overexplain the situation and get on her nerves with his desperate promises that wouldn't get them closer to the truth. "Oh, I wouldn't miss it for anything, Petal!" He replied confidently, giving her a reassuring smile and doing his very best to hide the fact that he'd completely forgotten about the plans they'd made for the weekend. Of course, he remembered that he'd promised to spend a specific weekend with them within the month, however, due to how chaotic his life had become, he had lost track of days and was completely unaware of the date. "I wouldn't let either of you down like that" He added, meaning every word as he kept holding her gaze intently.

Celeste looked at her father quietly, taking in the careful confidence he wore like a mask. His words were so warm, so certain and still managed to soothe her, at least on the surface. She believed that he meant what he said—or at least wanted to mean it—but she'd noticed the slight flicker of hesitation behind his eyes, the pause before his reassurance. He was sincere, yes, but there was something distracted about him, like he was running calculations behind every carefully chosen phrase. Still, Celeste let him have the moment. “I know you wouldn’t,” she finally said, her voice soft and careful. “That’s never been the issue, Father.” She gave him a faint smile, not bright enough to erase the tension between them, but genuine enough to show him that she wasn't withdrawing. Not yet. Not completely. “I’ll text you the details again later, just so we’re both clear.” She added the words casually, gently, but clearly enough for him to understand that she’d sensed his confusion about the weekend. “I’m looking forward to it.” She paused, her smile fading just slightly, allowing a flicker of vulnerability into her eyes. “And please… whatever else is going on, promise me you’ll at least be fully there with us. Not just in the room but present.” She didn’t press harder; she didn’t need to. He knew her too well, just as she knew him, to miss the quiet warning beneath her gentle request. “Okay?” There was a faint smile on her lips now, a crack in the armor, the smallest offer of peace. Kissing him one more time to show him that her love was still evident for him, even if there was that tension still floating between them, she wanted to settle it before she left with her affections.

Bones of Contention

[silly1billy]

Hii! Can I please request the skz boys when the reader drags them into a pampering night? With colorful facemasks, matching hairbands, nail painting and a lot of fluffiness?

~Stray Kids Pampering Night Headcanons~

pairing: Skz x f!reader

genre: fluff

word count: Around 780

warnings: none

Hii! Absolutely, that sounds adorable

🐺 Bang Chan

He pretends to act surprised like, “Wait, you want me to do this?” but he’s already wearing the fluffy wolf headband you gave him.

Tries to be helpful and starts reading the instructions on every product like it's a mission.

Genuinely enjoys how calming it is. His favorite part? When you gently apply the face mask for him.

“We should do this every week,” he murmurs, snuggled up next to you under a blanket, skin glowing and nails pastel blue.

🐱 Lee Know

Sassy. Judgy. But in his seat five seconds after you say “matching facemasks.”

“Why does mine look lopsided? Yours is symmetrical.” Secretly very into it.

Picks out a sleek black nail polish and acts nonchalant while showing off his hands afterward. “Cats need claws, you know.”

His Leebit headband matches yours, and even though he rolls his eyes, he adjusts it carefully so the ears sit perfectly.

🐖 Changbin

Loudly dramatic about it. “Y/N, are you trying to turn me into a beauty guru?!” as he settles in with a bright green facemask.

Laughs the entire time but keeps asking if his skin looks better every five minutes.

Lets you paint his nails glittery purple and tells you their his “manly sparkle.”

Insists Dwaekki gets a little mini facial too. You both end up doing it on a plushie with verrrrry much seriousness.

🦙 Hyunjin

He lives for this. Already had a Pinterest board ready.

Brought his own floral-scented masks and fancy rose gold nail polish. Treats the whole thing like a sacred ritual.

“Skin is art, Y/N. Let me transform you.” Applies your mask with a brush like he's painting a masterpiece.

Wears his headband with pride, and he absolutely documents the night with a Instagram story.

🐿 Han

Makes ten jokes a minute, especially when the cold mask touches his face. “Is this what frogs feel like?” (goofy ahh🥀)

Picks a rainbow of colors for his nails and insists they represent his complex emotions.

Constantly wiggles his fingers while you’re trying to paint them. “Oops. My instincts took over. 👅”

His favorite part is getting to just hang out with you.

🐥 Felix

So excited. His voice drops into that deep warm tone as he gushes, “I’ve never done this before but it looks so fun!”

Picks glittery pink masks and sunflower yellow polish to match you.

Treats it like a spa retreat. Lights a candle, puts on calming music, and keeps checking in to make sure you’re relaxed too.

Puts his BbokAri headband on you first, then himself. “Now we match 💛✨”

🐶 Seungmin

Dry sarcasm🥀💔. “This is my dream night,” he says, deadpan, while letting you stick a strawberry-scented sheet mask on his face.

Protests when you go for pastel pink nails—“Why not black?”—but leaves them on for days.

Surprisingly focussed when doing your nails. Holds your hand carefully, brows furrowed in concentration.

Wears the headband low over his eyes, pretending it’s for privacy, but he’s secretly enjoying every second.

🦊 I.N

Blushes immediately. “We’re doing what?” But the moment he sees your excited expression, he’s in.

Tries to act tough at first—“I don’t need skincare”—but is the most dramatic when his mask feels cold. “I’M FREEZING.”

Picks sparkly sky blue for his nails and insists he gets to paint one of yours too. Concentrates so hard, he sticks his tongue out while working. 👅

Can’t stop giggling when you show him how cute he looks in his FoxI.Ny headband. “Don’t post that—actually… send it to me first.”

[augustixienn]

Hiraeth

(n.) A home that never was. Yearning for someone who was once yours.

pairing: oscar piastri x reader

summary: you miss him, but do you even have the right to.

wc: 917

warning(s): angst, female reader, swearing

Oscar Piastri has always been an enigma to all and a paradox to most. But to her? She knows him like the back of her mind—heck, maybe even beyond that. 

She knows his family, his friends, his hobbies, and even down to his mannerisms. She knows how to calm his nerves, how he acts when he’s nervous, and when he’s holding his temper. She knows him so well, but that’s not relevant now, is it? Now that he’s supposed to be a stranger.

A stranger whose laugh she could recognize even from a mile away. A stranger whose voice she could decipher even when her surroundings were in chaos. And lastly, a stranger whom she knows so much about, she doesn’t know how to start forgetting all those things.

It was supposed to be him and her, together. But we all know faith is cruel. Because if it was supposed to be them until the end, then why is he now miles away from her grasp? Someone so close yet so far away now. 

“Oscar, let's stop this. You and I know that we aren’t going to work out in the end.” Those words she never thought would come out of her own mouth shot out of her like a grenade waiting to explode. 

She never thought there might come a day when she’d hurt him. But she did, and at that time, it was the right thing. 

“What do you mean, not working out? We were just happy yesterday. We were happy up until now, weren’t we?” The crack in his voice almost made her cry and tell him the truth, but she shouldn’t. Because it’s for the best, it’s for him as well. 

“Oscar, you are going to be a formula 1 driver, I am a college student, don’t you see the difference? You have your dreams close to your grasp. I, on the other hand would only drag you down. I still have many years ahead before I reach my dreams and yours is just around the corner. I would just be a distraction, Osc.” She tried to reason, but is there really a right logic when it comes to love?

There isn’t.

She knows there isn't. But trying is better than admitting the truth.

“But I could manage, I always do. You won’t be a distraction, you’ve always been a motivation to me.” 

“But that won’t be for long. We both know what you want and what I want in life. We have different priorities and choices, Oscar. In the long run, you would hate me, and we would fight. What's the point in delaying the inevitable?" How she hated herself as soon as those words came out of her. Because it sounded so true, but to her? It was far from the truth.

