#since it's 10 pm it'll be 11 when i stop
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hotsugarbyglassanimals · 11 months ago
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realistically i shouldnt stay up to do homework (because ... that'll make things worse tomorrow) but also like. i have too many things going on tomorrow to be able to just uh. start on it tomorrow
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xveenusx · 1 year ago
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Indifference
Paring(s): Rafe Cameron x fem!reader
Summary: Two people who are in love, well he used to be
Authors note: you guys like when I make you cry
Rating: angsty
Warnings: it'll hurt :)
__________________
He was late.
Time was a funny thing. Minutes turned to hours which rolled into days then suddenly months began to blur into years. In that time, people tend to go out and experience things, falling in and out of love, enjoying everything life had to offer.
Yet, I somehow found myself motionless, the spark that once ignited my core had been stifled to a small ember. Life continued to pass by while I remained glued in one place, watching as everyone around me attempted to achieve some form of happiness.
I was once like that. Filled with some much hope for a life with someone I loved, who showed up to support me and believed in my capability, because at one time in my life that was exactly what Rafe was.
Like I said, time was a funny thing. The more time passes with your partner, the more comfortable they seem to get. They stop trying. However, at what point does being comfortable become almost negligent?
Dates were canceled, appointments missed, and important accomplishments forgotten the more time went on. Rafe’s priorities shifted and I went from being the center of his world to being a planet merely circling his gravitational pull.
In his mind, we were forever, so a couple of cancellations here and there and bouts of forgetfulness were nothing in the span of things. I would have agreed had the cancellations not doubled with time or our conversations going from intimate and deep to surface level at best.
He was never home. It was always just me in this large house on figure 8.  Suddenly, he went from being the moon and the stars to just a bleak, unforgivable starless night. Cold and dark.
We had met when we were 16 and he was every bit a spoiled little rich boy that had extreme daddy issues, but there was more to him than that. I picked at his defenses until finally they shattered, and I was engulfed by all of him.
He was just different around me and that fact alone left me delighted. It made me feel special, almost stupidly so.
Things between Rafe and his father were already tense enough since Rafe bought a motorbike with the money he was supposed to spend on the generator. Then everything began to snowball out of control from there. He threw himself into his father’s work and when he wasn’t doing that, he was with Kells and Topper doing god knows what and snorting anything he could find.
Despite all of this, Rafe always kept me close and always let me in. 
Last year, when Ward had gone with Sarah and John B to South America, and didn’t return, something shifted inside him. His defenses were rebuilt, only this time he left me on the outside, and no matter how hard I tried to break him down brick by brick, nothing worked. He became obsessed with running Ward’s real estate empire better than he ever did.
Rafe was a cold and calculated legacy with a large chip on his shoulder that made him lethal against competing firms. He chewed them up and spit them out.
With every major milestone, it was never enough for him, and like a man possessed he continued to ruthlessly target anyone that had done him wrong. We had everything and yet the bitterness seemed to consume him. He was someone I saw once a day if I was lucky. He always left before I woke up and was never home by the time I went to bed and suddenly we were glorified roommates.
Once upon a time, I would stay up waiting for him with my heart in my hand, hoping to connect in any way. Even if I only had a few minutes to spend with him before he went to sleep, it was enough for me. But, 10 pm became 11 pm which turned into 12 am and so I gave up. My sleep schedule was already a mess as thoughts and insecurities pestered my mind of another woman.
“Any word from him yet? Some of the donors are asking for him?” The question pulls me out of my thoughts and I turn to face my assistant, Rai.
Her question is innocent enough, but I can hear the slight concern in her voice and I know she has her doubts which only serves as another humiliating reminder that Rafe has done this to me repeatedly.
But this was different. He knew how important this charity dinner was to the shelter I opened up for women and children who suffered from domestic violence.
As someone who came from the cut, it was everywhere and so many didn’t have the means to flee and so they were forced to stay and in the most severe instances, die.
Rafe gave me the start-up money as a gift and it was a huge success that I opened several more as well as fund for scholarships for both the mothers and kids. Which is what brings me to now, a charity dinner and auction to help fund said scholarships and pay for all the shelter necessities.
He promised he would be here. It’s important for the donors to see him here seeing as though he donated a huge sum once more and could ease the minds of those who are teetering on the edge. It’s also important to me. This project is mine, something I created and shared with the world and I want to share it with him too.
I want him to celebrate this accomplishment with me and he is nowhere to be found.
“He’ll be here. Rafe promised.” I clear my throat, “He knows how important this is to me.”
Rai gave me a doubtful look and I know that I couldn’t convince her anymore than I could convince myself. The engagement ring that bore my finger instantly weighed a ton.
Glancing down at the large diamond that once meant the promise of everything, stared back at me as nothing more than a simple accessory.
Rafe had proposed and foolishly I believed that it would save us so I said yes.
I stayed and time and time again, the disappointment slowly began to etch away at the childish hope I tried to cling onto until only a dull ache remained.
“Don’t you look lovely?” Plastering a fake smile onto my face, I let out a sheepish laugh as I take in Kiara’s parents. 
“Thank you guys so much for coming.” The words ring true but I couldn’t help but feel like I was underwater. My focus is shot and I find myself hardly listening with my eyes darting to the front door every minute or so, desperate to see the man I used to think would never stop loving me. 
I float around the room, committed to being a gracious host, because I would not let him take this from me too. Not when he’s taken everything else already. This is the only piece left of me. 
My cheeks hurt two hours later from all the fake smiles and my throat burns from the feigned laughing. The sound of my own voice makes me wince. 
In those two hours, I felt my confidence slowly get chipped piece by piece as everyone questioned where my fiancé was. And for a moment, I hated him. I truly hated him because even this small piece of heaven I made for myself is tied into him. 
Honey, I need to run some numbers with Rafe. Where is he hiding? 
Where is the biggest investor? Surely, he’s here, right?
I haven't seen Mr. Cameron. Has he stepped out? 
With which I responded,” Work emergency, you know how it is. He’s nothing if not committed.” Considering most of these possible donors run their own large companies, they completely understand but it’s their partners reactions that seem to leave me stunned. 
Each had a warm look of understanding dancing in their eyes as I’m sure they’ve used the same excuse time and time again.
I can only take so much. So I excuse myself and glance at the small gold heart shaped watch on my delicate wrist and take note of the time.
There was only 30 minutes left and I haven't gotten so much as a text from him. 
A pit began to form where my stomach used to be as I realized once more that he wasn’t coming. As I stood in a packed room, filled with a flurry of activity, surrounded by people, I’ve never felt more alone.
