#the best kind of serotonin boost

[provinzpoet]

On Engagement Bait

Whenever you see it, that's an additional five years. All currently active negative effects are dispelled.

A lil' essay.

I hate engagement bait - with a passion.

"Reblog if you care" "Reblog to mark your blog safe for [marginalized group X]" "Reblog or your mom dies in her sleep tonight."

"Reblog, or else."

I know most of these are made in jest. Harmless fun, right? But to me, "harmless fun" doesn’t excuse poor taste. Especially when it veers into manipulation.

So, here's a little something below the cut. If you're here for the poetry, you're free to scroll. If you're here for the ramblings, keep reading.

Either way, have another look at the duck. That's another 5 years on the house. Download it, look at it whenever - stack that immunity to last a lifetime. No engagement bait shall ever touch you again.

That little ducky up there was born in response to a post about you not having any original thought for the next five years.... unless you reblog.

It was meant as silent defiance, as a soft out. Then @bred-is-a-dumb-name reblogged my little ducky. With the following tags:

First and foremost: Thank you for speaking so clearly. Your tags were the push I needed to sit down and write this.

I. The Premise

Engagement bait plays with a simple human desire. Recognition. People want to be seen, they want to be recognized. Above all, they want to be validated.

From the early days of social media 'likes' equaled validation.

On tumblr, the currency of choice is reblogs. Reblogging equips a post with wings, allowing it to touch down on your own blog, be exposed to your own audience. The growth potential here is exponential, as reblogs don't just live tucked away in your profile, but are the groundwork of the tumblr algorithm on what content to show to its userbase.

My Thesis: You are responsible for the content you pass along to your mutuals. Even if you didn’t create it. Even if you reblogged it "ironically."

From the creator’s side, engagement bait is often a way to chase notes - a hit of serotonin from the numbers ticking up. And I get that. I love seeing my posts resonate too - reading your tags, your comments, the ways my words find you.

But I would never boost engagement through pain, coercion, or bad vibes in general. And I think no one should.

II. The Danger

Here's the catch: reblogging engagement bait feeds a manipulative feedback-loop.

But, at the same time, Let me be clear: Not all engagement bait is created equal.

Baity posts like "reblog to show your moots you appreciate them" (you know who you are! And I appreciate you too! c: ) are fine. Sure, they're meant to play the algorithm and the very human rationale that 'external validation is more valuable than internal validation' . basically: "If I reblog this post it'll mean more than if I just tell my moot they mean a lot to me".

At best, they're a reminder to be kind.

But - and this is the important part - there is also a different kind. Engagement bait like "Reblog or your mother will die tonight", "Reblog or no more creativity for 5 years".

These aren't funny to everyone. To some, they're not even neutral.

They're cruel. They are emotional abuse hidden under the guise of a 'funny context'. Of the absurdity of a duck holding that power.

Let's be real. It's not holding that power. And you'll reblog it ironically with funny tags in the vein of 'oh, better be sure, mighty duck'. Unless you don't.

Because guess what? It IS holding that power.

To those with OCD. To those in intrusive thought loops. To those with deeply rooted fear of loss. To the neurodivergent. Maybe even to you? To those, these posts can be triggers.

III. The Mechanics of Harm

To people like that, the harmless meme becomes a source of real-world stress.

It's toying with - to me - deeply problematic, psychological concepts:

Compulsion and Intrusive Thoughts For someone with intrusive thought patterns, seeing a post that ties inaction to harm can spark a cycle that’s hard to break. It’s not a meme - it’s a trigger.

Guilt-Tripping and Moral Coercion There’s a quiet cruelty to coercion wrapped in kindness. ‘Only good people will reblog’ is just a digital form of social blackmail.

False Urgency & Manufactured Stakes The moment a post tells you "do this now, or else" - it's bypassing your agency. It swaps thought for panic.

Neurodivergent Sensitivity to Harm Avoidance This isn’t about superstition. It’s about the fear of what happens if we don’t play along. That fear is real. Many neurodivergent folks have built entire internal systems around minimizing perceived danger. These posts poke at that. They exploit it.

The Illusion of Safety through Compliance Some users - especially those who’ve seen harm happen "coincidentally" after ignoring a chain post - develop ritualized engagement. It becomes a way to feel in control, even when logic says otherwise. Engagement bait can reignite old fears tied to punishment, loss, or abandonment. And I get it. These posts feel silly. But they sit in the mind like a splinter.

Yes, it's uncomfortable having it called out like this - and it should be. It's meant to be.

IV. Walk a mile in their shoes

I’m not writing this from a pulpit.

I’ve wrestled with compulsive thoughts and weird little rituals my whole life. So when I say this stuff can hurt, it’s not theoretical. It’s personal.

And I’m not here to scold. I’m just inviting you to zoom out. To consider that your reblog might have more impact than you intended.

V. Being Responsible

I try to bear responsibility for what I put out here. Tumblr is full of vulnerable, brilliant, open people. The way we talk to each other matters.

Don't get me wrong, sharing a joke is fun - But if you knew a joke would hurt your friend, you'd probably hold it back. The same logic applies here.

I'm not here to shame anyone - unless you’re making this kind of post in bad faith. If you’re knowingly feeding on people’s fears for notes? That’s not a joke. That’s cruelty. That, to me, is despicable.

All I wanted was to offer this, another point of view. And just maybe, if you’ve ever reblogged something like that without thinking, this helped you see it through a different lens.

Be nice to each other. Look out for each other.

We're all navigating this life for the first time, let's not make it any harder than it needs to be, okay?

Yours truly,

Poe

Just silently accept. The donkey will know.

[withleeknow]

whiskers.

pairing: minho x reader genre/warnings: established relationship, fluff; reader has whisker dimples bc this is self-indulgent as hell, written in one sitting and v unedited lol it is once again 2am and i am half asleep. the fake cut mimo has on his cheek in the pics is kind of exactly where my whiskers are lmfao word count: 0.6k

as always, i’d appreciate any thoughts or comments you may have, and please drop a like and/or reblog if you enjoy reading ♡

navigation / masterlist / ko-fi

"whiskers," minho says, pulling your gaze away from the laptop in front of you.

you roll your eyes half-heartedly, though you do put the device to the side to give minho your undivided attention. he's looking at you expectantly but patiently, like he's just asking you to give him a little love.

this isn't something that you've always liked about yourself, your whisker dimples as the internet has so lovingly deemed them these days. they would come out when you smile, or when your face twists into an unpleasant scowl. as a kid, people often found it odd how you had dimples so high up in your cheeks when others had them around their smile lines. you always felt a little different, a little weird whenever someone pointed this out even if it was only in harmless fun.

when minho first became aware of it, he was absolutely fascinated. he'd made you laugh so hard that you couldn't contain the bright grin that spread across your face as complete and utter joy took over you. you were clutching his arm, giggling at the story he was telling you when the dimples showed themselves, the cute indentations settling on top of your cheeks as if they were the physical manifestation of the happiness you felt inside.

you remember what minho did. he had cupped your face gently in his hands, then traced the soft lines with his fingers as he marveled at you. "you look like a cat," he had said, and you didn't really know what to make of it. it was so early in your relationship that you weren't sure if he was complimenting you or making fun of you like the others had.

but then the stars in his eyes twinkled a little brighter, the delighted quirk of his lips expressing his wonder better than words could. he had kissed you right there, softer and sweeter than he ever did in the short time that you had known each other back then, and you quickly learned that oh, maybe this little detail about yourself that you were embarrassed of your whole life was a good thing after all.

you still don't know the reason minho likes them so much. to you, they've always been something to ignore as best as you can, something to not draw attention to because you don't want people to highlight that maybe you're a little different from everybody else.

