#thinking of doing reblogs as a midweek thing

[sydney-carton-of-sour-milk]

I cannot get over a listing that I found for some vintage copy of A Tale of Two Cities that includes a picture of this newspaper clipping taped to the inside of it, right under the table of contents

According to one article, Eberlein died in 1964, and a dubious search result tells me this may be from as early as 1940, like...oh my god??

[sinkingnotsoslowly]

Menace

Pairing: Lee Know x Reader (pronouns not mentioned)

Non-idol au, fluff, very little angst

technically is a part 2 of this fic but could be read as a standalone

DO NOT STEAL MY WORK. REBLOGS AND FEEDBACKS ARE APPRECIATED

“Why aren’t you dating anyone Minho?”

Minho stops devouring his pudding to gawk at you. “I’m not questioning your decision to stay single but why are you really not dating?”, you ask.

“Because you haven’t said yes yet”, he goes back to eating his pudding as if he didn’t just say the most outlandish thing.

“Yes to what?”

Minho rolls his eyes in feigned annoyance, “Yes to me asking you to date me, duh”

“Ugh be serious Minho”, you huff.

“What makes you think I’m not serious (yn)?” he looks at you with something in his eyes that you can’t decipher. “I think I should head back now, my break ended ten minutes ago”, with that gets up and walks out of the café.

This was two weeks ago and it still hasn’t left your mind. It is not unlike Minho to randomly ask you out on a date but you never take him seriously. He always jokes about how you two should just marry each other if you were still single at thirty. But that day at the café he did not seem like he was joking about you dating him. Did you hit a nerve by asking him that? But if he was indeed upset, he would tell you about it, you guys always talked things out if either of you were upset. He has been behaving perfectly normally since then.

“I ate pudding today”, you waited for him to continue but only silence followed. “Minho you called me in the middle of the day to say that you ate pudding?”, you asked. “Yeah, and it was so delicious. Buy me more when you come over. Anyways I got to go, bye”, the call ended. Yep, very Minho-like.

You met Minho at a college party and then proceeded to make out with him only stopping when you accidentally moaned your best friend’s name instead. But he never held it against you. You eventually opened up to him enough to tell him that you were in love with your best friend. The said best friend was getting married in a month. And you would be there, as a guest of course. To your surprise you weren’t exactly heartbroken when Seungmin called you, gasping for breath like he had run a marathon. You could almost hear him grinning his puppy grin, “She said yes”.

Just because you were not heartbroken did not mean you were not sad. After all, there were years of pining, wishing that one day he would finally realise that the love of his life was always in front of him. That did not happen. You guys graduated, you got a job, he went for higher studies and found someone there. That night Minho came over with beer and let you ugly sob on his shoulder. Since college, he has always been there with you, your graduation, your first job, bad dates, going out for drinks on Friday nights and talking shit about your bosses. You thought he was good for you; a great friend.

“I’m going on a date tomorrow”, Minho said while setting up his laptop for the movie. It was your weekly movie night at his place, “Thought I should try getting out there”. He was still looking at the laptop avoiding your eyes. For some reason, you felt a pang in your chest. “Is this because of what I said? Minho I didn’t mean to upset you-”

“You didn’t upset me (yn). I’ve just been thinking of settling down”, he started the movie without further explanation. You wanted to press him on but you thought better of it.

You couldn’t concentrate on the movie. Throughout it, you kept thinking about what Minho said. You couldn’t blame him for wanting to settle down but you kept feeling uncomfortable with the image of Minho dating someone and then marrying her.

Minho has always been a menace but he became a little more annoying the next week. He always has this look on his face like he knows something you don’t and it has been eating at your brain. Midweek your composure breaks and you snap, “Ok what is it? Why do you look like you are up to no good?” At that Minho looks at you like you just sprouted two heads, “I don’t know what you’re talking about”

“Oh you know what I’m talking about Minho”

Minho keeps looking at you like a cat who did not just knock off the flower vase, and then he blinked like a lightbulb went off in his head, “Ah right! Come over on Saturday I need help to pick out what I’ll wear for the date.”

The date. Right. He was just excited for the date. You felt your spirits dropping. Maybe in no time, you’ll be attending Minho’s wedding too, as a guest. Wait what? Why would you think that? How else would you want to attend a friend’s wedding if not as a guest?

Oh.

OH.

Oh no.

You stood up abruptly almost knocking over your half-drunk coffee on the table, “I-I have to go, I haven’t even started the new project yet”. Without sparing Minho another glance you grabbed your bag to just get away from him as fast as possible.

“Huh? That was sudden. Well don’t forget about Saturday.”

You faked a smile towards him, “Yes, yes, Saturday, I’ll be there.”

Saturday came faster than you could blink. And it seemed like the universe had a personal vendetta against you this week. Missed deadlines, unnecessary hourlong meetings, spilt coffee, missing the bus- you name it. At this point, only a year-long vacation could give some mental peace. And on top of that, you couldn’t stop thinking about Minho. You didn’t see each other again after that one day when you barely escaped humiliating yourself.

“Should I wear the blue button-down or the black one?”

“Black”

“Hmm, ok blue it is” menace.

“Why am I here Minho? Not like you are listening to me”, you were sitting on his bed munching on the last of honey butter chips Minho had stocked up. You spent the whole day buried in the blanket, wallowing in self-pity, and almost didn’t show up today. You even contemplated going back home while standing in front of Minho’s house. God knows what you were still doing there sitting in Minho’s bedroom while he dressed up for his date.

Minho looked at you through the mirror, scoffing, “For moral support of course”. He went back to styling his hair without another word.

“Well then if am done providing moral support to your honour, I’ll be taking my leave”, it was time for you to go back to the safety of your blankets and cry yourself to sleep since you did not seem fated to have requited love in this life. The only option left was arranged marriage.

Before you could leave Minho’s room you were stopped. “W-wait, don’t you have anything to tell me?” Minho asked. You turned around, brain going into overdrive. Why would he say that? Does he know about my feelings? Is he teasing me? Oh God please no. But what if-

“Like- are you okay with this? Me going on a date?” Ah, so he was just worried. How sweet. “Of course, I’m okay Minho. Why wouldn’t I be? This is completely your decision; you deserve to be happy-”

“Oh my god, you’re so dumb (yn). Why can’t you just say it? Why can’t you just ask me not to go? Why can’t you tell me that you like me?” Minho paused, taking a breath to calm down, “I like you (yn). And I know you like me. There is no other girl. But I do have a reservation for dinner if you’re up for it”.

It would be an understatement to say that you were dumfounded. You had thought of many scenarios while laying awake in bed but not this. “Why didn’t you just confront me if you knew that I liked you?”, you asked, fiddling with the hem of your shirt which looked very interesting suddenly. Minho sighed, “I wasn’t sure at first. So I wanted to see your reaction by saying that I have a date. And it seemed like you weren’t sure about your feelings either. So are you up for it?”

“Huh?”

“The date. Do want to go on this date? Look I understand if you are pissed, and it’s fine if you say no-”

“Just drive me to my place so I can dress up atleast. You’re such a menace Lee Minho”

Minho grinned like a cat, “Yeah but now it’s too late to get rid off me. So this menace is now your responsibility”.

So you were fated to have requited love it seems.

masterlist

Autumn's sighs- little soft thoughts about our favourite boys

[serverusslaype]

Shameless, pt. 4

snape x professor!reader fic

Shameless Masterpost

hey again B) here is part 4 to Shameless, i hope you guys enjoy it, it gets a little soft at the end, and i mean a little. next chapter im hoping to explore reader and snape's relationship a little more, maybe some more tension im not sure... we shall see

thank you again for reading and supporting this fic with likes, reblogs, comments, everything! i really do appreciate it. :) love u guys

okaaaay LETS GOOO!

Another week and a half had passed and it was now a bitter and cold midweek morning. Since that interaction with Snape in the dungeons, you hadn't seen much of him since, nor really spoken to him. He'd rarely come to dinner in the Great Hall in the evenings, let alone breakfast or lunch. You were a little disappointed with this considering he'd given you permission to use his first name, it felt like he was allowing you into his space. Or at least, that's what your overactive mind was thinking. You thought about it deeper as time went on, and you'd reached the conclusion of it just being a professional thing. It bothered you a little, of course, considering how you felt about him.

You'd just finished teaching a class of fifth-years, preparing them for a mock test on Monday. The lesson was rather smooth-going, apart from having to tend to a student's finger after they were bitten by a fanged geranium. After the whole debacle on your first day back teaching at Hogwarts, you were rather glad that only a bitey flower had gone rogue in this morning's lesson.

Presently, you were currently strolling to the Great Hall, dressed in rather nice, muted yellow-gold robes. You were always proud to represent Hufflepuff colours, you took pride in being sorted in that house after all. The mood at Hogwarts was a little low and cautious, considering students were turning up Petrified at every other corner you turned. Luckily, you had not come across one yet, you didn't think you'd be able to stomach it.

