#the engineering is a nice addition but i don't know if it's enough to give totk the lasting power that botw has for me

[vox-off]

i have settled on why it's been so difficult for me to focus on totk. i played botw for AGES. a solid year, the only game i played was botw. i only finished the game once or twice and the rest of the time farted around the map. i took my time and explored everything i could get to the first couple of playthroughs, i knew that map inside out, but y'know. started zoomin after a while, i'd seen everything already

because they used the same map, it feels like i've already finished totk

[codenameredkrystalmatrix]

Feline Shenanigans (Miguel O'Hara x Fem!Reader)

Chapter 2

In addition to seemingly having a hole in his stomach, your new housemate despised cat food. He instead came to your dining chair for all three meals (plus snack times), sitting on your feet until you gave him some of yours.

"Ah, you prefer fine dining."

He looked to be at a healthy weight. A Saturday vet visit also showed no illnesses. That was good for your wallet and time. Alright- time to work on the puzzle in the downstairs lab. You'd probably be more productive down there. You mixed up a mug of coffee, and looked at your companion. "Want to see what else I got?"

He padded alongside you as you wheeled down the corridor, and keyed in the code on the wall keypad.

"The chair's nice for everyday work- but this gives me a lot more mobility."

With a touch to your wrist chip, your cybernetic tentacles activated and walked themselves over.

"Mrow?!"

"It's ok- it's ok! See?"

You input the "attach" command, and once it was around your waist, guided one of the arms closer to him. The hair on Cinnamon's back bristled, he leaned away and growled.

"Eh- I guess that's fair. Let me see what this little gadget's about."

You put a little distance between yourself and him. Maybe he just needed to see you in them for a bit. Then again, machines probably looked five times bigger to cats. He seemed to get used to rest of the lab quickly, though. Exploring and sniffing the tools occupied him for a good while into your work.

"Will you help me, kitty-cat?"

You were ignored. Shaking your head and smiling, you continued on.

The gadget seemed to need both engineering knowledge and magical symbology to unlock. How she'd known about your little side hobby, you weren't sure. It seemed harmless enough, though.

It was easy to lose all sense of time in the lab, and that night was no different. At a certain point, Cinnamon hopped onto the counter, curled up near the clock and mewed loudly. His swishing tail drew your eye.

"Huh. That late already? Alright- bedtime."

Rolling your shoulders to dispel the stiffness, you used the tentacles to head back up and prepare for bed. Once they undid the covers and lowered you in, you noticed him staring again.

"Need cuddles?"

Cinnamon turned his head away and reached a paw up to the side of his head, as if trying to shield his eyes. Hm. It didn't look as intense as a fear response. Was he...bashful? You laughed to yourself.

"Alright, Cinny. Whatever suits you. Night night."

He was such a quiet cat. No 'zoomies', no knocking things over, and he didn't chase or pounce much at all. It was like he didn't quite know or remember how to be playful, and not even treats distracted him long enough. He'd flat out run from you if you tried to snuggle him for scratch his stomach for more than four seconds- and even that was a stretch. He must have been really tired the first night. Maybe he'd been abandoned...

With some coaxing, you managed to get him onto the couch while you were in the chair alongside it.

"Hey. Why so scared?"

When he saw your hand lift slightly, he froze.

"I don't know what happened to you before. But you're safe with me here. Let me have all the human-problems, ok? Just be a silly kitty."

He looked at you again, before his eyes closed and he leaned into your palm. You held your breath and kept still. But he didn't jump away. Carefully, you scratched his head.

"That feels better- I know it does."

After that, he came around more a little more often for affection. He'd just climb into your lap and slump, letting you do as much as you wanted. His underside was still a vulnerable spot for him, so you kept with the back stratches. For now, this was a great step forward, and you couldn't be happier.

A/N: Divider- @saradika

Chapter 1 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

[11-eyed-rook]

Accessible doesn't mean "for lazy people".

I can't express how frustrating it is that, so many times on so many platforms I've seen various posts, especially videos, which showcase an item that makes a random task easier (or possible at all) to do (such as onion/garlic dicers of all sorts, or items that can be used with one hand, or even the tools that make it easier to put socks on), and every time the comments section is filled with angry boomers (mostly boomers), who don't see past the concept of "if only people stopped being lazy" or "this is useless, we already have [less accessible tool/item], who needs this?!".

Just because something isn't needed/useful to you, doesn't mean somebody else doesn't benefit from the accessibility (or even just the convenience itself).

To give a few examples of what I mean:

The sock tools can help a lot of people with mobility limitations, and that can also include anybody going through pregnancy as well, to put on socks AT ALL. You don't even "need to be disabled" to benefit from stuff like this, ffs.

Onion/garlic dicers make it possible to quickly cut up food items that otherwise may be difficult (or even impossible) for people with certain disabilities or other difficulties (I've always found it a bit hard to dice/cut certain food items (ESPECIALLY smaller ones), so tools like this are very helpful and achieve a consistent result).

Noise-cancelling headphones help me, by blocking out the noise of traffic, which is very overwhelming to me, not just because I experience sensory overloads, but because I have tinnitus and extremely loud noises are very overwhelming to me. Regular headphones don't accomplish the same thing for me, not to the level my noise-cancelling ones do anyway, and I can still listen to music along the way (my headphones also have a mode that allow for me to still hear peoples' voices relatively well, whilst muffling traffic, engine noises, etc.).

I wear a backpack instead of using a pretty shoulder bag for carrying heavier items, because one of my shoulders is slightly deformed since birth, and because both my shoulders get some of the worst of my joint pain (whenever it does happen, which is often enough), whereas the backpack I have, is nicely padded and easy to organize too. I've seen people online mock adults using backpacks, I still don't understand why though??? I didn't even know people made fun of adults who use backpacks. I still want to hope those weren't meant to be real takes...

I may not look like I "need one", but I do sometimes use a cane to help myself move up/down stairs especially, since I have issues with joint pain, and especially since my foot injury from earlier this year (the pain of which still pops up now and then, and it's not great). People look at me weird when I randomly take out my foldable cane and then put it away after a while. My joint pain comes and goes, and when I don't need my cane, I don't use it. My own father keeps commenting on how I'm "too young to be using a cane". I'm 28, I've been using it for a handful of years now, disability doesn't know age.

Let me repeat myself. DISABILITY DOES NOT KNOW AGE.

Just because you might not use a wheelchair-accessible ramp, doesn't mean it's not needed/useful for anybody without a wheelchair. Even people with bicycles/scooters/baby strollers etc. can benefit from them, and for me, it's easier to walk up the ramps rather than using stairs, as using stairs tends to put additional stress on my already-injured foot, whereas a ramp doesn't require me to put that stress on my foot, so walking is easier for me, even if it is just those 'few handfuls of steps" or whatever.

In a separate post, I touched upon the kind of ableism I've witnessed in certain crafting communities, and how gatekeeping can very quickly become synonymous with ableism, and how that can affect something like a hobby. Everything I said there, applies to this post, too. If you're interested, feel free to read. If not - it's much of what I said here, but specifically regarding crafting communities and how ignorant/ableist people can be at times, and how that can affect people.

So many tools exist to help with certain tasks, to make some stuff doable at all, to add accessibility to an otherwise difficult task for any particular person, and so much of it is just seen as "useless" or "for the lazy people", or there's some aspect of aggressive gatekeeping fueled with "if you don't do it THIS way only, then you're not doing it at all/it's not valid enough" attitudes. If anything, people with disabilities often have to put in EXTRA effort to do what able-bodied people can do effortlessly, even WITH the extra accessibility whenever it IS available (and by available I also mean affordable, because not everything IS, and not all options are available for everybody; price/cost accessibility is something many people don't even consider in some cases!!!). Not all of it is because of difficulty, necessarily, but it's a fact of reality.

Accessibility isn't laziness. For the able-bodied, it can be convenience. For the disabled, it's a matter of getting that extra helpful boost, or the ability to do a task at all, without having to find somebody to do it for you (if that's even an option to begin with).

I know I really can't speak for most groups directly, nor can I relay the experience of every kind of disability besides my own experiences over the years, but I'm genuinely troubled by the "trend" of people STILL (even increasingly) dismissing accessibility tools, disabled people themselves, and anything that makes it easier to do something, to function, especially since there's absolutely nothing that could ever excuse such awful behavior towards people who deal with enough shit as is.

I don't just think of myself when I bring up accessibility and its benefits.

Because the fact of the matter is - even those who have no disabilities could benefit from the accessibility options for those that do, even if it is simply a convenience for most. It takes effort to make something inaccessible, and it would take so little to make a big difference even for some.

And on that note.

It's not laziness. It never was.

[unfortunately-a-fangirl]

what's your favorite machine

aouuuu tough choice but it's always rotating between four major things: The Arquebus, Pierre-Jaquet Droz's little writing freaks, the Difference Engine, and the Apple 2 (hnbl. mentions to the TRS-80 and Apple LISA)

The Arquebus (which I'm using as supercategory to the Wheellock and Matchlock) has a very interesting vibe in that it feels incredibly baroque (tracks given they're contemporary!) but it also highlights an era of weaponry that is kinda underutilized both aesthetically (everyone wants to fuck the renaissance or enlightenment but no one cares about the baroque period! sad!) but also in terms of like, gamemaking or storytelling given that the long reload times of the Arquebus in addition to the fact it's a hand-canon that's reloadable makes it very useful for keeping pikemen and cavalry relevant while introducing guns into the setting. But if nothing else harquebuseers are very lovely as a middle step between medieval pikemen and more modern musketmen.