even as you sit here, years later with the love of your life who's got a very particular request for you, you're still not entirely sure why he's obsessed with your odd dimples enough to want to see them almost every day. it's a mystery to you and yet, it makes you feel all warm and bubbly inside whenever he sends this simple demand your way.

you adhere to his request nonetheless. when the dimples appear, you watch as a smile blooms on his face, growing bigger and bigger until it makes his eyes crinkle. like an instant boost of serotonin, you think.

minho traces them with gentle fingers, gazing at you in awe as if it's the first time he's seeing you like this. when he leans closer, you can't help but meet him halfway until his lips are tentatively brushing your cheeks. you can't help your own smile either, when it deepens and only accentuates the small moon-shaped dents which he kisses. five times on each side, and then he's peppering kisses all over your face while you laugh and accept the sudden burst of love.

sometimes he calls them whiskers, sometimes he calls them moons.

all rights reserved © withleeknow. reposting, translating and/or modifying is not permitted by any means. [posted 31.05.2024]

[yourelliewillms]

the guy from the record

store wasn't a guy?

ellie williams fanfic

━━ chapter 1 wc: 1.9k

read the chapters here !!

you've recently discovered this record shop, the perfect place to find everything of the new kind of music you've just gotten into, rock. your friends wouldn't share this interest with you but maybe the cute guy from the store will.

━━ he/him pronous are used for ellie sometimes but it's for plot purposes i swear !!

BASED ON THE GUY SHE WAS INTERESTED IN WASN'T A GUY AT ALL !!!! i love that manga so much i needed an ellie version so i did it myself. of course this is going to be shorter and pleeaase go read it i swear you won't regret it <3 i hardly recommend you to listen to the manga's playlist too, i'll add some of the songs to this fanfic. literally all i want is my lesbians to have the recognition they deserve. ALSO green is the characteristic color of that manga so i'll be using it here too, everything will be green bc we love green lesbians.

another warning, english is not my first language so you may find some mistakes.

it's been a long day at school but at least the week of exams has ended and you've done pretty good. "i deserve a prize" you think to yourself while your feet guide you out of the building. certainly the exams drained you, the only thing you want to do now is take a long nap to catch up on sleep.

walking down the sidewalk, you put on your headphones which have been your best friends for the last few months when you discovered this band nirvana. it is in fact a popular band but in your friend group? no, not at all. your friends prefer other kind of music. pop, kpop, even jazz, but rock? impossible.

so you find yourself unable to share your new music taste with your friends. even if you beg them to give it a chance, they'll refuse it every time. this is definitely the worst, how are you supposed to fully enjoy this work of art only by yourself? they definitely don't understand what good music is, if only they gave it a chance you could-

just when the music from your headphones stopped, you could still hear one of your favorite songs smells like teen spirit coming from a... record store?

your mind is full of questions, since when has been this store here? this is just 5 minutes away from school and you've never noticed it. maybe this is the prize you deserve for having successfully passed all your exams. buying your very first vinyl will surely be the boost of serotonin you need.

you took off your headphones before getting into the store and quickly walked to check all the beautiful vinyls. the excitement could be seen in your eyes, all the vinyls of your favorite bands in one store and you're even considering finding a job, buying everything of this store is not a want but a necessity. this must be heaven.

after what felt like seconds but were actually 20 long minutes, you finally make your choice and find the vinyl that'll have the privilege to be your very first and most appreciated acquisition.

you turn around, walk towards the shop counter and just then realize how rude of you was not to greet the old man at the store. however, you don't care that much, he should understand that you were too excited to even speak and... was it an old man? did you even look at the person who was next to you the last 20 minutes?

"i'll take this" you place the vinyl on the counter before looking up at the person in front of you.

but now, you reassure one more time that you're not on earth anymore. this is definitely heaven, or maybe something greater because the angel in front of you isn't from this planet at all. green eyes, auburn hair drawn back in a messy bun, a scar on one eyebrow, black clothes with a nirvana t-shirt, an arm tattoo and a mask. this is the most gorgeous guy you've seen in your entire life and you were rude to him, you didn't talk to him for this entire time.

"i love this one" he gave you your new purchase in a bag "you have good taste" that raspy voice that'll live in your mind rent free for an eternity, you're sure about that.

meanwhile, your mind has been spinning for the last 30 seconds. a cute guy with a stunning style and majestic music taste, you've seen only his eyes but you can already imagine a life with him where you get married and play your favorite songs in your wedding.

"thanks, you too. bye" and just like that the conversation ended. you're definitely not the most flirtatious person but you didn't ask him anything, maybe it was too soon to ask for his number but not even his name? really? you can already hear your friends scolding you but at least you remember half of his face and that's enough to be delusional the following months until you find another crush.

8 in the morning and you've been talking for half an hour to your friends about this cute guy from the record store. of course they scolded you for not asking his name but your excitement couldn't be taken away that easily. no other boy from your school has ever made you feel like this, no one called your attention like he did.

"is there any possibility that you see your boy again?" dina, your best friend asked "and maybe ask him out"

"dina!" you frowned as if she had just said the craziest thing you've heard in your life "it's too soon for that. but as soon as i see him again i'll ask him his name" you started kicking your feet "and he'll fall in love with me."

dina and your bursted out laughing and spent the whole morning planning your future life with someone you saw once.

maybe you've been talking too loud or maybe she doesn't like you, but the girl next to you has been glancing at you and dina and she seemed a little too much interested in your conversation.

ellie. you've been classmates for almost a year but you two never spoke. she's like any other girl at school. she wears the same uniform as you, a white shirt and a gray skirt. she also wears these square glasses and she has her headphones on most of the time.

she seems like one of those nerds but one that doesn't participate that much in class. she comes to class, listens to the professors and goes home. you've never seen her talking to any other classmates but she seems comfortable only drawing on her notebook and listening to something on her headphones, it's not that you don't like her, but you haven't had the opportunity to get to know her.

but today she seemed quite distracted and instead of focusing on the class, she was focused on you. she seemed nervous, maybe she wanted to join the conversation and make some friends?

however, the bell rang. you were too busy talking about your new guy to try to figure out why ellie's been looking at you more than usual. you began to pack up your belongings; notebook, pencil case, some other books and, are you forgetting something?

the moment you're getting up from your seat, you can feel ellie's presence approaching you. you stare up at her for a few seconds and before you can say something, her hand reached your ear and put on one of your earbuds.

"you dropped this" your eyebrows furrowed, did she always had those pretty green eyes?

the song that you'd been listening on loop nothing at all was playing on your earbuds loud enough for her to listen to it "that song rocks, doesn't it?" and just like that she walked out the door leaving you completely confused. you're sure you've seen those eyes before, you think that maybe for a split second you stopped looking at ellie as your classmate and maybe... someone else.

on the other hand, ellie has been walking in silence staring at her feet while her mind is about to explode because the girl who sits next to her, her classmate and one of the most popular girls at school, has met and is interested in a guy who works at the record store. but no guy works there, just ellie.

she got a part time job and she's been working there for a few months but that was the first time she saw you there. you didn't recognize her though, since the style she has at her job is the opposite of the one she has at school.

probably the best option is to tell you the truth, the guy you're interested in isn't a guy and is actually the boring, nerdy girl from school, the girl you'd never talk to because that would only ruin your reputation, or at least that's what ellie thinks.

ellie thought that her job should be boring and only boring, she didn't want to have to deal with something else than that. and now that girl has a crush on her, or she has a crush on the person she thinks ellie is.

fortunately, ellie's job is calm. not many people visit the store so she spends her first hours of work tidying the place, not paying much attention to the store itself.

while cleaning at the back of the store, ellie heard the ring of the little bell on the door warning the presence of a client. she sighed and fixed her clothes before getting into the store again but got surprised when she noticed that the client was actually you.

if it weren't for the music playing at the store, the place would have been in complete silence. no one was on sight when you walked in so the sound coming from the back of the store scared you and you jumped. "you scared me, i didn't know you were here" you giggled nervously.

