#stress response pathways

[piastappies]

ᯓᡣ𐭩 BEFORE US! ᡣ𐭩ᯓ

pairing. ollie bearman x webber!reader.

summary. a drunken encounter leads to a history straight out of rom–com, turning the world of a formula 2 driver upside down.

notes. reader tells ollie the plot of before sunrise. also, reader is said to be ollie’s age (kinda self-indulgent LOL) maybe part 2 of them meeting in spa? 😁

it was eleven in the evening, while you were having a good time on the streets of hungarian capital city. your actions were not exactly responsible as you were there with a friend of yours that you met online a few months ago. also, you weren’t exactly sure how you managed to strain away from your father and oscar. well, alright — there was a possibility that a train, a sweet smile and a promise to be safe were involved.

honestly, you don’t even know how you ended up in that small bar, but in the larger point of view, you were happy that you let lara drag you there. you already had a few drinks in, you were going back to your booth, when you accidentally bumped into a muscular, tall guy, spilling the drink on your white dress.

“shit, i am so, so sorry.” the boy — because you could easily notice that he must’ve been similar to you in age — spoke relatively slowly, probably out of kindness as he couldn’t tell if you were fluent in english or not. some would call it offensive, but you considered it slightly endearing that the boy tried to be as considerate as possible, knowing that not everyone in the world speaks english.

his face fell to your chest for a tenth of a second, a small cough escaping his lips, before his cheeks tinted pinkish from embarrassment that he even let himself be so blatantly disrespectful towards you. what made it even worse was that the once white dress became see-through.

“shit, shit, your dress. i– here, take this.” he stuttered, swiftly taking off his grey hoodie, letting you take a glimpse of his toned stomach for half a second as his shirt rolled up.

people around you two, suddenly stopped existing and maybe the alcohol you’ve consumed that night was at fault — or maybe it was the charming aura around him, but you honestly couldn’t care less. he was the only guy that wasn’t trying to harass you or make your night less fun and definitely more stressful.

“you shouldn’t apologise, it’s all my fault. i wasn’t paying enough attention.” your voice was loud, but yet still soft enough, so only the boy you bumped into could hear you. “i’m yn, my friend lara is there in the corner booth, do you… um, maybe wanna join us? so i can get you a drink for bumping into you?”

it might’ve been a risky move — he could always say no, laugh at you and go away, thinking you were the most embarrassing person in the entire bar. or he could think that you were a pretty cute, interesting girl that he’d like to spend a july evening with. and, fortunately for you, ollie introduced himself with a quick breath of relief (that he didn’t know he was holding), said that he’d love to join you and buy you a drink, but he was there with two other guys and one of the friends’ girlfriend.

so, upon hearing that, as a responsible human being, you… suggested that they should join you as well, because you really felt like getting to know ollie a tad better. upon hearing that he wasn’t there alone, you nodded with a small smile, before suggesting that it’s not really a big deal and that maybe the four of them would like to join you and lara, who wouldn’t have anything against it since she was a social butterfly, loving bigger crowds.

two and a half hour later, you ended up walking down the cobblestone pathway, while your newfound group of friends was a few steps ahead. lara quickly got along with kimi, eliska and gabriele, so you felt less guilty that you got so occupied in the endless conversation with ollie, slowly trailing behind the group. a month or two later, you were told by eliska that she saw the way you and ollie click and made sure you could get along.

you weren’t sure where the six of you were going, budapest was a gorgeous city, but keeping your eyes on bearman was pretty much enough. he had your arm hooked around his as you slightly started to stumble from the tiny gaps in the path. a giggle escaped your mouth as he whispered a really cheesy joke, his lips inches away from your ear. then, your drunken mind thought that you should come clean with the cute boy about why you’re actually in budapest.

“i have a confession.” you started quietly, your words barely above a whisper. ollie let you continue as he simply nodded. if you weren’t tipsy from all the strawberry daiquiris you had at the bar earlier, you would notice how his body tensed slightly, almost as if he was afraid of what you were about to say.

the first thing that came to his mind was that you had a boyfriend somewhere in monaco, while he was really getting a vibe from you that maybe you were interested in getting to know him as much as he wanted to get to know you. just half a second later came the thought that you knew who he was and it was just as awful. he hasn’t been in the spotlight of motorsport for a long time yet, but he was aware of how people’s perception on things change once they realise what he does, and he really, really didn’t want it to be the case with you.

“this is not something i usually tell people on the day i meet them, but you’re so genuine and so, so nice to me.” your words were coming off as rambling, though despite the lump in his throat, the prema driver couldn’t help but think that maybe he could live with the thought of you bumping into him on purpose if he could listen to your cute rambling for a few more minutes. “and i’m really enjoying spending time with you right now, and-and i don’t want you to think that i’m like a liar or something, because i really am not.”

“hey, breathe. whatever it is, i don’t think i’m gonna perceive you as a liar.” his quiet chuckle with a nervous undertone was enough for you to calm down a bit. his hand dropped to yours, squeezing it for a little more reassurance.

“that’s what i’m really hoping for.” you whispered, looking down at your jointed hands, a ghost of smile lingering on your face. “so, there’s this sport you might’ve heard of — or not, honestly if it wasn’t for my dad, i don’t know if i would, but — gosh, i’m sorry i’m rambling again. alright… there’s, um, formula one, right? i guess you know, because it is a big thing in england, i suppose.” oliver nodded once again, a pit in his stomach growing.

“the thing is… i’m in hungary for that exact reason. there was the grand prix this weekend and i came here with my dad, because, um… he’s a manager of, um, one of the drivers. oscar? he won today, yesterday, technically.”

ollie couldn’t believe what he just heard. he was so scared that you were pretending just to boast about hanging out with formula 2 and formula 3 drivers, while you were having an inner turmoil of your own, weighing pros and cons of telling him that you were the daughter of the mark webber. he could see the nervous expression on your pretty face and his heart swelled, knowing that in those two and a half hours of constant chatter he gained so much of your trust to be told that.

for other people it might seem like it was nothing, nevertheless ollie knew how much fake people you must’ve met in your life, who liked you for your father’s achievements and not you. god, for a moment he felt like crying.

“i was there too.” he gave you a shy smile. before you were able to overthink every possible scenario with the worst possible outcome, his smile widened, his hip gently nudging yours. “i’m racing for prema in f2.” he chuckled at your surprised expression.

bearman, as he was a tad more sober than you, could easily notice the weight falling off your shoulders, once you recognised him, quickly replaced by a blush of embarrassment that flooded your cheeks.

“that’s why i thought i’ve seen you somewhere.” you muttered, scrunching your nose, gears in your brain working overtime. “i’m sorry, it’s— i haven’t really been up to date with formula 2. but i remember you from saudi, i wasn’t there, but my dad was really impressed. everything makes sense now, though.”

“no need to be embarrassed or anything, i’m glad neither of us recognized each other. you made me feel like a normal teenager for once.” he grinned down at you, your face matching his as he let go of your hand, wrapping his arm around your shoulder, bringing you closer, but you couldn’t really complain.

you didn’t remember the moment, when your night turned into a reenactment of one of your favorite rom-coms — before sunrise. gabriele, kimi and eliska had to go back to their hotels, suspiciously at the same time, when lara’s curfew was coming. it was truly reckless for you to stay out with ollie till your train back to the place your father had rented for the four days stay in hungary. once you were alone, he made sure to keep you close to him at all times, so if an emergency occured, he’d be able to protect you.

“i feel like i’m in a movie.” your admission was soft as you slowly sat down on the grass in the park, the state of your white dress long forgotten as it’d be green once the sun was up.

“a movie you like?”

“my favorite one.” ollie smiled.

“tell me about it.” he suggested, plopping down next to you, uncorking the wine you two bought earlier in one of those 24/7 shops.

“it’s about two people that met on a train going across the europe.” you started explaining, ollie’s free arm slung across your shoulders once again, making you realize what his love language must be. “he’s american and she’s french, once they stop in vienna, he asks her to get off the train with him and walk around the town with him till he has to go to the airport, because it’s his last day in europe. she thinks it’s crazy, but she agrees and they spend the entire night together. nothing kubrick-esque happens there, all of the action happens during their dialogues. they share opinions and stuff. it’s kind of silly, but they end up in a park, too, with wine and stuff.”

“like us.” he commented, his eyes still lingering on your face as they were, while you were skimming over the plot of the movie.

“like us.” you repeated softly.

“so, what do they do in the park?” ollie asked another question, earning himself a small hum from you as you shifted closer, his thumb absentmindedly drawing shapes on your shoulder. your stomach was filled to the brim with butterflies as he asked all the right questions, made all the right moves, giving you all the right smiles.

“they kiss.” a whisper left your lips, tilting your head to get a better view of his face.

“they kiss.” it was the prema’s driver’s time to repeat the short sentence as you just nodded, noticing the way his eyes flickered to your mouth.

sweet silence embraced the two of you as bearman took his chance and leaned forward an inch or two, cautiously testing the waters. when you didn’t pull back, a smile tugged onto his face, before cupping your cheek with his free hand.

however, ollie didn’t kiss you for a moment that felt like eternity. his mouth just hoovered over yours, giving you a chance to back up, to show him that he read the signs wrong, but you didn’t. your eyes locked with his, before his lips were moving against yours in a sweet, gentle and almost tantalising manner. you couldn’t tell how long were you kissing for, but when the two of you finally pulled away, his mouth was tinted with the red shade of your lipstick, both with messed up hair and slightly swollen lips.

it was almost seven in the morning, while you were sitting at the train station with your hand clasped in ollie’s. the silence between you was truly the most comfortable thing in the world at the moment. budapest was slowly waking up in the background as you enjoyed his presence beside you.

“what do they do in the movie before they part ways?” he interrupted the silence.

“they promise to see each other in a six months time in the same place. they don’t exchange numbers or anything, though.” you recalled, wondering where was he going with this.

“and do they? meet, i mean.” he asked, already expecting the answer as you’d told him it was a trilogy.

“not in the set time. she can’t make it to vienna again, because her grandmother dies, but he does.” you nodded. “but they do meet each other again, eight years later, this time in paris.”

“good thing we’re not jesse and celine.” ollie joked, a grin tugging on your lips as you nod in agreement. “i do have your number, and we can see each other in spa on thursday, if you want to.”

“i do.” this time, you were the one to press a gentle kiss on his lips for a brief second as your train arrived. bearman just grinned back at you, leaving a kiss on your forehead. “i’ll see you on facetime then, and in belgium.”

ollie stayed for another five minutes after your train departed. his gaze dropping to the phone in his hand before he quickly sent you a message.

ollie: thank you for making this night amazing for me x

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Hi! Could make some writing notes regarding what happens to the human body when making out? Like the temperature increase and dopamine release, stuff like that? Or maybe just how the body reacts when you're nearby/interact to/with a loved one. I hope you're doing well! I love your posts!

Writing Notes: The Physiology of Love

Love can be distilled into 3 categories: lust, attraction, and attachment.

Though there are overlaps and subtleties to each, each type is characterized by its own set of hormones:

Testosterone and estrogen - drive lust

Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin - create attraction

Oxytocin and vasopressin - mediate attachment

When we are falling in love, chemicals associated with the reward circuit flood our brain, produce a variety of physical and emotional responses:

Racing hearts

Sweaty palms

Flushed cheeks

Feelings of passion

Anxiety

Two decades of research shows that when it comes to early-stage intense romantic love—the kind we often think of when we talk about being lovestruck—a very primitive part of the brain’s reward system, located in the midbrain, is activated first.

Some Physiological Reactions to a Kiss

Pulse and blood pressure increase

Pupils dilate

Breathing deepens

Rational thought retreats, as desire suppresses both prudence and self-consciousness

Lust

Driven by the desire for sexual gratification.

The evolutionary basis for this stems from our need to reproduce, a need shared among all living things.

The hypothalamus of the brain plays a big role in this, stimulating the production of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen from the testes and ovaries. While these chemicals are often stereotyped as being “male” and “female,” respectively, both play a role in men and women.

As it turns out, testosterone increases libido in just about everyone. The effects are less pronounced with estrogen, but some women report being more sexually motivated around the time they ovulate, when estrogen levels are highest.

Lust and attraction shut off the prefrontal cortex (includes rational behavior).

Attraction

Dopamine

Produced by the hypothalamus, is a particularly well-publicized player in the brain’s reward pathway – it’s released when we do things that feel good to us:

E.g., Spending time with loved ones and having sex.

High levels of dopamine and a related hormone, norepinephrine, are released during attraction. These chemicals make us:

giddy,

energetic, and

euphoric, even leading to decreased appetite and insomnia – which means you actually can be so “in love” that you can’t eat and can’t sleep.

Norepinephrine, also known as noradrenalin, may sound familiar because it plays a large role in the fight or flight response, which kicks into high gear when we’re stressed and keeps us alert:

Released more often at the beginning of a couple's relationship when many unknowns are present, putting the brain in a ‘proceed with caution’ mode.

Early in a relationship, there is heightened adrenalin, which causes feelings like butterflies in the stomach and a faster heart rate. There is also reduced activity in the parts of the brain that help us to make judgements, which is why you may be 'blinded' to another person’s faults in early love or infatuation,

Brain scans of people in love have actually shown that the primary “reward” centers of the brain, including the ventral tegmental area and the caudate nucleus, fire like crazy when people are shown a photo of someone they are intensely attracted to, compared to when they are shown someone they feel neutral towards (like an old high school acquaintance).

Attraction seems to lead to a reduction in serotonin:

It is a hormone that’s known to be involved in appetite and mood.

Interestingly, people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder also have low levels of serotonin, leading scientists to speculate that this is what underlies the overpowering infatuation that characterizes the beginning stages of love.

This explains why people in the early stages of love can become obsessed with small details, spending hours debating about a text to or from their beloved.

Attachment

The predominant factor in long-term relationships.

While lust and attraction are pretty much exclusive to romantic entanglements, attachment mediates friendships, parent-infant bonding, social cordiality, and many other intimacies as well.

