#or if they were windowshopping

[clemencetaught]

gender ( meta one. )

Since it’s pride month, I’m finally going to write out a meta for something I meant to actually talk about like last year:

So on his profile, it says that Patrick is nonbinary, but closeted and therefore uses only he/him pronouns. Just as his feelings on his sexuality and how open he is about expressing it has been a complicated mess, you could say it’s a very similar scenario with his gender identity. Although in this case, his gender identity is one of those things where he knows he could explore a bit more freely but he just?? doesn’t feel quite ready if that makes any sense??

That being said, he’s definitely not cisgender and while he doesn’t identify with feminine pronouns, I don’t think he’s quite comfortable with using they/them pronouns (yet)….if he had to pick a identification though, it’d probably be demiboy (he/they) and that’s thanks to felicity:

Basically, her calling him a gentleman helped him become more comfortable with both his masculinity and his deviance from it. While he inspires to be a ‘gentleman’ ( or at least embody the good traits of it ), it doesn’t necessarily have to fall under the umbrella of traditional masculinity and so while she was alive, he did explore some forms of androgynous dressing….that phase of experimenting he shut down though when she passed away as she had been the only person he confided in about it.

tldr; he’s non*binary & closeted, but if he had to pick a gender identify as he’s picking ‘gentleman’ - ie. he’ll use he/him pronouns but aside from ‘gentleman’, he’s more comfortable with gender neutral terms like ‘person’ or ‘partner’

[dio-the-thot-exterminator]

screaming rn I hate being broke 😭😭 dragged some friends across town today n we ended up at a target.

I make a run 🏃🏿 to the toy section of course n the transformers section was so small. like smaller than span of my arms. N there wasn’t shit there.

I was crying over shockwave and inferno meanwhile the hooligans r like

the figures we so small n like over 40$

I need to get my bank up urgently. I NEED THEM 🥹🥹

[starcharmed]

— CALLING CARDS

summary : receive and accept things that come to you as if they are nothing.

cw : mentioned stalking, fem reader, open ending? just brain and word rot | wc : 1.4k+ | extra : thank you @akutasoda for reading first & your sweet words <3

The man with the briefcase appeared outside of your shop more times than you would be happy with calling it off as simple timing. 

His “visit” schedule was odd. 

He would peek within your shop’s windows, browsing mindlessly before disappearing.. The process repeated until he left completely for the night. Always between six and nine post meridian. It wasn’t exactly something odd to do, a lot of people are prone to windowshop. However, stopping numerous times within a day repetitively was worrying.

Your curiosity seemed to peek during the next week of his visits. Rarely stopping by, you assumed he was either a businessman traveling to and fro or an office worker whom stopping by for ideas of his own pertaining to flowers. At least those were the ones you concluded to, as they made the most logical sense.

The coworker you had the…pleasure of working with mentioned him on the side. Claiming that you should report him if you saw him again. He told ‘horror’ stories about how he slapped people at subway stations and smiled like those Kit-Cat Klocks. You digressed, not caring anymore if he was going on to avoid the worry about the mysterious man harming you and instead continue to criticize his person.

Your coworker scoffed, calling for his lunch break (five minutes earlier than usual, mind you) and left you. The bell stationed at the top of the shop’s entrance door screamed in alarm as he left. You’d think the building was on fire. The bell sung a gentle, quieter chime as you lifted your head, waiting to see if it was your coworker coming back in to apologize for the aggressiveness of his departure.

You were mistaken. 

There stood the mysterious man with a smile on his face, a briefcase in hand as he stepped forward to the counter, “Good evening, miss.” Even his voice was appealing. You greeted him the same as you watched his eyes dart around, scrutinizing the flowers on exhibit.

Looking closer, your coworker seemed to not be exaggerating when he spoke about his smile.

“Are you looking for anything specific?” His eyes returned back to you, one of his eyebrows raising slightly before settling back in place, “Since it’s spring, we have a more diverse section available. I’d be happy to help.” You’re sure he knew it was, in fact, your job to help; but, it still didn’t hurt ot say it aloud. 

His smile seemed to widen, “Do you have a favorite flower that’s present?”

Blinking at the personal question, you didn’t have to look around to answer, “Peony.They’re lovely to watch bloom if you buy a bouquet with younger ones.” You had cared for the peonies present to your fullest, wanting them to be the stars of your shop. 

A nod in return. “Then I’ll have two bouquets of those.”

His gaze felt searing  as you worked to get two bouquets fixed for him. It was as if he studying every one of your mannerisms, it unnerved you. But you were being stared at by one of the most attractive men you’ve ever laid eyes on, so who were you to complain. Once you finished, he paid with some of the freshest bills you’ve ever touched in life before nodding and leaving. You ran your fingers over them, relishing in the feel of them.

He watched you do so through the window with a saccharine smile forming on his lips. 

You didn’t have time to pick up any food, closing up later thanks to a slouchy costumer who took ten minutes giving out an order to pick up the next day. The spring air still seemed to have a chill, and you contemplated using those fresh bills to buy a new coat for next winter. You delicately closed the door to your apartment complex behind you as the receptionist beconned you to come closer, crouching down just a bit so she could grab something.

“A lovely young man left these”, she seemed giddy as she stood up fully, her wrinkles that came with age creasing lovely as she held out the gift in her arms to you, “Addressed to you, fully by name. He even gave a description that made my skin flush.”

The chill that dissipated when you enjoyed the building began to creep up your spine again. Playing tunes against the ridges of it. Those were the flowers, the bouquets, you had fixed Mister Mystery Man. 

“They’re…lovely.” “Ah, I know right! You’re a lucky girl.” She seemed to read your shock in positive note, folding her hands once you took the bouquet in your hands, “Take care of them now, miss. This gift seemed one made of affection. Best not let it rot out.” With a curt nod you gave your best smile, turning and shakily reaching into your bag to grasp your keys. What the hell? How did he know your name, nonetheless know where you lived? Surely your coworker didn’t say every piece of information he knew about you to mystery man. Besides, your coworker didn’t seem to be found of Mystery Man, either. 

Resiting the urge to chunk the flowers into the bin the second you stepped into your apartment room, the remembrance of how they were, in a sense, your babies seemed to make the situation a bit more morbid. But did you really want to throw out a gift from Mystery Man?

No.

Not because you were scared of the wrath of…whoever he was, but because they were also free flowers. You weren’t one to turn those down, really. Grabbing a vase from one of the cabinets, you went to fill it with water before your phone buzzed in your bag.

Oh great, another annoyance you needed right now. 

Huffing you reached within the cavern that was the interior of your bag, pulling out your phone. ‘Unknown Number’. Pursing your lips, you tried to recall anyone you didn’t have saved. Your coworker? Well yeah you didn’t want to be associated with him more than work relations. No one else rung in your mind, but you felt obliged to answer it. Best not make someone else irritated, you could take your own frustration out on your pillow instead of not answering a random’s number.

“Hello?”

“Did you get the gift I dropped off?”

You were going to collapse. It was him. Mysterious Man, the stupid bitch. You could practically hear the smugness floating off of his voice. Your grip on your phone tightened, “What do you want?”

“Do you always talk to people who give you things like this? If so, you have horrible manners.” Says the guy who gathered information on you without consent, “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I think you know I did”, he hummed. It sounded akin to how a satisfied cat purrs, and it made you even more frustrated that you noticed that about him, “Now answer my question.”

Almost expecting to go back-and-forth, he didn’t waste any time responding, “I just wanted to check up on you. A lady such as yourself walking to your apartment alone? Dangerous conditions.” Was there anyway you could reach your hand in your phone and punch him as shown in those 1950’s, 1960’s American cartoons?

“I’m fine, thank you very much.” Gritting your teeth, you cursed the world for putting his presence in your life.

“You’re welcome.”

This guy. 

“Goodnight-”

“Please don’t do that.” You paused, thumb hovering over the end call button, he almost sounded desperate, “I promise I just want to talk to you.”

With a heavy sigh you brought the phone back to your ear, “You could’ve just asked, in the shop. I would’ve given you my number. And you wouldn’t have had to do some secret spy agent shit to get it.” He laughed softly the sound ringing in your ears. It sounded hoarse, as if it hadn’t been used in a genuine way for a while.

“You’re entertaining.”

Talking as if you were some circus animal, such a charmer. 

“I’ll be stopping by tomorrow, just so you know.”

“At the shop or my apartment?” You glanced out your apartment’s window, squinting your eyes at the figure standing near the corner of the block. Are you serious…

“You’ll see.” With a beep he ended the call as soon as you were directly in front of the window. The figure was clearer. You were right in your suspicion, it was Mystery Man. Waving at you with a smile, you unlocked your window. Opening it and your mouth to speak, you didn’t get a chance before a car passed from one side of the road to another. 

And just like that, he was gone again. 

[creeksandsocks]

The Diner

Pairing Eddie Munson x f!reader

Tags: Fluffy, Mature (just to be safe), bad writing, writer has no knowledge of Dnd, Mentions of food/eating

Authors note: okay, this is my first EVER fic, so please bear with me 😪 as the writing and pacing will probably be janky. This is really a conglomeration of a bunch of little ideas that come into my head about the man of the hour, please feel free to leave me constrictive criticism or any asks! Thank you so much for reading my fic *mwah

[3.8k words]

It's freezing, early winter’s 9 PM wind gives you goosebumps down your legs. You wrangle the flowing pleats of your skirt in your left hand, hoping to both provide yourself any semblance of insulation and protect yourself from flashing your panties to the empty Hawkins High Parking lot. Your right hand clutches the pay phone to you, it stays nestled in the crook of your shoulder as you desperately try to call Steve. 

Your eyes reread the graffiti that was hastily scratched into the weathered plastic of the booth. Before you can reread the entirety of the angsty scribbles on the wall, you're put through to voicemail. For the umpteeth time,  you hear his outgoing message repeat “You’ve reached Steve, I can’t answer your-”. You slam your finger onto the “2” symbol of the key pad, effectively skipping through the rest of his message so you can beg into the receiver.