"have you been looking forward to it that much?" you were starting to stutter when the green eyed spoke in what seemed a flirty way. "no- i mean! the new foo fighters album" she interrupted herself "you were looking forward to it because you wanted to buy it, right?" she tried to hide her shaky voice, did she just accidentally flirt with you?

"i swear it's so good, you can hear it a thousand times and it'll still sound amazing. also, i know you like nirvana too because you bought the vinyl. you'll love it, i totally recommend it."

you were in a dream, did you just exchange more than two words with that guy? and he was showing a lot of interest it seemed unreal. you'd be a fool if you mess this up.

"i really want to buy it but uhm..." your pockets were empty, you spent all your money in that vinyl and being an unemployed student is not helpful to your situation "i'm a bit short of money right now" not to say that you're dry.

"i'm sorry but i-" yet she didn't let you finish your sentence "i bought this one for myself. you can have it and tell me your opinion when you return it."

he couldn't be more charming to you. only 5 minutes talking and you had already fell down on your knees. "thank you. you can give me your number so that i can bring it back." your hand sweating for you've finally made a move on who you thought was the guy from your dreams.

"no," no? he rejected you just like that, he didn't even a think a second to answer your question "it's just... i can't use my phone at work."

laying on the counter in front of you was a black ink pen which you quickly grabbed and started writing your phone number on his wrist next to his tattoo.

ellie looked at you stunned, she was glad she was wearing a mask because her cheeks had turned crimson. she noticed your hand shaking and that was the moment she realized the trouble she'd gotten into.

"i thought that if i wrote it on a paper, you'd lose it." the music playing in the background just made the atmosphere between you two dreamlike. you waved and smiled at him as you left the store hoping your burning cheeks would go unnoticed. not only did you have someone to share your interests with but also it was someone who you were crushing on really hard.

the first person on the taglist will be my editor/manager/first person who read this @ohnopoteito thank uuu 💋💋

[awesomefringey]

Hi love

Curious..anything in 2025 ..say a specific event that eased any doubt you may have had about our boys still being together? I hate that I waiver sometimes.. just wondering if you ever do..bit if there was one thing that " brought it all back full circle" what it was? . Love your blog..I'm a newer fan so thanks for your patience 😘

Hi nonnie, thanks so much for the kind words about my blog, even though I’ve been so inactive lately. 🩵 That’s also why I’m probably not the best person to ask this since I haven’t been keeping up closely. Considering they’re both on a hiatus, so am I and I truly don’t expect missing out on much signaling anyway.

Although to me, even before their tours ended, it felt like they stopped with the grand gesture-hints. The usual back and forth with the fandom, the little hat tips to what we discuss, the bouncing off of each other had died down for a while. Maybe because Louis and Harry don’t feel the need anymore? Maybe they’re in a better(?) place, and reassuring fans isn’t their top priority any longer? I don’t know. As a fan, I would love if they brought back those crazy larry coded moments. Those serotonin boosts were always incredible! But as a human being, considering they don’t have to signal to us, I’m also kind of relieved.

Honestly, the most meaningful signs to me were always the songs, the moments where they showed they care about the same things, share a similar mindset or outlook on life or their careers, express the same taste in music, or move in the same circles. Those little receipts will always hold the most value to me, especially the quiet consistency in everything. So, do I worry about their relationship because they’re not “bluegreening” while on vacation? Not at all.

I am looking forward to their next albums in that regards. I’m sure they’ll reflect where they’re at or have been with each other, with themselves. They’ve always been each other’s biggest inspiration anyway.

Are they still together? Have they broken up? Honestly, I don’t know. But I don’t question it anymore you know? I’ve long stopped needing them to reassure me. Letting go of that has made my life in this fandom way more peaceful.

What matters to me is that I know what I hope for. Because in the end, that’s what reflects who I am as a person. What life has taught me. What I learned and know to be true in love and relationships. So I won’t judge anyone who bails on them and finds what they see not satisfying enough to believe they’re still together. But to me… being in an 20 years long relationship myself. Damn! I know what on/off means. I know what “soulmate” labels mean. I know what outside pressure to not disappoint anyone means. I know what doing your own thing, your own growth means. But I also know what it means to figure out where you belong. Where your home is. Where your heart always is and has been.

To me, they love each other. To me, they’re it for each other. Wherever their journey takes them, whatever ups and downs they go through in their relationship, whatever personal growth they need to be the best versions for each other. Their love is something truly special. Always has been. Always will be. Why? Because this is what I know! Relationships aren’t always fairytales, but that’s how they become real.

[aventurineswife]

first of all— AAAA HOLDING YOUR HAND, DRAGGING YOU ACROSS A FIELD OF FLOWERS, FEEDING YOU SANDWICHES AND FRUITS BECAUSE THAT ANAXA FIC YOU MADE FOR MY REQUEST IS PHENOMENAL ‼️‼️

I hope you're doing well. How was your exams?? Do you have more coming up or is this arduous trial coming to an end? Either way, I wish you the best of luck in your academic endeavors o(〃＾▽＾〃)o

I saw that your request is opened again (but in the chance that I saw wrong, please feel free to delete this lmao, my apologies) and if it's okay with you, can I request another story with more or less the same premise as the last one? Instead, this time, when the reader is trying to diffuse the tension, one of the scholars snaps at them and tells them to shut up and stop being a spineless coward who sides with the blasphemer and proceeds to spew all kinds of terrible things to them in the heat of the argument. Anaxa is seething with fury and after the whole debacle, he leads them away, only for them to silently and suddenly break down in tears once the shock of being yelled at subsides

Please and thank you! Of course, there's no pressure for you to write this. I'm just in love with how you portray anaxa and his dynamic with the reader and couldn't resist dropping in a request (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)

Sorry if this ended up being a bit too long 😭🙏have a great day/evening! (*>∇<)ﾉ

Kindness Is Not Cowardice

Summary: In the wake of yet another volatile academic debate, you try to diffuse the tension—only to be verbally attacked by one of the scholars, accused of cowardice for standing beside the infamous Anaxagoras. As the harsh words settle and the crowd disperses, Anaxagoras leads you away in a rare moment of quiet fury. But it’s only in the stillness after the storm that your composure unravels, and he shows just how deeply your presence matters to him.

Tags: Anaxa x Reader, Hurt/Comfort, Opposites Attract, Chaotic Genius x Soft-Tall Partner, Protective Partner/Anaxa, Reader has a Breakdown, Found Family Elements, Emotional Vulnerability, Philosophical Drama, Slow Burn (Implied), Height Difference, Academic Tension, Romantic Tension, Soul-Deep Affection, Gentle Love in Chaotic Places.

Warnings: Verbal/emotional abuse (Reader is insulted and belittled by a scholar), Emotional breakdown (Reader cries after traumatic confrontation), Mentions of grief, emotional exhaustion, Brief academic elitism/ostracization, Protective intensity from Anaxagoras, No physical violence, but emotionally charged scenes.

A/N: Okay first of all—AAAA THANK YOU?? You just fed me metaphorical sandwiches and fruits with that sweet message and I’m MELTING. Like genuinely, you made my whole day. <33 I’m so glad you enjoyed the fic! And your request was so evocative—it practically wrote itself. I’m living for the soft-tall-partner x chaotic scholar chaos 🙏‼️ And ahh thank you so much for asking about exams!! They’re officially over now (finally!), though I still have an internship to find because my college asked (forced) us to. But honestly, reading messages like yours is the best kind of motivation boost. Please never apologize for a long message—this was pure serotonin and I appreciated every single word. And YES, I’d love to write more Anaxa x Reader for you, whenever you feel like requesting again. :DD

Wishing you a beautiful day/evening too! Stay hydrated, keep being amazing, and may your next snack be exceptionally tasty.

