#yanis face

[mecachrome]

chen yiwen and chang yani win gold in women's synchronized 3m springboard (jul 27, 2024)

[yaniluvs]

ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ ∘ ∘ ‪ 승민 ; HOLD ME TIGHT ── aftercare with your boyfriend, after a particularly long and rough night.

𓍯 idolbf!seungmin ʚଓ fem!reader ：（ 𝒾 ）1k ── ༯ HEADCANON, fluff, humour, aftercare, bit suggestive, req. by anon! . ⸝⸝𓂃 LiBRARY . /ᐠ.ꞈ.ᐟ\ྀིྀི

yani's note ˖˙ ᰋ woohoo, double post !! might post again today, cause i feel like it. thank you to my luv, anon, for requesting this, hope i have written it to your expectations! (╥﹏╥). jeongin's next ;3. so many asks, i'm gonna be posting daily, please be patient hehe. comments, requests, asks likes and reblogs are always appreciated ! comment/ask if you want to be added to my mastertag ! happy reading <3

the dim lighting of the bedroom cast soft shadows over the minimalistic walls, the faint glow of moonlight spilling in through the window. it was quiet now, save for the occasional rustle of sheets and the low hum of the heater working to keep the chill of winter at bay.

seungmin knelt on the bed beside his girlfriend, his hands working meticulously at her shoulders, thumbs digging gently into the knots he was sure he'd caused. his brows were knit in concentration, his usually sharp eyes softened with guilt. he rarely ever got like this—serious, cautious, and so full of concern it made y/n want to burst out laughing again, but she bit her lip to hold it in. for now.

"you’re laughing in your head, aren’t you?" seungmin asked flatly, his voice low but laced with exasperation.

"no," she lied, her lips twitching as she bit back a giggle.

seungmin paused, fixing her with his trademark deadpan glare. "do you think i’m joking? i feel terrible, y/n. terrible." he exaggerated.

she turned her head slightly to glance at him, cheek smushed against the pillow. his fingers froze on her shoulder blades, a slight pout tugging at the corner of his lips. god, he was adorable. for someone who prided himself on being savage and composed, seungmin looked like a kicked puppy right now.

"min, you’re literally being ridiculous," she said, her voice brimming with amusement. "i told you i’m fine. i liked it."

his expression didn’t change. "i was too rough. you winced like…twice. that’s two times too many."

y/n rolled her eyes dramatically, flipping onto her back despite his protests of "stay still, i’m trying to help." she reached out to cup his cheek, her fingers warm against his skin. "first of all, i winced because i was overwhelmed, in a good way. secondly, you apologizing twenty-seven times is going to make me start keeping a tally."

seungmin blinked at her, his lips twitching into the faintest semblance of a smile before it disappeared again. "it’s not funny."

"it’s very funny," she teased, sticking out her tongue. "you’re being such a baby about this, it’s cute."

"..not cute," he retorted, his ears burning red as he avoided her gaze. his hands returned to her shoulders, his touch feather-light now, as if he feared breaking her. "you’re impossible."

"and you’re overthinking. i’m fine. actually, i’m better than fine—i had a great time. you’re just melodramatic," she quipped, letting her voice drop into mock-seriousness.

"melodramatic?" he echoed, scandalized, his hands pausing mid-massage. he tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at her. "that’s rich coming from you, miss ‘do you think my soul left my body just now?’."

y/n erupted into laughter, clutching her stomach as she replayed her own words from earlier in her head. "okay, fair, but in my defense, it did feel like that."

"right. that’s why i’m apologizing," seungmin muttered, shaking his head but unable to hide the upward curl of his lips this time.

she reached up to grab his hands, pulling him down to lay beside her. he came willingly but let out a small grunt of protest. "i’m not done—"

"you’re done," she interrupted, poking his cheek. "come here and stop worrying. it’s getting embarrassing."

"embarrassing," he repeated, tone dripping with mock disbelief. he turned onto his side to face her, propping his head up with his hand. "that’s it. i’m officially offended."

"oh no," she said dramatically, clasping her hands to her chest. "what will i do if the kim seungmin is offended? whatever shall i—"

he reached out to clamp a hand over her mouth, shaking his head. "y/n. stop. talking."

her muffled giggle turned into a full-blown laugh as she shoved his hand away, and he groaned, flopping back onto the bed. she turned to face him, their noses almost touching now. his sharp features softened in the dim light, his usually playful smirk replaced with something tender.

"seriously, though," he murmured, his voice quieter now. "i don’t want to hurt you. ever."

y/n felt her chest tighten at the sincerity in his tone. she reached up to trace the line of his jaw with her fingertips, her touch light but grounding. "i know," she whispered. "and you didn’t. i trust you, seung."

his eyes searched hers for a moment, as if looking for any sign of doubt, but all he found was the warmth and reassurance that she always gave him. he sighed, finally letting the tension seep out of his shoulders as he relaxed beside her.

"you’re so annoying," he muttered, but his lips quirked up at the corners.

"and you’re dramatic," she shot back, poking his chest.

for a moment, the room was filled with a comfortable silence. seungmin reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. he wasn’t usually one for skinship—he’d much rather tease her from across the room than cuddle—but moments like these, when the world was quiet and it was just the two of them, he let himself indulge.

"can we just agree that i was a little rough and move on?" he asked after a beat, his voice muffled as he buried his face in her hair.

y/n hummed thoughtfully. "mmm, no. i’m gonna milk this for at least another week."

"of course you are," he deadpanned, his fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on her back. "you’re lucky i love you."

"aw, you love me?" she teased, leaning back to look at him with a mischievous grin.

he rolled his eyes but didn’t deny it, his cheeks tinged pink. "don’t push it."

"too late." she leaned up to kiss his nose, her heart swelling at the way he scrunched it in response. "i love you too, you big softie."

seungmin groaned dramatically, but the small smile tugging at his lips betrayed him. "this is why i don’t do skinship. you get all weird and sappy."

"you don’t do skinship because you’re awkward," she shot back, grinning.

"not true," he argued, pulling her closer and holding her firmly against his chest. "i’m holding you right now, aren’t i?"

"true," she agreed, nuzzling into him. "maybe you’re not as awkward as i thought."

he let out a soft chuckle, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "don’t get used to it."

"too late," she whispered, her voice full of warmth.

and as seungmin held her close, the lingering worries from earlier finally faded away. because with her in his arms, laughing and teasing like always, he knew they were okay. better than okay. they were home.

mastertag ୨୧ @cosmicalily thank you luvie <3

[goldenguillotines]

Yani for quads day..... will be doing absolutely jack squat!!!!!!!! He does not know fuck all!!!! Head empty about Alternian holidays. Just loafing around.

[revolutionsingingintherainnn]

hello!!! so — i must confess something. i have been thinking *very very verrrrry* much about taking mr. ln chaar to a desi wedding (like a cousin's wedding or something) and watching him get bombarded with rishtas when they find out he's british, the aunties and uncles not realising that he's actually *with* reader and not just some baraati/random tinku ke mausi ke bete ka dost.

Big, Fat Indian Wedding ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

i love writing typical indian ffs, cause we really are a bunch of crazies

⤑ ln x desi!reader ༉‧₊˚.

⤑ fluff + humour ༉‧₊˚.

masterlist ☾☼

"are you sure i look good?" lando had never worn a kurta before, but since y/n was attending someone's wedding, he had insisted on tagging along.

he turned to look at y/n, who stood beside the mirror, "babe, you look so good, i want to skip the wedding and spend the whole night here,"

lando giggled, turning red just slightly as he turned away from her, "y/n! stop!"

she laughed, throwing the dupatta at him.

lando held the dupatta in front of him, before putting it around his neck, and then looked at y/n for confirmation on whether it looked good or not. she nodded appreciatively.

y/n tucked her hand in lando's elbow, and the two exited the hotel room that the groom and bride had graciously offered them for the night, and walked to the venue.

lando, not being used to wearing a dhoti, fussed constantly about not accidentally stepping on it or getting it dirty. y/n could do nothing but watch her boyfriend take such good care and put in so much efforts to appreciate her culture.

when they stepped in, the two were immediately greeted with some of y/n's relatives at the gate.

"y/n! beta, how are you? we don't see you anymore!" an old man exclaimed.

y/n immediately untucked her hand and joined them together, "namaste, nanaji. i'm good, how have you been? your health?"

seeing the gesture that y/n had done, lando immediately copied, remembering when she had explained to him the basic courtesies of her culture.

"arre, beta, sab theek, sab theek," he continued talking, but lando, not understanding the language, walked ahead, getting lost in the bright flowery venue.

every surface had lights and flowers. there was a square stage in the middle of the area, which had it's own little roof made out of strings of flowers going from one side to the other. there were chairs facing the stage from all four directions. the bride and groom were standing, posing for pictures with a bunch of people, laughing and accepting gifts and envelopes.

lando's attention was focused on the stage, and without realising, he took a seat somewhere in the middle, eyes transfixed on the bride and groom. he watched as groups of people went up the stage, and the bride and the groom took turns explaining the relations, and then everyone turning to the camera for pictures.

he watched as the bride and groom smiled instantly when people arrived, and then softly spoke to each other when they found little moments in between. he watched as the groom wrapped an arm around his bride's waist and smiled so lovingly at her. lando wondered if this is what his marriage to y/n would look like. would she look as gorgeous as the bride? would he look as in love as the groom?

suddenly, a woman sat beside him. it wasn't y/n. definitely not. because this woman was almost double his age, and had a glint in her eye that he wasn't sure he liked.

"namaste, beta. kaha se ho tum?" the woman said, joining her hands in front of her like y/n had done before.

lando immediately copied, but continued to stare at her confusedly. "um, i don't really speak hindi. i'm so sorry,"

the woman's eyes lit up, "ohho! are you from america? where is that accent from?"

"i'm actually british. i'm not from america."

"british yani london?"

"yeah! yeah, london." lando said.

the woman immediately turned, calling out to her friends or relatives, lando didn't know, "arre, jaldi aao! london se munda hai! rishta nikaal lo!"

a group of ladies surrounded him now, and lando began to panic. he looked around for y/n, but failed to see her in the sea of people.

"you're from london, yes?" one of the women said.

"uh, yeah," lando began to stand, "actually, i'm looking for-"

the woman from before pulled at his arm, seating him again, "you were not looking for anyone. shut up and sit."

lando felt like a deer at the centre of a pride of lions. the women all stared at him, smiling and waiting, and he could not figure out just what they wanted from him.

suddenly, a woman shoved her phone in front of his face, her screen brightness so high, it made lando squint. "tell me, boy, do you like her?"

lando looked at the picture of her daughter, he assumed, "um, yeah, she's nice,"

"good, good. she's a doctor. she can move with you to london. doesn't have to work if you don't want her to,"

"what? no! why would she move to london with me? why would she leave her job?"

a different woman shoved her phone in his hand this time, "forget her. you look at her and tell me if you like her,"

"i'm sure all your daughters are really beautiful, but i'm here with-" lando tried to explain.

"tell me, what's your birthdate? kundli nikaal ke dekh lenge jiski jodi acchi banti hai,"

"13th november," lando responded, hoping that if he gave the women what they wanted, they would leave him alone.

"year?"

"1999,"

the women stared at their respective phones for a few minutes, and lando tried to use their distraction to escape. he was unsuccessful, as the previous woman who had tried to stop him before, stopped him again, this time keeping a firm grip on his arm.

"what do you do for a living?" the interrogation began again.

"uh, i'm a driver, a-"

the women all made disapproving sounds in unison, "matlab paisa kam hoga,"

"par, london mein gaadi chalayega toh paisa apne desh se toh zyaada hi hoga na,"

there were murmurs of agreement. lando looked for y/n again.

"how many properties you own?"

lando was confused by the line of questioning, but the firm hand on his arm stopped him from running away like he wanted to.

"one in monaco, and one in somerset, but that's my parents' place," he responded.

"yeh monaco kidhar aata?"

"arre, europe mein hi hoga kahi par. paisa hai iske paas, ladkiyaan khushi khushi reh sakti hai,"

"you have big family?" another question directed towards lando.

"i've got two sisters and a brother." he said.

"sasuraal mein rehna padega shaayad,"

"europe-sheurope mein sasuraal kuchh nahi hota hai. shaadi ke baad, sab alag alag rehne lagte hai,"

the women began discussing again. looking around for the millionth time, lando finally found his girlfriend.

y/n was standing a little far away, staring right at lando and his group of old women. she looked like she was trying not to laugh, as she conversed with another woman. lando sent her a pleading look, almost begging her to come save him.

y/n, seeing lando's look of fear, rolled her eyes, smiling, and began walking towards him. a hand cupped lando's cheeks, and pulled his attention back to the women surrounding him.

"how many kids you want? we want two, at least. we are okay for more also,"

lando blushed. why were strange women asking how many kids he wanted in his future? that was a conversation that he was only ever going to have with y/n, his girlfriend, the woman he was going to marry.

before he could respond, y/n's voice rang from behind him, "namaste, mamiji, chachiji, maasiji,"

the women lit up, talking over each other and greeting y/n. lando felt slightly calm now that his girlfriend was around, but he also knew that she was trouble. lando didn't know what to expect at this point.

"accha, y/n, batao, yeh ladke ko tum jaanti ho? london se hai," one of the women asked.

"haanji, jaanti hu na. mere saath aaya hai," she said.

"tumhare saath matlab?"

"arre, bhai hoga iska,"

"bhai-behen jaise lagte nahi hai, bhai kidhar se ho gaya?"

"duur ka rishtedaar ho sakta hai,"

"dost hoga varna,"

"dost ko kyu lekar aayegi voh,"

the women all spoke at once, arguing with each other. lando didn't know what he could do, and despite wanting to leave, the woman sitting beside him still had a firm grip on his arm.

