#so not having the option to do anything at all in a comfortable way would be great for her I think
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anistarrose · 2 days ago
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[ID: Tweets by Alexandra Erin (@AlexandraErin) as follows:
The Shirley Exception is a bit of mental sleight of hand that allows people to support a policy they profess to disagree with. It's called the Shirley Exception because… well, I mean, surely there must be exceptions, right?
Let's imagine that in response to suspicions about overbroad use of service animal rules, a city somewhere decides to just swing the pendulum 100% in the other direction. Restaurants, public accommodations, etc., no longer have to recognize any service animals.
And in the aftermath of the change, existing rules about where animals may and may not go apply full force.
A lot of people would back the change because Obviously Some People Take Advantage. (Positing that someone, somewhere is taking advantage is a great way to get the masses on your side in our politics, sadly.)
Now if you point out the existence of a blind person or an epileptic person who has a service dog for everyday navigation of life or for life-saving purposes, the Good People who just don't want anyone to take advantage will tell you:
"No one's talking about legitimate cases."
And if you point out that the rule that they're backing would affect what they call "legitimate cases", the response will be:
"But surely there will be an exception."
If you back up an anti-abortion activist to the point where they actually have to grapple with a case where the parent would 100% die delivering a 100% non-viable fetus, you'll get the same answers: "No one is talking about those cases." and "But surely there will be exceptions."
All of those studies of people in Trump Country USA who were shocked, shocked, that the kind man next door who is a good father and a great neighbor and a real part of the community was dragged away by ICE?
They all thought that surely he'd be an exception.
If you point out that the laws/policies they're talking about don't offer such exceptions and in some cases explicitly forbid them, if you say "So let's put those exceptions in writing."… well, then you're back to Surely People Will Take Advantage.
See, the people who are sure that Surely There Will Be Exceptions are very comfortable with the idea of justice being decided on a case-by-case basis. They've always had teachers, bosses, bureaucrats, even traffic cops giving them some slack for reasons of compassion and logic.
I mean, if Officer Smalltown von Cul-De-Sac could give them a warning when they were caught with recreational amounts of pot as kids because it was harmless and they Had Futures, then Surely there must be similar exceptions for everyone?
That post about "I never thought the leopards would eat my face, sobbed woman who voted for Face-Eating Leopards Party" is very true, and it goes farther than personal immunity to a very generalized and broad Just World Fallacy.
Surely, they think, surely the leopards will know to only eat the right faces, the faces that need eating, and leave alone all the faces that don't deserve that.
But if we try to lay out rules to protect faces from being eaten by leopards, people will take advantage. Best to keep it simple and count on decency and reason to rule the day.
So moderate conservatives, what we might call "everyday conservatives", the ones who don't wear MAGA hats or tea party costumes and think that Mr. Trump fella should maybe stay off of Twitter, they will vote for candidates and policies that they don't actually agree with…
…because in their mind the exact law being prescribed is just a tool in the chest, an option on the table, which they expect to be wielded fairly and judiciously. Surely no one would do anything so unreasonable as actually enforcing it as written! Not when that would be bad!
And then they are confused, shocked, and even insulted when people hold them accountable for their support of the monstrous policy.
"I didn't vote for leopards to eat your face! I just thought we needed some face-eating leopards generally. Surely you can't blame me for that!"
The old "Defense of Marriage" laws are another textbook example of this.
Many of them included language that expressly forbade giving similar benefits (like hospital visitation) to same-sex relationships.
Yet the people who voted for them, in many cases, wanted it to be known that No One Is Talking About Stopping You From Visiting Your Loved One In The Hospital. And Surely There Will Be An Exception.
The Shirley Exception is how people who are only mundanely monstrous, moderately monstrous, wind up supporting policies that are completely monstrous.
And when they do, they always want credit for their good intentions towards those they see as deserving, not the outcomes.
I'm describing a phenomenon here and I don't have a solution to its existence. While convincing people that laws that don't specify exceptions functionally don't have them might work sometimes on (ironically) a case-by-case basis, what is really needed is a broader shift.
People need to get used to thinking about the harm policies will do as a real part of the policy, not a hypothetical that Reasonable People of Good Will Can Surely Work Around.
Maybe the tack of saying, "If it was your life on the line, wouldn't you want that to be in writing?" would work. I don't know. Like I said, I don't have a solution here. This is just a thing that happens.
End ID.]
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The Shirley Exception
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evieelyzabethh · 19 hours ago
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"what dreams are made of"
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⭒"sunsets or something, aren't you lovely" ⭒~ crush phase Arcane head cannons {fem reader}
cast ✧ Vi, Ekko, Jayce, Viktor, Mel
cw fem!reader, massive amounts of fluff, slightly pervy jayce, not beta read
an ☞i know this blog has been very Buffy related for a bit but i wanted to try something new. Not that Buffy is abandoned forever, i just wanted to write for more than one fandom
♞Vi ♞
♞Vi tells herself she doesn't have a crush on you, nay, she doesn't even believe in crushes. She thinks they are childish and beneath her and would never even admit she has one. That being said, she is definitely "sweet" on you as Vander would've called it. Vi when having a crush would be an absolute disaster, and this she would be more than willing to admit on her own. Her words never seem to come out right, and even when they do, they're never taken the way she means. She said it herself, when presented a set of options, she somehow always manages to chose the wrong one. For a relationship with Vi to work, you would have to be patient.
♞She certainly doesn't know when enough is enough. She will hang outside of your place of employment, be it the Last Drop or Babette's and insist you allow her to walk you home. Her fists are the one thing she's confident in because there is no nuance in fighting. She doesn't think it's possible for you to be upset with her for beating the shit out of the guy who looked at you funny and would be confused when you get mad at her for this. It's not even that she thinks you are incapable of taking care of yourself, that's just the only way she can think to protect you without it going wrong (and it sometimes still does)
♞She would be into old school chivalry. In a modern, less serious AU, I think she would be the type to stand outside your house with a boombox to apologize because she accidentally shrunk your favorite expensive sweater in the wash. Even within Arcane, I think if she was feeling soft and comfortable enough, she would be the type to carry you over puddles so your shoes didn't get wet or throw stones at your window to get your attention. Not even to go on a big adventure, just to sit on a rooftop and to listen to her hum.
♞I don't think she'd be into getting her crush flowers. She's one of those types who is already hyper exposed to death and wouldn't want to get you anything that has the potential to die. She's not above having Jinx make you some trinket and trying to lie that she made it to impress you, but you know that it's not her handiwork. She does try, though, her and her sticky fingers. Anything your gaze lingers too long on somehow finds its way into your room with a handwritten note from her (her handwriting is shit by the way)
♞As stated above, she is terrible with words yet is most romantic in the most unexpected moments. She is totally the type to hang around doorframes just to lean on them and subtly flex. Does this work? No, but it's funny to see her try and be suave. She succeeds in smaller ways. She is always watching. She notices the small changes in the ways you look at her, knowing when you're trying not to laugh or need her to rescue you from a terrible conversation. The slightly deeper baritone she puts on when she asks, "you alright, pretty?", the way she guides you by the small of your back on instinct. She one of those people who is naturally hot and doesn't realize she doesn't need to try (and don't let her find out she'll be insufferable).
♞I don't think she would confess on her own, it's far more likely you'll have to do it yourself. She would get in her head too much, and her communication skills are awful. She worries that she'll hurt you and won't know how to fix it. She knows relationships are harder work than friendships and she is not confident in her abilities to handle all the responsibility that comes with that. She's reckless with her livelihood, but never you and your wellbeing. Even after a confession, it would take a lot of reassurance that she wouldn't destroy everything.
✭Ekko✭
✭I don't think a crush phase with Ekko would last all that long, especially if it's developed after the Firelight society. I think he's far more self-assured than Vi is and wouldn't see the point in dancing around a relationship. If he wants you and you want him, why make things complicated if they don't need to be. For these reasons, I think he would crush from a far rather than it being a friends to lovers type relationship.
✭Ekko is sappy, let that be known. The first time he sees you time stops. If he's figured out his machine, he may just rewind time to stare at you for a second longer. He becomes a mini-stalker, not breaking into your house or anything, but slyly asking if anyone knows you, where you came from, why he's never seen you before, if you're single? Scar makes fun of him for this, of course, but encourages and indulges him with all he knows
✭The glimpses he sees of you make his whole week. Those short moments you pass by him in a crowd, or he sees you playing with children or passing around food, and he curses himself every time for freezing instead of taking action. And when he does take action, Scar is somewhere around the corner eavesdropping on the conversation and nearly choking on his own laughter when he hears Ekko's opening line, "Tree." Just "Tree". He had meant to say more than that, but when you looked at him, his mind went blank and all he could manage was "Tree" and died inside as you looked up at him confused. Like Vi, he too would stumble over his words at first, or even worse, fall victim to a terribly timed voice crack. He tries to cover it with a cough, but there's really no coming back from that.
✭Lucky for Ekko (who still lays awake at night because of your first interaction), you liked his tree a lot and you talked for hours under it. He walked you home like a gentleman after and shows up the next morning to give you an exclusive tour of the entire place and treats you to lunch
✭After that he pops up everywhere. You need company on an errand, he's some how at your door, checking his watch trying to look nonchalant when he is one of the most chalant people to walk the earth. You get caught in the rain, your eyes aren't deceiving you, that is indeed Ekko in the misty distance with an extra umbrella he 'found' lying around somewhere. You wanna go out one night, that's hilarious because Ekko had the exact same idea and if you're both going out might as well keep each other safe at night.
✭Don't be mistaken, he allows you space. He himself is a man who enjoys solitude, but what is the point of a commune if not community. He can do things alone, and he does, but if he's craving company and you are too, why bother with it. Being together isn't often a big ordeal anyway, sometimes its lounging around in his lab reading a book while he's tinkering away with some good music playing in the background. And sometimes, if the stars align and the moon allows, you slow dance to whatever's playing while talking about your day, even if you spent it together.
✭Ekko can certainly cook. He got quite good at making something out of nothing before his tree, but after, you try convincing him every day to open a restaurant should he ever need some cash on the side. He likes his kitchen a lot, actually, its his private sanctuary. A place where his love of the arts and science come together. In a modern AU, he would totally be on the track to have a degree in biochemistry and plan to open his own restaurant.
✭You two would hang out in his kitchen a lot, and out of the kindness of his heart, he would allow you to lick the spoon anytime he bakes something. It would also be where he confesses, a candlelit dinner for two already set up while both of you prepare what will be your first meal together as a couple.
❂Jayce❂
❂Probably the only one (and Mel) who can pull of being suave. Though he can pull it off, it is not authentic at all. He certainly woos you with it though!! He is a very classic romantic, buying you dozens of roses and wine-and-dining you with fancy champagne and furry rugs, but it's all a facade. He's a really big dork. Unlike the previous two, being suave is the defense he plays rather well. He's a bit scared that when you realize he's really pathetic deep down, you'll be disappointed. He's the man of progress and built like a brickhouse and he is slightly very insecure that's not his personality deep down
❂He enjoys walks in the gardens once you get a bit closer to him. Usually you two will talk in his lab or in your place of work and he'll drop a few cheesy pickup lines with a charming smirk and you'll both laugh it off. You think he's just a flirt for a while and he's really trying to work on you (just very unsuccessfully). It's not until he (very inorganically) tells you he's tired and wants a change of scenery and asks if you'll accompany him to the gardens. For the first time ever, you get one of his toothy smiles instead of those stupid forced smirks and you're really fond of it.
❂From then on, things start progressing much faster. He starts to tell you about Hextech and his theories about the runes and how it all works and babbles about scientific drivel until the sun goes down and, unless you're one of the sciency-types, it goes through one ear and out the other. He's ok with this, he likes having a sponge around to talk things through with, but if you can actually engage, he'd probably get a boner.
❂I feel like out of everyone, after you got close enough, he would do relationship things, creating a very vague space that can leave you questioning whether or not you're together or if you're reading into things too much. This is entirely because he wants to ask you out and he is like 90% percent sure you'll say yes but he's worried about the slim chance you won't and wants you to take the leap for him because he's too scared to.
