#though I don't spend much in general and having good food is the area I'd be willing to splurge more

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

More Furina asks? You don't need to ask twice :)

How about Furina and an assortment of Genshin/GFL characters taking care of a sick S/O? Thanks in advance if you write it!

Taking care of a sick S/O

(Genshin Impact/GFL/iDOLM@STER/GG:ST)

Genshin: Furina, Chiori, Clorinde, Navia, Shenhe, Xianyun, Xinyan

GFL: UMP45, UMP9, G11, HK416, WA2000, Helianthus, Angelia, Kalina

iDOLM@STER: Madoka

Guilty Gear: Elphelt

Congratulations, dear follower! You have won the lottery of where I write an ungodly amount of characters for no real reason! (Simping is the reason)

(Furina) "Y-You're sick?...Hm, this shall be no problem for me! Worry not, for you are in great hands!"

They were in fact not in great hands.

Furina doesn't really know what to do for someone when they get sick. Hell, she wasn't entirely sure she could even get a cold.

But Furina would try her best, she heard soup would do good!

As for cooking it-

(Furina) "Don't worry, I will get the best soup in the city for you! I will be back in but half an hour!"

She ain't.

Furina manages to get S/O to at least feel happy with her company, even if she had no idea what to do other than pace around nervously.

When she's out of earshot and they're sleeping somewhat comfortably, she takes a deep sigh, thankful she wasn't entirely useless.

(Furina) "Thank goodness they'll be okay..."

Chiori raises an eyebrow the moment she hears her S/O cough violently.

(Chiori) "Come down with something?" sigh "Oh well, guess I can open a little later than usual."

Even if S/O protests that they're fine, Chiori is hearing none of it.

First she makes sure to get everything they need, ranging from food or medicine and looks back from the door.

(Chiori) "I'll be back once I close up shop. Make sure you follow the instructions on that."

She won't baby anyone, since she trusts S/O to take care of themselves.

But should they get worse, she won't hesitate to close up, at least for a little bit, and experiment with her clothing at home with them.

Chiori would much rather deal with S/O's illness than having to deal with illness the customers give her by just breathing the same air.

Clorinde has her duties to attend to, but she reassures S/O with a gentle squeeze of their hand.

(Clorinde) "I will return home as quickly as I can with medicine, until then please rest up."

Clorinde is a little nervous leaving them alone and getting peace of mind once she's actually back and not dealing with the drama of the court or the public in general.

Even though it's unfortunate S/O got sick, she is at least happy to spend the time with them that she can.

And more importantly, that she's here to help take care of them when they need it most.

Clorinde puts a warm towel on their forehead, a small smile forming once she sees their body relaxing.

(Clorinde) "Are you feeling better, S/O? Here. This is from a lesser-known restaurant I enjoy, their soup is quite refreshing."

With a snap of her fingers, Navia already has a gaggle of men under her command fetching medicine, food, entertainment.

Whatever S/O required, they would get it!

As for her, Navia did not intend to leave their side, not really caring about the risk of getting sick.

She hated getting sick herself, and she knew how boring it'd be to rest in bed.

Instead, she regales S/O with tales from her childhood, interesting things she's learned, or even just enjoying the time with them in an intimate silence.

As long as they were smiling and not thinking about how sick they were, it was mission accomplished.

(Navia) "Ah, that must be our food arriving! Allow me to set up the table-...Hm? No no, stay right there! I insist that we have nothing short of an exquisite atmosphere! A better atmosphere is a better state of health, I'd say!"

This was an area of expertise Xianyun was well researched in.

Taking care of her many disciples when they were younger, this really was no problem for her.

There was nothing quite as refreshing like Adeptus Medicine!

...Well, it could actually be too refreshing since it wasn't particularly made for mortals in mind. Especially the taste, according to Shenhe.

Regardless, they could heal the body in no time, but there was nothing better to help with it than a well made soup!

Made by her personally, of course.

(Xianyun) "One has prepared a broth to help with your stuffy nose, S/O. Be sure to drink it all, it will warm both the body and soul!"

Xinyan is rushing around the harbor, grabbing every medicine she knows that always helped her in a pinch.

(Xinyan) "Here ya go, S/O! These herbs taste gross, but they'll pack a heckuva punch for that cold ya got!"

She practices her guitar while sitting next to S/O, keeping in mind of the volume the entire time.

As long as S/O wanted some company, anyway.

Xinyan will constantly check their temperatures and bring them some homemade food, smiling when she sees them laughing or relaxed on the bed.

(Xinyan) "Heh, that herb tastes gross, don't it? I used to have them all the time when I was little, sure as heck don't like 'em nowadays!"

UMP45 would tease S/O for getting sick, with a little bit of a softer expression than usual if they were alone.

(UMP45) "Aw, you got sick? Well, good thing I'm a T-Doll. Have fun with that.~"

She hangs out with S/O on the bed, giving her an excuse to not go out that day.

Depending on how severe the sickness was, she would dial back her usual snarky attitude more and more.

If anything, these kinds of moments is what she wished for, once she no longer had to fight.

But for now, UMP45 would just have to make do with these fleeting domestic dreams.

(UMP45) "...Hm? I'm lost in thought? Nah, that's just your sickness messing with your head."

UMP9 is on the case!

(UMP9) "No worries, you won't get bored while I'm here!"

She immediately plops down onto the bed, giving warmth to S/O if needed! The base was in a colder region after all.

UMP9 would talk about excitedly about all the things she had in mind to S/O, to at least get their mind off being sick!

Plus she didn't really have to worry about getting sick herself. so there was no harm!

She'd also bring all sorts of treats and food from the Cafe, even if S/O couldn't really eat it.

(UMP9) "Here's some soup! Now, say 'aaah'!"

(G11) "...Does that mean you won't be cooking dinner tonight?"

G11 sighs heavily, but whatever.

She knew there was one thing she could help with.

She immediately crawls into bed with S/O, letting herself be used like a giant teddy bear and promptly falls asleep from the warmth of S/O and the blankets.

(G11) zzz

To her credit, she at least makes sure S/O is never freezing cold, but other than sleeping, she doesn't really do much.

Unsurprisingly.

(HK416) "Tch, idiot. I told you, you should have been wearing more layers."

She rolls her eyes, but never really comments on the fact she is making sure S/O is bundled up properly, getting proper medication, and even spoonfeeding them.

Of course she's not babying them, they were a fully functional human, if anything they're wasting her time, making her do such mundane things!

(HK416) "And I'm not blushing, T-Dolls can't blush, dumbass."

Which her flushed cheeks were telling S/O otherwise.

In the end, she'll grumble and mutter under her breath, but never once will she actually hesitate to immediately jump into help S/O, unless UMP9 was teasing her.

WA sighs dramatically, immediately putting the blanket over S/O.

(WA2000) "Tch, don't get it in your head that I'm doing this because I'm concerned! It's so that you can get back to your duties already."

She is yet another German tsundere T-Doll that takes care of S/O perfectly, down to getting them a new towel down to the most precise nanosecond.

WA still attends to her duties, but S/O's room is where she returns the instant she can.

(WA2000) "Has your fever died down already?...Finally, next time take better care of yourself! What would happen if I wasn't here, huh?"

Helianthus has S/O attended to by medical officers, and makes a trip to them in person.

(Helianthus) "I'm glad to see it was nothing serious. I hope that it is a swift recovery, S/O."

In front of the others, she is extremely professional.

But in private, it's diminished somewhat but she is far more prone to getting flustered.

(Helianthus) "...W-Why do you look so surprised to see me? It's not as if we never see each other! Hmph, if you're trying to tease me, then you must be feeling better already. Then hurry up and return to your duties!"

Helianthus is far more comfortable when she knows they're remaining in the medbay and receiving the best care Griffin can offer.

Angelia is pretty neutral on the situation.

S/O got sick? Welp, sucks to be them.

Work doesn't really stop for her, but she'll at least pay a visit or three.

(Angelia) "Hey, still feeling like crap? Thought so. If you need me to grab you something, let me or any of my girls know."

Although her tone sounds dismissive, her real hand ruffles their hair affectionately before she turns to leave.

And if they can spare the time, Angelia orders DEFY to at least keep an eye on S/O until they fully recover.

Kalina pouts when she hears S/O had gotten sick.

(Kalina) "Aw man, now I gotta pick up your paperwork too, S/O! You wound my very soul!"

She's only mostly joking.

Kalina likes to bug them after her shift is over for the day, deflating on their bed and mumbling into their blanket.

(Kalina) "Did you know the Commander just plopped another stack of papers onto my desk the moment I said I was done! It's cruel!...STOP LAUGHING, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SICK YA LITTLE PUNK!"

Madoka has her work as an idol keeping her busy, but after work she pops by S/O's room, water and medicine in hand.

And as usual, her expression remains stoic.

(Madoka) "Hey, got some stuff for you. Move over for a sec."

She takes care of them without saying much. Her gaze is focused, yet soft.

And once Madoka is finished, she avoids looking at them directly, her voice a bit quieter than before.

(Madoka) "...It's a bit pointless to thank me, it's something anyone would do."

It could be S/O's imagination, but they thought they saw her face getting slightly red after helping them.

She gives their arm a slight squeeze in response, still averting her sight.

(Elphelt) "Just do what I do when I have problems! SCREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!"

Being a Valentine, she was pretty sure(???) that she couldn't get sick. At least, not in the same way a human could.

But she doesn't like to see anyone sad, her S/O especially.

Elphelt brings S/O all sorts of things to see that smile, such as bush dog plushies, bush dog photos, bush dog songs-

And sweets! Lots of sweets as well!

(Elphelt) "...What do you mean you can't eat cake right now?...Oh, you're right! Duh, I should've brought some ice cream instead! BE BACK IN A JIFFY!"

Before S/O can say anything, else, she's already gone.

At the very least, S/O won't be bored while they're sick.

Did Elphelt make them feel better?

...Even mentally, that was up for debate. But at least they knew she loved them.

[devsgames]

Heya, a while ago I got a job as a programmer for a small game studio (yay!), though now struggling to manage the work load from disability issues and it not being better than my previous development job, I've realised I would very much like to go solo. I believe I have the technical ability and training to do so but I'm not sure how to manage it financially, especially with an almost full time job (that I can't reduce more than I already have). Do you have any tips on the money side of becoming independent? Would just like to be stable enough to make a living on it!

Thanks for the ask!!

First: congrats on getting a job! That's excellent!

I'm going to go in-depth because I think it's a valid question, but I also want to be super clear that no one should go solo until they're absolutely prepared for the risks associated with it:

Sustainability

I can't personally speak to working with a disability, but my biggest piece of advice for going solo is: don't quit your day job. Odds are good that as a solo developer you are not going to make enough money to earn a living.

In my experience it's usually better to be miserable and struggling at a full-time job that pays well than miserable and struggling as a solo dev that doesn't pay rent. At a full-time job you may not happy but at least you put food on the table and can save money and spend it on things guilt-free, which is something a lot of solo devs can't do.

I think there's a misconception that being a solo dev is sustainable when in actuality the way most solo devs are sustainable is by already having a popular game/following, or having an existing safety net or second job that pays the bills, or by working their asses off more than they would at a full-time job. Solo dev exhibits survivorship bias because the solo devs who couldn't keep up in the market simply aren't doing it anymore. Solo dev is so competitive and the pay so unreliable that unless you strike gold (which is very unlikely) I can't in good faith recommend anyone attempt going solo without some sort of extensive planning to back it up.

I'll use myself as a point of comparison for full transparency (because I am absolutely not exempt from having immense privilege and I think it's important to acknowledge that): I was laid off in 2023, but my partner currently makes 110k CDN a year. Before I got laid off I made 85k CDN a year. We've been saving up for about ~7 years. Cost of living in our area of the country is very high, but we live in a place owned by a relative so our rent is truly dirt cheap so our overall costs are incredibly low. My partner pays most of our expenses, and I'm on her insurance plan. We're both open and comfortable about this arrangement now, but if something happened financially I'd be running out and working a job immediately out of necessity. I am incredibly privileged to have a comfortable living situation that affords me flexibility to focus on creative stuff full-time, but it's because of these circumstances that I can do solo dev in a dedicated capacity.

A Peek At Finances

I started solo dev in 2020 and until 2023 I did solo dev alongside my full-time job and I shipped 3 games in that time (so roughly one game per year), so I was saving money and making games on the side. I ran a Kickstarter as part of that and made a number of sales as part of the Queer Games Bundle (which offered much more generous payouts back then than it is able to now). Now in 2024 I do it full-time, but despite this I don't make enough to survive.

Here's all the profits from my game sales from the last 4 years as a solo dev (in USD). Remember this is from the last 4 years altogether (not per-year), and 2024 was the first year I did it exclusively:

Steam

Itchio (this is largely due to the Queer Games Bundle, I generally don't make much profit off itch at all outside of that)

On top of this, I work as a Course Director at a local University for 4 months of the year for an additional $10k to supplement my income. I also have had some other revenue streams from streaming, commissions, freelance writing, talks, Patreon, etc. however that's approximately in the ~$100 every few months range and not terribly noteworthy.

As you can tell the solo dev sales is not really enough money for most people to make rent on, and some of my games (like Lofty Quest) cost a lot of money relative to their profit. Solo dev is incredibly risky because even with perfect planning you can work on a project for years only for it to make you like, $300 in the end.

All this is to say; solo dev really is not sustainable full-time for most people unless you are the 0.1% of people who can afford to live on $1000-5000 USD a year (though I feel like most people can't).

