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sebmindbreak · 2 months ago

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Hiii, I saw that you also write for Blocktales :D Can i ask for some Hatred!Builderman x reader smut oneshot? I honestly don't have an scenario in mind, but i would love for Hatred to be kinda possesive,, Only if you oki with it!! :3

WE NEED MORE BUILDERMAN HATRED BRO

I LOVE MANIPULATIVE MEN

ANYWAYS

WARNINGS!! : this one shot includes : -eggs - posessiveness, -degradation , -SLIGHT dub con , -intense breeding

TITLE : swollen

You gripped their sword tightly, the metal hilt slick with sweat and adrenaline. Across from you , Builderman stood grinning, his red horns glinting in the flickering torchlight, pale skin almost luminous Your heart raced as a plan took shape in your mind.

You reached for the card tucked into your belt, the one you kept for emergencies like this. The card of the Cruel King, a being of immense power who owed you a debt. If you summoned him now, he could turn the tide of this battle in your favor.

But before you could even pull the card free, Builderman was on you. He crossed the distance between you in a flash, his clawed hand snatching the card from your grip before you could react.

With a sneer of disgust, he ripped the card in half and flung the pieces away, his crimson eyes burning into yours with a possessive fury. "How dare you try to call for help, you treacherous slut," he hissed, his face inches from yours, hot breath washing over your skin. "This is between you and me. No one else gets to interfere with what is rightfully mine."

His hand clamped around your wrist in an iron grip, claws digging into your flesh hard enough to draw blood.

The other hand gripped your hip, yanking you flush against his hard, muscular body. You could feel every contour of his frame pressed against you, the heat of his skin searing through the thin fabric of your clothes. "You're mine,"

Builderman growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "I won't let anyone else touch you, claim you. I want you all to myself, you understand?"

Before you could respond, he spun you around and slammed you against the rough stone wall, the air leaving your lungs in a rush. Your legs were forced up and back, your knees pressed against your chest as Builderman stepped between your thighs, his hips grinding against your most intimate place.

You gasped as you felt the thick, hard bulge of his cock pressing insistently against you, even through the confines of his pants. It throbbed and pulsed, growing harder with each passing second as he rubbed himself against you like a beast in heat.

With a snarl, Builderman tore away your bottoms, the fabric ripping like paper in his clawed hands.

Cool air kissed your bare skin before the scorching heat of his cock pressed against your entrance, the swollen head already leaking with need. "I'm going to breed you, you filthy whore,"he promised darkly, his voice dripping with lust and dark promise. "Gonna fill this tight little ass with my seed until it takes, until your belly swells with my child."

Before you could even process his vulgar words, he was pushing forward, his thick cock driving into you with a single, brutal thrust. There was no gentleness, no time to adjust to the sudden intrusion.

Only the searing pain of being stretched wide around his throbbing length as he hilts himself inside you.

Each thick inch of his shaft was adorned with wicked looking barbs, catching on your sensitive walls and forcing you open wider.

He started to move, hips pumping in a relentless rhythm as he began to pound into you with vicious intensity.

His claws raked down your thighs, leaving angry red lines and blossoming cuts in their wake.

You could feel the sting of each scratch, the warmth of your blood welling up and dripping down your legs but before the pain could fully register, he was carving his initials into the tender flesh of your thigh, the sharp points digging deep and drawing blood.

He licked your thighs as he marked you, his long, serpentine tongue lapping at the crimson liquid, savoring the taste of your essence. Satisfied with his handiwork, he gripped your hips harder, claws sinking into the meat of your ass as he redoubled his efforts, hips slamming against yours with brutal force.

"Take it, you cock-hungry slut," he growled, sweat dripping down his brow as he used your body like a mere toy. "Take my cock, milk it. I know you want to be bred, want to be filled with my seed until you're dripping with it."

Your stomach clenched and churned as he fucked into you, the wet, obscene sound of skin slapping against skin filling the air. Just as you felt your climax building, your core tightening around his pistoning length, he let out a guttural roar.

"Fuck, I'm cumming!" he bellowed, slamming into you one last time, his cock erupting like a volcano deep inside your spasming channel. Scalding ropes of cum flooded your insides.

Your stomach began to swell and bloat as Builderman's thick, potent seed pumped into you, filling you to the brim and then some. You could feel each heavy spurt painting your insides, marking you as his, claiming you utterly.

The excess cum bubbled out around his pistoning shaft, drooling down your thighs to pool on the cold ground below.

But Builderman wasn't finished with you, not by a long shot. As his climax began to finish, you felt something else pushing into your stuffed, sloppy hole. Something hard and round and unmistakable.

Your eyes widened in shock and a bot of lust as you realized what it was.

"That's it take it," Builderman snarled, his eyes glinting with a manic, possessive light. "You're mine, all mine. I'm going to fill this ass with my eggs, watch your belly swell with my offspring."

Before you could protest further, he pushed forward, the hard, shelled surface of his egg catching on your battered rim.

You let out a choked sob as it popped inside, followed by another, and another. Each egg stretched you impossibly wide, your stomach beginning to bulge and swell as he bred you like a common animal.

By the time he was finished, your belly was distended, round and heavy with his clutch of eggs. You looked pregnant, ripe, ready to burst.

Builderman smirked down at you, his hands possessively cupping the curve of your swollen abdomen, feeling the shells shift beneath your skin. "There, now everyone will know you belong to me," he purred darkly, his voice a sinister rumble.

"Everyone will see you carrying my offspring, and they'll know not to touch what's mine."

He rolled his hips, his softening cock grinding against the eggs nestled deep inside you, stirring them, claimin, as he had claimed you.

You could only whimper, your body aching and sore, used in ways you had never imagined.

But even through the pain of being stuffed so full, you could feel a twisted sense of satisfaction radiating from him, a deep contentment at having conquered and possessed you so completely. You were his now.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED!! <33

#block tales x reader #block tales #roblox block tales #blocktales builderman #hatred builderman #builderman x reader #hatred builderman x reader

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da3h0lovr · 7 months ago

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Mine.

Nsfw under the cut!!

MDNI

A/N: My bae Myung-gi needs some more recognition!!!! Soo.. here's a smut about him🤭

Pairing(s?): Lee Myung-gi x F!Reader

Genre: Smut

Warnings: Slight choking, reverse cowgirl, brief degrading, PiV unprotected (wrap ur willy!!!), Cumming inside, mentions of breeding, slightly public sex (js a guard outside), overstimulation, fingering, squirting.

WC: eh idk, it's kinda short

Myung-gi had a hand on your throat, the other on your waist, holding you still as he thrusted up into your tight heat.

"Fuuuck.." he moans out, his noises breathy. The squelching noises eliciting each time he re-entered you only made him closer to a release. "You think I'd let you just talk to Thanos like that? What are you, huh?" He growls into your ear, grunting in between a few words.

"Y-yours.. I'm yours" You whine, letting your head fall back against his shoulder. "That's fuckin' right. Mine." He says, breathing heavily and going even harder. "Now start acting like it." He says, letting out an almost animalistic noise as his cock twitches violently inside your pulsating heat.

His grip on your neck tightens slightly, and his thrusts slowly become sloppy. "Gonna let me cum in this little pussy, yeah?" He asks, knowing he's about to burst since his balls have tightened. "Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes" you babble, drool ever so slightly coming out of the corners of your mouth from how good he's giving it to you.

He thrusts up inside you a few more times before spilling his hot seed inside, letting out a loud groan, not caring that the guard has probably already caught on to what yall are doing. "God yes.. gonna breed you so well" he breathes out, his cock fully inside you, his hips slightly going up and down to fuck his cum inside you reaaaal good.

"So good.." You whimper, hands laid flat against the bathroom stall walls as you press hard. You had already came twice, unable to give him anymore, but he continues to overstimulate you. He slips his cock out of you, immediately shoving two fingers in.

He pumps his fingers inside you, and you can feel a liquid rush through your body. "Myun- angh.." you try to speak, but the mix of pain and pleasure is just too much. He knows exactly what's to come, so he doubles his efforts.

After he pumps his fingers a few more times, your juices come out at a harsh speed, squirting all over his fingers, getting some onto the floor. "There it is.." He says, pulling his fingers out with a sigh. He lifts his fingers to his mouth, sucking his fingers clean.

"Have you learned?" He asks, and you grow confused, your eyebrows furrow as you breath heavily, chest heaving from the intense pleasure you just endured. "Learned what..?" You ask, your voice shy and quiet. He stays silent for a moment, you can't see him, but you can feel his stare on you. "To not speak to any other man so flirtatiously." He says, and you wanted to argue, to say you never flirted. But you simply nod, wanting to just go back to the large dormitory and sleep.

"That's my good girl right there" he mutters in your ear, you can basically hear the smile in his voice. He slides you off of him, putting his clothes back on before helping you back into yours. He cleans up the small puddle on the floor before heading back to the dormitory, holding you in his arms to help you walk.