❂He's a big physical touch guy. Like the type to leave his hands in your back pocket, not even because he's trying to grab your ass, but because he wants to touch you (and your ass). He likes hugs!! He gives such good hugs. While it's usually him leaning on you for touch, placing his head in your lap, grabbing your hands, or letting his hands linger on your hips to rub little patterns, he is beyond excited when it's you are initiating. What do you mean you want a hug from him!!! What do you mean you want to hold his hand!! He is so over the moon excited.
❂Slight side tangent, but if you went out in something low cut he would constantly be staring at your chest. Not even in a perv way (most of the time), but to make sure it doesn't fall down. He has gotten very sly at pulling it up for you in an unnoticeable way. There are a lot of similar acts with him, casual touches here and there. Unsticking your hair from your lip gloss, pulling stray leaves or flower petals out of your hair, making sure the clasp of your necklace stays in place at the back of your neck.
❂I know he smells nice. Dior Sauvage warrior right here!!! He would go slightly overboard with it on the day he confesses just because you said you liked it. He would plan everything to an absolute 't'. A walk in the gardens where you had what he considers your first date, a written speech that become illegible because his hands were sweaty while he was holding it, a specific spot to eat dinner so you got a perfect glimpse of the stars. He would even wait for the day that a specific constellation was in place to perfectly set the mood. He asks you to be his girlfriend like he's proposing, with a single rose and matching bracelets to commemorate the occasion.
☽Viktor☾
☾Viktor is another one I don't really see having a crush just because he is so busy all the time, but I don't think you'd need to work in the lab to catch his attention. I think simple things, like kindness, would really be all he needs. He appreciates someone who doesn't coddle him or look at him funny because he's from Zaun or because of his leg. Someone who is considerate to his disability while also treating him like a person, not like some porcelain doll
☾I think once he found you, he would find it slightly hard to know what to do next. He likes your banter when you come around and he knows he likes you, it's the pursuing part that gets him tripped up. He is someone who likes to have it planned out and he has no idea where he would take you on a date or what you enjoy or who you are really
☾Every hang out would eventually turn into a game of 21 questions. What's your favorite color? What do you like to do in your free time? What's your least favorite chore to do? It all seems very random you two jump from topic to topic when the conversation stills. He also just adores hearing you go on and on about things. They could be the simplest of things, like going into very heavily deep detail as to why your favorite colors purple, or something more substantive, like a full and deep analysis of your favorite book, or just gossip. This man is a D-1 gossiper!!
☾He likes having you around in general. Like Jayce, he enjoys having someone to bounce ideas off of or just being able to hear them out loud. He also feels more at ease around you. Unlike pretty much everyone else, he wouldn't freeze up around his crush. If anything, he's more prone to fault without them there. He gets too wrapped up in work, he forgets to take breaks, he forgets to eat. You're always there to remind him to do what he forgets to the point that you don't even have to say it anymore. He's gotten so good about it, sometimes he makes lunch for the both of you.
☾He absolute adores your banter. He's not as serious as people think he is. He can crack a joke or two. He's sarcastic and witty and a leader of the sassy man apocalypse. He would absolutely die without hearing your laugh at his stupid jokes.
☾On a different note, he would start using pet names so smoothly. It would start slowly with a simple nickname and then eventually progress into one of those old, classic nicknames. Dear or darling would definitely be his go-to's and he would only get bolder as you start to blush more. He's cocky too, he is very aware of the effect he has, and he likes pushing your buttons. It's like a game, the more he picks and prods, the greater his reward is.
☾I also have a feeling he'd be a slight neat freak. Like his lab is a different story, his work is chaotic, but he cannot come home to chaos. I think if you let him into your space, he wouldn't definitely tidy it up subtly. Wiping dust off books and slightly moving objects on your desk so they look more orderly. I feel like this carries over to appearance too. He has a specific way of tying his shoes and he's very meticulous about what ties he wears and knows how to do like every type of knot.
☾He also definitely smells good. You can't convince me he doesn't have like a 12-step shower routine and takes advantage of all of Piltover's fancy soups and colognes. In contrast to Jayce, however, his smelling good is him smelling super clean. Like it's not a scent out of a bottle or anything, nor does he smell exactly like soap, he smells distinctly like himself and very clean.
☾I think he would confess very simply and nonchalantly. It would be a late night in the lab by candlelight or some sort of low lighting has him feeling romantic and bold. He peppers it into conversation smoothly, something like "It's too late tonight, but tomorrow we should go on our first date." And you are taken aback, which he knew you would be. You do ask if he was officially asking you to be his girlfriend and he tells you "he doesn't really like labels", but the wide smile and kiss he gave you said otherwise.
☼Mel☼
☼Probably one of the smoothest talkers out of everyone here. She would have absolutely no problems charming anyone into a relationship. Similar to Jayce, it would be a bit superficial at first. Feeling like she would need a relationship to feel complete, not in a self-esteem way, but rather in an aesthetic way. She is always trying to look very put together and like she has everything under control, and the "complete" life looked like one with a significant other. She eventually realizes a complete life doesn't need a partner, but her complete life wouldn't be complete without you.
☼Mel would feel like she's being obvious towards her crush when she in reality is not. She has this very professional tone about her, and she eventually has to learn that even the sweetest things sound manufactured in that manner. She would talk very softly with her crush, a lot of whispers during council meetings and sweet mutterings while it's just the two of you. This reminds me, if you're shorter than her, she has the very attractive habit of leaning down to speak to you.
☼Big on eye contact. She could talk you unto circles, your pupils dilated and just nodded at anything she says. She finds this very amusing. She is aware of the effect her voice has on people, and she would be lying if she said she didn't put into hyperdrive when it came to you. It's not even a different voice she put on, it's just the way she speaks and looks you in your eyes that's so captivating. She also gives it right back when it comes to listening to you. Though she has the habit of wanting to fix your problems for you, she's gotten good at asking if you even want her advice or just want her to listen.
☼She would love matching with her crush. Once again, someone who visuals are very important to, she likes the idea that you look together, even if you aren't. This also applies to her finding any way for you to be together at public events. Inviting you as her date to a gala or not wanting to do a grocery run alone, she would ask you to come with. She loves looking like you two are dating.
☼Gossip sessions would go insane. It's definitely a scheduled weekend event with face masks and nails, she'll braid your hair and in return you'll pick out new charms and styles for her to put hers in. Part of it is because she likes being well informed about what everyone is up to and part of it is bonding over despising the same people in the council (this is directed at Salo). Her favorite part of it is being around you; it's a very intimate activity that she can't get enough of.
☼I feel it in my bones that she's the type to open doors for you. Car doors, carriage doors, your hand will not grace a single doorknob or handle around her. She would also be on top of the weather, festivals and fun events happening, and things concerning to your interests. You will never regret not wearing your rainboots because she would've told you the forecast the morning. Your favorite music artists are coming soon, good thing she told you like a month ago so you could get tickets before everyone else.
☼She is another chef, but of the comfort food variety. Her food just tastes like a warm hug, and she is the first you go to when feeling under the weather. She takes great pride in this. She doesn't cook often and she doesn't even enjoy the activity that much, preferring to eat out or have a private chef, but she likes that she has something that she can do for you.
☼I don't think it would take her very long to ask you out, especially if she felt like the feelings were reciprocated. To her, there's no point in prolonging the inevitable and she really likes the way your names sound together. I think she is also sappy; she is just incredibly well at hiding it. All of the acts of service mentioned above are usually done casually. She wins the nonchalant Olympics even when she's not trying to. She thinks it's incredibly clear, but the way she comes across doesn't convey that. Thus, her sappy moments are few and far between and she gets very bashful when they're mentioned.
☼Definitely has a scrapbook of your times together as well as a diary where she talks about you for pages on end. The discovery of this would lead to the confession. It would be uncomfortable for her just because it would be so impromptu and that is not how she likes to do things. She would be very vulnerable and honest about her feelings and would call this your "unofficial" confession. She would later go all out as she had always intended during her confession
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burrowdarling · 3 hours ago
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"Don't act so innocent.."
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Summary: As things get a little heated, you get the courage to ask for something new you want to try. Requested by @samanthamark5
Pairings: lsu!joe x shygf!reader
Warnings: oral (male receiving), praise, descriptions of sex, MDNI
Note: Hi! Here's the first request based off of this prompt list. It's very loosely LSU Joe if you squint, really just the fact that they're in college. I hope you all enjoy it! Requests for it are still open!
Word Count: 1.7k (this was meant to be a blurb, I might've gotten carried away..whoops)
Check out my Masterlist here!
Joe always had this presence about him, with him being the star quarterback of the football team for LSU. Everyone’s eyes were always drawn to him when he entered the room, in class or otherwise. That was especially not different when the two of you started dating. The spotlight was never really your thing, opting more for small groups of friends or staying in with your books. Being with Joe has started to push you out of your comfort zone, but that didn’t mean it was going to happen overnight. A prime example was the party that was happening tonight, which you were pleading to stay home from.
“C’mon baby, I wanna have my girl there with me” Joe pleaded.
“You know parties aren’t really my thing Joey, can’t I just wait here till you get back?” you pleaded back, just as whiney as he was being.
He didn’t give you an answer, just stared at you with a look that said ‘does it look like I want that as an option?’ Joe pushed off the door frame to his room and walked over to where you were sitting on his bed, your current read opened in front of you. He climbed onto it, crawling up to you until you were underneath him, tossing the book to the side in the process. 
“Joe! I was in the middle of that, I didn’t even get to mark my page” you exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed with all of the attention he was giving you.
You and Joe had been dating for a few months, but he had significantly more experience than you. Only having one real boyfriend before him, he wasn’t the most giving in the head department, nor did he ever really want anything from you. That relationship didn’t last long before he broke things off with you, proceeding to get with some cheerleader shortly after.
Joe has been tender with you, taking things at your pace and knowing when to test your limitations within reason. He knew your body better than you did, knowing how to get any type of reaction from you that he desired. He was extremely giving in bed, always making sure you were the first to finish. One thing you had yet to try together was you taking control for a change: giving Joe a blow job.
With his arms caging you in on either side of your head, his body weight pressing you down into the mattress, you felt stuck in the best way possible. Joe always knew how to get a reaction from your body. Your breath hitched in your throat at the feeling of his erection through his jeans, causing your cheeks to flush and your mind race.
“Can you feel what you do to me, at least let me make you feel good before I leave. That way I can leave with the taste of you on my tongue” Joe said, his lips trailing kisses along your jawline, making his way to your lips.
It felt like now was as good of a time as any, trying to block out any of the anxious thoughts about what his reaction could be to your request. You tentatively reached your hand between your bodies, palming his hard on which earned you a deep groan from above.
“I wanna try something tonight instead” you said, your voice slightly wavering as you looked into his eyes peering into yours above you. The blue of his eyes was something you had grown to find a sense of comfort in. 
“And what would that be, baby?” Joe said with a sense of care lacing his voice, a knowing smirk gracing his lips.
“Are you really gonna make me say it?” you asked, feeling yourself wanting to abc out, to make the awkwardness go away.
“Mhm. If you wanna do it, I wanna hear you ask for what you want. It’s something we're working on, remember?”
You nodded shyly, remembering how Joe has made it his mission to bring up your self confidence. It started with some smaller tasks like asking for help when you needed it or not being scared to take charge of a situation. When you guys finally slept together, it’s since spread into the bedroom. Joe always makes sure you feel safe and secure, wanting you to always feel comfortable to tell him anything. He always wants you to ask for what you want and not be afraid to bring anything up.
“I’m not gonna say no sweetheart, I just wanna hear the words come out of your pretty mouth” Joe said, raising a hand to graze your cheek.
His words caused you to feel even more flustered, feeling the need for Joe growing by the second.
“I wanna try to blow you” you said, feeling the heat rise on your cheeks at your attempt to come off as confident as you could.
