#probably because i refused to pay for one

[rollinouttahere-writes]

Best texters are usopp and nami. They just text like normal people I think. I think law leaves you on read all the time, but not on purpose. White beard being defeated by his inability to text is killing me and you're so right. Omg Hancock only responds to you with selfies of varying levels of disdain depending on what you said. Shanks drunk texts are definitely brutal, I know that man is incoherent and spamming you at 2 am. What else what else... I genuinely think crocodile emails or calls only. I just can't see him texting.

Usopp and Nami are probably the most normal about it of all the characters, though Nami gets huffy pretty quick if you don't respond fast enough. Usopp can lean into spam territory with all the pictures he sends you throughout the day of funny/interesting things that catch his eye or of projects he's working on.

Law absolutely leaves you on read a lot. He doesn't mean to, he's just the kind of person that sees a text and thinks to himself that he'll respond later after he finishes what he's doing only to completely forget about it.

Whitebeard's eyesight isn't what it used to be, so he can barely even make out what's on the screen. He's sitting there holding the phone away from himself and squinting at it all while refusing to put on the reading glasses Marco got him because he still thinks that he doesn't need them. Also his fingers are too big to text with any degree of accuracy, so he gives up on texting almost immediately. If anyone needs to communicate with him, they're going to have to call.

Boa only responding with selfies is so her. You should feel blessed to be able to see her beautiful face, don't get greedy and demand her words too.

Drunk Shanks sends a combination of texts and voice voice memos. The texts are full of spelling errors and gibberish, and the voice memos are impossible to understand because of all of the noise in the background. You need to respond regardless though because he will come find you if you ignore him, and you do NOT want to deal with his drunk ass at three in the morning.

Crocodile refuses to text because he finds texting with one hand to be tedious and annoying. He'll read your texts if you're lucky, but he tends to not pay much mind to them. If it wasn't important enough to be a call, then it wasn't worth his time.

[jayinserenity]

So, I did it again and got caught up thinking about some Wyrmclan cats, today's subject being Daisypaw who I have Feelings about and grieving is complicated when you're in his position so @wyrm-clangen pls feel free to let me know if I've totally missed the mark or anything but... yeah. I wrote another drabble.

“C’mooon Daisypaw, I haven’t gotten you sick? Why can’t I go see them???” Daisypaw rolled his eyes above the mask, careful not to let Ivyshine see as he sifted through the herbs in the carrier Ferretlily had given him to bring to the quarantine tunnels. Sparrowlight was wheezing a little as he laughed, and Daisypaw saw Wingpaw, settling into her nest carefully, smile a little at her uncle’s antics. 

“You haven’t gotten me sick because Ferret and I cleanse thoroughly every time we leave this den and we’re both relatively healthy. Raggedspeckle just gave birth and the kits were just born so they can’t fight off illness nearly as well.” He responded, refusing to play in to the older tom’s nonsense, but regretted his shortness a little as he heard Ivyshine flop back into his nest and saw the sickly warrior droop in genuine sadness. “Turtlefreckle will be watching over her, and Icyclaw has been sleeping outside the nursery every night. You focus on getting healthy so you can get back sooner.” Daisypaw sighed as he turned back, nudging the slender black warrior with the hard surface of his mask. He turned away again when Ivyshine’s wet eyes looked up at him, seeming like he was ramping up for another round of dramatics. 

“Don’t worry so much, Ivy, my littermates are watching out for her too!” Wingpaw mewed, her voice was hoarse from her coughing and while she was obviously trying to use her usual energetic nature to reassure, Daisypaw could tell the younger cat was exhausted. He made sure she took the lungwort and feverfew, hoping dosing her more heavily would help her fight off the yellowcough that had managed to sneak up on them. Thank Starclan none of her littermates or denmates had become ill as well. Between her and Sparrowlight, Ivyshine had been mollified, and Daisypaw gave the patients a final check before gathering up their supplies and slipping from the quarantine tunnel. 

He hadn’t been joking about the cleansing, Daisypaw entered the tunnel to the cold underground river with only a little dread. The water was frigid, and clung to his pelt worse than the sap that had gotten stuck in his fur when Rookrise took him to gather pine needles.

Daisypaw carefully ignored the pang of pain that thinking about Mom brought. She’d been looking for more feverfew with Rattail and Willowdew one day and then… none of them had come back. It had been the kits all over again, search parties scoured the territory for them, but no one knew where they’d gone. Daisy had been trying not to think too hard about it, Ferret had told him it wasn’t his fault they weren’t found. That him being on the search patrols probably wouldn’t have changed anything. 

It was easier said than believed. 

Daisypaw shook the water from his pelt, taking off his new clean mask and rinsing the inside before leaving it to dry next to Ferretlily’s own, and padded tiredly back up the tunnel towards the main cavern. The faint light from outside filtering down reassured him he hadn’t lost the entire day in the quarantine tunnel so he set off through the varying burrows searching for his mentor. 

Most of the apprentices were out training, he knew, the mentors had decided to keep everyone as busy as possible. Something about idle paws, Daisypaw didn’t really pay attention. The only one that really mattered was Bluepaw, to be honest. Turtlefreckle had been keeping Bluepaw extra busy, now that his own litter were apprentices, and Daisypaw knew his brother’s mentor was trying to keep his own mind off of the yellowcough outbreak as much as Bluepaw’s. He only saw the new apprentice, Goldpaw or whatever his name was, hanging out with Sunpaw and Midnightpaw. The two younger apprentices had been on dawn patrol that morning, so Daisypaw supposed it made sense that the three were here, talking about something or another over a rabbit and a shrew. Sunpaw gave him a small smile and waved his tail, but Daisypaw… well he couldn’t really bring himself to care as he passed the other young cats. He saw the brown apprentice’s tail flop back down from his periphery before he was into another set of tunnels, following the freshest hint of Ferretlily’s scent under everyone else’s. 

“... can’t keep pushing them this hard. The fact Wingpaw got sick so suddenly makes me wonder if she was too run down to fight the illness off.” He heard his mentor’s voice from the leader’s den, and settled himself to sit outside politely. “I know leaf bare has been harsh, but we can’t afford more of the healthier young cats getting sick.”

“You’re right. I’ll talk with the mentors later, see if we can set a better schedule.” Fiercechasm’s voice then. “Give them some rest time.”

“Thank you. I’ll try and do the same with Daisypaw, I’m worried he’ll run himself ragged.” Daisypaw frowned, flicking an ear in annoyance. Ferret was always fussing. “He’s not taking the time to process anything… sometimes I wish I had an excuse to send him out with the other apprentices, but with Rookrise gone I can’t spare him.” Daisypaw felt that annoyance fade a little at the guilt and tiredness if Ferretlily’s voice. He knew, objectively, he should be sadder than he was. Mom being missing. Mama and Panther dying last moon. But he just… didn’t. 

