#yes this is based on a real text exchange

[aniesvision]

one and only (soft dom! colby brock x virgin! f reader)

warnings: mentions of angst, mentions of toxic relationship, fluff, make out, pet names (baby, love, beautiful), praising, oral (f! receiving), fingering, p in v, love and cute moments that's all I guess

a/n: hi! this one was based in this request, i'm sorry it took so long for me to post it! i hope y'all like it, friendly reminder that english is not my first language! enjoy ✨

synopsis: You and Colby are dating for a while now, one day you decided you wanted to do something to show him how much you trust and love him.

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just to clarify, all 'first time's are different and it can be good, but it also can be bad, don't rush things if you don't feel prepared, it's not worth it. take your time 💕

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-Are you sure you wanna do this? -Colby asks, worried that I was going to regret my own choice.

-Yes, Colby, I'm sure. -I roll my eyes with a smile, pulling him by the hand to his room.

It's our month anniversary, we've been together for three months now and I couldn't be happier. Before we started dating, we were friends for a couple years. I always knew my feelings for him wasn't just friendly, but it took me a long time to accept it.

Before I met Colby, I was in another relationship, my first one and the worst experience I've ever had. The guy I was with wasn't exactly nice to me, or my friends, he would yell at me, call me bad words and make me feel the worse. I was so blind, thinking he'd change and that he was a good guy deep down. But that just wasn't the truth.

I broke up with him when I couldn't take it anymore, he was mad at me for weeks just because I didn't want to have sex with him, but I was scared, I wasn't sure he was the one anymore and I didn't want to lose my virginity with someone I wasn't sure I truly loved.

A few months later I met Colby, we had mutual friends and we got along pretty well. We talked a lot, exchanged numbers, we texted and he asked me to go on a date with him. Although I was still heartbroken and not wanting to be in another relationship so soon, I went to the date. We talked and he accepted to take things slow. We kept on being just friends, going out sometimes, but nothing else.

I ended up falling in love with him. It was inevitable, he was so gentle, never rushed anything, respected me all the time, he treated me nicely and my friends actually liked him. We had our first kiss a while ago, and soon enough we engaged in a relationship.

It was perfect, so different from my last one. He's gentle, cute, caring, funny. He's always showing me that good people still exists and not everyone's a bad person. He's so important, and I value him so much, that I wanted to somehow show him how much I love him, how grateful I am to have him in my life. 

That's what brings us here, to his room, after a make out session on the couch downstairs. He knows I'm a virgin, I've told him before and he didn't care, he said we could do it whenever I was ready and the wait wouldn't make him love me less, but I wanted him. It's not like I don't feel things, don't feel needy, I'm just scared because it's a new thing and I have no idea how's it going to be like. But I trust him, and I want it to be with him.

We sit on his bed, facing each other, our hands interlocked together as his thumb caress my skin lightly. I take a deep breath, none of us speaking, it was like we were gathering the courage to do something or even processing things first.

-I really love you, you know? -I say, in a low, shy voice.

The mood and tension in the room make me realize how real it was. How intense the sensations felt, and how loud my heartbeats were beating.

-I know you do, baby. I love you too, so much, but you really don't have to do this just to prove yourself, I can see how much you actually care about me. -He says, in a soft tone, looking in my eyes with affection.

God, what did I do to deserve him?

I smile, raising one of my hands to cup his cheek, my eyes admiring all his features.

-I know, but I want to.

We stay silent once again, just taking in the emotions and thinking of what to do next. He nods slowly, leaning in to peck my lips gently.

-You sure? Like, really sure? -He asks again, making me giggle against his lips.

-Yes, love, I do. I want to do it, with you, because I trust you.

He smiles again, closing the small gap between us to kiss me intently. His lips moved against mine perfectly, the softness making me feel at peace. It was comfortable and hot at the same time, heated and full of love.

Colby slowly leans me down on the bed, making me lay on my back and hovering over me without breaking the kiss. One of his hands explored my body, running up and down my sides. My arms wrap around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer to me, wanting to feel every single piece of his skin touching mine.

He pulls away from the kiss, lowering his lips to my neck, licking and nibbling the soft and sensitive area, making me sigh in pleasure. It was so good, it didn't felt forced at all, it was all gentle and sweet. Colby keeps moving down, lifting my long t-shirt over my head and throwing it aside. He takes a longer look at me, his eyes roaming up and down my bare chest, gaze intense and dark.

-You're so beautiful. -He kisses the valley of my boobs, cupping one of my tits with his hand. -My beautiful girl.

Colby teases my nipples with his fingertips, licking and sucking them lightly, his touches getting possessive by the second. He seemingly enjoyed himself by playing with my boobs, my soft moans making him drag down his lips to meet my stomach. He pulls back, looking at me as if asking for permission to slide down the last piece of clothing covering my body.

I nod, wanting nothing more than to feel something. My thoughts wondered how his lips and tongue would feel somewhere else, somewhere it'd never been before, and just with that my entire body heat up.

He seems to notice it, a small smirk growing in the corners of his lips as his eyes explore my now naked body hungrily.

-Fuck, beautiful, you're so fucking perfect.

Colby kisses my inner thighs gently, his hands on my hips keeping me still. I prop myself on my elbows to look at him better, one of my hands tangling in his hair and stroking it lightly, caressing his scalp. My heartbeats were racing, chest raising and falling rapidly, anxious to feel a new thing, the new sensation my body seemed to crave.

Finally Colby's lips get in contact with my core, pressing a quick kiss before sliding his tongue from my entrance to my clit. A soft moan escapes my lips, making him feel bolder and move his tongue faster.

-Fuck, baby. -I throw my head back on the pillow, closing my eyes to focus on the feelings.

I didn't even need to look at him to know he was smirking. He was clearly enjoying himself, I know he always wanted to do this and now that is finally happening I had no intend on pulling back. He was eating me out like he was starving, and my inexperienced self couldn't hold back my sounds and squirming, my legs already shaking against his face.

Colby looked up at me, slowly bringing his hand down and teasing my entrance with his middle finger, the rings he was wearing making him hotter than I thought it was possible. His gaze was intense, he was completely consumed by his desire and it was obvious by the darkness in his eyes.

Without any warnings, he pushes his finger inside of me, a gasp leaving my parted lips as I wince a bit by the new sensation.

-It's alright, baby, you're doing so well, just need to stretch you, need to make sure I'm not gonna hurt you. -He explains, eyes leaving mine to look down to his actions.

I whine at his words, his finger was uncomfortable at first, but then it started to feel good, sliding easily in and out my wetness. He suddenly added another one, my throat immediately turning dry. It wasn't exactly bad, and it didn't exactly hurt, but the first minutes were definitely uncomfortable.

He kept fingering me for a while, savoring the sight of his fingers entering me for the first time ever. He looked almost hypnotized, only pulling away to keep things going when I started to shake again. I huff in frustration with the new feeling of emptiness when his fingers leave me and he chuckles at me.

-Don't worry, baby, gonna fill you up again, but not with my fingers.

He crawls on top of me again, kissing me deeply, making me feel my own taste. It was all so new, a territory I never explored before with anyone, and he was making it feel so natural. I wasn't even that nervous, just a bit anxious, naturally.

Colby's clothes were on the floor in a heartbeat, my eyes taking it's time to appreciate the view. I bite my lips in anticipation, finally looking up to meet his eyes again, with him already looking at me with a mix of desire and concern.

-You're 100% sure, right? -He asks, once more, propping himself on his elbows.

I smile, although my heartbeats could be heard in the silence, I was peaceful. With a nod of my head, my hands slide up his arms as I lean to kiss him once more. He quickly reciprocates, deepening it and using one hand to touch all details of my body.

He wrapped it up with a condom, giving me a few more seconds to deny it if I wanted to. He was so desperate to feel me, yet so nervous, even more than I was, which is kinda funny. I was the one about to lose my virginity and he was the one freaking out.

-I trust you. -I speak, when I see him reluctant on top of me, scared to do something I wasn't ready to, but I was, and I truly wanted to.

He nods with a small smile, sliding his tip up and down my folds, collecting my wetness before aligning his dick on my entrance.

-Tell me if it hurts, ok? If you wanna stop just say it and I will.

And with that he was thrusting only his tip inside of me, the burning sensation immediately making me tear up and whine. He stopped, waiting patiently for me to give him the green light, and as soon as I do he pushes it all at once.

-Fuck, baby. -He groans, burying his face on my shoulder.

I try to take deep breaths, my pussy pulsing against him, trying to adjust to his size. It wasn't the worst feeling ever, with all the things people say I thought it'd be way worse. Maybe I'm just lucky, maybe I'm just wet, but definitely trusting him enough to not be so nervous helped a lot.

I tell him to move when I felt like I could take it, and his hips started to slap against mine, making nasty sounds all over the room, echoing through the walls. It wasn't the best thing ever at first, but minutes later when I was finally getting used to it it started to feel better, the pain and the burning sensations going away slowly.

Colby looks at me to make sure I was alright and kisses my forehead, touching my nose with his, he was thrusting in a faster pace, deeper, making me feel him in my stomach.

-Fuck, so good, you look so pretty. -He praises, making me smile and blush, eyes rolling back slightly as I could feel my body moving up and down with each thrust of his.

My hands squeeze his arms, nails digging on his skin as I tried to assimilate all my feelings, my heart beating faster when he captures my lips with his own, kissing me soft, the pace of the kiss not matching the pace of his thrusts.

-I love you. -He mumbles against my lips.

-I love you too. -I whisper.

Colby moves even faster, sweat dripping down his temples as he warned me he was close, moving one of his hands to rub circles on my clit. I feel the not so familiar not on my stomach forming, a desperate need to explode filling my thoughts, my moans getting louder and a loud scream of his name leaving my lips when it snaps, making me release all over him.

That was enough to make him reach his own climax, filling the condom with his warm seed. He slides out of me, throwing the plastic away and pulling me to cuddle. My face was rested on his chest, both of us breathing heavily.

-Thank you for trusting me. I love you, baby. -He breaks the silence, kissing the top of my head and squeezing me against his body.

-I love you, Colby, you're my one and only, thank you for making me feel so good. -I respond, kissing him gently.

We both fall asleep a few minutes later enjoying our company and feeling way too comfortable with each other's warmth. It was my first time, and although it had a few pain and burning sensations involved, I couldn't ask for a better experience.

tags 💕

@riowritesitall @sturniolosarethebest @hyacinthst @anabanana28 @flower-sturns @sturncakez @sssoniaswiftt @watercolorskyy @delooshunalhoe @sarosfilms @blahbel668 @sturniyolo69 @sturniolosl0t @sturnsxbitvh @nessii-sturniolo @colbsposts00 @fallingforfalll2 @stvrnmc @slxtformatt @lovingregulusblack @starnoirr @katie-tibo @mattsfavbigtitties

[friskafriskito]

Charity Commissions 🇵🇸

Hello guys, it's been a while!