"Cut the crap, yn. Stop saying that. Stop deciding for this relationship yourself. I would never hate you, and we would never drift apart because of our careers. Will you let this gap break us apart? Should I lose you just so I can fulfill my dreams?" He said to her, voice breaking with each word. Tears streaming, and desperation seeping through him.

Oh, how cruel faith is.

"And if I let it, what would you do, Osc? I am willing to lose you for my career. Willing to let us go for what the future holds."

"You are so cruel, do you know that? You promised me that you'd be there for my first race, my first win, and through it all. Are you just throwing that out the window now? Are those just empty words? Am I not worth risking for? Does our relationship mean nothing to you at all?"

At that moment, she almost broke down behind her facade. But she didn't, she shouldn't. It's for the better. It's for his future, even if it means hurting his present. It will all work out in the end, even if it's only for him. She wanted to let him know that he's worth fighting for, he's worth the pain—that he's worth losing it all for. He's worth more than anything she has or will ever have. And it's eating her alive, knowing she's the cause of him doubting if what they had was ever genuine. Because it was all genuine, it was pure and an undying love and connection. She loves him too much to lose him, so she made him hate her. 

It's better this way. It is for the better. 

And she did what she's best at, walking away. Leaving him to suffer in all that pain and hurt. The gnawing doubt was waiting to eat him, because at that time, it was for the better. 

He never knew this, but she came to his first race, first win, she came in secret after every crash, every podium, and every pole position he got. She never missed out on every important thing that happened in his life, yet he never knew that. Because to him, it's just empty promises now. And it's still for the better. She thought.

But how long will better last when he actually saw her, in every race she went to, in the visits made in secret after every crash, and in the crowd after he won. He knew all along, yet before he could even reach her, she disappeared. Like a ghost that lingers, as if she's just an illusion in his mind. Haunting him in every promise she made.

taglist: @18racecar81 @wertyuizxcvbnm @yourfreeenchtouch

[sysig]

Spooning..... (Patreon)

[markkiatocafe]

hi idk if you’re taking requests but could i get she fell first but he fell harder type of ordeal with haechan? reader really likes him & doesn’t mind showing it, but haechan brushes her off, she finally takes a hint, but he actually liked it, he was just flustered but now that she’s stopped he’s realized he’s in deep with her and doesn’t want her to stop??

intro : dreamscape

𖠚 warnings: they’re baking cookies, haechan calls reader “pretty,” multiple times, other than that quite fluffy i think!!!!

𖠚 synop: haechan doesn’t realize his feelings for you until you do something about it. you don’t intend to make him want you, but, hey, you’re not complaining.

𖠚 pairing: fem!reader x downbad!haechan

𖠚 w.c: 725

𖠚 a/n: hiii anon!!!! i am taking requests ><!!! i hope you like this :33 i love this trope (plus any cheesy trope in general tbh) sm….. this was also sm fun to write, so i hope it’s as fun to read!!!!

you’ve been friends with haechan since highschool. although, only a few months ago did you start to realize that you honestly have some pretty deep feelings for him.

you were never one to really hide your feelings, you made jokes and sarcastic remarks about how you felt towards haechan multiple times before, but usually he just brushed it off or made a flirty but clearly friend-zoning joke back. you had even flat out told him you liked him one time, and he just replied back, “who wouldn’t like someone like me?” so, you felt he established your place pretty clearly.

until recently.

recently, haechan had started to be more… clingy. it was in small ways, asking you to come over more often, letting his hand brush against yours if you both reached for something, pulling away at the last millisecond, and he even started making teasing remarks towards you. so, today you decided to confront him.

not really confront him, he wasn’t a criminal or something, but you were curious where all this clingy nature came from so suddenly. today you were going over to his house, to make cookies and watch a movie, so it was all laid out for you, anyways.

you were currently working on the cookies together, music playing from haechan’s speaker in the background, a demo he had been working on. he was giving you the, “premium best friend preview privileges,” as he called it. you were busy cutting up the dough with the metal cookie-cutters you brought, which were in the shapes of leaves.

“here, let me do it,” haechan suddenly spoke up after fiddling with his phone to play the right song and connect to the bluetooth speaker. he walked over to you, gently moving you out of the way and taking the cookie-cutter from your hand. “don’t want you to get a cut on those pretty hands, do we?” he said, his voice having that signature flirty tone, although, it was too real. too genuine to just be a joke this time, the same way it had been sounding way too much recently.

“why have you been acting like that so much lately?” you asked, narrowing your eyes at him suspiciously, crossing your arms across your chest.

he tilted his head at you a little bit, still cutting the cookies, a tiny smirk playing on his lips as he shrugged. “what do you mean, pretty?” he replied, feigning innocence.

you put out your hands, holding them out just like how you held his heart so tightly without either of you even realizing it. “that!!!” you pointed a finger at him. “that tone!!!”

he shrugged, letting out a soft laugh. “i don’t know what you mean, i’m just being me.”

you rolled your eyes, huffing. “you do know what i mean, because you’re smiling. you do that when you lie,” you retorted.

he couldn’t help but feel a little, tiny bit of warmth in his chest that you even noticed that. he brushed that to the side for now, though. “i can’t be affectionate to my best friend?” he asked, drawing out the words at the end. as flirty as he was, he was so stubborn to admit it when actual feelings were behind the flirty comments and nicknames.

“you know that’s not what i mean.” you replied, your voice a little more serious now, “your voice has this, like… underlying tone. like i’m the most special thing in the world.” you said, as your voice got more serious, it also got quieter. it didn’t dawn on you how it would be a little odd to talk about this so directly. implying that someone has feelings for you is… nerve wracking, especially when there’s a huge chance they could just brush it off as nothing. “knock it off.” you added at the end, your voice back to a relatively normal volume, trying to add that lightheartedness back to the conversation at hand.

haechan let out a soft sigh. the sad thing was, he couldn’t say you were wrong. he placed down the cookie cutter, opening the oven and placing them in. “maybe you are the most special thing in the world,” he said, his voice quiet, thoughtful in it’s own way as he turned the dials on the stove to turn it on. “at least, in my world.”

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

it’s always so fun to see suguru interact with literally anyone because it’s so clear how intentionally he presents himself depending on who he’s speaking to. and his values always bleed out through his interactions in one way or another … he’s polite towards authority figures / adults and finds it important to address them with respect but only if they’re actually deserving of said respect (child killers = generally No. LMAOO …) like he lectured satoru about using watashi or boku when speaking to tengen but was also on board with fighting them if it turned out riko wanted to live. he isn’t a kiss ass, his own morals ultimately override the importance he places on age hierarchies, he just recognizes the importance of politeness (or presenting yourself as such) = taking care not to step on anyone’s toes, especially as a young person, especially in a society where age matters a Lot,,, anyway suguru has a distrust of adults and it shows through his masking. because yes he’s respectful towards them but he’s also rocking his customer service smile the Whole time. his own values have a lot to do with Respect and Order and etc; like he cares about that kind of tradition but do i think he trusts the judgment of the adults around him ??? well . No. yaga is the only adult in the series that suguru feels safe enough around to act childish with (to . someee degree) (see also: him joking about yaga going senile and following it up with ’well jokes aside ^_^’ LMAO….) and even that bond ends up broken, presumably during his deterioration. he calls him a muscle-brained moron in jjk 0 and i don’t think he was putting up a front in that scene LOL ,,, he ultimately dislikes yaga’s social ineptitude (even though they both act more through subtlety than directness yaga is like ,,,, incapable of having tact. lol. i hate him sorry anywayyyy). all this to say suguru is a respectful boy towards adults but i do think he distrusts them more than anyone.

