#that I can only maybe get lucky and work as a server?

[cassi-pokeblogging-hub]

Saying No

Okay so a conversation in a discord server inspired me to make this.

You guys can say no to things. You do not always have to "Yes And" everything that comes to you.

Like. Usually when we talk about rping, we talk about saying yes and. continuing on the scene, not shutting interaction down. We're pretty lucky with how this rp stuff works where in character denying and saying no CAN work a lot better than in standard improv without fully stopping the scene and kinda shutting it down, but that's not what I'm talking about.

I've seen a lot of people who kinda. Accidentally start god modding or kinda burst their way into plotlines without asking and like. This is public rp! Anyone can join! But there is a certain degree where you gotta stop first and ask or just not say it.

But sometimes people do not think first and just do. Maybe sending a magic anon that solves all of your oc's problems. Maybe they have dimension hopping powers and are like "Don't worry! I've come to your reality and I can help you get away from your problems instantly!", maybe your character really wants a mega stone and you have plans to have a whole thing about them working to get this mega stone and learning to mega evolving their partner and then someone mystery gifts or pelipper mails the item to you immediatly.

You don't have to "Yes, and" that. You can just say "No, you didn't do that". You are allowed to say no when someone crosses your boundaries and is affecting your plot.

Is someone trying to involve you in their plot without asking? "That is not happening in my character's universe" Is someone trying to say they're just there at a crucial event with your character when they never asked? "Your character is not able to be there. Please delete that post".

Yes And only goes so far. There is a time and a place where you will need to say No, and that is just as important to RP as going with the flow! If someone's fucking with your plot, its your job to tell them to stop. People can get involved, sure, but sometimes people try and get way more involved than what you're comfortable and its okay to tell them to back off.

I've also seen people feel that stuff like Muse Mixup Madness or Pelipper Mail are mandatory things they HAVE to do? You don't! You don't need to do anything even if others are! So I guess this is your reminder that you can ignore pelipper mail and magic anons and just asks in general that you dont like! you can turn pelipper mail and magic anons off completely! you can ignore peoples replies to your posts if they fuck with what you have going on. you can tell people they did not do things that would fuck with your characters and story. you can just not do muse mixup madness when it rolls around. you can just not do follower special events. you don't have to participate in anything you dont want, and you dont have to allow people to do whatever even if it makes you uncomfortable.

Other people can do what they want, but you have a right to say no when they try to involve you.

[strawberry-jackalope]

I have to keep finding and applying to jobs even though they're all so fucking stupid, and I'm not qualified for any of them, and it's so fucking stupid bc even when I decide to gamble and take a risk, someone or something has to tell me that I won't make it and I'm wasting my time, that my optimism is entirely misplaced, and I'm fucking sick of it

[ellecdc]

single mom lily x fem!reader?

reader works in an ice cream shop and cute little harry (im imagining hes like 4/5???) absolutely adores the place so lily brings him in for ice cream all the time and falls for reader bc she is just so good with harry

ok here's my attempt 😮‍💨 thought this idea was so cute though!

single mum!Lily Evans x fem!reader meet cute

Lily was very lucky and very grateful that Harry had been a generally easy child. He was so much like his father that, whilst it didn't translate into the romantic relationship most parents wished to enjoy, led to a wonderful son and the best co-parent a woman could ask for.

And because Harry was such an easy-going child, she was trying very hard to stay patient with him as she frantically texted with James.

L: James Potter, where in the buggering fuck is this ice cream place that has ‘spiderman’ ice cream!? J: LOL oh god sorry. It’s on the boardwalk near the ferry. L: Thank you 😮‍💨 J: He making a fuss? L: I think we may have been moments away from a stage five meltdown. J: Thoughts and prayers 🫡

One meltdown avoided later and they were finally walking into the quaint, family owned ice cream shop on the boardwalk by the ferry, just as James described.

“Oh no!” Harry cried dramatically, holding his little hands to his face.

“What is it, Haz?” Lily asked, looking around to see what could have possibly caused such worry in a five and a half year old. 

“The man!” He explained.

Which explained nothing at all to Lily, still looking around the shop in confusion.

“What man?”

“The man with the spiderman ice cream! He’s not here!” Harry cried, turning to his mum with tears magnified by his glasses as they began pooling in his eyes.

She was racking her brain for something to say to the boy when a bubbly voice trilled from behind the glass ice cream displays.

“Hello there! What can I get for you two?” You greeted the pair with a beaming smile. If Lily wasn’t so caught up with Harry, she would have likely taken a moment to admire your radiance.

“The man!”

Lily watched as your smile fell only slightly and you tilted your head in confusion. “Which man, sweets?”

“The man with the special ice cream! He made it after my favourite superhero!” Harry cried with a stomp on his foot.

Lily pulled Harry towards her as she offered you an apologetic smile.

“I’m so sorry, he came here with his father last week and I-”

But like a beautiful ethereal angel sent from Lily’s own personal heaven, you waved her off with an easy smile. “Not to worry at all, love. My dad is the better ice cream server, so I understand your disappointment, little man.” You empathised. “But!”

Harry perked up at that, standing a little taller as he looked at you expectantly. “He did tell me that a certain hero may be coming in to look for some special spidey ice cream; could that be you?” You stage whispered the end of your sentence to Harry, causing him to squeal in delight.

“Yes!”

“Oh thank goodness.” You said with a dramatic sigh. “I thought I was going to have to erase your memory for giving away trade secrets!”

Harry squealed in excitement again and shoved his face up against the glass casing to watch you start expertly scooping ice cream, completely unawares of his fingerprints and foggy breaths creating more work for his newfound hero.

“How many scoops, my man?”

“Five!”

“Uhm,” Lily interrupted, placing a conciliatory hand on her son's shoulder. “Maybe just two.”

“Mum!” Harry whined, but you just laughed.

“Sorry kid, mum’s the boss.”

Harry acquiesced with one more groan, but grinned when he saw the size of the scoops you were serving him.

“What about you, mama?” You asked after handing Harry his cone, watching as the boy made his way to sit at a table with his red and blue ice cream.

“Is it really spiderman ice cream?” Lily blurted instead of answering your very normal, professional, and polite question.

You barked a laugh, but Lily was pleased that your laughter was because you found Lily funny rather than at her expense. 

“Between you and me,” you whispered conspiratorially, resting your arms on the glass counter and your chin on your hands. “It’s just moonmist ice cream, but this batch used too much food dye, so instead of the normal light blue, pale purple, and pastel yellow, it turned out a little more…super.”

Lily looked back to her son, happy as can be with his super ice cream as he watched boats sail by in the harbour. 

“Brilliant.” Lily whispered as she turned back to face you, only to find you smiling softly at her already.

“Yes.” You agreed, though Lily wasn’t quite sure what you found brilliant. “So, what can I get you?”

“Oh.” Lily responded dumbly, looking hastily through the options before opting for two scoops of rocky road. 

“Fine choice, m’lady.” You said before scooping, once again expertly, the frozen treat onto a cone.

“Is that what you usually get?” Lily asked suddenly. You seemed surprised at her question as your eyebrows migrated to your hairline and you looked up to consider her.

Lily hoped to all hell that her blush wasn’t as furious as it felt.

You smirked before your eyes flit back up to hers. “I’m more of a strawberry girl, myself.” You replied quietly, shooting Lily a wink.

If her blush hadn’t been furious before, she was certain it was now. 

Lily paid and Harry shot you a “thanks ice cream lady!” as they headed towards the exit with their ice creams in tow.

“You’re welcome, little man! Stay super!” You said with a wave.

“I will!” 

“Hope to see you and your mum here again soon.” You said quieter this time, sending Lily a kind albeit shy smile. Lily was certain you’d be seeing the two of them here again.

[kingscourthouse]

hold up i NEED to know more about your Xisuma Views thing.... I just saw the art with Joel and i'm obsessed

Well it's just how it sounds, it's Xisuma's view of the world. Unlike other players, he can't see the layers they have to hide.

Lemme put it like this. You're making a minecraft skin and have your second layer, yeah? That's their base layer. And then there's a second layer that's more heavily concealing.

Xisuma isn't from minecraft and his code is glitched, so not only do layers not work for him, but he can't see the layers either. Some people use only base layers to hide "actual forms" if they have one, and others use a second layer to hide scars or parts of their body that don't need a heavy cover.

So Xisuma sees people in a bit of a weird way. He thinks how he sees people is how everyone sees eachother. He sees their true character.

Skizz is a really nice guy. He's always looking out for people, tries to be there for someone, some people say he acts like an angel.

And so Xisuma never questions it. He sees Skizz as an angel, other people supposedly see him as an angel. Skizz is just an angel, why would anyone see anything else? It's just Skizz.

Though the Skizz people actually see is his layers with the torn suit and brown hair. The layers also affect his interactions with people too. If he's around Skizz, he tends to squint alot or avoid looking in his direction if he's not in his armour. Skizz is blinding to Xisuma, so he has trouble looking at him. Though Skizz does have features, but he's too bright to see any of them.

Xisuma also has a type of layer as well, but it's not on him. He's too broken in the games code (that's a whole 'nother can of worms) for him to use layers. So what does he do? He adds a layer to everyone else.

Xisuma doesn't leave hermitcraft too often, so everyone outside it will see what he really looks like. In the server though? Everyone has a layer that covers Xisuma from their eyes. He's lucky his admin panel isn't from minecraft or else he'd be screwed.