The Dueling Club was due to begin today, with Lockhart hosting it. You'd also heard that a teacher had agreed to help Lockhart with the beginning demonstration. Intrigued, of course, you couldn't miss one of your colleagues shooting a spell towards the bane of your existence.

So here you were, standing to the side in the Great Hall, watching the hustle and bustle of students and teachers eagerly awaiting for the show to start - this is Lockhart we're talking about. A table had been set up in the middle of the Hall, a pretty blue and gold tapestry draped over the top of it, dotted with astrology art. Students surrounded the table, giggling and talking excitedly about what could happen. Or, what could possibly go wrong? you pondered, smiling to yourself.

Soon enough, the man in question had hopped up onto the table. "Gather round! Gather round!" Lockhart's screeching voice reached your ears as you watched him strut across the table, one arm gesturing theatrically at the students. "Can everybody see me?" He questioned, looking at the students with bright eyes. Unfortunately, yes, you thought. "Can you all… hear me? Excellent." Lockhart said, quickly spinning on his heel, the cape attached to his bodice twirling with him elegantly. "In the light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club, to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves; as I myself have done on countless occasions."

You fought against a laugh in the back of your throat, choosing to cough lightly instead. Yeah, remember that time you couldn't handle a classroom full of little pixies? You rolled your eyes and folded your arms against your chest.

"For full details, see my published works." Lockhart added rather arrogantly. Was this guy serious? Merlin, he loved himself far too much. The famous author then proceeded to whip his cape off, throwing it into a gaggle of fawning teen girls. The gasped with excitement, their hands flying up to grab a hold of the piece of clothing.

"Let me introduce… my assistant," Lockhart began, pointing at the opposing side of the table with an open hand, his other one resting valiantly on his opposite hip. You reached up onto your tiptoes in a poor attempt to see what teacher he'd roped into this. Professor Sinistra, perhaps? Or even- "Professor Snape!" He exclaimed.

Your jaw dropped. There was no way in hell you'd heard that right. Before you could second-guess yourself, said wizard began trailing up the stairs to the table with a gloomy look on his face, his arms folded uncomfortably tight against his chest. As he reached the top, he let them unfold, placing them at his side, wand in hand. You noticed he wasn't wearing his cape too.

As Severus walked down the table, you couldn't help your eyes as they glided over his figure, getting embarrassingly distracted by how good he looked in his tight, form-fitting black robes. You had to force yourself to look away as you felt yourself falling victim to his alluring appearance, a searing hot blush now creeping up your neck, heading towards your cheeks. Gods, he didn't even do anything but take his cape off and you were blushing like a teenage school girl.

"He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry," Lockhart went on, glancing at the children who were leaning over the edge to eagerly glance at Snape. Surely, there was no way he willingly agreed to this, but then again, maybe he only agreed to it to have the legal ability to cast a spell on him. "You'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him. Never fear." Lockhart professed rather over-confidently, deafening arrogance dripping from his words. You knew Snape was a very good duellist after hearing rumours during your time at school in Hogwarts, so you were confident that he'd dominate Lockhart. At least, that's what you were hoping.

The two wizards walked towards each other, stopping just shy of a foot away. They drew their wands, whipping them up to their own respective faces, before whipping them back down in one quick motions, a sharp swish emitting from the way it sliced through the air. Severus and Lockhart spun around, turning to walk five paces in the opposite direction. Once they were in position, they turned around once again to face each other.

"One, two, three!" Lockhart exclaimed, prompting Severus to draw his wand up at the speed of light. Before Lockhart has a chance to cast anything, the Potions Master was two steps ahead.

"Expelliarmus!" Severus commanded, a bright white light shooting from the tip of his wand, hitting Lockhart square in the chest and sending him flying backwards. Your hand flew to your mouth to muffle an amused laugh as you watched Lockhart fly through the air, a cry of pain escaping his lips as his back thudded against the table.

As you looked back to Severus, you couldn't help the small smile that tugged at your lips. Though you had hardly spoken since, it was hard not to feel impressed. The rumours were true, then, you thought, your smile widening. The wizard in question suddenly caught your eye, and you felt your lungs spasm. You had to suck in a breath to compose yourself as your legs tingled.

You nodded at him, wiping the awestruck smile off your lips and pursing them awkwardly instead. To your surprise, Severus acknowledged you back with a nod too. He turned his attention back to Lockhart, who was currently scrambling to get back to his feet. Your cheeks burned at the unforeseen encounter and you felt yourself becoming a little giddy from it. Gods, you really were like a little school girl with a crush.

Fuck. You couldn't understand how you could go from screaming your lungs out at Severus to possibly having a civil relationship with him - how does that even work? Though, you swiftly reminded yourself how that could quickly change, you were well aware of who he was.

"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious, er, what you were about to do. And if I had wanted to stop you, it would have only been too easy." Lockhart scoffed, strutting back to stand in front of Severus, his gimmicky grin making another appearance on his irritating face. The Potions Master stood nonchalantly, clasping his hands together in front of him. You had to give it to him, he had that poker face down rather well - something you were a little envious of.

"Perhaps it would be prudent, to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, professor." Severus said rather harshly, his tone of voice judgmental. He was totally valid for feeling that way, and for once you found yourself questioning Dumbledore's reasoning as to why he had hired such a useless and clumsy wizard. Surely, someone as wise as him could see through this man's pathetic and hopeless act? Maybe he was just desperate for someone to fill the position. Lockhart looked scared for once, his once confident grin fading as Severus stared him down, a sarcastic smile gracing his face for a split second.

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape." The famous author exclaimed enthusiastically, spinning on his heel to walk the opposite way of him. "Well… let's have a volunteer pair. Erm.. Potter, Weasley, how about you?" Lockhart gestured towards the boys. Ron's face was a picture, he looked awestruck, almost shocked to see that he'd been picked. Harry's face, however, was more fitting.

"Actually, I was thinking Professor L/N could stop lurking in the shadows and come and showcase her impressive range of skills." Severus declared, his rather loud yet deep and intimidating voice echoing throughout the Great Hall. You almost choked on your tongue, did he really just say that? As you looked up at him, Severus tried to hide the amused smirk that was undoubtedly slipping onto his smug face; his hand outstretched to gesture to you. You wiggled your jaw at him, clearly unhappy with what he'd just done. You weren't great at defence, but you knew how to protect yourself with the bare minimum.

"I highly doubt a professor of Herbology would be able to handle me in a duel, I'm afraid, Professor Snape." Lockhart laughed wholeheartedly, the tiniest hint of worry in his tone. Oh, really, is that how it is, Lockhart? Your jaw ticked at his outrageously offensive comment. Now, you really did want to Expelliarmus his ass to Azkaban. Snape continued smirking. He could hardly contain himself. This was perfect. He knew how easy it was to irritate you - he'd definitely had his fair share.

"Certainly, Severus." You called out calmly, watching the gaggle of students in front of you turn around to stare at you. As your eyes met with Lockhart, a flash of fear wiped across his face. That only spurred you on more. Your heels clacked against the floor cutting through the silence in the hall as you walked towards the end of the table that Severus had climbed up. As you reached the stairs, you held up your robes, careful not to trip.

Suddenly, a large and pale hand appeared in your face. Your brows furrowed together in slight confusion, before softening as they saw who it belonged to. You bit your tongue as you tried impeccably hard not to blush in front of half of the school. Graciously, you took Severus's hand lightly, watching how it swamped your smaller one, allowing him to help you up the steps. He was six-foot-one, possibly six-foot-two, after all. Once you were standing on top of the table he released your hand, to your dismay of course, but you didn't show it. There was a bigger thing at stake currently - handing Lockhart's ass to him.

You saw the author clench his jaw harshly, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed nervously. You couldn't help but paint an innocent smile on your face. Behind you, Severus stepped backwards, allowing you to move past him and towards Lockhart. You nodded at him, keeping your narrowed eyes trained on the strawberry-blonde liability in front of you.

The two of you walked towards each other, stopping in the middle of the table once again. "Wands at the ready." Severus said, trying his best to hide how entertaining he was finding this. You and Lockhart drew your wands, flicking them up to your face again and whipping them down to your sides with a sharp whoosh. You met each other's glaring eyes.

"Hello, friend." You muttered to him quietly, an innocent yet threatening smile gracing your lips. Lockhart's face might have seemed confident and prepared, however his terrified eyes painted a different picture. He was rightfully worried, you still had a lot of unreleased resentment towards him.

"Professor L/N, you are the attacker and Lockhart, you are the defender, obviously." Severus stated.