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

Sorry for not posting yesterday T . T , I got so busy and had no time to write. I have alot of requests right now so pleaseeee bare with me! I'm trying my best🙁

#lee myung gi #myung gi #squid game #dae ho #kang dae ho #front man #gyeong seok #hwang in ho #hwang jun ho #kang daeho

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stupidlittlespirit · 4 months ago

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How do you think Ford would go about comforting his s/o? Like if they're completely breaking down, what is he doing?

Honestly, I think Ford is awful with his own feelings and I think he'd be a bit awkward around seeing someone else get upset, to begin with.

Not from a place of "why are you so upset get over it" but more of a "oh god what do I do" type of place. I don't think he's ever been particularly good with emotions (my BPD king), so he likes to shove his own down instead of dealing with them and so he's not super great at off the cuff advice or anything.

But if he sees that his partner is upset, he's still going to be distressed. I think he'll be likely to hover around you, slightly unsure on what he ought to do or say, and then he'll bite the bullet and just ask if you're alright. He'll be like "Is everything alright? Well, no, of course it isn't, you're crying, that was a stupid thing to say, I'm sorry-" and he'll end up getting so flustered by his own mistake that it makes his partner laugh and distracts them from whatever is getting them down.

And the once the wheels of the interaction are greased a bit with that ice-breaker, he'll feel a little less awkward himself and then he'll find the confidence to press on with helping. He'll have to you sit down somewhere quiet, just the two of you, and help you take some deep breaths.

I think he knows his breathing exercises quite well; although he may not be the best at regulating his emotions long term, he knows (in his older age) how to regulate anxiety/fear/distress in the moment because he'd have spent so long alone in dangerous places/situations that he likely would have HAD to know how to keep himself calm during those frightening moments.

So he'll have you sit, maybe put your head between your knees if you're hyperventilating, and just get you to school your breathing back to normal. He'll offer to hold your hand or rub circles on your back to relax your muscles. Then, once you're calmer, he'll find it a little easier to just ask outright if he can do anything to help. Even if it's something small, like getting you some water or tea. He'll fetch it and come back to you with it, then sit with you while you drank it.

Ford is a problem solver. He instinctively wants to solve every issue as it arises (and even before it does, too), so he's going to ask what it is that upset you in the hopes that it's something he can fix immediately. And if it is, then great! Ford will help with that. But if it's more that you're just sort of feeling a certain way, or there's no specific motivating factor, he might stumble a little on how to help.

But Ford's a smart guy. He'll want to cheer you up even if he can't solve the issue. So, he's gonna wrack his brains for allllllll the things he knows you like best, and then he's going to go ahead and do one better.

You like flowers? Well, then he's going to trek into the deepest part of the forest and find the nicest flowers you've never even seen before, and he's going to not only bring you back the flowers themselves, he's going to harvest the seeds so he can grow them himself in his lab and have a permanent supply of them for whenever you feel down.

You just want to curl up under a blanket and be left alone? Ford is going to find the softest, downiest material known (or unknown) to man, and he's going to figure how to knit you a fucking super huge blanket (bonus if he ropes Mabel in to help with that). He's going to swaddle you in it and then he's going to make sure you're left alone for as long as you need to be.

Ford's kind of terrible with emotional things that get sprung on him, I think, but he's not actually that bad with helping other people out if he has time to think about it. He's gained a lot of wisdom over the years and he's happy to impart it. He just freezes up sometimes.

If you try to tell him how thankful you are or how much it means that he goes to all this trouble for you, though, Ford is going to insist that it's really nothing at all. He was going to that part of the forest anyway, so no big deal! He's been meaning to test out that material! You just gave him the opportunity! He'll be flustered by the appreciation and insist it was nothing, but he's glowing under the praise anyway, and that's definitely enough to cheer you up on top of everything else.

#asks #anon #ford asks #ford pines x reader #we love a man that cares don't we folks!

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daydreams-after-dark · 9 months ago

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Hello this is so random but trivial I guess but you know, dicks cum a whole whole lot when they don't you know after a long time and even more when edged so imagine edging tied up sungie after a long time of not fucking just imagine how much cum he's gonna burst out

MDNI // MDNI // MDNI //

CW: oral (m rec), switch fem, switch jisung, p in v unprotected sex, creampie.

It seems subby, needy, desperate Sungie is back! It’s been a while I’ve written him like this, and this time he has a big build up of cum that he heeds relieving of.

OMG, I literally just read this from @elllisaaa that basically covers all of the above asks. It's so good, you have to go read. Consider it essential reading.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I love to imagine all the ways our desperately horny Jisung cums when he's been pent up for so long.

Usually it's because you've forbidden him to touch himself or cum. Sometimes you catch him dry humping a cushion just to try to get some friction, and hopefully rub one out without you knowing.

Today you've caught him on the couch grinding against your favorite strawberry shaped cushion.

"Sungie?" You look at him sternly.

He turns to you like a deer in the headlights, wide eyed and frightened. He gulps.

"Please baby, ple-ase!” He whines. "Please take care of me. It's been so long... fuck... it hurts, baby."

"Oh poor baby is all swollen and sore?" You pout. "I'd better take a look then. Pants off." You click your tongue and direct him to sit on the couch.

He rushes to do as you've instructed, almost tangling himself in the trouser legs, and plops down on the couch.

You suck in a breath. His naked body is always a sight to behold. Even now, with just being naked from the bottom down has your heart racing and your pussy growing wet.

You drag your gaze up from his beautiful legs, to land on his even more beautiful cock.

"Fuck." you mutter under your breath. He's so hard. His cock almost purple it's so angry, so ready to explode. It's going to feel so good inside you.

"Please, baby. Need you." He's almost in tears and his legs tremble.

You spring into action, immediately dropping to your knees. "I gotta taste you." You grip his cock, drawing a whimper from him. "But," you give him a warning look, "you can't cum until I'm riding you okay? I'm going to need you to be strong so you can fill me up later."

"Ngh... o-okay." He squeaks.

You spend a good fifteen minutes sucking him off, his dick leaking profusely from the way to torment him like you do.

"Nooo...I'm gonna... I can't hold back." he cries and squeezes his eyes tight.

You pop of his cock with a loud plop and look up. "Course you can hold on, baby. I'm gonna ride you now okay?"

You stand up and strip, slowly taking off every item of clothing. Jisung's eyes are blown out and you know he really has almost reached his limit.

"Alright, Sungie, I need you to stay strong. Just a little longer."

You straddle him and rub your dripping pussy along the length of his cock. "You ready, baby?" You whisper as you line him up with your entrance and sink down on him excruciatingly slowly.

He let's out a pained whimper.

"That's it. You feel so good. So hard. Fuck, Sungie, you fill me so deep."

You pick up the pace, rocking you hips back and forth. It feels so incredible to have him inside you. What he doesn't know is that it's agonizing for you making him wait like you do.

For a moment you wonder why you bother. But when you rock your hips in such a way he hits that spot causing you to clench, and you hear that choked cry and an "I'm cumming, baby!" you remember it's all worth it.

He cums hard, exploding inside you. His orgasm feels like it's lasting an eternity, pumping more and more of his seed inside you.

There's too much, and it leaks out around the base of his cock.

He gets so excited by how much cum he makes that something inside him flips and he's suddenly got you on all fours leaning on the back of the couch.

He fucks into you relentlessly, determined to push as much cum back inside you. "Gotta take it baby! Gotta keep it all safe for me." He growls.

You know he's hard again, and when he cums a second time, well, your couch is basically ruined. So much has leaked out of you onto the couch cushion.

Three more thrusts and your coming around his cock. He throws his head back and moans loudly. "So fucking hot. So tight."