Then my eyes connect with Mrs. Dune, the wife of a finance guru that works alongside Rafe. She was much older than I, having been with her husband for 30 years but she looked even older. 
It’s almost as though she can read my thoughts, because she sends me a sad smile as she lets her eyes go to where her husband stands talking to other donors. I haven't seen him talk to her the whole night, instead she’s been standing at his side saying nothing. 
I take an uneven breath and my eyes widen in realization. Was this what I had to look forward to? A life sentence of loneliness vacant of any warmth and attention? 
Swallowing hard, I force my eyes away and stare at the door. Begging whoever will listen to please, this once, let me be wrong. I’m so in my thoughts that I’m startled when a soft hand lands on my arm.
“You get used to it. Eventually, you’ll feel nothing.” Mrs. Dune says quietly, her eyes moving back to her husband, with a look I can only describe as longing. 
That’s the thing. I don't want to get used to it. This isn’t how I want to be loved.
“What you’ve accomplished is amazing. Don’t let him take that away from you.” Was her parting words and she left, not sparing her husband another glance. 
When I turn to see if he noticed she left, he’s still engaged in conversations and doesn’t spare her a glance. 
This is not how I want to be loved. 
“Hey, I’ve been looking for you. This is Amy Park.” Rai looks ecstatic as she introduces me to the stunning tall woman next to her. 
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Park.” The words come out on instinct.
“I wanted to discuss how open you would be to expanding shelters nationwide?”
And for the first time in awhile, a real smile graces my face as I answer her question. 
_____________________
The first thing I notice when I pull into our driveway is the plethora of cars that fill it. The second thing I pick up on is familiar vibrations of music with each step I take along our pathway. 
My front door is wide open as people come in and out, clearly under the influence of something and my chest constricts. 
This is what he’s been doing? This was more important than me? 
Clutching my keys tightly, I welcome the familiar biting against my skin. I recognize many of the faces, most of them having gone to school with Rafe. 
If it was any other night, I would have joined them. We were only 22 and yet have lived what seems to be a hundred lives. But, this is different. He’s different. 
Climbing up the staircase, I head to the balcony where I hear a familiar boast of laughter. 
I cleared my throat. “What’s so funny?”
Heads snap in my direction but my eyes are only on one. One that currently has a short black haired girl nearly in his lap. I recognize her as a bartender at one of the local grills/bars we frequent. 
“Don’t you look gorgeous-“ Topper attempts to run interference, but it’s too late. I raise my hand to silence him. I’ve already seen everything I needed too. 
His body is positioned slightly in front of them as if I was going to body slam them. I might actually. 
“Hey, wait! How did the donor dinner go?” Topper's eyes dart to Rafe’s. “That was tonight right?”
I see the moment everything clicks. His eyes rake down from my newly styled hair to the louboutins in my feet. Everything I wore from the jewelry on my body to the shoes on my feet he bought me, and I’ve never felt more sick.
Rafe clenches his eyes shut as he shakes his head. “Fuck.”
Fuck, indeed.
“Get out of my way, Topper.”
He throws a worried glance to Rafe. “I think maybe-“
“Top, give us a second.” Rafe mutters tensely. He keeps his hard set gaze on me, drilling into me, almost as though he’s daring me to move. 
Kelce stands up giving me an apologetic look. “Rafe, man, there’s a bunch of people here.”
I force myself to look away. 
“Not right now, Kells.” 
He wasn’t wrong. This house was full of people, but the only difference being that none of them matter. Not to me and not to Rafe. 
Steady. Keep steady and just breathe. 
“So what should I do-“
I look at him. Me or them? It was unsaid but he knew what I was asking him. 
“Back the fuck off and give me a fucking second with my girl.” Rafe barks out, running a rough hand through the short cropped strands that brush against his forehead. 
Both hold their hands up in mock surrender before shuffling off to the side. The girl doesn’t get up. 
Topper coughs. “Sophia.” 
Her eyes take me in with clear distaste. Her hand is still dangerously close to Rafe’s waistband. I raise a single eyebrow giving her one last opportunity to move. 
She doesn’t. Not when Kelce calls out for her either.
Sophia made her bed. Setting my bag down, I take three big steps before I’m roughly shoving her off the couch sending her sprawling on the floor. 
Rafe let’s out a curse but makes no move to help her. At least he’s not stupid.
“Get out.” The words leave no room for negotiation.
The glare she sends me is filled with ice. “I was invited.”
Kelce lets out a groan before whispering,”Is she serious?”
The fake smile I’ve perfected over the years decorated my face as I bent down to her height on the floor. 
Flashing my engagement ring in her face. “Get out of my fucking house.”
That seems to shut her up and I watch with narrowed eyes as she struts away, Topper and Kelce in tow.
I can hear my heart pounding in my ears while my chest feels like it’s going to explode. I turn around slowly to face my damnation. 
My heels click against the marble floor and with each step I take, the more the ache in my chest grows. Marching up to Rafe, I grab his chin and force him to look at me. Those familiar glacial blue eyes are red. His pupils are blown wide and my chest cracks wide open. 
He’s high. 
This is not how I want to be loved. 
This is what he wanted to do instead of being there for me. Instead of supporting me. Instead of loving me. 
Dying would be less painful.
 I stare directly into those eyes, searching for an answer, wondering when the love he felt for me slowly became indifference.
I’d almost rather there be a mistress rather than this cold indifference.
“Did you have fun at least?” My words are soft but the intention is anything but. 
He says nothing. Instead Rafe studies me like I’m a wounded animal. 
Dark. Beautiful. Cruel. 
Those are the words I’d use to describe the man in front of me. The gaze that once felt like a soft caress on my skin now felt clinical. 
“It seems like you’re having fun.” I quip, flicking the small bag filled with familiar white powder. 
I thought I could fix him. I will not make that mistake again.
“I completely forgot-“
“How?” I ask. 
His eyes narrow like he’s trying to figure me out. “Work got insanely busy. You know how it is. Even if I own the place, I’m young and the older guys don’t respect me.”
“It was in your work calendar.” 
“No, it wasn’t-“
“It was also on your personal calendar and our joint one. I had your assistant send you a reminder email. So my question is how?” My voice wobbled and it was only by a small miracle that I didn’t throw something in his face. “How did you forget the only thing I’ve asked you for?” 
Something flickered in his eyes. “It wasn’t intentional. It slipped my mind.”
“Something I worked so hard to accomplish just slipped your mind?” Exhaustion has finally got the better of me and I finally let him see just how much he’s managed to chip away. 
“I should have been there for you and I’m so sorry,” His throat flexed a hard swallow. “But there will be other dinners.” 