The hall had the kind of silence that came right before an explosion. Not the kind of explosion Anaxagoras was used to causing—the intellectual kind, loud and brilliant and terrible in the way lightning is terrible—but something far more human. More fragile.

You stood behind him, as always, half-shadowed in the blistering light of the argument.

“I am simply stating that the divine ether theory is an elaborate excuse,” Anaxagoras was saying, smiling with that vicious elegance of his, “to justify institutional cowardice. Which, in itself, is a fascinating paradox, if you think about it. After all, if the gods truly had nothing to hide, they wouldn’t need mouthpieces who tremble at questions—”

“Enough!” one of the senior scholars snapped, robes billowing like a thunderhead. “Blasphemer! And you—” His finger jabbed toward you like a blade. “You’re worse. Standing there with your head down, spouting that pacifying nonsense. 'Let’s all be reasonable.’ ‘He doesn’t mean harm.’ Gods, you’re spineless.”

The words hit harder than you expected.

“You defend him like a dog clings to its master’s heel. But at least dogs have teeth. What do you have, hmm? Pretty eyes and empty words?”

A few murmurs of agreement rippled around the circle. You opened your mouth—half a breath in protest—but the words died in your throat. They felt too small.

“You shame this forum. You shame the Grove. And you shame yourself.”

There was a silence, and then a voice like winter steel cut through it:

“Say another word,” Anaxa said, low and controlled in a way that meant something inside him had shattered. “And I will flay your legacy with sharper precision than any blade your mind could ever conjure.”

The scholar stumbled back at the tone, the audience falling into stunned, breathless quiet.

Anaxa didn’t look at you. Not yet. He only extended a hand—gloved on one side, bare on the other, golden rings glittering like the slivers of a forgotten sun.

“Come,” he said, not a command but something older. Something almost sacred. “We’re leaving.”

It wasn’t until you were three corridors deep into the archive wing that the tears came.

You’d been walking in silence, like a shadow tethered to a stormcloud. His grip on your wrist had been firm but gentle, releasing only when the echo of debate faded behind marble walls and the smell of old vellum and dust took its place.

He turned then, finally facing you.

And saw you—shoulders trembling, eyes distant. And then your breath hitched once, and your composure collapsed like a paper palace in the rain.

He didn’t move at first. Anaxa stood still, as if the moment required reverence. As if your pain was something he dared not touch without permission.

Then, softly: “He was wrong. Every word. You are not spineless.”

You didn’t answer. The tears weren’t loud, just steady. Silent. Like grief, or shame, or too many years of being the calm one.

“I know what it costs you,” he went on, voice quieter now, like pages turning. “To walk beside me when I set the world on fire. I know how many bruises your kindness hides.”

Your breathing was uneven now, your hand gripping the sleeve of his coat without realizing. “I didn’t even say anything that time,” you whispered. “I just… stood there.”

“You’ve held back avalanches with your presence alone,” he said. “And they mock that because they cannot understand strength without spectacle.”

His fingers brushed yours, hesitant for once. “I do. I understand. I see you.”

You met his eyes—those strange, star-colored eyes with their sharp edges and tragic depths—and you could tell he meant it. Every syllable.

He reached out then and placed your hand over the eight-pointed star on his chest. His voice trembled just a little.

“If I ever forget what I owe you,” he said, “carve your truth here, and let it bleed me clean.”

You couldn’t speak. You only pulled him into a hug—tight, grounding, your chin resting on the crown of his head. He melted into it, fiercely and without pride.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered at last.

“Don’t be,” he murmured. “But do me a favor.”

You tilted your head.

“Next time someone insults you for loving me…” He looked up, eyes glittering with a touch of mischief. “Let me duel them. Just once.”

You huffed a laugh through the last of your tears.

“No killing,” you said, half-scolding.

“I promise,” he said solemnly. “Just public humiliation. A light flaying.”

And in that strange little corner of the world—amid books and bitterness and one deep, aching comfort—you breathed again.

Together.

[iz-star]

About Zayne's nightmares...

The most unrealistic thing about Zayne is that he's a functional working adult that seemingly has put his life together at 27 not because he's young or a prodigy but because he's said to have nightmares since he was 12?? Like... I feel like this theme might be a bit overlooked but just think about it deeply, having constant nightmares fucks your mind like really REALLY bad, I can genuinely say this by experience and also as someone who has had trouble to have a healthy sleeping schedule since I was at highschool (like, for example, right now, I should be sleeping instead of writing this...).

There was a time I would have nightmares almost everytime I went to sleep during a really hard time in my life. Of course, the topic about those nightmares was almost always the same, not like the nightmares repeated themselves but they always revolved about the same things that I was actually working in therapy at the moment. Back then I was jobless and medicated most part of the time, I was pretty dysfunctional.

I suppose that's why when I listened to "Fragmented Dreams" for the first time it was the time I said "Yeah, this is my man". I love how he's always nagging MC about sleeping early because I know by experience that not sleeping properly can mess up with your mind pretty bad, and probably he knows it too. It truly is a showcase of love how he worries about her sleep like that and it also showcases how strong minded he is for enduring too much stress and remind kind constantly.

I love how healthy he is. I like to think that he's overcome all the stressful stuff he's gone thru bc of his discipline and healthy life style, but realistically it would take him some more to deal with all of that.

Yes, all of the guys have been through some very rough stuff and they all need therapy, but my point with Zayne comes with the fact that not having a good sleeping schedule and on top of that having constant nightmares can mess up with your perception of reality and induce you a bad depression or other mental health issues. Everytime I remember Zayne's main story branch when they're trapped in Zayne's dream and MC leaves him alone and he starts listening to Willian, Georgie and his Mom so he has to remind himself "It's not real, it's not real" I deeply feel that and I just want to hug him so bad :(

I think I'd like to see a card where they explore the consecuences of their past in their psyche more deeply. I can't help remembering this post which was one of the first posts you unlock with Zayne:

It was there when I just knew that even if he looked quiet, he had a lot to say but didn't know how to express.

Another thing I'd like to highlight about this is that actually I love the emotional maturity that Zayne displays about dealing with such issues like nightmares, traumatic experiences and literally being exposed to see people dying 24/7 while being someone that feels a lot yet says little. He's dealt with this the best way he can, no wonder why he came to be quite serious and inexpressive or sarcastic. Not allowing himself to express other emotions than seriousness or sarcasm was like keeping himself in check so he wouldn't spill everything he feels and considering how stressing is his job already, it just makes sense, but that didn't mean Zayne didn't feel because he feels too much and too deeply and worries sick about ppl and especially about MC.

Of course, bottling up his emotions wasn't the best way to deal with them but he never used any unhealthy coping mechanism neither, like alcohol, for example (My teetotaler King ❤️) etc. Yeah, his workaholism isn't exactly healthy but not something toxic to his mind and relationships, and I've always had a feeling that he's a big foodie and addicted to sweets to give himself that boost of serotonine he needs so bad.

That's why he compares MC with sweets, being her his favorite dessert, bc she's brought all that serotonine to his life naturally and has helped him let go little by little. When he opened to her about losing Dulcie, I had a feeling that Zayne always wanted someone to listen to him but he didn't know how to ask for it and ppl around him was too afraid to even dare to suggest it. I think even in one of his anecdotes, it is said that sometimes Dr Noah wanted to tell him something but at the end ended up saying nothing.