with his seniors in jujutsu high i think his respect is more sincere but it’s hard to tell since we only see him speaking to yuki when he’s … too depressed and suicidal to joke around, even if he wanted to. but i don’t think he would have even if he could. yuki is not only his senior but also strong(er than him… lol) other than that we only see him interacting with utahime, and this interaction is really interesting and telling because he acts really condescending towards her without realizing it. i also think you can read his initial words (”it’s not nice to pick on the weak, satoru.”) <- as playful in itself if not a little mean. which is weird because she is very much his senior, and it does make me wonder if suguru ultimately considers strength to be more important than age ,,,, in the sense that like . well. He’s the senior as far as ability goes. utahime is also their friend ,,, kind of . at least shoko’s friend so that could play a part !! but yeah i do think suguru would treat a senior with genuine respect, at least provided that they’re strong — he is a respectful boy and i believe it’s more than just for appearance sake, albeit still calculated (i said that people need to Earn his respect and i stand by that but i also think he’s more than capable of sucking up if that’s what the situation demands …. we never see him in that scenario, though, so i can’t say for sure but i would assume so. there’s a line, though.)

then we have his interactions with his juniors (<- or ppl who are younger than him in general) which are like . soooooo charming so very charming. haibara is the most obvious example and most clear-cut evidence that sugu has a senpai complex LOL (only half-kidding i do think he’s a little sick about it) because he pampers him … he’s not overly coddling but he’s so obviously fond, he buys him drinks, he puts effort into being a good senpai. he takes age hierarchies seriously in Many ways — there’s a responsibility that comes with being older that he doesn’t neglect. that being saiddd the riko scenes are super funny because unlike haibara she is Rude and mouthy even though suguru is older AND was kind towards her from the jump and his response to that is to punish her with satoru LMAO ….. and he’s playful with her in this scene !!!! even a little mean lol. and part of that is satoru’s influence but not by a large margin i do think he was genuinely irked by her lack of respect LOL ….. but then, when she finally opens up to him towards the end and confesses that she wants to live he softens !!! considerably!!!!!! and he’s back in senpai mode. ”let’s go home, riko-chan.” <- he sounds so brotherly here ……. that’s only me reading into the english phrasing tho…… anyway

kuroi is another good example i shouldn’t forget her … it’s kind of a similar situation as utahime actually because when he walks up to her and says ”well, aren’t you strong?” i do perceive it as slightly condescending. probably not on purpose? but again, kuroi is a case where she may be older but not Stronger — ANDDD kuroi is a non-sorcerer. he looks down on them by nature even if he doesn’t really get that himself lol. but he’s still kind and respectful to kuroi, considerate too (like telling her that she’s riko’s family ….) <- this has nothing to do with her age though it’s him being kind. because he is kind. i genuinely don’t think he realizes he’s looking down on someone until others point it out to him. AH BUT DO NOTEEE he is a lot less silly with kuroi than riko and i do think that part is an age thing. like he speaks to kuroi fairlyyyy casually ? but he’s soft-spoken and well-mannered and more mature-seeming. <- which. as has been established. is something suguru just does when it comes to adults. he doesn’t want to be seen as disrespectful or socially unaware (i should’ve mentioned this when i was talking about yaga before since i called him socially inept lolol. but i think it’s very safe to say that social awareness is really, really important to suguru, i’d personally call it a core aspect of his character … socially speaking he’s very intelligent and i think that’s something he takes pride in — he knows how he is perceived by the world, he knows how to give off a certain impression, he knows how to please people and keep the waters calm. he knows how to act according to what the situation demands from him; he’s prepared.) with adults he respects / admires i would guess that he doesn’t want to be seen as childish, either…. which he has no problem being when it comes to satoru LMAO.

and well that brings me…,, to satoru who i was going to focus on from the start but this post went out of my hands cough cough . i just wanted to talk about how his interactions are so interesting because it’s sooo obvious when he is and isn’t putting on a front, since we see how suguru is with satoru. shoko too but still mainly satoru. like he’s SILLY …. he’s petty and he gets irritated and pulls out his curse to teach him a lesson and grumbles about being put on the same mission as him …. (also the cute voice he makes in ep1 when he’s walking up the stairs and satoru teases him i do NOT remember what that was about but you get what i’m trying to say ……) he can be silly. he can act like a Boy and it’s almost exclusively with satoru — someone who is his age, his equal in strength and age <- Most of all. someone who does Not at all have the social awareness suguru does. someone who has opened his heart to him. i don’t think suguru would’ve acted as silly as he does in hidden inventory if satoru wasn’t a part of his class. he would still feel comfortable being annoying LMAO and a little silly too ,,, but not childish to the extent that he is with satoru. he laughs and grumbles and gets frustrated and flips off the screen when satoshoko take that picture after he loses at the arcade game …… suguru is unmasked here. there’s nothing to worry about, and no reason to view himself through the hyper-vigilant lens he’s grown accustomed to bearing in mind. he’s the moral compass of the trio, and the most responsible and ”proper” one, but with satosho he gets to enjoy being a troublemaker too. (i feel bad for singling shoko out because she’s sooo important to him and he feels very at ease around her too evidently ,, but there’s no denying satoru brings out a specific range of emotions from suguru that no one else is privy to).

anyway it MOVES me . so bad . his range of emotions is so delicious and i love that he acts so differently depending on who he’s speaking to. this is honestly even More obvious in jjk 0 because he is full on Faking his emotions and pretending to be good-willed rather than like … putting on a front, or sort of ”half-lying” or framing himself in a certain light …,, you get what i’m saying. cult!geto isn’t just masking, he’s putting on a performance. and he drops it as SOON as the non-sorcerers turn their backs on him. then he’s acting silly with manami (and i really don’t think he’s putting on a front in any scene where he’s alone with his family !!!!! he’s a silly man !!!!!!!! he loves them a lot and is obviously sincere with them, esp nanamimi — the flashback scene on the rooftop is honestly the most unguarded we ever see suguru other than some shots of akari.) ….. he puts on a performance with yuuta but i do think he seriously wanted to recruit him. and he was honest about his world-view; transparent, if nothing else ,, then satoru shows up and he’s full on forcing himself to be silly. because as soon as he’s back home he watches the sunset with the saddest pair of eyes and when satoru finds him nearly dead he immediately decides that he wants to ”die clean” (<- this is how the light novel puts it), only because it’s him and satoru at the end. and in this scene, especially the very last line where he’s like .., about to cry he is unguarded. i think cult!geto is really scared to be seen as vulnerable by gojo. but he just sort of crumbles; both before he dies, and in the afterlife of chapter 236. he’s snarky and sort of trying to come off as nonchalant in either one but in both cases satoru’s sincerity kills his attempt. sorry this somehow devolved into a stsg discussion ,,,, though it was kind of that from the beginning too.

[anonymous-dentist]

I get that trRos blowing up the castle was her more or less trying to get one up on Green, ending the prank war by destroying the one thing Green always pranked and stole from (and because she’s depressed and suicidal and stuff)

But I’m not sure if that’ll stop trPangi? Because yesterday he moved on pretty quickly from pranking Yellow back by messing with the castle. He almost immediately decided that he had to fuck with Ros personally: “What can we do that would hurt Ros the most?” “What if I stick her and drop her into the Void?” “I’m going to kill Ros for this.”

“Whoever did this is dead to me.”

Like, yeah, it’s a severe escalation on his part, but this is also how it works back on Lifesteal. Pranks are cool and all, but the retaliation is always 10x worse and much more personal in nature.

