#pleased with the range displayed here tbh

[columbidaae]

thanks for the tag @vespermyotis !!

rules: shuffle your on repeat playlist and add the first ten songs, then tag ten people

ingydar, Adrienne Lenker

GET A LIL BAG, Tobe & Fat Nwigwe

ExtraL, JENNIE ft. Doechii

Eat You Alive, The Oh Hellos

anything, Adrienne Lenker

Shut Eye, Stealing Sheep

NISSAN ALTIMA, Doechii

B последний раз, Ансамбль Весёлые ребята

Nosebleeds, Doechii

Choices, The Hoosiers

no-pressure tags: @victorypointnote @morgan-the-lonely-brick @hippocrafty @meyerlansky and @manicpixiedreamjop , which is only five but idc

[techwrecker]

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗻'𝘀 𝗣𝗶𝗲

Fandom: Supernatural

Summary: Castiel has never had pie. Dean is flabbergasted.

Genre: fluff? slice of life? It's a short little glimpse into life at the bunker

Tags: SFW, could be canon tbh, no timeline, Dean loves pie, Sam is over his BS, Cas being an angel, Destiel if you squint, kid!Dean, super sweet ending, *not beta read*

Word Count: <3k

Warnings: N/A (please let me know if I missed any!)

Other: dividers by me & @thecutestgrotto (tysm!)

Blueberry, apple, cherry, peach, chocolate, coconut. So many flavors to choose from! Dean scanned the length of the display case, eyes growing wider each second. The Winchester brothers were on their way home after a vamp case in Illinois and Dean had finally managed to convince Sam to stop at “Betsy’s Pie Palace”, known for their extensive pie menu, baked daily.

“Sammy, you’re telling me not one of these pies is something you’d want to at least try?”

“I’ve told you a million times, dude,” Sam rolled his eyes as his pastry-drunk brother. “Pie is horrible for your health.” He checked his watch. It was 7:45pm. They still had another 5 hours to go before they arrived at the bunker. “Dean, can you hurry up? We can’t stay here forever, Cas is waiting on us.”

“You can’t rush a choice like this, Sammy. This is Sophie’s Choice but with pie.” Dean shot back, earning another eye roll from his younger brother.

“Hey sugar, what’ll it be?” the waitress called out with an out-of-state southern drawl. She wiped her hands down the skirt of her white 50’s style apron and adjusted her bright red rockabilly Victory Roll hairstyle.

Dean looked up in a slight panic. There were so many options. One of everything? Yeah right, not even Baby could carry that much pie. “How’s the apple?” he asked, leaning against the counter flirtatiously and giving the waitress the classic Dean Winchester Charm. The waitress met his eyes and Dean flashed her a smile.

“It’s not too bad, much like yourself,” she said, receptively as she blushed.

“Well if it’s as sweet as you are,” he glanced down at her name tag. “Beth, I think we’re in business.” Dean winked at her. She nodded and began to pull out the apple pan.

“Disgusting,” Sam muttered under his breath. He was practically tapping his foot with impatience at. His arms were folded across his chest with his watch turned to where he could watch the seconds tick by. 7:49.

“What can I say, Sammy? A guy’s gotta have his dessert after a hunt like that.”

After packing up a slice of apple, cherry, and chocolate crème, Beth rang up their total.

“It’ll be $9.85, darlin’,” she said, tying the handles of the plastic sack together.

Dean handed her a crumpled $10 out of his wallet.

“Keep the change,” he nodded as he took the bag from her.

“Just so you know,” She exclaimed after Dean as the Winchesters turned to walk out. “There’s a special ingredient in the cherry. I think you’ll really like it.” She winked and Dean smiled. Sam rolled his eyes, yet again. The towering brothers walked out and made their way back to the Impala.

Dean made his way to the passenger’s side and Sam gave him a quizzical look.

“Dude, PIE.” Dean tossed the keys across the roof to Sam. “For a college boy, you aren’t too bright.”

“Whatever, Dean.”

They sat down in the cab and Dean ripped open the plastic sack as Sam turned the key in the ignition. The impala roared to life. Dean popped open the styrofoam lid of the cherry slice and pulled out a scrap of paper. A bright red stain from the filling had crept onto the edge of the paper, causing Dean to lick his fingers.

“Oh-ho, sweet!” He shouted, a huge grin across his face. He held up the paper to Sam. Scrawled across it were 10 digits in perfect handwriting with a heart and a B at the end.

“Yeah Dean, because we’re definitely going to be back in this part of Missouri any time soon.” Sam said dryly.

“Whatever, man. You’re just a hater. And you don’t know that! I might make the trip by myself just for this pie,” Dean argued.

Sam pursed his lips instead of replying. Dean had been irritating in his usual big brother way the entire ride home. Sam pulled out onto the highway and reached over to turn up the music as Dean chowed down on his dessert. Much to Sam’s surprise, his brother didn’t even let a single cherry slip onto the seat.

The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful. No calls about a hunt in the middle of nowhere, nothing from Cas, not even a call from Jody or Bobby checking in on them. They stopped occasionally to fuel up or to hit the head in a grimy gas station bathroom that hadn’t been aired out in decades. Eventually, Dean fell asleep, head against the window as they closed in on Kansas. They didn’t get back to the bunker until around 5am.

“Dean,” Sam shut off the ignition and reached across the seat to slap his brothers shoulder with the back of his hand. He snorted awake. “We’re home.”

“5 more minutes?” Dean managed to get out, rubbing his eyes awake. He raised his head and squinted out the window into the sunshine that was creeping above the trees.

“Just help me, will you?” Sam stepped out of the car and opened the door behind his to gather his duffel and various weapons they had needed for the hunt. He loved hunting, but he was also glad to be home, to sleep in his own bed.

Thanks to their wide wingspan, the brothers were able to carry everything in one trip into the bunker. Heading down the winding staircase, they saw the ever-trenchcoated Castiel sitting at the backlit map table, reading a book. He looked up and raised his hand in greeting.

“Hello, Sam. Hello, Dean.” He smiled at them. “How did everything go?”

“Same old, same old. Few vamps goin’ to town. Nothin’ big.” Dean explained. “The real news is this!” He raised the plastic sack.

“What is that?” Castiel asked.

“Only the best invention, ever!” Dean smiled and set his stuff down on the table. He reached in and pulled out the remaining boxes. “I’m gonna grab a plate. If anybody touches this pie while I’m gone, you’re officially dead to me.” He made the “I’m watching you” motion with his fingers and pointed them once at Sam, and once at Castiel.

“I am confused.” The angel said as Dean left.

“It’s just pie, Castiel.” Sam explained.

“Oh, I see.”

“Whatcha reading?”

Cas lifted the tattered, green book off the table to show Sam the cover. It had the usual hallmark symbols of witchcraft and magic. The pentagrams, upside down crosses, symbols only Rowena could decipher.

“I was looking for ways to protect hunters from witch magic.” He said simply. “It’s been a highly unsuccessful venture.”

“Can’t win ‘em all I guess,” Sam offered lamely, exhausted from the drive.

“Back!” Dean raised the plate above his head and practically jogged back to the table.

“Okay, this has become an addiction. Three pieces in one day?” Sam wanted to say more but knew Dean was already a hopeless case.

“Listen, Sammy, you wouldn’t understand. Honestly, I don’t even know why I love pie so much. I just do,” Dean said as he began to transfer the piece from the box onto the plate.

The brothers sat down at the table, finally relaxing after the tiresome drive home. Cas followed suit, closing the witchcraft book to prioritize communion with his friends.

“I know why you love pie,” The angel said simply.

Sam and Dean whipped their heads toward him.

“What?” Dean said, picking up his fork in order to take his first bite of the flakey dessert.

“Your affinity for pie is built from childhood memories of your mother,” Cas said, still looking at Dean.

“Wow! It all makes sense!” Sam exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air. “You like pie over everything else because it was the only dessert mom ever made! Dad told me she tried making a cake once and it was a disaster.”

“Shuddup. I like pie because pie is good. Ain’t got nothin’ to do with childhood memories or whatever.” Dean stared holes into the slice he had in front of him.

“Dean, I raised you from hell. Your soul is burned into the back of my vessel’s eyelids.” Cas looked across the table at Sam. Cas had a flair for the dramatic. “Pie is one of the very few pure childhood memories you have.”

Dean stuck his fork into the point of the pie and shoveled it into his mouth. “Gyoo guys fon’t dnow whad your ftalking aboud,” he barely managed to say around the mouthful. He swallowed the elephant-sized bite. “Pie is pie. Everybody loves it.”

Sam and Cas shared a knowing look. Whenever either one of them tried talking to Dean about his or Sam’s childhood, Dean always changed the conversation or turned to humor, telling Sam he’s making their life into a chick-flick. He hates chick-flicks. They looked back at Dean, still inhaling the one of the two pieces in front of him, neither one saying a word. It had almost disappeared in a matter of seconds.

“Anybody who hasn’t tried pie is a monster— I’d stake my life on it.” Dean said into the silence.

“Does that make me a monster?” Castiel tilted his head to the left and squinted at Dean from across the table as if he was trying to get a read on him. Angels weren’t made to fully understand humans, but Cas would be damned if he didn’t try.

“What?!” Dean’s jaw hung open. Sam silently thanked the heavens that his mouth wasn’t full of masticated dessert.

“You’ve never had pie?” He asked incredulously. “I mean, Dean always keeps it stocked in the fridge, and you’ve never had it?”

“Yes, Sam. I, an Angel of The Lord, have felt an intense desire to consume Dean Winchester’s practically holy pie despite the absence to physically nourish this vessel with food.” Cas said dryly.

Cas was practically glaring at Sam. He had really upped his sarcasm game in recent years, the brother would give him that.

He raised his eyebrows at Cas and held up his hands in innocence. “Okay, point taken.”

“No, no, no.” Sam and Castiel looked back at Dean. “This is just unacceptable. It’s… It’s downright unnatural. Cas, I don’t care if you’re an angel or the lowest demon there is. Everybody needs to have at least one slice of pie in their life.” He slid the plate in the angel’s direction in one fluid motion. It stopped directly in front of Cas.

Dean gave a proud look to his brother, boasting his skill. Sam just rolled his eyes.

The angel pushed back his chair to become eye level with the dessert. Noting that the crust did indeed appear to be quite flakey and the filling an overabundance of sugar, he carefully picked up the fork. Skeptically, he looked at Dean (who was almost as excited to see Castiel take his first bite of pie as he was to enter Betsy’s Pie Palace), and then to Sam (who honestly couldn’t care less. Logically, Cas doesn’t need to eat. Why Dean cares so much is beyond him.) and finally submerged the prongs in the slice. After digging out really only a baby-bite-sized piece, he began to lift the fork to his mouth.

“What, so Mr. Angel of The Lord can’t handle a bigger bite than that? I’ve seen bees bigger than that, Cas.” Dean teased. He knew he could push Castiel’s buttons more than anybody and actually manage to get away with it.

Cas closed his eyes in annoyance and while staying silent, stabbed the pie once again to fit more onto the fork. He made sure it was enough to satisfy the human whom he, now with considerable regret, raised from perdition. Had he known saving Dean Winchester was going to cause him this much grief in the long run, he might have let Dean stay down there another year or two and maybe without quite so much enthusiasm. Dean was still anxiously awaiting Castiel’s first bite, not unlike a young angel in the storehouses of Heaven (it makes more sense in Enochian) and Castiel could not help but let his friend’s excitement wash over him in golden warmth. He knew the pie would only taste of molecules and the spaces between, but did not want to let Dean down, regardless.

He stopped the fork just short of his lips. “Dean, I feel the need to remind you that angels can’t-“

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. ‘Can’t taste food like humans do.’ Just eat it already, Cas.” Dean interrupted.

Castiel bit down on the fork. Just as he suspected, there was no “food” flavor, like when he was human. It just felt like a lump of structured mush on his vessel’s tongue.

“That was,” Cas began after swallowing. “A neutral experience.”

Dean deflated in his chair.

“It was worth a shot, anyways,” Sam tried to remedy the situation. “Isn’t there some sort of power-up you can use to taste food again?”

Cas thought in silence for a moment. He supposed there was memory-reaching, but angels really have no use for that outside of getting information.

“Yes, I believe there is. I’ve never used it to explore a pleasant experience before, but it’s worth a shot.” The angel said, looking at Dean.

“Well, what are you waiting f-“

Castiel pressed his first two fingers lightly to Dean’s forehead, immediately searching his friend’s mind for his first memories of pie. Both the angel and Dean were being zipped back through the timeline of Dean’s life. He felt the victory of last week after a hunt when Dean was able to grab the last piece of coconut cream at a gas station. Then disappointment of years ago filled his chest when Sam had brought cake instead of pie, claiming “it was close enough.” Feeling himself putting up a front of confidence, Castiel realized he was in nervous, 17-year-old Dean’s shoes, staring across at a girl of similar age. The two were in a diner, about to share a slice of cherry as an innocent first date. He was so young.