You and Lockhart turned around and walked forwards five paces, before turning around again. "One, two, three!" Severus called, his eyes widening a tad, eager to see the outcome of his proposition.

"Everte Statum!" You exclaimed, beating Lockhart at his own game. A string of pale pink light shot from the tip of your wand, landing square in the middle of Lockhart's chest. Your eyes were glued onto him as he flew backwards once more, his body flipping through the air like a gymnast - though a lot less graceful. He landed with a muffled thud, a short cry slipping from his mouth. Behind you, Severus was slowly losing his composure, letting a small huff of air escape his lips as he watched you, amused at the scene. He was impressed with your ability, and in his mind he pondered curiously about whether you'd duelled before.

Gasps and laughs erupted from the students surrounding you, though a handful of them also looked worried for Lockhart's wellbeing.

"Not bad for a Herbology professor, methinks." You smiled proudly, clasping your hands together in front of you as you waited for your opponent to climb to his feet again. You half-turned to glance back at Severus, prompting an approving nod from him, the corner of his lips quirking, teasing a small smile. You hummed quietly to yourself as you looked away, returning your attention to Lockhart, your cheeks tinting pink from the eye contact with Snape.

"I believe you owe Professor L/N an apology, professor." Severus said from behind you, quite smugly. You poked your tongue into your cheek, glancing at the floor in front of you to pull yourself together. This whole ordeal was sending you into overdrive. You knew the only reason that Snape was supporting you was because you shared a mutual dislike for Lockhart, but it still felt good to have his approval, perhaps even his attention. You could feel your heart pick up in pace as you thought back to the closeness you and him had shared during those heated, intense bickers.

"I should not have underestimated you, Professor L/N." Lockhart reluctantly said, his hand gently rubbing his behind, clenching his jaw as he stared at you and Snape. You smiled bitterly at him, nodding once and making your way back towards the Potions Master. As you neared him, he leaned towards you, catching your eye. Your breath hitched slightly.

"Nicely done." Severus muttered to you, another tiny smug smirk tugging at his lips. You sucked in part of your bottom lip momentarily before allowing a composed smile to grace your features. "I'm impressed." He added, making your head spin. You swallowed thickly. Gods, you needed to get out of here now if you wanted to leave with at least a shred of your dignity.

"Thanks." You barely managed to keep your voice steady as he leaned away from you, holding his out his hand again for you to take. You took it, praying to Merlin above that your shaking knees didn't give way to you as you carefully stepped down the stairs.

Snape arched a brow at you, his eyes narrowing slightly in a glare, silently reprimanding you for saying such a thing. How could you forget? 'Do not thank me', his words rang in your head as you let go of his hand. As much as you wanted to stay, you weren't sure your heart could take much more of this.

Fuck, maybe that hateful relationship the two of you shared previously was the better option. There was no way you were surviving this year in such close proximity to Severus.

"Don't touch that please, Mr Finnigan." You sighed softly, catching a glimpse of Seamus attempting to reach towards the head of a potted Mandrake. "Not until I say so, and you will see why." You added warningly, watching him reel himself back, a look of slight fear on his face. You smiled gratefully at him. "So, as I was saying, today you will be learning how to handle Mandrakes, and what their uses are." A few curious mutterings came from the students as you stepped forwards, flicking your wand upwards to float some protective earmuffs to each student in the class. They looked at them confusedly, reaching out to grab a hold of a pair.

"Who here can tell me the properties of the Mandrake root?" You asked as you watched the students collect their respective earmuffs, eyes flicking over to a particularly eager Hermione Granger. "Yes, Miss Granger?" You smiled, linking your fingers together.

"Mandrake, or Mandrogora is used to return those who have been Petrified to their original state. It's also quite dangerous, as the Mandrake's cry is fatal to anyone who hears it." Hermione said confidently, widening your smile. She was definitely a bright student.

"Brilliant, ten points to Gryffindor." You nodded, glancing at all of the students. The Gryffindor students all grinned at the sound of your words, giving Hermione an excited nod of thanks. "Now, as our Mandrakes are still only seedlings, their cries won't kill you yet, but they could knock you out for several hours, hence the earmuffs I have supplied you all with." You said sternly, hoping each and every one of the students were listening. You weren't particularly fond of paying the infirmary a visit today. "For your own safety, you will need to wear these. So please, can you all put them on right away?" You asked politely, feeling a sense of relief as every student obeyed you. "Make sure the flaps are tight down, too." You added sternly, noticing some students had just sloppily placed them on. Said students readjusted their equipment.

"Lovely, now watch me closely." You said, turning your attention to the potted Mandrakes in front of you. "Now, you grasp it firmly," you instructed, fingers grabbing on tightly to the top of the plant, "you pull it sharply out of the pot, like so." Instantly, the high-pitched wailing of the young Mandrake filled the greenhouse, making some of the students squirm out of fright. You couldn't help but smile at them; you remembered the first time you'd experienced the shrill wail of a Mandrake seedling in this very greenhouse. "Okay? Now, you dunk it down into the other pot and pour a little sprinkling of soil to keep him warm." You explained, doing as you said, shovelling handfuls of soil into the new pot with the crying Mandrake seedling inside of it.

Suddenly, the sound of a student groaning caught your attention. You looked up, spotting Neville Longbottom's eyes rolling into the back of his head as he fell backwards, fainting. You sighed. Well, nothing is perfect.

"Mr Longbottom has obviously been neglecting his ear muffs." You pursed your lips, casting a sympathetic gaze his way. It always seems to be Longbottom in trouble. Amused snickers and inquisitive 'oh's broke out for a quick moment before you shut them down with a sharp shush.

"He's just fainted, ma'am," Seamus Finnigan protested, glancing between the unconscious boy and yourself. You nodded at him, holding up a light hand to reassure him.

"He'll be okay, Mr Finnigan, just make sure you don't step on him." You said, inhaling softly, turning your attention back to the whole of the class. "Right, off you go, there's plenty of pots to go around," You gestured to the table in front of you, observing the students carefully. "Grasp the Mandrake, and pull it up sharply like I demonstrated." A chorus of crying and shrieking Mandrakes reached your ears as you observed the class repeat your demonstration and you grimaced slightly at the raucous plants. You forgot how loud these little things were in groups. "Careful, Mr Malfoy, don't-" You sighed again, watching helplessly as he stuck his finger into the mouth of one.

Merlin, give me strength, you pleaded, watching him glare at the Mandrake seedling as he ripped his bitten finger out of it's mouth.

"Professor," came a voice to your right, capturing your attention, "You were great at duelling earlier." A blonde girl with big, blue eyes said. Luna Lovegood.

"Ah, thank you, Miss Lovegood." You smiled at her gratefully. "I'm not usually one to duel, however," You paused for a moment, pondering on your words. These were students you were talking to, so you had to be cautious with what you said. "However, I should really be thanking Professor Snape." You finished with a coy smile.

"He totally likes you, professor, didn't you see the way he helped you up the steps?" Another student called out, inducing some giggles from the girls. You rolled your eyes at them, quite positive that they were just pulling your leg.

"Let's not be hasty, now," You laughed lightly, frowning at their words. "I can tell you now that Professor Snape and I just about tolerate each other. The only reason he helped me up those steps was out of pure chivalry, I can assure you." You felt your cheeks begin to burn as your mind reeled back to earlier this morning, thinking about the way your hand felt in his, and how he looked at you after you had duelled Lockhart.

You cleared your throat and your mind, focusing back on the task at hand. "If I'm honest, I don't believe Professor Snape is capable of producing such feelings for a woman." You added absentmindedly, your tone a little bitter. A chorus of gasps and ooh's reached your ears, reminding you that you were in the presence of students - students that like to talk. "I didn't say that… don't… don't tell him I said that…" You groaned, fingers flying up to grasp the bridge of your nose in stress.

Fuck. You really needed to stop talking without thinking. That was another thing Severus had said to you a couple weeks back at the beginning of the year, no? You were still the same silly girl that didn't think before she spoke? You hated how you were proving him right, especially since you'd denied and protested it.

There was a beat of silence as you stared at the Mandrake seedlings in front of you, your mind floating back to when he was so close to you, his intoxicating smell of smoke, books and sweet wine invading your nostrils. The way his hauntingly dark eyes stare so deep into yours, his nostrils flaring ever so slightly out of anger.

"You're blushing, professor!" An amused student called out, pointing at your burning cheeks as he pulled you out of your daydream. Merlin, these kids were distracting you. Definitely not helping.

"Alright, alright, that's enough chit-chat, ladies and gentlemen, back to work, please." You shook your head, trying to ignore the tightening knot in your stomach. A few bashful giggles erupted in front of you. "I want all of these Mandrakes repotted by the end of the lesson, please."

