#unfortunately I am worth very little in the way of helpful advice

[solarmorrigan]

platonic stobin is a terrible influence, i'm about to start a just above minimum wage job so i can hang with my bestie on the clock. there's even a nautical theme to the shop we're working in. please send help, the only thing that would be worse would be a red shirt uniform

It was nice knowing you, sailor o7

[bumblequinn]

hi @sourpatchsquids! thank you for your question.

as an artist with ADHD, i know this struggle very well. unfortunately offering advice on this kind of thing can be tricky, because what works for me may not work for you (and vice versa!). nonetheless, i can try; take whatever works for you, forget the rest, or reshape any part of it as you see fit. :)

but before i offer any actual tools, i have one caveat. i want you to take a moment to reflect and consider if you should be:

changing expectations

the timing of this question seems fated, because just the other day i had a therapy session wherein i expressed my grief and frustration over struggling to work lately due to my seasonal depression. it's not fair that i'm struggling just because it got a little darker outside! i just want the spark i had in the summer! i was so much more consistent!

my therapist's response: nothing about human beings is consistent. we get sick, we get tired, we get hungry and thirsty (and thirsty) and sad and lonely and restless and stressed and overwhelmed. this all gets amplified for folks who are atypical in some way or another.

when my therapist compared our seasonal cycles to those of plants and other animals, who wilt and slow down and hibernate, i protested aloud that i wanted to be a perennial instead. at this she said: even perennials change with the seasons. rose bushes have to be pruned, sometimes down to half their height! it was a dose of perspective i didn't particularly want, but really needed.

so when you're struggling to work through executive dysfunction, burnout, or brain fog, it can help to first check in with yourself about a few things. what do you have the capacity for right now? do you need any accommodation? and if so, what changes you might make to accommodate yourself?

with practice and self reflection, i've learned a handful of specific routines that help me when i'm struggling with creative work, which i'll detail next. note that while your question is specifically about music and i am specifically a musician, i believe that all of these suggestions can apply to most any form of digital creative work.

with that in mind:

#1: work slower

when i'm at the top of my game, i can get a LOT done in a day. but when i'm depressed, fatigued, or distracted, i just can't go full steam. sometimes i'll try to convince myself that i can if i just push harder, but what actually ends up happening is that i'm just fiddling with settings and going in circles rather than moving forward.

instead of that, when i want to work a lot but can't, i try to work slow. how slow? however slow i need to. take four hours to figure out the melody for a single verse. take all day to figure out that drum groove. yeah, i take a lot of breaks in between. who says i have to be my Absolute Most Productive Every Day Or Else? that's the puritan work ethic talking. kill it. be kind to yourself.

i'm reminded of advice i once read about some super successful and prolific author (gaiman? king? pratchett?) who said they wrote only four hundred words every weekday. that's already less than the word count of this post, and i'm only—[travels into the future to check my final word count]... 22.8% of the way through writing it!

now, i don't think i could function that way, because ADHD means some days i'm hyperfocused like crazy, and other days i just have no steam at all (more on that in #4-6). but it seems to me that if even someone highly respected in their profession can achieve what they have with only a little bit of work on a regular basis, maybe i don't have to punish myself for not pumping out a finished work every single week.

doing less work per day means you're much less likely to burn out, which does a lot for working more consistently. if that consistency still doesn't look like a five-day work week, that's okay! as long as it helps you work even a little more often when you want to, it's something worth doing.

however, if you're still feeling truly stuck, all hope isn't lost. you can still try:

#2: switch projects

sometimes the reason i'm moving slow is because of a bad brain day, but sometimes the reason is that i just cannot muster the motivation to do the specific task i'm trying to do right now. ADHD is fueled by novelty and interest, and if i'm not interested in what i'm doing, or it's feeling stale, that's a sign that i need to switch gears.

this is why first it's helpful for me to have more than one project going at a time. this might mean completely unrelated works, or it might just mean related tracks as with the music for a game like SLARPG or susan taxpayer.

the idea here is not to start a dozen different projects and bounce around them like i'm playing whac-a-mole—though i have done that. (i don't recommend it.) the idea here is to have a manageable number of different projects i can be working on so that if i get bored or stuck on something, i have fallback options.

what that number of projects is depends entirely on the week. maybe right now it's two, maybe another time it's three. i would probably be getting carried away if i tried more than that, but that's just my own limit. maybe yours is different. that's something for you to think about.

but it doesn't have to stop there.

#3: switch focus

maybe there is this one project that i just HAVE to work on, but the task i'm trying to do at this stage just isn't coming to me. okay, well, why don't i try working on a different task?

let's say i can't figure out what i want to do with the melody in one part of the song:

what if i try jumping ahead to a different part of the melody? ...no, i'm stumped on melodies today. okay, how about working on the drums instead? ...hmm no, i think i'm just completely tapped out on writing parts right now. alright, what if i organized my tracks, making sure they're all grouped and named in a way that i can work with easily? what if i did a rough volume balance for the mix?

and so on. if that's not enough to shake the off stuckness, i might consider: what can i do to make this project more interesting to me?

what happens if i try using an instrument or effect that i almost never reach for? what if i try sampling something obscure? what if i bang out the drums using my midi keyboard instead of drawing it in on the piano roll?

any approach that breaks me out of my usual habits is bound to get that feeling of novelty and fun back when i need it.

or maybe i can't do any of that right now, and so i take the time to answer a question from a fellow musician instead. i consider that part of my work, too, in a broader sense. check in with yourself and figure out what you can do right now. the rest will still be there later.

but okay, let's say you try switching gears, and switching again, and again, and nothing is moving. you try new approaches, but that wall of awful is insurmountable in this moment. it happens! the next thing you might try is:

#4: learn something new

when you aren't able to make progress on your projects, you can still make progress on your knowledge and craft. i often find this stokes a flame of inspiration in me where there wasn't one before. and even when it doesn't, it still gets my brain out of that feeling of stuckness and dread and into one of thought and action. learning also benefits in the long term because it adds to the well of knowledge from which you draw for all your future works.

for all the awfulness that exists on the internet, it remains an absolute treasure trove of teaching. there's an endless ocean of videos, blog posts, and articles from which you might learn something about your craft. (and if you sail the seven seas, plenty of book PDFs as well. 🦜🏴‍☠️)

it's true that the quality and depth of information out there can vary wildly, but in my experience most resources get at least some things right. and the more you research, practice, and figure out what works for you, the better you will learn to differentiate between the advice worth keeping, and the advice to forget. (that goes for all of what i'm saying here, too!)

that said, since our shared focus is music, a few resources i would highly recommend are:

music theory and composition music matters, 12tone, charles cornell, music with myles, 8-bit music theory, and this introduction by andrew huang

mixing and production dan worrall (especially this series for fabfilter), kush after hours, red means recording, andrew huang, alice yalcin efe, in the mix

general inspiration nahre sol, ben levin, david hilowitz, game score fanfare, posy, jerobeam fenderson, open reel ensemble, and ELECTRONICOS FANTASTICOS!

(if any readers have their own helpful resources for creating music or any other media, feel free to share in the replies & reblogs! 💓)

of course, on an especially bad day, it might be a challenge to seek out information, let alone retain it. that can feel pretty bad, but remember: be kind to yourself. the next thing you might consider trying is:

#5: consume art you love

not just music. books. shows. movies. games. illustration. animation. whatever moves and inspires you.

but do it intentionally. don't just pull up some random thing the algorithm suggested! check in with yourself about what you want (or are able) to engage with right now. choose accordingly. if you get a little way into it and realize it's not scratching that itch, hit the bricks. check in with yourself again. wash, rinse, repeat, until you find whatever it is that speaks to you right now.

and do it actively, if you can. don't just let it go in one eye and out the other! really pay attention to the work. what do you like about it? what are its themes and motifs? what makes it work so well? what are its flaws, and how much do they matter? what might you do differently? you can write notes as you do this if it helps, but even simply noticing and thinking goes a long way.

what you don't want to do is come at this with a lens of shame or envy. you're not here just to say to yourself, "ugh, if only i could do THAT." it's okay if it happens. use that thought as a springboard for curiosity: "well okay, how DID they do that? do i have the resources for it? if so, how could i apply that to my own work? if not, how can i adapt it, or what do i need to learn?" keep your mind open and approach the work with a sense of wonder.

as a creative person, it's very easy to think, "i should be making something right now, not watching a movie!" but that thought forgets something vital: your art is a response in a conversation. of course the "language" you use is your own, and maybe if you're lucky you'll invent a new word. but most of the words you use have been around long before you were born. you're just one voice in a dialogue that spans continents and generations, and that's okay. it's even the whole point.

none of us is an island. we are profoundly social animals. just as we can't live without eating, we can't make without learning. so half of making art is consuming it. consider this part of the process as well.

and finally,

#6: rest, and live your life

let's say you're in really dire straits. you've tried working slower. you tried changing focus, you tried changing projects. you want to take in new information or actively engage with your favorite art, but you're not in the headspace for it. what now?

take a nap. take a walk. take a shower. eat a nice meal, or an okay one. talk to a friend. maybe even do that chore you've been putting off (you know the one).

it's human to always crave making, but you're not a machine—and even if you were, machines need regular maintenance, too! you wouldn't drive a car that's completely out of gas, and you won't do yourself any favors treating your body that way either.

i know that when you take a break it feels as though you're not accomplishing anything, but you are: you're taking care of your animal self. and while you do that, your creative brain doesn't stop working! much like windows, it has countless background processes running at any given moment, with inscrutable names like "cbdhsvc_692da" or "Microsoft Edge Update Service." it's true, i checked.

when you're stuck on a project and you step away to rest, your brain is still chipping away at your ideas unconsciously. i like to tell people, "it's percolating." much like waiting for a pot of water to boil, that idea is still heating up, even when you take a step away. just be sure to check in on it once in a while. the time will pass, and it'll be boiling again before long. :)

before i go, i'll leave you with one last thing to keep in mind as you try all of these strategies:

be kind to yourself.

being human is just about one of the hardest things you can do. let alone being a human trying to survive capitalism while living with disabilities! the last thing you need on top of that is to overwork yourself, talk to yourself negatively, or treat yourself harshly. there are plenty of other people in the world who do that to you—don't be one of them.

i'm not saying that you shouldn't try to challenge yourself, to test your limits and go above and beyond your ambitions, if that's what you want to do. just remember that hard work and self compassion are not mutually exclusive. so be careful not to bully yourself. take pride in the progress you make, even when it seems small. encourage yourself like you would a friend who's going through a hard time. and when you challenge yourself, be your own cheerleader.

i hope you find this advice helpful! remember, this is just what helps me, so don't feel like you have to follow any of it exactly. maybe taking time to learn new information helps break you out of your rut more than working slowly, so you reach for that tool first. maybe having multiple projects going at once is too distracting for you, so you prefer to stick to one at a time. whatever your needs are, feel free to alter and adapt these ideas to fit you.

thank you for reading, and i wish you the best of luck in your creating.

with care, bee 🐦

[msmc-796-official]

[ECHO.EXE RUNNING]

XIII▸ Hello! Apologies for how long it's taken me to reach out again, my deployment was... eventful!! It was eventful. In brief summary I've been returned to base early for medical reasons; I am fine however. Mostly.