"actually, humari sagaai hone vali hai. aaj bas puri family se milne aaya hai,"

whatever y/n had said, it had worked wonders, because the women immediately fell silent and stared at y/n. lando was just glad that the attention wasn't on him anymore.

"arranged hai ya love?"

"love marriage hai,"

"kitne saalo se jaante ho ek dusre ko?"

"6 years,"

"tumhare mummy papa ko pata hai?"

"haanji, unko sab pata hai,"

they all fell silent, looking at each other. it made lando think that maybe they were talking telepathically. it worried him. it scared him. more than crashing out on the track somehow.

"tumhare ladke ne bataya nahi. humari sabki ladkiyon ko dekh raha tha," one of them said, glaring at lando.

"itne saare nay log dekh kar darr gaya. aur aapne bolne bhi kaha diya usko?" y/n chuckled like she was making a joke, but no one else laughed. lando was so so confused.

slowly, the women stood up one by one, talking to y/n and bidding him goodbye. lando couldn't do much but just wave at them.

when the women were far far away from lando, he immediately got up and turned to his girlfriend, "who were they? why were they holding me captive? did i do something to offend them? why were they showing me pictures of their daughters?"

y/n laughed, grabbing his hands in hers and pulling him closer over the chair. she pecked his lips repeatedly, waiting for lando to calm down and kiss her properly. she knew people were watching, especially the old women who had just been sitting there, but she had told them that they were going to get married, so a little pda wouldn't matter that much.

his arms around her waist, lando pulled back, "baby, seriously,"

y/n laughed again, "those were relatives from all over. they thought that you were a single man, and they wanted to fix you up with one of their daughters for an arranged marriage,"

"what? why?"

"arranged marriages are very common in india, or southern asia in general. the arranged couple meet, talk a little, their horoscopes and stuff are matched, the parents talk about expectations from the in-laws, the dowry, all of that stuff," y/n explained.

"so, if you don't wanna get an arranged marriage, what do you do?"

"what we're doing. it's a love marriage. i fell in love with a man and i want to marry him, so i introduce him to my family, and the horoscopes, expectations, dowry all happens,"

lando was quiet for a second, his fingers tapping against her waist, his teeth biting his lip as he thought about something. "what if i don't want the dowry? like, i understand the horoscopes thing that its to see how compatible we are, right? but, is the dowry necessary?"

y/n kissed him again, "while it is the usual norm of the groom's family to take some kind of dowry, it's not necessary. it depends on the groom and his family,"

he wrapped his arms around her tighter, "okay, well, this groom and his family have decided to not take a dowry,"

y/n laughed, "i love you,"

lando smiled, "i love you too,"

the two turned to look at the bride and groom on stage. they watched as the groom kneeled on the floor and helped the bride with her shoes.

"is that going to be us one day?" lando softly asked.

"is that what you want? a big, fat indian wedding?" y/n countered.

"i want everything that's a part of you. if a big, fat indian wedding is a part of you, your dreams, i want it,"

"yeah, that's going to be us one day."

lando turned back towards the stage, a happiness spreading in his chest. he couldn't wait for his big, fat indian wedding.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

i hope you guys enjoyed this! i know a lot of people won't enjoy this, because a lot of the dialogues are in hindi, but i really hope all my desi girlies love this! i've also got a link for my taglist that you can find here!

[cavalierzee]

Israel's Genocide Of Palestinians

“Those who suffered the Holocaust do not want to be involved in anyone else’s genocide”.

A Jewish Holocaust survivor making the Jewish people proud again in the face of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.

Yanis Varoufakis

[randomlonelymusician]

Lacey's Petshop Theory/Analysis (So Far)

So Lacey's Petshop dropped a couple of hours ago, and here's my thoughts so far after watching the video twice and doing some rough transcriptions.

Illegible text transcriptions HERE.

Warnings for disturbing imagery, abuse, blood, and animal death. Also spoilers.

So here's my overall takeaway from this entry:

There are two stories going on. The story of Lacey, who represents Rocio Yani (Lacey Game's cofounder), and the story of how the games came to be. They're very heavily connected, but not everything we're shown in the Lacey games is exactly what happened to Rocio.

In Lacey's Petshop, Lacey's uncle kills her dog. After years of abuse from him and him killing this one bit of happiness she has in her life, she kills him. She hides his remains under the bed, and is afraid to leave the room after this.

Lacey seems to be a sort of stand-in for Rocio, who has clearly suffered similar abuse. There are two directions that Rocio's connection to the "bad versions" of the Lacey games could go: they were vent pieces to she could express her trauma, or she is literally connected to the games, living out a 2000s-esque life while her trauma seeps through in the bad endings.

Now, for further explanations.

I think it's pretty evident that Lacey's uncle killed her dog. With how she constantly mentions him "taking her angel away", and how the dog's face appears while a mutilated leg/bloody eye flash on screen.

The motifs connecting the image of the dog to animal death and distress go even further:

I believe that Lacey killed her uncle after this mostly due to how images of a mangled/rotting foot and a bloody eye when she is talking about how "he is still under the bed" and that she "can't leave"

The lines about her not being able to leave also could imply some sort of guilt. The mirror scene could also reinforce this, since she sees horribly distorted versions of herself.

I also don't think every game is a direct representation of her trauma, since the timeline get a little messy if they are. Especially Lacey's Wardrobe. That's the one that sticks out as different from Lacey's Diner and Lacey's Petshop, which both focus on the abuse from her uncle. Both Lacey's Diner and Petshop do both show that she killed him, with in Lacey's diner she is cooking him and her trauma into the food and serving it to others (a representation of what what is doing with the games, maybe?"

BONUS NOTE: After you click the... substance on the left, it shows this image, which features Rocio's name.

As for what's happening in the real world. I'm actually going to go with the theory that Rocio is literally connected to the game as Lacey, and that's why there's bad endings that didn't used to be there. Everyone in the story remembers how they used to play Lacey games, and never seem to remember anything disturbing. But now that Rocio is connected to the game, her trauma is infecting it.

I think that her being connected to the wires is more literal than some may take it.

Forming a bit of a timeline, Laceygames.com / Yaniasogames started in 2004, and from the interview with Grace Asop confirms that they parted ways in 2010. This means that the "infections" were more recent, which is why no one has been discovering them until now.

Lacey / Rosio just wanted to have a normal life, so she connected herself to 2000s-esque flash games to make that a reality. But her past traumas ended up seeping into those games, creating the grotesque imagery that we now know.

I think that's all I have so far. Here are my favorite screencaps from this episode that I didn't get to use:

If anyone has any comments, ideas, or additions, please add them! This series has brought me back into the analog horror community, and it's really fun to discuss!

[parkjayist]

TFWILY (psh) ONESHOT

sum you're a florist at a small flower shop. while the shop isn't the most popular, you've made connections with many regulars who come by to say hello and buy some flowers. park sunghoon, slightly clumsy, enters the shop and accidentally breaks a vase ... and a friendship blooms from there.

pairing park sunghoon x florist!reader

genre soft love, fluff, strangers2lovers, just two awkward people bonding over their awkwardness

an hope you enjoy it, i'm pretty proud of this one hehe

tagged: @jjongscardigan @nxzz-skz

wc 2.3k

i. TFW i trip in front of a cute florist

in the heart of a lively town, hidden between tall buildings and busy streets, stands a quaint flower shop adorned with colorful plants. you were proud to call this place your own, getting support from family and friends to open a floral shop. although it was difficult to juggle both college and work at the same time, you’ve managed to make some friends at school that helped you run the shop when you weren’t able to. to put it simply – you were content and happy with your current life. you weren’t too lonely, visiting your parents by train every weekend, hanging out with your friends occasionally, and talking to regular customers that came in and out of your shop. you even met your best friend and platonic soulmate, yani, because she happened to stumble across your shop one day. you wouldn’t trade this life for anything else. 

“yeah, it was such a weird–” yani stopped mid sentence and looked at the time on her phone. “oh shoot, it’s almost 2pm! i’m almost late for an event. i’ll see you later (___)!” she waved at you as she rushed out of the shop.

you chuckled at her messy state and how she almost tripped over nothing. you decided to get back to arranging a bouquet for a customer, humming a small tune from one of ella fitzergald’s songs. you were so focused on making sure that the bouquet looked visually appealing that you yelped in shock when you heard a loud crashing sound. 

you quickly looked up to see a tall man with a distraught look on his face. you followed his eyes to the ground where you saw the disaster he caused – a vase from your mom shattered into pieces. 

“oh my …” you rushed over ready to reprimand the man for damaging your property, before you caught a better look at his face. 

“i’m so so sorry,” he frantically apologized, his eyes furrowed with sincere worry. “i’ll clean it up immediately … um, i’ll even pay you for the damage … again, i’m so sorry,” he bent down and started quickly picking up the pieces and before you could even stop him, he cut himself on the sharp glass. he let out a quick hiss before trying to wipe off the blood. 

“sir … stop, just stop,” you pulled him up. “you must be a very clumsy person … first you knock over my vase and now you hurt yourself!” 

the man didn’t even have a chance to respond before you pulled him over to sit down, quickly getting out a small bandaid that had a cute flower on it. 

“miss … the broken pieces are still there,” he quietly said. 

“it’s fine, i will clean it up myself,” you responded, still focused on disinfecting his cut. 

he went silent, watching you gently put the bandaid on. once you were done you looked at him – his face flushed pink at the close distance between your faces. you took note of his beauty marks that complemented his face gracefully. 

“a … alright, i’m done. hopefully you don’t mind the bandaid,” you murmured, rushing to clean the shards (and to hide your strawberry face). 

as you busied yourself sweeping up the broken pieces of the vase, you stole glances at the mysterious man sitting on the chair. despite your initial impression, there was something intriguing about him. perhaps it was the way his eyes shined with sincerity, or the faint hint of a smile that played on his lips as you tended to his small wound. 

“thank you,” he spoke, breaking the awkward silence. 

you smiled and hummed in response. once you finished cleaning up the mess, you turned back to him, noticing he was still sitting there, almost as if he didn't want to leave just yet.

"is there anything else i can help you with?" you asked, tilting your head slightly. “did you come here to buy flowers?”

the man hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, “no, i was just curious because i’ve never seen this shop before … i should probably get going.”

you nodded, understanding. "alright then. take care, and watch your step next time," you teased gently, a playful glint in your eyes.

he chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on you for a moment longer before he finally stood up. "i'll keep that in mind. thanks again." with that, he made his way out of the shop, leaving you standing there with a faint smile on your lips.

you stood there, letting his lingering cologne fill your veins before you go back to working – your rants to your friends about this encounter will have to wait. 

ii. classroom at noon

as weeks passed, the memory of sunghoon park gradually faded into the background of your bustling life. your days were filled with the usual routines of managing your flower shop, attending classes at university, and spending time with friends and family. yet …  there was always a lingering curiosity about the man who had stumbled into your shop that day.

one afternoon, after a particularly long lecture at university, you found yourself making your way to the library, eager to catch up on some reading and maybe even get started on your next assignment. as you entered the quiet sanctuary of books, you couldn't help but feel a sense of calm wash over you.

finding a cozy corner tucked away from the prying eyes of other students, you settled down with your books, stretching and ready to lose yourself in the world of academics. but just as you were about to immerse yourself in your studies, a familiar & deep voice interrupted your thoughts. 

"excuse me, is this seat taken?"

you looked up to find none other than the man from a few weeks ago standing before you, a small smile playing on his lips. he looked much more put together – his hair was styled and his outfit fit perfectly with his vibe. surprise flickered across your face before it softened into a warm smile of recognition. 

"oh, hi! no, it's not taken. please, have a seat," you replied, gesturing to the empty chair across from you.

he nodded gratefully and took a seat, setting his bag down beside him. "thanks. i hope i'm not intruding in your studies grind.”

"not at all," you assured him, feeling a flutter of excitement in your chest at the unexpected reunion. “i didn’t know you were a university student.” 

not many people do," sunghoon chuckled, flipping through the pages of his notebook. "i like to keep a low profile."

you nodded, understandingly. "fair enough. what are you studying?"

"business management," he replied, closing the book momentarily to meet your gaze. "and you?"

"botany," you answered, a hint of pride in your voice. "i guess you could say it comes in handy for running a flower shop."

sunghoon's eyes lit up with interest. "that sounds fascinating. i'd love to hear more about it sometime."

for a moment, there was a comfortable silence between you as you both immersed yourselves in your respective studies. but as time passed, you found yourselves stealing glances at each other, a silent curiosity lingering in the air.

finally, unable to resist the urge any longer, sunghoon spoke up. "hey, i never properly introduced myself last time. i'm sunghoon park."

you smiled, feeling a warmth spread through you at his cute gesture. "nice to officially meet you, sunghoon. i'm (___).”

the conversation flowed effortlessly between you as you both delved into your studies, occasionally sharing snippets of your lives outside of university. hours passed in the blink of an eye, and before you knew it, the sun had begun to set outside the library windows.

as you gathered your things to leave, sunghoon hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "hey, (your name), i was wondering if you'd like to grab coffee with me sometime? you know, as a thank you for letting me share your table today."

a warmth spread through your chest at his invitation, and you couldn't help but smile. "i'd love to."

"great," sunghoon grinned, relief evident in his eyes. "how about this weekend?"

"that sounds perfect," you agreed, exchanging contact information with him.

with plans in place for your coffee date, you bid each other farewell, anticipation bubbling in your chest at the prospect of spending more time with sunghoon outside of the library.

iii. please just stay with me

the day of your coffee date arrived, and as you walked into the café, your heart fluttered with excitement. you scanned the room until your eyes landed on sunghoon, who was already waiting for you at a table near the window. he looked up and flashed you a bright smile as you approached, and you couldn't help but feel a rush of warmth at the sight of him.

"hey," he greeted you, his smile widening as you took a seat across from him.