So of course he was going to take a prank against his team personally, even if he thought it was funny at first. But what really pissed Pangi off wasn’t the prank, and it wasn’t even necessarily the extremely torturous cleanup. It was Ros and Aimsey’s reactions towards him being upset. That’s what made the water prank personal, he felt personally betrayed by the fact that the two people he considers his best friends weren’t even trying to see his perspective on the matter

Like, from Pangi’s pov, he expressed extreme annoyance and genuine agony over having to clean the water up, and Ros immediately said “Oh, I’m doing it again btw” so she can get back at Pangi’s teammate. And then Aimsey, as usual, took Ros’ side and tried to downplay his emotions- his very obvious upset- by attempting to defuse the situation.

And then Aimsey said it, they said “But we just got you back…”, which, to Pangi, probably shows that neither of them really know him. They think they do, but they only really got to know the softer side of him. Every time he would do something Lifesteal-y, like killing Pili 2 at the ball, Ros and Aimsey would act like he was out of character. Admittedly, Aimsey seems much more chill with his violent and emotional side, but Ros doesn’t want to look at him like she did in January when he was making her life a living hell. That’s understandable, but it also means that, to Pangi, she isn’t willing to accept all of him; she only wants the good parts, not the messy ones

And so Pangi walked into the Yellow Castle yesterday with a pvp kit prepared and his pvp texture pack on. He had moved past the idea of pranking Yellow back, not because he dislikes pranks, but because, to him, it was personal. Lukey and Bad could prank back all they wanted, but Pangi? Nah, he’s gonna do his own thing

[ruby-red-inky-blue]

i am so delighted with Andor 2.10 "Make It Stop". It's like for the first time, this became the show I always wanted it to be for an entire episode. it's so good it has everything, the gorgeous clean visuals, the beautifully efficient dialogue, a return to a show-don't-tell approach to storytelling, spy shenanigans without hand-holding and overexplanation, genuinely brutal and morally reprehensible acts that are necessary but evil, actions that look like they make sense for an operative who has been in the trenches and actually knows what they are doing. And we finally get the two things that should have always been at the core of this premise:

the tragedy is in character consistency. You set a character up to be a certain way, you show how they got there, you make us sympathetic to why they are like that. Then you put them in a situation where we don't want them to react the way we know they are going to. And then they do anyway. And it's a win! It's a win for the cause! But also we're so heartbroken for them!! It's so tragic! It's hopeful and sad and it feels so weighty and inevitable, this is what I wanted this show to feel like!

The greatest proof of love in a story where the spies and the zealots are the sympathetic protagonists should be this. It should be "I will choose the Rebellion over you, because I know that's what you would have wanted, and I will regret that choice for the rest of my life but I'll know that you would have never forgiven me if I had chosen you instead"

And the thing is, this should have been Cassian and Draven. This is exactly the dynamic that was implied between Cassian and Draven in the retconned canon - this is how you do the "abduct a child for their safety" storyline!!! Luthen (and, between the lines of the Fest backstory, Draven) grab a feral, hypercompetent child out of the jaws of Imperial crackdowns knowing they're saving their life but in full awareness that the life they are giving this child will not be a good one. And they are both the kind of man who would look that fact in the eye and who would come to love that child and put them through it anyway. For The Cause. This is the story I always wanted to see and honestly, right now I'm not even mad we're getting it with different characters, I'm just sad there wasn't more of it. But this was perfect.

[inkbyme]

If you’re taking requests, if not that’s fine because I didn’t see a yes or no.

May I please have the MHA guys with a buff reader, preferably afab (assigned female at birth but gender neutral). Like reader is simply jacked and loves working out?

༊*·˚ MHA Characters When Their S/O is Absolutely Ripped ༊*·˚

Featuring: Izuku Midoriya ✧ Katsuki Bakugo ✧ Eijirou Kirishima ✧ Shouta Aizawa ✧ Hanta Sero ✧ Hawks ✧ Tenya Iida ✧ Shoto Todoroki ✧ Denki Kaminari ✧ Present Mic ✧ Neito Monoma

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

Strong, bold, and absolutely unstoppable—here’s how MHA boys would handle being in love with someone who could crush them (lovingly).

────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────

Izuku Midoriya

• Absolutely floored. The second he sees you bench press something heavier than All Might’s career, he’s in awe.

• “W-Wait! How much weight was that?! Do you track your macros? What’s your split?!”

• He gets so nerdy about it. Not in a weird way, just pure admiration. You’re basically the embodiment of “smash,” and he’s here for it.

• Tries to work out with you once. You lap him. His arms are shaking. He’s beet red. He writes about you in his notebook under “Physical Prodigy”.

• Lowkey tells everyone “they could totally go pro in hero work with their strength alone.”

• And when he’s holding your hand and feels the muscle flex? Dead. Man. Walking.

⸻

Katsuki Bakugo

• His ego barely survives your first training session.

• “Tch. That was decent form—for a showoff.” He says that while secretly planning to copy your leg day routine.

• He loves it though. No cap. Especially when you lift him up during sparring or piggyback him with zero effort.

• He’s definitely not saying it out loud, but he thinks your power is hot as hell.

• The minute someone underestimates you in battle, Bakugo’s immediately like, “You picked the wrong f**king person.”

• He refuses to let you carry groceries though. “You already carry this relationship, nerd. Lemme do something.”

⸻

Eijirou Kirishima

• INSTANT RESPECT. BRO ENERGY ACTIVATED.

• The moment he sees you bench more than him? He’s yelling, cheering, pumping his fists like a proud gym bro.

• “THAT WAS SO MANLY—Wait, sorry! I mean—UH, STRONG! BADASS! YOU’RE AWESOME!”

• Constantly asks to train together. Wants to be your spotter. Will 100% make you protein shakes.

• Every time you flex, he’s blushing and looking away like “I am NOT simping rn… Okay maybe I am.”

• Loves how strong you are, emotionally and physically. You’re his ideal.

• Keeps bragging about you to others like, “Yeah, my partner can probably lift a truck. No big deal.”

⸻

Shota Aizawa

• Doesn’t react much outwardly—just raises an eyebrow the first time he sees your workout.

• “Huh. Impressive.”

• But trust, he’s noticing everything. How you move, how efficiently you conserve energy, how precise your lifts are.

• Appreciates it because he’s all about practicality. You’re strong and smart about it? Yeah. You’ve got his attention.

• Silently proud when you disable a villain in one move. Leans over and mumbles, “Remind me not to piss you off.”

• He lets you take point during missions more often than not. It’s his quiet way of saying, “I trust you.”

⸻

Hanta Sero

• Bro is SHOOK the first time he sees you lift something twice your size like it’s nothing.

• He immediately blurts, “Okay, wait—are you secretly a pro wrestler or…?”

• Sero’s super chill and goofy, but there’s this lowkey admiration in the way he watches you train.

• Always cracking jokes like “Guess I’m the one getting carried in this relationship—literally.”

• But behind the laughs? He genuinely loves how capable and powerful you are.

• Gets extra protective when people make dumb comments like “Shouldn’t you be less muscular?”—nah, he’s instantly stepping in.

• “Don’t talk to them like that. They could fold you, and honestly, I’d let them.”

⸻

Hawks

• Tries to act like he’s chill about it, but the second he sees you pick up a villain and slam them like a sack of potatoes? He’s swooning.

• “You ever consider hero work full time? I could recommend you, y’know. Perks include looking fine while saving the world.”

• Loves that you’re strong enough to toss him around—jokes about it constantly.

• “Hey, if you ever wanna throw me across a room for fun, I’m down. No safe word needed.”

• Total flirt about it, but underneath? He’s genuinely impressed and obsessed with how capable you are.

• Will absolutely brag about you during interviews without naming you directly. “Strongest person I know? Yeah, I sleep next to ‘em.”

⸻

Tenya Iida

• Buff reader? He is shooketh. Immediately launches into admiration mode.