"""Side-Hustle""" Approach

I think solo dev is more manageable as a (for lack of a better word) 'side hustle' than it is a full-time job. But I find the secret to doing that is (like any craft) is to learn to enjoy the process and not the product - if you enjoy making your own games then it will give you energy, as opposed to sucking it away like making games for work does.

When I was working in the office I'd be designing stuff for my TTRPGs whenever I took breaks at my desk, or writing notes and plans on digital games whenever I had some down time. Even working remotely I would squeeze in working on my game during big team meetings or before I went to bed - again mostly just because I liked the act of making my own games. I did it because I enjoyed it and it afforded me more freedom than I had working on content on a AAA game, but I never really did it because I was ever planning to make a ton of money or planning to go solo. Doing solo dev part-time helped me find a work-life balance where I was still feeling creatively fulfilled despite working at a job I hated, and profit came after that - I only fully focused on solo dev when I suddenly lost my job and found myself in a comfortable living situation.

An additional thing I'd say about solo dev is that if you 'believe' you have the ability to do it, then try to ship a premium game right now by yourself from start to finish as a side thing before re-shaping your life plans around it. It sounds obvious but until you ship a game by yourself you don't know what it's like to ship a game by yourself, and it'll give you a better idea of what it's actually like and if it's something you can actually manage to do more long-term.

If you're really really going to go solo full-time and nothing is ever going to stop you (once again, I would not recommend considering this at all but I know some people have trouble listening to advice), then here's some survival tips:

You should ensure you have a plan that is concrete and actionable - make it a SMART goal so that it's measurable and you can quantifiable hold yourself to it. E.g. "I'm going to publish a game solo and see how it goes" isn't something to bank your livelihood on, but "I'm going to release two small games before November and see what the process is like, and if I'm not making rent by February I will find a part time job" is. Remember that finding a new job after being off the job market will take time (sometimes months) and incorporate that additional plan. Formulate a Plan B and hold yourself to it, and then a handful of 'Plan C through G' worst-case scenarios, because you don't want to bank your livelihood on solo dev. Hold yourself to your plan whenever possible, keep going back to that plan, and know when to call it quits. Solo dev isn't worth sacrificing your life over.

Before going solo, calculate your monthly burn rate and current savings and know how long it will last - also assume you're going to spend more money than you usually do on average (because you'll probably spend more than you expect). Plan ways to cut costs in your daily life, what you can stop spending money on, etc. Figure out your insurance situation with your work; you'll either have to get your own plan or lose health coverage in some instances. If you're planning on quitting your job and you have a quit date be sure to maximize the amount of money you spend on insurance before you do; buy new orthotics, new glasses, see your doctor, stock up on your meds, etc. Don't do any unnecessary spending if at all possible.

Read up on your local business and tax laws, and learn how it works for developers in your area with regards to revenue from foreign countries (if you live outside the US, as most storefronts operate within the US). If you can, find a lawyer and an accountant who works with game developers in your area (if you know any local devs ask them who they use, they'll usually be happy to share). Seek out publishers, investors, grants, developers in your area and make connections as early as possible because they could be a lifeline down the road. If you're going to be sustainable as a solo dev it's usually from grants, investors or contract work and not because of sales alone. Network early and network often.

When you start a game, be acutely confident (and honest with yourself) of its marketability - no one thinks your game is as cool as you do. Don't make an echo chamber about your work and be open to feedback. Ask others what they think about it to validate your intentions.

Plan to spend money on promoting it. Post about your game as part of your job and never shut up about it. Be as annoying about your work as you feel comfortable, and then double the amount of annoying you are. You'll get used to being annoying because if no one finds out about your game your game will not make money.

Work like a studio; playtest your game early and often. Before you finish your first game, plan what your next game is going to be and start prototyping that. Be your own producer, err on the side of caution and cut as many things as often as possible.

I made a whole talk on the production side of being a solo dev here if you want more specific production tips.

---

Anyway, sorry that may not be...terribly helpful of an answer, but I think a realistic approach is usually best. Thanks again for the ask!

[survey--s]

673.

What were you doing before you started taking this survey? Picking a photo for the header and watching Wallace & Gromit.

Do you live somewhere where it’s completely safe to walk alone at night? I do, but I pretty much never walk around alone at night anyway.

Have you ever lived with someone who was a total slob? Yeah. He was a flatmate and really gross - when he got kicked out we had to clear his room and there were LAYERS of mould everywhere. Eurgh. It took weeks for it to be habitable again lol.

Would you rather be able to talk to animals or be fluent in every language? If you were fluent in every language surely that includes animal ones?

Does your kitchen have a pantry? Ha no. Our kitchen is TINY.

Do you live below your means? Or do you spend every penny you have? We live well within our means. We're lucky that we live in a cheap area and have a cheap mortgage. Our bills come to less than half my total salary each month so we have plenty left over as Mike earns way more than me. Which is good as we have four animals and like to buy stuff, lol.

What are some foods you enjoy cooking? I don't enjoy cooking,it's just something that has to be done.

Have you ever watched Battlestar Galactica? Yeah,my mum used to like that show but I never got into it. She used to watch it on rainy Sunday afternoons when I was a kid.

Can others often tell what you’re feeling by your facial expressions? Ha - sometimes. I definitely have resting bitch face.

Have you ever interviewed a job applicant at your workplace? Yes, several times actually. I always hated doing interviews though.

Did you ever skip class when you were in school? If so, was there a particular class that you skipped the most? No, because they'd have just rung my parents and I'd have been given a massive bollocking lol.

In your opinion, what is it that makes someone a good person? Behaving decently when they know nobody's watching.

Are you happy with the life you’re living? Yes.

How do your political beliefs compare to those of your parents? I'm much more liberal than either of my parents, but they're not that right-wing really. Just set in their ways.

What do you think of the Baby Boomer generation? Nothing. I mean, everyone is different. I don't think stereotyping an entire generation as a certain characteristic helps anyone, tbh.

Have you ever gone over 3 months without shaving/waxing your legs? In the past, but personally I enjoy the feeling of being clean-shaven so I don't like to leave it longer than a day or two.

Are you high-maintenance? No.

What was the last non-fiction book you read? I can't remember. Probably a textbook.

Would you ever consider being a foster parent? No. I have zero desire to have my own kids, let alone look after someone else's.

Are you able to crack any of your joints? Yeah, all of them except my fingers.

What’s your favorite movie genre? Comedy or fantasy.

What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately? Christmas, work, my birthday.

What was the last thing someone asked you for advice on? I honestly can't remember.

Have you ever kissed 3 or more people in the same day? Yes.

What’s your opinion on lottery tickets? Waste of money, or no? Lottery tickets are a waste of money.

What are some things that make others cry, that don’t make you cry at all? I'm not sure about cry, but I can read stories about crimes and stuff without them really impacting me. I'm not sure if that's good or bad lol.

Are you a very detail-oriented person? Or are you better at seeing the big picture? I'm both, depending on the circumstances.

Do you have any upcoming plans with friends? Next month, yeah. Susie and I have our annual Christmas afternoon tea coming up!

What was the last picture message you received, and from whom? It was an advert for a dog dental chew thing from my mum.

Have you ever swam in a saltwater pool? Yeah, I really didn't like it.

What kinds of leisure activities did your family do together when you were growing up? Hiking, swimming, skiing, skating, bike rides, board games.

What color suits you more: teal or black? Black.

What continent do you live on? Europe.

[mottemotte]

The Yorkie Saga

?.2.23

I thought maybe if I made it into a blog post I can update this from now on and stop spamming my friends asudhaoshdias

So I'm trying to get.... a yorkie!! I've been wanting a Small Dog for years and originally I was thinking a pomeranian, but when I was telling Mom, she said she's wanted a yorkie all her life and would help out if I ended up with a yorkie, SO YORKIE IT IS AND OH MY GOD ARE THEY HARD TO FIND

I feel like the absolute most my family spent on a dog before was maybe $800 being extremely generous, and now people are charging $3,000+?! WTF and one breeder I had spoken to said her yorkies STARTED at $3k, but her chihuahua/yorkie mixes started at $450. Like. You're obviously charging just for the "name" at that point, it's outrageous.

And I can't even get a cheap one from a shelter because all of the shelters in my area are crazy. I get that they want their dogs to go to good homes, but they don't just look into your financial situation/veterinary access/etc. They have requirements on how big your yard is, how well-kept it is, what kind of fencing you have, what condition it's in, whether you live with other dogs, whether you live with cats, whether you have any children in your household.... I'd understand if they cared that like you weren't living in squalor, but they have like no flexibility for other lifestyles. I live with a ton of people, there'd be no need to leave the dog out alone in a yard because someone will always be home to walk it on a leash. But they think that especially small dogs can NOT live with cats or kids, so... no shelter dog :,(

I found one breeder who seems more reasonably priced but there's no real info about her online, and I think she might dock their tails which I hate. Mom says it's whatever, but unless she's getting their tails docked at a vet with anesthesia, I really don't want to give her money!! plees im just want a puppy :,,,(

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

WOWIE it's been TEN DAYS and i have FUCKALL TO SHARE! :D

mom and i have talked and agreed to each split the cost of buying the dog, so our budget has doubled. Which is still not really making it easier to find a dog but oh well.

We found a backyard breeder in the meantime - I was getting shady vibes from the start but Mom wanted to meet the seller and the puppies in person (not at their home, of course. in a parking lot!!) and found out that they're not registered because the breeder doesn't want anyone to breed them, and also their vet is in a different state. yeah sure these dogs are totally seeing a vet and that's definitely why they're not registered ok

so anyways. there's that.

I've been doing budgeting bc money and planning is all I'm good at, and I think, long-term, we would only really need to spend $1,000 at the absolute most each year, including vet visits, food, waste bags, toothpaste, grooming... so that's kinda cool to see :) after the first year it should even out into <$500 a year so wahoo. it really is just. getting the fucking dog that's going to be a nightmare.

ALSO! Fabric seems to finally be getting cheaper in my area (not for winter fabrics though, but summer? which I mean makes sense bc there's a lot less actual fiber in them, they're thin bc summer, but why? now?) and I will finally be able to start sewing again :D and I've found tons of different methods of making leashes/collars, my favourites of which involve scraps only, which I am kind of already swimming in but definitely again when I can get more fabrics B) v much looking forward to it eeeeee

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

?.3.23

IT HAS BEEN A MONTH AND I FINALLY HAVE NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE FOUND A PERSON WITH A PREGNANT YORKIE BITCHES!!!!!!!

the puppies will be 8 weeks around the end of june so !! WE START THE PREP i was originally going to put the money we set aside in a CD until then but the rates are ass so :p we just. waite

BUT ITS HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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18.4.23

THE YORKIES HAVE BEEN BORN!!!!!!!! AND SHE DOESNT DOCK TAILS!!!!!!!!!!! :DDD

since my CD player/radio are finally fixed, i saw some people recommend playing some sounds of "scary" things to get puppies accustomed to them while the pup isnt yet vaccinated so when they can go out to places its not so much of an adjustment and YES i am sitting in my room like a psychopath looking up plastic bag, car horn, and firework/gunshot sound effects on freesound.org to eventually burn into a cd. YES im losing it bUT IN A GOOD WAY!!!!!!!!!!! :D

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24.4.23

feel like i should b dating these

anywasy WE GOT  OUR FIRST PIC OF OUR DOG!!!!!!!!!!! she is so cute and she has EYEBROWS i love it she looks so >:( all the time, also she is TWO WEEKS OLD so her eyes are just beginning to peep open im love im loev im love im love im lvoe

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4.5.23

i went thrifting today and there was a tiny dog harness on sale for $1 and then i also got it half off bc of their sale today!!! i was thinking abt getting a bowl or leash as well but they, fsr, bundle up all their leashes and then tape them around, and the only ones i saw that were small had words on them, and i didnt want to accidentally buy a leash with something absurd!! and all of their bowls fsr didn't have a match :,) but i got a cute blue dot harness thing!!!! and our breeder just texted us today that she's growing well!!!!! :DD

4 Kudos

[tayne-dot-exe]

My recent autism "I need to categorize and list everything" obsession is foods and flavors, but for just my taste and the cheapest/easiest way for me to have it whenever. Long diary post.

Like I need to list out every food I ever want, to remind myself what are all the things I like to eat and what are my options, especially trying to figure out what flavor profiles/foods are most DISTINCT from each other and if there are versions of similar stuff where I would never choose one if another was an option (eg. teriyaki chicken vs braised pork), I've basically come up with a list of things that could pass as a fairly varied restaurant menu, or a buffet catered personally to me. Stuff thats good in the cupboard or freezer indefinitely I already try to keep stocked for myself for any time I feel like which is basically an awesome munchies spread of chips, candy, packaged pastries, and ice cream, but I wish getting cheeses or fun breads didnt have such a time limit or it was easier to get/make just a couple servings of them so I dont have to plan HAVING to finish whole packs/batches of stuff before it gets moldy. But I honestly think if I had the option to star trek materialize any food any time for free I might never really stray from a list like this because while I'm not really afraid of trying new foods, when I do I'm doing it in the pursuit of finding out every possible food I want in my Repertoire. When I go to a new restaurant I usually try to figure out what is the item on the menu that has either the highest combination of flavors I either already know I like or that I can't "INTJ calculate in my head".