The two primary hormones here appear to be oxytocin and vasopressin.

Oxytocin

Often nicknamed “cuddle hormone” or “hormone of love”.

Produced by the hypothalamus.

Released in large quantities during sex, breastfeeding, and childbirth.

This may seem like a very strange assortment of activities – not all of which are necessarily enjoyable – but the common factor here is that all of these events are precursors to bonding.

It also makes it pretty clear why having separate areas for attachment, lust, and attraction is important: we are attached to our immediate family, but those other emotions have no business there (and let’s just say people who have muddled this up don’t have the best track record).

The Brain During a Kiss

The brain goes into overdrive during the all-important kiss.

It dedicates a disproportionate amount of space to the sensation of the lips in comparison to much larger body parts.

During a kiss, this lip sensitivity causes our brain to create a chemical cocktail that can give us a natural high.

This cocktail is made up of three chemicals, all designed to make us feel good and crave more: dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin.

Like any cocktail, this one has an array of side-effects.

The combination of these three chemicals work by lighting up the 'pleasure centres' in our brain.

The dopamine released during a kiss can stimulate the same area of the brain activated by heroin and cocaine. As a result, we experience feelings of euphoria and addictive behaviour.

Oxytocin fosters feelings of affection and attachment. This is the same hormone that is released during childbirth and breastfeeding.

Finally, the levels of serotonin present in the brain whilst kissing look a lot like those of someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

No wonder the memory of a good kiss can stay with us for years.

Love happens less in the heart and more in the brain, where hormonal releases and brain chemicals are triggered.

Dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin are some of the key neurotransmitters that help you feel pleasure and satisfaction.

So, your body often approaches love as a cycle.

It feels good to be with that person, so your brain says, "Do that again."

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ⚜ Notes & References ⚜ Love ⚜ Kinds of Love

Thanks so much for your kind words. Hope you're doing well yourself! Would love to read your writing if these notes inspire you.

[theambitiouswoman]

Forgive yourself for what you didn’t know before you learned it, but now that you do, you have the responsibility and ability to act differently. Knowledge changes your perspective and equips you with tools to make better decisions. The past is a space of unawareness, but the present is an opportunity for growth.

The reason it makes a difference is because on a conscious level now your brain has processed new information, rewiring neural pathways to create awareness and understanding. This awareness allows you to consciously choose actions aligned with what you now know and giving you different results based on your actions as it aligns with the information.

Neurological Reason:

Your brain’s neuroplasticity lets it rewire and adapt when you learn something new. The prefrontal cortex helps you plan and act with awareness, while the hippocampus stores this new knowledge for future use. Over time, this process weakens old patterns stored in the amygdala—where guilt and shame live—and helps you focus on growth. By forgiving yourself, you quiet your stress response and make space for positive change.

[nenelonomh]

improving your memory

having a good memory is like having a personal archive of valuable information at your fingertips. it enhances efficiency by allowing you to recall facts, dates, and tasks quickly, making daily life and work more productive.

good memory also aids in learning, helping you retain knowledge and skills, which makes acquiring new information easier. it plays a crucial role in problem-solving by enabling you to draw from past experiences to tackle current issues.

additionally, remembering details about people—such as their names, interests, and past conversations—helps build and maintain strong relationships. keeping your memory sharp also has health benefits, as studies have shown it can delay cognitive decline and reduce the risk of conditions like dementia.

essentially, a good memory is a mental toolbox that equips you to handle life's challenges more effectively and can even help you stay organized and on top of things. improving your memory can be achieved through a combination of lifestyle changes and mental exercises.

below are some strategies:

stay mentally active: keeping your brain engaged is crucial for maintaining cognitive function. activities like solving puzzles, reading books, playing chess, or even learning a new language or musical instrument can create new neural pathways and enhance mental agility. continuous learning and challenging your mind can prevent cognitive decline and improve overall brain function.

get enough sleep: during sleep, your brain processes and consolidates information from the day. deep sleep stages, particularly REM sleep, are essential for memory consolidation. aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to ensure your brain gets the rest it needs to function optimally. establishing a regular sleep routine and creating a restful sleep environment can also improve sleep quality.

eat a balanced diet: nutrition plays a significant role in brain health. foods rich in antioxidants, such as berries, and those high in healthy fats, like nuts and avocados, can protect the brain from oxidative stress. omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are particularly beneficial for brain function. vitamins, especially vitamin E and B vitamins, are essential for maintaining cognitive health. staying hydrated is also important, as dehydration can affect cognitive abilities.

exercise regularly: physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, which can enhance memory and cognitive function. regular exercise promotes the growth of new brain cells and improves the connections between them. activities such as aerobic exercises, strength training, and even yoga can be beneficial. aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week to keep your brain healthy.

practice mindfulness and meditation: these techniques can help reduce stress, which is known to negatively impact memory. mindfulness and meditation encourage relaxation and focus, allowing your brain to function more efficiently. regular practice can increase grey matter in the brain, which is associated with improved memory and learning. incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine can help you stay present and retain information better.

stay organized: keeping your environment and tasks organized can significantly improve your ability to remember things. using tools like calendars, to-do lists, and notes can help you manage your time and responsibilities more effectively. breaking tasks into smaller, manageable steps and setting reminders for important deadlines can also enhance your ability to remember and complete tasks.

limit sugar intake: high sugar consumption has been linked to cognitive decline and impaired memory function. excessive sugar intake can lead to inflammation and oxidative stress, which can damage brain cells. reducing your sugar intake and opting for healthier alternatives can help protect your brain and improve cognitive function over time.

stay socially active: engaging in social activities and maintaining relationships can stimulate your brain and keep it sharp. social interactions can provide mental stimulation and emotional support, both of which are important for brain health. joining clubs, volunteering, or simply spending time with friends and family can help improve your memory and overall cognitive function.

incorporating these strategies into your daily routine can help keep your brain healthy and improve your memory. consistency is key, so try to make these practices a regular part of your life.

i hope this post was helpful! 🫶nene

[cremedensada]

Yandere Filipino Mythical Creature

content warning: physical torture (not sure if it counts as torture , but the character is definitely in pain) , implied character death

It's the afternoon. It wouldn't be until a few more hours now until the sun sets into the horizon, but you're not worried about walking home at night.

Sure, this street was incredibly known as a hotspot of supernatural events, but that was practically all superstitions. Wherever a gigantic balete tree grew, a lot of people immediately decided it would cause hauntings and whatever. You never understood why they feared it - it was just a tree. You've walked down that path time and time again, and nothing weird or crazy happened. Except, perhaps, for the unexplainable feeling of dread, hairs on your skin standing up as a voice in your mind whispered and murmured about the feeling of being watched.

Walking outside the local convenience store, you count the remaining coins you have left after buying a bottle of soda. After quite the stressful day, you definitely deserve to splurge a bit, future you can fuck themselves.

A wrinkled hand grabbing your wrist jolts you out of your reverie, and you look up - gazing right into the haunted eyes of an elderly woman.

"'Gang," she murmured, "I sense the presence of an evil spirit taking an interest on you. You need to be careful."

You blink.

Yes, you never understood why the elders especially believed in the supernatural - everything had an explanation, after all. But perhaps it's because of how they sell the stories - the looks in their faces, the tremor in their hands, and the sheer insistence in their voices. That, perhaps, is what fuels the fear and continued beliefs.

"Po?"

"Kaluy-an ka sa Dios," she says, mournfully, "don't walk by the balete tree down the street. Take a detour."

She points towards the street ahead of you, the gigantic balete tree standing proudly amidst the busy-ness. A few people congregate around the base of the formidable tree; some, you recognize, have started to settle down and drink. Everyday, the drunkards start drinking earlier and earlier.

You turn towards her, and it's clear she's awaiting a response. Her eyes unnerve you - her gaze permanently looks stricken and focused, like she's looking at you and at the same time past you, looking at something incorporeal.

"I'll be fine, po," you reassured politely, giving her a smile that you pray to whatever deity that it looks comforting and not awkward nor fake. "Thank you for your concern."

You hope that was enough to placate her.

It was, kind of. She nodded and relaxed, but the fear remained in her eyes.

"They've been getting even bolder these days," she mutters, turning to rummage through her leather bag, "not many kids your age seem to believe us old folks anymore. Pah!"

You swallowed down the sigh. Yeah, you were wondering when the whole 'kids these days' script would start. You almost expected it now.

The old lady hands you a small bottle, inside it is a clear liquid - it looked a little bit more viscous than water.

"Keep it with you at all times. It'll keep you safe," she instructed, before hobbling off.

You look down at the tiny bottle in your hand before shrugging. You have no clue how this will protect you or whatever, but sure, you suppose. Your mother raised you to not be disrespectful of gifts from the elderlies even if you have no fucking clue how to make use of them.

You continue on walking, crossing the street and towards the pathway passing by the balete tree. It looks bigger up close, it always does. The feeling of dread bubbles up once more, but this time, your hands shake.

Perhaps you were unconsciously affected by the old lady's warning than initially thought.

You pause right in front of the tree. Your heart beating like crazy in your chest, and what was once just mere murmurs in your mind now felt like screaming, a buzz in your ear annoyed you - your instincts told you it was dangerous.

At that moment, you considered heeding the old lady's words. Sure, it'd be quicker to reach home this way, but with how your instincts were acting...

"Hello? Earth to stranger - are you okay?"

You jolted, heart racing. Standing in front of you was a stranger - a man smiling down at you. He seemed amused at your surprised expression.

"Sorry, sorry. I got lost in my mind for a sec," you reasoned with an embarrassed smile.

The stranger laughed lightly, the sound of his voice making your heart flutter unusually. You take a good look at him while he laughs.

His hair was dark and fluffy, too good to be looking that effortlessly natural. His skin could only be described as sun-kissed, glowing beneath the remaining rays of sunlight.

The stranger looked at you once again, his gaze intense as if committing your image to memory. Brown eyes, flickering into gold whenever the light hits just right.

"The name's Kaizer. Just call me Kai." He looked ethereal.

Out of politeness, you give him your name as well. Kaizer smiles.

"I know," he says, "I heard the people here mention it in passing. Want me to walk you home?"

The feeling of dread returned tenfold, the tiny bottle in your hand felt heavy. "It's fine. I'll be on my way—"

"Oh, but I insist," he continues smiling, "come on now, you don't believe in stories about how spooky balete trees are, do you?"

You take a step forward. It feels as though your body is moving on its own.

"I mean, if the tree was so scary, then why are people always hanging out around here?" Kaizer gestures to the few people lounging at the base of the tree. The drunkards you spied from before were still there, laughing and slurring their words as they passed a shot glass filled with beer to each other. A group of women were gathered as well, gossiping mothers and aunts - you presumed - paying you two no attention as if you weren't there.

Before you could respond, you felt the tiny bottle in your hand crack. It broke with a loud shatter, though miraculously your hand remains unharmed as you checked and fussed for damage.

Kaizer flinched at the sound, wincing before schooling his expression back to a smile. "What was that? It smells horrible."

Does it? You bring your hand to your nose and sniffed. Nothing. "I don't smell anything."

"Yeah, I figured," Kaizer retorted.

You have no idea what he means by that, or anything at all. You open your mouth, a question on the tip of your tongue—

Kaizer turns to look at you and beams once more. "Here we are!" He gestures to the black painted gate, the familiar house looming behind it. Your house.

Since when did the two of you arrive here? Not even a second ago you were both still underneath the tree. It usually takes you about five minutes more to get here.

You look up at Kaizer in confusion, and he seems to understand why. He merely smiles, reaches out to graze his fingers against your cheek and barely holds out a shuddering sigh. "Don't go out tonight, yeah?"

With that, he walks away - back to the balete tree. Perhaps he lived nearby the tree, which is why it was there where you met him.

You never thought to ask him how he knew where you lived.

——————

It was midnight. Gloria hobbled down the street. At the back of her mind she prayed that the young individual she spoke to at the front of the convenience store heeded her words.

Never in her seventy-five years of being alive had she sensed the presence of pure evil lingering around a mortal like it did with them. Alas, she wasn't as strong as her ancestors, so the little bottle containing the oil meant to protect them was all she could do.

She turned left and halted. The balete tree stood at the other end of the street, the atmosphere was eerie and cold.

Gloria turned back, retracing her steps. She pulled another bottle of the oil that she keeps for her own protection, and studied it. It was bubbling. A little bit, but it bubbled nonetheless.

The presence of a spirit was around the area.

She continued to hobble away, heart pounding as she kept glancing down the bottle and towards the path in front of her. Left, right, right, left — the balete tree stood at the other end of the street. The oil bubbled violently, like water boiling on the stove.

She turned again, eyes darting from left to right, behind, and forward. Something was after her now. The spirit was stalking her like she was its prey.

Where was she heading? Where should she go? Why was she even out in the streets at this hour?

The moment of clarity hit her the moment she finally reached her destination.

The giant balete tree stood in front of her. Gloria doesn't remember being out here in the first place.

"Are you lost, madam?"

Chills rose through her spine. The oil bubbled violently, before the bottle cracked in her hands. Sharp edges of the broken glass bottle broke through her skin.

Gloria turned to look, and her knees shook. She couldn't describe what she was seeing. The lady let out a choked sob, barely resisting the urge to claw her eyes out.

Kaizer stood in front of the pitiful lady, not a look of concern on his face. He spared her no sympathy as she fell to her knees.

"I gotta hand it to ya, madam, those oils you make to protect yourself from us is powerful," he says, hands in his pockets, "wonder how long it took for you to create something like that to ward off the likes of us. Too bad it doesn't work on me."

"It should have," Gloria refuted despite the despair in her voice, "it should have repelled you, you demon—"

She choked again, clutching at her throat. Something was preventing her from speaking, like someone had her windpipes in its grasp and ever so slowly tightening it.

"Sorry to disappoint," Kaizer approaches Gloria's kneeling form, "actually no, I'm not."