Eventually he pulls out, kneeling down to spread your cheeks wide so he can watch the copious amounts of cum ooze out of you.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

They partake in a hot shower to clean all of that jizz off them... but the couch? Not sure that survived.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

@channieandhisgoonsquad @noellllslut @itsseohannbin @weareapackofstrays @3rachasdomesticbanana @palindrome969 @xxkissesforchanniexx @fun-fanfics @rhonnie23 @jisunglyricist @strayywayy @armystay89 @igetcarriedawaywithyou @mylittleponeypinkrosieposie @justforreaders @melochacco @scenuniverse @oddracha @galaxycatdrawz @jiminssluttyminx @kayleefriedchicken @imperfectlyperfectprincess1 @dool-set-net @redstayrosie @mintymintmint251 @katsukis1wife

#han jisung smut #skz smut #sorshas thoughts after dark #sorshas after dark ask box

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nataliepruitts · 10 months ago

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Our Precious Gem | Possessive!Bully! Tomura, Touya, & Kai x Reader

Chapter 6

~~~~~~~~~~

Hatred was the one emotion Tomura, Touya, and Kai knew best, from the time they were born seeds of hatred were implanted into their hearts and grew as they grew. Touya and Tomura especially, growing up with abusive fathers who asked way too much of them, the more they experienced and witnessed the more that hatred for others grew.

When Tomura and Touya first met in kindergarten they bonded instantly over their shared experience. It took a bit of time for Kai to get mixed in with them, mostly because he didn't like interacting with people. He had a bit of a better life than them, he had maids and servants who did whatever he asked and gave him anything he wanted, but his parents were barely around. They were always doing some work for the Hassaikai so he had no proper parental guidance, and resentment started stirring in him. But he did end up getting close with them by the time they got into grade school.

Hatred is the emotion the three of them know best, so when you walked into their lives in grade school and they couldn't feel any hatred towards you, even though they really tried to, they were confused. They didn't know what was going on. To them, you were the prettiest girl in class, scratch that, you were the prettiest girl in the entire school. But you were still just another kid and they wanted to hate your guts, so they started teasing you.

When you tried to be friends with them you stirred something inside of them, something they didn't recognize, and it frustrated them. It frustrated them that they couldn't hate you, and they let their frustrations out on you, the more frustrated they got the meaner they were. You're nothing, you're just another nuisance that they have to deal with every day at school. A part of them wants to keep you away from them and not have to deal with you, while another part hates that you try to avoid them.

One day, in the second year of grade school, you notice that Kai is being more distant than usual, he's even distancing himself from Tomura and Touya. You overheard some of the teachers talking about how Kai's parents died in a turf war that was happening and he was taken in by the leader of the Hassaikai. You now understand why he was being so distant.

"Hey, Chisaki," you greet him as you sit next to him.

"Leave me alone, filth. I don't want to deal with you today."

Your heart pounds in your chest, you never thought that you would ever try to comfort one of your bullies, but here you are. "I heard about your parents and I just wanted to say -"

"That you're sorry!?" Kai shouts as he gets up out of his chair, "That's all everyone has been telling me, I don't need to hear it from a loser like you as well! Now get out of my sight before I beat you up!"

You get up out of your chair and throw your arms around him, hugging him tightly, "I know this means nothing to you, but I really am sorry for your loss. I want to say that I'm here for you if you want to talk but I know you would never accept that offer."

Kai's eyes widened as he stood there frozen, this was the first hug he had ever gotten. His heart pounds in his chest as he feels your small body pressed up against his. What is this feeling? There's a strange emotion he's feeling that he doesn't understand and it scares him. He pushes you away from him as he stumbles back, almost tripping over the chair. "Don't ever do that again! Don't even touch me!" He shouted before rushing to the bathroom.

He started avoiding you after that thinking that if he stayed away from you his heart wouldn't feel like it was gonna pound right out of his chest, but he quickly discovered that just looking at you made his heart beat faster, and that strange feeling return. Tomura and Touya noticed how he was always acting weird around you all of a sudden but they just shrugged it off.

After Tomura lost his whole family in a break-in and was taken in by Mr. Shigaraki, he didn't know what to do with all the emotions that were building up. He started getting into fights at school and was being a lot meaner to all the other kids, including you. Everybody was scared to approach him and talk to him, the only ones that could were Touya and Kai. But when you saw him in the hallway, sitting in a corner by himself, having a mental breakdown while scratching violently at his neck, you couldn't just ignore him.

You walk into the bathroom, get some paper towels, wet them, and make your way over to him. You kneel in front of him and carefully grab his wrists, he looks up at you with wide teary eyes, he didn't expect anyone to be in the hallway. He watches you as you carefully wipe the blood off his neck with one of the wet paper towels. "I'm sure it means nothing coming from me, but I'm sorry you're going through all this. You shouldn't have to deal with this stuff at your age."

You take another paper towel and clean his face. His heart pounds in his chest as he gets a weird feeling in his stomach, your soft touches and gentle caresses giving him a weird feeling. You almost look like an angel in this moment. You pull him into a hug and his heart feels like it's about to explode out of his chest. He pushes you back as he stands up, he's so quick to move away from you that he almost trips over his own feet. He looks at you with wide eyes as he starts hyperventilating, he feels like he's about to die.

"Don't ever touch me again! Don't even come near me! You're a witch! You did something to me!"

You look at him in confusion, wondering what could have caused him to call you a witch, but before you can say anything, Tomura runs off. After that interaction, he started avoiding you as Kai did. You don't know what you did to make them start avoiding you now but whatever it was you wish that you had done it sooner if it meant they would finally leave you alone. Touya continues to bully you but he is very confused about why Kai and Tomura are now avoiding you.

Kai and Tomura weren't the same after their interactions with you, Kai kept feeling the sensation of your body pressed up against his and it drove him crazy. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop thinking about how warm the hug was. Tomura would sit in his bed at night feeling like he was losing his mind because he couldn't stop thinking about you. He would sit there tugging on his hair, "Why can't I get her out of my head?"

Touya didn't understand what was going on with them until the day he arrived at school with burns on his body, he got caught up in the house fire that his mom had set. He had burns on his upper torso, up his neck to his bottom jaw, and up to his ear, as well as on his arms. Kids being kids, the other kids talked about how disgusting he looked with his burns. You can tell he was going through a lot of trauma between getting burnt and his mom being sent away to a hospital, he's left with living with his father who he hates.

You find him sitting alone trying to get some burn ointment onto his burns but he was having trouble with his back. You go to sit next to him and take the ointment from him. "What are you doing?"

"You can't get the ointment onto your back yourself so I'm gonna help you. Now turn around." You turn him around and start putting the ointment on his back. He didn't want you to at first but he knew you were right, he couldn't do it himself, so he sat there and let you do it.

"I can't believe you're the one doing this." He had a scowl on his face as he sat there letting you do it. His breath hitched when he felt your fingers on his back gently rubbing the ointment in, he felt electricity run down his back and through his whole body as he got a weird feeling in his stomach.

"I'm sorry for how the other kids are treating you, no one should be teased for something they can't help."

"Worry about yourself, I don't need a pathetic loser like you worrying about me."

You stayed quiet as you continued to apply the ointment to his back. When you were done you handed the ointment back to him, he grabbed it and ran off. Once he was away from you he put a hand on his chest as he tried to calm his heart. What was with those strange feelings? She had to have done something to me.

XXXXXXXXXX

"We could have just gone to the cafeteria at school to grab lunch. You guys didn't have to take me to a restaurant," you tell the three boys as you look around the restaurant. It's one of those fancy places that you never saw yourself going to, mostly because you couldn't afford it. You feel out of place here. You felt out of place just riding in the limo with them. "I don't have any money with me. I could never afford this food."

"You don't need money, we'll be paying for it," Kai says as he hands you a menu.

Your eyes widen, "I can't let you do that!"

"Consider it a treat for always doing our homework and projects," Tomura says as he looks at the menu.

You open up the menu to look at the food, but when you see the prices you throw down the menu and jump up out of your chair, "Nope!" You try to make an escape but Kai is quick to grab your arm and pull you back into your seat before you can even take a step away from the table.

"Y/n, we're not gonna fight with you on this! We are buying you lunch so order something!" Kai says as he holds your arm to make sure you don't try to get up again. You sigh as you pick up the menu, you know that once these three make up their minds to do something they're gonna do it and there is no fighting it. You look through the menu and you find something that you have always wanted to try, so you decide to order it and hope that you like it. Especially since someone else is paying for it.

As you wait for the food to be brought out, you look at the three boys sitting with you. Touya's arms, chest, and neck are covered in tattoos in an attempt to cover the burn scars, and both he and Kai got piercings on their ears, but Touya also has piercings on his nose. Both of them give off that bad boy vibe that always drew girls to them, you were never surprised when girls started throwing themselves at them throughout middle school and into high school. But every single one of them would be scared away and you started wondering if they would ever get girlfriends and maybe even settle down.

Tomura, on the other hand, doesn't do well with people. If he wasn't friends with Touya and Kai then you're pretty sure that he wouldn't have any friends at all with the way he is. You still can't believe how much they have grown from those little boys you knew in grade school, you also can't believe that in a few weeks, the four of you will be going into your last year of high school.

#fanfic #my hero academia #mha #tomura shigaraki #kai chisaki #touya todoroki #dabi #overhaul #reader #x reader #reader insert #tomura x reader #kai x reader #touya x reader #dabi x reader #overhaul x reader #reverse harem #possessiveness #romance

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cha-melodius · 11 months ago

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Fic Fest!!

You know it’s gonna be FirstPrince … and I need that Kennedy Garden AU!

Congrats on your 100th work!! You’re an incredible writer and person and I feel quite fortunate to know you.

(Thank you for this lovely prompt Sam!! I'm sorry this took forever, but I hope you enjoy this AU!)

Flowers Only Grow Where There Are Seeds

(T, 4k, read it below or on AO3)

“Are you watching that guy like a weirdo creep again?” June asks, too close to his ear, and Alex jumps a fucking mile.

“I’m not being a weirdo creep,” he huffs, folding his arms over his chest as he steps away from the window overlooking the Kennedy Gardens.

June gives him a look. “But you are watching him.”

“I was just— I was walking by and I happened to notice him, and—”

“You should go talk to him,” June interrupts blithely, already sauntering away.

“What? No,” Alex scoffs.

“Why not? He’d probably be flattered he caught the attention of the First Son.”

“He’s working, June,” Alex says. “He doesn’t want to be bothered.”

June shrugs. “Suit yourself.”