The dull ache in my chest thrummed harder. Rafe was brushing this off, just like he always did. My skin flushed. 
At my silence, he braces his elbows on his knees and leans forward, tracking my every move. “I feel like you’re not understanding me.”
“No, I understand you just fine. It just wasn’t important enough for you.”
He stilled. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
Of course it wasn’t what he meant but he’s managed to make me feel so insignificant. So small. 
“I know that you’ve canceled most of our dates for work. Even an anniversary once. I know that you missed the grand opening of the shelter that I spent a year and half planning.” I force the words out, each breath I take feeling like needles. “I asked for this one thing, Rafe and you couldn’t even give me that.” 
“What about everything I have given you? This house, the car you drive in, the clothes on your back, the boat?”
It’s like I’m staring at 16 year old Rafe again. To him, material things were the equivalent to love. He couldn’t be farther from the truth.
I find that I was much happier when I had little to nothing, than I am now, sitting here with everything, in my gown and jewels. 
“I didn't ask for any of those things.” By the stubborn gleam in his eyes, I knew he was going to fight me on everything. 
Lately, his tactic was always combative and it was easier to give in or to not say anything at all. 
 “No, but you took them all the same. I fucked up, I get that. I know what this shelter means to you, but that doesn’t change the fact that you wouldn’t even have it if it weren’t for me.”
A familiar buzzing filled my ears. His words were ugly but they weren’t a lie. Even my project was his. I had nothing of my own.
I wonder how many other people came to the same revelation. Maybe that’s why so many of them asked where he was? Because this accomplishment wasn’t mine, no clearly it was his.
There is not enough room in my chest for the ache he caused. 
Words can’t seem to make it to my lips. I think my brain has finally broken and realizes that no words I say will get him to change. 
Smoothing out my dress, I stand on shaky legs before kicking off my heels. He can keep them. With that, I leave him out on the porch and make a beeline towards our his room. 
Opening the closet doors, I reach for the suitcase before setting it on the bed. I wasn’t going to be like Mrs. Dune and waste away beside a man that used to love me, hoping that one day he will once more. 
“What the fuck are you doing?” The words are hard and low. 
Rafe stands at the door, his arms crossed over his chest. His face is brewing with several emotions I can't quite place. 
It was funny. I haven't seen this much emotion from him in months.
I ignore him and toss some clothes from my dresser into the open suitcase, making sure to grab only the clothes I needed.
I slowly take off each piece of jewelry and set it on my vanity. He can keep everything he so gloriously mentioned he bought. 
“You loved me once.” I state, tilting my head to the side. I rake over every detail of his face, knowing I’ll never forget it. 
I loved him once too. 
His face morphed to one of confusion before disbelief. “I still love you. That’s never changed.” 
I shake my head. “Yes, it has.”
Rafe stalks towards me, his hand reaching to burl around my neck while the other pulls me to him by my waist. Familiar cologne fills my lungs and I count to ten mentally. It was the same cologne I bought him when we first started dating. 
“I work too much, I know. That’s my fault and I’ll cut back. I’ll be home more and we can spend time together. I’ll do better.” Taking my chin between two fingers, he forces my eyes to his. I see the sincerity in his eyes but I know how this goes. 
The same way it’s gone the last two times. He’ll beg me to stay, promise to change, and things will be good for a month before he slowly starts missing dates or canceling trips we’ve planned months before. Then the cycle repeats. 
“No.” It was time to love myself. Since he clearly couldn’t do it. I will not allow myself to get lost in him again. 
“Baby, just wait. Will you wait-“ He huffs as I try to move around him. No such success as his towering body has me moving back and suddenly I’m caged in by his arms. “Just give me a second, okay?”
“I’ve given you years. I won’t give you another second.” 
“Talk to me.” His voice breaks. “Please just talk to me.”
Longing filled my body. Words I’ve been waiting to hear for months come so easily to him, but only when I already have one foot out the door.
 “I’m alone.” The words come out strangled. “ I’m alone in this. I have been for a long time.”
“What do you mean? Baby, I’m right here.” Rafe’s gripping onto me tighter, almost like he’s ensuring I don’t leave. “I’m right here.”
“You're never here. That’s exactly my point.” 
Rafe’s eyes widen before he shakes his head wildly, staring at me like I’m speaking another language. “That’s not true-“
“What’s today?”
“What?” 
“What’s today?” I repeat, my eyes never leaving his. I want to see every emotion that storms in his eyes, just to remind myself that he is capable of emotion after all. 
“Friday.” 
I smile at him sadly. Exactly my point. “I haven't seen you since Tuesday.” 
“No, that can’t be right. I was with you when we had lunch with-“ He breaks off, reaching for his phone in his pocket. I watch as he pulls up his calendar, an action that mortifies me, and confirms our scheduled date.
 “Tuesday.” He whispers, shocked even. 
I wasn’t. Rafe had to check his calendar to confirm that last time he’s seen his fiancé. 
“You used to come bring me lunch. If you were more than a couple hours, you always found your way to me or gave me a call that you’ll be late.” I shrugged, blinking back the tears stinging my eyes. “Now, I don’t think I’d get a call if you were in the hospital.”
The buzzing in my ears intensifies.
 “You didn’t tell me any of this. None of how you were feeling and you're ready to walk out the door without so much as an argument.” A spark of my old Rafe appears as frustration dances across his face.
“I should have-“
“You’re giving up.” He states, shaking his head in anger. 
Maybe I was. “I’m tired of fighting for us. You gave up a long time ago.” 
Large hands curl around my cheeks, pulling me towards his face. Rafe rests his forehead on mine, his piercing blue eyes darting across my face in panic. 
“I love you. I love you.” He knows he’s grasping at straws, but we feel like strangers now. The words don’t feel like they used to. “You know I love you.”
 “This isn’t how I want to be loved, Rafe. I see you every couple days, the only time we’re ever together is when we have sex.” We lost sight of how we once were. The only thing that remained good between us was sex. 
That alone isn’t healthy. He goes to open his mouth but I cut him off.
“We never talk and when we do, you don’t even listen to me. Your brain is always somewhere else.” 
“I’m in a relationship with a ghost. I’m not letting you suck the life out of me anymore.” My eyes catch the sparkling ring that once brought me such happiness. Now, it simply feels like a ball and chain. 
Before I can convince myself otherwise, I start to tug it off my finger when Rafe truly begins to panic. 
“Don’t do that. Please don’t do that.” I try to hand it to him but Rafe jolts back like he’s been burned. The look he gives my empty hand is nothing short of destroyed.
I think I’m going to throw up. His words are laced with raw grief that makes it hard for me to breathe.
“Put it back on.” I hear the slight tremble in his voice.