"hi," you replied, returning his smile. "thanks for meeting me here."

sunghoon nodded, reaching into his bag and pulling out a bouquet of flowers. your favorite flowers, to be exact. you couldn't hide your surprise as he placed them on the table in front of you.

"how did you...?" you started, trailing off as you looked at him in confusion.

sunghoon chuckled softly, scratching the back of his neck. "well, i noticed there was a vase of these flowers on your desk at the shop, so i figured you liked them. i did a little research," he explained, a hint of bashfulness in his tone. "are you proud of me?"

you felt your cheeks heat up at his words, but you couldn't help but smile. "yes, i'm very proud of you. thank you, sunghoon."

the rest of the coffee date passed in a blur of laughter and easy conversation. after you finished your drinks, sunghoon suggested going for a walk, and you eagerly agreed. as you strolled along the quiet streets, the atmosphere between you was a mix of excitement and nervousness. you both kept stealing glances at each other, your hands occasionally brushing against one another. each accidental touch sent a jolt of electricity through you, and you couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building in the air.

eventually, sunghoon's hand brushed over yours, and this time, neither of you pulled away. instead, you intertwined your fingers with his, your heart pounding in your chest as you shared a shy smile. awkwardness filled the air, but it was a sweet kind of awkwardness, the kind that came with the excitement of new love. 

"you look radiant today," he began, his voice soft but sincere. "not that you aren't always beautiful, but today... you're truly glowing. like, back when i saw you in that flower shop, it just felt right– you belong there. you have this aura, this… this flower aura."

his sincere words caught you off guard, and you felt a rush of warmth spread through you. "flower aura?" you repeated, unable to hide the amusement in your voice.

"yeah," he continued, his cheeks tinted with a hint of pink. "it's like... you're surrounded by this natural beauty, and it's captivating."

your heart fluttered at his words, and you couldn't help but smile. "well, in that case, you're like a prince charming, sweeping me off my feet with your compliments."

sunghoon's smile widened at your response, his eyes sparkling with affection. "i'm just speaking the truth," he said earnestly. "you really are something special."

and with that, the awkwardness between you dissolved, replaced by a newfound sense of closeness and understanding. you continued your walk, hand in hand – you felt something new blooming in you. 

iv. that feeling when i love you

as you stood behind the counter of your flower shop, lost in the delicate dance of arranging petals and stems, the familiar chime of the door announced the arrival of someone special. you looked up, and your heart skipped a beat as you saw sunghoon walking in, a warm smile lighting up his face, his fangs poking out. excitement bubbled within you, and without hesitation, you set aside your work and hurried over to him, enveloping him in a tight embrace.

"hey pretty," he greeted you, his voice soft with affection as he pressed a tender kiss to your forehead.

a wave of warmth washed over you at his gesture, and you couldn't help but smile up at him, suddenly feeling grateful for his presence.

"hi handsome," you replied, your voice filled with love as you rested your cheek on his chest. 

“baby, i was thinking... would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked, his eyes shining with anticipation. "there's a flower garden event being hosted at the nearby park, and i know how much you love flowers. i thought it would be the perfect way to spend the evening together."

your heartbeat soared at his thoughtful suggestion. "that sounds wonderful," you replied, a smile spreading across your lips. "i'd absolutely love to."

sunghoon's face lit up with pure joy, his eyes glittering with delight. but then, as if realizing the weight of the moment, he suddenly seemed flustered and unsure, his cheeks and ears turning a bright shade of red.

"um, yeah, great!" he stuttered, his voice a bit shaky. "i'll… uh, i'll swing by after you close up shop. can't have my girl seeing me like this."

your heart melted at his adorable nervousness, and you couldn't help but giggle at his sweet attempt to play it cool.

"sure thing," you said, trying to contain your own excitement. "i'll be waiting.”

with that, sunghoon bid you a slightly clumsy goodbye, almost tripping over the steps of the shop. had he not learned his lesson from last time, this would’ve been deja vu. you let out a laugh at his clumsiness, and he looked back at you, his smile a mix of excitement and embarrassment as he hurried out of the shop. 

you watched him go, feeling a surge of affection for the endearing man who had captured your heart simply by breaking a vase. 

masterlist

[noor-kazem]

أتساءل لماذا استغرق الأمر وقتًا طويلاً، أعني بعد كل شيء فأنني أنظر إلى التواجد كأنه محصوراً بحالة معينة. يجب أن يصبح المكان الموجود مقابل طريقة عرض ،أي معادلة فرضية خافتة ينتج وهج أرجواني باهت نفسه امام العرض .

I wonder why it took so long, I mean after all I look at existence as being limited to a certain situation. The location facing the view should become a dim, hypothetical equation that produces the same dim purple glow in front of the view.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Acaba neden bu kadar uzun sürdü, yani sonuçta ben varoluşa belli bir durumla sınırlı olarak bakıyorum. Manzaraya bakan konum, manzaranın önünde aynı donuk mor parıltıyı üreten loş, varsayımsal bir denklem haline gelmelidir.

[hataysekshikayelerisblog]

Teyze Kızının Eltisi! (5) (Murat 45 Y., Aydın)

Dilek ile birşeyler atıştırdık. Birer neskafe yaptım. "Arkadaşın nerede?" dedi. "Almanya'da, 15 günlüğüne gitti!" dedim. Lavaboyu sordu, gösterdim. Döndüğünde, "Arkadaşın bayan herhalde, heryer kozmetik, kadın ayakkabıları, kıyafetleri, birkaç tane erkek kıyafeti var?" dedi. (Onlar da benimdi). "Yok, ama biriyle birlikte yaşıyor, Almanya'daki ailesiyle tanıştırmaya götürdü kız arkadaşını!" dedim. Bir de Meleği anlatıp kadını temelli şok etmek istemedim.

Düğünden itibaren Hale ile Face olayını, sonra ilk buluşmayı anlattım. Önce, "Facede neden yazdın?" dedi. Durumumu anlattım, "Karımla yatak odamız pek iyi değil!" dedim. "Bilmiyordum!" dedi. Sonra, "Buluşmayı nasıl, yani konuşmaya başladığınızın 3. günü mü buluştunuz?" dedi. "Evet!" dedim. "Seviştiniz mi?" dedi yutkunup. "Evet, ama birleşme olmadı!" dedim. Neden bu detaylara giriyorsak diye düşündüm. Ama sanki kaçırdığı herşeyi öğrenip, kendini biraz olsun hafifletmek ister gibi soruyordu. "Ayrıntılı anlat, bu benim tanıdığım Hale değil!" dedi.

Diğer çifte kadar, hatta çobana kadar hepsini ayrıntılı anlattım. Kelime seçimime dikkat ederek. O arada yazışmalar ve telefon konuşmaları da dahil. "Hatta, çok zaman sen karşısında otururken, hatta hep beraber rakı içtiğiniz Cumartesi akşamlarında, ya da Ayhan yatakta uyurken yataktan bile yazardı!" dedim. "Ne gibi şeyler yazardı?" dedi. Hatırladığım bir mesajını anlattım, "Çok üzülüyorum, teyze kızın ikinci kadehte abim aklına geldi yine sanırım, ağlamaya başladı diye yazmıştı!" dedim.

Dilek dişlerini gıcırdattı. "Madem o kadar istedin, neden sikmedin ilk buluşmada?" dedi. İlk ağzını bozan oydu, bana ne! "Bilmiyorum, ama orda arabada iki büklüm sikmek istemedim!" dedim. "Tamam anladım, anlat, sonra?" dedi. Günlük evi anlattım, ordaki sikişmelerimizi, hatta perde meselesini de anlattım. Dilek, "Son yıllarda, giderek artan bir kendini beğendirme çabası vardı. Gittiğimiz yerlerde oturup kalkışına hiç dikkat etmezdi, ben öyle düşünürdüm, kızar söylenirdim. Demek ki dikkat etmemek değil, göstermekten hoşlanıyormuş!" dedi. "Evet, teşhirciliği seviyordu! Ayrıca, birkaç yıl önce götten almayı çok sevdiğini anlatmışsın ballandıra ballandıra, o da Ayhan'a zorlaya zorlaya götten yaptırmış, amından daha çok hötten almayı seviyordu. Bu da bizi bu günlere getirdi!" dedim. Dilek kıpkırmızı olmuştu. "Utanmadan onu da mı anlattı?" dedi.

Sanırım bir öğleden sonra bizim evde TV izlerken, TV'de sirk gibi bir şey vardı ve trapezci kadınlar dansöz kıyafetine benzer giyinmişler, atlıyor, zıplıyorlardı. "Ufff, göğüslere bak!" demiştim. Kamışa yeni yeni su gelmiş, her gün 31 çeker haldeydim. Dilek kıkırdayıp, "Benim göğüslerim daha güzel!" demiş, olay da orada başlamıştı. "Görmedim, dokunsam ya, bakayım?" diye çocukça başlayan süreç, önce kazak üstünden dokunma, sonra fanila üzerinden, en son da çıplak göğüsleri avuçlama ile devam etmiş, sonraki günlerde ya bizde ya onlarda yalnız kalmaya çabalayarak (dersimiz var deyip evde kalır annelerimiz pazara veya gezmeğe gittiğinde sevişmeye başlardık, sevişmek denirse tabii) benim onu parmaklamalarım, onun da bana 31 çektirerek boşaltmasıyla sürer olmuştu. Hatta bir seferinde amına sokmaya çalışmıştım, ama becerememiş, sürtünme ile yetinmiştik. O zamanlar kadının orgazm olmasının ne demek olduğunu bilmiyorduk, ama Dilek her seferinde, "İçim bir hoş oldu!" derdi. Dilek okumadı, ben de okuldan sevgili yaptım, zaten onu da o yıl görücü usulu evlendirdiler. Hatta gerdek gecelerinde ya bozduysam diye çok korkmuştum.

O an götten sikişmeyi sevdiğini bildiğimi söyledikten sonraki suskunlukta bunlar aklıma geldi. Zaten anlattıklarım, bir de üzerine o anları hatırlamak, bir de öğlen okuduğum whatsap yazışmaları yarağımı kaldırmaya yetti. Melek 10 gündür yoktu, anlayacağınız azdım bir anda. Dilek te düşünceliydi, ama yanakları kızarmıştı. Biraz hazmetsin anlattıklarımı diye kalkıp çay demledim. Tuvalette ve mutfakta oyalanıp yarağımın inmesini bekledim, ama tam olarak inmedi. Birer fincan çay götürdüm. Elleri titriyordu. Sinirdendir diye düşündüm.

"Benim götten sevmemin bugünlere getirdiğini söyledin, o ne demekti?" dedi. "Eltin sikişmeyi seviyordu neresinden olursa, ama benle başladıktan sonra ilk gün, sonra evde perde açma olayı,ondan hariç daha bir sürü olay oldu, hepsi giderek birilerinin bizi seyretmesi fikrini, sonra da iki taraflı sikilmesi fikrini doğurdu, konuşmalar fantaziler o yöne kaydı. Birbirimize internetten bulduğumuz amatör grup sikiş videolarını, eş değiştirme ve Swinger hikayelerini yollar, sonra da yorum yapardık, bu çok güzeldi, bu fenaydı, bak aşkım yine suyumu akıttın diye yazardı foto yollayıp, anlayacağın grup sikişi için yanıp tutuşuyordu." dedim.

O an farkettim ki, sikiş vs. diye bastıra bastıra anlatmam teyze kızına fena zevk veriyordu. Dilek çaydan bir yudum daha almak için uzandı, ama elleri çok fena titriyordu, vazgeçti. Sonra yutkunup, "Ben bir su içeyim!" diye mutfağa gitti. Sonra geldi çantasını alıp tuvalete gitti. Anlamadım çantasını niye aldı ki dedim kendimce. Geldiğinde biraz daha sakindi, ama yine de kafayı kaldırmadan bir sigara yakıp, titreyen elleriyle, "Yaptınız mı?" dedi. anlamamazlıktan gelip, "Neyi?" dedim. "Grup sikişmesini be işte!" dedi utangaç bir gülümseme ile. O an teyze kızı değil de, o okulda oynaştığım kız oturuyordu sanki karşımda. Açık mavi bir kot pantolon (hani şu biraz yıpranmışlar var ya onlardan), açık mavi bir tişört, sapsarı omuzlarında saçlar, yemyeşil gözler. Gerçi ben de öyleydim, bu muhacir annanemizden geçen genetik özelliğimizdi, yaşlanmayan bir sülalemiz vardı.

O an kalkıp saldırasım geldi. Dalmışım sanırım, "Eeee?" diyen sesi ile kendime geldim. "Ne eeesi?" dedim. "Şu grup sikişini yaptınız mı?" dedi. Ona ne kadar anlatsam diye düşündüm ve "Gerçek anlamda yapmadık ama!" dedim. "Nasıl yaptınız ya?" dedi. "O dosyada yazan seks oyuncağı var ya, onunla yaptık!" dedim. "Vibratörle mi?" dedi. Vibratör ve az önce Swinger dediğimde o ne dememişti, teyze kızına bak sen! "Yani yazlıktaydın o zaman?" dedi. "Evet, olaydan 3 gün önce ilk ve son kez yazlıktaydım!" dedim.

Bu arada terlediğini farkettim. Sürekli tişörtünün yakasını çekiştiriyor, koltukta kıpırdanıyordu. Saat 18:00 olmuştu. İçeri gittim, Meleğin en sevdiği şortlarından (ben de bayılırım) biraz kalçaları açıkta bırakan, bir de askılı bir tişört çıkardım, yatağa bırakıp, odaya yanına döndüm. Mutfaktan su içip yüzünü yıkamıştı. "Bak, bu saatten sonra Aydın'a dönemezsin, bu gece kal burda, zaten anlatacaklarım da bitmedi!" dedim. "Yanımda bir şey getirmedim, ayrıca Arda (oğlu) var, gerçi Arda ablasında zaten ama!" dedi. "Ben sana birşeyler çıkardım arkadaşımın nişanlısını kıyafetlerinden, git içerde değiş üzerini. Ne yersin, ne söyleyeyim?" dedim. "Ne söylersen söyle!" dedi. "İstersen dışarı da çıkabiliriz?" dedim. "Yok yok, bu halde istemem!" dedi. Dilek üzerini değişmeye gidince karımı aradım, "Yeni aldığım işte sorun çıktı, Aliağaya gidiyorum, eğer biterse gelirim, bitmezse sabah!" diye söyledim.