• “Your physique is incredible! Do you follow a specific regimen? Is it Quirk-enhanced or pure effort?!”

• Probably starts working out more just to keep up. “As your partner, I must strive to match your level of excellence!”

• Gets a little flustered when you carry him bridal-style—like, his glasses fog up.

• Deeply respects your discipline. Like, seriously. He sees it as heroic in itself.

• He’s always offering to assist in your routine—hydration checks, cooldown stretches, structured meal planning. Boy treats you like a top-tier athlete.

⸻

Shoto Todoroki

• Blinks. Quietly processes.

• “You’re very strong.” And he says it so sincerely it makes your brain short-circuit.

• Offers to spot you during workouts even though you clearly don’t need it. He just wants an excuse to be close.

• Gets kind of hypnotized watching you train—especially if your form is flawless.

• When someone questions if you’re “too bulky,” he calmly says, “Their strength keeps them alive. That’s beautiful.”

• Your strength makes him feel safer. You’re the only person he doesn’t try to shield in battle—because he knows you don’t need it.

⸻

Denki Kaminari

• Full-on jaw drop. He’s short-circuiting from how cool and attractive you are.

• “WAIT—YOU’RE BUILT BUILT??” followed by him poking your biceps and whispering, “…hot.”

• Denki is the biggest hype-man. He’s taking gym selfies with you flexing in the background like, “LOOK AT MY PARTNER THOUGH!”

• Asks if you can lift him like a princess. When you do, he screams and blushes at the same time.

• Super supportive and genuinely loves working out with you, even if he’s nowhere near your level.

• He’ll jokingly ask you to open jars for him, but it’s also 20% serious.

⸻

Present Mic

• OH HE’S OBSESSED.

• “YEEEOOOOHHH, LOOK AT THOSE GAINS!!” This man is LOUD with his admiration.

• Makes gym playlists just for you. Hypes you up so much while you’re working out that people stare.

• Thinks you’re the most badass human alive and tells everyone. “My partner could deadlift YOU, Aizawa—just sayin’!”

• Absolutely down for couples workouts. Posts on his social media like: “Power couple energy? ACHIEVED!!”

• But on a real note—he respects the discipline and strength behind the muscles. Deep down, he loves how passionate and driven you are.

⸻

Monoma

• OH. HE’S SO JEALOUS AT FIRST.

• “Tch. Of course you’re unnaturally strong. Probably from showing off too much.”

• But after sparring with you and getting absolutely humbled? His tune changes.

• Secretly adores your strength and talks about you constantly to Class 1-B—just pretends it’s complaints.

• “It’s not like I LIKE that they can carry me bridal style! But if I did, it wouldn’t be your business.”

• Gets real flustered when you help him train. Can’t handle how cool you look while lifting.

• “Y-You should tone it down. Or don’t. I mean—ugh. Shut up.”

Apologies for the delay! University exams are having me fighting for my life, but your request never left my mind. Thank you for your patience.

Let me know if you have any feedback or if there’s any warnings I need to put on my post. I am always open for requests as long as I know the characters! I hope you enjoyed reading this!

[antianakin]

A number of people have responded to this post with something similar to this and I think this post is getting misunderstood as me arguing that I think Cassian should know about all of the things Bail has done, and it's not. That's not what I'm saying.

I'm bringing up all of these things Bail has done because it felt to me less like this is a moment where we're supposed to just see Cassian as wrong or biased, and more of a moment where the narrative VERY GENUINELY wants you to agree with Cassian that the only reason any of them are even here right now as a rebellion is because of Luthen.

For one, Cassian's sole reasoning behind why he believes the information is because "Luthen died for it" and that faith (as well as Kleya's) is ultimately what helps sway Vel into convincing Mon Mothma to believe it and stand up to Bail about it. It's BAIL who has to sit there being wrong and just be the "man Cassian doesn't like."

For two, this entire arc really focuses in on Luthen's legacy and influence, so it doesn't make a lot of sense for the ultimate message at the end to be that Cassian's just biased and wrong about Luthen's impact on the rebellion.

For three, Gilroy apparently has said in an interview that he sees Luthen and Mon Mothma as the true founders of the rebellion in his version of the story.

For four, they decided to have Bail's team be compromised in the episode with Mon's big speech so that Luthen can step in with his better knowledge and agents to ACTUALLY save her but then the "Gold Squadron" (who are also part of Bail's group) insist that they have to step in and deliver Mon Mothma to Yavin, leaving Luthen and Cassian's work essentially unrecognized. While this fits in quite nicely with the themes of Rogue One and the ways that so many people often end up unremembered by history no matter how important they are, it is also worth bringing up in this case because it's another instance of "Bail's way fails, and Luthen's succeeds because he's just better at it."

For five, Cassian wouldn't know about all of the little things Bail has done, but Rebels has made it fairly clear that Bail DOES take part in some of the recruitment work and meetings within his own rebel cells. It seems INCREDIBLY unlikely that Cassian is unaware of just how long Bail has been doing this and how much of what's here is a direct result of Bail's work for the last 19 years bringing it all together. He doesn't have the DETAILS, sure, but he's been in Bail's rebellion for two years now, you cannot convince me that he doesn't know ANYTHING about Bail's involvement in it and the fact that he literally founded it.

I would mind this a lot less if it felt like we as the audience were supposed to understand that Cassian is just being emotional and kind-of biased because a mentor of his just died, but that doesn't feel like the way it was being presented to us. You CAN interpret it that way, but that doesn't necessarily mean that's the way it was intended to be understood.

So the reason it felt important to me to bring up the fact that Bail has absolutely been established as being there from DAY FUCKING ONE with the things he did to help the Jedi and what he did for Leia isn't to say that Cassian should KNOW these things, but to point out that the narrative in Andor seems to be acting like those things don't count or is just ignoring them to favor Luthen and Mon because Gilroy prefers them. But they DID happen and they DO count and Bail Organa is just as much if not more responsible for that rebellion's existence than Luthen Rael. I LIKE Luthen, I think he's a fascinating and complex character, and I am perfectly happy to give him his roses for what he HAS done, but what I won't do is devalue or dismiss Bail Organa's contributions to lift up Luthen as the true founder of the rebellion.

It seems a little hilarious to me that they have Cassian making the argument that the only reason any of them are here, the only reason the REBELLION exists at all, is because of Luthen... and he's saying it to BAIL FUCKING ORGANA.

I'm sorry, but while I am happy to accept that Luthen did do a LOT of things to keep the rebellion alive and likely recruited quite a few of the people on Yavin to this cause himself and trained them up, there are just as many if not more who are there explicitly because of BAIL ORGANA.

Bail Organa who began fighting the Empire the moment he showed up at the Jedi Temple the night of Order 66 and turned around to save any Jedi he could and then became a GETAWAY DRIVER as Yoda went to assassinate the Emperor and then proceeded to agree to take in Anakin Skywalker's child in order to hide her from the Empire.

Bail Organa who has literally been shown helping recruit the entire Ghost Crew and likely brought on the entire Phoenix Squadon and theoretically the entire Gold Squadron. Bail Organa who was the one who helped Riyo Chuchi try to fight for clone rights. Bail Organa who saw Ahsoka Tano on Naboo for Padme's funeral and immediately turns around to offer her a chance to join the rebellion which she does eventually choose to take. Bail Organa who eventually does allow his own DAUGHTER to join the rebellion and run missions when she's old enough.

You cannot convince me that somehow Luthen Rael is MORE responsible for the creation of the rebellion and its existence and people's involvement in it than Bail Organa. You can't.

[sinnisterlight]

𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙮 by bts

wc: 2,313 emotional yearning with a side of emotionally constipated caleb please!