“No.” My lips wobble. 
“Please put it back on because if you don’t that means we’re over. That’s not us. We aren’t supposed to end.”
“Rafe, don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
“You’re ripping my fucking heart out of my chest. This isn’t anywhere near hard, it’s excruciating.” Rafe’s hand is notably shaking, but he tries to hide it by clenching and unclenching his palms. 
“Welcome to the last year of my life.” The words are brutal but he needs to hear them. 
“You promised me we’d never end.” 
“You promised to change. I guess we both lied.”
Rafe raises his voice, his arms thrown up in the air in clear distress, “How can you just stand there?”
It was a miracle I haven’t collapsed on my shaky legs yet. The adrenaline pumping though my veins was the only thing getting me through this torture. “Rafe, stop it.”
“You talk about indifference?” Rafe lets out a humorless laugh, shaking his head up at the ceiling. “Who’s heartless now, baby?”
“You don’t get to put this on me. I’ve given you years of my life, showered you with nothing but love and support. I asked for one night, one fucking night, in your busy schedule and you didn’t bother to show up, or send a simple text.” I intake a sharp breath, pushing the hair out of my face with a shaky hand. “Instead, you threw a party in our home and got high.”
I point a finger at his chest, staring at him with open heartbreak. “I needed you,” The tightness in my chest finally pops as I choke on a loud sob, “I needed you and you weren’t there.”
“I lost sight of what’s important to me. I’m just trying to give you everything-” I cut him off. 
Grabbing the clothes I haphazardly tossed in the suitcase, ”You want this? Take it,” I shove them into his chest, “Take all of it. I don’t want it. I’d give this all away in a heartbeat if it meant I could have you back.”
I meant every word. I wanted my best friend back, the person I confided in and depended on. I wanted our late nights back watching trashy reality TV. We used to sit in the bathtub together basking in each other's company. Went on walks along the beach or took the boat out for hours, fucking on the deck, not caring that anyone could see. 
It used to be simple. He loved me and I loved him. 
“I’m angry, baby.I’m so damn angry all the time. At my fucking dad for always having these impossible expections. Then he goes and dies, leaving me without a clue on how to manage everything.” Rafe sags against the wall, exhaustion marring his features, his blue eyes pleading for me to understand. “I feel like I’m drowning all the time.”
I had no idea this was how he was feeling. But, he never let me in. “You could have told me, we’re supposed to be partners in this. You asked me to marry you!”
I think deep down I know that he felt me slipping through his fingers at one point. He could see clearly how unhappy I’ve become and that’s why he proposed. And maybe just like him, I thought the proposal could fix us. This proposal was being manipulated on both ends, it was doomed from the start.
You can’t fix what’s already broken. 
“My head has basically been a war zone and I’m losing. The only thing keeping me sane is that I know, when I walk through that door,” he points to our bedroom door, “I’m going to find you in our bed. Every. Single. Night.” 
“I can’t let the ugly touch you.” My heart splits into two at his words. Words I know feel like acid leaving his mouth. “You’re the only thing I have left.”
“Then you should have taken better care of me. You should have let me take care of you.” 
“Fuck,” He screams, bending down and swiping the lamp clean of the nightstand. The lamp goes flying into the wall, shattering into hundreds of pieces and my eyes are drawn to them. I can’t help but think it reminds me of us.
Dragging my eyes back to his, I fight the urge to wrap him in my arms. Seeing him in pain has never brought me joy, but this was brutal. His eyes shined with unmistakable tears, realizing the strength of my resolve. 
There was no going back this time. There was no trying again. I didn’t have another try in me. 
I grip onto the fabric of my dress moving towards him, my heart pounding out of my chest. He moves instantly, holding out his hand to guide me over the shattered lamp. Why couldn’t he be like this months ago?
Why did he let it get this bad? Why couldn’t he love me?
Now, standing in front of him, I let myself one deep breath, basking in the comforting smell of him. A large hand curls around my neck, his grip strong and firm, demanding my attention. His blue eyes are daunting and so intense, I find myself fighting the urge to look away.
“I’m going to get you back.”
”Take it, Rafe.” I whisper, uncurling his limp hand, “Take it. It doesn’t mean what I want it to.”
Tears blur my vision as I fumble with the ring he refuses to take.
 Rafe shakes his head, clenching his jaw tightly. “There’s no point in taking it off if it’s gonna go right back there in a couple weeks. ”
I can’t help but smile at the determination in his voice. He sounds like the old Rafe and for a second I see a glimmer of who he used to be.
 He had me. Then he lost me. 
This is not how I want to be loved. 
“If spending the next few months without you means that I get to spend a lifetime with you, I can manage. I’ll do whatever I have to.  But don’t think for a second that there is anyone else on this entire fucking planet meant for you.”
That’s how I want to be loved. Too little too late.
I drop the ring.
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yatsugareboyf · 3 years ago
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birthdays with them
dazai x reader, ranpo x reader.
fluff. warning: none i think
the back of book: celebrating your birthdays with dazai and ranpo (separately)
note: happy birthday @os8mu ! (idk if it's the 28th for u rn but its the 28th for me so wooo) ily!
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- dazai osamu
it wasn't that late when you and dazai went to bed, but it does take you a while before you go deep in sleep, so you immediately felt his lanky arms slowly making their way around your waist and his hair pressing softly against your nape.
"guess what day it is?" you hear his quiet, teasing voice making you chuckle in response.
"i'm pretty sure it's still night, sweetheart."
"it's your birthday!" he tightens his grip on your waist, ignoring your sarcastic remark, "it's 12 AM, so technically it's your birthday."
"yes and for my birthday, i want to sleep until 2 PM." he whines playfully as you snuggle your back into his chest, but not making an effort to pull away.
"you're just gonna sleep for half of your birthday? i won't allow it! we have to spend the whole day celebrating, from 12 AM right now to 11:59 PM later."
giggling quietly, you place your hand above his own on your waist, running your thumb across his knuckles. this is not out of the ordinary for dazai to do, since he does this every time your anniversary rolls around and any other special event you can think of.
"it's your special day and i want to you enjoy it for every second." he says with such conviction that you're convinced he's gonna drag you somewhere at 12 AM for a "birthday surprise".
you turn around to face him, eyes still barely open from being woken up from a light sleep, seeing his blurry sillouhette.
"ill enjoy my entire day even if it meant laying around with you."
he groans dramatically in response, "my belladonna is still ever so charming even if it's her birthday, not mine. you wound me, my love."
you giggle for a umpteenth time this night, choosing to close your heavy eyes in favor of slowly wrapping your arms around his neck.