XIII▸ Helios-8 has informed me you've been tangled in Events as well. I hope you're all alright. I'm sure you have your own medical personnel to consult with, but if there is anything of worth I can offer in the ways of advice or information, at any point, please tell me.

XIII▸ Regardless, I'm likely to have more time now for at least a month, and I would like to use that time to try and communicate more. Given the hectic enviroment right now, please take all the time you would like to get back to me and my questions! I can wait :}

XIII▸ Onto those questions though- please forgive me if these are asinine or silly. Maybe with recent events something a little lighter is what we all need? Or maybe I'm just asking questions for the sake of it. I'm not often given that freedom :}

XIII▸ Do you have favourite foods and/or drinks? Would you mind telling me why, if you do? And- is a comfort food different from a favourite food? I've overheard mixed information I'm a little confused. If your comfort food is different from your favourite food, would you mind telling me what differentiates that for you?

XIII▸ And, um- could you maybe describe what said foods look/taste like? I've rarely gotten the oppertunity to try food outside of field rations, so my experience is rather limited.

XIII▸ ... thank you for entertaining my curiosity. I would also like to say outright, that you are more than welcome to ask me any questions in return! If I cannot give an answer for whatever reason I will say so, but I can promise I will take no offense :}

XIII▸ In all honesty I would welcome return questions right now, to occupy me. I do not care for medical leave.

[ XIII-E // @xiii-e ]

//

[INITIALIZING BOOT SEQUENCE: 3CH0-13.EXE]

[PROGRAM RUNNING: 3CH0-13.EXE]

// Ah, hello again, Thirteen! Lio kept us updated about your last deployment - seems you had a rather rough go of things. We wish you a speedy recovery, for all that's worth (which, admittedly, isn't much, seeing as we can't actually be there to help).

As for your question - yes, we do very much have favorite foods and drinks in this squadron, and not just the nutri-paste and MREs standard to most Lancers. It's... well, a bit of a luxury to be able to have real food around here. Consider it a PR benefit, of sorts.

Having grown up on Pyxis - one of two moons which orbit Carina, the home planet of IPS-N, located in the Argo Navis system - we didn't produce a lot of food ourselves on-planet. That being said, being in such close proximity to a water world (which Carina is), seafood was extremely common to find on the table. One of my favorites from back home is a fish soup known as paila marina - all sorts of whitefish, shrimp, clams, and mussels cooked in a spicy tomato-based broth with lots of garlic and cilantro. Served alongside some crusty bread and high-quality olive oil - I'm getting a little homesick just thinking about it. Haven't found anything even remotely similar in all my travels as a Lancer, which is... unfortunate.

Favorite drinks... hm. I do like a good chai latte when the weather turns cold. Heavy on the cinnamon, and made with real cow's milk - none of those awful non-dairy substitutes like oat or soy.

> Ras Shamra, as I suspect you well know, is not particularly known for its food; especially not under the purview of the Armory. Much of my early life was spent consuming the dry, flavorless rations provided by the Legionnaire commissary. I don't believe I had the privilege of tasting non-ration foodstuffs until I joined MSMC - while I was long since used to consuming solid food, the discovery of texture and flavor did, embarrassingly, take some getting used to.

While I very seldom consume full meals of real food, I have developed a strong preference for chocolate cake - particularly those which include instant coffee powder in the recipe. It may seem a strange addition, but I have found it not only adds an enjoyable bitterness to the flavor, but also aids in accentuating the darker, richer notes of the chocolate used. (This being said, I am told I am unusual for preferring my cake on the crumbly side - a soft, pillowy cake seems to be the more universal style. The addition of frosting is another matter entirely, and a debate I will not descend into here.)

As for drinks - as one might expect from my food preferences, I rather enjoy a strong cup of coffee; taken black, no cream or sugar. My squadmates have previously commented that it seems fitting that one such as myself would enjoy something so bitter, but I argue that their consistent exposure to intense flavors has rendered them unable to appreciate the subtle fruity notes of a true dark roast.

favorite food, huh? well... hm. hang on a sec... that would have been... ah, shit.

well, this is awkward. not sure how to say this without completely outing myself as an ex-HORUS degenerate, but, uh - I don't think I've had solid food since the day I became a Lancer, which was... RA above and below, when did I join HORUS... approximately twenty-something years ago, give or take? oops?

I can tell you my favorite drink, though - don't think they make 'em anymore, but there was a certain kind of energy drink I loved back during my HORUS days. bright blue tall can, orange lettering, all these kinda half-assed doodles of flowers all over it - can't remember the name for the life of me, or else I'd look it up. all energy drinks kinda taste like chemicals - part of what helps keep you awake and energized, or so the branding says - but this one had a vaguely... tropical? is that the word? yeah, tropical flavor to it. like cheap shitty fruit punch, mixed with mango juice. (kinda addictive, too, once you got used to the burn from all of the citric acid.) those things kept me awake for a lot of long nights of coding back in the day. of course they were horrible for you, but when you're young and stupid and can't be assed to take care of yourself, you don't really care where the caffeine comes from so long as it tastes good, yknow?

// As to your question of what differentiates a favorite food from a comfort food... that's harder to answer. I guess the distinction I would make is that comfort food "tastes like home", somehow? It's... it's a hard concept to describe.

> As someone without a "comfort" food, so to speak, the distinction seems entirely arbitrary to me. "Favorite" denotes a strong personal preference; "comfort" is a term which I am still learning the definition of... much like the term "home", in a sense.

I think I get what you're asking here, T-E - lemme explain it this way. a "favorite" food is one of those that no matter who makes it or where it comes from, you'll always like it. complex, simple, doesn't matter - always gonna be the first thing you choose off the list if it's offered to you

"comfort" food, on the other hand... well, P ain't too far off in saying it tastes like home (or, at least, it should). comfort food is something that, while it might not always be your first choice, it's something you can come back to, regardless of how bad or low-quality it might be. lots of diner-type places across the galaxy cater to this kinda food - stuff that people might have grown up with back home that's a familiar sight in a foreign place. it's less about what the food actually is, and more about the positive feelings and memories it brings back when you eat it. does that make sense?

// Before we sign off, I do have a question for you in return, Thirteen - Lio once mentioned offhandedly that you were fond of turtles. Do you have a favorite species of turtle at all? Or, barring that, can you tell us some interesting turtle facts?

-- Angel, Slipshod, & Lockbreaker

//

@xiii-e

[honeysuckleharringtons]

Part Five: "Seasonal Specials" ~ S. Harrington

Summary: (Then) Christmas Eve has rolled around, and unfortunately for a very pregnant Reader, she is stuck at home with a migraine. Luckily for her, her younger brother doesn't make for too bad of company. — (Now) A slow shift at Brew and Me turns out to be a good night for advice and a call from everyone's favorite nursing student.

Pairing: Nurse!Steve Harrington x Fem!Byers!Reader

Word Count: 1,900

Content Warning: teen pregnancy, discussions of homophobia, discussions of abuse and allusions to physical abuse, discussions of slut-shaming, Reader is lowkey bad at advice when it comes to these topics LMAO, explicit language, food consumption (Reader drinks hot chocolate), not really a warning but Will is gay and autistic in this series, as always lmk if i missed anything!

Extra Notes: this should've been posted way earlier, i am so sorry it wasn't. hope you guys enjoy though!

Originally Written: 12/21/2023 through 12/25/2023

honeysuckleharringtons' main masterlist can be found here!

'brew and me' series masterlist can be found here!

[ Then, December of 1987 ]

Christmas Eve. It was Christmas Eve and you were stuck at home with an excruciating headache.

You supposed it wasn't all bad. After all, staying at home was preferable over the rare occasion that you did leave the house, when everyone would stare you down like some caged animal at the zoo. Unfortunately, the same could be said for your family—no, not your immediate family, who'd helped you more than ever since you'd entered your third and final trimester—whose reactions had ranged from disgusted to sympathetic.

When you'd gone to the family's end-of-summer family reunion, you'd tried your best to hide the tiny bump you were sporting at the time. However, your aunt Judy had taken notice of your particularly round belly, and immediately figured out that it wasn't from one too many hot dogs at the cookout. Ever since then, you'd heard every comment in the book, everything from "whore throwing her life away" to "so sad she thought that was her only option."

So, instead of listening to the endless insults from your distant relatives, you'd prayed for some way out of the gathering. Unfortunately for you, God had a sense of humor, hence the excruciating headache.

The sound of the microwave beeping in the next room over set you off all over again, the noise like a hammer to the head. "Will, can't you tell that thing to shut up?" you groaned, covering your face with the compress he'd made you.

"Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to help," he joked. You couldn't tell if you wanted to laugh or kill him for his sense of humor. "Here's your hot chocolate."

You sat up ever-so-slightly, taking a small drink of the deep brown liquid. Almost instantly, the warmth of it made you feel a little better. "Thank you." You reached a hand over, ruffling his already messy hair. "By the way, you didn't have to stay home with me."

"And listen to Uncle Howie tell me how we're both going to hell? I'd rather have that headache of yours."

A snicker escaped your lips, knowing exactly what he meant. "Okay, maybe Uncle Howie is a bit too opinionated on the sex lives of sixteen and eighteen year olds, but you don't have to listen to him. I mean, you're missing out on Grandma's fruitcake, which is your favorite part of the holidays."

"After last year, listening to half our cousins tell me I'm fruitier than the cake, I don't think I'll ever eat it again." Will pulled his knees up to his chest, his face overtaken by an expression that looked a lot like longing. "Besides, it's not really worth it to me."

You set your mug aside before placing a hand on his knee. "What do you mean?"

"The way the family talks about you… I thought I was the black sheep of the family. You might as well be a purple sheep."

Your pregnancy hormones must've taken over, because instead of a normal reaction, you found yourself beginning to cry from his words. No, not because of pain from his statement, but rather comfort in knowing that he'd rather miss out on the finer things of life if it meant sticking up for you.

Will, and his lack of social cue skills, stared at you for a moment, unsure what to say. Eventually, he landed on, "Sorry if I made you more upset. I didn't-"

A small huff of amusement left your mouth as you shook your head. "No, Will," you smiled, reaching up to wipe away your excess tears, "I'm just… I'm really happy to have you."

He flashed you a closed-lip smile, one that felt so genuine and unapologetically Will. "I know you'd do the same for me."

[ Now, December of 1991 ]

"I would, kiddo. I really would."

Aster Bay was a different kind of beautiful at the holidays. Sure, the small college town was normally beautiful, but upon seeing the small-town glow overtake the place, you were sure you hadn't seen anything like it.