Regarding Jaquet Droz's automata, i'm less focused on the dolls (though let it not be forgotten, i do appreciate them) the mechanism is what fascinates me most. I think the appeal is more obvious with the Difference Engine, but the fact that it's a programmable machine that uses clockwork to operate makes me stare in both awe and envy. Like, it kinda relates to my thoughts on the Coalbrookdale Locomotive, which looks like it operates off of clockwork as well, and that combined with the Automata suggest the shape of things that could make for a nice setting but i like a lot due to fiddlybits and precise motions and stuff. It's all nice.

When I was little, there was a museum in town that got a replica (i guess? the original was never built only ever drafted.) of the difference engine and I was lucky enough to see it in operation. It's really hard to express what it's like, but I think i would relate it back to the Jacquet Droz automaton in that they're both pinnacles of clockwork. I don't really know how to express my fascination in these without going back to like pocket-watches or the fine engraving on things, but it's a combination of the complexity of the thing, how elegant it seems while in operation, and then presentation- especially with the difference engine which is simply itself, it is an object that imitates nothing else and is a monolith in doing so.

The Apple 2 is sort of exemplary of the genre of retrocomputer I love. Like, it's not the only one, and I wouldn't say it's my favorite computer in specific (toss-up between the Sinclair Quantum Leap and the LISA if we're talking form factor) but the Apple 2 feels very friendly in a way. Like, I don't own an Apple 2, but I've used an Apple 2 before, and they're incredibly easy to get started with. Add to it an admiration for the Woz, the wedge-shape that I think is, while understandably abandoned, sadly underutilized. It's just a little thing that is all-in-one and lives on your desk. Literally what else do you want out of life.

idk there's more and if you asked me at a different time i'd give you a different answer, but machines yeag

[everydayfrimmel]

June 5, 2024

"The L Word (Love and/or Leaking Roofs and/or Late-Night Cable Television)"

1000 words, roommates au, Part 5/?

Frieren usually disappears as soon as she comes home from work. Himmel might catch her in the foyer if his timing is lucky, or she might drift into the kitchen for a snack while he's making his dinner, but usually, she vanishes without a trace. The only time Himmel is ever certain he'll see her is at breakfast. At any other hour of the day, she could be anywhere at all. What she's doing when she hides in her room is anybody's guess.

Reading, he soon realizes. The answer is nearly always reading.

This first becomes apparent when she falls asleep on the sofa with a novel as heavy and thick as a brick opened upside-down on her stomach. Without thinking, he takes it and dog-ears the right page. Didn't know she was into this kinda thing, he thinks, reading its spine (sounds like fantasy), but when he asks her about it in the morning, she shrugs.

Then he can't keep himself from wondering. Reading is an innocuous hobby, but the caginess makes him curious.

"Why do you always ask me that?"

A typical response by now. Perhaps Flamme had been right to say that Frieren didn't have the rosiest view of the general population if that was the kind of suspicion with which she reacted to a perfectly ordinary question.

"I want to get to know you better."

She gives him a look. "You want to psychoanalyze me."

"Uh, no?"

"You want to know what I'm reading so you can probe into my psyche, don't you." Frieren sniffs, closing her book (tank combat in World War I? Of all the topics) and clutching it protectively to her chest. Then she narrows her eyes. "I'm not gonna let you."

"Uh…"

"Besides, I don't really have specific tastes, so you wouldn't learn anything."

This is true. It's nice enough out now that she takes her reading out onto the porch sometimes, so in addition to brick-sized fantasy novels and military history, he spots her in successive days with a paperback detective novel, a philosophy textbook (what?), and a self-help book on - he examines the cover - harnessing the shape of your mind. She's right on one front, at least: there's nothing he can learn from those choices except that she is anything but consistent.

Maddening of her to go and make him curious like that. More maddening of her not to answer when he asks her anything about her latest acquisition.

"I get them from the library," is all she says. Nothing more.

"I'm surprised you like reading so much," he tries next. "Most of the engineering majors I knew in uni hated it."

"Oh," is all she says.

"You must read really fast," he comments at the next opportunity. "To be able to read that much."

"No, I just have nothing else to do."

"And you still don't wanna hang out with me?"

Frieren shrugs. "I don't hang out."

"But you could."

"No, thanks."

"It would be fun."

"No, it wouldn't."

"Rude."

"It's not personal, I just don't see the value."

"How are you supposed to" - he glances at the cover of her book to confirm its title - "Be a Tiger in a World of Inside Cats if you hide in your room all the time?"

"Oh, the book is stupid," she says. "I'm just reading it because stupid books are more fun to talk about.

"Talk about? You won't tell me anything!"

"Not with you," she says, then opens Be a Tiger again. He takes this defeat on the chin.

It is only a week before she can sense him preparing to ask about it and gives in.

"It's so I have something to talk about with Flamme," she says. "If you have to know."

"…oh."

"In uni, when she called me, I would talk about my classes. Then I graduated." Frieren won't look at him, almost looks a little embarrassed. "And she told me I better keep calling her every week, but I said I didn't know what we would talk about anymore, and first she told me I wounded her and was the coldest person she'd ever met in her life, and then she said that if I had to have something, I should just read a book and tell her about it."

Oh.

It would be just like Frieren to have that be her reason, to collect knowledge and prepare to share it because it is easier to pretend she has business to attend to than it is to admit that she misses somebody. It explains the totally random choices, the obsessive pace at which she reads.

"You miss her," he says.

Frieren flushes. "I wouldn't say that."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Frieren."

"I'm fine." She squeezes her brows together, creases the middle of her forehead as if concentrating. "I'm self-sufficient."

"Of course. Why would those two things be mutually exclusive?"

"I don't need-"

"It's okay, Frieren. Really."

Frieren isn't the type to cry, but she looks so downcast that she might as well. Her whole body seems to fold in over her book, protecting a soft core she hadn't wanted him to know she had. And Himmel kneels in front of her chair.

"I'm glad you told me," he tells her.

"Mph."

"It gets lonely out here. I know the feeling."

"You?"

"'Course. Not much for a people person to do out in the sticks."

"Hmph."

"And…do you want to know what I think?"

"No."

"Well, you're gonna hear it anyway."

"You're annoying," she tells him.

"I know. One of my best qualities." He laughs gently. "You don't always need something to talk about."

"But-"

"If you're scared of admitting you miss her or something like that-"

"I'm not."

She must be.

"Just remember that she missed you first," he says. "Or else she wouldn't have given you that advice about reading."

"I guess."

"Doesn't make you any less of an adult."

"I never said it did."

He smiles. "But you thought it, didn't you?"

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Superstar Fame - Steve Harrington X Female (Celebrity) Reader

Title: Superstar Fame

Steve Harrington X Female (Celebrity) Reader

Additional Characters: Robin, Max, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Reader's mother, Reader's father, Molly Ringwald (Mentioned), and Random customer (Mentioned)

Requested by Anon (but you know who you are!)

Part 2 - Frost Palace

WC: 3,553

Warnings: Cursing, anxiety, nervousness, sot of love at first sight, slight change in storyline cause I love Max, reader has a mom and dad, All Of Me mentioned, The Breakfast Club mentioned, V mentioned, E.T. mentioned, Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi mentioned, teasing, arguing, small verbal fight? and Molly Ringwald mentioned

You let out a happy sigh as you stepped off the bus. Setting your two patchwork-patterned duffle bags down on the sidewalk, you looked around. The town seemed a bit small, definitely different than L.A. Picking up your bags again, you found the familiar family car pulled up beside you, smiling as you greeted your parents. Your father rolled down the window, a smile on his own face. 

"Don't regret taking the bus?" He asked, as your mother just continued to smile.

You shook your head, "I'm a big girl, dad. It was fun. It's not like it was a long trip, less than half an hour." You traveled to the back seats, opening the car door to toss your bags in, and shutting the door after. You walked over to the driver's side, leaning against the open window. "It's nice to finally do things on my own."

"I'm happy you got to go through that experience, hon." Your mother commented.

Your father nodded, gesturing to the back of the car with his head, "We're heading to the house. Hop in." 

You quickly hopped into the back seat, pushing your bags to the other side and buckling in. Your mother turned in her seat, giving you a smile, "You know, now that you're not acting, you'll have more time to do more things. Maybe you could get a job around here. I bet they will have a few openings." Your mother mused; looking out the window as your father drove down the street. "I hope you like the house as well, dear. I know this is a huge, strange change in your life, and I hope you're not angry about the sudden move." She continued, as you looked at her.

"No, mom. It's fine. I think this will be a great experience. Instead of going to sets all days of the week, I get to live my young adulthood in a normal town and have a regular life." You shrugged, making your mother sigh in relief.

"I was worried you'd hold this against us or something. Your father and I know how much you loved acting." 

You nodded, sighing a little as you reminisced. "Yeah, I loved it. But, I think I'd like to try something new. I have been acting since I was ten. I think I deserve a break." You joked as your father laughed.