Dilek de fizik olarak Melek'ten aşağı kalır değildi, odaya geldi, "Bula bula bunları mı buldun, heryerim açıkta!" dedi. Ellerimi yana açıp, "Elimden gelen bu!" dedim. Sonra da, "Sen biraz dinlen, ben geliyorum!" dedim. Melek ile çok kullandığımız mezeciyi aradım. Birkaç birşey söyledim. Balık pişiricisinden de balık ısmarladım. Rakı bira vardı zaten dolapta. Duş alıp, üzerimi değiştirdim, şortumla tişörtümü giydim. Yanına geldiğimde, "İlginç, bu evde oturanlar da tam bizim fiziğimizdeymiş. Sen de kalacaksın değil mi? Elalemin evinde tek başıma kalamam!" dedi. "Kalacağım!" dedim.

O ara ardı ardına siparişler geldi. Masayı kurdum, "Hadi gel!" dedim. Rakıyı aldım, 4 de bardak. "O ne, rakı mı içeceğiz?" dedi. "Balık var, rakısız yiyemem, ama ben içmem dersen..." dedim. "Az ama, bir kadeh!" dedi. Ona tek, kendime duble yaptım. "Peki, bu Mustafa nerden çıktı?" dedi. "O sadece fantazi olarak başladı..." dedim, o tül perde arkasında yazlıktaki ilk sikişme anından Mustafa'nın geçişlerine, olayın başlangıcına, hediye aldığım vibratörle, sikişin detaylarına kadar, hatta biraz daha detaylı, aynı anda yaşar gibi anlatıyordum.

Dilek birinci kadehi bitirip bardağı uzatmıştı bile. Bir tık daha sert koydum ikinci kadehi. "Sonra?" dedi. Ekmek almaktan dönen Mustafa ile cilveleşmelerini, sonra da çamaşır asışını anlattım. "Eltim beklediğimden daha iyi orospu olmuş!" dedi, ama bunu kızmak yerine sanki takdirle söylemişti.

Bir saatin sonunda yemek faslı bitip koltuklara geçmiştik. Ben ikinci kadeh rakıma devam ederken, o bitirmişti. Rakıyı uzattım, istemedi. "Peki Mustafa ile başka bir şey oldu mu?" dedi. "Dur, ben bira ile devam edeceğim, içer misin, Almanya'dan geliyor özel bira!" dedim. "Tadına bakayım bari!" dedi. Hale'nin telefon açık Mustafa'ya yemek götürüşünü, sonra yarım saatten fazla kalışını, telefonda duyduklarımı anlattım. "O akşam kaldın mı?" diye sordu. "Kaldım!" dedim. "Yani o mesajları senin yanından mı attı Mustafa'ya?" dedi. "Evet!" dedim. "Peki ama, sabahtan akşama kadar kaç kez amdan götten sikmişsin, anlattığın kadar sikilsem ben yerimden kalkamam, bu başka erkeğe gel sik yazıyormuş daha!" dediğinde ikimiz de gülüyorduk kahkahayla.

Alkol gözünü seveyim, neler yapıyorsun teyze kızına! "Yok be, eminim sen de dayanırsın o kadar!" dedim. "Ya dayanırım da, bu aç gözlülük ne, millet birini bulamaz, eltim vibratörle beraber aynı gün üç tane bulmuş!" dedi bira şişesinin boşaldığını sallayıp göstererek. Yeni biraları getirdiğimde koltukta ayaklarını toplayıp götünü yan devirmiş oturuyordu. Birayı verirken götü ortada, göğüsleri de çatalına kadar görünüyordu. Az sonra teyze kızını sikecektim onca yıl aradan sonra!

O ana dek Melek kısmını anlatmamıştım. Dilek daha da azsın diye, "Başka birşey daha oldu!" dedim. "Daha ne olacak, eşeğin sikini de aldı deme!" dedi kahkahayla. İlk perde arkası sikiş dahil Melek olayını anlatmaya başladım. Dilek artık yerinde duramıyordu, sürekli kıpırdıyor, bacaklarını sıkıyor, uzatıyor, topluyor koltuğun arka kısmına amını götünü dayıyor, çekiyordu. Benim şortun önü zaten dikilitaş! Dileğin dudaklarından beklediğim sözler döküldü ve "İçim bir hoş oldu!" dedi. "Boşaldın mı kız?" dedim. "Utandırmasan olmaz, o zaman da böyle yapardın!" dedi gülerek.

Yanına gittim, kaldırıp dudaklarına yapıştım. Deli gibi öpüşüyorduk. Yaklaşık 10 saattir seks konuşuyorduk ve ikimiz de kudurmuştuk. "Eltim gibi orospun mu yapacaksın beni de?" dedi. "Evet ama seni vuracak kocan olmadığı için ömür boyu orospum olacaksın!" dedim. "Eskiden yaptığın gibi sikip bırakmazsın değil mi?" dedi. "Bundan sonra hiç!" dedim. Üstümdekileri yırtarak çıkardı. Ben de onunkileri yırtmak istedim, ama Melek.

Dudaklarımdan boynuma ordan göbeğime, ordan da saatlerdir kazık gibi duran yarağıma indi. "Tadını hep merak ettim, o zamanlar sadece elimle boşaltırdım, evlendikten sonra öğrendim, oral seks hep de aklımda kaldı!" dedi. Yalıyor, öpüyor, somuruyor, eliyle çekiştiriyordu. "Dur, boşalacağım, yeter!" deyip, tuttum yatağa götürdüm. Dudaklarını dudaklarıma hapsettim, parmaklarımı amında dolaştırmaya başladım. "O günlerdeki gibi ha?" dedi. "Evet, ama ben de yalamayı bilmezdim, hep merak ettim sularını!" deyip amını dillemeye başladım. Başımı sımsıkı tutmuş amına bastırırken, dilimle sikiyor, onca yıl sonra o muhteşem amcığın tadını zihnime kazıyordum. Halen ilk parmakladığım günkü kadar güzeldi...

Yaladım, yaladım, yaladım, dilimin ucunda defalarca boşalmasını sularını içerek seyrederek, o titremelerini dilimde dudaklarımda hissederek yaladım. "Gel!" dedi, başımdan tutup, "Bana hep beklediğim gerdek gecemizi yaşat!" dedi. Yarağım içine girdiğinde, "Kaç yıllık hasret bu biliyor musun? Ama lütfen... tadını çıkarmama izin ver!" dedi kulağıma. İçine girdiğimde yavaş hareketlerle kalçalarını oynatıyor, amını sıkıp bırakarak yarağımı sağıyordu. En az yirmi dakika bu şekilde yavaş hareketlerle sikişip öpüştükten sonra, ikimiz de nefes nefese boşaldık. Göğsüme dayadığı o güzel saçlarını kokluyordum, elim vücudunda, o da göğüs kıllarımla oynuyordu.

"Bilmediğin şeyler anlatmalıyım sana..." dedi. "Anlat birtanem!" dedim. Birtanem lafım biter bitmez dudaklarımdaydı dudakları. "Ben sana aşıktım ve hep aşık kaldım. O oynaştığımız günlerde sen azgın, bense aşık olduğum için oynaşırdım, anlamadın bile, o sirk kadınlarının göğüslerine bakıp iç geçirdiğinde kıskançlıktan çatladım. Sonra liseye gidip o kızı bulduğunda anladım ki aşkımın farkında bile değilsin. Sırf o yüzden ilk isteyen adamla evlendim, hem de 10 yaş büyük biriyle. Ha kötü değildi kocam, ama hep sen vardın aklımda fikrimde... Seni görür, eve gelir ağlardım gizli gizli... Sonra liseyi bitirip beni bırakıp İzmir'e geldin... Haftalarca ağladım, artık göremeyeceğim diye... Bayramlarda ya da geldiğin zamanlarda, ilk önce teyzemlere gidelim derdim kocama, kendi annemden önce teyzemlere gidelim dememe anlam veremezdi kocam... Amcığıma ilk sen dokunmuştun, o yüzden orası senindi, sırf kocam oraya soktuğunda sen olmalıydın hayalim var diye götümden sikilmeyi çok sevdiğimi söyleyip amıma dokunmamasını sağlıyordum... Sonra 2 yıl önce o ölünce yüzlerce kez telefonu elime alıp aramak istedim seni, bazen aradım da biliyorsun, ama bişey diyemedim... Facede fotolarına bakıp uyudum her gece... Aylardır o dava dosyasında telefon listesinde adını gördüğümden beri ise küstüm sana, neden eltim de ben değil diye... Onlarca kavga verdim kendimle, bugün buraya geldim, ya itiraf edecek ya da senden dinlediklerime göre karar verip onca yıldır sökemediğim kalbimi söküp atacaktım..." dedi.

Duyduklarım inanılmazdı. Evet, onu hep çok beğenmiştim, ama aşk mıydı bilmiyordum. "Ben kimseye aşık olmadım, nasıl bir duygu bilmiyorum, ama sana her zaman ilgim vardı. 2 yıldır ben de aramak istedim binlerce kez, ama dul kadındın ve çevren hep doluydu, eltin, kızın, damadın, görümcen, ne diyeceğimi bilemedim. Hale'ye belki o yüzden yaklaştım, senden haber almak için, bilmiyorum sanırım bilinçaltım öyle hükmetti..." dedim.

Elimi yine amına attım. "İstiyor musun?" dedi gözleri gözlerimde. "Bunca yıllık hasret söner mi sanıyorsun?" dedim. "Seni seviyorum!" dedi ilk kez ve "Bunca yıldır bunu söylemeyi hayal ettim!" diye ekledi. "Ben de bunu duymayı hayal ettim, ben de seni seviyorum!" dedim. O gece ve ertesi gün öğlene dek dinlene dinlene seviştik.

Arabamla Aydın'a götürdüm. Yolda planımızı yaptık. Bu ev bana ölümü hatırlatıyor deyip mirası görümcesine teklif edecekti. Kızı ve damadı zaten İzmir'e yerleşmek istiyorlarmış. "Ben de gelir burdan bir ev alırım hem kendime hem kıza, millete de Arda'nın daha iyi eğitim alması için derim!" dedi.

İki gün önce teklifi yapmış, sonucu bekliyoruz.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Tech workers and gig workers need each other

Catch me in Miami! I'll be at Books and Books in Coral Gables on Jan 22 at 8PM.

We're living in the enshittocene, in which the forces of enshittification are turning everything from our cars to our streaming services to our dishwashers into thoroughly enshittifified piles of shit. Call it the Great Enshittening:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

How did we arrive at this juncture? Is it the end of the zero rate interest policy? Was it that the companies that formerly made useful things that we valued underwent a change in leadership that drove them to make things worse? Is Mercury in retrograde?

None of the above. There have been many junctures in which investors demanded higher returns from firms but were not able to force them to dramatically worsen their products. Moreover, the leaders now presiding over the rapid unscheduled disassembly of once-useful products are the same people who oversaw their golden age. As to Mercury? Well, I'm a Cancer, and as everyone knows, Cancers don't believe in astrology.

The Great Enshittening isn't precipitated by a change in how greedy and callous corporate leaders are. Rather, the change is in what those greedy, callous corporate leaders can get away with.

Capitalists hate capitalism. For a corporate executive, the fact that you have to make good things, please your customers, pay your workers, and beat the competition are all bugs, not features. The best business is one in which people simply pay you money without your having to do anything or worry that someday they'll stop. UBI for the investor class, in other words.

Douglas Rushkoff calls this "going meta." Don't sell things, provide a platform where people sell things. Don't provide a platform, invest in the platform. Don't invest in the platform, buy options on the platform. Don't buy options, buy derivatives of options.

A more precise analysis comes from economist Yanis Varoufakis, who calls this technofeudalism. Varoufakis draws our attention to the distinction between profits and rents. Profit is the income a capitalist receives from mobilizing workers to do something productive and then skimming off the surplus created by their labor.

By contrast, rent is income a feudalist derives from simply owning something that a capitalist or a worker needs in order to be productive. The entrepreneur who opens a coffee shop earns profits by creaming off the surplus value created by the baristas. The rentier who owns the building the coffee shop rents gets money simply for owning the building.

The coffee shop owner can never rest. At any moment, another coffee shop can open down the street and lure away their customers and their baristas. When that happens, the coffee shop goes bust and the owner is ruined. But not the landlord! After the coffee shop goes bust, the landlord's asset is more valuable – an empty storefront just down the street from the hottest coffee shop in town.

Capitalists hate capitalism. Faced with a choice of retaining their workers by paying them a fair wage and treating them well, or by saddling them with noncompetes that make it impossible to work for anyone else in the same field, and obligations to repay tens of thousands of dollars for "training" if they quit, bosses will take the latter every time. Go meta, baby.

Same for competition. Faced with the choice of competing to win the most customers with the best products, or merging so that customers have nowhere else to go, even the bitterest of rivals find it remarkably easy to intermarry until our corporations landscape is so interbred the dominant firms all have Habsburg jaws. Think: Facebook-Instagram. Disney-Fox. Microsoft-Activision:

https://locusmag.com/2021/07/cory-doctorow-tech-monopolies-and-the-insufficient-necessity-of-interoperability/

Enshittification has complex underlying dynamics and a reliable procession of stages, but the effect is quite straightforward: things are enshittified when they become worse for the people who use them and the suppliers who makes them, but nevertheless, the users keep using and the suppliers keep supplying.