What's fun with Xisuma seeing people's real forms is that (in my au at least) he's kind of a grey character. If there's ever a fight or spat between hermits, he can have trouble taking sides. Not all Hermits are angelic or aliens like Skizz and Joel. There's hermits who are monsters and beings who do or did bad things in the past. Not all Hermits talk about those things.

He can get better insights to people's decisions or just things about them. Joel has a habit to make things around bright areas or access to a lot of light. Maybe because he's made of it. Skizz only ever keeps one pair of elytra. Maybe because he's missing his second pair of wings that can't glow anymore.

He can see people for who they were. Keralis is an eyesore (literally) and can hurt to look at. Grian has too many evenly split scars across his body and Xisuma knows what's behind them. Doc isn't a creeper.

There's a lot to Xisuma's View thing and I do wanna eventually start drawing how everyone looks to him, but I'm indecisive and don't know where to start. So idk maybe I'll open ask box for hermit requests. Can be interactions between Xisuma and specific hermits (both ones seen and not) or it can just be their design.

Idk but feel free to ask about them, I have designs for every hermit, empires member and even everyone in the life series. So he's got plenty of people to show you.

[the-somwthing]

I already made a post a while back about how good I think Joel and Scott would be as a team but like chances of winning aside I really want to see them become close allies because of their differing opinions of sacrifice.

Scott’s the Sacrifice Guy, we all know this, practically any chance he gets he sacrifices himself for his allies. Joel’s different. He values survival. When he wanted to sacrifice himself for Jimmy, he tried to wait until the last possible moment, tried to make sure they both lived as long as possible, which is of course why he failed. Whenever anyone offered to let him kill them he would turn down those offers because he wants them to live. He only killed Grian in a panic after a while of Grian screaming at Joel to kill him. He never asks anything sacrificial of his allies and is quick to deny such offers because he wants them to live.

So if you stuck the two of them together? I would pay to see that. Scott trying to sacrifice his life for Joel as he does all his allies, only for Joel to say no and ask him to live. Honestly, Scott would probably be annoyed. His sacrifices are very strategic. I think maybe he could convince Joel to kill him, but it depends on how dire things are. Joel much prefers preserving life over sacrificing it.

And I’m saying all of this with the idea that they are close and true allies, putting their past behind them. What if their past is still in their minds? A chance for Joel to finally get back at Scott for killing him all those times, yet he refuses? What if Scott offers himself as sacrifice specifically to make up for their past? And what if Joel still refuses? And then of course the option of Joel very excitedly taking the chance to kill Scott LOL

I feel it’s most likely for Scott to convince Joel the sacrifice is a good idea, next most likely scenario would be Joel successfully dodging that conversation (basically just turning down the offer and moving on before Scott can convince him), least likely option is Joel convincing Scott not to sacrifice himself but I would love to see that. Scott’s big way of playing the game be challenged by the menace of the server himself, out of love. A world in which Scott could be convinced not to die… just to have him around.

Of course there’s many ways an alliance between these two could work. They could have a weird dynamic rather than a normal team one. They might not ever be in a situation where one would sacrifice for the other. But when LimL was going on and I saw Joel and Jimmy team up I had thoughts in my head about Joel trying to sacrifice himself for Jimmy and they ENDED UP SOMEWHAT COMING TRUE so I CAN BELIEVE. Also when SL came out I secretly hoped for Scott and Joel rivalry crumbs and ENDED UP GETTING A LOT. So I’ve been PRETTY LUCKY with my wishes that I doubted would happen. Just knocked on wood btw.

[waywardwritesstuff]

HIIII!! How are you?

I was wondering if you could do a platonic rottmnt Donnie x reader one shot?/nf of course! Maybe like some comfort after reader has had a bad day.

I LOVE YOU!! remember to drink water!

-Axel <3

Bad days: ROTTMNT!Donnie X GN!Reader

ROTTMNT!Donnie X GN!Reader

Word count: 1k+

Looking left and right before removing the server grate I climb down the access hatch into a tunnel underneath New York. I pull up the straps on my back so that it doesn't scrape on the walls on my way down. I don't even look where I'm going, I just watch my feet as they splash through the puddles and scuff up some gravel with the heel of my shoe. Not even paying attention to which tunnels I'm turning down, I know where to go, my legs will just carry me.

My mind begins to wander to the events of today. School. Such a useless waste of time, the turtles are lucky they never have to go. They would never get tired or be told they fail because of a letter on a page. They wouldn't have to worry about fitting in or fitting out. They just get to live, even if it is in the shadows.

It's not all bad, I have April at school but she's busy and we don't share any classes. But she has my back when it counts. But...some days are just harder than others, and today seems to be that day.

As I come to the last tunnel I can hear the sounds of the guys, Leo is yelling about some skateboard trick and Raph is yelling back, telling him he'll crack his shell if he's not careful. 'He's such a mum' I think to myself, and it makes me smile.

I enter the lair and am witness to one hell of a stunt gone horribly wrong. I watch as Leo dives down the half-pipe doing a handstand on his skateboard. He makes it to the bottom before his weight tips the skateboard and he goes flying into the other side of the pipe. I cringe watching his head collide with the wood. Raph rushed over to him first and Mikey soon after. As usual, Raph is fussing but Leo says he's fine. Mikey looks stary eyed saying "My go! I want to try that" Raph starts to scold Mikey now and a big commotion starts up.

The noise is becoming too much so I sneak around them and head towards Donnie's room/lab. The door is shut but I can see that the lights are on. I know once, twice and whisper 'Donnie, it's me' and wait. A few seconds later in dramatic fashion the door is swinging open, and the light is flooding the floor at my feet. "Come in compadre," he says, and I step inside.

As usual his lab is a mess and his bed even more so. He has half working tech and circuit boards littered over his desk, he has papers and designs laid out on his bed, some even trailing onto to floor. I stare at the equations and diagrams but none of it makes sense to me. And that reminds me why I'm here in the first place. I'm here to see my friends after one of the crappiest days in school history.

Not knowing where to sit I stay awkwardly standing by the door, hugging my arms to myself. Donnie has already gone back to messing with some of his tech but his head perks up suddenly and he spins in his chair to look at where I'm standing.

"What happened?" He says bluntly.

I deter my eyes away from him.

"Judging by your attitude, your unusual quietness and the stiffness of your posture and the fact that you are still wearing your backpack I would say that you had a bad day at school"

Shrugging I still don't look at him as I say "I guess so"

Out of the corner of my eye I see him tilt his head at me. He begins muttering to himself, something fast under his breath, I only catch a few words 'doesn't want to talk' and 'maybe but I don't know'

I look at him now and he's still in full conversation with himself.

"Donnie?" He looks up at me

"Oh yes, right" he clears his throat.

"It seems you may be in need of a..." He pursues his lips, and he looks like he is trying to chew and swallow his tongue as he says, "a hug?"

I blink at him confused, Donnie doesn't do hugs, Donnie also doesn't really do touch. I don't want him to feel like he has to touch me just because I'm feeling down, does he feel obligated or something? No, he wouldn't, because he hasn't done it in the past.

"No, Donnie seriously it's fine. I'll be fine" I take a small step back and hug my elbows to my chest.

He looks down at the floor and then chews his lip "If you want to I'm offering. You can obviously say no, I know how important personal space is, believe me. But if you need one, then just this once I'm willing to give you one"

I look at him, I can see it's taking him a lot of effort to offer this, and I don't want to make him uncomfortable, but I really need this right now. I take a careful step forwards and then another. I unlatch my arms from around myself and open them in his direction. He does the same, and taking the last step, we wrap our arms around each other, his green ones around my tan ones.

His skin is cool and the scales littering his skin feel different in comparison to mine. It's not a bad difference it's just different.

I can hear his heart beat, slowly thumping against my chest. His breaths are a little shallow but I figured as much. He holds me really delicately, like I'm something precious and it's enough to make me want to cry. I squeeze him tighter one last time and let go.

Looking at him, I smile and say "Thank you Donnie, that meant a lot" he puts a hand on the back of his neck and cuffs

"Oh it was nothing" he smiles back at me. Then returning to his usual self he turns back to his desk and calls me over to take a look at his newest invention.

I hope you enjoyed this, it was a little short I'm sorry but I still hope you liked it. Again sorry it took so long

[endcrman]

Allostasis

(Chapter 1)

As a general rule of thumb, Grian doesn't do public servers for a multitude of reasons. This one hadn't even made it onto the list.

TW for physical/emotional abuse, implied sexual assault, PTSD symptoms

-

Mumbo was so lucky that Grian liked him as much as he did.

The hustle and bustle of the public server did not do good things to Grian's nerves, too many near brushes with strangers left him pulled in on himself, feathers bristling as he stepped closer and closer to Scar.

And thank the void for Scar.

He'd asked to come along without prompting, something neither Grian nor Mumbo could deny, and now that Mumbo had run off in his excitement to talk with other redstoners, Grian was just glad for the familiar company.

"It really is quite busy here isn't it?" Scar's voice broke through the commotion, relaxing Grian at least a little.

Grian tried to shake the tension from his wings. "I feel like there's not even any breathing room," he joked lightly, hesitating for a moment before gesturing at Scar's chair slightly. "Do you mind if— is it alright if I hold on? Just so we don't get separated."

"You could just hold my hand you know," Scar teased almost instantly.

Grian felt his cheeks starting to turn pink. "Scar, we both know you need your hand to move around, unless you want us stuck going in circles."

"Maybe I want to go in circles, you don't know that."

That made the avian laugh, rolling his eyes a little. "Alright, well, if you really want, we can go in circles. We might get a couple of odd looks though."