Apartments and beach-side condos decked out in Christmas lights, a tree as high as the clouds in the town square, students dressed in Christmas and Hanukkah sweaters, their dogs in matching attire. The town felt like your own personal snow globe, tiny flakes flooding the ground beneath your feet with every step.

The magic of the holidays of course carried over into your favorite little coffee shop, decorations of red and green covering the walls and counters while the smell of peppermint wafted through the air. Unfortunately for you and Max, the one thing your little coffee shop was lacking this Christmas Eve was customers.

Neither of you were really sure why the store was open. Nearly everyone had gone home for the holidays—students, patrons, and other baristas alike—and the store was dead quiet, aside from the soft sound of Sinead O'Conner playing on the overhead speaker. Silent Night is accurate, you thought to yourself.

"So, where's your lover boy at this Christmas Eve?" Max joked, breaking the long-winded silence.

You sighed, secretly longing for the nurse she spoke of. "Apparently they gave him a week off from the hospital so he went home to see his folks." A small wave of loneliness had come over you when Steve had told you about his departure a few days prior, when he stopped by to grab a latte for the road.

"That's nice. At least he's hopefully having a good time, not working on the holidays like some of us," she said lightheartedly. Though, you could've sworn you heard a hint of sadness in her tone.

"Hey, how come you aren't at home with your folks?" The question had been a simple one, but when Max looked up at you, you could tell her answer was about to be anything but simple.

Her arms folded tightly in front of her chest as she looked at you, a sigh falling between her plump lips. "It's… complicated."

You placed a loving hand on her shoulder. "I know we're only coworkers and we aren't really supposed to bring our personal lives to work with us, but you know you can talk to me, right? I'm your friend, plus I'm a mother so I have problem solving skills now."

She huffed in amusement at your last remark. "It's just… I can't really say a lot but my life in California, it's not as good as my life here. And as much as I love my mom, there's just… well, it's just better for me to stay here even as much as I miss her. Besides, it's not like I make enough to fly home and Neil certainly isn't going to pay for my flight."

You could tell from the clear distaste in the way she said Neil that she didn't like to say his name anymore than she had to. Unfortunately, you knew all too well what that was like, and there was a certain name that left a bad taste in your own mouth the same way Neil did for Max.

"I can't give you much advice because my dad was the one that left, but I promise, it does get better," you empathized. "You made the right decision by staying here. I'm proud of you, Max."

She began to fiddle with the sleeve of her flannel, her eyes darting away. "I hate being here though. I can't help my mom from here. There's no telling what he does to her when me and Billy are away."

You knew exactly what she meant by that too. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but that'll change too. Eventually he'll get tired of you and your mom fighting back and he'll leave. That's what my dad did anyway."

"The thing is," she paused, licking her lips, "I'm not sure my mom wants to fight back. It's like she wants to deal with Neil's bullshit. I mean, she divorced my dad over not making enough money and then she married Neil, who is still scraping at the bottom of the barrel to keep the lights on every month. Not to mention, she dated like ten guys in between and broke up with them for way less, but she'll always find a way to justify his actions."

You shrugged your shoulders. "My mom put up with it for seventeen years before she started to truly fight back." A small wave of silence came over the room before you continued, "I'm sorry I don't have much advice. I guess my situation was just a little different than most survivors'. One thing I can tell you though is that I'm proud of you for making the best decision for yourself. I know it's hard to put yourself first sometimes."

Max gave you a crooked smile, finally looking up at you again. "As much as it sucks that we've both been through a bad thing, I'm glad I have you to talk to about it."

"Of course, love. You're like a little sister to me."

Cutting your conversation short, the phone began to ring, the sound grating on your nerves. You loved your job, but it was Christmas Eve, damn it. In all honesty, you really just wanted to be at home, drinking hot chocolate with your girl in your lap and a movie playing on television.

Still, you picked up the phone, answering with the signature, "Happy holidays from Brew and Me. What can we do for you?"

"Can you tell me your seasonal specials?" said a familiar voice, his smirk audible in his tone.

"Steve! You're supposed to be on vacation," you scolded, though internally you were extremely happy to hear his voice. What is wrong with me? you pondered silently.

"I am, but I couldn't resist calling and ordering something."

Your brows furrowed at his statement. "How does that work?"

"Order anything you'd like and I'll pay you back when I get back to town. Think of it as a Christmas present, or whatever you celebrate."

"That feels like cheating, Harrington." Your eyes narrowed, despite his inability to see it.

"You don't have to tell me what it is, just how much I'll owe you," he replied. You could hear a fireplace crackling quietly in the background, and you could easily imagine him curled up in front of it, his skin covered with a thick Christmas sweater, glasses perched on his nose as he read a novel. "Same for Max or whoever else is working. Treat yourselves, courtesy of me."

"Well, thank you, Steve. We appreciate it," your lips curved upward into a smile as you spoke. "I hope you're enjoying your time off."

"I am. I'm sorry you have to work on Christmas Eve." You could almost hear the frown on his lips as he sympathized with you.

"It's not all bad. After all, I'm getting to hear from you."

"Careful, Byers, or I'll start to think you like me back," he smirked. Butterflies went off in your belly, your cheeks warm and surely rosy.

You were sure full sentences had escaped you, considering Steve had the ability to take your breath away and make you blush like no one else could. So, you stuck with what you knew you could say without stumbling over your words. "Happy holidays, Doc."

"It's a very happy holiday when I get to talk to you, Y/N."

So tumblr hates me...

I went over 24 hours thinking this chapter posted, only to find out tumblr ate it somewhere between my drafts, my queue, and my posts 🤦🏻‍♀️ this app loves to embarrass me

Anyway, I hope this was worth the extra long wait. It sucks that I'm posting it after the initial Christmas magic is over but I hope you guys liked it regardless! I will see you back here on Sunday for chapter six, which will be posted on time, fingers crossed!

-> taglist: @dungeons-are-too-cold @ducky-died-inside @awkotaco24 @liberhoe @princesseddie @corrodedseraphine @manuosorioh @esoltis280 @hazydespair @frostandflamesfanfic

[yeyinde]

try and snip the bar with wire cutters before paying for surgery!!!! i know it’s scary and you might have to flatten your lip with your other hand to hold it out of the way but the same thing happened with my nose piercing a couple months back.

paying for a piercer can be expensive (i know, i have a lot of piercings lol) but face piercings especially are worth getting done by a professional. it’s best to get pierced with a long bar to accommodate swelling and then size down later after you’ve healed. and if the piercing starts to drag it’s actually better to size up a gauge on the bar

this is very rambly but! it also might be worth checking if you’re allergic to the metal! i am highly allergic to nickel so i have to pierced with implant grade titanium or sterling silver. if your piercing gets itchy or flaky or has what almost looks like a burn around it you are very likely allergic to nickel, and while stainless steel has low amounts of nickel, it actually still does have nickel in it and if you’re super duper sensitive you’ll still have an allergic reaction. i know what it’s like a grieve a piercing you want so much condolences, i only hope this can help a little bit

—dumbdjarin

luckily, i won't have to pay anything for the removal! the wild thing is, this guy IS a professional!! has a shop and everything. unfortunately, the bar is the length of my pinky from nail to bottom. it's super tiny. but if there was any part of the stem sticking out, i'd try that first! i went to a diff professional piercer in the city to see if they could remove it, and she told me to go to the er lmao said she can't even see the ball or the back. but i'm gonna def check and see if it's an allergy to the metal that made it reject before too. i have a lot of piercings so i should know better, but i got swept up in the "listen to your elders" nonsense and second guessed my own intuition 😭

thank you so much for the advice, though!! when i go back to get it redone (by the girl who def knows what she's doing lmao), i'm gonna bring up the allergy/sensitivity and see what she can do about it!

[manofmanymons]

Can i give you an excuse to talk more about takuma x kaito? They are just so precious to me. It's one of my favourite digimon pairing ever.

Beloved anon, you have opened the biggest can of worms I even have to open. You know not what you have unleashed. That being said, here’s what we’re gonna do. I’m gonna start with a couple small silly hc’s I have about them, then we’re gonna work our way up to the things I have entirely too much to say about.

Also please know that my genuine reaction to finishing this ask and getting ready to post this was:

The sillies

They get in “I insist” wars sometimes, by which I mean they both always want to be the one to do things for the other. “Likes to take care of people” bf x “self worth based largely on his usefulness” bf. The end result is them just sneakingly doing chores for each other. In Takuma’s case, I like to think it’s bc that’s how his mom shows affection, and he totally gets it from her. With Kaito, it would start out as a “feels like he has to earn Takuma’s love because he doesn’t think he deserves it” thing but eventually turn into a “just really likes making Takuma smile” thing.

They stare at each other a lot. Takuma always does it on accident and usually for one of two reasons. Reason #1: he just likes looking at Kaito. Call him sappy, but he thinks his bf is very handsome and he likes looking at him. Reason #2: he’s trying to gauge what kind of mood Kaito is in before approaching him and completely accidentally stares at him for way too long. At first it creeps Kaito out a little and he’ll ask “the hell’re you looking at me like that for?” Eventually, though, he gets used to it and will pretend he doesn’t notice. Kaito does it on purpose whenever he wants attention but is too embarrassed to ask for it. Literally just glares at Takuma until he notices.

I don’t see either of them as the jealous type, but I do see both of them as the overprotective type. Someone looks at Takuma wrong and Kaito already wants them dead. Takuma gets very defensive if anyone other than Miu or Dracmon insinuates that anything is wrong with Kaito and WILL argue about it.

They’re both the kinda boys to ask “can I kiss you?” change my mind.

Neither of them have ever really done this whole dating thing before. Takuma has had a few girlfriends, but in the very elementary/middle school sense of basically just being friends who hold hands sometimes and get teased by their friends at recess—never in the “I am actually in love with this person” way. Kaito 100% one of those kids who always thought romance was stupid and made fun of other people for caring about it. Probably thought he was so cool for it, too. He didn’t even know he was capable of having a crush until Takuma happened. He’s mildly distressed at first that apparently everyone Takuma has ever liked before him has been a soft spoken, cute girl, but he gets over it eventually.

My dog just sat down directly on my face and I can’t see shit why did I let him onto my bed with me oh my god get him off of me HELP.

There was a time where Takuma was afraid to hug or even really touch Kaito at all in public because he was worried Kaito would hate it. Now he knows he can get away with it and is a menace. #1 hobby: making the bf blush and pout at him.

Takuma texting Miu for advice about what Kaito likes vs. Kaito texting Minoru to ask what Takuma likes. Miu and Minoru hate this but go along with it because unfortunately they love those idiots and want them to be happy. Technically Minoru promised he wouldn’t tell any of their mutual friends about Kaito being a sappy dork, but he never said anything about not telling Kaito’s sister.