An unseen force pushes Gloria to stand up, up, up, until she can barely feel the ground beneath her feet. The hold on her windpipes continues to tighten.

"It took me so long to create a corporeal form, madame. I wanted to look perfect in their eyes," he spoke reverently, a look of awe on his face as he reminisced the memory he had with you, "I finally got to meet my darling today. Escorted them home like a gentleman would."

Gloria let out a guttural howl, devastated at what he said. Kaizer shoots her an irritated glare in response, and the grip on her throat tightens considerably.

"Mind your manners, madam," he chastised, as if he was not taking the form of an individual much younger than Gloria herself, "did anyone ever tell you not to interrupt people when they're talking?"

Gloria swallowed a sob, afraid of what he'd do to her if she were to say anything.

He looks at her with scrutiny before sighing. "As I was saying," he resumed, the smile once again returning to his face, "it felt like a dream come true. How funny, I bet you didn't think spirits like me are capable of dreams. We're actually capable of a lot of things."

Kaizer snapped his fingers, and the force keeping her afloat dissipated. Gloria slammed back down the ground, groaning in agony as pain flared through her feeble body. She didn't say a word other than letting out sounds of pain and whimpers, afraid to find out if he'd choke her again.

Gloria sobbed as Kaizer – the evil spirit that he truly was – grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head to meet his gaze. Red, gleaming and viscous, like blood.

"Listen here, Gloria," Kaizer hissed, the utterance of her name has her paralyzed with fear, "I will not let anything, and I mean anything get in the way of my beloved and I. Do you understand that?"

He looked at her like anything other than an absolute yes would not be accepted. She nods.

Pleased, Kaizer lets go of her. "Good."

Gloria weeps freely now, shaking and crying out in fear as the demon in front her merely stood and watched her despairing on the ground.

She looked up, meeting his gaze despite the struggle and the pain in her muscles pleading her to stop. At the back of her mind she knew, there was no way she'd get out of here alive. She would die in the demon's hands.

"Why are you doing this?"

Kaizer blinked, pretending to consider her question before smiling. A smile that would probably make someone's heart flutter. A smile that made Gloria's chest fill with dread.

Kaizer settled with a response: "Wouldn't you do anything for love?"

With a blink of an eye, Gloria found herself in the middle of the street. She could barely register the harsh bright headlights of a car speeding towards her before—

—————

It's the afternoon. It wouldn't be until a few more hours now until the sun sets into the horizon, but you're not worried about walking home at night.

Mostly because you make sure to be home before sundown.

You walk out of the convenience store, yawning. Today you had decided to treat yourself to another juice bottle; at the back of your mind you considered to try and not spend more money this week, especially your savings but you were never one to follow through.

You glance towards the street ahead of you, the gigantic balete tree standing proudly amidst the busy-ness. A few people congregate around the base of the formidable tree; some, you recognize, have started to settle down and drink. Typical.

Whatever, you could care less anyway. This would not be the first time you had to pass through the drunkards. At least they're too busy wasting the afternoon away drinking than harass you.

Nevertheless, you grip the strap of your bag tightly, and breezed across the street. You passed to the other side safely, passed by the drinking men without issues, and passed by the balete tree.

You let out a relieved sigh before continuing on your journey. A part of you wonders why you felt as though someone was staring at you - heart pounding in your chest as you willed the feeling to go away. It was probably due to the stress and tiredness that made your mind to conjure up such thoughts.

Back at the balete tree, its inhabitant watches you walk pass, unaware of its presence. Soon, it would show itself to you. A form that you would find pleasing to look at - something that would be able to touch you and approach you and talk to you. Just you wait.

—————

Translations:

'Gang - dear (affectionate term to younger individuals, commonly used by the elderlies)

Kaluy-an ka sa Dios - May God bless you

Honestly at this point I don't care if any of this doesn't make sense I just want to write something lol

[nayatarot777]

Karma For Your Fake Best-Friend

• Pile One •

The first message that I’m seeing is that your fake best friend will have to give birth (figuratively) to a very difficult beginning. This is part of their karma because this beginning is full of Saturnian energy, and Saturn is the planet of karma. They will have to help other people with very difficult times in their lives which may be something that they didn’t do before because I’m picking up on a very selfish energy from this person. However, now other people’s situations and what other people have created for themselves and their lives will leave your best friend as the helper - which they’re clearly not happy about. I’m hearing that this person made their bed and now they have to lie in it. They’re stagnant. They feel restricted from creating anything new in their life. For someone in particular, I’m getting a very dark message and that’s about how your best friend could experience difficulty either literally giving birth or difficulty getting pregnant which will cause a lot of distress. The burdens that they are feeling from this karma are going to make them feel extremely aged. They are going to feel like they’re the one who is being forced to be responsible in comparison to everyone else - for the sake of everyone else - while they’re feeling like this should be in reverse. They feel like everyone else should feel responsible for them but that’s not going to happen.

They’re going to lose a lot. Their life is going to seem empty and bare. This could be about them losing possessions that they found integral to their identity such as clothing and jewellery, or they could lose their money which was a huge part of their identity. I’m just seeing this person really having to count their blessings and the little that they have left. I’m also hearing that this person is going to become physically sick due to anxiety and this will show on their face and in their body. They’re going to look physically unwell and that feeds into the message about them feeling like they’re physically and internally aging under this difficult change. One of the things that they are going to have to count as a blessing are the positive memories that they have from the past. They’re going to have to hold onto these memories quite tightly because they are incapable of creating new and positive memories for themselves again. They feel restricted from creating anything in their life. They’re not going to see a way out of their anxiety. They are constantly being placed in positions that confuse them. That make them worry and that leaves their minds incapable of interpreting what they need to clearly. They’re going to be trapped in their head and feeling like there is no way out.

For some in this pile, this fake best friend downplayed your anxiety or treated your anxiety as if it wasn’t a real thing or as if it wasn’t important, and now they’re experiencing severe anxiety that’s trapping them in a mental space that they don’t want to be in. There are three cards in total here about new life and new creation, so there’s a major emphasis on how nothing new will come into their life for a very long time because the energy of Saturn is very slow moving. It’s the one of the slowest moving planets in our solar system, so any karma - positive or negative - that we experience due to Saturn is prolonged for a very long time. This person‘s life will consist of the same-old stressful, burdensome routine. They have to watch everyone else around them in their life, moving onto bigger and better things. Moving onto new pathways and lifestyles that clearly fill them with inspiration and joy and happiness, but they’re going to be left out of this. This is definitely affecting their dating life too. They’re not going to experience meeting anyone new and their dating life could be something that they identified with. They could be very relationship-oriented people and they might feel like they don’t know what to do without a partner. Whether this is a committed partner or someone who is just entertaining them for the time being. Either way, they’re not going to experience any new flame or any new passions in the area of dating. This person is having to feel fragmented. There’s a lot of dissociation here. They feel like they can’t get up off the ground and they feel like they can’t move forward in their life because they’re plagued with a sense of weakness and fragility. Their mind is very fragile too. They feel like they are a very fragile person who’s easy to damage and break. They feel very broken. Especially mentally. Their intuition is also going to be damaged. Their perspective on people and things as well as themselves will also be very distorted. They won’t be able to see clearly in an intuitive way.

Extended Reading: How Do They Feel + What Do They Think About You/This Situation?

YouTube

Personal Reading Info

• Pile Two •

This fake best friend pretended to be innocent. They wore a mask of someone who was all about helping and healing, as if they were someone who couldn’t hurt a fly. But in actuality, they pretend to embrace and accept others for the sake of helping people who they’re actually leading to their demise. It’s almost like this person sees people as lambs who they lead to slaughter. They underestimate other people’s intelligence and it’s probably because they prey upon genuinely innocent and soft people - and you are most likely one of them. However, as their karma, they’re going to end up being seen as the innocent lamb being led to someone else’s slaughter house. This sounds very graphic because it is. It’s very sinister - just like their energy is. They’re going to be baited by someone who also portrays themselves as innocent, just like they do, and whoever this person is that meets your fake best friend, they are going to see your best friend as a genuinely innocent and unassuming victim of their’s. This person is encountering someone who is exactly like them and this is someone who they’ll be in a very strange romantic relationship with.

They are going to be drained by this person energetically because this person is a huge energy vampire and this person is also very possessive over this fake best friend. However, the possessiveness is overlooked by onlookers because this person pretends to be loving and innocent towards your fake best friend, but there’s something very strange about their relationship. This fake friend is clearly not happy in this relationship but they feel trapped. And they might not even know why because, on the surface, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong. But energetically they are picking up on the fact that this person that they’re in a relationship with is someone who is actually very dangerous for them to be around - although they can’t pinpoint why. This person who they’re with has a very good mask of innocence. It’s funny how this works because you’d think that your fake best friend (being a master of glamour magic to the point of being able to lure people in with an innocent facade) would also be good at pointing out another person’s fake and innocent facade - but they’re not. This fake friend will be trying to practice positivity but they’re going to struggle with this. They’re not going to see a happy horizon for them to move towards.

They are going to feel a sense of emptiness as if there are holes in their soul that they can’t fill. As if there’s a hole in their mind that they can’t mend. They’re going to feel like they can’t make sense of anything nor can they feel anything. This person is hitting rock bottom. There’s something about this person’s ability to learn being painful for them. This is a very painful learning experience for them. The lesson that they attract what they are. And that because of the fact that who they are is not a good person, they’ve attracted someone who is not a good person either. It seems like whatever they feel like they know about relationships or people or themselves is being shattered. They might have perceived themselves as a very intelligent person who could get away with anything if they were sly enough, but that ego is being shattered and it’s almost like they’re seeing the Uno reverse 😂. They felt like they were the one in control of others this entire time. When in reality, they’re the ones being controlled and encroached upon. People aren’t going to have sympathy for this person when they cry about how depressed they are. Nor about how much pain they are in. Nobody is going to have sympathy or empathise with them and that’s most likely because people can’t really see or feel the sinister energy from their partner like they can. I’m also seeing that people will dismiss their feelings and tell them to just be positive. Kind of like toxic positivity. Their anger and triggers in this relationship will also be downplayed and dismissed by their partner, so there’s an energy of them forcing themselves to pretend to be happy when they’re actually the complete opposite.

Extended Reading: How Do They Feel + What Do They Think About You/This Situation?

YouTube

Personal Reading Info

• Pile Three •

This fake best friend was someone who enjoyed invading your boundaries and violating your boundaries too. This is someone who tried to dominate. This is someone who makes people feel like they are vulnerable and powerless. This person brought a lot of death moments to your life. A lot of permanent endings. They could’ve tried to dominate your energy and your boundaries through clinging to you in someway or trying to always be around you, and this was the way that they tried to cause permanent endings in your life. By distracting you from the things that you needed to do or not leaving you with enough space and time to focus on yourself. They made you feel obligated to do this. As for their karma, they’re experiencing all of this for themselves. They’ve invaded someone else’s boundaries and that person is getting vengeance. Your fake best friend is going to feel the need to go into hiding. And this is some intense isolation which is something that they are not used to because I’m seeing that they are quite vampiric towards others’ energy. They feed off of other people. So this intense isolation will cause them to feel very alone and ignored.

I’m seeing a lot of paranoia for this person. They’re not going to let anyone in because they’re trying to get away from the person who is now trying to invade their boundaries - but this is someone who your fake best friend invaded the boundaries of first. This person acts like they’re not aware of how they hurt people, but this person’s karma is that they’re going to hurt themselves and not even realise it. They’re going to be blinded to the pain that they are causing themselves through this paranoia and through this overprotective energy that they have over themselves. This person is trying to find peace inside of that isolation, but this is out of reach for them because they know that someone is extremely vengeful and out to get them. Someone is looking for them and waiting to act on their vengeance and this fake best friend can’t relax.

Extended Reading: How Do They Feel + What Do They Think About You/This Situation?

YouTube

Personal Reading Info

[typicalopposite]

🫶 making myself write monday 🫶

another day another scheduled post! :) so technically this was a making myself write sunday... but whatever! shout out to @bidisasterevankinard -- consider this your tag! -- for the prompt! (and so you know who to blame for what I'm about to do!!!

(TW: mpreg cause we live here now)

See you around, Buck.

He has replayed those words over and over and over and over in his head ever since Tommy pulled the door closed behind him. 

Now, there’s loud knocking on the same door, but he’s unable to call out that it’s open. Thankfully, Maddie tries the knob and pushes the door in, hurrying into the loft and over to Buck. “Hey,” she says softly, prying his phone out of the death grip he has on it. She ends the call that is still connected to her phone— where he tearfully had told her what happened before going silent… before going numb— and sits the phone on the table. “Buck…” Maddie tries again, after getting no response the first time. “Can you look at me?” 

He barely can even hear her; her voice is faint thanks to the rushing of blood in his ears and the pounding of his heart. He blinks, and finally the pools of tears release, pouring down his face. “He— he— he…”

“Shhh…” Maddie shushes him, drawing him into her arms. 

“He left.”

“I know.”

“He left Maddie!”

“I know, Buck. I’m so sorry.”

His breaths come in short gasping spurts and Maddie continues to plead with him to calm down before he passes out. 

