#these are really not very good by the way especially the coasters because it is so insanely difficult to do

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  @cuips-not-cute! cuips_not_cute has six fics in the Stranger Things fandom on AO3 and all of them are in the Steddie tag!

Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by @cuips-not-cute:

he could be brave

blood is an aphrodisiac

honeyed affection

blinking red light

cyclical

"cuips is a master of taking the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. The amount of times I've laughed and cried at the same time reading his fics have been too numerous to count. Especially the depth of the sex scenes and the character beats and growth they portray are gorgeous to read - and also very titillating. I love Steve and Eddie in every one of cuips stories, adore the little mannerisms they are given and the way they interact with each other and other characters. Besides the inspiring prose cuips can pull off a plot like few other people I've found so far - since blinking red light is still ongoing, I'll just point to cyclical for that. I'm very thankful to cuips for writing and posting these stories and for being a very active part of this lovely fandom." -- anonymous

Below the cut, @cuips-not-cute answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

i don’t even know. i was happily in the ofmd fandom when i watched season 4 almost three years ago now (oh god) and then the characters… they got me. i fear they’ll never leave.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

god, so many. they’re all kinda the same flavor though so i’ll list out what i’m always filtering for to find a new fic: bottom/sub eddie, creature/monster eddie, post s4, canon compliant, soft dom steve, sex pollen, spit kink, rimming (perhaps my FAVORITE ever thing to read), switch eddie/switch steve… the list goes on.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

probably also rimming. there’s just something so romantic about eating ass. and i really love to stick with post s4 canon compliant aus, too, i don’t think i’ve written an actual for real au yet, though i do have an idea for one after brl.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

i don’t know if i can pick!! my ao3 bookmarks host my many all-time faves, but if you wanna go by the fic i’ve reread the most it’s probably the affliction of the feeling. it’s so fucking good.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

YES!!! i have never written omegaverse!!! which is crazy, ‘cause i like it a LOT. i have a post-s4 omegaverse au kicking around in my head currently, and i cannot wait to sink my teeth into all the messy biology and politics that come with the omegaverse.

What is your writing process like?

chaotic, in a word. usually, i’ll get a fic idea while i’m balls-deep in writing another fic so i’ll shove it to the side and let it simmer while i finish that first one, then i’ll spend a good long while planning it out in ridiculous detail, and THEN i’ll start actually drafting. i like to have a fully fleshed out outline and a couple chapters written and edited before i start posting, and once posting begins i tend to deviate quite a bit from my outline but it’s all good fun.

Do you have any writing quirks?

definitely. i don’t like pointing them out for fear of other folks seeing them in everything i do, but they’re there. one that i don’t mind so much is my absolute abuse of the word “little.” everything is “a little” of this, “a little” of that, but i try to cut my usage down significantly while i’m editing.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

i always TRY to keep a schedule but… yeah. it never works. i’m far too busy for one, but attempts are made. i’d like to one day write a fic in full before posting it, because i think it’d be a whole lot better if i let it sit for that long but lord, i sure do like getting ao3 comments on every chapter. they make the writing motivation go WAY up.

Which fic are you most proud of?

brl, definitely. that fucker is LONG and i’m barely halfway through it. i think i’ve done a lot of cool things with it and i’m going to do some more cool things and i’ve made a lot of really awesome friends in the process of writing it so it’s got some pretty insane sentimental value to me. it’s definitely going to be a fic i’ll miss writing once i finish it, but that’s what the epilogue series is for!!!

How did you get the idea for blinking red light?

from another fic!!! @racketghost is the author of one of my favorite things i’ve ever read, which is the good omens zach and miri au, closed set (https://archiveofourown.org/works/23320960/chapters/55862155 <- hyperlinked), wherein crowley has been lying about the existence of some angelic sex tapes to all of hell, and then he and aziraphale have to actually make the tapes. it’s awesome. it’s gorgeous. brl is one big giant love letter to this fic, because it means so fucking much to me and i think about it ALL the time. 

When writing honeyed affection, what was something you didn’t expect?

hmm, i don’t know? ha is, i think, a pretty easygoing fic with lots and lots of porn stuffed inside it, and that was all i intended it to be so i cannot think of anything i was surprised by!!

What inspired blood is an aphrodisiac?

i just wanted to write vampire eddie. it was july ‘22, kas theories were everywhere, i had to try it. these days i think i would change a LOT about it because my ideas and hcs surrounding the characters have evolved significantly, but i’ll write vampire eddie again and “fix” everything i no longer like about biaa.

What was your favorite part to write from he could be brave?

…the fisting. i genuinely think some of my best writing is in that scene, and while i feel the same way about this fic as i do biaa, the fisting scene will always hold a special place in my heart. i’m very, very excited to write the fisting chapter in brl because of this scene. fisting rules.

How do/did you feel writing cyclical?

i wrote cyclical during a very weird few months of my life, so writing it was sort of my way of dealing with all the insane shit going on around me, and i think it shows. in a good way, though, because cyclical is a timeloop fic so it needed to be a little angsty and insane. i’m stupidly proud of that fic. @ryeallytired actually BOUND it into a PHYSICAL BOOK and SENT IT TO ME and when i tell you that is the singular most precious object i own, i mean it.

What was the most difficult part of writing blinking red light?

PLOTTING THAT BITCH. GOD. i’m so happy to be actually WRITING it now, the planning was genuinely so brutal. my issue was that i was sticking too close to the plot of closed set (<3) which just… did not work for steddie. closed set’s premise centers around crowley lying about making sex tapes, yes, but he lied about them to PROTECT aziraphale, which is the messiest, kindest, riskiest fucking thing ever. and it’s awesome. in the early planning stages of brl, i was trying to put eddie in the crowley role of lying about having made sex tapes with steve, but it reallyyy didn’t work. there was an oc and i absolutely hated him, plus i didn’t like what that premise was doing to eddie’s character… ugh. it was a MESS. it took several rubber duck-ing conversations with my brilliant friend @lollaika and a rewatch of zach and miri to finally realize that it had to be STEVE who brings up the idea of sex tapes so that he could protect eddie, rather than eddie bringing it up to save his own hide (yikes).

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

oooh, lots. reallyyyy loved chapter 8 of cyclical with all of the pov shifts, that was super fun to write. i also really enjoyed writing the dry humping/sex tape convo in the first chapter of brl, and i’m stupidly excited to write chapters 12, 13, 15, and 17, because of specific scenes that will happen in each.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

i do!! after brl is completed i’ll have to choose from two story ideas (because i cannot have two wips at once or i’ll get SO stressed), one being a semi-realistic steddie cowboy au based off my own experiences with growing up on a farm and featuring messy, earnest cowboys and not-fully-human eddie, and the other being the omegaverse au i want to write, which will have a very fun mix of vampire eddie, dubcon bitching, and accidental mating bites!!!

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

i cannot think of anything!! this was super fun :D

Thank you to our author, @cuips-not-cute, and our anonymous nominator! See more of cuips_not_cute's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[kate-bot]

my “toxic”? trait is whenever i fixate on something my immediate reaction is to take myself to the pottery painting place near my house and paint it on a plate or a mug or a coaster. literally all of the plates in my house are like this

[wolviensabes]

SFW Alphabet: Wolverine

a/n: yayyy I am writing a new character finally. I've been wanting to do Wolverine for a while, I just got around to doing it. Especially after D&W, I can't help myself. So like my main, I will start off with the alphabet and gradually write more into him. My characterization will be mixed based on film, show, and comic so not one specific source. I have never written this character before so the way I write him may change as I continue. This is also unedited ignore mistakes <3

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?):

Logan is a fairly affectionate dude, once you get past his gruff and rugged outer layer. He will pull you close to him and let you lay on him or snuggle up close. He's very warm and makes the perfect heater since he generally likes to keep his room cold to combat his body temperature.

He enjoys cuddling, though he won't outright say it. He likes feeling you lay close and seek him out for comfort and warmth regardless of the time of day or situation. He won't ever deny you that.

He likes to ruffle your hair and he will lightly nip at you and grin when you give him a surprised look.

He's all for hugs, he likes when you hug him and try to hug as tight as you can, he's completely unfazed. Sometimes he will grab you and lift you up, and laugh when you try to do the same. His adamantium skeleton weighs him down more than you thought. He's strong as hell to be able to move so much and you realize it the moment you try that.

When you lay close he will rub your back or idly rub another part of your body. Any kind of touch he can get. His fingers are so warm, it feels especially good if you're shirtless laying on him. He really enjoys skin to skin contact.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?):

He'd be a bit of a loner, but in the end he will always come through. He's hard to initially bond with, so be prepared for him disappearing a lot, hopefully you are a patient person.

At first he might not want to bond with anyone because his life is a roller coaster of shit, but persistence might wear him down enough to let you in his friend circle.

He's the type to drink with you, have a cigar and talk about whatever. He's down for brawling, he likes to mess around in that sense.

But Logan likes his alone time too, so balancing out social and private time is important. If you push too much I think he will back off a lot. He's had a shit life and if he cares a lot about you, he might not want it to be too obvious you are important to him. A specific mutant tends to kill off his close relationships.

*cough* Sabretooth *cough*

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?):

He does, he just won't admit it. I don't see Logan as a touchy feely guy with words, his actions mean a lot more than what he says.

Logan accepts cuddling basically anytime you want, just get close and snuggle up against him.

He might invite you to do so if he notices that you want to but are too unsure to initiate it.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?):

It's shown that Logan has settled down before. So he'd do it again with the right person.

He would rather be the type to support or provide rather than be the one to cook and clean, but he will lend a hand if necessary.

Compromise is possible. He might make a huge mess in the kitchen though.

I can see him working a grill pretty well.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?):

Straightforward and to the point. He'd tell you about his past and how complicated his life is, and he doesn't want you caught up in the mess of it too.

Logan might try to break things off after they get serious, worrying about what could happen to you, but if you insist, he will stay. He just doesn't want you to get hurt.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?):

It would take a while before Logan would be ready for marriage. The life of an X-Man is complicated enough, and his especially is hard to handle. He wouldn't want to settle down for a long time.

But once you find that sweet spot, and have a long conversation and understand the concerns and dangers, he would be willing. You just have to be careful.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?):

Logan is naturally more rough than most, but he can be gentle when he wants to be or needs to be. He has a good heart, despite what he likes to portray himself as.