“Has he talked to Zuva?” Fiercechasm was asking, and that bit of annoyance was back. He didn’t need a mediator, besides, what was Zuva going to do? Bring his moms and sister back? This wasn’t something the old molly could fix like a spat over the last bass on the fresh kill pile. 

“No, and he gets irritated every time I ask.”

“Same with Bluepaw, Turtlefreckle has been trying, but now that Wingpaw is sick… I don’t want them to isolate more.” Daisypaw scoffed. Then realized both voices from the leader’s den had gone quiet. 

“... Daisy, I know you’re out there. Come on, we need to talk.” He sighed, but got to his paws and padded in to the den. Fiercechasm was looking a little uncomfortable, sitting to one side, but Ferret just looked tired. “Eavesdropping?”

“Was looking for you, figured I’d wait till you were done, didn’t really care about the conversation at first.” He muttered as he sat opposite her. Ferretlily didn’t hold the same intimidation factor his mother had, Hornetrise could make a rogue back down with a single look purely based on size alone, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little uncomfortable under Ferretlily’s assessing eye. She always seemed to see right through him. 

“... you know that’s part of why I’m worried, right?” Daisypaw nodded, feeling his ears droop a little without his permission. “I’m not mad at you, Daisy, but this not caring and only being around Bluepaw or me, it’s not healthy.” Daisypaw frowned. What did Ferretlily know? Did she lose both her parents and her only sister over the course of two moons? Daisypaw’s irritation sparked into anger.

“Who says it’s not? You? Fiercechasm? Zuva?” His tone wasn’t kind, and he saw the way Fiercechasm startled.

��Yes, yes, and yes. Daisypaw you aren’t the first cat to lose ones important to them.” Ferretlily started, her own irritation seeping in to his voice, and Daisypaw pinned his ears. 

“So they get to say how I should handle it?”

“No, but you can’t just pretend the rest of the clan doesn’t exist-”

“Are you giving Midnightpaw the same lecture? He’s only really hanging out with Sunpaw and the Heartclan reject-”

“Daisypaw!”

“Enough.” Fiercechasm didn’t snap, didn’t shout, but her voice cut through their argument just the same and Daisypaw felt a little shame at the disappointment in the deputy’s eyes. “Ferretlily, maybe you should go get some air.” The senior healer frowned at the younger cat, but nodded and left nonetheless, leaving Daisypaw with the silent deputy across the leader’s den from him.

“... I’m not going to go play moss ball with the kits and pretend everything is ok.” He muttered after a moment, scowling down and to the side to avoid looking at her.

“I know.”

“And I’m not gonna go cry and pretend it will make it better.”

“Because it won’t.” Daisypaw startled, then, looking up at Fiercechasm and seeing her expression soften. “Pretending everything is ok and wallowing in sadness won’t make it better. But neither will pretending you’re a loner in a camp full of clanmates who love you.” The two of them sat quietly for a bit, only the faint sounds of one of the patrols coming back breaking the heavy silence, before Daisypaw finally heaved a sigh and let his hackles drop.

“I don’t want it to hurt like that again.” He mewed, and it felt a little better to say it, and even better when Fiercechasm nodded in agreement. 

“I know. But holding everyone a taillength away won’t make it hurt any less when you lose one of them. I tried that, and it still hurt just as bad.” Daisypaw watched the deputy as she seemed to stare at something he couldn’t see, and wondered which of their lost clanmates she was remembering. 

“When Plum died, I shut down, didn’t want to be around anyone. Some days I could barely look at Sparrow and Swift knowing that they were all that was left of her, other days I clung to them like they were my last link to life… then Duskpaw was struck on the Thunderpath. And even though I thought I’d given up on opening my heart to the rest of the clan, losing her was like prodding an open wound. Watching Rattail and his kits mourn, then watching them do it all over again when we lost Seed to the twolegs the next moon? I realized that hiding away and pretending I didn’t care wasn’t protecting my heart. It was just hurting the ones I cared about.” Fiercechasm looked back at him, and Daisypaw was surprised to see her smile, even if it was tinged with sadness. “I know how tempting it is to hide away and pretend you don’t care. But there are cats who care about you. I know Swish has been worried, he can take Bluepaw on patrol when Turtle lets him, but you’re hidden away in the quarantine tunnel… Maybe start there?” Daisypaw felt another wave of guilt. He knew their older brother had been hurt too, but he’d assumed since Swishbeam was with Eddymist he wouldn’t care. Knowing that Swish had been trying… a little bit of warmth seeped back into his chest at that. 

“... Thanks Fierce. And sorry for yelling.”

“If you need to yell and be mad, that’s ok Daisypaw, but know that your clanmates are here for you. If you want to be mad or get out of the burrows for a bit to do something that isn’t looking for herbs, just ask.” Daisypaw nodded and gave a weak smile as he slunk out of the den, noting Riftstar standing further from the den in a way that told him the leader had heard, but wanted to give them privacy. He turned a little to give Daisypaw that gentle smile he always did before heading in to talk to Fiercechasm.

“Daisypaw?” He startled a little, looking up at Sunpaw as he approached. Midnightpaw and Goldenpaw were still near the apprentice’s den, but the quiet brown apprentice was looking at him in worry. “I know it’s kind of silly to ask if you’re ok, because I know I’m still not okay about Mom, Heron and Burdock, but… do you want to come sit with us? Goldenpaw was telling us some Heartclan stories, and you always told really good stories when you would watch me in the quarantine tunnel.” Daisypaw blinked, a little surprised, looked between Sunpaw and the other two apprentices watching them before that bit of warmth he’d felt talking to Fiercechasm came back. He didn’t fight the little smile that came to him as he nodded, seeing Sunpaw’s expression light up before they went to join the other two apprentices. He told himself he’d swap stories until Bluepaw got home. But by the time his brother joined them, not only was he in the midst of telling the younger apprentices about the time Ferretlily had started an argument with Agavepelt of Nightingaleclan in the middle of a Gathering that had led to a three-clan screeching match and ended the Gathering early. 

“Good to see you out of the tunnels, Daisy.” Bluepaw mewed, tucking up next to him and giving his own tired smile. Bluepaw didn’t sleep well these days, dreams filling with howls and snarls where Daisypaw’s were haunted by coughing and gasping, but with the rest of the apprentices settling around them, Daisypaw wondered if maybe, just maybe, they’d be okay. It wasn’t okay now, but it might be, someday. 