“He— He— He left… us!” 

~~~

(An hour earlier)

Buck bounces on the balls of his feet nervously as he waits for Tommy to reach his apartment. 

He has spent the entirety of the day stressing over this moment. Running through exactly what he is going to say over and over and over and over. Reciting the life changing speech to himself in the mirror, to himself in the Jeep, then once to Maddie at dispatch so he could get some much desired feedback. “Buck… calm down. This is— it’s a lot, I know.” She reached up and cupped his cheek, smiling at him in that more-motherly-than-sisterly way she does to make him feel better. “But it’s going to be fine, you can do this.” 

This…  The ‘this’ in question is huge— or it’s going to be, anyway. Maybe the biggest thing to ever happen to him in his entire life… and scary, too. Terrifying even. But it won’t only affect him, so now— before they can move forward to this new journey— he has to tell Tommy. 

A quick knock at the door has Buck nearly vibrating out of his body. He walks over and opens the door, instantly met with Tommy’s gorgeous face and his to-die-for smile. “Hey!” he says, stepping forward and catching Buck by the hips to pull him in for a kiss. 

Buck feels the butterflies flutter to life in his stomach; they are never able to settle for long, not with Tommy. He is always saying something to rile them up, or doing something— or texting or calling or just existing in Buck’s memory and keeping them active. Buck is so in love with this man it kind of overwhelms him… and he hasn’t even had the chance to actually tell him that yet! Now there is this— this huge, scary announcement— throwing a hurdle right in the pathway to those three little words. By hurdle, of course, he means a power boost, like in those little racing games he gets his ass kicked by Chris in… Tommy always says they are going at his speed; that speed is about to increase tremendously. 

But it’s okay. 

Tommy is amazing. And kind. And caring and understanding and— well right now he is just rambling about parking spots and their movie date. Buck finally finds his voice and interjects to ask if they can talk. Tommy bounces off his jittering nerves with light humor, dismantling the tension with a playful uh oh as he sits down. “So I have been thinking about what you shared with me the other night…” Buck says.

“My spumoni?” Tommy says back, hands clasped together. 

“No… not your spumoni,” Buck laughs— spumoni actually sounds pretty appetizing, come to think of it… maybe they can get some to celebrate! “Uh… I- I was thinking a- about what you said regarding kids.” Tommy’s brows furrow, so Buck continues. “About how you’ve never really given much thought to the idea, b- but you’re not necessarily opposed to it either.” 

“Yeah, I did say that.” Now Tommy looks worried and that is causing Buck to lose the very minimal grasp on his own bravery. “I do love kids, it’s just— our line of work is a little—”

“Intense?” Buck concludes; Tommy nods. “A- And you're right… but— but see most people in our line of work… they don’t have the amazing support system that we have!” 

“Uh, that… is true,” Tommy says, face very unreadable. 

“So really… the idea of a kid loses some of its intensity thanks to that, right?” 

“Evan… what exactly are you—”

“I’m pregnant…”

He blurts it out, just like that. Now it’s out there and he can’t take it back and his heart feels like it’s being twisted; blood and oxygen are being cut off… He tries to judge Tommy’s reaction by the stark lack of reaction plastered across his face. He blinks, and takes in a deep breath. “W- Wow,” he manages. 

“Yeah… it’s, uh, crazy right?” 

“Mhmm…” 

“B- But we will be fine, you know. Because we have that amazing support system, and we have each other! We— We’re gonna be a family.” Tommy smiles at him— smile is too strong of a word— Tommy honestly looks constipated to him. “Hey…” he says, taking Tommy’s hand. “We— We are going to be fine. I’ll have to go on light duty but—” he gives a soft laugh. “—you know me. There’s no way they’re getting rid of me until I absolutely have to leave. So— so income won’t be a problem.” Tommy still looks pale and like he might pass out, so Buck squeezes his hand. “W- We can… move in together to— to your house… since you have extra rooms.”

“Evan…”

“Maddie is the only one who knows, I just needed someone to calm me down about telling you!”

“Evan…”

“But I’m going in the morning to tell Bobby… I want to be so careful because this—” He can’t help himself; he lets a hand slide across his flat belly. “This is something I have always wanted, and I think we’re gonna be amazing dads.” 

“Evan!” Buck startles at the incline in Tommy’s voice, he hardly ever raises his voice… much less to him. Tommy sighs. “We can’t move in together…” 

“What, wh- why not.” 

“Because, this… it’s not going to work.” Buck feels like his face is on fire; it’s hot and tingling and he can already feel the first drop of a tear to his cheek. “Please don’t— don’t cry.” Tommy looks so remorseful— that doesn’t go with his actions, though. “Look Evan, I think you’re going to be a great dad, but no matter how bad I want to be… I won’t.” 

“Y- You don’t know that.” 

“No, I— I do actually…” he says. “I’d be terrible… and I wouldn’t plan on it, and I wouldn’t mean to… but I’d only make everything worse for them and for you. I just— I should go.” He stands up, letting his hand slip free of Buck’s.

“W- Wait, hold on… wait a minute. Did you just… break up with me?” 

Tommy stops almost at the door and sighs, rubbing a hand over his face and holding it against his neck. “Yeah… I guess I did,” he says with a weak laugh. “Believe me I didn’t see it coming. I guess… I should have known that parking spot was too good to be true…” He stares back at Buck with the most heartbroken expression and Buck wonders who’s heart is breaking more right now; mostly he wonders why Tommy is doing this, and if he really believes the things he said. “I’ll see you around Buck.” Then he’s gone; and the loss of his name is almost as hard as the loss of Tommy. 

He stares at the door in shock until his phone rings. It’s Maddie, calling to see how things went.

and lastly but not leastly because this is my favorite part! Throwing out some tags so I can see what yall are working on!

@30somethingautisticteacher @nine-one-wanton @judymarch15 @sunnywithachanceofbi @herrmannhalsteadproduction

@onthewaytosomewhere @lavenderleahy @unhingedangstaddict @somethingaboutfirefly @silversky9

@piratefalls @exhaustedpirate @hyperfocusthusly @quintessenceofdust88 and anyone else who wants to join in!

[elioslover]

Run-Ins- Harry Styles x reader

Premise: Harry decides to challenge a heatwave, If it weren't for a surprise run-in with an over-zealous puppy and its disgruntled owner, things would have been much worse.

Warnings: Sexy, sexc sweaty Harry. Gender neutral!

Word count: 3.2k || Other Writing

☀️

Skin sticking to shirts, the breeze carrying summer in full swing. It hadn't even reached ten am, and the weather was already swelting, only increasing by the minute. Harry had already tried to beat the heat, changing what was supposed to be an early afternoon run to one he was currently stepping out the front door to attend.

The rays of the sun had followed him since waking up, shining on him throughout the act of making coffee, blinding him from sitting on the porch and checking his phone for emails and notifications.

Harry didn't have a strict schedule for the day; the only thing he wanted to complete with certainty was his daily run. It was criminal enough that he had missed out on two opportunities last week and with the promise of a pure, stress-free fifty minutes, something that becomes increasingly sacred as more and more responsibility is piled onto his plate.

Without this one piece of his habit, he had zero routines to fall back on, and he felt stir-crazy at just the idea of sitting out his run for the sake of avoiding possible heatstroke.

Besides, the weather was still reasonable; he would just have to dress lighter and take extra care remembering to carry a bottle of water in case. Showering could wait until later- after all, he was unlikely to see or be seen by anybody.

So, with that, Harry rushed through his breakfast of a fruit salad, laced up his trusty sneakers, and grabbed a water bottle on his way out of the front door. He hadn't even taken a full step out into the summer sun when his skin was greeted with the feeling of opening an oven, steam sending a rush of heat straight to his face.

Without thinking, he walked back inside with determination, sifting through his suitcase for a pair of shorts even tinier and cooler than the ones he currently wore; his thighs were thankful, and so was his head once he threw an aged navy baseball cap on. 

He was ready now, certain this run wouldn't get the best of him. His day would be tainted, and that was embarrassing enough for him to admit, so when he stepped out into the heat once more, he tried his best to ignore the way his temperature began increasing like a reptile, instead focusing on the route he was going to take.

The usual park he had frequented recently was quiet for the most part- trimmed neon green grass stretching as far as the eye could see, and on a few occasions when Harry had forgotten his earphones, the singing birds were a welcomed replacement- something he found himself humming along to. 

But, his favourite part of this park was the little stream that started from the walkway and looped all the way to the end and back. If he was lucky, he might run past a duck with her gaggle of ducklings or pass by a couple having a cute picnic.

Five minutes into the run, Harry hasn't seen anything or anyone; he thinks he actually got lucky by choosing to run earlier than usual. This is as quiet as he has ever seen it, and with the wind on his back only blowing hot air around, he rids himself of the only item left holding him back. His flimsy black tee is off and strung lazily over his shoulder. His hands are empty, hat shielding a sunburn... why are his hands empty?

Harry suddenly pictures the forgotten bottle of water, sitting patiently on his side table, discarded when he had hastily decided to switch his shorts. The mere thought of water has him thirsty, and he looks forward to finishing this run more than usual.

Pushing his way up the incline of the dirt pathway, he promises himself a rewarding break once reaching the peak. But, with each step, his skin glistens sweat, heart thudding harder in his head, and he's slowing down for sure, forcing his muscles forward, ignoring the resistance created by the hill- certain he would be fine, just a little tired. Besides, it was good to be challenged- he needed to switch things up now and then.

Every muscle is asking him to stop, but he mistakes this for motivation and only presses on, relieved when the pathway shows an end in sight. Exerting the last he has to give, Harry looks down at his shoes, focused on putting one step in front of the other. His fists balled, arms flexed and pressed against his torso; Harry gives one final push before reaching the summit. 

And when he does, it's a lot harder to catch his breath than expected; every part of him feels like it's beginning to float away, and his ears are ringing with desperation to gasp for air.

He tries to steady himself, folding over, his hands resting atop his hips- skin warm to the touch- bending forward in an attempt to better open his airways, but the need to sit down is only encouraged, and Harry has to concede.

He finds himself sitting now, his legs stretched out before him, wrapping his arms like a chain atop his bent knees, and with a bowed head, he works to regain breath control. The wind wisps through the long blades of glass, whistling in tune to the songs of little birds, and the stream is strong; he wishes he had the strength to make his way over, at least dip his feet in the cool water.

The sounds all blend into one sweet symphony, so relaxing that Harry almost feels himself starting to relax. But his tongue is like sandpaper sticking to his palate; with each suck-in, his body begs for water.

The only thing that could distract him- and does- is the sudden feeling of something rustling against his side, trying to make its way into the gap between his arms and lap. It has a wet nose and makes familiar snuffling noises that can only be attributed to that of a puppy dog.

Lazily lifting and tilting his head to see better, Harry is greeted by the enthusiasm and curiosity of a very cute and very excitable golden retriever- wearing a pretty pink bandana, big brown eyes smiling up at Harry as if he were heaven itself.

Turning all of his attention to the pup- who is trying desperately to climb up onto him- giving it a rough and thorough ear scratch. 

"You're a friendly one, aren't you?" Harry chuckles, opening himself up to be further fussed over by his new friend.

"What's your name, huh?" Harry shifts and lets the dog continue sniffing him, reaching over to get ahold of its collar- a sparkly little disk covered in silver gems holds both a phone number and the name 'Beans'.

"Beans... Well, it's very nice to meet you, Beans." He smiles even wider as the pup reacts to its name, tail wagging, hopping all over him in the hopes of somehow getting even closer.

"Beans!” A voice called in the distance, quickly swept away by the breeze. Harry looked around, unable to spot anyone nearby, turning back to the pup currently occupied with trying to remove his baseball cap clean off of his head. He chuckled and scanned the area again, “I think someone’s looking for you, bud.”

“Beans!” The same voice sang, carrying over the hill straight to Harry’s heart. This time, Beans stops chewing and looks off in the direction of the searching song, and Harry follows suit, gaze settling just as the silhouette of someone starts to get closer. A harsh ray of sun forbids him from getting a good look at the person who is seemingly searching for his new companion.

“Is that your owner, Beans?” Harry asks, patting the pup with his free hand- the other working hard at helping shield the sun from blinding him further.

Beans' excitement only increases, tail wagging in all directions, eyes darting between Harry and the mystery person- still uncertain of whether to make a run for it or stay put. But, as the owner gets closer, amping up to call out for the cheeky dog once more, Harry is spotted sitting side-by-side with your dog.

And at the mere sight of you exiting the rays of sunshine, Beans is a jumble of jumping and excited barking. You release a relieved sigh, one you hadn’t known was trapped in your lungs, hyper-focused on the fact that you had lost control over your pup again. In fairness, what were you supposed to do? You had trusted her to stay, for just a second, whilst you fiddled with her matching collar and leash, but the promise of chasing an unsuspecting bird was just far too much for Beans to ignore.

You weren’t nearly fast enough to catch up to her- the whole point of walking with Beans was the promise of building better stamina, on your part- and once she was far enough ahead, you weren’t even sure which direction she had gone.

With dread, you followed your instincts up the hill, hoping she would have tired herself out by this point- she had done a splendid job of ensuring you were. What you hadn’t expected, hoped for, or even considered, was that someone might beat you to it. Seeing your naive little dog practically in the arms of some stranger was more than your nerves could handle today.

Legs starting to ache, you make your way over to the pair, thinking up some sort of jumbled-up apology for both your dog and the mere existence of yourself. But the man is smiling up at you- such a very pretty smile- and you almost lose all sensibility, startled as Beans hops up with vigour, bounding over and almost tripping you.

Harry starts to rise; the dull throbbing of his muscles is easily ignored as he gets a proper look at you. Beans is bouncing about, making it hard for you to walk much further, and the eagerness to meet you in the middle is what carries him your way.

He can see you perfectly now, and even though you’re mostly squinting, Harry likes how pretty your eyes look, being lit up by the sun. Trying to pacify your pup, hands patting at her, cooing to her to calm down, you do your best to examine Bean’s supposed new friend. His cheeks are so flushed that you feel warmer just looking at him, little droplets of sweat sneaking past his forehead, his skin glistening, muscles flexed. He’s very handsome, and you’re rather grateful for stumbling upon him, but he looks like he just completed a marathon, and with the way his chest rapidly rises and falls- shallow breaths evidently stopping him from cooling down- you actually feel concerned for his health.

Other than a discarded t-shirt, he seems to be empty-handed, and considering this may be the hottest day of the year, there’s no way he had chosen to go on a run without at least a little bit of water… right? He doesn’t seem to be too bothered because he’s still smiling at you with a fondness that you just know is a result of spending time with your dog.

Harry is still dying inside, an irritating sharpness at the back of his throat following each breath he dared to take, but long ago decided he could put up with it a little longer. After all, Beans is still circling his ankles, and you seem far too pretty to just give a greeting and a goodbye. Your own cheeks are slightly flushed, and Harry wonders if it’s from working up a sweat or simply shyness.