To cut to the chase: I would like to help spread both awareness and support for those suffering in the ongoing genocide in Palestine. So, in light of this, I will open up some commissions where rather than paying me, you simply provide proof of your donation.

I know this blog is mainly just for my art, but if I can use my art for any good I would like to do so. If you cannot donate, please reblog!

Here are some recommended links:

E-sims for Gaza: https://gazaesims.com  

Palestinian children’s relief fund: PCRF

Women for women (hygiene kits, blankets, food): Urgent Support for Women in Palestine Women for Women International

Anera dignity kits: https://www.anera.org/stories/gaza-emergency-aid-includes-dignity-kits/

But of course you can donate to any related organization and fundraiser you like, even if it’s not included here!

If you are Egyptian you can also donate to any of the organizations listed under the Instapay, Talabat, Fawry apps, or your bank app under their ‘donations’ services with the equivalent price in EGP (based on the bank rate). Just provide a screenshot.

For a written list of the prices, the do/don'ts, and so on, please look under the read-more for more details!

How Does this Work?

Send me the idea you have and I will let you know if it’s good to go or if it’s not appropriate (or if I can’t do it due to time/work)

When you get the okay, I will ask for more details (references, colour schemes, poses, which charity you plan to donate to, etc.)

I will draw you a basic thumbnail for your confirmation (these are very vague sketches to just pinpoint the pose).

Once you confirm the pose, I will ask you to donate and I will get to work

Send me a screenshot of the e-mail confirming your donation (blur out/colour over any personal info!), or the “Thank you for your donation!” screen if there is no e-mail

You get your drawing in exchange!

NOTE: I will likely post them on my artblog and Instagram, so if you don’t want them posted there or would like to remain anonymous, please let me know!

Also bear in mind I have a full-time job, so they might be a while! But you WILL get your commission.

HALF-BODY

$5-$9: Lineart $10-$14: Monotone $15-$19: Colours, flat $20-$24: Colours, shaded Above $25: Colours, shaded, with background

FULL-BODY

$10-$14: Lineart $15-$19: Monotone $20-$24: Colours, flat $25-$29: Colours, shaded Above $30: Colours, shaded, with background

Yes-es:

Fan art is fine (I won’t be getting any monetary profit from this)

Characters from original stories

Personas/self-inserts/fan characters/Tabletop RPG characters

Real!you, family members, friends, etc. (at the risk of them not looking like them at all :’D)

Animals (they might be a bit less cartoony as I'm not used to them but yes)

Personifications/anthropomorphic/strange creatures in general

Nos:

No discriminatory content

No religious figures, symbolism or content (I am Muslim so… Cannot Really Do That)

No extreme gore or suggestive themes, or characters from media that feature a lot of either (this is because my art blog is PG-13, and I’d rather not anything off-colour for a charity commission anyway)

No using these with AI or NFTs

Do not use for commercial purposes. These are for charity!

I reserve the right to decline your commission if I feel like you have insincere ulterior motives, or if an emergency comes up.

Generally, keep this PG-13/grandma-friendly!

Pleases:

References (preferably image based, but text is fine if there is no visual depiction/canon design)

Colour you associate with the character if monotone

Poses (just not lewd or rude)

Context (like description of their personality, what they like, their setting, etc.)

Ask first:

You are free to repost the artwork on another platform as long as you credit me as the artist. Absolutely use them if you need a picture for something like an RP account!

If from your original work, you may use them in non-commercial projects, just please credit me (and give me a heads up so I can go check it out! :D).

If an original character from an original story, you are free to use the artwork to help with things like visual development (let’s say, you are creating a game, comic or pilot, and you want a reference for the artists on your team to use), just once again give me a heads up and credit me as the artist.

If you've made it this far, and can't donate, thank you so much for your interest anyway. At the very least, this reached someone.

[green-socks]

(Do You) Share My Affection

Pairing: Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw (aka hangster)

Summary: Bradley and Jake end up on a date with each other through an anonymous dating app (because they are just a little bit idiots about each other). The date is the wakeup call they needed.

Words: 2.7k

Warnings: suggestive/mature language, making out, oblivious idiots to lovers, very vague IceMav in the background.

Notes: So, I saw a screenshot from somewhere of two people having a pretty random convo, but one of them said "Wow, there's way more sexual tension now that I hate you" and I went oh that's Bradley flirting with Jake. Thanks to those unknown people for inspiring the text exchange in this! This was supposed to be a quick silly/horny thing and it got a little more serious than originally intended but it is what it is. And yes, they use the app from Ted Lasso, because I thought it worked perfectly for what I wanted. Once again many thanks to @a-reader-and-a-writer for betaing (most of this), listening to my rambles, and for coming up with Jake's username <3 Same goes for @writeforfandoms with the rambles. Everything I write is for you two basically <3

MASTERLIST

CloudWrangler: Well, you know, I like long walks on the beach, getting flowers.. and blowjobs😉

CloudWrangler: That's the first date already planned right there. You’re welcome😘

Bradley hadn’t looked up from his phone all day, spending nearly every moment chatting with this nameless (unless you counted his username, which Bradley did not) guy. He was never like this. Normally Phoenix gave him shit for taking forever to answer her texts. Called him a grandpa for often calling her rather than texting.

Originally when Payback had suggested Bradley try out this new dating app, Bantr, he had been more than a little skeptical. He had never used a dating app before, having been content with finding his hookups the old-fashioned way – bars. Hadn't had any trouble with it either, so what did he need an app for? But this new app wasn't picture-based like many others, instead just having faceless people chat and try to connect that way. Bradley supposed that seemed less superficial than even his usual method, which is why when Maverick of all people had badgered him to get out there and make a profile, he'd complied. Mav and Ice had even helped set it up (came up with the username too), which Bradley would never admit to anyone, thank you.

Despite his initial wariness, the app seemed to have a point after all. CloudWrangler had messaged him the day before, and they hadn't stopped talking since. Bradley thought the total anonymity was actually kind of freeing, and found it really easy to talk to the other person, even without knowing what he looked like. Bradley didn't even know how old the man was, but based on some things they'd talked about, he assumed they were roughly the same age. They had talked about mostly superficial, casual stuff like movies, but sometimes the conversation derailed to downright weird nonsense with them arguing over something inconsequential, making Bradley laugh out loud even. He was honestly having fun flirting and, well, bantering with this random man.

Which was why Bradley had asked if they should actually go out and see if they'd have fun in real life too. Sure they could have continued getting to know each other better by texting, but Bradley was still holding on to his ways of preferring a face-to-face conversation. Since Bantr was more of an honest to god dating app and not just for hooking up, Bradley hoped his wanting to meet so soon didn't scare the other man away. Even if their messages had gotten progressively more suggestive too.

Chuckling to himself, Bradley wrote a reply.

Gosling84: 🙄

Gosling84: Yeah well I don’t know, I like nice tits. That’s about all I need

Gosling84: Let me know if you’re up for it

CloudWrangler: I’ll have you know I’ve been told I have very nice tits indeed. But you’re gonna have to give me a bit more if you wanna get to know them, so you let me know if you’re up for it

So yeah, CloudWrangler seriously had no filter, but neither did Bradley. They both shared equal blame in escalating the flirting, which also had turned into a one-upping contest. Bradley was particularly proud of asking the other man if he was a fitted sheet since he was complicated and infuriating but Bradley needed him on his bed.

Gosling84: Fair. But I’m honestly having a hard time coming up with more requests for our date right now

CloudWrangler: And they call me easy…

Gosling84: Wait

Gosling84: How do you feel about baseball?

CloudWrangler: Eh. I can watch a game every now and then. More enjoyable if I go to the game instead of watching at home. Much more of a football kind of guy🤘🏻😎

Gosling84: Ugh

Gosling84: There’s somehow more sexual tension now that I hate you

CloudWrangler: Hate sex is fun sex babe, let’s go

CloudWrangler: I do have one last question though

CloudWrangler: Pineapple on pizza, yes or no?

Gosling84: Hell yes.

CloudWrangler: jfc. Hate sex it is

CloudWrangler: You free tonight?

Bradley snorted to himself slightly. It was nearing eight on a Saturday evening and he'd been talking to the guy all day. Yeah, he was free.

They ended up agreeing on a dive bar far enough from base that Bradley felt comfortable he wouldn’t be running into people he knew all night. He was glad the other man – whose name he still didn’t know – had suggested it. Not that Bradley had a problem with people knowing if he went on a date, it was just easier to avoid a) someone giving him shit for going out with a man, or b) one of his squad mates just giving him shit for going out in general. Like Hangman, who seemed to live for being a pain in his ass, and had essentially cockblocked Bradley the couple of times a girl had approached him at The Hard Deck. Not that Bradley had truthfully minded very much, since he had still been in no condition to do anything anyway. But now it had been months since he'd last gotten laid, what with deployment, the mission, and the healing after the mission, so he was ready to be getting back in the game. Maybe going on this date wasn't such a bad idea.

He decided on his usual attire of nice jeans, a white tank top, and one of his father’s old Hawaiian shirts. It was casual but still nice, and most importantly it made Bradley feel confident. He knew he looked good, but it was still kind of nerve-wracking to go on what was essentially a blind date, since the other guy didn’t know what Bradley looked like any more than Bradley knew what CloudWrangler looked like. Besides that he apparently had nice tits.

Shaking his head, wondering if he was insane for doing this, Bradley grabbed the keys to his Bronco and set off.

-

Jake was nervous. And when he was nervous he was early. Only Bob was as bad as he was about being early everywhere, and somehow Jake managed it even when spending a good amount of time on his hair. He'd been sitting at the booth for 15 minutes now, watching the door like a hawk for every person who walked in, wondering if they were his mystery man.

Would they have the same chemistry in person too? Would there be a physical attraction? Usually he could count on there being that (often only that). This was his first ever Bantr date. He was much more used to Grindr hookups, but this was different. He never talked to guys on Grindr for this long before meeting up, and usually it was just straight to fucking anyway. Not much talking was required there. This was the first time he didn't have just his good looks to rely on. It was new for him in many ways.

He decided to leave one more message to the guy.

CloudWrangler: I'm at the second booth from the back, left side of the counter. Wearing an orange shirt. Come find me😉

Now he just had to wait for the guy to arrive. At least there was no one important to witness it if he got stood up or something. Trying to get his nerves under control, he stuck a new toothpick in his mouth, just as the door opened once again.

And then the toothpick fell out.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" he croaked to himself as none other than Bradley fucking Bradshaw walked in, strutting like the rooster he was.

What were the chances that Rooster would arrive at the same bar as he was?? What the fuck?

Rooster had frozen a few steps from the door, looking down at his phone and then looking up straight at Jake. And then repeating it three times, shock and recognition warring on his face.

No. No way. No fucking way. This was not real.

Jake buried his face in his hands, groaning at the mess that was his personal life, as the mustached menace sat himself down at the booth opposite him.

