#otherwise thats just hell with extra steps

[lokis-wager]

I never liked reincarnation as a religious belief/afterlife/whatever because I don't wanna be someone else. I'm me. Fuck off.

[revelboo]

Maybe some optimus, metroplex, or tfp ratchet pretty please🙏 I have no special reason bc you always make sure we're fed regularly I'm just addicted to them💅 *looping around your legs like a cat and you're holding the treat bag*

Also I am floored over some(all tbh) of the other characters recent chapters and just how many different paths all these stories are on and how well they all flow like do you somehow have extra storage space in your brain??? Where can I get the update installed for myself😂how the hell are you sorting all these bc you may pump them out fast but thats still like a lot of things to track😅 plz tell me you have a comically large brick of sticky notes you're slowly going through bc otherwise real talk if youre just rawdogging this all by memory plz ignore the request and give your brain a rest🙏we ly but plz make sure to take breaks with lots of snacks and sleep💗

Nah, I just keep track of them in my head. I’m weird like that 😅 I’m doing better now. First day I’ve woken up without a headache in two weeks

I Can Feel You Pt 11

Metroplex x Reader

• Rasping softly, brows creasing in frustration that he can’t speak. Still. Keeps his head turned toward where you’re sitting on a table with Ratchet’s tools as the medic works to repair the drone’s damaged systems. To give him a voice again. Something pulls, hurts and there’s a burst of staticky noise. “Little one,” he says, not his voice, but his words. And you stand, little fingers fisted in the blanket Ratchet has given you. “I think everything should be back online now, but take it easy. This drone’s been inactive for centuries,” Ratchet says. But he’s not listening, focused on you as he mass shifts the drone to your size, the energy strain slamming through him in drowning pain. Crippling him and severing the connection to the drone. Hearing Ratchet’s frustrated, “What did I just say?”

• Visor dimming, the drone sags. “Metroplex?” Looking from him to Ratchet when the medic vents tiredly. “Is he gone again?” Nodding, the medic slams down a tool a bit rougher than necessary. “Can I sit with him until he comes back? Please,” you add as he frowns at you.

• “Probably not a good idea. Any involuntary movement could hurt you even at that size,” he mutters so you content yourself with sitting on the edge of the table, legs dangling. “We should at least get some answers,” he grumbles. “No matter how much damage we repair, he’s rerouting energy somewhere and staying critically low.” Hesitating as he begins cleaning his tools, he looks at you, expression critical. “Hound told me you’d said the Titan was speaking to you.”

• Face heating at the memory that speaking isn’t all you’d done, you shrug weakly. “He was lonely. I started talking to him first.” Because you’d been lonely, too. Overlooked a lot of the time by the Autobots just because you’re so small, an after thought most of the time. Easily forgotten. But Metroplex had heard you, seen you. Reached out in return. Echoing your loneliness and halving it.

• Again. Frustrated as he retreats deeper into himself, knows he needs to build energy again. Be patient. But the drone is there with you. It’s mass displaced. These are steps forward, not stumbles. He just has to remain on course. You’re waiting for him. You’ll be right there. He needs to believe it, desperate to hold you in his arms even if they’re borrowed. To recharge with your heartbeat against him, to hear your soft voice and to be able to answer. Wants to hear about your day, your dreams, everything. And he’s getting closer to that goal. Closer to you.

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Amusing myself all the way to Pier Park leaving notes

[moonsidesong]

finished UT Yellow pacifist ! i really really enjoyed it! i will definitely be going back for the other runs but i'd like to let this sit for at least a few days before i go back in.

extended thoughts below!! yaayay!!!!

ok im sorry to open with a negative thought but if i can be a little mean. ceroba's fight suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. visually its insanely cool, musically its insanely cool, the presentation overall rocks, but gameplay wise its the worst ive played so far bar none.

i think this game for the most part had pretty fun and interesting bullet patterns for the bosses and, especially in the case of Axis, El Bailador, and Guardener's fights, i really got the sense i was getting a little better each time as i memorized the attacks, which is exactly what i want from a UTDR boss fight! i heart memorization.

... but Ceroba's fight was the only one where i felt like the bullet patterns just had no rhyme or reason to them. i think using several simple attacks to make a layered complicated one is a good idea in theory but in the way they did it i kinda just felt like she was throwing random crap at me and when I did beat it (which took i think around an hour) i sorta just got the impression that i was lucky enough her RNG picked the easier ones a few extra turns in a row rather than feeling like i actually accomplished anything (anything with the gravity black hole added was just kind of a death sentence for me, maybe its a skill issue but i feel like yknow. im okaaayyy at bullet hell... wah...)

also, i dont know much about game design, but the overall momentum of the fight is set up to really only be good if you beat it the first time. which is not great. they make you watch a cutscene every time you die and although it is brief, it breaks things up just a little too long! you get really sick of hearing the first few notes of what are otherwise great songs in her fight, and it makes it harder to feel for her when watching her scream starts to become annoying. i think if it were up to me, it'd be best if when you died, there was no cutscene, and the game over screen didnt have music or text and was JUST the Retry/Continue prompts so you can jump back into the action quickly. if we wanna take it a step further, because the music opens with such intense notes, stop making it start over!!!! pick it up where it left off!!!! maybe even have the game over menu not even stop the music, just muffle it temporarily or something. i dont know. thats what id do if it were up to me but i did not make anything im just a guy writing a tumblr post

anyway hater hour over. i mentioned those three boss fights earlier because they were my favorites. i thought they were really fun. i can see how some people might think the shield mechanic during Axis's fight might suck but it was like easily my favorite actually HAHAHA idk i thought it was fuuuuun heehehe yaay i block the bullets and it makes a good sound sound makea me happy <- this is the hightest compliment you can get from a misophonic player

also the ending made me cry. this isnt saying much because literally everything makes me cry but it did in fact make me cry. u show me characters showing a moment of genuine vulnerability in a bittersweet atmosphere and uh oh

anyway.

i mentioned in my previous thought post that i was interested in seeing where the running theme of "jobs/employment" was going, and seeing it play out into meaning "forever unfinished business" was really good. Martlet quits the Royal Guard having felt like she never really did anything there, neither Chujin nor Ceroba could finish what they set out to do, and Clover never even saw the other human souls. theres probably more than that too thats just what i remeber my memorys actually kinda bad i never remember anything until i play it like three times oops. maybe i should start writing my thoughts as i go instead of making big unorganized writeups on tumblr after the fact.

also this is a really small personal nitpick that doesnt matter but i dont like ceroba's skirt. i think having such a regal traditional outfit otherwise and then just wearing a short skirt that goes above her knees makes her look more like a schoolgirl than it does someone who is like At The Minimum in her thirties. i get not wanting a long skirt to get in the way of her silhouette for her boss fight since shes all like stanced up but at that point just give her pants LOL

i don't care to comment much on the writing, on the whole i really liked it so i dont have as much to say, but i dont think martlet shouldve been there in the room with you for Chujin's tapes. i think that shouldve been a quiet moment with just Clover so it could Sit with you for a second. thats my only writing gripe in this very moment.

anyway GRAHHHH I ENDED UP WRITING A LOT OF THINGS I DIDNT LIKE AND I DONT WANT TO LEAVE WITH THE IMPRESSION I HAD A NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE SO:

MUSIC WAS REALLY GOOD!!! I LIKED ALL THE CHARACTERS!!!! I LIKED MAKING AXIS'S FUNNY ROBOT PARTNER I THOUGHT THAT WAS FUNNY!!!!!!!! ASIDE FROM THE FINAL BOSS I THOUGHT THE GAMEPLAY WAS FUN!!!!! THE MAIL MECHANIC WAS REALLY SILLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I PLAYED WITH MY FRIEND AND I HAD A VERY GOOD TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAAY!!! I VIDEO LOVE GAMES!!!!!!!!!!

thanks for reading! im sure ill have more thoughts to share by the time i do the other routes, but like i said at the start, id like to just sit on my thoughts and let the game simmer for now. my overall opinion is that i thought it was good! not perfect by any means, but very very good. i'm sure i will revisit it someday. and by that i mean right now im gonna draw and watch a bit of saltydkdan's video of it before bed.

if you read this far tell me your favorite hot drink :) lately ive been really obsessed with like, this basic ass cinnamon/nutmeg/coriander chai from target. i put a little honey and cream in it and its like my favorite thing ever i have some every morning. i used to think i only liked fruity teas but my eyes have been truly opened.

[meeeeeeese]

I feel like talking about the ending to IBS so here we go (spoilers below obviously)

So I think we can all agree that the IBS ending was... pretty lackluster all things considered. It felt like they just went "our research has now suddenly shown we can now solve this problem" and then we solved it. Now the proposed solution makes sense in principal, being that dragons are creatures driven by their hunger for magic, and if cut off from all other possible sources they'll be forced to feed on each other.

However, they didn't really do enough to set this up. They didn't show that Jormag, despite their protestations, hungers for magic just as much as their brother (and one angry rant does not a magic hungry creature make). Nor did they adequately explain how the dragons were going to be cut off from magic beyond Aurene vaguely waving her claws and going "PRISMS BABY!" I need more than that arenanet!

And that not even going into the final fight being mostly the dragons staring at each other and firing off the occasional blast. I get that they don't want to fight but could nothing else have been done?

Won't talk much about after the fight because that was pretty good, no comments there.

So with all that said, how would I change it? Going to try and keep changes in the same scope because I otherwise I could just say 'restore the original scope of the story lel'.

So the main thing to ask is 'how do we get the dragons, who don't want to fight, to kill each other?' The way I'd explain it would be by exploiting their connections to their champions. They could have Aurene go

"you know being disconnected from your champion is a pretty brutal thing, the sudden absence of a connection kind of sends you into a berzerk state. I know it did when Balthazar killed you! We could use that to put the dragons in the right mindset to kill each other."

and then any prisms bs is for disconnecting the champions non-lethally since we like Braham and, i dunno, want Ryland to suffer more?

And the good thing about this alternate solution is dragonstorm can pretty much remain intact. The dragons are sitting there watching because they still don't want to fight and we're mostly fighting champions because that's our goal.

However this solution doesn't account for bringing the dragons together in the first place, which was solved in the original story by Aurene 'tugging on the ley-lines'. My solution would be to have Aurene get one up on Jormag, deceive the deceiver by pretending to submit to Jormag by offering to kill Primordus but only if they meet face to face first. At which point Aurene sucker punches Jormag through a mists portal straight onto wherever Primordus is hanging out (because, you know, she is an elder dragon and should be able to fight on equal footing with Jormag). At which point Dragonstorm things happen.

I honestly think this is better because it plays off of Jormag's sense of superiority in thinking that they always had control of the situation. I think they underestimated Aurene through the entire story. Like in dragonstorm Ryland says

and considering at the start of IBS Ryland was aboard Bangars 'Aurene is a terrible threat and needs to be opposed' train so thats gotta be something Jormag put in Rylands head.

Hell if the didn't want to make an extra story step they could have Aurene and Jormags meeting be off-screen and we only hear dialog through our champion connection while we wait for Jormag to come falling out of a mists portal. Though that would be a big shame.

TL:DR champions is bad and kinda makes no sense, how do we make it make a bit more sense?

[solarspike]

okay okay okay. vampires. read more to get the insider scoop

Velloriand is my beautiful fictional world that i made all by myself. Hopefully I will be able to hold onto it for many years without getting bored of it, and I will now detail some key points about it because ive realised that i never have, ive just been hoping yous care intrinsically. if you actually clicked the readmore and youre reading this right now i love you enough to maybe kiss you a little, but thats just me

anyway NO DONT CLICK AWAY

What the hell? Valoriend? Velrand? How do you say that shit?

Guess bestie!

It is the year 4898, marking four thousand nine hundred and ninety eight years Not since Velloriand's birth, but since its major apocalyptic event, which left the world ravaged by magic and abandoned by the gods. Somehow, for some reason, all these years later mortal souls have continued to endure this horrible planet. Are they thriving? no. but they are surviving

Every day, mortals face many threats to their lives. Perhaps today your ancient elven grandmother will finally succumb to the punishing heat of the infernal sun. Last week, a guy walked into a tavern and sneezed wrong, and cast a fireball that devastated the small town of Glumb. Maybe youll be sat having a pleasant evening listening to the cicadas, when a magic storm, a Quinacridone if you will, will move in and pick up your house and irrevocably quantumly scramble each individual cell of your body amongst the timber and stone, but you stay alive. Perhaps you will be killed by a manticore, or god's hand, or a terrible new disease (of which there are always many) or fuck, you might just starve. OR. and we're looping round to the point of the post here. You might get fucking killed by a vampire.

Vampire Death: A Sucky Way to Go

Vampires on planet Velloriand are far more common than most people like to think. 'Oh theyre basically legends at this point' WRONG. They all just live in Rubania, which is far away from most mortals, and it is a beautiful land where it's always night and blood naturally spurts up from the ground in hot springs (uhhh...) so dont worry! They dont NEED to kill anyone!

But they do. they fucking love killing everyone, and biting them and maiming them as well. But where did these bitches even come from?

VAMPIRE ORIGINS

All our top academics from the Hexenturm to the Dungleflurm have thought long and hard on this topic, and their findings, in combination with whisperings of the gods generously provided by our archbishops and popes, suggest that vampires are derived from elves, but they got a little extra fucked up along the way. Elves, as we all recall from primary school, are an ancient species of fairies whose bloodlines have rapidly diverged to adapt to their environments. It's believed that the first vampire was actually a cave elf who gave their soul to the god of nightmares for it to be ripped apart and formed into something new. This elf, the martyr, was reborn as a functionally immortal creature whose life force was sustained by stealing that of others. All vampires are thus descended from this one person, who ended up having a lot of sex and a lot of babies that had more babies and became the vampires we know today.

Theres a rumour that the martyr still lives, but its bullshit. there are at least 5 different folk tales detailing a hero's excursion to rid the world of the beast, and at least twenty more of the beast stepping into the sun, accidentally eating garlic, or otherwise perishing gruesomely. Emperor Maraschino III, the ruler of the Rubanian Nightlands, is supposedly this guys grandson. But Maraschino will say anything. I suppose he is the most powerful vampire, but we'll get to what makes a vampire 'powerful' in a second. What i want to impress upon you is that vampires are born, not made. Vampires can make ghouls and thralls, but must make another vampire by getting down n dirty.

Right so. What are they?

Great question eddie. As weve said, vampires are functionally immortal creatures that are descended from elves, that subsist on the life force of mortals, be it their blood, flesh, and/or souls if theyre nasty.

by functionally immortal, i mean that they will not die until they are killed. and there are a few ways to kill them, the easiest being with fresh summer sunlight, the most random being with garlic (their sensitive noses just kinda go crazy and start bleeding until their brains come out, weird huh ahaha)

and by descended from elves, i mean they have very tall and spindly proportions - weirdly long limbs with weird fingers ending in claws, long and thin ears which stretch out up to a foot past their crown, etc. They also have an enhanced innate magical ability, making them generally excellent wizards. Not all vampires are particularly powerful though. It depends.

Their blood is black, making any parts that may be pinkish or reddish on humans (like gums, tongue, eye bits, blush, acne, and yes the rude bits) appear black. Their eyes come in shades of red and yellow, though some vampires have been known to have black or purple eyes, and of course some of them can disguise themselves to look however they like. A lot of them tend to be bald as well. And a lot of them, particularly Maraschino's bloodline, exhibit an advanced form of vitiligo, believed to be a holdover from their cave-dwelling origins.

And subsisting on the life force of others, thats a doozy. They have a neat thing where the more powerful the creature whose blood they consume, the more thoroughly it replenishes their power. think bodybuilders, single mothers, dragons, unicorns. they can go about a day without drinking blood, but they usually dont make it that long. their constant, burning bloodlust makes anything with a beating heart absolutely irresistible. like a frenzied shark. they cannot live peacefully amongst humans, its just not possible. theyre constantly, constantly on the prowl.

thats why i keep bringing up Maraschino, he really is The Vampire, the dracula of the setting - it was he who brought the Rubanian Nightlands to their current glory, entombing 5 of the worlds most powerful wizards in stone, so that they are eternally casting the spell that suspends the land in the air and blocks the suns' rays from reaching the ground (thats why theyre the nightlands, its always night). He presides over the beating heart of Velloriand, or, heh, whats left of it at least. The bloodmarshes shouldnt dry up anytime soon, but considering the fortunes of this world, you cant rely on it. Most vampires are happy to live in safety and free from the persecution that the mortal world thrusts on them, but there are still the few that venture out to terrorize small fiefs and baronies. including, funnily enough, Maraschino.

What powers do they have? and what weaknesses?

So, these range greatly. The oldest and most powerful vampire is Mr Glace Cherry himself, and no one knows the full potential of his power. Its basically limitless. Otherwise, there are a few classic vampire abilities that most commonly show up, which ill just list for ease.

Invisibility, turning into a bat, turning into a dog, turning into a fine mist, charming, mind-reading, illusions, teleporting, running fast, being strong, raising the dead

And, their weaknesses and holdups, again listed for ease

No garlic, no holy symbols, no crossing bodies of water, no sleeping without the dirt of their homeland, no entering places without express permission, no fire, can only be permanently hurt by beheading, no silver, no reflection, must eat or drink every 24hrs, err thats it for now

I wanna know more!

send me an ask! ill love you forever. im tired now though so this is the end of the post. byebye!!