"You definitely do, kiddo!” He pulled into the gravel driveway, "Home sweet home!" He exclaimed as he shut down the engine, stepping out of the car and rushing around the other side to open your mother's car door. She thanked him, walking up the stone steps up to the door as your father opened your door, helping you out and grabbing your bags. You wandered up the steps slowly, taking the house in. It was nice, and a large enough place that you wouldn't feel cramped and crowded living in. Your father let out a soft groan as he sat your bags down in the entry hall. "Alright, why don't you pick out your room, get settled while your mother and I get the rest of the bags, and wait for the van?" Your father thought as you picked up your bags. 

"Yes, dear. Afterwards, if you like, you could skate around the town. See if there are any good restaurants nearby for dinner." Your mother spoke as you climbed up the stairs. 

"Will do!" You called down.

The floors were plush against your feet as you slowly walked down the hall. Passing room after room, clean and empty. But, yet, it gave you a sense of calmness. Finding a room at the end of the hall, you entered. The floor was the same as in the hallway, the walls the same white. You knew you'd have to paint them sooner or later, the thought excited you. It was a pretty spacious room, with large windows on the far wall. A door to what you thought was either a bathroom or closet. Setting the bags down by the door, you walked around it. Spying out the window at the world around you, spotting a couple of kids riding their bikes down the street. 

You sighed, sitting down in the middle of your room, and shutting your eyes as you laid down on the floor. "This... Is gonna be a lot to take in, isn't it?" You questioned yourself softly, opening your eyes to look at the ceiling above you, finding a small glass light above you. Taking another deep before you stood back up, adjusting your belt as you went over to your bag. Crouching down, you unzipped it, pulling out your cherry-themed roller skates. Holding them gingerly to your chest, you skipped down the hall and down the stairs. Sitting on the bottom step of the stairs you slipped off your red converse and slid on your skates. Fixing the tongue and tightening the laces, you stood up, heading to the door. Weaving past your parents with bags and boxes, you waved goodbye as they called out to you to be careful. 

Skating down the sidewalk, you sighed with a smile on your face as the soft breeze brushed your hair around; tucking strands behind your ear occasionally. The sun shone high overhead and warmed your skin a bit as you pushed forward. As you made your way downtown, passing by shops and stores with people inside. You took note of passing a small grocery store, an electronic shop, and a burger diner. Weaving past a few people, you noticed they stared at you. Either because you were new or they knew about your acting career. Whichever, they stopped whatever they were doing and watched curiously as you passed. You have been in a few movies in your ten years of acting. More appearances in shows than ever. You wanted to audition for the new Full House show coming out that year, but when your mother brought up the idea of moving, you took it. You loved acting, it was one of your favorite things to do, but you wanted and needed a break.

You had been a bit nervous at first. You never moved as a kid, staying in L.A. for as long as you could remember, but you did travel a lot. Going from set to set. Audition to audition. It was nice to be able to get away from all of that. But, you would miss acting. It was fun and something you had longed to do since you were a kid, but it was time you had a chance to do other things too. Like go shopping, eat ice cream whenever you want. Wear what you want. Anything. Not having to wake up early to head to set or live in a trailer for weeks to months at a time. This was like a breath of fresh air.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Skating to a stop, you spot a video store. Reading the large sign, Family Video, you shrug. Might as well find a movie to watch for your first night in your new room. Stepping inside, you looked around the room as you skated forward. Sliding your hands on the counter to stop. Looking up, you watched a guy your age type away on a computer. Unknowing in your presence. You smirked lightly, before speaking. "Hello…" You glanced at his name tag, "Steve." 

Looking up at the sound of his name, Steve's eyes immediately widened. His jaw dropped slightly, not believing his eyes. He was stunned, bewildered; speechless. He couldn't believe his celebrity crush was standing right in front of him. You were wearing light blue jeans with a black studded belt. You also wore a cute blue, pink, and purple windbreaker over a Black Sabbath shirt. His cheeks started to turn a soft pink as he stared back at you with wide eyes. "Uhm..." He cleared his throat, "Yeah, hi. Wh- What can I help you with today?" Steve stumbled over his words.

"Well, I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of your Rom-Com section?" You asked, raising your brows.

Steve stammered slightly in shock, clearing his throat again, and feeling his heart practically beating out of his chest. "Right, uhh... follow me." He offered a friendly nod before leading you toward the section labeled 'Romcom.' Once he found what he was looking for, he turned to you. “Do you... Want something specific to watch?"

You shook your head, placing a finger on your chin in thought as your eyes scanned the rows of movies. "No, not really. Do you have any recommendations?" You then asked, looking up at him. 

"Huh? Oh, uh... Sure, yeah." He stuttered out as you tried to fight a smile. 

As Steve's own eyes scanned the rows of movies, you took a peek at the young man beside you. He was tall, with brown eyes and amazing brown hair. Wearing the store's uniform vest, the first button of his striped shirt undone. He was quite handsome. If you hadn't known better, you'd think he was a movie star himself.

Seemingly settling on a movie, Steve grabbed All Of Me off the shelf. Turning to you, he found you already looking at him. Averting your gaze, you cleared your throat, pressing your fist to your mouth briefly as you realized he caught you staring. "Thanks." You murmured shyly, accepting it, as you looked back up at him with a nervous smile. You both stood there awkwardly, staring at each other. "So... How much do I owe you?" You asked softly, fingers fidgeting with the movie's case. 

"It's on the house." Steve smiled gently, as he gestured to the movie in your hand.

"I can't let you do that. Please, let me-" You went to reach for your wallet only for Steve to cut you off.

"No, no, please. I insist." He insisted before you could argue further.

You bit your bottom lip before looking up at him with an idea, "Fine, but for the next movie, I'm paying." You spoke with determination. 

Stevie blinked in surprise before chuckling softly, "Okay, deal." He nodded before leading you out of the aisle "So, I'll see you around, right?"

Smiling gently, you nodded, "Yeah, I'll..." You twirled in your skates once, "Be around." Before skating backward, "Thanks, Steve." You called as you slid out the door, and down the sidewalk. 

Steve let out a sigh, waving out the door even though you were already gone, "Bye, Y/N." Dropping his hand to his side, Steve let out a sigh, running his fingers through his hair before he went back around the other side of the counter. Hitting himself on the forehead, he cursed, "Good job, Steve." He scolded himself. "Couldn't even speak to her correctly." Sighing in defeat, Steve leaned against the wall. He blew his chance of acting cool. Now, what was he going to do? His heart felt heavier than usual and his cheeks blushed in embarrassment as he remembered how close he was to you. So close he could smell your strawberry shampoo.

You were just as he imagined. Sweet, funny, caring. He wasn't sure why he was so drawn to you. Whatever it was, it was making his heart race every time he saw you. He couldn't keep his mind off of you. And that scared him. You were a celebrity. He didn't know you. He didn't know how to act around you. Why did he suddenly become attracted to you like this? Yes, he had always had a crush on you ever since he watched The Breakfast Club with Robin. But, seeing you, interacting with you... He felt like his world shined brighter. He sighed, shaking his head before heading back into the storage room.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

"I'm telling you, Robin, she's here." Steve tried to convince her, leaning against the counter. 

Robin rolled her eyes, "It's really hard to believe you, Harrington. Considering the fact that she's probably filming some big movie in California." She scoffed, shaking her head.

Steve ran a hand through his hair, "But, she is here! I swear! She came in and rented a movie I recommended. She’s been coming in everyday for the past couple of days." Robin raised a brow at him, crossing her arms across her chest, giving Steve a skeptical look.

"What did you recommend?" She asked and Steve threw his hands in the air as he let out a dramatic sigh. “And how come I’ve never seen her?

"You’ve been out sick. And why does that matter? I wouldn't lie about this."

Robin gave him a deadpan look, "Really? You wouldn't lie about meeting your celebrity crush? Sounds childish, Steven."

"This is not a Dustin and Suzie situation here, Buckley. I'm telling-" The bell jingled. Steve and Robin turned, Robin's eyes widening as you walked through the door. "... The truth..."

You walked up to the counter with a smile on your face, "Hey, I have the movie." You slid it onto the counter, scooting it over to Steve. "And I loved it! You are on a roll with the movies here." You complimented as Robin just continued to stare at you.

Steve let out a nervous chuckle, "I'm glad you liked it." He answered back, before glancing at his friend who was still awestruck. "Oh!" Steve grabbed Robin's arm, pulling her over, "This is my friend, Robin. Ignore her staring." Steve introduced the short-haired brunette. “She’s usually not like this.�� Steve muttered as Robin snapped out of her daze. 

Robin offered out her hand to you, a bright excited smile on her face. “Hi, I'm a huge fan. I loved you in The Breakfast Club. Did you really get to meet Molly Ringwald?" She asked quickly, her words almost mashing together at how fast she was talking. 

You took her hand, shaking it, "Of course, I did play one of her best friends." You brought your hand back, "And thank you, it means a lot.” You smiled warmly at her, "And I love your hair by the way."

Robin smiled brightly, her fingers brushing the ends of her hair briefly. "You do? Thank you." She gushed, her cheeks tinted a soft pink.

You turned back to Steve, smiling up at him, "Hi, Steve." You spoke gently, Steve returning your smile.

"Hi, Y/N." He muttered happily back, his smile growing wider. 

Robin smirked slightly, looking at the two of you knowingly while you both kept smiling at each other, until you heard the bell chime and turned to look at the entrance again, where you spotted someone coming in. Looking back at Steve, you gave him an apologetic smile, "I should go. You've got customers." You spoke, but Robin shook her head, her smirk turning into a grin. 

"No, it's fine. I got this." She spoke, giving Steve a wink before heading around the counter and up to the customer.