“Hey, man!” you grit “I get your probably tired, but, like, im freezing out here. Please come pick me up- us up!”

You're stranded in the parking lot of your own high school. Dustin had somehow convinced you that it was in fact a good use of your Friday night to drive him to his hellfire club meeting. Because you loved him (and because your BFF Robin was forced into an awkward and inescapable dinner with her estranged grandparents) and your Friday night was rendered free you gave the kid a ride. After dropping him off and sending a lighthearted wave his way (which he decided he isn’t yet too cool to reciprocate). You tried pulling out of your spot. The thing is, you’re close enough to downtown and already out of the comfort of your bed that you decided to make your time at least a little bit useful, maybe exchange the sweater that's been sitting in your trunk for two months or windowshop downtown? But, your plans were ruined the second you place your foot on the gas.

While contorted in the front seat, trying to stretch and see behind yourself as you peel out of your spot, the car's steering wheel pulled against you and and the entire vehicle veered left. Slamming your foot on the break your heart sunk. Fuck, you think im screwed. You hop out of the drivers chair and the cold bites at you as you timidly make your way around your car, investigating what the problem could be. You make a semicircle around the hood of your car before you are met with the culprit. A cartoonishly large nail was stabbed into the side of your tire, leaving the entire thing deflated. 

Though it felt like your joints had been frozen and locked into place by the nipping cold, you remarkably made it back into the driver's seat of your car, relishing the heated air that swirled around you. Running through ideas you decided your best bet was Steve. You didn’t have a spare tire, your parents would probably make a whole fuss out of your flat tire, robin was busy, too. Though he had made a big point on how “fucking awesomeeee” his before-dinner nap would be, you couldn’t fathom it lasting longer than the four hours it had been - let alone a phone call blaring from his nightstand. 

You scavenged around your car and ended up with a decent ball of random change from the floor mats of your car. Reaching into the backseat you grabbed the sweater you had stashed back there before leaving. You threw it over your head, and pulled your hair from being trapped under the neckline. You braced yourself and did a mad dash to the phone booth. You called Steve three times before you decided your attempts to rouse the, apparently still, sleeping bear were futile and trudged back to your car. After turning your keys in the ignition and warming your stiff fingers in the vents you devised a plan. You'll wait here for the duration of Dustin’s campaign When the meeting is scheduled to end, you return to the phone booth. Given that the meeting goes its usual fifteen minutes overtime, you'll have enough time to call and convince Steve to come and be a hero to both you and Dustin. In the absolute worst, most embarrassing, hoping-you-get-hit-by-lightning case you could ask Gareth for a ride. Out of all the driving-age Hellfire members, he’d probably be most keen on doing you a favor like this. In fact, he said he owed you his “entire life and academic career” when you corrected his French homework for him. But, you've never hung out with, colloquially known to Dustin, “the boys”. Let alone any boy ever. It just felt too intimate to ask him for a ride, besides you weren’t sure you'd be able to handle standing in the vicinity of the leading member of Hellfire who’s been the apple of your eye for the past few months, Eddie.

To set the record straight, Eddie is known as gumdrop to you and Robin (because it is in fact best friend law to have nicknames for your guys’ crushes). Robin, you and Steve have all basked in the shared misery of lovesickness together from behind the counter of your job at Family Video. Besides silently judging customers and their movie choices, you spent your shifts reveling in moments throughout the day when you had brief and blushing eye contact with your respective crushes. 

For now, you were entirely content with adoringly staring at the side of Eddie’s big, boyish head from the last row of your history class. Besides gentle urging from both your closest friends, you’ve never really made a move on him. Other than asking him the day’s date or sharing shocked eye contact whenever your teacher said something especially out of pocket. In the cafeteria, Robin often stared at you knowingly every time you started gumdrop’s direction, giggling when he made a stupid or obscene gesture from the head of his own table. She was frankly disgusted when you blushed at him halfway-choking on a pretzel. You thought, hahaha hes sooo funny and silly he coughed omgg lol his friends didnt notice when the pretzel went downthe wrong pipe ahahha omg hes so cute i didnt even get the ick from that he's like a baby ani-.

That leads you to now, freezing and hopeless. From far away you hear the auditorium doors slam “damn it!” You curse. The hollering of pubescent boys is a telltale sign Hellfire has let out. You decide that it's the lesser of two evils to just ask Gareth for a ride rather than be discovered by a pack of teenage boys as you curl yourself around a pay phone. You put your last 10¢ into the pay phone and add to the avalanche of messages Steve will be bombarded with when he wakes up. “Okay, so! Change of plans, I'm getting a ride you don't need to do anything, goodnight love you bye!” You quickly gush out before you slam the phone back into its holder. Resulting in a  reverberating, metallic chime from the man-handled tech. You lean your back on the wall of the school, pitching both your feet out in front of you and using the push of them to keep you balanced. You take a deep breath, it's refreshing even though stunted by the pinching cold. Moments after you’ve made yourself comfortable against the brick wall, Jeff swings around the corner followed by Freak and Gareth. 

They do look shocked to see you, but certainly not disappointed. In fact, they're probably in heaven. You're a pretty girl stationed just outside of a seemingly successful club meeting. They form a line facing you, and Gareth speaks up first. “Hi, what’re you doin’ here? Like, we don’t mind or anything but Dustin said you were just dropping him off?” You inhale to reply before Jeff blurts out “We’re actually gonna grab some burgers down the road, if you wanted to come?” The sweet boy tries to dull his own enthusiasm by (not)cooly adding “Cause you're with Dustin anyways”. I mean, you are hungry and Dustin loves these guys, why deprive him of a prime Friday night just because you are nervous? You shock yourself with how confidently you reply “Yeah, actually! I would love to, I mean as long as it's not a burden at all!”. 

“Oh shit!” freak interjects and whips his head towards his left, “Jeff I left my backpack in your car”. Jeff deadpans the man before gesturing for him to follow out into the parking lot. Now alone there's a comfortable silence between you and Gareth.

He breaks the silence asking you how your night went. You start, “Uh… my car actually-”.

You’re abruptly cut off by being body slammed into the brick wall behind you. Your senses are overwhelmed by a throb at the back of your head and shoulders paired with the strong scent of a boy. You groan and slowly open your eyes. Standing in front of you Is Eddie Munson in all of his glory - he tightly rounded the corner thinking he would be met with emptiness, but instead slammed you a step back into the school's wall. As he steps back from you he apologizes profusely, “Oh my god, i'm so sorry, seriously! I really didn’t expect to see you there, are you okay?”. You give him a gentle smile and reassure him “no, don’t worry! It’s really okay, like actually it doesn’ even hurt”. He continues to apologize and confirm you haven’t been damaged by his foolery. You continue to tell him that, really, you’re okay. You forget about the cold air, Gareth (who is bent over laughing at his best friend) and the slight pain in your skull. When you realize that: Eddie is still standing very close to you and he is still very cute from that distance. It seems you both realize at the same time that you're standing intimately close,  but he only steps back seconds later when he’s snapped back into reality by Dustin and Mike rounding the corner. 

“HEY GUYS”, Gareth wheezes as he angles himself towards two youngest arrivals. Now fully upright, but still suffering the aftershocks of what is probably the hardest he’s laughed all week. “Eddie just-” he cuts himself off again with guffawing. 

Eddie whips around, “C’mon man it wasn't even that funny” he grits. Though it’s impossible to tell, it sounds like his eyes are wide and pleading as he commands his friend. Eventually, Gareth is able to share the scenario with both the freshman and the boys returning from their car errand. By the time he's gotten it out, even you and Eddie, though blushing, are able to laugh at yourselves, too.

Youv’e all organized yourself into a huddle. Everyone is delighted to confirm that “operation burger” is indeed still a go; mostly unchanged by you, the newest addition to the escapade. You hadn’t found an appropriate time to share the unfortunate predicament that your car could be found in just yet. You decide that it's better to drop the bomb on Gareth after your group diner-date. Hoping to avoid baskining the in the humiliation for the entirely of your time if he so happens to say no. Eddie, being the only owner of a vehicle large enough to transport the entire group of teenagrs, was forced into being the driver. Thankfully though, he doesn’t seem to mind; assuming the role similarly to how he did with becoming the leader of Hellfire club.

Walking to his van, which is parked in the back corner of the parking lot, Eddie and you lag behind the rest of the group. Walking near him, you watch as both of your guys’ breath is visible in the night air. Though Dustin, Mike, Lucas and Will often gushed about their weekend-long campaigns to you, you didn’t really know much about DnD. Much to the dismay of the kids, you never joined them in a game no matter how eager they seemed to teach you. “So, how was your, uh, game” you question, “is it, like, finished or successful, or did you win or something?”. Though you cringe at yourself for sounding so amateur in your questioning, you’re proud of yourself for talking unprompted.

His furrowed brows raise as he processes the question. He removes his hands from deep inside his leather jacket pockets so that he can gesture with them. “Well it actually was pretty cool!” he enthuses, and you're immediately relieved that he understood you, “They made a lot of progress in it- but it's still far from being done, like a couple hours at least. They usually take a couple meetings before we can wrap them up. But so far, im totally kicking their asses”. He smirks when he notices that you stared kindly at him with big eyes without his entire spiel. Besides softly reassuring him “nice, that's good..” an awkward silence fell between the two of you.

You're close enough to his van that the freshman who were leading the pack are waiting expectantly at the side of the van. From your peripheral vision, you can see him eyeing you. You probably look pathetic right now, goosebumped legs, and clutching your thin sweater around yourself, in a futile warming hug. “Umm” he breaks the silence, “are you cold? I can give you my jacket, it's no problem really-”. You blush and angle your head to the right, hoping to shield your smirk from him. You whip your head around to respond to him, but he's already it shrugging off. Though you’re delighted to wear his jacket. His jacket! You're scared that he's simply offering because he’s a gentleman. It’s not out of character for him to act so gallantly towards you; he opens the classroom door for you every time he's given the opportunity. One time he even pried your stuck locker open for you while you fawned at his biceps flexing under his Slayer band tee. You grab it from him and enjoy the fact that it’s still warm from his body heat. You also enjoy the look of his outfit, a Dio shirt layered over a white long sleeve. You earnestly thank him before you bundle up in it and overlap the front zippered panels on your stomach, wrapping yourself in it. His jacket smells just like him, perfect and manly without the suffocating amounts of cologne.