"Bradshaw. Whatare you doing here?" It was more of a rhetorical question, since the answer was becoming quite apparent.

Bradshaw answered anyway, "Well, as I understood it, I think I was supposed to give you a blowjob in exchange for getting to see your tits, or something like that."

Jake's mouth dropped open as his hands finally fell back into his lap.

"First of all, I should have asked why did this happen to me, and second of all, who said you were blowing me? I just said I like blowjobs."

Jake didn't know what possessed him to say that, but he thought it may have served its purpose when Rooster's mouth dropped open as well. At least they were now even.

He felt like he was slowly gaining back his footing in this bizarre situation, so he continued teasing, "Besides, you didn't even bring me flowers."

Rooster's eyes shot open (when had he closed them?) and inexplicably, his face flushed red.

"Now, don't laugh," the brunet started, "but I actually did."

"What?"

"You said you liked getting flowers, so I stopped to get some. That's what took me so long," Rooster mumbled.

There was a faint buzzing in Jake's head. Was this real life? Had he hit his head? Had Rooster?

"Wh- Well, where are they?" Jake asked, bewildered.

Rooster blushed even harder, positively scarlet now.

"They're still in the Bronco. I chickened out on actually bringing them inside."

Jake was going to die, here at this booth. Yes he was.

"Same old Rooster," he chortled. "That's… goddamn adorable. What did you get me?" he couldn't help asking.

"Uhh.. It was just a bouquet that I thought looked nice. I don't really know much about flowers, and I didn't know what he – you, that is – liked. There were some daisies I think. Reminded me of mom a little bit," Rooster admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh."

Jake was sure he would have loved the flowers. Who doesn't love getting flowers? They make you feel special.

An awkward silence settled at their table. Jake had no idea how to continue from here. Would they still have the date? Would it be weird? If he was honest with himself, now that the initial shock had worn off, he was kind of relieved. He already knew Rooster, was already attracted to him (obviously), he already..... liked Rooster.

Shit. This was his opportunity to have it all, only Rooster probably wouldn't want to…

"Do you–"

"Do you–"

They both started at the same time and then cut off, motioning for the other to go on, chuckling awkwardly. Jake groaned internally. Why were they like this?

For all Jake's jokes about Rooster's perch, he was the one to actually take the leap this time.

"Do you want to maybe go for a walk? I feel like we should talk, and it's getting louder in here," the brunet asked.

It wasn't really that loud at the bar, but Jake admitted that it might be easier to have whatever conversation they were about to have in a more private setting, so he agreed.

"It's not really a walk on the beach but," Rooster shrugged, "we can walk as long as you'd like at least."

Jake arched an eyebrow at him. "You're really angling for that blowjob, huh, Roo?"

"No, it's not that! I mean, I just–" he broke off with an exasperated sigh. "If I'd known it was you, I would've planned a proper date."

"What? Why?"

"Well, you know. You deserve a proper date."

He did not know. In fact, Jake was very much not in the know right now.

"Besides," Rooster continued, unaware or uncaring of Jake's confusion, "I'm probably not what you were looking for tonight."

Alright. Here went nothing.

"Are you kidding me? I mean yeah, I didn't expect you, but I was on that dumb app trying to forget about you in the first place," Jake said, trying to sound a lot cooler about it than he felt. "Javy said I was being stupid, that I should at least try shooting my shot with you first before assumi–"

Jake suddenly noticed that Rooster had stopped a few paces ago.

"Well, why didn't you?" Rooster demanded, as if he was personally offended by this revelation.

"Well, I thought you were straight for one thing!"

"Oh." Rooster blinked. "Well, I'm not."

"I kind of got that now, yeah," Jake rolled his eyes.

"What's stopping you now then?"

Jake froze. Rooster was calling his bluff, but Jake could do that right back. Trying to look unaffected still, even with his heart hammering wildly, he threw back as cockily as he could muster, "The fact that you're standing over there and I'm over here?"

What he hadn't anticipated – even though he probably should have – was Rooster taking those few steps to come stand right in front of Jake, so close that he had to slightly tilt his head up to meet Rooster's dark eyes. And damn if that didn't thrill him.

"What about now, Jake?" the other man asked in a low voice.

At the sound of his first name coming out of those lips, Jake let out a sound that was purely plosives.

Bradley – because yeah, this was getting way too intimate for callsigns – reached out and cradled Jake's jaw in one big hand. 

"In case there's still something stopping you, let me tell you what was stopping me. I was just the dumbest man alive. I didn't even realize it before the moment I saw you tonight, that the reason I was having so much fun talking to the guy on the app was that it reminded me of you. I was having fun because I was talking to you, and not some stranger."

Jake blinked. Oh. Okay then.

"I guess we're both a bit dumb," he said, huffing out a laugh. "I should've known it was you. Who else loves pineapple on pizza?"

Bradley rolled his eyes, smiled as if that was the best joke he'd ever heard, and leaned in to kiss him.

-

Bradley really didn't know how he'd been so dumb. Kissing Jake felt so right he wondered how he had ever kissed anyone else. And Bradley liked kissing. This was just.. different somehow. Better.

He moved his hand to cup the back of Jake's neck just as the blond let out the tiniest, breathy little moan. Bradley wanted more of that. All of it. He felt Jake step even closer so that they were pressed together from head to toe, Jake's arms coming around Bradley's waist, running across his back.

His tongue had wandered off to explore Jake's mouth a good while ago, and Bradley vaguely thought that he might never pull it back to his own. He'd just have to live like this, his face plastered to Jake's. Didn't sound like a bad idea.

Jake evidently disagreed. He pulled away just a little bit to catch his breath, but Bradley didn't mind. He could continue his project of inhaling every piece of the other man he possibly could, instead bending down a little to kiss and nip at his jaw, down toward his neck.

"Br– Bradley?" Jake panted. "D'you wanna.. maybe go somewhere? You know, somewhere more private?"

Bradley blinked a few times to clear his head. "Yeah, yeah that sounds good."

Then he remembered they were more than a half an hour's drive away from their homes. Shit. That was a long time in a situation like this. In separate cars.

"Is the back of my Bronco private enough?" Bradley asked, hoping Jake knew this was just to take the edge off and that he would treat the blonde like he deserved when they got home. And talk. They'd talk more, later.

"Shit, yeah, that's good enough for now," Jake grunted and grabbed Bradley's hand to drag him back toward the bar's parking lot.

"As long as we don't destroy my flowers. I still want them."

"Of course, sweetheart," Bradley murmured, pressing a kiss to Jake's knuckles, and enjoyed the way his cheeks went a little pinker.

[end]

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

Bonus: telling you how it went when IceMav helped BradBrad set up the profile, courtesy of Vee. Cause Mav and Bradley were in the kitchen while Ice was in the living room, occasionally intervening because he had to. As his voice wouldn't carry that far, he texted Mav his opinions instead.

*ding* "Geez, Ice! I said we won't say it!" *ding* "I said fine!" *ding* "Then you come do it!" *ding* "Oh. That is better."

thank god for Ice

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

tagsies: @wildbornsiren @mayhem24-7forever @callsign-phoenix @hederasgarden @lt-natrace @marvelousmermaid @luckyladycreator2 @alexxavicry @blue-aconite @writercole

[nanabansama]

Hello ! do you think Sakura is the real no.7 ? I just read a theory about that, in one chapter it says ”the seat for the seven mysteries will return to its formal form!” that made me feel like Sakura is the real no.7. what do you think that means ?

Hello!!

You mean the passage from Chapter 93, yes? Based on the full exchange in that chapter, I don't believe her to be Number 7. Here it is:

(Images taken from the DBS Scans fan translation.)

First, I think one thing from these pages that supports the idea that Sakura = Number 7 is that Sumire says Hakubo works for Sakura. As we know, Hanako is the leader of the Seven Mysteries. For Sakura to hold power over Hakubo could imply she is Number 7.

However... take a look at what she says next. Sumire says that Sakura gave Hakubo his position. She appointed him to Number 6. Now, to be fair, Hanako has been shown to give out interviews to aspiring Mysteries... but if that's the case, then who appoints Number 7? Personally, I find it simpler if that's only one person.

So, to me, Sakura is the one in charge of who the Seven Mysteries are. This is also how I rationalize her name being "nana"mine (seven-mine) -- she governs the seven, so seven is in her name.

Admittedly, the first time I read this chapter, I thought Sakura might be the god that the Seven are mentioned to serve... I had the idea in my head that god was the one who appointed them. But upon further reflection, I don't think Sakura acts much like a god. And if she is, then she has fallen far, far from grace...

Anyway, I think the line "return to its formal form" or whatever variant you prefer deserves our attention. This line is purposefully vague, meant to tantalize our minds and get us to imagine the possibilities of what it could mean.

First off, I will say that I don't think that it implies a nuance like "Replace the Current Mysteries with the Old Ones." Sakura says that the Sevens' jobs (to protect the Mortal Realm) are done, and that Nanafushigi are no longer necessary. For her to return some hypothetical old members to their seats only to immediately get rid of them again seems pointless.

Rather, I think she means that she wants to return the Sevens' seats so that something will occur. As if the seats were there to prevent something from happening. Such as, say... the border between the Near and Far Shores being destroyed?

(Images taken from the DBS Scans fan translation.)

Hmm... at first, I thought there was a sinister meaning here. That the yorishiro being destroyed meant that everyone would be destroyed and die. But when she says things might cease to exist, it could imply that there will simply no longer be a difference between the living and dead? (That doesn't sound so bad, does it...?)

(Image taken from the official YenPress translation.)

Hmm...

Anyway, I hope this answered your question. Please don't let me dictate how you think, though. There's no such thing as a bad theory -- so long as you're trying your best to stay faithful to the text, of course!

[qqueenofhades]

With moving and starting a new job, do you have any tips on how to make new friends? Why is it so damn hard as an adult? :(

Alas, I am not a good person to ask for tips on Being Social, as I am an elderly hermit who hates being forced to socialize outside of a strictly monitored schedule and is usually in bed by 8pm. I am usually content to hang out by myself and chat with my friends via WhatsApp or Discord or whatever, since text-based friendship is sometimes less spoons-demanding (though unfortunately, all of my closest friends live far away). Part of that is yeah, it is stupidly hard to make friends as an adult and I'm the sort of person who can get by with a small circle of friends, rather than trying super hard to make new ones. If it happens, great! My friends are incredible and I adore them. But I'm also happy to spend time by myself and do my own thing, so yeah.

Anyway, part of it is just being friendly to people you see at work or around town or at school or wherever you spend a lot of time. Almost nobody likes it when a total stranger walks up to them and starts talking, but if you exchange small talk here and there, it slowly breaks the ice and builds a relationship more naturally. You can also go the route of meeting people on tumblr and then start talking to them off the site, via text or etc, which is often what I did. That way you already know that you have interests in common and you've already been talking on a level that lets you know that you're often compatible to hang out in real life. I have met a lot of people this way, then gotten to meet them for real, and it's a great cheat code for friendship, since as I said, you already know what the other likes and have been chatting and getting to know each other easily.