Caleb had always been like this. So oblivious it was almost a talent. Back in high school, girls would fall head over heels for him, and he wouldn’t even notice. Not a clue! And yet—he’d look at me with this softness, this quiet kind of attention that felt different. Obvious. Painfully obvious. To everyone but him. And somehow, it never changed. Years passed, and he’s still the same—still looking at me like that, still not realizing what it means.

Which brings us to today.

We were in his apartment in Skyhaven—Caleb, Gideon, and me—just hanging out, doing nothing and everything at once. Caleb had been buzzing around like usual, pouring tea for us like he’d been raised in a royal court, fussing over whether we were too cold or too warm, and teasing me about how I always stole his side of the couch. It was the kind of domestic comfort that made it really hard to remember we weren’t a couple.

Gideon, for once, was quiet. Watching. His eyes kept darting between me and Caleb, and I could almost hear the gears turning in his head. I knew that look. He was about to start some nonsense.

But then Caleb stood up and grabbed his jacket.

— I’m just gonna run to the store real quick, to make us dinner, shouldn’t take long. You two behave.

He gave us a grin and ruffled my hair—again with the hair—before heading to the door.

— Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, — he called over his shoulder.

The second the door clicked shut, I let out a long, dramatic sigh and sank down into a crouch, burying my face in my hands.

— How can he be so stupid!? — I groaned into my palms, muffled but loud enough for Gideon to hear.

I heard a low chuckle above me.

— I’ve been asking myself that for years.

I looked up at him, completely exasperated.

— It’s so obvious! I mean, you see it, right?

— Please, I’m not blind. The way you two act? I thought you were already dating until, like, ten minutes ago.

— Exactly! — I stood up, throwing my hands in the air. — He looks at me like I hung the stars, but he’ll never admit it. Never cross that line. He’s so sure we’re just friends.

Gideon leaned back on the couch, arms crossed, smirking.

— Honestly, I thought he was being subtle on purpose. You know, some kind of long game.

— Oh no. There is no game. That man genuinely believes “platonic cuddling” is a thing.

Gideon raised an eyebrow. — He cuddles you?

I narrowed my eyes. — He calls it “keeping me warm” and then drapes himself over me like a human blanket.

Gideon whistled, clearly amused. — Damn. He really is a lost cause.

— I’ve dropped every hint in the galaxy, and nothing. I could wear a shirt that says “I like you, idiot” and he’d probably say “nice shirt” and move on.

Gideon tilted his head, thoughtful. Then he smiled. That mischievous Gideon smile that always meant trouble.

— Well... what if we gave him a little push?

I folded my arms, suspicious. — What kind of push?

He grinned.

— Let’s see how he likes it if I start acting like he does with you. All the little touches, the inside jokes, the laughs. Let’s see if it finally hits him.

I blinked. — You want to pretend we’re each other?

— Not completely. Just... mirror the energy. Give him a taste of his own medicine.

I narrowed my eyes, then slowly, a wicked grin formed on my face.

— You’re evil.

— I prefer “brilliant.”

— Alright, but we keep it subtle. I’m not risking an actual scandal.

— Subtle is my middle name.

(Which was a lie, but I let it slide.)

And so, we waited.

ᯓ★

When Caleb came back, he pushed the door open with the ease of someone who lived in a constant state of mild chaos. One hand full of grocery bags, the other already reaching to close the door with his foot.

— I’m back—wow, what did I miss? You two look suspicious.

I was sitting closer to Gideon than usual. Not by much, just enough to make Caleb blink. Gideon was mid-laugh, and my hand was resting casually on his arm as if we were sharing some ridiculous inside joke.

— Oh, nothing, — I said, way too casually, as I leaned into Gideon’s shoulder just enough to make Caleb’s brow twitch. — We were just talking about that show I’m obsessed with. Turns out Gideon watches it too!

— You watch Starflame Eclipse: Rebirth? — Caleb asked, raising an eyebrow at Gideon as he carried the bags into the kitchen.

Gideon shrugged. — Guilty. Huge fan of the whole space-opera-messy-romance genre.

— I thought you said it was "galactic soap with laser guns." — Caleb peered at him from behind the kitchen counter.

— It is, — Gideon grinned. — But I love it.

I nodded enthusiastically, turning to Gideon with dramatic passion in my eyes. — Finally! Someone who gets it! The character arcs, the betrayal, the outfits—!

— The emotional damage, — Gideon added, dead serious. — The emotional damage, — I echoed, grabbing his hand in a mock solemn pact of pain.

Caleb dropped a spoon.

Just a spoon, but I heard it. And the silence that followed felt heavier than it should have.

He emerged from the kitchen with two mugs of tea, one for me and one for Gideon, his expression unreadable. Still that same polite calm, but I could see it—the micro-glitches in his routine.

He handed Gideon his mug first.

That never happened.

— So... when did you two start bonding over this? — he asked, walking around the couch to sit across from us, his voice light but edged with something else.

I tilted my head innocently. — Just now. It was fate.

Gideon took a sip of tea. — She was ranting about Episode 19 and I said “yeah, that scene wrecked me” and it was over.

I leaned into Gideon again, giving Caleb a sweet, almost teasing smile. — Honestly, I feel so seen.

Caleb nodded slowly, his gaze flicking between us. — Yeah. That’s... great. Glad you finally found someone who understands your weird obsession.

There it was. The smallest frown. The barely-there shift in tone. A flash of something he didn’t recognize in himself.

I bit back a smile. Step one: successful confusion.

Then Gideon turned it up a notch. He bumped my knee with his, then looked at me and said, completely deadpan: — Want to rewatch that scene later? I’ve got tissues ready.

— You know the way to my heart, — I sighed dramatically, hand over chest.

Caleb inhaled slowly and stood up, stretching as if he just so happened to need a moment. — I’ll uh... be in the kitchen. Yell if you need anything.

He walked away, but not before shooting one last look over his shoulder. His eyes flicked to where my hand still rested lightly on Gideon’s knee.

Gideon waited until he was out of earshot before whispering:

— He totally noticed.

I grinned, wickedly pleased. — Told you.

And so, Operation Make-Caleb-Feel-It had officially begun.

ᯓ★

Gideon leaned in slightly when Caleb disappeared toward the back of the apartment again, pretending to inspect a cereal box or something equally unimportant.

— You should go grab some napkins or something, — he said under his breath, far too casual. — Y’know… kitchen’s probably missing you.

I shot him a look, but he was already grinning.

— You’re enjoying this way too much.

— Can you blame me? This is the best kind of drama—other people’s.

I sighed, stood up, and made a show of stretching.

— I’ll go get some napkins, I guess, — I said just loud enough for Caleb to hear.

I found him in the kitchen, leaning over the counter, reorganizing grocery bags like he was prepping for war. He was a little too focused on flattening a tea box.

— Need help? — I asked, already opening the drawer where I knew he kept the napkins.

— You? — he said without looking up. — I thought you’d be too busy bonding with your new soul-twin over space soap operas and dramatic kisses.

I froze for a second, napkin in hand. Was that… jealousy?

— Wow, — I said, raising an eyebrow. — That’s a very specific summary.

He finally turned, leaning back against the counter with his arms crossed. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes… they were trying to read me.

— Just saying. You two looked pretty cozy. I didn’t know you liked Gideon that much.

— We’re getting along, that’s all. He’s funny. Easy to talk to. You know that.

— Sure. A pause. — Just… didn’t know you two were that close.

The way he said it—it wasn’t sharp. It wasn’t cold. But it lingered. Like something he didn’t understand and didn’t quite like.

I shrugged, placing the napkins on the island.

— I mean, I thought you’d be happy. I’m finally making friends in Skyhaven.

— I am happy, — he said immediately. But something in his voice didn’t match.

— It’s just... you’ve always been mine, you know?