"let's make a deal. i get to sleep in until 10 AM, then we get to do whatever you have planned."
"7 AM."
"what? who has plans at 7 AM?"
"me, i do. we do, birthday girl. 7 AM."
"can't it wait til like ... 9 AM?"
he whines again, "y/n, please? it'll be worth it i promise."
you pretend to think about it, although you and him both know that you can never say no to him, even if it meant waking up at ungodly hours just to see his surprise.
"fine. 7 AM. now let's go back to sleep."
your boyfriend lets out a quiet victory cheer, wiggling you in his arms. though it wasn't rare for dazai to be "over the top" on gifts and surprises on special occasions, he struggles a lot with what to get you and what you might want as a surprise. he probably asked around to assemble this early morning surprise (and you're pretty sure that there will be more as the day progresses), and the very thought of him asking for help when he seems like he's got everything all figured out makes you feel proud.
dazai presses a soft, loving kiss on your lips, smiling against them, "happy birthday, belladonna."
- edogawa ranpo
"come on, come on, come on, y/n! you're so slow!" your very lovely boyfriend pulls on your arm, speedwalking towards the agency door.
if he was trying to be subtle, he definitely failed earlier on today. from the moment you woke up, he started fussing about "getting to work on time" when he never wakes up before you, to the moment you've almost reached the agency office.
you still admire his efforts, anyway.
"ranpo, slow down, we're here!" he stops immediately once you mention your arrival. he then fixes his attire then looks at you.
"close your eyes! wait, that makes it obvious, doesn't it? don't close your eyes then, just walk in like normal." the fact that he's letting you in first is already a sign, but him confusing himself makes it all the more adorable, you can't help but press a quick kiss on his cheek before pushing the agency door open.
unsurprisingly, the rest of the agency has set up the office for your birthday, all of them saying "happy birthday y/n!" the moment you opened the door. ranpo comes in after, jumping around you yelling "yay! happy birthday" making you laugh.
you thank the agency members for their greetings and thanked them for the time they spent setting it up, "thank you so much, everyone, really."
"hey, where's my thank you? i planned this after all!" exclaims your pouty boyfriend, holding a party blower which he got from thin air. you giggle in response.
"i did say everyone, didn't i?"
"mine has to be special! i set this all up for you!"
"well, he's not wrong," kunikida interrupts, checking his watch before looking back up at you, "he arranged this surprise weeks before, already knowing that today is a more quiet and less busy day than usual."
you smile at kunikida and look back at ranpo still pouting, waiting for his exclusive "thank you."
"that's right, isn't it? thank you, baby," you pat his head, "you did great, i like it a lot."
he beams with so much pride, smiling from ear to ear as he finally receives his praise, not to mention the growing redness on his cheeks. not wanting to take the attention away from you (but that doesn't mean he doesn't wants your attention), he blows his party blower and gets the party started.
"i call dibs on the cake!"
"that's my cake, ranpo!"
"i picked it out, so fifty-percent of it is mine!"
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mytcisanartteacher · 5 years ago
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Oopsie Poopsie
Sorry guys, I was gone for a few days due to traveling!
November TC Challenge days 7-11
7) favorite thing about them personality or physically wise?
Ugh I like everything about him. Both personality and physically wise. Because he is soft yet rough with his movements. He moves so swiftly (like I do now). I like that we have similar traits, that we get the same reactions to some things. I like that he can hold in his anger and act so calmly (because I saw that yesterday). I love his personality to death. I definitely want a guy that is similar to him! I love his eye wrinkles when he smiles, his glistening eyes that are childlike (when a child sees something they love), the laugh or little chuckle that he does when he smiles.
Oh my god I just love almost everything about him. His movements? Yep. His mind? Yep. His interests? Yep. Everything...
For the past 3 years I have managed to keep a low profile by staring at him when he and no one else around is looking. I noticed almost every detail about the he way he moves, his expressions, even the little things.
8) do you have a song that you associate with them?
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9) arguments?
Oh yeah, but I don't think they count as arguments. It was me being moody, tired, and cocky and sassy.
He gave me his keys to the school (when we finally arrived home around midnight after a long ass day of wrestling) to go put the camera back in his room. I couldn't turn the key so I went to get him.
"I betcha it'll open for me"
He was being cocky and I hated it.
I was angry that I couldn't stand him.
There is 2 others but they don't count as much.
10) attracted to them romantically or platonically?
Maybe both??? Like 80% platonically and 20% romantically. Heck I sometimes think about him romantically, but then I snap outta the dream since he is in a happy marriage with his wonderful wife.
11) what would you do if they kissed you (if it wasn't illegal)
Ok is it weird that I got blown by his scent as I thought about it? Like its almost 10 pm and I'm in bed and I just get a gust of his scent filling the air...
Ok, anyway... i would be flustered, red hot, shocked, and maybe faint. I can even imagine how it went:
As he and I talks, I notice he is looking down at my lips. I grow red hot as he bites his lips as he stares me down with some hunger in his eyes.
Then, I was pushed back by the sudden act.
He kissed me.
He pulls away slowly, with such a content smile on his face.
I am shocked. I go red, I blink a few times.
"Awww, how cute is that? Was that your first kiss? And it was with me.. tsk tsk tsk"
I try to find the words, but I stutter or go silent.
I try so hard to not blush or smile.
But damn... the sight of him of being cocky and smiley...
I then try to slowly inch my way up his face, until I just fall as I'm too fucking short to even kiss him back.
He grabs me, pulls me up, and does it again.
OK WTF NO please... stop... ok welllll... I'll see you tomorrow for day 12...