[kageyuji]

his teammate has a crush on his s/o

⤷ oikawa, atsumu, akaashi, tsukishima, tanaka, kenma ; [gn!reader] — part 2

tags: jealousy, fluff(?), a few swears, the teammates had to be mischaracterized a bit for the plot, and a little sprinkle of threats as a treat

note: you’re so cute when you reblog <33

━━ OIKAWA

oikawa was always protective of you, though he is terrible at swallowing his pride and will never admit to being jealous

but he couldn’t deny it to himself

not when he saw how mattsun laughed whenever you spoke to makki, how makki always seemed to have his eyes on you

then again he knew how much he could read into things, how whenever an idea got planted in his mind he’d overthink it

so he brushed it off and tried to ignore the bitter feeling he got very time you interacted with the other guy

it wasn’t until he overheard mattsun and makki talking that he realized he was right

“you can’t deny that y/n is cute, mattsun, look at them. probably cuter wearing my t-shirt though, hm?”

when i tell you he froze

he literally stopped, volleyball in hand. it seemed like he was frozen in time, holding his breath and eyes staring at nothing, but seemingly at something that scared him

then he blinked, turning his head to offer makki a confused but hostile look

“come again? i don’t think i heard you right.”

now it’s makki’s turn to freeze

eventually he’ll offer a nervous, apologetic smile and say it was nothing, but he also won’t look oikawa in the eye anymore

oikawa doesn’t walk away then, instead opting to walk over to the two of them

“y/n is my partner. not yours, ok?” “ok!”

oikawa then makes a point to have you wearing either his extra jersey or hoodie around the team, especially around makki

━━ ATSUMU

atsumu is another thats already protective of you, except he doesn’t mind showing it

he’ll deny that he’s doing it, but no one misses the way he puts an arm around you and pulls you close his chest, or the glares he sends the other person

he especially gets worried around other guys that you’re close with. he knows he can’t contol your friends and it’s not like he wants to

but he just wishes you wouldn’t seem to have more fun with them than with your boyfriend

what really bothered him though was the way you and suna seemed to get along — suna had always been the type to tease the people he liked and atsumu hated how he did that to you

he trusted suna though, trusted that even if suna did have feelings for you he wouldn’t do anything about it

atsumu had written off his jealousy once again, though he hated the way his teammate had made you laugh

that was until he heard suna say something like “they’re cute”

atsumu turned around quickly, jaw set and something like betrayal written on his face

“are you talking about y/n?” he says, as though he doesn’t already know the answer

suna doesn’t respond, just turns to atsumu and looks as though he’s trying to find some sort of excuse without actually having to lie

“i can’t control whether the two of you talk, but don’t you dare fucking flirt with them again.”

if you thought he was touchy before, he’s even more so now

he always makes sure that you’re either wearing something of his or that he’s touching you in some way — he’ll hold your hand, hug you, press kisses to the side of your face

━━ AKAASHI

though he hates it, he tends to get insecure

and he’s insecure about literally everything, but he’s especially worried that he’s not good enough for you

so him being jealous on occasion is in the package deal

he hides it well though, usually calming himself down enough by holding your hand or looking at a photo of the two of you

usually he’s good at communicating whenever he gets like that, he’ll tell you later whenever it’s just you and him

but he didn’t really know what to do about the fact that konoha had seemed to be getting more and more flirtatious with you

you were always at his practices and his games, he couldn’t expect you not to talk to konoha so much

besides, it was probably just his insecurities again... right?

he kept telling himself that, at least until bokuto had mentioned it nonchalantly

“what did you just say?”

“uh, the part about konoha liking y/n? or the other part?”

his heart drops, eyes quickly scanning the room to find you and hoping konoha wasn’t talking to you

but of course he was talking to you and cracking some dumb joke that made you laugh

and then suddenly there was akaashi beside you, wrapping his arm around you and staring at konoha with hostility in his eyes

he won’t say anything to konoha in front of you, the last thing he wants is to make you uncomfortable

but the second you’re gone akaashi won’t hesitate to confront him, digging his nails into his palms to keep himself calm

“i don’t control y/n or their friends, but keep in mind that you’re their friend. and i’m their boyfriend. and i get that feelings are uncontrollable but if you flirt with them again i might just feel like hitting you.”

━━ TSUKISHIMA

tsukishima actually wasn’t the type to get jealous a lot. even when guys openly flirted with you, there was a feeling more like pride then jealousy

he only really got jealous when the guy posed an actual threat, and even then he played it off with a cocky smile and pitying look at the guy

but this time it was different

he never got along much with kageyama, so he wasn’t completely sure why the setter had taken to talking to you of all people

hinata was the only person that kageyama usually talked to; it was logical for tsukishima to wonder why kageyama had been starting conversations with you

so he watched the other boy with a careful eye for a while and made sure he wasn’t getting too comfortable around you

it wasn’t until he overheard kageyama and hinata talking that he had confirmation

“kageyama, you don’t have feelings for y/n, do you?”

“well... i don’t know, i mean they’re cute and they’re really nice, don’t you think? maybe if tsukishima w-”

without missing a beat, tsukishima turns and smiles at the setter, “yeah i agree. the difference between you and i though is that y/n is mine, know your place, king.”

kageyama didn’t say anything in response, just wrinkled his nose, grabbed his bag, and left the gym

tsukishima knew that you liked him as opposed to kageyama, so he wasn’t exactly worried about it

but he did try to smoothly mention that maybe you shouldn’t talk to kageyama as much (spoiler: it was not smooth and all, you ended up asking why and tsukki had to admit what happened through red-tinted cheeks)

━━ TANAKA

the king of getting protective and jealous

he doesn’t mean to be, he just doesn’t understand why you chose to be with him of all people

he’s grateful that you did though, he honestly doesn’t know what he’d do without you

on the bright side though, he isn’t one to hide his jealousy either. if he deems someone to be getting a little too friendly with you, he’ll step in and let them know you’re taken

obviously if his protectiveness makes you uncomfortable he’ll tone it down, but unless you tell him that he’s going to make sure everyone knows that you’re dating

so it only takes once for someone to get what he deems flirtatious and he’s letting the other person know that they’re crossing a line

except this time it was nishinoya, and tanaka was a little torn

he trusted his best friend obviously, but then again he knew that nishinoya showed off and bragged to you a lot more than he did with other people

he watched as nishinoya grabbed your hand, kissing the back of it and then smiling

and then in no time, there was tanaka, holding the other boy by the collar of his shirt

“what the hell man?!” he says, then finally let’s go of nishinoya

“sorry...” nishinoya says quietly, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. instead of saying anything else, he looks at the ground and starts walking away

“i’ll deal with him later,” tanaka says, voice much softer than it had been

he wraps you in a hug, burying his face into your neck and leaving gentle kisses there. he won’t let go for a while unless you ask him to

━━ KENMA

kenma didn’t get jealous a lot either, he could easily tell whenever someone was flirting with you as opposed to when someone was just being friendly

the only time he actually got jealous was when people flirted with you. and even then he’d just walk over to you and grab your hand, giving the other person a bored look

however, it was harder for him to tell if you were close to the other person

which was why he was a little skeptical whenever yaku seemed to be getting a little too close to you

he tried to believe it wasn’t; yaku wouldn’t flirt with someone he knew was in a relationship. especially not if the person was dating his teammate... would he?

except whenever he saw yaku blush and smile at something you’d said, then said something to make you laugh, that was his confirmation

“so what are you talking about?” kenma said, walking over to you and yaku. he wrapped his arms around you, hooking his chin over your shoulder so he could see the other guy

he saw something like concern appear on yaku’s face now

kenma couldnt help but smile, not when yaku said they were talking about nothing, though their was panic lacing his words

“hm,” kenma hummed, pressed a quick kiss to the side of your face, and then turned his eyes back to yaku

“well maybe the next time you try to flirt with my partner, invite me next time.”

“i-i wasn’t... that’s not it-“

“i’m not dense, just understand that y/n is my partner, and i’m their’s. step off.”

© kageyuji 2021. do not copy, modify, or otherwise plagiarize in any way.

[anime-alyssa]

purple scars. (d ragnvindr x reader)

i posted this on ao3 and forgot to move it here - so you get it super long and not 2 in parts. i’m thinking of continuing this, maybe?

thanks for reading and the support! i’m working on a xiao rn hopefully i can get my shit together 

warning: contains some emotional trauma, implied r*pe but nothing is overly graphic. the second half is smut, separated by stars if thats what you want to skip to. 

The bitter cold of Dragonspire finally started to fade away as you crossed over the bridge back into Mondstat for the first time in 10 years. You were bundled up to the extreme, having prepared for the cold, your sword on your back and jacket heavy on your shoulders. Your sword and your jacket were all you managed to steal away before you were able to escape your homeland, Inazuma. You were still dressed in the encampment clothes, your ID number splayed across the chest of the shirt and the boots too big for your feet.

You hadn’t wanted to be gone for 10 years - you wanted to only be gone for a few, to get your Electro under control. But when Baal placed borders around the country and started hunting down anyone with a Vision, life had become a living hell. You were placed in a prison camp and locked away from society shortly after, tortured beyond anything imaginable just for being born with a Vision. The only thing that kept you alive was the hope that one day, if you had gotten strong enough, you would be able to escape Inazuma to head back to Diluc, and Mondstat - were you really felt at home. 

Diluc Ragnvindr was a mystery to everybody, except for you. You found yourself more often than not sneaking onto Dawn Winery’s premises when his father was not around and exploring each other’s bodies, like the horny teens that you had been. Sometimes you thought you could still feel the ghost of his fingertips on your skin at night - and tried to imagine that it was him when the Bakufu would do unspeakable things to you and the other prisoners. It was painful, and left you scarred - would Diluc even want you?

It had been 10 years - you had last seen him when you were merely 16 and he was entering the Knights of Favonius. The two of you fell in love as teenagers - no one expected it to be anything beyond that, but the two of you were convinced otherwise at the time. For you, it was still the same - you thought of Diluc every single day while you were in Inazuma. You could remember the day like it was yesterday - his heartbroken eyes, the cries you let out as you told him that you would be leaving, the way he held onto you. 

“I’ll be back - I promise - I just - I need help that I can’t get here.” you sobbed into his chest. The Pyro users warmth was all around you as he held you in his room at Dawn Winery, his father out for the night, leaving the two of you bare in his bed.

“You better come back, or else I’ll go to Inazuma myself to get you.” his eyes looked down at you and your heart broke at the sight of him - Diluc was never a vulnerable person, but right now he was. One of his thumbs stroked your tears away on your cheeks as his lips peppered kisses up your neck. “I will never forget you. Ever.” 

“Neither will I.” you said with a gasp, as Diluc had given you a night to never forget. 

You had officially reached the other side of the bridge - the cold gone away and the warmth coming back to you. You thought about taking the jacket off, now way too hot with it on, but you didn’t want people to know where you had come from. You didn’t want their pity. There was a small camp with other adventurers and travelers around, the chef offering you food for free before you went on your way. It didn’t do much for you to quell the aching hunger you had and the shaky legs - you weren’t really the best fed and had been surviving off of fruit from trees. In short, you were in no condition to be traveling, clearly sickly and unwell. But you were not stopping now - you couldn’t. Not after all that you had overcome. You hadn’t forgotten about him. 

A series of snarls from the side of you caused you to jump as you saw about four hilichurls coming right for you. You shrugged the jacket off and grabbed your sword, standing your guard as the monsters attacked. You fought them tooth and nail until your vision all but blacked out - you had hit the ground and heard someone calling for you. 

“Hello? Wake up - Lumine - she needs help! Hey, wait - that’s an Inazuma camp uniform!” a high-pitched voice said to you. Your vision slowly came back as you saw a floating - fairy? You didn’t know what she was - but she was floating above you looking concerned next to a young blonde teenager. “Are you okay?” 

“I - I don’t know. Need food - water - Di -” you managed to weakly say, feeling your world spin around you. The blonde teenager ran to the water source across from you - a lake? - to get you a drink of water as the fairy thing fished out something for you to eat. You felt like you were going to die - you were starving, dehydrated, but Diluc, you needed to get to Diluc.

“Here’s some water! Drink this, please.” she said to you kindly. You took the cup and quickly chugged the water, then taking the offered food. “My name is Lumine, and this is Paimon.” You gave them your name back, as they seemed trustworthy, as they sat down next to you and watched you. Paimon looked at you with sad eyes, seeing your uniform.

“Thank you very much. It’s been…. a while since I ate anything. All I have is this.” you said to them, continuing to eat. You were already feeling better, but by the way they were looking at you, you could tell that you were still quite a sight.

“You’re welcome - did you escape Inazuma? Paimon and Lumine were actually trying to find a way to sneak in.” Paimon had announced to you. You froze on the spot and looked up to them.

“What - no. Don’t go there. It’s dangerous - the camps - ” You felt panic start to bubble in your chest, your heart-rate increasing and breathing becoming staggered at the flashes of memories that flooded your mind. Paimon started calling out to you again, trying to calm you. She and Lumine had started to talk amongst themselves, looking at you trying to calm yourself as they made attempts to as well. You tried to remember Diluc - what you could of him, and slowly you were able to calm down. “I’m sorry - it’s just - it’s awful. I was there for 10 years, I was a prisoner.” You sat in an awkward silence before Paimon spoke up again. 

“Hey - Paimon remembers that when you were talking earlier, you almost sounded like you were saying someone’s name.” she said to you. 

“I’m - I’m looking for Diluc Ragnvindr of Mondstat - the Knights - or Dawn Winery - I don’t know where he is, actually. When I left, he was joining the Knights.” you said to them with a sudden hope that you hadn’t felt in years. Even in your journey, you hadn’t felt hopeful. There was always the chance of the Bakufu finding you and bringing you back or dying. But suddenly, you felt some hope. 

“Oh - Master Diluc! Paimon didn’t know he used to be with the Knights of Favonius - that explains why he dislikes them so much now - but he does run Dawn Winery now!” Paimon said, floating happily. She paused for a moment - then looked like some gears had clicked in her head. “Wait a minute - you’re Master Diluc’s lost love!!”

“His what?” You asked. Lost love? Was that what the rumor was? But wait - if there was even a rumor, that meant there was potential that he still cared about you - still thought of you. 

“What Paimon means to say is that Kaeya told us stories about when Diluc was… not like he is now. That he used to be much happier - and it was because of you.” the blonde traveler said to you. 

“What - what do you mean? He’s changed?” You wanted to slap yourself - obviously he changed, it’s been years. But they made it seem like he was completely different - and he left the Knights? When Diluc was younger it was all he wanted to do, so he could protect people and help them. What had changed? You assumed you would find out. 

“Paimon thinks we should take you to him to find out - Kaeya made it seem like you knew him better than anyone, so you would know more. Let’s go check Dawn Winery to see if he is there!” she said happily. You gave her a nod as you shakily stood up, feeling like you had a little bit more energy and walked with the traveler and her companion. 

You learned about her on the way there. She woke up on the beach with no memory, but knew she was not from Tevyat. Her twin brother was missing and she was in search of The Seven to see if maybe that would be a way for her to find him, which explained why she wanted to go to Inazuma despite your warnings. But, she was Vision-less - a fact that shocked you as you could have sworn you vaguely remember her using Anemo during the fight. That little factoid made you feel a little better. 

As you approached Dawn Winery, your stomach started twisting into knots. All of your anxieties came flooding back - would Diluc even want you still? Would he be appalled at the state of you? Would he be able to handle the extra baggage you came with now? Your mind reeled at Paimon babbled on about how maybe you would be good for Diluc to be happy, and how she was looking forward to the food the winery always had for them. You felt yourself fidgeting with the jacket, having put it back on to cover your uniform. 

You saw his red hair from a mile away and froze in your steps. He had gotten taller, but god he looked the same. He pulled his hair back like he always had, muscles built out over the years. He couldn’t see you yet, talking to someone else across from him at the entrance of the winery. Lumine stayed by your side, the teenager having a big heart and concerned. However, Paimon floated on over to him. 

“Master Diluc! Master Diluc! Paimon and Lumine have someone who was looking for you!” she said excitedly. You couldn’t help but admire the creature’s happiness, despite your nerves. You and Lumine walked forward as Diluc turned around - eyes going wide seeing you. Your breath hitched in your throat as you two made eye contact. It felt like all air in your lungs had just disappeared and you were unable to breathe. 

Diluc slowly stepped towards you at first, not being able to believe his eyes. You could tell he was taking you in, observing your features and you to make sure that it really was you. You didn’t blame him for taking his time - you were unrecognizable from before. Your features had thinned out due to the years of neglect from the Bakufu, eyes sunken slightly inward and skin paled. You saw a flash of doubt flash in his eyes - or at least that’s what your brain wanted you to think - and you let out a sob. That seemed to do it for him as Diluc ran over to you in a flash, pushing anybody out of his way to wrap his arms around you. 