He may have actually entertained the other were it not so crowded already, instead opting to hold on to the handle; he allowed Scar to lead the way, vaguely directed by the tugging force of his chair.

"So I heard there were some people here working with practical decor and decorational redstone." Grian could barely hear Scar over the sound of everything else. "I think maybe we could get a kick out of that? Or at least occupy ourselves…"

–

Scar was definitely occupied at the very least, weaving deeper into the crowd to try and get a better look at the display. Grian could only stick around for a couple of minutes before it started getting to him; people bumping into him, elbows in his side, everything just too close.

“Scar, I'm taking a breather,” he warned the other, hopefully calling loudly enough. He waited for a nod from him before letting go, trying to make his way back out to an area just a little emptier.

He was on the outskirts of the crowd when he heard it.

"Gree-on—"

Grian inhaled sharply, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. The mispronunciation of his name was all too familiar, it had been… a long time since someone had gotten it wrong quite like that. Grian was feeling all too anxious again. He turned, trying to give a polite smile— eyes closed, no need to make eye contact, just apologize and leave.

"Sorry, I think you're mistaking me for someone else," he lied, before quickly turning on his heel to disappear back into the crowd.

Or at least that was what he intended to do, not anticipating the harsh grip on his arm pulling him just around the corner. He yelped, only to quickly be cut off by a hand slapped over his mouth, gaze finally landing on a face that had him shriveling up inside.

"Is that any way to say hi to an old friend?" He spoke far too lightly, tone airy and light. His hand had let go again, seemingly confident that Grian wouldn't throw a fit now that he recognized him.

He was right.

"Sam," Grian breathed, disbelief coursing through him, heart pounding in his chest. He was really regretting stepping away from Scar for even a moment now.

"You're so funny, pretending to be someone else," Sam snickered, shaking his head. "Like everyone doesn't recognize you from that MCC crap now, you're like some kind of micro celebrity."

He swallowed thickly, letting out a half-hearted laugh. "Ha, yeah. Guess I kind of am, I'm not really used to the attention."

Sam only hummed, reaching up and squeezing Grian's cheeks a little, making him wince. "Look at that, you've got a jawline now, looking like a real man after all these years."

Grian grimaced a little, not saying anything in return. Unfortunately, Sam noticed.

"Oh- Come on, Grian, I didn't mean it like that. It was a compliment. You're all grown up now, can't I give my high school sweetheart a compliment?"

A bitter laugh escaped his throat before he could stop it. "High school sweetheart? That's what you're calling it? After everything you put me through? Everything you put us all through?" He still had nightmares about their time together. And the time after too.

Sam's face hardened, and Grian's stomach churned.

"You're always so argumentative," Sam growled, shoving at Grian's shoulders just hard enough for him to jostle against the wall behind him. "Can't you just be thankful for once? I'm trying to catch up with you here, and you're being a real piece of work."

Grian swallowed back the automatic apology, gritting his teeth a little, almost baring them like a dog. "Oh yeah, because you're definitely somebody I need to catch up with."

"You're such a brat, some things never change, I thought you would have grown up by now," Sam scoffed, "you're lucky I even want to get back in touch with you, I kind of forgot how annoying you are."

"Then don't," Grian's feathers ruffled, his wings puffing up, an instinctual intimidation act. "If I'm so difficult, then leave."

Suddenly, Sam's eyes were sparkling, and a cold wave of dread ran through Grian.

"Wait— Those are real?" There was a touch of wonder in his voice. "I thought you were just like, trying to look special or some shit. Where the hell did you get those?"

"None of your business," Grian hissed.

"Let me see them." Sam's hand was grabbing at the feathers before the words even came out of his mouth. "Holy shit."

Grian yelped, pulling his wing out of Sam's grasp immediately. "Don't fucking touch the-" He was quickly cut off by a sudden pounding pain, head throbbing. 

"Don't tell me what to do," Sam growled, pushing on Grian's left shoulder to turn him, pressing his front against the wall. "I want to see them."

Grian gasped as he was moved, feeling lightheaded. His left eye was throbbing. Sam had hit him. 

Sinking against the wall, he felt like he was seventeen again. He couldn't help but tense up once more as the hands returned to his wings. 

"This is so cool, they're beautiful, really. I'd love to look at them all day." Sam's fingers raked through his feathers, causing him to wince in discomfort with every movement. 

"You need to stop being such a baby, you know that? It's not like you haven't touched my ears before," Sam grunted, laughing a little when Grian winced again.

"Grian!"

Grian inhaled sharply, tensing up. He recognized that voice.

It seemed to distract Sam for a moment, loosening his grip ever so slightly. "What the hell?" He mumbled softly.

"Grian!" The voice was louder, closer, looking for him.

"Is that one of your dumb hermit friends?" Sam teased, snickering. "Well he sure did a good job keeping an eye on you."

"Grian, come on! Where'd you go?"

Scar. It was Scar. Grian panicked. He couldn't be seen like this, not in such a vulnerable position, not so easily used.

Sam was distracted enough, Grian could use it to his advantage. He quickly turned, wincing as he felt some feathers plucked from their follicles, but wasted no time in immediately stomping on Sam's toes.

He yelped, pulling away from Grian, feathers scattered between them. Just in time as Scar rounded the corner, Sam was cutting his losses and scampering away, leaving Grian leaning against the wall, breathing a bit heavier than usual.

"Grian?" Scar's voice so close so suddenly made Grian startle, even though he had known the other was coming.

"Scar," Grian croaked, clearing his throat before it came out normally again. "Hey, sorry, didn't mean to lose you like that."

"Are you okay?" One of those questions Grian grew up dreading to hear, for multiple reasons.

"Yeah- yeah, just had to get out of the crowd for a moment," he lied, "all the people were starting to stress me out."

It was scary, how easy it was to lie to his friend, especially with those bright green eyes staring back at him.

"I see," Scar clearly didn't believe him, but he wasn't pushing it either. Maybe he hadn't even seen Sam in the end, Grian could only hope. "Well, Mumbo got what he needed, and we were thinking about heading back, are you ready to go?"

"Yes." The answer was instant. "Yes. Let's go home."

Grian's answer must have been too sure, because even without prompting, Scar gestured for the other to grab hold of his chair. "Let's go then, Mumbo's waiting by the portal," he gave the avian a little smile, "try not to get lost this time?"

It was a joke. Teasing him. Grian's knuckles were turning white from how hard he was holding on, not that Scar could see from this angle. "I'll try not to," he replied as casually as he could.

Carefully weaving through the server, Grian learned to keep his eyes down the third time he thought he saw tall white ears among the crowd, trusting Scar to lead them out. Scar seemed to sense his nervousness, glancing back at him every once in a while to make sure he was still there.

Soon enough, they made it to the world portal, Mumbo grinning and waving them down, one of his arms overflowing with what seemed to be blueprints (redprints?) for new redstone contraptions. Grian almost didn't have to force a smile when he saw the other's excitement, though it quickly turned to shock.

"Grian!" Mumbo gasped softly. "What happened to your eye?"

Scar turned to look as well, pulling his chair out of Grian's light grasp. "Oh void, Grian."

He hesitated before reaching up to touch the skin around his eye and— yeah. Tender to the touch, definitely having turned purple by the others' reactions. It had been a while since he'd been injured like this.

"I tripped," he excused quickly, the memory of a lie easily falling out of his mouth, "I'll be alright."

They were doubting him, he could see it in their eyes.

Mumbo cleared his throat, looking away. "Well, let's get you home. I'm sure we have some healing potions laying around somewhere."

"I'm not—" Grian quickly bit his tongue. He wasn't dying, he didn't need a potion. It'd just be a waste of resources. The voice in the back of his head sounded suspiciously familiar. "It's not that bad," he corrected. It sounded much better than saying he wasn't allowed, especially considering he was allowed, he had been for a while now.

Mumbo and Scar shared an unreadable look between the two of them, and it only made Grian feel even worse.

"Come on— let's go," Grian insisted, suddenly pushing past them towards the portal, determined to just be home already.

–

Grian did not hesitate upon the return to Hermitcraft, world travel sickness be damned. Pluto and cOW were waiting on the other side of the portal, right where they'd been left. Seeing Mumbo struggling with the prints he'd brought back, Grian offered him Pluto's lead, just for now. As soon as he was content that Scar and Mumbo could handle themselves, Grian was off, easily disappearing as the two worked on saddling up.

He didn't trust himself to fly, not with the churning of his stomach, and his feathers didn't feel quite right either, crooked and uncomfortable. So instead he walked. He'd had worse walks before, and so long as he ignored his concerned friends' attempts at checking in on him, he could pretend it was just another day on the server.

Mumbo and Scar wouldn't understand anyways.

His feet hurt by the time he got home, walking around the expo earlier certainly hadn't helped the situation either. His stomach flipped at the thought of the expo again, he never could have anticipated what unfolded there.

The climb up to his base was a bit more of a workout, but Grian couldn't bring himself to straighten out his feathers enough yet to do anything else. Besides, the ache of his muscles was a welcome distraction.

He ignored his comm as it buzzed for the time being, tossing it aside without even looking at it. He just needed some peace and quiet, if anybody truly needed anything from him they could come and get him, otherwise he was going to sit and relax and think about anything except for Sam.

Fuck.

Grian felt dirty. His eye throbbed, he could feel the phantom touch of a hand on his jaw, squeezing too tightly. Trying not to think about it only made it worse, made his head spin as he took a shuddering breath. At least he was wearing his sweater, that meant Sam hadn't actually touched anything but his face, and then his wings of course.