The entire group reaches the van and piles in. It seemed Eddie wanted to offer you the passenger seat, but Freak was already buckling himself in before he could ask. You’re all squeezed in the back two rows. You, specifically, are squashed between Mike and Dustin. The ride to the diner is filled with boys recounting the events of the campaign, congratulating and criticizing each other. You reach your destination before you’re even able to entirely settle in, it’s maybe four minutes from your school. He parks in the back of the parking lot. He doesn’t want to clog up prime parking with his massive mode of transport. You all rush into the diner and head to one of the booths that lines the walls of the decrepit diner. He gestures, kindly, for you to take the first spot, nearest to the window. You slide in and he quickly follows suit, he wants to make sure he secures the prime spot next to you. Everyone piles in freak next to Eddie and you end up facing Dustin, and you kick his shins under the table like your siblings. Jeff and Gareth are sitting on the backrest of the booth that both younger boys occupy, leaning in. Weirdly, the diner is barren for a Friday night. Some sleazy party is probably booming in one of the estates in a neighbourhood nearby. Though out of the ordinary, none of the group condemns the empty diner. You are subsequently free from prying eyes of jocks and now have even more reason to be rowdy, though still respectful enough to avoid annoying the entire restaurant, diners and waitstaff, alike.

Mel’s diner is nice enough, it’s had a boost in business since Benny’s went out of business a while back. The seats are bright vinyl leather and the two legged table top is infinitely sticky. Some of the overhead lights flicker occasionally, but overall its a nice place with a gumball machine exactly to the left of the front entrance. 

You keep Eddie’s jacket on, not wanting to lose the conforming weight of it wrapped around your shoulders, it also shields you from the night’s cold seeping in through the front windows just next to you. An older waitress comes and collects your orders. You only want a chocolate shake despite the cold, chocolate milkshakes always hit the spot. Dustin orders one too, only switching it for vanilla. Most of the boys order burgers, fries and drinks. They're probably starving - they've unlikely had any sustenance since school ended other than Mountain Dew and Pringles that they feast on during their campaigns. While waiting for the food to come, the boys continue to recap their campaign and Eddie makes sure to tilt his head towards you to fill in any information he thinks that a non-participant would need to follow along.

It feels awfully intimate to have him so close to you, almost cageling you in every time he verbally annotates the conversation. The old leather seats pucker under his manly frame and his radiating body heat makes your mouth water as he's splayed out next to you. Sometime  after placing your orders, he stretched both his arms around the back of the seat rest. Leaving his arms wide and chest opened. It almost feels like his arm is around your shoulders - being squished three people deep into a two-seater has forced your shoulder near to his armpit. From there, his body heat radiates even stronger.

The waitress eventually brings your guys’ food, she splits it into two runs in order to prevent spilling any. Everyone’s quieted now, fully focused on eating their meal. Eddie keeps his left arm, the one behind you, perched on the back of the seats. His right arm was relieved of its station and holds his burger.

He’s a cute eater, you think. He closes his mouth politely as he chews but still stays engaged in the conversation by furrowing his brows or a strained closed-mouthed smile. As he takes a challengingly large bite of the burger ketchup squeezes from the burger onto his lip and pants, his tongue darts out to lick the small drip from his lips. The drip on his jeans is just above the line that connects his thigh to hip. The ketchup doesn’t immediately absorb into the black denim and almost hovers above it, nestled in the folds of his pants. Now, it is not your fault that the ketchup is a mere four inches from his… manly convexity and it is not your fault that you're entranced by the projection in the crotch of his pants. Your head snaps up when he peers over at you with blushing cheeks, embarrassed to have spilled on himself in front of you, even in such a minor amount. You keep eye contact and barely contain snorting laughs  as he gingerly slides a napkin from the table and wipes the glob off his pants. He still has an unchewed mouthful of burger, bulging his cheeks out like a hamster when he slowly places his pointer finger against his mouth. At that, you both chuckle. He balls his previously pointing hand into a fist to cover his mouth as it opens to laugh.

He smirks the left side of his mouth and side eyes you, in an attempt to keep his head straight as he sneaks one of his fries into your shake. Grinning mischievously as he brings the dipped fry to his mouth. You return the favor, keeping your head straight ahead as you strain your eyes looking to the right to steal one of his fries and eat it bite-by-bite. He doesn’t even mind that you chose one of his perfectly soggy long ones instead of a sub-par fry. 

It’s been awhile since you’ve gotten to the diner. You don't want to leave, you've fallen into comfortable conversation with all the guys at the table. You even basked in moments when all pairs of eyes were on you as you shared juicy bits about school drama that was previously entirely unknown to them.

When your waitress finally arrives you all silently agree to pay for your own meals, it's common knowledge among broke high school kids like yourselves that it's everyman for himself when it comes to paying. Everyone pools their money in the middle of the table. As someone who has easy access to the bills and change that clutter the table, Eddie takes to bundling it up and handing it to the waitress, he tells her to keep the change with an unsubtle wink that she’s unamused with. Eddie doesn’t even look at you as he slides the five dollar bill you placed down to pay, back to you. You assume he thought you laid it out on the table as you rifled through your wallet for exact change. Before you can correct him, though, he's already sliding out of the diner booth. You follow him out and hold your flaccid bill out to him.

 “To pay” to tell him, hoping your assumption had been correct, that he just didn’t notice your bill sitting on the table.

“No uh, I did you! I’m happy to do you!” He says as he stretches his arm up to nervously scratch his neck. 

“What?!” you say as you are laughing at his unintentionally implied dirty talk.

“No- wait, I mean I paid for you! Sorry, like I did it for you…” he becomes shy as he corrects himself and his cheeks grow pink.

You spare the poor guy any more embarrassment and thank him before you all trudge out of the diner. Eddie’s just thankful that Gareth wasn’t within earshot of that one, he was unsure he'd ever live it down.

Everyone reassumes their spots as you crowd yourself in the back of his van, and you're disappointed at how short the drive is. You hoped this moment would last forever, if not a little longer. You enjoy the familial feeling that shines in the van. The cold air that greets you as you step out the van pulls you out of the moment. 

You're sure at this point Gareth will give you a ride home, but that's at the back of your mind as you try to catch Eddie's eye so you can wave him off into the night.

[mncxbe]

Touch♡

𝑷𝑴 𝑫𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒊 𝒙 𝒇𝒆𝒎!𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: no plot just vibes/ fluff♡

Contenxt; you're Dazai's partner and he walks you home after a mission♡ saw this reel on instagram and I needed to write this (https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwzpZnjp_n-/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)

Streetlights glinting off the hoods of parked cars; pearls of rain pouring from the dark clouds above, skipping on the wet pavement. A chill ran down your body, causing you to shiver as you gripped the handle of your umbrella tighter.

It wasn't exactly cold. The last vestiges of summer still met the eye: fresh green leaves with crisp, paper brown edges, watermelon and bundles of puffy peaches in windowshops and heat radiating off the busy boulevards; but still, the glacial presence of your partner beside you was like a wintery breeze.

"Can't you walk a bit faster?" he asked in his usual cold tone, his words sounding more like an order than a mere inquiry.

"My boots are killing me. So no"

Gazing around the empty streets in attempt to avoid his gaze, you instinctively reached for the pack of cigarettes nestled in the pocket of your coat; comforting, familiar.

"Then why are you wearing them?" he pressed.

You procured a cigarette from the crumpled box and held it to your lips, lighting it up with a clipper. The little flame flickered in the light wind; a kaleidoscope of red, burnt orange and summer yellow that shone in the darkness that enveloped the two of you.

"Well, they suit me well don't you think? What doesn't a girl do to feel pretty?"

"That's stupid, really" he sighed, shaking his head lightly.

Sulkily chewing the filter of the menthol cigarettes, your gaze slid to Dazai. His dark curls, frizzy from the humid air, fell lightly around his face; you could see the white bandage wrapped around his eye.

In the background, lights from cars and traffic lights seemed distorted, elongated and washed out, hazily flashing green and red. After a moment of silence you finally spoke up again:

"Why do you wear that"

"What?" he asked then sighed when you pointed at his bandage. "Why not really? I think it suits me well. After all, what doesn't a boy do to feel pretty?" he mocked.

A light chuckle rolled off your lips as you snaked your arm under his, trying to shelter yourself from the heavy rain.

"Don't go turning my words against me, Osamu."

Dazai tensed under your touch. After all this time he still wasn't used to it and he suspected he never will be.

He only nodded in response, thin brows knitting as his eyes watched the fat raindrops fall in puddles of technicolor.

You knew Dazai has never been the type to talk unless he had something to say and you found solace in his cold demeanor. Other people did their best to avoid him- the vicious detective of the Mafia, the boss's favourite lap dog or whatever others called him- but the same things that pushed most people away drew you to him.

You were neither friends nor enemies, but in the end there was no need to define your relationship. Being with him simply felt right, like two pieces of a puzzle being connected.

And in a way Dazai felt the same. He found comfort in your vibrance, in learning all your little habits, like the way you'd bite down your thumb when you were deep in thought, how you'd roll the filter of your flavoured cigarettes between two slender fingers when you were bored or hum the exact same tune after missions.

You were everything he wasn't: high-spirited, gentle, tender, mindful of everyone's needs and awfully alive; madly in love with every little aspect of the world and beyond all, kind. Just like now you were kind enough to share your umbrella with him so that his bandages wouldn't get soaked by the rain.

As you walked down the damp streets of your neighbourhood, rain pouring from high above, all Dazai could think was how right your arm felt around his. How close you were. A faint memory of you reciting a poem a few weeks ago resurfaced in his mind; you always said that rain brings people closer, an idea he dismissed without a moment of though. But now he couldn't deny how right you were. You felt closer than ever, enveloped in translucent drops in this bubble of silence the two of you shared.