He's able to caress and hold you like a man who hasn't been through the worst Hell of his life, and he's able to understand and connect with you emotionally too. He does try his best for you, even if he isn't very good at first.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?):

He does. He likes when you hug him. As mentioned before, he likes to lift you up and he chuckles as you try to lift him (and fail).

He throws you over his shoulder when he picks you up and he teases you as you try to squirm away.

A lot of the time your hugs turn into play fights.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?):

For Logan, saying that would take a long time. He'd be very reluctant to admit it or even begin a relationship in the first place so he doesn't want to endanger you by admitting he has such intense feelings for you.

When he does, he makes sure you two are alone and he whispers it to you either when you are being intimate together, or he admits it to you after something happens where he thought he lost you.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?):

Logan doesn't necessarily get 'jealous' but I can see him being very possessive. He knows his partner wouldn't cheat and he is very comfortable and secure in his relationship with you, but sometimes he can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

He will come up to you and growl at the person he feels jealous of, possessively wrapping his arm around your waist and tugging you closer to him, glaring daggers at the person.

I can totally see him unsheathing his claws and asking you how they look, he claims he 'polished them' and wants you to see, but it's just a way for him to further intimidate the person in front of you.

It always works.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?):

Naturally, he's a bit messy. He likes kisses that leave you breathless, but are pretty passionate and demanding. He will kiss you until you are pulling back to breathe, and he lets you take a few breaths before diving back in for more.

He bites your lip, his tongue explores your mouth, the works. His hands are gripping onto you and holding you flush against him, his dominance fully showing when he is kissing you and you cannot complain.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?):

Logan doesn't really like being around kids, but he's surprisingly good with them. he's not mean to the kids obviously, he just prefers not to be around them. He doesn't like 'babysitting,' even though he's been forced to do so multiple times.

He has a natural instinct to protect, and he's proven time and time again that despite his attitude towards the children around the mansion, he's protected the entire mansion and the children inside with ferocity.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?):

Grumpier than normal, if that's even possible. He hates mornings. He'd much rather wake up on his own and have the time to slowly wake up fully and start his day than awake to an alarm.

He has trouble sleeping at night because of nightmares, so by the time morning comes, he's fallen asleep. He wakes up late morning to mid afternoon on a good day.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?):

Logan is more active at night due to his nightmares. He doesn't sleep well and rarely gets a good night's rest. When you came along, he asked if you could sleep in another room since he woke up swinging a lot. But gradually your presence helped and you were there for him when he woke from his nightmares.

Now, he can sleep without waking up and worrying about hurting you. Nightmares still plague him, but they're much quieter when you sleep beside him.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?):

Logan has to be open with certain things, just for your safety. You learn things with him about his past and himself, he does try to keep some of the things he's done to himself just to prevent any possible arguments from you asking too many questions. Logan doesn't like to sit and explain why he did things he had to do, especially if it's generally something considered to be bad.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?):

To a degree, he's...somewhat patient. He can snap quickly, but he is verbal about his irritation before he acts on it.

But this can also depend on the person annoying him. Some people just make him act before he can even get the words out.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?):

He has a very good memory, I mean he remembers things from decades ago, so he can remember something simple like your favorite song or color.

He remembers little things. Your favorite things, how you enjoy specific scents or tastes, and all the meaningful stuff that warms your heart that he remembers.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?):

I don't think he has one specific thing he enjoys the most. I would say maybe the first time he could actually sleep without worry of hurting you and he woke up feeling pleasantly rested, because you were by his side and he didn't have any nightmares.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?):

Congratulations, you have an insane attack animal on your hands.

Logan is insanely protective over you. He can't help himself. You are his, and he needs to keep you safe at all times.

It's in his nature, and sometimes he can't turn it off. He's always hovering over you, watching the people around you and making sure no one is looking at you for too long.

He's very vigilant by nature, so his head is almost constantly on a swivel despite his cool appearance.

Logan wouldn't hesitate to fuck someone up if you asked him to, or defend you at any time. He'd break someone's nose for talking bad about you.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?):

He would try as much as you liked him to, I think for him, getting you flowers or treats that you like is his default until he recognizes what means the most to you and he begins to do that.

As for planning things, he mostly leaves that for you unless you want him to plan something. He's very open to doing whatever you want, as long as you're happy.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?):

At the beginning of your relationship, he disappears a lot and his communication is shit. It makes you think that he isn't very reliable, and it causes some drifts in your relationship early on. He also doesn't explain a whole lot at first, but once you progress further he gets better at communication.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?):

Logan is a very rugged man, he doesn't spend too much on his looks, but he does enough not to be considered unhygienic. Otherwise his concern for his appearance isn't very strong. Unless you had a problem with it, he wouldn't put any more effort into his looks.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?):

Once you get to the bonded stage, he doesn't want to be apart from you. He cares a lot about you and once he admits to loving you, he is fully committed. Nothing could keep him from you and he'd tear a rift in the world to get to you.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.):

Play fighting is one of his love languages. He loves to play fight. He can win, every time, you know that. But he still likes to wrestle around and let you think you're winning...then he pins you down within seconds.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Anyone who would try to boss him around in an annoying way or try to change him. He doesn't want a partner who tries to change who he is. He wants to be accepted, he wants to be able to be himself. Playful bossing around is different, but if you genuinely try to make him do every single thing you say, you two will butt heads and you won't be compatible.

If you nag too much that would annoy him. He drinks, he smokes cigars, you either have to deal with it or say nothing. He will continue to do it regardless of your personal opinion about it.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?):

Logan tries to get as much sleep as he can, but he has chronic nightmares so sometimes it's very difficult for him to sleep fully during the night. Having you with him helps, and gradually as you sleep beside him, his nightmares calm enough for him to sleep through the night without waking up swinging or trying to stab the closest thing near him.

He generally sleeps late at night to late morning or early afternoon, he doesn't keep normal sleeping hours.

He likes having you by his side when he does sleep, he feels more secure with you tucked under his arms and snuggled into his chest. Your presence, your scent...everything, it helps relax him enough to fall asleep.

He always sleeps closest to the door so he can jump up and protect you if necessary.

Thanks for reading.

*SNIKT*

dividers by @/strangergraphics

[starrg1rl]

Random Astrology Notes !!

Ps im not a professional astrologer, I’ve just been in this community for 4 years and read A LOT about the topic.

Tw 18+

The moon represents our emotional and internal persona, how and why we react in certain situation when it comes to feelings, so speaking of sexuality it can say a lot about the mental role we take on during sex emotionally. For example Virgo, Cancer Moon best express themselves as Subs, or Aries, Capricorn moon as Doms. Relevant aspects can influence this (Moon-Pluto is screaming BDSM).

Gemini Risings have a very distinguished smile or laugh, when they’re laughing their mouth is wider showing more teeth, in particular canines. It could be more open because of a raised upper lip or a visible gum. Nevertheless they have a beautiful foxy smile.

My god the power that Moon conjunct Venus women hold. My best friend has this exactly in 8th degree Virgo and I can guarantee u in all the years I’ve known her almost every guy around fell for her. She’s so likable although she doesn’t even have an outgoing personality, her vibe just gives off pure femininity (mother 🙇‍♀️). Plus the Moon being her chart ruler, it really influences her character. This aspect indicates to be considered conventionally/generally beautiful in a feminine way.

Venus opposite Pluto 🖤 : This aspect brings intensity, power play, obsession in the planet Venus themes. First experiences of love and relationship feel like a f roller coaster controlled by a drunk maniac. When excitement is at its highest peak they’re completely infatuated, devoted and worship their partner. Love is a forever life or death deal for them. But if things start to go downhill it’s bad bad. First of all Venus-Pluto people are PRONE to toxicity and mental games. If not mature enough, they will not leave because it exalts them, masochism and self destructive tendencies are not uncommon with this aspect (not to mention the delusional and idolizing ones). Especially when they’re fond of someone it will be very hard to leave because they are deep down convinced that the unhealthy partner is still the right person. And once they leave it literally feels like a death (Pluto theme), if they don’t have any control of the situation the grief and hurt will make them miserable. This is a recipe for disaster therefore hate is all that’s left, and rarely this relationships will end in good terms. So to sum up, Venus opposite Pluto are extremely passion driven and intense people, that need to be more aware of their impulses and unhealthy patterns. The opposition could be harsh, indicating external conflicts and separation difficult to balance, but offers opportunities to personal development and transformation when navigated consciously. LOVE YALL (ex. Beabadoobee had a rough break up that end up with her ex getting with her friend)

[thegayloragenda]

Okay I want to put all of my current predictions out here (these are subject to change, of course):

• I think this show is going to get a little more colorful or a little bit more gay with each show because I think she’s running out the clock.

• I am CLOWNING for an eventual pronoun change during surprise songs.

• I think Karlie will probably show up again. And if she shows up for the rep announcement I will die dead.

• I’m also clowning for a rainbow variation of every outfit or perhaps a debutation variation if she plans to drop them together. Maybe a karma outfit. Idk. I don’t really know what is coming next in regard to music or if there will be anything (what if she just went black out for a year and then dropped rep next December 😂).

• I’m split because I think she’s either going to continue this Travis stunt until the Super Bowl or she’ll break up with him while on tour (if it’s real that’s totally fine but the way this relationship has been crammed down our throats gives me the ick so bad). I have no idea how that breakup will go down especially since they’ve made an entire Christmas movie about this relationship.

• I’m still assuming we’ll get a proposal / breakup.

Overall, I don’t think Taylor Swift would pander to this side of the fandom the way she has if she didn’t have a plan to blow everything up. I assume she’s a good person. I assume she’s supportive of the fans who see her. I’ve been in this fandom long enough to know what it looks like when she’s in the closet and when she isn’t. The closet isn’t even glass anymore. The closet is just invisible at this point so if she’s just a straight girl who loves rainbows, she’s absolutely diabolical in the very worst ways.

And before anyone comes for me, yes she can be bi or pan or whatever she wants to be. I don’t care about muses or labels. I notice patterns and I can’t help but connect the dots. I see bi and lesbian dresses and her calling attention to them so that’s where my focus is. I care about freedom for her (whatever that looks like) and I also think some clarity about who she actually is will help a lot of us decide if we want to keep supporting her and giving her our money. I’m placing my bet on her being who I think she is so I’m here to support her until the end of this roller coaster ride.