His sweater. His breath caught as he moved to tear it off himself, wincing as it caught on his wings, but not caring enough to stop until it was thrown halfway across the room, away from him. His arm still itched where Sam had grabbed him earlier, but it was better now that the offending fabric was removed, dulled, even if he felt more exposed than before. At least he was alone.

Grian's wings still ached where healthy feathers had been prematurely ripped from their follicles, even more so when he tried to stretch them out, making him inhale sharply from the pain. He'd put off preening until the pain had dulled then, that was the sensible thing to do.

He took a deep breath, moving to his room and closing the curtains before laying down. Everything hurt. He raised a hand to gently press at the new bruise around his eye, startled when his fingers came away wet.

“Oh.” His voice cracked, and then he began to sob.

–

It was dark out when Grian finally felt as though he'd calmed down enough. He sniffled softly, forcing himself out of bed. He at least wanted to wash off his face, and maybe have a cup of tea too.

Grian wet a cloth as the water boiled, careful not to press too hard around his left eye as he wiped away dried tears. He'd have to come up with a better story than what he'd told the others earlier, if he wanted to go out and about on the server before it healed. Something that lined up with what he said already, of course, but more detail.

He was startled out of thought as the kettle began to whistle, and he dropped the cloth in favor of pouring the water into the mug he had prepared. Grian swallowed thickly, watching as it steeped. He hadn't realized just how quickly he had fallen back into old habits, planning out his lies and excuses, coming up with stories for the sake of not only his own image. He felt sick.

Grian didn't bother adding anything else to the tea, grabbing his communicator in his other hand on the way back to his room. He should probably catch up on the server at least, make sure there weren't any emergencies or weird situations that needed his attention.

Grian snorted softly at the thought of an emergency on the server, taking a sip of tea as he began looking over the messages.

There were messages from both Mumbo and Scar, identical in tone, checking in on him throughout the day. Grian's heart squeezed painfully as he read through them. Between the two of them, he'd received plenty of questions about his well being, as well as the usual casual chatting when he hadn't responded right away; Mumbo sharing his new redstone plans and how he was planning to implement them, as well as mentioning he'd brought Pluto home; Scar sending not only photos of the build he was working on but also little jokes here and there. It was comforting, to have just that little sense of normalcy. Grian was sure his own responses were stilted, but he knew that was at least better than ignoring them, especially when they were worried like this.

There were a few messages from other hermits asking if he was available, hours ago of course, and it seemed from his radio silence that they assumed him busy, judging by the lack of pushing at least. Good.

Global chat was normal too, nothing crazy, which was good, Grian wasn't really feeling up to crazy today. He chuckled softly at the thought, it wasn't every day he could say that.

The last thing that caught his eye was a notification from somebody off server. It wasn't unheard of, obviously, Grian had friends on other servers. Lizzie, Martyn, and Scott to name a few. He wasn't ever surprised to hear from any of them.

Grian couldn't have expected this, though.

samgladiator: heyyyyyyyy griannn

samgladiator: it was good seeing you! we should hang out again soon

samgladiator: srry for all the teasing lol u know i was just goofing!

Swallowing thickly, Grian turned off the comm. He set it aside, along with the half drunk mug, feeling numb. Laying down, he stared up at the ceiling until he must have eventually fallen asleep.

[vodika-vibes]

Round 7 *ding ding ding*

(Oh no, I've breached containment)

Keeli and "Stay behind me, no matter what."

Please and thank you, my love 💚💚💚

@the-bad-batch-baroness

Stay Behind Me

Summary: When you take a job, after promising Keeli that you were done in that line of work, you have a lot of explaining to to.

Pairing: Captain Keeli x Reader

Word Count: 644

Warning: Disappointed Keeli (which should be a warning in and of itself), Reader is a thief

Tagging: @trixie2023

A/N: I woke up at 4:30 am and then laid in bed until it was a slightly less disgusting time to be awake. Which resulted in me typing this in under an hour after making my mocha latte. Also, this is sorta based on Leverage, and I could probably write a whole series on the adventures of Captain Keeli and his cyare, the thief. But I won't because I have some self-control.

Divider by Saradika

“Why are you here?”

You smile, sheepishly, up at your Captain, “Well,” you say slowly, “You see-”

Keeli sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, “Cyare, are you here on a job?”

“What! No!”

“Cyare-”

“Maybe. Just a little one.” You admit as your shoulders slump.

“Babe, you promised you were done.”

“I know, I know I did. But this is important-” You try.

“It’s always important. Where’s the rest of your crew?”

“Maybe I came by myself.” You say defensively, and then you quail until his unimpressed stare, “Uhm…they’re on other floors.” You finally admit, your voice small.

“Cyare,” Keeli sounded very disappointed, “You promised me that you were done with the whole thief thing. You swore it.”

“I know! I know! And I meant it! I did!” 

“Then why are you here? If you meant it, you would be at home, babe. Not here.” He sounds so very disappointed in you that you nervously start playing with your gloves.

“It’s important, Keel.” You say quietly.

“What, exactly, is so important that you would break your promise to me?” Keeli asks, well, demands really.

You’re quiet, for a long moment, and then you hesitantly touch his arm, “Keeli, this company is funding the terrorists that did the First Citizen bombing, and they’re planning something bigger. We’re here to stop it.”

Keeli is quiet for a moment, and then he sighs, “You have proof of this?”

“Yes.”

“And it’s solid evidence? Evidence that would hold up in a court of law?”

You grimace, “The evidence is more than just solid, Keeli. It’s incontrovertible.” You reply, “But the man in charge is wealthy enough that he’ll never see a day of prison.”

“You should have more faith in the justice system.” Keeli chides gently.

“In the six years I’ve been doing this, they never see a prison cell, Keeli. Ever.” You counter, just as gently, “One last job. I promise.”

“Cyare, there’s always going to be one more job. You need to stop this before you get yourself killed.” Keeli replies.

“I have the ability to help the families of the people who were killed,” You say, “And I know that you feel like I lied to you, but I meant it when I said I was done. But I’m the best at what I do.”

“That’s not something to be proud of!”

“I know!” You snap, and then you take a deep breath, “I know.” You repeat quieter, gentler, “But sometimes this feels like the only thing I can do. And I use it to help people.”

“You’re a thief.”

“You knew that when you asked me out on our first date, Keeli. I never hid that from you.” You remind him.

And Keeli sighs. He runs his gloved hand over his intricately shaved head, and then he sighs again, “You are, so incredibly, lucky that I love you and that I like your friends.” He grumbles, “Where do you need to get?”

You stare at him for a long moment, and then you grin, “Server room 3.”

Keeli grumbles and pulls his helmet on, “Stay behind me, no matter what.”

“Yes sir!” You say with a bright grin.

“Ugh, don’t call me sir.” Keeli turns away from you and sends a message through his comm to his men, and then he turns back to you, “I’ve given the order that the men are to ignore you and your friends unless they hurt someone.”

“Thank you, Keeli!” You say with a delighted grin as you practically bounce over to him and kiss his helmet, “You’re the best.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. You owe me for this, cyare.”

“I’m good for it!” You promise gleefully, and then you fall into step behind him.

“And cyare,” He glances at you over his shoulder, “Love you.”

And you melt a little bit, “I love you too.”

[blazehedgehog]

Thoughts on Dr. Robotnik's Ring racers and the current version of SRB2 Kart?

I never dug too super deep in to SRB2 Kart because I very rarely play online games with randos and I had no real consistent group to play with otherwise. Like, I tried to play the few times Tracker hosted a server, but he lives in the UK and I'm on wifi so it just didn't really work out.

So I was kind of waiting for the singleplayer campaign mode. I could see the potential in SRB2K. "The Mugen of Kart Racers" has been an idea in the back of my head for literal decades at this point. But I did not care about time trials because there were no items.

I streamed about four hours of Ring Racers (obviously) a couple days ago:

And I've also seen a lot of SRB2 Kart diehards lose their mind over some of the changes and problems in Ring Racers.

As someone who has never really put more than, say, two hours in to SRB2 Kart, Ring Racers is... fun? Yeah. It's fun. I'd say I enjoyed myself.

But it's also got problems. Broadly speaking, the entire game is way too complicated for its own good. It's nice that they really sat down and thought very deeply about kart racer mechanics and tried to elevate things to a new level, but it feels like they overthought a lot of it. And I mean beyond the fact this game opens with a very wordy, 30-60 minute tutorial. Don't get me wrong, it needs at least some of that, because it's a very mechanically dense game, but that's also sort of the problem.

Like I literally just bailed out of a Discord conversation about this because I wanted to write it over here, but let's take, for example, the spindash.

The spindash mechanic has three primary functions in Ring Racers:

You charge up a spindash at the right time during the starting line lobby segment to get a boost going into the first lap

You charge a spindash to get through one of the speed barriers for secret shortcuts

This game has Sonic-style physics and there are slopes where, if you aren't already going fast, they are too steep of an incline to drive up. So you have to stop and charge a spindash to clear them.

What value does this actually bring to the table? What's useful about it?

The starting line lobby segment is annoying because even CPU racers will bump you into a FAULT state, forcing you to start in last place. Lobby segments are also different sizes, different lengths, so as a newbie like myself, that already puts me at a disadvantage. Charging a spindash for a starting line boost does not add anything you could not already do with Mario Kart's more traditional starting line mechanic. So that means everything around it is just to make the game less friendly to newbies.