It finally felt like you were home, in Diluc’s arms as he held you. More sobs wrecked your now trembling body, overcome with emotion as tears spilled onto his clothing. His grip on you was snug, but not too tight, treating you like you were glass and frail. He was warm, as he always was, while he held onto you like you’d disappear into thin air if he let go. You felt your knees give out, exhaustion starting to hit you, Diluc picking you up to support you. You tried to say something - to say anything to him, but the shaking and the exhaustion was becoming to much and eventually, you blacked out in his arms. 

——

You woke up on a comfortable bed - so comfortable it almost didn’t feel right. You were sunk into one side with the blankets over you, body bare underneath. Had Diluc been the one to take your clothes off - did he see your scars? Your body suddenly felt good - there was no aching, you suddenly felt healthy? If that was the word for it. You shuffled in the bed, making an attempt to sit up, before you were promptly pushed back down. 

“Lay down - please.” Diluc spoke to you. You turned your gaze over to him, laying next to you, half asleep and half dressed. You covered yourself underneath the blankets as he threw an arm over you, pulling you close to him despite trying to hide. “Don’t do that. Stop trying to hide from me.”

“Diluc - I’m - I’m not the same.” you stammered out. You felt his fingers dance over your bare skin and you gasped, instinctively jumping back. He retreated his touch upon seeing this, examining you again. “I’m sorry.”

“What did they do to you?” he asked. Panic bubbled inside of you once more as you tried to find the words to speak. You wanted to tell him everything. He deserved to know everything if he was still going to be with you. But for some reason, you couldn’t find the words. “Did the Bafuku do this - give you these?” His fingers grazed over the discolored scars on your body, purple marks from Electro attacks embedded into your skin forever. 

“Yes - they would - they punished us when we fought back. All of us - but the females - they would - they’d come at night - ” Diluc let out a low snarl, understanding what you were implying without actually having to say it. “I tried to imagine it was you. Thinking of you is the only thing that kept me alive most days. It was awful - once Baal placed the orders to capture everyone with Visions, they found me in days. The painful part was that I was right at Liyue’s border - I was so close to getting out. That’s when I got this one.” You lifted your left arm, pointing to a series of purple numbers on your wrist. 

“I don’t want to hear where they came from. It only makes me angrier that the damn Knights of Favonius didn’t even try to do anything to help.” Diluc said, cautiously wrapping a bare arm around you, testing the waters. You allowed him the contact - knowing that you were safe. You were safe with Diluc. You just needed to convince your brain the same thing, which would take time that he didn’t seem to mind. “It’s the middle of the night, let’s go back to bed. You need rest.” he said to you. 

You gave Diluc a quick nod as you found yourself inching closer to his chest, resting your head on him. He was warm, as always, wrapping his arms completely around you and pulling you onto him. He never used to be one who liked someone on top of him, even you, and you had respected that - but now it seems like he wasn’t going to ever let you go again. 

You didn’t mind as you attempted to fall into a dreamless sleep - but you were unlucky. Diluc was out in five minutes flat, but every time you tried to close your eyes flashes of the past would come back to haunt you. You weren’t sure if you got a wink of rest at all, until you found Diluc looking down at you, the sun out behind him. Your throat was dry and your face was wet. Had you had a nightmare? You weren’t sure if you had, since you weren’t even sure if you had fallen asleep at all.

“It’s just me - you’re okay. You were having a nightmare, I think.” he said, trying to say it in his calmest voice he could possibly muster. You blinked up at him confused. 

“I - I don’t remember.” you said sadly, racking your brain to see if you could remotely remember, but having no such luck. Your brain was telling you that it didn't want you to remember, you think.

“You were screaming in your sleep. Almost shocked me, actually.” he said, throwing a light-hearted chuckle in at the end. You were not amused though, staring at him with wide eyes as you sat up slowly.

“I did? Are you okay?” you asked him. He looked at you like you had ten heads, confusing you until he spoke next.

“What - are you okay?”

“I think that answer is obvious enough.” You replied plainly. Diluc’s hand went to your chin, bringing your gaze to match his. His thumb lovingly and gently ran across your jawline, and you instinctively leaned into his touch. Slowly, you climbed up onto his lap, and he allowed you the comfort. “I think - I think I’ll be okay now, though. It’s just going to take some time.” You nuzzled yourself back into his chest as he hugged you snuggly, a hum leaving his lips. 

“I’ll be here with you until it is, I swear it.” Diluc pressed a soft kiss on your forehead and you knew then that he meant it just like he did 10 years before.

*********************************************************************************

Slowly but surely, you started to heal, and it was all thanks to Diluc. The nightmares started to slowly fade away and with time, you were feeling happy again. You lived with him at Dawn Winery and took on some responsibilities to earn your keep (though Diluc always insisted that you didn’t need to do so), like helping the staff keep the place running and making sure that Diluc was on time to everything he needed to be. Which was a challenge, especially once you started to feel like your old self again (or what you could of your old self). 

“One of these days, Charles is going to quit and then you’ll be stuck!” you said to him from on top of his desk, his lips on your neck as you let out a sigh. You weren’t quite mentally ready for much more intimacy, and he was okay with that, but you slowly had become re-accustomed to more touches. Diluc was letting you take the reins for what you were ready for and what you weren’t. 

“He threatens to quit every day. He never does.” Diluc spoke against your skin, grunting as you finally pushed him away - and just in time, as Charles walked in to look for him. You hopped off and ran to find Adeline to see if she needed any help. Later on that day, you saw Charles again and he said that Diluc had been in a particularly angry mood for the past few hours. With a sigh, you had hunted him down, finding him in your bedroom. 

“What’s wrong? Charles is going around saying you’re angry.” you said to him. Your partner let out a scoff as he turned back around to you, your eyes immediately going to his middle. You bit back a laugh. 

“Don’t.” he hissed through gritted teeth, face burning as you stepped closer to him. 

“It’s like you’re sixteen again.” you said with a small giggle. Before he could protest, you had him backed against the wall and his pants shoved down, solving the problem yourself. Charles saw you before he left for the night and had said Diluc was in a much better mood the rest of the day. 

You had found out about Diluc’s night-time hero work as The Darknight Hero a week or two after you had returned. Originally, you fought him tooth and nail against it, for selfish reasons - but once he explained what had happened to him over the past 10 years, you gave it a rest and let him go on. With the death of his father and everything that had happened with the Knights and his brother afterward, you almost couldn’t blame him. 

He had put a pause on it when you came back, but people started to talk and worry, and the Abyss Order picked up on it. He had to begin it again, and you worried every single night. Tonight in particular, he had been gone almost all night, and you were starting to worry. It was an hour or two more than what he was usually out, and you were alone in the Winery with your thoughts. To make things worse, it was storming outside so you couldn’t go out to look for him even if you wanted to. 

A crack of thunder caused panic to rush through your chest - it sounded too much like Bakufu punishment for your comfort. You were snuggled under blankets, bringing your knees to your chest as you tried to push the memories away - another crack making an involuntary whimper leave your lips as the shakes came on. You hadn’t panicked like this in months - but the conditions of the storm and Diluc being gone for longer than he said brought it on, and you were nearly unable to control it. 

The door opened and you jumped, not paying any mind to whoever it was that walked through the door as you fought to keep the memories at bay - flashes of them coming through in segments. You heard a curse and then running as you steadied some of your breathing, a hand coming to your face and forcing you to look at your lover. He wrapped his arm around you and brought you close to him, letting you soak up his warmth. 

“You’re okay - you’re okay.” Diluc chanted to you softly. You nodded against his chest as you wrapped yourself around him back, his hand gently rubbing your back. He was right - you were okay. “I tried to get back as soon as I could after the weather rolled in, I’m sorry it took so long.” he apologized from above you. 

“It’s okay.” you mumbled into him.

“No it’s not. I know how it gets - I should have known better.” he pressed a kiss to your hair after he spoke, guilt starting to rise up. Diluc had been overly cautious when it came to you since your return - within days he had memorized anything that sent you into a panic and was there to prevent it from happening. Until today, that is, hence the guilt. You let out a sigh as you relaxed into him. 

“I know you want to protect me, but you can’t always do it, on top of everything else. I’ll be okay.” you said to him, taking your head out of his chest and bringing your lips to his. 

He slowly reciprocated once his mind caught up to his body - realizing that you were initiating, something that hadn’t happened yet since you came back. His arms around you tightened as the kiss became deeper and more passionate, from a tiny little peck to open mouthed pants. Diluc was almost struggling to keep up with you, mind telling him to slow down for you but body betraying him, his need for you coming to the surface. 

Diluc almost lost his mind when he had dragged you closer to him and heard a soft moan leave your lips as you landed on top of the tent in his pants. The moan seemed to be the signal that flipped the switch in Diluc’s head, as he flipped the two of you over, placing your back on the mattress as he towered above you. 

“Are - are you sure?” Diluc asked, needing your complete consent before he went any further. A selfish part of him was hoping you’d say yes, but if you were to say no, he’d have no problem getting off you right now and going on with his night. It was all about if you were ready. 

“Yes. Please Diluc.” you said back quietly. It was his turn to let out a moan at your begging for him as his lips went to your neck, softly leaving pecks up and down both sides. 

“You tell me if anything - anything - is too much.” he spoke against your skin, coming back up to make sure that you understood. Diluc felt his cock twitch in his pants seeing your blissed out face, lust clouded over you from him. You let out a weak nod before he went back down with more vigor, sucking marks into your neck for all to see.

Fighting back wasn’t a thought in your mind as your body grew hot, clothes suddenly feeling restricting and your core in need of some friction. You hadn’t needed anybody in years, but right now, you needed him. Everything felt so right as his gloved fingertips pushed your shirt off your body, exposing your chest to him. The cool air made you shiver, but was soon replaced with the warmth of Diluc’s mouth pressing open-mouthed kisses to all the skin he could reach. 

You managed to get Diluc to shrug his jacket off once you started to push it over his shoulders, pulling at his gloves next and discarding those. His mouth went back to its attack on your chest, finding one of your breasts and gently beginning to tug. A moan left your mouth as you tried to remember that your next mission was to get his shirt off. Your body was giving into him more and more as sparks of pleasure started to zoom through your veins and down to your core, slick starting to pool. 

“Diluc…” you moaned out his name lustfully, spurring him on more. He pulled away from your nipple with a pop, panting as he almost ripped the rest of his shirt off his arms before going back down to pay attention to the other nipple. You continued to cry out, twisting underneath him as you filled with more and more need. 

You felt his hands moving down your stomach, one resting on your hip while the other tucked under the waistband of your pants. For a moment, your mind started to reel and your heart raced - flashes of the past coming in. You were able to remember that you were with Diluc - you were safe, and you wanted him. Diluc noticed, immediately popping off you and gazing up at you. 

“Should I - ”

“Don’t you dare stop.” you said, cutting him off. Throwing your arms around his neck, you brought his lips down to meet yours as he quickly continued what he was doing. Fingers dipped between your folds slowly, toying with your sensitive bud and making you moan against his mouth. With a small grunt back, Diluc slid two of his fingers into you slowly, beginning to pump. You sighed out his name as your hips ground into him, his lips moving back towards your neck as he panted against you. 

“You’re so fucking perfect, baby.” he breathed against you, hips rutting against your thigh. You used your free hands to push your pants off, kicking them down your legs and leaving you completely exposed. The purple scars on your body reflected with the lightning outside the window and the candle light on the bedside while your body twitched with desire. Another moan left your lips as his fingers curled up into you, his thumb circling your bud making your walls tremble. “I need you. I need you.” he chanted into your neck, trying to use his freehand to fumble with his pants to push them down. 

“Diluc…” you moaned as you started to meet his pumps, fucking yourself on his fingers trying to chase a high that you felt coming. 

“I need to be inside you. Let me - I need it.” he stammered, continuing to finger fuck you until you said yes. You let out a cry as you felt yourself nearing the edge, body hot and sweat collecting on your skin. “Please baby - let me - ”

“Diluc, yes - fuck - ” As soon as the words left your mouth, he pulled his fingers out of you and finished pulling his pants down, kicking them off and letting them fall to the floor. You let out a whine at the loss before Diluc leaned down to kiss you again, gently using his knees to spread your legs wider and his hand that was in you to line his cock up with you. Nerves started to kick in ever so slightly, surpassing the need as you spoke out. “Be - slow - please.” you managed to say. 

“Of course.” he said back, putting his lips back on yours as Diluc pushed the head of his cock into your hole. He let out a moan into your mouth, checking your face for any signs of discomfort before pushing in more. A whine left your lips at the feeling of being split open - it had been so long since you had someone inside of you that it almost felt like the first time again. Diluc pressed kisses to you, as some form of a distraction, as he continued to seethe himself inside until eventually, he was all the way in. “Okay?” he asked, bringing his gaze back up to yours. Diluc looked like he was absolutely holding back, restraining himself because you had asked. His face was red and he was panting above you already, heart racing with desire. 

“Ye - yeah.” you said back to him. He let out a groan before he kissed you again, not moving inside just yet. His lips were warm against yours, swollen from all of the other kisses he had given you so far. Diluc wrapped his arms around you and brought you close to him, pressing your bodies together as you felt your need re-awaken. Your body was on edge, having him inside you but not moving - and you needed him yet again. “Diluc - you can move - please.” you begged. 

“Fuck, yes.” he groaned into your mouth as slowly he started to rock his hips into yours, cock sliding in and out of you with ease. When he started moving, everything from before fully woke up again and you felt your muscles start to tense up, gripping onto his shoulders desperately as your moans started to fill the air. He took that as signal to start going faster and eventually, he started thrusting harder, with more purpose. A cry left your lips at the change of pace, feeling your body react by trying to move your hips to meet his. 

“Faster Diluc - please faster.” you cried out. Your lover let out a loud moan at your plea, hiking your legs over his shoulders as he fucked into you harder, cock curving up inside you and hitting the spot that had you crying out his name. You started to shake under him, a warmth pooling in you that felt like it was about to bubble over. Diluc took your lips in his again, drinking up your moans as he pounded himself into you, the bed creaking and the sound of his hips meeting yours filling the room. You felt his cock growing harder inside of you with every thrust, your resolve close to breaking. “D - Diluc - Diluc!” you cried, tears streaming down your cheeks as pleasure started to overcome you. 

“So good - you’re so good to me - so - perfect - fuck!” he said to you in a haze, a wanton moan leaving his lips as he felt your walls start to flutter around his cock. You let out a cry as you felt yourself nearly there - the pressure was bubbling and you were about to snap as the length of Diluc’s cock hit you right every time, his moans music to your ears and making your insides shutter. “Ah - ah - come for me, baby - come for me!” Diluc begged, now chasing a release by making you get to yours. You let out a whine - feeling yourself getting towards that edge - then a scream, feeling Diluc bring his hand down between your bodies to start rubbing at your clit. “Fuck you’re gonna - come - come!” he moaned. 

“Diluc - Diluc - I’m - fuck!” you screamed out his name as white hot pleasure took over your body, feeling your walls finally clench down on him inside of you. Your eyes rolled into the back of your heard as you kept moaning, body arching against his and core still convulsing as Dilic continued to fuck you, now with a pace near brutal that had your orgasm being wrung out, overstimulation nearing. “Di - Diluc - ” you stammered as his fingers rubbed harder on your spent nub. 

“Fuck - I’m - I’m gonna cum - so hard - inside - baby - ” Diluc let out one last loud moan as his hips slapped against yours, his cock twitching inside of you as his seed buried itself deep. He let out moans as he bucked his hips up into you, your twitching core milking his cock as he all but collapsed on top of you. “Fuck -” he breathed out into your neck, dragging your hips close again so he could keep pumping his high in your body. 

You felt spent - exhausted. Eventually, you felt his cock stop twitching inside of you and Diluc pulled out, collapsing next to you. He brought the blankets over your bodies and pulled you close to him, pressing kisses to your temple. 

“Are you okay?” he asked you. You turned to look at him, eyes wide with concern. You gave him a smile and pressed a kiss to his lips. Even after all that, he was still worried about you. You could argue that's what you loved most about him - that under the facade of not caring, he cared a lot - he was an emotional guy. 

“More than okay.” you said back to him. He let out a hum as his hand trailed down to your abdomen - the area where you had the most scars from the Bakufu. Suddenly, you got what he was saying. 

“I - well - I came inside. Are you sure?” he asked again. You didn’t really think about that in the moment, honestly. You weren’t sure how you felt about that one hundred percent - but you knew that you didn’t entirely mind it. You had gone through hell to get back with him because you wanted to be with him - you wanted to be with him completely. 

“Yeah. I’m sure - I want to be with you, Diluc. That means… everything.” you said back. He nodded back down to you as he kissed you again, keeping his hand on you down below. When he stopped, he pressed your forehead to his lovingly.

“To everything.”

[iaminlovewithtrr]

Christmas with a stranger

This is my submission for 'gift of cheer' by @cordonianroyalty and @texaskitten30. This is the fluff one shot requested by @anjanettaexcordonia.

Characters belong to pixelberry

Pairings:LiamxRiley

A/N: this is the first fic I have ever written, so i apologize for any mistakes. Criticism is openly accepted, negative or otherwise. Feel free to say anything!