[legalmente-loca]

Romantic Atmosphere

Pairing: Sam Winchester x Female Reader

Summary: You met him in winter, where your story was just beginning. As you deal with your mother's death and Sam tries to get used to normal life, you both find yourself immersed in each other.

Romantic Atmosphere Masterlist

Word Count: 2,891

Tags/Warnings: none

Part 1: Winter, when we met

It took you a few seconds to look away, but when you finally did, you cleared your throat.

“Thank you.” You mumbled before grabbing the bouquet of flowers and heading towards the entrance.

You felt embarrassed, maybe a little curious about the one called Sam. But then again, you didn’t want to divert your attention from your goal. So when you left the flower shop, you took the right path, against the wind, to head to the cemetery, but you didn’t notice that your scarf was unraveling, and it was at that moment that it slipped from your neck to behind you.

You tried to grab it, but you failed, and you were about to run after it when you saw him.

Sam. Who didn’t have much trouble reaching out his hand and grabbing the scarf. His height was actually a huge advantage.

“I think this is yours.” He said as he walked over to you and looked at the scarf.

“Thank you… Again.” You gave a small nervous laugh.

Sam smiled. You had a cute laugh, even as you tried to hide your nervousness. He assumed you were embarrassed by everything that had happened, but he wasn’t going to blame you for your attitude. It was clear that there was something bothering you, and it wasn’t something small.

He handed you your scarf.

“I… I want to apologize for how I treated you in there. You just wanted to help.”

“It’s okay. I admit that maybe approaching you like I did was suspicious.”

You smiled and placed the scarf back around your neck.

“Anyway… I’m sorry.”

He stared at you and nodded.

“I forgive you.”

“First you help me with the flowers and then with my scarf. Are you some kind of hero?”

“I’m far from that, trust me.”

You sensed a story behind that. It seemed like a truth he truly believed.

“You know what? If you really want to apologize, let me buy you a coffee.”

“Shouldn’t I buy you one?” You asked.

“Just accepting the invitation is enough for me.”

You thought about it. You could refuse and go to the cemetery to pay respect to your mother, or you could accept and miss out on that.

God, it seemed like you only accepted to avoid her.

“Okay, I accept.”

You arrived at the nearest coffee shop and sat down at a table by the window a moderate distance from the other people. The aroma of coffee was strong in the place and because of the time there weren’t many people there. Sam was in front of you, his hands wrapped around his coffee cup to warm his hands. You did the same, putting your gloves in your coat pocket.

“So, since we’re here,” He started. “Maybe it’s good to say why we were at that flower shop today.”

“What makes you think I wasn’t there just to decorate my home?”

“Besides you just confirmed it to me,” He laughed softly. “You seemed a little stressed when choosing the flowers.”

You nodded and took a sip of your coffee.

“Well, there is a reason.”

“But?”

“But I’m not sure I trust you enough to tell you.” You smiled and raised an eyebrow.

“Confidential or personal?”

“Can’t it be both?”

Sam looked at you like you were a wonder. It seemed like you wanted to play with his mind just to avoid answering the question.

“For what it’s worth, you’ll probably never see me again in your life, so it won’t do me any good to know your secret.”

You noted that he was good with words, that he could probably get a criminal to confess with promises of a light sentence.

“Okay, um...” You took another sip of your coffee and cleared your throat. “My mother passed away a few weeks ago and today I was deciding what flowers to bring her.”

Sam’s face turned apologetic.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

You sighed.

“She and I… Let’s just say we didn’t end well. So… I didn’t really know what flowers to get her or if I should or even what kind of flowers to get her because I’ve never read about the different types of flowers and their meanings.” You spoke quickly and took a deep breath once you were done.

“Oh, wow, that’s…” He cleared his throat. “No wonder you looked stressed.”

You sighed and stared at your coffee cup. Sam looked at you with a mix of curiosity and sympathy. You were having a hard time and you were at your limit. And he was going to make sure you didn’t overstep it and push you away from him.

“You know, how about after this we go for a walk?” He asked after you took another sip of your coffee.

“Really? Why do you want to go for a walk with me?”

“We could get to know each other.”

“Why are you interested in getting to know me?”

“I just see that you have a lot of tension in you and I think it wouldn’t hurt to, uh, get it out.”

You nodded slowly, but you were unsure. You didn’t know him. You didn’t know anything about him. But maybe that was what you needed. To walk with a stranger, talk, and clearly hope that he wasn’t crazy.

“Okay.” You agreed.

He smiled and took the last of his coffee. When you both walked out, Sam held the door for you like a gentleman. You put your hands in your pockets as you walked out, looking around. Snow surrounded you and there were some kids playing on the other street.

“So,” Sam started as he adjusted his coat. “Could you tell me your name?” You gave him your name. “Huh…”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing. It just… Reminds me of something, but I don’t know what.”

You nodded.

“So… Uhm, Sam, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“Study, actually. Law.”

You raised your eyebrows in interest.

“Law. That’s… Prestigious.”

He laughed lightly and looked up and down the street before crossing.

“Many would say it’s selling your soul to the devil.” He commented.

“There’s even a movie about it.”

It was a small laugh you gave, but it was there. And Sam couldn’t help but turn to look at you as soon as he heard you.

When you reached the other side of the street was when he looked away. But there was something magnetic about you that forced his eyes to look at you.

“And what do you do?” he asked you.

“Well, Sam, I work in a bookstore.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, and I can tell you that we have some good law books.”

He laughed and shook his head in amusement.

“I’ll go as soon as I can.”

You turned to look at him the same moment he looked away. But you obviously hadn’t realized that he had been watching you this whole time.

“Let’s play a game.” You said suddenly.

“A game?”

“Yeah, you know, a game to get to know each other.”

“What is it about?”

“I'll tell you three things, two of them will be true and the other will be a lie. You have to guess which one is which.”

“That's it? Okay, I understand. Sounds interesting.”

You continued walking and you cleared your throat.

“Okay, I’ll start.” You took your hands out of your pockets and stood there thinking for a while as you watched the snow fall. “Uhm, well, for starters, my mom was a teacher and my dad was a military man when they met. He came to introduce himself to the kids in her class and he mentioned that he couldn’t stop looking at her for a moment.”

“Okay…”

“Now, the second thing I have to tell you is that I have a brother and a sister, both older, and one day I was washing dishes and… Well, my sister came over to hug me, we’ve always gotten along.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “The thing is, she came over and a cup I was drying fell out of my hands. It shattered on the floor.” I nodded. “The point is, we never told anyone. It’s like our secret.”

Sam watched you intently the whole time, listening to every word that came out of your mouth. And when you smoothed that lock of hair out of your face, it only made another lock of hair obstruct his view of your face. His hand tickled and he tried to smooth it back out, but he realized it would look weird to touch your hair when you two barely knew each other, so he ran that same hand through his hair instead.