~~~~~

Alex doesn’t know exactly what about the gardener first caught his attention. Maybe it was the fact that he was younger than a lot of the other people who were employed to work on the landscaping at the White House—Alex’s age, or thereabouts. Maybe it was the way he was always still somehow so pale after working in the sun all day. Maybe it was the fact that he could have been a model, with his long legs and swooping cheekbones and full lips, and yet he was spending his days clipping bushes and digging up bulbs.

Actually, all of that’s a lie: Alex knows exactly when the gardener caught his attention.

It had been an abnormally warm early spring day, and he’d been pacing in front of a bank of windows as he tried to wrestle his ideas into something that might resemble a coherent essay for one of his classes. He wasn’t even looking out at the gardens, not really, but a flash of movement caught his eye and drew him over to the glass. A hose had failed somehow, leaving the man who’d been working with it looking like he was re-enacting Mr. Darcy emerging from the lake (what? June has those movies on all the time, it’s not like it’s his fault if he gets caught up in them sometimes). The gardener had plucked at his thin white shirt as it clung to his torso, revealing a truly breathtaking collection of muscles sculpted by regular manual labor, before he’d finally peeled the whole thing off, taking his dingy ball cap with it.

That was when Alex discovered that they were currently employing what might very well be the most gorgeous man on the planet.

That was also when Alex realized he might be something less than 100% straight. Ok, it had taken some more time after that, and more than a few instances of catching sight of the beautiful gardener again, before he started to understand what he was feeling. He still isn’t really sure if he’s actually bi or just lonely and horny, but that was definitely the start.

He’s well aware of how weird it would be to go hit on the man, for many, many reasons, so he just… appreciates from a distance. It’s fine. In a few months it will be winter again, and Alex probably won’t see him around anymore. He’ll get over his stupid little infatuation on someone he’s never even spoken to, and that will be that.

~~~~~

It’s one of those days, when there’s too much going on and he can’t get Cash to go with him on a run outside of the White House grounds, so Alex just ends up looping endlessly around in little circles on the path around the South Lawn, trying to get out some of the excess energy that’s thrumming in his veins. Eventually, he manages to tire himself out enough and ends up sprawled out on his back behind some bushes in the Children’s Garden, staring up as the clouds drift past. He doesn’t know how long he lies there, only that he still hasn’t quite come back to earth when he hears the sound of footsteps on the nearby path. Probably he should get up, but he can’t really bring himself to care who sees him like this.

That’s before the hot gardener comes around the corner. His light blue button-down shirt is hanging open, thrown loosely over a white tank top that’s smudged with dirt and sweat-darkened at the neckline, and Alex might have fallen over if he wasn’t already on the ground.

“Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was out here,” the gardener says. The accent is a surprise. An extremely sexy surprise. Fuck. “Do you need a hand?”

Alex could use a hand with something, all right. In his own tank top and the running shorts that June says are an inch away from a misdemeanor, he’s really not wearing enough clothing for this. Or maybe he’s wearing too much. Closing his eyes, he forces himself to get a fucking grip before he starts to push up off the ground. The gardener’s proffered hand appears in his line of vision, so he takes it because it would be more awkward not to. It’s warm and dry and rough with callouses that Alex feels no particular way about, and he lets the gardener’s strong grip tug him upward, until he gets his feet under him again.

It’s only then that the gardener seems to clock him. His eyes go wide as they track over Alex’s body and linger on his face. “Oh. You’re…”

Their hands are still clasped together, and Alex tightens his hold around Henry’s. “Alex.”

“Henry,” the gardener says in return as his lips part in a smile, which is devastating, actually.

“Nice to meet you, Henry,” Alex says. He might let a little of the southern drawl slip out, honey smooth. Sue him.

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Henry replies, his rounded vowels dipping low, and ok, he’s a smooth motherfucker too. Alex is officially fucked.

“You’re British.”

Henry laughs, cocking an eyebrow at him. “An astute observation.”

“No I just mean—” Alex cuts himself off and shakes his head. “I didn’t expect it, but I guess it fits.”

“Why?” Henry asks, tipping his head as a little furrow appears between his brows.

Alex bites his lip. “Because everything about you is unexpected, Henry.”

~~~~~

Alex should leave him alone. He should listen to what he told June and not bother a White House employee when he’s working.

The thing about Henry, though, is that he’s ridiculously easy to talk to, and he always seems so pleased to see Alex. It’s impossible to stay away whenever Alex spots him working in the gardens, which is frequently these days. It’s the middle of summer, which means Henry is mostly working in the mornings and evenings when the heat isn’t quite so bad, but occasionally Alex finds him doing something ridiculous like digging a hole to plant a bush in the middle of the day.

As he’s now wont to do, Alex makes his way out to the gardens with a large glass of lemonade. Henry’s entire face lights up when he sees Alex coming, which Alex is sure is less because of him and more the promise of ice cold refreshment. The poor guy is absolutely drenched in sweat, which Alex absolutely is not thinking about licking off his collarbones. As Alex walks up to him, Henry sinks the shovel into the loose dirt and pulls his ball cap off, the muscles of his arms rippling when he pushes a hand through blond hair darkened with sweat. Alex narrowly avoids swallowing his tongue as he hands the glass off, and when their fingers brush, Alex feels the contact tingling in his fingertips long after Henry’s pulled away.

And that’s before Henry tips his head back and takes a long drink of the lemonade, the muscles of his throat working as he swallows. Thank fuck it’s hot outside, because Alex is sweating like he’s the one who’s been working in the sun for hours.

Somehow, he manages to regain his faculties for conversation by the time Henry’s finished the lemonade, and they fall into their usual easy banter as Henry works. (Alex once offered to help out, feeling bad for standing around while Henry was sweating his ass off, and Henry had laughed and laughed and told him that he’d be fired if he let the First Son do his job for him.) They talk about everything and nothing—about movies and music, about the best food trucks that frequent the area around the mall, about what Alex has been up to during the summer, about the many projects always going on in the gardens.

“How’d you end up working here, anyway?” Alex asks from where he’s reclining in the shade, plucking bits of grass out of the lawn and tearing them apart.

“It’s a long story,” Henry grunts as he shovels. “I moved to the US for a fresh start. The gardening, I sort of fell into. I needed a job, and I always liked working with my hands. I’m certain that my friend sent me this listing as a joke because I—” His voice fails as his eyes cut over to Alex, then drop quickly to the ground again. He clears his throat. “Well. It’s not important. But I decided to apply anyway. I think Rodolfo thought I was having him on when I showed up at the interview, but he must have seen something in me.” Henry huffs a laugh. “Or maybe I was the only one who passed all the frankly mental background checks that were required to work at the White House. And now, here I am.”

“You’re my age,” Alex says, squinting at him. “You didn’t go to college?”

“I dropped out of Oxford,” Henry replies simply.

Alex can’t help it; his jaw drops open. “You dropped out of Oxford? What happened? Did you not like it?”

He knows he shouldn’t pry, but he can’t help it. He wants to know everything about Henry.

“I loved it,” Henry says, and there’s a smile on his face but an unmistakably melancholic note in his voice. “I wanted to be a writer. But I couldn’t stay. Not with the pressure from my grandmother and the way she was insistent on ruling my life.” He stops speaking for a long moment, but never pauses in his digging. “Sometimes I think about going back to school eventually. For now, I’m happy with this. I like it. There’s a beautiful simplicity to my life.”

“Wow,” Alex breathes. For once, he doesn’t really know what to say. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Henry. But for what it’s worth… I’m glad you ended up here.”