Tags: @texaskitten30 @cordonianroyalty

@kat-tia801 @eadanga @xxrainbow-princessxx @knightthunderis @kingliam2019 @anjanettexcordonia @stuti-singh @queenrileyrose @bbrandy2002 @twinkleallnight @bebepac @ladyrileyrussel @hopelessromanticsposts @dcbbw

Summary: Two strangers spend Christmas day with which each other, which changes the rest of their lives.....

Song inspiration: All I want for Christmas is you

Word count:2683

I don't want a lot for Christmas

There is just one thing I need

Don't care about the presents

Underneath the Christmas tree

I don't need to hang my stocking

There upon the fireplace

Santa Claus won't make me happy

With a toy on Christmas Day

I just want you for my own

It was the morning of Christmas, and Riley was overly excited. She always waited for this time of the year, especially Christmas. Nothing is more enjoyable than sipping cider in the presence of her beloved and enjoying the Christmas meal, she always thoughts. Orphaned at 4 ,she didn't had a blood family to celebrate with , but was blessed with a great deal of foster family and friends. Every year, during Christmas, as a sort of tribute, she spends the entire day celebrating with the children of her previous foster care. Watching those kids playing merrily reminded her of her own good days in the past.

She quickly ate her breakfast and made her way out of her NY apartment, whistling and softly humming to the tune of All I want for Christmas is you, her favorite song.

More than you could ever know

Make my wish come true

All I want for Christmas is you

Baby....

She was so engrossed in her little singing gig that she barely registered the stranger coming towards her, and crashed right into his broad chest, spilling her reticule's content on the sidewalk.

"Oof"she yelped, rubbing her forhead.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! Let me help with those! " the stranger apologized.

Riley and the stranger kneeled down at the same moment to collect her scattered belonging, and for the first time the two glanced into each others eyes. Ocean blue eyes locking onto dark ones. Damn... Those eyes.. Riley swallowed.

"Ahem" she softy cleared her thought, quickly collected her belongings, and stood up.

"Sorry for that. Should've watched my steps. " then she quickly disappeared into the crowd, not noticing the stranger eyes on her from behind.

Riley finally arrived at the foster care. Loving hearts. A bit strange name, but filling her chest with warmth nonetheless. She rummaged through her reticule for her Digital key card, but it was not there.

"Uh...?"she muttered. "Where the hell is my keycard? "

After a few moment of searching she gave up. "Im not going to get in there without my key card...."

"Excuse me Miss.... But I belive this is yours. " a voice behind her startled her.

Riley turned around and found herself staring at the pair of those same dark eyes she encountered earlier. I'd recognise those eyes anywhere, even though I had stared at his eyes for less than 5 seconds. The (cute) guy i bumped with!

"Ahem" the stranger let out a exaggerated cough and riley realised that she has been staring at his face for a solid 10 seconds.

"Right.. Ahem... Sorry... I mean... Thank you for returning this. You totally saved my ass--, i mean my...my...job". Way to make a fool of yourself Riley.

The stranger laughed quitly. "Well then I am glad I could save your job. But I should get going."

Just as he turned, a little voice in the back of her head called out to her, and instinctively she reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

"Er... Sir... I know this is extremly forward of me... But if you would be kind enough to spend the day with volunteering at the orphanage I work at? We are kinda short-staffed tonight, and there aren't much volunteers. Those children at the orphanage will be quite happy to see a new face. You could spend the with them. And me. If you are free, that is?

Crap. Crap. Crap. This i really asked a random hot stranger to volunteer?! Snap the hell out of it Riley!

Plz say yes. Plz say yes. The little voice inside her screamed.

To her surprise, he gave her a smile. "Id be happy to. I don't have any special plans for today. Btw. "

He smiled, and stuck out her hand to shake hers.

"Liam Rys"

"Riley Brooks". She said she she shook his hand. A familiar electric tinge sparked through her veins as she held his hand. His hand impossibly smooth underneath her. Woah! Are guys even supposed to have this soft hands? I wonder what kind of moisturiser he uses....

"Miss Brooks --"

"Call me Riley. "

"Well ahem, Riley.. it is rather cold outside. What say we make it inside? "

"Oh right."

She quickly swiped her keycard and stepped inside, sighing contentedly as the warm air from the heaters enveloped her. She melted a little inside as she felt Liam's warm body alongside her. Brushing this aside, she focused her attention on the scenario in front of her. Numerous gift boxes piled beneath the Christmas tree... Children merrily running and there... Volunteers mingling with each other and the children... The aroma of the food... And the Christmas songs softly playing in the background. A wide smile played on her lips.

While Riley was busy observing the surroundings, Liam found his sight stuck on the beautiful women he had known for not more than 15 minutes. She was beautiful, in a way that the noble ladies back at home in Cordonia arn't. And seeing her here in here element, smiling widely without giving a damn about public decorum or whatsoever, he found himself attracted to her. And without a second thought, he agreed to volunteer. We'll see how the day goes...

Liam cleared his throat, claiming her attention. "So what needs to be done? "

"As you can see this is a orphanage, so the children here dont have any families to celebrate the holidays with. So each year, myself and many other gather here to celebrate the celebrate with them. Thats what we have to do. Mingle with the children, play with them... And make them feel loved. "

"Sure. I can definately do that. I actually volunteered too at orphanages back home."

"If I may ask, Where are you from?

Liam immediately stiffened at the question. When he asked his father for a quiet getaway before the beginning of the social season, meeting Riley was not on the itinerary. And the fact that he was leaving Tommorow didnt helped either. The last thing he wanted to do was to lie with her, but he wasn't going to destroy these good moments he had with her by revealing that he was the crown prince of cordonia.

"I'm actually from one of the small islands surrounding Greece. "

Before she could open her mouth to ask more, Liam immediately turned away to play with one of the children.

The day went on quite peacefully and quite enjoyable for Liam. Holidays back home were anything besides spending with families. It was all about press conferences and photo ops and disguised motives hidden away in gifts. But here I was a lot more different, the sight of children playfully jostling each other without giving a damn made him smile, as that was the part of childhood he missed.

He suddenly felt a small hand on his shoulder and his pulse quickened at the feel of skin over his clothes. Behind her was Riley, holding a eggnog mug in her hands.

"Not to ruin your volunteering gig, but I got you something. "She said as she handed him the mug. Their fingers brushed, and lingered for just a moment longer.

"Ahem. Thank you. " Liam blushed, his ears turning pink.

Riley chucked softly at his antics. He is already so cute, and looks extra cute while he blushes.

Night came quickly. After winding up all the activities for the day including the gift exchanging and christmas dinner, all the children were put to bed and the volunteers were bidding their goodbyes. Only the foster care staff plus liam was left behind.

Riley glanced around. All the staff were mingling on the rooftop, with only her and Liam left in the main hall.

"Hey.... " she softly asked Liam, who was lounging in a chair beside her.

"Yeah? "

"Will you accompany me for a little walk around the times square? I just wanna clear my head a bit. " And hopefully spend some time with you...

He smiled. "Sure! Just let me get my coats. "

The pair walker out of the building and into the cold, brisk night. Celebrations were in full swing outside. Its called the city who never sleeps for Nothing.

Outside was really cold, and with the softly falling snow Riley barely suppressed the shiver that ran up het spine. Suddenly she felt strong arms around her shoulders and a moment later a coat was wrapped around them.

"I would be a terrible gentleman if a let a beautiful lady like you freeze to death. "

"Beautiful, huh? " she teased.

He blushed. That blush.

They both arrived at the square, staring at the enormous Christmas tree situated in the very middle. The glow of the lights and mini bulbs bathing them both in a gentle bluish light.

"Its really beautiful, isnt it? Riley asked. Just as she turned her head towards him liam's eyes quickly found their ways towards the decoration. Was he really admiring me than the beautiful decoration in front of him? Was it possible that he was feeling the same fluttering in his heart that she felt whenever they interacted? No, it can't be. I am reading onto this too much. We are strangers. Strangers.

"Indeed it is. " Liam quitly whispered, hiding the blush in his cheeks. Crap, she caught him staring at her. I hope she doesnt think i am creep or something. To Liam even the most beautiful decorations paled in front of her, she was more beautiful than any sights he had laid his eyes on. Don't get too attached, Liam. Its temporary. You are going to leave tomorrow. There can nothing be between you and her. You have a duty back home. This is just a little escape from reality. They are strangers. Strangers.

Just then the local band striked up a a waltz. All around them peoples paired up, with Riley watching the couples with a hopeful gleam in her eyes... which didnt went unnoticed by Liam. And in that moment, he knew what he had to do.

Liam bowed a little in front of her, and held out his hand, his other arm draped around his back. "May I have this dance? "

She smiled as she put her hand into his, her pulse quickning, "It would be my pleasure. "

She awkwardly bowed, earning a chuckle from Liam as he sweeped her in his arms, her one hand on his shoulder, his on her waist, their free hand twined together. They elegantly twirled together on the makeswift dance floor, stepping in time to each rhythm. As they glided together, liam couldnt help but gaze down at her angelic face, illuminated by the surroundings. His gaze strayed to her lips just as Riley glanced at him, they met each other halfway as their lips come together in a magnetic kiss. Time seemed to stopped when his lips met hers, and the flutter in their chest intensified. Riley's finger gently curled in his coat as liam tangled his hands in her soft brown curls. She smelled like jasmine, a scent that liam is all too familiar with. Their hands tighten around each other, almost desperately, refusing to let go, their lips moving against each other in perfect harmony. Liam tightened his arm around her waist, pulling her into his chest, and Riley softly sighed as she breathed in the scent of him.

For that moment it was only the two of them in the entire world, all the surroundings fading into nothing. Their little bubble of heaven was broken as the pair heard the the sound of clapping and soft cheering. Flustered, Liam grasped her hand and led both of them out of the dance floor and into the streets, grinning all the way.

The two of them found themselves at the threshold of a quint restaurant, and they both collapsed onto the stairs, still holding each other while wearing goofy smiles.

"So... That was.... Something else.. " Riley chuckled.

"Indeed it was. " Liam snickered.

As he glanced down at the lady in his arms, Liam felt a sudden tinge of guilt in his chest. I still haven't told her who I am. I have to tell her.

After her laughter had subsided, Liam gently took her shoulders in his hands and looked square in her eyes. "Riley, can I have a word with you? "

"Yeah... What happened? "

"I haven't told you where I am from, or what I am doing alone in a unknown city without my family. The truth is I am the Crown Prince of a small country called Cordonia. "

Riley stared at him, then burst into laughter. "Haha, Liam, nice joke. If you are a crown prince then i'm Kate Middleton." She stopped laughing when she saw the look on his face. "Oh, you are serious?"

Liam nodded. "Of course. I have no reason to lie to you. I just wanted to let you know that....that...." He struggled to move forward. "That i'll be leaving for Cordonia Tommorow morning. My social season will commence once I get back. I have to choose a bride from all the noble ladies presented to me as suitors. "

Her face fell. "You... You are really going back... I just thought we.... " She trailed off.

"I knew Riley, and I am sorry that I didn't told you sooner. I understand if you are mad--"

"Of course im not mad Liam. You did what you thought was the best. You just wanted a nice time without wandering about your duties."

"I... I wished we had more time together Riley." He whispered.

"Then lets make the most of it. We just have this night tonight, Liam. And I want to make it count. For just this one night let's just be Riley and Liam, two peoples without any obligations.

Riley pointed to the mistletoe over their head, then leaned forward to capture his lips in a heated kiss. He immediately responded, his hand cupping the side of her neck tenderly as she ran her hair through his dark hair. They pulled apart, staring into each others eyes, then their lips came together again, more passionately this time.

"Merry Christmas, Riley."

"Merry Christmas, Liam."

The night was spend together in Liam's suite, tangled in the sheets and in each other's arms.

************

The next morning

Liam woke up in his room.... Alone. He glanced around, none of Riley's belongings were in sight. A single note was on the coffee table beside the bed.

Liam,

I want you to know that the short time I have spend with you more to me than I could describe. You gave me the one thing I wanted most for Christmas...Family. I'm grateful for that. I'm sorry that I had to convey this to you by a letter, but i thought it would be better for both of us. Perhaps we will meet again.

Riley

Liam reached and wiped the lone tear that has escaped on his cheek. "I'm grateful for our time together too, Riley.

**********

Cordonia

It was the evening of the masquerade ball in the palace. Liam was dressed in his usual black regalia with a matching ornate mask. No matter how hard he tried, his thoughts managed to make their way back to Riley. Be a good prince, Liam. She's gone.

Liam stood in the huge elegant ballroom, a queue of noble ladies in front of him. Each lady he encountered, whether it was the poodle loving lady Penelope, the diplomat's daughter Kiara, or his best friend Olivia, made him realize that none of them were her.

The next lady approached, who was adorned in a white angel costume, with a literal halo above her head, her blue eyes peeking out of the glittering mask. Why are those eyes familiar...

"Hello..." Liam greeted her politely. "I don't believe we have met... Have we?"

The women smiled, then reached behind the back of her head to loosen the mask strings, Liam caught a glimpse of a familiar face as she removed her mask.

"Riley..."

[growup-gloup]

Hii~~~ I want to try make up on, but I dont really know how or where to begin(?) Like, I know theres a hell lot of products, but thats it! Dont really know how to make it work.

Hello darling!

Be prepared to read a long post. Makeup can be intimidating because there is 50 different types of things for the same thing.

You can put the bare necessities into two categories:

Skin care - It’s really important to make your skin look good even after you remover makeup

Actual Makeup - This is what we generally think of when thinking about makeup, but this should be removed before you go to sleep

In skincare, you could have the following:

Cleanser: This is to clean the makeup off your face as well as dirt and oil and other stuff that builds up throughout the day. You use this morning and night, before you apply your makeup, so that you have a fresh clean canvas to work with, and after you remove it, so that everything comes off. There’s different types based on your needs and likes. Some people have really oily skin whereas other people have really dry skin, and then there’s people like me that have combination skin where some parts are oily and some parts are dry. If you have acne, there may be some that are geared just for that, like ones with tea tree oil in them. 

Exfoliator: You should only do this once or twice a week, otherwise you can irritate your skin and make it more prone to breaking out. There are some things that a cleanser cannot remove, like the upper layer of dead skin cells, or oil and dirt that have gone deep into your pores. There are physical and chemical exfoliators. I personally do not recommend using physical ones on your face because they can cause micro-abrasions into your skin. But once again, you may be able to find one that suits your skin type. You should use physical exfoliators on your body once a week, though, because just like a cleanser, soap and loofahs don’t get everything out. 

Toner: This is certainly not a necessary thing, but it does help improve the overall look and glow of your skin, even when it’s bare faced. It’s usually the consistency of water, and witch hazel is a pretty popular toner, but you may be able to find one that, once again, suits your skin type. Take a shot for every time I say suit your skin type in this post... 

Serum: If you have a certain dermal issue, like acne, or eczema, or even wrinkles, you may find a serum that helps with that. If you use a toner, then you put this on after the toner, but before the moisturizer. There’s also day and night serums, but that is based on whatever you are getting. If this step is overwhelming, then you can totally skip it.

Moisturizer: This is one step you should not skip, even if you have oily skin. This locks the moisture in and hydrates your skin all day so that it doesn’t flake or start producing excess oil to make up for the lack of hydration. If you have oily skin, then you can find a moisturizer that fits that skin type.You can even get a moisturizer with SPF.

Sunscreen: If your moisturizer and foundation does not have sunscreen then get separate sunscreen to apply, which you should even on a cloudy day, since the UV rays are still coming through.

Now that your skin has been taken care of, you can put on makeup.

Primer: If you’re planning on wearing your makeup for an entire day, or a night out when you know you’ll be sweaty, or you feel like your makeup will be smudged for whatever reason, you can put on a primer, which basically covers your skin like a paint primer so that that the makeup can have a smoother and a longer lasting finish. But, it’s not necessary. I only wear primers if I have a huge event to go to, like a wedding or something. I don’t bother with it on the daily.

Foundation vs BB Cream: Unlike foundations, BB, CC, and EE, creams focus on particular details, like color correcting, and other details. Foundations are heavier, even the lighter coverage ones, but they work better for heavier makeup. Make sure to have your foundation matched to your skin tone. I don’t want to hear any of this fair-and-lovely, or ethnically-ambiguous BS. It never looks good, and it’s just plain disrespectful. I also don’t recommend foundations with SPF, since those are the ones that tend to create flashback (is that what it’s called?) if you take a picture with the flash on. 

Concealer: This is a couple shades lighter than your skin tone, and goes over the under-eye bags to brighten it up. You can also use concealer as a eye-shadow primer, to make sure that the powder doesn’t smudge throughout the day. Be sure to set it with a setting powder, which I’ll explain later.

Contour: If you don’t want to do this, then you’re more than welcome to skip it. But basically, applying darker shades in some places and light shades in others creates the illusion of a different facial structure, but can also make you look like a clown if done wrong. Once you get the hang of overall makeup, you can definitely try it out, but make sure you get some practice before you wear it out. If not, you can just apply a bit of bronzer under the cheek bones and be good to go.

Powders: Remember when you’d dig through your mom’s purse and find a compact mirror with a lil round sponge and a pressed powder? Those were the days. These days, you’re better off with a setting powder under the eye area, which is often too white, but you let it sit for a few minutes to “bake” into your foundation. Then you can apply translucent powder all over your face to finish the skin stuff.