“Go right ahead, I won’t stop you” Joe said, moving off of you to lay back against the headboard next to you, slipping his shirt off in the process. 
You took a deep breath, gathering your courage and fighting down your insecure thoughts before exhaling and shifting closer to Joe. He helped you to work his pants down, leaving them at his ankles before kicking them off. You took his boxers with them knowing you needed to do it all in one go or you’d feel like you’d chicken out of the whole thing. The sight of Joe’s hard cock sent heat to your center, no matter how many times you’ve seen it before.
You took him in your hands, Feeling the nerves come across in your actions, Joe placed a reassuring hand on the back of your head as he directed you towards him for a kiss.
“No need to be nervous baby, it’s just me” Joe spoke gently, moving his hand to stroke your cheek lovingly.
WIth a nod of understanding, you took the leap and leaned down to place a kiss to the tip. You took him in your mouth the best you could, using your hand for what you couldn’t fit. 
“You’re doing such a good job, babe. Know how to make me feel so good” Joe moaned, head thrown back in pleasure.
The sounds Joe was making above you were egging you on, taking in all of the praises that were coming from him. You continued to take him, getting past the awkward feeling of having him in your mouth fairly quickly. You would occasionally pop off to lick a stripe from his base to the tip before taking him again.
“I’m not gonna last long if you keep doing that baby, I swear” Joe groaned.
You took that as your cue to keep going, knowing that you were bringing him pleasure. 
“Where do you want me to finish?” Joe rushed out, clearly feeling close to the edge,
You came off of him, continuing to stroke him as you spoke. You were taking the moment to use your last bit of courage to ask for what you wanted.
“Right here” you said gesturing to your chest with a glimmer of lust in your eyes, earning a deep groan from him in response. 
You knew how much Joe loved your boobs, mentioning in the past that this was something he’d love to do when the time felt right to do it. You slipped off the bed to the floor, getting on your knees ready to take what he would give you before he could give you a proper response. Joe took over then, giving you the opportunity to prepare yourself. You slipped your shirt off, trying to not feel so exposed in front of him in the position you were in. The sight of him standing above you stroking his cock drove you wild, it felt as if all of your insecurities had flown out the window in that moment. With a few more strokes, Joe was finishing with a loud moan, covering your chest.
Joe sat on the edge of the bed, taking a minute to compose himself. Before he could make any other moves towards you, you stood up in a hurry.
“I’ll be right back, i’m just gonna go to the bathroom” you rushed out and made your way quickly, attempting to fight off any other insecure thoughts before they could come up as you felt your shyness creeping back in. You heard a faint ‘okay’ as you shut his bathroom door.
You walked out of the bathroom after getting cleaned up, your cheeks hot showing the brightest shade of red from everything that had just happened. You stood timidly in the door of the bathroom while Joe sat on the edge of his bed on his phone. You didn’t know exactly where you stood at this moment, wondering if he would stay or go out. You secretly hoped he would opt to stay with you, but wouldn’t want to force him even after everything. You felt too tired after all of that to go out and be social with other people, especially ones you didn’t know. He had pulled his underwear back on, leaving him clothless otherwise. When he heard you, his eyes looked up and a smile crossed his face. 
“I hope you have fun. Can you let me know when you’re on your way, if you remember?” you spoke, unsure of where to put your eyes. 
Joe walked over to you, placing a hand under your chin to lift your eyes to meet his own. A shiver ran down your spine at the look in his eyes.
“Don’t act innocent when we both know where your mouth was two minutes ago” Joe said with a teasing smirk on his lips. 
He placed a kiss on your forehead, his other hand falling to your hip. You cheeks felt as if they were the brightest shade of red they had ever been, letting the images of the past few moments replay inside your head. You felt a shiver creep up your spine as your need for him came back full force.
“If you think I’m leaving after that and not giving you anything, we’ve got a lot more work to do with you”.
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vellazx · 2 days ago
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Luffy x Reader (Gender not specified) — Angst / Fluff — Can be taken as platonic or romantic. Small and optional romantic Ace x Reader if you squint.
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When all of you got separated at Sabaody Archipelago, Kuma sent you to one of the many places you didn’t desire to be held in.
He asked you right before sending you away, “If you could go someplace for vacation, where would you go?”
You were hesitant to respond.
“Anywhere my friends are.”
Impel Down. He sent you to Impel Down — that wasn’t the slightest bit a vacation. It was pure torture, for all the time you were stuck in a cell.
The World Government considered you dangerous enough to holster you on level 5, considered to be the floor of Impel Down that holds the most world-threatening criminals. You heard of a possible ‘level 6’, but that wasn’t your concern.
You expected to be alone throughout your suffering in that cell.
But there was one factor making it just the slightest bit easier for you.
Luffy’s older brother; Portgas D. Ace.
He sat chained up in the cell right next to yours, alongside an infamous Fishman Warlord who somehow ended up on the Government’s bad side.
When he saw you, he recognized you almost immediately. All the way back from when he met you in Alabasta.
“It’s… you? You’re Luffy’s friend. Why are you here…?”
If only you knew the answer to that question.
Ace grew fond of you rather quickly. Despite your situation, you tried your best to remain somewhat calm and have faith that you’d escape from the hellhole that called itself ‘Impel Down’. He wouldn’t prefer anyone else be in the cell next to his own. You felt the same about him, too.
The two of you sorted your trope out as ‘comfort buddies’, if that even made sense at all. When you were upset, he would try to cheer you up from across his own cell, despite his weak and raspy voice.
You did the same. Constantly telling him that you’d find a way to get him out.
Not just for his sake — but for Luffy’s sake. You cared deeply for your captain, and you didn’t need much convincing to know that he and Ace were the closest of the closest.
Ace saw it in your eyes, whenever you talked about your life-changing (stinky) captain, the glint of adoration you held for him. Therefore he swore to find a way to get you out of Impel Down, as well.
He didn’t lie when he said those words to you.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get you out, too.”
But what about what you said?
Luffy, the boy whom you would die for, held his brother’s cold body in his arms. He found a way to sneak into Marineford, vowing to help you rescue Ace.
You said you’d get him out.
Though his freedom only lasted for a moment.
Akainu prevailed, bringing about the death of a friend you had little time to spend with.
Ace was more than the brother of the one you were deeply loyal towards. He was one of your closest friends, there for you during your breakdowns in that cell — as you were for him.
You were there. You didn’t have time to react as the magma empowered Admiral punched a hole right through his ribs.
You didn’t even do so much as budge.
No lies were to be spread. You blamed yourself for allowing Ace to get killed so easily. You could’ve helped. Saved him.
You entirely believed it was your fault for not doing anything.
So why did he forgive you? No. He didn’t forgive you, because he didn’t see you as a problem to begin with. He had no need to accept your apology, because he deemed it unnecessary.
Your captain. The one who was there during Ace’s death. The one who suffered the most.
He didn’t blame you.
Rather, he showed you sympathy. He knew you had gotten close to his brother while being held hostage in the underwater prison.
As tears fell from your eyes, Luffy wrapped his arms around you, caressing the back of your head with his calloused hand, still bruised from all the fighting he indulged in.
“Stop blaming yourself. I don’t like it. And stop crying! I’d prefer not to see you cry, ‘cause I don’t like it. Not one bit!”
You thought for sure he would’ve been somewhat upset with you for not being able to prevent Ace’s death. But no. Instead, he was upset with you for blaming yourself.
“…But I thought—”
“Urgh. Then— stop thinking!”
He was never mad at you.
Your overflowing tears soaked his bandaged shoulder, damp spots littered all over it.
You weren’t exaggerating when you said you would’ve lost your sanity without him in multiple scenarios. This one easily being crowned the worst.
He held you close until he had to leave for his training.
Even after two years passed, he still didn’t blame you.
“Lu. You see those stars up there, right?”
“Shishishi! Of course I do! What about them?”
“One of them is Ace. He’s watching over us. I just know it!”
“I already knew that! Of course he’s watching us! Why would he not be? C’mon, tell me something more creative!”
“Ugh, you’re ruining the moment!”
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hurtwithallthecomfort · 2 days ago
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Caretaker had never been interested in having kids. At every family reunion, people would eventually come round to ask, “so, when do you think you’ll start having children?”
The answer would always be the same. Never. They’re a lot of hassle, and considering caretaker’s line of work, it probably wouldn’t be a safe environment for a kid. Then, eventually, the disgruntled aunts and nagging uncles would quieten down and go back to obnoxiously chewing on their food, occasionally making a snide remark about a cousin or nephew.
It was 2:43 in the morning, or so the glaring alarm clock said. Caretaker groaned slightly as they turned, half asleep still. Normally, they slept through the night with ease, routinely going to bed at a reasonably mature time, and waking up to the beeping of the morning alarm like clockwork.
But, this time, it was loud in the house. Quiet murmurs and tentative footsteps had woken caretaker up, purely from the fact that they simply weren’t used to it. Caretaker was happily single and childless, as well as not owning any pets or really being of an age where sleepovers were considered anything but childish. On any other night, the house was silent through and through, but tonight was different.
A knock on the bedroom door brought Caretaker out of their thoughts. A grunted ‘come in’ was all Caretaker could respond with, and as soon as the words left their lips, the door creaked open, and faint light poured in. It was Whumpee. Caretaker wasn’t particularly shocked - who else would it be? Still, up until noe Whumpee had been adamant that they were completely fine. When the team had found them, they didn’t whimper or sob or plead. They had to be grappled down in order for Medic to be able to examine them, and when they were told of the severity of their injuries, they simply denied ever even feeling bad.
Ever since Whumpee had been found, they insisted on leaving, and going ‘home’, though nobody was particularly sure where ‘home’ was, because when asked about family and friends, Whumpee had no answer. But, the team couldn’t just let the kid go, partially because they were far too young to be fending for themselves, and partially because this was the closest to Whumper they had ever gotten. Could they really risk losing their only clue?
Sleeping in the HQ wasn’t an option for Whumpee, they were tense back there, snappy and hostile. Staying overnight wouldn’t have done any good. Most of the team had to set off on an emergency mission that was far too dangerous for someone as fragile as Whumpee. Medic and Caretaker were the only ones who remained, and the former already had kids of their own waiting at home. So, Caretaker it was. They packed up Whumpee’s things, drove them for three hours to get home, and fought to get them settled in the usually abandoned guest room.
And now, they were standing in Caretaker’s doorway. Hesitant. Akin to a child standing at the foot of their parent’s mattress, shaky and looking for comfort after a harrowing nightmare.
“… couldn’t sleep..” Whumpee muttered, looking away bashfully, as though they were embarrassed that they were hurting to the point of having to reach out. Like it was the worst thing they could have done.
Caretaker didn’t react. Perhaps it was the tiredness. Instead, they shuffled and shifted in their bed so that they were upright, and patted down the other half of the bed. An invitation. Whumpee tread closer to the bed in the same way that a stray cat might stagger towards the scent of a stranger. Assessing risks.
It took them a minute to crawl into the bed, but when they did, they were quick to pull up the duvet, clutching at the blanket for warmth. Caretaker hadn’t seen the room Whumpee was being kept in, but based on the look on Leader’s face after they had found them (somewhere between horrified and distressed), they could assume that Whumper had never concerned themselves with Whumpee’s temperature concerns.
Caretaker hadn’t expected Whumpee to relax this much in their room. Sure, Whumpee had taken to them much faster than they had taken to anyone else, and sure everyone on the team had jokingly started calling them the team mother, but those were all jokes. Caretaker wasn’t a parent, and they had made peace with that. Their life wasn’t safe for a child.
Caretaker moved from their sitting position, now lying on their side under the mauve covers. Here, they faced Whumpee, whose eyes were tight shut, and their frail arms tightly shut around the firm, cream pillow. They looked so young; while nobody could find any documents regarding Whumpee’s real identity, it was easy to tell looking at them that they couldn’t be older than late teens.
Hesitantly, Caretaker pushed their hand out and brushed Whumpee’s hair out of their face, fingers gently skimming their forehead. It was hot to touch, like they were a flu-ridden child in the middle of a summertime heatwave. Caretaker couldn’t even fathom what Whumpee had been through to get here. But, if their meagre little townhouse in the middle if nowhere could provide some solace for them, then so be it. Whumpee could sleep wherever they wanted.
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mikaelsonharem7 · 2 days ago
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Cheers to 25 🥂
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NSFW
Warnings: choking, p in v, smut, spit
This is a gift to myself cause it’s my birthday today!! Also Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
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“Come on, Lyric. It’s your 25th birthday; you have to do something.” My best friend said. Another year, and it’s another year of me not doing anything. I never did anything on my birthday. I just never felt in the spirit enough. But she was right; I am turning 25, and it’s a milestone birthday, so I let her convince me to go out.
 