Henry leans on the shovel, smiling at him. “Me, too.”

~~~~~

Alex is trying to make any kind of sense of a bill that the Republicans are going to try to push through the Senate—don’t ask how he got the draft—when Nora lets herself into his room without so much as a knock.

“Wow, entitled much,” Alex huffs, barely glancing up from his work. At least she brought burritos.

“You invited me here, dumbass,” Nora retorts as she flings herself onto his couch. “Remember? Bisexual awakening movie night? Don’t tell me you forgot about Rick and Evie.”

Alex groans, wiping a hand over his face. “No way it’s fucking Sunday.”

“You’re not serious.”

“I might be.”

“All the more reason you need a break,” Nora tells him firmly. “Your classes don’t start for another week. Why are you working?”

“Because I’m gonna be a senior next year and I have to have something lined up for afterward,” he grumbles.

“I’m sure your mom will give you a job on the campaign,” she says as she finds the remote to his TV and starts navigating through streaming services.

“Maybe I want options. Don’t want everyone to think I’m just a useless nepo baby.”

Nora snorts. “Because I’m sure no one will think your connections got you a job in Rafael Luna’s office.”

“Fuck off,” he groans, turning away from her again. “We’re not talking about this.”

“Ok,” she agrees, too easily. “You got a secret admirer or something? Who sent you those?”

“What?”

“Those,” Nora repeats, gesturing to the small vase full of multicolored roses that’s sitting in front of her on his coffee table. Red, lavender, orange, blue, and even these neat yellow ones tipped with red around the edge of the petals.

“Oh,” Alex says dismissively. “No one sent them. Henry brought them by.”

“Who the fuck is Henry?”

“He’s a gardener who works here.”

“Hold on, the gardener? Your gardener?” she says, sounding too delighted by half. Alex may have talked about him before, once or twice.

Alex huffs and sets his pencil down, turning back to glare at her. “He’s not my gardener. He’s an employee of the White House.”

Nora grins smugly. “He’s the one you’ve got a crush on, though.”

“I don’t—” He breaks off with a frustrated grunt. “We’re not having this conversation, either.”

“And he brought you flowers,” she continues, ignoring him.

“It doesn’t mean anything. He has to prune the roses so that they keep producing more blooms, and he brought me some extras because I said I liked them one day while I was out in the garden. That’s all.”

That’s what Henry told him when he showed up with the first ones, his face flushed red from being out in the sun. Alex’s heart had done something very fucking complicated in his chest, but he’d accepted them in the spirit with which they were given: as a friendly gesture, and nothing more. The haphazard arrangement is all Alex—Henry brings by a different color almost every day, and Alex adds them in the vase, which is getting rather full.

“That’s all,” Nora scoffs with obvious deep skepticism.

“What?”

“Alex, when a boy gives you roses, it always means something,” she says solemnly. “Did you look up the colors?”

“Huh?” he replies, becoming increasingly lost.

Nora shakes her head at him, like he’s the crazy one. “Different colored roses mean different things. Maybe he’s sending you secret messages.”

Alex snorts dismissively. “Pretty sure they’re just whatever’s blooming in the garden.”

“If you say so,” she says, sounding extremely unconvinced. “Can we watch the movie now?”

“Please.”

~~~~~

By the time November rolls around, the gardens are looking pretty dire. Alex never really took notice of what was going on before this year—the plants were just there, in the background, and sometimes it was more colorful than others. Now, though, he notices. Notices the autumn flowers as they come into bloom and die back, notices the trees dropping their leaves, notices the bushes getting thin and scraggly. Henry’s still been around, working in jackets and hoodies as the temperature dips, but between the lessened need for garden care and Alex’s punishing course load, they haven’t seen each other as much. Alex pretends like he doesn’t know that’s why he gets unaccountably grumpy sometimes.

Today he’s on a mission, though, and after confirming that Henry was on the work schedule, Alex scours the grounds until he finds Henry by the tennis court, trimming some bushes. There’s a biting chill in the air, and Henry is bundled up, his nose and cheeks red from the cold. He seems surprised but pleased to see Alex, and Alex bites down on a too-large grin as he holds out the envelope he’d brought with him.

“What’s this?” Henry asks, pulling off his work gloves before he takes it and carefully breaks the seal.

Alex shifts nervously and jams his hands in his pants pockets so he doesn’t fidget. “It’s an invitation. To our big New Year’s party? You’ve probably heard about it.”

“I’m familiar, yes,” Henry says dryly, smirking a little as he glances up from the embossed paper. “But I was under the impression seats were thousands of dollars and reserved for the who’s who of America’s hot young glitterati.”

“First off, you’re young and hot, and it doesn’t matter if you’re not rich,” Alex says, pretending that he didn’t just call Henry hot to his face. Whatever. It’s an objective truth. “We waive the seat cost when there’s someone we really want to come that can't afford it.”

“And you really want me to come,” Henry surmises, still looking vaguely amused by the situation.

Fuck it. “Yes,” Alex answers firmly.

Henry looks back down at the invitation, trailing a finger over the engraving. “I can afford it,” he mutters.

“What?”

“I said, I can afford it,” Henry repeats as he meets Alex’s eyes again. “I know I don’t look it most days, but I have a rather large inheritance that I’m delighted to spend on good causes.”

Alex blinks. He knew Henry’s family back in England was wealthy, but he kind of assumed that after Henry dropped out and moved across an ocean to work as a gardener, he wasn’t in the same boat. “Oh,” he breathes. “Well, you can certainly donate if you want.”

“I do,” Henry confirms. He taps on the invitation with a finger. “It says here I get a plus one.”

Alex’s heart plummets to somewhere near the Earth’s core. Of course Henry has someone. He’s young and hot and amazing, and it’s frankly ridiculous to think he wouldn’t already have a significant other. Or maybe there’s someone he wants to impress—an invite to the year’s biggest party would do wonders. Alex is just the guy that pesters him while he’s working. He never had a shot.

“Yeah,” he manages, cursing the way the word croaks out of his throat. “Of course. It’s, ah, standard, I guess, so if you want to bring someone…”