Eyes: Eye-shadows are pretty straight forward, but I suggest looking at the color wheel to see what works best with your eye and hair color for the ultimate wow effect. Mascara and eyeliner get easier to put on with practice. You don’t have to curl your lashes. I think I’ve only ever done that once in my life and that was only to test it out. You can also shape and darken your eyebrows with Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow. Though you may need some practice to make it look natural.

Lips: You should try our liquid vs cream and gloss vs matte to figure out what you like best. Just keep in mind that matte liquid tends to stay on much longer than cream or gloss, and is also harder to budge, in case you plan on eating a messy meal or doing... messy activities.

Highlighter: If there is one trend that I wish would go out of style, it’s highlighters. Everyone seems to love it, which I respect, but I can’t help but think of disco balls every time I see a makeup guru on instagram. If you want to try it, apply a little but on the tip of your nose and cheekbones, and maybe a lil bit on your cupid’s bow and chin for an extra razzle dazzle. 

Setting Spray: This is another one of those extra steps that you can take if you really want your makeup to last through a night out, or a trip to the beach in July. Once you’ve applied everything, hold the spray at an arms length and spritz your face like you’re disciplining a puppy. But, like, don’t discipline a puppy. That’s mean.

Here’s some general overall tips to remember:

These are a bunch of infographs about types of brushes and makeup applications that I could not explain here. 

There are a ton of YouTubers that can teach you all sorts of makeup. I recommend Kaushal Beauty, Alexandra’s Girly Talk, and Brianna Fox, where I learnt all my makeup and other beauty stuff from, back when I knew absolutely nothing. For more bolder and artistic looks, you can check out Nikkie Tutorials. 

Experiment with as many looks as you want, but if you’re trying something new, be sure to try it at home and when you’re not in a rush.

Keep practicing drawing on eyeliner, because that’s the only way you’ll get better at it. 

If you want to go for the “natural” look, you can just apply some toner, sunscreen, and tinted moisturizer on your skin. You can also put on some mascara and lip gloss, and maybe do your brows if you have extra time. That way you look completely put together without it looking like you even bothered, because who even bothers to look good, right? We all just wake up like this.

I realize that I started slipping in more of my snark as time went on, but it was a long post, and I’m tired. Have fun playing with makeup, though! It’s actually pretty fun once you start doing it for yourself rather than to look good, because then the possibilities are endless and everyone’s Michelangelo.

💋

[gay-jesus-probably]

A beginners guide for skiing/snowboarding

It totally just occured to me that with nothing else to do this winter, people are probably looking at skiing as a good way to get out, do something, and remember that other human life exists within this universe while not exposing yourself to the threat of plague. And that’s a great idea! Because skiing is fun as hell and vastly superior to snowboarding in every way.

But I also realize that most people don’t have parents that consider skiing a necessity of life, and therefor didn’t start skiing pretty much right after they got the hang of walking. So, for those of you who want to get into the sport, here’s some useful advice from someone that’s been skiing for... I think about seventeen years? I’m honestly not sure.

And unless specifically stated otherwise, yes all this advice applies to snowboarding as well. They’re pretty similar sports.

Under the cut because this is very long and I’m not doing that to your dashboard.

Step one: Gear

- The most expensive part is the skis and the boots. As in, buying one pair of good quality skis + boots will probably be $1000+. So if you’re buying gear, you’d better be absolutely certain that you’re going to get at least a decade of use out of it. So, complete beginner? Don’t buy. Rent. Same thing for children; kids just grow too fast, they’ll need new gear every season. I know most ski shops will let you rent gear for a full season though, so that makes things a lot easier (and cheaper).

- Skiiers, get the hang of the basics before you get poles. They’re basically for extra balance, help moving over flats, and navigating especially messy terrain. Get some confidence on just skis first. Feel free to buy your own poles though; poles are cheap and they don’t come with any sort of performance level. Literally the only difference is height, grab type and paint job. Sizing is easy, you just need to be able to grab the handles with your elbows at a ninety degree angle and the tips on the floor. Ask if you’re not sure. Everything else is just personal preference. 

- Snowboarders, get wrist guards. That’s non-optional. You’ll be landing on your hands a lot. Save yourself the fractured wrists. Skiers can get them too, but snowboarders are the ones that really need them.

- Helmets are mandatory. For everyone. You are never too good for a helmet. Olympic level skiers have died from bad wipeouts without a helmet. Put your fucking helmet on. And I don’t mean a bike helmet or a skating helmet, you need to get a proper ski helmet. This is not optional.

- Goggles are also a must, but this one isn’t controversial. Keeps the wind out of your eyes, and also helps you see the hill better. Different tints are better for different lighting, but don’t worry too much about it; I’ve never bothered with different lenses. Just get a light orange tint; it’s best for flat light, which is the hardest conditions to see in.

- Get ski socks. They’re not hard to find, just make sure you get a pair that are comfortably tight. Loose socks cause blisters. And normally socks will not do, the socks need to be long. The tops should be under your knees, but still a good way up your legs.

- For pants, you want something light and comfortable. Sweat pants or leggings are perfect. Honestly, pajama pants will work in a pinch too. Don’t wear jeans unless you really hate yourself.

Step two: Staying warm

- Waterproof outside and layers on the inside. That’s what it all boils down to, really.

- A good winter jacket is your main concern. If your hood can come off, take it off, it’ll just get in the way. Not one of those long jackets either, you want your legs free. Also, zip up your pockets before hitting the slope! Nobody likes finding snow in their pockets. Nobody.

- Snow pants. Again, freedom of movement is the goal, make sure you’re fine. Also snowpants with suspenders may not be the best idea; there’s nothing worse than being on the top of a mountain and having to unzip your jacket to pull up a suspender. Also the snowpants go on the outside of the boots, not the inside. Just to be clear.

- Gloves or mitts. Again, waterproof is a must. If your hands get cold easily, mitts are a better choice here; you can have your fingers wrapped around a heat pack all day, while with gloves all you get is toasty palms and frostbitten fingers.

- Neckwarmer! It’s damn windy on the hill, cover your face up. You’ll be glad for it.

- Cycling back to the layers thing, to explain in more detail. The bottom and top of your clothes stay the same. Bottom layer is a comfortable shirt, which will be horrifyingly sweaty by the end of the day. Top layer is your jacket, which is waterproof and windbreaking. Everything in between is optional. Some sort of fleece or sweater is a good idea. Don’t wear a hoodie though, the hood will just annoy you all day. If you’re way too warm, lose a layer. If there’s no more layers to lose, unzip the jacket a bit. Do not take the jacket off. Seriously. Don’t.

Step three: Safety on the hill

The Alpine Code is the agreed upon universal code of conduct for skiiers and snowboarders on a hill. This is the most important thing you need to know. Not just because you’ll be in trouble if you break it, but also because not following puts you and everyone around you in danger.

Always stay in control. You must be able to stop, or avoid other people or objects.

People ahead of you have the right-of-way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.

Do not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.

Before starting downhill or merging onto a trail, look uphill and yield to others.

If you are involved in or witness a collision/accident you must remain at the scene and identify yourself to the Ski Patrol.

Always use proper devices to help prevent runaway equipment.

Observe and obey all posted signs and warnings.

Keep off closed trails and obey area closures.

You must not use lifts or terrain if your ability is impaired through the use of alcohol or drugs.

You must have sufficient physical dexterity, ability, and knowledge to safely load, ride, and unload lifts. If in doubt, ask the lift attendant.

This exact text will be on the back of your lift ticket, and on signs around the hill. These are the rules. Follow them.

To clarify some points:

- Stopping on the hill is totally fine; just stay off to the side, and make sure people can see you. This is especially important for snowboarders, because your stopping means sitting down. Be very sure that people will spot you in time to move out of the way. And if you’re in a group, line up vertically. Don’t collectively block the hill.

- When they say it’s your responsibility to avoid people in front of you, they’re not fucking kidding. If you can’t stop in time, you have to fall. It’s better than a collision, trust me. I don’t care if someone accidentally swerves directly in front of you, if your momentum is going to hit a person or thing, you need to stop that momentum immediately. This goes double if you’re about to hit a tree or something; please, for the love of god, fall. A wipeout will hurt. Hitting the tree can kill you.

- When you get off a lift, move. Immediately. There’s probably people a few seconds behind you, and you need to be out of the way. Also, if there’s multiple ways to go when unloading from a lift, make sure you know which way everyone on the chair plans to unload. Don’t fall over each other.

- For witnessing an accident, you don’t have to hang around and call ski patrol any time someone has a wipeout. Just pay attention to the other people on the hill, especially if you see a bad wipeout. If someone has a group of three or more, keep going; they don’t need you. But if you see a person wiped out alone or with one person, and they look like they’re struggling to get up, stop and check in with them. Ask if they’re okay. If the downed person is actually hurt, offer to go get ski patrol for them, even if they’ve got an uninjured friend; it’s better to have a stranger going for help while their friend stays.

- If someone wipes out and loses skis and/or poles up the hill from where they end up, grab them and bring them down if you can. That’s not alpine code really, it’s just basic manners. It’s incredibly hard to walk up a hill in ski boots; they’ll be eternally grateful to you.

Step four: Difficulty

If you look at a map of a ski hill, you’ll see every run marked with a symbol. That tells you how difficult that run is, by the standards of that particular hill.

Green circles are the easiest runs; these are gentle slopes that usually have lots of room to turn. I say usually, because CAT tracks also become green runs - those are the roads that brought machinery up to clear trees and stuff when they were building the ski hill. They’re a little narrow sometimes, but always a very mild slope. All green runs are groomed every day, so don’t worry too much about terrain. Most hills will mark their very easiest run, so that’s the place to start if you’re brand new.

Blue square is intermediate. They’ll be steeper than greens, but they’re usually groomed daily. Being steeper means they’re at more risk of ice, so watch out. Don’t try a blue until you’ve got some experience and confidence; if you’re a skier, you should have been using poles for awhile before you hit a blue. Make sure you’re confident in stopping, and know how to slow down. If you’re still relying on the snowplow instead of a proper brake, you’re not ready for a blue.

Black diamond is the hardest. Some of them are groomers, but plenty aren’t; thats how you get moguls after all. Black diamond runs are for very skilled skiers with years of experience. If you’re on a black and not feeling confident, then take it slow and careful, and don’t be ashamed to give yourself a muttered pep talk all the way down, possibly interspaced by frightened owl noises.

Double black diamonds are a symbol of mans hubris. These are never groomed. These are steep, messy, and personally hate you. If you’re not 100% comfortable on moguls, don’t take a double black. Even I don’t do double blacks; it’s just not the kind of skiing I prefer. Basically if you’ve learned something new from this guide, you’re definitely not ready for a double black.

Please remember that while these are universal symbols and meanings, every hill has a different standard of difficult. For example, a river valley or a man made hill will call their runs green, blue and black, but for a mountain skier the whole place would be very tame greens. Different area have different standards. If you’re trying a new ski hill, always assume that they’ve got higher standards than you’re used to. It’s better to underestimate your skill and do a few easy runs to warm up than to overestimate and find yourself stuck on a run you’re not prepared for.

Step five: Getting up the hill

While chairlifts are the classic method, there’s actually a lot of different ways to get up a hill, and no telling what a particular place will use. So here’s a full list of lift types, how to use them, and where you’ll probably find them.

Magic Carpet

It’s a conveyer belt. It’s literally just a big conveyer belt. You stand on it, and it brings you up. Short, slow, simple. These are usually found in areas meant specifically for beginners, at the very bottom of the hill. If there’s nobody in front of you and you’ve got skis, you can kinda shuffle walk up to go a little faster. Just don’t fall.

Tow Rope

These are like magic carpets, but a little more annoying. Instead of hopping onto a conveyor belt, there’s a rope being turned in a circle. You grab on, it drags you up, and you let go at the top. Again, these are found in basic areas. If you’ve got poles, hold them both in one hand, hold the rope with the other.

T-bar

Like a tow rope, but it’s raised off the ground and has bars shaped like an upside down T attached. You grab one of them at the bottom, get half under your butt, then hold onto the middle as it drags you up. If you’ve got poles, take em off and hold them in one hand. Each T can hold two people, one on either side. For the love of god, don’t try to sit down. It can pull you up the hill, but you’ve gotta work to keep upright. If you try and sit, you’ll fall backwards. If you’re riding a T-bar alone, it helps to have one hand holding the middle bar, and the other hand balancing out the other side of the T. T-bar’s are usually found on the lower mountain in easy areas, but they’re not uncommon at the very top for access to the hardest areas.

Poma Lift

Exactly like a T-bar, but instead of the T shape it’s just a bar with a plastic disk at the bottom. Unlike a T-bar, Poma’s are a single person lift; you just straddle it so that the disk is on your butt, and off you go. Yes, this means the middle bar looks incredibly phallic. That’s part of the fun. These are only found at the very top of the mountain, for access to the hardest areas. Like the T-bar, poles are held in one hand.

Chairlift

Ah, the classic. Chairlifts are the most common lift, and they come in many variations. Singles might as well be extinct; I’ve never actually seen a one person chairlift. Doubles are uncommon, and usually tend to be older and rickety. These days most chairlifts are triples, quads or six packs, although I hear eight person chairs are a thing in the Alps. Chairlifts range the entire mountain; look at the map and make sure you know you’re going to an area you can ski. For skiers, remove the straps on your poles, and hold them normally until you get the loading spot; once you’re ready to sit down, hold them in one hand. Snowboarders, remove one foot from your binding before getting in line. All chairlifts have either a safety bar or a windshield. Lower it once everyone’s sititng down, then just sit back and enjoy the view. No matter how tempted you are to check your phone, don’t do it unless you absolutely have to, and be very careful. If you drop something, you’re fucked. Don’t be concerned if the lift stops, that’s perfectly normal; someone might’ve fallen at the top or bottom, or needed help loading/unloading. Once you get to the top, everyone in the chair should communicate which way their going (to avoid getting in each others way), then raise the bar as you approach the top. When you reach the platform, stand up and push forwards.

If you don’t get off the chairlift in time, or fall down, don’t panic. There’s lift operators for a reason, and they’ll hit the emergency stop if someone falls in the unload area. Likewise, if you don’t make it off the chair in time, you’ll trip a wire as you go around and trigger an emergency stop, so that the liftie can help you down. Don’t just jump the few feet down, because then the liftie gets mad and you and also many people are skeptical about your sanity. Which I know. Because reasons.

Gondola

Finally, the mighty gondola. These bad boys are the comfiest ride, but also the most work to get on/off, so you’ll only ride a gondola to get from the base to the upper mountain. Before getting in line, remove your poles, skis, and snowboards. Carry them through the line. When it’s your turn to load, give your skis/snowboard to the liftie, who will load them onto the outside of the gondola you’re riding in; poles go into the gondola with you. Don’t be slow about it, cause the gondola won’t stop. Then everyone load in, have a seat, and enjoy a nice ride up in comfort and privacy. Check your phone, take pictures, look at the map, have a snack... you’ve got time, and you’re in a nice little bubble, so you don’t have to worry about losing anything. When you’re at the top, unload, grab your gear, and walk out of the way to put your skis/snowboard back on.

Step six: Everything else

Now for all the little details that’ll make the whole thing a lot easier for you!

Bring your own food if you’re on a really tight budget; ski lodges are like airports or theme parks. You’re a captive audience; everything is horribly overpriced. But if you do want a hot meal, tbh it’s usually worth it; ski lodge food is expensive, but they at least have the decency to make it good. Try to time your meals to be before or after the typical lunch rush; the lodges get horribly crowded around noon. ...Well, do that when the pandemics over; these days avoid the lodge like the plague. Because it is the plague. Your vehicle is your locker; bring your own lunch, and eat there.

Always have a spare pair of gloves/mitts in your boot bag. If you lose one, or one gets ruined somehow, you’ll be thanking yourself.

You should always have some essentials in your jacket pockets when skiing. All your stuff might be in your locker, but mountains almost always have multiple lodges, so you don’t want to be needing something when it’s an hour of lifts and skiing away. The universal necessities is some money (i find a 20$ bill is best), your phone, and a map if you don’t know the hill very well. If you use them, then extra hair ties, and a tampon and/or pad are also a good idea. Even if it’s not shark week. Doesn’t hurt to be paranoid. A protein bar or some sort of snack is also good, or gum/hard candies if you want. Also, in this day and age, have a mask in your pocket.

Weed is a traditional favourite of skiers and snowboarders everywhere; blazing is a popular way to pass the time on a chairlift. Just be careful not to drop anything, and you probably shouldn’t blaze it while skiing/snowboarding if you don’t have the skill and experience to safely do it while blazed. ...Oh and if it’s not legal where you are, you should probably pick a more subtle location.

In your boot bag, locker, or vehicle, it’s a good idea to have at least one bottle of water, some ibuprofen, blister packs, bandaids, and some normal socks, especially if you’re skiing. Ski boots are very uncomfortable footwear. You don’t really notice it on the hill, but after. My god, when you’re taking your boots off at the end of the day, it’s the most amazing feeling in the world. Being able to put on normal socks and shoes again is like a religious experience. Trust me. Normal socks. It’s so good.