“Fine. Where are we going?” I ask, finally giving in.
 
With a smirk on her face, she says, "Perfect! You were going anyway because I and Tay were going to kidnap you, but it’s a surprise, but just know you’ll love it.” Knowing her, I’m a little worried, not gonna lie, but YOLO. She then darts to my room and goes straight to my closet to pick out some clothes. The clothes here she’s picking out have me questioning the dress code because it was all mini dresses and I’m just like, this is definitely out of my comfort zone, but again I’m embracing the fun tonight. I then see her grab one of my duffel bags, and I stop her.
 
“Are we spending the night there?” I ask, growing more curious.
 
“It’s a day trip, but I’m just grabbing options.” She said with a smile.
 
After packing and picking up Tay, we finally take off on the road, and by the direction we’re going, I can tell we’re going towards Texas. I don’t know what I got myself into, but there’s something telling me that it’s going to be a very good night. After a 3-hour drive, we end up in Dallas, Texas, and we pull up into a nice hotel. Getting out and walking in the hotel is gorgeous, very modern looking, and clean. As we get to the check-in and we get our keys, I see that the key has a P on it and that normally it is for the penthouse. As we make our way to the penthouse suite, my heart is filled with joy and love that my best friend would do this for me on my birthday.
 
Turning to the both of them, I have tears in my eyes, and my best friend says,
 
“Don’t start. You deserve this, plus it’s your 25th; of course you know we gotta go big!!”
 
After getting settled and unpacked, we finally start to get ready. As I come out of the bathroom, I see Tay and my best friend laying out some options. They know that I’m not the type to show off my body because I am self-conscious. Yes, I bought them, but I never had the courage to wear them out, but I was really liking what they picked. After trying on some choices, I finally settled on a minidress, and I put a long-sleeve white bodysuit underneath. I also paired it with some cute tights and some platform pumps. It was out of my comfort zone, but I couldn’t lie; my body looked so good. The dress hugged my curves just right!
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Once we were all dressed and cute, we headed down to the UBER and headed to the destination. As we pull up, I see that we are at a club, and it looks nice!!! After we make our way inside and head to our table, we sit down, and I scan the room and just take it all in. This is really not my scene, but I’m determined to make a night out of it. Ordering drinks, I order a blueberry pineapple mojito, and it was delicious. The club also had some finger foods, so we ordered some to share. Sitting down my finished drink, another one is placed in front of me, and I look at it confused. I didn’t order anything, so where did this come from? I lean over to ask my friends if they did, and they said no. Not taking a mystery drink, I take it back to the bar, and when I go to try and return it, the bartender directs my eyes to a section of the club. When I turn to see, my eyes widen. There in all his glory is Randy Orton.
 
Dressed in all black with a single gold Cuban around his neck, he looks so damn good. Turning my attention back to the bartender, I ask if she could remake the drink so that I had eyes on it. Understanding my point, she smiles and instantly remakes my drink. Wanting to test the waters, I stay at the bar and wait till he makes his next move. After a few minutes I feel a hand slide on the small of my back, and the most heavily scented perfume invades my presence. God, he looks and SMELLS so good.
 
“So you just take my drink without saying thank you?” I suddenly hear next to me.
 