“Now, the last lie or truth;” You continued, unaware of the fight that had just occurred inside Sam’s mind. “When I was five, I stole a bottle of liquor that my dad kept stashed away. Of course, I didn’t know it was liquor, so I drank it.”

Sam laughed softly.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. They even had to take me to the hospital. My mom was elated and my siblings had to come to the hospital because there was no one to take care of them.” I smiled. “It was a good night.”

You came to a corner and you stared at a dress that was behind a large window. Whenever you passed by there, you stared at that dress. It was one you liked, on sale because it was summer. It was red, above the knee. It reminded you of a dress your mother had bought you for your fourteenth birthday. Sam noticed your look, the way your eyes sparkled when you saw that dress.

“So…” You said, looking away from the window.

“So what?” You looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, right, two truths, one lie.”

You crossed the street, Sam looking both ways for you. Snow was beginning to pile up around you. You made a mental note to light the fireplace when you got home.

“Well, I think the fact that you have a sister and a brother is true.”

“Oh, yeah? Explain.”

“You look like a little sister. And I know what I'm talking about, because I'm one too.”

“We were born to be the spoiled and the most oblivious of the family.”

“True.” He ran a hand through his hair. “And the other truth is the one about you stealing the liquor... I don't think that at five years old you could steal a bottle of alcohol. Surely your father kept it well guarded, especially being a soldier.”

“What does that have to do with it?”

He shrugged.

“He's a soldier, he should know those things.”

“Your father was a soldier too?”

“Marine.”

“Okay…”

You stopped and turned to look at him, smiling sideways.

“You lost.”

“What?” Sam frowned in confusion.

“You lost. My mother wasn't a teacher and my father wasn't a soldier. They both worked at the same supermarket, that's how they met.”

“No way.”

You smiled and continued walking. Sam watched you for a few seconds. You had tricked him and you were obviously proud of it.

“You’re enjoying it.” He said, coming up to you.

“Yep, a lot.”

He shook his head in amusement.

“Does that mean you really stole your dad’s liquor?”

“Like I said, it was a good night. Even though I don’t remember much about it.” You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye. “Now your turn.”

“Oh, no, I think I’ll pass.”

“What? No, the game was me first and then you.”

“I don’t think I want to play it.” He said with a dry laugh.

You looked at him curiously. This was probably a sign to get away from this complete stranger, but a part of you said that what he was hiding from you about his life wasn’t dangerous in a way, at least not saying that he was the dangerous one.

You continued walking for another few minutes in silence, just admiring the scenery and listening to the atmosphere that surrounded them when they passed in front of a chocolate shop.

Sam stopped walking, leaving you walking alone, not realizing that he had stopped. He turned to look at the store, which had a chocolate brown tone. On shelves were several boxes, some open and others closed.

“You know something?” He spoke, making you stop walking and turn to look at him. “Wait here.” He said before entering the store, the bell you even heard from where you were.

“But what the…?”

You stood in front of the window, looking in. There stood Sam, approaching the counter and talking to the salesman. You watched the interaction in confusion. Sam was buying a box of chocolates. You knew this because the salesman passed one over the counter to him as Sam pulled money out of his wallet. You cocked your head as you watched the interaction and swayed in place, the sun slowly leaving the sky and making the ground colder. After a few moments, Sam came out, happily holding a box of chocolates in his hands.

“What’s all this about?” You laughed lightly and he shrugged.

“I jus’ thought you could use some chocolates.”

He held the box out to you and you hesitated.

“I can’t accept them, you already bought me coffee.” He nodded in understanding. “Besides, it’s about time I went home.”

He smirked and walked over to the curb.

“Taxi!” A cab pulled up in front of him and he turned to look at you. “C’mon, I’ll take you home.”

You smiled and got into the cab. When Sam got in you gave the driver the address and turned to look at him.

“So… You want to spend more time with me or why are you doing all this?”

“I could never let a lady walk home alone,” He handed you the box of chocolates. “And no chocolate.”

“Well, then…” You grabbed the box. “The least I can do…” You started to open it. “Is share it with you.”

Sam looked into your eyes, wondering if you were real or if the reflection of the setting sun was just making you feel ethereal.

You started eating the chocolates. It was fun to guess the taste of each one before eating. Some were delicious, but others left a bad taste in your mouth.

“Oh, this one is really good.”

“Really? Let me try it.”

“This one’s definitely not my favorite. It’s coconut.”

“You’re exaggerating. Coconut isn’t that bad.”

The tour continued with chatter and laughter. They told anecdotes and shared a private moment (despite the taxi driver). At one point the corner of Sam’s lip got stained with chocolate and you almost raised your hand to wipe it away, but you shook your gaze away.

“You have...”

“What?”

“Chocolate... There.”

“Uh? Oh, yes... Thanks. Is that all?”

“Yep, all clean.”

The taxi driver looked at them out of the corner of his eye, curious.

“You must be newlyweds.” He thought.

When you arrived at your house, you stared at it for a few seconds in silence. You didn't want the moment to end. You fervently wanted to continue chatting with him. But returning home meant the end of this encounter.

They got out of the taxi and he walked you to the door of your house.

“You have a nice house.”

“Thank you.”

You stared at each other, each with different minds. Different points of view. Different ways of life with different habits. But both were thinking the same thing.

“Well... I think I'll leave you here.”

“Yeah... Yeah, I guess so.” You cleared your throat and extended your hand. “Nice to meet you, Sam...”

“Winchester.” He took your hand, his thumb caressing it.

“Sure... Winchester. You were a nice surprise.” You let go of his hand. “It really wasn’t one of my best days and you...” You shook your head. “I don’t know, you knew how to make it memorable.”

He nodded and placed a hand on his chest.

“I’m at your service.”

You turned around and, with the keys you kept in your purse, unlocked the door to your home and entered. Sam was just turning around when you turned back to look at him.

“Sorry, but... Do you think, maybe, I don’t know... You could give me your phone number? Just in case I have a bad day again.”

Sam was pleased to hear that.

“Yeah, of course.” He handed you his number. “Feel free to call.”

He turned around and started walking towards the cab.

“I will...” You mumbled before closing the door.

Sam got in the car and settled into the seat as the cabbie turned to look at him.

“Wait, she’s not your wife?”

“What? No, no, of course not.” He laughed softly as he shook his head. “I just met her today.”

“Tsk, too bad.” He looked back ahead. “Would have bet you were dating at the very least.” He started the car. “You two have a lot of chemistry and all.”