The fact that Zayne bottled up his emotions didn't mean that he wouldn't willingly share them, he wanted to but wasn't used to it. With MC, he's slowy started to let it go and enjoy life more, allowing himself to be sad in front of her, to express his fears (about losing her) or to express his childish tantrums and indulge in his softest side. That's why also she's not only his favorite dessert but also his best painkiller ❤️

And just to finish, I've always thought this quote by Kafka fits him so well:

"Remember, you should sleep more than other people, for I sleep less than most. And I can’t think of a better place to store my unused share of universal sleep than in your beloved eyes."

[alchemicaladarna]

I haven't seen anybody talk about it yet, so I just want to say that Bad helping Water munch level up was literally the sweetest thing ever. Like, I think her first impression of Bad was of him attempting to kill Zam, which isn't the best first impression you could have of someone lmao. But even so, he wasn't terrified of Bad when he visited the orange base later, which is nice.

I also found their conversation about death so interesting because I think Water is one of the few people that kind of understands Bad, ironically enough, despite being so new to the server. She knows he's dangerous, but he also helped her level up a ton today. And in doing so, made a new friend and strengthened Orange's alliance with Green.

Also, he was so sweet with Chip too!! I had a smile on my face the entire time. Literal serotonin boost omg. I really hope Water munch can log on the server again soon, and also hopefully at relatively the same time Bad is on so they can hang out more. Like aaaaa it was just such a nice time, especially considering Bad's current villainous reputation lmao.

[stellarsturniolos]

━━ ⟢‘MEANT TO BE’ ╰  M.S.

pairing: matt sturniolo x plus-sized!reader

content warning: mentions of insecurity & comparison, brief mention of bullying, reader struggles with body image, cursing.

A/N: reblogs and likes are appreciated! i do NOT give consent for my work to be copied or uploaded to any other platform. thank you. this is my first time posting my writing in years, so please be kind. ily.

falling in love with your childhood best friend, matthew bernard sturniolo, was not something you saw coming. although you probably should’ve seen it coming.

you grew up with matt, nick and chris and you’ve always been incredibly close with all three of them — but matt was always special. the two of you had a very unique bond from the moment you met. being around matt was an instant serotonin boost for you, every time you saw him. 

matt was always your overzealous protector — he was always around to make you feel safe, whether it be from something as small as a bumble bee or from something more severe like the assholes who bullied you in high school.

he never failed to make you feel beautiful. every time you saw him, even if it was just on facetime, he complimented you. any time you felt insecure about your body, he was there to comfort you and let you know that he thought you were perfect as you were. 

you always just assumed he did all of those things because he was a very good best friend. even when he would intertwine his fingers with your own, or hold you in his arms a little too tight when you’d hug him goodbye, and you’d feel the fluttery sensation of butterflies in your stomach, you never thought you were in love with him.

you finally came to terms with your true feelings for matt when he went on a date with a flawless instagram model who slid into his dms because she was a fan of the triplets youtube channel. 

you tried to be happy for him. you really did. but the jealousy nearly ate you alive.

for the entire duration of his date, you tried your best to distract yourself — you tried to read your favorite chapters of your favorite book, and you even turned on your most beloved episode of your favorite tv show, but nothing kept your attention. 

you found yourself looking at every photo the model he was on a date with had ever posted on instagram. and comparing yourself to her. she’s tiny, you’re heavy. she has clear skin, you don’t. she’s beautiful, you’re not. 

the insecurity was tearing you apart, slowly but surely. 

you felt sad because you wanted matt to want you. but he was on a date with a hot model who had millions of followers and a perfect body.

and you?

you didn’t look nearly as pretty as she did. not to mention you were just an average college student. you weren’t famous, you didn’t have an abundance of cash lying around, you didn’t understand what it was like to be an influencer. not the way she did. 

what did you have to offer matt? absolutely nothing. but that didn’t stop you from wanting him. 

you felt tears blur your vision and you quickly blinked them away. you didn’t want to cry. 

when you heard a knock on your apartment door, you were pulled out of the hateful thoughts you were thinking about yourself. it was nearly dark outside and you weren’t expecting company, but as they say, curiosity killed the cat. so you opened the door.

you were both surprised and pleased to see matt on the other side of the door.

“oh. hi, matty.” your smile was faint. “not that i’m unhappy to see you, but.. aren’t you supposed to be on a date right now?” 

“i was on a date. but i left.” he said, pushing past you and walking into your apartment. he started pacing and let out a deep sigh. “i left because i don’t want to date her. i.. i wanna date someone else.” 

you felt your heart fall into your ass and you almost forget to respond. of course he’s in love with someone. that’s just your luck. “oh, um.. okay. am i allowed to ask who the lucky girl is?” 

he just stared at you for a long moment — his big, wide, beautiful blue eyes almost stared a hole through your soul.

he moved closer to you and laced his fingers with yours, which wasn’t unusual. you two held hands all the time. but your heart still skipped a beat. 

“i need to tell you something,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “but i need to make something clear first. if you don’t feel the way i feel, i’ll understand, okay? you’re always gonna be my best friend. if friendship is all you wanna give me — that’s enough. you’re always enough. but, um.. i just need you to know that i, uh..” he laughed softly, a nervous chuckle, but continued to hold eye contact with you. almost like he was afraid you’d disappear if he looked away. “this is harder than i thought. holy shit. i just.. want you to know that.. i’m really fucking in love with you. and that’s why i left my date tonight.” 

your mind shut off. your brain felt fucking paralyzed. your entire body was frozen. your mouth moved, but no words would come out.

you felt his hand shaking as he held onto you for dear life. “can you, um, say something? please?” 

the vulnerability in his tone made your brain flip a switch and fucking start working again. “matty.” you breathed out his name, then in a soft voice, you asked. “do you really mean it?” 

instead of responding, he pulled you even closer and then suddenly his lips were touching yours. matthew sturniolo’s lips were touching yours. it was soft, almost hesitant, but it was the most perfect kiss you’d ever experienced. 

he pulled back, but he stayed close. so, so close. too close but not close enough at the same time. “i’ve never said anything more fucking true in my life. i love you.” 

with teary eyes and a bright smile, you said. “fuck. i love you so goddamn much, matt sturniolo.” 

the way he smiled at you in that moment lit up his entire face. and your heart. 

he reached up with both hands, grabbed your face and pulled you in for another kiss. this one more heated than the last. 

[rosiarie]

2025 intentions

this year was a blur for me. i've died and been reborn more times than i can count. in all, 2024 was a year of change. i learned so many things, fell in love for the first time, and i've changed as a person. i was my most happiest and the most sad i've been. what i've learned is that time waits for no one, and in the time that i am alive, i want to live a life i am proud of. to be pure in the face of adversity is a strength i wish to keep. <3

here are my intentions for 2025:

quotidian:

wake up early - my earliest class next quarter is a 12 am, so i want to wake up early enough to eat breakfast at the dining commons and before the bathrooms are cleaned - around 9:10 am - to get ready for the day. i've noticed that my best days are the days i wake up early, wear a well-planned outfit, pack my bag diligently, and eat breakfast. i feel like i haven't wasted the day.

eat 3 meals a day - i struggled with eating breakfast as a first year my first quarter since i had a 10 am and breakfast closes at 11 am, so i skipped my breakfast every day. i only ate breakfast four or three times! counting weekends too. this is clearly unhealthy, and i noticed it took a toll on my health, sleeping schedule, and academic life.

sleep before 12 pm - my sleeping habits have been soso unhealthy and doom scrolling has just worsened it. i will allow myself the pleasure of still doom scrolling some nights, but i will not allow myself to sleep late anymore. it is very unhealthy, and it wrecks the rest of your next day, too.