Long thoughts

I think I said it before, but now I’m going to elaborate. You know the whole "fell first/fell harder" thing? Well I think Takuma fell first (but didn’t notice) while Kaito fell harder. Takuma knowing Kaito for like five minutes and already deciding he really likes this boy for some reason. They get through part 3 and now he really *really* likes this boy, but he mostly chalks it up to "I'm just happy he's here bc it means we are not all dead." Of course he's gonna kinda admire someone like that and want to get to know them better. And if he starts finding him cute and purposely seeking him out when he's nervous, well, that's just guy stuff.

vs. Kaito who’s stuck with this weird dude who won't stop staring at him and asking too many invasive questions, but he tolerates it because he's gonna need help to protect Miu and also not die. Except the more time goes by, the more this weird dude keeps being really nice to him, which is perhaps the weirdest thing of all. And he even seems to genuinely care about Miu and okay that's new. THEN he starts acting like how Kaito feels about things actually matters, and it kinda feels like a trap, but it isn't. And okay, yeah, maybe having someone pay so much attention to him is Not Terrible. Maybe being honest with someone other than his partner (who kinda has to like him) without being afraid of how they'll react is also Not Terrible. Maybe it's a little confusing why being around someone he trusts would keep making him feel nauseous and like the room is on fire, but maybe, for some weird reason, that's Not Terrible either. Maybe all of those things are even...nice. And if he thinks that perhaps he'd do anything to get this weird, annoying, invasive boy home safely, well, it's not...NOT because he loves him.

ALSO said before but would like to elaborate: I just love the idea of Kaito getting along really well with Takuma’s mom. First adult to not treat him like he’s crazy for getting stressed out over completely reasonable things like “my 11 year old sister is out past sunset and not answering the phone.” It’s kind of a nightmare for Takuma because his mother LOVES to tell the most embarrassing stories about when he was a kid that he was planning on taking to the grave, but it’s also kind of wonderful that his favorite people like each other so much. Plus, if being a little embarrassed is the price he has to pay for hearing Kaito laugh, it’s worth it.

Takuma’s mom to me has big islander mom energy, like she would instantly decide that Kaito is her child now after knowing him for two seconds. One time when Takuma was like 4 he accidentally killed a goldfish and now his mother does not trust him to keep anything alive. That being said, if Kaito gets sick or injured, Takuma’s mom will insist on taking care of him bc she doesn’t think Takuma can do it lol.

They ALSO get in the “I insist” wars tho lol like Kaito will try to help with the dishes and she’ll be like “nonsense, I’m the host, you just make yourself at home” but then Kaito will counter with “if I was at home, I would do the dishes.” It’s a battle of sheer stubbornness that either of them will win on any given day.

…Takuma reading that people tend to look for partners that are similar to their parents and at first going “pff yeah right” but then seeing that happen and going “oh no.”

And for my last thing I could talk a lot about…I dunno if I’ve ever just talked about why I ship it.

First and foremost, and I just really love their friendship. I mean, yeah, like everyone else who’s played this game, of COURSE I noticed that Kaito is constantly blushing while talking to Takuma, but that’s not really why I like seeing them together. I like how quickly Takuma catches on to the fact that Kaito’s a lot nicer than he pretends to be. I like how he notices that Kaito is a perfectly calm and rational person when it comes to anything NOT involving Miu. I like how happy it makes Dracmon that someone understands his partner so well. I like that the correct dialogue option for Kaito is pretty much always just to be straightforward and honest with him. I feel like it sets up a really lovely dynamic between the two of them where Takuma knows he can always be honest with Kaito, and Kaito can trust Takuma enough to take what he says at face value. Especially love it in the scene where Takuma is nervous, and if you pick the option to hide it, Kaito will get annoyed at him for wasting time standing around talking; but if you pick the option to tell the truth, Kaito will soften up and try to help him. I like how patient Takuma is with Kaito and how he never snaps at him even when Kaito’s being a little unreasonable or isn’t articulating what he actually means very well. I like how, for all his trust issues, Kaito straight up tells Takuma that he thinks of him as the group’s leader and depends on him. I think Takuma’s comment that hearing that makes him happy is super cute. Kaito insisting Takuma is wrong when he’s accused of secretly wanting to protect everyone, not just Miu, in early game vs him finally admitting it to Takuma late in the game. They’re just so comfortable with each other in a way that I find very endearing. Especially knowing everything Kaito’s been through, it makes me so happy that there’s someone he trusts so much and who is genuinely unconditionally kind to him. They’re so supportive of each other, and I am fully willing to believe that they really do love each other as friends.

THEN getting into the shippy parts. Still not emotionally over Takuma literally thinking that Kaito is cute. Still never letting go of him purposely complimenting Kaito for no reason just to see him flustered. Never letting them live down talking about how good friends they are and then REVERSE no-homoing the moment by explicitly saying they DON’T think of each other like brothers. What the hell WAS that? WHAT THE HELL WAS UP WITH KAITO FREAKING TF OUT WHEN TAKUMA SAID HE WAS HAPPY THEY MET ONLY TO CALM DOWN AND THEN GENTLY SMILE AND SAY “I guess it ain’t so bad if you’re the one saying it…Maybe.” WHAT DID HE MEAN BY THAT? I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE. WHAT WAS UP WITH MIU’S REACTION TO KAITO STRAIGHT UP TRYNA TO MURDER TAKUMA THAT ONE TIME? GOING “AWWWW” AND SAYING IT LOOKS LIKE KAITO WANTS TO SPEND TIME WITH TAKUMA INSTEAD OF BEING LIKE “BRO CALM TF DOWN.” PERSON WHO KNOWS HIM BEST IN THE WORLD SAYING THEY GET ALONG WELL AND IT LOOKS LIKE LAKFDJADFKJA;DLKFJALDKJA. The way Takuma looks and sounds so excited to see Kaito again in part 3 is literally the reason I accused him of falling first like he did not have to be THAT happy. PLUS THAT TIME IN PART 4 WHERE HE STARES AT KAITO’S FACE FOR SO LONG THAT KAITO NOTICES LMAO? GAYASS. His stupid little ^_^ after Kaito gets embarrassed in that scene too jfc you are NOT beating the allegations, Takuma. And okay time to circle back around to the blushy thing. If it was JUST the occasional .////. I wouldn’t read too deep into it because he literally also makes that face when Dracmon and Miu are nice to him, so I think Kaito just legitimately doesn’t know how to respond to affection. But it is CONSTANT and ALSO I think it’s sus that Dracmon always points it out. Like his partner KNOWS he’s gay panicking and is purposely drawing attention to it as a way of getting Takuma to notice that “hey this loser REALLY likes you.” I mean seriously WHY else go out of the way to point it out every single time. Also the stuttering. Why are you, as a serious, no nonsense, tough guy, stuttering so much when a cute boy is nice to you? You thought we wouldn’t notice, but we did.

They're honestly the most disgustingly fluffy corny schoolgirl-with-a-crush type ship I've ever shipped. I hate them so much.

Just,,,gay boy in a small town where he can't be himself falling for a boy who is so very kind to him. Not expecting to ever be loved back bc people never like him, much less love him. Trying to hide his affection so he doesn't get hurt, but always wearing his heart on his sleeve no matter how much he tries to pretend he isn't. Somehow against all perceived odds actually in fact being loved back. Struggling to comprehend that someone not only loves him, not only wants him, but even enjoys taking care of him without expecting anything back.

Anyways here are some memes and cats that remind me of them:

[ragingbullmode]

I'm a baby goth who really wants to get better at makeup and more specifically eyeliner similar to what you do. Do you have any products or tips you reccomend for getting started? I try to look up advice online but it's overwhelming and it's kinda embarrassing to ask for advice irl.. ty in advance if you decide to answer this.

hi !! idk how good my advice will be but ill do my best to answer as well as i can !

as a heads up i freehand everything but i have seen people use the tape method to keep their liner/eyeshadow straight (which is just putting a piece of scotchtape on the side of ur eye where u plan to have a straight area of liner)

i found using water activated liner helped me a Lot when i started doing more graphic looks at the end of last year (since its water activated u can easily just wipe it off with a makeup wipe or wet tissue) but there is a difference in feel when applying it compared to using a liner pen (to me at least) ie the brush length makes it easier for me to do the smaller details as it gives me more control, but once i got a good feel for doing stuff like that it made using the pen easier. water activated is also much better if u plan on more colorful looks; liner pens do come in colors but they dont pop as well or as bright as the water liners.

as for making ur liner symmetrical… not sure how to give the best advice for that 🤔 the way i do it is ill line out one eye with the outline of what i want to do & try to match the other eye best i can. i have shakey hands but ive found planting my elbow on my desk table & my lining hand on my cheek really helps to stabilize myself so my lines come out straight. to straighten out my lines (like if i made one side to thick) ill just wipe a smidge of it with a wet cotton pad with water liners, but when i use a liner thats waterproof i use micellar water or a make up wipe to fix it.

as for my lids i use a mehron skin prep toner (its the only product ive found that works for my Very oily lids, but its definitely not for everyone… stings like SHIT if its in ur eye especially since i am… not supposed to use it for what i have been 😬. adding that bc if i do t use it sometimes the oil will denature the liner & smear it all over my lids lol. on top of that i put foundation & whatever eyeshadow i want on top of that when the foundation is dry enough it wont smear. putting liner over whatever u layered on ur lids is a commitment & a little hard to fix if u want to put the liner on in 1 go which is why i recommend practice & playing around !!

dont be scared about it not looking nice at that start, just start with something simple to get that feel for it so u can work up to what u want 👍

as for products, i got my water inks from bymelolops (latina owned, based in puerto rico !) i bought this liner brush (and a few water inks as well) from gavissi. my eyeshadow is mostly sugarpill (i only buy when its on sale, its a little pricey but worth it) but if ur on more of a budget colourpop has good options. as for liner pens, ive been using the last of my nyx liner, but am looking for a good alternative (loreal supports isr*el) so im unfortunately not much help here as im Also on the look out 😮‍💨

i definitely suggest getting some cheap stuff to play around with !! many places like sephora & ulta also sell small sample sizes of liners so u can get one of those to try out before u commit to something. a lot of what i started with years ago came from the dollar store bc that was all i could afford at the time lolll

[imgonnasayitnow]

Hello and sorry if this is a weird question you don't need to answer it if you aren't comfortable but like. When it comes to being really interested in people like phil ochs, how do you sort of. Keep yourself safe? For lack of a better word?

Like you mention sometimes irc that your interest in ochs is a hyperfixation and that your own mental health struggles relate to it, and i am in a similar boat with that i think. But i notice its sort of a pattern in the people i fixate on, that becomes really, really unhealthy if i am not careful, if that makes sense?

But because of the autism i can't just go think about something else, my brain just doesn't work like that, you know? And in many other ways the interest is very positive. It would also hurt a lot to just let it go. So how to not spiral into a weird pit of awfulness when dealing with people like this? If you have any advice?

