#though tbh I think silver is still number 1

[jangmo-othewarrior]

Bro, I adore Sonic in Frontiers. I finished last night and I am fucking feral.

He isn't just a quip machine anymore! He loves his friends so much! A good portion of the little lines of dialogue when he's running around in the open zones is him talking about his friends! And not just that, but their interests as well!

Ancient ruins? Knuckles and Rouge would love to investigate that!

Whoa, Tangle would love climbing those rails!

Gee, I wonder how Jet is doing?

That's a huge cannon, I bet Omega would be jealous.

At this point, I would love Shadow or Blaze's help fighting the Titans.

He just... Sonic's friends are all this man thinks about. He thinks about them, about their concerns, their dislikes, their likes. He isn't flawless either. He argues with Amy, gets into petty staring contests with Knuckles, and he covers up his corruption in front of Tails. He would rather physically and mentally erode away than leave his friends in cyberspace.

Lord, this part of his personality has not been used or fleshed out well for so fucking long. Sonic used to be my least favorite of the 06 trio by a large margin but now that ranking is legitimately up in the air. I love him so much.

[pitconfirm]

top 5 lance helmet designs ever

AHH picking just five is so hard…. but I’ll try my best

1. the 100th race glitter helmet

GLITTER!!!!! what more do I need to say. it’s tacky but cute

2. 2023 standard helmet

i miss this helmet every day of my life

3. Vegas 2023

almost put this at number two but I think I prefer the silver wings… still gorgeous though

4. winter testing 2018

tbh… I just love the way the black helmet + chrome logo looks with the pink suit. she didn’t see much action but she was iconic to me

5. 2020 standard helmet

I think it’s kinda ugly but the canadian shirt pink panther is so cute….. so silly

and I will give an honourable mention to my LEAST favourite…

-10000: the Canada 2017 cum splatter:

idk WHAT it’s supposed to represent… maybe it means something really sentimental that I’m missing but to me this is just… I can’t see anything else. I’m sorry

[cuubism]

20 questions for fic writers!

tagged by @arialerendeair :) wow this is an ambitious game XD

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

162

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

906,535. I'm trying to hit 1 mil by the end of the year so wish me luck 😂

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Basically just Shadowhunters and Sandman with occasionally forays into others.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

a lucky break(out) (2,457), mind & heart, body & soul (2,112), don't mess with the high warlock of brooklyn (1,723), In Waking Dreams (1,141), and Complex Mathematics (1,068). Kind of a surprising spread tbh.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Always, though it can take a while. It just feels nice to do.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Certainly After Life. Magnus died in that one.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Hmm, most of my fics have reasonably happy endings. The Silly Rabbit series is very happy. The chaotic whumptober fic Kidnapping Your Heart is basically just crack so I'd consider that one pretty happy too 😂

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Only rarely, and usually it's on fics that I'd considered relatively unobjectionable, like MHBS, which is funny. The more fucked up stuff doesn't get hate but the stuff I thought was casual and mainstream does 😂 dunno why

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, though it's something I've had to get gradually more comfortable with over several years. With each fic I become further corrupted and venture into kinkier material. This can only be a good thing. I don't know exactly what we mean by what kind... I like when it's heavy on the feelings. Especially if the feelings are unspoken.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Usually no, but I threw Aziraphale and Crowley into Nightingales for one chapter. If I did ever write more crossovers it would probably only be between canons that seem to naturally meld together (like Good Omens and Sandman).

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Well not that I know of [knock on wood]

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yup, Points of View was translated into Russian. Very cool.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Never in the direct sense of both contributing writing to the same document. I don't think that method would work well for me. But @magnusbae is my perennial brainstorming buddy who's crafted the backend story and vibes of so many of my fics, especially dreamling. I've done the same with @silver-lily-louise for some malec stories before too.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I don't know if I have one. Malec maybe for sheer longevity. I'm usually obsessed with one thing at a time and then just not obsessed with it at all at other times XD

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Oof. I'd still like to finish my malec wips XD I begin to fear that I won't, though, since some would be so long and I've made so little progress on them this year. Maybe, though.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue (also my favorite part to write). Creating weird concepts, magics, functions of the world and so on. Language & style.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Sometimes I have to remind myself to do character introspection. I'll get through an entire scene and realize I haven't remarked at all on what the POV character is feeling, shown it externally maybe but not had them actually reflect internally. It comes from a combination of two things: spending a while in school writing film scripts and internalizing that writing style (all visuals no internal narration), plus just being kinda dissociated from my own feelings most of the time 😂 my characters aren't feeling shit because neither am I. I also tend to overcomplicate my plots and get myself mired in them, it's the number one reason I get stuck on fics or don't manage to finish them.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I've only done it very very sparingly and I'm careful to get it right. Only used if it makes specific contextual sense.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Funnily enough it was probably also malec back when I was a teenager, before Shadowhunters show even existed, though I never posted anything then.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Oh gosh. For malec probably still dissolution. For dreamling I'm extremely fond of Deja vu, Deja connu, it really pushed me outside the bounds of the types of stories I usually gravitate towards, in a good way. At the moment more of my 'favs' are probably in sandman simply because changing fandoms forced me to up my game and expand my comfort zone, which was a good thing. I also really like how Patron Saint came out, I hadn't been that happy with a one shot in a while, and writing from Death's POV really helped me grasp her character better. One of my only fics that had a platonic relationship at its core, too.

tagging @pellaaearien, @tharkuun, @im-not-corrupted if you feel compelled to do 20 whole questions XD

[ckret2]

saw your recent reblog about feedback and, though I’ve been occasionally gushing in tags, you deserve to hear what I tell my friends! In general, your writing style is perfect at capturing the timing and delivery of the show itself. I’ve never read a fic i’ve been able to visualize more clearly than this one. You write each character so well that between chapters it feels like i’m right back where i used to be, waiting for new episodes again. I do think you haven’t *quite* solved your side-character-ification (applejackification?) of Dipper problem yet, but other than that you’re doing an astounding job at balancing all the characters and their interactions with each other and with bill in a way that feels natural (plus with these more recent chapters i’m seeing lots of good dipper stuff so you’re definitely getting there with him too! besides, it is nice to see Mabel get the spotlight after all these years anyway. healing, even.) You know exactly how to control an audience’s emotions, you know when to drag something out and when to shut it down, you know when to cut off a conversation and when bring up the fact it was cut off later. Little foreshadowings like the loose tooth are well-planted and plot beats like lucid dreaming are dropped and picked back up delicately and with precision, like pressing piano keys. i don’t doubt for a second it’s all a part of some grand instrument, though i wouldn’t be surprised if you told me most of it was improvised - another way you’re just like the show was. you’ve done the episodic-and-serialized thing better than at least half of all silver-age cartoons that have attempted to do so! I adore the way you show kindness to all characters in your scenes, from gideon’s characterless mother to the little freak himself. It truly feels as though you pick no favorites, and that’s something you do better than the show did tbh. Not that TBOB needed to hook me in with a marketing campaign, but hypothetically, in a universe where I didn’t own a hand-sewn bill cipher throw-pillow and yet somehow still found this fic, I would definitely be excited for it after reading! you’re gifted, and i hope this does numbers on AO3. I truly cannot stand hazbin hotel, but I may go back and read your other works once this one’s over, just to hear your narrative voice. it’s a voice worth hearing, and may it be forever amplified.

oh WOW thank you so much??? 😭 this is SUCH a sweet comment and it means so much to me that you took the time to write all this!!

APPLEJACKIFICATION... that made me laugh. Dipper will get some serious development before the end of the eclipse plot and he's key in the next plot, so I think that'll help him make some progress. But yeah—he's not gonna be as important as Mabel, but I do want to make sure he has a plot that stands on its own, smaller though it may be.

It's 2/3 planned, 1/3 improvised. 😁 I've got a lead time of about 15 chapters between what I've posted and what I've written, so I can do stuff like write the poppet chapter, write the tooth fairy arc, edit the poppet chapter, realize that as long as I'm giving him a bloody lip maybe I can loosen his tooth, edit the tooth fairy arc, have him mention that that tooth was loose. And many chapters I haven't written or outlined yet I have loosely planned in my head so I know how to aim toward them.

Wanting to show kindness to all the characters and wanting to give as many of them an internal life as possible is so important to me, and I'm so glad that's showing through so far!

And honestly I think "I hate [xyz] but I'll read it if you're writing it" is the highest compliment. 😂 All my hazbin fics were written pre-season 1 when all we had was the pilot, a couple comics, creator comments, and some Helluva to go by; but idk maybe you'd consider that a plus lol. (If you're interested, on ao3 I've also written Transformers, Godzilla, some Pokémon, and a smattering of other things.)

Thanks again for sending such a nice message!

[kirsdoesstuff]

I might as well say how I learned about TWST and my journey through it so far with my thoughts. Slight spoilers ahead for the following a bit not much.

So to point it out, I learned about it before it’s release in eng on TikTok. I forget who’s video it was but it was like a year prior with the magical archives. I always loved some of the villains concepts as a kid, so this had me excited.

I followed the count down and the website, the pre order/downloads rewards were pretty good and they added more since the goals got hit so fast. Very interested in the fact that I was only taller than one of our main cast (Ortho).

When it came time to pick a hand, I picked Malleus. Maleficent was one of my favourite villains growing up. I don’t regret picking him to start, his CR (ceremonial robes) SR is still on my main team due to strength and Birthday Azul’s duo magic.

The free SSR I didn’t really have much preference, ended up going with Jack and he’s also a main on my team. He’s max on both spells, 2/3 friendships and close to his current max level 88/90. Currently still recovering the expenses in game, but I saved plenty beforehand.

I’ll be honest, I crush on Leona. I see the first years as kids and the second years. Most are taller than me, but I’m gonna be 20 in October so they kids. I totally first was into Malleus and Idia at first, but then book 6 in jp kinda changed things to me personally. Before it I totally would listen to the voice lines and the growl in Leona’s voice already had me. So it switched to being Malleus and Leona rather easily.

As sorta said earlier, I do look up translations for the main story mostly, haven’t looked up the full part 1 of 7 yet though. Most of my experience has been with the eng server, there are events I’m looking forward to for various reasons whether cute or Malleus in a mask (arms on show).

The eng translations in the official game have been, interesting to say the least. Cater got all those hashtags and social media language. Idia saying all his internet slang and the bunch. Epel is fine, he’s a country boy saying country things.

There’d be a lot I’d personally do if I were actually Yuu in there. Might be tempted to do what Ace did to the other Overblots. Not everyone, but a good punch on Jamil and Vil. Perhaps a slap to Leona and someone would need to hold me back from Idia in book 6. Kidnapping already traumatized ppl who were in therapy and starting to work. Plus you took the annoying but kinda lovable flame cat like monster and destroyed the dorm.

I like most of the fandom and try my best to interact. Of course I’ve seen a few accounts that were great on other platforms and then it started to have issues. I just hope most people remember this is an all boys high school.

When it’s ships, there’s plenty of cute ones and ones that make some sense. AppleJack and AppleJuice are pretty cute. ADeuce is a great team over time and plenty holding the other accountable when it counts. As long as it’s not illegal, uncomfy or I really don’t like it for whatever reason. I’m generally fine with the ships, that goes for most things tbh. Cuddles and kisses are typical safe things for all. NSFW is for 18+ characters.

Been a while since I made one, but on TikTok I have a little series of my honest opinions on characters from TWST with numbers to each one so a random number generator can pick who. I don’t have any RSA characters in it, but the staff and Grim are there. So 28 total there in that list and I’ve done 3 total (Deuce, Grim and silver).

I definitely recommend TWST when I’m talking to people about it, of course I warn that you have to pull for characters.

I do my best to use my Genshin pull luck, but I will admit I’ve spent money on this game and not the other. I spent like $40CAD trying to get Fairy Gala Leona. I’ve currently saved up some 10 pull keys for birthday Malleus. I only have Cater, Azul, Ruggie and Lilia for the birthday cards so far. I do the monthly card.

I think I’ll leave this here though, I’ll be sure to share what other item I preordered from AmiAmi in April.

Though enjoy the wallpaper edits, top for tablets and bottom for phones more. I post these on wit too.

Otherwise, what did you think about the game at first?