I will make a post on the final day of this tour but I just want to say this: I have had the TIME OF MY LIFE in this labyrinth. I have made lifelong friends because of this side of the fandom. Thank you to ALL of my friends on here who have followed me and commented on my posts and said such kind things. Thank you to everyone who has messaged me their insights and theories. And finally, thank you to my fans who have messaged me your homophobic, brain-rotted hate comments. Good luck in the aftermath!

And to Taylor (if you ever see this), thank you for keeping my mind so stimulated. I will probably never get dementia because of you. You have been so good for my brain health. Thank you for teaching me about my own history as a queer girlie. Thank you for helping me heal my relationship with my neurodivergent self. Thank you for being the “mother” who saw me when my own mother just talks about how gross and wrong gay people are. Thank you for being kind and strong and brave in the face of shame and fear and danger. Thank you for leading a revolution of New Romantics! No one does it like you, girl. I love you so much. I hope you got a giggle over the chaos and the wrong predictions. I hope this tour brought you joy and hope and peace and healing. I know I haven’t always seen eye to eye with some of your choices, but I do respect you and I do hope the rest of your life is sunshine and rainbows and you get to hug your mom forever and take really long naps with your person after all of this is over. Long live 💜

Update: I do think the election plays a big role in how loud she can be. @casuallycruel131313 pointed this out, too. We’ll get way more once Kamala has been elected! I think Canada shows will be wildddd.

[mrs-stans]

Meet Sebastian Stan, the actor who plays Donald Trump in The Apprentice

From Gossip Girl to Marvel Studios, to more independent productions: Sebastian Stan's career has been a roller coaster ride. During his visit to the Deauville American Film Festival, Vogue met the actor, who at 42 years old won a Hollywood Rising-Star Award.

BY LOLITA MANG

On October 9, Sebastian Stan will be Donald Trump in The Apprentice. Some know him for his role as Carter Baizen in Gossip Girl. Others, for that of the Winter Soldier in Marvel productions. But recently, the American actor, of Romanian origin, has ventured into more independent fiction, which sheds a new light on his career. At the Deauville American Film Festival, he came to present A Different Man by Aaron Schimberg, in which he plays Edward, a young disabled actor who decides to change his appearance to, he believes at the time, improve his life. On the contrary, this transformation marks the beginning of his fall. An antagonist role such as he has long played on our screens, and which he continues in The Apprentice, presented in May 2024 at the Cannes Film Festival, and directed by filmmaker Ali Abbasi. So many elements that made us want to talk with the 42-year-old actor during his visit to Normandy, where he was awarded the Hollywood Rising-Star Award. As proof of the new direction taken in his career, today considered by the proponents of European cinema, perhaps, let's confess, more snobbish than their American compatriots.

Vogue. Gossip Girl, The Covenant, The Apprentice or even Captain America: The Winter Soldier … Your filmography is full of antagonists!

Sebastian Stan: A lot of things came to me, other roles, I pursued them. What I am certain of is that I never wanted just one type of role. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I refuse the more traditional hero roles, which I also find very interesting, even difficult in some ways. But it's true, I've always been curious about the idea of playing complex characters, full of flaws. Sometimes, they are the antagonists. Often even! What interests me in human nature is the duality. We can be extremely good to each other, as we can become horribly evil. Life is more complex than that, there are not good guys on one side, and bad guys on the other. Each of us is capable of the best as well as the worst. The antagonists, in my films, offered a great potential for acting that I enjoyed exploring.

Even Edward, your character in A Different Man, seems consumed by envy.

Probably the most complicated character I've ever played! But he's still so realistic in so many ways. I was just talking about this: I hope a lot of people get a chance to see this movie because it's really about acceptance and truth. Someone asked me what I think are the most important human characteristics. I said: values, the relationship we have with ourselves, and how we treat others. When I look at younger generations growing up today, especially with social media, people are almost forced to be followers. Fewer and fewer people are brave enough to express their voices in a unique way to fight against conformity. When you look at a character like Edward, you understand that better. We've all lied to ourselves at some point in our lives. We've all wanted things we couldn't have. We've all envied the person next to us. I wouldn't go so far as to say that this film is a fable, but it has this ability to make us look inside ourselves, and ask ourselves: "What makes me different?" Rather than trying to be things that we are not.

For the first time, with A Different Man, you are putting on the producer's shoes. Why?

I found myself much more invested in the film. It was a very unique experience, which I had not anticipated, I must admit. When I met Aaron Schimberg, the director, at the very beginning of the process, we formed a great connection, and we tried to sell the film together here and there. He welcomed me with open arms in this collaboration, included me in all the conversations about the feasibility of the project. For example, I was the one who suggested that he watch the film Julie (in 12 chapters) because I think Renate Reinsve is incredible in it. I was even able to help with the prosthetics that are used in the film, as well as on the shooting. Let's be honest: it was a complicated shoot, to do in a very short time. Only about twenty days. As an actor, I worked harder, I didn't count my hours. As a producer, I helped Aaron Schimberg make the film as he had in mind. I learned a lot from A Different Man, that's for sure.

Does this mean you're going to try it again?

Oh yes! There are several projects that I have my eye on at the moment… But it’s very difficult to make films, which you probably know here in France. A film like A Different Man, honestly, if A24 studios hadn’t intervened, I’m not sure we would have managed to make it. The United States is not like France or the rest of Europe: there is not the same support allocated to the film industry from institutions. There are no dedicated funds, it’s up to you to manage on your own. When you fight for a film, in addition to playing in it as an actor, it’s both exhausting, but terribly rewarding.

It’s a role for which you were awarded a prize at the Berlinale , and tonight, you’re going to receive a Hollywood Rising-Star Award here in Deauville. At 42! That’s joyful!

I know! I'm a 42-year-old emerging actor, I should say that in my speech... The thing with this industry is that you're constantly growing. It's true, I'm 42, but for the first time, I feel like I'm learning very important things, that I wish I had known much earlier! It was a strange year for me, between the Berlinale, the Cannes Film Festival, Deauville ... For my two films, The Apprentice and A Different Man, I felt real support from the European festivals, very prestigious ones at that. It was very special for me who had never experienced that before. And then I have immense respect for European cinema, which for me is synonymous with real work and authenticity. Here, if people don't like the films, they're not afraid to say so! So that my films have been so well received here, it means a lot.

You are European yourself, you grew up between Austria and Romania…

That’s right. I lived in Romania for the first eight years of my life, and then in Vienna for four years. Coming to the United States in the mid-1990s was a turning point in my life. There, I had opportunities that I would never have had in Romania. That’s why I’m so interested in the idea of the American dream, which is reflected in many of my films. A Different Man and The Apprentice both explore it, in their own way. I think the central question of both of those works is: “When is enough enough? How far can we go to get what we want? Why do we always want to win?” Coming from Europe, where the philosophy is almost the opposite of that, helped me in many ways. I don’t know if I would have approached my roles in the same way.

In A Different Man , you don't speak much, but the physicality of the role is evident. How did you work on it?

Luckily, I was there from the beginning of the shoot. Our makeup artist, Michael Marino , who was working multiple shoots at the same time, would put the prosthetics on me very early in the morning. So I had this time before the shoot where I would walk around the streets of New York with this face that is not mine, and see the reactions of the people around me. It was scary, and enriching in many ways. It helped me understand what it meant to live in the shoes of a man like Adam Pearson, because I wouldn't have been able to realize it otherwise. Adam was very honest with me and talked to me a lot about his experiences, which helped me a lot. And then as an actor, I myself live this strange phenomenon of being recognized on the street every day. I don't have a private life. I sometimes feel like I'm some kind of public property: people can film me and do pretty much whatever they want.

Let’s talk a little bit about the Donald Trump you play on The Apprentice . How does one prepare for such a role?

Playing a real person has its pros and cons. The advantage, with people as famous as him, is the amount of archives available. Videos, articles, documentaries… you have plenty to study the character! But there is a problem: you have to find a place to insert yourself, as an actor. A real challenge, which I like to welcome without really knowing if I will succeed. That is part of the problem that faces me! But that is precisely the reason that makes me want to take on this kind of challenge. Telling myself that I can't do something only redoubles my desire to succeed. When you play a completely fictional character like Edward, it is up to you to build his story. How did he get there? That is what I am constantly looking for.

The Apprentice by Ali Abbasi with Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, from October 9, 2024 in theaters.

A Different Man by Aaron Schimberg with Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson and Renate Reinsve, coming soon.

[kimbapisnotsushi]

miscellaneous high school shenanigans part two!!

tsukki's only ever been struck speechless twice in his life

the first was when hinata snuck into the mock training camp. the second was when he found out that kageyama didn't have any music taste whatsoever

after tsukki gets over the shock he's like "what do you MEAN you don't listen to music?? how do you just not listen to music??" and kageyama just shrugs and takes a slurp from his yogurt drink or whatever and goes "just don't"

i'm telling y'all kageyama doesn't listen to music the closest he gets is the rhythm of sneakers squeaking against the gym floor and hinata's bathroom song

also i think it'd be funny if yachi was just always taking cues from high school romance manga for living her life. right after becoming manager she picks up the first sports manga that catches her eye and uses that to guide her through the epic highs and lows of high school volleyball

hinata and kageyama: [yelling about something something passionate confession of emotional vulnerability something something partners and teammates something something reaching your dreams something something] yachi: oh my god . . . this is just like in slam dunk . . .

(i will be honest with you guys i have never seen slam dunk so i don't know if it matches anything in slam dunk but i respect slam dunk so i went with it)

honestly every day yachi is grateful she's living in a sports series because she does NOT think she could handle the backstabbing female love rival whose only purpose is to be mean to the female lead for getting involved with the male lead

i mean she COULD. but maybe after like thirty chapters of development and a major event.