Soon enough, the bell tolled and your students had done very well, apart from Longbottom, of course. You'd sent an owl to the infirmary to notify Madam Pomfrey of Neville's state. You assured her that he would wake in a few hours. How was this boy continuously finding himself in such situations? Severus was right. Again.

A quiet groan left your lips as you collapsed into your chair behind your desk, eyes glued thoughtfully to a beautiful, singular white lily that you had potted and placed as a decoration on your desk. You were just about to relax into your chair and open up a book to read for an hour or so when you heard Professor McGonagall's worried voice over the intercom.

"All students are to return to their dormitories immediately. All teachers to the second floor corridor." She said hurriedly, causing a worrisome look to stir on your face. This was serious, Minerva had never requested something like this before in your time teaching and learning at Hogwarts.

What had happened now?

part 5

part 4, done and dusted bitches B)

i hope you enjoyed reading, and thank you so much to everyone that has supported this through likes, reblogs and comments!! i appreciate every single one of you. honestly. much love to you guys.

if you would like to be added to the taglist please don't hesitate in leaving a comment below! i'll be happy to :)

taglist:

@a-laufeyson

@emilynissangtr

@livillain00

@meowskii

@nooneeveryonenoone

@vesperbatty

@biggest-simp-eversposts

for the last two users i've tagged, i couldn't remember whether you said you wanted to be tagged or not, so i apologise in advance for the notification

[t-underneaththeradardancing]

wat i yam

we wuz like a mimsy imma thinkin - bout i guess the past  and future trippin cuz i can multitask like that - and chew gum also - its that kinda already if u get my meaning 

quirky feelz like - music maybe - that reminds me - food stain poetry redux 

anyway where wuz -  eye - yam -a turtle w butterfly wings - really - in a comic book  - shapeshifting 

(digression time - actually the point - wait before forget - do u get lost in dreams or chords and then again rome at night - wrote long post - trynna mansplain what i yam   ( even witches mansplain from time to time  )  even posted edie singing like the olden daze and gave the background - how we got here in tumblerland - and the shape - shifting - and maybe y write essentially the same pomee thing daily - tho at the moment i dont have a fukken clue but did then but this is now  - and kept seeing the auto save - and navigating away despite the warning thinking saved it - and poof its gone - magic can b a dangerous thing like forgetting - order of operations for instance - any wavy - and have to ask my own self - how did i get here - this is not ... so i ritez an i guess poem daily ittsa habit or discipline but nothing too kinky - play guitar - maybe record usually to keep an idea  but not as driven as sometimes - reblog ( curate if u plait )  moons on monday corvids midweek - birbs on thursday - of friday is froggies (its a thing )  and of course caturday  and assorted music vidz art and whatever  - and waiting for wim wenders or maybe godot  - life - even the mundane turns surreal more often than )

what i am or what ...( e brickell ) 

[feralbeeast]

- What I *want* to know if how to get to your home/when you're your most vilnerable but I'll settle for what's your favourite toy?

- I think I already followed you and can't remember why other than non-binary horror fan sexy. But I turned on notifications bc you reblogged something with me with cute tags.

- I'm thinking about how to disguise my erection in this skirt. (More SFW answer: what I want to change my middle/surname to)

- Compliment: you'd be an excellent protagonist in a horror movie.

- This or that: Never have (any kind of) sex again or get stuck in a 48 time loop (let's say Early November midweek)

- Advice: How do I take better nudes/make use of filters?

- Secret: (Always hate this question because I don't tend to feel shame/hide things) I have no idea what I'm doing with my life and just want to do dumb shit/enjoy myself before I die (but I can't help wanting to help others).

- Things I associate with you: violent sexual depravity, gothic vibes, semi-sexual cuddles.

- Anything! Unionise! The only way we're getting out of this is together so go help yoir neighbours, love one another, and remind your local politician that they work for you, not the other way around.

💜

A long one 💜 here we go

- I'm definitely not stoned enough to fully answer that but damn, hot, im basically vulnerable 24/7 but I will say when I'm super sleep deprived and toked up late at night / super early mornings would be the best time to sneak in and take advantage of my pliability / my fav toy is someone's mouth ;b

- awww im honored I made it to notifications on status haha 🥰💖

- you shouldn't disguise it, in fact you should show it off either in a post or in the dms ;>💜

- I gotta say one of the better compliments I've ever received 🥰 I like to think I'd look pretty hot running/fighting for my life while covered in blood

- this or that : I'd definitely go with the time loop honestly I think it'd be kinda fun to fuck around with and that time of year has the best rainy cold weather where I live, plus I'm h y p e r sexual so I'd probably implode if I couldn't cum or make someone else cum ever again

- honestly Idk why I get compliments about how I take nudes/selfies cause I just take a shit ton from different angles then pick like 3 I kinda like and play around with the filter settings 😅 all I can say is experiment with every angle possible, prop up and set a timer for photos and if your phone doesn't have that option snapchat and other apps do !

- i totally understand that and can relate maybe a lil too much haha (except for the shame part, thanks to anxiety and cptsd I feel shame just for existing 😮‍💨)

- well shit 😅 thank you that's very accurate but way to call me out lmfao

- Hell ! Yes ! We're all here for a good time not a long time and I'm always gonna wanna spread as much love and kindness as I can no matter what 💖

Thank you lovely for the ask 💜

[kaoarika]

I dunno what was this week, but I hate whoever decided it to be that way.

Might get a little TMI in the way, so, read at your risk (and because I don't want this to be reblogged, WELL).

So, between the million of things that are going in my head right now (besides, the fact that we are going to "celebrate" federal and local elections in early June, and it's much more stressing than you would think it is), we had I GUESS the first "very hot, why oh why" week of the year, pre-Summer, in my city. It's one of those weeks that I would prefer to be at home not doing ANYTHING because the air is either too hot or too dry and let me remind you that I don't have an AC... I think I have talked about this before, but at times like this I think I might happen to be allergic to my sweat and in the past year I had it almost all over my torso, including my breasts, so, imagine some body image issues I may have during times like this, because I happened to have some red rashes/spots in some areas of my breasts. I luckily seem to have neutralized that, but I did develop body image issues from the situation last year, because as much as I wanted those GONE, they always came back. To think I am going to have this from now on in extreme weather situations, it's a bit ":/" to put it mildly.

I also started to have an irritated throat midweek. Which. FUN.

Then, internet issues, cuz why not, right Twitter/X, you freaking pos? I had issues in an alternate account with the chronological tweets from the Following feed, months ago, and now it's my main account's issues, too! Like, I cannot even report this in their Help Center for reasons that I will resume to "thanks, Musk, I know the site was BAD before, but you made it X times worse????" as I simply cannot offer my angry feedback to fx this :). OR! It's not even a bug! It's a NEW feature! GOD, how much I hate Twitter. I worked around this with Lists in my alternate account, but they don't respect my blocked/muted users (in certain cases ppl RT from them) nor my blocked/muted words list, so... yeah.

And the internet wasn't the only thing alone. I realized my days with this laptop are also going south. Besides stuff with Google Chrome and my thing with the compressed files I might vented days ago, it doesn't seem that my Explorer browser is "healthy". I decided to move things around within an old back up folder I have been in certain urge to work with before moving it to my HDD, and suddenly Explorer started to give me trouble, I mean, it once closed up and there wasn't even a window alerting me that it wasn't working well. The next day I found similar issues as I was SIMPLY renaming files and Explorer wasn't collaborative enough. Like, yeah, I restarted the native browser... but then I decided to restart the computer. I know the laptop was preowned, and it has/had its own issues, and this is basically its 9th or 8th year of life, even though I have been using it for a little over 3 years... but I am scared for sometimes unreasonable stuff that has happened to me in the past with my computers. At the moment I cannot say "YEAH, move everything as it is", because then I have issues like my old PC's back ups that are so messy that I WISH I could have organized them much more better back i nthe day (sadly, I didn't have an HDD at hand up until late 2020, and I'm talking stuff from over a decade ago). So... I might be getting a new laptop soon, but I might be paying it w/credit and w/o interests or smth. That might be good news and a solution, but, let's say that it's only motivating me to make the "move" transition so much "easier".

-

And, to finish this wreck of a week, the more... stressing thing that has been on my head is WHY I put "TMI" at the start of this post. Like... I really don't like to disclose too much info about my health, but I do want to tell you that in the past 6 years I have been handling stuff related to hypothyroidism with medicine.

So, at the start of this whole process, I knew my hormones might go crazy while stabilizing other things, so one of the pros about this was that my periods would regulate as they should ALWAYS have been... and the thing is, they have? at best? but there was related stuff I was a total stranger to, or, if I had them? they weren't as "frequent" as I assume they should have been during my whole teenage and young adult years. When I started this whole thing, I had days secreting old blood before I even started my period. I barely remember this was a thing within my body up until that point, especially while ovulating (heck, I don't remember having colic pains during that part of the cycle), but in the past six years I can vaguely recall other moments like these with some exceptions on mind, while I do have "fake alerts" days before my period, but, oh well and I was told it might be normal when I pointed it out to my previous doctor (related to this situation) years ago, so... thing is, this past week I started to have this, but instead of taking it as normal, I didn't perceive it as normal, normal.