Turning my head, I look at none other than the Viper himself. Seeing him in person is so much more satisfying than seeing him on TV. His blue eyes still noticeable in this dark club.
 
Wanting to play along, I say, “Well, it got you over here right. So I say my plan is working so far.” I have a slight smirk on my face as I take another sip.
Chuckling, Randy leans on the bar and looks at me.
“I noticed you and your friends when y'all walked in here, and I just wanted to get to know you. What brings y'all here? Are you from here?” Randy asks.
 
“Well…no, we’re from Louisiana, and it’s my 25th birthday today, so they dragged me out to celebrate.” I replied.
 
“Oh well, happy birthday! Is this the only thing you have planned tonight?” He asks
 
“So far, yes. This isn’t my scene, but my friends planned this, so I'm going to make the best of it. I don’t really celebrate my birthday, but I’m changing that.
 
"I will be honest; this isn’t my scene either. So I know this is forward, but would you like to come back to my hotel just to talk?" Randy invites as he looks me in the eyes. His eyes drop to my lips for a split second. 
 
Thinking to myself, I just say, “Why not?” Let me tell my best friend that I’m leaving.“
 
Walking over to my friend's table, I let them know that I’m leaving, and they asked with who. I show his picture and explain who he was, of course, save it, and say, Keep your location on if you need us.
 
Walking back to the bar, I let him know that we’re good to go, and we go out the back to his car and head back to his hotel. Once we get to the hotel, we will go up to where he is staying, of course, at the penthouse, and it is gorgeous. The floor-to-ceiling windows let you see the city below.
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“So I take it that WWE pays very well, 'cause holy shit,” I turn to him after taking it all in.
Laughing, he replies, “I say they pay pretty well.”
“Can I get you something to drink? Water?”
 
I say yes, and he hands me a glass. I keep looking around, and I guess to please my curiosity, he offers to give me a tour. I, of course, say yes, and he walks me around the living room and shows me the balcony that wraps around the downstairs. He shows me to the gym that he has in suite, and of course, we end off with a mortgage look-around of the kitchen. To the stairs to check out the second floor. We make our way down this long highway, and he opens the door to this beautiful bedroom. The master was dark in color and cozy with a balcony overlooking the city.
 
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Walking out to the balcony, you stare out at the city, and you sigh. Randy walks next to you, and you see that he has two champagne glasses. Smiling and taking the glass, you thank him.
 
“I want to make a toast to your 25th, and hopefully your birthday has been good so far, and I hope to make it better.” As we clink our glasses. We walk back inside and sit on the couch in the room. You both begin conversation back and forth. Mostly you, as you tell him you’re a fan. You ask him to try to get him to spill if he’ll turn on Cody, but he wasn’t budging. After a few more glasses of champagne, you both put your glasses down, and Randy just stares at you. Being bold, you ask what he meant by “hoping to make your birthday better.” Not saying anything, he reaches over and pulls you onto him. Your dress rising up as now you’re straddling his hips. You feel his hands cup your ass as he leans forward to kiss you. Letting out a moan when he squeezes your ass and you let out a gasp when he sends a slap to your right cheek.
 
Be suddenly picks you up and carries you to the bed. Laying you down, he kisses down your neck. Nipping here and there, making you yelp. He kisses down your chest, pulling the straps from your dress and pulling down the tights you were wearing. Leaving you in only the white bodysuit, Randy slithers in between your legs, kissing and nipping at your thighs, leaving tiny hickies in his wake. Getting to your center, he pulls on the snaps holding the bodysuit together, making them come undone. Looking up at you, he licks his lips and slowly takes a long lick. Eyes rolling back, and he continues. Licking. Sucking. Pulling. Your mind was running wild with pleasure as your body shook in his mouth. Trying to catch your breath, Randy doesn’t stop, and he adds a thick finger and then two. He curves his fingers, hitting that special spot, and you come undone once again, trapping his head between your thick thighs.
 
Coming up for air he kisses up your body, taking off your bodysuit in the process. Palming your plump breast, he takes a nipple in his mouth as a fingers toys with the other. Your hands continue to his shirt to pull it off, tossing it to the side, and you bring your hands down his chest, slightly scratching in the process. Your hands continued as you tried to get his pants off. Once they were off, you took his big cock in your hands, slowly stroking it, feeling him get harder. You surprise him by changing your positions, and now you’re on top. Kissing down his chest, you get to his hard cock. He had to be 6 inches, and he was thick. Making sure his eyes were on you, you stuck your tongue out and licked a line, and as you got to the tip, you wrapped your lips around the head and sucked. Hearing his moans sent shocks to your pussy, causing you to get wetter. Randy’s hand finds your head and slowly moves it down further till he reaches the back of your throat. Slightly gagging, you pull away, catching your breath before Randy does it again. Him hearing you gag on him only makes him harder. Pulling you from his cock, a trail of spit followed as it dropped to your tits.
 
“You look so good when you choke on my dick,” he growls.
 
Pulling you closer, he kisses you, making you moan in his mouth. He turns and lays you on your back as he settles in between your thighs. Grabbing his cock, he rubs it up and down your slit, teasing your clit. Your wetness coating his tip. He gently begins to slide in, going slowly as he stretches you. Pulling out and pushing in again, you feel your pussy tighten and release around him, and he makes a grunting sound. Leaning down, he captures your lips as he mumbles,
 
“You’re squeezing me, baby. You're going to make me cum before I can fulfill my promise.”
 
Your eyes close as you relax a bit, and Randy begins to stroke faster and harder. Moans and wet skin are the only sounds to be heard in the room. Randy’s hand finds your neck, giving it a tight squeeze. The pressure isn’t one of pain but one of pleasure, the lack of blood flow aiding in the pleasure.
 
“FFFF-FFUUCKKKK! Right there, right there. Please.” You beg as he keeps hitting that spot that made you see stars. Your body was shaking; sweat coated both of your skin. Spreading your legs wider, Randy begins to go faster and harder while he also begins to play with your clit. The combination of both sensations causes you to cum, and you squirt as he continues to fuck you.
 
“Good girl, that’s a good girl. Keep cumming for me.” Randy says as he feels your pussy continue to squeeze him. Feeling your pussy squeeze him triggers his own release, and he cums, filling you till both your juices are dripping out of you. Catching a much-needed breath, Randy slowly pulls out and collapses next to you. Pulling you closer, he wraps his arms around you, and after a while, you both fall asleep.
 
Sunlight shines on your face, waking you up from the best sleep you’ve ever had. Looking around, you forget where you are until the memories of last night begin to flood in. Jumping up, you begin to get dressed. Once dressed, you are about to walk out when you see a note on the nightstand. Flipping it open, you read:
 
Sorry I’m not there. We have a show tonight, and I had rehearsals. I'm not sure when you’re leaving, but I’d love to see you at the show tonight, so here are tickets. If you plan on coming, just text me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.
-Randy
Reading the note again, you think about it and decide that you’re going to go and have fun.
And you were right. The show was great, and you even got to hang out with Randy before you told him you had to head back home. Reluctantly saying goodbye, he gives you one last lingering kiss that makes your knees weak. Before he lets you go, he says,
 
“You have my number now, so I’d like it if we kept in touch.”
 
Not able to form a sentence, you slowly nod and turn to leave before a repeat of last night happens in the locker room. As you and your friends get back on the road, they ask if you had a good birthday, and once again flashbacks hit you, and you begin to smile.
 
“Oh, she SMILING smiling; she got some dick!” Tay screams.
 