(yachi thinks about this a lot. she rambles about her hypotheticals to tsukki and yamaguchi and although tsukki will never admit it, he finds it very entertaining)

i think konoha is really good at modern romance. i think he excels at the small everyday romantic things and makes people swoon without even realizing it. he's the fukurodani academy heartthrob but is completely oblivious to it

leans in to tuck an earbud into your ear when he wants to share music. walks you to where you need to go even if it's out of his way and never says anything about it. will take the stack of textbooks you've been asked to carry without a word. buys you a drink from the vending machine without being asked. really good at leaning against the wall/doorframes/over the window in a way that makes him look windswept and pretty.

just UGH konoha akinori i love him

the other third years would be soooooooo jealous but they get it. they too have fallen prey to his charms

on today's edition of making hq characters collect a random Thing™️ (following fukunaga + bucket hats): sakusa likes coasters

they're easy souvenirs from different places AND you can swap them out to match whatever you're feeling at the time!! plus they save his desk from water rings!!! they're functional, pretty, and he has less to clean up because of them!!!!

sakusa's favorite is this square white ceramic one with ginkgo leaves drifting off a tree painted onto it

(no it's not because iizuna-san got it for him as a bday gift or anything shut up motoya!!)

sakunami totally had a tiny tiny secret crush on asahi at some point

he just thinks asahi is really cool!!!! and handsome!!!! and maybe sakunami just wants to be cool and handsome too!!!!

sakunami has a really good poker face i guarantee you. nobody knows how wild his inner monologue is until they get him to open up around them

i mention this because one of the times dateko is discussing karasuno after a match with them (practice or otherwise), the others get around to talking about asahi and sakunami gives a dreamy lil sigh and is like "yeah . . . he's so strong . . . isn't it cool . . ." and everyone is just like. what the fuck

they were NOT expecting that from sakunami of all people and especially not about karasuno's ace

kogane is devastated because he doesn't think there's any way he could compete with asahi

cue the miscommunication in which kogane tries to be a little bit more like asahi to get sakunami to like him while sakunami wonders if kogane has a fever or something because he's been acting weird

ALSO keep in mind that kogane probably gets all his info about asahi from the rumors and whatnot so he's like "i have to be MEAN???? i have to BEAT PEOPLE UP???? i don't know how to beat people up!!!!! i can barely beat futakuchi-san in arm wrestling!!!!!"

sakunami please put the poor boy out of his misery the rest of dateko are SUFFERING

usuri is definitely the first to clock kiryuu's massive crush on bokuto. he's the first to realize that kiryuu is speeding down the highway in that direction even before kiryuu himself

kiryuu is like "wtf how did you know| and usuri is like "haha you know how perceptive i am!" when in reality he caught kiryuu sleep-talking about bokuto's muscles and how fluffy his hair looks

see also: akaashi on the fukurodani side realizing that bokuto has a major thing for kiryuu that bokuto is oblivious to

akaashi: hold on what—what did you just say??? bokuto: i SAID i wanted kiryuu to try holding me against the wall!! doesn't he look strong enough?? and he's so solid, i bet it'd feel really nice!! what do you think akaashi? akaashi, on the inside: god why can't i be of legal drinking age

conclusion: usuri and akaashi wingmanning bokiryuu while tripping headfirst into feelings for each other themselves

can you guys see my vision PLEASE tell me you guys see the vision usuaka would be so fucking funny

usuri is trying to woo akaashi via elaborately planned schemes that produce the perfect romantic atmosphere and situations but akaashi is too busy overthinking and analyzing every second they spend together that he simply does not notice. it's absolutely terrible and they need all the help they can get

it's okay, bokuto and kiryuu totally plan on returning the favor (mostly because bokuto really likes the idea of double dates)

[littlewoodblack]

Girl’s Night at The Burrow by Me ✨

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pairings: George Weasley/reader (fem)

I wrote this when I was like 15 and originally posted it on wattpad, then ao3, and now this lovely platform.

FLUFF

My favorite fanfic theme, TENSION ❤️❤️

1.6k words

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Shouts and laughs fill the air of the Weasley’s living room, except they’re all emitted from loud and rowdy boys that should really be in bed right now. The only reason they aren’t is because Arthur persuaded Molly into letting them stay up until midnight seeing as it is summer break and on summer break, the children should be having fun.

“Get ready for bed, boys!” Molly’s voice echoes through the house from the kitchen.

“What? No way! It’s an hour till midnight, mum.” Ron rejected.

“I know dear,” she returned to her calm motherly voice, “It’s just for tonight, pip pip.”

I was handed an excruciatingly hot mug from her which appeared to be cocoa. Bye bye finger prints, now I’m free from the law, I guess. Ginny pushed her seat back with a sigh to excuse herself.

“No, no, Ginny sit back down, you’re staying here. So are you, Y/N.”

Ginny and I exchanged perplexed glances at one another as we mentally analyzed the passing week to discover anything we might have done wrong that we would be in trouble for. Molly walked away to the kitchen, presumably to make another hot chocolate for Ginny or herself.

In her absence, I whispered to Ginny, “did you do anything bad??”

.

“Nothing she knows about.” She whispered back, mirroring my clueless demeanor.

The second hot chocolate was placed on a coaster and slid to Ginny, who soon burnt her tongue.

“Now I know you’re wondering why I put everyone to bed”, a smug smirk appeared on her face and she placed her hand on her hips, “but it’s been ages since I’ve got to have a good girl talk and pampering. I brought a muggle face mask and- oh. Where do you suppose Hermione is at?”

“Did you tell her to stay down?” Ginny asked with an ice cube resting on her tongue.

“Oops.” Molly went to make yet another hot chocolate while I ran up to our room to find her, on the way being stopped in my tracks by George leaving the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped upon his waist and wet hair dripping water everywhere which Ron will probably step on later with socks by accident and throw a fit about. George is not the stoic and mysterious person he thinks he is, especially since the blushy tint of his cheeks was very obvious.

“Why have you not got any pajamas on yet?” He looked me up and down.

“Why’ve you not even got a shirt on?”

“Uh, well, do you like, wear your clothes in the shower or something?”

“Only when I’m feeling spontaneous.” With that sarcasm, I pushed past him in an attempt to hide the blush that I can definitely feel, and that he definitely noticed.

“MIONE!” I frantically knock on the door, internally withering away at the thought of George.

“BLIMEY, WHAT??” Her book falls to the floor when she reaches to hold her heart after being startled.

“Sorry. You’re not supposed to go to bed yet, we’re having a girls night.”

“Oh well okay”, she crawls out of bed, “wish I got the memo earlier, though”

She walks ahead of me with one of her blankets wrapped over her shoulders.

“Ah, good.” Molly waddles over to the table with more mugs and headbands are laid out already, along with a jar of bentonite clay. Hermione takes a seat and grabs the plush bunny headband.

“Y/N do you want the leopard print one or the bear one?” asks Ginny.

“Whatever one you don’t want”

She tosses me the leopard print one. “Damn.”

“If you wanted the bear one, you should have said so when I gave you the chance.” She rolls her eyes.

“No, no, the leopard print one is… nice.”

The hot chocolate is stubborn to cool off, but that’s never stopped me.

“So you fancy George?” Hermione is now applying the clay.

I nearly spat out my drink which would have been better than choking on it as I did. Ginny’s jaw dropped.

“I knew it!” Molly seems overjoyed as she slams her hands on the table.

“Hermione. I love you, but what the hell.”

She seems to be unconcerned- as if what relationship I could potentially have with George is clearly a matter of fact. How a scientist might discuss data.

“Sorry, isn’t that what you’re supposed to talk about at ‘girl time’?”

“Well… yeah, actually. I just wasn't expecting that in the slightest.”

“At least we know you wouldn’t be rejected.” Ginny says, also in a matter-of-fact tone while sipping her cocoa.

“Sorry?”

Molly is doing her best to withhold her glee, “Well it’s obvious, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“Oh come on! He never shuts up about you. Everybody knows about his crush on you.”

“Everybody except me, apparently???” I’m flabbergasted, “how do you know?”

“Oh, well I don’t know, maybe cause he shoves our stuff over to sit next to you, or cause he’s always staring at you, or cause he steals your stuff, or cause-”

“I think she gets it, mum.” Ginny interrupts.

“No, no, no keep going, keep going.”

“This is something I think is especially cute,” Molly scrunches her shoulders up, “when he knows you’re coming over, he cleans his room and puts on fresh clothes.”

“He does all the stuff in the book Y/N, honestly, come on” Ginny says.

Hermione adds, “And you eat it up, you just don’t know it.”

I put my face in my hands. “Hermione help me.”

“With what?”

“When I went up to get you I bumped into him after he got out of the shower and he was shirtless and I was a blushing mess and there’s no way he couldn’t have noticed.”

“Oh, so that’s what was wrong with you.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Flirt back.” Ginny shrugged.

“Easy for you to say.”

After Molly takes off her mask, she rips open a bag of what she calls “muggle chips” and pours them into a bowl so tackily decorated, you’d only find it in the china cabinet of a very old lady.

“Where’d you get all the muggle stuff?”

“Mostly Hermione, but the weird things laying around like this, uh…” she pokes at a pocket sized flashlight laid on the side table of the couch, “that’s Arthur.”

I get up and look out the window to see the surrounding field, filled with the chirps of crickets enjoying the summer air. Ginny follows. The moon hangs like a plate in the sky and stars are spattered in all directions around it.

“It’s the prettiest thing in the world”

“Not in George’s opinion.”

“Ginny, drop it!” I shot her a lightheartedly serious look and we went to sit back down.

Footsteps thumped down the stairs, and the room dropped to a dead silence. My back was to the rest of the house and I couldn’t see who approached, but given Ginny and Hermione’s wide-eyed stares into my soul and Molly covering her mouth with her hand, I could assume the worst. I heard water pour from the pitcher behind me.

“Pretty hopping party, huh?” George took a look around. “When I’m with my friends, I like to sit with my back perfectly straight in deafening silence too.”

“George, go to bed.” Molly was stern.

“But I wanna come to girls’ night.”

“You’re lacking some plumbing.” Ginny giggled.

“I can trash talk people just as well as you lot can.” He leaned onto my chair with his hand resting on my shoulder, still sipping water, “did you see Freddie’s outfit today, woof. As if we’re not dealing with enough right now.”

I folded over in my chair snickering. Unbeknownst to me, he looked at Ginny and mouthed a triumphant, “yes!” to her, delighted to make me laugh.

“Go!” Molly swatted him with a headband, which he dodged only with his hips and kept himself in the exact same spot.

“I keep telling him to stay away from yellows since they wash out his features, you know, but he never listens.

“George.”

“Alright, alright”

Once he had left, Hermione squealed, “That was so adorable!”

Ginny cheered, “Aww little Georgie’s in love.”