Unless you are an ultra-skilled sickos player who optimizes ring consumption to the max, or you're lucky enough to have a boost item, you are never going to be setup to crash through a speed barrier. I certainly never am. I only touch them by accident and they always make everything worse for me when I do. I would never stop and deliberately use a spindash to clear one of these, and places in the map where I get owned are never near one for it to act as a shortcut to get me back in the race faster.

The only time you need to use a spindash on a slope is if you get blasted by someone else's weapon, and there's always this deep dread to that where it's like, if I have to spindash to get up a slope, the race is already lost. Getting slammed by a weapon can already be very devastating on its own, but adding the extra step of having to come to a complete stop, wait 2-3 seconds to charge a spindash, and then crawl up the incline? It's insult to injury.

So, then, in practical terms: what value does the spindash bring to this game? The shortest summary is it's a recovery mechanic that adds an extra step to systems that are tuned to be very difficult and maybe don't even need to exist. You could remove the spindash (and all the systems that depend on the spindash) and I think it would be a better game.

And there's a few systems like this in the game, like the ring tether system, the air drop, and so on. It's nice to finally see someone trying to meaningfully evolve the kart racer into something with greater depth, but I also feel like people who liked SRB2 Kart liked it because it was a very good one of those. And it had extremely friendly mod support.

I get the desire for what's happening here. People were unfairly harsh about how "SRB2 Kart is a bad name" and the developers wanted to both establish a fresher identity and push things in a new direction. But they're also kind of reinventing a lot of wheels and adding all of these extra steps, which will and is hurting the pick-up-and-play element of "it's just a good kart racer." If you roll up on a friend group with Ring Racers and say "hold up, you gotta play the 40 minute tutorial first", that's a killer, and that's still considering they've already trimmed the tutorial length once since it launched only a few days ago.

A kart racer with the depth of a fighting game is definitely an interesting idea and like I said, I was having fun in the stream, but it's just one of those things where the more I think about what the ideal form of this game is trying to be, the more I wonder.

And that's not even considering that some things that worried me about SRB2 Kart are still here, like how many very narrow and winding tracks there are. Sometimes you get what is effectively a rally racing track but there's 8 other hyper-aggressive cars on the road with you and they're all armed to the teeth with projectile weapons. Even in SRB2 Kart's time trial mode, when I was the only one on the track, it could be hard enough to stay on the road. Now that I'm being knocked around by other racers at the same time? It can borderline on feeling impossible.

Again, I don't hate this. It's just that there's a lot of weird friction in places I feel like it does not benefit from or need.

[clever-fox-studios]

Fatass art dump time continues of all the neat things I made while in the SAMS server. I'm not active now, as I've stated before (somewhere) but it does have a special place in my crusty dusty heart for getting me out of a massive art block phase I was in; I did so much art while in that group, it was unreal. If you knew me irl, I'd maybe draw one picture every two or three months, it felt like, so the sheer volume of nonsense I generated, the styles I developed and designs I fell in love with will always be because of that goofy server

First off, memes! Starting with my favorite that still makes me wheeze

I only grabbed a handful of my favorites, as mobile only let's me upload 10 pics at a time

I have no idea why I drew this thing, but Bio!Hazard Killcode ended up being a favorite "why tf not" design I did even though I will probably never draw him again because details

Lucky Blocks was one of the first vids I watched of the show so I commemorated it by drawing Sun's non-canon son, the proto-star

And then later decided we needed more Eclipse Rizz and drew Eclipse and Solar (mechanic Eclipse) in corset vests because I had a problem and needed to make it everyone else's. you can probably tell I was really getting into my DCA art style given how much I could draw it across the board with all the characters (though I never drew KC in my Legacy style now that I think about it--)

Anyway... moving on to probably my favorite thing to come out of that art stampede:

CRUNCHY ART

I get really into monochrome + crosshatching cuz my style works incredibly well with bold lines and grayscale for some unholy reason

Really love the yandere vibes this still gives off; Eclipse, you petty bitch /pos

Pretty sure we all know when this dropped, cuz it was within two days of the vid posting

But before then, we got the OG crunchy: the scariest moment in all of SAMS (to me) that literally made me jump. I coined it the "Junji Ito" art style because it was the vibes I was going for

It worked out exceptionally well for poor KC as well, that time he was modified by The Creator while he was just vibing in Moon's body, minding his own business

I think that was all of it. Well, except stills from that (unfinished) animatic but that's on Youtube now so I probably don't need to post those on their own... maybe??

[hey-hamlet]

BNHA AU Idea: Getting what you're due often means you have to lie a little bit.

TL;DR: Izuku can't get into UA without a registered quirk. This is a much simpler problem to fix than he'd let himself think about. A little breaking and entering is fine if its for a good cause - right?

Izuku is in his second last year of middle school when he is attacked by the sludge villain. Endeavor is the hero to save him - burns the sludge until it bubbles and boils and Izuku is so hot he feels like hes dying but growing up around Kacchan has made him good at keeping his mouth shut while he burns - and the villain releases him, unconscious due to the pain.

He asks. "Could I be a hero? Even without a quirk?" He knew the answer before he received it, before Endeavour said a word. It was the malice in his eyes that gave it away.

"Quirkless?" He spat, cold fury and grief tangled up in a way Izuku could only read as anger. "You'd be lucky to get a job picking up trash."

Izuku's heart broke, like usual. A practised kind of heartbreak, one that happens the same way over and over until its not really breaking anymore, because it never healed.

At least the next day, Bakugo corners him, throws the first punch with sparks dancing across his knuckles and Izuku is just Done. He and his mother had been attending self defense classes since Izuku turned four - since his father left, since their family became a quirkless child and a pretty young mother in a rough neighbourhood. Izuku is tired and he is angry and he punches back.

It devolves into a violent scuffle, biting and yelling, both boys furious with the other, beyond words. It ends with them both slumped on the ground, heaving for breath through bloodied noses. When the teacher comes around the corner looking shocked and then angry, Izuku is ready to be expelled. Kacchan doesn't have to say a word for it all to be blamed on him.

"Some fuckin-" Kacchan coughs, choking a little on the blood running down his throat. he coughs, looking disgusted as pink spittle stains his sleeves. "Some fuckin creep was on school grounds. He's gone now."

Izuku was silent, wide eyed, as Kacchan refused to look at him, as the teacher fussed over him for getting in Bakugo's way, but that it was still nice of him to help his friend, but that they should both really get a teacher next time. They didn't question his story. Why would they? Kacchan was their golden child.

"If you weren't quirkless." Kacchan muttered as he left the nurse's office. "You could have been worth a damn."

If he wasn't quirkless.

Well. He could fix that. On paper, anyway.

Ok so! Quirkless kids cant apply to UA. But its worded weirdly - as 'those marked medically quirkless on their files can not apply to UA. So if he gets in, but the letter of the law, he's fine. He just cant be medically quirkless on record.

The only student at aldera with a shot at UA is bakugo. He's the only one who put in the work, and had the inclination. Izuku thinks that maybe - maybe - he might not sell him out. Might let him apply, might keep his mouth shut.

Izuku's ability with computers isn't good enough to hack. Hes pretty sure hacking doesn't even really work like that, and there is no way for him to learn how hacking works in like 2 years - at least well enough to get into a high security government database.

The easiest option would be a pediatricians office - they have the ability to update quirk records. But they show as updated, not original. A quirkless kid gaining a quirk at 13? One he can't show off on command? Very dicey.

The main server for the records is kept at the HPSC offices - they actually advertise it, which. Izuku thinks is pretty silly.

So - how does he get in? His simplest option is also his riskiest - just walk in an hope no one asks any questions. Possible, but the risk is just way too high. So, plan too - have a Reason to be in there.

They could probably use an analyst, right?

featuring :

Izuku befriending Hawks and becoming faintly horrified at the HPSC's treatment of him

Izuku getting access to their dirty little secrets because no one thought the cute kid was a security risk.

Izuku has a fake idenity he was hired through - same name but the son of an I-Island scientist. I-Island will not release their records to any government unless there is a criminal case so Izuku's pretty good there. He did need a personal reference but one of his online friends is a quirkless girl who lives on I-Island, she gets her dad to do it. Izuku is very grateful - she just asks that she get to be his support tech. Izuku cries, just a little.

Izuku keeps working there even after he's at UA, his mum is now in on the plan. She never actually married Hisashi so there are no records contradicting Izuku ab his 'dad'

1A still becoming convinced All Might is his dad, but this time is small might.

All Might considers asking Izuku to become his successor but when asked if he wished he had a quirk, Izuku said 'not any more. im doing good like this, i think'

He topples the whole commission in second year.

[carryonthroughtheages]

Hello friends and history lovers!

Another year of Carry On Through The Ages is over and done! I am so happy with success this year has had. Every year, I am blown away by how amazing this little community is. We are a small event, but we are so supportive and loving of each other.

It has been an absolute joy to watch the Discord server so active every single day, with people talking about their research and their projects. Watching as they gained support and encouragement from other history nerds. It was everything I could have hoped for when I first started this fest four years ago. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, everyone who participated, whether it was as a creator, or support, or researcher. You all helped to make COTTA 2023 a continued success.

Under the page break, you will find individual links to the fics and art that were created this year for COTTA. They are INCREDIBLE, and I highly encourage you all to read them.

Here is the link to the AO3 Collection: Carry On Through The Ages 2023!

Until next year, love you all!

BazzyBelle 🧡

Monday

Blood, Salt & Hummingbirds (T) - @hushed-chorus : AO3 // tumblr

Simon is lucky to survive when his ship is wrecked, even if it left him stranded on a desert island. But he's not the only one who escaped. The ship's mysterious cargo, the creature in the box, also made it to shore. What hope does Simon have when a vampire is lurking in the island's wooded interior? But the monster is not what it seems, and if they are to survive, they need to work together. And maybe they can do more than survive. Maybe they can thrive.