"So..." Steve began, wandering around the counter to stand before you, "What genre today? Or are we sticking with Rom-Com?" He asked, and you shrugged.

"As long as you don’t give me another horror one then I’m good." You glanced around the room, "Surprise me." 

Steve pursed his lips, nodding, "Surprise you..." He muttered in thought, before turning and going down an aisle, "Surprise you..." You followed close behind, excitement bubbling within you. With his finger pointing to each movie as he walked, Steve stopped at one, picking it up off the shelf. Turning to you with a smile, he handed it to you. 

"Star Wars: Return of The Jedi?" You asked as you read the title. 

Steve nodded, "Yeah, it's my favorite. I love the teddy bears." He spoke, mentally cringing at his words.

"Ewoks, Stevie. Ewoks." You corrected and Steve gave you a sheepish laugh, nodding slowly, feeling his cheeks warm up. "I love this movie. Thanks for picking it out." You told him gratefully, and Steve smiled.

"Anytime." He said as the two of you walked back to the counter.

"Hey! Steve! Your brats are here!" Robin called as she gestured to the door. 

Steve turned and his eyes widened in fear, "Oh shi-"

"What's wrong?" You asked, turning to see a small group of kids wander over. They were all chatting about something, laughing with smiles on their faces. They looked around fifteen, sixteen tops. "Who are they?"

Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I used to babysit them, still friends with them..." He turned back to see the kids standing around a cardboard cutout of a character, "Unfortunately..." He finished.

You hummed, glancing at the group with a small frown, "They seem nice. Might say hello."

Steve shook his head rapidly, "Oh, god, no. Dustin and Max both love The Breakfast Club." He tried to warn you, as you turned back to him. “They’ll just annoy you.”

You raised an eyebrow, crossing your arms, "Do you love The Breakfast Club?" You asked, and Steve nodded.

"Yeah, it's a good movie." Steve replied, watching as you gave a playful shrug.

You smiled sweetly at him, "Then I doubt they'll be any less than kind." You said before walking towards the children.

Steve bit his lip as he watched you walk over, hoping to god that Dustin wouldn't say anything.

"Hey," You spoke up, stuffing your hands in your windbreaker pockets as the four teens turned around. Immediately, the red-headed girl and the curly-haired boy's eyes widened. 

"Holy sh-" Dustin spoke up as Max interrupted him.

"You're Y/N L/N." She spoke, jaw dropped slightly.

"This is the best day of my life." Dustin breathed out as Lucas and Mike looked on confused.

"Uh, sorry, but who are you?" Mike asked, gaining your attention.

Before you could answer, Dustin spoke up, "How could you not know who she is? She is the Y/N L/N. She was in The Breakfast Club, E.T, and she was also in season one of V!" He exclaimed as Lucas and Mike continued to look at him blankly, only to turn their gaze over to you, confusion on their faces.

You tilted your head as you stood there awkwardly, "Is he usually like this?" You chuckled and the two boys just laughed.

Lucas nodded slowly, "Yes."

"Hmm, well. What are your names?" You asked, and Dustin jumped at the opportunity to say his first.

"I'm Dustin!"

"My name is Max." The redhead spoke, and you smiled at her in return.

"I'm Mike and this is Lucas." Mike introduced, as Lucas gave you a small wave.

"Well, it is nice to meet you four. Steve told me that he used to babysit you." You brought up as Dustin scoffed out a laugh.

"Pff, did he tell you that he-" Max cut Dustin off by punching him in the arm. "Ow!"

Your furrowed your eyebrows, "What?" 

Dustin gave you a smile, rubbing his hurt arm, "Nothing. Misspoke." 

You hummed, clasping your hands before you, "Oh, uh, alright..." You spoke, as Dustin just simply nodded before pausing, and looking up at you.

"Actually, uh, could I have your autograph, please?" He asked sheepishly, as your face lit up in delight.

"Sure!" You exclaimed happily, taking out your notebook from your over-the-shoulder bag and pulling out the pen that you always had with you. Scribbling your signature, you turned to Max. "Do you want one too?" You asked her as she looked up at you with wide eyes, nodding. Scribbling down your signature again, you ripped off the pages and handed them to the two. "Here ya go!"

Max smiled widely, "Thank you so much!"

Dustin nodded with a huge grin, "Yeah, thank you!"

"It's no problem, you two." You waved your hand dismissively, "I'd do anything for my biggest fans."

"Alright, let's not bother Y/N anymore, alright? Are you guys going to rent a movie or not?" Steve spoke up, walking over to 'save' you from the teens.

The teens seemed to ignore Steve's words and headed down an aisle without another word. You smiled, crossing your arms as you glanced up at Steve. "They seem like good kids. I don't know why you were so worried."

Steve blushed lightly, scratching the back of his neck nervously, "Well, they could be worse..." He trailed off, "Uh, so... I was wondering if... Maybe... We could…" He trailed off, before clearing his throat, Keep it together, Steven. "Maybe. Uhm. Would you maybe wanna have dinner with me?" He rushed out before taking a deep breath, "If you wanted."

You looked up at him with a shocked smile, "You want to have dinner with me?" You asked, "As like... A date?"

Steve blushed, "Um. Yeah, yeah, I mean, not that I would mind that! If that's what you'd like!" His voice sounded higher pitched than usual.

You let out a small chuckle, "Yeah, I'd like that. I would really like that." You reassured, causing Steve to smile and nod, his heart fluttering in his chest.

"Thank god, I mean, cool... Yeah. Uh, I could pick you up? Do you like milkshakes?" He asked as he handed you your movie.

You sputtered out a laugh, "Steve, who doesn't like milkshakes?"

[glitterdustcyclops]

while i'm thinking about pens, here's a lil "what's in my pencil case" post cuz it's been a minute since i've done one. can you tell my favorite color? lmao.

detail shots, writing sample & notes about everything under the cut

first we have our basic, "staple" pens and such, in order from the top left down and to the right:

+Zebra bLen FM2 Ballpoint Pen 0.5 mm - this particular version was a limited edition but JetPens sells other colors/models. to be honest i mostly got this because of the aesthetics of it, but the gimmick is that it's supposed to not "rattle" or shake as much as other pens, making it a smoother "stress-free" writing experience and i suppose that would be true if the ink didn't skip so ding dang much. i give it a 4.5/10

+Zebra Sarasa Push Clip Gel Pen 0.5 mm Black - ohhh now we're talkin. my first true stationery crush. i own these in every color they come in. you're never gonna go wrong with a zebra sarasa. as a lefty i'm wary of smudges and these puppies dry fast and don't skip. i would marry this pen if i could.

+Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen Hard Tip - my preferred choice for doing brush pen lettering. i like the fude touch sign pens from pentel too but their ink tends to be too juicy for me as a lefty & it's a smudge hazard, but tombows are perfect.

+ Sakura Pigma Micron 10 (0.6 mm) - this is actually a new thing, i was messing around with different headers a few weeks ago and after i was done i was too lazy to stick this back where it goes with its family, so i put it in my pencase. but you never know when you need a nice thick black marker to do headers and stuff in your bullet journal, you know?

+Sakura Gelly Roll White 10 & Glitter - these two are almost impossible to swatch but very useful for doing fun ~effects~ on ur headers. the white is about as opaque as i've found in a gel pen, and the glitter is transparent so it goes over pretty much everything and just adds a hint of bling.

+Zebra DelGuard Mechanical Pencil 0.5 mm Hello Kitty & eraser - no joke the best mechanical pencil i've ever tried, i will never use another. it's one of them fancy japanese over-engineered sorts of things, and it's got all sorts of mechanics in it to keep lead from breaking, and it WORKS. as someone who prefers a fine lead in my pencils, having your pencil constantly shatter is frustrating as hell but i have literally never had that problem with these. the eraser is, i think, from sun star, idk. i got it cuz it was cute but it's really nothing special.

+Midori Multi Ruler 30 cm - this thing is super helpful for getting straight lines when doing bullet journal headers. the hinge helps it fold up compact & also lets it work as a compass but i typically don't worry about that.

next up, our ~fun colors~ starting with our minty greens

+Pentel Energel Clena w/ Turquoise Blue refill 0.5 mm - this originally came with a black ink refill but i wanted it to match so i bought a turquoise one separately and i think it's super cute. in case it isn't obvious mint green/teal are my favorite colors and so i love carrying around multiple options to give my notes a lil pop of my fav shade.

+Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen Emerald Green - another new addition to the pen case, i honestly just stuck it in here because i didn't have enough room in the green section of my brush pen/marker organizer lol. but you know, it's my go-to fav color, it's helpful to keep around. like i mentioned up above i sometimes struggle with the pentel brush pens cuz of how juicy the ink is, so i don't use them as often, but the color is really pretty and they write very nicely.

+Zebra Mildliner Highlighter Mid Blue-Green - of course i am a basic bitch who loves mildliners. i own literally every color & this one is only here because it's a duplicate, and so i just stuck it in the pencil case to match everything else. but you know, every situation can be improved with a mildliner i think. (also stationery confession- am i the only one who likes the brush pens better than the regular highlighters? cuz i do. they're fun!!)

+Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight 1.0 mm Pastel Green - another pen i am only keeping in here because it doesn't fit with the rest of my gel pens (i may or may not have a problem) but again, it matches.

finally, we have the Zebra Sara Push Clip Gel Pens 0.5 mm in Vintage Colors. did you think i was kidding when i said this was my favorite pen & i own every color? i meant every. color.

i really like these vintage ones because they're more readable than some of the bright/pastel shades of the regular pens. very sophisticated. also that green black matches so beautifully with all my favorite minty green shades.

so there you have it, everything i keep in my everyday pen case. if you're wondering this is a Sun Star Delde pencil case, this colorway doesn't exist anymore but i love these slide kind of pencil cases that turn into standing pen cups. very convenient to keep out on your desk. and, of course, it matches everything else. :D

[browneyesandhair]

Ten Degrees Below Zero by kianspo

Summary:

After a serious incident aboard a starship, Commander Spock is demoted and transferred to a remote base where he must now serve with other "undesirables." He adjusts to his new rank and duties, and, while the future does look bleak, he is not ready to give up on himself or Starfleet yet. There is work to be done and hope to be found, especially as he begins to get to know his new colleagues, particularly one intriguing engineering officer James Kirk...

Relationship: James T. Kirk/Spock

Characters: Spock (Star Trek), James T. Kirk, Christine Chapel, Christopher Pike, Nyota Uhura

Additional Tags: AU, AU - Canon Divergence, First Time, Friends to Lovers, AU - Fusion, Slow Burn, Action/Adventure, Plot, UST

Notes: The world-building here is fantastic. All the tiny details just suck me into the story and I'm obsessed with it. I don't think I can say enough nice things about it.

(This is part of my year of recs. I'm trying to share some of my favorite stories on tumblr. I've set up a series of Soulmate recs for each month on the 15th, but these will be randomly dispersed throughout the year.)

[marketingviadigital132]

How do I get traffic on a blog without any cost?

How do I get traffic on a blog without any cost? It's time to get serious about traffic to your blog. We're right there with you - here are five steps you can start taking right now! So keep on reading this article on the topic of How to get traffic on a blog without any cost? 

How do I get traffic on a blog without any cost? 

1. Take a strategic approach to your content

The best way to increase blog traffic is to simply create better content. The expression “ content is king ” gets thrown around more frequently than a channel at a frat party. But creating “ better content ” is n’t just about quality. In addition to being more strategic, you need to do better with your content marketing.

Content that meets a specific need is most likely to be successful. Consider your audience and what they like. Content these days nearly always falls into one of two orders: cool and funny, and useful and educational.

2. Keywords Aren't to be feared

It's imperative you include keywords and SEO in your blog marketing strategy if you really want to drive traffic to your blog. When you suggest doing something branded SEO, people get very nervous, but remember, search engine optimization is fine. More than fine - it's amazing! Users find the information and answers they're looking for on Google, so you get targeted traffic.

3. Hunt down your audience's nest: Find your flock

Having a presence on several social networks is nice, but trying to excel on each will quickly burn you out.

Take a step back and see which social networks work best for you. Is your blog heavy on visuals? Would your blog be more suited to nerd culture if you focused on LinkedIn? Find the appropriate subreddits and you might find success.

If you want to find seagulls, you go to the seashore. You need to go where your flock lives if you want to drive blog traffic. Know where your audience hangs out. Understanding your audience is also key to building strong referral links.

4. Mobile-friendly and optimized for speed

Your visitors will hit the back button and move on to the next Google listing (i.e., your competitor's blog) if your blog doesn't load fast enough. Google's PageSpeed Insights tool will give you your site's speed score and tips on what you can do to improve it.

Tablets and mobile phones are used nearly three hours a day, so going mobile is a no-brainer. If you don't think your current blog is up to snuff, check out one of these fine WordPress plugins that can help you create a version of your blog optimized for mobile devices.

5. Be nice to the other kids

You should establish good relationships with other bloggers in your niche if you want to build blog traffic. Sometimes you'll even want to team up with your enemies.

Participate in various communities and comment on other blogs. Interview major industry bloggers or include them in a "best of" post (for example, Top 10 Blogs Rocking Pinterest) when you cite or feature them in one of your posts. The blogger will be more likely to share and retweet a post that mentions them, so you get more traffic and shares.

It's important to link to your own blog posts for SEO, but it's equally important to link to external sources. It lets Google know you're not a spammer and builds a positive relationship with the blogs you're linking to as well. Establishing good relations makes it much easier to pitch guest posts as well.

[risu5waffles]

Dear Entropy Not (Another Ten) Again

The inexorable march of time waits for no one, and grinds us all to paste 'neath its grubby boots. But, hey! We got another ten levels over here.

i am going to go out on a limb and say this one wasn't playtested. Like, at all. Which, you know, fair, my levels have never gotten the playtesting they really needed; but this one is just a straight up mess. All the jumps are just a little bit off, the platforms can be moved when they really oughtn't, there's almost no clear communication wiv the player. It's a slog from start to finish.

i don't know if this one was part of a contest or something. It's got that AOG up in its name, and that's where people would usually indicate contest entries. This one is... kinda preachy? i mean, i appreciate a nice pro-environment message, but... it just feels kinda weird and half-baked. The level is fine, but wowsers, the music is way, way overloud. i almost feel like i should have turned it down in post, but... i mean, i imagine that's what the creator wanted, and i really don't want to be putting my own edits on other folx's work (barring cutting out loading screens, but that's on the game engine, not creator choice). If you ever wondered, that's why i try to preserve punctuation, spelling, and capitalization in level titles.

A really nice looking level here, and some solid, at times challenging gameplay. A fair amount of mechanical interactions here too, and i always appreciate that. i did feel some kind of ways about the framing device; helping someone loot some other culture's priceless artifacts is... you know... a bit of a lot. Not that i think the creator was thinking anything beyond an Indiana Jones-style hook to give the level diagesis, but... looking at it from over here, and it's not a great look.

i wound up having a really nice time wiv this one. i always appreciate a good Islands themed level, and this one leverages the look well. Gameplay is on the safe side of challenging, where i never really felt like i had to sweat for it, but i couldn't really slack off either. The power-up was simple and fun enough for what it was, which wasn't much, but i'm pretty sure hanging out wiv @hirunda-maxpw has spoiled me rotten in that department.

This is one of those masterclass levels that makes design look way easier than it really is. Seriously, tho', i feel like you could put this into just about any platformer wiv roughly analogous movement physics (so, like, Sonic is probably out), and it would feel at home wiv maybe a few presentation changes to fit the particular game aesthetic. It is so well done, and plays so smoothly, and all in LBP1 no less. The only, maybe, fly in the ointment is LBP physics being what they are, sometimes you might get squished by something falling in an unexpected way, but them's kind of the breaks. If you missed this level, maybe because you started the series later, i highly recommend giving it a shot. It's such a shame that Lockstitch's Vile Anchorage is broken in LBP3, 'cause that one was a real winner too.

We talked about this one on Friday, and nothing's really changed how i feel about it. It's still quite good, and worth a play or two; despite some of the gameplay choices.

Yoooo, Poppywoods, why'd you have to go and put such a nasty gameplay bit right dead center of your cruisy, bright level? Like, i was having such a nice relaxing time, and then i ran into those bouncy platforms, and it was like getting hit in the face wiv a wet fish. Did you do it just for the halibut? Now, i do have to give credit to the creator for putting in a totally superfluous room filled wiv little score bubbles. This is always a worthwhile addition, and deeply appreciated.

Ehhhh.... it's fine. Really. It's fine. It's an homage to the Canyons, and it's got all the Canyons stuff, and it's. Fine.

This is such a charming little level, and i'm not just saying that because Des has been a long-time member of our community (she actually knew me in The Before, if you can believe it. Well, a lot of the LBP-side of my community did, but it's still weird. i... like honestly i can't tell you how lucky i was wiv the batch of folx that'd been in my orbit back then). This is very solidly in that "kinda-sorta natural environment" LBP2 design style i talked about way back when, tho' it does have some little "man-made" flourishes in presentation and material choice that i really dig. Gameplay is pretty solid throughout, and the grappling hook gets a lot of mileage. The grappling up descending platforms in the waterfall section was a really nice touch. All that makes it sting all the more that the promised part 2 never came out.

This got picked up for Team Pick right after i recorded, but before the episode went live, and i'm not going to lie, i was a little salty about that. Shouldn't have been surprised, who ever runs the Level of the Day and Team Picks clearly has their eye on Mackway25, and their levels tend to pick one or the other up. i usually struggle a bit wiv their stuff, 'cause the colour schemes and camera work can make their levels difficult for me to visually parse, but there's enough contrast in choices here that i had a much easier go of it. And i do need to emphasize this one really is a well-done and fun to play level, most of Mackway25's stuff tends to be. i really don't want to take away from their hard work as a creator.

So that's that, and just ten levels away from 100 episodes. Holy shit. i'm... i'm not going to have my level out by then. There's a lot going on in life right now, and to be honest, it's really kicking the shit out of me. There's little joy in my heart at the moment, and it's hard to really spin up the kind of focus in need to build something big. Not that i haven't had ideas, but... half the time i think them out, and, it's like, "risuko, love, it's a bit dark innit? Do you need to, like, maybe talk to someone?"

[multi-fandomfuckboy]

Stranger Than Fiction

Part 6: Kinship

Billy Hargrove x Reader (Slowburn)

Part 1, ...(Masterlist)... Part 7

A/N: Ugh, being back at work is so tough. I just want to write the whole time but I actually have to take care of people. I hope you guys like this little update. I have the next part written, I just need to type it. Billy is back!