Shaking your head, you just look down at the note you kept with Randy’s number and say, “I don’t know what y’all are talking about.” A smirk playing on your lips. What a great way to start year 25.
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droumack · 1 day ago
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happy american thanksgiving, bruinss!!
↻FLIP FLOP: I would LOVE to see a Nate POV of when he met again with Jo in "into the wild blue" and realised that Jo was a sex worker. excitement? nerves? was he thinking at all?
HAPPY AMERICAN THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!! alright lemme give this a go
-----
Nate isn’t expecting much of anything when he heads into the brothel in the early afternoon, road-weary and exhausted, looking just as much for a place to lay his head as he is for decent company. 
He doesn’t know why his eyes catch on a neatly-dressed man sitting at the bar, nor why he allows his eyes to linger in a way he normally doesn’t, not with another man. 
But there’s something—familiar, maybe, or at the very least, welcoming. 
And then he turns his face so Nate can observe him in profile, and even after years, Nate thinks he’d know that crooked smile from anywhere. 
He’s crossing the room before he can think better of it, long legs eating up the space between them. 
“Jonathan Drouin?”  he asks. 
Jo’s head jerks up, eyes widening slightly at the sight of him. He just stares for a few seconds, and Nate takes the opportunity to return the favor. Jo looks healthy, if not a little skinny, the way everyone is in these parts. But his face is just as warm, his eyes just as bright as they were when they were kids. 
From what Nate remembers of the boy he used to know, it’s out of character for Jo to be in a place like this. 
But maybe Jo has changed. God knows Nate has. 
“Who’s asking?” Jo asks. 
Nate smiles. “You are Jo Drouin, right?” He pulls off his hat and sets it next to him. 
Jo’s eyes have nearly doubled in size, his disbelief visible. 
“Nate?” he asks, lurching to his feet. 
Nate smiles even wider, and Jo half-embraces him, half-falls into him. They pat each other heartily on the back, Nate laughing as Jo demands,
“What the hell are you doing here?” 
“Could ask you the same thing,” Nate replies. Jo had plans to stay in Cole Harbour until he died; it must have been something drastic, to drive Jo away from the familiarity of his family and the coast. 
“Town got sick,” Jo says, his smile dipping slightly. “Figured I’d try my luck out here, seeing as it ran dry back home.” He sits back down on his stool and gestures for Nate to join him. 
 “Well, I wouldn’t say there’s much luck around these parts,” Nate says, sliding into the seat Jo had offered. “But there’s a helluva lotta trouble.” He grins. “And gold.” 
Jo snorts, smile twisting into something wry, as thought Nate is telling him something he already knows. 
“You here to indulge?” Nate asks, gesturing for the barkeep’s attention and holding up one finger. 
Jo’s smile falls, and Nate has a horrible moment of wondering if he’s misstepped. Normally, this is where bullets start flying with the type Nate tends to deal with. He doesn’t think Jo will draw on him, but that’s worse somehow, that Nate has caused Jo’s smile to slip and Jo won’t do a damn thing about it. 
“I work here,” Jo says. 
Nate’s eyebrows quirk, and he glances around, whistling softly. “What, like you own the place?” Jo has always been ambitious; Nate shouldn’t be surprised, but Jo also doesn’t seem the type to get into…this kind of business. 
When Jo doesn’t answer, Nate glances back in his direction. Jo just purses his lips and shakes his head ‘no.’
Nate’s lips part slightly. “You mean you—”
He forces himself to reassess Jo’s posture, his dress. Jo actually does look at home, like he’s lounging in the kitchen of his own house, comfortable and at peace, despite the rigid set of his posture. 
Jo works here. Jo works here. 
Jo spreads his legs, opens his mouth, for any man willing to shell out enough money. Lets them run their hands through those curls, yank his head back to expose his neck. Maybe they get to bite him, mark him up, leave little bruises of ownership on that pale, pale skin. 
Nate hadn’t known that was an option, when he’d known Jo. 
But it was. 
It is. 
The satchel of gold at his side suddenly feels much heavier, and Nate knows, without a doubt, that it’ll be that much lighter by the time the sun sets on this day. 
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theywantedplayer · 2 days ago
Note
Heyy!
Since i'm on my period (2nd day and im dying) i need me a slaf period comfort cause i would do anything for my big boy to hold me rn. Ofcu dont have to write it if u don't wanna it would just help me feel a better that's all pookie.
Hope you have a great day!
MastersList
PromptList
The TV was barely audible now, with a soft hum in the background. Your face was squished into the bedsheets as you lay on your side. You didn’t need to explain anything to Juraj the only thing keeping your attention was how his arms wrapped around your waist, one acting as a heat pack for your cramps, the other providing a makeshift pillow for your head.
You’d asked him multiple times if he wanted to switch positions, worried his arm might go stiff or fall asleep, but he always responded with a simple, unwavering:
“Na.”
You stayed like that in the comfort of your home, his warmth a constant source of relief. Despite spending so much time in cold arenas and skating on ice, Juraj always seemed to radiate heat. You loved that about him.
Shifting slightly, you moved from your side to your stomach, trying to find a more comfortable position as the cramps worsened. Now fully on your stomach, face buried in the pillow, you felt Juraj’s hand gently trace down your spine, his touch soothing the ache.
“Do you need anything?” he asked softly.
Juraj hated seeing you like this. He knew it wasn’t anything serious, but watching you groan and have no energy because of your period wasn’t easy for him.
“No, I should be fine,” you mumbled, too tired to think of anything you might need, yet too awake to sleep. Since It was only 4 in the afternoon.
Juraj hummed in response, his hand pausing briefly before he got up from the bed and left the room. You mumbled something into the pillow, but he didn’t respond. You figured he was grabbing something or heading to the bathroom and would be back soon, though you hated missing his presence even for a moment.
He returned moments later, placing something on the bedside table before climbing back into bed. He lay beside you, propping his head up with another pillow. His arm found its way behind the pillow you were using, and his fingers softly combed through your hair as he spoke.
“I was gonna order some food. Want anything?”
Before he could finish, you whipped around to glance at his phone, seeing the Uber Eats app already open.
“Sure,” you replied simply.
Juraj let out a breathy laugh at your sudden enthusiasm, amused by how quickly you reacted. He pulled you closer and started reading out the options.
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ph0bia-archives · 3 hours ago
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Interpretation is entirely personable and I do not mean to argue against your own opinions and views but. Personally cannot see DiMA as some manipulative monster. This is just me ranting cause he’s one of the best written fallout 4 characters imo. Obviously spoilers ahead :3
For one— he doesn’t maliciously manipulate Kasumi. From the sounds of it, he just asks her questions that lead her to believing she’s a synth. She was isolated, and felt that she stood out even in her own family. She wanted a reason to leave, to think that she was connected to machinery more than it being a personal comfort. Acadia is a refuge for synths. It makes no sense for DiMA to lure normal people there?
For two— of course he acts like the institute! His whole existence is to form a personality around experience. He grew up in the institute, taking in their methods and morals. The only expressed reason he grew disillusioned to them is because Nick suffered. But that’s still all his first experiences. The institute, and people hurting synths.
For three— I don’t think it’s ever explicitly said what far harbor was like before the sole survivor gets there/before synth Avery. Maybe they were hostile towards synths, or Acadia. At the very least, they’re still hostile towards the children of atom, a group who 1. Before Tektus we’re (if I’m not mistaken) relatively peaceful, and 2. Did not react negatively or with hostility towards Synths. This is a simple baseline, but remember. DiMA went from only knowing people who hurt synths for their own gain to sitting alone in a cave for a year, to people who didn’t want to hurt him. The safety of synths is his first priority. Replacing Avery is extremely fucked, yes, it’s exactly what the institute does. Because that’s the first things DiMA knows. If far harbor was aggressive against Acadia, what should DiMA have done? Probably definitely not murdered a woman and replaced her, but from his perspective, that was probably the least damaging option, rather than letting his synths die, or killing the harbormen. He removed the memories likely because that’s how the institute functions! He was acting like them! The people who hurt the person he considered family!
Four— I didn’t actually choose/explore the routes where you’re with the institute or the brotherhood of steel, so. Can’t really say for certain my thoughts on his reactions, but. I think it would make most sense for him to act peacefully if you say that before giving him the tapes, because he wouldn’t have an idea of how he’d reacted previously. He wouldn’t know he had the experience of combatting groups who’d want Acadia exterminated, he doesn’t know the extent he’d go to preemptively keep Acadia safe.
Five— with the replacing tektus plan, it goes back to perhaps WHY he removed the memory of replacing avery. That’s what the institute does. If he remembers that experience of doing the same thing as his creators, maybe he’d integrate that into his personality. I don’t know if it’s fleshed out HOW DiMA’s mind works, if it’s like an actual person who can pick and choose what they learn from, or if it’s all turned into gained knowledge, or if I’m a dummy who needs to brush up on lore (good time to say that most of my interpretations came from my play through of far habit which I didn’t know existed until I accidentally started it, so. If anything I say or think is in contradiction to another route or such. Blame the naivety). But after he has that tape, he knows this is 1. Something that worked and 2. Something he’s willing to do with all the same reasoning as before. So he does it again.
Over all. I think if DiMA is hypocritical it works. He’s a machine over a hundred years old. That’s a lot of experience for a mfer who’s mind is supposed to develop and base itself on experience! His mind likely grows and changes rapidly based on events that happen to him. I can’t imagine he’s hypocritical without being written that way. Everything bad he does is for Acadia. I cannot interpret him as some malicious leader who wants to wipe out the other factions. Just someone who’s learned that sometimes the ends justify the means.
Anyways sorry autism rant OVER
Fo4 Far Harbor DLC spoilers
Replaying Far Harbor and watching vids abt the different lore it’s impossible to see DiMA as anything but an evil, hypocritical, and downright stupid monster. I don’t get how so many people love him.
He’s a murderer who had plans to obliterate an entire people and who did murder and replace an innocent woman. When you confront him about those memories that he purposefully removed bc he couldn’t live with how evil he is he’s like “I can’t believe I did that :’( we should totally do it again tho that’s a really good idea.” And then you can!!! It’s literally the exact same horrible things that the Institute does! He manipulates Kasumi (who we can determine by talking to the Institute, the people she knows, and by killing her in an Institute quest is not a synth) into believing she is a synth and lures her to the island with this manipulation!! He manipulates many others like this too to get his evil desires done in pretty obvious ways. I would count many of his synths, Nick, and the player among his targets.
If you’re sided with the Institute and you tell him and his synths to come back to it he says no but that he will not run and will not attack you. He condemns all of the synths in his “sanctuary” by taking not action and allowing you to go report back their existence to the Institute so that coursers can come reclaim or kill everyone there!! Same thing happens if you tell him you’re with the Brotherhood and synths existence is an affront to humanity he’s like “okay but we’re not gonna leave still” and then you can bring the Brotherhood forces to murder them all.
If you blow up some of the factions on the island he’ll be like “You’ve only brought death here >:( I hope you can live with yourself you monster!” Like that wasn’t his WHOLE ASS PLAN that he removed his memories of bc he couldn’t live with himself!!! Fucking hypocrite!!! This is only a few of his crimes. He is so evil and stupid it hurts.
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kc5rings · 18 days ago