Edit: added a read more line

[cosplayassistant]

costume reference hunt : Engineer Mark !

below the cut, you will find an assortment of references as well as an analysis of what I could find for Markiplier's Head Engineer outfit from In Space with Markiplier !

yes I'm doing this because I'm back into Markiplier and I want to make this cosplay why do you ask

( all images are screencapped from iswm part 1, iswm part 2, and the bts video ! )

let's get to it !

thankfully, the base itself isn't that difficult. it's just a tan one - piece jumpsuit with pockets ( one on each side of the chest, one on each upper arm, and two on each leg ) and white zippers. a pretty typical pattern for a jumpsuit ( there's an almost perfect one sold by simplicity patterns here, which can also be found on amazon & the like ) . it's hard to get a clear view of his boots, but i'm fairly sure they're just black work boots. he wears a while shirt under it all ( you can see in the bts video that it doesn't really have sleeves ) .

we can also see the belt, which is a black belt with a silver buckle ( with a funky little circular design on the front ) that seems to clip at an angle. there are also little cases / pods ( four on each side in a square pattern ) strapped to the belt on each hip.

with some better close - ups to the upper portion of his jumpsuit, we can see the patches as well as his pins. for some reason, some of the shots have mark with his orange patch on his lower right hand torso as well as his shoulder, but sometimes the torso one isn't there. i have no idea if that's an error or intentional, but. it's a thing. and it happens.

anyways ! he has a little blue pin on his collar ( which i'm having trouble figuring out what it's meant to be; i think it's a cube of some sort but i have no idea ) , as well as a little space Chica pin!

he has a patch on the left - hand side of his torso that's just a white rectangle with a black outline that reads M2702 in black ( which is his number ) .

we can also see his lil hat ! he only wears it for the very beginning of the loop, but it's still silly ( affectionate ) . he has an invincible ii pin on it that seems to match the pattern on his left - arm invincible ii patch. otherwise it's just an orange beret with a black bias along the bottom.

here are some better views of the patches !! funnily enough, the best view of the invincible ii patch was on mack's uniform lmao

the blue one ( left arm ) is the generic invincible ii patch that all of the crewmates have, while the yellow and orange one ( right arm ) is i think only for mark ( it's probably meant to be specifically for the head engineer ) . it has the same M2702 that his chest patch has.

and then there's the gauntlet ! ( mack istg why do you keep having the better views of everything )

it has a white upper part with silver detail on top, and the bottom half ( presumably made of fabric; to keep it in place ) is black. he wears gloves ( not sure if they're attatched to the gauntlets ) , though Mark's are partially fingerless ( pointer, middle, and thumb aren't gloved ) .

the opposite hand has a funky little holder for mark's lil phone - size device. it honestly looks like one of those phone cases where it has a front flap that holds back; or, just. one of those phone cases you use to keep your phone propped up in your car. tbh this could be a modified phone holder made for running. either or any way, has a case that's strapped to a gauntlet that goes around his wrist, atop his glove. you can get a sort of better view of it in the other images on this post, too.