I wish I could try more flavors of things to compare 1 on 1 the best version of different things (love adam ragusea or babish vids where they actually do the experiment of if a regular person can appreciate differences in techniques every online recipe just Says is the best way) or even just to Know more things without having to commit to like 10$ blocks of 20 different cheeses I've never had before or even the continuous funky packaged snacks with flavors of the month that might just be made to trick people into trying 1 time and not to actually be good, we need cheese tasting parties but for every kind of food and snack you may not have otherwise organically encountered without having to spend 6$ per package of a ton of things you might not finish. I feel like maybe there was a reddit guy era of having hot sauce tastings? I feel like bbq sauces also have so much variety that you could do something like that, I'm a big sauce fan.

For most of these things I think I have pretty basic and cheap taste and don't have the palette to care about differences of fancier cooking techniques or subtle flavor differences or the best mouthfeel combination of chocolate and caramel. And to some degree theres only so many foods that bring entirely distinct and strong flavor components out there, especially since the flavors you're predisposed to liking are somewhat limited by whats familiar to you, but sometimes I'm like what if there are flavors out there I could never "INTJ calculate in my head" and have no idea I need to try in the right context to know this (like how guys will specialize in how to mentally approach tasting what kind of coffee you like). Or worse what if theres something I would love so much but could never find locally, I am so use to abundance and having the same access to things all year that this would be like a faerie food curse to me (not really, tbh stuff being even just a little more expensive than things that are easy to make and stock usually deters me anyway but "I have the OPTION to spend 30$ to have. idk lobster in the middle of Texas even though I'm not willing to spend that much hardly ever" feels different than "what if my potential favorite fruit in the whole world is not sold in any grocery store in america").

Anyway you know that post about what chicago guys put on their hot dogs. I feel like out of just my list of very flavorful INGREDIENCE I get excited when its on any thing at a restaurant, I could mix together a bunch of vegetables and condiments that maybe could be called a "salad" that I can just put on any combination of carbs or protein like "you know what every single sandwich is missing? 3 types of cheese, 4 types of pickled vegetables, sun dried tomatoes, avocado, green onions…." Like I want to see just how many strong flavors I can put together while still actually tasting most of them individually. If they overpower each other then I will not know where to cut back because maybe I just want to know that everything I like is all together and I am having it.

[seidenbros]

Hi! I've got a request from your song lyrics prompts :) I'd like to request "and I don't want the world to see me" from Iris for either Jaskier or Eskel (not sure if you write for him so I put Jaskier there too, if you don't that's alright whoever you chose will be amazing!)

Thank you so much for this Lily! I haven't written Eskel so far, so this is the first time, and I really hope I was able to capture his essence (And I got another request for the song for Jaskier, so that will follow as well) It was a lot of fun to do, so I hope you do enjoy it, and please let me know if this doesn't fit Eskel :D

(Taken from this list and here are some other prompts, but feel free to request anything <3)

Pairing: Eskel x Reader Warnings: mentions of blood and injuries, hurt, fluff? Word count: 2624

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He pulled the hood of his cloak up to cover half of his face. Eskel knew how people reacted to him, how they looked at him when they saw the scar running from his mouth up to his ear, disfiguring his face. He hadn't always looked like this, and being a Witcher earned you a lot of scars, but this one was different, because it was visible all of the time, and it scared people. He understood, though it still hurt seeing the reactions all the time. Hence the cloak and the hood. It was easier to get to talk to people when he covered his face at least at the moment. It wasn't that he was ashamed – quite the contrary because it meant that he'd survived this, survived her attack – but it made dealing with townsfolk easier, because he didn't have to get them to look him in the eye and talk to him instead of blatantly staring at the scar. Some were curious about it, others were scared, and at the moment, he didn't have the patience to deal with it. He needed coin and he needed a place to stay and sleep for more than two hours. The last couple of weeks had been rough on him, and he was exhausted, so he needed a proper bed and good food, but that was only manageable if he earned some coin to spend on an inn and food.

That was why he found himself in front of your door. He knocked three times and waited for a response, but there wasn't one, though he heard someone inside. Another knock and he waited, but this time you reacted, but didn't open the door.

“Who is it?”

“I'm here about the Drowner. The owner of the inn told me to come here.” Another moment of silence, but then you slowly opened the door. It was probably understandable that you didn't open the door to everyone, Eskel understood that, especially because it looked like you were living alone.

“You're a Witcher,” you stated the obvious, opening the door wider and stepping outside. Half his face was covered, but you didn't seem to mind. It was rather cold and windy, so his clothes were probably practical. Never would you have expected why he was dressed that way.

“Yes,” Eskel answered, smiling gently at you, taking your worries away with this. Your shoulders relaxed, followed by a sigh that left your lips. “I'm Eskel. I rather prefer people using my first name than calling me Witcher.”

“My apologies, I didn't want you to feel -”

“Don't worry, you didn't I just wanted to properly introduce myself.” His words made you smile, because it was a really polite thing to do. More polite than any of the men here in the area, you had to say. Almost like he was the only one with manners around here, which was not really surprising, considering that most men here didn't respect women. At least that had been your experience, especially after you'd gotten hurt by the Drowner and nobody had helped you.

“I'm Y/N. Thank you for coming here. Would you like to come in first?” You couldn't help it, but Eskel fascinated you. It wasn't only the fact that he was a Witcher, or that he was so polite, that he smiled at you instead of snapping at you, but more a general thing that intrigued you, that made you want to get to know this man better. His whole aura, the way he carried himself...

“That's very kind, but I''d rather get this done while it's still bright outside. If you could just point me in the direction...”

For a moment you pondered whether you should go with him, show him directly where that Drowner had attacked you, but fear gripped you tight and made you think better of it. There was nothing you could do in this situation anyway, you'd probably only be in the way.

“A bit down the walkway behind the house, then you turn to your right and follow the path until you get to the lake,” you said raising your arm to show him the direction, which was when he saw the bright scars on your arm. Without thinking too much about it, Eskel reached for your arm, expecting you to pull away from him, to flinch, but you let him touch your arm, your scars, holding your breath.

“You're hurt,” he observed, gently tracing his fingertips along your scars, making you shiver involuntarily. “The Drowner? These seem to heal very nicely.”

“Yes...” It wasn't a very nice memory, and yes, you were still scared, which was why you needed that thing to be gone. You hadn't been able to sleep properly ever since it had happened. “I treated the wounds myself. Nobody was willing to help me here.” You'd tried to get help, but in the end, it had been you alone. Luckily, you knew your way around injuries, and so it had probably been better that you'd treated them yourself instead of getting help from anyone.

“I know what that's like,” Eskel said with a wry smile, slowly letting go of you.

“I'm sorry...” You shook your head, not understanding why people treated him that way. Wherever he went, he helped the people, at least that was what she'd heard, and he was here now to help her. Yes, he would get paid for that, but there was nobody else, who would have taken on the Drowner. “When you get back, you're invited to dinner. To show you that not all people are like that.”

“You really don't have to.” Eskel hadn't gotten the impression that you were one of those people, especially not after you'd offered him some tea. But he also didn't want to impose himself on you.

“I insist!” Your words were followed by a soft smile, that made him agree in the end. There was no way he would talk you out of it, so he accepted that generous offer, before he set off on the path you'd told him about.

Hours passed and Eskel didn't returned. You'd already prepared dinner, but you were still waiting for him to come back. He had to, because he had to collect his coin. Or did something happen to him? Now, you were beginning to worry, because even though he seemed more than capable, something still could have happened to him. Before you were able to take your cloak and go out looking for him – because you'd sent him down there, so it was your responsibility to make sure nothing had happened to him – there was a loud knock on your door. Without asking this time, you pulled the door open to find Eskel right in front of it, leaning against the doorframe.

“I thought something happened to you!” You expressed your concern, before you saw the blood on his clothes – his blood. He looked a little pale, but he still manages to smile at you.

“I'll be alright. I just need a little rest.”

“You need more than that.” You put your hand on his arm to lead him inside. Not that you were able to support him in any way, seeing that he was towering over you, but you were able to lead him towards a chair in your kitchen, where you sat him down.

“Don't worry about it, it will be fine,” Eskel tried to play it down, but he was still bleeding.

“Yeah sure... Take you clothes off!” You wouldn't take no for an answer, even Eskel understood that by now. He'd gotten hurt because of your contract, so the least you could do was take care of his injuries. He still hesitated. “Oh come now, it's nothing I haven't seen before.” A smirk crept onto your lips, but Eskel sighed.

“Don't be so sure of that. I don't want you to get scared.”

“Why should I get scared?” Now, you were curious what he was talking about. You knew that people were scared of him because he was a Witcher – which was still ridiculous in your opinion – but you'd already established that you didn't have a problem with this.

“There's a good reason why I'm wearing that hood,” he eventually said, still not looking at you. “Because I don't want the world to see me... They don't understand.” Slowly, he raised his head again to look at you, and you could see the pain in his eyes, a vulnerability that you'd never thought you'd see in the eyes of such a tough, strong man. It made your heart pick up it's pace, curious what you might find underneath the fabric of the cloak covering his face.

There was no fear in your eyes when you reached out your hand to slowly, carefully push the hood from his head, revealing his face to you. You only got a glimpse at his scar, before he turned this side of his face away from you. You reached out your hand, touched your fingers to his cheek and made him look at you. The scar didn't look pretty, like he'd been in a lot of pain, but it didn't scare you away. Not at all. The kindness that shone in his eyes outweighed everything else, and so you simply smiled at him.

“They might not understand, but I do.” You had your own scars to show, not only the ones on your arm that he'd already seen. “But this doesn't determine who you are. You actions speak much louder than this, and you've been kinder to me than anyone in this damned village has ever been. You're still one handsome man, Eskel.” You meant what you said, which made Eskel smile in return. Never had he felt so at ease with someone as he did right here with you. “So, take off these clothes now, so I can tend to your injuries.”

“Yes, Ma'am.” There was an amused tone in his voice, the atmosphere a lot lighter than it had been a moment ago. When he took off his clothes, except for his pants, though, it was your time to stare. He'd looked well built even in his clothes, but seeing his naked upper body right now in the candle light, did things to you, that you hadn't felt in a long, long time. Still, you had to take care of his injuries, because you didn't want them to get infected.

There was a moment of silence, before you turned around to get everything you needed. When you returned, you nudged your knee between his legs to make him open his legs so that you could step between them. Noth of you were silent as you started to carefully clean the wound. He winced only once, but then he stayed still. The tension in the room was palpable. He was utterly silent, while your heart seemed to be nearly hopping out of your chest. Naked men weren't a problem for you, but a certain naked Witcher seemed to give you heat palpitations. Especially when you felt his hands and your waist to steady you. At least you told yourself that it was just that, keeping you in place, because you had to lean forward a little bit to do your work properly.

“I just need to bandage it up, and then you're good to go,” you said reaching for the bandages, leaning forward again, and putting your hand to his good shoulder to not fall into his arms. Not that you would mind, but it wasn't the right moment for that. Even when you felt his thumbs brush against your sides, you tried to keep your composure. “You need to lean forward a little bit so that I don't strap you to the chair with the bandages.”

“As you wish,” Eskel countered with a chuckle, doing as you'd said, but with that movement, he was even closer to you, his face just inches away from your chest. His fingers stilled again, but his face was turned towards you. He was watching your every reaction, which managed to make you a little nervous right now. But you tried to concentrate, put the bandage around his upper body so that it was not too tight, but tight enough. “There we go. Are you alright?”

“Better than that.” Eskel's voice was lower than before, his eyes fixed on you. “Thank you, Y/N.”

Hearing your name from his lips sent another shiver down your spine. You took a deep breath, before you smiled down at him again.

“Anytime. And as I promised, dinner is waiting for you.” You were still standing between his thighs, his hands on your waist, spreading heat throughout your whole body. You were so aware of him, of his whole body, that it nearly hurt. Talking distracted you, but only for a second, because when his thumbs brushed over your waist again, you nearly moaned. It had been a long time since anybody else had touched you, so even that gentle touch left you yearning for more.

Gone were the thoughts of dinner then, when you plucked up the courage to lean down and kiss him. Your hands were on his shoulders for support, careful not to hurt him in any way because of his injuries. As soon as your lips collided, his grip around your waist tightened and he pulled you closer. As you realised what was happening, you broke the kiss, eyes blown wide when you looked at him. You didn't move, stayed right where you were, but you had to apologize.

“I'm sorry, I didn't...” What? You didn't what? Want to kiss him? Because you'd definitely wanted to do that, and it had felt perfect, heavenly even. But you weren't sure if he'd wanted that as well, or if he'd just complied because he was in your home.

“Why are you apologizing?” His voice was gentle when he asked you, pushing you a little bit away from his own body so that he could properly look at you.

“I didn't want to make you feel obligated to any of this. I just...” Nervously you licked your lips, not seeming to find the right words. Usually, you weren't this nervous around men, but with Eskel it was different.

“If it makes you feel better, I don't feel obligated to do anything.” Now, it was his turn to nudge his knees between your legs before he pulled you closer again. You ran your fingers through his hair, down to his scarred cheek and let it rest there. For a moment, Eskel closed his eyes only to open them again a moment later and look at you with lust-filled eyes. “I want this.” He pulled you down so that you were straddling his lap, which made you chuckle.

“Okay.... I thought I was overstepping boundaries here...” Feeling his hands run up your back, one of them settling at the nape of your neck, fingers tangling in your hair.