journal daily - journaling daily was never one of those things i cared for. i've always cared about journaling, but i've always prioritized journaling as a weekly chore. i want to start journaling every night, at least three sentences, about something that stood out to me about the day. un petit souvenir à souvenir. i always journal in a narrative sense (i can make a post more on this!) rather than a "what i did today" which i am so glad i do because it makes reading back so much more fun!

read every other day - i've (so far.. there's still a few more days of 2024!) read 19 books in 2024, which to some may be a grand lot, but i have read so much more in the past! i do enjoy reading so much, but it feels more like a hobby now than a habit (which it used to be). i used to enjoy reading in the sense of just immersion, and i would pick any random story i was curious about. nowadays, i seem to find myself reading only one genre, which i want to change. in 2025, i plan to read more nonfiction texts and other genres; books that'll teach me things as well as novels for pleasure.

gym 4x a week - it's true what they say, physical exercise 100% helps boost serotonin levels and health in general! going to the gym more will help my mood, sleep, and confidence. i want to work on my body before summer, and look as good as i feel. i believe in myself to gain the body i want!

less partying - as a college freshman, you are kind of pressured to go out and party (mostly by your own fomo than from other people). it's what you think you're supposed to like. but i've come to my own conclusion that though partying can be fun, it's not something that i want to continue to do every friday. being hungover on saturday, not being able to do any work, and cramming all of sunday evening has been damaging to both my health and grades. i want to set my intentions of going out better, maybe once or twice a month when i know i can relax or genuinely want to. even if i feel like "i've earned it", if i don't really want to experience the side effects, i won't. that also makes partying during special occasions like halloweekend, st. fratty's day, and sorority/frat mixers to name a few more fun !

less entertaining things not meant for you - as a college freshman, i've had countless guys coming up to me, dming me, and asking me out. i either refrain from dming them back or softly reject them. but with some, i have talked to a little or gone on a date or two. though it's good practice, honestly, it was a waste of time. like any girl, i would love to have a caring and intelligent bf, but it isn't something i want to actively seek. my education and self-improvement have to be at the forefront of my mind, and i'm taking men out of the picture. until i meet the right man who meets all my qualifications, no matter how good-looking or charming a guy is, if his intentions aren't pure and his presence is not bringing actual value into my life, i'm not entertaining it no longer.

academic:

start early on new material before class - there was a girl in one of my classes last quarter that told me she would review the chapter before our prof went over it in class. i told myself, i'm going to do that now! but i never did. she understood the concepts soo well in that class, and i want to implement this trick to help me next quarter too!

pack my bag the night before - i'm always missing my hand cream or a water bottle in my bag when i pack it before class. doing this saves sm time and is much more efficient than running out of your door late!!

study everyday - no more cramming - i've always been a procrastinator and crammer. i fooled myself into thinking studying the few days before helped better, but honestly, that only helped my short-term memory retention skills. long-term understanding > short-term memory. i mainly want to study economics daily, but also languages, such as retaining french (non-native but fluent) and learning chinese (beginner!).

more study dates - now this can get a little iffy because sometimes studying with friends leads to being distracted from your work. but personally, i've spent my first quarter as a college freshman studying mostly with myself. i regret this so much because it is so fun when you do study with friends [that know when to lock in]. eating afterwards, getting a sweet treat, chatting a little, are all ways to keep yourself sane while studying.

anyways,

that's all for today. let me know what kind of posts you guys are interested in from me. this is my first "real" tumblr blog post, so pls be nice lol ! i would love to hear from you guys :) i will probably post 2-3x a week.

remember that you are protected. no weapon formed against you shall prosper. bisous!

[superfluffychickens]

A reminder that I have the cutest and best dog ever!

I want to train her a bit more this year - she’s gotten really good at ignoring the chickens, coming when called, she’s great at “leave it” and pretty good at “wait,” and can ever kinda play “fetch” now, but I’d like to get her to walk better on a leash in public. She just gets excited so easily and that makes her distracted and she pulls. Dog training is hard, you have to be really consistent which I personally struggle with, but it’s amazing to see how much Treasure’s learned already. She only knew “sit” when I first got her! She’s the kind of dog who’s just so eager to please, so she’s a quick learner - it’s really me who struggles, haha! But she’s just such a wonderful friend, she goes everywhere with me and she’s always happy, she’s my perfect girl and my instant serotonin boost!

[svt-luna]

Hey, Sel! I just want to rant on how much I LOVE you’re writing!

you mentioned a couple of times that you are a creative writing major and let me just tell you… YOU DESEVR THAT DEGREE, GIRL!

Your third-person narration feels like a camera. It’s so visual and immersive, like I’m in the room with them 😭 The way you capture micro-expressions and body language between JeongNa is UNREAL. Every character feels alive.

You have the best pacing I’ve ever seen in fanfic. How do you time tension and release so perfectly?!? (like, teach me your ways ��)

You’re simply so talented! I come back to your writing when I want to feel something. The warmth, the chaos, the longing, it’s all there, and just adding Seventeen into the mix = PERFECTION!

I’d read anything you write, even a grocery list because your voice is so distinct and addictive.

I’m so excited for your future works! You are amazing! 💞

-🐝-

Oh my gosh, this means the actual world! thank you so, so much, my honeybee🥹💗

As someone who constantly overthinks every line, hearing that you feel that way?? Instant serotonin boost! I’m genuinely so grateful you see all those little details and care enough to point them out, like that’s such a gift.

For tension and release, my biggest tip is: treat emotional build-up like breathing, let the characters inhale (hold the moment, stretch the silence, stack the longing), then exhale (let something finally give, whether it’s a word, touch, or even just eye contact). It’s all rhythm! Thank you again for being so kind and generous with your words!! I’m sending you the biggest JeongNa hug and I can’t wait to keep sharing more stories with you 💞

[kpoptrashlord-007]

Roses;; DKS

Word Count;; .7k

Genre;; Fluff, Neighbour AU

Pairing;; Kyungsoo x Fem!Reader

Summary;;

Your neighbour owns a beautiful field of roses that you cannot help but admire every morning. His own stunning visuals are always a welcome sight, and his refined personality is the cherry on top. You couldn't imagine anyone more perfect… and there's no better day than Rose Day to confess such thoughts.

“Warnings”;;

Fem reader for this one! (Reader is referred to as a lady)

Request;;

Any chance we could get an exo D.O fluff fic? You can run wild with it 🤩🤩🤩 -- Anon

Notes;;

I really struggled with the summary, pls just know it's super fluffy and cute!! also happy rose day!! do something nice for yourself today, lovelies! <3

Main Masterlist | EXO Masterlist | Fluff Masterlist

Red, pink, yellow, white, and every shade in between – a sea of colour sways in the summer breeze. Thousands of roses greet you. Each gleams with morning dew, shimmering as dawn breaks. Vibrant like candy, the sweet aroma of their petals beckons you. Through the dancing flowers and over your fence, the wind delivers their fragrance right onto your back porch.

Breathing deep, your shoulders relax and the tension in your neck eases. A contented sigh escapes your lips. There's no better way to start the day than watching the sun rise above the field, basking it in an orange glow. The roses open their buds in an early morning embrace. Birds sing and insects buzz, awakening to the brilliant warmth of a new day.

Glancing down at your phone, you smile. There’s still enough time to get a closer look. Work is fast approaching but life is meant to be enjoyed. Wind caresses your body as you skip toward the fence. It’s old and creaks when you lean on it. Flecks of white paint break off beneath your touch. Elation clouds your mind. The view is reminiscent of a painting; it’s surreal.