When you finally reached the front of your apartment building he stepped under the arcade, waiting for you to find your keys.

"Thanks for walking me home" you said mindlessly as you unlocked the door to your apartment.

"No problem. Also here you go..." he began, attempting to close the umbrella but you quickly motioned him to stop.

"Nah you can keep it. You can give it to me tomorrow ok?"

He simply nodded, his eyes meeting your as you raised on your tip-toes to place a faint kiss to his cheek. As you pulled away your fingetips traced the edges of his bandage, ice cold against his skin.

"If you really wanna know you do look good with it, but I prefer you without it." you stated, lips stretching into a warm smile.

Dazai nodded again, his hand coming to rest above your own, cupping his face. The two of you stood like this for a few moments before you eventually pulled away.

"I better go now, it's getting late. See you tomorrow tho."

With that and a light-hearted smile you entered your apartment and shut the door behind, leaving Dazai all alone.

Holding the umbrella above his frame he began walking towards his place. The rain showed no sign of stopping.

As he passed by an overflowing trash can his hand reached for the back of his head and he pulled the patch off his head, tossing it in the bin with a waggish huff before walking away.

[helios-writings]

There are some days when Shanks feels bad about not being able to give you the life he thinks you deserve. Days where you and he barely see each other because the pair of you are working overtime. Days where the two of you sit at the table, stressed about what bills you can cover and what you’ll have to live without.

Others days, he knows, are better. Curled up in each others arms on your days off, the smell of breakfast cooking even though its two in the afternoon. Still, he’d always dreamed about giving you a life of luxury, about spoiling you and making sure you didn’t have to work another shitty job if you didn’t want to. He’s not quite there yet, but he hopes one day he will be.

The two of you are walking hand in hand through the richer shopping district, windowshopping in all the pricier stores that give him hives just thinking about stopping in, but he loves the way you smile as you envision how you would decorate the foyer of your fictional mansion with a giant gold and crystal chandelier.

He laughs, not at you, but at the absurdity of it. “What would we need with something like that, huh?”

You shrug. “Sometimes things are just nice to have.”

He’d buy you a million of those ugly things if it meant making you happy.

Instead, Shanks points to something else. “And where would you put this?”

“Our living room, right next to the giant comfy couch, so I can admire it while I sit next to you.”

The two of you carry on like this, until you find a cozy old antique shop buried inbetween two high end boutiques.

“Lets go in here.” He tells you, stopping you with a gentle tug on your hand.

“Antiques? I didn’t know you liked old stuff like that.”

“I had a crush on our high school math teacher, didn’t I?”

You roll your eyes. “And yet, you’re here with me.”

He elbows you playfully in the side. “Well, she couldn’t compare to you.”

You just laugh and head inside the store.

The inside smells like dust and the culmination of other peoples belongings, but he’s drawn to the jewelry shelf towards the entrance, whilst you wander off by yourself down one of the countless aisles. The shelf holds many pieces of jewelry, but what catches his eye is a pair of wedding rings, obviously on the older side, but the feeling hits him so fast, it feels like his heart has fallen to his feet.

Shanks had never thought about proposing to you. Not in a “terrified of marriage” way, but to him you already were. But, standing in that store, the need had never been more apparent, and the rings were within his budget. It felt like a sign from on high, even if you were the one who believed in signs like that.

You both left the store half an hour later, his wallet a bit lighter, but pocket heavier.

You make dinner that night, something simple, but delicious and Shanks, never one to second guess himself, jumps right in.

“I want to marry you.”

Your eyes widen as you nearly spit out your drink. “Wh-“

He pulls the rings out and continues. “I know you didn’t dream about living in a one bedroom apartment with shitty heating and cooling, and that you deserve better than I can give you, but I promise you that you’ll have it one day. Whatever you want, a big house, dogs or cats, a huge ugly gold and crystal chandelier in the foyer. I want to give that all to you.”

You take his hand in yours. “Shanks, baby, we may not live the life you think we deserve, but I live the life I want with you every day. I don’t care about any of that stuff, not really. So what if our heating breaks in the middle of winter? So what if I can’t have a big yard or house? I’d rather have you.”

He feels his eyes get a little misty and he turns away. “I’m not the one who’s supposed to be crying here.”

You roll your eyes and slip one of the rings on. “I’ll marry you.”

He kisses you deep, a grin on his face that won’t go away no matter how hard he tries.

The wedding takes place in a court house, costing no more than 120 dollars and the two of you wearing the nicest clothes you can afford, but its perfect and neither of you would dream of anything else, not when you have each other. This is the life you deserve, and he can give it to you after all.

[ravencincaide]

Title:  His loss

Synopsis: You didn’t expect that it would bother you so much,  Dazai’s love for women who were ‘not-You’. Your saving grace is that you aren't alone in this- you still have Chuuya there to cheer you up.

Pairing: Chuuya x fem! reader, mention of Chuuya x Dazai x Fem!reader 

Warning: Alcohol and excessive drinking, cursing, hint at intimacy and oral, mention of throuple/ polyamory, mention of cheating 

Enjoy

____________________________________________________________

You aren’t sure what your relationship is supposed to be, but you’re damned certain it’s not supposed to be like this. 

Back when you were single you were certain your love life would be of the morbid kind. Your lover would probably be someone with twisted preferences, who’d get off on pain and suffering. Someone who’d slap your ass more times than bring you flowers. However the one ‘twisted preference’ you weren’t prepared for was having your heart toyed with.  Were you together? Were you expected to be exclusive or were you on the opposite expected to gain experience that you’d then transfer to the bedroom? You weren’t certain- but you knew it was a discussion you’d need to have soon. 

“ I didn’t know you were in an open- relationship” your partner for the mission suddenly mused, finally breaking the silence that stretched on for hours between you two. He was staring into the window of a small nearby cafe a fair bit ahead of you. You were kind of surprised you could still make out his voice from this distance. Though it wasn’t the comment that annoyed you the most about him, but rather the way he dragged his feet on the mission and yet had time to windowshop the moment you two got back. 

Still, your icy one-liner died on your lips when you saw what he meant. The sight of Dazai so obviously flirting with the waitress. 

“ It’s nothing.” You replied in a flat voice, your eyes still glued to the sight of him; Dazai's puppy dog look as he stared at the waitress as if she hung the moon. The glimmer in his eyes as he saw something he wanted. A warm flush coloring his cheeks with excitement. He held the waitress's hand in between his own, stroking it in circles, his lips moving faster and faster. You could practically hear the purr of his voice- the longing promises you’ve heard hundreds of times. 

You wondered if he called her Belladonna too. 

“ Doesn’t look like nothing” Your subordinate practically purred in your ear, excited at the sight of you losing your emotionless composure. Even if it was for just a moment. The thought of you being gloomy, hurting and sad was exciting to him. 

 That sick bastard. 

“ Shut up. I made it clear it was nothing. Didn’t I?” You turned away from the sight of Dazai and the waitress and bore your eyes into your subordinate. The calm and professional look you always carried on missions was replaced by burning anger. If looks could kill, your subordinate would already combust into flames, twice.  “ Now get a move-on. We still have the report to do!”  

It took you three hours to wrap up the last of the mission, type up the report, order more ammunition and sign off on both yours and your mission-partners expenses. However before the ink on the page managed to dry you were out of the office and off home. 

When you got back, it was still early and neither of your partners were in sight. You took this as a chance to take a long burning hot shower, washing off the last of the dirt and grime of the mission. As the water poured over you, your thoughts drifted back to Dazai. Although he was normally the first one to be home, there was no trace of him in the house. Something told you he wouldn’t be coming back tonight. 

The thought made your stomach turn in an unpleasant fashion.

Turning off the water, you dried your hair before twisting it into a messy bun. You dressed into a pair of shorts and an oversized t-shirt which came down to your mid-thigh. Then you went into the kitchen and poured yourself a glass of bourbon on rocks in a whiskey glass. Downing the first one in one clunk you contemplated how many more you’d want, especially on an empty stomach. Deciding on ‘many’ you took out a bucket from the cupboard and filled it to the brim with ice. Normally Chuuya used it to keep his wine at perfect temperature whenever you were doing something together. Though you doubted Chuuya would care very much if you loaned it for a bit. Balancing the bucket in one hand, you carried your glass, the bottle of bourbon all the while balancing a bottle of coke between your fingers. You made it to the living room table just seconds away from dropping everything on the floor. But you made it. Rubbing your hands together to regain feeling, you moved to jump into the velvety couch right beside it, settling down lotus style.

Then you began drinking. 

You barely got through your first bourbon cola when you heard the key turn in the knob. You cursed to yourself wondering if you should head to the bedroom and continue there. Deciding that it would just make you look even more pitiful you poured yourself another glass, staring at the way the ice cubes danced at the surface of the drink. Your heart was in your throat, your pulse pounding loudly in your ears. Was Dazai actually coming home? Were you.. wrong?

“ You’re back already Y/N?” Chuuya called from the hallway as he kicked off his shoes. 

“ In here” you tried not to sound too disappointed. You heard him enter the room seconds after you called out to him. Coming up from behind, he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. 

“ Bourbon? Tough job?” 

You hummed a reply as you threw your head back, hitting his shoulder in the process, downing the glass in one move. This time there was more bourbon in it than cola. Your eyes teared up, your senses completely overwhelmed by the smoky sweet taste of your drink. You coughed a few times before shaking your head, deciding that next time you’d be more cautious when eyeballing proportions. Then you started making yourself said ‘another drink’. 

Chuuya watched you for a few moments before he moved to sit beside you. He shrugged his jacket off, leaving it on the edge of the couch before he poured himself a glass of wine. It was a Shiraz Cabernet which he got on the way home. Too cheap wine for his taste but he knew it was one of your favorites. He twirled the glass in his hand for a moment, enjoying its fragrant scent before tilting it towards you- a silent offer to abandon your drink of choice for something that's less likely to give you a hangover. 