Again, with my face in my hands I gasped “Okay, you’re right, Mione.”

“About?”

“I like him. He makes my heart drop to my stomach when I see him. He has the cutest smile ever.”

“You should tell him!” Molly is ecstatic.

“Maybe. Maybe one day.”

Ginny raised her eyebrows, “If you put it off too long, then I’m going to tell him myself.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I gotta pee, I’ll be right back.”

I abruptly left my seat and walked to the bathroom for a second alone to have a reality check. The hallway to the bathroom matches the scrappy but warm vibe of the house with hanging hand-knit tapestries adorning the wall and random shoes shoved to the corners of the floor.

“OH-” I let out a yelp.

“Shh” said George, who apparently was lingering around the corner the whole time.

“You nosy little-”

He cut me off with a kiss. His hands gripped on my cheeks and my hips. If I weren’t as stunned as I am, I might have noticed the warmth and smooth texture of his lips, or his strong frame holding me up, or even the cologne he wears just for me.

“You have a cute smile, too.”

“You’re pathetic, George.” I lay my head into his collarbones.

Into my ear, he whispers, “I love you”, then retreats back to his bedroom, blowing a kiss on the way.

“Good night.”

[nwjws]

training wheels - psh

; pairing - sunghoon x fem!reader

; synopsis - you wouldn’t say that you and sunghoon were lovers, but you weren’t friends either. however, you’re finally ready to take the relationship a step further; the same can’t be said for sunghoon though.

; wc - 1.3k

; tags - more than friends less than lovers, situationship, highschool au, based on 'training wheels' by melanie martinez.

; warnings - jealousy, angsty i think? lowk possessive sunghoon, ambiguous ending, minor cursing, lmk if i missed anything

“you and y/n aren’t dating, right?”

sitting in the cafeteria with your friends, you couldn’t help but perk up at the question (presumably directed at sunghoon), overhearing the conversation nearby.

after a moment of silence, he finally replied.

“no, we’re just friends.” you deflate at his answer.

you expected it, of course. he always made it clear that you guys we nothing more.

“that’s good, so i can ask her out without worrying.”

you sit up straighter, curious. now you’re trying to recognise the voice, but it’s a little difficult without directly turning to see who it is. if you did that though, it would immediately give away your nosy eavesdropping (which would be embarrassing).

you didn’t have to try hard though, because at the next moment, the very owner of the voice tapped you on the shoulder to get your attention.

turning around, you realised it was jay, your upperclassmen and a member of the guitar club you were both in.

“oh, hi jay!”

“hey,” he grinned at you.

“is everything okay? lost another pick?” you teased, acting oblivious to the conversation you heard moments prior, in which sunghoon never replied to after jay’s last statement.

“nah, i’ve still got the one you gave me. ‘s my lucky charm you know.” he smiled at you. “if you let me take you out on a coffee date some time though, i’d be even luckier.”

you laughed lightly, ignoring kazuha’s (very loud) whisper of “that was so smooth!”

“hmm, i’ll think about it.”

jay nodded at your answer and chatted with you guys a bit mote, before he bid you and your table goodbye and stalking off to his own friends.

“y/n, what was that?” chanelle asked teasingly, giving you a knowing look when you turn back to them. “you’ve always declined other guys before.”

“maybe she’s finally moving on from sunghoon,” kazuha suggested.

“you should totally go!”

“i don’t know what you guys are talking about,” you denied innocently, forking the food on your tray.

“oh don’t play stupid, you’re always talking about-”

“y/n, let’s get to class. i’ll walk you,” a very familiar voice says right behind you.

you give sunghoon a bewildered look, glancing at your friends who wore annoyed expressions on their faces.

and understandably so, especially after you’d cry to them about your roller coaster of emotions when it comes to him every other day.

“uh, sure.”

packing up your things, you give your friends an apologetic look as you pick up your tray to put away on the way out.

sunghoon was silent all the way until you made it outside the cafe.

there was still another 10 minutes before class started, so most students were still busy enjoying their breaks. this left the halls to be relatively empty, with the exception of a few people here and there.

“spill it,” you finally say. “you’re not being very discreet. what did you want to talk about?”

“it’s nothing,” he sighs.

“it’s not nothing if it bothers you, hoon. talk to me, i hate when you do this.”

“do what?” he asked, irritation seeping into his voice. that only ticked you off.

“this! getting angry with me and not telling me why! i want you to talk to me, but you always pull shit like this,” you exploded.

“i can’t tell you! it’s going to sound weird as hell,” he defended himself.

“park sunghoon, you know that i don’t care - not when it comes to you. i want to make you feel comfortable with me, tell me anything and everything. it doesn’t matter others think, because it’s just us two.”

“fine, you really wanna know? why didn’t you turn jay down?” he finally asked.

you stared at him incredulously.

“what?”

“i said, why didn’t you immediately decline him when he asked you out?”

“why does that matter!” you throw your hands up in frustration.

“are you dumb? because you always do!”

“yeah, well. maybe i just want to date someone good for me, who’ll actually appreciate and value me.”

“and you think jay can give you that?”

“who else will? you?” you challenged him. you knew why he was doing this - he was jealous. but you needed him to admit it.

sunghoon poked his cheek with his tongue silently. you got him there.

“we’re just friends,” he says.

you sigh defeatedly, feeling your heart sink for the nth time.

“if we’re just friends, then why does it matter if i go out with jay?”

“because- you don’t want to.”

“and how do you know that?” you raise an eyebrow at him, folding your arms.

“you don’t want him, or you would’ve said yes immediately. i know you well, y/n.”

“yeah, because we’re friends,” you pause before continuing. “are we though?”

“what do you mean? of course we are,” sunghoon confirms, looking at you like you’ve grown two heads.

“sunghoon, friends don’t do what we do," you cry out exasperatedly. "and friends especially don’t get jealous when someone asks the other out,” you ranted. “do you get that with your other friends?” you ask, turning to look at him.

at his silence, you continue walking, letting him follow behind.

“i don’t know what you want sunghoon, but i’ll be very clear with you.” you stop and look at him fully.

“i want to be with you, to call you mine, and for you to do the same. i want to tell people ‘no, i have a boyfriend’. i love being with you, and everything you do.

“you i’m always here for you, and i always will. it won’t be an easy ride, but i don’t mind. i’ll always support you, if you’ll just let me.”

you look up at him, staring down at you with an unreadable expression. a beat of silence overcomes you two.

to be honest, you’re scared. you’ve never outwardly told him what you wanted, because he always made it clear he liked being ‘just friends’. it was like being rejected before even confessing.

but you’re sick. you’re sick of how you’re always the unsure one in this relationship. always questioning him and his intentions, which were certainly very leading.

you constantly tried to make your feelings for him obvious though, in the hopes he’d catch on and finally take you two seriously.

but he never did. maybe it was because he felt secure in this relationship, especially with the way you always made sure he felt so. you were like the training wheels on a bicycle in this… friendship, making sure it was always balanced and secure.

perhaps that’s why you didn’t turn jay away, finally giving sunghoon a sense of uncertainty. to see what he would do.

you wanted to let him go, in the sense that you wanted him to freely show you how much he cares for you instead, hoping he’d find his way back to you.

but his deafening silence continues until the bell rings, and it’s clear he can’t answer you.

the building noise of students filling the hallways to make their way to classes doesn’t block out the ringing in your ears, or distract you from the overwhelming pain you feel at the moment.

fuck, you knew you shouldn’t have said anything. his silence cut you like a knife; you were expecting too much weren’t you?

with a lingering look, you finally break away from his gaze and turn to make your way to class.

tears prick your eyes, blurring your vision, but you continue to speed walk away from the scene. you’re desperate to forget that ever happened. maybe you should take jay up on that request after all.

but your spiralling thoughts are stopped when you feel someone grab your wrist, and you know immediately it’s sunghoon’s.

; author's corner! this SUCKS lol i just thought of it while listening to crybaby in the shower (bc crybaby and k-12 are my comfort albums fr)

; tags! - @wonuslust

[lavellenchanted]

watching last week's and this week's episodes back to back was an absolute roller coaster of emotion and I have a lot of mixed feelings about all the changes they're making this season and how they're choosing to compress the campaign beats

incorporating zerxus was really interesting, although I'm assuming it's to set the stage for some things in c3 (which I am very behind on) rather than because it's going to pay off in tlovm so it feels a little bit gratuitous, but I enjoyed it

and it was a nice way to set up the vorugal vs demon fight although I did deeply miss it being VM's plan, because that was exactly sort of high-risk and insane idea that somehow pays off that makes D&D so fun and would have been nice to see on stream

also sad we lost the "where's larkin?" and raishan's more active involvement in helping them take down the conclave

and deeply sad there was no senokir

or kynan! give me my boy!

I'm really fascinated to see where they take this storyline with pike and whatever's going on with her blood, but I am .... not sure about her seemingly doubting/giving up her faith in the everlight? especially after her whole arc in s1 of rediscovering her faith and how to be faithful in a way that's true to herself. she's the chosen of the everlight! and sarenrae helped them out A LOT on stream!

SARENRAE PUNCHED A FUCKING DRAGON FOR THEM AND THEY ROBBED ME OF IT

the hatching of thordak's eggs and the attack on whitestone was a nice way to up the stakes and give percy a more urgent reason to go after ripley on glintshore

very mixed feelings on how glintshore was handled overall though - so much of the impact of that fight was everyone being there and witnessing percy's death but being unable to stop it

and I'm not sure I like percy dying because he offered anna mercy as opposed to his being determined not to let her go because he knows she's a threat that needs to be stopped

and while I assume we'll still get another confrontation with ripley, the party take-down of her was just. so good on stream because of the raw grief over percy's death, I don't see how a second fight with her can replicate that.

also, tbh, really didn't need the sad ripley backstory - I appreciate the subversion of her character but these are twenty-five minute episodes that are already struggling to contain everything and I'd rather the time taken for that flashback had been given to the relationships within VM and they'd just had ripley briefly namedrop the cerberus assembly if they wanted an easter egg for the mighty nein

my biggest criticism of this season is the fact that all the character beats are happening solely between the romantic pairings and we're missing so much of the dynamics between everyone else in VM

and I've got very mixed feelings on the change ups with the perc'ahlia romance in particular; while I love any interaction between them in isolation, I'm really not a fan overall of how they've switched up their narrative

they were the slowest of slowburns on the stream, and both of them kept their distance because neither of them believed the other one could love them; we're basically being given the total opposite here and while I still love them it just doesn't hit as hard

and I assume they're lining up all the resurrections to do at once because they think having multiple ones will cheapen them? buuuut I feel like we're going to lose the individual impact by doing it altogether

and I really hate that it means percy wasn't there for the final showdown with thordak

also kash better fucking be resurrected because if they perma-kill him I will never forgive them, how dare they do my boy like that

this all feels like a lot of criticism and I am still overall very much enjoying the show so GOOD THINGS:

the fight scenes are all beautifully done and so dynamic to watch

raishan. everything about her. I loved her on stream, love her in this, cree summers voice is perfect.