At last, Castiel reached Dean’s first memory of his beloved pie. He found himself staring up at Mary Winchester, in Dean’s stead. He was up to her waist, sitting down. Castiel was bad at approximating ages— side effect of the whole being-an-angel thing— but he knew it was an early memory. She turned around and set a large piece of pie on the table, in front of him. Dean’s eyes, and Castiel’s by proxy, widened as Mary began to speak. He felt his mouth salivating with anticipation.

“Happy Birthday, Dean. I can’t believe my little guy is 4 years old, now!” She smiled at her son and reached down to ruffle his hair. “I love you, Dean.”

“I love you too, Mom!” Little Dean squeaked back.

Castiel felt Dean reach over to Mary in an attempt to wrap his tiny arms around her legs in a hug.

“Go on,” she laughed. “I made my favorite flavor- Apple. I hope you like it!”

Their gaze fell back onto the pie. Gingerly, so as not to drop a single piece, he brought the fork to his mouth. Flavor exploded across Castiel’s taste buds. Sweetness of the sugar, a gentle cinnamon spice, tartness from the apples, savoriness of the buttery crust. It was the perfect dessert.

Castiel retracted his hand from Dean’s forehead and looked at him with a certain softness.

“I understand it’s value now,” he said simply.

Dean looked up at him, slightly bewildered, trying to laugh it off. “Whoa, dude. A little warning next time would be nice,” Dean said, quickly wiping the tear about to fall down his face. He either didn’t remember telling Cas to get a move on or he was just trying to change the subject. He sniffed and cleared his throat, trying to hide the fact that he got emotional upon Cas digging up such a deep memory. Sam hadn’t seen Dean tear up in a long time, leaving him wondering what Cas had seen.

“I wanted to understand pie, and now I do. Thank you, Dean. I now know why pie has such a big role in your life. I would like to try it again, with your memories in mind. I believe it will be… flavorful to me, now, although I’m not quite sure that’s the right word,” Cas explained.

“What do you mean?” Sam asked.

“With Dean’s memories at the forefront of my palette, I should be able to taste pie in a similar way that he does— At least for a while.” Cas explained. “Let me try again,” he pleaded as he put his hand on Dean’s shoulder.

Still somewhat in his head, Dean was brought back to the bunker when he felt the angel’s warm hand.

“Yeah, okay. Sure, Cas.” Dean agreed.

Sam yanked the plate toward where Castiel was standing.

Unlike before, Cas loaded the fork with pie. It was so big, it almost fell off before it made it to his mouth.

Nostalgia intermingled with the chunks of apple and the taste of tenderness only a mother can give swirled around his mouth as he chewed. Castiel sat back down next to Dean and relaxed into the back of the chair.

“Yes,” he began, satisfaction dripping in his voice. “Pie is delicious.”

Dean shot Sam an “I-told-you-so” look, reached across to the plate, and polished off the rest of the slice.

Dean never explained what he saw, or rather what Castiel made him remember, to his brother and Sam never asked. All his brother knew was that it had to have been a good memory for it to affect Dean’s entire view on a singular dessert. Pie, just like his mother, will always share a home on the shelf of Dean's heart.

And Castiel will always hold Dean's heart in his soul.

A/N: this is just a lil thing i wrote last year and wanted to get out of my drafts already! do NOT do the math of traveling. I have no idea what it would actually be. Title is a pun if you couldn't tell lol

|| Join the Taglist! || Masterlist ||

[caelfyrekin]

bored so lets do one of these except i just answer them all here:

1. old scars / future hearts - all time low

2. nostalgic cartoons in general ig but scooby doo came up first in my mind

3. writing for sure! i enjoy multiple creative outlets + writing lets me explore things in different ways than art or edits

4. my favorite feeling is probably just being relaxed which doesnt happen often bc anxiety haha

5. i guess through art and writing? creativity helps me with a lot of things

6. i love fall scents! or lavender... or vanilla... or rain... i like a lot of candle scents oops

7. i feel most like myself when im alone actually im an introvert with no friends atm

8. a nostalgic texture? probably plushies tbh even though i still have a lot of them but a well loved fluffy plushie gives me good vibes

9. the first thing that came to mind was winning an art contest simply by painting an actual picture (i was quite young) to win a giant colorful fish plush

10. i honestly dont remember :(

11. comfort items for me are plentiful... i love all my plushies of course + i rarely take off my rings

12. cats, hugging one of my big plushies, chilling under my weighted blanket, good smells (see 6)

13. well i only have a shower currently + its not very relaxing half the time unfortunately but im not a bath person either really

14. uhhhhh i ordered some patches for a project + some other stuff? idk i like packages theyre fun

15. pasta, pizza, or just cheese in general tbh

16. more art or sprite edits !!! i just need inspiration tbh

17. when im sitting down + a cat just wants to be on/up against me

18. im not sure, id like to think id feel most myself at the age i die because ive been working towards that my whole life but if i get too old i might miss being more able to do things??? but being nonhuman makes me question whether ill ever truly feel like myself in this lifetime

19. a love letter? i dont think so lol

20. when i was getting ready to go off to college for the first time, i sat on the front porch of my childhood home eating an ice cream sandwich + hanging out with my cat who was rubbing all over me + being super sweet (love you ty gyrr, you were the best buddy)

21. tea please!!! especially black tea or chai (pumpkin spice chai is so good)

22. "i dont want to be here" is my current playlist on spotify -- dont worry i made it for when i was getting dental work done

23. i have but it was from my dad so it doesnt count (also i hate most flowers tbh)

24. dont have a best friend currently

25. i dont know that i believe in souls but if i did have one + it did have a color it would probably be like the move dark pulse in pokemon s+v (kind of black/purple/red)

26. i would live in iceland with a bunch of shelter/rescue cats! potential future friends would maybe be welcome to at least visit

27. hate it, grew some flowers once or twice as a child, but i really fucking hate gardening

28. some of my sprite edits probably lmao

29. if you are kind/respectful to me, i will show the same courtesy. strangers i tend to just avoid tbh social anxiety is mean

30. my hobbies are generally various forms of creativity, but range from homestuck sprite edits to painting/repainting objects to fanfiction writing to collecting/displaying merch from fandoms i enjoy

✨soft asks✨

What song makes you feel better?

What is your go to comfort show?

Reading or writing? Why?

Whats your favorite feeling?

How do you like to take care of yourself?

What’s your favorite candle scent?

Who do you feel most like yourself around?

Whats a fabric/texture that’s nostalgic for you?

Best childhood moment?

When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? (or just felt really good afterwards)

Do you have a comfort item? Tell us about it!

What calms you down?

Bath or shower to relax?

Whats something upcoming that you’re excited for?

Comfort food?

What’s something you want to create soon?

How do you feel best loved?

What age in life do you think you’ll feel most yourself at?

Have you ever written or received a love letter?

Tell us about a memory you hold close to your heart.

Tea, Coffee, or hot cocoa?

Name of your favorite playlist?

Have you ever received flowers?

Who is your bestfriend?

If your soul was a color, what would it be?

If you could live anywhere with anyone you want, where would it be and who would you bring?

Do you like to garden? Have you ever grown something?

What are you proudest of?

Are you a kind person?

What do your hobbies look like?

[jungwnies]

↬ prompt ;; how nct is with public display of affection (pda) ↬ part one ;; ◦ taeil ◦ johnny ◦ taeyong ◦ yuta ◦ kun ◦ doyoung ◦ ten ◦ jaehyun ◦ jeno

↬ part two ;; here ↬ part three ;; here

↬ warning ;; teeth rotting fluff & slightly suggestive content (not really though) ↬ requested ;; yes!! ↬ author's note ;; this is a series with the other groups on my masterlist found: here. i will be starting from oldest to youngest with the NCT version, so please be patient with me as this might develop into three parts since there's a whopping 23 members ☃︎

↬ please remember to like, comment, & reblog as the love is always appreciated ↬ also keep in mind that these are simply MY opinions! enjoy :)

⊱ taeil

○ moon taeil? he does not care an ounce ○ he will kiss you in public, hug you, he will show affection to you whenever wherever ○ BUT ○ taeil prefers privacy, just cause he will show you off to the public and press doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy alone time ○ this man LOVES being alone with you because he just feels safer, but he also feels safe knowing that everyone surrounding you guys knows you two are in love... ○ taeil doesn't get jealous ○ even if he DOES get a little jealous it doesn't bother him at all because he's confident in your relationship ○ nothing really bothers taeil because he trusts you 110% ○ like i said, pda for taeil? he doesn't care ○ but on the contrary, he prefers the alone time, private intimacy, all that jazz ○ taeil is a lover boy in the public eye and alone idc what anyone else has to say

⊱ johnny

○ like taeil, he doesn't care ○ tbh i feel like everyone in this age range is not gonna care but idk yet ○ johnny WANTS to show you off but his fan base is gonna go crazy (e.g. chloe kim) ○ management def. tells johnny to lay low because they don't want fans attacking you two ○ johnny wants to kiss you though, and hug you, and all that rotten fluffy shit ○ johnny gets jealous and he is NOT afraid to show it ○ he doesn't SAY it but his actions??? ○ boy starts feeling up on you, whispering in your ear, kissing your neck, IN PUBLIC ○ johnny suh? he's unstoppable when he sees another guy looking at what is HIS ○ anyways LOL ○ johnny is also a lover, but i feel like his love is just a strong mix of lust and passion because he thinks with his heart and dick ○ his ego is just huge too so he wants everyone to know what belongs to him

⊱ taeyong

○ again, HE DOES NOT CAREEE ○ especially since mister man is the leader ○ tbh everyone assumed one day he was gonna pop out with some red velvet member but then you guys got leaked ○ let's say those were some scandalous leaked pictures ○ taeyong def. makes out with you in public, hugs you, kisses your neck, this mf looks like he wants to get into your pants in front of dispatch istg... 😭 ○ tyong definitely got in trouble with management a few times because HE'S SUPERRR TOUCHY IN PUBLIC ○ tyong doesn't even get jealous because he knows what he does to you ○ he gets a lil cray cray in the bedroom though sometimes saying shit like, "i'll fuck you better than anyone other guy who lays their eyes on you" HDSKCVDUJ ○ okay let me stop... ○ taeyong is super loving and cute sometimes but he's also super stubborn and dominant because he just wants the best for y'all ○ he loves being alone with you ○ BUTTT he will not change how he treats you based on if there are cameras around or not :')

⊱ yuta

○ kinda cares, but also kinda doesn't ○ unlike the previous three.. he isn't super touchy in public ○ he prefers to keep a low profile in front of dispatch but when y'all are having a private dinner or something ○ yea, he's all up on you ○ he doesn't do too much in front of the cameras, but if there's no cameras he will kiss you, make out with you, etc... ○ there can be hella people and no cameras and he'll still do it ○ like johnny, he doesn't want fans to go crazy and potentially hurt you so he tries not to be too sexual in public or lusty ○ yuta gets jealous, for sure ○ but he's pretty calm about it, but in the bedroom like tyong? ○ this mf GOES CRAZYYY ○ he brings it up before seggsy time, but then during seggsy time he's bringing it up while making you scream his name out ○ ANYWAYS LMFAO... pda for yuta is a yes and no kinda of situation, just depends on whose around

⊱ kun

○ kun cares ○ kun prefers privacy, he doesn't do much in front of the cameras ○ he's a little more mature and likes to keep it it lowkey with you in front of a lot of people ○ he will hold your hand and stuff but he won't kiss you, or make out with you, or anything of that sort ○ kun doesn't get jealous either but if he's feeling sus of someone nearby he will tell you ○ prob will whisper it to you so no one else hears ○ like i said, he prefers privacy so he's more loving and affectionate in private DO NOT WORRY ○ kun loves you and he's sure to show it, but in public he just doesn't like the cameras ○ or the people to be honest ○ he doesn't like people staring at him, he doesn't like cameras catching him ○ he thinks it weird that people care so much so he just wants to keep you ○ ALL TO HIMSELF

⊱ doyoung

○ mixed feelings about this one ○ i think doyoung cares but like, doesn't care at the same time, idkkk ○ he will give you small kisses here and there, but he's also just always holding your hand ○ he gets a little nervy in front of cameras, or when he's surrounded by a lot of people especially when they're tryna get pics of the two of you ○ so he doesn't really involve himself in pda for the sake of, he's gonna get flustered.. ○ you can bet that his gonna do his little uncomfortable smile, when people are capturing the small kisses he shares with you ○ doyoung gets jealous, but like some of the others, he doesn't show it ○ he doesn't even bring it up ○ sometimes if it's really bothering him he'll tell you, or he starts subconsciously holding your hand a little tighter ○ because he's kinda iffy about pda sometimes he's more comfortable with it than other times ○ he 100% prefers just privacy with you and being alone with you because he knows that no one is judging him ○ and he knows that he doesn't have to worry about some crazy ass fans getting mad because he has a s/o