To your left comes a conspicuous cough. You don’t need to see him to know who it is: Kyungsoo, your neighbour and the field’s owner, always announces his presence. After the first meeting when he startled you half out of your mind, he’s conscious of you. Which is kind considering his day is underway and you’re the one intruding on his work. Running a flower shoppe in a small town isn’t easy yet the spark in his eye never falters.

“Good morning,” Kyungsoo calls and when you turn to him, he raises his hand in a small wave. Refined and gentle, his smile is an instant serotonin boost.

“Morning, Kyungsoo! Your roses are as beautiful as ever!”

He watches you for a moment, his expression unreadable. His fingers brush across several roses, all lined up in a perfect row of crimson, before he tears his gaze away from you. The tips of his ears match his flowers. Pulling a pair of pruning shears free from his pocket, he leans down and scans the field. It never ceases to amaze you how great his eye is for picking the roses when they’re at their best.

After a quick inspection, he narrows down his choices, cradling each one in his palm before giving a resolute nod. Avoiding the thorns, his gloved fingers trail down the contrasting green stem. With precision he cuts the rose free from its companions. Even as he walks toward the fence he’s twirling it within his hand, guaranteeing its perfection before he hands it over to you.

“A beautiful rose for a beautiful lady.”

You gasp. Between the rose’s splendour and the sun’s angelic aura surrounding Kyungsoo, it’s an automatic reaction. Warmth tickles your cheeks and your neck burns hot under his attentive stare. Unable to organise your thoughts in a timely manner, you buy yourself some time by inhaling the rose’s scent. It’s neither strong nor weak, but rather just right. Exhaling your concerns, you meet Kyungsoo’s shy smile with your own toothy grin.

“Thank you, Kyungsoo!” you exclaim, beckoning him forward with your pointer finger. “You’re the best.”

“You’re wel–”

The words catch in his throat the moment your lips press against his cheek. When you pull away, your brain is once again one step behind your actions as you break out in a little fit of giggles. Kyungsoo, always so calm and collected, is wearing an expression you never thought you’d witness: pure shock. Once more smelling the rose while you wait, you tilt your head side to side to an inaudible beat. His gaze locks onto yours and he relaxes.

“You’re welcome.” He clears his throat. “Perhaps I can take you out for dinner tonight?”

If you enjoyed this, please consider liking, commenting, reblogging, and following!

“I’d love that!” you say before jumping away from the fence. Flecks of paint litter your work attire but it’s the least of your concerns. There’s only room for one person to preoccupy your thoughts today, after all. With a skip in your step, you call out over your shoulder, “I’ll see you then!” before heading inside.

Thank you! – ♡ –

[lady-severus-snape]

Sub head cannon post #9 from headcannon #19

Severus being a big old teddy bear. The moment you earn his trust, friendship, and love, there is no one more loyal and protective than him. To the point that you can't even carry a single grocery bag.

🌠y/n was excited to attend yule ball at Hogwarts. Grandma Minnie had invited you to attend since she hasn't seen you after your mom moved to the U.S.

🌠Showing up a few days early to surprise her.

Y/N: surprise!

Minerva: my word! Y/n! When did you get here?

Y/n: just flew in. There was room for an earlier time so I took it.

Minerva introduces y/n to everyone on staff bar Severus.

Y/n: who is that grandma?

Minerva: that is Severus Snape, potions master and Dark arts master. He is......a character.

Y/n: grouchy. He is cute though.

🌠Y/n going out of their way greeting Severus at every turn.

Y/n: Good morning Severus, breakfast is off the chain today! Them waffles are scrumpdiddlyumcious.

Y/n: hi Severus! I got us coffee, it's too people-y out today.

Y/n: have a good night Severus. Don't party too hard.

🌠Severus was annoyed as hell. Y/n was an irritating little chit. Did they not understand that he didn't want to interact with them?! Everytime he turned around y/n was right there. Being all happy, cheerful, kind, and... and....and....nice. They made really good coffee.

🌠Severus begrudgingly looking foward to seeing and talking to Y/N. They never pried into his life, or demand anything.......it was refreshing to say the least. They had a broad level of knowledge as well, from the latest potions guild article to some obscure arithmacy formula that was the 'bomb diggety' for maintaining room temperatures. Anything they were not knowledgeable on, they would sit and listen to him drawl on about it.

🌠y/n could be seen walking along side Severus in the corridors whenever possible (when they weren't spending time with grandma). The students tripped over themselves as Y/N wheezed laughed at whatever Professor Snape said.

🌠Severus smirked and felt the wall around his heart melt as Y/N was crying, laughing at the dry witty statement he made. The staff at hogwarts looking out the windows to see if the sky was falling. The first time Severus used one of Y/N slang lingo, the students thought he was possessed. Hearing y/n picking his lingo made for rumors that they 'switched' bodies.

🌠y/n sneezed several times, their arms became full of potion vials. Green for allergies, lavender for boosting the immune system (winters in Scotland are rough), fever reducer, pepper up (you looked at little pale to him), sinus decongestant, mild pain potion (he noticed you were stiff)

🌠Severus and Y/N being attached at the hip whenever he wasn't teaching class. Y/N would go hang out with him in the lab. Even if they didn't talk, severus brewed and y/n doing whatever they brought with them. Yesterday was a muggle book about the effects of maladaptive daydreaming and Autism. Severus had dibs on reading it after y/n was done.

🌠next came touches. The two always softly bumped each other with a shoulder shove. That moved to lingering touches, and lead the biggest event of all.....a hug. A truly sincere, heart warming, serotonin boosting hug.

🌠Severus and y/n became best friends, closer than even Lily was to Severus before the fallout. He talked about the major events that formed his life and the soft ones he adored. Y/N sat patiently listened, not an ounce of judgement in their eyes. When Severus showed them the faded Dark Mark, y/n caressed it and placed a small kiss on it.

Y/n: I'm happy you survived and I get to have you in my life. We can't change the past and I wish you never had to go through what you did, but if it meant that's why you're here talking to me. Im happy.

🌠Severus unable to hold it anymore crushed y/N to him and cried. Heart wrenching soul cleansing crying. Y/N hugged him back just as hard as if they were each other's life line. And they were.

🌠they were each other's date to Yule. Dancing to almost every song even after the ball ended. They got so drunk in his quarters that Severus woke wearing a bunny suit and y/n was dressed as moose. With a hangover from hell.

🌠when y/n had to return to the U.S. severus literally went through withdrawal. Rude, irritable, snarky, snappish, sadness, patience size of a mustard seed, restlessness, you name it. Gryffindor was in the negative, hufflepuff lost 3/4 of all their house points, Ravenclaw was almost in the negative, slytherin lost HALF of their collective points.

🌠Minerva firecalling her grandchild to PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE visit the grounds before Severus demolished the castle! Y/N acquiring the new rage 'wizarding wireless' and showing Severus how to use it. They called, texted, and/or face timed everyday.

🌠y/n answered Severus's phone call in a teary, sniffling mess. Severus without warning shows up at Y/N living room. Y/N bawling their eyes out to him because they are going through a manic low and that bitch Becky from work said 'you're so fucking weird, and that's why no one liked them'

🌠Needless to say Y/N had to crawl on top of Severus like a spider monkey just to keep him from leaving to go murder Becky. The next shift Becky said not one word and scurried around you. Weird.

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

@wandering-avian I hope I did justice to your idea. 💚💚 enjoy.