“Can we stop the talking for now,” he asked with a smirk, which only managed to make you chuckle, but then you nodded your head. As soon as he'd seen your agreement, Eskel touched his lips to yours again, not willing to let you off the hook again soon. And you didn't want this as well. This was not what you'd expected your day to turn into, it was a whole lot better. Dinner could wait a little longer.

[dexpairs-blog]

RAD NEWSPAPER CLUB INTERVIEW

~interviewer: i'm going to ask you some general questions if you don't mind, just to give our readers an idea of who you are.

Ciel: sure i don't mind!~

1. What's your name?

Ciel!

2. Give me your full name...

Ciel Cintio

3. Do you have a nickname? If yes, what is it and how did you come to have it?

Well, It depends on the person, but most call me "C"

4. What species are you?

Human

5. Where/when were you born?

Italy, June 10th! And i'm pretty sure you know i'm younger than most of you.

6. I see. And that would make your age...?

16

7. How would you describe your personality?

I don't know... Introverted and chaotic at the same time? I mean... I'm pretty quiet when you meet me but once i open up i'm pretty loud.

8. Would you say you're someone who can handle pressure?

Not really

9. Do you like to read?

Yeah!

10. Favorite color?

Pink and black

11. Do you get along with others?

Yes!

12. Do you have any enemies?

Um... No? I don't think so...

13. How about friends?

Yeah, i do have friends.

14. Are you patient?

I don't know to be honest *giggles*?

15. Suppose that you could become any creature you know of. What would you pick, and why?

16. One of your enemies in question 13 just complimented you. Response?

Ignore them.

17. One of your friends in Question 14 just insulted you. Response?

Depends, if they did that as a

joke then it's fine if they actually meant It then i'll just find better friends i guess.

18. If you could change anything about yourself...

My height, i want to be taller.

19. What're your parents like?

-didn't answer-

20. Do you have any siblings?

No.

21. Are you seeing/dating anyone?

No.

22. Favorite food?

Chocolate and pizza

23. Favorite drink?

Pepsi or Arizona tea

~Interviewer: ok! Now about the exchange program!

Ciel: oh, i'm ready!~

24. What was your first reaction when you arrived to the Devildom?

Well, i was pretty mad and confused. I literally just been brought into an unknown place all of the sudden without me knowing anything about it, so yeah i think it would be pretty self explanatory.

25. Do you like the Devildom?

Yeah i like it! I've never got the chance to travel outside Italy and this was an experience.

26: name three pros and cons about the Devildom.

Ok so, the pros are my friends, Madame Scream and the never changing weather. The cons are the lack of sunlight, humans need it, since i got here i get sick easily because of it, the constant danger of someone attacking me and the constant need of someone with me everywhere i go.

27. What do you think of the student council members?

They're cool.

28. What do you think about lord Diavolo?

Well, he's really nice and i love how open minded he is. It's a very important thing to have if you're in an important role such as his. I also think he's a really cool person to hang out with!

29. What about his butler, what do you think of him?

He's really hardworking, he does a great job as a butler and his cooking is amazing. He's very polite and calm.

30. What about the brothers?

We had our up and down a but i love them, they're like family to me. Well, all of them actually, not only the brothers, the other exchange students, lord Diavolo Barbatos are included as well.

31. That's so sweet! How would you describe living with them?

One word. Chaos.

32. Why is that?

Every day someone is on some bs (me included) and at times i feel more of a baby sitter. Ironic since i'm a kid.

33. what do you think of Lucifer?

He's strict. Too strict, but he's not a bad person. He can be nice when he wants to.

34. What about Mammon?

He's the first demon i made a pact with, at first he was pretty rude but he's actually really funny. We hang out often.

35. Leviathan?

He was also rude to me~! Lol, but anyway. He's a great friend and he gets the memes i send him. We watch anime togheter!

36. Satan?

He's like the fift demon i made a pact with, he's super smart and conversations with him are never boring! I like to hear his point of view on things, it's interesting. pulling pranks on Lucifer with him and Belphie it's fun.

37. Asmodeus?

At first he lowkey intimidated me for some reason...? I don't know why. It didn't last long though, like and hour.

He's super nice and his fashion sense is ✨IMMACULATE✨ he has elite taste.

38. Beelzebub?

He intimidated me, like a lot. He's HUGE, not to mentions that humans are smaller than demons in general.

But he's actually a sweetheart, he really cares about his family and wants to see everyone happy. He's the literal definition of "gentle giant".

39. Belphegor?

Uh... He's fine i guess...? I don't have much to say about him. Pranking Lucifer with him and Satan it's fun.

40. What do you think about the other exchange students?

They're super cool! I love hanging out with them.

41. What do you think of the angels?

Luke is like a little brother to me, i care a lot about him. Simeon is always super nice to me and i like him, i like the relationship Luke and him have, it's really sweet.

42. What about the other human, Solomon?

He's cool! We don't get to spend much time togheter though... I kind of want him to teach me magic hahah! *Giggles*

43. Do you prefer humans, demons or angels?

I don't have a preference.

44. Would you like to keep in touch with your friends after the exchange program?

Yeah absolutely!

45. Is there a place in the human world you would like to take them?

Well, there are quite a bit actually... If i had to choose one i'd say Gardaland, it's an amusement park in Italy.

46. Why is that?

I don't know, i feel like they would enjoy it as much as i do. I've been going there since i was a child and i never get tired of it, last time i went there it was like 3/4 before coming to the Devildom, so very recently.

47. Do you feel any sort of connection with this park?

I have a lot of happy memories there, so that's why i love that place so much. There's also a restaurant on the western area that makes an amazing pizza! I know the place by heart now hahah!

48. Did you enjoy this exchange year?

Yeah i did!

49. Do you plan on visiting the Devildom again?

If given the chance yes, i don't know how to get into the Devildom.

50. Allright we're done! Is there something else you want to say to our readers?

No, i'm good.

~interviewer: allright! Thank you so much for your time!

Ciel: no problem i had fun!~

[repo-net]

It's been over a century since I last shared an OC of mine properly here, so here's another one of em, lmfao. This little fella has slowly become one of my more favorite ones mainly because he's kind of a representation of what I was like (well, aside from his backstory) before I grew into the more social and outgoing person that I turned into mid high school, so I have a special place in my heart for him. Anyways.

• Name: Aoyama Nakazke

• Gender: Male

• Height: 161cm (5'3")

• Weight: 53kg (118lbs)

• Likes: Having his hair stroked, bottles of cola, cats

• Dislikes: The smell of garbage, belts, and being ignored

• Talent: Street Baller

• Birthday: May 28

Link to the picrew used to make the above picture:

Full body images: (left is his regular outfit, right is his gym/jersey outfit, but it's more or less just him without the jacket, lol)

Personality: Aoyama is a humble and caring boy, one that shows a lot of will to prove that he's harmless and won't pull anything suspicious. He has a genuinely kind heart, one willing to reach out to others when he has a chance to do so. Despite this though, Aoyama isn't all that he seems.

He has his own insecurities due to a lack of social interaction growing up and a lack of attention and affection ever being given to him, and thus isn't exactly the best when talking to people. His thoughts and his words, while self-deprecating at times, may contrast with occasionally selfish actions to try and survive, and thus leads to Aoyama's fear of being seen as self-centered by others.

Despite this though, Aoyama truly does try to make himself look as trustable as possible and tends to act on the good side, but his desire to survive can overcome this, and while getting close to him isn't a particularly hard task, it takes a while for him to actually open up to his problems, being rather timid. Gaining his full trust can make him very attached to you though, as he values someone who he thinks won't just abandon and hurt him as incredibly saintlike, and goes out of their way to defend them, even if said person truly is in the wrong. That can be a good or bad thing depending on who he ends up giving his full devotion to.

(Backstory coming up is kind of long and has some content warning for abuse, so I'll just point that out. It's nothing too complicated, you can summarize it in 2-4 sentences if you wanted to, but I thought I'd make his backstory more detailed.)

Backstory: Aoyama lived in an abusive and poor household growing up, his parents taking out their frustration over their situation on him, claiming that their lives wouldn't be as miserable if he weren't born.

They would constantly shelter him and refuse to ever let him out of the house despite constantly seeing other kids enjoying and living their life, and being someone who got the bare minimum in education via homeschool, he was incredibly inexperienced with talking to people, and to some extent, stil is. As a matter of fact, to this day, Aoyama hasn't even graduated middle school.

His parents would berate and get on his case whenever he made even the slightest mistake; and when he makes a larger scale one, his parents would beat him with a belt to discipline him, and this only grew his hate, for them and his want to go out even further.

One night, Aoyama simply couldn't take it any more and snuck a bag with clothes, what little money he had along with a generous amount of what his parents' wallet had and a basketball along with himself outside of the house at night and never returned ever again.

Once he left the house and had no one but himself to look out for himself, he had to turn to playing basketball on the streets to keep himself entertained and sane. But it was clear to him that he wasn't going to survive since he'd just run out of money sooner than later. So, he decided that the only way to really live is to play with other people at basketball, and gamble his money to get paid.

However, due to his small size and dirty clothes/look, he'd get picked on by bigger kids and he'd get pushed around and hurt a lot, his life became a constant competition where he had to constantly come out on top in the harsher, more physical street basketball environment he had to grow up in to pay for the food and drinks he needed just to live. But his talent for basketball from his speed, stamina, and technique would always help him defy odds and come out of matches richer.

Every day was a battle with other kids and every day he had to spend his money wisely and make sure no one would try to steal it from him; he was constantly paranoid of people staring at him like an outcast and he'd only trusted those he played with on the courts. His life for more than half a decade was just physical and bruising streetball that had him have to put his body on the line just to sustain himself in the streets. His only company during those times were stray cats, and the occasional teammates after ball games that he'd share a cola with.

One day while he was looking for a new street to stay in though, Aoyama participated in a larger scale street ball tournament outside of his home town, and he came out of nowhere as an underdog to win, defeating a mountain of larger names in the street ball genre and gaining recognition around the area. He was recruited into a major street ball team and after they learned that Aoyama literally had no place to stay in, he was allowed to sleep in the team bus + the team's dugouts/dorms.

Ever since then, his life has significantly improved, at least by his standards, he's travelled across the country with his teammates, he's gotten just the tiniest bit better at talking to people, though he's still a rather introverted and timid mess when outside of the playing court. His current goal is to win a bigger tournament with his team and use the winnings to come back to his parents and apologize for stealing the money he took from them when he left the house, despite all the abuse that he took from them, he wants to hope that they've changed when he comes back. That's what his wish and hope is.

Extra/s: His preferred position on the court is shooting guard, although due to his height, he ends up getting pushed into the point guard position more than he likes to admit.

He bought his jacket after he got recruited by his current team. Before that, all he wore were white shirts and shorts that he'd buy from low quality stores and toss out after a week because they got dirty.

His body is actually pretty muscly since he had to work on it to not get pushed around and hurt as much when playing street ball, but there are still some present scars on his torso, some caused by his parents' abuse.

Quote/s: "I don't really get how it all works, if I'm being honest. But if this sorta thing makes you happy, then I'll do it. Even if it's gonna embarrass me..."

"Hey, you leave them alone! You're just trying to twist the narrative on them with your made up story, aren't you? A person like them... they'd never do wrong! If you wanna come at them, then you'll be coming at me too!"

"S-Stop that! I don't know what the hell you see in me, but I don't agree with it if you're acting this way around me! I don't understand feelings like this, and trying to think about stuff I don't understand just hurts..."

Anddd that's more or less Aoyama Nakazke. Sorry that this was long as hell, it's probably not anything special but I like how he came out. Please give feedback if you have any, it'd be really appreciated! Thanks for reading!

[beetlegoose01]

stolen whispers: chapter 1

AN: this fic isn’t a request, it’s a story i’ve been preparing for a lil while and I’m so excited to share this with you all <3

I’ll link it on my Archive if you prefer to read it there. Also warning, there’s quite a few OCs.

Time: 2028 (Scorbus have been married for two years)

Summary: When a new generation of Death Eaters kidnap Scorpius, Albus and Rose put aside their differences to rescue him.