⊱ ten

○ mf does not fucking care ○ at all, literally does not give a shit ○ he WILL show you off, don't even get me started fr ○ he doesn't care about the people around, the cameras, literally NOTHINGGG ○ he doesn't even care if the people around him are uncomfortable tbh 😭 ○ sometimes he gets flustered and gets a little shy, but still he is unstoppable ○ if he gets jealous he just says it, and tells you that he's jealous ○ sometimes he's a bit reluctant to tell you but most of the time you can probably just tell because his whole ENERGY shifts ○ dont get me wrong, ten loves being private with you, and he's way more prurient with you ○ in public he's a little more extroverted and he's kinda just a ball of energy who doesn't care what's going on around him ○ in private, he's a bit more passionate, sensual, the vibe just shifts completely when you guys are in private ○ he might not care, but he cherishes the privacy with you

⊱ jaehyun

○ he prefers privacy 100% ○ he's a little more clam in front of the cameras, not really a big ball of energy as some people ○ he will hold your hand, kiss you, he'll do it all with you in front of cameras and stuff, but mainly just hand holding ○ here and there dispatch catches y'all kissing in front of some coffee shop because mans cannot live without his iced coffee ○ but he just prefers doing all the lovey, affection shit behind scenes ○ his energy shifts in front of cameras, lowkey gets a little boring in front of cameras because they never catch anything of him LMFAO ○ but when he's off camera, just around you or the members his energy is something else, he's a little more wild ○ he'll do PDA with you in front of staff or the members, but never really IN public ○ he doesn't get jealous either, like he knows his worth and knows that no one can compare to him as he should... ○ so he doesn't worry or care if someone is looking at you but if they look a little to hard and long he kinda pulls you away, he doesn't even realize he does that though ○ jae is a simple guy, he just wants to cherish you and worship you in private ○ so def privacy >>> pda

© 2022 junthusiast

[kalims]

hello ! may I request number 3, 7, 8 from the Christmas prompts for Floyd? thank you in advance <3

‎˃ ᵕ ˂ . . "YES YOU MAYYY"

prompts,

twisted holidays

ukiyo — to be fair you had no idea when winter arrives in twisted wonderland, it's cold so you just resort into snuggling to your lover out of nowhere.

serene — their gift is in their front door, catch is it's you wrapped around hazzardly in wrapper meant for presents. there's no better gift than you duh!

not so lonely — you returned to your world and it's a christmas they'd have to spend alone. well they thought that way till you showed up on their doorstep with a bouquet of flowers!

character. floyd

ukiyo

on a range from 1 to 10 his happiness would probably break the scale (as well as your spine probably from how hard he was hugging you) you're well aware of floyd's tendency to 'squeeze' people, more or less his favorite being you but it doesn't take off the suprise every time he does it.

^ well atleast when he just does it out of nowhere. usually? he's pretty easy to read whenever his actions point to a future squeeze.

the definition of: 😊 meanwhile you're: 😨 because what the fuck he's cold and you were trying to find warmth in him not even more cold!

he just hugs you tighter, giggling and stuff ignoring or just completely oblivious to you struggling in his arms trying to get away from his freezing skin.

"floyd please!"

"what's wrong shrimpy? i ain't done squeezing you yet."

"ITS COLD."

"deal with it." *proceeds to laugh at your pathetic attempt to get away.

sleep with both of your eyes open,, actually you will cause now floyd likes to invade your space and its no different during bed time.

you only allow him to sleep with you if he didn't kick away your blanket as well.

serene

"this is the best gift ever."

"careful floyd. you don't want to break your new present." jade grins, watching floyd practice haul your (still wrapped in.. wrapper..) self to his room.

congratulations. you've dug yourself an early grave and a wedding.

floyd is spouting all about how this is the best gift he likes the most and for some reason only let's you remove the ribbons and other stuff after he's finished practically displaying you to azul and bragging.

"so you didn't get a gift like this did you? figured."

"floyd get out."

asks you to give him the same gift next christmas and wont accept anything else if you refuse. he's like a child, huffing and looking away but you know you'll win the ignoring game cause he never lasts two hours.

yes he literally just picked you up, regardless of your size with his monstrous strength and carried (ran) over to his room like a child taking a gift under the tree and choosing to unwrap it in their room.

though you never seem to escape the endless remarks jade quips.

"hm. floyd liked your.. present during that time. he'd be quite disappointed with this.. picture."

"jade. it's a polaroid and can you please stop doing this?"

"doing what? 🙂"

not so lonely

looked pathetic ngl he was just staring at the aquarium of the dorm with a tiny little santa hat on his head (courtesy of jade who claimed he needed to have atleast a little spirit) didn't even want to answer the door but when jade called him he just begrudgingly walked over.

screamed your name (in happiness) so loud that he actually woke up azul. don't wonder why he walked out of the dorm looking disgruntled and rubbing his ass.

is insanely happy but I worry that he'll actually throw a fit like last time if you ever try to leave again. mc you're too cruel to just come back and leave again don't do this I'll be sad again 🥺 *grips you tightly* lowkey guilt tripping you tbh

like floyd loves the flowers but stuff but you're the real deal here and he might've actually cared about them more if you sent them through long distance or something.

wow hes so glad he wore the santa hat.

"we're matching! 🥰" he points to the hat on his head and then to yours unable to keep his arms away from basically encasing you whole.

you missed floyd and his hugs even if it might be a little crushing sometimes <3

[zuluc]

more streamer!xiao in preparation for the smau 😌 this isn’t in parallel with the storyline of the actual au so i hope there’s no confusion there ! also here is the carrd ,,

his entire gaming set up is pretty much like streamer you see on tweetch with lights typically adjusted to a cool tone (teal and purple) in the background with his camera pointed at him in his gaming chair. he likes to keep fanart either gifted or commission in the background for people to see and he changes it every so often to showcase his fans’ work because he just really appreciates it.

but there is one in particular that he keep up the entire time and that is a piece of him and you with your guys’ back turned, a silhouette against a blueish pink sky (a birthday present courtesy of albedo). it’s not too flashy or cartoony but it is large, taking up over half of the wall space in height and his arm span in width.

in the back xiao also has a long table drawer with presents sent to him that he thinks fit with the aesthetic of the room. there’s a stand for collectable spears from genshin (with a primordial jade winged spear and staff of homa because why not) as well as a ps5 he never uses. more gaming consoles are displayed as well and you can bet that nothing is dusty or dirty despite being exposed and out of boxes. he has one acnl nintendo switch (because it was supposed to be for you but you were gifted one so now you guys can match) and another teal switch lite because childe has no mora boundaries.

a lot of his decor stuff is gifted tbh. like you got him a vase because someone sent him fake flowers and he didn’t know what to do with it. well actually, he stole it from your room and you never questioned how it magically ended up in his.

he did a room tour once but all his chat was asking was where you were after seeing his fanart wall.

you show up on his streams a lot and his fans absolutely adore you, like the fact that you got alatus all soft in that one stream is enough for them to say “he’s whipped, your honor” he’s tried to get his mods to ban them every time they bring it up but they allow the chaos to ensue

even though he seems annoyed when people comment on your relationship (all positive with joking ones asking if you’re single) he doesn’t doesn’t deny how nice it is to have you beside him as he does his stuff. sometimes you aren’t even beside him but in his lap because, after the first incident, he stopped caring about hiding you

the single question does kind of irk him tho it’s amusing to say the least

y/n are you single

it’s a messaged attached to a donation so the automated voice says it out loud and by coincidence xiao makes a headshot to the opposing team’s leader. his stoic face turns to his camera afterwards as he looks at the message on the screen again, then back to you whose leaning against him

when you nod he looks so offended in the chillest way possible

you wear his merch when you show up just because, and all because they’re really comfortable. but xiao doesn’t even know that you’re wearing it until right before the stream after you rummage through his closet. he raises a brow but doesn’t say anything in hopes that you never find out that he actually likes when you do that

sometimes you wear a hoodie that hides your shorts and he kinda panics a little because he thinks you don’t have pants on when you stand up. the concern on his face was recorded and he has those moments of exposing his own caring side again. yeah no he threw the blanket he had on over your waist so fast before either of you could register it.

speaking of clothes, his style is pretty nice. he’s in comfy clothes a lot because why dress nice if you’re just streaming but he looks so nice. his signature black hoodie must have holes in it after being worn almost every single stream (but he has like 5 of them that look the same) and his pants have no range to them. they’re all just sweats

but when you move up to his hair and face? please.

his hair is up with a clip or in a little bun to keep out of his face. you can see all his teal hair peeking out from the bottom more so this way. you bought him clips to keep the stray strands in place as well and he color coordinates them if there’s something to match on his clothes or room ambience.

changes his piercings a lot. he’d seem like the type to get piercings but just on his ears. he has three lobe piercings, a double helix, and a tragus on his left ear. xiao likes to wear black or silver earrings depending on the lighting. they are most apparent when his hair is up and out of the way of course.

someone mailed him a fake lip piercing and he put it on a for a stream but the chat had to be disabled for five minutes because he kept moving it around in, ways

[the-hot-zone]

Too Old To Play With Toys: The Sad Truth Behind Sokka's Boomerang

This is Sokka’s boomerang: 

[ID: a screenshot of Sokka’s boomerang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. It has just been thrown, and it whips through the air in a rapid, whirling motion. End ID.]

And as we all know, it always comes back. This characteristic makes Sokka’s boomerang a returning boomerang, rather than a hunting boomerang. This is an important distinction to make, and it’s where the heart of this headcanon lays. Let me explain. 

Accuracy: What’s the Difference Between Hunting and Throwing Boomerangs?

There are three types of boomerangs: the hunting boomerang, the returning boomerang, and the cross boomerang. We’re only going to be discussing hunting and throwing boomerangs, but feel free to learn about cross boomerangs and their construction--they’re really cool. As a general note: the following sources and information pertain to Aboriginal Australian cultures. Boomerangs were used elsewhere, but mainly as throwing sticks, not returning boomerangs.

So, hunting boomerangs, also known as throwing sticks or kylies, have this basic shape:

[ID: a black silhouette of a hunting boomerang. It is shaped like a skinny tear drop, with a slight curve along its form, and it widens asymmetrically at its ends. End ID.]

[ID: an overhead shot of three hunting boomerangs. They are carved from glossy, light-brown wood. End ID.]

Artist: Aboriginal Elder, Joe Skeen Snr. Buy here.

The hunting boomerang is straighter, larger, longer, and deadlier than the returning boomerang. “With it,” states the Britannica, “animals were maimed and killed, while in warfare it caused serious injuries and death.” This is due to its shape, which allows it to travel in a relatively straight line. With its capability for distance and force, the hunting boomerang is a very powerful tool. 

According to Boomerang: Behind an Australian Icon by Philip Jones, a hunting boomerang can travel around 100 meters. If the boomerang is heavy enough, and the throw forceful enough, large prey, like kangaroos, can be killed. If you want to see a hunting boomerang in action, watch sections of this Youtube video. The range and accuracy of this tool are amazing. 

The returning boomerang, which was used in eastern and western parts of Australia, is very different:

[ID: a black silhouette of a returning boomerang. It has two arms that widen towards the middle and connect, forming an angled shape, like a triangle with two sides. End ID.]

[ID: a painted returning boomerang. The base is formed from a smooth, light-colored wood. Designs are painted at the end of its wings, in the middle of its wings, and towards its center. At the center is a stylized turtle. End ID.]

Artist: unknown, but sold by Aboriginal-owned business Murra Wolka. Website here. 

As you can see, the returning boomerang is shorter, smaller, and angled sharply. The shape of it allows it to trace an elliptical path, thus returning to the thrower. But this property is not without its drawbacks:

“A hunting boomerang needs to fly well and nearly straight to strike prey some 200 metres away. The trouble is that the best-flying boomerangs tend to return, rarely departing beyond fifty metres from the thrower. With the returning form ‘there is no certainty of hitting the mark. It may come back too quickly and may hit your own friends standing near you.’ While recognising that the best-flying boomerangs do return, Aborigines defined a technological problem. They needed to strike a compromise between flying ability and hunting requirements...” (Australian Museum).

Now, the returning boomerang could still be used to hunt, but not to kill or maim prey. Its application was craftier:

“When hunting ducks, for example, nets were set up at either ends of a creek or river. A boomerang was then thrown out over the ducks which gave them a scare so that they took off up the river and flew directly into the nets. From there they were collected. At other times during the hunting of birds the returning boomerang was thrown horizontally along the ground into a flock, and, as they took off the boomerang would follow them into the air. This may or may not kill the bird and a harder way to hunt” (murruppi.com).