Fifty Names For A Cat (T) - @hushed-chorus : AO3 // tumblr

Simon and Baz are settling into their new life, getting Pitch Manor in working order and preparing to move to their cottage on the moor. Meanwhile, a certain cat is adjusting to his new life.

Tuesday

The Trails We Blaze (M) - @j-nipper-95 : AO3 // tumblr

Simon and Baz have been through a lot together. Growing up as criminals on London's streets; surviving the Great War; dealing with a lot of repressed feelings. But after their latest con goes wrong, they're left with nothing but an ancient map, a signet ring of unknown provenance or value, and promises of a city that doesn't even exist. Thrust into a world of adventure with danger at every turn, they're forced to decide how far they're willing to go for a myth, a fortune, and a chance at love.

The Snow Fox (E) - @aristocratic-otter : AO3 // tumblr

Simon "Snow" Salisbury is the most wanted patriot in the American Revolution. Wanted by the British army, who want to see him hanged. Wanted by the Tories, who'd shoot him on sight, given the chance. And wanted by Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch.

Wednesday

Lavender Hearts (M) - @aroace-genderfluid-sheep : AO3 // tumblr

America, 1950s. Queer people are fired left and right, friends lose their jobs daily--and sometimes, their lives. Simon and Baz are caught in the middle of it all with a homophobic father and an unconventional (in more than one way) relationship, terrified out of their minds but unwilling to give up the fight. They'll fight for years if they have to. They'll fight for decades. But even the strongest wills can be broken with the hardest of blows.

An 1800s daguerreotype photograph art piece created by the amazing @samalander01 : tumblr

Thursday

Shoulder To Shoulder, Hand To Hand (M) - @wellbelesbian : AO3 // tumblr

Britain, 1984. Across the country, miners go on strike against pit closures. With the government, police and media set against them and no end in sight, they and their families begin to feel the strain. In London, Simon Snow recognises a familiar struggle, and decides to do something, while closeted Baz Pitch just wants to get out of the house and be among his community for a day. What starts as a few collection buckets at a pride march soon becomes an organisation, and a bond is forged between the lesbians and gay men of London and a village of miners and their families in South Wales. But Simon has a past he's trying to outrun, and Baz is trying to live a double life. Both boys have secrets and shame, but if they want to make it through together, they'll have to find their pride.

A beautiful Galatea/Pygmalion-inspired water colour piece by the wonderful @ic3-que3n : tumblr

Friday

Safe Harbour (M) - @snowbaz-parentis : AO3 // tumblr

It all started on an island... It's 1956, and Baz Pitch is existentially lost in New York City. After graduating from Columbia, he's working for a wedding photographer with no taste as he avoids his inevitable fall attendance at Yale Law School, his father's alma mater. All Baz wants to do is be a fashion photographer, and when an opportunity to assist a famous photographer out on Fire Island falls in his lap, it just may be the key to helping unlock him from the closet of his family's expectations. It's 1956, and Simon Snow is wondering if there's more to life than this or if this is as good as it gets. He's been working in construction with his foster father, David Cadwallader, practically ever since he was taken in at age 13, but there's something beyond the water that's calling for him. When Davy offers Simon a chance to manage his family's rental properties for the summer in Cherry Grove on Fire Island, Simon jumps at the chance to finally take charge of something. What Baz and Simon didn't expect: the sense of freedom that comes from being able to absolutely surrender to the truest version of yourself, and the choices you have to make when it happens.

Costly Colours - A Precious Bane AU (M) - twigs_in_my_hair : AO3

In the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars Baz is being groomed by his aunt to be a physician. Tired of the farming life, Fiona would like to set up shop in town with her sister’s herbal remedies and her nephew settled down with his mentor’s lovely daughter and a fine degree hung on the wall. But first the family must toil and scrimp and save to raise the funds. And what if this is not the future Baz longs for? And what if the townsfolk won’t let go of their superstitions and petty grudges towards this family marked by tragedy? Does the handsome young weaver have all the answers?

[wri0thesley]

I am so sorry if this is invasive and weird, but may I ask what you work as? I'm at the stage where I have to build my future and I know you don't have an age specified but you seem to be doing really well (at least from the posts we've seen, again I really hope not to be invasive) for yourself and your partner and 25+ is still young! Again, I hope this isn't mean or weird, I'm just curious. (and severely nervous. First year of college is ruining me harder than any fictional man.)

ahh anon i'm afraid that the answer is probably not what you're looking for!

for the record, i am 27, i just find getting fandom older a little scary, especially having it listed right there!!!

i actually intended to be a performer and a singing teacher (my degree was going to be in music & musical theatre); unfortunately, due to a plethora of reasons (mostly my undiagnosed autism, unmedicated ocd/depression/anxiety combo, a nervous breakdown and my partner's physical health declining) i dropped out of my degree before the end of my first semester.

for about three years or so after that i was severely agoraphobic. talking 'can't answer the door' agoraphobic; 'never left the house alone, and even when with someone only went to the doctors and therapy' agoraphobic, 'rotted in my bedroom in an absolutely non romanticised way' agoraphobic. i was on the equivalent of disability because i literally could not function. meanwhile, my partner, who lived with me and my parents was getting physically worse whilst i was mentally struggling (since then haz has been diagnosed with ehlers danlos syndrome, fibromyalgia, lipoedema, thyroid issues and a lot of other things; they have a lot going on). i DID access several therapies, had . . . a couple of very bad relapses, went under crisis teams and all of that stuff (i had occupational therapy too which was HONESTLY i think one of the most useful things and helpful things for me in the long run; i cannot imagine what i would be like if i hadn't had the occupational therapist the crisis team found for me).

(coincidentally, if you are an og jojo follower you probably remember how bad it was; i've said it a hundred times, but running this silly little reader-insert blog probably helped save my life at a time when i had almost no contact with the outside world. i couldn't leave my bedroom, but i had my blog and i had my little internet friends and discord server).

i have gotten a lot better.

haz, unfortunately, has not gotten better physically and probably never will. they need help with a lot of things most people don't even realise disabled people might need help with. brushing their hair, fastening clothes . . . when haz first moved in, they were doing the same dance-intensive college course that i was. we danced maybe three or four hours a day. nowadays, haz needs me to hold their hand and keep them steady when they go from our bed to the bathroom (the room next door).

so i don't really 'work' as anything. well, my therapist would tell me off for saying that; the uk government classes me as an 'unpaid carer', which basically means i am on call for haz literally 24/7 and they pay me the pittance that is carer's allowance (carer's allowance assumes you care at least 35 hours a week, and pays you the privilege of about 45 pence per each of those hours. if, like me, you live with the person you care for and do more than those hours, it gets . . . yeah. oof. the government unfortuately know that most unpaid carers are loved ones and family members of the person who needs care and won't just stop doing it, and they'd be in the shit if we did because trained carers are expensive, so they can get away with that - FUCK the tories, honestly.

i am EXCEEDINGLY lucky that i live in a cheap area of the uk, that haz and i are internet savvy enough to be able to access carers/disability discounts, that we are in rent-controlled social housing (which my crisis team helped find for us because living with my parents was taking such a toll on us both, woo!!!!), and that we've been able to access services to help on the nhs. i got my autism assessment and diagnosis; haz is under several pain management teams.

all in all, i'm happy. i'm so much happier than i was seven years ago when i'd dropped out of university and felt like a huge failure, because all of my life i was a gifted overachiever and i thought my self-worth was tied to my academic achievements (and as an extension, what roles i got in what shows and when and who saw me and so on). i don't have a lot of money (i am a bargain shopped fgbnkjgjnfb) but i know what i like and because i'm Older Now (tm) i've amassed collections of it.

i am absolutely sure that you'll boss college, anon! that you will find that thing that works for you (one day i would LOVE to go back and get my degree! pre-covid i had an acceptance for a creative writing degree and i was getting ready to go back to uni as a mature student, but haz's health got bad again and then covid happens - and now ofc i have my autism diagnosis i can access so much more help!). but even if you don't, you can absolutely find happiness without 'traditional' success.

i don't have a lot in the grand scheme of things. but you're right in that i am doing pretty well, in terms of where i am, and where i've been. i have my own little home. i have my partner of ten years who is my soulmate in every conceivable way. i've had experiences that make me feel so happy i sometimes cry when i remember them. i have my own little cat now!!! things still stress me out. but i have come so so far and when i feel down i remember that.

good luck anon! i believe in you <3

[goodboyaudios]

i’m evil like that muahaha~ also!!!!! congratulations on 40k!!!!!!!!!!!! i’m sure you’ll be getting way more recognition in the future:D

since you gave permission:

you said you’re finishing off uni, did you always know what you wanted to study? i’m at the (depressing) stage in life where i’m fully realizing how many curve balls life throws at you:) the path to success usually isn’t linear, so i’m curious about your journey!

it seems like you’re always asking for feedback or addressing issues, etc. do you have any feedback for us (as in, the community)? most people i’ve interacted with are pretty chill, but idk maybe there’s we could improve on?

this one might be a bit personal, so feel free to ignore! do your friends or family know about your channel/work? i’d imagine it’d be nice to have someone you could bounce ideas off of before publishing stuff! if not, how do you manage to hide all that stuff hahah~. you’ve built an entirely different universe, so i refuse to believe a sane man can keep all of that in his head and live a normal life simultaneously:p

if you could befriend any oc of yours, who would it be and why?

i’m not sure how to word this question properly, but are there any endings/plot points that you had initially envisioned differently? like, did you think a story was going one way and changed your mind half ways through?

you don’t have to answer all of these! you did ask for it, but i hope i’m not overwhelming you haha~

Absolutely not. School didn't do anything to prepare me for the world. My college has done less than nothing in preparing me to get a job in my field, YOUTUBE HAS DONE MORE FOR ME THAN COLLEGE AT THIS POINT and if I'm completely honest with you? That's fuckin sad. No, I had no idea what I wanted to do and I wish I was that kind of person who knew right out the gate. (lucky bastards) Okay, I'm done with my rant lol

I didn't know what field I wanted to study in, so I took a chance and jumped into something I knew I had some knowledge in and hoped for the best. Really that's all you can do. I have learned that, when you get out of highschool and you don't know what to do, do everything until something sticks. Trial and error. It's not the most efficient, but it works!