Idk yeah sorry if you need me to explain this in a way that makes more sense i can do that.

this is tough, I’m not sure if my answer will be very helpful. I was at my worst mentally when Phil became my special interest seven years ago and it seems counterintuitive but I feel like he helped pull me out of that place? I think it may be because I see him as such a bright and beautiful soul who didn’t deserve to feel so awful about himself, and that helped me to see my own worth. in the end, none of the things that he agonized over made those who loved him love him any less, and I know that’s true about myself as well as anyone else.

looking at his life I can see how my own mirrors it in many ways, and from that perspective I also know what I don’t want from my own life. Phil lived in a time where mental illness was a lot more stigmatized than it is today and he didn’t have many options. he was also unfortunately very reluctant to accept the options that were available, even at times where he needed it the most. I could speculate plenty here on the reasons why, but that would take hours.

it’s easy to go to a dark place sometimes when you connect with people like Phil. it’s taken a long time for me to confront his hardest moments and even then I can give him grace and empathy, so I try to remind myself to give myself the same.

I don’t know if any of this answers your question but I hope I’ve given a little bit of perspective on this situation. please take care of yourself and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. you are loved and you matter.

[ask-barbie]

Dear Barbie,

I'm scared to become an adult. I don't know what I want to do or who I want to become. I hardly even know who I am right now and always rely on others to describe what I'm like. There's not one thing I'm truly passionate about and I'm indecisive. Sure I may be young but it all feels like everything I do now is what matters. I don't feel qualified at all I still feel like I'm just a 14 year old messy work in progress. I suppose it's the uncertainty that scares me.

On top of that, I'm unfortunately awful at dealing with emotions. I've tried every trick in the book and made every attempt to accept my failures and embrace my negative emotions in a healthy way but they always, always, always just have to come out. No matter what I do even if I manage to process something healthily at first, eventually I'll just end up ugly crying and sobbing hysterically at inconvenient times.

I'm not sure if i even want advice, I just want to know if there's someone out there who felt the exact same yet turned out alright and had everything work out. I don't want to be this way when I'm a fully grown adult.

Hi Barbie,

I used to also feel like a messy indecisive work in progress for years until my second year of college. I didn’t know what my interests were, what I wanted to go to college for, who I wanted to be or even who I was. I was very invisible yet also felt like I took up too much space and didn’t know how to comfortably find my voice and passion. And right now, years later I am starting a career path I love and I never thought I would get here. Thinking about becoming an adult is so scary and I can’t say it won’t be hard but you will find yourself. It takes time and work but you can do it.

You sound like you are in tune with yourself regardless of not knowing who you want to become. It took me years to find my passion and to find myself and learn how to deal with negative emotions. What helped me was meeting friends who were there to remind me when my brain is playing tricks on me AND who celebrate my wins. Also therapy. Who I surrounded myself with made such a difference. When I felt like I didn’t know what I was made for, those people defining me with positive words and qualities eventually became believable and I’m sure you are an amazing person and will be able to do anything you set your mind to.

I hope that helped a little :) the journey is hard but worth it

[appleteeth]

Flow Hive Cons from Garden Variety Bees

I’m writing this from the perspective of giving advice to all those who ask for my opinion on Flow Hives here in Arizona, and who are truly wanting to make the best decision for their money and for the bees. I know a few people who absolutely love their Flow Hives, but not many. There are 3 main cons that I see with the Flow Hive: Construction, Cost, and Misinformation.

Construction

Cost

The next con I see with the Flow Hive is really just the price tag, and that is partly because I don’t believe its quality is worth it. Flow hives cost around $800 for a two box set-up. That is one brood chamber and one honey “Flow” box plus a built-in stand for the newer models. You could make the claim that you aren’t paying for an additional extractor, but then you are only able to harvest honey from that one hive. Backyard beekeepers generally have 2 -3 hives as their colonies grow and expand. You would have to get a Flow Hive for each colony or buy an extractor anyway. I’m also not quite sure about the durability of the Flow frames. Plastic doesn’t do well here in the Arizona heat, and you have to put a lot of pressure on the key to break those cells.

For many beginning beekeepers the cost of even a basic set up for a hive is pushing it. But then there is a price range for everyone. I just have some other ideas on where money can best be spent on bees, and I’ll mention that in my close.

Misinformation

First, let me say that I don’t believe that the Flow Hive company is deliberately misleading people. They seem to be very interested in helping new beekeepers and supporting their customers. However, in reality, bees and beekeepers are not being helped by their system. What I mean by this is that Flow Hives come with only ONE brood box and one Flow box. That means that they are encouraging people to take the honey that the bees are storing for themselves. Now, from my research and experience, we need to give the bees two deep boxes for themselves. One of those boxes is for their brood and the other for their food, though they will mix it up and move around. It is only when the second box is nearly full, AND it is a nectar flow do we put a box on top for honey. See their website and images here.

Many times this year I have had new beekeepers tell me that they harvested honey from their Flow Hive in the Spring after only one box of bees had been built out. This means that once the dearth hits in June, all the honey those bees thought they had stored for their survival is gone with no way to replace it. That is a travesty to me. We need to build the numbers up in our colonies so that we CAN harvest honey when the time comes. But only AFTER the bees have what they need. Many of those colonies will now die if they are not fed sugar syrup through the summer here in Arizona.

Flow Hive Pros

Unfortunately the pros of Flow Hives are overshadowed by the cons. The pros I see are that they are very attractive and will look great in a garden setting. I like pretty things so that is a great characteristic. The other pro is that honey harvesting is easy once you take the box inside to harvest. No extractor is needed.

Ummm… I can’t think of anything else. Flow Hives aren’t bad in themselves, I just think that they may not be good for beginning beekeepers to start their journey with and be successful. If my Flow Hive pros and cons list is insufficient, please chime in.

If you do want to spend a little extra money on a hive…

I’d like to point you to a new hive that is actually beneficial to bees, especially here in Arizona. The Apimaye hive is something I am becoming more and more familiar with. While it doesn’t have the quaint beehive look, what it does offer outweighs my need for pretty. I’ll make another post about it later, but if you are looking to make the best possible home for bees rather than just a nice way to harvest honey, then this hive is for you. Check it out here. And by the way, it’s cost is still half of what you will pay for a Flow Hive, with many more features.

WATCH: Honey on Tap: A New Beehive that Automatically Extracts Honey without Disturbing Bees [video]

[kaycode1999]

Hello! Could I ask you for a BNHA and KNY match-up? No worries if not and thank you for your time, regardless! ♥️

She/they, fem-aligned non-binary and aroace-spec but I'm sending this for fun, anyway, so any gender is fine. I'm also 23.

Let's see... I'm not the most emotive person—unfortunately cursed with mild RBF and a monotone voice—but I feel my emotions at a normal level. I get people assuming I'm upset or intimidating because of this. I come off friendlier over text sometimes—because it's easier to spam exclamation points and smiley faces—but a lot of that is cancelled out by using punctuation and not a lot of emojis. I'm trying so hard to match people's energy... fighting for my life... in the trenches, even. I've had people being genuinely surprised that I'm being nice to them, when I'd never realized I'd given them that impression.

I am accidentally a cryptid, also? I keep having people tell me they know nothing about me, when I just... thought a lot of stuff wasn't worth mentioning... or they straight up never asked.

...Which is a really funny thing to say, when I'm giving you a questionably comprehensive summary of my personality...

I have a mostly (but not entirely) dry sense of humor. A lot of people tend to not realize I'm joking, or just don't find it very funny. I guess we're even, though, since I don't tend to find many people funny, either. I find a lot of memes annoying, actually (<- person who still quotes Vines and giggled at a clip of a piece of bread falling over. I have ZERO room to be a killjoy, do NOT listen to me in matters of comedy, I'm a bitch with NO TASTE).

I'm just... a little bit of a hater... We've all got our flaws. 💔

I'm very protective of people, sometimes to a suffocating degree. I can't protect people physically or in confrontation or anything, but I'm always trying to push people in what I think is the right direction; I also have a tendency to give unsolicited advice. I've been called both helpful and meddling. I have a chronic case of "I can fix them"-ism, I fear. I overall care about people and love helping, but I struggle with empathy, and that makes it hard for me to know when I'm overstepping or when my help comes off as criticism. I also don't tend to feel very close to people. Not in a sad way—it's not impossible or anything—it's just hard.

I'm pretty panicky and anxious—neurotic, at times, even. Some of that comes from trying to look out for others, some of that is just plain anxiety. Not socially anxious, though, if I know what to say and who to say it to, I get by fine. Part of that anxiety does manifest as being a very self-sufficient person. I don't want to say that I "don't need" people, but I do think I do better with more alone time than others. I also don't particularly enjoy relying on others, in a mixture of not wanting to bother them and, admittedly, not believing they could really help, anyway. I'm not a perfectionist, but I've been described as such. I also have a skill for panicking myself into health scares—which is to say, I hope whoever you match me with likes paying for tests.

I don't do well with physical affection (there is no reason for anyone's saliva to be in MY mouth or anywhere on me, no matter how hypothetical, thank you....), and verbal affection is usually forced for me. I also hate PDA, I prefer to show love in smaller, less dramatic ways. If I had to assign myself a language, it would probably be acts of service. I express my love for my family by doing chores, for example.

Doing the dishes is my love language, basically. /j 🫡

I don't have a type, per se, but I'd like to be appreciated. Not, like, worshipped for being vaguely nice or anything—I don't really like being praised—but just not taken for granted. It's very easy for me to feel like I do a lot for people for nothing in return.

I'm also autistic and ADHD. I think that's kind of important.