Silently you raised your drink in response. Maybe after the next one. 

Chuuya took a sip of his wine. For a change he didn’t seem to care that it was a few degrees above perfect temperature. Pleasant silence lingered between the two of you, as you both tried to recover from your less-than-ideal week. Some days talking was just overrated. 

“ Have you seen Idiot- Dazai?” Chuuya finally asked as he finished his glass and poured himself another. 

“ Donno, I’m not his mother” You reply harsher than intended. 

Chuuya observed you for a long moment, trying to read your mind. He didn’t ask anything else, just watched you throw back glass after glass with no end in sight. As you ran out of cola, you made exaggerated suffering sighs, staring longingly at the empty glass. 

" A penny for your thoughts?" 

" I want another drink?" Chuuya actually laughed at you, shaking his head. Still he got up and headed to the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with another bottle of cola, a proper glass for whiskey- or in your case bourbon, cola, wine glass and a platter of cheese, crackers and fruit. He settled it down on the table before he started making your drink. In the meantime you reached forward and stole a few grapes from the platter. Some you ate while others you held up to his lips, which he parted instantly, not forgetting to press a kiss to your fingertips as a thank you. 

“ Here try this” he handed you the bourbon cola before sitting down beside you, his arm wrapping around your waist. It still surprised you how knowledgeable he was about alcohol and how he managed to make a simple bourbon cola perfect. Just the right strengths so there was only a hint of alcohol in the cola, refreshed with a bit of lemon. It made you wonder what you did to deserve him and whether he was happy like this, in this so-called relationship of yours.

“ Chuuya, are you- we exclusive?” 

“ What do you think, doll?” He asked back his eyes staring intensely into your own. Reaching forward he rested his palm on your cheek, his fingers near the back of your head pulling you forward. He met your lips halfway. The kiss held passion, desire and care but before you could deepen it he pulled back and reached for the wine, taking another sip. You could see the flush on his cheeks, the way he used the wine as an excuse to keep himself in check. 

It amazed you how he knew what you needed even before you could understand it yourself. 

You moved to rest your head on his shoulder, leaning your weight onto him. Instantly his arm was around you, keeping you close to himself. Another kiss, this one on your forehead. Then he just held you, giving you time with your thoughts. It didn’t take long for you to break the peaceful silence; “ But don’t you wanna try things with someone else? More experienced or just a different body?” 

Chuuya snorted into his wine “ Sweetheart your mouth alone can keep me going all night- we’ll not say about the rest of you” his hold tightened around you, his thumb rubbing comforting circles on your shirt. 

You leaned away from him, towards the table pouring yourself another straight shot of bourbon in your old glass. You were using it as an excuse to hide the smile tugging on your lips and the burning of your cheeks. Taking a sip, you made a face as you realized all the ice in your glass had melted. Setting it back down, you reached over and dropped a few cubes of ice from the bucket into it before leaving it on the table to cool down faster. 

“ I’m not fucking anyone else either- so you know” you stated as you once again rested against his shoulder, under the warms of his arm. 

“ What’s with the questions? Did you see Dazai fuck another woman or something?” When you didn’t reply Chuuya bore his eyes into you “ What? Seriously?” 

“ Not fuck but-” you reached for the glass of still piss-warm bourbon and downed it in one go, giving Chuuya all the reply he needed. 

“ Fucking idiot, rack of bandages- stupid.” you heard Chuuya mutter under his breath. 

The colorful curse words just reminded you of Dazai’s look of adoration as he stared at the waitress in the cafe. Instead of making you angry however it just caused you hurt. It made you doubt yourself- if you understood him correctly and his intentions with this relationship. Was it always supposed to be this free-wishy washy- open-kinda thing between you three? Or did he change his mind after you three slept together? Did he have you and then decide he didn’t want you anymore? 

That thought hurt more than you’d like to admit. 

Noticing your somber look, Chuuya grabbed your arm and pulled you until you were saddling his lap. His arms dropped to your waist, holding you in place. His warm breath on your face smelled sweet and grapy from the wine. “ His loss.” Chuuya finally concluded against your lips “ That means I have you all to myself- and plenty of time to make you forget that idiot.”

Taking his face in your hands, you closed the remaining distance between you. You kissed him with all you had, silently praying that he’d make you stop thinking about your relationship and Dazai- if only for tonight. 

[matttgirlies]

Matt & Me🎀

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

a story heavily based on Priscilla Presley’s Book “Elvis & Me” based in the 1950’s - 1970’s.

fem! reader x singer! matt

disclaimer!! - in no way am i saying matt would ever support or do these kind of things, for the sake of the book certain unethical things do happen at times.

warnings - none i dont think

y/nn = your nickname for anyone confused🩷

Chapter 4

It was already Christmas 1959, and I had no idea what to get Matt. I walked through the crowded streets of Wiesbaden, windowshopping, trying to get ideas. Picking out gifts for the family had always been easy, since we always knew exactly what was wanted or needed; in fact, we often made our gifts for one another. On this occasion my father gave me thirty-five dollars to spend on Matt, and it seemed a vast amount to me when I set out on this freezing cold day. I was slapped with the reality when I noticed a beautiful hand-made cigar box with porcelain outlining and a decorative design. Matt, a cigar smoker, would have loved it. But after the shopkeeper told me the price, 650 Deutsche marks or $155, all I walked out with was my expensive taste.

It was snowing heavily and I hurried into another shop, this one full of bright toys, including a solidly built toy German train that I could imagine Matt instantly setting up in his living room. But the train cost 2,000 Deutsche marks.

Heading home in the dark, on the verge of tears, I spotted a music store, where a pair of bongo drums inlaid with gleaming brass were displayed in the window. They were forty dollars, but the clerk took mercy on me and sold them for thirty-five. As I headed home I was beset by a thousand doubts, convinced that the drums were the least romantic of gifts.

I must have asked Nate Doe and David Jones twenty times if they thought the drums were appropriate. “Oh sure,” Nate said. “Anything you give him, he’ll like.” I still wasn’t convinced.

On the night we exchanged gifts, Matt emerged from his dad’s room and drew me to one corner of the living room, where he handed me a small wrapped box, in it, a delicate gold watch with a diamond set on the lid and a ring with a pearl bracketed by two diamonds.

I had never owned anything so beautiful, nor had any smile ever warmed me as Matt’s did then. “I’ll cherish these forever,” I told him, and he made me put them on right away and took me around to show everyone.

I waited as long as possible to give Matt my present. Laughing, he said, “Bongos! Just what I always wanted!” Matt could see that I didn’t believe him; he was better at giving than receiving. “Charlie,” he persisted, “didn’t I need some bongos?”

Motioning for me to sit next to him at the piano, he started playing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” with such emotion that I couldn’t look up for fear he’d see I was crying. When at last I couldn’t resist meeting his eyes, I saw that he too was holding back tears.

It was not until many days later that I discovered a whole closet full of bongo drums, mine not included, in the basement. The fact that my white elephants had not been throw into the closet but instead were prominently displayed beside his guitar made me love him all the more.

As the days passed I began to dread the day of Matt’s departure. By January he was already packing, and each night I spent with him became more precious than the one before.

Then, just as the weather turned freezing cold, Matt was sent out on field maneuvers for ten days, and if there was anything Matt hated, it was having to sleep outside on the frozen ground.

The morning after he left, it began to snow and by afternoon it was a blizzard. As Michelle and I were driving home from school with my mother, I turned on the radio, just in time to hear a late-breaking news bulletin.

“Sorry to interrupt, folks, but it was just reported that Corporal Matt Sturniolo has been rushed from field maneuvers to a hospital in Frankfurt, suffering from an acute attack of tonsillitis. Matt, if you’re listening, we all hope you get well real soon.”

Frantic with worry, I called the hospital, hoping to learn more about his condition. To my surprise, when the operator heard my name she put me right through, saying Corporal Sturniolo had left word to do so if I called.

“I’m a sick man, Little One,” Matt rasped. “I need you by my side. If it’s okay with your folks, I’ll send David for you right now.”

Of course my parents gave me permission to go to the hospital, and an hour later I entered his room, just as the nurse was leaving. Matt was propped up in bed with a thermometer in his mouth, surrounded by dozens of floral arrangements.

The moment the nurse was gone, Matt took the thermometer out of his mouth, lit a match, and carefully held it under the thermometer. Then he stuck the thermometer back in his mouth and slumped down on the bed just as the door opened and the nurse returned, carrying in even more flowers.

Smiling warmly to her famous patient, she took the thermometer out of Matt’s mouth, looked at it, and gasped, “A hundred and three. Why, Matt, you’re really sick. I’m afraid you’ll have to stay here at least a week.”

Matt nodded mutely as the nurse fluffed up his pillows, filled his water glass, and left the room. Then he burst out laughing, jumped out of bed, and took me in his arms.

He despised maneuvers, and since the weather was so bad and everyone was so worried about his voice, his answer was tonsillitis. Already susceptible to catching colds, Matt learned to dramatize his sickness with a little flick of a match.

It was March 1, 1960, the night before Matt was to leave Germany to return to the States.

We were lying on his bed, our arms around each other. I was in a state of complete despair.

“Oh, Matt,” I said, “I just wish there were some way you could take me with you. I can’t stand the thought of life without you. I love you so much.”

I began sobbing, my anguish overcoming my control.

“Shhh, Baby,” Matt whispered. “Try to calm down. There’s nothing we can do.”

“I’m just afraid you’ll forget me the moment you land,” I cried.

He smiled and kissed me gently. “I’m not going to forget you, y/nn. I’ve never felt this way about another girl. I love you.”

“You do?” I was stunned. Matt had said that I was special before, but he’d never said that he loved me. I wanted so badly to believe him, but I was frightened of getting hurt. I’d read some of Nicole’s letters, and I was sure Matt was on his way back to her open arms.

Holding me close, he said, “I’m torn with the feelings I have for you. I don’t know what to do. Maybe being away will help me understand what I really feel.”