Overall, though, yes, making new friends as an adult is tough and requires so much "can we get together on that day? No I'm working. How about that day? No, you're working" and so on. So yes, good luck!

[laismoura-art]

Hi @rasta-bot I hope you don't mind me continuing our conversation here, the reblogs were lagging my phone💀

Picking up exactly from where we stopped:

Deter me? Oh no, dear, you actually just invited me to sit down and play doll with you, and I'm taking that invitation!

---

Of course! I loved that rewrite! Delia being secretly in love with Amara and Amara loving her back, but neither of them can act on their mutual feelings fiven their current positions?? And Argus luring Delia's friend and love only to toss her aside afterwards AAA! NOT THE DOOMED LOVE!!! HAVE YOU. NO. MERCY???

On another note, is that right? Are you saying you're writing for more girls? My most special girl, Harumi, included?👀👀 count me as intrigued!

---

Aww, thank you! I'm so happy my AU is appreciated! I loved to work on it, and I take much pride in the results, and it makes my day to know other people enjoyed it!!🥹🩷🩵🩷🩵🩷

---

Now, yes, back to the main point!

(First of all, let's refrain from the "They are fictional" argument cause... let's be real, it's annoying, and we are both exchanging walls of texts about said fictional characters. We are WAY PAST the "they are fictional" arguments. Just be as passionate as you like, and I'll do the same. One passionate fan from another.)

And just to clear the air once and for all: I do understand you didn't mean to attack/offent/hate on MK1 Tanya.

Yes, the wording bothered me (mostly because I've heard them on worse contexts by far less well intentioned ppl), but I don't think you hate her because of it (never did, honestly).

My reply was mainly due to the "they gave Tanya what was supposed to be Jade's" cause that's an argument I find flawed.

It does cause (non intentional) damage to people's view of the character (I've seen it before with both Kuai and Harumi) and in Tanya's case specifically, it IS an argument that lacks evidence to base itself.

I already explained why, no need to keep repeating myself, it will only bore us both. So let's move on from that!

You said you don't like Tanya's change of alignment, and I take that this is tied to your dislike of Multiverse. You're not a fan of Status Quo changes (at least not drastically), that's a fact and that's perfectly fine!

I personally find her change of alignment intriguing, but that comes from my liking of Multiverse. I do enjoy a vast change of Status Quo (probably why I've been avoiding comics recently, their resistance to change has deeply annoyed me and it really makes me feel like the character are just stuck because they are unable to learn cause learning leads to change and GOD FORBID CHANGES! Sorry, for the vent)

In the end MK1 Tanya is a product of Multiverse and I if you don't like Multiverse and already liked her previous self, there ain't much to be done here, sadly.

All I can do is insist this version of Tanya will NOT get in the way of Jade and her development! They can co-exist and their stories will not contradict or disturb each other.

You know what? I BET you can create an amazing story about Jade and her connection with Delia without ONCE contradict canon!

---

Ok, I see now why she appeals to you... And that's the only thing I can think of is:

This is you:

And I can respect the commitment to the evil women. Support women's wrongs!✊🏾

---

Now, I actually want to go back to the MKX Tanya, you got me wondering here:

You said you don't like her being a Rebel like Jade, but this take popped in my brain and I'd like to share:

You say Tanya works as a perfect Anti-Jade, right?

And it's interesting to have them contrast each other and having Tanya being a Rebel takes that away.

BUT hear me out: couldn't that ADD to your point instead?

See, I believe a good way to show how different a character is from another is to put them in similar situations and see how they react to them!

They both want the same thing, right? A free Edenia, but the way both fight to achieve that same goal is vastly different! I mean, just look at the princesses each of them chooses to follow, I think that alone already speaks volumes about each of these characters!

I think showing their different reactions and approaches on a similar subject would be a perfect way to emphasise your point!

But that's me, do as you wish with this take, it's for you <3

---

I already tapped on the Multiverse part, I just find it quite funny how we experienced pretty similar interactions with the Multiverse and yet we have ENTIRELY opposite views on it, lol!

Like, I definitely went down that rabbit hole with your brother! And girl! Don't I love this absolute mess WHOLEHEARTEDLY!😂

And I gotta say, I DID read your linked post before we got here!

And I know this cause though I didn't fully agree, this part:

This part really, really resonated with me! DEEPLY!

Cause let me tell you, that's EXACTLY how I feel about Invasions Season 1!

Like, I HATE that shit! Screw that overly inflammable incel! That was NO Hanzo Hasashi!

And as creator of Scorpion!Harumi, SCREW THAT ENDING!! The only acceptable ending for that season would've been Harumi OBLITERATING fake Hanzo (Zanho, if you will)!

With that being said, I am actually glad it exists because being utterly furious about it was what led me to create the Scorpion!Harumi AU, and from it grew my interest in obscure characters and my frustration with how they were treated and ultimately came my mission to bring them all to the center stage!

Seriously, when I read that part in your post, I was literally like: YES!! YES!! SHE GETS IT!!!

---

But, I also have to confess, another thing you said that resonated with me was this:

And it pains me to say that reflects perfectly how I feel about Hanrumi😭

Like... they are cute! And the fanon work made from them is adorable!

But you know... I love Harumi. And I love Hanzo. And GOD! Never ONCE their relationship brought them anything good!

I mean, either she's dead, or he's dead, or this:

And like I said. I DESPISE this ending.

Scorpion!Harumi is literally trapped with a guy who looks like her dead husband and who will attack her have her not reciprocate his affections (as he has done before with another Harumi)

So that's why I don't mind the context Harumi was brought to MK1. I don't mind Kuairumi. Kuai is a nice guy, he is in love with her and being with him doesn't mean death penalty to her.

Plus! Being "the clan leader who will mentor her childhood friend/crush into becoming a clan leader himself" as is a much, MUCH cooler character description than "dead wife".

Soooo, yeah. When it comes to canon Harumi partners, I'm team Kuairumi ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

With that out of the way:

YES! it's so good to have these girls around! And we can only hope they finally receive the love they deserve!!🥹🩷

In the meantime, HECK YEAH! LET'S HAVE FUN!!!

[aghhtdraws]

Are you still in the jade armor fandom? :0/gen

Hello! Sorry for replying to this so late!

Basically, the "fandom" as such or fanbase has been so small online, that to me I was not sure it existed even xD But yes! I am still a Jade fan :D Jade Armor is the best cartoon! It's not even that old to me, I just started watching it in the spring of 2023, when it started airing here again. So I've been a fan for just a year or so since march!

I'm curious where this question comes from!

Would be nice if there were more fans online, but honestly, I have always thought that maybe that's a monkey's paw wish - and that really, it's a bit nice exchange of fate in a way - that it seems that while the online fandom is small, perhaps the show has many offline fans, people actually watching it across multiple channels! (since it's available both on big channels like RTL, but also online in their online versions, maybe it just has many viewers from there)

and it's a fun show with a very cool style and premise, so I'm happy if it has fans at all, whether I actually see them online or not. So I haven't been very active in fandom spaces myself, mostly posting fanart online, because I just don't have time + energy as much for some fandom stuff anymore I guess xD

bc there's so few fancontent online, I really appreciate that the official jade armor insta has so much info and posts about it.

I've seen a lot of shows go under after it's been decided they're not profitable, or similarly, many fandoms sorta dwindle and become smaller after the show has been cancelled, so... it's nice to know that, if a 2nd season really has been put into production (as we've seen announced online), that the shareholders behind the show are willing to fund the studio to make another season. I'm really curious to see where they could be going with the story and characters, since the world and relationships they've shown feel really well-built, like they're real and there's history there. So I'm just happy to see if it will really be aired and that the team has put as much care and effort in as in the first season. I really like the show!

I might put up more fanart, since I've been doing sketches recently, but have been thinking of posting more fanfic too. The show should have at least one fanfic on AO3 (by me), but havent had time to finish more. I'm curious to see more but not really as sad about it since the fandom itself is still very new!

One thing I'd maybe like to personally change is like, make a small wikipedia for it? not on the current main fanwiki site, but just a small one for reference? and another thing is... the tvtropes page? TVtropes in general has so much misinfo sometimes since no one is obligated to keep refs and it's based on "fandom memory" haha... but it's so weird to me how much of the text there is ppl comparing Jade Armor to Miraculous, even tho they are such different shows after the first glance xD Seriously! you can make normal comparisons without letting ppl know how much you hate the other show xD

it's a similar situation to earlier fanbases like ppl comparing Winx vs WITCH, Jake Long vs Juniper Lee, The Book of Life vs Coco... it's as if online cartoon fans apparently just have nothing better to do than make their shows fight xD

lol sorry for the wall of text i've just been thinking abt this show a lot already and this is my way of answering your question I guess xD

Fingers crossed that the show has a build-up of fans, both offline and online!

[jeanstapleton]

thinking abt more return to oz parallels & how roy & linda could mirror the nome king & mombi/langwidere

[...]the Gnome King represents materialist greed. He is driven by a lust for power for the sake of power.[8] Once defeated, the King gains a new sinister motivation, revenge. He and his allies want to enslave people to attain wealth and power. [...] the Nome King enjoys keeping surface-dwellers as slaves—not for their labor but simply to have them. [...] The Nomes' greatest fear are eggs. Sally Roesch Wagner, in her pamphlet The Wonderful Mother of Oz suggests that Matilda Joslyn Gage had made Baum aware that the egg is an important symbol of matriarchy, and that it is this that the Nomes, among whom no females are seen in any canonical text,[4] actually fear.

getting a bit bioessentialist towards the end there but the behaviors between the two characters are very similar, even though the nome king is also similar to lorraine, but again, the parallels arent meant to be literal all the time.

Princess Langwidere (a pun on the term "languid air", as enabled by her wealthy status and lazy carefree manner) appears in Baum's third Oz book Ozma of Oz (1907) as a secondary villain. She is the vain and spoiled princess whom Dorothy and her company encounter when she visits the Land of Ev which neighbors Oz. Langwidere has a collection of 30 exchangeable heads she keeps in a cabinet constructed of solid gold and studded with gems.[...] Langwidere has a meek-natured dutiful maid named Nanda. Upon spotting Nanda going about her duties around the castle, the Hungry Tiger regards her as exceptionally tasty-looking and eagerly requests her permission to eat her; being denied this privilege, he instead asks Nanda to whip up a sumptuous beef-and-potatoes feast for him, which she shakily agrees to, as her doing so will mean that she will both escape undevoured and temporarily take the edge off the Tiger's voracious appetite.

i see this in the linda commune, where saint linda surrounds herself with the "heads" of other abused women to prop herself up as the sovereign, even though shes the one that groomed nadine/dot. each head extends from saint linda like a hydra, parroting sanctimonious bullshit that, in the end, just reveals the extent of linda's duplicity rather than providing dot with catharsis. the part at the end with the made is very reminiscent of that too (nadine/nanda?). im mostly basing all of this off of the movie rather than the source text since im aware langwidere & mombi were different ppl, but the combination of the two makes the comparisons more convenient & consistent. i think its also worth noting that yes, the lindas all wearing green echoes lorne malvo's riddle about shades of green from season 1, but it also gives off the idea that the commune was emerald city, and, because there was no catharsis found, that the idea of utopia in the real world is not realistic, microcosmic or otherwise. the only real "utopian" ideals we can uphold are that of self-respect, love, and community.