Sam smiled. Your house drifting away and he followed it with his eyes. The chemistry between the two of you was indescribable. Everyone around you seemed to notice it, even the two of you.

“Yeah, it seems that way.” He mumbled.

Sam Winchester Series/Mini Series

Sam Winchester Masterlist

Masterlist

Join my Tag List

@yjessi @s7nburn @tommysaxes @depressionbarbie2023 @rxouxcesss @mrs-nesmith @ailishnovak @v1v1-3 @iloveeveryoneyoureamazing @s0urw00lf @delynez @fionasapple88 @luvwillz @nancymcl @yeehawgiddyup13 @mostlymarvelgirl @too-many-books-too-little-life @benscumgluzzer @arlovesper @nymphet-quenn @apobangpo-0613 @deansimpalababy @smgespn @lunavelha

[morallygreychaoticneutral]

Evolution of Passion: Hedonistic Debauchery .

Hmmm...I think..Sangria will do nicely for this sip session. Same ingredients as the booze, just minus the booze and plus some hibiscus tea.

The final chapter of the ask from danmeiljie. "Do you have any specific headcanons about the way Astarion historically had sex and how that effects the sex he has during all three acts of the game and throughout your romance with him (including i think a brothel scene you can have even if you did not romance him)? Meaning, initiation, positioning, control, diassociation versus engaging, one on one sex versus group sex, etc? Thank you!

I know there is a lot of shade being thrown around at players who went down the orgy path. But I am not going to do that. There will be no bell, and no words of "shame" shouted within these sentences. G.O.T. is over there. Go play.

Now, let us get into this hot steaming pot of sexual misadventure. Shall we?

WARNING: Game Spoilers, Topics of Sex, Abuse, and Adult themes/Language. Not underage appropriate.

This is not fact, just opinion based off my own and game experience. As always, how anybody cannons their relationships or behaviors is perfectly right! No blame, no shame, it's your game!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ahhhh, there is nothing more rewarding than sex as payment for a job well done (laughs in ridiculous). But, in all fairness, you are in a brothel. What else would they pay you in if not poles and holes.

So, to make sense of the second half, lets look at the first half.

If Tav tries to engage in group activities before Cazador's demise, Astarion is not up for it.

He very clearly, but reluctantly, expresses this after the twins suggest adding him to the mix. His refusal starts out strong, but then disintegrates into a frown.

One thing I have picked up on for this complex Elf, is that he clears his throat when expressing a vulnerable emotion. Such as telling Tav what they are to him or his devotions towards them. "I have the upmost confidence you would do the same for me. Now excuse me while I go and regurgitate the sap rankling in my throat."

And he clears his throat here.

"Ahem. Sorry , pet, I'm not quite comfortable with doing this again yet."

(watching him assert boundaries gives me the same feelings as cute aggression. It makes me want to chew on him. I love it! Grrr rawwr nom nom nom.)

And of course he is not interested. He is not even having sex with Tav at this point in time. And Tav is someone he is in an established relationship with. Sharing intimate thoughts with everyday and trancing skin to skin with every night. Why would he suddenly be interested in having sex when strangers are involved? That would make no sense and be pretty disrespectful to Tav honestly.

To me, the tentativeness is not from a worry that Tav will force him into it, because they can't. He has already regained his ability to say no to situations involving his body and won't be swayed. It's from the subconscious worry that something else negative might happen for saying no.

The word NO was probably banned in Cazador's house and he was more than likely punished severely and often for saying it. It would be expected for him to still have those fears as boundary setting is still very new and difficult for him.

So it makes sense he could be concerned his refusal might create a negative consequence. Such as Tav choosing to sleep with the twins out of spite for withholding.

"You wont sleep with me so I will find someone who will."

Or belittling him for being precious about it.

"The one thing you are good at and you can't even do that? Pathetic."

(pardon me while I go wash my hands after typing that awful shit.)

This is apparent if Tav tries to hire one of the twins on their own.

"Enjoy yourself, of course, but I dearly hope you aren't only having sex because we haven't in awhile. hum? "

Remember, he is counting the days until midnight chimes and it all ends between them. He is still not fully trusting of Tav's feelings for him. (that pout..I can't.)

Also, does the party know that Astarion and Tav are not going bump in the night? If not, they do now. That question would have completely blown his cover as the insatiable hedonistic rake forever in search of top shelf debauchery. Awkward pause anyone?

But, he need not worry because Tav is incredible! And like Moonrise towers, if you did it that way, does not make him do anything he does not want to. Again. In fact, Tav supports his boundary by saying "Don't worry, I wouldn't ask such a thing of you." Which makes him uncomfortable.

Wait.. What?

Oh yeah, but don't fret, he's not disrespecting your respect.

"Eugh, don't be so nice to me! It makes me want to be nice back."

Ah the good ol' shield of sarcastic humor. A piece of armor Astarion wields like a master. Capable of deflecting uncomfortable situations and bashing incoming feelings.

Astarion is very private when it comes to his inner world and Tav has just publicly supported him with kindness and respect after he just admitted to something vulnerable in front of EVERYONE. Could anybody else hear him internally yelling at himself? "Fuck! You just gave up the game you idiot!"

Had they been alone I am sure he would have been a puddle of appreciation, but, there are people around. Quick! You look weak! Do something! Woosh!! Out comes the shield of sarcastic humor.

"Stop it. When you talk like that it makes me want to be nice. Gross!"

Possible looking weak disaster averted.

If Tav chose the "I would have like to, but I understand." he says nothing. Because its not a show of real support. It's very, I'm only not doing it because you have a problem with it. It sounds more like blame then understanding. And it's probably what he expected anyway. Better to be belittled than pitied. Eh?

Meh..

Now, on to the main event! I hope you brought snacks! Oh. Wait. you were the snack. HA!

When Tav suggests group actives after Cazador's well deserved, overdue, satisfying obliteration, the answer is vastly different.

"I'd like to try doing things like this again now that I'm free to find my own desires. And don't worry, Ill dart out if I don't enjoy it faster than I used to run from the sun. Ha ha."

We have already established that he cannot be manipulated into engaging in activities that involve his body when he does not want to. So I really believe he is being honest here. There is no "I'm lying out my fangs" face. No glancing at his nails or attempt to deflect reasonability by trying to put the want on Tav. "Id like to try since YOU want to".

To me, this reads as genuine interest in wanting to try. There is an undercurrent of doubt and anxiety given that the delivery is a bit overdramatized, and his expression shifts a bit. But that is to be expected. People are a bit skittish to get back in the proverbial saddle after being thrown off and trampled.

But why would he agree to it if he didn't feel solid about it?

Why do any of us do that?

Curiosity. Have you met this man?