There are four forces that stand in the way of enshittification, and as each of these forces grows weaker, enshittification proliferates.

The first and most important of these constraints is competition. Capitalists claim to love competition because it keeps firms sharp: they must constantly find ways to improve products and cut costs or be swept away by a superior alternative. There's a degree of truth here, but that's not the whole story.

For one thing, competition can "improve" things that we would rather see abolished. Critics of the GDPR, the EU's landmark privacy law, often point to the devastation that enforcing privacy law had on the European ad-tech industry, driving small firms out of business. But these firms were the most egregious privacy offenders, because they had the least to lose, lacking the dominant position of US-based Big Tech surveillance companies.

Having the least to lose, they were the most reckless with their privacy invasions – but they were also the least equipped to pay expensive enablers from giant corporate law firms to hold off European enforcers, and so they were obliterated. The resulting lack of competition is fine, as far as privacy goes: we don't want competition in the field of "who is most efficient at violating our human rights":

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/04/fighting-floc-and-fighting-monopoly-are-fully-compatible

But there's another benefit to competition: disorganization. A sector with hundreds of medium-sized, competing companies is a squabbling mob, incapable of agreeing on the site for an annual meeting. An industry dominated by a handful of firms is a cartel, handily capable of presenting a unified front to policy makers, and their commercial coziness provides them with vast war-chests they can use to suborn governments and capture their regulators:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/05/regulatory-capture/

Competition is the first constraint. When there's competition, corporate managers fear that you will respond to enshittification by defecting to a rival, costing them money. They don't care about your satisfaction, but they do care about your money, and competition hitches their ability to satisfy you to their ability to get paid by you.

Competition has been circling the drain for 40 years, as the "consumer welfare" theory of antitrust, hatched by Reagan's court sorcerers at the University of Chicago School of Economics, took hold. This theory insists that monopolies are evidence of "efficiency" – if everyone shops at one store, that's evidence that it's the best store, not evidence that they're cheating.

For 40 years, we've allowed companies to violate antitrust law by merging with major competitors, acquiring fledgling rivals, and using investor cash to sell below cost so that no one else can enter the market. This has produced the inbred industrial hulks of today, with five or fewer firms dominating everything from eyeglasses to banking, sea freight to professional wrestling:

https://www.openmarketsinstitute.org/learn/monopoly-by-the-numbers

The endless and continuous weakening of competition has emboldened corporate enshittifiers, who operate on the logic of Lily Tomlin in her role as an AT&T spokeswoman: "We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company":

https://vimeo.com/355556831

But the drawdown of competition has also enabled regulatory capture, by converting cutthroat adversaries to kissing cousins. These companies have convinced their regulators not to enforce privacy, consumer protection or labor laws, provided that the gross violations of these laws are accomplished via apps.

This is where tech exceptionalism is warranted: while the bosses that run these companies aren't any nobler – or more wicked – than the Robber Barons of yore, they are equipped with a digital back-end for their businesses that let them change the rules of the game from moment to moment.

Think of labor law: as Veena Dubal writes, gig-work companies practice algorithmic wage discrimination, turning your paycheck into a slot machine that pays out more when you are more selective about which jobs you take, and which then docks your pay by tiny increments as you become less discriminating about answering the app's call:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

This is a plain violation of labor law, but the fiction that gig workers are contractors, combined with the opacity and speed of the wage discrimination back-end, lets the companies get away with it.

But the monsters who hatched this scam are no worse than their forebears, nor are they any smarter. Any black-hearted coal-boss memorialized in a Tennessee Ernie Ford song would have gladly practiced algorithmic wage discrimination – but there just weren't enough green-eyeshade accountants in the back office to change the payout from second to second.

I call this "twiddling" – turning the knobs on the back end to continuously adjust the business logic that the firm operates on:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

Twiddling is everywhere, and it is only possible because "it's not a crime if we use an app" has been accepted by (captured) regulators. Think of Amazon's "pricing paradox," where deceptive search results – which Amazon makes $38b/year on – allow the company to offer lower prices, but charge higher ones:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/06/attention-rents/#consumer-welfare-queens

The first constraint on enshittification is competition – the fear that you'll lose money when a disgusted customer take their business elsewhere. The second constraint is regulation – the fear that a regulator's punishment will eat up all the expected gains from an enshittificatory move, or even exceed those gains, leading to a net loss.

But the less competition there is in a sector, the easier it is for the remaining companies to capture their regulators. Say goodbye to that second constraint.

But there's another constraint – another one that's unique to technology, and genuinely exceptional. That's self-help. Digital technology is infinitely flexible, which is why managers can twiddle the business logic and change the rules on a dime.

But it's a double-edged sword. Users can twiddle back. The universal nature of digital products means it's always technically possible to disenshittify the enshittified products in your world. Mercedes wants to charge you rent on your accelerator pedal via a monthly subscription? Just mod the car by toggling the "subscription paid" bit and get the accelerator for free:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/#kitt-is-a-demon

HP tricks you into installing a "security update" that sneakily disables your printer's ability to recognize and use third-party ink? Just roll back the operating system and you won't be forced to spend $10,000/gallon to print out your boarding passes and shopping lists:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/11/ink-stained-wretches-battle-soul-digital-freedom-taking-place-inside-your-printer

Self-help – AKA "adversarial interoperability" – isn't just a way to override the greedy choices of corporate sadists. It's a way to hold those sadists in check. It's a constraint.

Imagine a boardroom where someone says, "I calculate that if we make our ads 25% more invasive and obnoxious, we can eke out 2% more in ad-revenue." If you think of a business as a transhuman colony organism that exists to maximize shareholder value, this is a no-brainer.

But now consider the rejoinder: "If we make our ads 25% more obnoxious, then 50% of our users will be motivated to type, 'how do I block ads?' into a search engine. When that happens, we don't merely lose out on the expected 2% of additional revenue – our income from those users falls to zero, forever."

Self-help is the third constraint on enshittification. But when competition fails, and regulatory capture ensues, companies don't just gain the ability to flout the law – they get to wield the law, too.

Tech firms have cultivated a thicket of laws, rules and regulations that make self-help measures very illegal. This thicket is better known as "IP," a term that is best understood as meaning "any policy that lets me control the conduct of my competitors, my customers and my critics":

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

To put an ad-blocker in an app, you have to reverse-engineer it. To do that, you'll have to decrypt and decompile it. That step is a felony under Section 1201 of the DMCA, carrying a five-year prison sentence and a $500,000 fine. Beyond that, ad-blocking an app would give rise to liability under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (a law inspired by the movie Wargames!), under "tortious interference" claims, under trademark, copyright and patent.

More than 50% of web users have installed an ad-blocker:

https://doc.searls.com/2023/11/11/how-is-the-worlds-biggest-boycott-doing/

But zero percent of app users have installed an ad-blocker, because they don't exist, because you'd go to prison if you made one. An app is just a web-page wrapped in enough IP to make it a felony to add an ad-blocker to it.

This is why self-help, the third constraint, no longer applies. When a corporate sadist says, "let's make ads 25% more obnoxious to get 2% more revenue," no one says, "if we do that, our users will all install blockers." Instead, the response is, "let's make ads 100% more obnoxious and get an 8% revenue boost!"

https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/16/23763227/uber-video-advertising-ads-taxi-food-delivery-apps

Which brings me to the final constraint: workers.

Tech workers have historically enjoyed enormous bargaining power, thanks to a dire shortage of qualified personnel. While this allowed tech workers to command high salaries and cushy benefits, it also led many workers to conceive of themselves as entrepreneurs-in-waiting and not workers at all.

This made tech workers very exploitable: their bosses could sell them on the idea that they were doing something heroic, which warranted "extremely hardcore" expectations – working 16 hour days, sleeping under your desk, sacrificing your health, your family and your personal life to meet deadlines and ship products ("Real artists ship" – S. Jobs).

But the flip side of this appeal to heroism is that it only worked to the extent that it convinced workers to genuinely care about the things they made. When you miss you mother's funeral and pass on having kids in order to meet deadline and ship a product, the prospect of making that product worse is unthinkable.

Confronted by the moral injury of enshittifying a product you care about, and harming the users you see yourself as representing, many tech workers balked at the prospect. Because tech workers were scarce – and because there were plenty of employment prospects for workers who quit – they could actually prevent their bosses from making their products worse:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/25/moral-injury/#enshittification

But those days are behind us, too. Mass tech worker layoffs have gutted tech workers' confidence. When Google lays off 12,000 tech workers just months after a stock buyback that would have paid their wages for the next 27 years, they deliver two benefits to their shareholders. It's not just the short-term gains from the financial engineering – there's the long-term gain of gutting worker power and stripping away the final impediment to enshittification:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/10/the-proletarianization-of-tech-workers/

No matter how strong an individual tech worker's bargaining power was, it was always brittle. Long before googlers were being laid off in five-digit cohorts, they were working in an environment where harassment and predation were just part of the job. The 20,000+ googlers who walked off the job in 2018 were an important step towards replacing the system where each tech worker's power was limited to their moment-to-moment importance to their bosses' plans with a new system based on a collective identity.

Only through collective action and solidarity – unions – could tech workers hope to truly resist all the moral injuries of their bosses enshittification imperatives. No surprise then, that tech unions are on the rise:

https://abookapart.com/products/you-deserve-a-tech-union

But what is a little surprising – and very heartening! – is what happens when techies start to self-identify as workers: they come to understand that they share common cause with the other workers at the bottom of the tech stack. Think of Amazon's tech workers walking out in solidarity with Amazon's warehouse workers:

https://gizmodo.com/tech-workers-speak-out-in-support-of-amazon-warehouse-s-1842839301

Superficially, the bottom rank of the tech industry is as different from the tech workers at the top as you can imagine. Tech workers are formally employed, with stock options, health care and theme-park "campuses" with gyms and gourmet cafeterias.

The gig workers who pack, drive, deliver and support tech products aren't even employees – they're misclassified as contractors. They don't get free massages – they get AI bosses that monitor their eyeballs and dock their paychecks for peeing:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/11/robots-stole-my-jerb/#computer-says-no

Gig workers desperately need unions, but they also derive extraordinary benefits from self-help measures. When an app is your boss, another app can make all the difference to your working conditions. Take Para, an app that fights algorithmic wage discrimination by allowing gig workers to collectively and automatically refuse any job where the pay is below a certain threshold, forcing the algorithm to pay everyone more:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/tech-rights-are-workers-rights-doordash-edition

Para is fighting a grim legal and technical battle against companies like Doordash, whose margins depend on atomized workers with atomized apps, prohibited from countertwiddling. This is a surprisingly effective tactic: in Indonesia, gig workers co-ops create suites of "tuyul" apps that modify the behavior of their bosses' apps', unilaterally securing concessions that they lack the bargaining power to secure by other means:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/08/tuyul-apps/#gojek

Tuyul apps and other forms of countertwiddling aren't a substitute for unionization, they're an adjunct to it. The union negotiator whose rank-and-file are able to modify the apps that monitor and control their working conditions operates from a position of strength. "Please give my members more bathroom breaks" is a lot weaker than, "If you want my members to stop hacking their apps so they can piss when they need to, you're going to have to give them official bathroom breaks."

This is where solidarity between the high-paid tech workers at the keyboard and low-paid tech workers on the delivery bikes comes in. Together, they can wring more concessions from their bosses, sure. But unionized coders can give their unionized delivery riders the apps they need to countertwiddle and increase the bargaining leverage of all the workers in the union. And when unionized coders' bosses force them to put enshittifying anti-features in the apps they care about, unionized front-line workers can run counter-apps that disenshittify them.

Other sectors are already working through versions of this. The ouster of the old corrupt leadership of the Teamsters ushered in a new, radical era that produced historic wage and working condition gains for drivers and the abolition of the two-tier contract system that eventually destroys any union that tries it.

That change in leadership was possible because the Teamsters organized the Harvard Grad Students, and those Harvard kids memorized the union rulebook. At the historic conference where the old guard was abolished, it was teamwork between the union rank-and-file and the rules-lawyers from Harvard that turned the proceedings around:

https://theintercept.com/2023/04/07/deconstructed-union-dhl-teamsters-uaw/

We are deep into the enshittocene and it is terribly demoralizing. But by understanding the constraints that kept enshittification at bay, we can rebuild them, and shore them up. Labor organizing among all kinds of tech workers isn't just a way to get a better deal for those workers – it's key to the disenshittification of all our lives.

I'm Kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/13/solidarity-forever/#tech-unions

[writingoddess1125]

Brain bleh!

Freaks like Us

Buggy and GNReader

⚠️ Warnings: ⚠️ Abuse, Implied Deaths, Blood, Witch Hunt(?)

"You have cursed our village!" Mrs. Yani yelled a another stone was tosses at you- tears rolling down your cheeks as you tried to shield yourself from the assault your way. Bruises and cuts littered your body from the harsh beating you'd woken up to- Having been ripped from your thin straw bed by your hair and beaten with sticks, brooks and fist as you were mercilessly dragged through the village. Your screams and sobs of confusion ignored by those around you till you were tossed to the edge of town-

You sat there sobbing, wrappinng yourself in your arms as if trying to hide from the hurt the words had brought onto you-

"I-I didn't do anything!" You cried, the taste of blood in your mouth as tou sobbed. The people you once thought were your own staring at you with burning hatred.

The elders of your village standing infront of you with disgusted looks on their faces.

"(Y/N) we have humored you enough by letting your wicked self stay here. A creature like you have damned us! I crops won't grow, the weather has only gotten worse! We let you stay cause your mother died but no more Witch!"