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*gif definitely not mine*
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derangedroyalfae · 4 years ago
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Sunday, April 18, 2021 - 11:20pm
{after I showed Jem the part of my last entry about what set me off and why I was feeling how I did}
Royal (10:19 PM): I always worry about telling you certain things, cuz I worry you'll think badly of Rob, cuz like, I'm only letting you have small peeks into the relationship, and it's usually when I need to vent, like, bad things aren't the majority of what's happening between Capybara and I (and tbf we're both under a lot of emotional stress, him especially), it's just like the times I need to talk and to talk with someone who I'm not romantically involved with, so I've been pussyfooting telling you about what kinda set me off today cuz I worry it'll make you see Capybara negatively, but I'd like to take full blame (at least a majority of the blame) for this all the same, and even make it out to be my fault by the end of this entry, but yeah, here's how I explained the events in my journal (followed by our conversation about the hypothetical and before I talked about the double headed snake analogy)
{see above reblogged entry}
Jem (10:24 PM): Honestly, reading through this, I see this more as a difference of view rather than anyone's fault specifically Something that's better talked out than being afraid of hurting someone though
Royal (10:24 PM): yeah, but I should have waited until after we were done gaming
like, I agree that I needed to tell him eventually, but I should have waited until we were alone alone
when we could properly talk
Jem (10:25 PM): I donno, if the topic was making you uncomfortable, best say something while it's happening so it can stop
Royal (10:25 PM): it more or less felt like it was ending anyway…so I probably didn't need to say anything
or maybe should have said something aloud like "maybe you shouldn't joke about trying to be with other people romantically whilst you're in a relationship " instead of a petty "I'll be a jealous god then"
but then again, that's unfair of me to say when I'm in a poly relationship, even if the friend doesn't know
basically, I should have handled it better, and especially more privately
Jem (10:28 PM): I donno I think it's not as bad as all that That might be just me but
Royal (10:29 PM): I just don't think those two were thinking, the friend especially as he is supposed to think we're monogamous and he was almost the one to start the joke…
Jem (10:29 PM): I always felt like I should get better at voicing my thoughts on the spot more than just waiting for later when the moment has passed Because people mean well but how will they know? They might not have minded at all changing the topic We build it up as larger than that in our heads as "are we being fair, being okay, doing too much"
But to other people, it might not be that bad and they might not even think that far
Royal (10:30 PM): that and it'll seem like it's coming out of nowhere if you wait too long
Jem (10:30 PM): Yeah exactly
Royal (10:31 PM): You can see though how I thought it was kinda an awkward situation they put me in, right? At least with the pre-text of the friend thinking I'm in a monogamous relationship with Capybara but then joking that Capybara has a destined romantic relationship with someone else?
I know I'm being hypersensitive to a stupid fucking joke though
I think the worst part is I told Capybara the other day or last week that I'm still working through feelings of jealousy around him, but I have a hard time feeling upset with him when he can't remember things since he A. probably has ADHD and B. is going through a lot of emotional shit right now - it feels so unfair of me to expect him to have it all together and be able to respect my petty feelings
Jem (10:35 PM): Nah I totally get it
I'd feel the same way
And don't worry, that's not me judging him harshly or anything, I know it's a joke It's still strange to me because....why would you say that I guess But in a more "I just don't get it" way
But mostly I think your feelings are understandable regardless
Royal (10:37 PM): the worst part about today: I don't know if he went silent and just cut me off cuz he was upset with himself or upset with me
like, he just didn't respond past his emoji's despite me sending apology messages and saying "probably should cuz nothing's happening" when I suggested we call it quits
Jem (10:38 PM): Maybe he just needed time to process that or didn't know how to react?
Royal (10:38 PM): and that's one of the shittiest things about LDR is you can just turn off your phone and just…not communicate with your partner…
honestly, right now, I feel one of the shittiest things about LDR is that he goes to bed hours before me…so if I feel emotional duress that I wanna talk about with him…well I can't until hours later when those feelings might have diminished or I might just be numb etc
I don't want to do long distance anymore but I don't have a choice right now
I never wanted to do it in the first place
but, I just fell for him so hard and so fast, I got caught up in the moment
Jem (10:41 PM): Yeah, I get you It's hard especially with such a huge timezone difference
Royal (10:41 PM): I don't regret it, but like, it hurts so much because I love him so much and it was so nice being able to share the same space
and I don't know when I'll be able to see him again
I really want to come visit around the same time as last year, but I can't push for them to give me the OK cuz they're in mourning
Jem (10:45 PM): pat pat
Royal (10:49 PM): sometimes I hate that I've made the promise not to self-harm, cuz I feel like I can't betray a promise I've made to someone else as opposed to a promise I made to myself
I know that's super fucked up and dark, but yeah
I know it's for the best that I don't, I really do, but sometimes it just feels like there aren't really any other healthier options to numb the pain
drinking is in itself self-harm (alcohol is poison: change my mind), and weed can be be potentially dangerous, antidepressants put me in this weird feedback loop and then kill other things inside me that I'd like to be functional (plus I got thoughts of self-harm and suicide after starting them), etc etc
I'm having a hard time of finding the lesser of the evils
and seeing if something that isn't an evil or has negative effects will work when I'm this down
music, sleep (though even this can cause harm, especially as we saw yesterday), distractions
sometimes music/distractions just can't cut it cuz my heart is too heavy for any of that to work
Sunday, April 18, 2021 - 10:00pm
{mostly taken from a conversation with my best friend, Jem - there were some bits that I thought were worded well}
Royal (2:26 PM): Sometimes I think about taking antidepressants again if only to numb the pain. And then I remember how it made me too numb and to everything, so then I think about drinking or doing edibles, but then it still sounds awful and could possibly amplify those feelings (as alcohol usually does make me feel more upset). And that’s sometimes why self-harm becomes a substitute, because it ether distracts from those feelings or even makes you feel like your receiving punishment for whatever you’re upset about. But I know self-harm turns into a loop of guilt and shame and worrying about worrying others.
Jem (2:27 PM): I haven't heard the same about edibles that I hear about alcohol
Or marijuana in general I suppose
Royal (2:28 PM): Weed scares me. Like I’m worried I’ll have a reaction because whenever people smoke or cook it around me, I get super sick feeling. I also know Kitty had a bad reaction to edibles, like gave her ultra anxiety and hallucinations or something like that.
Jem (2:29 PM): Ah, gotcha I myself am allergic so I can't say I've tried it myself either
Royal (2:29 PM): I think I might be allergic and I don’t wanna find out the hard way
When people smoke/cook it around me, I get nauseous and a headache
Jem (2:32 PM): Yeah, I used to have two roommates that both smoked weed in our tiny apartment I used to have near constant headache until I moved out the next year
Royal (2:33 PM): I wish I could just remove those negative feelings I have: anger, sadness, jealousy, dysphoria, etc Put them somewhere far away so I wouldn’t have to deal with them, and wouldn’t have to hurt others because of them
(I tend to use dysphoria for myself as an in general term, not just with gender dysphoria, btw)
Jem (2:34 PM): Aah, yeah, I get you
Royal (2:38 PM): But even though I’m scared I’ll have a bad reaction, I’m mighty tempted to ask Hummingbird if I can try one of her edible gummies rn...