[forabeatofadrum]

Hello everyone and a fine El WooWoo Wednesday to you. Thank you @facewithoutheart​ for the tag. I woke up today and I chose violence and by violence I mean “doing something batshit like posting another WIP Wednesday Hospital”.

It’s been a while (7 months, apparently) since I last did one of those, so for the ones who are new, let me explain what a WIP Wednesday Hospital is real quick. The WIP Wednesday Hospital is inspired a post by @facewithoutheart​ called a WIP Wednesday Graveyard, where Christina put her abandoned WIPs to rest and I was obsessed with the idea, but I also realised that I wasn’t ready to put my WIPs to rest since I had the intention of finishing them. So instead of a graveyard, my WIPs reside in a (long-stay) hospital ward. All my WIPs are waiting for me to discharge them (aka finish them). Some WIPs have been in this long-stay hospital ward for years (shout out to aap noot mies for getting discharged after 7 years!) while others are still getting used to it.

Below the cut are 10 patients waiting for a visit. You can go say hi to all of them, or just skip to the ones that interest you. I bolded the fandoms/ships etc. for easier browsing.

So please mask up and leave your name at the guest list: @quizasvivamos @crissmastrees-and-candyklaines @coffeegleek @esperantoauthor @otherworldsivelivedin @caramelcoffeeaddict @sillyunicorn @bazzybelle @dragoneggos @raenestee @tectonicduck @nightimedreamersworld @urban-sith @thnxforknowingme @captain-aralias @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @takitalks @justgleekout @cerriddwenluna @wellbelesbian @tea-brigade @cutestkilla @ivelovedhimthroughworse @moodandmist @artsyunderstudy @whogaveyoupermission @bookish-bogwitch @confused-bi-queer @martsonmars @aroace-genderfluid-sheep​ @ionlydrinkhotwater​ @1908jmd​ @special-bc-ur-part-of-it​ @larkral​

Patient no. 1 has gotten a lot of love lately. It’s my Snowbaz Carry On Prompt Fest text fic make a fire out of this flame. Simon’s sent a wrong message to Baz and things escalate from there on:

Baz🍆 (17:06) Will I ever meet your soulmate?

Simon Snow-Salisbury (17:06) what

Baz🍆 (17:07) The fish

Simon Snow-Salisbury (17:07) OH

This is Simon’s phone, hence the 🍆 (it’ll get explained) (it’s not what you think). And I hate to say it, but I think I might have to wheel this one back to the hospital ward. I may have to prioritise finishing other fics, including patient no. 2.

Patient no. 2 has the working title comphet babey! and I hope it’s going to be my Klaine Advent fic for this year. I have a total of two (2) ideas for this fic. One is that Blaine and Quinn are in a comphet relationship and the other is that the entire fic takes place in Ljubljana, Slovenia. You’ve heard of “Saló is the place to be”, well, meet a contestant:

Kongresni trg is the place to be.

Kurt loves sitting in the grass - on a blanket, mind you, he’s not going to ruin his clothes - and breathing in the scent from the pizza place in the corner. He’s not attached to the square because of its historical value, but because he likes being here. It’s a nice green spot in the heart of the capital. It’s surrounded by gorgeous buildings and you have a stunning view of the Ljubljana Castle on top of the Castle Hill.

Kurt’s only been here for a few days, but he already loves this place as a spot to unwind. And again, the great pizza place is an added bonus.

Yes, yes, this is based on my own experiences, although unlike Kurt, I did park my ass on the grass.

Patient no. 3 is Just Some Guy. Remember him? Matt Christopher Davis? This is the full 8 years at Watford from an outsider’s POV. Sure, Simon is the Chosen One and Baz is his Main Antagonist, but Matt is just some guy trying to get an education and he’s a bit fed up about these two interrupting his studies. Matt needs a break, so in his fourth year, he exchanges with Micah and fucks off:

“And you would not believe what happened this time!” John says, as usual.

Every week, John gives me updates about life back at Watford. I was clearly mistaken about the year being uneventful. Well, it’s uneventful for me, but for some reasons John finds it important to keep me up to date with the Chosen One’s life.

It all started with the Humdrum sending magickal monkeys to disrupt the welcome picnic.

Oh, and yes, John is Check, Please!’s John Johnson. Why? Because I can.

Speaking of Check, Please!, patient no. 4 is a returning patient and it is a Zimbits fic, although you can also call it a Jack & Lardo friendship fic first and a Zimbits fic second. It’s about Instagram and I haven’t written for it since 2019, but hey, let’s give it some love:

Apparently, the hockey world is not done with Jack Zimmermann.

He’d been updating his Instagram for a month and he’d gathered a couple of followers when one day, a comment appeared.

‘r u jack zimmermann from hockey???‘

Jack had ignored it.

But the comments kept flooding. His follower count expanded greatly. Jack kept ignoring it.

Then, one day, Larissa barges into his room. 

Patient no. 5 is, well, you can say it is a Simon/Butter fic. No, not really. Remember I can’t believe it IS butter? I then planned a Simon Snow Butter Saga that I do want to finish one day but then I sort of let it go in favour for other fics. This is from Cheer up, butter cup!:

But yeah, I have mini butter cups now. I stash them in my cold and enlarged pocket (I persuaded Baz to also spell it bigger on the inside) .

Back in my flat I put them in my fridge. Honestly, Baz should also enlarge the inside of the fridge to make room for all my butter.

“At least my strawberry dessert syrup doesn’t take up that much space, love,” he says as he watches me shove the mini butter cups to the back.

“Baz, what do I do now with all this butter?”

He raises an eyebrow.

“You’re asking me? You’re the one who eats them like candy.”

Patient no. 6 is a Love, Victor ending rewrite. Yes, I am also creating a bunch of Love, Victor ending rewrites because I thought the final season sucked ass. BEWARE! SPOILERS FOR LOVE, VICTOR START AFTER THIS SENTENCE, SO SKIP TO THE NEXT PATIENT IT YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED. I already posted All I needed for another day, which is an ending where Victor ends up single and rides the ferris wheel alone, and this one is called All I ever knew, only you. Benji doesn’t show up at the ferris wheel either. Instead, they meet again 3 years later. After all... do I dislike Venji? No, but I am also not incredibly happy with how they ended up together. Hence the rewrite:

A host announces a new band and Leah cheers loudly.

Abby raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard of them,” Leah says and she turns to the others, “They’re a new group, all UGA freshmen. I spoke to the drummer once. They want to do covers, but also try their hand at original stuff.”

“Let them hear it,” Abby says and she raises a glass.

The others join in. They look at their joined glasses and they cheer and hoot even more.

Out of the corner of Victor’s eyes, he can see the band getting on stage and he drops his glass when he sees a familiar face.

“Victor, Jesus!” Felix yells out. It’s a good thing Victor’s glass was almost empty and it didn’t fall from a great height, so it didn’t break. It only spills a bit of beer on Victor’s shirt, but Victor couldn’t care less.

Benji is on stage.

Patient no. 7 is an Under the Whispering Door fic called Actual Freeman. It’s supposed to be short and sweet. Emphasis on short. Yet, I haven’t finished it, but I do have this:

Wallace Reid knows he’s up for another change of names. It was fun being Wallace Reid for two years, but it’s time to move on.

It’s time to become Wallace Freeman.

Hugo is the one who proposed. They were out riding the motorcycle. Hugo took them to their favourite spot and went down on one knee.

Patient no. 8 is another returning patient. It’s Hold on to that feeling, my Glee/CO crossover. I haven’t written for this in ages, but all the new information about Simon being able to sing... oh chef’s kiss! I can’t wait to incorporate that. But first, this:

“Uhm, Simon, Baz… Blaine?”

It’s Kurt’s voice. Blaine opens the door and Kurt looks very confused and surprised when he sees the others.

“You’re- you’re back,” he says quietly. Blaine also guides Kurt inside so that he can close the door. It’s true that no one else can see this room, but it still feels like they have more privacy now.

“Look, I messed up!” Simon throws his hands in the air.

“Again,” Baz reminds him.

“I was trying out several spells that could help us on our quest to get home. One of them was an Everything in its time.”

“Which, as Snow unfortunately forgot with his pea-sized brain, creates time jumps,” Baz says angrily.

Patient no. 9 is, uh, an unexpected patient and honestly this one is still in the waiting room. I might not admit it to the hospital in the first place. I’m still wondering if I actually want to do something with this, but, uh.... Rosemary Snow my beloved:

“Papà, babbo, sono a casa!” I yell out and I close the door behind me, “Anche Ire è qui!”

I hear some commotion coming from the living room. Ire raises an eyebrow and I shrug.

Eventually, a small voice comes from the other side of the door.

“... R-Rosemary?” my papà sounds uncertain, “Is that you?”

“Si, sono io,” I say with a frown on my face. Why did he reply in English? My papà and I speak a lot of Italian when it’s the two of us, and especially if one of my friends is coming over.

I open the door and my jaw drops when I realise what I am seeing.

My papà is standing in the living room, looking like a lost dog, and he has wings.

Basically, this is an AU of Paradiso? Learn more about it here. Not sure if the Italian is correct. Sorry Marta for cheating on you with Google translate, but like I said, I’m not sure if this is going to be a thing.

And okay, let’s end this with a bang. Patient no. 10 is [REDACTED]. As in, the actual title is redacted. Everything about this fic is a secret, since it is written for the Klaine Secret Santa and any snippet might easily give away what prompt I am writing and who I am writing it for. Yet, I want to share it, since I actually started writing it today and I have clear plans for it now. Here’s the start:

“I am here because I want to be challenged.”

Everyone claps politely and [REDACTED] sits down with a satisfied grin on their face. They’re basking in the praise and [REDACTED] envies their confidence. It’s almost their time to introduce themself and they are incredibly nervous.

This is their first [REDACTED].

This is a [REDACTED].

This is [REDACTED].

Yet, they can’t help but be anxious.

What if they [REDACTED]? After all, if you had told them a year ago that [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED], they wouldn’t have believed you.

[REDACTED], of all people, as [REDACTED]?

I’m sorry. I think I am funny. (I also changed all the gendered pronouns to they/them for this snippet. Gotta commit to the bit ✊😔.)