Henry just smiles at him. “Wonderful.”

~~~~~

Alex stares up at the stars, watching as the cloud of his breath briefly obscures them, making them twinkle before it dissipates. It’s freezing out here, especially after being in the heat generated by the crush of bodies at the party, but for once, Alex appreciates that. He takes another breath, letting the cold air flowing into his lungs numb the ache in his chest.

The crunch of footsteps on the frosted lawn draws his attention, and he looks over to see Henry hovering nearby, still nothing short of stunning in his clean black tux.

He’d arrived with an ostentatiously dressed man he introduced as his best mate Pez, which was a fucking trip because of course Alex had heard of Percy Okonjo. Pez was charming and handsome and immediately the life of the party, but Alex couldn’t tear his eyes away from Henry. Saying he cleaned up well would be a trite cliche, but fuck if it wasn’t true; he looked more like a prince or a movie star than the boy with dirt ground into the creases of his hands that Alex knows. Alex had been buoyed for a while by the fact that Henry had not brought a date with him, but as midnight crept closer, his spirits had started sinking again.

The Kennedy Gardens had seemed like a safe place to retreat. He should have known better.

“I’m fairly certain the host isn’t supposed to hide from the party,” Henry teases gently, a tentative smile playing on his lips.

“I’m only one of three. June and Nora have it on lock,” Alex replies with a sigh. “Sorry for leaving you to the wolves though.”

“It’s fine,” Henry says, shaking his head as he walks a little closer. “Believe it or not, this isn’t my first time at this kind of soirée.”

Alex snorts at that. “Oh, a soirée. Aren’t you fancy?”

“Says the man in a velvet tuxedo.”

“Touché,” Alex returns. His smile falters a little as he stares back up at the stars. “I needed a break. Don’t get me wrong, I usually fucking thrive at these things, but sometimes being ‘on’ all the time starts to wear on you, you know?”

“Why do you think I’m a gardener?” Henry says wryly.

“Fair enough,” Alex says with a puff of laughter. “I just… needed a moment to myself, I guess.”

“I shouldn’t intrude, then,” Henry replies softly, already stepping backwards.

“No,” Alex blurts, probably too desperately, but he couldn’t care less about that if it means Henry won’t leave. “I mean, you don’t have to go. I don’t mind the company. When it’s you.”

Henry halts in his tracks, his eyes going wide. “Oh.”

Thankfully, he stops trying to leave and instead comes closer, until he’s right next to Alex, a few bare, aching inches separating their shoulders. For a moment they both just stand there staring up at the sky, until the champagne soaking Alex’s brain gets the better of him.

“If I’m being honest, I wasn’t so excited to count down to the New Year.”

Henry shifts a little to face him more directly. “No?”

Alex shrugs. “The winter’s one thing when you’ve got the holidays to look forward to, but after tonight, it’s nothing but cold and gray. Everything’s dead and brown, and it’ll be months until things are growing again, and you won’t be around…”

He trails off slightly too late to save himself. Whatever. He’s allowed to say he’s going to miss seeing a friend. He stares fixedly up at the sky, resolutely refusing to look at whatever Henry’s face is doing, but then Henry moves to stand in front of him, and he has little choice but to meet those gorgeous blue eyes. They’re crinkled slightly in amusement, but not unkindly.

Fond, he thinks distantly. Henry looks fond.

“Let me make sure I have this right,” Henry says carefully. “You’re out here pouting tonight because you think this is the last time you’re going to see me until spring?”

Alex huffs out a laugh and looks down, feeling his face heat. “I mean, I don’t know if I’d put it that way.”

“You’re wrong about some things, love,” Henry replies, inching closer. Moving slowly, he reaches out to slide a hand onto Alex’s waist, the mere pressure of it lighting a fire under Alex’s skin even as Alex trembles involuntarily under his touch. Then he looks out at the gardens. “They’re not dead. A bit dormant, perhaps, but still in need of care. And I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re not?” Alex asks breathlessly.

Henry shakes his head. “There’s plenty to do over the winter. Planning, cleaning, prepping the beds… Rodolfo has plenty to keep us busy. I’ll admit, I was intending on taking some time off, but you certainly won’t get rid of me that easily.”

Alex feels like he’s fucking flying, or would be if Henry’s steady presence wasn’t tethering him to the ground. He’s shifted even closer now, nearly pressing Alex back against the tree, and Alex lifts his arms to loop loosely over Henry’s shoulders as he lets a pleased grin curl onto his lips. “There aren’t any roses, though.”

“I’ll buy you roses, you absolute menace,” Henry huffs, but he’s smiling too broadly to sell being put out about it.

“I have another confession,” Alex breathes into the rapidly vanishing space between their lips. “I also ran away because I wanted to kiss you at midnight, but I couldn’t.”

Henry pauses, pulling back a little, though he thankfully doesn’t let go. “Ah. I understand if you can’t afford the questions—”

“No, that’s not it. I don’t care who knows. I mean, I should probably make a plan for officially coming out, but that’s not why,” Alex jumps in before he can get anything else out, because it’s important that Henry knows.

Alex isn’t ashamed and he doesn’t want to hide but, like so many things in his life, it’s not that simple. He takes a deep breath, forcing his jumbled thoughts into something that makes sense, which is no mean feat when he’s tipsy and his arms are full of a very handsome gardener who he’d much rather be kissing.

“It’s a lot, being in the public eye the way I am, and I couldn’t ask that of you,” Alex says as he stares fixedly at Henry’s tie. It’s got little yellow roses on it, and he can’t resist dropping a hand down to run a finger down the silk. “You like your quiet life.”

“I like it,” Henry murmurs. He lifts a hand to Alex’s chin, his fingers icy cold on Alex’s overheated skin, and nudges Alex’s face up so that their eyes meet. “I like you more.”

“Oh,” Alex breathes.

“Now, about that New Year’s kiss…”

Henry is biting his lip, looking hopeful and coy all at once as he stares down at Alex through pale lashes, and Alex… can’t believe this is his life, actually. He’s going to enjoy it while it lasts, though—just them, in the garden that brought them together, and a kiss that holds as much endless potential as the plants around them. Not fragile but resilient, perennial, ready to grow and bloom into something truly incredible.

#rwrb #red white and royal blue #firstprince #rwrb fic #rwrb fanfic #firstprince fic #firstprince fanfic #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #my fic #chamel's fandom fest

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thesleepyfable · 7 months ago

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~ SWTD: Still Here AU Season 2 Chapter 2: ~

A Family Growing Smaller:

I've teased about what this season is going to be on Discord, and now, a small seed is being planted.

Part 3:

With nothing more than the clothes on their back and hand luggage by their feet, Raffs and Brodie waited for the taxi to arrive. Everyone stood beside them. They knew they'd see each other again soon. You can't walk away from a crew when you've gone through what they have in the last week. Sadly, this only left Rennick, Trots, Muir, Addair, Gibbo, O'Connor, Innes, Roy, and Caz left together. They could all feel their newfound family getting smaller by the day. Soon, it would be O'Connor's turn.

'Safe journey home,' Roy said, giving the pair one of his signature bear hugs.

'Aye, you too,' Brodie replied. It was true what people said about him. He was a miserable bastard. Well, in the eyes of someone like Muir, he was. Never strayed from the rules and didn't know how to laugh. No one had seen him smile, but that could be because of the large moustache that would make Hercule Poirot blush. But today, you could hear the happiness in his voice. Finally going home after nearly six months. 'You lot come to Skye when the weather clears. You've never seen water like that before.'

'Ah, fuck that,' Caz joked. 'I'm never going in the water again.' Like before, everyone exchanged numbers. 'You two stay out of trouble.'

'Says you, Caz?'

'Gie's peace, ya prick.' The pair shared a final chuckle and hug. Caz learned a lot from Brodie, despite the pair never actually working together. He was a good man who taught him much, but the main one was to never go diving. How he and Raffs could do that meant they were braver than he'll ever be. Or, maybe Caz was smarter.

'So, what's your plan?'

'Stay here till New Years, then get my arse back to Glasgow.' But, in all honesty, Caz was conflicted. The scars weren't physical, but The Shape has left permanent damage. Whenever he now felt one of the infected slip away, it made him sad. Like a piece of him was missing. He didn't understand. They were his friends, but not for that long. He didn't even meet Gibbo until the end of September, and he still wasn't seeing a friendship with Addair in the near future.

At the same time, he wanted to go home.

He had to go home, and as much as he enjoyed the peaceful farm and endless fields, the countryside wasn't for him. Plus, he couldn't run forever from what he did. The sentencing will be longer. It's best to just get it over with. Caz wouldn't buy his bail. The money was for Suze to keep the flat. Finally, redecorate the bedroom and get the windows replaced.

'You two gonna stay away from the water?'

'Nah,' Brodie answered. 'But, like Roper said to me. I think we're going to go on a long holiday.'

'I hear Benidorm is nice.'

'Be original, Caz.'

Raffs felt a tap on the shoulder and turned to see O'Connor and Addair. It was odd to see the pair stand together without trying to rip each other's throats out. Last time they did, the pair only stopped the fight because O'Connor accidentally gave the poor lad a black eye when he pulled back to swing a punch, only for his elbow to collide with Raffs' eye socket.

'When are you and Mary going home?'

'Soon, I hope. Then hopefully come here.'

'You're going to leave Ireland?'

'It's not getting any better out there, Owen.' For some reason, O'Connor never called Raffs by his nickname. Or anyone really for that matter. Only Caz, Trots, and Gibbo weren't called by their first or surname. 'I'm only still working to provide a better roof over our heads.'

'I can lend money, if that will-'

'No,' O'Connor snapped, holding up a hand and ignoring how loud he momentarily was. 'No. That's your money and yours alone. We'll be fine. You go and see your ma, and have a happy new year.'

'Okay.' Raffs didn't know what came over him. A sense of guilt for not being able to do much for the past few days? Some type of desire to help? It's just something to make him feel useful. From his perspective, he's just followed everyone and waited to be told what to do. But before he could get lost in thought, it was now Addair's turn to give the young man his send-off.

'So, is this the end of Raffs' oil rig career?'

'Absolutely,' the diver answered without a moments thought. 'I know Skye always wants fishermen. It's a way to keep to the water. What about you?' Asking as if Addair could ever go into work again. A look of realisation hit Raffs as soon as the question left his mouth. His eyes widened, and his mouth curled. Thankfully, possibly because his wife and sons were here, Addair took it in stride and just laughed.