TW: Kidnapping/Language/minor violence

~~~~

Two witches wearing shadowy black robes entered the tavern, finding a table near the back. They ordered their mead, waiting for their third partner impatiently. It was a crowded area, so thankfully there was a small chance they would be overheard.

"We don't want more mead." The first woman growled, tapping her long nails at the table. The bartender, a tall man with a mustache put the drinks down.

"I didn't think so." He lips curled into a grin as he morphed into a younger man with wild dusty brown hair, wearing matching robes. He was handsome, but had an eerie presence to him. Any reasonable person would have at least flinched at the transformation, though neither witch did. "Hello ladies." He grinned cheekily.

"Soren, enough playing games." The second woman said, though she was smirking.

Soren barked out a laugh. "It was funny, Mara. And you know it."

The first woman, Lilith narrowed her eyes. She pulled down her hood, revealing cascading inky black hair down her shoulders. A scar that showed no sign of mending was down her cheek. "Your skills are impressive, but useless if you don't use them for our own gain. Don't forget that." She pulled her hood back.

"Understood." He murmured, taking a seat.

"We have much to discuss," She continued, flicking her wand idly. "Our current plan in action. Our...act of revenge. It's been thirty years since The Tenebris was wrongfully killed. I am sick and tired of his name being tossed around in history like he was some monster. He was on the right side."

"Are you certain we want to call the Dark Lord that?" Mara asked suspiciously.

"Shh! You know if anyone hears us, they'll lock us up for good. For speaking our minds." Lilith said. "It's safer we call him by his code name."

Her companions nodded.

"Because of his loss, we have mudbloods in positions of power. Our siblings that fought for his cause are locked up. Or worse, dead."

Mara and Soren looked grim.

"If we had more allies, perhaps we would have had a chance." Soren noted. "We weren't even alive then but...I have a feeling if we were..."

"Just because we weren't alive then, doesn't mean we don't have opinions over the lives stolen!" Mara argued. "That damn Harry Potter."

"Correct. And Soren is right too. For once. If we had more allies, or better yet...certain allies didn't betray us. The Malfoys for instance." She took a sip of her drink.

"Are you suggesting something?" Mara asked.

"Of course I am, don't be so daft." Lilian said, deadly calm. "I want to make that family suffer for what they did. My uncle Vincent Crabbe died for their selfishness. Draco Malfoy had a chance to save him, and he refused like the coward he is. His mother Narcissa lied to Tenebris' face. They are backstabbing filth that besmirched the Sacred 28. No, it isn't just about their betrayal or avenging those we lost in the war. Think of the big picture. They have the capabilities to join our side. To...respawn a new generation of Death Eaters. But that's not all...

"The Malfoys have lots of gold." She drawled. "Surely, they'll spare a few for us in exchange for something important. Or rather...someone."

"Someone?" Soren paused. "What are you suggesting?"

"Regretfully, Astoria Malfoy has passed on." Mara didn't sound the least bit sympathetic, instead stated it blandly. "So using her as a ransom for Draco is a no go."

"Ah, but there is still someone left." Lillian said, removing a small photograph from her cloak, she slid it across the table.

A young man with platinum hair was pictured, beaming brightly in Healer Robes.

"Scorpius Malfoy."

Soren and Mara exchanged a look of satisfaction.

"Bring him to me."

~~~~~~~~~~

The best thing about mornings, at least to Albus, was waking up beside his husband. The sun's bright rays peaked through the window of their cream colored bedroom, slowly stirring them both awake. If it was up to him, he would stay in their warm bed, arms wrapped around Scorpius until noon.

Scorpius rolled over, so that they were facing each other. His eyes fluttered open, and Albus felt his heart melt at his sapphire eyes.

"Hi." He yawned. His voice was slightly croaky, no doubt from the morning.

Albus replied by nuzzling his nose, then kissed his cheek. "Hi honey."

Scorpius laughed lightly. "Let's get up then. Start the day? It's a Saturday. We have the whole weekend to spend together."

"I'd rather spend it here with you."

Bathilda mewed from the kitchen.

"But our child is hungry." Scorpius teased, stretching as he slid out of bed. Albus begrudgingly slumped after him, not eager to wake up before ten am. But his own stomach was growling too.

"Speaking of children," Albus said, starting to work on their breakfast as Scorpius poured Bathilda's food. "Iris is pregnant again. James told me through a Howler yesterday."

"Really?" Scorpius' eyes widened. "That's great news!"

"Yeah, not for my ears." He commented dryly, still traumatized by James' excited screeching in his ear. "Baby number three." He whistled. "Do you think they're trying to make an entire quidditch team? With Teddy and Vic's lot included, they're on their way."

Though he was joking, Scorpius noticed that Albus was glowing, happy for his brother and sister in law. That was one of the many reasons he loved Albus. His love for his siblings.

"Perhaps. When are they due?"

"September. Which means...that's where they scurried off to last Christmas party." Albus quipped. "To have a little fun."

"Albus!" Scorpius scolded. "Honestly, only you would make a beautiful moment gross."

"It's life, Scorp!" He chuckled. "You're a Healer, you should know these things."

"We'll have to visit. Maybe bring a gift basket to congratulate them." He mused, smiling fondly. "I can't wait to meet our new niece or nephew." There was a wistful look in his eye that Albus caught.

"You've got that look on your face." He noted, amused. He served the plates of bacon sandwiches on the table.

"What do you mean?"

"That Scorpius 'I want something but I'm not going to spell it out for you' face."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh." Albus said, forest green eyes brightening in amusement. "What's up?" He took a seat, tucking into breakfast.

"Well," Scorpius started, staring at his food. "I was thinking..." He stopped himself, hesitant to continue his train of thoughts.

"Yeah?" Albus nudged him gently.

"I want a child." He said, his voice quiet, but firm. "I love my nieces and nephews so much, but they aren't...ours. I want to start a family with you, Albus. Raise a little one of our own to be bright and wonderful and brave and..."

Albus' expression softened. "I do too. You know I do, Scorpius. It's just...difficult right now." He stared at his wedding band. "You know it's harder for us than any hetero couple." He waved his hand vaguely. "Adoption is hard, surrogacy is expensive. Maybe once we settled into our careers more, we can talk about it."

"I think we're ready to go beyond just talking about it, Al."

"We're still young. We've still got time. But...I definitely want to work it out. Somehow, we will. We always do."

Scorpius beamed, reaching to kiss Albus' knuckle. "Thank you." He sat up abruptly. "Oh, I almost forgot- it's the farmer's market today."

Albus snorted. "You're exactly like your dad, you know?"

"Yes yes yes, but we should go!" Scorpius said, levitating the plates to the sink and it automatically was clean due to the floating sponges.

"We? I've got some work to do. I'm not very fond of small talk with old people selling fruit."

"Al, it's really good fruit." Scorpius said seriously. "And it's not all old people. I've seen some of our old schoolmates there."

Albus cringed. "That's even worse."

"Don't be so dramatic. Are you still coming?"

"Mm, but I should really finish this article. Go on without me."

"If you're sure...do you want me to bring anything back?"

Albus thought for a moment. "Those strawberries Ms. Beaker sells. Please? Strawberries and cream sounds so good right now."

"Brilliant, I'm on it." Scorpius did a mock salute.

"Have fun." Al waved as Scorpius appatered, leaving the kitchen empty. Albus went straight to work on his article.

~•~

The market was lively and merry, despite the early hour. Scorpius had stopped by the strawberry stand first, in case he forgot.

Ever since they had moved two years ago, Scorpius had found himself drawn to the quaint farmer's market. Not because of the delicious, fresh food, but to socialize. He made quite a few friends with the muggles who lived around there...mostly old ladies. The early days of their marriage, Albus would join him. Before life got in the way, and work had to be done.

Not that he wasn't busy himself. He only had two days off as a Healer, sometimes less. He didn't know how they would manage childcare, but like Al had said, it was best not to dwell on the future.

"Scorpius? Is that you?"

He turned around, following the voice from behind him. "Polly ...Chapman?" He uttered blandly, praying he wasn't mistaken. He didn't have the best memory- even with old schoolmates who bullied him.

"Yep." Polly said, laughing lightly. "It's me. Been a while."

"It has." Scorpius shifted his weight. "How are things?"

"Great!" She smiled, swishing her blonde ponytail, the same air of confidence from when she was a teenager. "Yann and I are engaged."

"Oh! That's wonderful." Scorpius said, pretending to sound pleased. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you. I proposed to them last month. It was just as I had dreamed."

"How is...Yann?" Scorpius did not actually care how Yann was.

"They're good! Brilliant actually, since they passed Auror training." Polly looked genuinely proud of them, which he had to admit was adorable. "Are you and Albus still..."

"Yes, yes. We um, er- we've been married almost two years actually." He added.

"Aw, that's very sweet. You two were always very close, yeah?" Polly looked at him, and Scorpius nearly walked backwards, intimidated by her stance. She still was extremely scary, like a lioness but with a great sense of fashion. "I know...Yann, Karl and I weren't the best to you two but perhaps we could..." She trailed off. "I'd like you both to come. To the wedding. If you'd like."

That...wasn't what he was expecting. He half expected her to invite him to another Blood Ball.

"Pardon?" Scorpius asked, dumbfounded. "I mean- yeah, that sounds great! Fun! Yes. That sounds nice. I'll bring it up to Al."

Polly was glowing. "Brill! I've got to go, but we should all hang out sometime. Like old times."

Like old times? Scorpius thought. When did they ever hang out?

Nodding mutely, he walked away from Polly with a puzzled, but cheerful expression. He hadn't completely fucked up the conversation, which was always a plus. It still felt odd that Polly Chapman of all people was talking to him, let alone inviting him to her wedding. It was bizarre.

He passed the final vendor, and was surprised and amused to see a tiny girl, no more than seven standing behind it. She had a Brownie uniform on, bright rosy cheeks and pigtails included.

"Would you like a biscuit?" She squealed.

It had taken him a moment to respond, he was still thinking of Polly being kind to him "Oh erm- of course." It was impossible to say no to an adorable small child. He reached for some muggle money, handing her the pound notes. "Just the one box please."

"Okie dokie!" She said, handing him the box. She waited a moment, pouting. "Go on, try it." She urged.

"I really shouldn't I-"

"Please?" The little girl gave him the most pitiful expression. "It's for a good cause, mister. We're helping orphaned puppies find homes."

"Well, alright. For the puppies." He fumbled open the box, taking a polite bite out of the cookie. It was a classic lemon cookie with powdered sugar, one of his favorites. But the second he swallowed, he felt dizzy all of a sudden. "What..." He stumbled back. "Oh my," He gulped, the entire market swirling around him. Something wasn’t right. "is there something in..." 

He would be damned if he let this happen without some sort of fight. Throwing his basket aside, he collapsed, slipping into unconsciousness.

"We've got him."

[jafndaegur]

Noise of Rain | Chapter Four

Ordinary Life Alluded Me, for My Duty You Lost Me

Sesskag

｡☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆｡

Kagome crouched down in the dirt, up to her arms in weeds. She and a few others who had decided to take refuge in the Burial Mounds figured that making themselves self-sustaining with crops would be a solid move. From there they could eat and sell whatever they needed.

Not many people lived with her in the mountains but the tea shop owner, a few of her rescues, and even the odd hanyou had fallen under her care. So, the little clan she'd accidentally built up was now her responsibility. She looked up at the scraggly tents that lined the mountain path in front her. The Burial Mounds by far were not a place someone, anyone, should call home. But somehow here she was.

And Kagome was content.

She stood, her legs creaking as she stretched herself out and began to walk down the path away from the makeshift village. She supposed doing her patrol now instead of later would be better in the long run.

As she made her way down the path, the talismans at the entrance of the mountains told her someone, a group, had entered the proximity. Pulling Kangaimuryo from her belt, she hurried quickly over the patchy land and headed to the grove that spotted the foothills. 

"Lady Kagome!" Came a familiar boyish voice, and she relaxed and slowed her pace.

Twirling the fife in her grasp, she ventured further, "Kohaku! You finally showed up, we were beginning to—"

 And then she stopped.

Up the hill came Kohaku who was closely followed by Sango, Miroku, and Shippo.  She paused at the sight of her friends. She hadn't expected to see them for a while since the teahouse incident. Honestly if they wanted to keep their distance, she couldn’t blame them. Afterall she was different.

"Kagome! You're looking brilliant," Miroku chirped with his usual chipper mien.

Her friends stood around her while Kohaku excused himself to go settle in at the camp back up the mountain. She waved him off before turning to everyone. Heavy and thunderous, her heart pounded against her ribs.

"We figured we'd take a little vacation!" Shippo hopped from Miroku's shoulder to Kagome's, giving her a tight hug around her neck. "If that's okay …"

Her hands instantly wound around the small kit, her gaze swinging to the fond looks of the monk and demon slayer. 

"With Naraku gone..." Miroku flexed his hand, seeming almost—almost—bashful.

Sango stepped forward. "We figured we'd come spend time with you and help you here."

And within seconds, Kagome found herself crushed within the embrace of her best friend. Miroku joined them, pulling the small little group against him with his warm arms.

"You've done so much for us," Sango murmured. "And while we don't understand why you're doing what you are, we're not going to let you do this alone."

"What kind of friends would we be if we just stopped bothering you?" Miroku crooned.

"You guys…" she buried herself in their closeness, breathing in the familiarity and presence of them. It'd been so long and she'd been so alone. "Living up here, it's kinda rough. Are you sure?"

"Kagome, I'm wounded you don't think us hearty enough." The monk gave a reassuring squeeze.

"We're here to stay." Shippo assured, clapping his small paws against her cheeks for good measure.

And that was that. 

Kagome led them up the path, instructing them in how to safely traverse the mountain and avoid any pockets of resentful energy that she had yet to purge.

"Where is Kirara?" She asked after a few moments, realizing that the fiery feline was missing from her normally inseparable spot with the demon slayer.

"She's waiting in the village. Once Kikyo has settled, she'll be bringing Kaede." Sango's face twisted to something along the lines of pitying. "With the original Inuyasha forest guardians back and alive, Kaede felt it was time to move on. So she'll be joining us."

Kagome's heart warmed just a bit more before it cracked. "Wait...then that means Inuyasha's staying…"

Their group was quiet. No one spoke as the tents came into view and the little field Kagome had been de-weeding. All of it came into view and drowned out the noise of rain their footsteps cried.

"We'll see him around," Sango finally piped up.

Miroku clapped. "That's right. He's curious to see what you've been up to." He gave an observant sweep of the area. "Which seems to be starting your own little village! Should we be calling you the Edo Matriarch, Kagome?"

She laughed and lightly tapped him upside the head with her flute. Somehow though, once she introduced them to the others in the camp, that nickname seemed to stick. It was amusing and for some reason and it made her feel independent from "Shikon Miko". 