Know the symptoms of frostbite! If your fingers or toes are numb and painful, it’s time to take a break and thaw. If it keeps happening, try getting heat packs; they’re little packets with chemicals in them, and as soon as you open the plastic wrap it starts a reaction that produces heat. It’s not hot enough to burn, and it’ll last all day. Keeps the fingers nice and toasty. They’re a skiing staple, you’ll love it.

If the group splits up, make sure you know where and when to meet up again. Don’t count on being able to text each other, cell service is not a guarantee. And if a member of the group isnt there at the end of the day, check with ski patrol; they might have been injured and wound up in medical.

If for whatever reason you can’t get back down the mountain on your own, head the nearest lift that goes to the base, and talk to the liftie. You can always ride the lifts down if you need to. There’s no shame.

If you’re riding up a lift and pass a tree completely covered in bras, panties, and those shitty plastic bead necklaces, don’t worry. Every good ski mountain has an underwear tree somewhere. It’s a time honored tradition. Respect the underwear tree.

If you’re skiing several days in a row, then taking care of your gear is top priority. As soon as you’re back home or in your hotel room, everything comes out of the boot bag and gets set out to dry over a heat vent. Boots too. Make sure to close all the buckles on your boots or they’ll be a bitch and a half to do up later. That step is extra important if you’re not skiing the next day; never leave your boots unbuckled.

Skiing is a very intense sport, and a good day of skiing is a serious workout. Plan your après ski. Hot tubs are perfect if you’ve got access to one; if not, take the longest, hottest shower you can stand. You need it; not only will it wash all that sweat off, but also it’ll make your life a little easier tomorrow. If you can get out of bed the next morning without groaning in agony, you probably weren’t skiing hard enough.

Finally, before going to a ski hill with chairlifts, please watch these two videos. It’s a two part review gleefully mocking a suspense/horror movie about three people getting stuck on a chairlift when a ski hill closes. To this day when me and my sibling are on a chairlift together and it stops, one of us will immediately declare that we’ll be trapped for a whole weekend, and the wolves are hunting us. It’s an extremely stupid movie, and an extremely funny review mocking it. The wolves are coming. Those notorious ski hill wolf packs.

[hargroves-angel]

you and billy get in a fight and he asks max for help

I Really Fucking Like You Billy Hargrove

Summary - Billy does something he regrets but lets his temper get the best of him resulting in you and him having an argument, however this just makes Billy even more angry causing Max to help her step brother out.

Warnings - Swearing, Billy being mean, Angst, Fluff

A/N - So sorry that this took so long to get out I’ve got a lot to do this week so uploads are going to be spaced out, I hope that’s ok, I apologise in advance though angels!

The front door slammed shut gaining Max’s attention away from her homework. Billy was obviously home. he’d actually been pretty happy recently especially after having been dating you. He just hadn’t stopped smiling, she thought he was sick! you were having some sort of effect on him and it was quite scary for Max, someone had tamed the beast in her eyes. 

Billy hadn’t stopped being annoying but he wasn’t as mean, he even apologised to her for the whole car and her friends incident. 

“Fucking bitch” Billy grumbled as he walked past her open door. “Turn down that fucking music!” he yelled at her from his room. She rolled her eyes but none the less turned it down, going to shut her door. 

That’s when she got really confused. Were those sobs? from Billys room? Was he crying?

She peaked her head round the gap of his door. 

He had his head in his hands. She glanced around at the room seeing how much you really had changed him, everywhere was clean. No dirty washing, no empty beer cans, no cigarette butts in the ash tray. it was so clean. 

“What the fuck do you want shithead?” Billy growled. 

“What happened?” Billy shook his head and laughed lowly. 

“Why do you even care?” He shoved his head back in his hands. Max slowly crept over to sit next to him on the bed. 

“Because like you said, we’re family now… we’ve got to look out for each other” she mumbled cringing at her words as she looked around at his transformed room. To be honest you should come round more often, her room could do with a reorganisation.

“yeah well whatever, doesn’t even matter anyway”

“It clearly matters Billy, I’ve never seen you cry-”

“I wasn’t even crying… that much. Basically we went to a party and I got really drunk, I ended up kissing some girl… I thought it was Y/N, I promise I thought it was her- Same hair, same eyes, same everything to me at the time. The worst part is that this girl pulled me in for the kiss first and me thinking it was Y/N - I just kissed back” Max sucked in a breath. “I should’ve known it wasn’t her - and then I started yelling at her… Fuck I feel so bad” Billy shoved his head in his hands. 

“Well I think… the best thing is to talk to her”

“Ive already done that Maxine, she doesn’t want to talk about it”

“I don’t think think yelling about your point is the same as talking Billy” Max mumbled. 

“Whatever, It’s just she deserves more then just some half assed apology… She’s so important to me Max…”

“How about tomorrow you show up at her house, pick her up and take her to that movie she wanted to watch”

“What movie?” Billy asked genuinely confused.

“she’s been talking about it loads! It’s all she mentions?” 

With that Billy shoved his head right back in his hands. “I didn’t even fucking know that- you know what Maxine, fuck you! get the fuck out of my room now”

“Wait what?!” Max furrowed her eyebrows and huffed.

“Just fucking get out!” Billy yelled at her. Max knew better than to stay, she stomped out. Billy was definitely falling hard for Y/N, in a way it amused her, to see him even getting all angry every time a love song played, let’s just say he’s been working out a lot recently, he was hitting the weights every chance he got whilst the radio played some sort of love song, but it was when your song came on did she see Billy really fall apart, he dropped the weight on the floor and stomped into his room, anger and hurt radiating off him.  

Thats when she felt bad, he usually didn’t give a shit, every girl he’d been with eventually got mad or fed up of his antics and he would come home, bitch about them and then sleep it off not even caring about it the next day. He was so grumpy now a days so she had to do something. So she made a plan, she was going to get you two back together again. God knows you were both way too stubborn and Billy had locked himself at home for the most part, rock music blaring through the walls, the heavy stench of cigarettes and Mary-Jane coming from his room, but as much as she disliked her older step brother she knew she had to help him. 

You were definitely the nicest girl he’d dated. 

So that’s what she did. At 7am sharpish she asked Billy to take her to the lake, to “Meet some friends” He said no at first obviously so she did a bit of extra planning and made a deal, Dad won’t know about weed as long as Billy agrees to take her. He agreed eventually. 

Little did billy know that he was to meet you at that lake. Max had told you to meet her at the lake because she wanted to talk about ‘girl problems’ shed been having and she didn’t want to say it at home because it was embarrassing. 

Billy drove the whole way, cigarette dangling from his lips, sunglasses covering his sleep deprived eyes. 

She noticed how he hadn’t been sleeping recently. He’d been up all night crying but she wouldn’t tell him she knew because he sure as hell would have her for it. 

she impatiently tapped her foot on the floor of the Camaro, her lip caught between her teeth as she chewed on it nervously. This could go a few ways, either Billy gets hurt or you get hurt or maybe you make up. She hoped that you would make up. 

“Would you quit fucking tapping, so fucking annoy-” He paused as he saw you, he pulled into the clearing. 

“I have to go! Ummm maybe you should talk to her” Max ran out of the car. 

“You little fucking sh-” He stopped as he watched you turn around, your eyes landing on the blue car. He saw your smile slip, your eyebrows furrowing and a frown on your face. 

You were wearing his AC/DC shirt. He sighed, opening the door the cigarette being discarded on the floor. 

“Hey!, angel… look im really fucking sorry princess”

“Really Billy! Because Dana told me you didn’t care” You huffed. 

“Look just let me explain…” He felt his patience wearing thin. 

“No Billy! Because every time I let you ‘explain’ you end up yelling at me! telling me it’s my fault and im sorry but I don’t think I can-”

“I DON’T FUCKING YELL” He yelled. A regretful expression on his face as he carded his hands through the ends of his hair. He realised what he’d done, he sighed. “Im working on it baby” his eyes flickered to the floor. “It’s just gonna take time… I promise im working on it” 

“How much time Billy!? Because we’ve been together for 3 months now and you still have this temper! You don’t know how to control yourself, sometimes I get scared, and I know you won’t ever hurt me but, its just I hate this constant screaming match between us, I really fucking like you Billy Hargrove”

He sniffed, his nose scrunching as he looked away, thinking. He felt his eyes gloss over with tears again. He hated crying in front of you. He sniffed again, his face getting more scrunched up as he tried to hold back the tears. he felt your arms wrap around his waist. Your head rest against his chest as you held him. He’d cuddled you before, hell you’d hugged so many times but this felt like more. 

He felt the tears fall. You looked up at him and cradled his cheek in your hand. He still looked the other way, he hated you to see him like this.

“I really fucking like you” you whispered he stood stiff, not being used to this full out intimate feeling. He started to blink and shift his head to look down at you. he placed his hand on top of your one which was holding his cheek. 

“Im sorry…” he mumbled, his eyes were red and puffy. You nodded. 

“I know baby, it’s ok. I believe you over Dana, and im sorry for being impatient, you’re right, we are working on it… slowly but surely” You got on your tip toes to kiss him, he leaned down to meet your lips. you kissed passionately for what felt like hours until Max intervened. 

“Finally you’ve made up! Now can we stop being so dramatic and get home because I can’t do much with a skateboard in a wooded area” She held up her skateboard, her eyebrows raised at you both. 

“Sometimes I really fucking despise you Maxine, but you get the day off for now” Billy grumbled. His arm wrapping around your waist as you kissed his cheek. 

“You need a shower Hargrove, you reek of weed” You giggled into his ear. 

“Suppose you’re gonna have to take one with me, make sure im getting the smell out and everything” he mumbled.

“Ugh get a room” Max cringed as she shoved herself back into Billys car. Thank god she’d gotten you two back together otherwise she’d have to listen to (in her opinion) Billys god awful music for hours. she rolled her eyes and smirked at him. As much of a dick he was, he was family now. 

[drkcnry67]

marry me?

Title: marry me?

Pairing: Jensen x reader

Fluff: engagement

Rating: G

Tags: none that I can think of, kissing, taking shots, proposals, getting down on one knee, saying yes to the rest of your forever.

Mentioning: @sweetness47

Created for @spnfluffbingo

Fluff list   part 1   part 2   part 3

by this point you have had an amazing almost 2 years. fell head over heels with a man who makes you feel like your more than just a top notch ace reporter. 

you confessed your feelings for said man at a wedding you were supposed to be covering not making a huge fool of yourself. your best friend well she had also found love, hers wasnt as vaste as yours but she got the other half of a very stunning package. 

the article written by your best friend Beth became your new fave article. though you still wrote fabulous wedding articles, that story put beth on the article map. your editor loved it, loved the entire scope, the plot, everything. 

she also enjoyed meeting the men who had enriched both yours and beth’s lives. Jensen and Jared the two men who had stolen your hearts, had decided that you both were important enough to keep. 

what you didnt know is that on this day the anniversary of when you had first met Jensen would be the day that your life would change once more. this time a bit more drastically i suppose the story shall continue from hence forth. 

we pick up in the penthouse you and Jensen are living in, both of you preparing for date night. well double date night anyway. it was the one thing both couples could agree to do, once a week both couples went on a double date. it was that easy. 

Jensen knew you had just finished your shower, he didnt care he was having trouble finding what he wanted to wear.

Jensen: hey babe, where is my dark navy faded jeans?

YN: on top of the dresser in the pile of clothes you still need to put away.

jensen: oh umm right silly me. 

YN: do you want me to wear my hair up or down?

Jensen: half and half, its gonna be a magical day. one that has been planned for a while now. one that we both will not soon forget. 

now you were really curious, he said this had been planned for a while… what the hell could the surprise be. 

YN: why do i not get to know where we are going?

Jensen: cause that would spoil the fun of the surprise. now ive laid out your outfit on the bed hurry up we have a schedule to keep. 

YN: schedule. babe we have never had any kind of schedule other than when you are filming. so what are you planning? and why this outfit? 

Jensen comes over to you and kisses you to get you to stop talking. thats when he pulled back looking at you with smiling faces. 

Jensen: so curious babe, why cant you just enjoy the surprise for once. 

YN: fine ill put it on and enjoy whatever you have planned. but im gonna say this you better have something extra special planned otherwise you will have me to deal with.

Jensen: never fear babe i will always have lots of surprises for you from this day forth. now what kind of mischief can we get into if you dont put on your outfit. or do you want me to put it on you?

YN: I can do it but it’s just I haven’t used this outfit since our anniversary last year.. Why do I need to wear it again, not that I’m complaining…

Jensen: just do it and when we get into the car i have to blindfold you and cover your ears so that way you dont spoil the rest of the surprise. 

now you were curiouser, this made you pull Jensen onto the bed and pin him there… 

YN: why do you insist on tormenting me like this? 

Jensen could only smile as he flipped you onto the bottom as he held you there. 

Jensen: cause its fun now hurry up and get ready we are gonna be late.

the following happened like this:

you finish getting ready

both you and jensen walk out of the apartment and down to a limo where jared and beth are waiting. 

beth and you both are curious as you both are blindfolded and ears are covered before you both are allowed to exit the vehicle. 

once Jared and Jensen knew it was safe for you both to see and hear again they were to remove the blindfolds and earplugs. 

you both are revealed to be in the airport. you both plea to your men but they instead of saying anything give you both money to go and buy anything from the boutiques. 

you both come back with another backpack and a whole bunch of things. random objects, but ones that would provide great entertainment later on. come fancy things in case of whatever your boyfriends had planned. 

then Jared and Jensen ear plugged you both when the flight number was called. though they had spoken to the flight attendant when you both were gone, told them of their plan, told them that you both would have ear pluggs in when you both board. 

both you and beth still oblivious, as the boys remove the ear plugs as the plane takes off. thats when it made you both question really badly. Where your boys were taking you.

the flight wasn’t long but one of the boys sat in the aisle then the respective girl would sit beside then so on and so forth. The one on the end would get informed when it was time to blindfold and ear plug you both again. 

 Sure enough you both were unsure of how much time had passed, but eventually one of the flight attendants came round and whispered something to the guy on the end. It was ear plug and blindfold time again. 

You both didn’t question when the guys did their handy work of blindfold and earplug it wasnt like you were strangers to it. Jared and jensen led you both off the plane, through the busy airport and into the taxi landing bay. 

They unplugged both your ears. 

Jared: in a moment we will take off your blindfolds but first we want you both to listen to the sounds. What do you both hear.? 

You and Beth listened very carefully to the sounds around you both. 

YN: people talking 

Beth: something about taxis so we are definitely on a taxi landing of some kind. 

Yn: the smell in the air is familiar. Wait a minute. I think I know where we are I just hope I’m right. 

Jensen: you both may step forward and remove your blindfolds. I guarantee you both that where we are is gonna be a fun spot for all of us. 

You and Beth remove your blindfolds, your eyes land on the sight before you of a place where your story had began all those years ago. 

Yn: you did this? 

Jensen: happy anniversary sweetheart! Now we need to find a taxi or a ride or something. 

You look around and you start walking toward the person at the small stand near by. 

Yn: excuse me sir, I was wondering if you had any cars available to rent? 

Rental dude: what kind of car were you looking for? 

Yn: do you have anything sporty but easy to get in and out of? 

Rental dude: what about a lack 2021 jeep wrangler Rubicon unlimited 4x4? 

Yn: can you show it to me? 

The guy flips round his monitor and shows you the car, you whistle and the others bring the bags to where you are. 

Yn: babe can I use the card? 

Jensen: what kind of vehicle are we getting. 

Yn: you will see. Now sir, do I need to sign anything. 

The rental guy laid out papers told you to sign/ initial at the spots marked with “x” that’s what you did. Then he handed you the papers in an envelope, the license plates and insurance for the vehicle and then sent you guys to the spot where the vehicle was. 

You led your boyfriend, best friend and her boyfriend to the vehicle. Their eyes went wide as they loaded the bags into the jeep. 

Jensen: babe this is style. But whose driving? 

Yn: me silly cause I have a feeling I know where we are staying. The place where we spent our vacation together.

Jensen: correct, now everyone in the vehicle so we can get this show on the road. commence vacation immeidately.

everyone piled into the vehicle and you began to slowly pull out of the parkade. you hit the highway and sped up, within 45 min you were pulling into the resort. you told the guard that your reservation was under Ackles. 

the guard handed you a packet with park passes, roomkeys, parking pass and your receipt. along with the list of nearby stores, and the hours for the resorts amenities. and then opened the gate for you to drive through. 

upon arriving at the parking space you handed a room key to Beth discovering it was a side by side. this vacay just got a whole lot better. 

You all seperated into accommodations to settle in. 

Jensen: I have made reservations at gastons where we shared that big plate of nachos and grab us some champagne to celebrate the start of our vacation!

YN: i like that idea. i wanna get out of these shoes first. i want to put on something more suited for walking in the parks that wont kill my feet. these heels will kill my feet from walking through the park. 

you sat down to take off your heels but Jensen was now kneeling by your feet undoing them for you. he placed gentle kisses on your legs as he removed the shoes from your feet. 

he then slid on your slip on runners. he smiled as he got off the floor, helped you up and he spun you around like the love struck man he was. you had no idea what was about to happen but you were gonna enjoy yourself. 

now in comfy shoes you and jensen head to meet up with jared and beth as you all head to the car and head off to main street magic kingdom. To where you and jensen first met. Course ya know it was also to enjoy the fireworks and eat the nachos and such as well.

you look around still amazed by everything you see around you. but you are the way Jensen kept looking at you was what made you feel normal. like the disaster at the wedding of Misha and vic didnt almost ruin your reputation. 

your vacation was finally in the bag, your happiness was now in sight. your new life awaited but nothing would prepare you for events of the future. upon your arrival to Gastons tavern, Jensen had started talking to the waitress, she took something from him and smiled as she led you all to a booth.