Still, this wasn’t the main application of the returning boomerang. In actuality, it was used as a toy:

“The returning boomerang was not primarily designed for hunting as it is too light and wouldn't guarantee a kill. Rather, it was designed as a toy for young aboriginal boys. The toy would allow a youngster to practice throwing skills but still make it fun” (murrippi.com). 

So, Sokka’s boomerang? A plaything.

Let’s Bring It Back to ATLA: What Does This Mean?

With the above information, Sokka’s use of his boomerang in canon becomes almost tragic. His boomerang was probably given to him by Hakoda when he was very young. He used it to learn how to throw; one day, when he was older, he would have carved his own throwing stick, and used it to hunt alongside his dad and the other adults of his tribe. 

Instead, Sokka’s boomerang is another aspect of his childhood that was twisted by the war. His boomerang is--should have been--nothing more than a toy. He shouldn’t have had to use it to fend off Zuko, attack Azula, and defeat Combustion Man. Regardless, it did become a tool he used to help defeat the Fire Nation, and that’s pretty fitting when it comes to ATLA’s ideas of childhood and war: Sokka spent years acting as his tribe’s protector; Katara spent longer acting as a mother. Thus, his use of his boomerang throughout the show displays how Sokka was forced into a war-torn world at an incredibly, unfairly young age. As a result, he was forced to adapt in ways that took from him. 

And we’ve all seen Sokka’s boomerang in action. Here’s a video of his greatest hits--literally. His accuracy is insane, and he catches his boomerang every time. He’s more than ready to have a hunting boomerang, yet we see him use his returning boomerang throughout the show, and long after he earns his ice dodging mark. Tbh? I think that Sokka didn’t want to carve a hunting boomerang without his dad guiding his hands. 

So, you might be wondering, what happens post-war? 

Eventually, I think Sokka retires his returning boomerang and carves his own hunting boomerang, but the shape of it is particular: 

“Some scientists argue that a throwing-stick, commonly used by indigenous hunters around the world, is the precursor of the boomerang... Through trial-and-error the boomerang was refined to a point where the most desirable size, proportions and curvature were established. This refinement brought one serious problem: any improvement in flying resulted in a tendency to return. There is little doubt that indigenous hunters brought this experiment to its ultimate conclusion, by producing the perfect returning boomerang” (Australian Museum).

In short, making a good hunting boomerang is hard. Lots of trial and error, and still, hunting boomerangs come in a wide array of shapes. Thus, I headcanon that Sokka carves his hunting boomerang differently, as compared to the other members of his tribe--it’s more curved. This would show that although he's grown up and is in a post-war world, he's changed in some ways that can't be completely undone. 

In other words, Sokka eventually moves on, but the way he throws and uses his boomerang is going to be a little different.

Conclusion

TL;DR: Sokka’s boomerang is a plaything, and this has sad implications. But also? He never should have had one in the first place. Firstly, boomerangs were traditionally made from green hardwood, which I don’t believe can be found in the South Pole. I on god can’t find any authentic sources for bone or metal boomerangs. To be more accurate and still keep with the trend of throwing weapons, I would’ve given Sokka a nuqaq and darts or a bola.

Also, as far as I can tell, Sokka’s boomerang is the only aspect of Aboriginal Australian culture Bryke used in ATLA (I can’t get a confirmation on Hakoda’s name). This is cherry-picking to the max, and it perpetuates the harmful ideas of pan-indigeneity wrt one large, singular culture. 

So, if you enjoyed this, please consider supporting aboriginal artists and charities. You can buy aboriginal art from murrippi.com and Murra Wolka. This article here provides a list of charities as well as active GoFundMe’s for families affected by police brutality against Aboriginal Australians. Thank you.

Sources

“Hunting Boomerang - Extreme Range - The Aboriginal Karli” by Throwsticks Channel

“Boomerang Information“ by Murruppi, Djirrbal/Ngadjonji Tribe 

“Boomerang” by the Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors for the Encyclopaedia Britannica

“It Comes Back ... What a Nuisance!“ by Stan Florek for Australian Museum 

Boomerang: Behind an Australian Icon by Philip Jones from Wikipedia 

Murra Wolka 

Gonna tag @atlaculture​​​ because I think this is of your interest. <3

[peppermint-toads]

“i thought you'd be here + you don't mean that+ and why should i care?/oh, now you care?”

Angst prompts for charlie or adam sackler where basically reader is in a SUPER important play (actress) and they miss it due to smtg else thats really not as important😬

an: tbh i love this concept so i might rewrite it or write it for charlie

cw: angst, reader hits adam, cursing, angst, angst, mentions of adam being injured, no happy ending

You’d finally landed your first leading role. Six agonizing weeks of blistered feet, tears, getting home at two, three in the morning, and it was finally time.

You had pulled some strings with your director, telling him you’d put in extra hours if only you could just reserve a house seat for Adam.

Adam had even made a dinner reservation at your favorite jazz club for after the show, and you couldn’t wait.

You giddily kissed him goodbye, holding his face and telling him “This is it. This is the day.”

He smiled real huge. “I’ll see you at six, kid.”

“You know where you’re sitting?” You asked as you headed for the door.

“Mhmmm,” he called back.

You stared at yourself in your dressing room mirror. Your makeup looked perfect. You felt beautiful, and you felt important. You took one last deep breath.

The stage managers voice crackled through the old speakers in the room

“Act one beginners to the stage please.”

You felt sick.

You weren’t nervous about the packed theatre, no. Their gazes didn’t matter. It was Adam’s critique you were scared of. Your skin was buzzing thinking about him carefully watching your performance, tracking your every move.

You rushed to the wings, ready for the first act. You were ready.

You waltzed onto the stage, pearly white teeth and red lipstick on full display as you smiled. Your eyes immediately flicked towards the seat you knew he’d be in just to find it… empty.

You panicked. No way he’d miss this unless there was an emergency. Your stomach fell to the floor but you kept on, you needed this job. You couldn’t just storm off stage in a fit of worry.

After all, it could’ve just been New York traffic. He’d be there, you knew it.

Each time you reentered the stage, you stared at the empty seat with a terrible feeling in your gut. Your performance faltered, you fudged lines, missed steps, shit. It was all a disaster.

The stage lights were all too hot and all too bright, but you were almost done. Just a couple more scenes and the nightmare would end.

Curtain call was a blur, what should’ve been your proudest moment was plagued with anxiety.

You sprinted as soon as you were out of the audience’s view, quickly changing and throwing all of your things together. You slammed the metal door to the alleyway open, already pulling out your phone to call him.

The dial tone rang loudly in your ear. You chanted pick up, pick up, pick up under your breath. You looked towards the street, going to flag down a cab when you saw him.

There he was, standing in the alley, seemingly in one piece.

“Adam? I- what are you doing?” You were winded, breathless and confused. He should be bleeding out, missing a limb, something. But he looked completely normal.

Your brows pulled together tightly. Your words didn’t come together how they should’ve.

“I- you-you missed it?” It wasn’t a question, but you were in complete disbelief, trying to make sure you were understanding the situation correctly.

“I know, I know,” he said with his arms up in defense. “Jessa called me and-”

“Jessa? You were with fucking Jessa.” You couldn’t believe it. Your confusion quickly manifested into rage and hurt. You crossed your arms over your chest and shook your head at the ground, trying to obscure his view from the tears that were burning your eyes.

“I thought you were fucking dead! I thought you’d be there, I was- I was looking for you!” You screamed, approaching him and pounding your fist against his chest.

“She needed me. Her dad-”

“No, Adam. I needed you.” You dug your finger into your chest, pointing at yourself, telling him Me. It was me who needed you.

You stomped to the sidewalk, shoving your arm into the air, quickly hailing a cab. You needed to get away from him.

“Tompkins Avenue,” you accidentally spat at the driver.

“Y/n, just wait!” He called after you, leaning into the cab. “We have dinner plans, please just come with me.”

You’d scoffed. “So now you care? Too fucking late, Adam.”

You leaned over and slammed the yellow door shut, leaving Adam alone in the alley. You repeated your address to the man and apologized.

[ghostdrew22]

Can I request a draco x reader where they just stay together all day even tho its a school day so they just like skip school all day and then one of their friends catch them? It probably sounds confusing but I LOVE YOUR WRITING

Where Words Fall Short || Draco Malfoy

So I changed it into a teacher catching them instead, I hope it still suits your fancy. Thank you so much for this request, I had quite a nice time writing it <3

Requested: Yes Pairing: Draco Malfoy x fem!reader Warnings: mentions of mental illness? Idk what I should be warning you against in this one tbh so if you find anything then let me know <3 Summary: Draco is having a hard morning so Y/N keeps him company and they ditch lessons.

WORDS : 2114

~~~

Growing up, Draco continuously watched as a curtain was drawn above the topic of mental health in his household. What should’ve been long, informative discussions about his withstanding family history and hereditary struggles with mental health, was broken down into, “Your father just gets a bit overwhelmed sometimes”, and “Your mother is a woman, and as women do, she often gets erratic until she tires herself out.”

None of it was true, of course, just excuses used to try and avoid the problem. But it wasn’t discussed. Not when Narcissa would sleep for days on end, or when Lucius was hospitalised, and especially not when Draco began to display symptoms similar to his parents. The family healer was called in, Draco was diagnosed and medicated, and it was discussed no further. Because words were just not the Malfoy way.

You’d long become accustomed to his habits when he wasn’t feeling well, he’d told you himself about his struggles, and you’d adjusted quickly enough. Now you know, just by the sight of him, when he’s having a rough day. As hard as Draco tries to follow in his parent’s footsteps and draw a veil on his suffering, he just can’t bring himself to do it when you’re around. You make him feel safe.

You read the watch on your wrist, 8.10am, and sigh when you notice that Draco’s still not in the Great Hall for breakfast. Draco prides himself on being organised and punctual, so when he’s even five minutes late to breakfast you know that he’s having one of those days and he might just not get out of bed.

“He’s just running late this morning, I watched him walk to the showers.” Crabbe says beside you as he notices worry etch its way onto your features. You nod and smile at him.

“Thanks Crabbe.”  You respond before grabbing the empty plate on your other side and filling it up with Draco’s favourites.

It’s another ten minutes before Draco finally walks into the Great Hall, and you feel your heart wrench at the sight of him- hair still wet from showering, faint bags beneath his eyes and a solemn look painting his face- he looks exhausted. You smile at him when he settles into the space beside you and he smiles back, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

He interlocks your fingers together as he sits down and you slide the plate of food toward him. He kisses the back of your hand as a thank you and you nod before turning back to your own food. On mornings like this conversation is sparse- it’s like a useless chore that you can both afford to forget- and you both resort to actions as a means of conversation.

Normally, words would be spent on endless declarations of love, confirmations of support, queries of comfort and insurmountable pleas to just sit in silence together. But now, now with this routine and understanding that sits comfortably on the border of your relationship, words no longer need to transpire between you both in order for there to be a mutual understanding of what you both need.

Most kisses are ‘I love you’ or ‘thank you’, but every so often when Draco paints every square inch of your face in adoration with his lips, then he’s telling you that you’re beautiful, that every piece of you is just another reason for him to fall deeper into love with you. Hugs are usually him begging for attention, trying discreetly to drag you away from whatever it is that you’re doing and bring you down to his dorm with him for cuddles.

But Draco’s preferred method of communication on days like this, is squeezing your hand. Information by hand squeeze increases in degree; one is ‘I’m fine, just tired’, two is ‘I’m probably going to disappear halfway through the day for some alone time’, and three is ‘Please spend the day with me’.

So when you feel that familiar pressure against your hand come in waves of three that morning, you know that he’s having a particularly bad day. You turn to him and nod, and this time when he smiles at you, it actually does reach his eyes.

~~~

When the first lesson of the day is underway, Muggle Studies, you and Draco are lying in his bed in his shared dormitory. There’s a risk of one his roommates coming back to collect a forgotten book or leftover homework, but it matters little when the two of you are spaced out in the small world of your own invention. You’re running your hands through his hair as his head sits comfortably on your chest, and his fingers are running up and down your other arm in an effort to keep him occupied.

The two of you spend the next few hours like that, just lying in his bed in silence as Draco thinks himself into oblivion and you try to calm him down. It doesn’t work though, and at some point you grow frustrated at the amount of tension that he’s built up in this shoulders, and demand that he gets up.

“Why?” He asks with furrowed eyebrows as he lifts his head off of your chest.

“Do you trust me?” He nods, and you smile. “Good, then come on.”