Jem (2:41 PM): I wonder if there's a way to try it in a safe/monitored way
Royal (2:41 PM): Well, if I do just one gummy
With their supervision
So if I have a bad reaction, they can watch over me or drive me to the urgent care
I love how it’s called urgent care but usually has like an hour or longer wait
Jem (2:43 PM): Ah yeah, that'd be the best way to do it Keep the phone handy too
Royal (2:45 PM): Hey, at the very least, doesn’t look like it has any interactions with my cholesterol medication
Jem (2:46 PM): That's good to know
Royal (2:50 PM): I don’t think I’ll actually follow through with it or anything, just my mind thinking of solutions
I’m feeling calmer now anyway
For now
{And then proceeded to draw this (it’s an idea I’ve had this idea for a long time now, especially since the first time I experienced extreme jealousy with Capy, but never had the courage to follow through since I’ve never done inking and rarely traditional colour, but I finally worked up the motivation to try, and honestly, it’s perfect timing as it was therapeutic to draw)}:
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Royal (8:09 PM): Random question, I’m curious your thoughts on this: do you think it’s insensitive to joke about getting with other people when you’re in a relationship, especially/at least in front of your partner (at least if the two of you haven’t established a non-monogamous relationship), and even more so if you know your partner is dealing with jealousy issues?
Jem (8:12 PM): I’d think so, yeah
It's definitely odd
Unless it's like, I donno, a celebrity or something
But even then, it'd make me wonder why someone would say that if they knew already their partner was having issues
Royal (8:12 PM): Like someone they know/knew or met in the past, but 100% out of the picture now
So it’s def not a celeb
Jem (8:14 PM): Yeah then even without the jealousy issues, unless that's some sort of pre-established shared humor, it's kinda weird
Royal (8:15 PM): K, I was curious what you’d think
I agree with that too, it just feels really insensitive, at least if you’re monogamous
{Whilst I never told Jem what it was about, it has to do with something similar that had happened earlier today - though I am not technically in a monogamous relationship, so the above can’t fully apply to me. But to explain this better, I’ll have to jump back to something that happened in December 2020.
Capybara had told me about how there was this really attractive lecturer he met in the past whom if I remember correctly, spoke Greek, so his friend got him a Greek dictionary to help him try to impress her, but he never really ran into her again. I had made a comment that you know, guess it worked out for the better because then we would have never become a thing should he have actually succeeded in getting with her. And he made a joke that wasn’t the case or a joke that brushed off what I said as almost nothing. I knew he was joking, but it was kinda a really emotional time for everyone and I’m still even to this day working through my newfound romantic/sexual jealousy issues, so I took it kinda harsh at first and then eventually told him that same night how that kinda made me feel shitty.
Well, today, we were gaming with one of his friends (super great, hardworking, and nice lad) that we often play Sea of Thieves with and it turns out that was the same friend who got him the Greek dictionary, so it somehow got brought up in conversation…and just…they were joking that Capybara was Odysseus and this other woman was Odysseus’s wife and they’d find each other again one day. I can’t remember which character they assigned the friend but they were saying I could be one of the gods, and I’ll be honest, didn’t handle that situation the best, so I made a off hand comment of something like, “Guess I can be Athena or Aphrodite since they’re the jealous types, guess that works pretty well.” Don’t know if they picked up the hint. I don’t know if they were at all thinking about how this was something awkward for me, cuz I’m pretty sure the friend is aware that I’m dating Capy and is supposed to assume we’re monogamous as Capybara doesn’t really feel comfortable letting his friends or family know I have other partners. It just also happened to be a sore topic for me, cuz when Capy made that joke, even though I knew it was nothing more than a joke, it made me feel like nothing and replaceable, which I already see myself as.
Just to kinda let Capybara know that I’d prefer the topic to be dropped, I messaged him privately: “So I just remembered, it was you talking about that Greek dictionary thing to impress that girl and making a joke that like, meeting me wasn’t for the better cuz she’s still out there that kinda made me feel like shit even though it was a joke”
To which he responded with: “she's a lecturer my dude 😂 she's like in her 40's - don't worry”
And I replied with: “No I know, but it was more of the joke that followed that rubbed me wrong. At the time”
And he just sent these two emoji’s in response: 😧 😕
Immediately after our messages, as we had still been playing, he went dead silent and so I noticed this (not sure if the friend did at first) and I at first just tried to silently apologize in DM, cuz I hadn’t meant to upset him, but he still remained silent. So shortly after, I asked if we should call it quits even though it was early. I felt so guilty and I immediately sent him more apology messages and even an apology voice memo, but I assumed he turned his phone off by that point.
Once again, my jealousy got the best of me and I hurt the person I love most in the world and made a fun time involving friends go awkward. I was having a good early afternoon/late morning with him at first, and then I ruined it because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut and my jealousy under control. I’m such an asshole.}
Royal (8:22 PM): Off topic, but still on the issue of jealousy, I feel like when I have jealousy issues myself at the point I’m at, it’s like a double headed snake due to me being in a polyamorous relationship - one head are just the pre-established toxic/venomous things that come with jealousy and the other head is the guilt and shame of feeling I have no right to be jealous when I have two other partners myself thus making me feel hypocritical (and being ignorant of any potential jealousy from other partners)
It feels like those two snake heads could eat me alive with just a few bites each if I let them in
It’s such a viscous cycle and honestly, the basic head of jealousy is enough of a problem that turns my stomach, but the second head just makes me want to surrender to the earth
Jem (8:28 PM): I get you It's a lot
Emotions are hard
Royal (8:28 PM): Especially when they revolve around something or someone you already have such an emotional attachment with
And then those feelings, like feelings of jealousy, only end up making you hurt the ones you love
Making them feel guilty or annoyed or like you don’t trust them or something
Jem (8:31 PM): Tbh, as someone who generally struggles with a lot of jealousy type issues, I get that (not necessarily romantic jealousy even, but just there's undercurrents of it that are always there and present in every relationship)
I don't think it's something that can ever be fully dealt with and just I guess has to be accepted and worked around At least for me
Royal (8:33 PM): And it makes you wonder if you truly care for those if you’re so easily jealous of them, since they tell you that shouldn’t feel that way if you really love someone, that you should be able to love them blindly and trust them, and it’s not like I don’t trust, but I feel so easily discardable by those who I could never even fathom of turning my back on
Royal (8:34 PM): Honestly, I’ve even felt some jealousy toward you in the past - not romantically - but it was something I worked on
Jem (8:34 PM): What if I were to say same though haha
Royal (8:34 PM): You seemed to be doing so well with you VN and you picked up art so fast
Jem (8:35): Aah for me it's always revolving around
My need for attention tbh
Royal (8:35 PM): But I told myself, “you just need to keep trying. Feeling negatively toward someone success is selfish and gets you nowhere. Improve yourself and you can also feel that success. He’s not succeeding to hurt you in anyway - you should be happy for him.”