That night our lovemaking took on a new urgency. Would I ever see him again, be in his arms the way I had been nearly every night for the past six months? I missed him already. I could not bear the thought of the night ending and our saying goodbye for what I thought would be the last time. I wept and wept until my body ached with pain.

For the last time I begged him to finally have sex with me. It would have been so easy for him. I was young, vulnerable, desperately in love, and he could have taken complete advantage of me. But he quietly said, “No. Someday we will, y/n, but not now. You’re just too young.”

I lay awake all that night and early the next morning I was back at 18 Hauptstrasse, lost in the midst of a large group of people milling about the living room. They were waiting to say goodbye to Matt, who was upstairs finishing his last-minute packing. Knowing that I alone would be accompanying him to the airport gave me little comfort.

When Matt came downstairs, he laughed and joked with everyone there. Finally, after saying his last goodbye, Matt turned to me. “Okay, Little One, it’s time to go.”

I nodded glumly and followed him out the door. Oblivious to the drizzling rain, hundreds of fans were waiting outside. When they saw Matt they went crazy, begging him to sign autographs. When he finished he jumped into the waiting car and pulled me in behind him. As the door slammed, the driver accelerated and we sped toward the airport.

We rode for a long while in silence, both of us lost in thought. Matt was gazing out the window, frowning over the falling rain. “I know it’s not going to be easy for you to go back to being a schoolgirl again after being with me, y/nn, but you’ve got to. I don’t want you to be sitting around moping after I leave, Little One.”

I started to protest, but he silenced me. “Try to have a good time, write to me every chance you get. I’ll look forward to your letters. Get pink stationery. Address them to Nate. That way I’ll know they’re from you. I want you to promise me you’ll stay the way you are. Untouched, as I left you.”

“I will,” I promised.

“I’ll look for you from the top of the ramp. I don’t want to see a sad face. Give me a little smile. I’ll take that with me.”

Then, handing me his combat jacket and the sergeant’s stripes he’d recently been

awarded, he said, “I want you to have these. It shows you belong to me.” After that, he held me tight.

As we approached the airport, the cheers of the waiting crowds grew louder. We drove as close to the runway as possible, then Matt turned to me and said, “This is it, Baby.”

We got out as cameras flashed, reporters shouted, and screaming fans pressed toward us. Matt held my hand and walked across the runway apron until the guard, who was there to escort Matt to the plane, stopped me from going further.

Matt gave me a brief hug and whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll call you when I get home, Baby, promise.”

I nodded, but before I could answer, we were pulled apart as the crowd rushed in. I was swept away by hundreds of fans, pushing and pulling, trying to get to him. I cried, “Matt!” but he never heard me.

He ran up the boarding steps. Then he turned and waved to the crowd, his eyes searching for me. I waved frantically, as did hundreds of other fans, yet he found me, and for one more brief moment, our eyes locked. Then he disappeared. Just like that.

My parents came to the airport to drive me back to Wiesbaden. During the long ride I was silent.

Excerpt from: "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley. Scribd.

This material may be protected by copyright.

a/n - sad chapter 😪 (sorry its shorter than ones before)🎀

[ichig00]

Enemies LOVERS

A/N: I do not hate Ada (no one should because she's a great character and made the game more interesting!) I LOVE ADA. Her character here is ONLY FOR THIS STORY'S PLOT.

WARNING: cheating, violence, revenge, anger, etc.

Your mouth agape opened, shocked upon what you have witnessed. Ada, pinning a random guy in a bathroom stall while kissing him.

"I fucking new it." bursting the door out open as you enter the comfort room, Ada and the guy look up to you. Ada smirked. "Oh, I'm sure you knew it." Ada, move away from the guy with a smirk on her lips as she stands feets away.

"You're cheating on Leon!" Your voice echoes across the women's comfort room. She let out a laugh.

"What you gonna do now? Run around? shouting everyone the great news you found?" Without fading the smirk, Ada spoke. Your hand curling into a fist as you glared back to Ada.

"You run to us, ruining our relationship and cheating on him!" You took steps to close off the gap between you and Ada. Both of you now stand close to each other face to face, the tension becoming hotter as the atmosphere around becomes heavier.

"Leon is the one making the choice. It's not my fault you're not good enough f to satisfy him." Ada's words make you chew your inside cheek, gritting your teeth while trying not to smash her face at the sink of the restroom.

After finding out that Leon cheated on your, Leon had decided to break ties with you. Afraid that he might hurt you more if he continues his relationship with you. Now you found his 'new girl' that he cheated on you, cheating on him too. How karma works so mysteriously.

You love Leon very much. Even until now, you still love him, but there's already emotions mixing with it. You still care for your ex-boyfriend after he cheated and broke your heart into tiny pieces.

How pathetic you are.

"He chose you, and you wasted the choice he made." You replied with gritted teeth. It hurts you so much, knowing that he would be hurt after knowing it.

Your heart is still in pain after he broke it a month ago. It hurts how Leon can waste years of being together just to be with another cheater.

You hissed when Ada pulled your hair from the back of your head. "A word from you wouldn't change anything to us." She whispered then let go of your hair. You pulled yourself together, trying not to fight back because that wasn't you. You don't fight back physically. You're smart enough not to raise a hand to anyone.

She walked out of the restroom with the guy tailing her around. You rolled your eyes and landed on the mirror. You sighed and fixed your hair.

She's not getting away with it. They're not getting away.

It wasn't Ada's fault. Atleast not everything of it. It's Leon's fault for letting himself submit to Ada and for not considering everything in your relationship. You gave everything, you gave him love. Provided care and was always there for him when he needed someone.

But you can't help but blame Ada, too. She already knows that Leon's already in a relationship but still went for it.

You're not letting yourself hidden in the dark. Vengeance is on the way.

"Stunning as always." Said by Chris, who's standing at your front door. "I know. You look good as always." You complimented him back and kissed your parents goodbye.

"Show them what you got, baby!" Your Mom cheered as you walked out of the door with your longe evening gown wiandarm curled up to Chris biceps.

"We will!" Chris shouted back as he opened the door of his passenger seat. You went inside with Chris' help.

Chris isn't whom you expected to be your escort in the prom. Leon and you were very excited about this that you two even do windowshop for the one you will wear on a very special day, but all those went down the pit when he cheated.

You arrived at the prom, greeted some of your friends. "Good thing Chris had already someone to go with the prom with." Claire teased after you greeted her, everyone in the group laugh.

Chris has always liked you eversince before you dated Leon. Of course, you knew about that. He was so obvious when he's with you until he admitted it one day. But Leon is whom you love, Whom you wanted to be with. Gladly Leon returned those feelings but unfortunately broke it down, too.

"Now, don't be falling too hard, Chris." Jill added knowing about Chris feelings. He shook his head with a chuckle in response. "Too late." He said and lifted your chin up and kissed you, which you gladly kissed back.

"'Atta boy!" Carlos cheered, followed by the cheer of everyone else in the group. The kiss broke off , and you followed it by kissing Chris in the cheek, which he smiled softly to.

Now, you and Chris are not dating, but there is something between you two. You started to grow fond of him as the bond between the two of you deepened. He console you and been with you since the break up. He's taking the chance, and you're using it. He knows that you haven't moved on from Leon. He accepted that he was second in your heart and probably would be there for the rest of your life. He respects you a lot and respects your feelings towards Leon.

He tried moving on from you when you dated Leon, but he couldn't. He loves you too much, so he let those feelings flow and grow.

And he must say, it is totally worth it because know you're in his arms and he would cherish you so much while you're at it.

"I'll borrow your love for a while." Ashley pulled ypu away from Chris, Chris nodded and sat down with Carlos and the others.

Ashley pulled me at the drinks table. "Surely, you haven't moved on, have you?" Ashley, ask whispering in your ear as her arms wrapped around yours.

"Does it matter now?" You ask, grabbing a drink from the table. Ashley frowned her brows while she looked at you like you've said the dumbest thing she heard in her life.

"Well, your plan is working. Leon already knows about Ada cheating, and he is mad." Ashley whispered once again. You smiled.

Of course, it was under your fingers. You told your friends about what happened the other day, and your friends always got your back and did their job to spread everything to the whole campus without mentioning your name.

This was only the taste of your vengeance. The after-party would be good at Luis house later.

You saw Leon and Ada enter the venue, your eyes met, but you didn't look away or smile. You just stared into his soul, shooting daggers.

The prom really went well with Chris and friends. It was really fun. You enjoyed the night as it went on. Leon and Ada got named as the King and Queen of the night. You clapped but didn't let that affect you. Your eyes met Luis, and he smirked as you smiled.

Your friends really got your back.

In Luis house, everything is going smoothly as planned. Everyone is enjoying, and Leon and Ada are here, of course. Your eyes are everywhere, taking notes of the things that might ruin your plan.

"Ready for the show?" Luis asked as he handed you a glass of alcohol. You smiled. "You know I love drama." You replied, taking a sip at your glass.

You see your target couple seating and making out at the couch, and here comes the bait standing behind the couch while shooting signals to Ada, who literally took the bait as she excuses herself to Leon and went up the stairs. The guy smirked at you before following Ada upstairs. Your eyes met Luis, and Luis let out a small laugh.

Minutes later, you're standing near the staircase drinking with your friends as Leon starts to look for Ada.

"Oh, I think I saw her upstairs." Claire answered him with a smile and drink on her hand. "Don't worry, man, she might be with her friends." Carlos said, assuring him while being aware of the whole plan.

"Let's look for her, Amigo!" Luis said then wrapped his arms into Leon's shoulder, Leon hesitated at first but let out a soft chuckle before sparing you a glance and went up the stairs.

"Working well, huh?" Chris whispered in your ears as he wrapped an arm around your waist. You turned to look at him and pulled him in a kiss. "It always works well." You whispered back after pulling away, he smirked.

Chris liked the plan you have set up. He thinks Leon deserves this after breaking your heart.

"Let's watch the drama!" Ashley excitedly said and pulled Claire and Jill upstairs. You followed from behind with Chris and Carlos.