Thank you for reading. As always, feel free to leave flowers and to make your own WIP Wednesday Hospital. It’s always a lot of fun. Feel free to visit the previous three hospital posts here, here and here, although you will see that some patients have been discharged 🥳.

[mask131]

Deadly fall: The Headless Horseman

THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN

Category: American literature and European folklore

Everybody knows the “Headless Horseman”. He is an archetypal character of ghost stories in America. But do you really know the Horseman?

The actual character of the “Headless Horseman” everybody knows thanks to American media comes from a short story of Gothic literature, written by Washington Irving and published in 1819: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. This story depicts a fictional version of the actual town of Sleepy Hollow, renowned in-universe for its creepy atmosphere and numerous ghost stories – a “haunting” town filled with stories of spells and supernatural, in which mysterious events and strange sights are an everyday matter. Most famous and dreaded of all the ghosts said to haunt Sleepy Hollow, and the “leader” of the dark aerial powers of the town, is the “Headless Horseman”, a Hessian trooper during the American Revolutionary War, decapitated by an American cannonball: since his skull had been shattered into pieces scattered across the battlefield, his comrades simply buried his headless body in the cemetery of the “Old Dutch Church” of Sleepy Hollow (as Sleepy Hollow is located near Tarry Town, a formerly Dutch settlement). Ever since, the headless ghost has been said to ride around Sleepy Hollow, seeking his lost head and doing malevolent things to whoever crossed his path. The main protagonist of the story, Professor Ichabod Crane, happens to meet a headless rider at night and manages to flee the ghoul, before disappearing from town – but unlike what many people mis-remember today, it isn’t actually the ghost of the Horseman. Rather, what the story strongly implies and hints is that this “Headless Horseman” is just a costume that was put on by a mischievous love rival of Crane, who played with the professor’s naturally superstitious and frightful nature to drive him out of town. The real mystery of the story is not who the Headless Horseman was – but rather what happened to the professor Crane, last seen fleeing for his life, and then vanished into thin air.

This story became MASSIVELY popular, and like everything Irving wrote, part of America’s classical literature. The story (and the Headless Horseman) were notably popularized by two film adaptations: one, animated, by Disney in 1949, and another, live-action, by Tim Burton in 1999. All these adaptations notably worked into “shaping” the Sleepy Hollow story into a Halloween one. The original text of Irving had no clear mentions of Halloween – it was however a Gothic ghost story, whose climax happened during the night of an autumnal harvest feast in which guests had exchanged creepy stories, and the fake Horseman uses a pumpkin to imitate the action of holding a human head. Of course, this led people to reinterpret the story as Ichabod Crane meeting the Headless Horseman during Halloween night, and the Horseman as wielding a Jack-o-lantern as a head replacement/weapon. Some people even rewrote the Horseman’s death to be on Halloween – when in the actual text, the Hessian soldier was said to have died in the Battle of the White Plains, in October yes, but the 28th only.

But here is the thing… While everybody refers to Irving’s story for “building” the Headless Horseman myth, and associates the Headless Horseman with Sleeping Hollow, in truth Irving did not “invent” the legend. The figure of the Headless Horseman is far older than the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Irving always did extensive research before writing his texts, and never invented anything out of thin air: and so it is highly probable he created the legend of Sleepy Hollow’s horseman based on actual ghost tales going around the area. After all, we know that before Irving brought him to America, the “headless horseman” was a traditional European ghost. Scottish and English tales thrived with headless ghosts – not always riders (for example, due to the use of decapitation, numerous royal ghosts in old castles were said to carry their head in their arms), but sometimes riders indeed. These tales of “headless riders” usually depicted these ghosts as warning apparitions, ill omens that people should not ignore – in fact, these tales often depicted men too proud or too arrogant to read the supernatural signs, and ignoring these warnings about their impending downfall.  There were even tales of ghosts riding headless horses, or of entire carriages with headless ghosts, drivers AND passengers! It is variations of the “death coach” myth, or Coiste Bodhar (silent coach), about a black coach with a headless driver that appears to people about to die or who know someone who will die.

The headless horsemen didn’t stop to just the British Isles: they also existed in Germany, where headless horsemen were just a recurring type of ghosts. They were the spirits of sinners, doomed to wander and haunt the earth until they had atoned from their sins – and they did so by doing good deeds for the people they met along the road. However, once the service was given, you should NEVER thank the headless spirit by shaking his hand – it would mean your doom, for the physical touch of a headless rider is deadly. Rather, the living person should take a tree branch between them and the ghost – so that the branch would wither and die, but not them.

But the most famous European incarnation of the Headless Horseman myth stays without a doubt the dullahan of Irish mythology/folklore. The Dullahan is a dangerous supernatural entity from the Otherworld, which means that it is at the same time a fairy, a ghost and a demon (Irish people did not really draw the line between inhuman magical creatures such as fairies and supernatural manifestations of humans such as ghosts). The dullahan is a headless rider on a black horse, with a whip made of a human spine in one hand, and his own cut head in his other hand – it is a horrible head, with a disturbing grin going from ear to ear, and constantly moving eyes that spy on everything around him. Meeting him means that you will surely die, for if he calls out your name and catch you, he will take away your soul and leave your corpse behind: the saying went “when the dullahan stops riding, someone will die”. Some variations of the legend even have him being the driver of a “death coach”, appearing as a wagon made of human bones and human skin, with candles placed in skulls to light it up.

- - - - - -

Interestingly, Sleepy Hollow isn’t the only “classical” literary manifestation of a Headless Horseman in American. Forgotten today but popular in his time, there was a novel called “The Headless Horseman” and written by Mayne Reid, which was serialized from 1865 to 1866, and took place in Texas. “The Headless Horseman or a Strange Tale of Texas” takes place after the War of Mexico, and tells the story of the “Southern belle” of the Poindexter plantation, who is courted by two men and torn between two possible love options: Maurice Gerald (dashing and wonderful, but poor) and Cassius Calhoun (arrogant and aggressive, but rich!). What could be a simple love story becomes more complicated when the belle’s brother is murdered, with all clues pointing to Gerald, and when a strange headless horseman is sighted at the edge of the plantation…

This time, the author admitted to have taken the headless horseman idea from a “traditional folk tale from the south of Texas” – and while the story was forgotten by most Americans, it was not forgotten by Russians! Mostly because the famous Vladimir Nabokov wrote of this novel as one of his “favorite childhood stories”: by eleven years old he had translated the story into French! And IN VERSE! It is telling that the only movie adaptation of this novel was a coproduction between the Soviet Union and Cuba.

[amazing-spiderling]

just saw that post about wanting asks i know i'm 20 hours late but how about you tell me a few things you are currently excited about. ooh and talk about a wip you haven't posted yet?

hahaha, well I need to warm up before doing a little writing, so this is a good time for asks too! There isn't ever really a bad time, haha.

Things I'm excited for! Well, next week my husband and I are scooting to a getaway house (basically like a tinyhome cabin situation) with our dogs to have some change of scenery. It's kinda in the middle of nowhere (there's some tiny towns 20-30 minutes away I think) but close enough that we could get some groceries and a bite to eat and take the dogs new places. Enrichment for all of us!

After that we're driving to my hometown area and staying at my sister's house while she's out of town for a few days and hanging with her dogs. I'll get to see my nephew who I don't see enough, and he was actually texting me about hanging out. We'll probably get some food with him and maybe go do something fun. Just a little spring trip before it gets too hot.

I'm also meeting with my buddy for lunch and "let's walk around a mall" time tomorrow. No real need for shopping, but she just said she had a hankering for walking around a mall (??) and there's apparently a cool dollar store in there that I'm gonna poke around for easter egg goodies. And the place we're going to for lunch has dope-ass baguettes. Nothing gets me excited like quality bread lol.

As for WIPs... I'm really just working on the two same long ones, the Spideypool MCU one (we're in the Far From Home era now) and the Earth-65 Chaste!Matt AU. We're getting some juicy character interaction moments in both right now. Foggy is about to dump some serious trauma on Matt who probably isn't prepared for it, lol.

I have an exchange fic I need to start tinkering with, but I need to revisit some older comics for references before I nail down an outline. It's a bit plotty, so I want to make sure I have my ducks in a row. (I'm still going to have to fudge things a little to make my plot fit, but hopefully I'll be forgiven.) Sometimes I never know if people will just accept "Yes, I see you based this off of the events of this storyline, and I understand why you decided character-x wasn't present, so your plot makes sense" or whether they'll be like "wait, but where's character x???" you know? Fine line to straddle.

I hope there are many things in your life you're excited about too!

[amysubmits]

Hey! First of all, I love your blog. It's great to read about a real relationship in the middle of all the overly sexualised blogs.

Me & my partner used to have a sort of dom/sub dynamic at the beginning, but a lot of outside things have come in the way and we are pretty vanilla nowadays and going through a bit of a rough patch in life in general. Any tips on how to restart the dynamic from the ground up and to find time and motivation for it to begin with?

Hey :)

Aww, thank you!

Cd and I have been through kind of a wide range of life changes since we started D/s and we've found that what works best for us is adjusting our D/s to accommodate our current life situation, rather than the other way around.

For example, CD has mostly worked from home, but we had a period of time where he worked outside of the house for a while. When he had that job, he was basically only able to text me at his break. We had previously had a rule that I'd ask him before spending money, but that was less practical when it would take a few hours before he could say yes or no sometimes. But, we were able to create new routines/rituals based on him working outside of the house, like me preparing his lunch that he took to work and making sure he had a weeks worth of work clothing ready each Sunday.

As far as how to go about it, I'd probably start by having a conversation about what you both miss about the time period when you were doing more intentional D/s, and try to discuss why it wasn't maintainable and what changes you could make to it to try to make it more maintainable. If you find that one or both of you had something that felt really good to you, but isn't maintainable, then see if you can think up alternative things you could do that might fit the same need.

For example, maybe you used to have similar work schedules and the sub would bring a cup of coffee to the dom each morning and they just sit together as they slowly wake up with their coffees. But now the sub goes in to work earlier so you can't share coffee together without the dom getting less sleep which doesn't feel reasonable. Then you could look at the core of why you liked the coffee ritual. Maybe you decide it made you both feel like you were starting out your day while thinking about each other so it created a meaningful sense of connection. So then you'd look at coming up with some other ritual that you could do that would make both people feel reminded of your connection each morning. Maybe an alternative way to accomplish something similar would be to have coffee separately, but they both agree to think of the other during their coffee, and then after the dom is up and has had their coffee, they exchange texts sharing something about their coffee-thoughts for that morning. "While having my coffee just now I thought about how hard you laughed at my bad joke yesterday." And then the sub will send their coffee thought in response.

I guess the other thing that comes to mind is, if it feels like it takes an excess of energy to restart, then you might be setting the expectations too high, trying to make drastic changes all at once? Maybe see if you can just take baby steps with adding in one rule, protocol, ritual, etc at a time.