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The idea of a character gear ask game sounds really fun! What kind of gear would you imagine Sussurro wears or would look good in?
I’m putting Sussurro in a sleepsack because girl needs a fucking nap, even if it is an enforced one
A good leather sleepsack is like a weighted blanket you can’t leave, and if it’s one with side handles she’s small enough for her play partner to cart her around pretty easily
That and a little sensory deprivation and I think she’d come out more refreshed than she’s felt in weeks
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lesbiansanemi · 6 months ago
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Google how to make peace with the fact that you will always be vaguely to extremely uncomfortable (depending on the day) with your body and how others perceive it until the day you die and nothing you do will ever change that
#I almost wish I was much more masc leaning than I am#so the answer would just simply be ‘go on t’#I keep seeing so many posts that are like hrt is good! this is your sign to go on hrt if you’ve ever wanted to!#GOD I wish I were that simple#(those aren’t bad posts that’s not the point they’re just not applicable to me and seeing the sentiment makes me sad and a bit frustrated)#(cuz for me it’s not that easy)#like are there some things T would do to my body that I would like?#yes absolutely. I would LOVE a deeper voice and fat redistribution#but like. that’s it#I would not want it to do anything else#in fact that idea of anything else and potentially ‘passing’ as a man makes me VISCERALLY uncomfortable#I do not want to be a man and I do not want ppl to perceive me as a man#but the same is true for being a woman#I do not like a lot of feminine traits but I do not want to strictly trade them for masculine ones#UNFORTINATELY you cannot pick and choose the affects of hrt#there is no way to ‘look androgynous’ (which is what I want)#(yes ik you can use shapewear and makeup and contour and that can do SOME)#(but it’s A LOT of work and effort I don’t have time or energy to do every day)#(and there’s still some things about my body I wouldn’t be able to alter doing stuff like that)#and it’s like sure I could go on T. but I’d still have this problem just the opposite direction#and it. sucks#it sucks so hard knowing there’s literally no conceivable way I will ever just have a body#that correlates to how I feel gender wise and will get people to ‘gender me correctly’#just based on how I look#and it’s something I’ve been thinking about recently a lot and it’s making me FHDJDKKSSKKSKS in a bad way#I know it’s cuz it’s pride month and I follow A LOT of trans ppl#who are posting trans pride and hrt and surgery info and stuff#(and obviously these are all very good things as I said)#it’s just. because of my particular situation they make me feel… bad#because I won’t ever have an option to be comfortable and happy with how I look lol
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noblest-roman-of-them-all · 3 months ago
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Contemplating the concept of "potential" when it comes to intelligence and realizing how heartbreaking Logan's "Dreams come true, that's news to me" line in the Crofters Musical.
#screaming into the void#definitely not okay today lads#i'm finding myself grieving my intelligence and contemplating if it was ever there to begin with#when i was younger i excelled in science so everyone assumed that i was a gifted kid despite my very obvious struggles in math and spelling#i was told over and over if i could just apply myself to other subjects the way i did with science#then i would do better in those subjects and reach my full potential#my identity was hung on my intelligence for me by the adults in my life none of them even considering a learning disability#now as an adult it all feels meaningless#especially having been forced into going to college where it was made very quickly and abundantly clear that I wasn't actually gifted#i was just average#that was absolutely devastating to me and it's a thing i struggle with and i want to be angry about it but i dont know how to be#i was told over and over in childhood that i could be anything when i grew up that i could do anything if i just put my mind to it#then recieved little to no actual educational support for any of it especially when i discovered writing#and i dont know if i was never as smart as i was told i was or never even had the potential i was told i had#or if i just didnt have enough support#i dont believe in myself anymore and i dont think i was ever actually believed in by the adults in my life either#i think they would have supported me better if they had#or maybe they just didnt know how to#my dad has wondered and questioned me about where my drive ans passion went and i dont have the heart to tell him that#it evaporated when he told me i wouldn't be successful as a writer when he told me that i would only be successful by going to college#when he constantly questioned everything i did and made me doubt myself over and over again#i dont know how to combat this feeling of worthlessness that comes from feeling lied to about my intelligence as a kid#i dont know how to comfort myself in the face of realizing i probably didnt have all then potential i was promised i had#and even if i did at one point have it i lacked the support necessary to nuture and grow it#how does one grieve being promised the world only to find out that was never truly an option?#how does one become comfortable with learning and growing again when it's been made to feel unsafe#and a threat to their frail sense of identity?#how does one find peace and contentment in an ordinary life when they were promised so much more?#not just promised so much more but expected to be so much more and now feel the weight of expectation on them?#i feel like i was promised the world and told that it would be easy to conquer and when it wasnt it was due to my own fault and failings
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pathofreason · 2 days ago
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"if you think movies make you bright then go on ig it seems to be working greatly for you" is such a genuinely disgusting and braindead take when movies like 12 Angry Men, Funny Games, The Lighthouse even, etc exist to name some incredibly basic picks exist. Or in general film directors such as for example Stanley Kubrick or Agnès Varda, again very well known and you don't have to dig through trash or waste a lot of time to find their stuff if you don't have the time to do so. Genuinely mind-blowing take especially coming from someone who, like myself, loves literature (mainly a lot of classics) and philosophy, even linguistics. Comfortably saying shit like that is crazy idgaf if it's on a random blog on Tumblr LOL.
What braindead money hungry idiots have been doing in the name of the art that is cinema (Netflix trash as you said, or Mubi bullshit or any director and team not affiliated with those one of my favourite examples being Luca Guadagnino) doesn't take away from the fact that there's people out there, including actors directors writers and so on who are dead, that actually give a shit about what they're making and what they're presenting to the world. One could also assume that if someone says they read books that they're a brainless pig because some of the most popular writers currently are Colleen Hoover and the like, forgive me for not being able to provide actual specific authors but I'm not in these types of braindead circles I'm just unfortunately aware of the popularity of a lack of basic common sense and critical thinking skills amongst this "type" of "story" and the consumers. But that wouldn't be right necessarily, since that type of book is not the only that has ever existed.
Anon's wording is insanely childish and they obviously don't understand that self care (including taking care of your body, this is hard to understand for some people apparently) and enjoying the moment is important for anyone not just women although they're right that women shouldn't promote being a brainless doll (the implications of "I'm just a girl" bullshit) although it doesn't apply to this blog in particular you're not promoting misogyny you're just feminine online and anon is mad about it LMAO.
But what pissed me off way more than anon being an idiot is the implication that watching movies equals you watch (only or primarily) Netflix esque cash grabs that actually require you to turn your brain off, because if you use common sense and have actual critical thinking skills you'd be watching something else, and even if that is not the primary conclusion then the only other option would be that ALL films are some sort of anti-intellectual propaganda.
I'm assuming that you're not some sort of "well actually movies suck and books are much better" or whatever idiot since I remember scrolling past a film recommendations post of yours a few days back, so I don't understand the wording and implications of the answer to the ask/this post. Regardless, this isn't some "personal attack" or whatever against you in particular, the wording (and with that, implications) just pissed me off insanely because I know many people genuinely think that way about cinema as a whole and while like I explained I do agree to an extent about specific things, that mindset is an extreme that is factually wrong and generally just stupid and braindead as hell LMAO.
Anyways like I said, once again, I'm not beefing with you nor am I asking for clarification or anything I'm just using your post (or well that one statement) to expand on a thought of mine. Feel free to ignore this, or add something, or give me film and literature recs of any kind/genre if you feel like it lol, I love asking people that
What's graceful about being ignorant? If you're a self care blog then shouldn't reading, watching movies and educating yourself be a priority? Not just typing "eat veggies!! light a candle!!" with the tag "#coquette" at the bottom. You have impressionable followers and promoting the "I'm just a girl 🎀..." mentality isn't graceful it's ignorant and fueling more misogyny into the world. But I guess it's all about looking cute and making everything an aesthetic huh
you clearly know nothing about me, just because I don't waste my time watching tv doesn't mean I'm not educated lmao
but hey if you think Netflix and movies make you bright, then go on ig, it seems to be working GREATLY for you <3
if you look a little closer, you will see that my content (not just here but also on my other platforms) is packed with posts on literature, philosophy, and classics. I also regularly publish both poetry and essays, AND I also study classics and Latin, so please stfu 🎀
the most misogynistic thing here is you assuming that just because I'm girly and pretty, I have to be dumb lol
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scarletcomet · 1 year ago
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I really need to get better and not want to hurt myself
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icewindandboringhorror · 2 years ago
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Daily Log 9
Trying out (probably just temporarily) making short daily-ish notes about things, in an attempt to see if it helps me be more reflective or productive lol.
Activities: Worked on the previously mentioned tapestry style painting thing for like 5-6 hours today (with a few breaks in between), and that's just for the border around the main picture lol.. I think all the little sections and detail always take longer than I think they might. But hopefully the final product will look interesting! :0
I feel like I'm entering another Sick Phase where I just am weird/ill/sleepy/having joint pains much of the day (probably some vitamin deficiencies or hormone imbalances or general bodily inflammation or whatever nonsense seems to randomly pop up from time to time lol), so couldn't focus on anything more intensive like writing or editing videos, unfortunately. It's good to have smaller crafts I can do that don't take much mental effort and are just menial hand tasks (like carving, painting, sculpting, etc.), but I still always feel frustrated falling behind on the things I see as much more broadly significant to my overall life and potential career (making games, writing, finishing videos, socializing, costumes, etc.)
Organized my desk a little. Responded to some doctor emails. Paid bills.
Planned out something I might make with pressed flowers tomorrow.
Edited like 4 costume photos.
Also have a lingering sense of dread due to the weather. The heat often makes me feel terrible, and if I'm already in kind of a Bad Phase at the moment, I'm afraid of it making it even worse... stimky..
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Which I know these temperatures are nothing to some people but.. to me... aUGHHHH... I am abnormally heat sensitive + live in a dinky old apartment with no ventilation that gets direct sun the hottest part of the day.. on a 90F day outside, it literally gets about 84F inside.. like.. even people who love the heat I feel like would struggle to sleep at night if their bed is 85F lol... hewwo.. You can spray yourself down with water, drink ice water, put a fan on yourself, etc. etc. but.. sometimes it just feels so oppressive and inescapable..