aside from that, he just has his bangs swept to the side ( though they could be a lot messier if you're going for a look later in the loop ) .

~~~

and, that's the look !

hope this helps !

[transmasc-wizard]

New Year Catch-Up Tag

thanks to @princeofthecactus for the tag! The rules are to tag 9 (that is an unreasonable number but ok) people you want to get to know better or catch up with.

favourite colour: I'm an indecisive bastard, but I think I'll go with silver. Shiny, sparkly silver with little dark streaks, like the spilled ink from the markers I bought forever ago.

last song: Modern Day Cain by IDKHOW--It's on my Val Saintly playlist, and I'm currently procrastinating writing.

currently reading: The Heartbreak Bakery by AR Capetta and Going Postal by Terry Pratchett. Both are good so far, but I'm only a couple chapters in for each. I'm enjoying GP more, I think; Capetta's book is good, but easy to put down.

last movie: ok i've seen this tag 10 thousand times now and I know everyone says Encanto, but... Encanto. It was amazing. Go watch it.

Sweet, savory or spicy? I hate strong flavours in general but I think strong spice is the easiest to handle? Bc at least it still tastes good when it's burning you. I like mild sweetness, though.

currently working on: too little projects, tbh. Just Valarie Saintly Is Totally Normal (which is currently at something like... 1200 words) and thinking about my other 2 most recent projects (Moonlit Blood/GFW1 and NT21).

Tagging @dauntless-shadow-ice-1, @strawberrie-faerie, @wherearetheplants, @idkjustgowithitok, @void-fireworks, @ashen-crest, @chayscribbles, @stormharbors, and @cream-and-tea

[thebirdandhersong]

The Year So Far Book Ask

Tagged by @madamescarlette <3 thank you, darling!! (I DO SO LOVE TO TALK ABOUT BOOKS!!!!)

1. Best book you have read in 2021 so far?

HOW can I answer that!!!! Here is a top 10 because I cannot narrow it down!!

Middlemarch: read it twice this year (liked it the first time, LOVED it the second time)

David Copperfield: my new favourite Dickens. There is a lot of joy and compassion at the heart of this book, and I Loved it very much.

The Mill on the Floss: can’t explain the feeling I got from reading this book (tbh if you know, you know!! It warms your heart but it also makes you want to stand in the rain and cry)

The Queen of Attolia: a roller coaster. Very overwhelming. Was incredibly Shocked many times. (Also, who’d have thought?? Gen??? In LOVE??? Fantastic in concept and in execution)

The Adventures of Sally: a new favourite Wodehouse. You will laugh so hard tears will spring to your eyes.

Night Watch: this one stuck a knife in me and twisted..... but in a good way.

Anne of the Island: much-needed comfort read!!!

Leave it to Psmith: another new favourite Wodehouse. Modern rom-coms wish they could do rom-com like Psmith, Eve, and the umbrella that was Definitely Not His.

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette: A DELIGHT (speechless!!)

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street: ALSO A DELIGHT (still speechless!!)

2. Best sequel you have read in 2021 so far?

Ohohoho. All the Discworld sequels. (Especially A Hat Full of Sky, Night Watch, Thud!, I Shall Wear Midnight.)

Also, The Queen of Attolia. That book decimated me. Admittedly no one’s emotions are very stable at two in the morning, but I was an absolute Wreck that night (morning?).

3. A new release you want to check out?

I am behind on the times so my idea of ‘new’ is rather skewed.... I still really want to read Spin the Dawn, The Goblin Emperor, and Spinning Silver. And am making my way through Queen’s Thief.

4. Most anticipated book release of the second half of the year?

I... don’t follow new releases that much, to be honest. I am currently looking through the lists and don’t see anything I recognise s;lfdjsdlk;

5. Biggest disappointment?

The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I knew how it was going end, but i was still mad. (These days I like books with a hefty amount of Hope and that one.... definitely did not have that.) I also read Tess of the d’Urbervilles for the first time and remember being just... really frustrated with all the characters and about the lack of Hope in that one, too. I was also hoping to love I Capture the Castle and was a bit grumpy about the second half of the book!!

6. Biggest surprise?

The books I read because my friends loved them!! Such as The Blue Castle (Eden), The Man Born to be King (Magpie), Gourmet Hound (Eden), Queen’s Thief (Fran), Blandings Castle/Psmith (Rebekah), Discworld (I think I started reading it for the first time because of Fran as well)...... I also reread a bunch of old favourites (Lord of the Rings and a few Jane Austens) and they were even better than I remembered!! Which was just wonderful!! (though not very surprising, I guess!!)

7. Favourite new author (either new to you or debut)?

MEGAN WHALEN TURNER. I also have a new appreciation for P.G. Wodehouse (after crashing through all of his Jeeves books and most of the Blandings Castle audiobooks) and Terry Pratchett (after bulldozing through a good number of Discworld books, most of them two or three times) and Georgette Heyer (read my first few Heyers this year and had SUCH a blast).

8. Favourite new fictional crush?

In general: Ik-jun from Hospital Playlist (He’s not from a book sksfjkl ;sdfj k I wanted to mention him because I just love him a Lot)

In terms of books: Sam Vimes (sdlkfjs;kls) and Henry Tilney (I loved him before, but this year cemented him as one of the top, if not The Favourite Austen hero in my heart). I don’t know if Gen counts, because I feel very friendly towards him, and alternate between wanting to make soup for him and wanting to bonk him on the head with a cardboard tube.

Mal (from S&B) had some Really Good lines, too. Especially in the last chapter of Ruin and Rising.

9. Newest favourite character?

A whole PLATOON of them. Sasha and Lysander from @magpie-trove​‘s story, Beatrice and Romeo from @imissthembutitwasntadisaster​‘s story, Emilia and Lily from @itspileofgoodthings​‘s stories, Tiffany Aching, Granny Weatherwax, Helen and Irene and Costis from Queen’s Thief, Dorothea and Maggie from George Eliot’s books, Sally from The Adventures of Sally....

10. A book that made you cry?

Literally cried so many times this year over all sorts of stories. But a few off the top of my head:

The Penderwicks (all of them): cried from sheer joy!!!

Seven for a Secret: there are so many lines in the most recent chapters alone that brought tears to my eyes.

The Keys of Fire: which is The definitive Fairy Tail fanfic for me. I just love this story so much. And i was surprised all over again by the forgiveness and the love and the grace and the healing in this story this time around!!

The Queen of Attolia/The King of Attolia: cried out of surprise and joy at nearly all the Gen/Irene scenes (not the beginning ones sl;fksdsdlfk jd but my heart did a great leap when Gen remembers seeing Irene dance)

Ruin and Rising: cried at the ending. Also because I was so happy. (There is no such thing as an ordinary love!!!)

Crooked Kingdom: cried at what Kaz did for Inej (couldn’t help it. That moment was beautiful)

(It has been quite an emotional year. The waterworks are triggered by the smallest things. But I’m happy to say that I’ve cried out of happiness mostly in the book department.)

11. A book that made you happy?

(Nearly all of them tbh!!! I have so many new favourite books from this year’s reading list alone!!!)

The Penderwicks series. Was in bliss for the whole week. I was also incredibly happy listening to the Discworld audiobooks, and reading new installments of Emilia and Seven for a Secret and The Stars Hold No Part In This!!! All the Wodehouse and Heyer books I read were delightful.... David Copperfield was so full of joy and grace and it made me want to prance in a field. All of the Anne books I reread were comfort reads. And of course The Keys of Fire, which kept me smiling for hours: I feel like a kid being handed an ice cream cone with three scoops and a cherry on top whenever I read it. Incredibly happy.

12. Most beautiful book you have bought or received this year?

The second-hand Vintage Classics Jane Austens!! :’) especially Northanger Abbey, which was in Excellent condition. Very floppy (unlike the longer Austens..... alas for Mansfield Park, which is harder to flip through) and fits comfortably in my hands.

And the Tundra Classics edition of Anne of the Island. (I liked the way the paper felt and the text was a really nice font and size!)

13. What book do you need to read by the end of the year?

OOH TONS. I’m still reading Anna Karenina (stopped because I thought: I need a happy story right now). Would love to keep reading Queen’s Thief (I’m taking it slow because they’re books that should be savoured), make some headway in Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey books, read more Georgette Heyer, start on The Goblin Emperor and a Bunch of books I've been meaning to read for a while (The Eagle of the Ninth, Piranesi, Phantom of the Opera, Surprised by Joy, Crime and Punishment, War and Peace are the main ones. This is an ambitious list but I’d like to read at least two of them before the year is out sl;kffdksl;dfjslk;)

tagging: @imissthembutitwasntadisaster​ @soldier-poet-king​ @septembersung​ @lady-merian​ @called-kept​ if you would like to!! And YOU, if you think it looks fun and want to give it a try!! :D

[prouvaireafterdark]

See Something You Like? - Malex Sex Shop AU Part 2/2

I finally finished it!!! 🎉

God, writing this fic has been such a wild ride. When I got the prompt for it, I thought I’d write maybe a few thousand words and that’d be the end of it, but here we are, 14k words of gratuitous smut later lol.

Thank you all so much for your continued enthusiasm, patience, and support while I took approximately 500 years to write it 💜

Happy New Year, everyone!

Also on AO3! (Click here if you’d like to start with Part 1)

***

Michael finishes his shift in a daze, mind caught on the phone number burning a hole in his pocket. He knows there’s rules about how long you should wait to text someone once you have their number so you don’t come off as sad or desperate, but he’s still worked up from talking to Alex and every cell in his body is begging him to fucking call him.

After jerking off to the memory of him and several hours of overthinking it, Michael finally works up the nerve to send Alex a text at around 8pm.

Hey, it’s Michael, from Pandora’s Box, he types. Any chance I could get that review?

He presses send and sets his phone face down on his thigh before turning his attention back to finding something embarrassing to watch on his brother’s Netflix account while he finishes his grading. He settles on some soapy-looking teen show called Pretty Little Liars and presses play.

His phone buzzes a moment later and Michael’s heart rate picks up in anticipation. It falls just as quick when he sees that it’s just Isobel confirming the time for their monthly video chat with Max. He shoots off a response and tries to focus back on the short stack of exams he’s supposed to get through tonight while he waits for Alex to reply. 

As the minutes tick by, that’s easier said than done.

The longest twenty minutes of Michael’s life pass before he feels his phone vibrate again. The way he scrambles for it is a little embarrassing, but he’s rewarded with the sight of Alex’s name flashing across his screen this time, so, whatever. Michael opens the message without delay.

Alex: Was wondering when you’d text

Michael bites his lip as he types out his response.

Michael: ‘When’? Not ‘if’?

Alex takes another minute to reply and Michael doesn’t even pretend to grade while he waits.

Alex: Well, you did spend the better part of an hour dirty talking me at work

Michael laughs out loud as he reads it. He types “Fair” in the message field, but Alex texts again before he sends it.

Alex: I figured I made an impression

Michael deletes his reply and types a new one.

Michael: Understatement of the year tbh

He can practically hear Isobel chastising him for coming on too strong, but there’s no use playing coy with Alex after all the things they’ve said to each other today. Luckily, Alex doesn’t leave him hanging.

Alex: Oh yeah?

Michael: Yeah. I’ve been thinking about our conversation a lot

Alex: Which part?

Michael: God, all of it

Michael: But especially the way you looked at me when we were talking about my favorite dildo

Alex: How was I looking at you?

Michael swallows, thinking back to that moment, to the almost predatory way Alex stared at him.

Michael: Like you were picturing it inside of me

Michael: Like you wanted to watch me take it

Alex’s reply comes back quick this time.

Alex: I was

Alex: And I do

“Fuck,” Michael breathes, his cock twitching in his jeans. He leans back against the armrest of his couch and stretches his legs out in front of him before he types the only reply he can think of.

Michael: Fuck

Alex: 😈

Michael: What about you?

Alex: What about me?

Michael: Have you been thinking about it?

About me? he doesn’t say.

Alex: Only every minute since I left

Michael grins wide at that.

Michael: Glad I’m not the only one with absolutely no chill here

Alex: Haha, what can I say? You made an impression on me too

Michael: 😎

Michael: So, have you taken that massager for a test ride yet?

Alex: I have

Michael gives Alex some time to elaborate, and sends off another text when he doesn’t.

Michael: How’d you like it?

His phone buzzes a moment later, this time with a picture message. Michael is very glad he’s alone in his apartment when he opens it.

It’s a picture of Alex, that much is clear from the satisfied smirk on his face and the septum piercing just making it into the shot. He can also see that his chest is streaked with come, all the way up to his neck. There’s a caption beneath it that says, You tell me.

Michael’s cock has never gotten so hard, so fast.

His phone buzzes with another message.

Alex: You were right about the noise, by the way

Michael stares at the photo and the messages beneath it for longer than he’d care to admit before he decides to just call him.

“Michael?” Alex’s voice asks when he picks up.

“Jesus Christ, Alex,” Michael says, swiping a hand over his face as he tries to ignore the throbbing in his groin. “Are you trying to kill me?”

Alex’s laugh is musical on the other end of the line.

“I feel like I should be asking you that,” Alex says. “Pretty sure my soul left my body for a minute there when I used it.”

That statement conjures all sorts of images to Michael’s mind, and it isn’t until he hears Alex speak again that he realizes he hasn’t said anything.

“Michael?” Alex asks. “Did I lose you?”

“No, sorry, I’m here,” Michael replies, cheeks darkening with a blush Alex can’t see. “I’m just—sorry, literally all I can think about is how bad I want to lick your chest clean right now.”

“Mm, kinky,” Alex purrs.

“Yeah,” Michael shrugs. “Think you knew that about me already though.”

“Haha, yeah, guess I did.”

There’s a beat of silence over the line where neither of them speaks and Michael’s curiosity gets the better of him.

“When did you take that picture?” he asks.

“About an hour ago.”

“Did you take it for me?” Michael asks, unable to resist.

“Nah,” Alex answers lightly, and Michael’s confidence falls a little before he continues, “I took it for the other guy who sold me a sex toy today.”

“Cute,” Michael comments dryly.

Alex laughs, sounding pleased with himself. “I try.”

“You know…” Michael starts after a beat. “I’ve got some more toys you can play with at my apartment, if you’re interested.”

“That’s sweet, but next time I think I’d rather play with you.”

Michael curses under his breath, his cock throbbing against his zipper. He presses the heel of his palm against it, suppressing a groan at the feeling.

“In that case, you free tonight? ‘Cause I’d really like to be played with.”

Alex makes a low, contemplative sound that hits him deep in his gut. Michael bites his lip in anticipation.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Whatever you want,” Michael answers easily.

“Anything?”

“Well, maybe not anything,” Michael amends, sinking further against the couch’s armrest. “I’m not gonna call you ‘Daddy.’”

“Yeah, that definitely will not be a problem,” Alex replies, and there’s something in his tone that gives Michael the feeling there’s a story there, but it’ll have to wait for another time.

“Perfect,” Michael says. “So, how do you want me?”

There’s silence on the line for a heartbeat too long before Alex answers.

“Before we start making plans…” Alex starts at last, hesitant and uneasy like he’s never sounded before, “there’s something you should know.”

Michael’s heart sinks. There just had to be a fucking catch, huh?

“I’m listening,” Michael says carefully, trying to ignore the possibilities flying through his mind. What, is Alex married? Does he live with his ex? Does he have an STD? Is he—

“I’m a combat vet,” Alex says, words short and clipped.

“Oh,” Michael says. He’s spent his whole life actively avoiding people in the military, so he isn’t quite sure what to say to that. Is he supposed to thank Alex for his service or something?

“I, uh, lost my leg on my last tour,” Alex continues, and before Michael can formulate a response, he adds, “Hope that’s not a dealbreaker.”

“What?” Michael asks. “Why would that be a dealbreaker?”

“You’d be surprised how often it is,” is all Alex says, and Michael feels a rush of anger for him.

“Well, those guys are assholes who don’t deserve you,” he replies.

“So… it’s not a problem for you?” Alex asks after a brief moment, sounding surprised.

If Michael ever meets the men who made Alex feel like his body was a problem for them, he’s going to redefine the word for them, but Michael sets his anger aside for now.

”Alex, the only thing that’s a problem for me right now is that I’m not touching you,” Michael answers honestly.

Alex is quiet for a moment, and Michael starts to worry he’s blown this somehow, but then he finally says, “Well, we should fix that then.”

Michael lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Your place or mine?”

“Yours,” Alex answers quickly.