PIKE TRICKFOOT IS A MOTHERFUCKIN' MONSTAH

love love love that they're giving her so many badass moments to shine

vax's takedown of thordak was brilliant

the animation is beautiful, and the cinematography is gorgeous

music is a+, as always

loved suddenly hyper-competent grog coming up with the plan

percy and cass's perfect sibling dynamic

leader vex! leader vex!

I am very interested to see what they do with the final three episodes - taking down raishan and the resurrections presumably, possibly also taking down ripley (although they might leave her for s4?) and the bard's lament, maybe even a taryon appearance, and then a set up or tease for s4.

[widebrimmedhatsblog]

On The Road Again ask game for @copperfirebird!

My Favorite Scene: You guys haven't seen it yet, but the epilogue is definitely one of my favorites. I wrote it before chapter 6 because I was just very ready to write that specific scene. It's very reminscient of my night's epilogue, in my opinion. I actually really love every single argument X and V have throughout the entire fic.

Favorite Chapter: I am torn between 1 and 5! I love the phone call from Ridoc, and the beginnings of their banter in 1, but I love the roller coaster argument in 5, as well as the climax.

Hardest Scene to Write: The morning after in chapter 6! I know you guys probably didn't notice, because I still updated relatively fast, but I felt like me and OTRA 6 were locked in a boxing ring for weeks on end. In part it was because of outside influences within the fandom, how much attention the fic got and what I knew people were expecting, and then how those that warred with the ending I saw for the fic. I was trying to strike the right balance between X and V being BETTER now, but not all the way good.

The rest is below the cut because I am yapping once again!

Favorite Character in the fic: Violet!! My sweet baby. This particular Violet is very personal to me, for Reasons, and I just love her so much. I actually have another fic in the works right now, and @maethologies and I were discussing how it's like OTRA Vi with Nights Xaden.

Favorite Dynamic: I really liked the four-way conflict at play, and especially the Ridoc and Xaden beef! Ridoc is very nuanced here, and I wanted to highlight for Bodhi how stressful it is to have a significant other who's actively beefing with someone you love.

Why I Chose That Title: One Direction's fourth/last tour was called the On The Road Again tour. Not to be deranged, but I was thinking about like road-related titles, and that popped into my head, and I analyzed it further, and it REALLY worked. If you are a one direction enjoyer, you'll know what I mean I think.

A Fun Fact About the Fic: I re wrote all the argument scenes at least once, so I have a lot of scraps in my docs that didn't end up making it in. In chapter 3, the audiobook V and X listen to on the way up is Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, and the commentary Violet is pointedly not telling Xaden is about how in the show, they changed the quest companion selection process to have Percy WANTING to pick Annabeth, where in the book, he's like ugh! of course that nerd wants to come. In the original cut, Xaden reads her like a book accuses her of having issues with her mother, MUCH like Annabeth does.

[rainbowsky]

Dear Rainbow Sky,

I was the one who asked u the earlier question anonymously. I wish to send my heartfelt thanks to you for taking time to respond so fast even though I posted anonymously. Sorry for the long essay.

I did not know what is the right etiquette as I am new to tumblr (i created this account just so I could read your blog which I really enjoyed reading.) and IRL, I am just a middle aged asian lady who is not too internet savvy, stumbling into this, and honestly a little confused why I feel so emotionally invested in this, as you say!! (Sorry new turtle)

Wishing you a great weekend ahead! My thanks once again!!

🙏🙏🙏

This is in reference to a previous post.

Hi new turtle! 💛🐢💛

I have some advice for new turtles, so let's dig in.

Thank you for writing back, kaijumama, it is nice to be able to put a name to the message! No need to apologize or feel you've done anything wrong. I know I can come off as brusque sometimes, but I've gotten a lot of a certain tone of message lately and I'm trying to set some boundaries around what ends up in my inbox.

Anyway, I know what it feels like to be emotionally invested in GG and DD and their relationship. It is a difficult thing to explain to anyone who's outside of the fandom, but it's a feeling and a connection that builds, and sometimes it can become very emotional or feel very personal.

All I can tell you is, take your time, relax and find a region of turtledom that feels soothing and warm, and everything will rapidly improve for you.

When you are a new turtle it can feel like everything has a lot of significance. It can feel like everything is either proof they are together or proof they've broken up or never were together in the first place. I think a lot of turtles go through that phase and it can be a roller coaster.

It's important for all new turtles to realize that if a claim or narrative you're being told about GGDD or something relating to them makes you feel horrible about yourself and about being a turtle, chances are really good that it was intentionally crafted for that purpose by haters. Avoid, block and ignore.

Usually that experience becomes a lot more stable and relaxed as time goes by and you become more familiar with the fandom and with the various ideas and theories and bits of information we base our beliefs on, but getting there can be a struggle emotionally for people who are very invested.

All I can say to that is:

Enjoy GG and DD and their works. That should always be our main focus as fans. It has the added bonus of being very enjoyable and enriching to our lives.

Take your time to get to know other turtles, get familiar with relevant social media accounts, and get to know the core turtle content and theories.

Avoid and ignore anti messages (and if a message makes you feel like a bad person or like being a turtle is bad, it's an anti message - yes, even if it seems friendly. A lot of antis phrase things in a concen-trolling kind of way to get under people's radar). Block and ignore.

Exercise patience and restraint around new information and claims that seem unsettling. Don't immediately freak out. Take your time to learn more. Trust that if experienced turtles are not freaking out, tearing out their hair and crying, then everything's probably just fine. It's so easy to get sucked into despair and confusion as a new turtle because you don't yet know the significance or lack of significance of something. Experienced turtles do.

Use your feelings as a signal about where you should be. If you feel really bad and stressed out, you're probably in the wrong area or among the wrong people. Find a corner of turtledom that makes you happy and avoid the ones that don't.

Stick to turtle spaces at all times - especially if you're a new turtle. This is for your own well-being, so you won't get misled and abused by antis. That means staying away from all hashtags on Twitter (even bjyx and yizhan ones, because antis frequently post to those), this includes staying away from hashtags of GG and DD's individual names (staying off Twitter entirely, IMHO). Avoid all solo spaces, including GG and DD's individual supertopics and fan clubs. More on that here.

Do not engage in fan wars or arguments, especially if you're new. You'll get eaten alive, and nothing will be resolved. You're not going to change anyone's mind.

Understand that we will likely never be directly, clearly acknowledged or thanked by GG and DD as fans in a clear, unambiguous way. Quite the contrary, GG and DD will sometimes have to distance themselves from us for the good of their careers and to mollify solos. GG and DD give us what they can, but there's never going to be a grand public declaration of support and appreciation for us. The situation will never allow for that. GG and DD will always have to cater to solos above us, and that will always lead to solos feeling superior and being dicks to us. That's just the way things are.

Realize that part of being a turtle is being marginalized and hated. There are so many groups that will be out to get us. Homophobes, GG's solo fans, DD's solo fans, people who are against what they view as 'shipping real people' (I don't 'ship' anyone, I believe GG and DD are in a real relationship), people who think we are delusional creepy weirdos, people who are against fandom in general, people who hate celebrities and fan culture, people who hate GG and DD, people in our daily lives who 'don't get it' and feel annoyed by our fixation, etc. etc. It just goes with the territory.

Embrace uncertainty. This is not a fandom of knowns and for sures. GG and DD will almost certainly never come out and confirm their relationship. Most of the theories we have will never be confirmed or factually fully substantiated. We will likely always have to deal with a certain measure of doubt and uncertainty. That's just the nature of this fandom.

Remember turtles have shells. Build yours, because you're going to need it. Being a turtle is not for the faint of heart.

One important thing I can say to you and all new turtles:

Almost nothing we see about GG and DD will be significant to their relationship.

A lot of new turtles try to evaluate every bit of info about GG and DD through the lens of whether it proves they're together, or whether it proves they're not. In reality, almost none of the information we see will have any significance or connection to their relationship either way. Viewing things through such a lens is unnecessarily stressful and frankly a bit foolish.

They're both individuals first and foremost, so while it's nice to hunt for candy sometimes, it's also important to keep perspective and remember them as individuals who have their own lives. The vast majority of things we see/hear about have absolutely nothing to do with them as a couple. More on that toward the end of this post.

It's best to avoid seeing/interpreting everything through the lens of whether they're a couple or not. Most joy/pain extremes can be avoided that way. Just enjoy them and their works, and the rest will follow over time.

You might also find my fandom survival guide helpful.

As a new turtle you might also find my masterlist post helpful. A lot of older topics, common questions and background can be found there.

Here are a few posts I recommend for new turtles:

BXG Glossary

BXG Calendar

About Kadian

GG and DD’s projects

Is YiZhan real?

Which do you love more?

Proof they’re still together?

Fandom Survival Guide

BXG Fandom Etiquette

Why so much hate from solos?

“I came across a nasty rumor about them online”

[ancientgoddessofegypt]

Pisces moons have a dreamy nature to them that always brings people to their knees, making them show their true colors right before they try to put on their mask.

These ethereal babes are connected to the stars and show us how to get back to knowing the inner self just by being near them.

They have an openness to God and the outer world. Knowing that they too are an infinite wonder of its creation, they become outer space itself.

Some people will think they’re weird when on the outside looking in, but what they don’t know is these beings are extremely intelligent… knowing more than what meets the eye.

The quieter they are the more mysterious they become. I like to say most Pisces individuals are better off speaking through art or other ways of expression because their thoughts can be taken out of context since their worlds are bigger than the world around them. While everyone’s consciousness is in a cage they know that there is more out there that we haven’t discovered . They seem to connect to the unknown so easily.