Perhaps he is curious to see, like the first bite, if it truly is something he can do. He may think that a lot of how he felt about such things was tainted by Cazador's views and feelings and they were not fully his own. Cazador was able to control his body, why not his mind? But now he is truly free he may think that his feelings and reactions towards these activities will be different. Sex with his partner was beyond amazing that first night of freedom. Maybe this will change too? He can finally be the debauched hedonist he always claims he wants to be. Right?

But, as in life, sometimes what we hope happens vs what does happen can be quite different.

He has slipped the old persona back on and is playing the "professional". Putting himself in a position of servicing rather than receiving with them by saying "tell us what YOU want."

"It was easy. Instinctive. Habits from two hundred years of charming people kicked in"

A clear indication that he has separated his main consciousness from this event.

And honestly, trying to please three to four people all at once is a lot to process. So many moving parts. Literally.

"That's it! He was a million miles away. That is what makes it an evil choice!"

At first glance it can seem that way. But look again.

He doesn't react negatively afterward. He doesn't break up with Tav like he did when they made him bite the drow or push sex on him. And there is no deduction of approval. He accepts that it was his choice.

One thing to remember is that disassociating is not just a coping mechanism exclusive to extreme trauma. It can be triggered in everyday life. Daydreaming, highway hypnosis, or getting lost in a book or movie are all examples of mild dissociation. Your body is on autopilot. You are relying on muscle memory and the base of your brain to do the processing.

How many times have you been lost in a book for hours only to blink and realize your ten chapters in and its 3 am? You still sipped your tea, still turned the pages, you still lost your socks, but do you really remember doing it?

How many times have you been at your job doing that same repetitive task for the hundredth time just to realize its lunch time and the task is complete without you being fully aware of what you just did?

Right?!

I think it's the same here. Astarion is once again behind the wheel of a sexual situation he has been the star of over and over and over again and is , I think, zoning out out of habit. He did the same thing with Tav in the woods and Tav wasn't hurting him. So its not pain triggered.

Now, a conversation about it afterward would have been nice.

"But, that seems unfair. In his origin run or if you ascend him, there is no mention of him mentally stepping out. It just with Tav and Tav loves him. Why? "

The content of his experience is different.

Ascended Astarion doesn't care about anybody but himself and his consort. So he indulges without reciprocating.

Origin Spawn Astarion initiated the encounter himself. He made the decision to hire the twins for his own pleasure so he is more engaged. (I may or may not have had to pause when he asked Halsin to pin him against the wall. Spicy. )

I think Spawn Astarion is servicing more than participating because then encounter was initiated by Tav. So he sees the encounter as being more for them than for him. His thoughts may have been something like..

"Hmm, Tav wants to try this. Maybe, with them, it will be different for me too. We can be hedonists together! That sounds like fun! I'll need to make sure this is a good experience for them. And I need to keep them safe."

So even though he takes control of the situation by driving it.

"Alright sweethearts, you dare to dance with a professional."

He unintentionally defaulted into old habits due to the familiarity of the situation. He is not receiving here, he is seducing Tav and the twins. He did the same thing in the woods. He is in control, yes, but he is "working".

The take away, for me, is that the experience is neither "good" or "evil". We just learn that he tried something and he is not as ready for it as he had hoped. And that happens! And its OK.

Sometimes we jump into things we think we might be up for only to find out it is not our cup of tea. That's how we learn and that's how we discover who we are. The "good" or "evil" of it is found in what you do with that knowledge.

Do you continue the behavior with its consequences? Or do you accept it is not for the you that you are at this point in time and move forward?

"But that first rush of freedom can be intoxicating. I didn't always make the best decisions when I first tasted it."

The choice is yours.

Now, as living breathing NON NPC's we know, I would hope, that taking your real world partner, who was a known sex slave, to a brothel to engage in an orgy after six months of freedom, is an emotionally unintelligent and objectively stupid thing to do. Unless, it is their desire and for reasons that serve them in an enriching and positive way. There are always exceptions to things. But, for the most part, we all know its wise not to stick our hands in fires we know will burn us, right?

Play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.

Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go find my elf and accept my "punishment". He thinks he pulled a muscle from pouting so hard. And since that was somehow my fault, he demands I make it right by letting him lay his head in my lap and massage his cheeks till the "soreness" goes away. * eye roll * delightful repentances are the worst.

[atticusmorgentstern]

The thing that annoys me about Hera's treatment, though, is that it's steeped in sexism. Hera was more helpful on one quest than Poseidon was in the entirety of the PJO series. She was infinitely more helpful than 90% of gods in HOO (considering, you know, she was the only one actively trying to stop Gaea). And yet, she's hated because...she's not kind while helping out? When you actually look at all the things Hera did, she absolutely does not deserve the hate she gets in universe and from fans.

When she first shows up in BOTL, she gives them food, tells them to talk to Hephaestus, and tells them that Percy knows how to get through the Labyrinth. That is more help from one conversation than any other godly interaction we see. And yet, when she leaves, Annabeth is complaining that she didn't help them more! She didn't have to help at all!

Later, when they are in the Triple G Ranch, Hera pays for the quest members to pass through, but she doesn't pay for Nico. That's not great, I admit, but...why should she? She is concerned about the quest, not every random demigod. Just paying for them was still more than any other god was doing. And then, when fighting Geryon, she guided his arrow to kill him, saving their lives.

Afterward, when Percy is injured on Mt. Saint Helens, Hera sends him to Ogygia to recover. Considering his injuries, this probably saved his life. It allowed him to recover in a place where time was weird, so he was able to get back within a week (rather than the potentially months it might haver otherwise taken). And that's if he would have survived without Calypso's treatment. She saved his life.

The final thing that she did was open the passage to Mt. Tam so they could see Kronos rise. This was absolutely essential for the survival of Camp Half-Blood. If they hadn't gone, then they would not have known that Kronos had regained a body (or what that body looked like). Furthermore, their being there meant that Rachel could throw the hairbrush and weaken Kronos. If she hadn't done that, then Kronos would have led the charge against Camp himself, and they would almost certainly have died.

And after all of this help, all Hera asked for was an offering. Remember, she helped more than Poseidon or Athena on this quest (both of whom did nothing). For all she did, that is the cheapest reward she could have asked for. Instead, Annabeth insulted her and told her that her help was neither wanted nor appreciated. I'm sorry, but after that, Annabeth deserved to get cursed. Any god would have cursed her for that.