Hope this helps! Good luck to you guys. :)

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

No TW really apply except maybe ablism or bullying (not entirely sure)?

As far back as I can remember, I've always been treated as an "other" to my peers, siblings, teachers/adults, etc. When I was a lot younger I'd be told what was off/bad about me and I'd try to fix that so I could someday make friends and not get bullied/picked on, etc. But nothing I've done has worked and no matter what I do it seems I always cause a sort of "uncanny valley" effect.

I've been told I'm inhuman, an alien, uncanny, a creature, robotic, etc but I don't know what I do wrong? I always am polite and I try to make sure that the person(s) I'm talking to is comfortable and offer help if they need it, and I've cut down on infodumping as much as I can. I've been told my voice is monotone and I don't emote properly (among other things that make me seem uncanny like my wording or how I stand?), but I've worked really hard to get to this level of voice inflection and emoting.

Do you have any tips or advice? I currently work an isolated online job (couldn't afford school) and live in a pretty isolated area. Also got unofficially kicked out by my aunt so I don't really have any family (and my two friends I get to see once a month tops).

Thank you and I hope you all have a good day :]

Hi anon,

Thank you for reaching out and I am so sorry to hear of your experiences of othering and I believe, a bit of cringe culture.  It’s sadly a very real issue that yes, can often be related to ableism, but also other forms of bigotry as well.  Of course we should be aware of own biases, and if we’ve encroached on someone’s boundaries have that addressed and make amends as needed - but in general, it is very unfortunate that so many people have a very specific idea of how one presents themselves in conversations and what the social etiquette around those “should” be.  There’s far too many variables at play to ever get it “right” across the board, and sometimes, what’s acceptable to one, might not be to another - for example, maybe in one relationship, deep conversations around politics, or religion would be welcomed and even encouraged, while in another, it would very much not be.  But regardless of what someone’s boundaries, motivations, and goals are within relationships, those should be shared in the context of clarity and for strengthening the relationships, never to shame someone.  There is a vast difference between someone saying, “I would love to talk more about these topics in our conversations, would any of these be of interest to you?” vs say, “If you talk about this one more time, I am so done.”

As for tips, or advice, I wonder if online options/platforms might be a good alternative for you?  That if your tone/body language is read one way - well, both of those things are removed in text based communication, and sort of eliminates the possibility of someone commenting on eye contact, or how you stand, etc.  I myself really enjoy discord, but there’s other platforms like private chats on Twitter, or Facebook groups, and other online forums (the link above has some 20+ suggestions as well).  It’s a good way to practice communication, and also find other people who are into the same things you are, since some of them can be very niche and tailored to your interests.  Only you can decide your digital and time boundaries regarding involvement and what you want to pour into, but some can be as close as relationships in real life - where you might join online events, digital clubs, make and send each other birthday gifts, do card exchanges, and so on. And nothing says you can’t still nurture the friendships you have with people you’re able to see once a month, or potentially work on restoring your relationships with family (if that is a goal of yours), while you’re also meeting a social need <3 Either way, I wish you luck!

[elsanna-shenanigans]

September 2024 Contest Submission #5: How to Fix a Bridge

Words: 2,771 Setting: modern AU CW: mentions of Starbucks

What is happening here isn't fate.

The fact that she and Elsa are sitting in a coffee shop, about to have their first real conversation after a messy break-up five years ago, is not fate. It is a necessity based on one stupid, drunk mistake they both made a few nights ago.

Anna's not even sure what compelled her to go into that masquerade-themed nightclub last weekend– she's too afraid to even go to a restaurant by herself. Perhaps it had something to do with moving to a new city thousands of miles away from home with zero connections. She'd been dragged her down to a new level of loneliness, and her need to be around people overrode her fear of being lonely. So maybe, just for a night, she could surround herself with strangers. In masks. With a shit ton of UV lights and bad cocktails.

Less than half an hour later, she felt her luck finally turning around when she found herself making out with some woman in the stairwell. Neither of them had exchanged a single word with each other. No hello's, no asking for names, no flirtatious pregaming. All it took was to lock eyes underneath their lacy masks to understand what the other wanted. And then Anna had to ruin the moment by saying, "Let me see you."

The mystery woman obliged, and the makeout session abruptly stopped. Five years was not enough for her to forget the face of the woman who broke her heart.

That should have been the end of things. Anna was content with repressing this mistake until she could convince herself it never happened. But then, she got a text from the woman with the gold Venetian mask asking if they could talk about what happened. One talk, thirty minutes, and Anna could pick the place.

Instead of saying no, she said Starbucks.

Seeing her in the light, Anna could better pick up on the differences in Elsa's appearance. Her hair was a few shades lighter (almost bordering on silver) and though she still held some softness in her eyes, the developing rings underneath them presented a growing tiredness. A crisp button-up and slacks, along with a more refined posture, also helped to add more to the mystery of the woman in her ex's body.

"You look different."

Anna gawks like a dying fish as Elsa takes that conversation starter away from her.

"The braided crown is a nice touch," Elsa continues, tracing a line across her own hair with her finger. "I like it."

Wait, a compliment? Is she allowed to do that? It seems innocent enough, and saying thanks could keep this talk on a good track. "Well yeah, people tend to look different when you haven't seen them in five years."

Elsa frowns, exhibiting the creases in her skin near her cheeks. "I know that…"

Ah, there it is. Once again, Anna needs to do damage control because Elsa took something she said too seriously. She touches her braid, "I started doing this after a stylist did it for me once in Arendelle."

Elsa tilts her head, "Which stylist did you go to?"

"That place downtown called Poised," she answers. "My stylist was Clara, if that name rings a bell."

"It does," Elsa remarks. "She used to do my hair too." Goddamn it, can they have one thing to not have in common? Well, at least Elsa's not spiraling down her shame spiral anymore.

However, this does bring up a less painful and more amusing memory. "Was she the one who told you that you'd look good with a bob?" Anna asks.

Elsa's eyes flutter closed as she lets out a long sigh, "Yes, she was."

Anna leans back in her chair, twirling the straw in her iced mocha. "That was a weird couple of months."

Elsa takes a sip out of her cup of chai latte– at least they don't have the same coffee order. "I remember you changed my name on your phone during that time. What was it again? F.A.B.?"

Anna snorts, "Yeah, it stood for 'Fuck Ass Bob'."

Elsa frowns, "Still hurtful."

"Still accurate." Anna pulls her straw out of her cup to point to Elsa with it, but a few stray drops of mocha end up coming along for the ride. Some of them end up on Elsa's face and she blinks them away like a surprised dog.

If you'd told Anna a few years ago that she'd not only reunite with the woman who broke her heart but that they'd also share a laugh together, she'd ask who you are and what you were doing in her apartment. But that's what's happening right now, and it's…scary. It's scary how natural this still feels– how timeless this interaction is. Has it really been five years since she's heard this once personal melody?

She wishes that…no. She can't think that.

The laughter dies down, and Anna's not sure how else to continue the conversation without finally addressing the elephant in the half-full Starbucks. So, she lets Elsa do it.

A decision she regrets immediately.

Elsa leans forward after what she believes to be a comfortable amount of time, hands folded on the table. "Anna I'm just going to come right out and say it. I want to get back together again."

Anna blinks, but there are no amount of blinks in the world to turn this into just another bad dream. "Wait…what?"

"I do," Elsa affirms. She taps her fingers against her cup. "The past five years have been hell for me, and I've learned and grown so much, and I'm sure you have too." The beginnings of a smile can be seen ghosting across her lips as if she's here and somewhere else at the same time. "And now that we're living in the same city again, and we just happened to find each other in the same nightclub on the same night, and we can still have that same connection, it's almost like…"

Don't say it.

"Fate."

Ah fuck.

She bites her lip, and her eyes widen in that way that Anna's succumbed to hundreds of times. "I know I'm asking a lot from you, but can you honestly say that there's nothing between us anymore? Surely, you must have felt something that night."

The silence that punctuates this hopeful moment is unlike anything Anna's felt before– and it's being wasted at a goddamn coffee chain. For a moment, she wants to succumb to those eyes, and the smile that's fully grown on a still beautiful face. She wants things to be easy and to let go of the past. But she can't forget, she told herself she wouldn't forget.

Anna sits up and crosses her arms, looking down at the cold, marble table. "Elsa, do you remember why we broke up in the first place?"

No answer, but the smile is already starting to fade.

"Because I do. I still remember because it was the worst– worst– day of my life." Anna looks up at the pretentious hanging lights. "You broke up with me because you said you didn't know who you were anymore. That you 'lost yourself' in the relationship and forgot what it meant to be your own person. I didn't know any of this, Elsa, until you decided to end things." The anger from a past already buried is making her heart race and her blood boil. Exactly what she didn't want. "I-I was blindsided! And even after I said I would support you, and help you figure your own shit out, do you remember what you told me?"

"Anna.."

"You told me it was too late." Anna scoffs and throws her hands up, eyeing down the pained figure of her ex-girlfriend. When she speaks again, she tries to maintain the same ruthlessness, but a voice crack takes all of that away. "And now you're back. Five years later. Five years later, and you're telling me that now you're ready for this?" Pause. Silence. Outburst. "Why couldn't you be ready then?!"

"Don't you think I wanted to be?" Elsa finally replies. "I felt so terrible for what I did to you, Anna, because you were giving me everything. Your whole, authentic self. And I was giving you something I didn't think I was ready for. That's not what you deserved."

Anna shakes her head, "You don't get to tell me what I deserve. Back then, I was never thinking about what I deserved, I was just happy! I was so happy to be with someone that cared for me, wanted me, loved me. That's all I ever wanted from you, Elsa. And you…" She takes a sharp breath, "I don't even know what you wanted."

Elsa's voice softens, it's unclear whether that's because she refuses to yell or because she, too, is realizing that they're still in public. "Anna, you were all I wanted. And that terrified me. Not because of anything you did, but because I got too into my own way. I started asking myself who I was without you, and I didn't have an answer."

Anna's lips tighten, and she makes the mistake of looking away from their table. The handful of bystanders watching this car accident seem either annoyed or concerned. A prickling heat begins spreading across the back of her neck. When her focus returns to Elsa, it's almost a relief. "So, you were afraid because you were too invested in our relationship?"

Elsa opens her mouth to respond, hesitates, and then says, "I guess so."

"You realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?"

"Now I do."

"Oh, well hey at least you know now. And that's what matters." Her stomach churns from her pettiness (and the eyes). But it's not like she started this, right? She's not in the wrong here. Elsa's the one that…that…why can't she say it?

"Anna…"

"Stop."

Elsa flinches, "Stop what?"

"Stop saying my name like that. Stop pretending that you care about me. Stop…stop being you!"

"I don't know what else to be. But…I can try. Just tell me what you want me to be, Anna." Finally, she sees something new in Elsa's eyes. Something different. A good different– er, difference? It's…she doesn't know. It's a level of vulnerability she's never seen from Elsa before: a naked honesty, a bearing of a part of her soul she's never shown anyone before.