You pull him behind you quietly as the two of you roam the castle and head toward the Astronomy Tower- trying desperately not to arouse suspicion and get caught skipping lessons just as the day is ending.

When you reach the top and see that the sun is shining faintly, a satisfied sigh escapes your lips. All that cold and darkness in the dungeons wasn’t good for Draco and you’d lugged him all the way up here for some sunshine. You know that it won’t really fix anything that’s bothering him, but at least the Vitamin D might lift his spirits a little bit or help him to relax a tad more.

You sit on the ground and pull Draco down to sit beside you. He drops his head against your shoulder and pulls the back of your hand up to his lips, Thank you, is what the action says and you smile at the small acknowledgement. You lean your own head against his that’s resting on your shoulder and he shuts his eyes in content as you pull out the book that you’d brought up to read.

“Should I read to you?” You ask and he nods very softly, so you do as he asks and begin to read the novel out loud.

It’s mundane, sure, but Draco thinks that he could spend the rest of his life like this. When words have always failed him, you’ve been there to pick up pieces of his unsaid ministrations. Most people, if not all the people in his life, have always found his failure to conjure up words and describe his feelings, annoying. But not you, never you, you have always loved the way he tries so hard to show you his love instead of tell it to you. Whenever he feels torn apart, like a rag doll being tugged on both arms, you somehow manage to remind him that he’s made of skin and bone, not cloth and plastic. It’s you that reminds him he’s worth something, even when he feels as though he’s worth nothing.

“Y/N.”

“Hmm?” You respond absent-mindedly as you turn your head slowly away from the pages and toward Draco. When you catch a glimpse of his contorted features, concern washes over you. “What’s wrong? Do you want to go back inside?”

“No, no.” He shakes his head softly and smiles at you. “I just want to chat, is that okay?”

“Well… I was enjoying this book…” You tease and laugh when you see that he’s not amused. “I’m kidding, am’ all yours love.” You peck him on the lips quickly before closing your book and putting it aside.

He sighs, “I’ve been thinking-”

“Oh, that’s never good.” You immediately respond and he narrows his eyes at you which makes you laugh, “Okay, I’ll stop now.”

“You’re lucky I love you.” He says with a roll of his eyes, and a small smile, before he takes a deep breath and continues. “I’m going off my meds.”

You take a moment to digest what he’s said before nodding slowly, “Oh…”

“Oh…?” He raises his eyebrows in anticipation, worried that you won’t support his decision. “Are you mad?”

You’re taken aback by his question and turn to face him in confusion. “Mad? Why would I be mad?”

He shrugs, “I don’t know, mother was furious when I told her.”

“Okay, but your mother is notorious for having the emotional range of a green bean,” Draco, albeit begrudgingly, laughs at your comment with a shake of his head, “What? Am I wrong?” You ask with a laugh as well.

“You’re not wrong but that’s not the point. You’re bloody rude!” He tries to stop laughing but it’s not working and soon enough the two of you are rolling around on the ground, crying your eyes out in laughter.

After a good three minutes has passed the two of you have finally calmed down and the serious atmosphere has returned. “I’m not mad Draco, I could never be mad at you.”

“You were mad that time I tried to force a Ravenclaw to do my Muggle Studies research for me.” He says in a matter-of-fact tone and you shove him lightly.

“That was because you were harassing that innocent child!” You exclaim with another giggle, “I’ve never been mad at you for doing something that involves only you.”

“What about when I dyed all my pubic hair-“

“I told you never to speak of that.” You cut him off sternly before he can continue and a naughty smile appears on his lips at the memory.

“That was funny, admit it.”

“We were on vacation with my parents! Do you understand how awkward the conversation we had, after the swimming pool, was? They were so concerned about the fact that I’d brought home a boy with blue armpit hair!” You exclaim with wide eyes and Draco bursts into laughter again. “You’re such an arsehole.” You grumble out with a pout and he pecks you with a smile.

“You love me though.”

“I do… I really do.” You respond genuinely as you stare at him in admiration. Even on his worst days, when exhaustion wears his face like a mask and words fall short from his lips, he’s still the love of your life and nothing can change that. “I’m really proud of you, for making a decision like that.”

“Thank you.” He sighs and you can tell how much this has been bothering him over the past few days, if not weeks, by the way his shoulders finally relax. “I just don’t think they’re doing what they’re meant to. I don’t feel any better.”

“Mhmm.” You nod at him to continue as you take his hand in your own.

“I don’t feel worse either though, I feel the same. It’s been a year and I feel the absolute bloody same.”

“What are you going to do instead?”

“Whatever else the healer recommends.” He shrugs, “If she’s got nothing else that will work then I don’t know.”

“Well… I’m here for you, always.”

“I know.”

And it’s true, he does know, sure as he knows that he’s a Slytherin. There aren’t many things and people that Draco relies on, the fear of them letting him down always a barrier, but you he puts his absolute faith in. Because when words fall short to describe the amount of love that he has for you, and the amount of love that you have for him, there will always be actions and you two will always have each other.

You take your hands and cup his face in them before peppering kisses all over his face. He giggles under your touch, an effect that you’ve always had on him and he hates, but you make no move to stop until every corner has been graced with feel of your lips. It’s every word that you could possibly say to him, every sentence that could hold the weight of your adoration, because sometimes, words just fall short.

“Y/N-“ He begins when you finally pull away, wanting to tell you that he loves you, but you cut him off with a dopey smile.

“I know.”

The two of you lie down against the cold, hard gravel- fingers intertwined as you both shut your eyes and bask in the soft rays of sunlight. It’s almost perfect.

Until.

“Mr Malfoy, Ms L/N.” A voice drawls.

“Shit.” You mumble when you remember that it’s Wednesday- Astronomy.

<~>

Did I impulsively write this after declaring I’m going on a week’s hiatus to move? Yes. Did I put off packing for this? Yes. Do I have any regrets? Nope.

anyway,

love you all,

jean <3

[jostenneil]

do you have some anime recs that have well written female characters? i really would like to know!! thank you :)

omg yeah sure! probably will just touch on why i like the female casts in these series rather than summarize them 

chihayafuru by suetsugu yuki (manga/anime) → if you’re tired of constantly having to see sports anime be dominated by series about boys then i think you’ll be very pleased with this it’s probably the most prominent sports anime centered on girls (and boys bc the sport is co-ed) and it’s a huge range of girls too like high school students, mothers, teachers, sisters, etc. 

kono oto tomare by amyuu (manga/anime) → i was only recently recced this but oh my goddd i binged it in like three days. satowa is one of the best female characters i’ve ever read about like the depth of her trauma and loneliness is so heartbreaking to read about but so worth it bc she tries constantly to overcome it. my babie my angel (also hiro is fantastic i’d die for her) 

legend of basara & 7 seeds by yumi tamura (manga) → her ensemble casts are phenomenal and what i esp like about her female characters is they’re allowed to be simultaneously strong and feminine and over emotional without being condemned for it. sarasa’s like a crybaby with a sword i think yona fans would love her (she might even have inspired her now that i’m thinking about it) 

magic knight rayearth by clamp (manga) → remember when isekai stories used to actually be good and girls had agency and wielded swords rather than be thrust into the role of male mc’s objectification target. thankfully clamp has got you on this (as they do with most of their series’ female casts tbh) 

precure (anime) → i realize this is a tall order bc there are a bajillion precure installments, but that’s exactly the fun of it because you can choose. . . anything. you can never go wrong by watching the original (nagisa and honoka are so gay it hurts), and then heartcatch is probably the most famous installment in recent years and with very good reason!

hanasaku iroha (anime) → for the girls who love generational trauma between the various women in a family. . . omg the angst and personal strife of this series is so good. so so good. idek how to describe it but the grandmother-mother-daughter dynamics explored are phenomenal 

nagi no asukara (anime) → what i love about the girls here is they’re not just distinct in terms of personality and aspirations but also romantic outlook. the perception of love and how we deal when it is or isn’t reciprocated is so well explored through their characters and it’s a love polygon anime that does really good justice to the narrative tool 

shirobako (anime) → notice how this is the third pa works anime i’m recommending. they’re just rly good at developing interesting female casts also the girls here work in the animation industry so it’s nice to get a taste of working girls if you’re tired of narratives about high school ones 

hibike! euphonium (anime) → admittedly i haven’t watched this yet but i trust my friends who have and like every other gif of it you’ll ever see is just so gay. is this a guarantee of well written female characters? idk but i would take homoeroticism between band girls any day over whatever tf shounen has going on 

sugar sugar rune by anno moyoco (manga) → anno moyoco’s amaaaazing at crafting independent female characters and while the story here is pretty short and sweet, chocolat and vanilla (and their mothers) are nonetheless timeless as protagonists and i think anno subverts their initially presented character archetypes very cleverly 

the twelve kingdoms by fuyumi ono (novels/anime) → another rec that i haven’t watched personally but it’s been lauded over and over again by friends i trust as one of the best examples of a series with an incredibly compelling female protagonist. and i mean, when can you go wrong with girls given swords and thrust into kingdom politics! 

wolf’s rain (anime) → the female cast here is limited but still impeccable imo. there’s tragedy upon tragedy wrested into each of their fates and it’s so heartbreaking to watch but the kindness, perseverance, and humanity displayed by each of these women in different capacities is incredible. also there’s jaguara who is an absolute bitch but she’s sexy so it’s okay

i feel like i recced close to no shounen here so i will try to come back with more shounen recs if i can but at the same time i feel like shoujosei is just a better bet when it comes to well written female (and male) characters in general so. djkfsjaglfbhdslnfd

[pockyxx]

“ how the haikyuu captains confess ”

daichi x fem! reader, kuroo x fem! reader, ushijima x fem! reader, bokuto x fem reader and oikawa x fem! reader

genre: fluff.

daichi 

people already though the two of you were dating

he always does typical boyfriend things i.e holds bags, compliments, the only thing that was missing was  physical intimacy 

he’d be on the fine line of romantic and straight forward 

he kinda already knew that you knew he liked you 

he got the team’s advice on what to do but it was useless bc they’ve never been with a girl RIP 

“Y/n, I’m glad I caught up to you!” He seemed a little more nervous than normal but you brushed it off as just nervous for his up coming practice match. 

“Hey Daichi-san, what’s up?” You closed your locker, finishing up with your own club activities. The two of you continued to walk while also keeping up the conversation, Daichi holding the door open for you. 

Your heart slightly fluttered as you walked so close with them, wondering if today was the day that Daichi was finally going to confess. One of the first years had accidentally let it slip one day when you stopped by his practice. 

“Well, actually, there’s been something on my mind. It’s been on my mind for a while, honestly.” He stopped walking, nervously opening his backpack to grab something. 

You gave him an innocent look even though it’s been a moment you’ve been waiting for for a long time. 

“I like you, y/n. Like a lot.” He extended his hand and offered you your favorite candy bar, something that he always carried around with him. “I like when I get to see your bright smile, and your laugh makes me feel so warm inside. I just like the person I am around you and how you make me want to be a better person all together.” 

It had been clear that he hadn’t exactly planned what he was going to say but it was still meaningful nonetheless. 

“It took you long enough.” You flashed a cheeky grin, “Hinata told me by accident, I’ve just been waiting for you to finally spill the beans.” You laughed, filling his heart with joy. 

“So this means you’ll let me take you on a date?” He wondered, blushing and making a mental note to make the younger boy run extra laps. You nodded rapidly, taking his hands in yours, proceeding with your walk. 

kuroo 

have you seen how he talks to his team 

he would have his confession planned for a week 

He’d be rehearsing that shit in the mirror every morning

he’d probably get really freaked out the day of though 

when you say you like him back and confess in a similar manner he’s as red as a tomato 

he practiced on kenma and get his advice

“Are you a carbon sample? Because I want to date you-” Kuroo was instantly cut off by his younger friend who was still glued to his game. 

“You’re really going to finish off such a sentimental confession with a stupid chemistry pick up line. That’s gross.” He commented as Kuroo was left scratching his head. He’d been planning on confessing to you for a while now but was still stuck on what to say. 

“But she loves when I made chemistry jokes.” His face dropped, conflicted with what to do. Was his friend right? Do girls not like that sort of thing? 

“Well you better decide quick because her she comes.” You had turned the corner with all their refilled water bottles and his heart began to race up. What would happen if you said you didn’t like him back? It would create such an awkward relationship between you two; which wouldn’t be good between a captain and a team manager. 

“Here are your waters.” You passed both volleyball players their drinks as you rested your hands on your hips, “what were you guys talking about?” 

Kenma kept a straight face while Kuroo flushed slightly. Pressing a finger to your lips, you thought of a way to lighten the clearly tense mood. 