It happens to be both, with a hefty sprinkle of embarrassment and a dollop of regret for even leaving the house this morning. 

Beans running off, you could deal with. Having to make it seem like you weren’t, in fact, a moron of an owner- who on many occasions could be seen chasing after their pet- was a damn nightmare.

The quicker you said it, the closer you would be to putting this mess of a morning behind you. He’s just so pretty, though… and you’re thankful that he doesn’t seem to be the type to reprimand someone over a trivial mistake. So, with a much-needed inhale, the formalities begin,

“I’m so sorry about my dog-”

“Please, don’t apologise-”

“I swear, I’m usually a better owner than this.” You try reasoning, but it’s only for your own sake.

“I’ve seen much worse, honest.” Harry smiles reassuringly, the corners of his eyes scrunching cutely as he crouches down to give Beans another rough petting,

“Besides, I got to make a new friend.” He beams up at you, “I’m quite fond of her already.”

“She majored in likeability.” You add with a playful eye roll.

He smiles at that, turning his attention back to Beans, scratching her belly as she rolls over sillily, moving side-to-side to ensure Harry gave her the best belly rub ever.

“I like you very much, Beans.” He beamed down at her fondly,

“Yes, I do. Yes, I do.” Beans loves all of the dotings, her tongue wagging in tune with her tail. Harry continues, 

“I love your silly brown eyes and your goofy smile, and I especially like your bandana.” He admires, glancing up at you.

“She picked it out herself.” You inform proudly.

"Oh, is that right?" His gaze shifts between you and Beans, smiling fondly at the situation he has found himself in, 

"You're a good girl, aren't you?" He hums, and you scold yourself for the way your thoughts turn filthy, stomach clenching at his praises.

Harry finds his feet once more, towering over you with ease. And, you can't even begin to ignore the sight before you- a practically naked man, desperately trying to cool down and enamoured with your dog. Every part of him is on full display; his chest still glistening, his tattoos shimmering in the sunlight, abs flexing and contracting on impulse.

He suddenly understands the utterly distracted gaze swallowing your features, finally sane enough to remember the lack of clothing he donned- how damp and frazzled he must appear. If possible, his cheeks are turning even pinker, all calmness replaced with the same heat he had worked so hard to dispel.

When Harry can't help but take a sharp inhale, you have enough reason to stop gawking at him and instead assist him in regaining his strength. Reaching into the tote bag currently slung over your shoulder, it takes only a second to retrieve what you were searching for, pulling out a mostly-full water bottle.

The bottle itself looks custom-made; probably something you had stumbled upon in a store, deciding it was too cute and camp to pass up on. Decorated in bright pink and pastel blue, two My Little Ponies prancing on either side.

You extend the bottle his way, and Harry looks at you curiously, taking a moment before registering what you're trying to offer. 

He feels bashful, but the mere presence of water makes it impossible to ignore the burning in his throat. So, he sheepishly accepts, his fingers brushing over your own. The water feels like a miracle as he welcomes it, and Harry thinks you might be a saviour disguised as a very pretty, very kind dog owner. When your face morphs into one of relief, the shame he felt is long gone.

After a hefty sip, you're tempted to reach out and wipe the small droplet that slips down his lip, and when Harry attempts to return your gift, you only shake your head in dismissal, getting ready to argue over the ownership of the bottle,

"Keep it." You insist, "You need it more than me."

"I couldn't-" He tries.

"You must."

Harry prepares to protest, but he can feel your sternness swallowing the space between you two, threatening to double down if he even tries. Instead, he accepts defeat, secretly grateful for your gesture,

"That's very kind of you." He commends, totally enamoured and already praying for a second meeting with yours truly.

"It's nothing, promise." You smile shyly.

Harry wants to use this opportunity to at least ask your name- this may be the oddest meet-cute he's had so far- but his mind is a scramble for what to say next, and by the time he manages to string words together, you cough awkwardly,

"Thanks again for taking care of Beans... And sorry again." You glance down at your feet bashfully, and Harry chuckles at your soft shyness,

"It's not a problem, promise." He reassures playfully, enjoying the way your eyes crinkled with a matching smile, 

"If anything, I owe you." 

You hope to god you're not blushing, and when you glance down at his hands, you almost lose all sanity watching the way the water bottle looks so small in his hand, thinking that they may be the perfect size to wrap around.... 

Thankfully, Beans barks enthusiastically, and you manage to pull it together enough to remember that home awaits; your body aching to kick its feet up on the couch, pour some fresh fruit juice, and perhaps take a well-deserved nap. 

"Well, good luck with the rest of your...run?" You confirm, and Harry chuckles heartily, 

"I'll give it my best shot." He promises before crouching down to address your puppy once more, 

"Thank you for keeping me company, Miss Beans, be a good girl for...?" 

"Y/n." 

"For, Y/n." He nods avidly, enjoying the way it rolls off of his tongue, smiling up at you sweetly. Beans lends him one last lick before retreating to your side, ready to follow you to the ends of the earth. 

"C'mon, Beanie baby." You nod at Harry in final departure, a shy smile still swallowing your lips as you turn on your heels and leave.

Harry stays put, watching as you slip further away, ready to descend this monstrous hill, excited puppy in tow. Glancing down at the bottle still clutched in his palm, he feels his heart racing- but this time, there was no physical exertion required. 

He wonders if he might get the opportunity to return your gift- to see you in general. 

But, what Harry does know with certainty is; Almost passing out from heatstroke can have its perks, after all. 

[fancypersonaskeletonturtle]

Jay’s Powers- ‘Pain Inhibitors’

Submission for @sharksandjays’ s creative challenge .

⚠️ MILD BLOOD AND GORE WARNING ⚠️

My headcanon is that Jay has the ability to manipulate the electrical transmission of pain through his brain and direct it to another region of his brain. This means that even if his body is physically damaged he can supress feelings of pain and continue fighting until it is convenient to heal the damage. He started practicing the ability when he was imprisoned on Nadakhan’s ship (vengstone didn’t stop him from using these powers as it is an internal ability).  This ability grows stronger through the seasons but Jay uses it sparingly.

The process would theoretically look something like this:

Normal pain feedback loop:

Injury/damage site >  electrical signal stimulated > signal travels to spinal cord> signal travels to brain to process> brain initiates response

Interrupted pain feedback loop:  

Injury/damage site >  electrical signal stimulated > signal travels to spinal cord> Jay redirects it to another part of the brain > different sensation is processed> response other than pain is generated

This ability is hard to perform, as Jay tends to panic, especially in a battle and regulating the flow of electricity to block his pain receptors takes lots of concentration. Redirecting the electricity to a different pathway also causes side effects such as increased stress levels and mood swings. When he does manage to inhibit the pain of his injuries, he just stands there like  :) im good, while sporting a massive cut or a broken arm. This particular power gets on Zane’s nerves however, as he *insists* that it is dangerous to alter his brain and body functions stating that >: <  pain receptors exist for a reason, Jay.

[nanamis-bigtie]

Round 4: It's Nice to Meet You

about, rules & navigation | previous round

You made a big step today - you're moving from dating app to an irl meeting! You planned a perfect outfit and packed all the necessities - and now you're on your way to the arranged spot. You simply can't wait to see how your chosen men will act around you when seeing you in person.

Remember you vote for a character you don't want to advance further! The character with the biggest number of votes will be eliminated.

Higuruma Hiromi

Meeting with a Tinder date in a place where lots of people can see you is a reasonable strategy but when you finally arrive at the small harbor, you start to worry you might actually miss your date amidst the crowd. You have his photos, a detailed description of his outfit for today and determination to climb a tree or something if needed to see him better—yet you worry it might not be enough. Not when you're running a little late and boarding has already started.

You keep stubbornly tiptoeing and straining your neck until the river of people pushes you closer to the cruise ship and forces you to accept your fate. Well, they won't let you in without a ticket anyway, so you may as well wait for him by the control point.

"Here!" A warm hand grabs your elbow and pulls you out of the stream, close to the barrier separating the pathway from the sea. "You're Y/N, right? I'm sorry, the crowd pushed me out of my spot."

He's shorter than you thought, on the rather average side if not shorter. Despite being a little overdressed for a vacation cruise and sweating in the full sun, he's beaming with a friendly smile, not bothered by the inconveniences. The same warm hand soon squeezes yours, firmly, with a little shake that has more in common with business meetings than with a date.

"I'm Hiromi. It's such a pleasure to finally see you in person."

As you exchange greetings and niceties, you join the queue and finally make your way to the deck. Much to your pleasant surprise, you're directed to the VIP section, with more comfortable seats, a separate bar and way less people around you two. He definitely didn't scrimp on his date plans.

"If you ever have enough of the noise and heat, we can move under the deck," he follows you to your chosen seat and takes one in front of you—close but keeping a respectful distance. "The VIP section is glazed. Ah, and there's another bar, too. Speaking of, would you like something to drink? Everything is on the ticket."

"You're well-versed," you point out once he's back with your drink of choice and a glass of orange juice for himself. "Not your first time here?"

"I like their cruises, I was on a few." Hiromi says with a blank face before he breaks into a smile again—and then into laughter. It might be a stress response, to resort to humor, but you like it on him. When he does so, he relaxes and his words come out more natural, finally shaking off the impression of a smooth but possibly not-so-honest talker. "And... Well, I won't lie, I had a date here already. In similar circumstances, even."

"How did it end?"

The answer is obvious and you're a little angry at yourself for slipping like this right at the beginning—but he takes it calmly, doesn't even try to hide his expression with glass when he takes a hearty sip, "I guess I didn't meet her expectations. But still had a good day. Both of us, I hope."

Nanami Kento

You decide to take the route right by the sea, barefoot on the wet strap of the sand, waves lazily licking your soles. Google maps lied a little about the distance towards the beach bar, but you don't mind—it's a very pleasant walk, with breathtaking views of the sun nearing the horizon and filling the sky and the sea with gold. You can barely tell the difference between them, even the sand under your feet blends into the whole scene, making you feel as if you were treading through the fields of glitter.

It's magical.

You haven't exchanged any guides regarding your meeting, but something tells you he won't be waiting inside. Being so drawn to the sea, he's bound to appear closer to your route—and indeed soon you recognize him in front of you, crouching by the sea and staring into the distance with peaceful expression. He's wearing long pants, folded a little under his knees and wet at the edges. At least his blue shirt has short sleeves, but it's barely unbuttoned under the stiff collar.

You don't want to interrupt his quiet moment with a sudden greeting, your steps slow down the more you approach as you unwittingly start to sneak. But he tells your presence with ease.

"I suppose you're the person I'm meeting tonight." He says as he gets up and straightens his back, his voice oh so deep yet, what you've already expected from him, dry and formal. "I'm Kento Nanami. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He wipes his hands dry with a handkerchief before he offers you one. The handshake is short, as if he was hesitant to touch you at this phase of the date. With a different person it would probably bother you but after the time you already spent together chatting it would weird you out far more if he suddenly acted less formal. You let him be; intuition whispers to you that trying to force him out of the shell will only irreversibly ruin the mood.

The bar—you've named it his favorite in your thoughts—is on the less busy side, small and cozy, and directed to the tourists who put pretty views and peace of mind over partying. You don't have to put shoes on to stay inside but you still choose one of the tables on the sand. There are more people around, but the music is calmer and melting just right with the hum of waves.

Kento compliments your choice, and you can pinpoint a shade of relief in his voice. He really wanted to stay on the beach but didn't want to go against your wishes, it seems.

After the waiter takes your orders—your date insists on paying and encourages you to order whatever you like—you finally have an opportunity to get a closer look at him. His face, neck and forearms are sprinkled with bland, sun-kissed freckles and his glasses left a little paler strip at the bridge of his nose. You expected his eyes to be blue but upon closer inspection you're not sure anymore what their color is.

"I got you something," he fishes a little bundle out of a pocket and offers it to you on open palm. "I— Hope this is not too forward? I haven't been on a Tinder date before. Please excuse me, if I'm doing something inappropriate."

Ryomen Sukuna

You've known he's huge from the very beginning. But you would have never expected he's THAT huge.

Your date towers over the crowd, the tallest of passing people reaching a little over his shoulders. He attracts attention without even meaning to; well, it would be hard for a man of such monstrous posture to blend in, especially with his pink-dyed hair and tattoos reaching as far as his face, but it's not his body that attracts most of the attention. Witnessing this charismatic, magnetic energy in real life has an even bigger impression on you than the glimpse of it you witnessed through Tinder.

You can't help but let it swallow you. You approach closer like a moth drawn by a light.

He's dressed simple—in jeans and white shirt—and it gives you a little confidence boost. You weren't sure if you had anything appropriate for an art gallery and felt your best choice still had you underdressed a little. Who could have known you would be invited to a photo exhibition? But if the originator of the whole adventure imposes a casual style, your outfit is more than fitting.

"Hi!" You announce your presence a few steps away from him. You tried to not get too close but you still have to strain your neck to look straight at his face.

Sukuna peels his eyes from his phone, puts it into the back pocket of his jeans, takes his sunglasses off and hangs them at the edge of his shirt, right at the casually open top button, "Y/N. Finally in person."

He takes a good look at you, from heads to toes. It's a fast flick of eyes, not lingering anywhere long enough to feel inappropriate, but you still can't shake the feeling of being scanned off. He must have been curious of you with the same intensity as you were about him...or so you hope. You're not entirely sure if his reactions are positive or not.

"I don't have a compliment that wouldn't be a shameless copy of what I already told you," he finally says with a smile. It's not a smile you would call pretty but it suits his features. It carries a hungry, almost dangerous, vibe to it—and it has you a little weak in the knees. "So, let me just say that the reality has greatly exceeded my expectations."

You want to return the favor with a compliment on your own but he doesn't let you, becoming you closer and herding you towards the door of the gallery.

"Unless you would prefer a lunch beforehand?" He asks, opening the door for you. There's some gallantry behind it but from his decisive moves and posture you guess it has less in common with being nice and more with a casual dominance. Sukuna is used to calling the shots, he's the leader of the pack, a man who doesn't hear a "no" often. Proposing you an alternative is a mere courtesy, not an option he really reckons with.