Pisces moons emotions go from feeling like a rain cloud to a sunny afternoon. The roller coaster of emotions is enough to set them off for one day, but this is where their super powers are.

They use these energies to transmute them into anything useful. Creative outlets are a sport for them because every day their emotions and thoughts are needing for a place to escape, and this is there Holy grounds.

Their gifts in sight are impeccable because they can see “without seeing” if that makes sense. Their abilities to see auras, spirits and things connected to souls is a mystery but they Learn to gravitate with it as they grow. They could try to turn this off but it’ll only be worse for me. It is a must for them to use their spiritual gifts because it is meant to be mastered in this life time. If they don’t they’ll suffer burn out.

It is best to discern people before you allow so much of your energy to them because your empathetic levels are higher than most.

People could use you for therapeutic relief so please be mindful, you can only be helpful for so much until you’re being taken advantage of.

Pisces moons auras come off really sweet so naturally people will flock to em, but only if they are needing something. Most people do see the value of people with this placement, they just don’t want them to know it. Their auras are very healing and sensual, it keeps people from having to always be jn their shadow like Scorpios.. this is why most Pisces individuals attract a lot of fleas. Because it’s easier to hold on their mask with you, their water sister Scorpio can see it a mile away and quickly cuts it short . You, Pisces moons, seeing the good in everyone with your compassionate nature will give someone the benefit of the doubt. However, this ends up as your downfall, so be careful.

All in all, these people are great friends, lovers and great healers of their community. Lover of animals an and nature and are ESPECIALLY good at communicating with them.

Hope this helps !

[catre33]

love languages

Crowley and Aziraphale each have their own specific language for each other. Their own specific love languages, specifically for each other.

They both have a general love language, of course.

Aziraphale's is hard to discern. Gestures are a great part of it, I believe. Angelic nature = acts of service. But he is really just reclused. An ambivert, I believe you could say. He will socialise if he really truly needs to, and he keeps up the appearance of being perfectly amiable. But, he really just has Crowley and his books. I think that's one of the reasons books are such a large part of his personality. Throughout centuries people and civilizations rise and fall. Perhaps he got too attached in early years to mortals he didn't realise would pass on too soon. But books will never betray or leave you in unpredictable ways. Their stories are always there. The only one who has also been there the entire time has been Crowley. These two are the only immortals for each other. And that's also why quality time is quite a large part of Azi's general love language. Spending as much time with someone as possible because you never know when you'll lose them, especially if they're mortal.

The ambivert/recluse perspective really relates to both of them at this point. I can see Crowley having much more of a social life than Aziraphale, but only really on the surface. Practically platonic flings. As per the usual, he has realised the truth early on, that he can't get too attached to anyone. So he'll make friends, he'll spend time with random people; get wasted at clubs, become quick besties with Freddie Mercury, Hozier, Shakespeare, anyone who'll let him rant drunk. But he would never really delve deep into any sort of relationship. Only his angel.

They're the only people, or people-shaped beings, the other could rely on this entire time, through fights and Ragna-right-okay-neverminds, through everything. (until recently ;-;)

Their personal languages for each other are also much more than loosely based upon their ideas of love, and the sheer humanity of it.

Crowley's idea of love is desperate, intense, and intimate (not just physically). A burst of feeling in a tumultous atmosphere, followed by pure expression of adoration for each other. A slow burn and enormous supernova of love. A galaxy of devotion to each other. Which also directly relates to the (supposed) moment he fell in love. Love at first fricking sight. Looking into each others' eyes and realising you were made for each other. An explosion of feeling. He shows his love for Aziraphale in these ways. Desperate rescues and speeches. Very cinematographic ideals, he has.

Aziraphale- oh ho. This true good old-fasioned lover boy. Jane Austen, Cotillion Balls, a slow dance with your love. Gentle, caring, heart-wrenching. A sudden realisation. Very, very sudden, everything. His idea of love is of discovery. But it is also very vague. I feel he is terrified to pursue anything. The terror on his face of implications, realisations that he is knee-deep in the roller coaster of love. He probably never considered any of this until the 18th or 19th century, with his new favorite novels. It is all so very new and scary and sudden to him.

[quinloki]

Yay I’m not late to requests! I just started watching/reading one piece last week (don’t know what took me so long) And I love your writing! 😄 whose your favorite? Mine is Mihawk

I don’t really know the names of everything but can I request for Mihawk, Sir Crocodile, and Silvers Rayleigh with knife play (or hook play for crocodile), Breeding Kink, and role play (specifically cops and robbers thou ig it would be pirate and marine lol)

Please and thank you

Just last week!? Oh wow - I'm glad to see someone getting into it \o/ the more the merrier I say <3 May you enjoy the vast emotional roller coaster you have signed up for =D

My favorite? I have to say hands down it's Eustass Kid.

Second to him I like a lot of characters. It's probably faster to list the ones I don't like xD Between canon material and the fandom there's just such great takes on hundreds of characters.

But at this point I doubt anyone's dethroning Kid (My first favorite was Zoro, then Law, then suddenly just before Wano Kid took over).

*ahem* Thank you for asking by the way, it's nice to just gush a little -^_^-

Alright, by Character, let's Do this \o/

Sir Crocodile:

Knife Play - FUCK Yes - I mean, the hook aside, there is a lot of discipline and control in Edge Play - whether knives, or hooks, or sharp glass. Sir Crocodile's control of his hook is legendary. No one gets so much as a nick unless he means for them to, and no one avoids being cut if that's what he's going for.

As long as your clear about which side of the knife's edge is your limit, he'll ride that line skillfully, and happily. He'll have you concerned and shivering in anticipation for hours showing you his extensive collection. From hooks to knives to razor blades, to bananawani teeth.

Breeding Kink - Yes - There's two keys things that drive Crocodile in a relationship (there's dozens, but two of them are big), control and possession. He wants to mark you, fill you up, and make sure everyone knows that you're his - and to touch what's his is the highest of crimes.

Whether "Successful" or not is irrelevant. Just the act of filling you up is enough, and preferably to do so repeatedly. The first load always become foam for the second, sometimes the third. If it wasn't for the distinct scent of his cigars, he'd probably be more prone to covering you in his cum, vs filling you up with it.

Role Play (cops n robbers) - Sure - He's not big into the costumes or the role play, but he's not entirely against it. You might have to make sure you're catching him in the right mood more than anything else. But rest assured whether you're the good guy or not, he's going to be the one winning by the end of things. He'll corrupt all your heroes and have you squirming and begging under him in various ways.

I can say at the very least the costumes will go well with the requested scene. He's nothing if not a man with taste - and enough money to have all the custom clothes you could ever want to see made.

Silvers Rayleigh:

Knife Play - Yes - I think the only way he's into this is if there's no blood. Rayleigh doesn't strike me as someone willing to risk scarring his partner, even if they're just sharing his bed for a single night. But he's also skilled enough in general (and especially with blades) to be very comfortable with them. He'll tease and threaten and edge you for a good long while until you're a shivering, crying mess of nerves and anticipation.

Breeding Kink - FUCK Yes - I'm just going to say it as a head canon (as always for myself) but I think this guy's infertile. Genetics can be a bitch like that sometimes, but it's also possible some fight, injury, mishap, whatever ended up causing it. In spite of it, or maybe because of it, he loves to just pump his lovers full of cum. He's all calm and cool and collected and experienced, and he uses that to wine, dine, and dance his way into the evening he wants to have, but it's all to feel those tight wet walls shuddering against him as he adds to the mess.

And the mess is what I think he really revels in. Sweat, slick, cum, pleasure - whatever. He can be sensual sure, but sex is messy business and it's not a good meal unless you're wearing half of it by the end.

Role Play (cops n robbers) - Oh god you don't even know - I think at heart Rayleigh is a big kid. Role Play gives him an outlet for that, and even better it usually ends with one of his favorite activities. I also feel like he enjoys having an excuse to dress up. Left to his own devices he's not one to dress to the nines daily, but if you want him to play a role he'll lean into it.

And look unforgivably good while doing it too. Whether he's the cop, or the gentleman thief, the suave pirate or the stern marine, he wears it well. Plays his part well, too. And you, poor, inexperienced, naive you, will get caught up in his dance in all the ways you both want.

Dracule Mihawk:

Knife Play - Sure - Mihawk's vibe with knife/edge play is similar to Zoro's (or Zoro's is similar to his), by his skill this is something that he can keep control of, and so he's not against it. He'll tease and please you, but there's always something holding him back - swords, knives, etc. are for fighting - for killing more pointedly. He doesn't think it's diminishes a blade to use it for such a kink, but the line between lust and bloodlust is thin.

Breeding Kink - Yes - I can see Mihawk as a family man for sure. I can also see him as someone who likes to mark his partner as his own without leaving permanent marks. From watching bruising kisses fade, to admiring his seed dripping out of you, he just adores all the small ways you give yourself to him. If kids happen because of it, then so be it, he'll fill the role as best as he can, and in the meantime he'll continue to fill you up all the days you stay within his arms.

Role Play (cops n robbers) - I dunno - I don't know that I buy that Mihawk is nearly as serious as he portrays himself to be. I daresay I almost think this man is a bigger softie and dork than Law - but he's awkward outside of this persona he's created for himself, and he's not objectively good at role-playing.

A smooth dancer, a man of silk words and satin caresses, he is most certainly a capable and devoted lover. You might get him into some primal play - a rougher tumble with some hunter/hunted vibes, but that's as close to role play as I can see him getting.

Kinky One Piece Head Canon

[kanencrow]

Can I request platonic Marlon, Louis, Mitch, Aj, Willy, Tenn with a reader who is very strong and when doing pushups they jokingly sit on their back and reader just like laughs and continues doing pushups and their like surprised andare having fun

May I also ask this to but an s/o one so like clem, vi, ruby x reader who does this also like platonic for the boys and x reader for the girls

How Would: The Ericson Students + Clementine & AJ React to a Strong Y/n | The Walking Dead | Headcanon

A/N: For sure! Hope you enjoy!

SUMMARY: How would the Ericson kids, plus Clementine and AJ, react to a strong Y/n?

WARNINGS: Swearing.