"What the fuck?!" You smiled upon hearing Leon's voice at the first room you saw at the second floor. Some people started to gather at the doorway. You made your way through the crowd.

Your eyes widen as you do not expect Ada to be almost half naked in the bed, while the guy is already topless.

Your eyes met Ada, she glared as she fixed herself up. "It's all because of you!" Ada shouted, looking directly at you, eyes shooting daggers. Your mouth agape opened, as the crowds spared you a gaze but then back to Ada.

"What the fuck are you talking about Ada?" Leon growled as Luis is stopping him to throw hands. "You're already caught red-handed." Jill commented.

Everyone started to murmur, confirming the rumours about Ada that's been going around the campus.

"I can't believe it, Ada." Leon stated again, Ada looked at him before running out the room, followed by the guy.

Leon eyes met yours. It was filled with pain and anger, like how your eyes were when you found him cheating on you. Leon walked out without saying anything else and disappeared from the crowd as you stood there.

The vengeance itself.

"Oh dear! Honey! Get down here!" You immediately emerge down your room upon hearing your mom downstairs. You stopped in the middle of the stair case upon seeing your "unexpected" visitor.

"Are you drunk?" You asked Leon and went down the stairs, and he immediately pulled you into a hug. Your mom gives you a meaniful look, you smiled as she walks away.

You heard Leon mumbling your name over and over again. "What happened?" You asked, you felt your shirt getting soaked. He's crying?

How dare he cry because of Ada when he didn't even shed a tear over you.

"Come, upstairs." You pulled the drunk Leon to your room, set him down the bed and comforted him.

"I can't believe... I cheated on you to get cheated on." You rolled your eyes mentally as Leon cried out. You patted his back and sighed. "Why are you here then?" You asked after he rant all of his heart out.

"I missed you... I miss you so much, and I hated myself when I hurt you." He sobbed. You're the only one who saw Leon at this state. Weak and pathetic, just like how you cried over him.

He got you confused. Is he crying over you or Ada?

"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have done it, I shouldn't have cheated on you." You smiled softly. You hate seeing him like this, but at the same time, it felt good.

'Do I really have to hurt you before you run back to me?'

"It's alright, Leon."

'I know you will always run to me.'

"What about Chris?" Leon asked, looking at you while he's leaning down; elbows in his thighs for support.

"He's just a friend." You said, of course you would lie if you want Leon to chase you again.

"Then." He said, sitting up, his hand went to cup your face. "I can do this." He then kisses you, you kissed back. He tastes like liquor, and you love it.

He's back to you now, but your love will never go back the same way as before. It was his fault, after all, for hurting you a lot.

"Can I go back?" He asked, his eyes pleading after you pulled your lips away from him. You smiled softly.

"Of course." He smiled after hearing your answer. "But not like before."

The game of flames begins now.

[tauforged]

that post indirectly reminded me of an ex friend who tried to stage a whole ass intervention in the group chat accusing me of being an animal hoarder because i was spending a lot of free time windowshopping for lizards that i had no intention of buying on the josh’s frogs website 😭 like in front of everyone too we were mid conversation about amazon milk frogs and they just came out swinging . we all thought it was a bit but they were dead serious. i had like… a betta fish another fish tank and a gecko at the time too like it was objectively the Least amount of animals i’ve had in my home historically

[wutheringmights]

hi! i’ve read in the dream house and speak bc of your reviews and Loved them. i find your analyses to be really insightful, i trust that when you recommend something theres Something of value i’ll get out of reading it. are there any books you’ve loved that you haven’t posted abt here yet? and how do you find new books to read? thanks for being so thoughtful abt your own writing and the books you read that it inspires me to study and improve my own work 🫡💞

Aw thank you! I always feel like I am yelling into the void whenever I make posts about the things I'm reading, so I'm glad you enjoy reading my thoughts <3

For books I haven't posted about yet... I just finished Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid (and will make a post about it soon). It's not a perfect read, but if you like horror and fairytale tropes, you'll get something about this.

Besides that, I recommend The Bell Jar by Slyvia Plath, and the works of Robert Cormier (I Am the Cheese and The Chocolate Wars are two of my favorites). If you like war stories, All Quiet On the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is required reading.

I really enjoy the works of Octavia Butler. Kindred is my absolute favorite, but Parable of the Sower is very relevant to the current political moment. Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich also scarred the fuck out of me, but is a great work on reproductive rights.

I did an entire seminar on Virginia Woolf. Besides Mrs. Dalloway, I think Into the Lighthouse and Orlando are very good.

For the classics, I love Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. One of the first classics I ever fell in love with was Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, though Great Expectations is also exceptional.

One of my favorite books of all time that I never discuss with anyone anywhere is Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, for obvious reasons. Read this book for two reasons. One, it will fuck you up. Nabokov's work with perspective and unreliable narrators is fucking insane. Second, Nabokov does something with the English language that I have never seen before and will probably never see again. If anyone has a command of the English language, it's him.

How do I find books to read? Some of the books I read before they are recommended to me by friends or by someone online. As long as you avoid romance/romantasy, BookTok/BookTube/Bookblr is a great place to get recs. I watch a lot of CariCanRead on Youtube because she reads a massive amount of books I have never heard of and is generally really honest about what books she liked/hated and why. I also windowshop at bookstores and libraries and just check out what is available on the shelves.

Honestly, the best advice I can give you is to let go of the idea of every book being impeccable art. You do not have to always be reading the Great American Novel. You can read books that are silly and outright trash. Once you shed the idea that books are some higher form of art, you remember that they are made to be entertainment. Like movies, there are going to be days where you want to watch post-modern French films or Oscar-winning movies about the turn of the century. There are also going to be days where you want to watch a silly comedy, or a trashy reality TV show, or you just go to the movies for something to do.

It's healthier for you if not every book is life changing. I have read some really bad books (some on purpose), and I have read some books that were just aggressively mediocre. Even if they didn't transform me into a better writer/reader/person, they were still worth reading. And when you give yourself permission to read books you might not necessarily like, it gets easier to try new genres and take risks on unfamiliar works. That's where you get new experiences. That's where a book sneaks up on you and smacks you on the back of the head with something that will absolutely make you change the way you see the world.

If anything, just try reading things you normally wouldn't read, be it sci-fi, memoir, historical epic, classic romance, etc.

[slocumjoe]

Companions and the things they like to do around settlements?

Assuming it isn't their home settlement, and instead somewhere they're just stopping by, as I've already done that here.

Cait; Goes and gets a drink from the bar, chats up the bartender with whatever story she has from her travels. If there's a proper guard force, breaks into their training yard and starts challenging everyone to sparring matches, unless the traveling was especially difficult/exhausting. Then she just sits and heckles everyone else. Lounges about until they leave, or exercises. Enjoys trying local cuisine, as it were.

Codsworth; Has a habit of tidying up everywhere. It's his programming. Finds brooms and sweeps the streets, shops, etc. Picks up garbage. Trims foliage. Codsworth doesn't have breaks. Actually gets nervous if he isn't cleaning something, feels aimless. But you can find him doing some routine patrols around the perimeter, since he doesn't sleep/eat. May as well help defend while the others get some rest.

Curie; Checks in at a few different places before they move on or turn in. First up is are the clinics, to help with any patients or urgent procedures. So, straight to work, really. If there's nothing the local doctors need her for, she's off to a library/bookseller to find more reading material. No bookseller? Straight to the bar/inn for food, and if they're staying the night, a bath and sleep. Will spend her time in settlements at the clinic if they stay for a few days.

Danse; If they're going to move out that day, follows Sole or takes point at the perimeter. If they're staying, goes to a garage or the guard barracks and leaves his Power Armor. Always paranoid it'll get stolen, but he can't just stomp around everywhere. Danse still takes guard patrol until its time to retire. Eats, has a few shots to try and sleep. Might take a shower if needed. Exercises, goes on patrol, and tunes/fixes his Power Armor.

Deacon; Always likes window-shopping, fucking loves markets. So if it's just a break, he'll spend most of his time wandering and people-watching after the standard self-care. Y'know, food, shower, quick nap. If they're staying for a while, mostly the same. The only difference is he'll take the time to go undercover, do his spy thing, get intel. Will change his hotel rooms every day, sells his disguise clothing, buys new outfits.

Gage; Does his own kind of windowshopping at markets. Doesn't always steal, though. He's not swiping garbage just to prove he can. Gage has a few different places you can find him. Off in a quiet area, whittling, smoking, cleaning his weaponry, for one. But you can also find him hanging around the farms watching the animals, at a bar keeping his ear out for useful info, or—potentially surprising—buying/reading books. Gage talks himself down as an uneducated thug, but his INT stat of 6 says otherwise. All that learning has to come from somewhere.

Hancock; Nap. NAP. Sleepy man. Naps at the inn, gets something to eat, hangs out at a bar until its time to leave. Pretty much his whole routine regardless of how long they stay. If it's a really long time by traveling standards (a week-ish), will also go spar/scrap with anyone willing. Wants to keep his senses sharp, you know how it is. If single, will flirt around and mingle. Most likely to somehow piss off the guards and get in legal trouble, somehow.

MacCready; Same as Hancock, food, nap, or waiting. If staying for a few days, earns some good, honest caps by challenging people at the shooting range. If Duncan is in the Commonwealth, will put those caps aside for his 'college fund'. It's just money for Duncan to have when he's older. MacCready can also be found looking for comic books, trinkets, nerdy stuff at shops, or playing with animals at the farms. If neither, journals and takes it easy.

Nick; Finds a nice place to sit, lights up a cigarette, waits. Gives himself a tune up or has a mechanic do it, if one's available. Danse is usually his go-to and they both despise it. If Nick is staying in a settlement for more than a day, oh man. This poor guy. It's like aggrieved people can smell him. Turn your back on him for ten minutes, and someone's run into the street sobbing that their husband is missing, and you'll be lucky if you can catch Nick's coat fluttering behind him as he bolts after the trail. It's just what Nick does. You might have to glue him to a chair if you want him to rest.