“What should I be ready for?” Michael asks.

Michael lets Alex consider his question, bottom lip caught between his teeth.

“I want to fuck you,” Alex says at last. “But first, I want to watch you use that dildo you showed me earlier.”

“Fuck,” Michael whispers, mostly to himself. His cock pulses in his jeans, desperate for contact, and he’s sure Alex can hear the uptick in his breathing.

“That sound like something you’re up for tonight?” Alex asks.

“Fuck, yes, Alex, oh my god,” Michael says, and he can’t be too mad at himself for being inarticulate when it gives him the opportunity to hear Alex’s laugh one more time.

“When should I come over?”

“Uh,” Michael pauses, looking over his messy apartment. “Give me an hour?”

“Sounds good,” Alex says. “See you then.”

When he hears the call end, Michael turns off his TV and jumps off the couch, eager to get started.

He straightens up a little before he hops in the shower. When he’s done scrubbing the day from his body, he towels off in the bathroom and heads back into his living space, drawing the blinds with his telekinesis as he reaches for the box under his bed where he stores his toys.

He’s planning on just opening himself up with his fingers, but a flash of silver catches his eye before he shuts the box and Michael just can’t help himself. In addition to the galaxy dildo and his favorite lube, he grabs a thick, heavy stainless steel plug that looks just like the one he saw Alex staring at in the shop.

Michael lies down on his bed and picks up his phone off the bedspread. He unlocks it and pulls up the picture Alex sent him, the fingers of his free hand wrapping around his half-hard cock to stroke it lightly before skimming down passed his balls to tease at his hole.

It’s not long before the dry press of his fingertips isn’t enough, so he draws his knees up toward his chest and squeezes some lube onto his fingers before bringing them back to his hole.

Between Alex’s scorching hot selfie and everything they’ve talked about today, Michael is buzzing with anticipation as he efficiently works himself open. By the time he’s got a fourth finger pushing passed his rim, he’s a writhing mess, his cock so hard he’s a little worried he’ll spill before Alex even gets here.

The plug is cold when Michael finally lines it up with his hole and works it in, making him gasp. He clenches around it once it’s settled inside him, its solid weight filling him up and holding him open until Alex is ready for him. His cock drools lazily against his belly just thinking about what Alex will do with him. God, he can’t wait for him to get here.

It’s not long before there’s a knock at Michael’s door.

Michael feels his heart rate spike, excitement and anticipation blooming inside him. He heads to the door immediately, feeling the plug he’s wearing shift inside him with every step he takes.

Alex is waiting for him when he opens the door, somehow even more beautiful than Michael remembers. He’s still wearing the same leather jacket from earlier, and Michael notices that his dark brown eyes are now rimmed in black. It’s a great fucking look, made complete by his silver septum piercing and black skinny jeans.

“Hey,” Alex smiles, eyes flicking down to take in Michael’s state of undress. He’d agonized a little over what to wear before deciding on a pair of soft navy sweats and nothing else. The thought of putting on a flannel and squeezing into a nice pair of jeans after working a plug that size into himself did not compute, and besides—if all goes well, his clothes will be lying in a crumpled heap at the foot of his bed in a few minutes anyway.

Regardless, Alex seems to like what he sees.

“Hey yourself,” Michael says, leaning against the door frame as he really lets himself appreciate the view.

“Can I come in?” Alex asks, and it takes every ounce of Michael’s self control not to say, You can come wherever you want.

“Yeah,” he answers instead, pushing the door open wider to let Alex in.

Alex steps over the threshold, but pauses only a few steps inside.

“Wow,” he says as he looks around Michael’s apartment.

Michael tries to see what Alex is noticing and is hit with a sudden wave of self-conscious dread. He’d tidied up the space around his bed, but in his haste to get ready he’d forgotten the chaotic mess of papers he’d been grading that he’d left all over the couch and coffee table.

“Sorry the place is kind of a mess,” he apologizes, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What? No, it’s fine, I just—you have so many plants,” Alex clarifies, gesturing around the room.

“Oh,” Michael says, relaxing a little.

He looks around once more, taking in the vibrant green leaves sprouting from the pots on the shelves above his desk and scattered elsewhere throughout his space as if seeing them for the first time. It’s maybe a lot more than the average person would have in an apartment this size, but for reasons he could never quite understand, plants have always made Michael feel at home.

“It’s like a greenhouse in here,” Alex notes, voice soft and full of wonder. “How do you manage to keep them alive? I’m pretty sure I’ve killed every plant I’ve ever touched.”

“I’m an agricultural engineer,” Michael says by way of an explanation.

“Oh, really?” Alex asks, sounding intrigued, spinning around to face him.

“Yeah,” Michael says, huffing a laugh. “My grad school stipend doesn’t exactly cover the bills though, hence the second job.”

“Mmm, gotcha,” Alex nods.

Michael stares at him a moment before he takes a step closer.

“I’m feeling a little underdressed here,” he says. “Can I get your coat?”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Alex says, shrugging off his leather jacket and revealing the thin maroon sweater he’s wearing underneath. Michael tries not to get distracted by the way the fabric clings to his chest as he takes the jacket from him and hangs it carefully on one of the pegs by the door.

By the time he turns around, Alex has migrated to the guitar case leaning against the arm of his couch.

“Do you play?” Alex asks, looking over his shoulder when he hears Michael approaching.

“When I have the time,” he answers, coming to stand at Alex’s side. “You?”

“Yeah,” Alex smiles. “I, um, I actually own a record store not too far from here where I give lessons.”

“Oh shit, really?” Michael asks, lighting up. It’s been a while since he listened to music off a record, but after countless summers learning how to fix cars at Old Man Sanders’ junkyard, he has nothing but fond memories of them. “Wait, I think I’ve passed it on the way to my sister’s place—is it Manes Street Music?”

“Mhmm,” Alex says, smile brightening as he turns to face Michael. He gives Michael a considering look before he adds, “You should come by sometime, if you’re interested. Let me return the favor with some album recommendations.”

“Definitely interested,” Michael says at once—spending more time with Alex isn’t exactly a hard sell—but the plug that’s been nudging up against his prostate for the last ten minutes has him taking a small, pointed step closer and adding, “Though… I was kind of hoping you could return the favor another way.”

Alex’s eyes flick down toward Michael’s mouth, lingering for a moment before he meets Michael’s gaze. He must see the desperation on Michael’s face because Alex’s eyes darken and his lips curl into a slow, smug smile that makes Michael’s heart race with anticipation.

“Oh yeah?” Alex asks, tilting his head to one side like he doesn’t remember why he’s here, in Michael’s apartment. “How would you like me to start?”

Michael takes a deep breath, the possibilities a little overwhelming, before Alex licks his lips and makes his mind up for him.

“Kiss me,” Michael answers.

Alex is all too happy to oblige.

The second their lips touch, Michael feels weak with need. If he thought the simple brush of their fingers was powerful, it has nothing on this—Alex’s lips are impossibly soft and the subtle scent of Alex’s cologne is so intoxicating that Michael has the wild hope that he’ll be able to smell Alex on his pillow after he leaves.

Alex makes a wounded noise in the back of his throat when Michael buries his fingers in his silky brown hair, and Michael can’t help but chase that sound right into his mouth. Alex opens for him easily, his arms tightening around Michael’s waist as he deepens the kiss, teasing the roof of Michael’s mouth with his tongue.

Michael feels Alex’s hands on the bare skin of his waist then, his touch firm and grounding as he pulls Michael closer until they’re chest to chest. The fabric of Alex’s sweater is a little rough against his nipples, which has Michael panting into Alex’s mouth in no time, his fingers twisting a little tighter into the short, fine hair at the base of Alex’s neck.

It’s a long moment before Michael pulls away with a soft, slick sound, blood still rushing in his ears as he catches his breath.

“You don’t know how long I’ve been thinking about doing that,” Michael murmurs against his mouth, thumb brushing against the stubble on his jaw.

“I think maybe I do,” Alex says, pulling back to look him in the eye with an amused expression. “What was it you said when you approached me?” Alex pauses for a beat, as if he needs to think about it before finishing, “Oh, right. ‘See something you like?’” in a tone that is at least 25% more suggestive than the one Michael is sure he used in the shop earlier that day.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Michael says, rather unconvincingly. “Was just doing my job.”

“Bullshit,” Alex says, and a wolfish grin breaks out on Michael’s face.

“Okay, you got me,” he says, bumping his nose along Alex’s cheek. “The second I saw you, I knew I had to find out if your mouth is as soft as it looks.”

“Well?” Alex asks. “Is it?”

“Mm, I don’t know,” Michael teases. “I think you might need to kiss me again, just to make sure.”

Alex shakes his head at him, an amused smile playing at his lips. “Come here,” he says as he hooks a hand around the back of Michael’s neck to pull him in for another kiss, and then another.

Michael groans unabashedly into his mouth when he feels Alex’s cock, hot and every bit as hard as his own, brush against him, but it turns into a whimper as Alex’s fingers dip below the rolled waistband on his sweats to palm his ass, stopping just shy of slipping between his cheeks.

“Tell me what you want, Michael,” Alex says when they part, and Michael can’t suppress the shudder of anticipation that rolls through him.

“Told you already,” Michael answers. “Whatever you want.”

Alex traps his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment.

“Okay,” Alex breathes. “Is it okay if I boss you around a little?”

Michael feels his cock thicken even more at the thought.

“Um, yes,” he says, communicating his enthusiasm with just a single syllable.

“Safeword?”

“Traffic lights work for me.”

“Okay,” Alex smiles. “And how do you feel about edging?”

“Love it,” Michael answers. “Feels good to hand over the reins to someone else like that for a while. Quiets the noise a little, you know?”

“Is that something you want tonight?” Alex asks, squeezing his ass a little as he pulls him closer. “For me to quiet the noise for you?”

Michael bites his bottom lip as he nods.

“Okay then,” Alex says, slowly extricating his hands from Michael’s pants. “Take me to your bed.”

Michael nods again before he takes him by the hand and leads him a little further back into his apartment, toward the corner where his bed is tucked away.

“What’s that?” Alex asks when they get there, taking a step closer to Michael’s bed.

“It’s a toy mount,” Michael answers as he steps in front of him, running his palms along his muscled shoulders and linking his arms around his neck.

The mount sits in the middle of the bed, Michael’s galaxy dildo sticking out of the slit in the black cushion. He’d felt a little ridiculous buying it, but (short of fucking himself with his powers) he’s found it really is the next best thing; It’s sturdy enough to keep the toy in place no matter how rough he rides it, and its design allows for deeper penetration than he’d get sticking the suction cup base to the wall or the floor.

Besides, Michael’s been working at Pandora’s long enough to have heard a few things and the last thing he needs is to lose his security deposit because of a fucking dildo.

Alex looks at him with wide, interested eyes and Michael shrugs, dropping his voice low when he says, “You said you wanted to watch, so I thought I’d give you a show.”

“Jesus Christ,” Alex says, gaze dragged back toward the bed over Michael’s shoulder. Michael guides him back gently by the chin until Alex is looking at him again.

“Want to see me take it for a ride?” Michael drawls, and Alex knocks noses with him in his haste to get his mouth on his.

Alex crowds Michael backward until his knees hit the bed. With a gentle shove, Michael lands on his ass, the plug inside him shifting abruptly and making him gasp. Alex is on him in an instant, his mouth slick and warm against his own while his fingers map the surface of his chest, dragging lightly through his chest hair. His knee plants itself on the bed between Michael’s spread thighs and Michael can’t help but clench his fist in the front of Alex’s sweater and press forward with his hips, desperate for some friction.

Despite their passionate start, Alex pulls away to trail slow, wet kisses down his jaw, content now to drag it out, and it isn’t long before Michael cracks.

“Please,” Michael gasps, and he feels Alex smile against the side of his neck.

“Begging for it already?” Alex asks him right before he dips his tongue into the hollow of his throat. Michael tries not to whine, but he’s fighting a losing battle.

“In my defense,” Michael pants, “you’re very hot and I’ve been hard for, like, over an hour at this point.” He looks up at Alex with pleading eyes when he pulls back to see his face, a smile still tugging at his lips.

“Fair enough,” Alex says, propping himself up with one elbow. Almost like he can’t resist, Alex reaches out and rakes his fingers through Michael’s chaotic mess of curls. Michael lets his eyes slip closed at the feeling, melting a little under Alex’s touch. “Where’s the lube?”

“Other side of the mount,” Michael answers without opening his eyes, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the far side of the bed. “There’s condoms too.”

“Then stay put,” Alex says, kissing him once before he stands up.

The room feels colder without Alex’s warmth against his chest, but he’s back in just a moment. Michael opens his eyes to see him tossing a condom and the bottle of lube on the bed beside him before he pulls Michael’s sweatpants down his legs.

Michael’s hard cock slaps against his belly as it’s freed, flushed and shining with precome, and Michael can’t resist the urge to wrap his fingers around it and stroke himself under Alex’s gaze. Michael isn’t sure what turns him on more, the slide of his fist around his dick or the way Alex is looking at him like he wants to swallow him whole.

“So fucking beautiful,” Alex whispers before he wraps his hand over Michael’s around his shaft and dips down to seal his lips over the tip.

“Oh god,” Michael whines, tossing his head back against the mattress as Alex starts to suck him. The wet heat of his mouth is nearly too much, and Michael’s other hand shoots down between his legs to grab Alex’s shoulder, his fingers bunching up the fabric. “Alex.”

Alex hums around his dick and takes him deeper, sucking hard on the upstroke and driving Michael further out of his mind with every bob of his head. It feels like barely a minute goes by before Michael’s hips start to twitch of their own accord, desperate with the growing need to bury his cock in Alex’s throat until he comes.

Alex anchors his free arm across Michael’s hips to keep him still, causing the plug he’s wearing to press harder against his prostate as he squirms and tries to rock against the bed.

“Fuck, Alex,” Michael pants, fingers gripping his sweater tighter. He groans again, his hole clenching harder around the toy inside him before he warns, “I appreciate the foreplay, but m’gonna come if you do that much longer.”

Alex pulls off of his cock, his lips shining in the light as he smirks up at him.

“Not without permission you’re not,” he says, gripping the base of Michael’s cock tightly between his thumb and forefinger to stave off his impending orgasm. Michael groans when he does it, but the sound is quickly muffled by Alex’s mouth on his.

“Did you prep yourself enough or do you want me to finger you before you get started?” Alex asks him when he’s through kissing him.

Michael nearly laughs then. “I don’t know,” he says, taking Alex by the wrist and guiding his hand lower between his legs. “What do you think?”

“Michael,” Alex moans when his fingers brush the base of the plug between Michael’s cheeks, eyes wild with desire and surprise. “Let me see.”

Michael rolls over onto his stomach and lifts up onto his knees, arching his back a little as he presents himself without shame.

“Fuck,” Alex says softly but with feeling as he grabs hold of Michael’s cheeks and spreads him open for a better look.

Michael might be embarrassed at the scrutiny if he wasn’t so fucking turned on by it. His cock throbs where it hangs between his legs and he can’t help but tighten up around the unyielding plug inside him.

“Saw you looking at a similar one at Pandora’s earlier,” Michael says breathlessly as Alex begins to tug on it, no doubt watching the way his rim stretches around it. “You like it?”

“I love it,” Alex says. He teases him a moment more, drawing the plug out an inch or so and then pushing it back inside him just to hear Michael whine, but soon he removes it from his ass and sets it down on the bed.

Michael feels uncomfortably empty without something inside him. His hole clenches greedily around nothing as he waits for Alex to uncap the lube and spread some over his fingers, his forehead pressed flush against the mattress behind his folded arms as he waits.

He feels two of Alex’s fingers sink into him, so easily he adds another right away. Alex spreads them as he fucks him, testing to see how open he is before he curls them, seeking out his prostate.

“Ah,” Michael gasps when he finds it, pleasure burning through him bright and hot. “Ah, fuck, Alex.”