"I don't control the damn crops!-" You screamed, but a elder stepped towards you and kicked you hard in the ribs. A cry ripping through you as you fell to your side in pain-

"Silence you damn Vermin! Be greatful we are even allowing you to walk away with your life after this! Damn Freak!" He yelled, spitting on your quivering form. The village soon leaves, leaving you there in the dirt just outside its gates.

Freak..

Witch..

Disgusting-

Vermin...

Those words echoing in your head as you sat there, the dark thoughts flooding your tired mind- The shivering of cold hitting your body as you were now in the soiled night clothes that was not ment to fight the coolest of nature.

"Hey Kid-" A gruff voice pulled you from your thoughts, Snapping up quickly to see a man standing there with a large group of others behind him. They were all dressed in circus clothes- Which confused you in truth. You'd only seen circuses like this in pictures or posters, no show would come to your tiny farming village.

"What happened to you?" He said, you watching the man as he kneeled down to meet your gaze- His eyes like the crashing waves of the sea that both drew you in terrified you.

"They kicked me out- They say im a freak who cursed their village! I-I didnt do anything!" You sob, word vomit getting the better of you- Fat tears starting to roll down your cheeks as a sob left you. Both in fear and pain of what had happened- You assuming the man would stand and kick you away as well, seeing you as Freaks like your village had.

The Blue-Haired man glancing back to his crew, a grin stretching over their paintwd lips as he gave a simple hand movement and they all ran past you towards the village laughing and hollering. But the man stayed behind-

However he just stared at you, His eyes drifting over your form. Almost amused by it-

"Whats your name kid?" He asked calmly, pulling out a long handkerchief from his pockets and handing it to you. You accepting and taking the multicolored fabric to wipe the blood and dirt from your face.

"(Y/N).. What about You?" You ask softly, feeling yourself start to be at ease with the strange man.

"See- People like your village are afraid of people like us- Freaks" He said sharply, gesturing to his own face. The realization then hitting you that the big cherry nose on him really was real-

"Buggy the Star Clown" He said calmly, you watch as he wiggles his fingers at you like doing jazz hands. Before flicking his wrist and a flower comes out, holding it out to you which you accept givibg a weary smile.

"T-Thank you.." You say softly, looking over the cloth flower as he stars over you.

"So kid- tell me more about what happened"

You begin to spin the tale of how you were yanked from your bed, beaten and so forth. The words they said to you and the tragedies of your life- Buggy listened quietly, his eyes watching you as if you were a new toy. Your string of conscious only stopped when the sound of screaming from the village tore you away.

Fear hitting your chest as you lurched forward to rush back to the place you once called home. But a gloved hand held you back gently.

"You're in no condition to be a hero kid- besides why would you want to save them?" He said coldly, making your blood freeze.

'Why would you want to save them?'

"I-I..."

"Have they done anything that makes them worth saving?" He stated calmly, patting your bruised shoulder with a very gentle hand. The echos of the villages screams starting to fade and change as your mild swirled with his words.

"But- Isn't that the right thing to do?" You questioned, Buggy smiling softly at you like you were so innocent to the world.

"By who's standards? Theirs?

He helps you to your feet, supporting some of your weight so you could get a good view of the chaos. The circus people returning, now covered in blood, some Carrington away shackled people, others with the wealth of the village and a few dragging some of the elders of your village with them. The elders who had lead for your abuse-

You look back at the villagers, watching how a man in green stepped forward with a canister of lamp oil and began to pour it over the elders with messy glee. Your heart beating like drums in your ears as you watched-

"They will laugh at us, hate us, shun us. But when the shoe is on the other foot-"

He gestured to the townsfolk now staring at you with pleading eyes. Fear in them as they stared at you, the one who they had just done the same to you. Leaving you there afraid for your life and pleading for mercy.

"Suddently they ask for compassion and mercy. Tell me, did they show that to you? Did they give you mercy?-"

The clown held a hand out as a touch was placed in a waiting gloved palm, before passing the torch to you- making sure to watch you grasp it firmly.

"You see what they do to freaks like us, So tell me. What are you going to do?"

[a-aexotic]

One where rafe and reader can’t stop messing around even though they are in a relationship with other people.? Only if you want to write it🥺

hey love! this was so fun…. should i make it into a series LMFAO?? 🫣💀

taglist: @eli-yeah @hallecarey1 @midnightsgetawaycar @vigilanteshitposting

cw’s: fwb (kinda), being the second choice, cheating, crying, angst??, lying, lmk if i missed anything!

It wasn’t right: what you and Rafe were doing wasn’t right. Then why did it feel so good? It didn’t make sense. 

You were usually a goody-two shoes; it was your best quality but it was your worst as well. Wanting to do the right thing was a good quality to have but it wasn’t exactly fun. It got you awards, praises from parents wishing that they you were their child and it got you scholarships. Little did they know, Outer Bank’s golden child had a messy secret. 

You were dating the Kook Academy’s famous Quarterback, Noah Yanis. You had been dating him since 8th grade, your parents had planned your relationships since you were born. You and Noah were the It couple in Outer Banks; everyone thought you were endgame. Your parents planned every aspect of your relationship. Your anniversary, first date, engagement and wedding; it was perfect. He’d given you a promise ring a few months into dating and after that, it was never genuine. It was never really genuine, though. 

Noah was sweet and smart, everything a girl would want. Not only was he nice, he was tall and had a dreamy face. Every Kook wanted to be him or be with him, so why didn’t you? Your relationship was supposed to be picture-perfect; but that’s all it was, surface level and shallow. Your feelings weren’t real; you weren’t even really in love, you could barely stand him at times. 

It was all an act; your love for Noah was anything but genuine, it was all for show. You wore Noah's jersey at his games and he got you flowers when you got a good grade but it was all for public approval. In private, he never spoke to you and it was just silent, no speaking.

In the beginning, you wanted him to like you. At first, he did. It slowly faded into slight resentment because he couldn't go after the girls he genuinely wanted. You've always wanted his love, ever since you started dating.

It was supposed to picture perfect -- your personalized fairytale love story. You were a romantic by default and you thought even if it was fake, it could turn into something real. But that only happens in books.

You slowly started to resent him as well, he never satisfied you in any way. When you hung out, he never talked to you. He was always on the game, headset on as he screamed at the screen whilst you sat on his bed, bored. That's what really happened behind closed doors.

Noah didn't even try to get to know you. If someone asked him to tell them your favorite color, he wouldn't have the slightest idea. Your favorite flower, or book, or even TV show, Noah wouldn't know.

Your friends were all surface level, too. They wouldn't have the slightest idea, as well. That was all you craved though, someone to truly see you for you. You were sure you've never had a true best friend, too.

That's probably why you were so addicted to Rafe Cameron.

You still remember the first night he had truly touched you. It was your 17th birthday and it was an important birthday because of Mamma Mia. Your birthday was Mamma Mia themed, of course - it was supposed to be perfect.

It was supposed to be perfect. Noah ruined it, of course. He had brought the wrong cake and that was just the beginning. He got shitfaced and spilled wine all over your white dress.

You ran outside and no one had followed you. Rafe watched as you walked out of your own party, your supposed best friend not even noticing.

He went after you and comforted you. It was unlike Rafe, to care about someone's feelings. But he saw himself in you, your hurt expression as the people who were supposed to care for you most, ignore you.

Your tear stained face, puffy eyes and red stained dress was a sad sight for Rafe. You were supposed to be the Golden child of OBX, how could no one care about you?

That was the first thing Rafe realized about you. You two were more similar than he thought.

He sat with you outside, listening to you pour your heart out to him; someone who she maybe had talked to, three times this past year. You were obviously a little wasted but it didn't matter, you genuinely felt that way. And he empathized with you because he related to what you were saying.

After your rant, you couldn't help but embrace him. He was tense at first but melted into the hug; he hadn't felt such a soft touch since his mother had passed away.

As you pulled away and he saw your defected expression, he couldn't help but lean in for a kiss. And that was how it all began.

--

"Noah's birthday is tomorrow, are you doing anything with him?" Your mother asked as she unloaded the dishwasher. You were sitting on the island, eating some yogurt and the sudden mention of Noah made your appetite go away.

You and Noah hadn't talked about any plans besides the party he was having. "Not sure. Uh, it depends but I know he's having a party."

She smiled at that. "Are you planning it?"

"No, he didn't plan mine so why should I plan his?" You snapped, rudely. Your mother was taken aback at your sudden flare up, making you sigh.

"I know, Y/N, but it's his 18th. That's an important birthday, he's an adult now." Your mother reasoned as she put back the dishes.

"If you care so much, why don't you do it?"

Your mother tensed up angrily as she sighed and slammed the dishwasher. "Y/N, watch your tongue. There's no need to get all emotional."

You huffed before getting down from the island. You glared at your mother, crossing your arms as you decided to go to your room.

Noah's birthday wasn't important because obviously, yours wasn't to him. He ruined yours and you were crushed but you didn't even get an apology after. His birthday was meaningless to you.

As you got to your room, you closed your room and huffed dramatically as you got on your bed. You closed your eyes. You had gotten Noah the cologne he wanted and that was far more than what he deserved.

You didn't know how you were going to deal with Noah forever because your parents are hellbent about you getting married to him. Why doesn't even it matter? He's not that important, anyway.

The only reason why they want you two to get married is so you can be an important role in OBX society. Noah was going to inherit his father's business after college and it's worth more than anything else on this island. So if you marry him, you're 1. going to play an important role as Noah's wife and 2. you're going to be filthy rich.

You know your parents meant well but you weren't happy and neither was Noah. If they force you two to get married at their will, they're setting them up for a life of unhappiness.

You heard the text message ding and were drawn out of your thoughts. You opened your phone and saw Rafe's little icon and your lips morphed into a smile.

rafe 🍃💫 u left ur swimsuit here

rafe 🍃💫 thought u might need it since ur going swimming later

You had forgot that you were going swimming with your friends later that day. You were glad Rafe had reminded you, you knew your friends loved to hold stupid grudges.

Your face heated up at the mention of your clothes being at his house; it had been a normal thing now but you still blushed childishly. You spent most nights at his house, now that you think about it, but he still made you feel a certain way. A way that Noah never did.

You felt guilty but that all melted away the moment his lips move against yours, because for once you're doing something for your own will and not anyone else's.

You quickly replied to message.

y/n 😍🤭 okay, i'll swing by later to pick it up

y/n 😍🤭 thanks for reminding me i almost forgot ab it 🥰

Rafe replied as quickly as you did.

rafe 🍃💫 ofc goregous

rafe 🍃💫 i'll see u at noah's party tmr?

y/n 😍🤭 yea sadly 🤢

rafe 🍃💫 im dreading it too, dw

rafe 🍃💫 only upside is that im seeing u 😤

You blushed at his statement. Before you could reply, you heard a knock at your door. "Come in."

You were expecting your mother to come in but it was Noah. Your mood immediately changed and you tried your best not to frown. Noah came in, all sweaty from his practice. He sat down on your bed and you sighed.

"Noah, I'm gonna need to change my sheets now, they're going to be drenched in your sweat." Your face morphed into a disgusted expression as he brushed it off.

"It's fine, Y/N. Anyway, you going swimming with Mar later?" Her nickname rolled off his tongue so easily and you couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

Marissa, or Mar, is Noah's best friend. She also considered herself yours, as well but after your birthday, you've considered her Noah's friend rather than yours.

She only really liked Noah and it was obvious she liked him. She throws herself at him and acts like the most annoying person when he's around. She wasn't always like that; at some point, she was your best friend but that all changed when you and Noah started dating.

Noah surprisingly actually really likes her, so you have deal with her. He actually seems to like her more than you at times, and that is enough to deal with in it of itself.

Long story short, Mar is a bitch.

"Yeah, she practically forced me." You mumbled as you got up from your bed, your phone slipping from your hands onto the bed. Noah laughed.

"You know she means well." No I don't, actually. "It's going to be fun, though."

Your phone rings before you could reply and you brushed it off, thinking it was maybe one of your friends. You walked into your bathroom, getting a hairbrush.

"Why is Rafe Cameron texting you?"

Your heart dropped. You were glad you had your text previews off because god help you if Noah had read that message, no matter what it said.

"Uh, he knows a good dealer so I'm getting you a present. Another one." You lied. Noah was a little suspicious but as you walked over to him, he put your phone down. You swallowed down a sigh of relief.

"Okay, good. Can you bring the weed to Mar's?"

You blinked. You didn't have any weed, neither did Rafe (at the moment). "Uh, sure."

He smiled and got up, giving you chaste kiss on the lips. You were taken aback.

"Thanks, babe." He walked out of your room as you stood there, dumbfounded and now, in a situation you don't know how to get out of.

-

You walked into Mar's house, no weed in hand. You only had a few hours before you'd have to leave for Mar's and you didn't have time to go and find it for them.You didn't know how Noah was going to react to that but hopefully he won't make a big deal.

You had dropped by the Cameron's like planned and you had changed into the swimsuit you'd left there. You walked outside where you knew your friends would be. Mar was sitting outside of the pool, her legs dangling into the pool as Noah sat next to her; they were talking.

When Noah saw you, he looked to your hands and was confused when he didn't see a bag of the green plant they loved so much. Mar also moved her gaze to watch you.

"Hey." You said plainly, putting down your tote in the pool chair. "I couldn't get ahold of Rafe so I couldn't get Rafe."

"He didn't reply?" Noah got out of the pool to come to you. "Of course he did, he's probably high at some chick's house." He chuckled as you bite your tongue. You knew the only chick's house he's ever at is yours. "God, sometimes I really wish I was Cameron, man. He has too much fun."

That comment was very backhanded as he looked at you and then turned to Mar as she got out of the pool. Before you could respond, she made her way over to the two of you. "So, no weed?"

You nodded, already regretting your decision of even going to her house. Maybe you could fake your way out of staying and you could leave early.