---

Miroku had been surprisingly good about rolling up his sleeves and helping Kagome till the fields. Within the week between him, her, and some of the others—they were able to make several paddies for growing food. Irrigation would be another problem to worry about later but for now they could start planting. At least hopefully.

They'd missed peak growing season and were edging too close to comfort to the autumn. 

But if they could at least greenhouse some roots—maybe potatoes and radishes—they'd grow enough food to survive the winter. Clever little Shippo set up a perimeter of foxfire to help keep the soil area warm. They could do it.

Sango and Kohaku traveled down the mountain to a closeby village to trade for seeds and roots. Miroku and Kagome had decided to use the few cavern pools that were further up the crags to try and bring down water. They had just decided to stop at Kagome's room, a cave hidden away from the rest of the growing camp, when Miroku turned around with brows furrowed and face worried. 

"There's a strong aura," he said lowly.

And for a moment she worried that he talked about her room. For many reasons she lived in the epicenter of the Burial Mounds where the strongest and most malicious energy wallowed. But in a flash the connection between her and the talismans lining the mountains went off and she sensed the intruder.

They ran. Kagome's haori whipped around violently while the rings on his staff jangled loudly. They skidded to a stop as they were met with the sight of an almost-impassive Sesshomaru. 

His brow cocked, judgemental, while his arms unceremoniously dumped a large pile of lotus pods in front of them.

"S...Sesshomaru?" Kagome's chest heaved as she stared between him and the pods.

"Kohaku visited with Rin sometime ago," he lazily flicked his hand through the strands of his hair. "He mentioned you have instigated a village. How unlike you to become a village matriarch."

Kagome shot a warning glance to Miroku who completely ignored her heed.

"She's actually the Edo Matriarch," he sauntered forward and crouched down to inspect the lotus. "These are quite healthy, Lord Sesshomaru."

Kagome stared at him, "This is a generous gift I wouldn't have expected from you."

She hadn't meant to be biting in tone, and yet this was so unlike the daiyoukai's normally negligent attitude towards her.

His golden eyes turned frigid and his lips upturned into a frown. "Until you are ready to come face to face with the horrid truth that you are keeping to yourself, miko—make sure your village isn't in such shoddy appearance."

He turned on his toes and lifted into the air, flying away from them. They watched him until he was a mere patch of pale light on the horizon.

"You know, I'd say he was almost worried about you," Miroku began to make bundles of the plants. 

Kagome rubbed at her temples, the nerves twinged and aching. Did Sesshomaru know? With all of his great and mighty youkai senses, she wondered if he had actually sniffed out her secret. She doubted that was the case, he was smart though and he probably noticed the clues she'd accidentally left behind. Her main worry was her friends finding out what had happened. The dog demon however, she was not worried about protecting him from the truth...she almost wanted him to find out. Not that he would care…

Maybe.

Kagome leaned down and began to pile lotus pods into her arms. They could take the seeds and plant them in a make-shift pond. That would help with the irrigation system too.

What an odd gift from a demon lord.

[zekejeagrs]

Hi friend! This is mha-adore; I'm on my main blog because my mha blog is a side blog and I can't send a question from that blog. Just to prove it's me - you came to me asking about a matchup exchange and I asked you to explain what it is and I agreed, and the day after I wrote my side matching you with Shoto, and in our personal messages your recent message is, "I'm so excited to do your matchup!" something to that idea. I hope that's enough to prove it's me.

I'm asking for a matchup with mha please.

I'm a quiet and well mannered person who strives to appeal to everyone I meet. I happen to have a personality disorder and as such, some people get a different idea of who I am. I consider myself friendly but emotionally distant, a friend of mine has accused me of not caring at all because I'm naturally a distant person. I'm mostly very respectful and try to avoid any conflict or fights, but the moment someone insults or fights a friend of mine or my partner I drop my friendly exterior and hone in on the person, insulting them, spilling any tea I know about them, I say whatever comes to mind that I know will make them feel terrible, and I end it by stomping on their foot. With close friends or my partner I'm more talkative - not loud or boisterous, just more talkative. I insert my opinions more, I hold a conversation and I openly give my thoughts about different topics without worrying that I'll upset them.

I'm a trans male who uses he/him and they/them pronouns; I'm pansexual. I'm 19 and a Leo sun, Aquarius moon, Virgo rising. The only characters I don't feel comfortable being matched with are Endeavor, Dabi and All Might.

My hobbies involve drawing (I'm working on a comic), I love to play both Pokemon and Animal Crossing, I enjoy writing fan fiction, studying and playing card games. (Like Old Maid, Go Fish, Crazy 8s, Blackjack, Solitaire, you get the idea.)

My love language is to show my love in subtle ways. Cooking someone a meal they love without being asked to, spending time with them doing whatever they want, giving them hand made gifts and giving them cute pet names like love bug, sweetheart, sweet tea (a different way of saying sweetie). I offer genuine advice to them, even if I know it'll hurt or upset them. I want the best for my partner, even if it means taking the path of most resistance. I want someone who can aim an arrow into my heart. I look for someone who shares my taste in music and who will listen to music we both enjoy together. I like the area of Melanie Martinez, Billie Eilish, Ricky Montgomery, lofi beats and some of the older country music, like from the 80s and 90s. Generic, I know.

As for anything specific, perhaps my matchup's opinion on having children? I'd really like to have a child someday.

Thank you again so much for the matchup exchange offer, it's very kind of you 💗

— matchup exchange

ty sm again for doing this exchange with me! you seem so nice i’m v down to be mutuals/friends with you (only if you want ofc)! also, what would your quirk be? i’m v interested in what it would be since i mentioned what mine would be on my submission to you. i hope you enjoy your match! 

i match you with...

fatgum

| hi yes i matched you with a human marshmallow. one of the reasons why i matched you with taishiro is because of the difference in your personalities and the way he would work well with your personality because of how much he cares. the way you’d meet him would probably be by working at his office. he’d find you to be so sweet that he wants to get to know you better. he actually doesn’t mind how proper and emotionally distant you are because he understands that everyone is different and present themselves differently.

| you’d take some time to open up to him and become friends but he’s completely fine with that! he understands reserved people because of tamaki & only wants you to feel comfortable around him. because of that,,, taishiro definitely always starts the conversations. “how’s your day?” “what did you do over the weekend?” “what did you think of that movie?” once you become more talkative with him and have your conversations, he’d be so happy because he sees it as a new level of friendship.

| that’s when he starts realizing he actually has a crush on you. he’d confess at the end of a long work day and explain that he’d like to be your partner,, “i really enjoy your company and i want to be your partner for a long time- oh i just realized what i said, only if you also want to be my partner- or i mean would like to give me a chance to prove myself-“ idk how he managed to get himself out of that one but it would end with you accepting to have dinner at his house.

| like i’ve said before, taishiro doesn’t mind that you’re emotionally distant. he knows you care and just show it differently than others. the first time he saw you angry at someone he was very scared & shocked because he’s never seen you that way before. he just stood behind you as you absolutely slaughtered the person you were angry at and watched with wide eyes before trying to diffuse the situation. he asked if you were okay and that it wasn’t a big deal that that person was insulting him but he expressed how grateful he was for you standing up for him. he never wants to see you like that again but he’s glad he got to see every part you.

| HE IS VERY RESPECTFUL ABOUT PRONOUNS!! that was probably the first thing he asked you! ���oh! he/him and they/them? i go by he/him too!” he’d even write it down to remember because he doesn’t want to make any mistakes or offend anyone.

| taishiro would be so supportive of your comic! he’d check up on you when you’re working on it and bring you cut fruit and water. he’d genuinely be so interested in your drawings and writings— he’s not artistic so seeing it come so easily to someone would be so cool to him. he’d only read and look at what you’re comfortable with sharing though! if you ever ask for any creative help, he’d be 100% down to help you. he comes up with the coolest ideas too and you wonder why he says he’s not artistic.

| on his days off you guys either stay indoors and play animal crossing or walk around and collect pokémon. his island would be so messy so he’d always try to copy your island. island visits & he always leave you gifts. he’d have so many pokémon because he plays when he’s on parole (oops!). he’d jokingly brag about it to you and would offer to take you with him next time but he doesn’t want you to get hurt. he seems like the type to be secretly very good at card games?? he’d just surprise you with how good and competitive he is when you play together and with other people.

| taishiro listens to old country music. he knows every lyric to every dolly parton song and sings when he thinks he’s alone. you’d have to introduce him to your other favorite artists & he’d absolutely love their songs! ricky montgomery makes him cry a little but he’s fine! he swears! even though there’s tears rolling down face!

| PLEASE COOK HIM FOOD! the first time you cook him food to show your love he just blushes and smiles the whole time. he can’t. HE CAN’T! HE JUST LOVES YOU SO MUCH ALREADY HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO LOVE YOU EVEN MORE??? every other food is ruined for him after you cook for him because your cooking is the absolute best to him.

| he’d love the small gifts you give him, he’d treasure every single one of them and display them around the house. sweet tea would be a perfect pet name for him- he loves it so much. he’d call you love bug in return and cook you dinner and give you small gifts. he’s definitely an acts of service and quality time guy. just being in the same room as you doing separate work is good enough for him. your presence just soothes him and he has a blast!

| taishiro values your opinions very much. he always tries to be the best partner for you and listen to you because you have so much insight. he also trusts you so much and knows you mean well when giving him advice. he just loves you so much, he doesn’t want to disappoint!

his opinion on having children

| he basically already adopted tamaki & kirishima, of course he wants kids!

| you’d have to be the one to bring it up because he doesn’t want to seem like he’s forcing you into anything.

| he’s so relieved once you do bring it up though! “yes! i want to have a family with you!”

| it doesn’t matter if you have them biologically, adopt, or have a surrogate— he loves his child so much and cried because he was so overwhelmed with love and finally being a dad.

| he’d be the best dad! (although a bit clueless) he wouldn’t imagine having a family with anyone other than you. you’re just perfect for him.

| he’d also ask if you could adopt a dog

| he is so protective over his family too. if anything were to happen to either of you, he would be so upset because you’re his life.

| overall, taishiro would try to give you and the child the best life!

i hope you enjoyed! pls lmk if anything is inaccurate or if you want me to make it longer.

@mha-adore @space-cowbop

[littlemessyjessi]

“Papa Wolf”: Part 2: Benicio del Toro: SugarDaddy Wolf x PS Reader

Benicio del Toro Fic/Imagine.

---------------------------

Saturday came quicker than I would've liked and as I sat there on my bed staring in my closet... I cursed myself for it.

Still wrapped in a towel after saturating my entire body in whipped body butter ... I glowered at my clothes.

What was I supposed to wear?

I don't know why I was fretting so much.

I'd done this before but something about this was different.

No.  No it wasn't.

Don't go down that alley.

He's just another older guy looking to spend his time and money.

I needed to stop looking at him like the unreasonably attractive creature he was and start looking at him like a paycheck.

Eventually, I decided on something simple yet sexy.

Form fitting enough to show off my curves but not so much as to reveal myself to be the true whore I am.

A black dress and leggings with matching boots and a coat.

A moonstone crystal necklace thrown on at the last second before I ordered my Uber.

I was just finishing my makeup when I got the alert that my ride was less than a minute away so I got it together and was stepping out the door when the car pulled up.

I made quick work of getting settled and getting on route.

Thankfully I didn't have an overly chatty driver and she blissfully just turned the music on and let me stare out the window.

When we arrived at the resteraunt I paid her and headed for the front.

Benicio had told me to tell them I had a reservation for Sanchez and that they'd bring me right through.

I felt so weird as I followed the waitress  through but eventually she lead me all the way to the back of the establishment and up a set of stairs to a balcony like dining area.

A smaller and nicer area that did, admittedly, have a stunning view.

I made about two steps before my eyes settled on him and I damn near lost the ability to function.

The light illuminated his features and he looked like heaven wrapped in a bow.

He seemed to notice the intrusion and glanced over at the waitress and I as we neared.

His lips pulled up into a smile as he stood to greet me.

"Hello, sweetheart." He said and my eyes just about rolled back into my head right there.

Damn him.

He leaned down to kiss my cheek before pulling out my chair for me and then settling down himself.

"What could I get you to drink?" asked the waitress.

"Water, please." I said.

"Do you know what you'd like to order or should I give you two a moment?" she asked glancing between the two of us before her eyes settled on me.

I shrugged and glanced at him, "I don't know.  What's good? I've never been before."

She settled a hand on my shoulder, "I could always give you a moment to look the menu over and come back.  It'll be no problem."

"I'll have my usual." he said to the waitress before producing a menu to me and pointing something out.  "This is excellent if you like that kind of thing."

"Sounds good." I said and off she went though not before casting a smile my way.

I lifted an eyebrow at the situation but let it go.

Benicio chuckled and my eyes snapped to his.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." he said. "I just should've known you'd charm the waitress."

"It wasn't my intention." I shrugged. "However, if I results in excellent service and hot food...I'm not really complaining."

He grinned at my comment and reached out to take my hand.

"I'm really happy we could do this." he said. "Which reminds me."

He stopped to dig in his jacket pocket for a moment before producing a small black box and sliding it across the table.

"For your time." he said with a small smile. "I hope you like it."

I opened the little box up to find a rather stunning little necklace.

A beautiful silver number with some sort of crystal in the shape of a leaf.

I didn't want to say diamond but considering the situation...it likely was.

"Would you?" I asked holding it out to him and he smiled before coming to stand behind me.