“You’ve defiantly being improving your serves, Kuroo-san. I’ve been keeping ion you!” You covered your mouth, not wanted to let out a laugh at such a cheesy joke. That was Kenma’s cue to walk off, giving Kuroo the thumbs up to proceed-- it was now or never. 

“Well, there’s something you should know too, chibi-can.” He swallowed any anxious nerves he had, “You make my heart flutter every moment I see you; you just take me breath away and not just because of you looks. I like how funny you are, and you always seem to put a smile on my face. I know this is very random but I’ve been holding in my feelings for a very long time and I thought I was going to explode not being able to tell you.” 

You smiled, bashing your eyelashes, you never knew your captain had feelings for you. Heck, your crush had feelings for you. 

“So basically, what I’ve been meaning to ask is; are you a carbon sample? Because I want to date you?” He held his breath, wondering if Kenma was going to be right. His heart pounded even faster at the sight of your lips twisting to an even bigger smile (if that was even possible). 

ushijima 

it could go one of two ways 

either he could be super blunt and hit you with the ‘I like you y/n.’

OR it would be over the top and only because he consulted tendou

tendou’s probably watched a handful of romance animes and has ushijima prepares chocolates, flowers, the whole 9 yards 

ushi is just nodded and taking notes like... 

just confess to her at the summer festival, girls love that, bonus points if you do it under the fire works.

tendou’s words rang through ushijimas head as he walked side by side with you at the summer festival. he’d done everything tendou had instructed him to up until that point. he’s bought you the best taiyaki, he’d let you hold his hand as to not get lost in the crowd and he’d even won you a small stuffed animal that now rested under your arm pit.

“I think the fireworks are about to start.” you hummed as wakatoshi realized he needed to get into the right position.

“then why don’t we go someone more private.” he offered you a rare smile as your cheeks started to burn up with fluster.

it wasn’t like ushijima was a cold heart person but seeing him suggest something so thoughtful, your heart fluttered with the idea that someone greater was about to happen.

nodding, you let ushijima pull you off as the two of you got a better of the sky that was soon to be filled with a display of lights. he’d taken you away from the crowd, up on a small empty lot of gross that was elevated compared to the rest of the festival.

“y/n, I enjoyed tonight.” he cleared his throat, catching your attention. you nodded in agreement,

“hopefully we can go to more festivals today, of course if your not busy with volleyball!” you smiled happily. ushijima was quick to respond.

“I’d like that very much.” he paused, “y/n, i’m often told that i don’t show emotions well or that i’m very blunt.”

you watched him with curious eyes, stating that that wasn’t all ways a bad thing.

“that’s right. this is a time where i think it’s good to be blunt. you see, y/n, i enjoy spending time with you and that i like you, very much.”

bokuto 

it accidentally slipped out 

he always gets a little shy when he think about it so he simply doesn’t 

you’ll be something fairly mundane and he’ll just pause and go 

“you do that so well, that’s why I think I’m in love with you.” 

you’d get flustered because it was so out of the blue 

he’d fill akaashi in the next day and akaashi would make him re-do the confession

“You’re so good at cleaning the white board, y/n, but I guess everything you do is good because that’s why I like you.” You and Bokuto had class room chores together after school and he was watching you, in a hazy spell, resting his hand on his head. 

You blushed, not knowing if Bokuto was actually being serious or if he was just being overly kind. You just pretended like you didn’t hear him, continuing with what you were doing. If you can confessed your feelings back and he wasn’t serious, you would’ve died of embarrassment. 

“Bokuto-san are you going to help or not?” You turned around seeing Bokuto covering his face as he rested his head on the desk. “Uh, Bokuto-san are you alright?” 

He looked up at you only for you to see what you recognized as his emo mode. You frowned your eyebrows as he jumped up, bursting out with emotion. 

“No! I just confessed to the girl that I like and, and, and I wasn’t ready!” He grabbed his bag and ran for the door, “please forgive me for not doing my share of the work, y/n.” 

You were left speechless, watching as the gray haired boy ran away. You laughed realizing what he meant and put you into such a happy mood you didn’t even care that you had to finish all the chores. 

The next morning, you were greeted at the gates of Fukuordani by Bokuto who held a box of you favorite snack and a small teddy bear. Shyly extending the gifts out to you. 

“I bet you know what I’m going to say, so just, uh, please take these.” It had been what Akaashi had instructed and you took them with pleasure. 

“These will make up for all my hard work yesterday keeping out classroom spic-and-span.” You giggle, Bokuto looked at you with pouty eyes as you continued, “and if you didn’t run out so quickly you would’ve know what I like you too.” 

His eyes gleamed as you covered your slightly blushing face with your hand. Bokuto engulfed you in a hug and the two of you becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. 

oikawa 

he’s been confessed to so much that confessions make him nauseous tbh 

he’d make it very personal and romantic, though 

if not romantic he’d want it to be just the two of you 

he knew if he told any of the third years about if his plans, they’d ruin the moment; showing up to film the whole experience (mattsun and makki) 

he would secretly be the most nervous out of all of them 

You were helping Iwaizumi and taking over his cleaning shift with Oikawa. Oikawa was kinda glad the ace had a dentist appointment, so he could finally get you alone with out his team mates or fan girls there to ruin the moment. 

“Say, y/n-chan, I’m pretty lucky to have such a pretty girl helping me clean up.” His eyes were on the ball he was rubbing the marks off of, not really seeing your expression, defended by the sound of his heart thumping rapidly. 

You frowned, liking Oikawa was no easy task because everyone seemed to like him. Sure, he complimented you now, but he always compliments girls. It hurt your heart not knowing how sincere he was. 

“Don’t worry about it Oikawa-san, I’m always happy to help.” You sighed, finishing pumping a deflated volleyball. The Oikawa you had grown to love wasn’t the pretty, flashy volleyball player but the determined captain who always brought out the best in his teammates. It was the hard working, smart and passionate Toru that made your heart do flips. 

“Y/n...” His voiced trailed off, you noticed there wasn’t a cute little ‘chan’ following it. You turned to face him, not realizing your vision had gone blurry from tears pooling in them. 

“Are you alright?” Out of concern he placed his hands in your shoulders and that seemed to snapped you out of the spell you’d fallen under.

Rubbing your eyes, you nodded, looking down at your feet to avoid Oikawa’s gaze. You wished he’d let go of you, so you heart could just go back to its normal pace.

“Y/n did I say something to upset you—Im sorry.” He seemed to be holding his breath until he saw you shake your heard, reassuring him he’d done nothing wrong. Toru sighed.

“I hate seeing you upset, do you know that?” Surpised, you looked up at him, almost beckoning him to eleborate. Oikawas mind was racing— he wasn’t planning on confessing right there and then but he decided to sieze the moment.

“Out of all the girls I talk to, you’re the only one that makes me feel like this...” With your mouth gapping he took your hand and directed it to his chest where you could feel his rapid heartbeat.

“Oikawa-san...” You trailed off, at a loss of words. Between the hand touching his toned chest and the honey-like words coming out of his mouth, it sent you into over drive.

“Everything about you makes me crazy and-and well y/n... i like you!”

Nodding off, your brain couldn’t fully comprehend what your body was doing. leaning forward, reaching up to his lips you. kiss. him.

“Woah.” Oikawa breathed out, shocked at how you reciprocated his feeling until he was brought back to his usual behaviour, “so... you wanna go out with me?”

[newtonsheffield]

sophie and ben cooking/in the kitchen for spicy sunday 😏

tbh, it was only a matter of time before this came up. TBH I feel like all the Bridgerton boys just have a very clear competency kink. A soon as their partner displays any competency at anything they are fired up!

The very first time Sophie had seen Benedict's kitchen she'd felt a little pang of longing in her chest. It was a beautiful kitchen, a huge open range oven, marble counter tops, appliances littering the countertop. Her hands itched to touch it, to flit about it and create something, anything. "I love your kitchen." Sophie had said gently, running her hand along the countertop. Benedict had chuckled. "How much would it hurt you to know I've never cooked in here? I don't even know if that oven works.I don't really like cooking." Sophie had let out a little gasp before she could stop herself.

"I'll cook for you next time." She'd said sliding the cereal bowl he offered towards her, and he'd given her the strangest look, something intense and heavy that she couldn't quite place. "Is that..? Sorry, is that not okay? I just um-" Sophie had started, panic rising in her chest slightly, until Ben had cut her off with a swift kiss, leaning across the bench. "It's more than okay. Send me a list of what you want and I'll pick it up for you."

So now here she was standing in his beautiful kitchen brimming with happiness as she moved around it, his eyes following her so closely they felt like they were burning into her. Every time he looked up at her from where he was supposed to be chopping a carrot his gaze was hot and heavy, their eyes tangling together, his so dark she could barely see the beginning of his pupils, and god the stove and the heat of the kitchen was making everything a little warm.

Sophie cleared her throat turning back to the stove trying desperately to stop the heat rising in her. "Are you done yet? I've never seen a carrot cut so carefully." She called out trying to tease him, to break the tension, but her voice shook anyway. "I've decided we don't need it." Ben's voice whispered suddenly very close to her ear, and she could feel his body brush up against her behind him, his lips brushing her ear and jesus she couldn't concentrate. "Oh really? I thought I was in charge here?" Sophie tried again, her voice shaking further as his fingers started playing with the hem of her shirt, just tickling the skin underneath. Ben chuckled in her ear. "I'd love for you to be in charge, Soph. I rather think that's the problem." His palm flat against her stomach now and whatever semblance of self control she'd been clinging to snapped.

She spun around, tugging his lips to hers in a heated kiss his hands already roaming, hers tugging at his shirt. The tension that had been simmering between them all evening finally reaching boiling point as he tugged on her waist, his hands burning, her legs wrapping tightly around his own as he lifted her on to the counter top, her hands already fumbling at the button of his jeans and then hers, his lips hot against her neck as he started to move against her, one hand pushing against her chest. The heat of him, of them, pressing her into the cool marble, her lips gasping his name again and again Please don't stop Ben, Fuck. Her name wrenching from his chest murmured praise You look so fucking good in here Soph. And then everything crashed around them, as quickly as it started. His forehead falling against hers as her struggled to catch his breath. As they both did.

"So maybe I lied." Benedict finally gasped out as his head slipped to press against his neck, Sophie's heart stopped, her hands that had been pushing his hair back from his damp forehead freezing. Panic welling in her chest. "If that's what you cooking is like I can probably get used to it." Their laughter bounced off the kitchen walls for several long moments.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

When the Weight Comes Down - 2

Warnings: non-consent sex (series); nothing for this chapter

This is dark! (biker) Steve and explicit. 18+ only.

Series Synopsis: Your father’s a drunk, your mother a recluse, and you’re just another small town girl in Birch.

Sister series to Smalltown Bringdown

Note: Alright, I’ll spoil my boos and my bees. Hope you enjoy part two; it’s probably my fave chapter tbh honest. So fun to write! Thanks to everyone for their patience and feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Chapter Two: Ultra Mundane

Feel the ultra mundane Of another life A poet in the service

💀💀

You liked opening shifts, especially as the days got warmer. Spring wore on with as many sunny days as rainy days. That morning, you woke to a thick fog and the threat of rain floated in the air. You pulled on the crinkly raincoat and headed out. You were still yawning from the hectic night; you hadn’t gotten much sleep as your mind flitted back to the bar; the man and his intent blue eyes.

You unlocked the door, certain to turn the latch behind you. You had an hour to get everything in the oven and push yesterday’s remnants to the front of the display. You hung your coat in the back room and pulled on your apron and hairnet. Babs would be in at noon but the high school girl, Marcia, was due at opening.

The spatter of rain tapped on the window as you started your opening routine. It was peaceful. Despite your innate shyness, it was one of the few times you were completely alone. No customers, no neurotic mother, no drunken father, just you and the ovens.

That day’s special was cinnamon buns. They’d be placed in the cover glass platter just beside the till with a little card you’d made yourself. Uneven roses along thorny vines bordered the edge and displayed the one-day price. 

The buns were cool enough for you to start icing as you flipped the sign to open and let Marcia in. You went about your task as Marcia stood at the till. She was part-time; only worked on the weekends. She was bubbly and giggly. She told you stories about her classmates and the drama which seemed fit to a midday soap opera. In a way, you envied her. Well, in all ways, you did.

The Sunday rush began at ten, just after church service. The few tables in the bakery quickly filled as you set out the carafes with coffee and tea. Despite the downpour, the elderly crowd ventured the half-block from the steepled church and waited in line for their treats.

After noon, the flow of customers lulled as it usually did. Babs relieved Marcia of her half-shift and helped you mark down what was left of the older batches to half-off. The tinny bell over the door rang as Babs worked at cleaning pans in the back room. You looked up and your mouth fell open at the startlingly familiar face.