“Right there, huh?” Alex asks, the pads of his fingers gently rubbing that spot.

Michael moans in reply and shifts his hips back, his knees sliding further apart as Alex continues to finger him. With his head bowed down against the mattress, Michael can see his cock dripping precome onto his clean sheets. He probably should’ve laid out a towel, but he can’t bring himself to care about that now.

Just when Michael is about to say “screw it” to his whole plan and beg Alex to just fuck him already, Alex eases off his prostate and asks, “Are you ready for it now? Or do you want another?”

Michael shakes his head; He was pretty thorough when he prepped himself earlier.

“I’m good,” Michael pants, peeling himself off the mattress after Alex finally withdraws from his body.

When Michael turns around and reaches for the lube, he catches sight of Alex, still fully clothed and standing at the foot of Michael’s bed. He remembers what Alex told him earlier about his injury and wonders if that’s why he’s still dressed. Before things progress any further, Michael decides he should check in with him.

Leaving the lube on the bed, Michael rises up on his knees and pulls Alex into a kiss, softer than Alex is expecting.

“Everything okay?” Alex asks him when he pulls away, his palms resting comfortably on Michael’s sides.

“Mhmm,” Michael nods. “Before we continue though, is there anything you want me to know? Anywhere you don’t want me to touch you?”

Alex looks away and takes a breath, a puff of air exiting his open mouth on the exhale. Michael gives him all the time he needs to find the words to answer him.

“I think I’ll keep my prosthetic on…” Alex answers, meeting his eyes again, “but there’s nowhere you’re not allowed to touch me.”

Michael nods in understanding. “Can I take this off then?” he asks, smiling as he tugs lightly on the hem of Alex’s sweater. “It’s a great color on you, but I think it’d look better on my floor.”

Alex laughs at the terrible line before he says, “Yeah, sorry. Would’ve taken it off earlier, but you distracted me.”

There’s a quip on the end of Michael’s tongue at the assertion that Michael was the one distracting him just a few minutes ago, but it dies in his throat when Alex strips his sweater off and tosses it somewhere behind him.

Alex is somehow even more beautiful like this; His skin is smooth and golden, with just a light dusting of hair over his broad, toned chest. His jeans sit distractingly low on his hips, and Michael’s fingers itch to bury themselves in Alex’s hair again, already mussed from the careless way he pulled off his sweater.

“Is that better?” Alex asks him, pulling Michael to him by the waist until they’re skin to skin, close enough that Michael can feel the hard line of Alex’s cock pressed up against him.

“Much,” Michael answers. He runs his hands through Alex’s hair before they slide down his neck and over Alex’s pecs, thumbing his nipples as he leans down to kiss his collarbone. Alex shudders a little when he does it, so he does it again.

“Good,” Alex belatedly replies, sounding distracted as his grip on Michael’s waist shifts and tightens. “Is there anything I should know?”

“No, you can touch me anywhere,” Michael assures him, tongue sneaking out to taste Alex’s heated skin.

“Okay then,” Alex says. “Where do you want me?”

“Where don’t I want you?” Michael muses between kisses, and it’s only when he feels Alex’s chest rumble with laughter beneath his lips that he knows for sure he’s said it out loud.

“To watch you, I mean,” Alex clarifies. “Do you want me on the bed with you, or…?”

He’s about to say he doesn’t care when his eyes catch on the chair he keeps in the corner. It usually serves as the place he piles his laundry until he absolutely has to deal with it, but it’s free of clothes now and it gives Michael an idea; He’d love it if Alex stayed close enough to touch him, but the thought of him sitting back and enjoying the show where he can’t touch him is somehow even hotter.

“You’d have a nice view from that chair over there,” he answers, pulling back to gauge Alex’s reaction. “Or you can sit on the bed if you want. Your choice.”

Alex glances at it over his shoulder and considers his options.

“Do you mind if I move it a little closer?”

“No, put it wherever you want,” Michael tells him.

“Alright then,” Alex says. He lets go of Michael to retrieve the chair, placing it about two feet away from the bed before he takes a seat.

While he does it, Michael pulls the mount a little closer to the edge of the bed and pops open the cap on the lube. He pours some onto his open palm and smooths it over the galaxy dildo, getting it nice and wet. His eyes flick up toward Alex’s face as he lets his hand slide up and down the dildo’s thick, colorful shaft. He finds Alex watching his hands intently, his own twitching where they rest on his spread thighs, just inches away from where his erection is straining against the front of his black denim jeans.

Michael waits until Alex looks well and truly distracted before he asks, “Which way do you want me to face?”

Alex’s eyes jump to Michael’s, blinking once before his question seems to register.

“Towards me,” he answers. “I want to be able to see your face while you fuck yourself.”

Liquid heat rushes through Michael at Alex’s words. He bites his lip and nods eagerly, throwing his left leg over one side of the mount.

Michael hovers over the tip of the dildo and reaches between his legs to hold it in place as he lines it up with his hole. He bears down on it, gasping the moment its blunt head pops inside him, stretching his rim wide, and he sinks onto its thick length slowly, one hand braced on the front of the mount to keep himself steady.

“Jesus fuck,” Michael curses when he’s finally seated, stuffed as full as he’s ever been with his knees flush against the bed. He breathes through the stretch, letting himself adjust before he even thinks about moving.

He doesn’t realize he’s closed his eyes until he hears Alex say his name. His eyes snap open again to see Alex leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

“How’s it feel?” Alex asks him.

“Fucking huge,” Michael answers, voice a little tight. He experimentally rolls his hips, and when the dildo shifts inside him, Michael feels it right where he wants it. He bites his lip to keep from crying out at the little burst of pleasure, but a whimper escapes him anyway. “It’s good, though,” Michael reassures him a moment later, starting to grind his hips in slow, shallow circles. “So fucking good.”

Alex watches Michael hungrily as he rocks his hips, gently at first, then faster and harder until he’s bouncing up and down on the thick cock inside him, the mattress squeaking painfully beneath him. While he does it, Alex unzips his jeans and starts to palm himself through his grey boxer briefs, more of a tease than anything else. Michael’s mouth waters as he watches Alex’s precome bleed slowly through the fabric, forming a wet spot near the head of his dick. Fuck, he wants to know what he tastes like.

Michael lets those thoughts distract him while he fucks himself until Alex decides to give him directions.  

“Tilt your hips back and slow down a little,” he says, and when Michael’s eyes snap to his, he can see that Alex is trying not to smile.

“Alex,” Michael groans, knowing exactly what kind of torture that will be, but he does it anyway without further complaint.

Michael shifts his weight, bracing his hands behind him on the mount as he tilts his hips backward. In this position, the dildo puts more direct pressure on Michael’s prostate, making him groan and curse as he grinds down onto it over and over again. His mouth falls open, helpless to stop the sounds tumbling from his lips as his pleasure rises.

“That’s it, baby, get that dick right where you need it,” Alex says, eyes jumping between Michael’s face and where the dildo is moving in and out of his hole. “That feel good?”

“Yeah,” he pants, his thighs already beginning to tremble. “Fuck, yeah.”

Michael keeps riding the dildo as Alex instructs, speeding up and then slowing down or stopping altogether when he starts to get close, his orgasm kept tantalizingly out of reach. Every minute of it is the sweetest agony Michael’s ever felt and he’s so lost to the sensation that eventually his head tips back to hang between his shoulders as he fucks himself.

Alex calls his name then, demanding his attention. It takes effort, but Michael does manage to raise his head enough to look at him.

“Eyes on me, remember?” Alex reminds him gently, and Michael can see Alex’s hand moving where he’s shoved it down the front of his boxer briefs.

“Yes, sir,” Michael replies, just to see what Alex will do, and a smirk breaks out on Michael’s face when he catches the heated look Alex throws him.

As he watches Michael, Alex gives his cock a few more firm strokes before he finally pulls himself out where Michael can see him. When he gets a look at him for the first time, Michael is sure he’s never wanted to suck a dick so bad in his life; He’d known Alex was big after feeling him hard against his thigh, but to see him wet and flushed a mouthwatering shade of pink is something else entirely.

“Fuck,” Michael says, unable to tear his eyes away. He shifts his weight, leaning forward to sit up straighter, his hips slowing to a dirty grind. “Knew you’d have a nice dick. Why don’t you bring it over here?”

“Why?” Alex asks, somehow managing to sound smug and breathless at the same time as he jerks himself nice and slow from root to tip. Michael watches, practically mesmerized, as his thumb catches a fresh drop of precome leaking from the head and spreads it down his shaft. “Is one dick not enough? You want your mouth full too?”

Michael flushes, but nods, too far gone to play coy.

Alex gives him an assessing look before he stands up and crosses the short distance between them. Michael expects him to feed him his cock right away, but Alex surprises him with a kiss instead, one hand curled around the side of Michael’s neck.

“Don’t make me come,” Alex tells him when he pulls away.

Michael makes a disappointed sound. “Why not?”

“Because I said so,” Alex answers, stroking Michael’s full bottom lip with his thumb. Michael flicks his tongue out to lick it and Alex indulges him, watching Michael’s mouth as he slides the tip of his finger inside. “And because I don’t want to come til I’m inside you.”

Michael moans around Alex’s finger, sucking it harder. He knows Alex isn’t expecting Michael to let him fuck him raw—he brought a condom over after all—but the thought of Alex coming inside him with no barrier between them pops into his head anyway. He’s never let anyone do that to him before, too worried about the unknown quirks of his alien biology to risk it, but it’s suddenly all he can think about.

How would it feel?

Would Alex be into it?

Would he lean back to watch his come leak out of me when he’s finished, or would he rather plug me up after so I won’t spill a drop?

“Is that alright with you?” Alex asks, oblivious to Michael’s thoughts as he pulls his thumb from Michael’s mouth.

Michael has to take a breath before he answers, “Yeah, come on.”

Alex shuffles forward until his legs are flush with the bed, as close to Michael as he can get without climbing onto it with him. His bed is low enough that Alex’s hips are at the perfect height as Michael leans forward and braces his hands against the mattress below him so he can comfortably take Alex’s cock into his mouth. The adjustment to his position eases the pressure off his prostate, but the way he’s pitched forward makes his cock drag against the soft fabric of the cushion between his thighs, which is a blessing and a curse.

Once he’s ready, Michael begins to move, thrusting his hips back onto the toy filling him up and then rocking forward to sink down further onto Alex’s cock. The slide of both of them inside him is indescribable—an inexorable give and take that leaves Michael feeling perfectly used and hot all over, sweat pooling at the dip of his lower back and dampening his curls. It’s not his most coordinated blow job, but Alex doesn’t seem to mind.

“God,” Alex groans, swiping his fingers through Michael’s hair to push his curls out of his eyes so he can watch his cock slide back and forth between Michael’s spit-slick lips.

“So fucking good at this, Michael. Look how well you take it,” Alex says a moment later. Warmth spreads through Michael at the compliment, blood darkening his skin. “You ever done this before? Been fucked in two holes at once like this?”

Michael groans and shakes his head as much as he can. He’s thought about it, sure— wondered what it would feel like for a few guys to take turns with him, to be fucked while someone else uses his mouth—but he’s never had the opportunity. What they’re doing now isn’t exactly the fantasy he’s watched play out in porn, but with his ass stuffed full and Alex heavy on his tongue, Michael has no fucking complaints.

“You like it?” Alex asks him.

A shiver runs down Michael’s spine and he hums around Alex’s cock as he rocks back and forth, looking up at him beneath his lashes.

“Yeah, ‘course you do,” Alex says, fingers running through his hair once more. His palm stays there, a heavy weight on the back of Michael’s head as he sucks him, not quite guiding him along, but more reminding him he could if he wanted to.

Michael takes him down as far as he can go, showing off for him a little, and Alex curses, his fingers tightening around Michael’s curls until his hair is pulled taught in his grip. It just strikes that delicate balance between pleasure and pain, and Michael moans sharply, his cock pulsing between his thighs as he fucks himself harder.

“You like that too, huh?” Alex asks him, tugging on his hair once more, pulling him that little bit further onto his cock, and Michael doesn’t have to look to know he’s making a mess of the cushion beneath him, leaking precome all over it with every passing second.

It feels so good Michael doesn’t want Alex to stop, wants him to keep a firm grip on his hair while he uses his mouth, but he’s afraid it’ll push him over the edge if he lets him. Michael pulls off of Alex’s cock instead, resting a hand on his jean-clad thigh, and he feels Alex’s grip on his hair relax instantly.

“Color?” he asks.

“Green,” Michael gasps wetly against the soft skin of Alex’s lower belly, chest heaving as he sucks much-needed air into his lungs.

Alex hums and starts to pet his hair again as he catches his breath, so gently this time Michael thinks he might cry for a second.

“What do you need, Michael?” Alex asks him after a moment.

When he doesn’t answer right away, he feels Alex’s palm on his cheek, tilting his face up so Alex can look at him. Michael isn’t sure what Alex sees in his eyes, but it must reassure him that Michael really isn’t hurt or upset because he watches the concern on Alex’s face melt away, satisfaction rising in its place.

“Have you had enough of your toys?” Alex asks him, thumb tenderly stroking Michael’s cheek. “Do you need me to fuck you now?”

“Yes,” Michael answers, face burning as he grinds helplessly on the silicone dick filling him up. “Please, Alex, ‘m so close. Please let me come.”

“Shh, I’ve got you,” Alex whispers, leaning down to kiss him soundly. “I’ll give you what you need.”

Michael nods and kisses him again, relief flooding his system at Alex’s reassurance. His thighs tremble as he climbs off the mount, a soft hiss escaping his mouth as the dildo slips out of him. He feels so open and empty without it filling him up, but Alex doesn’t give him long to dwell on it.

“Come to the edge of the bed,” Alex instructs him. “On your back.”

Michael does as he’s told, sitting down and scooting closer to Alex until his ass is on the edge of his bed before he lies down flat against the mattress. He feels Alex’s hands on the backs of his thighs next, pushing them back and spreading them wide open.

“Jesus, Michael, fuck,” Alex says once he gets a look at Michael’s well-fucked hole. One hand disappears from Michael’s thigh and seconds later Michael moans as Alex slips three fingers into him like it’s nothing. ”So fucking hot,” he adds, thrusting them gently in and out of him. “Wish you could see how wrecked you are right now.”

“I can feel it, trust me,” Michael says weakly in response.

Alex curls his fingers inside him suddenly and Michael gasps, his back arching off the bed.

“Alex, please,” Michael whines, his cock throbbing where it drools against his belly. “No more teasing.”

Alex hovers over Michael’s face for a moment before he kisses him, nice and slow and deep. He swallows the wounded noise Michael makes when he lets his fingers slip free.

“As you wish,” Alex murmurs against his lips before he pulls away, and if Michael wasn’t feeling so strung out, he’d call him out for being a fucking nerd.

Instead, he watches through hooded eyes as Alex rolls a condom on his dick and slicks himself up with the lube he’d left on the bed. He shoves his jeans and underwear a little further down his hips before he holds himself steady in his hand and lines the head of his cock up with Michael’s hole.

Alex moans as he finally guides his cock inside him, sinking deep in a single stroke. He’s not as thick as the dildo Michael’s been riding, but he feels so much hotter, and Michael wraps his legs tight around Alex’s hips to keep him there.

He’s grateful when Alex doesn’t make him wait for it, barely giving him a second to adjust before he draws his hips back and snaps them forward, driving his cock back inside him as deep as it’ll go.

“Uh, fuck,” Michael groans sharply. “That’s it, baby, fuck me like you mean it.”

Alex doesn’t disappoint. He grinds his hips against Michael’s in a tight circle before he pulls back and starts to thrust, smirking as the movement makes Michael keen.

He keeps it up for another minute, watching Michael’s face with greedy eyes, before he seems to get an idea. He leans back and coaxes Michael’s legs from his waist, pushing his thighs toward his chest instead, practically folding him in half.

“Oh my fucking god,” Michael gasps, brow drawn tight as he squirms on Alex’s dick; With his thighs held closer together, Alex feels even bigger inside him. He can’t get any leverage like this either, can really only lie there and take what Alex gives him. After riding that dildo for so long, it’s exactly what Michael wants.