- ⏳

Demon Slayer

I match you with

Iguro Obanai

MHA

I match you with

Dabi/ Touya Todoroki

Neither of them are the most emotive either and tend to be more monotone

Iguro feels his emotions at more of a normal level than Dabi, but still less than you, your emotions are more stable or at a more normal level than them. I think it leads to them evening out more even if just a tiny bit so than they aren’t as emotionally charged

They don’t think anything about your RBF or monotone voice. They have it themselves , and they certainly aren’t intimidated by it or think you’re upset

They aren’t the nicest people themselves so they don’t particularly care if you give people the wrong impression sometimes/don’t come across how you would like

They don’t mind if you’re mysterious or whatever, there’s plenty of things about them that they forget to bring up or purposely don’t discuss. They actually find it kind of amusing and interesting whenever they get a chance to find something out about you

I actually think they find your sense of humor hilarious

They are also haters at least a little bit😂. You can have gossip sessions just being haters together

They’ve both been through a lot so I think someone caring about them and being protective would be a nice thing for them

I think most of the time they find your pushing them in the right direction/ life advice endearing, but there are times too when they will not be in the mood

They come to understand you well enough to realize that you mean well and want to help others. They find that very sweet and understand why you might do or say things that way

They both also struggle with feeling close to people because of the trauma they’ve both endured

They both understand anxiety well and you both try to help the other through it

They both appreciate that you are just as independent as they are. You both enjoy spending time together but also enjoy time to yourself as well

I like to think they both get to know you well enough to know how to calm you down if you start panicking. However, if they can’t Obanai will definitely have Shinobu check you out and Dabi knows some underground clinics he can take you to

Neither of them are big into physical affection. Trauma and scars, so yeah. They’d much prefer acts of service

They aren’t good with words of affirmation either so you don’t have to force yourself on that

[love-karens-style]

School of Style – Classy Camel Coat: 3 Fast Facts

(source: © pinterest.com)

“I think men are starting to understand how eyebrows frame the face. If you take the effort to style your hair, you should also be styling your eyebrows – especially in the era of video conferencing.” –Suman Jalaf

1. Effortless Eyebrows – Gentlemen, I’d like to begin this article, by discussing eyebrows, or in this case, “Guybrows,” a fabulous phrase, coined by marvellous make-up artist, Ramy Gafni. In his book, How to Fake Real Beauty: Tricks of the Trade to Master Your Makeup, Ramy decisively describes “guybrows,” by stating that they “Never look obviously groomed. The brow shaping is far more subtle. While it can greatly improve a man’s appearance, it never looks done.” Gentlemen, I must issue a word of warning, should you decide that you want to go for a subtle shaping for your brows. Please, take extra care, if you opt for the waxing method, and you are using a skincare active, such as a retinoid. Unfortunately, gentlemen, skincare actives and facial waxing do not mix, as waxing can be slightly harsh on skin that has been a little sensitised, by active ingredients, in your skincare, if you use any. This gentleman, is in contrast to eyebrow threading or tweezing, which are safer alternatives. Personally, as I have been prescribed a retinoid by my dear dermatologist, waxing my eyebrows is not the best option, at the moment, so I visit a lovely lady from Bulgaria, near my area, who I have been seeing since 2015, and she makes my brows beautiful by plucking them to perfection. Now about threading gentlemen, I recently attended the Bridal Beauty Festival in London, as I enjoy keeping up with new products and changes in the beauty business and thought it would be a good idea to learn new things. I was very fortunate to have met a gentleman called Jon, a skincare and beauty expert, who delivered a talk about the skincare product line he works for. I sat, listened, learned, and took notes. I then I spoke with Jon after the talk, and noticed his beautiful-looking brows, and he told me, that he gets his brows threaded, because “It’s the best method,” when it comes to eyebrow shaping. Admittedly gentlemen, I tried threading years ago, as a teen, and I did experience some discomfort. I couldn’t handle it, but then again, I am sort of ‘wimpy.’ I just don’t like pain. I strongly dislike blood tests, because they involve needles. But, as they say, “Beauty is pain.” And sometimes, it’s worth it, when you see the results.

2. Scarf Style – Secondly gentlemen, I’m certain that you’ve noticed that the model’s scarf clearly co-ordinates with the rest of his outfit, as well as adding flair and fabulousness, to his elegant ensemble. Not to mention that the model’s sophisticated scarf helps to shield his neck from wintery winds. By the way gentlemen, if any of my carefully selected menswear posts inspire you in any way, please don’t hesitate to download the images that speak to you. This is in accordance with amazing advice, shared by accomplished author, Nancy Butcher, who, in her book, How to Make Your Man Look Good (Without Making Him Feel Bad), who cleverly commented, “Clip out magazine pictures of men’s outfits and share them with your man.” Additionally, the amazing Alan Flusser, who is featured in Nancy’s book, says, “People learn to dress well by looking at other people dressing well.” Gentlemen, I can personally relate to this significant style statement, because, before embarking on my career in fashion, at 18, in the summer of 2006, I had read a lot of magazines, which critiqued or praised celebrity styles on the Red Carpet. I studied those pages and learned plenty of do’s and don’ts about style and fashion. Little did my teenage self know at the time, I was ‘training my fashion eyes’ to spot fabulous fashion, and stunning style.

3. Nimble Neutrals – In summary gentlemen, as you can see, the model’s stylist decided to opt for an outfit, from a neutral palette. It is often said by style ‘experts,’ that neutrals usually ‘look expensive,’ and are totally timeless. Furthermore gentlemen, neutral colours are also seen as ‘safe colours.’ Gentlemen, I must mention that, if a pair of white, or off-white trousers, as seen above on the model, is not quite your thing, then dark denim jeans may serve as a suitable substitute. (Stains are also less likely to show up on dark denim, of course.) Keeping in mind that dark denim will not ‘disrupt’ the neutral palette, as dark denim in fashion, is seen as a neutral. The final observation that I’d like to share with you gentlemen, is the fabulous fact, that the model hardly has any jewellery on. Why? Well, I suspect it’s because the model’s smart stylist really realises that actually, “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” -Coco Chanel.

Love, KF X                                                                                            

Happy to help: karensworldofstyle@live.co.uk or karens_style on X (Twitter)

This article was researched, written, edited, produced & published by Karen, on 1st December 2024

[summeroffice]

Interview with Yulia Latynina

1:31 [About the deepfake of Yermak] We are gradually plunging into the terrible era of the dominance of artificial intelligence. We don't even fully understand yet what it will be like, what it will look like and what problems we will all have. This also applies, by the way, to these deepfakes that allow you to imitate your voice and the image and accordingly, the whole conversation can be built on a fake as such.  

2:43 I only have one piece of advice to respected people, to ask very, very good questions, for example, well [he smiles], that is, ask counter questions to check how deeply the person understands the subject they are talking about. And try to react to this calmly, with irony, to all these pranks, jokes and so on. They definitely won't have any consequences; they won't discredit their reputation already today, that is, everything of this plan that will manifest itself somewhere, well, it will hardly discredit their reputation.  

5:06 You know what's more shocking to me here in this situation, that these pranksters, remember Russian special services have some personalised hand-held pocket pranksters [Latynina says their names] who periodically call even politicians of different ranks in the West, they get through to them and accordingly they receive some kind of compromising product like, again, it doesn't work much but do you know what amazes me, firstly, how the security services work, which do not analyse the fact that such pranks are constantly being carried out and so on, and second, why say something in a telephone conversation, especially if you don't know the caller's ID well, and you're not entirely sure that it's him, why say some things that go against your public position. Because you are a media person and so on. This always confuses me a little.  

6:06 But there will be more and more of this, let's say, fake material. I repeat again, even now we don't fully understand what kind of Pandora's box we opened when we talk about artificial intelligence. Yes, it's still young, he's still learning, he's still in the nursery on the Internet, that is, he hasn't yet shown himself in all his beauty and maturity and wisdom or not wisdom, and so on.  

He of course will allow us to solve information problems of an extremely destructive nature in the near future and we will be shocked by what it will do with the help of artificial intelligence, how it will distort reality, it will distort it much more deeply and probably these primitive pranksters will go into oblivion and these primitive deepfakes will go into oblivion. That is, more complex psychological effects will probably be on people.  

9:41 I emphasise once again, I generally treat many products that I see in global media with great irony now because when global media, dependent on reputation, regularly refers to anonymous sources over and over again, which is not confirmed later, as a rule, then of course, it is probably not worth taking it seriously.  

10:27 I'm not a supporter of conspiracy theories. Do you know why? I was taught from childhood that the main mover of modern humanity unfortunately, in both positive and negative sense is either the wisdom of a person or his stupidity. 90% of the negative only happens because of stupidity, and not because of conspiracy theories.  

20:45 I am sceptical about the characteristics of Mr James Bond, performed by, for example, Sean Connery or Daniel Craig.  

29:03 How is it, victory has many fathers, for loss there's always one person to blame. Latynina corrects him: У победы много отцов. Поражение всегда сирота. (Quote by John F. Kennedy about the failed attempt to invade Cuba in 1961; he borrowed it from Tacitus).  

33:07 I really like democracy. It really allows for discussions and discussion is a progression, right, that is, through discussion you will in any case come out, well, if this is a constructive discussion of course, and an intellectual discussion, you will come out with some more or less optimal solution.  

41:51 This is already the second criminal case against Arestovych. Isn't it too much? 

[Deep sigh] You like all the time for me to comment on Arestovych? [he laughs] Look, I understand that he worked together with me and so on, I understand, and I have sympathy for the time when he worked in our office because he performed certain functions. Now, it seems to me that he went where you shouldn't go.  

I'll say a few words about criminal cases now. He went, you know, look, how I feel about criticism in principle. I believe that a person who is smart and who deeply understands processes is obliged to engage in critical rhetoric but at the same time to talk about immature functionality, right, that is, criticise the functionality, how to improve it. But at the same time treat the country that is at war with warmth and sympathy.  

What did Arestovych do now? He entered the niche of emotional condemnation of his own country. The country that is bleeding. It is unacceptable. In my opinion, it's immoral precisely from the point of view of those arguments and the rhetoric that he chose. That is, he condemns his own country, looks for some shortcomings in it, and of course there are shortcomings, like in any other democratic country, there are shortcomings, and they require correction of course.  

But during the war, you must understand what the soul is of the country in which you worked, lived, were born [Arestovych was born in Georgia] and so on. And this soul today, this is another. You are not attacking the functionality, not the state as such, well, from the point of view of institution, you are attacking the country itself, the essence of this country, you are attacking its right to be one that can and continues to defend itself and this is an extremely dangerous tendency. This is unacceptable.  

Everything that concerns criminal cases, again, this is law enforcement authorities, in this case, you say the second thing, this is a specific case based on a statement from a local deputy from the point of view that he reported her as having committed some kind of offence, and so on. It seems to me, more generally this should of course be commented by either a law enforcement agency or the applicant itself or Mr Arestovych himself or his lawyers because honestly, well, it seems to me that this is some very small matter for me to comment on it.  

44:09 Latynina says that she understands Podolyak but on the other hand, there is a need to bring people to reality. She understands how dangerous it is when people have crazy inflated expectations and Arestovych brings them to reality. Arestovych told the truth, and this is very expensive. 

46:05 [He sighs and shakes his head] You make one logical mistake. You call the truth something that is not it. What you call truth is the subjective opinion of a person who is unrealistic today in his assessment of his own country. This is not truth. This is an attempt to compensate for one's accumulated grievances. It cannot be truth what you thought yesterday that your career was going exclusively upwards, and you will be venerated in this country but today this country says, you are going not with us, you're going to a different direction. And this is a grievance for unrealised opportunity that was really ?, that's all. And when you are in such a psychologically altered state, you cannot be truthful, these are obvious things.  

48:57 Why I condemn what Arestovych does. Here the most important thing is to choose the right, very careful words, not to break hope, not to break expectations. Yes, speak realistically and we speak realistically. Some things we say absolutely realistically. But don't make others depressed, don't finish people off, don't say that everything you did, all your hopes - this is nothing. This is not allowed.  

56:28 Those who are really against the war, they get sky-high 7 years or 10 years. I looked specifically at the criminological report for, for example, the murder of a newborn, someone got 4 years there in St Petersburg. For, let's say, theft of 150 million pension roubles, they got 2 years on probation. 