The man, Steve, ducked through the door. His hair was darkened by the rain and little droplets clung to his thick beard. He smoothed back his hair as his eyes glimmered and he smiled at you. You snapped your mouth shut and placed the last loaf of discount bread on the shelf.

“Hello,” You greeted him as you went to the till. “Can I get you something today?”

He neared the other side and his fingers tapped on the counter.

“It’s ugly out there,” He glanced over his shoulder.

“Heh, yeah,” You said awkwardly and ran your thumbs along the aged till. “Our cinnamon buns are on special. Just a few left.”

He tilted his head and leaned on the counter.

“You didn’t forget me already,” He raised his brows.

“No, no, I… remember,” You looked down at the faded numbers.

“How’s your pa?” He asked.

“He’s… fine, I’m sure.” You said quietly. 

“You make it yourself?” He tapped the glass lid of the platter. You nodded.

“It’s Babs’ recipe,” You muttered. “I just put it in the oven.”

“I’ll take it,” He reached for his wallet. “And coffee?”

“I’ll have to put a pot on if you don’t mind the wait,” You said.

“I’m in no rush to go back out,” He assured you as the windows shook at the rising winds outside. “Thunderstorms tonight.”

“Mmhmm,” You punched in his order. “Anything else?”

“Cinnamon raisin bread?” He read the board above the loaves. “Is it any good?”

“If you like sweet stuff,” You looked over at the shelf.

“I love sweet stuff,” He said. “I’ll take a loaf.”

“Sliced?” You asked.

“Please,” He answered and you grabbed him a bag.

You returned to the counter and read out his total. He handed you a bill and your fingers brushed against his palm as he took his change. He dropped it in the tip cup and winked. You bit your cheek and grabbed a plate for his bun. You took it out with the tongs and slid it across to him with a knife and fork. 

He thanked you and you told him to sit and you’d bring him coffee when it was ready. He reluctantly backed away and sat at the table closest to the counter. You turned to load a fresh filter into the machine and scooped the grinds in carefully. You grabbed the little tray of creamers and sugar packets and rounded the counter to bring it to him.

“I forgot to ask if you wanted decaf,” You set it down. “I’m sorry.”

“Regular’s fine,” He leaned back in his chair. “You like working here?”

“Um, sure,” You shrugged and made to turn away. 

“Hey, wait,” He said and glanced around the empty bakery. “What’s the rush? Not very busy in here.”

“Your coffee,” You uttered as the grind of the machine sounded behind you.

“I’m patient,” He assured you. “I just wanna talk.”

“Well, I’m working and I shouldn’t--”

“I’ll take the blame, doll,” He said. “Your ma seems like a nice lady.”

You looked away as you rubbed your arm. You shrugged again.

“What? You don’t think she’s nice?”

“She is…” You picked at your sleeve. “But… she doesn’t like bikers.”

He chuckled and cut into his bun. You tried to walk away again.

“She’s a smart lady then,” He said. “I don’t like them much myself.”

You hovered awkwardly at the other side of his table. He chewed and wiped the corner of his mouth.

“And you? You hate bikers, too?”

“Well, I…” You licked your dry lips and his eyes followed the movement. “I never thought much about it, I guess.”

“What time you done, doll?”

You blinked and frowned. You glanced over at the swinging door to the back room. The clink and clank of pans continued as Babs went about her work.

“Why?” You asked.

“I’ll drive you home,” He said as he looked through the window. “It’s a bit wild out there.”

“No, you really-- I can get home.” You slowly inched away. “But thank you.”

“I got the truck.” He insisted. “ Don’t like taking the bike out much in this weather.”

“Really, I’m okay,” You backed up. “I should get your coffee.”

“What time?” He asked again. 

You stopped at the corner of the counter. You stared at him as he dropped his fork and took a bite out of the bun. He watched you closely.

“Two o’clock,” You peeked at the clock; it was already after one. “But you don’t need to--”

“I’ll take my time then,” He said. “And you take yours, doll.”

💀

You were fifteen minutes over time when Babs finally assured you she could close on her own. You were hoping she’d ask you to stay so you had an excuse to send Steve away. You’d stay even if she didn’t pay. 

The thought of being alone with the man was terrifying. You’d only ever been alone with your father and he barely acknowledged you outside of asking for another beer, berating you, or worse.

You untied your apron and hung it on the hook and took your coat. You pulled it on and grabbed your bag before you pushed through into the cafe. Babs followed but drew you back into the kitchen as she saw Steve standing by the window.

“How long has he been here?” She asked as the door swung back into place.

“Almost an hour,” You said evasively. “He’s leaving now.”

She was silent as she stared at you. Her rosy cheeks paled.

“With you?”

You looked down. She tutted and touched your elbow.

“I tried to say no but… it’s just a ride. He’s being nice.” You squeaked.

“Nice? Those men aren’t nice.” She hissed. “You be careful.”

“He has no reason to hurt me,” You argued.

“No reason? He doesn’t need one.”

“Babs, look at me,” You frowned. “Come on.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” She warned. “He definitely will.”

“I don’t… know what to do,” You said quietly. “To make him go.”

“You call me when you get home,” She drew you into a hug. “Twenty minutes our I’m closing early and coming to find you.”

“You don’t really think--”

“I don’t know what to think, sweets,” She said. “But I know his type are up to no good.”

You hugged your bag and nodded. “I’ll call.”

“Your ma wouldn’t want you hanging ‘round that man,” She tisked.

“I know,” You put your hand on the door. “I’m not too keen on it either.”

You pushed through once more and hesitantly rounded the counter. Steve turned away from his vigil at the window; the rain had slowed but the sky was getting darker. He had his loaf of bread in hand. You kept your bag in your arms as you squeezed it tighter and tighter.

“Sorry, I forgot… to tidy the racks,” You lied. “And my ma will be waiting for me.”

“I’m sure she will,” He went to the door. “Good thing you’re not walking.”

“Thank you, again.” You neared as he opened the door with a dull chime. “You don’t--”

“You act like I’m the first person to do you a favour,” He quipped as you pulled up your hood, your other arm still wrapped around your bag.

“My pa will be in a state too,” You stepped out ahead of him as he zipped up his leather jacket. 

You turned towards your house but he caught your arm. He pulled you back and guided you down to the large truck double-parked in front of Lloyd’s bookshop. It was a lot newer than your father’s and it actually ran. He opened the door as he turned his chin down as the rain slaked over his head and you climbed up quickly.

He closed the door and rushed around the front of the truck. He got in and shoved his keys in the slot as he tossed the bread behind his seat. He turned the engine and let the car idle as he reached into his jacket. He pulled out his phone and wiped the stray droplet off the screen with the thigh of his jeans. He dropped it in the cupholder and shifted gears before he pulled out.

“You work tomorrow?” He asked.

“Yeah,” You answered as you watched the rivulets streaming down the window. The steady beat of the windshield wipers interspersed the patter of rain. 

“You ever get a day off?”

“Wednesdays and Thursdays,” You regretted answering. You should have lied but you were never very good at that.

He slowed at the sign and you felt him looking at you. You were too scared to look back. He slowly hit the gas and you leaned against the door as you clung to your page.

“Wednesday night,” He said. “How about you come down to the bar for a drink?”

You glanced over at him but quickly turned your eyes ahead of you. Your lips parted. You were silent.

“Hey?” He prodded.

“I don’t drink,” You said.

“Jeez, I’m not asking you to pick up a habit, just one drink.” He urged.

“My ma--”

“How old are you?” He asked as he came in sight of your house. “What are we? Couple years apart? You’re an adult. Let your ma enjoy an empty nest for the night.”

You inhaled and sucked your lip in nervously. As he came closer to your house, your stomach flipped.

“I don’t know.” You muttered.

“I’ll be by at nine to get you. Plenty of time to get yourself sorted.” He said.

“I didn’t say yes,” You replied as he stopped behind your father’s busted Ford.

His eyes flashed as he turned to you and you looked back shyly.

“Wednesday. Nine.” He stated as his arm stretched between your seats, his hand on your headrest. “Tell your ma I’ll have you home by midnight. She doesn’t need to worry so much.”

Your lashes fluttered and you bent your head. You stared at the wet spots on your canvas bag. You unbuckled your seatbelt and reached for the door handle. His hand fell to your shoulder to stop you.

“Wait,” He grabbed his phone. “You’re number?”

“I don’t--” You stared at his cell and pursed your lips. “I don’t have a cell phone. I can give you my house number.”

“No phone?” He repeated. “No, it’s okay.” He fixed the string of your raincoat. “I’ll see you ‘round.”

You pulled the handle and tumbled out onto your feet. The mud squelched around your shoes. You should’ve worn your boots but you had only the sense to bring your coat. You didn’t look back as you closed the door and rushed up to your porch. The curtains along the front room moved as you opened the screen door. The tires squelched behind you and you rushed inside. Your mother greeted you from the living room doorway.

“I told you not to talk to that man,” She said.

“Ma,” You hung your bag and undid your coat. “I tried. Okay? I’m tired. I worked--”

“And I’ve been cleaning this mess all day,” She huffed. “Your pa made a hell of a mess when he finally woke up.”

“Ma, please,” You kicked your shoes off. “Just-- I just got home.”

“I don’t want him around here,” She crossed her arms.

You dragged your feet down the hall and stopped in front of her. 

“Neither do I,” You said. “Maybe next time, you can try telling him.”

You turned and went to your room. You closed yourself in and felt your heart racing. Wednesday wasn’t very far at all. Three days. Barely a wink in a small town like this.

[oneletterelliot]

Hot Sauce (NCT Dream) - liveblog reaction

Disclaimer: I did listen to this album once through already, plus the previews and whatnot, so this is not quite a first impression reaction.

Hot Sauce - Is it just me or do the opening shouty vocals not sound like any of the dreamies? Chenle’s line. I was NOT ready for how low his voice was? It sounds so good. The mumbly nonsense bit sounds kinda like that one song that gets memed a bunch, doesn’t it? The vocal quality to Jeno’s rapping here really reminds me of how he sounded in “Misfit.” I think I like it. Lots of good harmony moments. Renjun’s voice is lovely as always. I’m digging his and Chenle’s harmonizing in the bridge. Haechan’s high note. Yes. I like the beat of this song. Definitely makes me want to dance. Mark going, “I’m the one!” I’m a fan. More “Hot Sauce” thoughts here.

Diggity - Okay, so based of the dreamverse (that’s what it’s called, right?) video, I said here that I didn’t love the song but I liked the choreography a lot. Not loving the song is holding up for now, but it definitely has the vibe of one of those NCT songs that I don’t originally care for but the more I listen to it, the more I like it (see also “Punch”). It is pretty catchy. Renjun’s voice is swaying me, I’ll admit. Also I do really like the instrumental. I think it’s the rap I’m not sold on (yet). Is that Jisung’s low voice at 2:49 underneath the higher harmonies? I’m kind of into it. God, I didn’t even watch the dreamverse video that much but I can so clearly picture the choreo while listening to this song, it’s that good.

Dive Into You - I love this opening arpeggio instrumental. Thinking about Jisung’s voice again. I always forget how much I it. I really like the chorus, nice harmony and fun melody. Renjun’s and Haechan’s ad libs (I think it’s them at least) make me happy. 2:07, Jisung’s voice again? (Edit: I looked it up and yes, of course, it’s Jisung. It’s just that for a second I thought it could be Chenle because...) Tbh my brain has been rattled by Chenle’s lower register he displayed in “Hot Sauce.” I want more of it. Is that Renjun who closes the song? Sounds good. (Edit: It’s CHENLE actually. Uh-oh, Renjun, look out, he might be coming for your crown as my favorite NCT Dream vocalist lmao.)

My Youth - This song sounds SO coming-of-age movie. Of course it’s called “My Youth.” I know I keep gushing about Renjun’s voice, but he always sounds so good holy shit. Jisung’s voice again! I guess I’m gonna keep gushing about him too. Oh, Mark, you sound amazing too. Whoever is rapping at the 2 minute mark (Jaemin?), the cadence of this bit really reminds of the “baby, it’s 4:35 / maybe I’m barely alive” part of Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” lmao. Mashup, when? The “ooh-ooh-ooh”s over the chorus sound amazing. Oh my god, the harmony in the bridge is SO GOOD. My brain couldn’t even focus on thinking about which of the Dream vocal trio was singing it, but damn, it was so good. (Edit: According to the lyric video I looked it, it was Renjun/Chenle harmony I was reacting to, and then a Chenle/Jisung harmony! Jisung’s harmonies this album have been really nice!!)