"Interaction with art works up an appetite." You decide to follow and see where it is going to lead you.

As you pass by him, he leans down and close, his face close to your ear now, "I promise you won't be bored with me."

Kusakabe Atsuya

You haven't visited the old part of the town yet, so you've been really looking forward to this meeting. Unfortunately, the weather had different plans for you and your little Tinder date. By the time you finally make it to the appointed spot—by a historic fountain on the western corner of the main plaza—the "concerning but not dangerous" clouds lingering over the horizon turn into a storm.

In panic and trying to find a safe spot between equally startled tourists, you struggle to send him an update. You just know he's one of those guys who would wait in the spot even if an apocalypse unrolled around. The last thing you want is to get him both wet and disappointed or worse. But you also can't stop and type in peace, unless you want to be run over or soaking wet yourself.

Finally, you manage to push past the crowd into an ice cream parlor and pounce at a free table for two. You send him your localization and pray he's not one of those middle aged guys who are technology-phobic.

He appears shortly after, wet and miserable. His shirt, undeniably elegant in its intended state, is almost transparent and clinging to every crevice of his hairy torso. Oh. That pool photo definitely wasn't photoshopped. From close and in motion he looks even more ripped.

Luckily, you, just in case, took a towel with you. You offer it to him and, reflexively, throw it on his head to do the drying yourself. He tenses under your hands but doesn't protest, eventually even leaning for it. You hear him exhale a little louder as you make your way through his hair and his shoulders tremble when you brush the towel at the back of his head.

But when you slide it down his neck, he gently takes it out of your hands and dabs the excess of water from his arms and torso on his own.

"I'm sorry, this wasn't supposed to go like that. Lemme at least—" Atsuya's face tenses in panic as he reaches for his wallet, soon to be replaced by an overwhelming relief at the sight of his money somehow surviving the deluge. "Lemme treat you for this inconvenience."

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault. Not more than mine, I could have checked the forecast too."

"I insist. Maybe at least a small coffee?"

After a few backs and forths you settle on something more than a coffee. After the show he gave you through the chat you haven't expected him to be quite smooth-tongued; in no time he backs you into a corner and keeps pressing until you agree to accept one of the more expensive positions from the menu to go with said coffee.

When your fancy ice cream desserts finally arrive and you reach for your spoons, you notice his hand trembles in a very characteristic way, one you would rather associate with an addict than a man hungry for a sweet treat.

He notices your curious stare but slips a hearty spoonful into his mouth before treating your curiosity, "I've quit smoking recently. When I need a cigarette, I go for sugar instead. Usually, I have lollipops on me but... I guess it doesn't suit dates, won't you agree?"

Ino Takuma

There aren't many people around, but the area is still noisy and buzzing. Apparently, the spot is popular with the local youth. At the first glance you're ready to bet there's not a single person older than mid-twenties within the range of your sight. Everyone is in swimsuits, predominately of the sports kind, and heading towards the cliffs. Some take a turn and make their way down, towards the wild beach nearby, some climb straight to the top.

You have a swimsuit on too, just hidden under the outfit you chose for the date. You stand out and it has you a little antsy, even if no one is staring. Maybe you have overdressed a little, but you really wanted to make a good impression on your companion.

Takuma, of course, is in swimming clothes only, too. He spots you from a distance, waves his greetings and comes running, beaming with an excited smile. He has longer hair than on photos from his profile; his selfies showed mostly his body, so you haven't really paid attention to anything above the neck level.

"It suits you," you let the thought slip aloud then point at the frivolous strands falling over his eyebrows.

"You think so?" He coils one on his finger. "They keep telling me I should finally get it cut. 'Cause I don't see what I'm doing. Even if I do."

"It would be a disservice."

"Then I'll keep it longer." He brushes the fringe out of his eyes, quite contrary to his statement about being able to see just fine. "For you."

You two join the group heading down to the sea. It's a lot of stairs to beat and you can't help but be a little anxious about climbing them back. It's hot and humid and, even if with your date's help, you'll definitely be spent after swimming. From what you've already assessed, there's quite a distance to make from the beach to the base of the cliffs.

Takuma notices your worried expression, "We don't have to swim right under the cliffs. To be honest... I don't think we can even. It could be dangerous."

"Usually it is safe!" He quickly adds, seeing the mixed feelings in your eyes. "But today we have cliff divers. We gotta stay at a distance."

Explains why some people head towards the top instead of the beach.

Chatting casually and savoring your stamina, you make it to the bottom of the stairs as the last ones from the group. Your date stays really close, and you have a feeling he's waiting for an opportunity for some casual physical contact, supporting you on a steeper stair, holding your hand or the like. You don't give it to him, curious if he's going to push his way unprompted, but he's patient, way more patient than you'd assume from his age and attitude.

"Have you ever tried it?" You point at the commotion in the distance and silhouette of a person jumping off the cliff.

"A few times, yeah." He protects his eyes from the sun with a hand, to see better. "But I prefer safer stuff. Don't want to get killed for an adrenaline kick. How would I then bathe in the sea with pretty people?"

Choso

Free ticket for a night-long concert is not a temptation you would be able to resist. Especially when it comes to this place. Since you were invited, you did a lot of research about this place and your excitement was only growing with each passing hour.

And when you found out there's going to be an unplanned change of the opening band—and that it's HIS band that's going to perform—you became simply ecstatic. You're going to have a rare chance of seeing this shy, rather insular man in his waters. You're insanely curious how is he going to behave on the stage, how is his voice going to sound from the speakers, how is he going to look in a scenic makeup and outfit.

He keeps apologizing through the whole day, though, for this sudden change of plans. You can't convince him that for you it's not an inconvenience or that you can go for another date if enjoying the concert from the audience together is what he really wants. He's stubborn in his panic and you start to worry he might actually call the whole deal off but eventually you get a dry "I hope you will like our performance" and you take it as his final decision.

You're welcomed and encouraged—and you're on your way to enjoy every single bit of this night.

The club is not particularly crowded but there's enough people to make for a decent audience. You order yourself a drink and settle on observing the scene from a safe distance. Now it's only him that matters to you. Dancing and partying and experiencing the concert to its fullest can wait.

Despite the different appearance you recognize him immediately. Visual kei style really suits him; it brings the best out of his naturally handsome face and adds him loads of confidence. You can't say you know him for real—you've chatted only on Tinder, after all—but he still feels like a completely different person when performing. His shyness and awkwardness is nowhere to be found, there's only his deep, velvet and full of expression voice and sultriness of his body and expressions. He doesn't move around much but he puts so much energy and passion into his presence that he somehow fills the scene, leaving the rest of the band behind himself.

You're so disappointed they played only two songs before they're called off and another band takes their place.

You send him a quick text, describing where you're sitting, and take a selfie with a barely touched drink in your hand. You were so lost in the performance that you forgot about it.

More or less in the middle of the new band's performance a man from security approaches you with an invitation to the backroom. You're almost shaking with excitement: the night just keeps getting better and better. Sneaking in like a groupie, about to see the lead voice of The Band in person!

From close, Choso looks tad tired and miserable—but it only adds to the charm. He's visibly nervous and does a little jump when he spots you at the door, then stutters when he's trying to greet and compliment you. Finally, he settles on just walking you to a more private area; you sit together on a fatigued sofa, bottles of cold soda in your hands.

"I'm sorry for the change of plans. I hope you had fun despite that?"

Geto Suguru

He's running late.

He warned you he had an unexpected event this morning and it threw the whole day for him upside down so you're not really angry - just a little bored when stuck alone in a cafe that's indeed perfect for audio sensation, providing you have a conversation partner to utilize that feature. On its own, the place is almost too silent, suiting more a library than a place to enjoy coffee and lunch. Majority of guests are busy with their laptops and books, the muffled hum of unvarying jazz music is interrupted only by the typical coffee bar commotion - and even that is less noisy than what you've seen around. As if the whole place was designed

You're not sure if you actually vibe with it - or quite contrary.

For the tenth time within the last twenty minutes, you check Tinder for updates. The last message from him came two hours ago, promising he will definitely make it, begging for your patience and promising to pay for everything you order today. You don't want to overuse his generosity, so you ordered yourself only a single coffee, from the bottom side of price range

The sound of the door opening should be a loud stimuli but in this weird place even this is not louder than a regular whisper. You don't pay it much more attention than simply noticing it happened, all of your focus plastered to the empty chat. Should you prompt him to hurry? He's not online though and as far as you're aware, he's driving, so he won't check anything until he's arrived anyway.

Maybe you will kill some time with checking other Tinder profiles... You had some new interested men, after all.

Out of sudden a big someone puts their big, warm hand over your eyes. It's not pressed tight to your face, but your vision is blocked by its palm and your senses full of the herbal scent of hand cream.

"Guess who?" Soft, elegant voice whispers right into your ear, so close you feel the warmth beaming from his breath. You heard it only a few times, modified by the speaker of your phone, but you have no problem pinpointing it to the right face.

"You scared me!" You don't intend to pretend otherwise. Before you connected the dots, your heart already started fluttering in your chest like a startled bird. Though, you're not sure whether the reason is solely fear - or the sudden, unexpected closeness too.

"I'm sorry." Suguru takes a seat in front of you, hangs his bag at the back of his chair. "For the prank and delay. I was stuck in traffic. What a horrible day."

He quickly studies the menu, then takes a look at your lonely glass, "Only a single coffee? I told you to spoil yourself. It's my treat."

You tease him, claiming you were afraid of being wimped out, but he doesn't follow the bait, answering as calmly and carelessly as possible without making the situation unintentionally tense. Together you decide on lunch, a new coffee for you and a green tea with honey for him.

"I chose this place for you to listen to my voice better, but I can't help but be selfish instead." Once back from the bar, Suguru leans in your direction, chin resting in his palm. "Your voice is mesmerizing. I'm glad I got to listen to it."

[lilacmingi]

ALICE IN WONDERLAND AU INTRO

My works are 14+ ONLY. If you’re under 14 DO NOT interact with me or any of my works

Pairing: BTS x fem reader

Word count: 2,170

Note: This is a series from Wattpad that I wrote in 2018. All parts have been rewritten/updated. All of the imagines in this series are connected, so you have to read them all. There’s 9 parts + 7 separate endings you get to choose from. This was one of my most popular and memorable series on Wattpad, so I’m bringing it to Tumblr!

You admired the sea of red and white roses covering the lush bushes that lined the pathway as you walked through the vast garden. The faint yet fresh aroma of the delicate flowers loomed in the air, their scent pleasing to the senses.

When life got a little too overwhelming or stressful, you liked to come out to the rose garden and walk around to clear your head. The expanse of blossoms did wonders to take your mind off life or whatever was weighing on you. What brought you outside that day was the desire to leisure and enjoy the overcast sky and comfortably refreshing weather.

As you strolled along, you would pick off any dead leaves or petals you saw on the roses, wanting to keep your garden looking pristine.

Your moment of peace and quiet was interrupted by the harsh snap of a twig, your body instinctually freezing at the sudden noise. As far as you were aware, you were the only person out there... at least you thought you were.

Leaves rustled nearby, sounding as if someone was running around in the large bushes. As cowardly as you were, you chose to be brave and follow the sound, hoping to find the source of the disruptive and alarming noises.

Creeping precariously down the grassy path, you did your best to keep your footsteps silent, taking each step with the utmost caution while trying not to startle whatever or whoever was lurking in the bushes. As you made your way through the labyrinth of rose bushes, you spotted a man just as he emerged from the tall greenery.

He was dressed nicely, almost like a butler, donning a tailcoat, dark trousers, and loafers. This was a peculiar sight, not just because this stranger was in your backyard, but because no one dressed that way in your town.

His attire wasn't the only thing that stood out. Sitting on top of his head was a pair of white bunny ears.

He was a good distance away so perhaps your eyes were playing tricks on you, but something in your gut told you otherwise. Taking a few steps closer, you squinted your eyes to get a look at the strange man.

With a better vantage point, you were quick to come to the conclusion that the ears were indeed real. Your eyes moved down his backside, gaze landing on a fluffy bunny tail peeking out from the slit in his tailcoat. An involuntary gasp escaped you, causing you to cover your mouth with your hand.

The man's bunny ears twitched a little in response and he looked around, not turning towards you. Once he felt that the coast was clear, he pulled out a silver pocket watch attached to a chain. His eyes widened the second he glanced at the face of the clock.

"I'm late!" He gasped quietly to himself and took off, jogging frantically down the pathway.

You made haste and took off after him, your curiosity piqued by the strange hybrid.

He zipped through the garden of roses and out into the empty yard.

"Hey! Stop!" You shouted.

The man glanced back at you over his shoulder and let out a small, startled scream before picking up the pace. Clearly, he didn't know he was being chased.

A huff of exhaustion left you, winded from the brief pursuit. This guy was fast and you weren't sure you'd be able to catch up. However, you couldn't give up.

You pushed your legs as fast as they would go, ignoring the faint burning that became present in them.

Your efforts paid off because you managed to get just a mere foot away. He was within arms reach.

"Please stop." You begged. "I won't hurt you. I promise."

He took another glance back, seeing how close you were. In response, he started running faster to get away, but you wouldn't let him. You reached out and managed to grab onto his tailcoat.

The man released a yelp as he fell to the ground, bringing you with him. He pushed himself onto his side and rolled onto his back with a grunt. Now that you were in close proximity, you could get a good look at his face. You watched as he sat upright in a hasty manner, straightening his jacket and dusting the grass off himself. Your breath caught in your throat at the sight of him. This man was stunning. He pushed his lengthy, black hair away from his face, showing off more of his breathtaking features.

"Who are you? What do you want?" He questioned frantically, his large, brown eyes wide with fear.

Judging by his body language, it seemed he was ready to jump to his feet and flee at any moment.

"I'd like to know the same thing about you."

His shifty gaze scanned you up and down before he responded.

"You first."