They both sighed heavily and turned around, getting in the pool once again. You watched as they ignored you and you felt jealous and annoyed. You felt like a third wheel with your best friend and boyfriend, how pathetic was that?

"Uh, do you guys know if Nance is coming?" You asked as you sat on the pool chair, laying down. You couldn't even tan because it was already 6:30, you were essentially just there for mere decor. If they were going to just sit there and flirt this whole time, they should've had the decency to do it behind your back.

Nance was the only one in your friend-group you'd consider an actual friend. You'd know her your entire life practically and she was your best friend before you'd met Mar. She'd been with you through everything; when you were considered ugly, when the only person you had was her, when you'd started dating Noah and now, she was still there. She was the most genuine person you knew and you could hold a conversation with her without wanting to rip your hair out, which is saying a lot when considering the people who live on this godforsaken island.

"I'm not sure, maybe." Mar answered quickly before giggling at something Noah had said, playfully hitting his arm. You bit back the urge to throw her in the pool as you glared at them.

You ignored her response and went back on your phone, going on TikTok before eventually getting bored. Before closing your phone, you felt it buzz in your hand and you looked at the top.

rafe 🍃💫 wanna come over after ur lame pool party? ❤️

You looked over at Mar and Noah; they were too enthralled with each other to even notice your sudden mood change. For once you were glad that they were ignoring your presence. You moved your gaze back to your phone and clicked on the message, typing a quick response.

y/n 😍🤭 can i come now?

[yaniluvs]

⋆˙⟡ ⌇ 방찬 : UNDERNEATH THE SHEETS ── aftercare with your boyfriend, after a particularly long and rough night.

𓍯 idolbf!chan ʚଓ fem!reader ：（ 𝒾 ）0.8k ── ༯ HEADCANON, fluff, humour, care, req. by anon, mdni! . ⸝⸝𓂃 LiBRARY . /ᐠ.ꞈ.ᐟ\ྀིྀི

yani's note ˖˙ ᰋ okay, this may have come as a surprise since i don't post any mdni content.. however it is mostly unexplicit ! thank you to my lovely anon for requesting this, hope i have written it to your expectations! (╥﹏╥). though i may have had a hard time writing this lmao. comments, likes and reblogs are always appreciated ! happy reading <3

“are you sure you’re okay?” his voice was soft, but there was a slight tremor in it — a clear indication of how worried he was.

the room was steeped in a comforting silence, the only sound being the faint hum of the air conditioner and the rustle of soft sheets as his girlfriend shifted slightly. the glow from the moonlight filtered through the blinds, casting silvery streaks over the rumpled bed. chan, who was nuzzled in the curve of her neck, looked up slightly to see her flushed-and-fucked-out face, breath heavy. his eyes, apologetic and half lidded, his expression a mix of concern and tenderness.

her hair was a mess, cheeks flushed, but her eyes sparkled with affection. she reached out, cupping his jaw in her hand, thumb brushing against his cheekbone. “i told you, i'm as good as ever, chris.”

he frowned, clearly unconvinced, his brows furrowing in that adorable way that always made her heart flip, as he lifted himself slightly to look at her better. “was i too rough? did i hurt you? can you walk? you don't need to lie i can delay my schedule tomorrow-”

"what? no, no!" y/n frowned, and leaned in to press a kiss to the tip of his nose. “chan, baby, i literally told you it was amazing, like, five times already. you didn’t hurt me, at all. i told you i was okay with it and i really am.”

“if anything, i’m kinda hoping for a repeat performance sometime soon.”

that made him flush a deep crimson, his ears turning a shade of pink that she absolutely adored. he groaned, burying his face in his hands, muttering, “oh my god, you’re gonna kill me.”

"really, can't believe that you're all shy now considering how you were practically cho-"

he groaned, falling back down and nuzzling into her neck as his hands covered his crimson ears, while the girl under him only laughed.

she tugs his hands away so she could see his whole face. “i mean it, though. you were incredible.” her fingers traced gentle patterns along his forearm, grounding him. “but,” she added with a small smile, “i do love seeing this side of you, too. all soft and caring and…” she paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully, “a little overdramatic.”

“overdramatic?” he echoed, feigning offense, though the corners of his lips twitched upward. “i’m just making sure you’re okay! is that a crime?”

“not at all,” she said, leaning in to kiss him softly. her lips lingered against his for a moment before she pulled back, resting her forehead against his. “but seriously, chan. i’m okay. i feel… happy. loved. really, really good.”

he let out a shaky breath, his shoulders relaxing a little. “okay,” he murmured. “if you’re sure.”

“i’m sure.” she smiled, tucking herself closer to him, her head resting against his chest. his heartbeat was steady beneath her ear, a soothing rhythm that made her feel completely at ease.

chan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer. his fingers trailed up and down her back in slow, gentle strokes, the gesture both comforting and intimate. “you’re amazing, you know that?” he said softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “i don’t deserve you.”

y/n tilted her head to look up at him, her expression softening. “don’t say that,” she murmured, reaching up to brush her fingers through his curls. “you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, chris. i’d choose you a thousand times over.”

his throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, emotion flickering in his dark eyes. “you’re too good to me.”

“i think it’s the other way around,” she teased, poking his chest lightly. “you’re literally the sweetest, most thoughtful person ever. and, not to mention, ridiculously handsome.”

he chuckled, his cheeks tinting pink again. “you’re biased.”

“maybe a little,” she admitted with a grin. “but that doesn’t make it any less true.”

they lay there for a while, wrapped up in each other. chan’s hands never stopped moving—one smoothing over her hair, the other tracing invisible shapes along her spine. y/n felt herself relaxing further, her body melting into his warmth.

“do you want some water?” he asked suddenly, his voice cutting through the comfortable silence. “or hot cocoa to make up? i can get you something if you’re hungry.”

she laughed softly, shaking her head. “i’m good, just tired. just wanna stay here with you.”

his lips curved into a small smile as he pressed another kiss to her forehead. “okay. but if you need anything, you tell me, yeah?”

“i will,” she promised, nuzzling closer. “you’re such a worrier.”

“can you blame me?” he said, his tone light but sincere. “i just… i care about you. so much.”

her heart swelled at his words, and she tilted her head to capture his lips in a soft, lingering kiss. when she pulled back, she rested her hand against his cheek, her thumb brushing over his skin. “i care about you, too. more than you know.”

they stayed like that, tangled up in each other, sharing soft whispers and quiet laughter. chan’s initial worry had melted away, replaced by a deep sense of contentment. he held her like she was the most precious thing in the world, and to him, she was.

[uzumaki-rebellion]

"King Killmonger: The Golden Jaguar" Chapter 12

Masterlist HERE.

"I'm moving in so high

these visions overwhelm my mind

dimensions transcending by worlds

they tumble on in time

i'm pushing in so high

i'm searching for a piece of mind

this journey through inner skies we've got to fly"

The Rebirth – "This Journey In"

Was it possible to fall in love with someone all over again?

That was the question N'Jadaka asked himself watching his wife sunbathe topless on the deck while she chatted about her women friends back in Birnin Zana. Her evenly sun-baked skin looked liked the tops of baked dinner rolls drenched in butter from all the coconut oil she slathered all over. Her voice tinkled like delicate glass chimes and he gazed at her with heart eyes and a silly grin on his face.

His chest filled up with bubbly feelings listening to her talk. He melted in her presence, as softness flowed all through his insides.

A new bond had forged between them.

Encountering the sacred together transcended his feelings for Yani. That young woman had traveled in darkness on a hover bike to receive a message from his mother and in the process she was able to meet his parents and great-grandmother. They knew her. Loved her. Watched over her as their own daughter. Yani was given such a precious gift and her love for him poured out into him all that day.

"Your mother…not only was she beautiful, but she was so…I can't find the words. Glamorous? She looked like a goddess herself along with Nana Jean," she said, reaching for his hand and squeezing it.

She lowered her gaze.

"And your father…I see why he was known as a heartbreaker here."

N'Jadaka grinned.

"They were a good-looking couple. No doubt about that," he said.

Yani sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. They had spent time recuperating from their trip in the cave an entire day. N'Jadaka watched over Yani as her body finally decompressed in a deep slumber. He had sat by her side on the loft bed making sure she was not alone in case she woke up in the night remembering the spiritual realm she had skimmed across. His own brush with the sacred twice in a lifetime still humbled him, so he knew that Yani would probably feel as he did from a profound encounter, and wake up many times adjusting to a new reality she was expected to move in henceforth. Encountering gods had an impact on the body and mind. As he knew she would, Yani roused from sleep several times, her body trembling and her grasp on his nearby hand anchoring her back to the human world. It took her several attempts to reach full sleep, and in that time, he left her side to eat and hydrate his own body.

The next day he ate on the top deck with her and they moved the houseboat closer to the shore in order to catch glimpses of the first flamingo arrivals into the territory. He urged her to relax and she chose to sunbathe seated next to him while he glanced through a book of Wakandan philosophers. He used a dictionary to help him with difficult Wakandan translations that had no English word equivalents.

"Riki looks so much like Califia that it's spooky. You, know what? Joba has N'Jobu's eyes, and his deep rich skin color for sure, and his energy. That calmness…she inherited his temperament…that gentleness with just a hint of fierceness underneath. I love the fact that Sydette has the same color eyes as Joba. It makes them look like true blood sisters."

"Mmmhmmm."

Yani stared at him.

"You are both of your parents in every way. Grandpop always said that, but I was able to see it for myself."

Her eyes welled up.

"I wish they could be here with us. They should be here with us," she said.

She wiped her eyes quickly. He stroked her leg and she clasped his hand, lifting it to her lips.

"I'm so lucky…so blessed," she whispered into his fingers.

He put down his book and pulled her against him.

"So am I, Yani."

They agreed not to speak of their experience to anyone.

That afternoon N'Jadaka moved the boat again out toward the cove view of the oldest forest in Wakanda. He watched his wife swim past him as they explored Umbono Cove's beautiful waters using specialized diving masks to keep up with a school of fish they followed underwater. Yani wanted to dive deeper and stay under longer.

Hunger brought them back to the surface and they ate beef patties and fried rice with jerk shrimp. Yani knocked out in a food coma on the deck lounger and he carried her back to the loft to sleep off her meal where she wouldn't get sunburned. He napped next to her for an hour and woke up energized.

His wife snored softly next to him.

He left her side and went for a swim alone. The sun had warmed up the tranquil clear water into a balmy soak for his skin. He had to be two shades darker by now. Floating on his back, N'Jadaka stared at the blue sky. He and Yani had a few more days left before they stayed at his family's private villa before the children joined them. Grinning in the water, he couldn't wait to see his kids. Time alone with Yani was a blessing, but having all of his babies with him and his wife gave him joy. He couldn't wait to have Sydette filling him in on all the happenings in Birnin Zana, and Riki sharing all of the gossip among his friend group and cousins. Joba would play in his hair and share her opinion on the opinions of Umama and the rest of the family. There was a synergy the children created when they were all together that made N'Jadaka proud to be a father. Fatherhood was not his dream for a long time. When he asked Disa to marry him as a young man, he knew children were a possibility, but they were not on his vision board. It was Yani that gave him the gift of fatherhood, and he learned to love it with Sweet Pea first and foremost.

He wanted to be an intentional parent with Yani, and once they returned to the palace, they'd have to start preparing Sydette for her rites of passage trials. Every child in Wakanda went through it at the age of twelve, and parents began to prep for it once their child turned nine. Sydette was excited, especially with Umama and Ramonda teaching Yani and him the proper way to prepare. When Sydette came of age, they would release her to women elders for a month in the ancient forests he could see from the water he floated in. The first step would be to prepare her hair, and Umama was ready to do it for Sydette after the honeymoon trip. His oldest child couldn't wait to wear the hairstyle for three years that told the public she was becoming a young lady.

N'Jadaka dove under the water. He wasn't ready for his firstborn to grow up already. She would always be his baby, but time would march on. In a few years she would be a teenager like he had once been. She'd probably want to test her limits and push against boundaries he and Yani set as loving parents. The best thing about being a father was having Yani be the mother of his children. Her love for them knew no bounds. She proved it by traveling to the edge of the ancestral plane for them…and him.

He couldn't get over that. His mind replayed finding Yani in the cave and hearing the voice of his unborn baby in his head over and over. Braving the wrath of Bast was something special. Her bold move to protect them warmed his heart all over again. He glanced at the houseboat. She was still asleep, hopefully resting well.

A large drone swooped over head and landed on the deck of the houseboat carrying a fresh load of gourmet food for the royal couple. N'Jadaka swam back to the boat ladder and pulled himself out of the water. He checked the list of food against what was inside the refrigerated container and began putting goods away before sending the drone back to the Royal Talon Fighter. Yani requested more Caribbean supplies with spices and food from the islands. Twyla made sure there were freshly prepared jars of green seasoning to save Yani cooking time.

His wife walked down from the bedroom wiping her eyes of sleep.

"Did I wake you up?" he asked, pouring himself a glass of red wine.

"I heard the buzzing from the drone. Figured I'd better come down and start cooking. How does stewed fish and spicy dumplings sound?"

He rubbed his hands together, "Can you make the fried oyster rolls too?"

"Your wish is my command. Pour me a glass too, my sexy husband," she said.

He grinned.

"Swim trunks are sexy now?"

Yani trailed her index finger up his midsection.

"Everything is sexy about you. The first time I saw you swimming naked my mouth watered. I cursed your name too for being in my private space, but this body and that face could not be denied their due," she said.

"Are you flirting with me to get some dick tonight?"

Yani laughed and pinched his left nipple. She stepped away from him and washed her hands in the wide sink of the galley.

"I dreamed about your parents again," she said.

"Oh, yeah? Good dream?"

She nodded and paused her work gathering the ingredients needed for their meal prep.