ANYWAY. Aside from painting, feeling weird, and dreading the upcoming heat/contemplating my entire life and how to get enough money to move to a different climate somehow one day/existential exhaustion/etc., I didn't accomplish very much lol
Spent maybe 30 minutes thinking about a little more worldbuilding stuff, and some things in reference to the game I mentioned resuming work on at some point.
Notable sights: The clouds were really pretty and pastel this afternoon, and some stars are visible in the sky for once since the nights are beginning to be clearer. The 'forget me not' flowers that I thought had died after transplanting actually seemed to be perked up and healthy looking today, and perhaps may actually survive. >:3
Goals moving forward: Do new poll adventure post. focus on social activities, finding new friends in the places I want to move, communicating with the ones I have. Physical therapy exercises. Finish and upload videos, edit costume pictures & etc. Do the new costumes I've planned. MAKE SCULPTURES at some point, I miss them.
Notable foods: Not much, kind of a warm day so didn't really want to use the oven. No idea how I'll handle the diet I've been put on by my doctors (involves usually cooking all food fresh, using the stove a lot, nothing is supposed to be canned or processed or premade, so that eliminates a lot of 'quick easy simple warm weather' meals, etc. etc.) during the heatwave. I might just have to break the diet a little and hope it doesn't give me stomach pains while I'm already hot and feeling sick lol..
I did have a boiled egg with some green onions on top, which is very simple but was refreshing somehow lol. Another ice cold ginger ale treat today, and some cold prune juice (which I know most people find gross/it's an old person food/etc., but I like that it's a smooth textured and not very sweet juice? Like it's slightly thicker than apple juice, has a lightly bitter taste, etc. I just find it nice for some reason. More evidence I am secretly an 85 year old wizard)
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#why can't it be global cooling instead of global warming.. what if everything was just ice and I was comfortable and happy all year around#heat also sometimes gives me like a.. mild situational claustrophobia (like not a place that you are confined in/can't escape#but more an environmental factor that's all consuming. Like when there's fires and smoke fills the sky for days and it's like no matter#where you are you could never get away from it unless you're locked inside shut off from the entire world. if you need a breath#of fresh air or are feeling too confined you no longer have the option of going outside. it's all toxic. etc.)#Or like part of why I hate long car rides is for that reason. If I'm 3 hours away from home there is no way for me to get home#other than to ride 3 hours back. If I suddenly decided I really would rather be home I could not get home quickly. the 3 hours#to get home is an inescapable barrier. No matter how sick I started feeling or how bad things are and how much I wish I was comfortable#and safe at home - the only way to get there is to get there. you knowwhat I mean lol? I can't just be home in 20 minutes#it's a 3 hour ride or nothing. etc. etc. Like if you're on a ship in the middle of the ocean and suddenly just desperately decided you need#to be back on land. there isn't anything you can do. nothing will get you back on land but to stay on the ship and travel the hours it take#to get there. there's no quick exit. No way out that isn't doing the thing you already really don't want to be doing anymore (being in a ca#r or being in a ocean or etc. No alternative route but to just suffer the situation longer). idk.. if that makes sense??#so with the heat sometimes it's like.. it's hot INSIDE and it's hot OUTSIDE and it's hot everywhere you go theres no escape#from it and nothing you can do but just.. be hot. no matter how desperate you are to just BE COLD even for a few minutes#you simply don't have the option. The only way to get cool again is to just wait out the hot weather. You can yearn for the feeling of a#cool breeze all you want but abdolutely nothing will get you colder than just to be miserable in place and wait for the passage of time.#I always get that feeling in the summer like after five 90+F degree days in a row you're like AAAAAAAAAA#JUST AN ESCAPE JUST A QUICK ESCAPE DEAR LORD ' and then 5 minutes later like 'hee he. no its fine. haha. im actually so okay#with my situation i am coping.' short bursts of heat induced frantic anxiety with some resigned calm in between ghjgj#ANYWAY. yes every year I complain about the same thing. I am a hater and a complainer first and foremost ggh.. I love to be honest and#express my thoughts and opinions. I think way too many people are so reserved and repress everything for the sake of like social etiquitte#or personal insecurity (like owrrying they're being annoying or talking too much or that novody cares what they say etc.)#and then that ends up causing passive agression and communication issues and resentments that boil under the surface for years because they#re never adequately expressed. I don't think complaining is an inherently negative thing and it's weird to me that people react so#like it's some sort of moral thing to be against it. Like of course within reason. don't complain to the point that you appreciate#none of the good things around you or like where you start bullying people or something. but broadly speaking. being able to express your#concerns and thoughts in small bursts easily and openly and release some of that tension is better than just holding onto it all and having#it come out larger later or making you internally miserable or etc.. ANYWAY.. yeaghh.. hate heat.. hopefully done with painting soon.etc.#daily log
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ghouljams · 2 months ago
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Ok nobody extrapolate anything about me from this...
The first time you cry in front of the 141:
The first time you cry in front of Ghost it's because you can't fucking take it anymore. All the little things, all the comments you know he didn't mean to hurt, all the conversations you ignored because you didn't want to make him feel like the bad guy, it all comes to a head. You don't even mean it to happen, and you feel like shooting yourself on the spot as soon as the tears start flowing. It feels manipulative. It feels disingenuous. You feel like a piece of shit having him awkwardly bundle you in his arms as you break down sobbing over a topic that normally would mean nothing to you. And it all comes out. All the worries and slights you ignored, all the fears and doubts, all the things that made you question if you could ever even start to bring up with him. Like throwing up, once it starts you can't stop it.
He looks like you've hit him when you finally escape his bear hug. You barely get the chance to take it in before you're thrust back into sobbing hysterics, blubbering out apologies, how you feel like you're manipulating him, how you're a bad partner, how you're sure he's going to realize he doesn't want you and leave. You barely hear the rough "Jesus Christ" over your own hiccuping.
Ghost shuffles the two of you over to grab you a t-shirt to blow your nose in while you're sniffling and wiping at your eyes. You feel pathetic having him hold the fabric to your face and telling you to blow.
"Didn't know ya made this much snot love," he jokes.
"You're dot funny," you whine, nose still clogged with wattery mucus as your tears finally start calming down.
"I know," he grumps.
"You're mad at me," you sniffle.
"I'm not," he sounds mad, "mad at myself. Shoulda seen ya keepin' things to yourself, I'm glad ya finally told me." His scarred mouth screws to one side. "Just gotta work on makin' sure we don't get to this point again."
-
The first time you cry in front of Soap it's because you're so fucking mad at him. He's arguing with you over nothing, the same way he always does when he's in a bad mood. Finding little things that dig at you and twisting just enough to make it not his fault when you snap. Back and forth with your barbs until you got to bed angry.
You can feel the tears burning at your waterline before they spill and you know your hot cheeks don't bode any better. You're not yelling but you almost wish you were, at least of you were yelling at each other it might make you feel better about the sudden waterworks. You hate when this happens. Too big an emotion in the body, it has to come out somewhere, you suppose this is just the quickest avenue. The way Soap's face drops from anger to concern pisses you off though.
"Hen, are ya-"
"I'm so fucking mad right now," you assure him, "don't look at me, don't even acknowledge them."
"Ah dinnae ken," His voice is getting softer, it only makes you more upset, "Oh my bonnie, ahm sorry ah didnae think this would hurt ya so bad."
"Fuck off," you try to push past him to lock yourself in the bathroom and he catches your arm to pull you against him. "Fuck off!" You shriek, pushing at him.
"No," he holds you a little tighter, "my mam would 'ave my heid hearin' ah let ya walk away from me like this, yer stayin' 'ere."
"I will fucking skin you Mactavish," you struggle harder.
"Aye anno, now shut up an' quit yer kickin'."
You do neither of those things.
-
The first time Gaz sees you cry it's because no one's ever seen you before. Even in your best relationships, your closest friendships, no one sees you like Gaz. No one picks you up from work with flowers and takes you by your favorite bakery just so you can have a slice of cake when you watch your comfort show. You're not even through the title music, Gaz sorting through your takeout options after he'd gotten you a "fancy plate" and a small fork to eat with, when you break down in sobs. He's on you immediately, hushing you as he gathers you into his arms. He's so attentive it hurts.
"It's OK baby," he hums, "don't have to talk about it, you just let it out."
God even that gets you crying. You don't have to get your words right or find a way to explain what you're feeling, you can just feel it. You try to think of a way to put it into words but it all lines up wrong, sounds too juvenile, doesn't make any sense even to you. There's no need to say anything though, Gaz just sits there with you, holds you through it as you wet his shoulder with your tears.
You don't even know why you're crying by the end of it, you just kept coming up with other reasons to cry. Jesus you don't think you ever got over your last grandparent dying, or losing that one friend, that's something to unpack later. You feel drained. Literally dehydrated drained. Gaz's shirt is soaked, but he doesn't day anything when you pull back.
He cups your cheek at wipes at the wet stains on your cheek with his thumb, eyes searching yours before he gives you a tight smile.
"Why don't you go take a hot shower, yeah?" He offers, you give him a watery nod, he smiles and pats your knee. "Alright, off you go. I'll be in, in a second."
The second time you cry in front of Gaz it's before he's got you pinned to the shower wall.
-
The first time Price sees you cry it's because you're tired. You're tired of giving everything to this relationship and seeing him leave right when things seem to be falling into place. His phone buzzes in the middle of the night and you don't stop the downpour when he grumbles out a swear and turns on the light. You glare at the ceiling and let the tears flow. It hurts. Tight in your chest. This feeling like you'll never be enough, like he'll always have something more important than you, it kills you. So why can't you leave him?
Are the good times really good enough to make up for the bad?
It makes him stop what he was doing when he sees the resolute grimace and the flow of tears over your cheeks. You shudder in a breath when he sits on the side of the bed. You refuse to look at him.
How could he do this to you?
"Sweetheart," he starts, his voice low, gentling, "I'm sorry."
"You're not." You correct him, "Otherwise you wouldn't keep doing it."
"You want me to choose between you and the world, you know what I'll say." He always sounds so sharp, ready to guilt you into giving up what he wants.
"I'm asking you to choose between me and paperwork," you bite back.
"You don't know-"
"You get phone calls when you're being deployed." You remind him, "You get reminders when papers are due." You turn to glare at him. The look on his face twists like a knife in your chest. You're dead on the money, and it's killing him. "So can this really not wait until the morning, are you really that eager to be rid of me?"
"I'm sorry," he tries again, toeing off his shoes, "you're right, I hadn't noticed." You turn over as he climbs under the duvet again. You fold your legs up as his arm drapes over you hip and he curls around you. His lips touch your shoulder, a silent plea for forgiveness. "Let me make it up to you, no more running into red tape I promise."
You don't bother agreeing to empty promises, but the next day he's had the paperwork sent from the base. The same the next day. Price always told you working from home didn't suit him. Waking you up with a cuppa on the other hand and walking you to the station does though.
He makes good on his promise, he doesn't run off until the next call comes in.
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