Jensen could not help but smile, all he could do was smile. he was beyond excited for what he was about to do.

waitress: welcome to Gaston’s is this your first time here?

Jensen: for me and the lady across from me no, but the other 2 yes. can we get 4 rounds of your finest house shots right away, and 4 glasses of your finest champagne and bring the item. on a tray with the shots.

waitress: coming up sir. your shots will be out in a moment.

thankfully for jensen you were too engaged in conversation with Beth and Jared to hear what jensen had discussed with the waitress. Jensen placed his arm around your shoulders, his own breathing shifted, he was nervous about what was about to happen.

Jensen: ah good shots. we each get one i have a toast to make. but ill make the toast after we take the shots. now i dont know whats in these but they are sure to be good. on 3.

You all swig back your shots, Jensen kisses you after you both have downed yours. Then Jensen turns to you and smiles as he gets up from his seat and whistles to get the restaurants attention.

Jensen: I invite you all to bare witness to this momentous occasion. Me and my girlfriend are celebrating 2 years together this very day. I have to know YN did I mention that I'm in love with you.

That's when music starts playing. And jensen begins to sing.

Jensen: I met this girl who rocked my world like it's never been rocked and now I live just for you and I won't ever stop, I never thought that it could happen to a guy like me but now look at what you've done you have got me down on one knee.

You look down and see Jensen kneeling in front of you.

Jensen: it's us against the world, us against those who are jealous, those who dare to throw outrageous accusations our way or print stuff that isnt true. now and evermore i will have the most gorgeous woman on my arm. Will you do me the honor of marrying me.?

The entire restaurant now looking at you as Jensen unveiled the 24k rose gold emerald cut diamond ring surrounded by yours and Jensen's birthstones.

You begin nodding your head before your mouth would let you speak.

Yn: yes yes yes yes a thousand times yes!!!

You felt the cool metal ring slide around your finger as Jensen helped you off your seat and kissed you in front of the entire restaurant.

Lifting both your hands in the air he then yelled.

Jensen: shots for the entire restaurant on me. She said yes!!!

Then he turned to you and you leaned in his ear.

Yn: descendants 3 proposal nice touch.

Jensen: thanks to our best friends for helping set this up.

the hugs and congratulations poured in from everyone in the tavern. it wasnt till a few hours later as well as several shots and drinks later that you, jensen, beth and Jared all exited and went to watch the fireworks. 

the moment of yours and jensen’s first kiss under the fireworks was just recreated. you and jensen waited till the first firework cracked lighting up the sky before creating once more your first kiss. 

~to be continued~

[artsninspo]

PULSE: Part I - Mr. Asshole

Authors Note:

Reader is living in a new city; feels out of touch. I decided to go for the not so nice-guy Trevante. Because I thought it would be fun.

This is a slowburn.

Enjoy 😉

PART I | PART II | PART III

______

The ambiance of the club is not exactly what she expected, still she crosses her legs swaying with the music and enjoying the songs from childhood. Songs mama used to play at bedtime, Neo-soul from the beginning of the millennium would always be the best kind in her mind. Here, nothing about it seemed dated to her, everyone here seemed fully alive, engaged and completely into it. Elle takes out her phone recording some of the performance to send a snipped to her mother who’d enjoy this but never come - especially not now. The song ends signalling the start of an intermission.

“So what do you think so far?” Kizzy asks.

Elle shrugs, “I don’t know, its kind of amazing” she reasons still not completely sure what to make of the intimate event.

“Your kind of boring?” Kiz teases making Elle laugh. They’d been close as small children, that changed when Kiz moved away to live with her father.

“I’m telling you Elle this is half the gig and you’re smoking so, it’ll be even easier” Kiz winks sipping her pornstar martini. Theres not much else to say so Elle sips on her Armaretto Sour. The band returns to the stage free styling while people remove all the chairs creating an open dance floor. People flock there immediately. Elle gets out of the way finding a corner to observe the festivities from in amusement. She smiled watching all the folks getting down unapologetically while enjoying the live music. Half an hour passes before Elles phone vibrates signalling its time to get back to her apartment.

“You’re leaving?” Kizzy asks over the music standing in confusion as Elle heads to the door.

“Yeah!” Elle nods tapping her watch to signal that its late. “It’s epic, thanks for inviting me” Elle smiles giving her cousin a tight squeeze.

“Call me when you get in!” Kiz shouts over the music.

Outside, he street is that special gold-ish orange thats created by the amber streetlights during witching hour. Elle walks through the sleeping city heading up to her new apartment when she bumps into girls on their way out looking disheveled. She pivots letting them pass recalling it to be the third time she’d seen women leaving in a state of disarray. Elle offers the women a smile as she turns to head back up the stairs.

“You forgot your shit” A deep voice says making Elle to turn but the two girls beat her to it smiling at a coffee-coloured man in the dimly lit entrance way. He’s shirtless and built like an adonis, his head is covered by a du-rag.

“Thanks” One of the women beams before Elle can make out his facial features. The man nods without reciprocating the woman’s interest before shooting Elle a look that says mind your business. Elle shallows turning to continue up the stairs. 

Asshole. 

A huge package stands outside her door. Probably an extra large and extra large piece of furniture ordered online. The asshole man stops on her floor walking to the apartment across from Elle’s on the east side, completely ignoring the huge package.

 So much for chivalry.

Theres no use in even attempting to haul the box in; so she doesn’t. A sigh or relief leaves her as she removes her pumps tossing them into the shoe closet. The city’s glow radiates through the apartments sheer curtains, the AC blowing through the vents making her feel less alone in the new space. She turns looking around at her scantily furnished apartment. The couch is comfortable enough for her to plop onto while I she calls Kizzy.

“Home?”

“Yeah, how about you?” Elle asks.

“Avec un homme” Kiz says lowly making Elle laugh. “Don’t worry I’ll see if he has some fine friends to give you a change from those white boys ya mama says you be dating”

“I think a pimp or a playboy lives across the hall. More disheveled women” Elle laughs.

“Take a number”

“Kiz, you’re drunk” Elle gags at the idea. 

Nope.

“I’m not much different sober” she laughs and I hear a man in the background. “Love you, bye” she says hanging up just like that.

Elle shakes her head, tucking her knees to her chest and looking outside at all the buildings before an incessant knocking starts. She stands tip-toeing stealthily to her peephole. Nothing is in her line of sight but the knocking continues.

“Aye! Aye B!” A man shouts continuing the banging. “Aye, aye, aye man please!” He continues banging. A thud stops the knocking instantly, groans follow and Elle watches as a man tumbles down the stairs.

“Don’t come back around here with that shit, get on!” Another man shouts. Elle realizes its asshole from earlier when she seed him throw something down the stairs. Thats enough excitement for one night.

…

Elle sighed for the fifth time looking up at the oversized box; everyone she could think of in this city was too preoccupied to help. Shed even tried to move it herself but reconsidered quickly after having to put her entire body into it. It was an awkward size, too long for her wingspan and too tall. Not to mention it was hot as hell. Moving had taken everything out of her. She jogs downstairs to the laundry room to put in another load. First impressions were everything and she’d be meeting with new clients. New job, new city, new way of doing things. Kizzy had laughed at all of her business casual telling her to throw them away or aspire to wear them to executive meetings. Otherwise they wouldn’t be needed, this city bustled culture and unapologetic culture. There was no need to submit to a ‘greater authority’ or be ‘professional’ to mitigate being misunderstood. Honestly, Elle didn’t know what to make of all the blackness. Somehow it managed to feel like a culture shock. The door opens and señor asshole walks in like he owns the place. Elles eyes take inventory of him while folding her clothes. Tall, dark, handsome and aware of his good looks. In addition to having beautifully defined arms. 

“This your shit” he asked back to her looking into a washer machine. Elle pretends not to hear, returning to reading on her phone. “Hey” he taps on the table. “Is that your shit in my washer?” He asks taking a step back. Elle looks him over completely dumbfounded. Men never addressed her with so little respect or consideration.

“Your washer?” She asks looking into his dark eyes and he raises his eyebrows.

“Thats what I said” he says in the same flat tone with an unamused expression.

“The others are full and there was no sign” she justifies and asshole shakes his head out of annoyance. He heads to another washer machine taking the contents out and throwing them in an empty hamper before emptying his bag of clothes into it.

“Now you know” he comments.

“Its a miracle I’m not being assaulted and thrown out” Elle comments sarcastically. Regret follows the moment he glares at her but she doesn’t show it. Instead she swallows looking back at her phone.

“I got homegirls for that” he retorts making her eyes bulge. 

What the hell?

A smirk plays on his lips; its barely noticeable as he nods in response to Elles expression. You heard me right is what his face says.

“I press changes” Elle defends and this time he full out smiles out of amusement revealing a set of straight pearly whites. If he wasn’t such an asshole he could model for sure.

“I got bail money” he chuckles setting the washer to his preferences. Elle continues folding feeling vulnerable and stupid.

“Aye Princess, don’t talk to anyone else like that. ‘round here it’ll get you popped in the mouth. Cops take their time.” He says leaving with the same hostile arrogance he walked in with.

Sheesh.

[samaya11]

The Art of Washing Your Hands as Directed by My Grandmother*

*Actually my grandmother would have wanted you to know that Art is a frivolous term to associate with something that requires far more gravity. “The Only Proven Method Guaranteed to Produce Results” would have been her preferred title.

The following is an imaginary conversation set when I’m 13 based on some very real ones I had with her at various times in the two decades our lives overlapped. The setting is very real. At 13, I’ve just been reunited to live with my family after immigrating to the US. My grandmother and sister are both alive, the world has gone to hell but there’s hope, faith, plenty of toilet paper and soap. We never ran out of soap and properly washing hands was a serious sacred ritual. A skill every young lady should know how to do that could change lives like cooking, sewing, praying, obeying, knowing when to stay quiet, you know the thing a good woman the marriageable kind would need to know.

—

First, examine your hands

Are your nails long?

If the whites have grown more than a millimeter

Cut them.

Why would you want to encourage

the accumulation of food, dirt and blood?

I will never understand the fashion of long nails

What work do you expect to get done?

That is for lazy rich women.

Besides if you need a weapon

Thats what knives are for or well chosen words or

Extra Hot Kashmiri Red Chili Powder.

Gundhi chokri. Tara nukh tukha rakh.

Wait , wait, wait,

Is that varnish on your nails?

It’s just clear. To make them stronger, Ma.

Nail polish is poison

You will transfer it while cooking

And kill some one. Probably me. Is that what you want?

Ghandi chokri. Eva shokh apre mate nathi.

My grandmothers hands are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.

They are very wrinkled, translucent pale beige skin with dark age spots and purple bruises on the backs of her arthritic hands, blue veins showing even in her long thin elegant fingers.

Her nails immaculately trimmed and pale pink. It was my task to trim and file them under her sharp bespectacled scrutiny. The nail and tip of the ring finger on the right hand permanently stained with a slight hint of red and marigold from adorning the foreheads of her Hindu Gods & Goddesses with a tilak of kumkum, then chandan, bhasma & rice daily after bathing them.

Such fragile hands for such a formidable spirit.

They had an ethereal grace in the way she carried them, weathered by age, by journeys on four continents, the heartbreak of becoming a young widow oh too soon and all the prayer books and rosaries she’s devoted them to from waking up at 4am sharp until bedtime at 9pmish in the old days depending when the three of us — my sister, brother and I who all shared the same room with her then let her settle down.

Okay, ready?

Very important.

The soap you use should be high quality.

Imperial Leather brand.

But Ma, we’re in America now.

That a British thing.

Okay, I guess Irish Spring will do.

This is ugly soap.

There’s got to be a better brand.

Let’s just use the liquid kind.

Use twice as much.

3 tablespoons should do.

Second, stand up straight.

No that’s not the second step

But it’s important.

You’re not as tall as I was.

You fall on your mother’s family

Look at those stubby boy hands

*Sigh* Your sister is short too but

At least she has feminine features,

Fair skin, tiny wrists, and hazel eyes

Try harder. Smell floral. Wear pink.

Where were we?

*Sigh* Still on step two, Ma.

Step two.

Pay attention shoulders straight.

This is key.

The water should be hot.

Not lukewarm, not warm. HOT.

GARAM GARAM PANI.

Jaar bharvi juye.

It should feel like lava

You’ll want to wince

But you won’t be weak.

No. You’re not the weak child,

Just a bit of a day dreamer

Like your father.

Just pray to God while washing your hands.

*muttering under my breath* Like what?

Dear Lord thank you for my crazy OCD granny?

Did you know that water, all water, every ocean, every sea, every little lake and stream

These are feminine energies

Look how powerful those goddesses are

The lack of water can bring armies

Of the strongest men to their knees.

Water is as worthy of worship as the sun.

Don’t forget. Recite these 18 names of Gita.

Gita, Ganga, Gayatri,

Sita, Satya, Sarasvati,

BrahmaVidya, BrahmVali

Trishanda, Muktagehini

Ardhramatra, Chidanandi

Bhawagnti, Bhaynashini,

Chira, Paraa, Anantaa

Tatvagyanmanjiri

These names are how I breathe they are still with me. I don’t think I ever remembered to stop reciting. As I wake, as I sleep, the four different High Schools I would be subjected to, the heartbreaks, the betrayals, my missteps, my inevitable fall from grace in the eyes of my family, every moment that should have otherwise been quiet or lonely, the chanting continues in my head like the waves in steady rhythms back reassuringly even after the most tumultuous storms of life.

Ingredients:

Good quality soap

Access to hot and cold water

Trimmed nails

No rings (or take them off and let them soak separately in sudsy water. Avoid wearing rings they are filthy dirt magnets. Real wedded Indian women wear mangalsutras, rings are for your toes. )

Attention to detail

A clean hand towel (change this out at least once a day, better yet keep a separate hand towel for yourself especially if guests are in your house. You don’t want others germs)

The Method:

Open the hot water tap

As it gathers steams

Add soap to your hands

Rub your hands together

Pour this sudsy water on the taps

To rinse off any germs others have left behind

Now the water should be steaming

Concentrate

You’re not just rubbing your hands together to create a foam, start intertwining your fingers, go over and over the back of your hands

flex each crease, the lines like rivers of destiny on your palms, your knuckles, your cuticles, this is where germs thrive,

Get under your nails,

Get under your skin,

Get under your nerves

And let the pain of hot water on your now red skin remind you that we are all born sinners in need of spiritual cleansing.

Move on to your wrists and work your way to your elbows.

Turn off the tap of hot water.

Now you can use cold water.

Wash your hands again in cold water.

The End.

Using the same amount of soap again or...

Yes! This is a question? We’re washing hands not playing in it! Wash to your elbows and let them drip dry in the sink. Turn the tap off using your wrists not your fingers. Take your clean, dry, thick towel and thoroughly pat down from elbows to finger tips. How much instruction do you need? You tell a donkey twice not a human.

*Triumphant*Done!

Aarey Bhagvaan bachaavo aa chokri thi!

Wait. What did I do wrong?

Hai Prabhu! You don’t even know? You just touched your face!

Again, now

From the beginning.

— Priya Ramesh Desai, 2020

[the-walnut]

Night Vale + Scientists

Alrighty, I’m relatively new to this fandom and all, so I’m not entirely sure how well this actually coincides with canon and whatnot, but I’m going to feel free to vocalize this anyway.

We all know from relatively early on in this particularly lovely podcast that Carlos the “Perfectly Imperfect” Scientist has an unrivalled passion for the unexplained. The idea of mystery drives him crazy, and he chases blindly after anything that doesn’t have a feasible answer, that can’t be understood, that seems far too beyond human comprehension to decode- a trait that, I will argue to my last dying breath, is part of why he fell head-over-kettle in love with Cecil Palmer, perhaps the most mysterious and unexplainable character in the show, and the first impossible riddle he wasn’t hell-bent on solving

Cecil, though, is the exact opposite of his counterpart. See, Cecil’s job is announcing the happenings of Night Vale, not analyzing them. When something occurs out of the ordinary, he doesn’t always need a ‘why’- in fact, in most regards, Cecil’s pretty content to just have a general grasp of what’s going on or what to expect from something and roll with the punches. Animal carcasses raining from the sky? Don’t panic, just get a stronger umbrella. The sun didn’t rise today? You know, that happens sometimes. It’ll pass!

It makes sense, in this fashion, for the fandom to naturally come to the conclusion that Cecil is terrible when it comes to science. I’ve seen a lot of posts and fanart about the worst accidents in the lab being Cecil’s doing, and while they’re amusing, I have another perspective to bring to the metaphorical table.