[devilish-cherry]

Sooooo… First thing's first: Choso getting protective of the Barista in the most recent MWMS chapter was absolutely ADORABLE. I'm also very proud of him for learning restraint!! He's doing so so good, we're all very proud. Honestly, you've been making a LOT of really good Choso content lately. LIKE THOSE HEADPATS??? You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT he is so SO cat coded. I love how you portray his inquisitiveness??? He contemplated those pats, every single one, and I'm so happy for him. Again, your characterization of him is so PEAK???? I LOVE IT!!! (☆▽☆) Also I don't know if I've ever said this, but I should now. I LOVE how you describe things. Like saying Geto sprayed himself down with Eau de I Think I'm Better Than You, and the way you described the silence after Gojo walked into the cafe?? It's a very visceral description. I feel it in my bones, and also??? It's VERY funny. Thanks for the glass of water!!! It pairs well with the Nanami Feast. You're one of my favorite writers on this hellsite, and I hope you know that your work is very VERY much appreciated, and also it's awesome as fuck. Knowing you like my support is one of the reasons I keep sending it! I saw you say a while back that you were struggling with your writing confidence, and I hope myself and the rest of your lovely anons are helping with that to some degree. You deserve to be proud of what you make, no matter what! We're all rooting for you!! Be kind to yourself!! (ﾉ´ з `)ノ ♡ ♡ ♡ ~ 👾

👾 MY BELOVED. MY FAVORITE LITTLE ALIEN LIFE FORM. every time you send a message, i have to take a deep breath and mentally prepare myself because i know i’m about to be hit with the purest, most serotonin-inducing enthusiasm, and i am NEVER READY. you have sent another message that has made me smile so hard my face hurts. i am holding this close to my heart like a dragon hoarding gold.

YES, CHOSO PROTECTIVE MODE ACTIVATED!! i had the best time writing that, it was so much fun lmao you have no idea how happy it makes me that you love my descriptions!!! because half the time i am just sitting there like “hmm what is the most unhinged yet oddly specific way to describe this scenario 🤔” and it fills me with joy that it actually lands. so THANK YOU FOR NOTICING AND APPRECIATING THAT!! mwah.

and oh my god, you saying i’m one of your favorite writers on this hellsite??? i just got sent to the astral plane. you are single-handedly boosting my confidence to god-tier levels. like, genuinely, your support means so much to me.

thank you for always being so kind, i appreciate you SO MUCH. you have no idea how much your support (and the support of all the other lovely anons and everyone else!) has helped me lately! i don’t think i’d be writing nearly as much if it weren’t for you and everyone else hyping me up 🥹🫶 i will continue writing, i will continue making choso a weird little guy with a heart of gold, and i will continue giving you the finest selection of jjk x reader crack 😈

LOVE YOU. YOU’RE AMAZING. 🖤🖤🖤

[starlightiing]

It's Race Day! 24 hours of exciting racing in Daytona! It's been amazing so far and the best is surely yet to come!

We've made some friends, one of which I think we will keep for life even after he departs back to the UK. We've hung out with him pretty much nonstop the past few days. After track events last night we took him around with us and went to a few shops, got dinner, ect ect. He bought me a very expensive Pina colada and we had a lovely time watching races with him. We should see him again today for the big race. It is his first time in America so we are glad we are the ones he stuck with and chose to let us introduce him to our country. It's been so fun!

I did meet Kakunoshin the love of my life. I didn't say much to him because I just didn't feel like it was necessary. He was humble and kind and a bit surprised that I had something special for him to sign, and his smile is sweeter than anything in this world. I also met a few other drivers and I'll post those later on.

Watching the cars race has been a huge serotonin boost for me. The sounds. The sights. Everyone here is family. Race people are family. They stick their necks out for you, take you in under their wings, help you, invite you to their campers for food and beer, lile it's the most welcoming, friendly, calming environment I've ever been in. Race people are my people.

I also had a bout of near hypothermia. I had convulsion shivers I couldn't control and nothing I did to get warm helped. Nothing. I was wrapped in a dozen blankets in front of a heater and it took nearly an hour to get me warmed up. It scared the absolute shit out of me. So tonight I have like 4 shirts and two jackets and 3 blankets and gloves and a beanie lol plus seat covers. I'm hoping it's enough. We will Def be running back to the car to sleep a little too.

Will update as we go. Big day today!

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Kinou Nani tabeta. aka My Heart is Full aka I suck at titles

Let me just say before anything else. This is not a recap or a review. This is me feeling the need to write down my feelings because they are pouring out of me. This is more a personal note than anything else so skip it if that's not your thing.

I always watch this show on saturday mornings, with my coffee and breakfast, because it gives me a boost for the weekend. And I wanted to postpone the final episode as much as possible but I just couldn't. I gave in.

Second FYI. This will probably be incoherent and a mess because that's how I feel. Also, this fucking menopause (surgical, don't give me too many extra years) is really making a mess of my emotional state this week, so I'm all over the place. Also I might've had some wine. Also this may be a bit long. I think that's it.

How I got here

So, I've loved cinema since I was like 7. (yeah I'm going really back in time) Because my mom like films, she dragged to the cinema even when I was way too young for whatever was on. [ Fun Side note- The first film that I saw in the cinema was Bram Stoker's Dracula, when I was like 6, and my mum got into an argument with the cinema employee because" I am her mother, and I'll decide what she can or can't watch"and so I did watch it.]

So I always loved watching films, talking about them and eventually went to uni to learn how to make them. During that time, I went through a phase (which happened to a couple other people in my school) where I kinda got emotionally detached from the stories. I could only see the camera angles, the lighting, the editing, etc.

When I was done with uni, and had decided that editing was my favourite thing I started doing a bit of work in editing, mostly online stuff and a couple of ads in London, and 3 years later I was done. Obviously there were life factors and health factors that contributed to this, but still I left it all behind.

Then, I quickly went back to being able to watch stories with all the emotions.

Let's skip forward to present day.

Kinou Nani Tabeta? feel in my lap by way of my very first BL. Seven Days. I watched those films and went through all the emotions and needed more. More of that serotonin please.

So I got in research mode and that's when I found this wonderful world of BL and eventually this show.

Now, a little bit more about me, just in case you aren't sick of me talking about myself. I'm not a jolly person. If you asked anyone that knows me irl, they would describe me as someone who always thinks the sky is falling. However, I also love a lot of things deeply, and when it comes to things that I can't find a word big enough for it I call it magic. So I'll use it here.

Kinou Nani Tabeta? is magic.

If this show was a meal then the absolutely right ingredients were found, they were put in the hands of the best cooks and everything was prepared with love and care. This show that I love, was put together by people who love it, and couldn't not make it. This is what I believe. It's my kind of faith.

I've seen so many shows, I've loved so many of them, a lot of them touched me deeply. But only a few touched me this way.

When there is love in something, real care and empathy in the making of something, you can feel it, I believe. And I feel it so much watching this show. I get emotional just writing this.

I wish I could thank every single person that made this show possible. And we could argue all day about the quality of a show, its actors, writers or directors. I could argue why my favourite show is better than your favourite show, and why your show is more important than my show, and why that show failed and another succeeded. I will not argue about the importance of this show and my faith is unshakable.

Maybe because I love food so much and in my life my love filled moments were always around food, I connected at first with Kenji, because his reactions to food resemble mine. But this season Shiro stole my heart and soul. His quiet but profound way of loving Kenji made cry more than any sad scene ever could. And onions and chicken thighs will forever have deeper meaning in my kitchen. These two characters are so well written and so well acted, the words are so layered and so meaningful, that it's a miracle to me that it exists and that I got to watch it.

I'm sure other people will write much better posts about this show, and will probably be better (at a hell of a lot more on point) at writing about all the amazing things that this show has done. But I'm an emotional wreck and I could only write from a personal place today.

I'll be rewatching this show in it's entirety soon, because the evolution of these characters, Shiro specially, was such a joy to witness.

If you read this far, thank you. 💜