“Good?” Alex asks him, voice rough when he starts to move again, slow at first, but steadily gaining speed.

“Like you have to fucking ask,” Michael shoots back.

Alex laughs as he leans down to kiss him, tongue sliding along his for the briefest moment before he rises back up and gets to work.

The rhythm Alex sets is hard and fast, pushing desperate, little sounds out of Michael’s mouth with every rock of his hips. It’s all Michael can do to hang on for the ride, his fingers sliding along Alex’s sweat-slick skin as he seeks purchase on any part of him he can reach. Alex keeps his eyes trained on Michael’s face as he fucks him, hips searching for the angle that’ll have him writhing on his cock in no time at all.

It’s not long before he finds it.

“Yeah, there it is,” Alex says as Michael shouts and curses, his back arching off the bed as Alex hits that tender spot inside him again. “Think you can come like this?”

Michael nods, desperate tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. The pleasure is overwhelming already, tightening his gut as it warms him from the inside out, and his cock is so hard it hurts.

“Then go on, baby,” Alex tells him, finally giving him permission. “Take what you need, I’ll be right behind you.”

Michael nearly sobs as he comes untouched a minute later, his cock jerking messily against his chest and stomach. Alex moans loudly when it happens, Michael’s hole clutching tight around his cock as his body trembles with the force of it. Michael’s eyes slip closed as he comes down, Alex’s hips continuing their steady rhythm between his thighs as he desperately seeks to follow him.

He feels fingers dragging through the mess that’s streaked across his chest a second before he feels them at his lips, wet and sticky with come. Michael moans weakly and opens his mouth for Alex to shove them inside. He eagerly licks them clean, sucking them like he did Alex’s cock, and it’s with the bitter taste of himself on his tongue and Alex’s fingers inching toward the back of his throat that Michael feels Alex’s hips finally stutter and grind to a stop, fucking him so full Michael is sure he’ll be feeling it for days.

When Alex pulls his fingers from Michael’s mouth, they’re replaced by his tongue a moment later as Alex’s body covers his. They trade sloppy, well-fucked kisses until Alex’s softening cock slips free. Michael whines at the sensation, missing the feeling of being full, and Alex smiles against his mouth.

“Sorry,” Alex whispers when their lips part.

Michael laughs a little hysterically, eyes still closed. “You don’t get to apologize for fucking me that good,” he says, voice raw.

“Good, huh?” Alex asks, sounding smug as he drags his fingers through Michael’s hair.

“You’re lucky I haven’t passed out yet,” Michael confesses, the fading pleasure of his orgasm making him lazy and slow, his tired muscles aching for rest.

“You sure you’re not about to?” Alex asks, and Michael can feel his thumb brush against one of his closed eyelids.

“No,” Michael laughs, opening his eyes to see Alex smiling at him. “Should probably clean up first, though.”

“Mm, yeah,” Alex says. “Bathroom?”

“Back by the kitchen,” Michael answers.

“Got it,” Alex nods. He stands up and walks away, holding the waistband of his jeans in one hand to keep them from falling down .

Michael sits up and looks over at the mount still sitting on the bed. He doesn’t quite have the energy to strip the washable case off or clean the dildo, so he picks the whole thing up and sets it on the floor to deal with in the morning. He also shoves the lube and condoms back where they belong, and when Alex comes back with a wet washcloth, he lets him clean up the sticky mess between his thighs.

“You gonna take your pants off and stay a while?” Michael teases him when he’s finished, head propped up by his right hand where he lies in the middle of the bed.

He expects Alex to laugh or roll his eyes, but he bites his lip instead as he considers his question seriously.

“Yeah, fuck it,” Alex decides after a moment, stripping off his jeans and shoes before he gets to work on taking off his prosthetic. The engineer in Michael is curious how it works, but that feels like a question for another day, so he crawls under the covers instead and waits for Alex to join him.

Michael snuggles up to him when he does, eager to feel Alex’s bare skin under his hands again. They share a single pillow as they lie facing each other on their sides, staring at each other for just a moment before Michael finally presses in close and brings their lips together.

They kiss like that for a while, soft and unhurried, until Alex pulls away. Michael lazily follows the curve of his jaw with his mouth, tired but not quite done with him yet.

“Mm, what time is it?” Alex asks, pulling him out of the moment a little.

“Uh,” Michael says, lifting his head off the pillow to look over Alex’s shoulder at the alarm clock on his nightstand. “About eleven.”

Alex lets out a soft, unhappy groan. “It’s getting late. I should probably get going.”

“You don’t have to,” Michael says, letting a fingertip trace a mindless path across Alex’s chest. “I’m not kicking you out.”

Alex bites his lip as he considers his next words, which is more distracting than it has any right to be.

“I didn’t really come prepared for a sleepover,” Alex admits at last.

“You can borrow some clothes if you want,” Michael offers. “We’re about the same size.”

“No, I mean… I have a routine, with my leg,” he explains, a little sheepish. “I don’t have what I need here.”

“Oh,” Michael says, feeling a little stupid for not thinking of that himself. “Okay.” He hesitates a brief moment before he adds, “You should come prepared next time, then.”

“Next time?” Alex asks, a hopeful smile tugging at his lips.

“Mhmm,” Michael hums, shifting closer to press a delicate kiss against his lips. “I make a pretty decent omelet. It’d be a shame for you to miss out when we do this again.”

Alex’s smile widens. “‘When’? Not ‘if’?” he asks, throwing Michael’s words from earlier right back at him.

“Shut up,” Michael laughs before pushing Alex back against the mattress, determined to kiss that smirk off his face.

Alex is happy to let him try.

[joyful-soul-collector]

Questions about me

Thank you to @nazezdha321 for “tagging” me (more of a “if you see this and wanna play you should situation but shshshssssshhhhh it looked fun ok)

1. what is the color of your hairbrush?

Blue, like my hair

2. name a food you never eat

Brussel sprouts and tomatoes. Just, no. 

3. are you typical too warm or too cold?

Too cold, always and all the time, I need like 3 blankts on me at all times to make it through winter and two the rest of the year. All of this is while wearing pants and a sweater.

4. what were you doing 45 minutes ago?

Talking to a friend online, still doing that haha

5. what’s your favorite candy bar?

I love chocolate tbh, probably something like kit kats? Plain chocolate is great too though

6. have you ever been to professional sports event?

Nope

7. what is the last thing you said out loud?

“Ok I’m gonna head to my room, have fun guys!” My sister’s boyfriend is here, they’re watching a movie together in the livingroom. 

8. what is your favorite ice cream?

Hmmm, I really love chocolate. There’s a place in my town that has a kind with brownie bits and fudge swirled in, it’s amazing, I love that one

9. what was the last thing you had to drink?

Some water, it’s in a cup next to me haha

10. do you like your wallet?

Eh it’s alright, I mean it works. It’s a bit too big, I gotta get a smaller one, but it’s alright!

11. what is the last thing you ate?

Some tortilla soup for dinner

12. did you buy any new clothes last weekend?

Nope, I haven’t bought new clothes since summer, and even then it was like two shirts. 

13. what’s the last sporting event you watched?

I don’t even remember, I haven’t watched sports in years. I don’t care for them and neither does my family, so we don’t watch them

14. what is your favorite flavor of popcorn?

I love super buttery popcorn. And this isn’t really a flavor, but I love it with chocolate drizzled on top

15. who is the last person you send text message to?

Uhhh I sent a message to @baloobird on discord? But I haven’t texted using like, my phone number in a looong time

16. ever been camping?

Nope, unless you count out in the backyard

17. do you take vitamins?

No, I haven’t for a while, we haven’t bought any since like YEARS ago

18. do you regularly attend a place of worship?

Nope

19. do you have a tan?

Not anymore, haven’t been outside very often at all. 

20. do you prefer chinese or pizza?

Pizzaaaaaaa

21. do you drink your soda through a straw?

Yeah but just because we only buy it when we go out to eat, and they always give you soda in a cup with a straw. I haven’t drank from a can in forever, we never buy them. 

22. what color socks you usually wear?

Black. I have some fluffy socks that are red and white, but I only wear them in Christmas time

23. do you ever drive above the speed limit?

Yeah but only by a few miles at most

24. what terrifies you?

The idea of old bullies coming back somehow, the idea of my family being hurt somehow, and never being able to make and keep good friends for longer than a couple years. Those are a few that I know off the top of my head. 

25. look to your left, what do you see?

My teddy bear I keep on my bed for my bad anxiety days. He’s very huggable

26. what chore do you hate the most?

Hmm. I don’t like doing the dishes for sure, I have to do that every day, or sometimes every other day if there’s not many to do. Don’t like laundry or shoveling the driveway when it snows either

27. what do you think when you hear australian accent?

The movie Rescuers Down Under

28. what’s your favorite soda?

Sprite. I don’t drink soda very much, i can’t remember the last time I had something OTHER than Sprite

29. do you go in a fast food place or just hit drive through?

Usually drive thru, we don’t like eating in places, even before the pandemic haha

30. what’s your favorite number?

24. No idea why, I’ve just been attached ever since I was little. When I was like 3-4 I would answer all math questions, mainly grown-ups asking me “what’s 2+2?” with 24. No clue why. 

31. who’s the last person you talked to?

Online would be @baloobird, irl would be my family at dinner a little while ago

32. favorite meal?

Fettucine Alfredo... god my stomach’s rumbling just thinking about it haha, I haven’t eaten in a couple hours

33. last song you listed to?

Crumbs by Belaganas. It’s the only song by them I have on my playlist because @tracle0 recommended it to me. It reminds us of my OC Tatum. 

34. last book you read?

Reread a bit of my favorite comic called Saga

35. favorite day of the week?

Saturdays, i usually get some time to myself then. I didn’t get that this Saturday though, too much work it spilled out into the weekend, but I did get a little today. 

36. can you say alphabet backwards?

Nope haha

37. how do you like your coffee?

So sweet it barely even tastes like coffee. 

38. favorite pair of shoes?

My mismatching red and blue converse with black laces. 

39. time you normally get up?

7:30am

40. what do you prefer, sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise. Everything is quiet and you’re still a little sleepy and it’s probably a bit cold if you’re on the beach, and that’s perfect. 

41. how many blankets on your bed?

Three because I’m a touch-starved bag of twigs that’s constantly cold.

42. describe your kitchen plates.

Some are blue and are made of plastic, some are white and made of ceramic or glass or whatever cheap plates are made of. 

43. describe your kitchen at the moment.

Lots of cabinets, an old toaster oven and a stand up mixer in the corner, window over a deep sink, next to that a dishwasher. Counters are a brown marbley kind that make it impossible to tell if it’s dirty or not. 

44. do you have a favorite alcoholic drink?

Not old enough to drink, nope

45. do you play cards?

Eh? My family likes 3-13 and Egyptian war, but board games are our favorite. 

46. what color is your car?

We have two, both every very old. One is a red little one, the other is a tan minivan. 

47. can you change a tire?

Nope, should probably learn to do that at some point

48. your favorite state or province?

I... don’t know. I’ve moved around quite a bit, live in different parts of CA, lived up in WA, now I live in PA. I’d say WA because it feels like I can relate to a lot of people there, like WA people are my kinda people ya know? And it’s so beautiful and has just so many things I love in it... But that’s also where most of my bullies were. So every time I think about it it always has that shadow because I was miserable half the time. But PA isn’t my favorite because the people here are so different from me, and CA isn’t my favorite because my extended family lives there and they’re Very Not Cool. I’ve had bullies in both those places as well too, but not as bad as WA. So uh... I don’t know, I suppose. 

49. favorite job you’ve had?

Never had a job unfortunately, my parents said I couldn’t get one till after High School cuz they wanted me to focus on school, and then, halfway through my senior year, a pandemic happened. Yay Class Of 2020! Anyway, I haven’t gotten a job because if I don’t need it, I don’t want to get one and potentially but myself, my family, and other people at risk, even though having the extra money would be nice. 

Tagging: @tracle0 @baloobird @jelly-pies @silver-bubbles @mysterycheerio @shadedrose01 and everyone else who wants to do it! Feel free to tag me and say I tagged you haha

[thecrenellations]

Return of the Thief Notes, Part Two: The Book of Pheris, Volume 2, Chapters 1-5

Notes from my first read, October 2020. (Part One | Part Three | TaT)

Contents: Me losing my mind in multiple ways each chapter, helpful links, nighttime garden cousins, an Irene pun, notes from my second read, “mwt is just like going for it,” and “this is so fucked up and heartwarming.”

Format: Page number. My thoughts (Context?)

Volume 2

Illustration

Book 2 bro

Now we’re caught up and changed forever by lots of things

What printer’s apprentice made this?

Elephants!

Chapter 1

175. me too, Costis, me too. I am so tired. (it’s hard to sleep when your brain and heart and everything are fizzing because you’re reading Return of the Thief for the first time and a new Queen’s Thief book for the last time) 

176. Klimun + Gerosthenes vibes [moon doodle]

Holes in documents. That’s cute

Gen!!! <3

Wtf Ansel was hoodwinked!

177. The Queen waited

They’re ridiculous

Hi Pheris

Wtf he stole her earrings for Melheret?!?

178. Excuse me??? What is this book (sleeveless leather tunic)

He still roams!!!

Tattoos!

179. a sentence I never fucking expected to read ever “The absence of tattoos…”

180. that’s interesting

Stacked like kindling wow oh dear

181. She wants him to move in lol

Lol sorry Ion

Did she just want them to leave the room?

182. I can’t with this… I can’t. Why is sex symbol Relius canon. (the play that featured him! It’s great, it’s great, it was just a lot to take in!)

Silver crown?

183. Cleon! Rude!

Did they call Costis to deck him?

Queen scene!! <3

184. This is an epic. Abt Costis. Dirty stranger

185. he’s “the high king”

Lol

187. prophet (Pheris sure makes Costis sound like one)

Shut up Piloxides

188. resources for war! (book launch foreshadowing part two! She talked a lot about this kind of thing as well, and recommended the book Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army)

189. “we”

What were you gonna say (Gen almost says something to Costis part one)

193. RIP The Magus Archives … it was not to be. Yet.

194. Melenze’s doorstep. Why? Bc Melenze is Ferria’s dog. (idk dude that line from ACoK has just never left me)

195. This is … a big war

196. Oh gen

Nighttime garden cousins.

Chapter 2

197. wtf did Relius think of that play

Also … not a peep from the sacred mountain huh

198. wtf will happen with Cleon

with Erondites

with THE MOUNTAIN

a lot going on

everyone was in that room but Kamet! So close!

199. Cute Fordad + Gen friendship (I never said these notes would make me look smart)

Same 2 T + R! :) It’s not them is it? (I NEVER SAID THESE NOTES WOULD MAKE ME LOOK SMART)

Poor Teleus

200. gdi Gen

Excuse me? Is he worried for Pheris??? (taking his tablet)

They trust each other! C’mon!

Sure he has reasons

202. oh dear. :( that’s … the worst cover story

Also falling

203. wow almost like a story huh

Ula’s altar :(

Why haven’t we had a Gen and Costis scene IN THREE BOOKS

205. I just … I don’t know if he’s just miserable or if it’s all a plan. I feel like I should know it’s all a plan. But he really feels like he has far to go. He’s just a mess and the same and so different. (having a small Gen meltdown)

205. he did give him the gun

Odd that he missed Quedue

206. he’s gonna bite them (buckle up! it’s abdication time!)

207. Power. Power. Power. Power.

Thx 4 the editorializing Pheris

208. Gen is making choices. That’s a choice.

209. There’s KoA down the drain

Aaaand he’s Eugenides

“Eugenides stared into the future”

The page of like 3 different tumblr posts: Trophy husband, Library, No! yes!

210. make sure he doesn’t leave lol

211. Pheris :(

Also fucked up timing for Irene

I love them

212. again with the birthday book

He’s still the king in the narration

Go on the roof! So close!

213. EUGENIDES IS ALWAYS APPROPRIATE my motto

Viper! Bastard!

Oh shit. I love them.

214. “our treaty” “our queen”

AAAH! Wedding night!

Asked her to leave!

Smash Erondites and peace out, literally

215. a frank talk

HE SAID IT.

216. The Bructs?

Wait is this his grandfather (taking a moment to remember all about Susa)

Also that’s Costis territory

217. who is this lion

218. #3 to Gen.

219. hmmm ring

There’s been a lot to unpack wow.

Did this happen, Pheris? Pheris?! 

220. Atté atté!

(Dear reader: for some strange reason, I completely forgot about taking notes on the final pages of this chapter. These notes are from when I reread those pages a few minutes later.)

Erondites full cup to brimming

The Pherises…