Any feedback to GIVE to the community? Let me think. Honestly, the community has been very wonderful to me. Occasionally something pops up, but it's usually squashed. The discord server is full of wonderful and creative and talented people who have always had my back and support the work I do. I hear all the time about drama in fellow creator servers and toxic behavior in the communities, etc...but my end of things has always been super nice! (that might have something to do with my lack of NSFW content) But yeah! No notes really! Everything good in our little neighborhood!

My family is aware AND so is my extended family lol! They are supportive, but they don't really give me ideas to bounce off. I have other fellow writers and creatives or that! And I do write everything down and go back to it in case I forget something. But typically speaking its all in my head, yep! I just...don't know how to do other things! Like...dress fashionably or...function in a normal society...you know useless stuff like that!

Zed. He needs a friend lol

Only with Bastard Warrior actually! Every story, I envision how I want it to end first, but with Bastard Warrior, I had thoughts of changing it because it was supposed to be enemies to lovers, yet the canon ending isn't Albus getting with Faith. So, I made 3 endings to appease everyone lol

Hope I got all of the them lol!

[thedisablednaturalist]

My parents found out about the present I bought myself for my birthday. I worked my max hours to afford it. I had it shipped to my bfs house so they wouldn't see it. Apparently I missed a receipt that was hidden in the box. Idk how they got it anyway cause I put the box out with the trash/recycling. My mom was being so cruel about it and how I keep buying myself "lavish" gifts (most stuff I buy for fun is like $10-$50 max). I always plan my purchases and have never missed a credit card payment. Most of my money goes towards doctors visits, medication, car maintenance and gas, accessibility items/ergonomic stuff, cat food and litter, and hygiene. Recently I stopped most of my subscriptions save for a cheap minecraft server. The bulk of my pay goes into savings which have really grown since I got my raise. I also give my parents $400 in rent each month. I'm trying to save up for a recliner to replace my bed but I don't want to use the money I've already put away.

Like ok, maybe I'm not mr.frugal. maybe i sometimes buy more expensive things because they're more convenient (like already cut vegetables/fruit or preprepared meals) but like my hands fucking hurt and sometimes I don't have the spoons to feed myself. Maybe I fall prey to impulse purchases once in a while. Im learning and I'm trying to learn how to budget bc now I have to also pay for insurance until I can get on medicaid.

My mom acts like I don't care. She sees amazon packages come for me and think theyre all toys or expensive skincare or junk when its actually body wipes for when I cant shower/so i dont come back from the field to the office all stinky. Its a trash can I can keep on my bedshelf so I dont throw trash onto the floor instead. Its knee braces because my knees fucking suck. Once in a while Ill see something on sale that ive been wanting for a while and will grab it. And the most expensive skincare I use is $20 for a jar that lasts me 3 months. I have to keep my skin clear or ill pick and have scabs and blood all over my face again. I spend money on drag because it MAKES me money. Last time I got paid $100 from the venue and $50 in tips. One time I got paid $300 from the venue (i dont remember how much in tips).

Im trying my best. Im working with 3 government agencies rn to get a job and get health coverage. Im working my ass off at my job when i probably shouldnt be working (my mom laughed when I mentioned this). I'm constantly doing things to earn me money or to make life a bit less painful. Even streaming is a desperate attempt to make a career/side gig out of something I enjoy and doesn't make me flare up. I only watch shows when im with my bf or when im doing chores or working. I rarely play video games. When I flare I lay in bed and scroll Tumblr or play a mindless dress up game where I only have to move my thumb. I cry almost everyday. I cry on the way to work. I cry holding my cat in so much pain i cant move.

The only big frivilous purchases I've made is the present and a new graphics card (I haven't replaced my old one in a decade). The present cost $230 and the graphics card cost $800. Both of these I saved for. I might buy a nice skirt once in a while but thats pretty much it. I also spread out big purchases over time when I can.

Am I spoiled? Maybe. Maybe my parents are right and I'm a lazy spoiled kid who just makes excuses. But my pain is real, constant, and severe.

I have friends who's birthday presents consist of trips to fucking italy or the bahamas. Who complain when their parents drag them on yet another international vacation. Some are amazing people who are grateful and work their asses off. And some of them are a bit entitled. My mom said most 26 year olds are living on their own with jobs and I fucking laughed. The only 26 year olds with their own apartments especially in my area either have 5 roommates in a 2 bedroom shithole, got lucky and have a high paying tech job, their parents pulled strings to get them hired, or their parents are paying partly or fully for their apartment.

And when i tried to find an apartment? She discouraged me and told me id never be able to afford one (correct) but now im suddenly able to when it suits her argument? Ive been heavily job hunting for over a year and got ONE interview who ghosted me after two interviews. I make $2k MAX. Rent in my area is $1700-2500 for a freaking studio. The $1700 one doesn't let you see the apartment and gets snapped up immediately. And these are all apartments within a 2 hour radius. All the "affordable housing" is for people 55 and older.

Like I literally have no options. I can't move until I get a job in that area. I can't leave the country cause Im disabled and also thats fucking expensive. My bf makes less than me and even combined we couldn't afford a place.

Literally, I've never been suicidal before. Ive never struggled with that due to my fear of death. But all of this? Ive recently had suicidal thoughts and its fucking scary. Thoughts that killing myself would make it easier for everyone else. That it would be easier to just end it, that life will always be a living hell and i should just give up. And thats fucking scary! I shouldn't have those thoughts! But that's how bad it is.

I try to do what my therapist told me. I try to set boundaries. But setting a boundary means not eating dinner bc I leave when my parents yell at me. I try to think positively and ignore the pain. I probably walk an average of 1-2 miles a day. I try and try and try and it hurts so much. They can't be proud of me? For even big victories? Guilting me about graduation cause I took too long. Keeping a job for more than a year (its not a REAL job cause its hourly and doesnt have benefits).

Like what's the point? I've been fighting and fighting and most of the world wants to see me dead and gone anyway. I'm trying to work in a field that doesn't even consider people like me. If I cant work Ill just bring my boyfriend and my family down. Every step forward I manage to take I get dragged back 10.

Im so tired and ashamed and stressed and my fucking body hurts worse now because of the stress and i just dont want to wake up tomorrow.

[writercole]

Five Minutes More

Summary: Dean may have developed a crush on one of the girls he plays his mmorpg with. When she comes to town for work, feelings take over. Squares: Gamers spnfluffbingo Words: 2413 Warnings: Fluff, sweet Dean Credits: @princessmisery666 for looking this over ages ago. I'm lowering my expectations and posting it now. A/N: This was going to be a very long series but it's honestly a lot and I can't handle expanding it but it's so sweet that I have to share it.

Likes are loved but reblogs are golden. Patreon is gone. Tipping is available through Tumblr if you're so inclined.

Wednesday

 “Alright guys, keep your focus. Another two percent,” the raid leader, Dean, better known in game as DWImpala, called over the voice chat. The only thing that could be heard over comms was the steady click-clack of key presses for spells and attacks. The numbers steadily decreased, chunks of the boss’s health falling off as the eighteen players gave their all.

The boss went down and everyone cheered, congratulating the lucky players who got loot and lamenting that they didn’t think the stupid horse existed since another week had gone by without a drop.

“Alright, I’m calling it here for the night,” he announced to his guild. “Next week we’re going to do a full clear, then go on raid break until we get new content.”

Players said their goodbyes and logged off the game and the voice server, leaving their officers alone.

“So, uh, I’m going to be out next week,” Scuttle announced. She was the healer lead and the few people who knew her well enough called her Y/N.

“Oh yeah? Hot date?” Demonfall, a DPS known as Ash, teased.

“Out of town for work, sadly,” she replied with a sigh.

“Anywhere fun, at least?” Dean questioned, disappointed that she’d be gone. She was great at her class, sure, but he’d also developed a bit of a crush on her.

“Not unless you count a tiny town in Kansas as fun,” she scoffed.

Dean’s heart skipped a beat when she said Kansas. He’d grown up there, hell, he still lived in Kansas. He knew the odds of her coming to his tiny town were slim. 

But if he were honest, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to meet her. His crush was probably nothing; he didn’t even know what she looked like. But she was an awesome person from what he could tell.

He was vaguely aware of continuing conversation between the other two people but he wasn’t paying attention. His mind had gotten lost in fantasies and what ifs, trying to come up with a reason to find out more about what she did and where she’d be just to get a glimpse of her. He knew it was creepy to manipulate the conversation for information. So he kept his mouth shut.

The sound of a user disconnecting snapped his attention back to the present, his heart falling at the thought that he’d lost his chance to talk to her more. But when he saw that they were the only two left in chat, his mouth went dry.