I watched as his hands came into view before his fingers lightly dusted my collarbone as he fastened it into place.

"How does it look?" I asked as he took his seat again.

"Almost as lovely as you." he said, his hazel eyes boring right through me.

"Thank you." I said. "I love it."

We chatted idly about random unimportant things for a bit while we waited for our food.

Soon enough it came and we ate in 'comfortable' silence.

Comfortable for him probably.

For me, I felt like my heart was in my throat.

I had to tell myself.

Get it together, girl.  This is just business.   You have done this before.

One glance at him showed me that he was a little nervous as well and for whatever reason...I just relaxed.

"So, tell me about your day." I said with an easy smile.  "Anything interesting?"

I didn't notice before that his shoulders were holding the tension until I could visibly see it fall off him.

An easy sort of smile laced his lips as he said, "Finally meeting with you has been the highlight of it."

I turned on the charm, complete with a little smile and a head tilt.

"Aww.  That's so sweet." I said sweetly.

"What about you?" He asked curiously.

"This meal right here." I answered truthfully and punctuated it with another delicious bite of bread to my mouth.

I made it a point to let my lips linger a second longer on the tip of my finger.

When his eyes followed the movement and stared at my lips just a bit too long... I knew I had him.

At least on the physical part anyway.

For whatever reason, it gave me the confidence and reassurance to do whatever I needed to do.

I turned up the charm and soon enough his face was alight with laughter and he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

Not long after, a couple of hours had passed and I knew what I had to do.

Close it off and leave him wanting more.

No sense in giving my time away before we arranged an agreement.

"This has been so fun. Thank you for such a lovely date." I said. "However, I think it's time for me to go."  

Dissappointment was clear on his face and he spoke up, "Oh, really?  We could always go for a little shopping trip."

I hid my smirk and replaced it with a smile.

I had him.

I knew it.  

He knew it.

Anyone who looked at us knew it.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm afraid I'll have to pass for now." I said.

Rule number one with Sugar Daddies.

You're time is valuable and there is no reason to give them the impression that it's free.

Shopping trip or not, your time is money and without a pre-determined agreement... you're basically giving it away.

You're priceless- remember that.

"Alright." he said with a little smile.  "As long as it's just for now."

I gave him my most charming smile and kissed his cheek when we stood from the table.

He paid the ticket and tipped generously before slipping a few bills into my hand.

"For your cab fair." he said.  "For now and for earlier."

I smiled at him softly and pecked his cheek again, "Thank you."

"And you know, something a little extra." he smirked. "Get yourself something nice and I can't wait until I see  you again."

With that, he kissed my cheek and I left him with the scent of me lingering.

Leave on a good note and get the hell out of there.

As I stepped inside my ride, I grinned to myself.

"Where to, Miss?" the driver asked.

I glanced up and then down at the money in my hand.

He'd given me way more than cab fair and hey- a bitch has bills.

"Farmer's market." I said.

Hey, a bitch had to eat.

With a small smile to myself, I began internally laugh at my own insecurities.

If I couldn't do anything else in life...I could pull a hustle.

---------------------------

Hello, darlings! Welcome to the second installment of the Papa Wolf series! I hope you are enjoying it! It's very interesting to write! I would love to hear your feedback and I wish you all a lovely day!

Love,

@frankie2902

@pleasantdreamqueen   @becrazy–beyou

@littledeadrottinghood @blackirisposts

@therealmrshale @woodworthti666 @thegreatirene@fanfictionandjunk

@angelus320

@alanlizzingtonshore@buriednurbckyrd@disneymarina @tubbypeachwriting

@sullybot @georgiagrl1990 @whenallsaidanddone

@mischiefnevermanaged94 @inumorph

@congurl

@centerhabit

@bubblymusiclover13

@qtmeryr

@thisismysecrethappyplace

@tnupsweetpie

@alisoncdariel

@hannahloveslife

@wormyboi

@blackirisposts

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@theladyofmasks @aengsty

@kalliravenne​

Love, Kenny

[jackalito]

This is why I personally fight!

2019 was not a great year for me. But to explain why, I must first wind the clocks back to June 2018.

So, here's the thing. My best buddy, someone I loved as though he was my own brother - my best friend for over 25 years, was admitted to hospital halfway through 2018. After experiencing an array of weird symptoms, doctors found there was a tumor in his head. At that time we didn't know whether it was benign or malign, but one thing was clear, he would need brain surgery to remove as much of it as possible. And, since it was located in the area of the brain responsible for communication, he would have to be awake during the procedure.

And so he went through it, and did so like a champ. He showed us all how brave he was at that time. Surgery was a major success - the neurosurgeon in charge couldn't be happier about it, and my dear friend began to recover from the process very quickly. However, he wasn't out of the woods. Not yet.

The results of the tumor biopsy revealed it was indeed malign, and extremely aggressive. As soon as he was feeling strong enough he was discharged from the hospital, and soon after he started his treatment: chemotherapy and radiotherapy at the same time. That's how aggressive his cancer was.

And then, in the following months, it's when he truly showed us how strong and valiant he was -men are brave-. He fought cancer like a Spartan for half a year; being able to spend most of his time at home, with his loving wife and two kids. With all his family and friends. But the disease was relentless and after a few months it was clear to the doctors that the treatment was not working as it should have.

February 15 2019, a day I will never forget: he finally moved on and found some peace away from his pain, as the cancer finally put him to rest. It was devastating for all of us who were lucky enough to get to know him well for years - to share a part of our lives with him, and enjoy his passion for life and how funny, and ingenious, and generous, and kind he was. It was at the same time kind of a relief to know he was not in pain anymore, because in those last weeks before he passed away, even morphine wasn't all that efficient.

I was lucky enough to be one of those people who got to know him well. I was there with him when he first met the love of his life. I was there with him when he met his parents-in-law for the first time (I remember he was so nervous that day he asked me to accompany him).

I was there with him when he got married, when his kids were born... And when he got admitted to hospital with the most terrifying possible news, I promised myself he would not be alone.

I would come to pay him a visit every day in the afternoon, and I would not leave him until the visit time was over in the evening. I would bring him entertainment: movies for him to watch on his tablet, magazines about sport cars or video games, even some simple presents to surprise him. And above all else, I would keep him company. I would also give his wife a lift whenever she needed it. I was simply their friend.

For weeks I went to see him to the hospital every day, until, after having recovered from surgery, he was discharged. Then, I would often come over his place to see him and his family. His wife would ask me to stay with him when she and the kids (still very young) weren't around so that he would not be alone. I'd fix him some food, help him go to the bathroom, walk with him, watch a movie together, just like we had so many times before through the years.

And then, he was gone. And I, who have myself been fighting a chronic disease for a decade -although not in the slightest as fatal and terrible as cancer is-, felt empty. Like a hollow shell. Symptoms of my own condition got worse, and due to a complication regarding a hemorrhoid related issue, I almost bled to death just a month after my brother had passed on. I had to be admitted to ER, and I was given three bags of blood. Doctors and nurses kept telling me I was lucky to have such a young and strong heart. But, at 41, in that precise moment, I wasn't feeling that lucky. And no, I didn't want to die, but it somehow felt like I no longer wanted to live either. Or, at least, I didn't care about whether I lived or not. Yet, I endured and I kept fighting. Because I knew my friend would have wanted me to -he wanted me to-. Just as he had.

After spending a week in hospital, I was discharged. I'd need to see some new doctors, so I did that. And in june, just a year after my bud had been admitted to hospital, I finally got the surgery I needed. The procedure itself was successful, and just a day later I was back home to start my recovery. However, only two days later there was a complication - not grave, just painful. It made my recovery all that more painful because of it. That's all.

But you know what? Now, I embraced the pain. By then I was already taking just a tiny fraction of the painkillers I had been prescribed. Pain was my dark passenger, a reminder that I was still alive, and now I really wanted to live. Pain was a necessary evil for me back then, if you will. I wanted to show my loved ones -including and particularly the one I had just lost-, that men are still good. I needed to show my friend I was going to be resilient, because I knew he was watching over me.

The good doctor who performed the surgery was shocked when I confessed I wasn't taking the dosage of the medication I was given. I just told him that I could cope with it and wanted to keep the pills to a bare minimum. He wouldn't understand, but I did.

I haven't mentioned this yet, but due to my syndrome my pain threshold is way lower than the average. So, yeah, it was hard, but totally doable. Was it worth it? Damn right it was!

So just a few days after that conversation with my doctor took place, I quit the painkillers altogether, and finished my recovery without them.

2019 was also hard because more people close to me suffered some accidents and had to be admitted to hospital as well. I don't remember a single year in my life when so many people around me ended up in hospital.

A good friend of mine fell down from her bicycle and broke her leg in three parts - needed surgery. And that happened just two days after my best friend had died.

And my best pal's mom was also admitted to hospital not long after this with pneumonia and a stroke, so her condition was serious, to the point where I even thought she was not gonna make it. Especially after having just lost a son. But she did, and she's still among us, God bless her. I can't imagine how painful it must be for a parent to lose a child.

So last year I thought a lot about Zack. And little by little I started to learn more about his true movie, the one we haven't seen yet. I learned more and more details about all that ugly injustice surrounding a kind soul and artist when he was going through Hell on Earth.

I don't know what it feels like to lose a child. But I do know pain. So I'm now here for him, for his whole family who have been going through something hard to imagine for most people.

Now I'm on the trenches along with all those who have been fighting, longer than me, to get him back where he belongs. To make sure Justice is served for him, his family, and all the cast and crew members who worked their asses off on Justice League.

You guys from the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement have become kind of a family to me too. And I look after those I care about.

Moreover, Zack Snyder's movies, particularly Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, became an anchor for me to cling onto when everything else was falling apart. And I know I'm not alone - I've been reading heartbreaking stories, similar to mine, for a while now.

My best friend, Damián, never watched the true Justice League, and I know for a fact that he would have loved to. He was a fan of Zack's movies and so am I.

However, I'm hopeful that, one day soon, when it's finally released and I get to see it, he'll be right by my side, smiling at me, and so will Autumn at her loving family.

#ReleaseTheSnyderCut

[kylesbikeadventure]

Distances

Lately on this trip most of my days have been in the 80-90km range.

When I toured across Canada, I ended up averaging about 110km a day when riding and figured I'd be close to 100km a day on this trip.

While I'm not far off that target, it is annoying me ever so slightly to be having so many days that feel a bit shorter. But I know there are a few good reasons for that.

First, while there are lots of camping options on the coast, I've been sticking to the state parks that have hiker/biker sites. These sites are very cheap ($5-$8/night), have reliable amenities (potable water, flush toilets, food lockers), and are pretty much guaranteed to have space to camp (hiker biker sites are often just a larger campsite that can fit a number of tents). They also happen to be spaced out in a way that dictates my 80-90km days.

Second, riding has been slower than my cross Canada trip. It has been generally more hilly than an average day on that trip, there is often a lot more to see along the way, and a greater number of cities to pass through which are always a time sink.

A few days have also been planned shorter days. The first day in the US - ferry arrived around 1pm so knew I could only have a short day. The day riding into Astoria, so I would have time to check out that cool little town. And the first couple days in California so I could spend time enjoying the redwoods. Tomorrow will be a shorter one, too, to have a rest day in a larger town.

Lastly, the days are shorter. The sun is rising around 7am, and setting now just before 7pm. I tend to want to be at camp with a few hours of daylight left so I can setup, shower, cook dinner (if needed, or find a restaurant), and just relax. I have lights for my bike, but have never been a fan of not having my place to stay sorted out when it's getting dark.

I'm hoping riding along the coast in California will allow for some slightly bigger days. There will still be hills to deal with, and likely lots of things to see and cities to navigate through, but also might be more camping spots or I might branch out from the state parks 🤷. I might lean on motels a bit more too if I can find some cheap ones in some small towns along the way. That'd give me a bit more time in the evenings to check out some of these little areas a bit more, and generally allow me to feel comfortable riding later into the day. Though with that said, there are a number of cities I wouldn't mind having rest days in, so might end up doing a few short days to be able to spend more time checking certain places out.

Not that I need to rush, I don't have a set return date. In the back of my mind I have the idea to be home in Vancouver before Oct 31, but that's pretty arbitrary. I'm still figuring out how to navigate the LA to San Diego stretch. I've read it's pretty unremarkable on the bike, and generally not too enjoyable. I might go inland a bit before returning to the coast just north of San Diego which would add a few days. But I'll save that planning for a bit later.

[aimee-does-things]

The Big Easy Decision

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller

The whole world can change in a week. We've seen it happen over and over again in 2020. We started the year with the devastating loss of our cat Soggy. He was a stray who showed up at my doorstep when I moved into my last apartment in mid-2019. He would greet me whenever I got home, rolling over to show his belly. He was always happy, and because of the constant rain in Florida, always wet, thus the name, Soggy. When Hurricane Dorian was on the way, I got worried about the little cat that seemed to live on my front porch. I took him in, bathed him, treated him for fleas, and let him ride out the storm in my apartment. Once the storm had passed, my boyfriend George and I took him to the vet to get his shots. He stayed with us for three months. One fateful day in January of this year, I walked into the hallway and noticed a trail of feces. "These damn cats!" My first thought was to grab the paper towels and bleach. But why would they have pooped all over the floor? 