Word Count: 1,200

Warnings: none

You aren't sure why seeing the blonde’s wolfish grin brings a smile to your own face, but it does. 

“Billy.” You say, continuing to walk forward as he cruises slowly next to you.

“Ah, not crazy enough to forget me then.” He comments, watching you over the rim of his sunglasses. You chuckle lightly.

“It’s good to see you again.” You say honestly. You’re surprised to find that you actually mean it. In some small way at least. Billys brows twitch upwards slightly, seemingly just as surprised to hear it. He shakes his head, glancing back to the road ahead before responding. 

“Yea, it’s good to see you too, loca.” he says gruffly. Before you can dwell on his words, Billy revs the engine loudly causing you to jump slightly. He laughs at your response. 

“How long are you sticking around this time?” you ask. Billy grimaces slightly, answering your question. 

“Longer than I would like.” he responds. You glance at him questioningly, prompting him to elaborate. “Looks like I’ll be here for the long haul. At least until I graduate.” he says bitterly. You nod in understanding. You knew that he was around the same age as you, but weren’t sure exactly which grade. 

“Well, sounds like you and I are in the same boat.” you say. “If you ever need someone to complain to, I’ll be around.” you offer jokingly. You don't see it, but Billy’s lips twitch upwards hearing your words.

“I’ll keep that in mind if I’m craving crazy flakes.” He responds causing you to roll your eyes. There is a beat of silence between you before he speaks again. “Hey, I already know the answer to this but…” he pauses, glancing at you over his shades again “You want a ride?” he offers. The question feels so out of place coming from him. In all the times he had slowed his car to speak to you this summer, he had never offered you a ride after the first day you met. 

Part of you wants to say yes. The strange kinship between the two of you is bizarre. There is no explanation for it but for some reason, you want to talk to him more. Unfortunately, a larger, darker, part of you craves solitude. Your feet shuffle to a stop. Billy’s car does the same. You take a step towards the open window of the car, Billy watching you. You smile gently at him, not wanting to disregard his slight show of kindness. 

“As much as I would love to climb into this death trap,” you begin gesturing to the car. You catch the subtle twitch in Billy’s lips again. “I’ve got some stuff to take care of… out here.” you say gesturing to the road ahead of you. You hope that he understands the meaning behind your words. His eyes study you as you grip the straps of your bag, shifting from one foot to the other. 

“Can I ask where you’re headed?” he asks. You smile, looking down at your worn sneakers, as you kick a small rock. 

“I’m not sure yet.” you respond as honestly as you can. You look back up at the sound of his gruff laughter. 

“Just as crazy as I left you.” he mumbles, tapping his hands on the steering wheel. “Well, if you figure it out, you know where to find me.” he says, giving you a quick wink before pushing his glasses back over his eyes. “I’ll see you around, loca.”

“Yea, I’ll see ya’” you respond, turning away from the window to continue walking. Billy hits the stereo, a loud wave of music floods from the car as he speeds away. 

It was the most civil conversation you have had with Billy. Strangely enough, it continued to be that way for the next week. You wouldn’t describe his behaviour as “nice”, but you figure it was the closest Billy could get. In addition to his normal pestering during your walks, he began adding on the offer of a ride at the end. You always turned him down, but you liked that he was asking. 

When Billy left, you started visiting the West Point Lookout more often. You always pass by the porch the two of you painted together this summer, remembering the short conversation you had had about California. In your most recent walk, you noticed the increase in activity around the house. You saw two cars parked out front along with a large moving truck. You notice a young girl with red hair moving back and forth with a woman who must have been her mother. You can't be sure from where you stand, but you don't see much resemblance between the sharp angles of Billy’s features and the young girl's round face. 

As you pass on the opposite side of the street, you watch as Billy hauls a large box off the back of the truck, moving to set it further up the driveway. His gaze moves upwards, catching sight of you. You offer a smile raising your hand in a wave. You watch as he glances around the yard, his eyes catching on Neil, tracking him as he moves one of the boxes from the driveway into the house. Only when he has disappeared inside does Billy look back to you, returning your wave. 

There is something about his eyes. You’re not sure what to call it. It’s not the first time you’ve seen it, catching glimpses of it during the summer when he would ignore you with his father present. You know not to approach the house based on the look alone. You accept the wave as the only interaction you would receive and continue walking. 

When you reach the West Point your mind is consumed by the unspoken conversation you had with Billy. You knew he never spoke to you when his father was around, but the look he gave you today struck a chord. You don't know why, but it unsettled you greatly. 

Throughout the next week you would continue to have your normal walking conversations with Billy. Through these little talks you were able to learn about his step-sister, Max, and his Step-mom, Susan. He also told you that he and Max would be starting school on the 30th. You say that you’ll see him when he gets there, that it would be hard to miss with how he drives. 

Part of you doesn't want him to go to school. You don't want to have to watch him hear all the rumours about you. Whatever kind of kinship that had developed between the two of you would shatter. Unfortunately, Billy doesn't strike you as the type to eat lunch with the school freak show. 

You want to try and explain before he hears it from the rest of the school but you know that it's futile. You can’t help the small flame of hope that burned in your heart that he would somehow ignore all the talk, and still want to be…. Whatever this was. You did your best to smother the hope, keeping your expectations low. 

It wouldn’t help what was to come on Billy’s first day.

Part 1, ...(Masterlist)...Part 7 A/N: I hope you guys liked this little update. I will be posting again soon! Let me know what you guys think! Leave a like or a comment and let me know if you want to be added to the tag list! Taglist: @official-starcourt-mall @lem0ns77 @bethii1 @wysteria-arts @fanficfanatic204 @theshinyrock @spacedaddydinn @raidxny @emmyawards1 @lucxxy @leia9817 @wounded-writing @taisab02 @goblinpit @howlerwolfmax @kilvru3 @blueberry-birdie @flamewriterr @im-julessssss @tsukibaby1

[halfmoondaze]

jack has a crush on reader but reader has a boyfriend

authors note: I decided too merge this two requests so I hope you enjoy it

Slow Like Honey

It all started with a tweet...

And this is how Y/N found herself in the studio with Jack Harlow on a Friday night, jamming with no intention of making a hit song, just two friends hanging out and making good music for the sake of it.

"Ok, I think we are stepping onto something here" Y/N said as she listened back to the recording.

"I have to give it to you, the addition of doubling your vocals was fucking tight"

"Thanks-"

"Well, I think I'll be heading out, see you guys tomorrow?" Andy the sound engineer said on his way out.

"Yea, goodnight" Y/N said.

He left.

"And then there were two" Jack said.

You both burst into laughter.

"Should we take a break? I'm kind of starving"

"Yea, does pizza sound good?"

"Perfect"

You and Jack were currently lounging on the couch in the studio talking about the most random subjects, goofing around and just having a good time.

Jack glanced at his clock on the phone where it signaled it was now 10 minutes as 11.

"It's late. Don't you have a man to get home to?"

"How do you know I'm seeing someone"

"I didn’t. I was just guessing" he laughed.

“Yea, I have a boyfriend, his name is Jaden”

“Well, he’s one lucky guy”

After going for two more sessions at the studio, the song now titled “Nebulous”, was finally finished. But because of Jack’s perfectionism, it ended up not being part of his upcoming album, not because he didn’t think it was good enough, but on the contrary. It was too good and pure to be shared with the world.

However, interactions between you and Jack didn't seem to stop anytime soon. As he would find a reason to talk to you any time he could, joining in your Instagram lives, or interacting with your posts on social media.

“Should I be worried about this Harlow guy?” Jaden asked you in the middle of your home date while watching “Frances Ha”.

“No, why would you ask that?”

He kissed your forehead.

“No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, I trust you”

In that moment you couldn’t help thinking of the possibility of you developing feelings for Jack. But you were not going to cheat on Jaden, he didn’t deserve that.

You didn’t have a way of recalling how this all came to this point. All you knew was that here you were sitting on your couch with Y/F/N standing in front of you holding her phone in her hand showing you a picture taken from last night where it showed Jaden outside a nightclub making out with a blonde woman. You were in utter shock.

The rumors spread like wildfire, and you were tagged in every news article and tweets about it. Even though everyone was being supportive, you were still feeling extremely overwhelmed by the whole situation. And to make things worse, it seemed like everyone was waiting for your reaction. So that’s what you were about to give them.

As time passed, you took a break from social media and decided to put all your energy into writing and recording songs for your new album.

On a particular day that you finished early, you decided to drive to your favorite coffee shop and treat yourself. What you didn't expect to do was run into Jack Harlow while standing in line.

"Y/N hi"

"Hey it's nice to see you" you said as you hugged him. "I thought you were on tour"

"I am, but I have a few days off until I have to perform in New York"

"I bet you're having the time of your life"

"I am" he laughed. "So if it's not too soon, I would like to take you out sometime, what do you say?"

You couldn't help but smile as your feelings for Jack seemed to come back. It felt right, more than ever at this moment.

"Yea, I would like that""

[lost-between-letters]

Oops?

Pairing: Sam Winchester X Reader (she/her)

Requested by: @lelapine

Written for: my 200 follower celebration (open)

Word Count: 602

Warnings: a hospital, brief descriptions of pain, fluff

Summary: it was Sam's turn to pick someone up from the hospital. Unlike Dean though, Y/N was more prone to little injuries, much to Sam's amusement

"There's been a little incident," Y/N swung her legs and pressed the phone closer to her ear. The stretcher was a little too high for her feet to touch the ground so she had an excellent excuse to tunnel her anxiety by kicking her legs.