For one, I don't remember which day EXACTLY I started this... blame the fact that this whole week has been a wreck so I lost my sense of time midweek... it was certainly between Wednesday or Thursday. But, the more I read, and the more I get scared. Especially because it was until yesterday-today that the vag*inal fluid started to come brown... I KNOW it is because of the blood getting oxidated, but I don't remember it being like this. I DO assume it's because ovulating stuff, because, my period, technically? doesn't happen until next week or so, average speaking. I did have some colic pain from the side that is ovulating, but I was so fixed in "what if it isn't that", that I felt so freaking down these past two days and I still feel down regardless of articles assuring me it MIGHT be normal. Except, I don't know for sure.

"I don't know for sure", because some of these articles are so superficial. "I don't know for sure", because I SHOULDN'T have lost meaning of time this past week and I could have been much more careful. I DID read one article that basically adds "symptoms" to make me sure it isn't... else, and I'm scared, as you don't hav any idea because that means I should ALSO get a gynocologist, which, SURE, I am already at the AGE to get one, but also it's a bit of a "wait and see and notice if the thing takes longer (and other symptoms, which I don't think I have), and if so, GET MEDICAL HELP". It says it might be hormonal stuff related to (my) hypothyroidism and such and such, and because I have been stressed (like hell)... and my whole point of I'm scared.

I'm scared because I still feel the colic pains, I'm scared because I don't remember this as much to consider it "normal". What is even considered "normal" about this? Could be smth else? Worse?

I'm trying to look at a good gynecologist closer to where I live (and slightly affordable), but, lmao, what even. I don't have an appointment with my doctor until August because "I was doing well" and wanted me to do some stuff to see if there could be a change of medicines and the like.

This week just finished, but the next one is brewing me lots of things to think about and I hate it OTL

[lokidrabbles]

Pleasure Control (Loki x Reader)

Reader misses Loki and things get very heated.

A/N: Another short, stand alone oneshot! This one didn’t have much direction, I do apologize, but just to get me into the grove of things again. Thank you all for your likes and reblogs, I hope these stories bring some enjoyment to you all! As always, Gender Neutral Reader!

Warnings: Suggested smut, horny reader in general

You swore time began to move much more slower. You eyes remained glued on the clock on your laptop, waiting for an excruciating minute until you could finally clock out. You were restless. It had been a grueling week, which is a lot to say for working under Tony Stark.

The weekend was just at your fingertips, and you could almost foresee yourself lounging at home, phone tossed to the side, completely forgetting about your career for a moment. You ached for the time off for your own personal care, but also because an itch had been begging at you the entire week. This was one of the months where the Asgardian brothers would frequent in New York, and you were more than eager to meet up with Loki.

You missed him when he was away. You admitted your relationship with him was unorthodox, and gratifying at times, but you were genuine with your yearning for his company. Conveniently enough, your desk had become riddled with reports needing to all be documented and processed ASAP, preventing you from even saying a hello to him.

As a motivator, your thoughts were focused on finishing every single task in the most efficient and adequate manner, all for the sake of slamming your laptop close and skipping off to see your Asgardian lover. Your mind began to conjure a plan of how to spend the weekend with him, mostly involving some fancy wine, expensive sweets and a midnight stroll. The images in your head soon turned into another direction, one not so sweetly romantic or innocent. This was midweek, and you struggled with containing the lewd thoughts at bay. It was a piercing heat, distracting you frequently throughout the intensity of the office.

Your memory began to work double, drawing back to the moments when both you and Loki were explicitly intimate. The first time you had both laid with one another became one of your most cherished memories of him. It was completely unexpected but you certainly did not object at his advances. It was curious to even think Loki would have some type of sexual drive, he always appeared very reserved and aloof about the subject to you. However, you soon figured it was just a matter of feeling extremely comfortable around you, and then he would unleash something even you wouldn’t be able to control for long periods.

Now he could go for much, much longer than you had been used to, again, not that you were complaining. It was during this when you finally got a good understanding at just how strong he actually was. He wasn’t as muscular as his brother per say, but he could maneuver you around willingly without breaking a sweat. At times, he would suspend you in the air whilst having his way with you, providing you with an awesome and unique experience. His kisses would become much slower and tender, peppering you all over your body and in places where you had never been kissed before. He was very quiet during all of it, every now and then muttering things about how you’d look and how hard you had made him. It seemed sex was an experience he took much time and appreciation with. Certainly he wasn’t the type to look for some quick fun on the spot.

Your favorite sensation was his hands grasping tightly at your thighs and ass, as if to say these belonged to him. Another spine tingling behavior of his was his playful teasing over your neck. He seemed to have a sick enjoyment of watching you twitch and quiver as he laid fluttering kisses on your collarbone, all the way up to your jaw. You’d become so weak when he would then whisper terrible, sultry things into your ear. You often wondered if his magic would cause you to become so blissfully content under his touch, almost needing to beg at times to slow down when it would become intense. You knew he loved it all, being in control and having that dominance over you and you loved all the attention you’d receive.

You took many restroom breaks by the end of the work week, often splashing cold water on your face in an effort to both physically and mentally cool down. You chastised yourself, ashamed at the poor control you had over your thoughts, perceiving Loki as nothing but a piece of meat. You liked him for more than just his appeal, that was certain. But perhaps your innate human sexuality was asking for more than that, maybe as a way to de-stress from the long week.

The minute soon came to an end, prompting you to hastily clock out. You messily gathered your belongings, quickly waving good bye to your coworkers and practically sprinted out of the department.

Your eyes darted back and forth all over the facility, on the search for that familiar, grumpy Asgardian in green. Your heart began to beat faster as the adrenaline began to kick in. The excitement was tantalizing, and you knew you had failed at keeping your itch at bay. You were well intending to jump all over him and allow you body to do the talking despite knowing he’d push you off in an instant.

Your instinct guided you towards a lower floor, where the employee kitchen and lounge area for the I.T. department was. For whatever reason, the area was often empty, and you’d sneak a couple of lunch breaks here when your floor’s lounge area was full. Naturally, you’d let Loki know about the barren area, knowing he wasn’t one for large crowds as well. You briefly thought of the possibilities of what could transpire in such a place, and your lips quivered uncontrollably.

The planets must have been aligned. The corner of your eye quickly caught onto the tinge of forest green that would always decorate Loki’s attire. He was leaning against one of the counters in the lounge room, flipping mindlessly through a magazine of sorts. It was never an easy feat to sneak up to Loki and he immediately perked his head upwards to catch you stepping towards him.

“I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten about me.” He said teasingly, putting down the reading material. “It has been a bore meandering around-”

His words failed to register in your head. An uncontrollable desire guided your instincts and you practically jumped onto him, wrapping your arms tightly around his shoulders and neck, bringing him close to a messy, crooked kiss. You were lucky to have Loki react instantly. His hands landed on your waist, gripping whilst holding you up and making sure you didn’t tumble downwards. It must have just lasted for a few seconds, as the Asgardian prince promptly pulled away from your pursed lips. He held onto your waist still, your legs dangling slightly above the floor.

You looked up, concerned as to why he physically pulled you away from him. He looked disheveled. Several strands of hair hung delicately over his face, and the only way you could describe his expression was a charming mixture of embarrassment and disbelief.

“Would you mind not doing that out in the open?” He asked aggressively between gritted teeth.

“There’s literally no one around us, stop being like that.” You retorted, an unknowing pout forming on your lips. “Don’t you realize how long its been since I’ve been able to see you?”

“You were going to see me eventually.” He said bluntly, lowering you gently on the floor. “And I’d rather not have anyone walk in on something like that, lest you’d enjoy a very taxing conversation among your employer.”

“You’re killing me here Loki.” You said while crossing your arms around your chest. “It’s a huge bummer to see you’re clearly not as enthusiastic about this.”

“Don’t put words into my mouth mortal, I never said that.”

You squinted at him. “You sure are showing it though.”

He sighed in defeat, pushing his hair away from his face. “Yes, I missed you. Very dearly. Are you content?”

You jumped on him again, this time high enough to wrap your legs around his waist. Loki almost toppled to the side, again holding you upwards towards him. His hands landed almost purposefully on your thighs, fluttering just slightly over your rear. Your lips met his once more, but you could feel his struggle in wanting to give in, maintaining his balance, and fearing someone would walk in on the both of you.

“Y/N.” He said your name through the corner of his mouth, as much as he could before it became covered in a sloppy kiss. “Y/N. Get off.”