I grant you that Hera was very callous when discussing the lost lives during this quest, and it wasn't great, but consider who they were talking about. Luke was a literal traitor; no way any Olympian (aside from Hermes) is sorry he's functionally dead. Dedaelus cheated death for thousands of years after killing his nephew; why should she be cut up over his death. And while Pan being spoken of like that is cold, I think it's fair to say he was mostly being lumped in with the other two. The most egregious thing she said was about Nico, but she's hardly the worst offender in Nico's case. Pan didn't mention him when they met, Hades (who most agree is a pretty well-liked god by fandom) outright said that he wished Nico was dead instead of Bianca, Persephone turned Nico into flowers, and most demigods have issues with Nico being around. I'm not saying that it's alright, but what she said is not that bad.

And after the insults thrown at her, Hera's response was to...send cows to crap around Annabeth's house. That is the most muted response she could have had. Remember, Ares cursed Percy to have his sword fail in battle because he lost a spar, Minerva took Annabeth's magical cap because she refused to start a war, Hades tried to kill Percy to earn glory for himself (through Nico). Cow poop is not that big a deal in comparison. And I know that Annabeth claims that Hera was the one to push the statue on her that Thalia saved her for, but I just don't believe it. One, that is a major escalation from cow poop. Two, Hera was busy at the time. She was literally fighting Typhon, something that was made clear was taking all the gods' focus. Are we really supposed to believe that she stopped her fight to go antagonize a demigod who was actually trying to help the gods? In The Lost Hero, Hera says that the statue was an accident. That implies that she did not know it was happening (and therefore might not even be her fault).

Overall, Hera's may come across as callous, but she is did not deserve the antagonism she was given.

The thing is, even though Hera is a bitch, she was literally a 100% right about everything when she showed up for the first time in BOTL. She wanted Annabeth and Percy to succeed; she knew best she could do to safe Olympus was to help them- and she actually did. She was right about going to Hephaestos for help and also about how to navigate in the labyrinth: She knew Percy knew the answer, deep down, and that they had to figure this out themselves. Why is Hera not likeable? Not because she isn't right about most things, but because she lacks the kindness to treat everyone with an open heart; because she cares about results and not people's feelings; because she doesn't waste a second thought on people who aren't important to her

[curtisberzattos]

do u have any hc about darry in his letterman jacket and madras shirt around his family/ the gang. i feel like he wouldn't be that bothered bc it's how he wants tb, but everyone else tries to make fun of him for it which just pushes his closer to paul and the socs

SO. i don't think they'd make fun of the letterman jacket because you actually have to Pay for those and do something that makes you eligible for it, which i think they would all respect enough. it's also something he'd wear daily in highschool and maybe they'd tease him a little initially (bc it's shiny and new) but eventually it becomes such a normal part of his wardrobe that they don't even really notice it.

the madras shirt tho– that's fair game for bullying him, in theory. however i don't imagine him wearing that around them much. in my mind it's something he'd wear to parties or other social events that the greasers wouldn't be at, so it's not daily wear. soda would probably tease him for it but he's a little brother, he'll tease darry anytime he tries to look nice, shirt or not. his parents may be silently iffy about the fact that he's being gifted nice things that they can't afford to buy for him, but i don't think anyone else would really give him much grief over it (at least not to his face or around any of the curtis', given how defensive soda is when they accuse darry of "going soc"). and besides, at this point he's like 18 and a major jock so if a 15 year old dally or steve tried making fun of him he'd just Push Them Down.

[wuxian-vs-wangji]

How can I bribe you into helping me get a job in the industry, other than promising my undying love, which you already have <3

The industry is horrible and awful, low pay, long hours, no real chance of advancing.

Whenever people touring the station or new interns ask me for advice, I always tell them to change careers lol

[uncanny-tranny]

My disability-adjacent hot take is that subtitles alone aren't really enough. I have trouble differentiating where sound comes from, for instance, so it's wildly helpful to have clarification on where sound is supposed to be coming from (right versus left, ect).

On a related note, if your subtitles are not clear, accurate, or translated in the case of foreign language, your subtitles aren't good. I don't want to read a paraphrased, censored version of what people are saying. I want to know exactly what they're saying because omitting even one word can dramatically change the tone, implication, and the entire meaning of what is said.

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

it's like. everything happens so much. it's all happening right now but at the same time nothing is happening whatsoever. it's a liminal space of an existence. it's slowly crushing me under the weight but when I look up there's nothing actually bearing down on me. there shouldn't be any weight. something is wrong but nothing has happened. I'm simultaneously overwhelmed and utterly bored. nothing is happening and maybe that's the everything that's happening. maybe the everything is the nothing. we aren't there yet but it's all so imminent. either everything is going to crash down or nothing is. I'm just waiting to figure out which.

[jacklesraised]

see the reality is i post on my rps usually when nobodys been there a bit and nobody is probably online, but the mental illness in me keeps saying its bc everyone secretly hates me and i dont deserve love, and when i tell a gov doctor that, they basically just say ‘take your antidepressant’s and shut up’ which is also funny when said gov doctor wont refill my fucking antidepressants in the first place

[citizen-zero]

WIBTA for taking advantage of my boss’ possible manic episode?

I know this already sounds bad but hear me out.

So I (30M) am the sole employee of this guy (62M) who’s honestly just a miserable boss and an even more miserable person. It sucks so bad working for him—the pay is horrendous, he’s verbally abusive, and the working conditions are awful (in the winter I literally have to stay bundled up the whole work day because he refuses to put the heat on in the office). He wouldn’t even give me holidays off if it wasn’t for the fact that there’s basically nothing to do those days because everywhere else is closed. I’m almost positive he unironically thinks poor people should die if they can’t work. His nephew (aka his only living relative and just the nicest guy) came by yesterday to invite him to Christmas dinner and he told him he’d see him in hell.

I cannot stress this enough—it’s BAD. I’d quit, but it’s been hard finding a better job and I’ve got four kids at home, including one with special needs.

Anyway, so here’s where I’m wondering if I’d be the asshole. Today was Christmas Day and he showed up at my house out of nowhere (huge red flag, I know). At first I thought he’d forgotten I had the day off and he was here to chew me out, which was worrying enough, but then his whole demeanor changed and he was super happy and excited and talking about how he was going to raise my salary. He even mentioned possibly making me a partner in the firm.

Now if that was it, I’d feel a little weird about the suddenness of it but it’d be fine. I’m not going to complain about having more money to feed my family. But then he started talking about how he wanted to pay our mortgage off. He talked about wanting to pay for our son to get the very expensive medical care that’s probably going to save his life. He mentioned at one point that he was going to be donating a huge amount of money to charity too—I knew he was rich but it staggered me. All this from a guy who doesn’t (didn’t?) even want to turn on the heat or the lights because it costs too much money.