We must think of others before ourselves … occasionally

I do not like Orutus

Don’t fence Costis in! Does this count as prison? No (I had a square on my bingo board for “someone ends up in prison” ... but it turned out to be for someone else)

221. damn Costis

Aaah

Costis …

Irene… your jokes (I mean, it’s a joke, but also it is very real for her.)

SHE SAID IT!

My heart

222. where is Relius going?

SPYING

What you see and what you think it means (I love these instructions/this quote so much)

So are Susa + Erondites 2gether or what (listen ... proximity generates meaning in these books)

Also, like

What can

I say

WHAT CAN I SAY (Hell yeah! Never more glad to be wrong about the magus)

[page long list of doubles and parallels - from Cleons and Pherises and Ions to god-character and character-character connections]

Also the fact that in KoA and TaT Relius was like … oh … no … I just live a gentle life being friends with my king and queen and being scholarly. But no. He’s SPYING and TRAVELING MYSTERIOUSLY and has MANY LOVERS and also has been WITH TELEUS ALL ALONG and there is a PLAY written about him and he has a ~messenger~ network and PLAYS THE FLUTE and DOESN’T MAKE HIS BED and DISLIKES MATH and oh and he’s VERY HANDSOME! (Yes I was losing it, I hope my note from after the poem helps show some of the feelings behind this rant.)

Fucking … Wine shop. Should have known.

Chapter 3

224. ominous

Hello magus!

Sophos … babe (his impatience!)

225. Magus … cool your socks that’s your bff (he’s just describing Helen’s dead body! Fun!!!!)

In the van

That was good I love them

Why is it Couples Hour?

226. finally we’re out of the capital of Attolia

Ok they’re so cute

She was NEVER Helen in ACoK narration! 

Also – Pheris. This is all Pheris. (Pheris plus information others told him!)

227. Bringing each other up to date – that’s their thing. Talking forever

All this talk of shooting Therespides

228. EX FUCKING SCUSE ME (time to learn a lot about the country of Eddis)

He was 15! (or almost 15)

He didn’t know! Or did he!

The MoW!

All thru Pheris

Fuck you magus

When did he know

229. EXCUSE ME

The emeralds?

Assumed the worst?

That classic quote about little to do with winter but with “seducing other people’s lovers”

230. yeah Sophos that’s a lost cause (“spare me my blushes”)

Also she didn’t answer you

What are they laughing about (the generally nameless men we’re learning many things about this chapter)

233. Gen I think it’s fair to say that was a mistake

234. wtf Gen

GEN! he just. Had those. (the jewels!)

Her crown

I cannot

235. Gen!

237. Crash

Her CHANGES

238. THESE TWO

239. called annux

Yeah it’s like … a family meeting (the war council)

Bring your father to work day

241. Oh no.

Stenides! Boagus!!!!!!!

EDDIS!

Wolves! Lol

mwt is just like going for it

243. aww

Eddis > Boagus > Gen

244. Yeah I’m with her on this. (“if that doesn’t frighten you, it should”)

Chapter 4

245. Gen and Magus scene yes!

Two people affected by his long hair (Gen and the magus? I think?)

Pheris are you there?

Gen … you used to wish yourself out of existence

Wow

Hair vanity

Yeah also battlefield

Ion is a darling tbh

248. Is he. Is he going to fight all of them

Also they are all his cousins huh

AULUS! I liked you!

Same, Hilarion

Taking a page out of Costis’s book?

You have definitely seen it before. (I mistook his lie for truth!)

Will Costis hear about this? (please)

249. #4 to Gen!

Pheris where are you

Why doesn’t the Continent want to conquer them (do I get partial credit for this)

A tattoo!

250. “Do not offend the gods”

Honestly … too bad Helen DIDN’T do this

251. he said he’d give all he had

I’m sure there are rules

253. Just men? :( (let everybody fight him!)

Ornon is back! I mean, of course he is

Also yea they practice

HELLO ORNON

A house being built … or one knocked down. Nice

Is Teleus in on this?

254. Pheris called him my king!

255. I wanna know which guards though

:( he’d been faking

Kicked him in the head (ouch)

256. “when he fell”

I … don’t like this

He never gives up. The thieves don’t have limits. They have flash points.

Stepped on his hand

“Enough Gen” – what Irene said?

257. :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

The magus. I forgot he was there.

The magus said … nevermind …

The magus is probs very into this as a cultural thing. Also he was talking to the MoW

Pigeon. The sky. :( Like in TT (OH BOY, THE SKYYYY)

If there was a god, Pheris would see…

258. They’ve, they’ve been through a lot.

Oh god what’s next

259. I … no. not in his arms to the palace.

The palace where….

The stairs…

They are all 3 lookers. Basilisks and brass and lead

I hate this. But I love this.

I will someday see this differently.

Ah yes… the grunt. Approval.

260. Honestly, this is so fucked up and heartwarming. These books.

Lol don’t defend Hilarion, we know him

Eddis visits him.

Attolia watches him.

261.WTF Gen. I knew it. Why.

Crying or laughing? Crying? :(

How does this not undermine her now that he is her king?

But … what he wouldn’t do for her.

262. “he did fine”

This book is like… Reasons Gen Says Sorry

So, so… - Helen

GEN!

263. I am right. I am always right. It’s a curse.

Helen :( :( :(

The amount of times these people have seen him beaten.

He’s like … self destructive, but in a way that gives himself more power. Which he hates.

Gen, let them in. Let them in.

Chapter 5

264. honeycomb

OH NO. is it happening?

266. I’m just supposed to accept this?!! What does it mean?!

267. … a my king moment … important

But like … now can he fight?

Caryatid? [doodle after I looked it up]

268. Teleus!

C’mon Teleus. Everyone you love or respect loves him!

Honestly Pheris and Teleus … not a duo I expected

THESE TWO ARE SO DEDICATED TO TELLING HIM THAT! Ok I should chill. At least he said “may.” These are like … Pheris’s life lessons.

Honestly… I love that Teleus likes poetry, or at least likes it for Relius.

269. Lol Legarus. It’s been years! I mean, I guess that was a big deal for him… (almost being executed is a big deal for most people.)

Does he not love Gen because of Relius? Because Gen manipulated him? Because he keeps sending away his successor? Why on earth not! Hop on that train! (...)

It’s interesting that their relationship is the one that touches Pheris, not Gen and Irene. Hm.

Also … “Idiot.” The parallels.

“relatively gently” (it’s so good)

~Teleus here to talk about love~

This book is full of surprises.

270. That is NOT the bright side, Gen (“I could use my newfound authority to insist on going into battle”)

271. BUNNY! Wtf is a wineglass warrior

Very cute everyone, good job.

Still sad about Helen’s tears.

271. Gen. Don’t say these things. [volcano doodle]

272. SEE I was worried about this! The doubt!

I am not ok

This is TOO MANY Eddisian Revelations (Lader time)

Yeah. Wow.

273. Cleon x5

I … his grandfather

No.

Baby Helen begging

How did Pheris get this scene

Gen chose Cleon for his plan

275. IRENE WITH THE STATS!

276. lol Gen

My brother Sounis!

277. Missing Relius club.

Where is he though

Yes! Sophos Gen food fight!

Grapes!

“Wisdom”

He’s “the king” here and in KoA bc that’s the story but also that’s who he is to Pheris and Costis

278. So how did that Irene and MoW meeting go anyway?

How does Aulus know???

Thief short story! Probably terrible to reread, oh no

279. Are … are Aulus and Boagus together???! (“his slightly smaller partner”)

This feels … potentially traumatic … but fun? Idk

Fleece

280. This dang book. No rules!

The chandelier! So dramatic!

Mwt had … a lot to put into this one. A lot. A lot.

283. “not the Thief he was chasing”

284. The queens! The salute!

He can’t give this up.

Official Worries:

100,000 soldiers heading towards Kamet

Re: Lyopidus, Gen called Sophos his brother. Helen apparently might BE his sister. Temenus and Stenides are also going to a war where 9/10 will probably die.

Also

the MoW could have been a king if he’d stolen Helen’s throne. A lot there.

why does this book have the vibe of the library post, my comic from 2010, the king and queen interactions here, and the military tactics dream

[youreyesonlarry]

So @mugglemirror tagged me in this and im in the mood to avoid responsabilities so lets goo!!! thanks for tagging me cutie!

—four catch-up questions

Last song: Always Forever - Cults

Last movie: mamma mia 2,,,,,,,,,,,which btw is not a flex whatsoever 

Currently watching: orange is the new black! im in season 5!

Currently reading: im gonna start reading “no good unless it’s real” from the blff 2020! 

—writing snippet

((very unedited fdksjdkjss))

“Oh god!... oh man! This is a nightmare! Is this a nightmare? Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up...!

He’s warm now, soft and cozy where he drifts in and out of sleep. There’s voices behind him, he can tell. He can’t quite make out what they say, though, but he doesn’t really have the energy to care. Not when he’s comfortable, nice and snug as he drifts back into his slumber.

Scottie. You can cheat on these ladies all you want, but you can't... cheat... death.

A frown turns on his face.

—favourite fic line (s)

Harry slides the next photo and Louis has his hand ready and waiting, snatching it off the floor before it even slides to a stop. Louis almost gasps out loud at this photo and he instinctively clutches it to his chest, hiding it from the non-existent prying eyes in his flat. This photo is one of the nude photos of Louis that Harry had taken the morning after Louis quit his job. He’s lying on his stomach in the bed, still asleep. His mouth is open slightly, his hair is rumpled, and the sheets are tangled around his ankles.

It’s an objectively gorgeous photo, but Louis still feels his face heat up. He knew Harry took these photos, of course, but he somehow hadn’t really thought about the fact that they existed, that Harry had developed them, that Harry had kept them, that Harry had been able to look at them whenever he wanted. He knows this one isn’t even one of the most explicit.

He turns the photo over.

This is the day I realized I was in love with you

(from @alltheselights ‘s iconic Pinkies Never Lie! I’m crying just reading this bit””

—this or that

sage green or baby blue || moon or stars || paperback or hardback || piercings or tattoos || drawing or writing || saturn or jupiter || line without a hook or mr. loverman  || ancient greece or ancient egypt || prague or amsterdam || dark academia or light academia || indie aesthetic or cottagecore || stargazing or late night drives || strawberries or watermelons || rings or necklaces || extrovert or introvert || dragons or griffins || ocean or mountain || silver or gold || dawn or dusk || creative or free spirit || early bird or night owl || cook or bake  || dagger or sword 

—twenty questions

1. Name: Bene

2. Nickname: Bene

3. Zodiac sign: taurus

4. Height: 5"1/2

5. Languages: English, portuguese, love ;)

6. Nationality: baddie

7. Favourite season: spring and fall

8. Favourite flower: sunflowers but tbh i dont think i have a favorite

9. Favourite scent: vanilla, balls, baked goods 

10. Favourite colour: red!

11. Favourite animal: kitty kats

12. Favourite fictional character(s): 

13. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: tea!

14. Average hours of sleep: 6-7

15. Dog or cat person: caaats

16. Number of blankets you sleep with: one or five

17. Dream trip: i’d love to go to amsterdam! 

18. Blog established: 2019 i think

19. Number of followers: 1,161

20. Random fact: my ass is fat and louis birthed me!

—my aesthetic

Rules: google/search your name + your favourite colour + the word ‘aesthetic’. take the first four (non collage) photos and voila you have your aesthetic moodboard!

lmao this is hilarious

I’m tagging @flamboyantprinces @wallstermelon @raspberryoatss @thepolourryexpress @outropeace @femlouis @princessloubaby

and whoever else sees this! :)

[tsunflowers]

for no one’s enjoyment but my own I’ve painstakingly ranked my favorite sentai teams based only on the suits

44. battle fever - I just hate miss america

43. sun vulcan - I have no feelings about sun vulcan

42. goggle v - I dont really like the helmets

41. denjiman - I feel like when people draw generic sentai parodies they end up looking like denjiman

40. turboranger - workable but so basic. nothing stands out to me about turboranger

39. goranger - good start. capes are nice 

38. dynaman - this is like the first step to modern sentai

37. maskman - kind of boring but fine. it’s so wack that the women have earrings

36. gingaman - I’ve never liked these tbh. the stripes on the chest look like an ugly sweater. I don’t love the helmets either

35. zyuranger - these are very classic. I like the diamond motif repeating on the gloves and boots

34. ohranger - the helmets are, well. but I love the gold accents especially on the hems of the skirts

33. abaranger - I love abaranger to death but I think the suits are kind of ugly :/ abarekiller rules though

32. gogov - I don’t have much to say about gogov I just think they look good. my favorite part is the respirator appearing when they transform

31. jakq - love the capes and unironically love big one

30. zyuohger - I got used to these but I still don’t love them. I appreciate the idea behind putting a large animal face on the chest but if you were going to also have its eyes light up maybe rethink the position so it doesn’t look like they all have glowing nips. just a thought

29. toqger - they’re cute but very simple. the train track motif on the helmets is excellent but I wish the helmets were a little more different in shape and design

28. changeman - I really like the bodies of the suits but don’t love the helmets

27. jetman - this one was hard to place bc there are some things I LOVE like the wings of the bird on the chest extending into epaulets but I don’t like how kaori and raita don’t match everyone else

26. kakuranger - simple but they work. I wish the white accents were easier to see on tsuruhime but I’m also glad she doesn’t have pink accents lmao. I also wish the helmets were a little more distinctive but I appreciate the commitment to the ninja vibe

25. fiveman - cute! I love the little symbol on the helmets and the way the yellow chest stripe is outlined by a white chest stripe so they don’t have to change colors for yellow. also nice that the women have the same body pattern as the men with no skirts

24. kiramager - I thought these were ugly as shit at first but they grew on me. now I love the white accents on the helmets. kiramai silver is still ugly though

23. magiranger - cute. love the capes. the stripes on the men are a little overwhelming for me but I love the two women. magishine also rules

22. liveman - simple but cute. these really work for me

21. bioman - I love the bioman thigh highs and leotards. legendary

20. gaoranger - the helmets are like just goofy enough that I love them. the band across the chest with the different number of stripes is a cute touch. mostly I’m ranking them this high bc I love the asymmetry of the gaosilver suit

19. hurricaneger - love the helmets. also love that the hurricanes, gourais, and shurikenger all look different enough to be different teams but still like they belong in the same series

18. flashman - cute! the female flashmen are so good and the men are ok

17. timeranger - these slap. the colored visor and the different shaped arrows on the chest are the charm points. timefire is truly the cooler timered

16. megaranger - excellent. I’m a huge fan of the helmets which I think are simple yet classic and I really like the band across the chest with every character’s color

15. carranger - the helmets are cute and all feel distinct despite being car-based. I love the black detailing on the chest, arms, and legs. I feel like it really makes the suit stand out despite having a solid colored body

14. ryusoulger - the helmets are extremely cute and they say “dinosaur knight” 100%. the asymmetry is charming too. I still don’t know why the symbol on their chests is the ryusoul symbol though

13. ninninger - the shuriken helmets fucking rule. even now I can’t decide how I feel about the women having thigh high boots but I like the black arms and the hint of black between the skirt and boots on the women. starninger having a helmet that’s a star and a cowboy hat is legendary also

12. dairanger - love dairanger. the top of the suit looking like a little jacket is so cute. I also love the dairanger logo with all five colors. this might be the first season chronologically where I feel like they really went off with the helmets

11. go-onger - the tires around the wrists and calves are truly inspired as is the seatbelt accessory. what I really love is the little stylized number representing their respective engine partner. the go-on wings fucking rule also

10. gokaiger - they didn’t have to make the gokai suits so good when they transform into other teams every episode but they did that for us

9. gekiranger - love the main three to death, especially the helmets. the kageki powerup is also perfect. violet and chopper I don’t love as much but they look pretty slick and definitely went all out with the martial arts theming so I appreciate them

8. dekaranger - the helmets are good esp how they light up. the stylized numbers on the chests are excellent. and this was our last series where the women don’t have skirts when transformed!

7. kyoryuger - love the helmets. they’re very stylized but still recognizable as dino heads. the little details that differ between characters like silver sashes on spirit rangers and sharp teeth only on carnivorous dinos are charming to me. there are so many dino heads on each kyoryu but they’re so stylized that you might not notice at first and I love that

6. go-busters - can we please have leather style suits again. they look so good helmetless as well as with the helmet on bc they’re almost clothes that people could wear. I can’t explain why but the colored gloves are a key element to me. beet and stag also look suitably different while still part of the team

5. boukenger - I love boukenger! the white stripe up the center of the body is so simple but it really makes them stand out. the helmets having built in headlamps which are actually used in the show is my favorite