[crazilust]

Loyalty through the signs (pt.1)

Please check you Sun and Mars placement.

(I am not talking about faithfulness as in, would they cheat on their partner, think of it more as in "would they have my back, would they defend me, etc.)

Aries (#1) : To me, the top loyal sign. Most Aries I know, once they decide to have your back, it's for life. They will defend and protect you against anything and everything. . Loyalty dictates almost everything they do and will stop being loyal if they don't sense the same loyalty towards them.

Advice : I know how you love to defend and protect the people you love, but some people take advantage of that and purposefully use you to defend them. You can be a little blind sometimes. Open your eyes.

Taurus (#2) : Taurus would be the second most loyal in my opinion. As the sign after Aries, this sign has learned how to only give their loyalty only to the ones that deserve it. Once a Taurus deems you worthy, they'll have your back... forever.

Advice : Let's not forget the Scorpio-Taurus axis, here. You tend to wait until the very end to trust someone and give them your all, scared that the energy you'll invest won't be worth it. Although this is to protect your peace, some worthy people will get tired to jump into your hoops all the time. Trust them.

Gemini : Ah... Geminis. Unfortunately, they are not the most loyal sign out of the zodiac, even though I feel as if there's an explanation to this which doesn't paint them as two-faced demons, like meme culture wishes you to believe. With the twin archetype, they are constantly battling the two sides of the coin. If there's an issue in your friend group for example and you feel like that Gemini friend doesn't have your back, they're probably just trying to see both sides of the problem and feel uncomfortable picking a side.

Advice : Sometimes, in life, you have to pick a side. While I don't necessarily think Geminis are fake (too broad a statement), I do feel like you guys overthink too much and end up not making a choice, hurting others around you. Pick a side sometimes. It won't hurt (or it'll hurt less lmao).

Cancer (#4) : Cancer. My favorite sign to talk about, really. So misunderstood. To me, they're the fourth sign most loyal in the zodiac, imo. Being a cardinal water sign which rules the home, they are devoted to the people they love. I feel like the reason why they're maybe not seen as loyal is because they really don't let a lot of people in. They will only protect the ones they love deeply. Anyone else can go to hell, as far as they're concerned.

Advice : Let people help you when you need protection. We know you can defend us and you will no doubt. But let us help you, from time to time.

Leo : Leos, to me, are kind of average (Now I know they're not happy about that ranking lolololol). They will show you loyalty if needed, but I also feel like they will only show them if it benefits them or makes them look good. At the same time, with the King archetype, they do feel a certain sense of duty towards the people they love, but just like a monarch, in a ... colder way. Like "yea, I'll help you... once I'm done with this, just a sec." Again, this not inherently a bad thing and depends on other placements as well.

Advice : I feel like we don't acknowledge Leo's insecurities enough when it comes to astrology. Even if they're ruled by the Sun, you can sometimes feel pressure to be excellent at all times and I feel like if sometimes you don't offer their help, it's because you feel like it won't be useful enough. Trust yourself, baby.

[sugamamacustard]

Feed Me

Pairing: Alpha! Keiji Akaashi X Omega! Reader, Alpha! Wakatoshi Ushijima x Omega! Reader, Alpha! Rintaro Suna x Omega! Reader

Genre: Fluff

Request: Ooooo what about when Alphas 🐘 ( maybe akaashi, ushijima, rin and kuroo) find out that their omega has not been eating enough like (their only eating little things like granola bars or fruit) so their upset that they had to find out through someone else and they scold them for that but then their told that they have gain some weight and that gets them even more upset because they think their perfect etc.

Summary: Some times, people do things because it’s what they think is best. You don’t tell your alpha about some weight gain you’ve noticed, and try taking care of it yourself because of this.

Author’s Note: Hey, you. Yeah you. The beautiful person reading this? You are perfect. You are worth it. Your feelings are valid and you shouldn’t feel bad about having them. You are so amazing, and even if I don’t know you, I am so proud of you. You are so strong for making it so far. Keep going. Never change. :) Also your nice comments? Literally my dose of serotonin

did I mention my OC one or twice? Yes. Am I sorry? No. Also, idk if anyone is curious, but Yuka doesn't actually go to Shiritorizawa but whatever.

Requests: Closed!

Buy me a coffee?

Trigger Warning: Mentions of (Semi?) Starvation.

Keiji Akaashi

➵Now, Keiji is pretty on top of omega and significant other care.

➵ Like, weirdly so. It's honestly kind of creepy?

➵ In an endearing way.

➵ He always says 'Bokuto-Kun prepared me in a way.'

➵ Honestly, he loves doing this for you too!

➵He loves caring for you so much.

➵ Like I firmly believe Akaashi's love language is acts of service.

➵ So things like bringing you food, leaving sweet notes in your locker, helping you with your homework.

➵ He lives for doing these things.

➵ Especially feeding you snacks and things.

➵ It made his inner alpha purr because that meant he was caring for you. Providing for you.

➵ Being the very thing that made him worthy of an alpha.

➵ Prove that he could continue being the alpha you needed and wanted.

➵ Unfortunately, there were downsides.

➵ Your hips had the beginnings of small love handles, a little more chub on you tummy, thighs a little squishier.

➵ Let's not lie, Keiji absolutely adored this, by the way.

➵ I also think one of his biggest kinks is praise

➵ He makes sure you know how loved and how perfect you are.

➵ It's sometimes hard to believe him though.

___

"Y/N?"

You hummed an acknowledgment at Keiji's call, typing the final words to your essay before turning to look at your beautiful alpha- Sometimes you questioned how you hooked him. His gorgeous emerald eyes shining with love and adoration.

"I'm gonna go run and pick up some supper, what would you like beloved?" He came up to squeeze and massage your shoulders, leaning down as he pressed a small peck to your temple, your purr a sweet melody to his ears.

You swallowed behind your purr, trying to hide the small panic in your eyes. Your mind instantly flashed to your reflection this morning, how you pinched your hips with a frown. You already had been slowing down on the snacks, and fast food made you shiver.

"I-I'm okay for now, Keiji. Thank you though." You smiled, nonetheless, holding Keiji's cheek in your hand. He quirked a brow, frowning slightly before nodding lowly. Another peck was pressed to your cheek before he left, ordering your favorite from the diner he took you to for your first date.

-

"Beloved, I'm back." Keiji called, once more tearing you away from your essay; you were always thankful for the distraction though. He set down the take out bag, taking out the top box and handing it to you before shrugging off his jacket.

"Keiji? I said I was okay-"

"I didn't believe you. Now come on, you need to take a break and I'm touch starved." The raven didn't even look behind at you before pulling out his own box, dragging your rolley-chair to the bed. He pulled his sweater over his head, handing that to you as well before giving you a sweet peck.

His eyes locked with yours. Your breath hitched. So many silent words swam in his eyes, asking you, demanding you, to tell you what was wrong.

"I just- I've gained a little weight lately and-"

"And? My love, you are just as gorgeous as the day I met you. Nothing is wrong with a little weight, even if I think you're foolish to think you've gained weight. Never think otherwise. Even if you do, let me know, my job as your alpha and boyfriend is to make sure you feel as good as possible no matter what."

He slipped the sweater over your head, rehanding you your meal that he took from you momentarily, running a hand through your hair.

"Your my beautiful omega. Nothing should keep you from your happiness."

Wakatoshi Ushijima

➵Unlike Akaashi, Wakatoshi is little more...Hesitant (In a way) when it comes to omegan care.

➵ He never really learned how to? Ya know?

➵ Both his parents were alphas, and he was never around omegas consistently enough to learn.

➵and it's not like you were a volleyball that he could use the same techniques to up-keep.

➵ He also couldn't ask his team.

➵ Well, he could, but only one other person on his team had an omega. (It was Satori and his advice, though helpful, could only go so far.)

➵ He was doing good though, especially with you holding his hand through the entire thing.

➵ The first time he noticed something was up was when you didn't show up to lunch-- texting him a picture of you in the library, tongue poking out as you held up a peace sign to assure him you were okay.

➵ When he brought it up to Satori, who had his own omega (A small, but fiery brunette named Yuka) leaning on his side as she played some sort of phone game on his phone (Mama's slusheria? He thinks?) .

➵He explained he didn't know what was going on with you while Satori listened with a hum before giving him a sad smile. "Sorry I can't help you further Ushi-waka, but as you can see-" He slid his unfinished lunch towards Yuka, who popped one of the Dango skewers into her mouth without looking up. "I'm not very familiar with the problem."

➵ He offered his help as much as he could nonetheless.

➵ He slowly began to pick up on smaller things, locking them in his steel trap.

➵ Like a good boy :)

➵ He put hours of research into omegas after this (not that he hadn't previously). Keeping strenuous notes beside him.

➵ They were colorful and highlighted :)

➵ And he followed the advice that 'Mommy Luna-boo' posted on the blog he found like a goddamn Mantra. ('Sometimes Omegas need a little more love! Their bodies, especially during high school years, will change a lot! They may feel a little down! As an alpha, make sure you remind them how beautiful they are!')

➵She was mother Theresa and he was her follower.

➵ Well after he followed you.

➵and after he made sure you were feeling better

___

"Omega?"

"Toshi."

Walking into your dorm room, Wakatoshi set down a small bag filled with goodies. He set it down on your bed as he sat down as well, watching you carefully.

When you gave him a small smile with a quirked brow, he took a deep breath, remembering everything Tendou had coached him through.

"Have you been eating enough lately?"

You sucked your tongue at the question, shuffling your shoulders. Truth be told you had been missing out on a few lunches after noting a few extra pounds you hadn't noticed earlier. You never meant to worry him, that was never your intention, but it seemed the world was working against you. You had no clue where to go from here. If you told him the truth that would do nothing but worry him, but lying was never good in any form of relationship.

Your hesitance to tell him was more than enough though, as his larger lands encased your own, holding them tightly.

"Why?" His tone wasn't accusatory nor was it angry in the slightest. Genuine curious if anything. If he could get to the bottom of the root of the problem, he could prevent it from happening in the future. Right?

"I- I just...Noticed a few extra pounds and-"

"That's it?"

You looked up to him with a tilted head, like a lost puppy. "What do you mean that's it?"

Pulling you closer, Wakatoshi effortlessly pulled you onto his lap, using one hand to dig through the bag beside him while the other wrapped around your hips. He pulled out a few of your favorite snacks laying them out in front of you.

"That's, in my opinion, a silly thing to worry about. If you feel that's a big problem, I can offer my services to you in any way you wish-- whether it be support or as help, it is my job to be there for you." He nuzzled your scent gland, voice rumbling against your shoulders.

You purred in response, leaning back onto your alpha.

Rintaro Suna

➵ Suna is a lot like Akaashi in the sense that he has incredible observational skills as an alpha.