Silence.

I blinked.

So did he.

— Wait— I mean, not mine mine. Not like that— I just meant—like—my person. You’ve always been... around. With me. You get it, right?

He looked at me with that face. The one he used when he’d pass me his jacket without asking. When he’d wait up just so I wouldn’t walk home alone. When he’d remember things I said once, a long time ago, and pretend it wasn’t a big deal.

He didn’t say it. But he did it. Always.

— Yeah, — I said softly. — I get it.

Our eyes held for a beat too long.

Then he cleared his throat, breaking the moment.

— Anyway. I got that tea you like.

He handed it to me like nothing had just happened. Like he hadn’t casually dropped an emotional grenade.

I took it, my fingers brushing his, and smiled. — Thanks.

From the living room, Gideon called out, — Are the napkins made of silk or what?

Caleb smiled, too. Still unaware of why his chest suddenly felt tight.

I left the kitchen with the napkins in hand, my thoughts a mess of Caleb's voice echoing in my head — you’ve always been mine — and the way he’d said it like it meant nothing when it meant everything.

I handed the napkins to Gideon and gave him a look that probably said more than it should.

— I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick, — I said, more distracted than I meant to.

Gideon raised an eyebrow but nodded, tossing me a silent “good luck with your feelings” look as I slipped down the hall.

The moment the bathroom door clicked shut, Caleb stepped back into the room. He carried two bowls with chips, one in each hand — his usual distraction tactic.

Gideon didn’t look up at first, just accepted one of the bowls when Caleb handed it over.

— Thanks, Captain. You survived napkin duty?

— Barely, — Caleb muttered, settling onto the couch.

A moment passed in silence. Then:

— She seems… comfortable with you. Lately.

Gideon smirked, not bothering to look subtle about it.

— Comfortable? Is that your word for it?

Caleb frowned slightly, eyes flickering toward the hallway as if he could see through walls.

— Just... she’s different around you. And you’re different with her.

— Maybe she just finally realized I’m charming as hell. He took a long sip of his tea. — Why? Bother you?

Caleb scoffed, too quick.

— No. Just noticing. That’s all.

Gideon leaned back, eyeing him over the rim of his mug. — Huh. And here I thought you’d be relieved she had someone else watching over her for once.

That hit something.

Caleb shifted slightly, brows knitting.

— What’s that supposed to mean?

Gideon tilted his head, considering. Then, lightly:

— It means you’ve been acting like her personal guardian angel since forever, but the moment someone else steps in — someone she laughs with, someone she leans on — you start asking questions.

Caleb didn’t answer. Not right away.

Gideon leaned forward a bit, tone softer but still teasing:

— You’re not jealous, are you?

Caleb’s eyes narrowed, defensive out of instinct more than certainty.

— Of course not.

Gideon raised both hands in surrender.

— Alright, alright. Just checking. A pause. — I mean, I’d get it. If I were in your shoes… and I saw her with someone else, I might start realizing a few things.

Caleb stared at him. Not angry. Just… lost in thought.

And that was new.

Very new.

ᯓ★

By the time I came back from the bathroom, they were both pretending like they hadn’t just paused the world in my absence.

Caleb was back on the couch, legs sprawled in that effortless way of his, tea mug balanced on his knee like he didn’t have a single intrusive thought in his life. Gideon, on the other hand, was biting the rim of his cup and definitely not making eye contact with me.

— Took you long enough, — Caleb said without looking up.

— There was a line, — I answered, settling next to Gideon. Or trying to.

But just as I was about to sit down beside him, Caleb shifted—very subtly, but deliberately—patting the empty spot between him and the armrest.

— Hey. Come sit here. It’s your show, isn’t it?

He wasn’t even looking at me when he said it. Just kept his eyes on the screen, casual. Too casual.

I blinked.

Gideon blinked.

I slowly turned to look at him, already halfway onto the cushion next to him.

Gideon, still mid-sip, caught my expression and followed my gaze to Caleb’s hand, still tapping the space next to him like I hadn’t just made a perfectly reasonable choice to sit anywhere else.

Then he saw Caleb’s face — calm, steady, but with the tiniest twitch at the corner of his mouth — and that was it.

Gideon choked on his tea.

— You good? — I asked, concerned.

— Peachy, — he wheezed, coughing into his sleeve and turning slightly away, clearly fighting for his life not to burst out laughing.

I hesitated, then stood back up slowly and walked over to Caleb, who, by now, had finally looked up at me with the most innocent pair of eyes I’d ever seen on a man who’d just marked his territory with a cushion.

He tilted his head.

— You are obsessed with episode 19, aren’t you? Thought you’d want the best seat.

I narrowed my eyes.

— I was fine where I was.

He shrugged, eyes sparkling with something dangerous.

— I wasn’t.

Gideon made a noise that might have been another cough or might have been a muffled laughing into his hoodie sound. Hard to tell.

I sat down slowly, still watching Caleb.

He didn’t even try to hide the smile that curled at the corner of his mouth.

And for the first time in a long time…

…I wasn’t sure if I was the one playing games anymore.

We’d barely made it ten minutes into the episode when I felt it — Caleb shifting just slightly closer to me. Not enough to make it obvious, but enough that I noticed the way our arms nearly touched. The way his shoulder leaned just a little toward mine whenever he laughed at a scene.

He wasn’t usually this... still. Or quiet. Caleb was always commenting, always gesturing, always doing. But tonight, he seemed content to just be there, next to me. Eyes flickering to mine every now and then like he was checking to see if I noticed.

I did.

Gideon, sitting to the side with his mug now cold, was watching both the screen and us. Less focused on the drama playing out in episode 19, and much more focused on the slow, subtle drama playing out right in front of him.

When Caleb reached for the blanket draped over the back of the couch and, without asking, gently placed it over my legs like it was the most normal thing in the world, I didn’t say anything.

But Gideon choked for the second time that night.

— You okay? — Caleb asked, turning toward him without moving the rest of his body, like even his attention had a radius now, limited to whoever was within touching distance.

— Yeah, I just… remembered I have to be up early. — Gideon stood abruptly, leaving his mug on the table. — Super early. Painfully early. In fact, I’m late for being early.

I raised an eyebrow.

— You’re spending the night.

— Not anymore. I wouldn’t want to, uh... interrupt your soap-based bonding ritual. Besides—he flashed Caleb a grin—seems like you’ve got things under control.

Caleb looked mildly confused, which only made Gideon smile wider.

— Anyway. Goodnight, lovebirds.

And with that, he grabbed his jacket and keys, and was out the door before either of us could stop him.

The door clicked shut behind him.

Silence.

I turned back to the screen, pretending my heart wasn’t pounding in my ears. Caleb stayed quiet for a beat longer before murmuring:

— He’s acting weird tonight.

I didn’t dare look at him when I said:

— You think so?

He hummed.

— You’re not cold, are you? — Not really. But he still tugged the blanket up, brushing his hand against mine and letting it stay there for just a second too long.

Then he shifted again.

Not closer this time — actually, a little farther. He leaned his head back, staring up at the ceiling with a loud, dramatic sigh that came out of nowhere.

— I don’t get it.

I blinked.

— Get what?

He stayed like that, eyes still pointed upwards, like the answers were written on the ceiling tiles.

— You and Gideon.

Oh. So that’s what this was.

I stayed quiet, because something in his voice told me this wasn’t a casual question.

— You barely know him, but suddenly you’re watching shows together and laughing at everything he says, and going to the kitchen for, what, serviettes together like it’s some kind of secret mission—

— Are you... jealous?

The words slipped out of me before I could stop them. Not teasing. Not light. Just… honest.

His head snapped toward me so fast I half expected whiplash.

— What? No. No. I just think—he’s not as funny as you pretend he is, that’s all.