A sigh came from the other end. Yeah, Sam was totally rubbing his forehead right now. "What did you break this time?"

"Nothing!" She assured, threw her free hand up in the air and promptly hissed at the cold air passing over the burned skin. She could have sworn that the air in this damn hospital alone was full enough of disinfectant to double the pain. God, she could understand why Dean hated hospitals.

This time, it was an exasperated chuckle that Sam had to offer. "Doesn't sound like nothing, Love."

"Okay, I may have burned myself," Y/N admitted after a pause.

Sam started to say something - most likely demanding her whereabouts to make sure that she was okay and/or some additional scolding - when the door to the little room opened and a middle aged woman in a white coat entered the room. "Well, let's take a look at that, Dear."

"I gotta go," Y/N interrupted Sam's rambling.

"First gimme the address, so I can pick you up."

The first thing Y/N saw when she exited the hospital, was a familiar impala parked square in front of the entrance. The second thing she saw, was Sam's green flannel in close up.

"Hello to you too," her voice was slightly choked off by the intensity with which Sam was pressing her to his chest.

Unfortunately, her boyfriend did not get the hint and did not loosen the grip he had on her. "Don't scare me like that! You can't just call and say you burned yourself and give me a hospital to pick you up from and nothing more."

"Oops?"

One last rough squeeze to her waist and then, Sam let go of her. Naturally, only to grab for her hand and inspect the bandage. "So how did exactly did you do that?"

Oh, Y/N had been so tempted to come up with a badass lie - saved a few kids out of a burning house, stopped teenagers from accidentally starting a bush fire with the butt of a cigarette. But no, the truth was not noble in the slightest. She started walking towards the Impala, Sam dragged along by his hand. "I tried to catch a burning candle."

"You-" Sam actually stopped in his steps, stared at her and started laughing. "Babe, why?"

"It was falling over! And I can't just let my carpet start burning, can I?" She opened the door with her uninjured hand, eyes firmly on the seat in front of her.

This was embarrassing.

And Sam was still laughing. "Y/N, you are literally the clumsiest person I know. Who allows you near candles anyway?"

"I like the soft light, okay?" Y/N wasn't pouting. She was not. "And the flames are always so pretty when a little bit of air moves them. It's almost like they're dancing."

Sam walked around the car as she was telling him her reasoning. The door fell shut behind him and he leaned over to place a kiss on her cheek. "It sure is, my little pyromaniac. But for tonight you're staying at the bunker and I won't let you close to any form of fire."

And then, he started the engine, drowning out her half hearted complain. Not that she was too offended, the promise of a nice evening in Sam's bed was pretty appealing.

General Taglist: @immrbrightsideeee , @fandomfoodiedancer , @lovesfandoms , @nyotamalfoy , @stixnstripesworld , @foxyjwls007 , @amythedoctor

Sam Taglist: @tiggytaylor , @danzalladaggers , @baby-banana , @borhapparker , @maddiebwrites

If you want to be tagged as well, click here or drop an ask/DM

[klm-zoflorr]

ATLA MixedUp! AU part VI: Friend Blessed By A Spirit

Masterpost

Who's gonna be the Avatar ally lucky enough to find their way around a spirit and get blessed by them (with the obligatory hair color change, obviously)?

Ty Lee!! That's so cool 👀 Althought i'd like to know about the TWO MAIN CHARACTER'S SIBLINGS first lmao stop making me wait xD What's her element?

FIRE! Subending?

Holy shit, it's combustion bending! I hoped I'd get one of them as a combustion bender 👉👈. Althought damn, Ty Lee, you got a busy life

So here's her little backstory I crafted with two sticks and a piece of scotch: I like the idea that being a combustion bender is a skill you learn, with special facilities where combustion benders are trained? So Ty Lee would have been a part of one of those facilities. She'd always been very spiritual, and empathetic even if her "masters" tried to force it out of her.

So one day, she somehow manages to escape, hiding among the Fire Nation people. Ported by the tales of her childhood and her strong beliefs, she manages to find the Sun warriors and the Dragons, who deem her worthy and bless her. Her hair changes color, and her firebending gets stronger. It greatly helps her overcome her trauma, by finding another way to bend, without rage and anger. She will teach that to the Avatar, alongside helping her perfect her Firebending. Because, maybe Katara's learning experience was incomplete? I know I said she mastered Firebending before, but I wasn't sure she'd get a teacher. So I retcon myself lol.

She's... A very good addition to the group to say the least. She's probably extremely powerful?! I think the Dragons helped her developp her actual firebending outside of combustion, and she's trying to teach herself more about it. Her and Katara can exchange about it! :) Not making Katara a full blown Combustion bender btw, just teachings her a few attacks and how to concentrate fireballs, kind of like what Ozai did during his final fight with Aang in the show. It will be VERY useful in Katara's final fight (?)

Maybe after finding the dragons she adopted a nomadic lifestyle in the Fire Nation, kind of what she did with the Circus, and that's how she falls on the Gaang. I picked the Western Air Temple as her background because I felt like it, so... That's where she meets Team Avatar. Because of what she learned and her connection with the spirits, she will feel like she has to join with the Avatar, because nobody else can teach her that. Oh! She's probably Katara's spiritual guide :)

Even with her relatively tragic and probably more traumatising backstory, she's still one of the most cheerful and enthusiatic members of Team Avatar.

Her final design (yes i know I did three of them. She's an interesting character okay xD) includes wide and loose clothing (althought it's probably not the most practical for fighting?) In contrast to her Facility clothes. I imagined she wouldn't want to be reminded of them, and always hated the tight clothes and how they felt. She kept the belt tho, it's probably practical and also was a reassuring constant. The weight, all that. I also gave her another belt, looking more utilitarian, and some bombs are her side. I imagine she's also kind of an engineer, and uses tools to help her. So maybe she was trained in swords, or knives too? Just to make her as efficient as possible. Oh, btw! To fit in with the engineer point, she's gonna date Sokka at some point because I say so. Yes, i don't have a clue what he does yet, but I don't care. Ty Lokka for the win xD

I didn't want to just give her back her clown costume, plus I feel like it's more adapted to... Acrobatics and shit than firebending

Oh, and just for the fun of it, her and Azula hit it off in half a second and become best friends after 2 days.

Ok, this is all nice and shit, but I need an airbender 😭

By the way, if book 1 was Earth, then they went to the north pole (passing by the wrstern air temple first) and lastly (because it's gonna be very hard to find one) katara is gonna learn airbending, we might as well just reverse the whole avatar cycle. Just sayin'

Oh. And also. This is my hot girl summer so I'm adding jet to my list of characters, and a "friend with a rebel cell against the fire nation" category. Just because I can.

[retphienix]

I'm not sure if I should make this the finale post or not to be honest because I plan on playing some of the DLCs soon, so I'll make this a 'light' finale post because I'm sure I've said more than enough through my playthrough.

Morrowind genuinely surprised me. I heard all the oldguard TES fans saying it's way different and some claiming it was miles better.

Specifically I remember when Oblivion came out I heard from somewhere that Oblivion was just "dumbed down Morrowind" and kid me was like "What the heck are you talking about, Oblivion is the best game in the world (right now)???"

But man, they weren't wrong, but that's hardly what I'd point at in Morrowind in comparison.

Then again my memory of Oblivion is all rose tinted nostalgia and half memories.

What Morrowind is to me today is a fantastic fantasy game with some really interesting lore, a villain I love, a world that feels alien, troubled, imperfect and intriguing, and a gameplay cycle that felt really satisfying to me from the very start to roughly level 20 or so.

I REALLY like how pitiful and overwhelmed I felt at the start of this game- it felt fucking awesome to me and I know for some that's a weird statement and others it's the most obvious thing in the world but man is it true.

Level 1 in Morrowind as a newbie who doesn't know up from down is like waking up in the woods naked with the sound of hungry wolves all around you.

It's brutal, and exciting- every little victory- a potion, a new dagger, a new piece of armor- feels like the world to you.

I LOVED the early game in Morrowind, more than I ever liked it in Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout NV, Skyrim, or Fallout 4 (yeah I'm looping the bethesda engine NV in).

Because I constantly felt like I was punching up at a behemoth but I was getting away with it from time to time until I started to feel more on par with the behemoth, and eventually I overcame and hit end game and really became the behemoth and that was fun in its own right.

But I've been "mega end game god" in like 900 dang games at this point, it's always fun! And feeling like I earned it (like here) makes it feel better! But the journey often beats it and Morrowind's journey was so fun to me.

But yeah, beat the main quest. I did a lot in this game, and barely scratched the surface.

Beating it immediately made me think of how fun it would be to challenge myself to beat it- or another objective- right from the start without dumping hundreds of hours into leveling because that early game is a treat.

About the only things I didn't fully love were most of the quest designs showing their age.

Nothing super egregious, but there really was a lot of extremely simple "fetch thing" "Kill thing" "Walk to place" quests that didn't hold additional story value to make up for it.

Not to say simple is bad, but to say having a LOT of my playtime being killing various creatures for no real story reason beyond being asked to makes some actions feel pointless and like busy-work.