4. kyuranger - the kyuranger suits are so good… the helmets are so fun and inventive. I love the subtle silver lines running along the body and the armored crop top. the unique details characters get depending on their species are good too except maybe garu’s fur. but they still look cohesive as a team

3. goseiger - highly cute. the look of belted high waisted pants/skirt really works for me. I love the helmets and how the animal motif is only visible from the side. my favorite is the emblems on the chest corresponding to each tribe which combine to form the goseiger logo

2. shinkenger - legends only!! the triangles along the sides imitating the line of a hakama are a subtle but essential element. the kanji helmets are also perfect. they’re so simple but they don’t need any extra decoration to work

1. lupinranger/patranger - they’re so cute! ever since the suits were first revealed I’ve loved the way the base suits for the lupins and patrens are just colorswapped versions of the same suit. the way the lupins have a bow tie on the chest is super cute and I like the patrens’ corresponding tie look too. the lupins’ helmets especially have personality to them while still clearly being top hats. lupinx and patrenx both rule also. noel hogging all the good suits

[justanalto]

i was tagged by the wonderfully sweet @besidemethewholedamntime -- thank you so much!! <3 <3 <3

1. What is the color of your hairbrush?

I have a wet brush that’s bright blue, but I also have a hairbrush that’s red!

2. Name a food you never eat

uhhhh...olives, but only when they’re on their own. 

3. Are you typical too warm or too cold?

I’m always too cold. always, always, always. my fingers are currently freezing and so are my toes. I think it’s because there’s a loose draft in my room here somewhere, TBH. 

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?

roses are red // 45 minutes ago // i was writing poetry // and answering all my asks in a row

i’ve been sending people asks in poetry form and they’ve been responding, LOL -- so there’s been a lot of poetry brain going on!

5. What’s your favorite candy bar?

either a nice dark chocolate bar or a green tea kit kat bar!

6. Have you ever been to professional sports event?

I’ve been to a few professional baseball games! gotta get out there and have some mass sports pride. one of these days, my american football team will be good again and I will get those tickets. 

7. What is the last thing you said out loud?

some half-hearted mumble-harmonizing to pentatonix’s be my eyes, so something along those lyrics!

8. What is your favorite ice cream?

either black raspberry (s/o to campus!!) or mint chocolate chip :) 

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?

a couple of sips of water, hehe

10. Do you like your wallet?

I do! It’s the first “grown-up” wallet I feel like I’ve ever had -- I bought it from camden market last year when I was in london, and it’s a nice pine shade of green and made of cork. unfortunately, because i bought it in london, it also means that it doesn’t hold american currency quite as well, but it’s okay, i make do, LOL! 

11. What is the last thing you ate?

my dad made spaghetti bolognese and I ate that with a hecking ton of bread. it was fantastic :) 

12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?

unfortunately, no :( i can’t remember the last time I bought new clothes. maybe january? february? before the pandemic started. 

13. What’s the last sporting event you watched?

I think...I know it was definitely a pats game, and I’m pretty sure we lost, so it’s somewhere along the lines of pats v. ravens, I think

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?

extra buttery, even though it would probably murder me :’)

15. Who is the last person you send text message to?

@aleksandrachaev, and it was two thumbs-up emojis, LOL. 

16. Ever been camping?

I have! I went a long time ago, like nine years ago long ago, I think somewhere out west? I slept on an air mattress, went to an outdoor bathroom, all that fun jazz! and the bug bites, LOL. 

17. Do you take vitamins?

my mom: so you’ve got the probiotic, the vitamin c and the biotin...

18. Do you regularly attend a place of workship?

I don’t -- my dad used to go to church regularly, but other than that, I’ve never been to church and we’ve never been as a family. 

19. Do you have a tan?

i don’t know how this happened but I literally still have shorts tan from like, august. it is the middle of november, someone tell me how I got here. a couple of years ago, I burnt so badly on a trip to LA I was still seeing the tan months later, LOL. and most of the time, I have some fair flip-flop tan!

20. Do you prefer chinese or pizza?

chinese, because pizza has the ability to murder me

21. Do you drink your soda through a straw?

it it’s a takeout cup, then odds are good i’m drinking it through a straw, but other than that nope :) 

22. What color socks you usually wear?

white or grey, I think? i have some funky colored ones but i’m trying to change that

23. Do you ever drive above the speed limit?

i’m having flashbacks to a conversation I had with a friend who laughed at me for going five miles above the speed limit -- yes, I do, but only the allowed five miles above the speed limit and none more

24. What terrifies you?

oh, no, you don’t want to ask me that, we’d be here all day...being abandoned, I guess? being left by the people I care about, becoming too attached to people because they can leave and hurt me, spiders, heights, the pandemic, being hated, being alone...my own emotions, sometimes. 

25. Look to your left, what do you see?

my tubby nugget! he smiles at me, and I feel a lil better :)

26. What chore do you hate the most?

i literally could not tell you how much I hate cleaning the grout in our bathroom tile. it is a CHORE. 

27. What do you think when you hear Australian accent?

the hemsworth brothers, but also someone I met abroad who was from perth and had the same name as me, LOL

28. Whats your favorite soda?

ginger ale! 

29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit drive through?

depends on where I’m hitting, tbh -- if i’m in a hurry, we’re going straight through the drive-thru. but if it’s an event, then we’ll go in! have a fun time. sit for a while and talk. 

30. What’s your favorite number?

i don’t think I have one, actually?

31. Who’s the last person you talked to?

my dad, I’m pretty sure -- we talked about pandemic unemployment assistance :)

32. Favorite meal?

sushi, or whenever my mom makes steamed chicken. (i’m realizing it’s been so long since I’ve had that chicken and now I’m sad) 

33. Last song you listed to?

for real by lana condor

34. Last book you read?

confucius jane by katie lynch, just to see if the lesbians stood up to the pedestal i’d put them on -- and hell yeah, they did! 

35. Favorite day of the week?

right now, thursdays, because thursday is grey’s day! 

36. Can you say alphabet backwards?

probably, if you gave me enough time to think about it

37. How do you like your coffee?

like i like my men -- from afar, some of them are pretty, but do I actually like them? no

38. Favorite pair of shoes?

either my gray ankle boots I got a couple of years ago or my ‘gay lesbian snow boots’ that I use when it’s snowing something awful out, LOL!

39. Time you normally get up?

i’m supposed to be up at 8 am, but I’m usually up anywhere between 9 and 10am. I...need to change that, LOL. 

40. What do you prefer, sunrise or sunset?

i love both! but I like sunset because I’ve never specifically woken up to see the sunrise, i’ve only seen it out of coincidence because I pulled an all nighter to do work

41. How many blankets on your bed?

three, at the moment -- a costco blanket, my college blanket and a five-below blanket

42. Describe your kitchen plates.

white with a floral border

43. Describe your kitchen at the moment.

it’s lived-in -- we have a side table that’s always at the risk of a collapsing, a power strip that runs a kettle, microwave and toaster oven (you can never run two of them at once otherwise the strip shuts off), kitchen mats that will never get rid of their crumbs and a healthy, healthy pantry!

44. Do you have a favorite alcoholic drink?

either pink moscato wine or a rekorderlig cider! 

45. Do you play cards?

i used to a lot, when I was younger! when I got older I stopped finding people to be able to play them with, unfortunately. 

46. What color is your car?

silver! (even though I share it with my sister)

47. Can you change a tire?

no, but I’d definitely like to learn :)

48. Your favorite state or province?

new york or california, honestly. probably california. it’s the place I’ve felt the most free :) 

49. Favorite job you’ve had?

i’ve had a lot of internships but not a lot of jobs, but I’d probably have to say it was the one I had at dunks -- so many funny things and stories came out of it, and now I have enough barista experience to power my coffee shop fics for a lifetime! 

tagging: @agentmmayy @nazezdha321 @sadtunes @a-biochemist-not-a-bird @browneyedgenius @daisylincs @aleksandrachaev @missinglittlebritishfriend @hannahxowen @genderfluid-and-confuzled and anyone else that I missed -- you’re it!! (i’m truly sorry if I forgot you, I haven’t slept a lot in the last couple of nights fhdskjfhs) 

[ancientechos]

Laurelis’ Never-Ending Survey

Rules: Repost, do not reblog

Tagged by: @whitherliliesbloom

Tagging: @iona-xiv​ + anyone else who wants to do it!

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Laurelis Thyme

NICKNAME: ---

AGE: 22

BIRTHDAY: 28th Sun of the Third Umbral Moon (March 28)

ETHNIC GROUP: Sun Seeker Miqo’te

NATIONALITY: Thavnairian

LANGUAGE/S: Common

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Heterosexual

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Heteroromantic

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Taken by Haurchefant /// maybe single based on AU

HOME TOWN / AREA: Limsa Lominsa....

CURRENT HOME:  ....but has an apartment in The Lavender Beds

PROFESSION: Adventurer, odd jobber, medic.

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Pink. Mid-length, usually fashioned with bangs.

EYES: Left eye is silver, right eye is violet.

FACE: Oval.

LIPS: Pink, semi-full, usually wears slight lipstick.

COMPLEXION: Pale.

BLEMISHES: None.

SCARS: Present.

TATTOOS: None.

HEIGHT: 5′1″

WEIGHT: 110 ponze

BUILD: Slender but muscular and wiry, athletic.

FEATURES: Bright eyes, a perpetual smile, miqo’te marks on her cheeks and forehead.

ALLERGIES: None.

USUAL HAIR STYLE: Bangs, along with two pigtails and side-bangs framing her face.

USUAL FACE LOOK: Typically wears natural or very mild makeup.

USUAL CLOTHING: “Anything cute!” She’s addicted to glamour prisms and adores trying new styles and outfits.

VOICE CLAIM: Japanese: Probably Touyama Nao, at least the sort of voices she uses for Yuigahama Yui and Kirisaki Chitoge (minus the tsun tone). English: Whoever does female miqo voice 4.

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR/S: Losing those she loves, being useless, being powerless

ASPIRATION/S: To save everyone!, to be seen as competent, to open a soup kitchen

POSITIVE TRAITS: agreeable, persevering, cheerful, empathetic, loyal, patient, caring, optimistic, reliable, generous

NEGATIVE TRAITS: stubborn, overemotional, overprotective, oversensitive, clingy, naive, impulsive, reckless, materialistic, insecure

TEMPERAMENT: Sanguine MBTI: ESFJ or ENFJ

SOUL TYPE/S: The Priest, The Server

ANIMALS: Cat  Horse

VICE HABIT/S: Refuses to speak her mind if it seems “personal”, won’t acknowledge negative emotions, fidgeting with her hair or fingers.

FAITH: None.

GHOSTS?: Well, if there are any, we have to help them, right? There must be a reason they’re still around after all!

AFTERLIFE?: Maybe...

REINCARNATION?: She’s never really thought about it, but perhaps. It would be nice, at least. ALIENS?: A-aliens?! Huh...t-that’s a weird thought...maybe...she’s never thought of that, either...

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT: None.

EDUCATION LEVEL: Mid-level.

FAMILY.

FATHER : A jewelry merchant, money-conscious and warm, somewhat reclusive but would never turn down a conversation. A mathematician, extremely good with keeping track of sales and his own spending.

MOTHER : A clothes merchant. Sews her own merchandise and takes custom orders. Quite a spendthrift herself and enjoys going to parties and dancing. Had a brief start as a singer before an accident made her anxious of taking the centre stage.

SIBLINGS : None

EXTENDED FAMILY: None

NAME MEANING/S: Thyme symbolizes courage and deep affection.

HISTORICAL CONNECTION?: None

FAVORITES.

BOOK: Probably a cooking book.

DEITY: Nophica

HOLIDAY: Starlight Celebration because she gets to give everyone she loves gifts.

MONTH:  Whenever spring starts.

SEASON: Spring

PLACE: Her home.

WEATHER: Sunny and warm, not too cold and not too hot

SOUND / S: The voices of those she loves, crackling of fire, quills on parchment

SCENT / S: The smell of cooking or baking, especially cookies or stew; lilacs

TASTE / S: Sweet things, savoury things

FEEL / S: Warmth from fire, soft blankets, chocobo feathers

ANIMAL / S: D-does she have to choose? Hmm...otters!

NUMBER: 7!

COLORS: Green, especially mint green

EXTRA.

TALENTS: Cooking/baking, sports, mathematics, domestic chores

BAD AT: Being creative, managing money, saying “no”, controlling her emotions

TURN ONS: Kindness, loyalty, gentleness, perseverance

TURN OFFS: Sadism, choleric behaviour, anyone argumentative, violence

HOBBIES: Shopping, cooking/baking, domestic chores, sports

TROPES: Plucky Girl, The Reliable One, The Chosen One, Girly Bruiser, Honor Before Reason, Wide-Eyed Idealist, Skilled But Naive, Barrier Warrior, Martyr Without A Cause, The Fashionista, The Heart

QUOTES : “People only do bad things because they don’t have any other choice.”

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1: If you could write your character your way in their own movie, what would it be called, what style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about?       A1: Hmm...she’s more likely to be a side character than a main character, but if she were a protagonist, the movie is probably going to be something about saving the animals or building a shelter or something ambitious like that.

Q2: What would their soundtrack/score sound like?           A2: A lot of pop and happy music. Q3:  Why did you start writing this character?         A3: Because I heard a song that inspired me to create a character with a personality somewhat like hers...and as I developed her more and thought of her more, Laurelis was born.

Q4: What first attracted you to this character?         A4: Her enormous heart and contagious optimism. 

Q5: Describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse. A5: I too-often have second doubts wondering if she’s mary sue-ish or perfect. Q6: What do you have in common with your muse?           A6: We’re both stupidly overemotional, though she’s definitely a more extreme version.

Q7: How does your muse feel about you?          A7: I’m not sure. I guess she’d think I needed someone to cheer me up. Q8: What characters does your muse have interesting interactions with?       A8: Illya, a lalafell girl she met soon after coming to Eorzea. After numerous attempts from Laurelis’ side, they became friends, travelling together as the FFXIV story unfolded and become best friends. Q9: What gives you inspiration to write your muse?     A9: Music. My love for her. Q10 : How long did this take you to complete?   A10 : Much too long tbh.

[inevitablekickline]

Day 4 - August 4

Well, today was an early morning start! I don't feel half bad, however, and was actually half-awake fifteen minutes before I needed to be up. I set my alarm for 5:45am so I'd have plenty of time to get up, orient myself, get dressed, etc...and also not forget my water bottle and meals like I did yesterday, oops haha! The early early morning is so I can go to church beforehand, and then I'll probably end up heading to the coffee shop right by school to have some breakfast as I'll definitely have a bit of free time before rehearsal begins at 9am (as usual).

Forgot to do OOTD before I started doing stuff, but I'm feeling very James Potter tbh and I'll try to snap a pic eventually.

A lady complemented my singing in church, which made me smile!

And about the breakfast? Yup, I was correct. I got coffee and a bagel and just chilled for a while.

Morning rehearsal was SO FUN, we started learning the Act 1 finale song, and I get flipped twice. I'll be sore, but it's SO MUCH FUN I DON'T EVEN CARE. This song is basically as 80s as it gets (I mean... I'll probably be saying that a lot), with aerobics everywhere. I love it. Oh my gosh.

Lunch was pesto pasta and some broccoli, and the break seemed to go by just like that.

So the afternoon rehearsal wasn't as exciting, especially the second half. It was a more complicated number in terms of entrances and moving chairs, instead of learning dancing and the like. BUT ya know, it's all part of the process! It'll come together eventually. I THINK we're doing the opening number version of Footloose tonight, so that's exciting! I know I'm quite possibly going to be in a stretchy silver dress for that one SO...that'll be a fun process haha. As I said, it stretches, so that'll be my saving grace, along with jazz shorts!

Dinner was rice and chicken, and the chicken was just a bit dry from being reheated, but it still tasted good, and it's good to have carbs while exercising a lot. I got back to the studio pretty early, and the door was locked, so that meant...time to chill in the car with crappy air conditioning! Finally managed to take a picture, even though you can't really see my leggings and you can barely see the flannel I'd been taking off and putting back on throughout the day. My hair is going crazy because of humidity, so...thank goodness you can't see it much, haha.

So the rest of this never posted. Great! Nighr rehearsal was alright, we were all getting a little restless and unfocused but we learned more which is good.

I got home and I was just...so tired. So very very tired.

Here's to Day 5!