“Come on Loki.” You whispered at him. “I’ve been waiting a really, really long time.”

He raised an eyebrow, noticing the very hazy look in your eyes. “Wait. Norns. You’re in heat, aren’t you?”

You bit your lip, your eyes shifting to the side to avoid his own. You inched close to his ear and began to whisper all of the lewd and inappropriate thoughts you were having of him. You told him how much you had missed his touch on your skin and how it was making you unbelievably crazy the entirety of the week.   You felt his grip tighten on your thighs as you went over detailed accounts of what you to do to him, and what you wanted him to do to you.

“It’s worse than I thought.” Was all he could say, but even you noticed how dry his lips had become.

“Unless, you don’t want to. Then that’s all you have to say.” You said, a part of you knowing it would be hard for him to even resist the temptation.

“Stupid of you to even assume such a thing.” He answered immediately. “You’re heading to your home, are you not?”

You nodded. “I am, but I was thinking, since no one is around here...” Your voice trailed off, nudging your neck at the empty space all around the both of you.

“No.”

“Come on, you didn’t even think about it!”

“I don’t need to. We’ll do it, but not here.” He pulled you off from him again, placing you promptly on your feet. “I’d rather not do my business with you inside this facility, and within this area where everyone has their meals.”

“You’re not at all as adventurous about this as I thought you’d be.” You responded with yet another pout.

“If this is what adventurous means to you, then we both have very different ideals. Besides, I wouldn’t want to tarnish bedding you in such a way.”

“Hmm?“ You hummed, your ears perked up. “You mean, it’s something you really like doing with me?”

“Of course I do.” He responded genuinely, taking you a bit by surprise. “And because it’s something so important to me, I’d rather do it somewhere more private, more intimate. If that doesn’t satisfy you, then perhaps we shouldn’t do it at all then.”

“No, no no!” You interjected, waving your hands at him. “It’s not that at all! Jesus, don’t scare me like that. I’m totally cool doing it at home too, I love it.”

He smirked, a low chuckle coming from his chest. “I’ll admit, it does stroke my ego a bit to hear you day dream about me in such a way.”

“Stop talking and let’s go home. Now.” You urged at him, tugging at his forearm.

“Though it does beg the question at what other things you are into.” He pondered as he padded along with you. “ I didn’t think you were such an erotic human.”

“Keep talking like that and I’m gonna have to shove you in that broom closet.”

[pink-sparkly-witch]

Someone Like Me

Summary: When Y/N’s blind date cancels, she takes shelter from the downpour in Dean’s bar, where maybe, they’ll both find what they’re looking for.

Pairing: Bartender!Dean Winchester x Female Reader

Bingo Square: Bartender AU

Warnings: Angst, language, alcohol consumption, fluff, flirting

Word Count: 3.6k

A/N: This is written as a submission for Tell Me A Story Bingo hosted by @supernatural-jackles. The square filled is Bartender AU. This hasn’t been beta’d, so all mistakes are entirely mine. Text in bold is messages.

I hope you enjoy reading this! If you do, please consider reblogging or leaving a comment - that stuff fuels a writer’s fire and keeps us motivated and passionate about what we do! 💖

My Masterlist     AO3    Ko-Fi

Dean liked the Wednesday shift. It was the quiet before the weekend storm, and usually, only regulars came in midweek. Although there were enough customers to keep him occupied, he used this shift to catch up on paperwork, inventory, and stock up for the busier weekend days.

Dean had thrown himself into work the past few days, doing all the tasks that should have been done weeks ago that he’d decided could wait a little longer. His breakup with Naomi, although expected, hit him harder than he’d like to admit. They started out great, but as time passed, she became jealous and started trying to control him and give him ultimatums.

“It’s that fucking bar or me!” Naomi screamed at him one night after she’d witnessed him helping a drunk girl into a cab. He’d just been doing his duty as a business owner and a decent human being. Once again, somehow, he’d managed to disappoint her.

“Come on, Naomi! You can’t expect me to choose you over my pride and joy? My career? My own Goddamn business? Are you for real right now?” he’d yelled back, exasperated that yet another relationship was falling apart because of what he did for a living.

“I can’t trust you if you keep flirting with everything that comes into that… that… shithole of a bar in a skirt!”

“Flirt? Jesus fucking Christ, Naomi! I’m not… No, you know what? I’m done with this bullshit! You can’t trust me, and without trust, we have nothing, so… I’m done. I’m done with this constant battle. I’m done with the assumption that, just because I own a bar, I’m some kinda manwhore. I’m done with all of this. And I’m done with you! We’re done.”

And that was the end of that. Naomi had tried to talk him around, not really expecting him to end things. He didn’t know what she was expecting, but it clearly hadn’t been that. So now, he was just done with that shit. It seemed like every woman he had even the slightest interest in was unhinged and insecure. And that was putting it politely.

All he wanted was a nice girl. Someone secure in her own skin. Someone to have fun with, to love and cherish. To be his Queen, as cheesy as that sounded, and he was beginning to think no such girl existed. 

As Dean continued with inventory and serving his loyal customers, he threw a prayer… wish? Whatever you want to call it when you holler out at the universe. Please just let me find the perfect person to share my life with.

The jukebox chose that appropriate moment to play “Use Somebody” by the Kings of Leon, and he scoffed a laugh at the appropriateness of the selection.

The rain was pouring down when she left the restaurant. A perfect reflection of her mood. She spotted the bar across the road and made a run for it. After the week she’d had, she needed a drink. Then she’d go home, sulk and eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.

Clattering through the door as she tried to escape the heavy downpour, a few curious eyes landed on her at the sound of the disturbance. Raising a hand in apology to the patrons, she lowered her head and sat at the bar.

Settling on a stool, she placed her purse on the bar and scanned over the various spirits lining the shelves and bottles stocked in the fridges.

“What can I get ya?” A deep, raspy voice startled her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on.

“Uh, vodka with soda and lime, please,” she said once her heart climbed back into her rib cage and resumed a normal beating rhythm. 

“Sure thing, sweetheart.” The gorgeous bartender winked, and her heart flopped into her stomach again.

She watched him move effortlessly around the bar, whistling along to the Kings of Leon song coming from the jukebox at the back of the bar. As the singer declared: “I hope it’s gonna make you notice… Someone like me,” she reluctantly pulled her eyes away from him, not wanting to be caught staring, and looked around the bar.

It was quiet, but then it was Wednesday. At the weekend, she had no doubt this place would be full of people. Several large screen TVs were lining the walls, showing different sports. The three behind the bar showing a football, baseball, and hockey game, respectively. 

She counted three pool tables and a few dart boards at the back of the bar. Undoubtedly, the college students would flock here at the weekend to let loose and gamble a little on pool tournaments or in-house sporting bets.

It was a decent bar all around, and had her circumstances been different, she was sure she’d have a great night in a place like this. The sound of glass sliding on wood brought her attention back to the hot bartender.

“Here ya go,” he smiled at her, and she returned the gesture, grabbing the glass and taking a hearty swallow.

“Thanks,” she said as she put the glass back down. Hottie stared at her with a curious look. “What?” she asked with a smirk.

“I’m just wondering what a beautiful woman like you is doing in my bar. Alone,” his eyes scanned her face, no doubt trying to read her. “Are you safe?” The hot bartender frowned. “Do you need help? Need me to call someone for you? Friend, boyfriend, police?” he asked, now concerned for the woman’s safety.

“No, I’m fine. Just a bad night that’s topped off a bad week,” she smiled sadly. “And yeah, I know it’s only Wednesday!” she chuckled.

“You wanna talk about it?” he asked, throwing a towel over his shoulder and bracing himself with both hands against the wooden bar.

“No,” she muttered, raising her glass to her lips, taking a smaller sip this time.

“Come on!” he smiled widely, raising his hands out either side of him. “I’m basically a free therapist! I guarantee whatever’s going on, I’ve heard it all before.”

“Thanks, but I think you’ve got some customers who need serving,” she replied, nodding towards two men standing at the bar.

“Alright,” he nodded. “Name’s Dean. Holler if you change your mind or want another,” he tapped his fingers against the bar, giving up for now and leaving her to wallow.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Dean said as he appeared in front of her again. “Ready for another refill?”

She was three vodkas deep now and knew it probably wasn’t a good idea to have a fourth, but what the Hell? “It’s Y/N, and yes, please,” she responded.

“You know, I’ve been told I’m a good listener if you want to get something off your chest,” Dean glanced up at her and smiled softly at her glare of disinterest.

“Still not ready to talk, huh?” he questioned as he picked up a hi-ball and filled it with ice. “That’s okay. I got all night to keep a lonely girl company.”

“What makes you think I’m lonely? What if my boyfriend’s on his way?” Y/N questioned curiously.