"We were seated around a campfire and holding long sticks to toast marshmallows. Your father was telling me a story about teaching you to swim. Your mother kept touching his face and laughing…it was so real. They gave me comfort…like they knew I needed that from them. I looked up at the night sky and saw so many stars twinkling above me and I was at peace."

N'Jadaka grinned, pleased that she was in a good place mentally. He drank wine with her and she cooked a full meal that tasted better than any fancy restaurant could throw together. With a heavy belly, he sat on the deck with her and watched the sun go down and usher in a solitude they both needed. Yani lifted a fresh glass of red wine and he did the same. They clinked glasses and sipped all night.

Five days at the family villa invigorated Yani. The property had been in the Udaku family for three generations, but most recently had been used by Prince N'Jobu before he became a War Dog. An eager staff had greeted the royals when they arrived on a warm afternoon, and that same day, Yani and N'Jadaka learned about N'Jobu's playboy ways in detail. One of the housekeepers, Gorata, was an older woman who looked after N'Jobu. Her caretaking of the property gave her privy to the goings on of the villa and the dashing prince who treated her well. Although she was in her mid-fifties, Gorata held a youthful zeal in her face and movement, her long thick beaded locs only sporting a tiny sprinkle of gray at the roots. She gave Yani and N'Jadaka a tour of the grounds and showed them where the Royal Talon Fighter would land in an open grassy area when it brought the children later.

"Prince N'Jobu loved meditating out here. This place was like his bachelor vacation retreat. He'd walk along the river reciting poetry, or sometimes he would listen to music and sing. I loved his singing voice…so rich and full-bodied. The ladies loved that," Gorata said.

"Ladies?" Yani asked, peeking at N'Jadaka's face as she spoke.

The king stared at Gorata and the older woman grinned.

"Oh yes…Prince N'Jobu entertained many young noble women here. Sometimes he had parties with his friends that lasted for days when they wanted privacy. He was very popular. The young nobles loved coming here."

"I bet my grandmother was not very happy about parties here," N'Jadaka said.

"Kumkani, we were never allowed to let any of the elder royals know of his stay here. Sometimes…sometimes the women guests were not appropriate for the prince to be around," Gorata said.

"He had hookers come here?" Yani said.

"Oh no…Queen Yani…never. Prince N'Jobu often entertained non-noble elites, but they were not prostitutes. He was too good for anything like that. Royals are always supposed to be in the company of their status, but Prince N'Jobu liked commoners too."

"Commoners, huh?"

"High quality my queen."

"So this was his sex party house," N'Jadaka said.

Gorata laughed and covered her mouth.

"King N'Jadaka, you jest!" Gorata said.

"I mean, it is what it is…my father came here to be with women so my grandparents wouldn't know."

"Your father was very respectful and very discreet."

"Hmmm, I wonder if I should even be here," Yani said, flouncing around the area.

Gorata held up her hands toward Yani.

"Oh…Queen Yani, I did not mean to make you feel unwelcome. This villa is now your family abode. A bachelor pad no more."

"I'm only teasing, Gorata. Thank you for showing us around."

"I will take my leave now. The staff will have lunch ready for when the royal children arrive."

"Thank you, Gorata," N'Jadaka said.

The caretaker departed and Yani smirked at the king.

"Your daddy's hoe house!"

Yani cackled and N'Jadaka only smiled.

"I was told that they still have women and men on standby for private royal favors. Seems like a few of my older Wakandan cousins still use the place often."

"Interesting."

N'Jadaka glanced around.

"Are you ready to get the munchkins back?" he said.

"Yes. It's actually been too quiet without them."

She noticed his kimoyo beads lighting up in several different colors. His palace staff used color codes to prioritize his work load. He was already putting together his docket for his return. N'Jadaka tapped the beads and the colors dulled on his wrist. Yani patted his arm. She hadn't bothered to turn on her beads, preferring to hit the ground running once she returned. Her office manager S'Indiphile was left in charge of preparing Yani's calendar for her return with strict guidelines to prioritize charitable works overseas and her coming out events for the next two months. The elites from every tribe vyed for her attention and she was being very selective based on how she was treated by noble families tied to the Udaku clan. She knew the moment she turned her work beads on, her wrist would light up in rainbow colors like N'Jadaka's.

N'Jadaka reached for her hand and she took it. They strolled along the river's edge waiting for the Royal Talon Fighter.

"Kumkani, we are arriving in five minutes," Okoye said from N'Jadaka's beads.

Yani already sensed the vibratory hum of the aircraft and her heart thumped faster anticipating holding her children again.

"Here they come!' she yelped as they watched the Talon Fighter float over the landing ground.

N'Jadaka squeezed her hand. The aircraft landed with a gentle shaking of the ground around them and the off-ramp slid out. Okoye and Ayo walked out ahead of the children and waited at the end of the ramp.

Sydette held Riki and Joba's hands and they strode out into the bright sun wearing big wide smiles on their faces. Riki jerked away from her hold and Joba ran behind him to greet Yani first. Sydette hugged N'Jadaka's waist and looked up at his face.

"I missed you Baba," Sydette said.

He kissed her forehead before reaching over for the bouncy "twins".

"Sweet Pea, oh my love…I'm so happy to see you," Yani said.

She gave her oldest a deep long hug. Both parents couldn't stop hugging and kissing their babies and the children responded in kind. Love lingered all around them and Yani breathed a sigh of contentment. She carried a watchful energy around her brood too.

"Were you well-behaved with the Doras? It was your first trip traveling without the nannies," Yani said.

"We were good," Sydette said.

"Hungry?"

"Starving!" Riki yelled.

Yani caught sight of the villa staff bringing their lunch meal into the two-story villa. The comforting cool breeze made the interior pleasant for everyone. Yani led the children to the restroom on the first floor to wash their hands. N'Jadaka spoke to the Doras before relieving them for a long break. They would head out for the houseboat in the evening which only allowed their children a few hours in the villa.

Lunch was thick spicy sausage rolls and fries with a cool refreshing dessert of sliced fruit in thick sweetened cream. The children devoured everything like they had bottomless pits for stomachs and Yani admired her family being all together again. Sydette was of course spilling all the tea back home. Riki seemed happier since Twyla re-braided his hair differently from the girls. Joba was especially talkative revealing all of Umama's plans for Yani and N'Jadaka when they returned home. Their marriage pleased Umama to no end from the way Joba described it. For one thing it shut down the negative chatter from naysayers about the king being an unmarried father of three among her class. It also legitimized the children in a way that pushed the agenda of other nobles wanting to align with the family intimately. It was uncouth to overtly pressure match-making so young, but Yani was aware of elite families quietly leaning on Umama to favor their children for consideration in future betrothal marches when the time came. Umama was fiercely protective of her great-grandchildren, even more so since the Infinity War, but she was also a forceful mover and shaker since her return to Birnin Zana. People knew she was the only way to get into N'Jadaka's ear and stay close to the royal inner circle. Yani was much more in favor of letting the children develop their friend groups, grow into Wakandan culture more, and then letting them decide what life partners they wanted. Alas, she knew it wouldn't be that simple. Citizens were aware that she and N'Jadaka would have more children, and unlike the recent monarchs who only had one or two children, the possibility of snagging more than two direct descendants with choices that could join them with the most powerful family in the country was too valuable to ignore.

Joba waved her spoon around to get Yani's attention.

"What is it Sunshine?"

Joba glanced at Riki and he nodded his head encouraging her to speak for them.

"Mama, Riki and I want to have a pool party when we go back home. We told our friends we could have one when we came back before iholide starts. Can we? I know we are supposed to ask permission before we tell people things, but everyone might leave early before we get home," Joba said.

Sydette stared at Yani.

"We wanted to ask sooner but you were already gone and Umama was keeping us from disturbing you. It'll only be a few friends."

"How many is a few?" N'Jadaka asked.

Sydette's gaze dropped to her finished plate of food.

"About twelve…of my friends. And then there's Riki and Joba's friends…and Uncle M'Baku's kids."

N'Jadaka let out a whistle and Yani giggled.

"That's not a few people Sweet Pea, that's about forty kids running around the palace," he said.

"It won't be the palace, just the pool room, Baba," Riki interjected.

N'Jadaka glanced at Yani.

"I have a spa day with Twyla and my Ladies in waiting before my first day as Queen. You'll have to supervise," Yani said quickly before he dropped it all in her lap.

"Baba…please…" Joba whined.

N'Jadaka tossed his linen napkin on the table. He couldn't deny his youngest child anything.

"Okay, okay. Swim party it is. But just for the day, we're not dragging this out…what, Sweet Pea?"

Sydette's dimples popped out and she held up a finger.

"We kinda told everyone it would be a sleepover too. Camping in the garden to see the fireflies."

"Anything else?" N'Jadaka said crossing his arms.

"No dassit, Baba," Riki said grinning like he knew they pulled one over on them.

N'Jadaka latched his gaze onto Yani's. She sipped water from a glass.

"You are in charge," Yani declared.

N'Jadaka stood up from their meal table and the children pounced on him, knocking him onto the carpeted floor and wrestling him. He tickled every underarm and sandaled foot and the peals of laughter flew all around the room. The king lifted back to his feet and led them all back outside where he showed the kids the beauty of the grounds. Riki grabbed N'Jadaka's hand.

"I'm ready to get on the boat, Baba. Let's go!" Riki said.

Sydette and Joba bounced around him agreeing.

"You guys can't be bored with this place already," Yani said.

"We want to go diving and play on the water bouncy mat," Sydette said.

"The Doras have to rest," N'Jadaka said.

"Then you fly the Talon Fighter, they can sleep there," Riki insisted.

Yani touched Riki's shoulder.

"We respect our staff, Dumpling. They work hard to protect you and they deserve rest and time to eat. I know you're excited about the boat, but be mindful, yeah?"

Riki nodded.

"What's over there?" Joba asked.

She pointed to a big tree with thick limbs outstretched across the tranquil part of the river.

"Let's go see,' N'Jadaka said.

He took off running and their children squealed and chased after him. Yani strolled behind them enjoying the sight of her husband playing. It was so rare for him. The eager and excited chatter delighted her once the children noticed the swing tied to the tree that swung out over a giant pond.

Okoye met up with them holding a purple gym travel bag.

"I suppose the little ones would like to have their swimming suits?" Okoye asked.

N'Jadaka put his hands on his hips.

"I dunno Okoye, Riki said he was ready to go out to the houseboat already. I don't think he wants to stick around and use the pond swing."

Riki held up his hands in denial.

"I changed mi mind. I want to stay longer, Baba!"

"You sure? Because I'm pretty sure you were eager to jet outta here."

"Forget what I said. Thank you Dora Okoye."

Riki took the bag from her hand and his sisters followed him back to the villa to change.

"Thank you, Okoye," N'Jadaka said.

Yani grinned, "We'll probably end up leaving later than planned now that the children have this swing to play with."

"No problem, Queen Yani. We'll be ready," Okoye said.

Five minutes later the kids were tearing back down the path wearing colorful swim suits and arm floaties, all thoughts of leaving forgotten. Their bright excited expressions reminded Yani that life was for joy with her family. She turned to look at N'Jadaka, and he was already swinging over the bright green water fully clothed. He released the rope and dropped into the pond with a giant splash, acting like the biggest kid of them all.

Chapter 13 HERE.

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[minevn]

Hey bestie! Do you have any colored pictures of the redesign characters??? I wanna draw them like the headshots I did before

Sending my love 💞💕✨

SORRY IF THIS IS LATE!! I did not have any when you asked and I got to work, figured it was time anyways(ESP FOR AKI), even if they were just colored headshot sketches!

For the most part Hoshi's color pallet has stayed the same, I just added an ashy brown gradient to his hair since idk, I thought it looked good, but it can also be optional, idc LOL

Habiki has dyed hair, so normally his hair would be the same color as Hoshi's with the ashy gradient but he likes the darker look. Habiki also wears makeup, like full face makeup LOL Also it doesn't show super well but for the lighter strands in their hair it's supposed to look more white so it'd honestly be lighter, I'd use the highlight color as the base color lol

Kage pretty much looks the same, I'm still debating with myself if I wanna make his hair this orangish-red or the prev red color(cause i REALLY like the previous red color on them) so honestly I'm fine if you wanna draw them with their prev red hair!!

YIPPEE FIRST COLORED AKI DRAWING!! She pretty much just has Jun's color pallet but green LOL and she mostly just wear's blacks and greens, she's literally stealing Hoshi's color and pulling it off better cause Hoshi sucks💅✨

Kei's hair is just white, but it needs to be shaded with pink to give some kind of illusion of a pink undertone. Then Kei kinda wear neutral colors, kinda like Haruto, wearing beiges and browns since Kei kinda has to be professional

okay I REALLY didn't need to draw Yani seeing as they've just stayed the same through all the redesigns, BUT I thought this was a perfect opportunity to draw Yani in another one of their outfits!! So here's a lil doodle of their casual 4 outfit!! :3

Also for the whites and blacks and grays in both their clothes(and in really any of the Mine's cast's clothes) i personally like to use a REALLY dark or light shade of their signature color, but you can feel free to use whatever black white or gray you want to! Also they typically all wear black white and some shade of their signature color, but I'm fine with them being put in anything!

[changelingsandothernonsense]

A Yani dump because I'm excited about the render I have planned

Yani Ensirhaddon is the catalyst for all the crap that Josh experiences later on. Josh inherited a lot from him personality wise so it's no surprise that Josh is the product of kids being impulsive.

All of Josh's issues with his grandfather, the Camonna Tong and Orvas Dren stem from Yani's actions in the two years that preceded his birth and everything Yani chose to do in order to protect him from the above actors.

I plan on rendering this one but he's had a few designs.

The bottom art is Yani and Maera. Two dumb kids who elope because it's better than facing consequences.

Throwing this up for @the-elder-polls TCS Fridays if I'm not too late. I forgot what day of the week it was XD