It makes her think that maybe Elsa's telling the truth.

"I don't want you to be anything," Anna answers. Because if Elsa is telling the truth, then so can she. "I just want…"

"Yes?"

But therein lies the problem: Anna hates the truth. The truth is terrifying, raw, and once it's out there, she can't take it back. She looks at Elsa again, and the changes she once saw aren't as visible anymore. "I want to get out of here."

Anna's chair scrapes against the tile as she stands up. She leaves her drink on the table and feels Elsa turn around and reach out to her. "Wait. Anna, please stay, we need to–"

"Make me."

She slams the door on the way out. Or, at least, she would have if it weren't for that stupid thingie on the top of the door that makes it close super slowly. And as Anna barely makes an effort to move out of the way of a couple going inside, and she stuffs her hands into the pockets of her almost-too-loose jeans, and she grits her teeth to stop a sneeze because of course they had to have this talk in the middle of fucking spring, she thinks to herself: what now?

There's no way she's going back inside, but going back to her apartment with half of her stuff still in boxes sounds exhausting and humiliating. The only places she knows in this town so far are this cursed place and the goddamn nightclub, so there's nowhere she can go to clear her head. And though the thought of going back home is too pathetic to even be an option.

Paralyzed by indecision, Anna sits on the curb, hoping the afternoon sun will either bake her into a burnt pile of nothing or a car will take pity and 'accidentally' back into her.

"Stupid," she says while curling into herself. "You're so stupid."

This isn't the first time Anna's shut herself out from the world. She did it in elementary school when she wasn't picked to play kickball with other kids at recess, she did it as a teenager when her family moved around a lot because of her dad's job, and most recently she did it after the funeral for her parents. But this is the first time she's done this where it felt like the world didn't care.

Footsteps came and went, people stepped around her without a single comment. She was nothing more than an obstacle: both in the way and all alone.

But after some time, a pair of footsteps come her way and stop rather than go around. Anna hears the shuffling of feet, smells the blessed aroma of berries, and feels an ice cold liquid tap against her knee.

"You left this inside. I thought you'd want it."

Anna turns to her left, and for a second she's back in the tenth grade, curled up against her locker, and gawking at the blonde who's just asked for her name. "I didn't want it back," she says, taking a sip before placing the drink on the ground."

Elsa's sad smile is briefly covered as she sips her own unfinished drink. "I could throw it away if you want."

"No," Anna demands. The caffeine is surprisingly helping.

"Then I won't."

"Good."

Elsa doesn't say anything else after that. She stays on the sidewalk, sipping her latte and letting time pass. Other customers come and go, sidestepping the duo and pumping exhaust fumes into their faces. When she's out of coffee and tired of having a silent companion, Anna finally asks. "Why are you still here?"

She answers her question with one of her own. "Remember during tenth grade when we had that part-time job at Oaken's?"

Anna fully turns her head, pressing her cheek against her knees and raising an eyebrow. "How could I forget? We almost died in that grease fire."

"Do you remember how we almost died?"

"Yeah, I ran back in to get the safety deposit box so Oaken wouldn't lose all of his savings." Anna pouts, "Those aren't fun memories. Why are you–"

Elsa stops her with a hand on her knee. To her credit, she does quickly apologize and let go. "I...barely knew you back then; we'd only become friends maybe a month before. But when I saw you run back into that diner, I didn't even think twice about going in to help you."

Anna remembers that moment. She also remembers almost ditching her stupid idea, terrified that Elsa would get hurt.

Yet here they are, still alive, and Elsa looks as unbothered as she did that night. "When everything finally calmed down, I realized I had just followed you into fire. Without question, without regrets." Elsa looks at the ground and takes a breath. "And if given the choice, I would do it again and again and again."

Anna tries to swallow the lump in her throat to no avail. "Elsa..." Ugh, and now she's got her doing the name thing too.

Elsa looks at her with undeniable sincerity, "Anna, you're still the person I'd walk into fire for, whether we're together or not. I won't ask you to get back together again, but I still want you in my life, and I want to get to know who you are now."

Anna lets go of her legs and rests her hands in her lap. Just an hour ago, Elsa being back in her life sounded like the worst possible thing. But now?

She bites her lip, "This could end badly, you know."

"I'm not sure how."

"Maybe you won't end up liking who I am now," Anna confesses. "Or maybe we just end up making the same mistakes again. Or maybe…we never get back together." Her chest tightens as those last words slip out of her mouth.

But Elsa, with her ever disarming smile, looks unfazed. "I guess that's a risk I'm willing to take. So, can we start over?"Anna looks at Elsa– really looks at her– for what seems like the first time today. And she sees what she needs to see. "No, we can't," she replies. "But we can start again."

[media-geneous1]

What are the most effective ways to promote blogs?

What Are the Most Effective Ways to Promote Blogs?

Real Worries and Questions

Alright, let’s cut to the chase. You’ve put blood, sweat, and tears into your blog, but it feels like you're shouting into the void. You’re asking yourself, “How can I get my blog noticed?” or “Why isn’t anyone reading my posts?” We’ve all been there. It’s a grind. But here’s the good news: promoting your blog effectively isn’t rocket science. Let’s dive into some straightforward strategies to get your content the attention it deserves.

Nail Your SEO

Keywords Matter

First off, SEO. If your blog isn’t optimized for search engines, you’re already losing the game. Keywords are your best friends here. Research and use relevant keywords naturally throughout your posts. Don’t just stuff them in there—Google’s too smart for that. Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help you find the right keywords.

On-Page SEO Tips

Meta Descriptions: Write compelling meta descriptions. This is your pitch to get someone to click on your link.

Headings: Use H1, H2, H3 tags properly. It makes your content easier to read and helps search engines understand your structure.

Internal Links: Link to your other posts. It keeps readers on your site longer and helps with SEO.

Alt Text for Images: Describe your images with keywords. It’s good for accessibility and SEO.

Social Media Promotion

Be Where Your Audience Is

Your audience is on social media, so you need to be there too. But don’t just post and ghost. Engage with your audience.

Strategies for Social Media

Share on Multiple Platforms: Share your posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. Tailor your message for each platform.

Use Eye-Catching Graphics: Visuals grab attention. Use tools like Canva to create stunning images.

Engage: Respond to comments, join relevant groups, and share others’ content too.

Schedule Posts: Use tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule your posts and maintain a consistent presence.

Guest Blogging

Leverage Other Audiences

Guest blogging is a killer way to get exposure. Write for other blogs in your niche. It’s a win-win—you get exposure, and they get fresh content.

How to Do It Right

Research: Find reputable blogs in your niche.

Pitch Well: Write a compelling pitch. Explain why your post will benefit their audience.

Provide Value: Make sure your guest posts are top-notch and packed with value.

Link Back: Include a link back to your blog. It drives traffic and boosts your SEO.

Email Marketing

Build and Nurture Your List

Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to promote your blog. Build an email list and keep your subscribers engaged.

Email Marketing Tips

Offer Incentives: Give away a freebie like an eBook or checklist in exchange for email sign-ups.

Be Consistent: Send regular newsletters with updates, exclusive content, and blog post links.

Personalize: Address your subscribers by name and segment your list to send relevant content.

Collaborations and Influencers

Partner Up

Collaborating with others can give your blog a huge boost. Find influencers in your niche and propose a partnership.

Ways to Collaborate

Interviews: Interview influencers and publish the content on your blog.

Collaborative Posts: Write posts together or exchange guest posts.

Shoutouts: Get influencers to mention your blog in their posts.

FAQs

How often should I promote my blog on social media?

Consistency is key. Aim to share each blog post multiple times across different platforms. Use different headlines and images to keep it fresh.

Is paid advertising worth it for blog promotion?

Yes, if done correctly. Platforms like Facebook and Google Ads can target specific audiences. Start with a small budget and scale up based on results.

Can I promote my blog through forums?

Absolutely. Join forums and online communities related to your niche. Be helpful and share your posts when relevant, but don’t spam.

Real Solutions

If you’re serious about getting your blog the attention it deserves, consider using professional services. One excellent solution is MediaGeneous. They offer comprehensive social media and content marketing services that can take your blog promotion to the next level.

Other websites offering similar services include:

ContentWriters

Brafton

Express Writers

Final Thoughts

Promoting your blog effectively takes time and effort, but the results are worth it. Implement these strategies consistently, and you’ll start seeing more traffic and engagement. Remember, the keyword here is “effective ways to promote blogs.” Keep it real, keep it fresh, and keep it engaging. Now go out there and get your blog noticed!

[elvisqueso]

Well in history Captain John Smith described Pocahontas as "a child of twelve or thirteen" and Pocahontas later said to John Smith "I should call you 'father'? I tell you then I will, and you shall call me child" (I got this off wikipedia) so I have to tell you the truth that that was their real relationship.

Oh honey...

Honey, don't recite the deep magic to me, Ive read the damn thing myself.

Disney's fictional characters may be loosely based on the real people, but they're off-shoots of a romantic narrative that developed a good hundred years after the fact (I'd go so far as to say Disney actually subverted the trope in how they chose to approach their story, but that's another meta kind of post). I understand you seem to think that I think they're real or based entirely in fact or something, but I am very aware of the difference between fantasy and reality.

The real Pocahontas and Capt. John Smith were incredibly interesting people in their own right. Yes, in his writings (and those of others at Jamestown) Smith describes Pocahontas as being somewhere between the ages of 10 and 14 at various points in his telling ofthe two years or so Smith spent in America (the inconsistencies here are probably due to a number of factors, including memory just being vague as time went on). We know that Smith was about 28 when he landed in America and that his life before all this was absolutely wild if his writings are to be even half-believed (and there's some debate about how much salt to take with his telling of events. I don't think he was actually exaggerating all that much, personally).

There's also debate over whether the famous episode of Pocahontas "saving" the good Captain's life even happened at all (I'm in the camp that it probably didn't; at least, not in the way Smith tells or interprets it).

All things considered, there's a lot of room for interpretation when in comes to studying the surviving writings and evidence we have (which isn't actually all that much). I, personally, theorize that Pocahontas was something of a goddaughter to John Smith, because the English had provided one of their own boys (a lad named Thomas, in fact) to Chief Powhatan as a sort of bartering in exchange for peace thing, like they were exchanging children. Of course, I'm just a hobbyist and could be totally wrong, but we'll never actually know.

By the way, the quote you're using there is from their first encounter since Smith had been injured and returned to England. It had been 10 years since, and the news back home had been that Smith had died (although it seemed the Powhatan generally distrusted this information). Pocahontas was quite miffed that Smith had been avoiding her since her arrival to England (which it seemed he'd been doing, for whatever reason) and was making that quite clear to him in the middle of a ball they were both attending. I suggest actually reading the full section of text from Smith's writings because the whole encounter, to me, is hilarious.

Still gonna ship the Disney characters, tho.