“Oh, Y/N,” Dean began, and her breath hitched at the sound of her name falling from his lips. “A gentleman doesn’t leave a lady waiting. He’s supposed to wait for her. Always. No questions asked,” he smiled softly at her. “And forgive me for being so forward, but you look a little lost.”

“Alright, Dean. What advice would a free therapist such as yourself give to a girl who’s been stood up?” Y/N replied with a sad smile. The shock on his features was hard to miss. His eyebrows raised, and his jaw slackened before he composed himself and leaned on the bar.

“Now, who in their right mind would stand a beautiful woman like you up? The guy must be a dick,” Dean’s voice was kind and held no judgement, making her heart jump.

“It was a blind date, so…” she explained, trailing off with a shrug. 

“Well, sweetheart, if I walked into a place and you were my blind date, there would be no way in hell I’d bail on you. It’s his loss, Y/N,” Dean smiled softly, placing a new drink before her.

“As far as I know, he didn’t even show up. I was sitting in the restaurant across the street,” Y/N pointed behind her. “I got a text from him, saying something had come up and he had to cancel. And I mean, fine. Things happen. Stuff comes up all the time, you know? Just this week, my car broke down, and from what they told me at the auto shop, it’s basically irreparable. The guy in the apartment upstairs from me, one of his pipes burst and flooded not only his place but mine too. And yesterday,” she fumed, on a roll now. “That bitch Gemma got a promotion over me. I mean,” Y/N huffed. “I’ve only been there three years longer than she has. The whole damn place would fall apart if I left, and she gets the team leader role? Nuh-uh. You wanna know why she got that job?” she lowered her voice and leaned over the bar, getting closer to Dean.

“Tell me, sweetheart,” Dean grinned, pleased that he got her to talk. “No, wait! Let me guess… she’s sleeping with the boss?” he blushed as she threw her head back and laughed. He knew then he was in trouble with her.

“You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was! But I was going to say she’s one of the “popular” girls. Part of the Mean Girls clique that seems to be in every office across the country. That’s the only reason she got that job over me. I am more experienced and better at my job than she will ever be. And still, it’s not good enough. I’m not good enough.”

“Y/N…” Dean tried to interrupt, to tell her it was not true, but she wasn’t done yet.

“So, I get it, you know? Shit comes up, and you have to cancel arrangements sometimes, but do me a favour Chad,” Y/N said his name with such childish disdain that Dean barked a loud laugh. “If you don’t wanna go out with me, if you’ve changed your mind, just tell me. I’m a big girl. I can take it but don’t wait until I’m sitting in the restaurant you picked to tell me you’re not coming. You had all freaking day to tell me.” Something flickered in her features, and she looked sad and lonely again. The fire behind her eyes that her anger ignited started to extinguish.

“And you know what? If something genuinely came up last minute, tell me what it was because if we try and do this again - which we won’t, by the way, because he gave no indication he was postponing the date - I will not believe a Goddamn word that comes outta your mouth,” Y/N picked up her glass and took a long drink. Swallowing half its contents in two gulps.

“Okay, wow!” Dean huffed out. “Chad? His name is Chad?” he scoffed. Y/N smirked and nodded, placing the glass back on the bar. “If that’s not the name of a douchebag, I don’t know what is!” Dean felt his ego being preened as she laughed again. “I gotta ask, sweetheart,” he said, glancing into her eyes. “Who set you up with this guy anyway?”

“My friend Donna’s husband. It’s one of his golf buddies or something. I don’t know. I didn’t want to go, but Doug was so excited and thought we’d be good together. After the week I’ve had, and bearing in mind it is still only Wednesday, I called Donna last night to say I wanted to postpone because,” she laughed a little bitterly. “Something came up. Ironic, huh?”

He could hear a faint buzzing and felt vibrations on the bar. “I think that’s your phone, sweetheart,” Dean pointed to her purse that was resting on the wooden surface. Y/N picked up her purse and took out her phone. Tutting and rolling her eyes, she silenced the call and then her phone. “Is it Chad?” he asked curiously.

“No, I already blocked his number,” Y/N spoke nonchalantly, and Dean chuckled.

“You weren’t kidding, huh? Chad’s never getting a second chance with you?” The handsome bartender asked her. There was a hopeful look on his face that made her stomach flutter.

“No. You don’t do something like that to someone. If it’s an emergency, you say that or tell them if you’ve had to work late. You can’t just say something’s come up, right?” Y/N’s question was rhetorical, so he didn’t respond. She placed her phone on the counter, and it immediately lit up again, signalling another call coming through. “Donna” flashed across the screen, but she continued to ignore it.

Dean watched as the screen went dark, the call sent to voicemail, and not thirty seconds later, it lit up again, this time from text messages coming through. 

“Hey, girlie. Chad called. He told us he cancelled…”

He wasn’t a nosy guy by nature, but something about this girl worried him, and he kept reading the previews as they appeared.

“I’m sorry. We had no idea he’d flake like that. If I…”

He could see she had friends that cared deeply for her, but he also understood her need to be left alone to process things; he was the same.

“I’ve told Doug he’s not playing matchmaker again…”

The urge to protect her was overwhelming for Dean, and he knew he was protective of the people he loved, but he’d only just met this woman. 

“Please, sweetie. I just need to know you’re okay…”

Regardless, he’d keep an eye on her for the rest of the night for his own peace of mind.

“Y/N, DON’T MAKE ME TURN ON FIND MY FRIENDS…”

Dean watched as she picked up her phone, and her fingers flew across the screen as she typed out a response. When she was finished, she put the device back in her purse, leaving it on silent.

“Have you told your friend you’re okay?” Dean asked.

“Yeah,” Y/N sighed, picking the glass up and drinking from it. “She worries about me.”

“That’s nice, but you seem like you can take care of yourself pretty well,” Dean questioned, wanting to know as much about this woman as she’d allow him.

“Oh, I can. But when it comes to men, I’ve had bad luck after bad luck and asshole guy after asshole guy,” she chuckled.

“Really? What kinda guys are you going for if your luck’s that bad?” Dean asked, frowning when she shook her head.

“Doesn’t matter. They’re in the past for a reason. Anyway, I’ve done enough talking, tell me about you! Do you have a special girl waiting for you to close up?” she asked, and he smiled.

“Nope,” he answered, popping the ‘p’. “No girl.”

“Guy?” Y/N asked with a raised brow, but it was curious instead of judgemental.

“Uh, no,” Dean chuckled. “No guy either. I don’t play that way. But, uh, it’s difficult. Having a girl, I mean. When you work where I work.”

“Why?” she asked, her brow furrowing and nodding at his gesture of ‘another one?’

“Well, the hours are long, you pretty much have to work every weekend, so it’s hard to make plans and go on dates. And then, the girl comes in and sits at the bar, and I like when they do that, I do because I get to spend time with them. But at the weekends, this place gets pretty packed and, you know,” he scratched the back of his head in nerves. “Girls come in here and, uh, they can be…” he trailed off to think of the right word he wanted to use and busied himself fixing her drink.

“Flirty? Handsy? Desperate?” Y/N offered, and he threw his head back in laughter, making her smile.

“All of the above! And it doesn’t usually go down well. At least, I’ve yet to meet someone who can sit there and watch a Saturday night unfold like that and not start accusing me of cheating.”

“I’m sorry,” she frowned. “That must suck.”

“It does. It’s not nice hearing that you’re unfaithful just because you own a bar,” he agreed.

“Do you want a girl?” she questioned. “Or are you much happier knowing what you’ve been through in the past to be a lone wolf?”

“A ‘lone wolf’?” he scoffed a laugh at her phrasing.

“Well, you know?” she grinned. “A handsome guy like you working behind a bar for long hours, you’ve already said women can get flirty or whatever, so you must have your pick of ‘em?”

Dean nodded thoughtfully and shrugged. “Well, if drunk off their ass women were my thing, sure. I could have my pick of some very beautiful ones, but,” he said as he placed the fresh drink in front of her. “They’re not. I mean, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t before, but it’s not what I’m looking for.”

“So, you do want a girl?” Y/N smirked. 

“Why, you know someone?” Dean smirked back.

“Maybe,” she grinned. “Depends on what you’re looking for.”

“Let’s see… beautiful, funny, confident, secure enough in herself to know I’m not cheating on her. A woman who knows how to take care of herself but still needs me to chase away the bad guys now and then,” Dean spoke with a soft smile.

“Hmm,” Y/N hummed. “Well, I’d say you just described me, but “drunk off their ass women” aren’t your thing, and here I am, getting drunk off my ass midweek at your bar, so I’m not sure I can put myself forward for your consideration,” she lifted her glass to her lips and noticed the way Dean raised his eyebrows, surprised? Impressed? She wasn’t sure, but who cares? If he rejected her, she never needed to see him again.