'I might take up cricket again.'

'I always saw you as a rugby bloke,' O'Connor teased.

'I love all sports.'

'Even horse racing?'

'No, I'd rather pluck my eyes out.' Yep. Still strange to see the pair actually having a laugh together, but it was nice.

Raffs felt Addair open his hand and put something inside his palm. He looked and held up a wooden carving of himself. It was remarkably detailed. Right down to the small orange pin he kept on the lining of his beanie. The young diver blinked a few times before looking up in shock.

'Did you make this?'

'Just something for you to take home.' Even with that answer, Raffs was shocked. The pair never had a conversation before until Muir gave them a task. But, he was happy. He didn't think he'd be going home with a gift.

'Thanks, Addair. Maybe you should go into woodcarving?'

Addair smiled. 'It's a thought. I've gotta keep the old noggin' active somehow.' The pair shared a handshake. He might be infected, but Addair's hand still felt the same. Nothing had changed in them. They were rough with dried skin peeling off the palms. Man has always done physical labour, so it wasn't a surprise the more Raffs pondered. Might be the only thing The Shape didn't alter.

'Hey? Good luck with Tommy.'

Addair paused. First Trots, then Gibbo and now Raffs. It always surprised him when someone mentioned his son's name. Like an alien was talking to him. He still didn't know how Trots knew to begin with. Yet, this time, his smile didn't fade.

'Thank you, Raffs. Now go on,' he pulled down on his beanie, covering his eyes. 'Fuck off back home.'

And just like that, two more members of the crew vanished. They watched them head down the long drive until they were out of sight. Muir sat in the snow to avoid the possibility of the taxi driver seeing his towering form. Everyone lingered for a moment before going back to their day.

Addair turned and caught Jennifer's eye. She stood on the porch. He smiled, but his smile towards his goddess slowly faded. He saw the look of distress in her eyes and the tears she held back. A sinking feeling weighed the man down.

#My Writing #Still Wakes the Deep #Still Wakes the Deep: Still Here AU

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flowerbornofdarkness · 2 months ago

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I had a life before this. I had a life. A real one. I actually enjoyed going outside. I still do I just have no one to join me and I know that is some bullshit excuse but you try doing everything alone because no wants to do it with you. No one is interested playing with the snow anymore. No one is interested cosplaying with you. No one is interested playing uno with you. No one is interested in anything that you are so you just have to do it alone. But I did things. I had a life. I had it good. I was touching grass everweek day because I was going to school. A school that loved nature and it made me love nature. I still love nature. I miss running. I god damn miss running. But I'll just look fucking weird running around the block and then coming back in the house all by myself like "look at the werido running outside" there is barely anyone out there anyway so I'll just cause attention to go on me STOP FUCKING LOOKING AT ME!!!!! I miss gardening. I don't have my own but the school does and for some reason it made me not scared of bugs anymore (why the fuck do I sound like a god damn fictional character that can only function in society by nature?) I liked getting my hands dirty and feeling the dirt and planting new seeds and them watching them grow but now I'm too fucking lazy for that. If someone isn't hounding me to do something I just can't do it and just be my miserable lazy wasting life person. I hate it. I hate that is my life now. I hate that I woke up from a dream like that and all I was focused on is touching myself and also self aware that isn't my life anymore. That couldn't possibly be my life anymore. It hasn't been like that for four years. I miss it so fucking much. I want to do those things again. I fucking loved going outside and at least sitting on the grass, watching other people be people. I loved the way the sun hit my back and gave me warmth that felt like someone was comforting me. I loved when I would wash my hands after touching the grass and dirt and then it became clean for lunch. I loved running until I got a water break and the fucking water tastes so fucking amazing that I can still remember it. I want water to taste like that forever. I want to run again. I love running. I love nature. I love laying on the grass or snow and looking up at the sky and just watching the clouds slowly go by. WHY THE FUCK IS THIS MY LIFE NOW!?!?!??!!?

No one. No one wants to do anything with me and online friends and shit. It's not that they are shit and it's the chance we will even meet up and do everything we said we want to do is shit. You're just gonna find someone else better than me, get a date, say oh I'm not your number one when you are to meeeeeeee!!!! And leave me. Yeah you still care but you aren't doing shit to fucking prove you even want me around. I DID!!!! I HAVE!!!!!!!!! I'M STILL CONTINUING THIS FAKE ASS RELATIONSHIP JUST SO I WON'T GET CALLED A FAKE FRIEND. I AM NOT A FAKE FRIEND. I COULD BE BUT I GENUINELY LOVED YOU I THINK I STILL DO BUT YOU ARE THE WHO BROKE MY DELUED REALITY THIS IS ALLLL YOUR FAULT!!! I'M SICK OF IT BEING JUST MY FAULT BECAUSE I GOT MY HOPES UP I MADE SOME FANTASY OF A LIFE WITH US YOU FUCKING DIDN'T DENY ANY OF IT OOHHH BUT NOW YOU WANT TO FUCKING TELL ME YOU WERE LYING AND YOU DON'T WANT ME BY YOURSELF WITH SIGMA AND I'M JUST TOOOOO FUCKING OBSESSIVE!?!?!?!? FUCK YOU. I HOPE YOU DO KILL YOURSELF. I HOPE IT WORKS. I HOPE YOU LIVE A LIFE OF HELL WHEN YOU GROW UP. YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE GOOD WITHOUT ME YOU BITCH. I LOVE YOU. I LOVED YOU. I WILL BE THE ONLY MOTHER FUCKING BITCH THAT WILL LOVE YOU THAT HARD. THAT MUCH. SOUL LOVING TRAPPED INSIDE OR ME SHOVING IT DOWN YOUR THROAT IN THE MOST NICEST WAY. I WAS EVERYTHING GOOD. BECAUSE I'M A BIT OBSESSIVE AND JEALOUS AND POSSESSIVE YOU DON'T WANT A FUTURE WITH ME AND I'M JUST SOME VISTER TO YOU IN THE FUTURE???? FUCK YOU FUCK YOUR FRIENDS I HOPE THEY ALL DIE IN A FIRE BECAUSE THEY WHERE BITCHES ANYWAY.

#jirai boy #jirai danshi #jiraiblr #jiraiblogging #jirai type #jirai posting #lifestyle jirai #jirai lifestyle #landmine boy #landmine danshi #landmineblogging #landmineblr #landmine type #landmine posting #lifestyle landmine #landmine lifestyle

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lakemojave · 5 months ago

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Mojave Reads X-Men: X-Men #3, X-Men #4, and X-Men #5

Ok so I got a little distracted since the last reading, but I got through some more comics! I do feel myself getting into a groove with these ones, and like last time they were all a hell of a lot of fun! 60s X-Men is really growing on me! I kinda feel like I'm learning more about the Silver Age of comic books than I am about the X-Men, but honestly that's kinda the bargain I made going into this.

This time we've got a lot of villains to introduce. Up to issue #4 we were mostly doing a villain or hijink of the week format, but now we need to give this superhero team a group of supervillain rivals! Naturally this means that Magneto comes back, but you might be surprised by just how many iconic characters and concepts are introduced in this group of issues. It may not be the thematically dense gravy that I hoped for with X-Men, but the bones for that fine substance are absolutely here.

And now, the review!

X-Men #3

This comic introduces the X-Men villain The Blob, who is simply a very large man. The X-Men try and fail to recruit him, then must fend off Blob's retaliatory invasion of clowns, jugglers, and acrobats. It is, in comparison to our previous issues, a standard Silver Age X-Men caper. And yet I had a ton of fun with this one.

These issues will always start with a training sequence in the Danger Room, giving our young heroes a chance to show off their abilities. You see, comics used to be written with new readers in mind, considering the fact that some young readers might miss last issue--the comic stand at the grocery store straight up might've run out of last month's issue! So these little scenes to show off the team's powers and reestablish the X-Men team dynamic are certainly repetitive, but I find them really charming for this reason.

Even if there are some repetitive elements, the status quo is slowly morphing. Cyclops' real name is Scott Summers, and this is the first issue to actually use that name for the guy. We establish that he's no nonsense, occasionally brooding, but is also harboring a secret attraction to Jean Grey (which the other boys are much less secretive about). At the same time though, we learn that Charles Xavier is ALSO attracted to Jean! On one hand, uh, what the fuck dude she is a teenager and you're like 30. On the other, this is the seed of lots of soap opera family drama that'll come to characterize the team dynamic as the X-Men swell in the 70s!

But enough about that. It's time for the circus.

The Blob's whole deal is that he's super strong, super huge, and super durable. It makes him a good carnival attraction, but learning he's a mutant and what the X-Men are makes him want a little more out of his current setup. We're gonna see a lot of this kind of conflict a lot I think, our favorite mutants trying to bring some wayward mutant into their ranks, then falling short due to a gap in what the two parties want out of being a mutant. It's understandable to want more from life, discovering that you're more extraordinary than your circumstances have lead you to believe. It's also hilarious to see that perspective articulated by an all out invasion by n army of clowns.

This might be the most chaotic ending battle we've seen so far. I genuinely had a lot of fun reading this bit. It's goofy, but everyone on the team has something to do in the fight, and their enemies are more diverse than just generic mob goons with tommy guns. It comes to an end after Professor X charges up a techno doohickey to use his psychic powers to stop Blob in his tracks, then wiping his memory of the mansion and sending him on his way.

It's straightforward and familiar, but the series is clearly evolving as we go. For instance, Beast is starting to drop his trademark five dollar words and his generally refined personality. Mr. Hank McCoy has been my least favorite part of these early comics because without anything like this to set him apart, then he's just a normal guy with his toes out all the time. Now, he's a normal guy with his toes out all the time who would also quote Tennyson in the middle of a fight.

Good comic, but after 3 issues I've been excited for some kind of movement in the overall story of this team. I need them to have something to do that has consequence, something with real drama. I might not get that for a while, but issue 4 at least comes pretty close to satisfying.

X-Men #4

You know I'm not the first person to say this but I always thought "Brotherhood of Evil Mutants" was an odd name. Like if you genuinely believe that your cause is just, why would you willingly call yourselves that? It's a bit like the name Decepticons, right? An immediate red flag to anyone you're trying to convince to your side. "We are the league of murderliars, and our intentions are noble and pure!"