There were also quests that DID tie story in, which was really nice to see- things like inter-guild relations becoming a thing for some quests, or some quests having consequences further down the quest chain depending on how you completed it, and of course (as implied) some quests having multiple solutions with some of those solutions being interesting in how you find out about them.

I mean I think it's really neat how the fighter's guild has like 4 quest givers and if you blindly follow them you'll be doing all kinds of questionable stuff with questionable end goals, but if you talk to each of them you'll find that one of them is much more trustworthy and honorable than the rest, and it becomes a common loop to be sent on a quest for the FG and swing by him to ask if the quest sounds legit- AND MANY AREN'T! AND HE OFFERS ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS! THAT'S COOL AND LET'S YOU MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BEING TOO LOYAL AND FORGETTING YOUR MORALS BECAUSE YOU ARE "JUST PLAYING A GAME" BUT REWARDS YOU FOR QUESTIONING THAT LOYALTY AND SEEKING ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS! THAT'S AWESOME! Though the solution almost always being "just talk to the good guy before you do the quest" was slightly lacking, but such a cool idea.

But there wasn't a ton of this, but there also wasn't not a lot of this- it was an idea they clearly considered playing with and did when they could- I just wish there were both more and that it was used more on the menial tasks you're asked to do as well. I'm a sucker for multiple solutions is all, and consequences appearing later and altering how events play out or quests line up is always cool and I think it only happens a couple times in some guild quests if I'm not mistaken-

But again, I didn't do much in the grand scheme of things lol.

A TON of time invested and still, a metric fuckton to do including 100% of both expansions lol.

So- Morrowind. I really like this game :)

I think it's my favorite TES game, though I might change my mind whenever I revisit TES4, but I can at least say it's my favorite early game BY FAR and PROBABLY my favorite TES game.

I wonder if I can get buff enough to kill Dagoth Ur with like potion abuse. I haven't looked into it, all I know about him (and I knew before this gameplay also, I was just attacking out of curiosity) is that phase 2 rapidly regens health at like 2 billion a second or something, so you have to one shot him if at all possible.

Also I knew that he was supposed to be weaker depending on how many ash vampires you killed, but that that wasn't properly implemented (and I don't think the morrowind code patch bothers fixing it?).

Anywho- great game. I've been playing a lot of good games lately now that I think of it. I mean most of this blog is me playing good games, but I feel like, and I could be mistaken, but I feel like there was a stint there where I was playing "complicated" games and "games I don't enjoy but want to see the merit of so I'm being a sourpuss while I play".

Now I feel like the last 10 dang games were strictly good and or great. Can't say that's a bad thing :)

If you haven't ever played Morrowind before but you're familiar with say Skyrim, I'd honestly say give it a look. A look first- because it's a thick game to begin and you might be able to discern it's not for you based off a look- but a look none the less.

It's Skyrim with more RPG nonsense going on and a more brutal "rags to riches" hero story for your protag. Might be up your alley as much as it ended up being up mine :)

So up next is EITHER an entirely different game with some ocassional Morrowind posts as I touch on the expansions, or more direct Morrowind content as I emphasize the expansions until I finish them, but I'm leaning towards the former.

I think beating the main quest has earned Vaksten the Idiot a short break.

[pepperf]

For the director's commentary thing, slight curveball: Just the entirety of "Everything Is Peaches But The Cream". It's not even 500 words and I always really enjoy it when I read it back but I'm also like "What went down here?" There is of course a danger that you don't know either XD

Either way, thanks for any insight!

Oh lord, now you're asking…! Okay, first reaction is that I have absolutely no clue what's going on and I basically stole the premise for this from one of my favourite songs, 'Handcuffed To A Fence In Mississippi' by Jim White:

I'm handcuffed to a fence in Mississippi. My girlfriend blows a boozy good-bye kiss. I see flying squirrels and nightmares of stigmata. Then awakening to find my Trans-Am gone. Still, I'm feeling pretty good about the future. Yeah, everything is peaches but the cream. I'm handcuffed to a fence in Mississippi, where things is always better than they seem. Things is always better than they seem.

It goes on, but basically this guy is in a shitty situation, there's a mysterious bloodstain and sirens in the distance…but it's still kind of cheery and optimistic. He's letting go of the idea that you have to be having fun or be happy all the time. Sometimes things are dark, and that's okay too.

And that kind of fitted my image of Diego and Lila's relationship: they argue a lot, and they do some objectively bad stuff to one another, and their lives are kind of awful, a lot of the time—but that doesn't mean they have to be sad about it, or let it get them down, if that's simply not how they feel. They can enjoy the challenge of it, they can trust in themselves to find a way out of it, they can even love each other when they're still doing bad stuff. Just that kind of cheerful view of, like, 'oops, looks like I'm about to be framed for murder…better do something about that.'

I did have some scattered thoughts in my head about what had happened. This is a post-s2 scenario where Lila has been doing some appearing and disappearing from Diego's life, because she's not yet reached a point where she feels safe or comfortable committing to him or to a fixed point in time. But she's drawn back to him, she's crazy in love with him—she's just not settled in herself yet. And he's kind of accepting of that.

Diego shook off the last of the dizziness as he watched the red taillights bouncing off down the uneven road. He could hear an excited whoop drift back to him, over the roar of the engine.

Dammit. He’d really liked that car, too.

I am a simple soul, I like cars and hot people. I liked Diego's scrappy old car in s1, it pinged the part of my brain that wants a Ford Mustang (and it's green, like Steve McQueen's—I'm not sure, but I'm thinking they deliberately did that, bc the shape is about right, too…I wouldn't be surprised if Diego was a fan of the movie Bullitt). Also, I figure that Lila has either drugged him or knocked him on the head. I am cool with that. Diego is cool with that. It's a minor inconvenience in his life. :D

He tugged experimentally at the handcuffs that shackled him to the chain-link fence. They were pink and fluffy on the outside, and absolutely professional underneath.

Lila has waylaid him to a seedy motel with the prospect of hot sex, obv. She has some reason of her own to want to be there, possibly an assignment from the Commission, or some personal loose end she wants to tie up. She just wanted some company, and to make Diego's life more exciting.

Still, they wouldn’t be an obstacle - if he had anything to pick the lock. But all he could see were rocks and scrubby twigs, and Lila’d taken all his remaining knives, along with his wallet, keys, and boots. He poked at the ground with his bare toes, failing to unearth anything useful, like a soda can tab or a fully-equipped lockpicking kit.

Remember back in the day when every corner of every street was liberally littered with soda can ring pulls? I feel like the TUA universe also still has those, as well as no internet. I don't know why. It's the 90s-ness of it, I guess.

Also, Lila is more thorough than almost anyone who's restrained Diego before. He's finding her a challenge—but maybe not in a bad way. He strikes me as a guy who doesn't like to rest on his current skillset, and is always seeking ways to push himself further. So he's simultaneously annoyed, impressed, challenged, and kinda turned on.

Sinking down into a crouch, he gazed up at the night sky, looming magnificently over the ugly motel. There was a good view of the stars out here in deepest Mississippi, and if he’d ever followed that line of studies, back at the Academy, maybe he’d be able to name a few constellations.

I get the impression from what little we see in s1 that the kids were able to choose, like…study modules, like how Vanya chose to learn the violin. It's the one freedom they seem to have had (well, obviously some of it was still prescriptive, like their combat training and so on). I imagine Luther went for the astronomy parts, flight, that sort of thing, judging by his room décor. Diego…maybe went for additional combat training? And in his limited free time, just read whatever he got his hands on? I'm not sure.

It was peaceful now that all the shouting and violence was over. He could hear the sounds of wildlife, insects and shit. There was a gentle breeze. It might even be nice, if he wasn’t handcuffed to a fucking fence.

The recurring motif. The chorus, if you will. :) I think all the shouting and violence happened outside of his view, he maybe caught the start of it before he ended up unconscious through whatever means. She probably drugged him, or he'd be talking about a headache about now.

He noticed three things at the same time: the distant wail of approaching police sirens, his boots tucked neatly under a nearby bush, and the massive bloodstain on the floor outside the room they’d rented.

Lila left him the boots. (Probably someone else called the cops, after all the shouting and violence.) She's playing 'nice' and giving him what she considers an advantage. She's expecting him to get out of the handcuffs, and escape the police, but it's just a little more pleasant not to have to do that barefoot. Also, she left him fully clothed! She was basically going totally easy on him, in her mind, because she's sweet on him.

It was shaped like an arrow, and it pointed helpfully - from the point of view of a rural police department looking for a person of color to blame - straight at him.

A tribute to the Umbrella Academy title sequence for Lila, and a coincidence in-universe. She's not murdered someone in a way that purposefully ends in a bloodstained arrow. Probably. Also the person totally deserved murdering, idk why, but they did.

Diego sighed, and rose smoothly to his feet.

Time to play Which Will Break First: Cuffs, Fence, or Wrist?

See, he's had a nice rest, and now he's ready to play! This is a relatively low-stakes operation, whatever is happening, it's something that he'll get out of, at some inconvenience to himself, and get back home, and then later on she'll show up again and he can grump at her for leaving him handcuffed to a fucking fence, what the hell, Lila?! to his heart's content.

(ETA: Also...he’s handcuffed to a fence. It’s probably wooden, or if not, rusty. Of course that is going to break first. He just needs to twist or kick right.)

I think that's all I've got! Aside from the fact that, weirdly enough, today I am wearing a T-shirt that says 'Just Peachy', which I mainly like bc it reminds me of that song…