"I'm Y/n. Now, why are you hiding in my rose garden?"

"Y/n?" He whispered under his breath, but you heard it. "So it is you."

Your brows knit together. "What? You didn't answer my question. Why are you hiding in my rose garden?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Can you at least tell me who you are?"

"I'm..." He trailed off and pulled his watch out of his coat pocket to look at it. "I'm late!"

In the blink of an eye, he jumped up off the ground and sprinted away.

"Hey! Come back here!"

Scrambling to your feet, you dashed after him, unwilling to let him slip between the cracks without answering your question.

Sitting at the bottom of a nearby hill was a rotting tree and the man was running directly towards it. Once he got over to the withered trunk, he leapt and disappeared into the ground.

What?

You came to a halt, stopping to rub your eyes. Surely you didn't just watch someone go into the earth. Without wasting any more time, you moved forward, approaching the evergreen.

When you arrived at the scraggly tree, you saw there was a sizable hole in the ground by the large roots of the decaying tree.

"When did this get here?" You asked no one.

Leaning over, you peered into the hollow cavity in the dirt. It was pitch black and appeared to be much deeper than a you thought.

"Hello? Bunny boy, are you down there?"

No answer.

"Hello? Is anybody down th—"

Your sentence was cut off when the loose ground beneath your hands broke away. With nothing to catch yourself on, you lost your balance and fell face first into the endless hole.

Your hands instinctively stretched out in front of you as you were free-falling towards uncertain death, unable to see anything in front of you. Just when you were prepared to make impact, nothing happened.

You were still falling.

Where did this tunnel lead and just exactly how deep was it? If that guy jumped down into the hole it couldn't be that bad. Could it?

Just when you thought you'd be falling for an eternity, a floor came into view. As you plummeted closer to the bottom, you were able to make out a dark red and black checkered pattern.

You wondered why there was a floor at the bottom of a rabbit hole, but that question was quickly shoved to the back of your mind as you realized you were going to hit this floor.

Your eyes widened as you came to this realization and squeezed your eyes shut, curling into a ball and braced for impact.

A few seconds later you were hit with the harsh pain of the hard tile floor colliding with your back, though you didn't hit nearly as hard as you presumed you would. Grunting, you pushed yourself into a sitting position, patting yourself down to make sure you were alright and didn't break any bones.

"I'm okay." You huffed out a laugh of relief.

You actually survived the fall.

Taking a moment to get a look at your surroundings, you found that you were in a strange circular room with doors all around. The only piece of furniture was a glass top table sitting in the middle of the floor. Getting to your feet, you approached the table to find an old-fashioned silver key sitting on top. Taking the key, you got to work trying to unlock one of the nearby doors, only to find that it didn't work. Moving on, you stuck the key into the next door, but it didn't budge.

This has to go to one of these doors. You thought.

You made your way around the room, trying door after door, but the key didn't work in any of them. Not knowing what to do or how to get out, you began to panic. Your heartbeat sped up and your breathing started to get erratic. That's when you took notice of a curtain hanging from the wall. You went to draw back the velvet curtain, revealing a tiny door that had to be no more than a foot tall. Crouching down on the patterned marble flooring, you took the key and slid it into the lock. It clicked softly in response and you pulled it open.

Past the threshold was a set of old steps made of weathered stone that led down to a pathway. Surrounding the path was an array of massive mushrooms and strange curled plants that looked unnatural and otherworldly.

Seeing that you wouldn't be able to fit through the narrow doorway, you pulled back, watching the entrance slowly close.

"Great." You huffed.

How were you supposed to get through there? There was absolutely no way you'd be able to fit. Come to think of it, neither could that bunny guy, so how did he get through?

Getting to your feet, you began pacing around in thought, your restless footsteps coming to a halt when you noticed a small glass bottle sitting on the table. Attached to the neck of the bottle was a tag that read: drink me.

You tentatively plucked the bottle from the tabletop and popped the cork. The first thing you did was sniff the mysterious liquid inside, your face twisting in disgust. It smelled awful.

Pulling your bottom lip between your teeth, you swirled the liquid around while weighing your options, which were practically none. It was either you drink what was in the bottle or you stay stuck in the room with no way out.

Sucking in a deep breath, you lifted the bottle to your lips and took a drink. It burned your throat like strong alcohol. You coughed at the intense and unpleasant taste.

A strange feeling became present in the pit of your stomach and you noticed you were getting farther away from the table. By the time the odd sensation passed, you realized you were on the floor, looking up through the glass top of the table. Not only that, but you left the key to the door up there.

You shrieked, stumbling back slightly.

That drink shrank you down to the size of a pencil. How was that possible? And how were you supposed to get back to normal?

You frantically searched your surroundings, finding a small glass box with a cake sitting inside. If you were at your normal size, it would fit in the palm of your hand. The cake was square with icing on the top that read: eat me.

Well, you already shrank, so what's the worst that could happen?

Opening up the box, you took a bite out of the cake, then another. Right away, that odd feeling tickled your stomach and you began to grow taller. Just when you thought you'd stop at your normal height, you kept going, getting farther away from the floor where you stood.

"Oh no, oh no." You chanted fretfully, unable the stop the stretch of your body.

The top of your head hit the ceiling, causing you to lean slightly so as not to break it. Then, the growing stopped.

Two things were certain now: the drink would make you shrink, the cake would make you grow. You reached down and knocked the key onto the floor before grabbing the glass bottle between your thumb and index finger, drinking the remaining liquid inside.

The burning was just as bad as the first time, causing you to break into a coughing fit while shrinking back down to the size you were at just moments ago. Retrieving the key off the floor, you made your way over to the tiny entrance only to stop in your tracks and turn back around to grab a chunk of cake from the glass box, bringing it with you just in case.

Upon pushing the key into the keyhole, the tiny door swung open, revealing the outdoor scene you only got a glimpse at. Taking in a deep breath, you stepped past the threshold and entered the strange world of wonder.

➯ Part 1: Jungkook

Masterlist ᝰ

DO NOT steal, plagiarize, copy, repost, alter, or translate my works in any way

🏷 @h3arteyes4mingi @weird-bookworm

[inkofthebrain]

Imperial

[Paul Atreides × F!Reader ] 3177 words

Paul Atreides, Duke of Arakkis, takes the hand of the Emperor's eldest daughter for the throne, yet neither are pleased. They know they must learn to be civil, but what will it cost them...

Tags: post-Dune 2, strays from book canon, no use of y/n, dune typical everything, Corinno! Reader, slow burn, enemies to lovers kind of? (More strangers to lovers tbh) ARRANGED MARRIAGE TROPE, not proofread LOL

Warnings: Dune typical themes, motifs, and actions

A/n: Next chapter is gonna be a hefty one… So here is low key a filler chapter before shit gets real. Requests are open!

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Dune masterlist

Six———

[Two days before the ceremony]

You find yourself in the sprawling garden grounds, strolling through the lush foliage and winding pathways. The air is fresh and cool, filled with the scent of flowers and shrubs.

A light breeze catches the skirts, sending a playful swirl of air around your legs. The fabric drifting lightly with each step.

The scene is tranquil and serene, a break from the stress and preparations of the impending wedding.

You stand on the cliff side, the wind whipping at you as you admire the water, feeling the gentle breeze on your face, the faint scent of pollen and vegetation in the air. You watch the waves crashing below, the sunlight gleaming off the ocean's surface.

You quite enjoy the moment of quiet solitude, the beauty and tranquility providing a welcome respite from the stresses and frenzied activity of the upcoming ceremony.

you take in a deep breath as the scene unfolds before you, the fresh air filling your lungs and soothing your mind. The sounds of the waves and the rustling leaves are a balm on your ears, a reminder of the natural forces beyond human control. These forces are so far removed from the court games and power struggle of life within the imperial palace.

You close your eyes, relishing the peace and seclusion. The breeze touches your face with a familiar warmth, the soothing sounds of the ocean washing away all concerns and anxieties. For a brief moment, you think you hear someone call your name, but you dismiss it as just the wind.

Suddenly, a warm, strong hand brushes your shoulder, startling you as you open your eyes. You quickly turn to see Paul standing beside you, watching you peacefully enjoying the scenery. You quickly recover, finding your nerves returning in a sudden rush.

"Am I disturbing you?" he asks, his voice gentle and reassuring as he studies you.

"I was simply enjoying the beautiful morning" you reply, he is dressed casually in a shirt and pants, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his strong forearms.

He laughs lightly, "It is a beautiful morning, indeed,” he says with a smirk,

“but are you not supposed to be occupied with bridal preparations?" You groan, wanting to escape the stress for just a moment.

"I needed a respite from the endless preparations," you say with a light, playful tone. "It was driving me mad."

"Is the wedding really so arduous?" he says, an element of mock surprise in his tone. "I would have thought that the bride would be more delighted at the prospect of her wedding, that it would be a moment of joy and celebration."

You chuckle, the soft sound echoing through the quiet garden. you sense the lightness and ease of this encounter, the bantering between you so unlike the stiff, formalities of court etiquette. The rush of adrenaline and excitement within you escalates, your mind racing with the possibilities of this moment.

"Perhaps the bride-to-be is more concerned with the responsibilities of adulthood than the joy of her wedding," you reply boldly, the playful banter evident in your tone.

Paul smiles at this, his gaze lingering for just a moment longer before he glances away. He seems amused by your boldness, and his voice holds a subtle hint of admiration as he replies.

"I would have thought our future empress would thrive on the challenge of leadership and responsibility. It is not for the faint of heart, after all."

You feel a faint flutter of pleasure as he calls you "our future empress". There is something about his confidence in you that gives you pause, and the way he looks at you now holds a hint of affection and respect.

"I'm certainly no wilting lily," you quip, "but there is a difference between being a leader, and being shackled by the responsibilities of leadership. Paul hums in agreement, his hair blowing slightly in the Caladan breeze.

You are aware of the way your bodies are close to each other, the nearness fueling the flutter of excitement within you. Your eyes linger on his face, the slight smirk still on his lips.

Paul finally breaks the stare, his voice still playful but carrying a hint of wistfulness. "The expectations upon you will be immense," he says softly.

"As with you" You say

He chuckles at this—-he is undoubtedly aware of the weight of the empire upon his shoulders.

"As with me, he agrees, "but yours is different. As future Empress, you will be at the mercy of the imperial court, at the whims and desires of the nobility and the power-hungry nobles of the court.

"Mine may be a path of responsibility or even isolation, but yours will be a path of constant negotiation and intrigue. there will be many people who wish to influence your opinions and bend your will to their desires."

He pauses, his voice softening. "It will be a difficult battle - an endless struggle to defend yourself from those who would use your power and influence for their own ends. you must be strong and resolute, or they will swallow you whole.”

"I'm aware of the runnings of the court, my lord" you say

he nods, appreciative of your understanding.

"I know that you are, but it's a different thing to experience it for yourself, to be exposed to the machinations of the imperial court, all with the weight of the imperium on your shoulders."

He takes one step closer to you, his voice softening further.

"I will be with you, every step of the way. I will be your greatest ally. and if anyone threatens or challenges you, they will have me to contend with.”

"I extent that virtue to you as well" you say before turning back to the view

He smiles at your response. There is a hint of warmth in the way his eyes linger upon yours, as if he wants to say something but doesn't know how to express it.

"Know you will keep looking out for me,” he says, his voice quiet and soothing. "I hope you will let me protect you as well."

The two of you sit in a comfortable moment of silence, letting the wind wash over you as the sea clashes against the earth.

"There is something I wish to give you on this very day," he says, the warmth of his voice filling your ears. "It is a small gift, but it represents our friendship and my trust in you, and I was wondering if you might accept it."

He pauses for a beat, the anticipation clear in his eyes. Then he pulls a slender silver pendant from his pocket. It hangs from a delicate chain, the intricate workmanship of the metallic pattern swirling around the pendant, the metal glistening in the sunlight.

He holds the pendant out to you, the chain slightly shaking with every movement. You are aware of the slight brush of his fingertips as he hands it to you, the warmth of his touch sending a tingle down your spine.

You take the pendant in your hand, the light shimmering off the silver catching your eye.

Paul's eyes are fixed on you, watching your reaction. the pendant hangs in your hand, a simple but luxurious display of his affection. the silver sparkles in the light, a reminder of the promise of your union and the power of this moment.

You smile, "Thank you" your thanks is filled with genuine appreciation.

You turn around, moving your hair away from the nape of your neck as you reach your hand out to hand him the necklace, signaling him to put it on

He takes the necklace gently from you, his fingers lingering along your neck for a moment. He steps even closer, his breath warm as he reaches around and places the necklace at your nape, adjusting the length so it hangs just below your collarbone.

Paul lingers his hands behind your neck, his fingertips grazing the sensitive skin on your neck. You can feel the slightest flutter of excitement as he adjusts the necklace, the sensation making you even more aware of his presence.

"There", he says quietly, his voice low and soothing.

He steps back, his eyes lingering on the necklace as he watches it glimmer against your neck. He seems pleased with the way it hangs, matching your porcelain skin and the line of your collarbone.

"Suits you perfectly," he adds, his voice still low and gentle.

You feel the lightness of the moment, the tension and uncertainty of the wedding now far from your mind.

Paul's gaze stills on the necklace as you turn to face him, his eyes fluttering to your throat as his fingers lightly brush the delicate chain.

Paul's gaze flickers to the approaching figure, and his fingers release the chain, slipping back into his pocket. Your attention snaps to the approaching figure, and you notice Paul's brief glance of surprise as she appears. He clears his throat, breaking the intimate spell of the moment.

"Our chaperone arrives," he says casually, drawing a laugh out of you.

Paul smiles, appreciating the way you laugh, the sound of your light and airy amusement carrying across the garden.

Paul's gaze shifts to Delia, who approaches with her usual calm, poised demeanor. Delia is a strong, fiercely ambitious woman, her intellect rivaling Paul's own.

Paul steps close, placing his hand against the small of your back. "Hello Delia" You say warmly

Delia greets you politely, her voice smooth and professional. no trace of warmth or affection in her tone, she remains an enigma.

Paul's hand still rests behind you, barely grazing the small of your back. Delia notices the subtle gesture, the way Paul stands so close to you, and she watches you both with a subtle sense of curiosity.