Or like, probably not those exact words, but ya know, that idea
Royal (8:36 PM): Yeah, I understand that too, especially growing up in a family of 6
That kinda happened the other day with Kitty (whom at this point my feelings are pretty platonic) - for over a week now I’ve been telling the girls about a game (For the King) I’ve been interested in playing with them, and the other day, Hummingbird went on a social distancing date with Crystal, so I asked Kitty if she’d like to play with me since it’d be just the two of us and she agreed. However, she had a headache, so we thought it’d be best if she napped first and if she felt better later on then we could play. When she woke up, Lapis hit her up for some gaming and Kitty decided to game with her instead and forgot she agreed to game with me...
Jem (8:41 PM): Ah, that kinda thing really sticks with me
Royal (8:41 PM): And so I’m just getting to a point where I feel like I should just stop asking them if they wanna game with me, because it’s not the first time something like this has happened (at least they don’t follow through, not a matter of them deciding to do something with someone else)
Like, I made the Murder Beans server so Capybara and Kitty (and Hummingbird if she ever decided to get Among Us) could game with my friends in the CSR Creations server, and that was back in fall...the girls never joined a game even when showing express interest and saying they would
Kitty also once went and bought Lapis like the whole Halo Master Chief Collection for Lapis cuz she was broke and wanted it, and the proceeded to play it with her and Hummingbird...and like...I also would have liked to have played Halo with them if given the opportunity, but I was never asked
Sheezus, don’t even get me started in my family and how invisible they made me feel
But yeah, I’m at a point with the girls that I don’t think it’s even worth bothering to ask anymore, at least about gaming
Hummingbird’s confusion and migraines are also coming back, so she has a legit medical excuse and I can’t really bother her about it
Jem (8:48 PM): I get you, yeah
All of those things would really bother me too They have in the past
I remember when I first joined UCSD, I started hanging out often with the girls that lived around me in the dorms And we all started watching Orphan Black together
And then I literally had no idea when they finished the show because after the first couple sessions they forgot to invite me
Royal (8:51 PM): Oof, yeah, that’d bother me too, or at least tell me how they felt about me in my mind
I don’t think with my jealousy, it’s a matter of not trusting my partner or friends or whomever, it’s just a matter of feeling such low self-worth that I feel easy to discard, and when I get brushed to the side or have someone joking along the lines as how dating me wasn’t for the better when someone else is out there, it furthers those feelings I have about myself, those feelings of self-worth and how I’m replaceable or not worth shit
Jem (8:54 PM): I get you I know mine stems from feeling forgettable
Royal (8:54 PM): I know I’m an annoying person, I know I can be a lot and emotionally draining, I know I can be hypersensitive - so I know it feels like it’d be better to be rid of that sort of force if you can find someone better who doesn’t make you feel the way I’d do
(In response to feeling forgettable) Yeah
If you remove the fun hair, piercings, and tattoo, I’m actually quite a boring person
And I’m quite isolated. If you don’t include my partners, there’s only really two people who come to mind that I’d consider close friends that I can talk to: you and someone else (you’ve never met her)
I’m getting to a point where I have a hard time talking to the girls due to the guilt I feel about me more or less wanting to be platonic with them, and then Hummingbird is constantly having a medical crisis and I’d feel bad burdening her further
So really, I’m isolated down to two people, primarily you, + Capybara, and yeah, that’s my own fault
I feel easily exhausted by my other options at this point, where I feel like I can only take Candy in small doses (which feels really hypocritical of me) and my other VA friends or gaming friends, I don’t know if I’m close enough to have those kinds of conversations with, especially the VA friends since I tend to be their boss
For the most part, the other people I’d sometimes talk about these issues with are on servers that are primarily dead, so it feels awkward to hop back in only to bitch about my life
Besides, I hate seeming like I’m only spewing forth toxicity and negative emotions over and over again
Which I worry I do too much with you as is
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Note
Can you describe proper protocol for hosting a dinner party?
1) I'm glad you asked!
1.1) Make a list of all the food you want to make
1.2) Write a menu for that list
1.3) Decide on some cooking or mealtime etiquette you want (the one I usually use is to assign each participant a different set of spices, which I believe in the US are called "pre-prepared" in an effort to make people feel cool)
1.4) Call a friend (or a friend you made last time, or an "associate" you met at a conference etc.) and say, "hey, I'm planning to have a big dinner party at X time. Can I call you at least a week ahead of time to let you know what I want to have?"
1.5) After you've gotten that list and had a discussion of what it all entails, start preparing (either shopping or cooking). If you have to do some of both, do the least you can, since the shopping trip is time-consuming enough (which you'll be able to judge for yourself once it's happened). The point here is to get the shopping done, then you'll feel great knowing what things to cook and you'll be able to cook them well, but not too well.
1.6) Take care of cleaning up from the shopping
1.7) Figure out what each meal requires: "how long does it take to do this" (as opposed to "this needs to be done at X time," where X is like, "3:00 PM"). This will include, "this is going to need one bowl of this, and two of that, and five ounces of this"
1.8) Start cooking all this stuff
2) When you're actually serving the stuff on plates, make sure there are enough dishes for everyone there, and have extra on hand just in case
3) Have someone do the food-related part of serving drinks, so you don't have to do any of that
4) It's good to start serving when you feel like everyone is set to dine on it
5) It's good to put on music that makes conversation easier
6) Have someone make conversation with everyone, so that they don't all talk to each other more than necessary
7) Keep serving stuff and having conversation
8) When everyone has dined on the food, it's now time to have more conversation
9) It's good to keep going for at least 20 minutes after people have dined, to make sure everyone has had the chance
10) It's good to make conversation about anything people want to talk about
11) If someone wants more to eat, it's good to talk them into trying more (you're not trying to force people to eat more, of course, but some people will just stop eating without really wanting to)
11.5) When everyone has eaten dinner it's time to clean up (except for the cooking part)
12) Clean off the stove and the dining table. If you want more cleaning help, consider asking a friend if they are good at cleaning or have a cleaning friend (who knows how to do this, obviously). Then do that. You'll probably be left with some stuff you don't know how to clean but it will be nice to know about it, if it bothers you
13) If you feel like cleaning more, clean some more.
13.5) Have a conversation
13.7) It's good if you ask someone what they're going to be doing after the party
13.8) Ask them to bring something, if it'll be difficult for them to come later
14) Have a conversation
15) Talk to the people who were not present last time you had this party
15.5) Do a thing that you forgot from last time, and was one of the few things everyone liked
16) Have a conversation
17) Talk to people about how enjoyable it all was
18) Decide on a way to get each person's email address
18.5) Send them invitations, including links to the food, music, conversation material, and anything else that you think they should know about, so that they don't show up and feel left out. If you have a computer that you don't need for other reasons, get a PDF file that you can print out for everyone.
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