Piper; Gets a bite to eat, or a soda, and runs around interviewing, getting all kinds of news and rumors. Stocks up on candy. Same for a longer stay, she just spends more time writing and showers. Can also be seen playing with local kids, telling stories. Rarely, you'll see her shadowing a person of interest, someone powerful in the settlement. She only does so if there's something sketchy she's ferreted out. Be a doll and distract the bodyguard, would'ja?

Preston; Straight to guard patrol. Preston can't go from 'alert' to 'calm.' He needs the transition of 'could be either.' Sole will have to make him take a breather. Preston will spend the few days they stay running around, doing busy work, checking in on everything. How's food and supplies, how's economy, how are the guards, how are the walls, the turrets, etc etc etc. If someone is able to convince him that nothing is about to go to shit, he breathes a sigh of relief, and sits in his hotel room drawing. Maps, animals, flowers, ammunition...something to distract him for a bit.

X6-88; Tends to vanish, when they stop at settlements. Maybe he's back in the Institute, not wanting to spend time in a surface trashheap. Maybe he's just using a stealth boy so no one talks to him. If forced to participate in downtime, will lurk from the shadows and people watch. Eats, sleeps, and washes quickly, lest his more human needs be noticed. Might linger around garages, see how people modify or clean their gear and judge them. Otherwise...goes ghost.

[hyunsvngs]

i finally come bearing another chan dream!! i swear i haven't dreamt in ages it seems like

i went out with chan to this like, either it was an open market or just really busy shopping center, and the biiiiiiig skzoo statues were still up nearby and they'd had outfit changes. the wolf chan one was wearing chan's global citizen fest outfit!

so while we were out walking i saw it, and i was like "aw wolf channie is still here i wanna go see it!!! but my legs were exhausted so i don't wanna cross through the crowd"

but chan was like "oh hop on, ill carry you over to where it is," and he literally got down so i could climb on his back. on god i swear i thought my heartbeat was gonna wake me up bc chan's back,,, lord i'm down bad

so i hesitate to get on but chan's teasing me, and tries to say smth like oh i don't think he's strong enough?? which, he probably is but also i definitely perceive myself as heavy

and then i got on his back and he was all giggly talking to me about smth making sure i was comfortable, but also he was teasing me about something and i got all embarrassed. he was so cute 😭😭 he carried me over to the wolf chan statue but he was like "but im cuter right??"

i wish i had more in that dream though i wanna go to markets and go windowshopping with him 🥲 chans always so sweet in my dreams im like how are u always here and always so good

cheers to the weekend!!! maybe ill keep sleeping good,, -dream anon

NOOO FRIEND I CAN SO IMAGINE HIM SMILING AND BEING ALL "BUT I'M CUTER RIGHT?" OH BOYYY WHAT THE FREAK! THAT'S SO CUTE. i haven't had any skz related dreams lately but i keep thinking about jisung nonstop as per usual so here's to hoping...

[aeide-thea]

i forgot to write this down when i first heard about it so now the details are fuzzy (and honestly it was never going to be as funny/wild to any of you as it was to me), but for some reason i was just reminded of it, so. have this Familial Anecdote:

my dad and i were talking the other day about driving to maine,¹ iirc because Baby Sister had sent us a zillow listing for a cottage there,² and in the course of this conversation it came out that, in a turn of events i had somehow never heard about in literal decades of Dad Stories, he and my mother had apparently decided at some point in their unrecognizably spontaneous youth to Drive to Maine because they were 'already close,'³ and because this was in, like, the eighties, i.e. a time before google maps, they wildly underestimated the time this trip was going to take and got there at, like, two in the morning… but as it turned out this wasn't actually a problem because, as it so happens, the l.l. bean store stays open. fucking. 24 hours a day.⁴ so it all worked out fine in the end: they still got to go shopping!⁵

⸻ ¹ not 'talking about' as in 'actually planning to,' to be clear, just 'talking about' as in 'discussing what it's like to.' ² Baby Sister likes to windowshop zillow listings in her spare time, it's a whole Thing. i hear she's not alone in this tho. ³ narrator: they were not, in fact, close… i forget exactly where he said they were starting from, but i think it was, like, boston-ish. lol. lmao. &c. ⁴ you may have already been aware of this fact and thus be totally unfazed by this anecdote but for me it was like. double whammy of absolutely unrecognizable parental behavior, topped off with place i would possibly least expect to be open around the clock???? (also now i am envisioning a like. mixed-up files remix where they're hiding out in an REI or something. eating the tinned provisions and sleeping in the tents.) ⁵ what, if anything, was actually purchased on this occasion is outside the scope of this narrative.

[my-castles-crumbling]

okay this is going to be extremely long so apologies in advance

my parents are being bloody overprotective bitches and it's pissing me the hell off. my school, that they picked, is full of rich snobbish brats. my family isn't rich and we can't always do what they do yk? doesn't mean that we're not well off because we are but again not so much that our lifestyles are going to be the same and that's fine. the girls in my school have been going on international trips since before they could walk and i hear about it all the time and i told my parents about it and they explained why we couldn't go but we've been to the best places in our home country and that's been amazing, we've gone on several a year and that's great. but you feel a little well more than a little left out when you hear everyone talking about their international trips, including my best friends so obviously stung a bit, but it's fine. i went on my first one this year at fourteen and seriously i'm probably starting to sound a little ungrateful but i promise, i'm not. then it's practically a known fact that everyone in my year will leave to study abroad for their undergrad and i can't because it's too expensive even though i've always wanted to and i'm smarter than them but that's fine, i'll change my life plan to accomodate that. people have been coming home themselves since they were younger than 10 and they didn't let me until this year. fine, they're just looking out for me. everyone around me had their first sleepovers by twelve but my best friends and i had our first ones this year, and okay fine. i try to understand and accomodate what they want all the time i'm okay with that. the problem here is that i asked them if i could go out with my friend after school to a mall to go to the arcade, have lunch, windowshop a bit and that sort of stuff. my mom outright said no but my dad tends to be more reasonable so i calmly explained all the reasons why i think i should be allowed to go. i'm more mature and responsible than most people my age, my friend lives near the mall and has been there unsupervised, everyone else already has gone out without adult supervision and it's not going to be a regular thing. my dad said that he'd rather i do something more "industrious" but like we have a school event on that day so not like i'd do anything productive in the first place and i kid you not, everyone's going out with their friends. my parents' excuse is that they want me to focus on my studies and they don't think it's a pastime fit for someone of my age. firstly, they were the ones to send me to this school filled with rich snobby bitchy and condescending brats (they say they didn't know that the people would be like that) and now they honestly can't expect me to not want to fit in also it's not that deep every teenager in my city does it why tf can't i. i understand why some things just can't work out for me and i adjust accordingly. but this? it's bad enough that my country's culture is so restrictive that teenagers don't have the freedom or the trust to go around by themselves but everyone does this and they're not even saying it like a just not now thing, i can't go out like that for the entirety of high school like fuck you. i'm not ungrateful okay i appreciate everything but at the same time i do a lot of shit without adult supervision, though it took forever for them to let me, so why not the mall. it sucks, feeling like an outcast because everyone else does it and i can't even go to parties or movies man without adult supervision and i'm extremely responsible so i don't get why. and they're like "look at all the things you do that your friends don't" there's literally nothing i do that at least half my year doesn't too. like i just want to be like them yk and i don't give two shits about popularity but my life is pretty boring and i can't even go out and do shit like everyone around me?? how's that even fucking fair and then i tried to insist, kinda threw a tantrum (not my proudest moment) and then they threatened to stop letting my friends come over, so sincerely, fuck them.

Hi!

Okay so I think this is a chance to SHOW them you're mature. Sit them down and ask to have an adult conversation. Ask them why they don't want you to go by yourself and ask if there's any sort of compromise you can make (like they go but are in a different store or something). Calmly explain why this is important, and if they still say no, then ask what you can do to get them to say yes.

I understand why you want to go. Everyone else does, and it sucks to be left out. I dealt with that a lot growing up, so I really feel your pain here. But the last thing you want to do is throw a tantrum because then you're just proving your parents right. Prove them wrong by making a compromise or asking what you can do to get what you want, and they'll be more likely to treat you maturely, like you want, you know?

Sending you so much love <3

[smallwolfcollective]

Cy-Borg: Live for You Session 4

Welcome bottomfeeders and protozoa alike! This is your weekly recap of the exploits of Hadal Live, the newest generation of Killtubers as they explore the megadungeon known as Saimya Holy Livewell!

Catchup here The group made plans to go fishing, doing some idle windowshopping at the nearby dispensary, who's drug fabricator had been stolen by the Razors, the biker gang the group had previously pissed off. The group found themselves side-tracked when a mysterious, high value RCD package was left unattended in the middle of the front room, they didn't open it, but Rufus, a drifter living the foyer of the dungeon, accidently set off the glitter bomb, coating several of the members on stream. They went to the nearby juicehut to find the culprits, the Prank Boys, follower of the Killtuber Prankboy Cody. They demanded an on air-apology. The boys did not receive that well, and opened fire with mircoguns. The group learned that automatic weapons, even small ones, are no joke, nearly icing DJ megaphauna. But they ultimately triumphed.

They took the final tasered prankboy's clothing, giving them to Rufus. They then went fishing, but after hooking the fish they were seeking, were unable to secure it before it slipped the line! Ah well, better luck next time! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First proper fight, 4 sessions in. Was plenty dangerous! Prismatic Wasteland, we need to have a talk cause this exploding encounter table isn't working, though the setup of "the more you stream, the more money you make, and the more dangerous things get" is a good one. In this case it may not work particularly well, as weird things pop up in places that don't make sense rather than "hey everyone can see you know." A better way to do it is... every floor's encounter is table one. And then beyond that it's encounters with fans, fame leeches, rival streamers, all the way up to professional haters and influencermancers. Still need to figure out what to do with the debt. What makes it difficult is that debts are random, ranging from Lou's paltry 4000 credit debt, to DJ and Jio's crushing 10,000 debt.

Sprites for the full party though!