"It's lovely to see you two enjoying the scenery, but unfortunately the lady is due for her final dress fitting" she says

Paul's hand falls from your back, and he steps back. the moment of intimate connection broken, his expression returning to one of polite professionalism.

"Of course," Paul says, his tone polite but respectful.

"We should not keep the dressmaker waiting."

Delia flashes a quick smile, the faintest hint of amusement at this interaction. She steps back, then takes your arm and leads you away, her voice firm but gentle. You can sense her curiosity as you walk away from the Duke.

"So." she trails off "Is the new pendant a gift from the young Duke?"

Delia's tone is curious as she asks the question, but her face remains expressionless. she turns to face you, her eyes lingering on where the necklace rests against your neck.

She seems to study the necklace for a moment, the subtle shine of the silver in the light.

"It is, yes," you reply gently. "He wished to give the necklace as a gift upon the occasion of our wedding, though I do not believe it is officially part of the ceremony."

Delia is silent for a moment, considering your response. Then she finally replies, her voice still calm and professional.

"You seem to have developed quite the rapport with the Duke in recent days. I was unaware the two of you were so familiar."

You let out a small laugh, "You have yet to see the pain that is tutoring the young lord in imperial law"

Delia smiles at this, the faintest hint of humor and understanding seeping through the layers of professionalism .

"And the young lord is a fast learner, yes?" Her voice is light, almost playful - a rare hint of softness from the normally stoic woman.

"He is a natural. Very intellectual but that prompts many of questions"

"You are a patient teacher, I am sure." Delia says, her tone still playful.

She pauses for a moment, her gaze still on the necklace.

"You seem quite close with him now - is the pendant a sign of your friendship?" You nod, a smile tugging at your lips. Delia allows another small smile, her expression softening momentarily.

She clears her throat, her demeanor returning to the usual professionalism.

"Well, I am glad the two of you have developed such a… friendship."

She pauses for a moment, as if deciding how much to reveal.

"The young duke has grown fond of you during these tutoring sessions," she says, her voice low and whisper-quiet. "He speaks fondly of your intellect and strength of character, and I know he enjoys your company." You smile at the comment

Delia steps back, giving one final glance of curiosity at the necklace around your neck, before abruptly shifting into her usual polite demeanor.

"The dressmaker will be waiting," she says in a firm tone, her expression once again stern and professional.

She turns and heads back to the main palace, her pace confident and steady.

———

You are now in a larger room, the white-marble walls and high ceilings giving it a sense of grandeur. a large circular mirror is set into the center of one wall, reflecting your image back as you stand before it.

Delia leads you over to the dressing area, where several women are already arranging dresses and accessories, jewelry, hair pieces, etc.

The dressmaker smiles at you as you approach, and a few of the women offer polite greetings. They begin quickly arranging a variety of dresses in front of you, all in soft, light colors - whites, yellows, and light greens.

You stand in front of the dresses and jewelry for a few moments, admiring the delicate fabrics and craftsmanship. You are aware of the subtle glances from the women, and you can sense Delia's presence as she stands behind you, her eyes on the various dresses and pieces.

"How many dress changes am i expected to make" you joke, breaking the tension. The women chuckle politely as the dressmaker smiles.

"Well, you will have three dresses for the ceremony and reception, of course," the dressmaker replies. "and three dresses for the various parties and balls that are to take place over the next several days. You'll also require a dress for your journey back to Arrakis—-I assume you'll be returning immediately after the celebrations are over."

You nod, admiring the dress you currently have on.

The women begin quickly discussing the various details of the dresses, measuring your height and taking your measurements. The dressmaker is the head of the operation, offering suggestions and adjustments. Delia stands quiet at your side for the duration, watching intently and offering input when asked. The process occurs quickly and smoothly, the women working in a coordinated fashion.

Eventually, the dressmaker calls for a short break, and the women begin to gather up their tools and pieces.

Delia takes the opportunity to step closer to you, her expression calm and focused. she waits for the activity around you to slow, her voice soft when she finally speaks.

"I hope you are not finding these appointments onerous," she says gently.

You feel a slight flutter of affection at her word choice—-she has a certain formal flair to her conversations, a sense of polite detachment layered under the surface.

you let out a small chuckle.

"Not at all—-I am enjoying the opportunity to play dress-up for a change"

Delia laughs softly, the genuine amusement evident on her face. she seems to appreciate your humor, allowing her to let her guard down for a moment.

"It's funny what we women will do for the sake of appearance and style" she replies, her voice gentle and pleasant.

You nod, "Delia, May I ask you a question?"

Delia looks at you, her expression curious and receptive.

"Of course," she replies politely, signaling that you can continue.

"Will you be following me to Arrakis?" You could not bear to lose her as a confidant

delia considers your question for a moment, her expression sober. She is aware of the intimacy you have developed together, and she genuinely values your conversations. She also knows the political complexities surrounding your marriage and the possibility of assassination attempts is very real.

She takes a moment to consider her response, her voice serious yet empathetic.

"I will be traveling to Arrakis with you," she says, her words measured and decisive. "There is no reason for me to remain here without you." You smile warmly

Delia's expression softens a bit, a slight twinkle to her eyes as she sees your smile. she is glad to see that you are pleased by her response, and her gaze lingers on you for one extra beat before she returns to her usual calm demeanor.

"Now—-we shall return to the fittings," she says, taking your arm and leading you back to the dress fitting area.

the fittings resume, the dressmaker calling out dresses and options for you to try on. Delia watches everything with careful scrutiny as the dresses are fitted and discussed. She is fully involved in the process, giving advice and input whenever she is asked. This goes on without incident, and the process runs smoothly and efficiently.

After several hours, the three dresses for the ceremony and reception have been tried on and fitted. The dressmaker makes a final few adjustments, and then steps back, seeming satisfied with her work. Delia is also satisfied, her eyes skimming over the dresses and jewelry and approving of the chosen selections.

Now it is time to choose your attire for the various parties and balls that will take place over the next several days. The women prepare the various items, discussing the details and final selections. Some of the pieces are quite striking and eye-catching. delia watches closely, remaining completely in charge of the selection process.

Eventually, the three dresses for the parties have been selected, with matching jewelry and accessories. The final touch is the dress for your journey back to arrakis a simple but elegant ensemble. The various items are quickly bundled up in travel bags, and the dressmaker steps back with a flourish.

Delia's expression is satisfied, her voice calm and confident.

"It looks like everything is set for the next few days. you'll have plenty of opportunities to wear all these lovely dresses, Delia says politely. she glances at you, one corner of her mouth faintly creasing upwards in a subtle smile.

"You have one final itinerary meeting and then your final final with the Duke and his mother before the ceremony." She walked up to you, "Tomorrow is a day of pampering" Delia says

A soft smile crosses your lips, your heart fluttering slightly at the mention of an all-day pampering session.

"That sounds wonderful," you reply, your voice warm and sincere.

———

Next chapter

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[glitter-stained]

"Jason not arguing/compromising in this situation is OOC because his stress response is fight" okay but stress response is context dependent, both environmental context (nature of the threat) and hormonal context (ie amount of cortisol currently in the body at that moment). And also the difference between fawn (aka the response used in negociation) and the other three stress responses (fight flight and freeze) is that fawn is a much higher response that requires higher cognitive function, social cognition etc. (which he has a looot of considering his life story), but also takes more time, so while Jason's immediate bodily reaction could be to gear up for an argument, he also completely has the abilities to evaluate that this is not the best strategy for his goals, especially since, while he is a very emotional character, he does also have impulse control and can be very (very very very) patient with his strategies (that man has some incredible impressive levels of inhibition sometimes, seriously utrh!jason wtf). And also people have the ability to learn, both in terms of complex reasoning, simple pathways and on a biological level, it's also very possible that after being stuck on fight mode for so long and getting hit after hit after hit (being caretaker for his mom and then himself as a little kid in a classist and violent environment, his mom's death, malnutrition, the general stress of being on the streets, M'a gunn, (skipping on Robin because of meta stuff to stick to the things everybody would agree are important stressors), his dad's death, exposed vey closely to sexual violence at 15 (at oldest, not even getting into the csa hc he already has sexual trauma), exposed to direct violent death at 15, being betrayed and sold out (does that count as trafficking?) by his biological mother (whomst he had attached himself to), being beaten + very brutally murdered, digging himself out of his fucking grave, getting hit by a fucking car (talk about overkill) being in the streets catatonic and still fighting, being in the league catatonic and still fighting, waking up to your life having been extraordinarily upheavaled, being told "you remain unavenged" and then pushed off a fucking cliff (even ignoring the brutality of that fucked up kiss because my talia is not a rapist), being sent to teachers and having (from his pov) to kill said teachers, to honestly all of utrh especially the final confrontation ending with a near death experience.... I mean, wouldn't you be tired? Even just cutting it off at utrh, wouldn't you be tired of fight mode? Jason's resilience is incredible, but resilience is neither a personality trait nor an infinity resource, you electrocute a dog often enough and it stops trying to jump out. And do I have to say anything, from a biological pov, psychological pov, from any pov really, about the events of Gotham War and The Man who Stopped Laughing? Because Bruce literally rewrote Jason's dna (which makes no fucking sense but whatever) to modify his stress response, he was quite literally forced on freeze mode, and Joker got him functional by rewriting those extreme amounts of stress as funny. At this point what makes the most sense is for Jason's stress response to be painful, uncontrollable bursts of laughter. I'm sorry if this sounds aggressive, I just really really like talking about psychology applied to character analysis and I'm not trying to be patronizing or anything, I just thought "hey I don't quite agree with that and that's an interesting conversation" and then the brain bees took over

[nenelonomh]

get addicted to real dopamine

TW: mention of self-harm

dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a significant role in our brain's reward system, associated with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. it is released during enjoyable activities like eating, exercise, and social interactions, reinforcing behaviours that are essential for survival. however, the term "addiction" typically refers to compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences.

some examples of these consequential behaviours include substance abuse, reckless driving, unsafe sex, self-harm, neglecting health, overeating, and poor financial decisions.

the best way to break free from such harmful behaviours is to replace your negative habits with positive ones. finding healthy alternatives that fulfil the same needs as harmful behaviour, and seeking professional help if needed

for further reading, click the links below. ray family therapy, breaking bad habits reimagine, understanding harmful habits: the psychology behind our actions

but that's not what this post is about. i just felt the need to touch on it, since it is a huge positive of being addicted to real dopamine.

to experience the positive effects of dopamine naturally, you can engage in activities that promote its healthy levels, such as:

regular exercise: physical activity is known to boost dopamine levels and improve mood. during exercise, especially when it's challenging yet achievable, the brain's reward centre, particularly the nucleus accumbens, releases dopamine. this release is part of the brain's reward system, which is being activated during pleasurable activities, reinforcing behaviours that are beneficial for survival and well-being.

the release of dopamine during exercise contributes to feelings of happiness and accomplishment (improved mood). it also contributes to enhanced memory, attention and problem-solving skills, stress reduction, and better motor performance.

balanced diet: dopamine is produced from amino acids, particularly tyrosine and phenylalanine, which are found in protein-rich foods. consuming a diet that includes adequate protein ensures that your body has the necessary building blocks to produce dopamine.

benefits of dopamine from a balanced diet include enhanced mood, improved cognitive function, increased motivation, and regulation of movement. dopamine is involved in the brain's reward system, which motivates us to repeat behaviours that are pleasurable or beneficial (increased motivation). it is important for motor control, so proper levels can help with coordination and movement.

adequate sleep: quality sleep is crucial for regulating neurotransmitter levels, including dopamine. it helps to maintain the sensitivity and function of dopamine receptors. sleep deprivation can lead to a decrease in dopamine D2 receptors, which are associated with arousal and reward.

dopamine is involved in regulating the circadian rhythm, our internal body clock that dictates when we feel awake and when we feel sleepy. adequate sleep helps keep this rhythm consistent, which in turn supports healthy dopamine levels.

adequate dopamine levels contribute to a state of alertness and wakefulness during the day. sufficient sleep can help regulate the stress response, which is partly mediated by dopamine.

mindfulness and meditation: these practices can increase dopamine levels and improve focus and concentration. additionally, they can enhance the efficiency of brain pathways that process sensory information, which may lead to increased dopamine release.

higher dopamine levels can lead to feelings of calmness and contentment, improving overall mood. regular mindfulness practice can help maintain a positive balance of neurotransmitters, including dopamine, which can reduce stress. by increasing dopamine, meditation can help regulate emotions, leading to better mental health outcomes.

learning new skills: the process of learning can increase dopamine production, as it's associated with reward and motivation. this reward system encourages the continuation of learning and skill development.

new experiences, such as learning new skills, can reset key brain circuits, enhancing the ability to learn and adapt to new situations. activating dopamine receipts through learning can lead to improved cognitive flexibility and the ability to switch between tasks or thoughts more easily.

also, releasing dopamine due to learning new skills contributes to a positive mood, making learning an enjoyable way to regulate emotions.

in summary, these operations can stimulate healthy dopamine release, which has so many positive benefits. it's a natural and rewarding way to promote personal growth and mental health.

for further reading on the topic of healthy dopamine release, see the links below: medical news today, how does dopamine affect the body? healthline, how does dopamine affect the body? very well health, what is dopamine? cdc, about adverse childhood experiences healthline, 10 best ways to increase dopamine levels naturally bbc, learn something new to boost your brain psychology today, dopamine's role in learning and memory

i hope today's post was helpful. ❤️ nene

(photo credit: pinterest)