“That might be true,” Dean nodded, his lips pouting as he thought. “But you weren’t drunk off your ass when we started talking, so…” he trailed off with a shrug. 

“Oh, so I’m still in with a chance?” she grinned.

“Tell you what. I told you what I was looking for, how about you return the favour? And if you’re looking for someone like me, I’ll take you on a date on my next night off. Deal?” Dean asked, and she nodded with a lopsided smirk.

“I suppose that’s fair,” she spoke, shifting her stance to sit taller, straighter. “I want a guy who’s kind and considerate. A gentleman, but one who’ll take charge sometimes and not just do what I wanna do or leave everything up to me. Who’ll let me take my walls down without judging and not run away when I’m in my sweats and have no makeup on. I want someone who knows DIY or at least tries to fix things. I mean, I can do all that, no problem, but it’s such a turn-off when a guy doesn’t know how to use his… tools, you know?” Y/N smirked as Dean’s Adam’s apple bobbed at her words.

“You, uh-,” Dean cleared his throat, trying to make his voice less croaky. “You’re good with tools?” he asked weakly, internally cringing at whatever God-awful attempt at flirting this was.

“Oh yeah! I’m a very… hands-on kinda girl,” she grinned seductively.

“Y/N, if you have no other plans, would you like to go on a date with me this Sunday?” Dean spoke, sounding much more confident than he felt.

“You got yourself a date, Dean!” she smiled back.

“Awesome, sweetheart!” His boyish grin made her giggle, and he smiled wider at the sweet sound. He glanced over to the other side of the bar and excused himself to serve other customers.

When the rush had gone, and honestly, everyone in the damn bar just had to get a refill at the same time, didn’t they? Dean looked back over to where Y/N was sitting and found her gone.

Disappointment flooded him, and his self-depreciation set in as he told himself that her agreeing to date him was too good to be true. Dean walked over to clear the glasses and wipe down the bar and smiled as he noticed a piece of paper folded over a few bills:

Dean,

Sorry to leave without saying goodbye, but you were busy, and I’ve got an early start tomorrow and trust me, if I had one more drink, I would stay ‘til closing. Thank you for cheering me up tonight. I really needed it! Call me when you’re free and we’ll make plans for Sunday.

Y/N

Dean grinned and pulled his phone out, quickly saving her number and tucking his phone and her note safely back in his pocket. Wiping down the bar, he shook his head in disbelief. Of all the places and all the times to meet a beautiful, interesting woman, it happened when he’d least expected it.

If this was the universe giving him the sign he’d been praying for, then Dean heard it loud and clear. The fates had aligned and introduced him to the most intriguing woman he’d met in a long time, and he wouldn’t take that for granted.

Jensen / Dean Tags: @akshi8278 @deanwanddamons @deans-baby-momma @siospins2 @sexyvixen7 @leigh70

[allthingsfern]

First time out (03-31-17) with both new cameras (in response to LDT’s email)

Well, the 18-200 mm lens for my Nikon D5500 arrived midweek. It is gorgeous, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) longer than my old 25-80 mm lens. It is also heavier, but because the D5500 body is much lighter than my D50′s body, the over all (camera + lens) weight is the same, though the feel is different since the camera leans a bit forward because of the lens’s weight. I have to learn to hold this one.

My first time using the D5500 was a mixed bag of failure and success (surprised?) and I am grateful I got any good shots. The results from my first time with the FfX100S were intimidatingly abysmal. The strangest thing about the D5500 was that it felt familiar, since it looks and kinda feels like my old D50, yet it is also very different, being a decade newer. (The D50 was released in mid-2005 and the D5500 was released in mid-2015.) The funniest mistake I made with the D5500 was that I kept adjusting the compensation to the right, looking at the meter and seeing the little dots move right, which I thought worked like my D50. Turned out I was increasing compensation instead of decreasing it, since the meter in my D5500 is reversed... So much for reading the manual, right?

Anyway, about using the two cameras for the first time.

Overall, I had no problem switching cameras, not thinking too much about which one according to what I wanted to capture. I will say, though, I had the FfX100s in my hand most of the time (I went to 2 museums, the California Railroad Museum and the Crocker, both a few blocks apart.) The lightness and my growing familiarity with it were a joy. The D5500 stayed in my bag. However, if I go to downtown SF to shoot buildings or walk around campus looking to capture buildings and flowers/plants, then I will be carrying the D5500 in my hand and the FfX100S in my bag. A couple of times I hung the FfX100S from my neck while I used the D5500, but I felt very self-conscious.  I am uncomfortable being perceived as a snob artist, but am also getting over it. This is my art and that is your perception of me, so you need to deal with your reading of me, not me. Not “you you, but you know what I mean.

Re the D5500, there was a whole thing with my not knowing how to work the focus to select a specific focal point I wanted. On the FfX100s, I know how to use the joystick and was ready to focus, but on the D5500 I could not figure out how to select what I wanted to capture most sharply. Too funny, really, and I know I will learn, but dam. (And I just found out that is exactly how the D5500 works, too. Oy.)

Oy. And the two different LCDs... I am not so much complaining about them, but they are so much more useful for settings and shooting than my old D50, which only used its smaller LCD for settings and playback. And the D5500 has a touchscreen, which I forget it has, though I am learning to use it a bit more. And all those options on the LCD screen. And the different viewfinders, but I am learning to navigate both. Apparently my old brain is not fossilized yet.

And all this is making me think that I will be going back to both cameras user manuals and tutorial videos (God bless Youtube) every so often to refresh my memory about how these two puppies work. I know I will get into a “habit mode” with each camera, using it with specific settings almost all the time, so I think it will be a good idea to go back and re-examine and relearn both cameras’ features, which are plentiful. (BTW, I just realized that for both cameras, some of the options are for JPG only, and that helps me not have to worry about a whole lot of features, since i will rarely, if ever, shoot JPG. Another “BTW” is that I do not see myself getting a new version of either camera except if Fuji releases a T100 model with a tilting LCD; that would be candid street photography perfection.) Having to learn two different ways of photographing with two very different tools is also making me dig more into the technical aspect of my beloved art form, which is cool. Learning more photography basics is good, since I am very limited in the technical side of my beloved art form.

Speaking of learning about the basics, I was talking photography with one of my colleagues, who is an amateur photographer and who is part of our video group (he is a one of our videographer/director/producers). At one point he was talking about the old days when he used a light meter but how he also could figure out what exposure settings to use for any given shoot. I said that I had an idea about all that but was uncertain. Then he mentioned a scenario and certain settings and I understood what he was talking abut and why he would select a specific aperture setting. It was very cool, understanding what he was talking about. I am also less freaked out when I start discussing cameras and use terms “glass” for the lens. I think it is funny that I am beginning to sound like a photography nerd, also sometimes referred to as a hipster. Though, I gotta admit, I kinda get why some people think being a hipster is a negative thing, but I also do not get it. Let them be who they wanna be. Maybe if some of us were not so judgemental, they would not feel a need to be so aggressively who they are.

Anyway, I am going to focus on learning the FfX100s first, since it is so different a camera from my D50 & D5500. I got some (I think) solid photos with the FfX100S, and I am loving its lightness. I know I will use it for street and portraits and other shots. However, I also see things and places and people in certain ways that call for a zoom lens, and I am loving the D5500 for those, too. I see the different potential for each camera. This, BTW, makes me appreciate those photographers who use multi-lenses and multi-cameras, though I am, for now, perfectly happy with just these two cameras and their respective lenses. I do not see myself becoming a gear head, simply because it does not interest me.

Another thing happened while I was walking around taking photos. Carrying both cameras in my bag, reaching in for each one and carefully extracting each from my bag, I realized I am a “take my time and get the shot” photographer as opposed to a “hurry and get the shot” photographer. I usually tend to see and capture static objects and light, as opposed to capturing motion. Then there is the fact that I am not fixated on “getting the shot.” If I get it, cool. If not, I will get another opportunity for another great shot later. I cannot think of any one shot I missed that I regret not capturing. (Though, I have to admit, there are two photos that were submitted to Lensblr when I was part of the staff there that I really liked and should have defended my choice to have them reblogged; Chas asked my why I chose them, since he was not sure the two photos were good enough. I still think about those two photos. That does bug me, but, oh well.) I have a Zen thing going on with my photography. I am comfortably balanced about it, in part because the whole process itself so satisfies whatever it is my self finds in creating photos. I get to be in all kindsa places and enjoy being there for the sake of being there, and if I get some good photos, even one, then cool.

So, it was an exhilarating adventure. I am getting to know my two cameras. Shit, three moths ago, if anyone told me I was going to buy two cameras, I would have laughed, knowing I was a one camera/one lens kinda guy,

Now, two cameras. Now I have two cameras.

I own two fucking cameras.

Who knew?