➵ His eyes are like sniper scopes.

➵ The minute something is wrong, he's on it.

➵ Like he looks aloof but he's not.

➵ He had notes.

➵ So hiding something from him is not easy at all.

➵ But you two most likely ended up together because you gave him a run for his money.

➵ You made him work at being an alpha.

➵ And he loved you for that.

➵ It did come back to bite him in the ass though.

➵ The only reason he heard about this was because the betas at Inarizaki were loud mouths.

➵ Honestly he learned so much tea from them.

➵ Like this third year was sleeping with a first year because she planned on baby trapping him and-

➵ It was wild.

➵Though most times it was nothing more than a source of entertainment for you and him to laugh about.

➵This time the gossip was actually useful.

➵ He wasn't thrilled they were talking about you, but provided some very useful information.

➵ And he was set into action.

➵ typing a few things onto his phone he set out to find you.

___

"Rin, I said I'm not hungry-"

"I know and I'm making the executive decision to ignore you."

He squinted his eyes at the carefully written instructions in front of him, sending a silent thanks to Atsumu's mate Haruka. (;)) She had written a step by step instruction sheet to making Onigiri while also dropping off all the ingredients (Pre-prepped). The only reason she didn't make it was because Suna's alpha, no matter how much he trusted her, wouldn't have let it near you.

"Rintato-"

"Look, Y/N. I love you, you know that. You know a lot of things, you're my smart little omega. So you must also know this isn't good, right?" Sliding a plate of, albeit mediocre, onigiri towards you, Rintaro focused his gaze on you.

"You know this, eh?"

You swallowed before grabbing one of the triangles, nibbling on the top in an attempt to appease your alpha. His sharp gaze still focused on you, making you shiver as he rounded around the counter. He turned you around so you were facing him, his hands holding your hips.

"You know this."

You wilted under his expectant gaze, knowing what he wanted from you. "I know this."

He smirked, leaning to take bite from your snack, licking his lips as he did. "Good omega."

"Rintaro that's mine!"

[angry-geese]

Fluorescent Adolescent

Itadori x Reader x Sukuna

Warnings: sfw. platonic/romantic (interpretable). some minor swearing. mostly fluff. mention of violence. poly (sort of). Gn!Reader

Notes: Yuji and the reader have a movie night together. Sukuna decides to tag along

Nights at home were rare.

There’s not a lot of downtime when studying to become a sorcerer. Gojo was always sending you off on jobs that his students were very much not ready to handle. The line of work doesn't really follow a set schedule. Curses rarely exorcise themselves.

You haven't even graduated and you already wanted to retire.

You wanted to do something to celebrate your time off. Yuji suggested a movie night. You had nothing else in mind, and it sounded nice. The two of you thought about inviting Nobara. Movies weren't really her thing; she had other plans anyway. It wasn't often you got to hang out with just Yuji.

Gojo side-eyed you when you asked to borrow a movie. Your first mistake was asking him. The last time you borrowed one from him, the disc had been switched out with a porno. It took Yuji quite a while to figure out what was wrong. Nobara couldn’t pause the thing fast enough. Whether he forgot, or he did it on purpose, you’ll never know. You have the sneaking suspicion he meant to do it. When you gave it back the next day, Gojo never questioned why Yuji couldn’t look him in the eye.

Maybe that’s why Nobara passed on this one.

Eventually you settled on a horror movie. You're not quite sure what it was about. It looked gruesome. The cover had fake looking blood all over it. Despite being a jujutsu sorcerer, you were a wimp when it came to things like this. In the heat of the moment you could deal with it, but when it came to movies you were squeamish. It didn't matter how many times you told yourself that it wasn't real.

In the other room, the microwave beeps. The smell of burned popcorn fills the room. He likes his burnt; you can't stand the stuff. Two bowls had to be made. Both with a healthy dousing of salt and butter. Not the powdered stuff either; the real kind.

"You're going to miss it!" You call out.

"No I'm not!" Only a moment later followed by: "maybe I am!"

Yuji flings himself over the couch, just in time for the movie to start. Popcorn spills over the sides of the bowl, onto the couch and floor. He shouts "five second rule" before popping one into his mouth. Immediately you tackle him. He’s a bit stronger than you, and easily struggles free. It takes you nearly sitting on him to stop him. You have to pry the rest of the floor popcorn out of his hands like someone fighting their dog for an item it shouldn't be eating.

"Are you going to stop?” You ask. “Or are you going back for more the second I let you go?"

Weakly he nods.

The moment you let go of his wrists he’s lunging past you, reaching for it. In one swift motion you have him under you, pinning him to the floor.

The movie starts off with a creepy looking scientist, and two women stranded in a forest. You admit defeat, and collapse on top of him.

"Man I got hit so many times over this one," he offhandedly mentions.

"What?"

His response is a grunt.

If he says something out of pocket, it's best not to acknowledge it. He could write an entire novel about his life and barely scratch the surface. It’s almost impressive at this point.

It intrigued you, though. There were about a million questions you had for him. Asking one only brought up a hundred more.

The first thing you learned about Itadori Yuji was how he was Sukuna’s vessel. The second thing you learned was that he was going to die.

You were told not to get attached. Against almost everyone's advice, you did. So did many others. Yuji was truly strange. He didn't have the look of a man given a death sentence.

You often wonder how you'd react in his situation. Maybe you'd go to your death with a lot less grace. But there's no way of knowing until it happens. You like to think you'll go out in a blaze of glory.

Your interactions with Sukuna had been few, and only in passing. Aside from stories, you don't have much to say about him. Generally you aren't around when they switch. The one time you were, they didn't stay switched for very long. It still made you wonder. Since they shared domes, could Sukuna see everything that went on in Yuji's daily life? How much control did they really have over each other?

Sukuna would often switch out with Yuji while he slept. You expected that. He was unpredictable, and a bit of a prick. He's the king of curses after all. What more would you expect from a demon? Strangely enough, he never did anything. It wasn’t a proper switch, more like a particular hand or leg was taken over. Sometimes he'd knock things over, or hide Yuji's things, but he was never much more than an inconvenience. The guy could be a menace, sure, but he wasn't nearly what you expected.

He lays his head in your lap. Instinctively your hand finds his head, gently carding through his hair. It's strangely soft. It feels nice between your fingers. Sometimes you wonder if he dyes his hair, or if it's naturally like that. Come to think of it, you've never seen a baby picture- or even a childhood photo.

It's almost horrifying how quickly Yuji began to doze off. You sat there the entire time in wide-eyed horror. Maybe a bit of disbelief. If he feels the way your legs tense underneath him, he says nothing about it. He's snoring in no time. He can't help it, your hands feel so nice in his hair.

Unfortunately, you had caught Sukuna's attention too.

Nothing went on in Yuji's life without Sukuna listening in. Every little detail about his day to day life was known by Sukuna. Most days he didn't care to listen in. Unless there was a fight, or something to piss off, he wasn't interested. He was the first to realize how fond his host was of you. Immediately he started plotting all the ways he could hurt Yuji with you.

That plan was cut short.

He's not sure when it happened. Slowly you became worth something to him. Your strength was promising. If you continued on your path you could prove to be a truly frightening sorcerer. He found your will to fight impressive, albeit naive. At first it was a reluctant respect. You had promise. He could use that. Either against your or against other sorcerers, it didn't matter to him. You'd work in his favor eventually.

There was one moment that stuck out. One where his feelings went from a general distaste to fondness. You were fighting a curse, of all things. Although it didn't hit hard, it could shrug off a lot of damage. It wasn't particularly strong, but it was tough, and smart, proving to be a pain in the ass to everyone involved. With a snap of his fingers he could have exorcised it. But he didn't. Watching you two fight it was much more entertaining. If his host was killed, he'd simply bring him back.

Something went wrong. He's not quite sure what. The moments went by like shots out of a badly filmed movie. One scene. Then cut. Then the next scene. Then cut.

You're clinging onto his arm, asking if he's—Yuji—is okay. You weren't even hurt, but you were soaked in blood.

His feelings for you weren't disgust, or hatred, or even pity. It was something much worse. If he was capable of liking someone, it would be you. Sukuna could never imagine himself feeling this way for a human.

He hates that.

The affection he feels isn't love in a proper sense, but that's the only word for it. A creature like him isn't capable of love. He's the king of curses, he'll never lower himself to the level of humans. He'll never view you as more than a pet, but he cares for you in some sort of way.

Sukuna's affection comes out as bullying. Well, as much as a lone mouth can bully someone. You've learned to tune him out or brush him off. He's harmless around you. Yuji seems to keep him on a short leash. His bark is far worse than his bite. At least to you. You really can't say that for any unfortunate bastard that decides to piss him off.

Jokingly, you began referring to Sukuna when talking to Yuji. It was only to make him roll his eyes. Everyone hated when you did that, because usually Sukuna would respond. You tried to see how long you could get him to talk before he realized you we're screwing with him. It usually took a while.

Yuji's snores have gotten awfully quiet. The movie is less terrifying than you expected, but it makes your stomach churn. His eyes are open when you look down. They aren't Yuji's; they have a different look in them. Sukuna’s eyes have no humanity in them at all.

Both sets of Sukuna's eyes are focused on the TV. You're not quite sure when they switched. He made no show of it. One second he was Yuji, the next he wasn't. His hand rests on your knee, his thumb gently rubbing across your skin. He feels a bit colder than Yuji. You can’t help but wonder if it’s a curse thing or just a coincidence.

You try not to stare for too long.

"This is boring." He says. "You find this scary? Let alone entertaining?"

He doesn't like seeing you distressed, even if it's directed at something that isn't real.

"Yes, thank you," you say.

Maybe if you keep scratching his head he'll stop talking.

"Why do you like these? Clearly you don't like being scared." He says.

"Keep talking and I'll stop playing with your hair."

His sharp nails dig into your skin. "No."

"Then I suggest you stop talking,"

He sulks. It’s almost impressive how quickly you get him to back down.

He's a bit like a cat; the second your arms are tired and you need to rest, his fingers are digging into your skin. He doesn't want you to stop. The moments where he wants affection are ones where you can't—or don't want—to give it to him.

It's almost a competition between him and Yuji. His host is always so open with how he cares for you. You’re very affectionate towards each other. You’re affectionate towards all your friends. He finds it sickening. He wants your attention to be on him and only him. Yuji is only competition. Unfortunately for him—and you too, let's face it—they're a package deal. Sharing isn’t exactly a skill he has.

He shifts so he's sitting up, his head resting against your chest. Your heartbeat drops off for a second, before picking up in pace. You rest your chin on top of his head. Your hands find his hair, brushing it out of his eyes.

It's not long after his breathing evens out.

His head nods, eyes half shut, gaze still on the tv. You're so warm, he notes. He doesn't remember human contact feeling this nice. However hard he tries to fight sleep, it's no use, he can't stay awake for much longer.

For now, he would settle on sharing you if it meant he could have moments like this.