Rocket - Funky start. Supremely makes me want to dance. I think this would be a cha cha, but there is something a little samba-y about the beat. I know I, like, haven’t said anything about the vocals—I do like them—I’m just enjoying this beat / instrumental so much. No thoughts, only vibing. Digging the vocal mixing of the chorus. I’m shoulder-dancing in my seat as I listen to this. “Yeah, yeah!” Strong contender for my favorite song off the album. Shit, maybe it is a samba? Man, it’s been so long since I’ve gotten to ballroom dance :(

Countdown (3, 2, 1) - Oh, what time is it? IS THAT CHENLE’S ICONIC DOLPHIN LAUGH UNDER MARK’S VOICE? Renjun’s voice here reminds me a bit of “Ridin’,” so you know I like it because I believe in Renjun “Ridin’” supremacy. This also might end up being a song that I don’t really like until I listen to it a several more times. You know that thing in the instrumental that sounds like “90s Love?” Yeah. Mark sounds good in this song. I bet this song samples something. Not clue what. But I just Feel™ it does. Haechan’s high note at the end of the bridge did not do it for me, sorry bud :( Oh, I guess I like Mark’s “tick tick tock” bit.

ANL - Intro feels VERY similar to “Dive Into You,” doesn’t it? Same kind of feeling with the arpeggios, yeah? Like “My Youth,” it would feel right at home in a coming-of-age movie. 1:12, did they just say, “Yeah, we can bang all day?” “YEAH, I GIVE IT TO YOU EVERY NIGHT” ?!?!?!?!?!??! IS THIS A SONG ABOUT SEX? IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A SONG ABOUT SEX? (No comment on the fact that “ANL” looks like............. well, you know.) (Edit: So apparently it’s “we can PAINT all day,” but the other line is actually “I give it to you every night,” which is, hmm, well.) 1:51, is this Jaemin? I like it a surprisingly large amount. (Edit: Yes, it’s Jaemin. Is this the comeback that makes me fall in love with his rapping? Hmm.) This song also makes me want to dance, but in a different way than “Hot Sauce” or “Rocket.” RENJUN IN THE BRIDGE?! THE HARMONY?! VERY NICE HONESTLY. Is this Jisung after the bridge at 2:53? Wow, I really do like his voice, huh? (Edit: yes, it’s Jisung, so jk, Jaemin, the rapper I’m falling in love with this come back is him and not you.) The line “I want to be your sunshine, girl” makes me cringe. The type of English line they’d give to Johnny in an NCT 127 song.

Irreplaceable - This song is SO funky, and I love it. I’ve said before that Haechan’s voice isn’t my favorite (I acknowledge he’s a very good singer; the tonal quality of it just doesn’t appeal to me personally), but it does fit this song very well. Kind of has a Motown, Jackson 5 vibe, which I really dig. Another song that makes me want to dance. Another contender for — did Jaemin just say “climax” (1:31)? I’m sorry? (Edit: Look, I know that’s not an inherently sex-related word, and that’s obviously not how it’s being used here, but it’s just a funny word to be used for the one random English word in the middle of the song, you know?) — my favorite song off the album. “Yeah, we about to hug and kiss,” okay, Mark. I don’t know why, but I really want to do the “Touch” dance with the arms to this song?

Be There For You - It makes sense to put the ballad after the bop that was “Irreplaceable.” I haven’t really been following all the promotional material for this album, but this is a vocal trio unit song, right? It kind of reminds of “My Everything.” Like, there’s a range of type of NCT ballad, and I think this and “My Everything” fall into the same category. 1:22, god, Renjun, your voice is so good. (I know my favoritism is showing so hard but whatever, I don’t care. I love his voice.) I like the backing harmonies. Very soft. I probably won’t listen to this song much, simply because I don’t listen to ballads much (Chinese ballads notwithstanding) but I do like it.

Rainbow - Back to the coming-of-age vibes like in “Dive Into You” and “ANL.” I can’t decide if I like the similar vibes for cohesiveness of the album or if I dislike it because I think they’re too similar. Wow, this is really a “get your lighter and/or cellphone out and wave in the air” kind of song, huh. Rap at 1:40 (Jisung?), I like it. (Sorry, the title “Rainbow” is just reminding me of how I recently told my parents, “oh, I think this guy I went to high school with is queer because he has the rainbow flag emoji in his insta bio,” and my dad said, “maybe he just really likes colors.” PLEASE.) The harmonies are nice. Renjun’s ad libs towards the end (3:05-3:17 ish), yes. I like the song, it won’t be a favorite, but this is a nice note to end the album on.

Over all thoughts: It’s a good album. Really enjoyable and definitely feels cohesive. I love the mix of peppy, dancey energy and this kind of soft yearning coming-of-age feeling. It makes a lot of sense for NCT Dream’s first full album. Chenle and Jisung are both pleasantly surprising me, and I’m looking forward to seeing how their voices continue to develop in the future. (Side note: SM, please let Chenle sing in his lower register more! His high voice is lovely, but so is his low voice!) Favorite songs currently are “Rocket” and “Irreplaceable.” 

[likesrandomstuff]

Omg i loved your list!!! It must've been a handful bc it was very thorough, diversified (in genres, year published/updated type of writing and even authors). And you said you were deep into the avalance tag in ao3, so you must've had a lot of work with these. You even included SMAUS!!! I totally forget about them, but they are super fun to read and the ones you selected are really good indeed! Kudos to you!!! Your whole list is AWESOME! And very entertaining tbh bc i was here waiting to see what fic you'd recommend lmaoo did not disappoint, let me tell you! T A S T E hahaha

But wait... You read You Are My Miracle in one go???? How far was it when you read it?? And YEAH once in a while we are hit with a 10k+ chapter and i LOVE IT! Hahahaha idek when i started, but maaan the slow burn kills me!!!! Good fic good fic.

And the HSAU MY BELOVED!!! that's the one you mentioned chapter 27 right? lol A Classic™️ can't express how in love i still am with this fic. It's long, and the slow burn seems even longer bc YOU JUST WANT THEM TO KISS 😭 (and its so worth it when the do!!!). And I loved even more the other fic with Jordan (it's Impossible to not like her!!) but mostly bc when I joined the fandom the HSAU was wrapping up and when i first read it it was already finished. And to follow a fic since the fists chapters, waiting for a new update... I just love it! And the whole story is INCREDIBLE!!! One of my top faves for sure.

The SQ au is also one of my faves, even though ive never shipped sq. And you are right, Lucy knows what she's doing lmao one of the firsts i read for avalance and its amazing amazing amazing!!

There's another one that's one of my favs and I belive it's the very first avalance fic I read (bc i was familiar with the author's works from another fandom): I See My Future in Your Eyes by lizardwriter. Another really great HSAU!! (Also Stuck With You is totally worth the read!!)

Anyways, loved your list and the way you organized it. So fun to be on this journey with you even though i just sat back waiting for your posts and sometimes forgetting to read them 🙈 hahaha

❤️ The Word doc I organised it in is 9 pages and almost 4,500 words. Would not have survived if I didn't edit in there. Just for general reading I filter AO3 into different length fics, and then sort by kudos, so I've probably read the description of most of the fics in the tag over the years. The list was from my own 109 pages of history, not the tag, so I was choosing things I've read. It wasn't a conscious thought to have such a range, really it was looking at my history, and what did I enjoy.

I love the concept of SMAU, and they really get lost to history. Unless you find them by accident, which I did for the first plinys one, there's a high chance you don't know they were a thing. I was following a bunch in early 2019 (that was longer ago than I thought), but plinys was the only one who I saw complete their's, and I know how to find them again, as I also do not have twitter.

The process was worth it if you enjoyed it. Also making my life easier; re-read Better than Ice Cream last night, and was so easy to find.

You're My Miracle was a couple of weeks worth of reading, I think. I keep some of my AO3 update emails (for my Favourites as it makes me happy), and the first one I have for that fic is Chapter 28. I was up-to-date by then. That was published August 1st 2019, which is now also a long time ago.

you make me smile (please stay for a while) was one hit. As I wrote, I read the first chapter when it was published, and the prequel one-shot, back in 2018. Got so irrationally mad about Laurel, and stopped. Not long after I went back to only really reading Supercorp fics. I read the whole thing Feb/March last year. And yes, that is the Chapter 27 I mentioned. For me, I love them both so, so much but this is the way that we love (like it's forever) pips HSAU for me. The scene that had me crying at work was when Amaya and Sara were talking about how the legends fell apart after Sara left; that was my school friends after I moved away for uni. I was the only one to move away straight after school, and I was only 2 hours away. I thought all my friends were catching up without me, but they weren't. There's some guilt in that, feeling like you're the reason why people weren't seeing each other, which I hadn't identified, even after they called me 'the glue' of our group at my 21st, until I read that scene.

Ohh, I'll give that a try! Thanks. I've seen it before, but haven't given it a chance. Stuck With You is grey-ed out, so I guess I've read it at some stage. There's always going to be gems that you didn't see when they were new, and don't know to dig for. That's what I'm hoping I've done for people with my lists.

Organising things is a favourite past-time of mine. The amount of time I've spent on my bookshelves, both books and Pops!, is probably more than I should, but I'm very proud of them. If only there was an easy way to get hard copies of fics to display...

You've been my partner in feels for this, and for that I'm very thankful. :)

[winterune]

Happy 46th Birthday, Sakurai-san!!! | 13.06.20

And so, like my other birthday commemoration posts, I’ll be listing some of my favorite Takahiro Sakurai roles here. I made this post last year, and now I’ll be revamping it :)

Cloud Strife - Final Fantasy

Sakurai is my one true Cloud. His work as this seemingly cool mercenary with a difficult past is just *sob* so good?? Especially in Remake. Like. God!! This right here is OG Cloud. Cool, standoffish, sometimes coming off as a jerk, but he’s also very awkward, doesn’t know how to deal with people, and is just an overall sweetheart?? And Sakurai nails every single line. Just take my heart, damn you T-T

Kururugi Suzaku - Code Geass

I will forever love this man. Even after all these years, my heart still hurts for him. His broken voice at the end of both seasons (his confrontation with Lelouch in the cave, then the culmination of the Zero Requiem) will forever be ingrained in my mind. 

Arataka Reigen - Mob Psycho 100

How can you not love Reigen? XD He’s a dork, but an earnest dork, who does shady things on the side and have done some questionable things, but he cares a lot about Mob and is just the perfect mentor for him. I love him?? So much?? Tbh, I didn’t expect Sakurai to voice him, but when I finally heard him, I could not imagine any other seiyuu as his voice lmao. 

Oshino Meme - Monogatari Series

This eccentric dude who lives in an abandoned building and acts as a somewhat mentor/informant to Araragi is one of the best characters in the series and I am sad that we don’t see much of him after Bakemonogatari. I miss the series. I need to continue it. 

Hayashida Takashi - 3-gatsu no Lion

Is this soft Sakurai? Somewhat soft I would say? One of his softer roles, at least. I haven’t read the manga, but the anime was amazing and though Hayashida-sensei is only a supporting role who didn’t get enough screen time, I love how he just supports Rei on the side without asking for anything. This is one admirable teacher 

Shimogamo Yasaburo - Uchouten Kazoku

Now this is soft Sakurai :3 A cute anime about the life of a tanuki family living in Kyoto. Based on a novel by the same person who wrote Tatami Galaxy. Of course it’d be good.

Matsuyuki Atsumu - AnoHana

Yukiatsu is...annoying ^^; He is obnoxious and some of his behavior triggered me. But, AnoHana is still Nagai Tatsuyuki’s best work in my opinion, and this is one of the first Sakurai role I encountered, so yeah, it’s got that nostalgic point. I didn’t like the guy, but I still liked Sakurai’s performance

Mitaka Jin - Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo

Sakurai’s soft ikemen voice gives me heart attacks (and now you know why Sakurai is the best version of Cloud imo because aside from the range of emotions he displays there, there’s that soft and sweet voice every time he speaks to Tifa so :3 ofc there’s also the fact that he’s also a Tifa fanboy). Not to mention that this is another masterpiece anime with a cast of characters that I love wholeheartedly. A coming-of-age slice-of-life story about high school kids trying to achieve their dreams. Between people with talent and people who works hard. Struggling against all odds. Wondering if he have what it takes. Wondering if maybe he should pursue something else. I remember relating to Jin when I first watched this - maybe because he wrote the script to Misaki’s animations. Yep, I love this anime. 

Majime Mitsuya - Fune wo Amu

This awkward, taciturn, yet endearing fellow with a love for words. You can’t help but love him. Need I reiterate? Sakurai is *chef’s kiss*

Souma Ayame - Fruits Basket

One would wonder how Sakurai would voice this loud, gaudy, obnoxious character that couldn’t stop you from laughing. Rest assured, the first time Ayame spoke, I laughed XD I love him

---

God! He is everywhere! It’s hard to pick only 10 roles T-T But anyway, these are some of my favorite Sakurai roles :D Please continue to grace us with your amazing voice work, Sakurai-san ^^ (and I just realized I didn’t put any of his villain roles here... oh well)