It was such a sudden and drastic change that happened very literally overnight and now I’m kind of concerned he’s having a manic episode or something. I really, really want to accept his sudden generosity (I probably will; my wife is all for it and thinks he owes it to us), and I would love to believe that he’s truly had a sudden change of heart (an actual Christmas miracle lol) but I’m just worried about the possible consequences of accepting huge financial gifts like this from someone who I believe might be experiencing some kind of break from reality. Even if there’s nothing legally wrong with it, I’m worried about the ethics of it.

TLDR, my asshole boss might be in the middle of a mental breakdown. WIBTA if I accepted his offer to pay off my mortgage and my son’s medical expenses?

[swagging-back-to]

just hung up on customer service for the first time ever in my entire life because this guy kept asking over and over and over again for my checking account number despite me giving it to him a dozen times. every time it was 'no no not that number it needs to be this number' 'i literally just gave you that number' ''no no a different number' *gives the exact number he asked* 'no no that's the wrong type of number'

[respectissexy]

If you are not on Twitter but are interested in what's going on with Elon Musk's Twitter, never fear, I am back as your Twitter Correspondent.

So, on Thursday, 4/20, Elon removed all the "legacy verified" blue checks. That means that if you are, say, Taylor Swift or the Pope, and you have a blue checkmark because you have proven you identity and want to avoid being impersonated, that check mark went away unless you paid the $8 to subscribe to Twitter Blue.

The assumption was clearly that, despite all their blustering, when push came to shove the power users would nut up and pay for it, if only to avoid their fans being scammed using their likeness.

That didn't happen. As of 4/21, only weirdo Elon stans had blue checks. Those stans immediately got mad, because they had intended to purchase access to an exclusive club, and all the cool kids left as soon as they arrived.

To make matters worse for Elon, several influential shitposters began posting about #BlockTheBlue, a movement to block all paid Twitter bluechecks, and some even released scripts that would automatically block all bluecheck accounts for you.

However, some people retained their blue checks who swore they hadn't paid for them -- in particular, Stephen King and LeBron James, who had tweeted that they would refuse to pay.

Elon admitted that he had paid for these users' blue checks out of his own pocket. Is he trolling? Is it a weird simp move? Hard to say.

Now, as of 4/22, a whole mess of famous people have bluechecks who aren't paying for them. This seems to be a move to confound the automated Block The Blue scripts. Lil Nas X is tweeting angrily about how he doesn't want his blue check. People are speculating that a new policy has been silently rolled out to automatically assign a blue check to every user with over 1 million followers. Several people have pointed out that this amounts to false endorsement, i.e. implying falsely that a notable person uses or endorses your product without their permission, which is a crime. Blue checks have been posthumously assigned to Anthony Bourdain and Terry Pratchett, whose estates my money is on to be the ones to actually sue.

dril, famous shitposter and Block The Blue promoter, keeps being assigned a blue check as an apparent punishment for crossing Elon, but you can lose your blue check by changing your display name. (It seems really wild to tie the blue check to the display name and not use the username, but it became necessary after the era where all those legacy verified folks unleashed their inner Jaboukie and changed their display names to Elon Musk. As recently as last month a legacy verified user with 100k followers got banned for impersonating JK Rowling apologizing to trans people.) So dril just keeps changing his display name every time they bluecheck him. Elon and dril have been engaged in this game of cat and mouse all day. The "Elon bans dril and we all throw trash at him like New Yorkers defending spiderman" meme will probably come to fruition today or tomorrow.

[lynxgirlpaws]

I spent quite literally one [1] hour with my father and now feel like absolute shit. Unironically how does he do this [i am impressed]

[inmirova]

cannot wait to show up to work tomorrow and like lose my mind if anyone asks me how my two days off were. fuck all the other reasons, I should be able to get my mood stabilizers represcribed without finding a new psychiatrist for the sake of literally every single person I'm going to encounter tomorrow

[starcurtain]

I know everyone sees Itto as Genshin's comedic relief, but I'm telling you all, Alhaitham is actually the funniest character in Genshin Impact.

According to the fandom, he's hot, he's famous, he's the one in charge of the house...

But according to the people of Sumeru? Dude became grand sage and not a single NPC around the city had a thing to say about that. Sachin's son got his ass beat and he didn't even know who Alhaitham was; it was just "some guy in green." People on the streets are said to not even notice Alhaitham, let alone be able to identify him by appearance. The only time we ever hear NPCs directly commenting on Alhaitham, it's Siraj's collective who hate Alhaitham's guts. Dori refuses to work with him. Random Eremites call him a lunatic within two minutes of meeting him.

Alhaitham's reputation in Sumeru is "Who? Ah, that guy? I heard he's weird," and then everyone moves on.

Meanwhile, Kaveh is literally famous enough to have an epithet ("the Light of Kshahrewar"), is the lead architect on entire city redesigns, and was trusted before Alhaitham's take over to do work on the Akademiya itself. He built the most famous landmark in the rainforest outside of the Divine Tree. He's well-known enough that people bank on his reputation to start scams; people send their children to take courses with him in the belief that it will bless them with successful future careers. He's known for philanthropic endeavors to help the poor and disadvantaged. He won the Interdarshan Championship. This is the Sumeru equivalent of winning an Olympic gold medal!!

Kaveh is the Taylor Swift to Alhaitham's Travis Kelce. They might have independent success, but in every measurement of public sentiment, Kaveh vastly outshines Alhaitham, and the fandom should really take a step back and think about how hilarious this makes everything about their situation in canon.

For the few in Sumeru who are actually paying attention, sure, Alhaitham is the (former) acting grand sage who makes a pretty penny and owns the house Kaveh lives in. For the average majority of Sumeru's citizens who are way more likely to know Kaveh? Alhaitham is literally just "that guy who is shacked up with the Light of Kshahrewar."

Kaveh's efforts to keep where he lives a secret just makes him come across like one of those reclusive types of artists who value their privacy. Half the public in Sumeru probably think he just prefers to keep himself and his lover out of the limelight. Kaveh was so busy pretending not to be poor, he forgot that every ounce of pretending he does just helps him keep his own celebrity status. The harder he attempts to act secretive about where he lives and with whom, the more it comes across as "Please respect this famous person's privacy and stop asking about the details of his relationship."

And Alhaitham, for whom being "that guy who is shacked up with the Light of Kshahrewar" is THE life goal? Everything is going according to keikaku. Kaveh has convinced the entirety of Sumeru that he and Alhaitham are in a relationship, all without Alhaitham having to lift a finger. The more determined Alhaitham gets to fly under the radar, the more it looks like he's Kaveh's kept man. If you aren't living with him because you're broke, then why are you living with him, Kaveh? There's simply no way for Alhaitham to lose.

It's just... so funny.