“De? You still there?” she asked.

“Oh, uh, y-yeah,” he stuttered and cleared his throat. “Sorry, I kinda zoned out after you mentioned you were coming to Kansas.”

“Coming to Kansas? Is that where you are?” she questioned eagerly, anxious to get some kind of information from the private man she had started to have feelings for.

“Yeah,” he confirmed, “Lawrence.”

“You’re kidding,” she deadpanned, unable to believe what she was hearing.

“Uh, no,” he replied, confusion evident in his voice.

“That’s where I’ll be. If you have some time one day, maybe, if you want, you can show me where to get a decent burger?” Her voice held a lightness, a hope that he’d accept.

“I’d love to,” he answered enthusiastically. She’d been the first one to ask. She actually wanted to meet him.

“Really?! I mean, I’m there all week so it’s whenever you’re free but that would be amazing,” she babbled.

“So when are you getting in?”

“Sunday evening. I’m driving down and should be there somewhere around 5 or 6,” she informed, doing the math in her head about what time she needed to leave and how long the drive was.

“Okay, well how about we meet up Sunday evening? I can take you out for a late dinner,” he offered. 

“That sounds great,” she agreed with a smile evident in her voice.

“Awesome. I’ll DM you my number and you can just text me when you’re close?” Dean suggested as he typed his cell into the chat box.

“I’ll text you from my phone so you can save my number, too. Just make sure your girlfriend knows who I am,” she chuckled.

“No girlfriend, sweetheart,” Dean clarified, “but you make sure your boyfriend is cool with it.”

“Yeah, about that,” she said softly, “we broke up two weeks ago.”

“What? Scuttle, why didn’t you say anything?” Dean scolded.

“I don’t know. I mean, it’s not like I was in love with the guy. So what if I caught him in his car with some redhead? It’s not a big deal.” Her voice contained a venom that Dean never wanted to be on the receiving end of.

“Where does this guy live?” Dean practically growled, anger at the man who treated her so badly burning in his chest. 

She laughed then, a sweet giggle that doused the fire and diverted his attention.

“I’m serious, sweetheart. Say the word and I’ll take care of him,” he repeated.

“That’s sweet, De. But I’m fine, really. It’s getting late, though, and I have to work tomorrow and pack. I’ll see you Sunday?”

“Five minutes more?” he pleaded.

“Five minutes,” she confirmed.

Sunday

Five minutes turned into an hour. That hour turned into texting back and forth over the next few days, nearly all day long, and talking every night for hours. By the time Sunday came around, Dean was sure that he was falling for her. 

As sure as Dean was that he was falling hard, so was she. Her ex had said that she cared more about that game and people she’d never met than him. In hindsight, he may not have been wrong. He was still a dick, though.

She texted Dean when she was leaving home and starting her drive. He smiled at his phone before slipping it back in his pocket and sliding back under his car, whistling as he worked. It was just a simple oil change and he was done in no time, deciding to wash and detail the car while he had time. 

He sang along to Metallica as he dried the water, not realizing that he had a smile on his face until Benny walked over from next door.

“Wha’s gaht yah smilin’ like dat?” he teased in his thick Cajun accent.

“Nothing. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dean quickly denied.

“Who’z dah guhl?” 

“What girl?”

Benny fixed him with a look, letting him know that he wasn’t buying it. Dean sighed and Benny smirked, knowing that he’d won that battle.

“Okay, so you know how I’ve told you about that girl I game with, Scuttle?” Dean started.

“Oh yeah, tha one you sweet on,” Benny replied.

“I’m not five, Benny. I’m not ‘sweet’ on her.” Dean rolled his eyes and Benny laughed before Dean continued. “Anyway, she’s coming to town for work and I’m taking her to dinner tonight.”

“You gonna tell Cher yah like her?” 

“No. I mean, I don’t really even know her. She doesn’t even know me. And she just broke up with her boyfriend because she caught him cheating on her.” Dean returned to his work polishing the chrome trim on his car, pretending to ignore his friend standing behind him.

“Dean, she jus’ broke up wit’ her boyfriend. Don’ you think’ tha’ you should say somethin’ before some otha man does?” Benny chided as he shifted to see Dean’s face instead of the back of his head. “Girl like dat won’ be lonely long, brotha.”

“Jesus, Benny. Can’t I meet the girl before you give me the speech?” Dean whined as he stood up, his phone pinging in his pocket. He pulled it out without breaking eye contact with his friend, then looked down to see a message from her. He opened his phone quickly, finding a picture of a sign advertising Lebanon, Center of the Continental United States - 50 miles.

“How long?” Benny asked, not giving any other context.

“About an hour,” Dean replied without thinking, typing out a message and slipping his phone back in his pocket. He cringed when he realized what Benny had asked and saw the smug look on his friend’s face.

“Ah’m gonna go. See yah at work tomorrah. Gonna wanna hear all ‘bout th’date.” Benny strode away to his yard, leaving Dean to finish up the car and get ready to go out.

She texted Dean once she’d checked in and told him where she was. When he responded that he was on his way, her palms started sweating and her heart started pounding. She tried taking deep, calming breaths but nothing was helping the nerves.

A knock sounded on the door and she froze, panicked that he was already at the hotel. She was second guessing everything from her wardrobe to her hair to even meeting up with him. Another knock echoed through the room and she moved towards the door automatically, taking a deep breath as she turned the knob and pulled the door open.

Her breath caught in her chest when she laid eyes on him for the first time. There had to have been a mistake. There's no way this is…"Dean?" she asked as she met his gaze.

"Yeah," he confirmed with a wide grin. "It's nice to meet you, Y/N."

“Wow, I…you look nothing like I pictured,” she blurted out, quickly following up with “that’s not a bad thing! I just didn’t expect…you know…a model.”

He chuckled at her candor, ducking his head while the tips of his ears turned red. “You flatter me, sweetheart, but you’re the one who could be a model. I knew you’d be gorgeous but I didn’t expect to have the wind knocked out of me.”

“That’s sweet, De,” she giggled. “Do you want to come in? Five minutes and I’ll be ready,” she told him as she backed into the room.

“Yeah, five minutes. No problem,” he replied.

Dean took her to a small diner where they had burgers and pie, laughing and talking until they were the only two people left in the restaurant.  It was still early so they opted for a ride around town with the windows down, the cooling air blowing around in their hair as Dean drove down quiet roads.

He kept stealing glances at her, drawn to the way the moonlight surrounded her in an ethereal light, making her glow. He pulled down a dirt road and turned off the headlights, letting the full moon be his guide. 

“Is this where you kill and bury me?” she joked as he parked the car.

“Nah,” he chuckled, “this here is the best part of Lawrence.”

Dean stepped out of the car and walked around to her side, opening the door and offering his hand to help her out of the car. He kept a hold on it as he started to walk through the trees ahead of them.

She followed him quietly, trusting him completely. They stepped through the trees and she gasped at the sight before her. 

Inside a quiet clearing was a small pond, barely big enough for a boat to float comfortably.  Moonlight reflected off of the water, sparkling as the small waves moved in the breeze. A little dock led to a small gazebo over the water. 

Dean took her to the gazebo and she looked around in awe; the roof was made of a clear material, allowing her to see the stars shining in the sky. Thick benches lined the walls of the wooden structure, a waist-high railing surrounding the edge, the rest of the space open, allowing the cool breeze of the night to pass through.

Dean watched as she took in the space, her eyes wide and her jaw slack. He knew this was the right spot. It’s where his brother took his wife for their first date, where Benny took his fiancee’, where his parents had their first date. The hope that something could bloom here lifted his heart and drove out the nagging thoughts of her leaving again. 

She turned around to face Dean, finding him standing next to a pile of blankets and pillows that she was sure hadn’t been laid out when they got there. He reached out his hand and she accepted it, following his lead and settling into the soft mountain to watch the stars. 

As the pair talked and laughed, they drifted closer to one another, lying on their sides facing each other when Y/N started to yawn.

“We should get you back to the hotel,” Dean told her quietly.

“No, no, I’m fine,” she insisted. “Five minutes more.”

“Five minutes then we head back,” he promised.

“Five minutes.”

Monday

Dean woke to sunlight streaming in his face and a heavy warmth across his chest. He stretched, thinking he was in his bed, only to be met with wooden planks surrounding him. Memories of last night came flooding back and his eyes fluttered open to find Y/N sleeping soundly on his chest, still in the gazebo over the small pond. 

His gaze had found a home on her peaceful face and he stared unabashedly, counting the barely there freckles across her cheekbones, admiring the way her lashes brushed her cheeks, resisting the urge to trace the soft lines around her mouth and eyes. She began to stir and cuddled closer to him. 

Dean prayed she couldn’t tell how fast his heart was beating beneath her ear in her half-awake state. His arm tightened around her, holding her close. He closed his eyes and wished for time to stop, to be able to stay in this moment forever. His hopes were dashed when his phone started vibrating in his pocket, the alarm he had set for work blaring through the silence.

Scuttle groaned and swiped towards the sound while Dean fished in his pocket for the offending device. He turned it off and gave his attention back to her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Hey, sweetheart, it’s time to wake up,” he coaxed, his hand trailing up the arm tossed over his chest.

“Noo, five more minutes,” she mumbled as she wiggled next to him.

“Five more minutes,” he agreed quietly, a soft smile gracing his face, the possibilities of the upcoming week shrinking under the impending end of their fling. He would enjoy the next five minutes of her in his arms as if it were the last.