I raised an eyebrow.

— Caleb.

— And he always acts like he knows everything about you, but he doesn’t. Not really. He just met you. He doesn’t know that you always skip the opening theme if you’re sad, or that you pretend to hate rom-coms but always rewatch the same three when you’re sick. He doesn’t know you freeze when you're anxious or that you bite the inside of your cheek when you’re holding back something. He doesn’t know—

He stopped. Too late.

The room went quiet again, but this time it felt loaded. Breathing felt different.

I turned toward him slowly.

— You notice those things?

He blinked. Then looked down at his hands like they’d just betrayed him in a court of law.

— Of course I do, — he muttered, softer. — I’ve always noticed.

My throat felt tight.

— Then why do you always act like you don’t?

He rubbed the back of his neck, as if trying to physically erase the words out of the air.

— Because if I let myself act like I do— he hesitated, then looked at me, finally, really looked. — I wouldn’t know how to stop.

I stared at him.

He wasn’t joking.

He wasn’t playing dumb.

He looked… terrified.

My heart ached. Ached in that stubborn, beautiful way only he could make it ache.

And still, he managed to sound defensive when he added:

— And maybe I didn’t like the way he looked at you.

— Why?

— Because you looked back.

Silence again.

And then—

— What if I told you, I only did it to make you jealous?

His jaw clenched, and he sat up a little straighter.

— I’d say you succeeded.

— And if I told you it wasn’t just to tease you?

That finally made him pause.

He stared at me like he was trying to figure out if he was dreaming. Then, voice hoarse:

— Then I’d ask what it meant.

I swallowed.

— You already know what it means.

He leaned in, slow and unsure, like he was waiting for a trap to spring.

— Say it anyway.

So I did.

And this time, he didn’t move away.

Caleb's breath caught, his eyes flickering between mine like he was trying to decide whether to keep holding back or just... let go.

I could feel the weight of it — the years of quiet feelings he’d buried, the distance he’d kept, the way he had always tried to pretend like none of this mattered.

But it did. And I needed him to know it.

I reached out, hesitating for a moment, before placing my hand on his chest. His heartbeat was strong, steady, and it made the room feel warmer, closer.

— Caleb... — I whispered, almost as if the word itself was enough to pull him back from whatever distant place he had been hiding in.

He swallowed, his eyes still wide, and his lips parted like he had something to say. But nothing came out.

And that was when I realized.

He wasn’t going to move.

So, I did.

I closed the distance between us in one slow, almost deliberate motion, until the air between us was too thin to hold anything back. I leaned in, and my breath mingled with his, the warmth of his lips so close, yet still an eternity away.

— I don’t want you to pretend anymore, Caleb, — I murmured, my voice barely a whisper. — I want you to feel what I feel.

And then, with all the courage I could muster, I pressed my lips against his.

It was soft at first, just a gentle meeting of lips, as if he couldn’t quite believe it was real. His hands came up to cradle my face, pulling me in closer, deepening the kiss as his uncertainty melted away.

I could feel him smile against my lips, and it made my heart flutter.

When we finally pulled away, his forehead rested against mine, and he was breathing heavily, like he’d just run a race.

— You’re sure? — he asked, his voice rough and vulnerable, something I rarely heard from him.

I nodded, a soft laugh escaping me.

— I’ve been sure for a long time, Caleb.

And then, as if on cue, his puppy eyes returned — soft, warm, full of something sweet and terrifying all at once. He smiled, his thumb gently brushing over my cheek.

— I’m a mess, aren’t I? — he said, and I couldn’t help but laugh softly.

— Just a little, — I teased, my hand reaching for his, holding it tightly.

He chuckled, shaking his head as if he couldn’t quite believe everything that was happening.

— So, what now? — he asked, still with that hint of uncertainty in his voice.

I smiled, tracing a line down his arm, feeling his muscles tense under my touch.

— Now? Now, we just… see where this goes. Together.

He grinned, his eyes lighting up in a way I hadn’t seen before.

— Together, huh? That sounds pretty good.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt like everything was excatly where it was meant to be.

[aroacesafeplaceforall]

Wow, that's how you respond to pretty clear aroallophobia? Just wow...

Yeah that says a lot more about you than it does about aroallos wanting something for them goddamn selves for once.

Safe space "for all" my ass, I'm ashamed to share a space with such blinded aroallophobic people. You don't get to have a opinion on aroallo centred spaces, it's. Not. For. You.

But I'm not surprised, the aroace demographic overshadowing and demeaning a aroallo centred thing is common practice for y'all anyway acting like it's some attack on your aroace identity just because it ain't about you, and it's no wonder I feel unsafe and demoralised in aro spaces.

I recommend to any aroace that allies with aroallos, and to any morally sane aro, to call out this bs and to also practice blocking shit and people fuelling itm this blog included.

Have a great life being bitchy about something not made for you.

I definitely think some wires got crossed on both ends here! Let me just run through everything, I implore everyone to at least give me a chance to explain that I am not arophobic.

Let me preface this by saying a quick TLDR

I'm not arophobic, I've never been arophobic, I've never said to an aroallo they're not allowed their own space, I personally have rarely even entered the aroallo tag besides from aro week, and when an anon is aroallo and needs advice from other aroallos. I do, however, believe that aroaces should be allowed to tag their posts as asexual/aromantic as long as it pertains to that. More in-depth explanation below.

LONG POST

1 — The timeline

I reblogged this post, which I believed represented the same feelings I had about aromantics and asexuals being upset about tagging issues. I believed this post was about how some aroallos/alloaces get upset when aroaces tag posts are aromantic / asexual. Which I believe they have the right to do so.

I received this ask, which, as stated in said ask reply, I was unable to fully read. At the time, I did not know what the ask was pertaining to, and after answering, I quickly scooped through my posts. I could discuss this ask more and the above ask, if asked for, but I do think that is kicking a hornets nest in terms of post length.

I then reblogged the original post with this statement. I do apologise that it is rushed and unedited, as I was in a car park at the time. I then received this ask.

2 — My beliefs on tagging

I believe this is where things get twisted, and I think that is my fault for no clarifying my text, as well as rushing.

I did not at any time state that aroaces should be allowed to post in the aroallo/alloace tags. I do not think they should be tagging their posts as such unless the post is “My friend who is aroallo/alloace” or a question for aroallos/alloaces.

I personally, if you check my post history, do not frequent those tags. In fact, I believe the only times I post in either the aroallo/alloace tags are on aro week, ace week, and when an anon needs help from the aroallo/alloace community.

I believe that aroaces should freely be allowed to tag their posts as aromantic or asexual as long as it pertains to the post.

The following is in my opinion.

Such as “aroace and proud out two years!” can be tagged as aroace, aromantic and asexual. BUT NOT aroallo or alloace.

A post stating “as an aroace I hate sex so much it just sucks no one should ever have sex” can be tagged as aroace and asexual, BUT NOT aromantic (unless the hatred of sex is connected to that identity which is unlikely as aromantic is the lack/little of romantic attraction) or aroallo or alloace.

A post stating “fuck romance so much it sucks, romantic feelings are the worst — signed an aroace” can be tagged as aroace and aromantic, BUT NOT asexual (unless the hatred of romance is connected to that identity which is unlikely as asexual is the lack/little of sexual attraction) or aroallo or alloace.

I hope this clear it up!

I genuinely have no ill will to anyone in any part of the aspec community, and I do encourage people to reach out if they feel unsafe here. I aim, as the name suggests, to be a safe place for all.

I do try to fix any beliefs that are harmful, as many old-timers here have seen before in the past. And I am genuinely open to criticism, I just hope next time, for everyone's sakes, that we can all breathe before we push enter.