What we often seem to forget is that, while Carlos always seems to come to the right conclusions at the right times, and make sense of an insensible world, he’s still an Outsider. Night Vale is a curious thing to most of its occupants, let alone an individual who wasn’t born and raised there. There’s a lot of stuff about this one unique speck in the desert that even Carlos doesn’t know anything about, and I have no doubt in my mind that it would hinder him sometimes.

So instead, in the early stages of their relationship, I can imagine Cecil waking up to a call from a frustrated Carlos, going off on an absolute venting tangent from the lab at 4:37 A.M. And at first, it’s a bit of a shock to both of them because, well, from Cecil’s end it is 4:37 A.M. on a Wednesday, and he’s talking particle theory with a man who probably should’ve tried getting some sleep three days ago at the rate he’s going, but all the other members of Carlos’ team have long since gone home, and he usually finds it helpful to go step-by-step through his experiments vocally to catch any mistakes or hash out new ideas.

After at least a full forty-five minutes of Carlos rambling into the phone about how the molecular bonding of this solution shouldn’t be even remotely close to what it is, and that he can’t understand why it keeps giving off such staggeringly different temperatures with each batch he makes, Cecil (getting over his initial surprise that Carlos is calling him of all people) gently reminds him that maybe he’d best rest and think about it again with a clear head.

“Try some of that raspberry oolong Intern Stephen dropped off earlier this week,” He suggests brightly, explaining that it’s supposed to help with clarity and that the crushed beetle wings in the mixture hardly throw off the taste at all. “And remember to whisper a compliment to the water before you try to boil it- it can get fussy otherwise, you know. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten and wound up with a solid block of ice in my kettle or, worse, the kettle itself melting all over the countertop. Terrible to get out of the carpet later in that case, but as long as you’re cordial, it should boil nicely for you.”

And at first, there’s dead silence on the other end of the line, before Cecil can hear Carlos scrambling to make a note on this development, because of course he wasn’t whispering anything to the water he’d used in his experiment, and that’s probably the reason for 74% of the problems he’s come across so far.

It doesn’t take long for this to become a normal occurrence, Carlos calling in regularly with all kinds of questions and, as before, just needing to talk through something, Cecil offering advice on how to handle certain stuff, or even just talking a while about the things Carlos is working with. More often than not, this leads to some kind of revelation, because while Cecil might not understand the science behind why glass stirring rods need to be used only in a clockwise direction, he at least knows that they just do, and that’s what Carlos needs.

Eventually, this extends to the rest of the lab crew as well, because, yes, they might be Night Vale residents, but there’s a pretty large chunk of information about their town that even they are missing. With how quickly things can come up or change in their spooky little town, it can be impossible to keep track of everything on one’s own. Tentatively at first, but with growing speed, the other scientists begin asking for advice and extra help with info as well. 

Catching on to the trend, a new addition makes its way into Cecil’s radio show, where, every day, scientists can send in questions for the citizens of Night Vale, and they can respond accordingly, offering insight. If nothing else, it serves as a reminder to those listening in on the broadcast that their scientists don’t miraculously have the answers to everything, and that the downside to having the entire population of your city looking to you for those answers is sometimes not having any.

Even those who don’t have knowledge to offer find ways to help. Scientists return home, weary beyond measure from saving their friends and family from yet another disaster, only to find the lights already dimmed and welcoming, old takeout containers thrown away, and bed made. There’s a note on the table that would be eery and concerning, were it not for the sensation that there had always been a presence in their home, and, if nothing else, this only confirms one of their many hypothesises, setting another theory down to rest. Creatures (that definitely are not angels) appear in the lab every now and then, bringing with them a smiling old woman, and several Big Rico’s pizza boxes, cases of bottled water, and bundles of grapes. Nobody knows why grapes in particular. Maybe the not-angels have an affinity for them. Either way, the mandatory snack break is welcomed by many. Secret police mutter helpful tips from bushes under open windows, and, despite books being banned, once in a blue moon a torn-out page from some volume makes it’s way onto a given scientist’s lab table, curating many more questions, and causing many to reevaluate their perceptions of the harrowing librarians, the hooded figures who show no fear of them, and the public library itself.

Night Vale is a place of mystery and intrigue and danger- but it is also a place of people bonded by experience and survival. It’s a place called “home” by many, even if they do not necessarily understand it, and these are the people who save this city by supporting discovery in their own little ways. Night Vale loves its scientists, and it will do what it can to help them understand it even a little bit more.

[simptasia]

hc questions 5, 6, 7, 26, 44 & 47 for any or all of the science team members if you want? :)

oh bless!! thank you!! i’ll go with My Beloved Three, as usual, the sci trio

Cleanliness habits (personal, workspace, etc.)

my hcs on this have wobbled over time but overall i imagine dan, char and miles are all like, fairly, neat. tho they all have a tendency to leave papers around

and miles doesn’t make the bed as much. cuz imagining miles napping in rumpled quilts is a very cute mental image. hair disheveled

i think a good term for whats going on with dan and char is Organized Chaos. they’re both scientists (and a musician) for heck’s sake. it doesn’t look like they know what they’re doing but they do. but ur not gonna walk into their house(s) and be like “ugh gross what the fuck”. it’s nice. dan tends to make the bed

and i imagine dan keeps The Rat Room (yes, you heard me) immaculate because you reeeeeeally want that area to be well cared for

as for personal, lets get this out of the way, none of them are yucky. but dan is showering the least, just due to absent mindedness and hyperfixation. like ya really get into a project and then suddenly oh fuck i need a shower. but thats relative. he’s not a stinky gross boy. i imagine miles washes the most because like, he has body piercings and those GOTTA be cleaned every day, especially the downstairs one. miles values his dick, he don’t want an infection

also its amazing how much more you shower/bathe when you have a partner. or in this case, two partners. in general and for sexy purposes. hell yeah

well thats enough of me picturing these three showering, moving on

Eating habits and sample daily menu

its odd how often i’ve pictured these people eating together

dan: eats the least (and for once that isn’t a skinny joke, he could eat cake every day and he’d still be like that) because for the most part he doesn’t have much of an appetite. he eats what he needs, with random bursts of being really hungry (it’s a neurodivergent thing). i imagine he has a extra fondness for pasta and can put a surprising amount of it away when he wants to. tho typically for ease, he’ll stick to noodles. he takes his coffee mild and decaf. i hc him as a vegetarian due to not being able to process meat. his body also cannot handle alcohol and the one time he tried it he needed to be hospitalized. his ice cream preference is vanilla with chocolate sprinkles. or honeycomb. favourite vegetable is capsicum (which he’d call a bell pepper because he’s american), favourite fruit is pineapple. on that note he likes pineapple pizza. overall he eats simple but isn’t against trying new things. he has a very neutral disposition towards food

char: of the trio, i define charlotte as the Loud Passionate One so obviously being a big eater goes with that, likes a big breakfast (eggs, sausages, sometimes french toast!), sometimes skips lunch when she’s working at the museum due to focus, has a ravenous sweet tooth (i haven’t been subtle that i’ve made her ADORE chocolate but in general i see her liking sweet things), she can handle eating less tho because she’s gone on plenty of expeditions and such. so i think she eats a lot under normal circumstances because, like, she can. i don’t think i need to tell you what her ice cream or starbucks preferences are, do i? takes her coffee with three sugars, two coffees and creamy. likes mochas and hot chocolates too. with marshmallows. naturally, her fave kind of chocolate is galaxy because she is an English Woman. another fave of hers is cadbury’s creme eggs. but lest you think Good Lord Sapphire This Woman’s Entire Body Is A Sugar Molecule, don’t worry she does eat well. like veggies, fruits, meats, she’s fine. of meats, she has a fondness for fish (i have no further information, im terrible with fish. but she’s a pom, so...). favourite fruit is pear, favourite vegetable is peas. likes a bacardi, or rum and coke

miles: he eats a “normal” amount but he’s a grazer. which means, not so much Set Meal eating than eating/snacking thru out the day. he takes his coffee black, no surprise, but with sugar! see, its a metaphor. for him. likes fried eggs and hash browns. his fave food is very cheap mac and cheese. i think in general he really likes cheese. he doesn’t have complicated tastes, like, he grew up poor. he likes seafood (in particular fish tacos) but not lobster as he discovered when he got cashed up. he likes salty food but likes sweets too, in particular i can imagine him snacking on m&ms, skittles, gummi bears. little things. doesn’t have a fave vegetable because he doesn’t care enough, to him veggies are things to eat so you won’t die. doesn’t hate him but isn’t excited to eat ‘em. fave ice cream is mint choc. he’ll drink whatever (except for vodka) but is used to beer. thinks pineapple on pizza is an abomination, espech since he really likes pizza otherwise. i consider him a food opportunist, like, oh theres food here? yoink. or like, oh hey, if everybody else is eating, i’ll have whatever’s going on

....i feel like whenever i write hcs about these guys my brain takes on their tone. like, that was a lot of short, eh whatever, sentences for miles there

Favorite way to waste time and feelings surrounding wasting time

dan:

- reading (really depends on how you define Wasting Time). also he composes music and when he was alive, that was considered wasting time (ugh)

- sometimes even just doing hobbies or work or whatever, even then, he tends to have this feeling of never doing enough due to his Perfectly Healthy And Supportive Upbringing [seethes] so uhhhh basically, anxiety? like this was a dude raised to think anything other than his work was a waste of time. it didn’t exactly work but a decent amount of that Pressure has to still sit with him

char:

- watching tv, espech star trek

- not a waste of time if you’re enjoying yourself

miles:

- card and board games (weren’t expecting that, were ya? i’m not saying that's his Fave Thing To Do, but he considers that a good chill out thing to do. something to do when ur bored but you don’t feel like watching tv or having sex)

- “it’s something to do”

Do they have any plans for the future? Any contingency plans if things don’t workout?

dan:

for original lifetime dan, it was Do Science, Make Mom Proud (tiny voice: and maybe spend the rest of my life with charlotte. if i’m lucky. maybe. please? love?) cuz i imagine dan, although very focussed on the future, actually doesn’t think/care about HIS future. i just don’t think he cares about himself enough

limbo dan is like Make Music, Love Charlotte. which is fair. and then Love Miles on top of that. so yeah, just wants to be a good musician and husband. and one day, father. with char actually in his life in this world, thats def on his mind. he won’t bring it up tho, he’ll wait for her to mention it :3

(dan’s canon contingency plan for things not working out is hydrogen bomb)

char:

alive char, like, ADVENTURE! ISLAND! SOLVE MYSTERIES! that makes it sound like she’s a fucking scooby doo character. i mean, her Goal was to find the island and find out what the fucky duck is going on. she did that. and overall his goals seem like adventure/career orientated. i hc that this version of char never intended on getting married or having kids. she wasn’t Against the ideas and she’s certainly had romances but she was more thinking of other things. (that and i think deep down char thought nobody would ever wanna marry her)

in limboverse There Is No Mystery but she still has her great job(s), that is she works at a museum and i think she goes on expeditions sometimes. so theres that, she’s got the great career. really, her Plan for the future in this world is live the live she couldn’t before. she (and dan!) died young so they’re gonna like, actively adore each other and get married and have kids. and also miles is there. ha, that sounded so rude. she loves miles too. (besties/fuck buddies turned Hey You Wanna Join Me And Dan’s Relationship and miles like... yeah sure)

miles:

step one: get money to fill gaping hole of sadness in chest

step two: ????

step three: die

and even my limbo miles whomst i’ve put with dan and char doesn’t have any plans for the future, besides like, do his job and maybe become a dad again (context: i hc that miles had two kids with richard when he was alive). so he’s still chilling but without the depressing ache of loneliness and bitterness

so basically long story short for all of them (in limboverse): Love & Family

Superstitions or views on the occult?

ohooo i like this one

dan: didn’t grow up believing in magic and such (which is super ironic because his mother is a fucking other) but he has a very open mind. i think he’ll believe it if he’s thrust into the situation. it’s interesting really, dan is known as the science guy and that's great but he’s super fucking accepting of not science shit. tho of course, he’s not seeing the island time travel as magic but science. but more importantly, he regards miles’ powers with zero doubt or questioning. he doesn’t even seem confused, he is absolutely on board with miles being able to talk to dead people. this all implies miles told him off screen and dan believes him

so basically he’ll accept whatever is presented to him as true

which honestly, is what a good scientist is like. the trope of the scientist character who is ultra non believing of the supernatural, even when they’re seeing it before their eyes, is annoying. like, you know the ones? the ones who get angry about it. the overly skeptical scientist. hate that. dan is not that

and his character arc includes embracing free will over destiny so there's that

char: she’s not superstitious and doesn’t believe in magic or the supernatural at all. tho thrown into bizarre situations she’s like ???? but has to accept it. and she KNOWS something is up with the island. she knows its different. i just mean, under normal circumstances she’d regard magic stuff as funny nonsense. i hc that char, in living life, doesn’t believe miles can speak to the dead. really fucking weird this isn’t addressed in the show but hahaaaa they wasted char! anyways and like, if presented with the concept that dan’s brain damage is being healed by the island, she’d look confused, say thats impossible but she’d think on it

what i’m saying is she’ll rule out magic concepts at first, on reflex. but would grow to accept them, especially with stuff she knows/has repressed

she doesn’t believe in ghosts, psychics, visions, magic healing and all those exist in her world, so it’s all a matter of experience

miles: WELL WHADDYA THINK

actually it’s funny. miles has magic powers but he’s 0% superstitious and i imagine outside of his own powers, he really doesn’t believe in the occult. i hc that until he personally proved otherwise, he grew up thinking he was mentally ill. and once he realised it was true, thought he was some kind of freak

and he’s incredulous when he finds out hurley has powers too. tho miles, being miles, does roll with the punches a lot in the show, he’s skeptical when it comes to hurley's power. and i find that interesting. also i fucking love how when hurley describes his power, miles says “thats not how it works”, like ???? babe???

but overall his attitude on the island is like “well. this is happening”

i do think thru his life, despite his power, he doesn’t believe in All Magic or occult or whatever. i also hc that he attracted those kind of people who are REALLY into astrology and auras and stuff like that and he found them exasperating. (i think he’d be a lot more okay with it if it was claire who was talking about astrology and palm reading with him. he’d be endeared when its her)

and i think he thinks other psychics he’s met or seen on tv are straight up bullshit. he can believe he has it but he’s skeptical of other people. just assumes they’re scammers. hell, he was a scammer. who just happened to have the power. he was like “well i have this, i may as well get some use outta it”

oh and in limboverse, they all kinda have to accept their situation. and they take it with ease due to appreciating getting happier lives

How do they express love?

a dan who loves you will pet your face and look at you like ur his entire reason to live. a char who loves you will squeak at your jokes and will never once let you feel bad about yourself. a miles who loves you is sorry he isn’t better at this stuff but he really is trying... sure we can cuddle if you wanna, that’s cool v///v

the dan and char we saw in the show was them holding back and i find that very amusing because they were HEART EYES AS FUCK for each other and so affectionate and so soft hearted, like oh my gosh. canon show dan/char is them when they’re pining... when they’re not even a couple (yet, damn it)

imagine them at full power

i figured it out, dan/char couldn’t be an Official Couple because then jeremy davies and rebecca mader would have destroyed us all, especially me

anyways. they’re both very protective of each other. they... they touch each other a lot. like a lot for people who aren’t dating and whomst don’t think the other one loves them. like char is surprised when dan says he loves her. that fucking astonishes me. HE’S NOT SUBTLE. char are you okay???

dan is more open about the love than char, seeing as he said it. and double downed on it. char i feel was holding back for different reasons than dan. dan was holding back (fucking barely) because of eloise’s Love Will Only Bring Pain upbringing, which’d give somebody a serious complex. so he was adverse to actually pursuing a relationship AND i figure he thought “she wouldn’t wanna be with me anyways”. but char i imagine, a deep seated insecurity and need to be defensive, but also! dan was like REALLY mentally unwell before the island. and that's the dan that char knows (and loves) but she’d feel guilty if she pursued anything with him. like she’s taking advantage of a brain damaged person

ah fuck i went on a big thing about why they didn’t become a couple instead of like.... the question. how do they express love? like they did in the show. smiles, touches, longing gazes, protectiveness. they would die for each other

as for miles, how does he express love? Not Well. at first

whoever is the first person he fell in love with (i imagine richard), he was not good at... being open about that. i don’t think miles is good with love. lived his life pretty detached/bitter about the concept, which i imagine is due to having cynicism about life and death. everybody you love is gonna die, so why bother? (his mom dying hit him pretty hard) so uhhh its gonna be... baby steps

slowly becoming more open about liking somebody, becoming more affectionate, more... uh, couple-y (and later throuple-y). it’d take time and he will always be miles, but hey, he gets there. he’ll still always have his snark but he won’t be a Genuine Asshole to people he loves. heck, i imagine he’ll be downright soft in the right situation. and he can be gentle and kind. he’s a salty boy not a cunt

but i digress. basically he’s a little “yeah, yeah, i love you too, shut up” about it but he does have that soft gooey center. basically those who know him, and love him, know his true heart. it’s just a part of being miles “defensive walls” straume

feels love (and even that takes him a while to realise, cuz he hasn’t been a romantic relationship kinda guy, most of his life his relationships have been a Just Sex thing), not Great at like... Doing Love, you know what i mean? but like once he’s used to it, he can be quite a tender little pudding cup, actually