I looked toward the bedroom and saw Soggy's tail twitching. "Soggy?" I said nervously as I peeked behind the door. There, curled on the floor, was Soggy. Mouth open, tongue hanging out, eyes fogged over, twitching. We were immediately in the car driving down the street to the vet. We were too late. The vet said she thought it was a stroke. We buried him in the back yard and spent the next week in tears. We had lost our baby, and the year had just started. It was devastating, but we were optimistic; it was January, and we had plenty of time to make happy memories for 2020. February and early March were sprinkled with good and bad. George lost an old friend to depression, but we got to see one of his best friends get married, and we took a trip with his Nephews and my son to the NBA Experience in Orlando, Florida, and had a fantastic time.  

In mid-march, COVID-19 had become a worldwide pandemic, and we were in lockdown. George is an actor, so he was entirely out of work, and I was worried that I'd soon lose my job. The bad of 2020 certainly seemed to be taking over. In June, I tested positive for COVID-19; even though I hadn't gone out (I had even been having my groceries delivered), I was supposed to paint a sign for The Riverside Children's Arts Center, where I work. I had been delaying it because I didn't want to go to the hardware store to buy the supplies I needed. On June 24th, I decided to wear a mask and get the stuff. I walked in, stealthily dodging people, staying ten feet away from everyone I saw, went straight to the lumber section, grabbed my piece of wood, and did self-check-out. I got back to my car, doused myself in hand sanitizer, and went straight home. Later that day, I realized that I couldn't smell anything. I was hesitant to tell George because I didn't want to be locked up in a room by myself for 14 days. But I did the right thing. I quarantined myself and got tested. It took ten days for my results to get back to me, but I was sure I had it. I was coughing, had shortness of breath, going to the bathroom made me feel like I had run a marathon. I had so much resentment for that stupid sign. 2020 was totally sucking, but I am happy to say I have made a full recovery, including regaining my sense of smell.

It's been a prolonged year. It's August, and losing Soggy seems like something that happened ten years ago. Since March, George and I have started a nightly routine of drinking hot tea on the front porch in the evenings before bed. This past Friday, during our porch time, we came up with a crazy idea. What if we went on a road trip out to California and back? We talked for over an hour; I gushed about my love for California; it's my home. The next morning when I opened my eyes, George was already awake, he greeted me with his bright blue eyes and sparkling smile, "So, are we doing this?" I knew exactly what he was talking about, "Yes!"

At breakfast, we had a more serious discussion about it. Could we actually travel across the country with only a few day's notice? More importantly, could we travel across the country during a pandemic? I guess the even more important question was actually, should we travel across the country during a pandemic? I know that the most obvious answer is no, we shouldn't. But I had spent most of 2020 indoors, and our recent venture out to Americus, Georgia, had me aching to travel again. So I justified it like this: we want to go. That's it. Now, I'm not thinking that I'm immune to COVID just because I already had it, and I don't believe that a mask is going to protect me from everything, and I'm not one of those people that's like, "Fuck the coronavirus, I do what I want." But I am someone who wants to enjoy life, and see the world. So we decided that we would go, and we would be as careful as possible. As someone that's done a decent amount of traveling, I was very uncertain about how exactly we'd have a fulfilling vacation with so many things being different. So we packed our things, and plenty of hand sanitizer and face masks, and we headed out on the road.  

Our first stop was New Orleans, Louisiana. While I had been to Louisiana many times, I had never been to New Orleans, and George visited last when he was eight years old. So it would be a new experience for both of us. The first day of the trip included driving through Alabama and Mississippi. When I was younger, I looked really young. I mean, when I was in 7th grade, I could have passed for seven years old. I spent nearly all junior high feeling insecure, and like I was being judged for what I was wearing because my mom would dress me in matching short sets meant for 7-year-olds. I thought those feelings had long been forgotten until I wore a face mask in Alabama. At one of our restroom stops, there was even a man that looked at me, smirked, and stood so close he was touching my shoulder as he browsed the donut case. He let out a light chuckle as I immediately stepped away, not just because of COVID, but because, ew!

We arrived in New Orleans around 3 pm, and checked into our Hotel. We had a goal to try to spend no more than $50 per night on hotels and had managed to find a Motel 6 for $47 per night taxes included. I love staying at fancy 4-star hotels, which probably goes without saying, because who really is against luxury? That said, I'm not above staying somewhere cheap, especially if it means more money for my favorite part of travel; the food. It was everything you'd expect a $47 per night motel to be, no-frills, and pretty shabby. The room itself was okay; they provided us with two towels, a tiny soap, and sheets that looked clean, minus the cigarette burns. We wiped everything in the room down with disinfectant wipes (just to make sure.) After resting awhile and getting cleaned up, we headed out to check out the French Quarter about which we'd heard so much. I was delighted with the Creole townhouses and cottages that lined the streets, New Orleans Square was always my favorite area of Disneyland as a kid, and seeing the real-life version was very exciting. We decided to go for a walk down Canal Street and Bourbon street because as tourists, that was our job. It wasn't terribly crowded, but there were still plenty of street performers out filling the air with music and a sense that everything was fine, and life is entirely normal, which is everything I would expect from Louisiana in general. The city's downside was a massive homeless population and panhandlers that ask for money seemingly every few feet. We decided to risk going inside a restaurant for dinner; we ate at Olde Nola Cookery, which we found based on online reviews. We both had catfish, which was terrific, and the restaurant staff took extra care to keep germ free. They wore masks properly, gloves when serving food, and even had digital menus so that we didn't have to touch a menu used by anyone else. After dinner, we were exhausted from our trip and returned to our rented rat's nest to sleep.

We awoke the next morning at 7 am, and by eight we were out at breakfast. We chose Two Chicks Cafe because it was highly rated for breakfast, and it didn't disappoint. We had their special eggs Benedict, with a cajun hollandaise sauce, and a croissant instead of an English muffin. The croissant was decent, not the delicate thousand-layer dream you'd get from an authentic French Bakery, but far from a Pillsbury recent roll. It was a respectable croissant. The poached eggs were really poached eggs; they didn't use any kind of egg-poaching device, someone actually poached this egg with expert skill.

After breakfast we stopped by the Metairie Cemetery, these beautiful old cemeteries are something I've always wanted to see, and I was so happy that we got to stop. We're now on our way to Dallas Texas!

[hashtagsmitty]

Smitty's Thailand Adventure - Day 4

This time on DragonBall Z - Josh picks up random street pussy, hours of wrecking little kids, another long ass wait, and a 10k hike.

I fell asleep last night as soon as I hit the pillow so I wrote yesterday's thing this morning. I was angry while I wrote it and even angrier when I went to get breakfast. I'm on the other side of the world in a city that smells terrible, I'm lonely, I spent yesterday watching Josh and his GF make kissy faces at each other...

People travel to experience new things and broaden their horizons. I assume. I'm travelling to spend time with my best friend - there's not much about Thailand that really appeals to me. I'm not an adventurous eater and I've never liked sauces on my food, so a lot of cuisine is out. I don't care about buying cheap stuff at markets, so that's out. The biggest thing I've realised of the culture is that it's (generously described as) laissez-faire - they don't care very much. Minimum effort required.

I realise all this sounds negative - I'm in a much better mood after the day I had today, but I wanted to capture how I was feeling this morning. Having such a good day put all this in perspective, and one moment of negativity isn't going to ruin this trip - I won't let it.

I went to get breakfast and ate it in the room while I listened to a podcast and played a game on my phone. Josh texted me at 9 to say we were meeting up at 1:30 for laser tag. I had time to kill. I decided that I was going to see the Statue of the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho. The pictures I found online don't do it justice - I really just wanted to see a longboi Buddha because I thought it would be cool.

So. Wat Pho is 13kms from my hotel. The skytrain got me halfway there. The options for the rest of the trip were:

Bus. The buses in Bangkok look terrifying - thick black clouds of smoke, no glass in the windows. Plus, the traffic is crazy and I'm genuinely convinced I'll see someone die before I leave. I don't want it to be me, so the bus was out.

Taxi or TukTuk. We used tuktuks heaps last time we were here, because they were so damn cheap. For many of the same reasons as above, mostly that I don't want to die in Thailand, tuktuks were out. The taxis we took yesterday were insane - they are good drivers, in the sense that they don't crash, but they're unsafe and terrifying drivers, in the sense that they don't stick in their lanes, don't indicate, and have very little concern for road rules. Plus, April and I had a scary incident with a taxi last time we were in Asia, so I wanted no part of being alone in a taxi. So this option is out.

Walk.

I walked from Siam Station (think Crown Casino crossed with Flinders Street Station) all the way to the longboi Buddha. Each way took an hour.

I used this as an opportunity to practice my photography. I'm working on a series called "Decay BK", a set of vignettes capturing small elements of how busted up parts of this city are. Here are some samples:

Like something out of Fallout, especially that first one of the railway lines. I saw heaps of other things that I didn't take a picture of, but mostly I just saw people living. Normal people in a weird and different situation to mine, making do or even thriving. We said that Cambodia had a harsh juxtaposition between the rich and poor - we saw small mansions literally next to garbage dumps - but in Thailand it's worse. The poverty isn't quite as bad, at least from what I've seen, but the wealth and opulence and excess is so much higher here.

Long story short I walked for an hour in the sun. An army dude stopped me and warned me about pickpockets. I thanked him and kept walking. Eventually I made it to the temple.

The statue is huge. Seriously. Go look at pictures:

The pictures don't do it justice - the thing is like two stories tall. It looks like solid gold, but I think it might be hollow and gold plated. Still, it's gorgeous. I had to take my shoes off and put them in a bag to enter the temple. I got to walk around it and dodge the huge throng of people in the temple. The army guy said today was the last day of the holiday so it was going to be packed. When I told Josh that he said that there's no holiday and the army guy was probably trying to pickpocket me himself.

I put my shoes back on, grabbed my complimentary water, and started the long walk back. I was hot. I was sweating like a pig. My feet hurt. I kept tripping on exposed parts of the concrete, only making my vindictive, fake "posr-collapse" photography all the sweeter. But I felt good - I navigated this city like a boss, seeing a beautiful side of the city I likely wouldn't have otherwise, and getting a much clearer picture of the people and the culture and what the non-tourist parts of Bangkok look like.

That's actually something that Josh does really well - both here and in Cambodia, we didn't stay in areas full of tourists. I think we got a much better picture of the countries we were in.

Though, apparently Cambodia was and is still owned by the Khmer Rouge, and we had no idea, so make of that what you will.

I got to the White Ethnostate and Aryan Purity Family Mart a little before when I said I'd meet Josh there. The laser tag place was just around the corner from there. I got some water and waited.

And waited.

He texted me at 2, when we agreed to meet (I had to push it back by 30 minutes because some moron decided to walk across the city for 2 hours) to say that he was running late and that he'd explain when he got there.

He got there at 2:30. We grabbed some food - the same thing I've been having for breakfast, chicken and rice - and caught up. He needed to spend time with Espy, he said. I nodded. I know how that is. We headed off to laser tag. On the way we discussed his girlfriend being a bit overly affectionate yesterday, and he told me that it made him a bit uncomfortable. "There's a time and place for that sort of thing", he said. I was glad to hear that - his other girlfriends have done the same thing when I've been around, and I find it frustrating, so to hear him acknowledge it meant a lot.

The laser tag place was full when we got there at 3, so we paid for a day pass and agreed to come back at 4. We went to that park near the station with the bird poo all over the steps, and walked around a while. We found some stray cats and Josh played with them for a while.

We sat on a bench and shot the shit for a while. Josh had a fresh coconut while we watched a stray cat stare down a squirrel in a tree. Josh told me that his friends from the other night had said that they thought I was really cool and easy to talk to - "a natural", one of them said. I was pleased to hear that, because being social never came easily to me and it's something I've been trying to work on. We talked about who hooked up with who and who was being clingy or wasting their time. It was nice.

We went back to laser tag. There was a large group of Singaporean medical students. We played a couple rounds with them - scored in the top 5 each time, out of around 30 people. We took a group photo for the Singaporeans, then they left and a bunch of kids came in. Not one to reject a challenge, Josh suggested that we play 2v5 against them. They respectfully declined and we played free-for-all instead. No prize for guessing who came first and second.

We got hungry, so we went to the Emporium, the shopping center attached to the skytrain station near my house.

Dinner was the same chicken franchise we got from the airport, but a much nicer version. The female, Thai Ben from the other night texted Josh. Apparently he made sure she got home safe that night we were hanging out in District W. She said she bumped into someone called Andrew who swore up and down that he knew me. I can't think of any Andrews I know. Josh assumed that it was a pretense to text him, and he told Ben this. No idea how that ended up.

We finished the meal and went back to laser tag. A couple of new groups rotated in and we played 3 more games, for a total of 8. I won the last 2 games, and ended up with a final K:D ratio of 5:2. I achieved this miraculous score by abusing the power-up mechanics heavily, and enlisting the small children on my team as my strike squad. They might not have understood English, but once I showed them how to get the powerups, we were wrecking everyone, and my two minions came 3rd and 5th. Josh was 2nd and some old Indian dude who stood at the entrance and sniped people came 4th. It was fun!

Josh and I walked back to the Alt-White Political Disempowerment Family Mart. We agreed to meet up again tomorrow, after his girlfriend was done with classes. I walked down my street, straight past two "massage girls" who didn't so much as whistle at me. I'm beginning to think that I'm invisible. Or I smelled from all the walking and running around, hard to say.

I went straight to the shower once I got in. I saw the sun today, and even a patch of blue sky! Today ended much better than it started, and I'm feeling excited and positive about tomorrow.