WORD COUNT: 2450

CLEMENTINE

She’s impressed, to say the least. She didn’t willingly go over to you when you were working out and sit on your back while you did your pushups. You actually asked her to do it, because you were needing there to be more of a challenge in the act itself. She said no at first, saying how that was dangerous and that she didn’t want to hurt you, but then you pulled the question of: are you calling me weak? And she immediately widened her eyes and donned a look of regret. Obviously, she wasn’t calling you that, but with the accusatory suggestion, she sputtered for some sort of response, before she paused and just gave up.

In the end, Clementine gave in. You assured her that she couldn’t hurt you, and although she didn’t seem very convinced, she still nodded her head and lowered herself down to sit on your back. Her once unsure demeanor turned into pure laughter when you so easily brought her up and down. It felt like she was on some roller coaster, and with her giggling so hard, you couldn’t help but do so too. It turned the makeshift ride into a bumpy one, and eventually, the both of you fell to the floor due to how goofy the entire position seemed. At one point, your girlfriend snorted, and then you wheezed in response, which ensued even more laughter.

BRODY

Fuck no. There’s no way she’s going to willingly walk over to you and sit on your back. Already she’s blushing because she’s watching you work out. Yeah, you’re her partner and all, but still, she’s not about to embarrass herself by openly showing her sheepishness. But – oh shit, well… now you see her while you blindly do your pushups, and now she’s turning around and running out of the room as though she had just seen a murder happen. Of course, you call her name in her escape, but she doesn’t hear you as she busts through the door and disappears from your sight. 

It wasn’t difficult to tell that she was flustered. Especially when you came back to talk to Brody, and she could barely even look you in the eye. Hits you with the timid hi Y/n, and you’re just there, staring at her with slightly raised eyebrows that tell her you’re not going to leave her alone until she speaks about what happened earlier in the day. Though, with how stubborn this woman is, good luck on trying to get her to tell you that she was in fact blushing like a madwoman when she saw you so easily doing pushups. You’re going to be there for a while, so grab a book and get ready to wait for her warm cheeks to cool down. 

VIOLET

Violet seems pretty unfazed when she comes in and sees you working out. She’s seen you in the act of doing so before, so it’s not like that’s going to really bother her. She goes about her business as usual, and only ends up stopping and gawking at you like you’re crazy when you look over at her and tell her that these push ups are too easy. Of course, she ends up asking you how much you’ve done, and you give her this absolutely insane number, and then she looks at you as though you’ve just told her you bought her an engagement ring. Completely surprised and in disbelief. You chuckle in response, and that’s when she dons a blank look on her face and proposes an idea.

She says something like well if you need extra weight, then let me sit on your back. All you can do in response is stare at her like she’s crazy, before you eventually relax your expression and nod your head in agreement to that idea. You think, what could go wrong? It wasn’t like she suggested that she set a boulder on your back. It was just her, and it wasn’t like she was insanely heavy, either. You thought it was going to be a cakewalk, super easy, but then when she got on your back you completely forgot that balancing was now going to have to come into play. And so, after like five or ten reps, you lost your steadiness, and the both of you fell over. You were embarrassed at first, but then your girlfriend started cracking up, and you felt a little bit better about yourself after that.

RUBY

You asked her, and she immediately said no without any sort of hesitation. She thought it was way too dangerous, and she didn’t want you hurting yourself over something so stupid. She was overly expressive when she told you that, and you stood in front of her like a kicked puppy dog. You should have expected it, though. She was too maternal and not one to do risky things, especially if they had to do with you. Still, even after her lecture, you tried to convince, and all you got in response was, ask me again and you’re sleeping in the music room. And the music room provided no comfort, so you shut your mouth and stopped trying to sway your partner.  Ruby did say she would happily watch you work out, though. Spent the entire time flirting with you, so you definitely became warmer than you would have liked. You almost had to kick her out with how complimentative she was being. At one point, you had to stop what you were doing and stare at her with pleading eyes that said, please stop making me blush. And all she did in response was continue. You guessed it was payback in a way. You know, considering you tried getting her to sit on your back, which was way too dangerous in her eyes. How dare you do that!

AJ

He asked so many questions. Why are you working out? Don’t you technically work out when fighting the monsters? Why are you on the ground and bending your arms like that? Honestly, it was endearing at first, and then it started getting a little annoying, because you were trying to concentrate, and the boy’s curiosity was becoming too incessant. He’s cute, but he was also someone who couldn’t take a hint sometimes, so as a way to get him to silence himself for a moment, you tried getting him to workout himself. You said it would make him strong enough to protect Clementine, and he immediately jumped to doing your suggestion without a second thought.  But then eventually, that got old to him. He said how he was now tired, and he didn’t like feeling tired, because then that would cause him to fall asleep, and would prevent him from protecting Clementine. So, naturally, he walked over to you and without hesitation, asked if he could just sit on your back. The sudden curiosity in him sprouted again, so when you questioned him why, he responded with a shrug and said I don’t know, I just wanna see how strong you are. It seemed like a fair reason, so with a sigh, you let him sit on your back. He was light, so moving him up and down was easy, but the highlight of the time you spent with him was the little giggles that came from his lips as you raised him and lowered him. It was something you hadn’t heard come from him in a while, and it was refreshing to listen to.

WILLY

Very similar to AJ. Curiosity struck him. He asked a few questions, before he ended up eventually trying to do exactly what you were doing. He called it follow the leader, and his job was to match your actions. He struggled a lot though. Little man had noodle arms, so he could barely do a single pushup. It made him annoyed really quickly, and honestly, you didn’t blame him. So, instead of continuing with your workout, you got up and helped him out a bit. You showed him other ways one could do a pushup, and he went from a pouty expression to a wide grin in the matter of a minute when he attempted to do a wall pushup and succeeded with ease. 

Though his attention span was terrible. He went from being hyper focused on trying to do a pushup, to laying on your back. Homie plopped on you as though you were a mattress, and you let out the loudest groan as your arms buckled beneath you. Your chest thumped against the floor, and you laid there, while the blond hung over your body like a blanket. You told him to get the fuck off of you, but he only whined in response and said something like but I’m tired, and you’re so warm. You didn’t have enough patience to deal with him, so you managed to push him off of you, and he let out a yelp in return, before scampering to his feet and sprinting off, running away from you, because you were chasing after him with steam coming out of your ears. 

TENNESSEE

He’s definitely the most behaved out of AJ and Willy. He doesn’t want to sit on your back, even if you asked him to. He just likes being near you whenever you’re working out. It gives him someone to talk to when he has no one else to go to, and you don’t mind the company every once in a while. It’s a very quiet atmosphere mostly, and if he does ever take part in a proposal of yours, it’ll most likely be when you end up asking him if he wants to try doing a pull up. Surprisingly, he actually can do one. You end up feeling a little guilty though, because here you thought that he’d be the one who couldn’t.  Definitely enjoys when he can surprise you, though, so he’s not very offended or anything. He just smiles happily at you when you praise him, and then when you ask him if he can do something else, it quickly turns into a session of him just absolutely knocking your expectations out of the park. You just assumed he was a shy bookworm with no athletic ability, but you’ve been proved wrong. And here you are, watching him do some pull ups with your hands on your hips, as though you’re some proud parent. They grow up so fast.

MARLON

He ends up challenging you to a pushup contest. You had never seen him workout before, so you accepted the proposal without much thought. However, when he got down and started doing what you were doing, you were surprised with how long he lasted. He was able to do a lot, before he eventually lost all of his upper body strength and fell against the mat. As you continued your own pushups, you couldn’t help but laugh at him, and he awkwardly chuckled in reply, a little embarrassed that he wasn’t at least able to do more than fifteen. Still, you assured him that it was okay, and he didn’t have to be good at doing that type of exercise in order to be considered strong.

The thought of sitting on your back as you did your pushups did come to his mind, but he decided against asking and instead just sat and watched you do your thing. You and him made conversation throughout your workout, and he spotted you in anything that you didn’t have full confidence in doing. He was pretty much quiet, other than that, and you understood why. The blond was just a guy who didn’t like talking all that much. He was more observant than anything else, and there were even some moments where he went off and did his own workout, as he didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable because of his standing around. 

MITCH

He’s going to try and get you to sit on his back. He’s got way too much pride, so the idea of him sitting on your back while you do pushups is something that you’d have to pay him to do. He does propose the opposite, though. He mentions how he could easily do twenty pushups with you on his back, and you immediately disagree, and so he replies with bet you dinner that I can do it. Of course, you didn’t believe him, so you quickly agreed and let him get into position before you sat on his back. And… to no one’s surprise, when you did settle down, he immediately crumpled to the ground with a groan escaping him.

You called him a little bitch, as a joke, and he pushed you off him with a lighthearted fuck you. You cackled at the reply as you moved away from him, and he shook his head in amusement while he stood up to his feet and just settled on watching you do your thing, instead of trying to conjure up contests he knew he was going to lose. Unlike you and Marlon, you and Mitch would banter with each other the entire time. If you did twenty reps, he’d call you a pussy and say that you could totally do thirty. And you could… and the moment you would, he would immediately shut up and cross his arms over his chest like an angry kid. 

LOUIS

Definitely brings it up the moment he sees you doing pushups. Hey, how weird would it be if I just sat on your back while you did your pushups? You could only gaze at him in confusion when he asked that. Well, it wasn’t necessarily confusion, you were just at a loss of words. Why would he even suggest that? But then again, it is Louis, and so you can’t really wonder what goes on through his head much. He’s just a goofy guy, and you’ve learned to quickly remember that when he does ask very interesting questions. 

Eventually you agree to it. What could go wrong? Doesn’t hurt to try and see if you actually had the ability to do a pushup while someone sat on your back. What better way to try it out with your best friend? When he sits on your back and you actually do end up accomplishing his challenge, both of you are equally surprised, and he’s insanely impressed with your strength. Says something along the lines of if there’s ever a moment where I need someone to protect me, it’ll be you. In response to that, you can only roll your eyes, as he holds his hand against his chest and pretends to be absolutely amazed by you. 

Wowza, this one took a minute to put out. Sorry for the long wait!

I'm finally back, by the way. I needed to take a much-needed break, and it worked out perfectly, because I also had absolutely no motivation to write for The Walking Dead. Besides that, I thank you all for showing my works love, even while I was gone, and I appreciate all the follows I've received, too. I see you guys, all 51 of you, and I thank you for being here!

Until next time!