That said, I'm kind of astounded by how much is introduced here. After our standard training sequence and then a 1 year X-Men team anniversary celebration, we shift over to their villainous counterpart. I'm kind of shocked by how many pivotal characters in the canon are introduced here! Toad and Mastermind are here, they're alright I guess, but our other two members are Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver! I didn't know that these characters were so foundational to the fabric of the X-Men franchise, and it goes deeper! Wanda gets a brief backstory flashback that is the first time we see any kind of xenophobia and prejudice against mutants, an aspect of Wanda's character that is still with us to this day!

It's still all very silly, make no mistake. Magneto's back, but his personality is still pretty generic and the dialogue is still very stupid. Magneto's plan is to take over a South American island nation using an American battleship and Mastermind's power of mass hallucination. The panel that shows how Magneto steals the ship is hilarious, and Charles has one of my favorite lines in the series so far.

Yes. Who would dare attack a South American nation unprovoked. Utterly unthinkable.

There is so much stuff in this issue though. By this point, I think we're zeroing in on what concepts the readers are coming back for, and there's something about Magneto that comes off as pretty compelling! This issue establishes that he and Charles have some kind of history, giving them their first of many psychic conversations, and the very first usage of the iconic rallying cry, "Magneto was right!" The context of these things are all very threadbare, but as someone who loves Magneto as a character in the modern day, it's all so compelling to me.

The funniest part of the whole issue is probably when Magneto sets up a nuclear fuckin bomb to blow up the island he just took over. Dude is just making up this plan as he goes I guess.

The comic ends with the team escaping the island with an incapacitate Charles, who claims that his psychic powers aren't working anymore! Oh fuck! Now they have to defeat Magneto and his evil mutants all on their own!

X-Men #5

This is another hefty one! The evil mutants are still out and about so the X-Men have to stop them, following them to their secret base and kicking their ass without any support from ol' Xavier. What's exciting about this one is that their secret base has shifted from some unidentified island in the Atlantic to something more iconic.

This is Asteroid M! I actually know this one from X-Men '97, in which Magneto hoists this whole fuckin thing out of the sea and launches it back into space. It's a fantastic villain's base, suitable to Magneto's whole deal and emblematic of the evil mutants' "Homo Superior" mindset, seeing themselves above all humans, uninterested in living among them.

From this base, Magneto plots to lure Angel into a trap and take him up to the asteroid to be tortured. The X-Men are able to follow Toad into a little space pod that launches them all up to the base, and thanks to a very whimsical combination of powers, the team survives back down to earth as the asteroid crashes. If I didn't know the asteroid would return to the series in some form, I'd be pissed! What a cool idea they just shot down out of the sky, mere pages after it was introduced!

This issue has a lot of highlights though. The team has to dress like normal kids as they give Jean's parents a tour of the school, and Scott accidentally enters the Danger Room and has to survive training exercises tuned to the Beast's agility. We also get to see more fights with Quicksilver, who gets to show off how Kirby drew speedster characters! I love how they leave a streak of lines behind them, and turn into a blur of straight lines themselves. It's effective at conveying their speed and is easy to draw repeatedly!

Speaking of Kirby, at this point one notices how many little gizmos the guy liked to draw. I've already pointed out the stupid planes and helicopters in these comics, but this issue has my absolute favorite so far:

But Magneto also gets this stupid headpiece that enhances his abilities. It's very amusing to see characters who don't typically use gadgets just inexplicably have some kind of contraption. To jump back to issue 3, Charles even gets basically the same kind of gadget to enhance his own powers to stop Blob! Guess these two have a bit in common, hm?

The award for most out of touch dialogue this time goes to Wanda. It's insane that she would ask this question after Magneto was straight up about to give that island the Oppenheimer special in the last issue.

The ending, however, is just hilarious. All we get is three panels to show that...surprise! Charles had his powers the whole time! He's back to normal after all, and the X-Men are strong enough without his help! I mean, sure they are, but that means that Charles just put these teenagers through more danger than was necessary just to test them. Like dude you didn't wanna step in at all even when they were falling to earth from low orbit??? Hello??? Why is he grinning???

That's it for this batch though! Next up we have some more crossovers, including our first run in with the Fantastic Four!

#mojave reads x men #x men #x men comics #marvel comics

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coyotegirl-bonsai-garden · 7 months ago

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intro post/FAQ

Who am I?

My name is Artemis or art (please note the lack of capitalization in "art;" it's intentional). I'm a trans woman living in the southwestern US, near the US-Mexico border. I've been on tumblr since (very) late 2017, I've been on HRT since August '23, and I've been trying to get into bonsai since I was a little kid but I've only gotten serious about it since... lemme check real quick.... July this year (2024). My first serious experiences with plants was helping maintain my dad's vegetable garden and the trees around the family home for a few years when I was a teenager and a couple mall bonsai that died because I didn't know what I was doing or how to learn what to do. I'm not counting the mall bonsai honestly.

What is this blog?

This is where I talk about plants! Mostly my experiments with unconventional bonsai techniques and maybe also conventional bonsai techniques. Also maybe if they actually propagate, my succulents. Also if I decide to go for it in the Spring, my vegetables.

more FAQ below the cut.

What is "bonsai?"

"Bonsai" is the romanization of the Japanese word 盆栽. Bonsai is an arboriculture technique developed in China (where it's called 盆景, romanized as "penjing") over 1300 years ago and later exported and further developed in Japan roughly 700 years ago. It has since been popularized worldwide, maybe (probably?) thanks to weird racist Orientalism type shit but also just good and natural cultural exchange. "Bonsai" is NOT a species of tree, or a subtype of trees in general, it is NOT some sort of secret magic. It's the process of 1) growing a perennial woody plant in a pot and 2) sculpting it. It's generally forced dwarfism of a large shrub or tree species, and then trimming it to look cool. Traditionally, it's a showcase of nature's beauty and harshness but practically you can do whatever you want no one's gonna stop you, the tree seeds at the park are free you can get 50,000 tree seeds it's fine it's ok it's not illegal you can do whatever you want forever.

How do I get started?

DON'T buy those "bOnSaI sTaRtEr KiTs" you can find at like supermarkets and shit. Those are ripoffs. Even if they say they guarantee germination they could be lying, who the hell starts a fight over a $10 product? They'll just say you didn't follow the instructions perfectly enough if you raise a fuss. Don't buy tree seed starting kits. Just don't. And don't buy "bonsai" from the back of someone's car, or from anything besides a mom n pop garden center or somesuch. Real bonsai are kinda expensive; they generally will not be sold for less than $50USD, and $50 is on the cheap side. Maybe $40ish at the lowest. The cheap ones (<$50) might already be dead by the time you get them. Waste of money, don't do it. Instead, collect seeds from ornamental trees that grow well in your town and immediate region, and from wild trees that grow in your region. Buy seeds from well-regarded sellers like Sheffield's.* Collect cuttings from wherever and propagate them. Buy actual bonsai from mom n pop shops if you trust them. Buy nursery stock trees, little saplings. Go out in nature and collect saplings and little adult trees you think look cool (if it's legal and you feel confident you won't kill the tree. DO NOT POACH ENDANGERED PLANT SPECIES BECAUSE A WEIRD TRANSSEXUAL ON TUMBLR SAID YOU CAN; I DIDN'T SAY THAT)(bonsai collected from nature are called yamadori (I think the kana is "やまどり" but I'm not sure; idk the etymology or translation)).

*I haven't bought from them and they're not paying me for a sponsorship or some shit, I just know a lot of people have gotten what they paid for from them. They seem reputable. Fact check me before you give them money.

Once you have live plants, plant them in the regular old ground if you can and in the biggest pots you can if you can't put 'em in the ground. And then wait. You want the trunks to be on the thicker side, the results are generally better with thicker trunks. Once it's good and healthy and has a trunk you like, then you can start doing things like trimming it and wiring it; I personally haven't gotten to that part yet so I'm not gonna give advice beyond: look for advice from better sources than me. This doesn't apply if you bought a bonsai that was already started, though. Then just keep it alive and appreciate it. If it's tropical, keep it indoors at least in winter, maybe year-round. If it can survive your climate, keep it outdoors year-round. In Winter, protect the roots from the worst of the cold and the branches from the worst of the wind. Look up guides on how often to fertilize your species, generally you'll fertilize in Spring through early Autumn. Generally you'll re-pot and trim in Spring. The reality is that this hobby involves a lot of waiting. Be patient. And don't take my word as gospel, I'm only getting started. And I'm stubbornly growing unpopular species in unconventional ways, with vague ambitions to pursue unconventional styling techniques.

So what exactly are you growing?

I currently have... 10ish plants:

1 Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) I picked up from the supermarket a few weeks ago. It was sold as a "Christmas tree." A. heterophylla is a tropical plant so it's going to stay indoors every Winter.

3 Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ellwoodii I picked up about a week ago that were also sold as "Christmas trees." C. lawsoniana can get to be pretty big but ellwoodii is a domesticated cultivar that doesn't grow as large as its undomesticated relatives or other C. lawsoniana cultivars. They can handle our Winters and probably also our Summers so these are going outside year-round. At least one of these is going to my mom so I'm just babysitting that one, really.

2 Kalanchoe tomentosa succulents ("Teddy bear" cultivar) that really don't count yet because they're literally just leaves that fell off my sister's plant that I'm trying to propagate. These aren't bonsai, they will never be bonsai, they're just liddle guys. They're indoor plants, forever.

4ish Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) seedlings that I started from seed in... September. I gathered the seeds from a tree in front of my apartment. I planted more but the rest died. It looks like there might be more than one in a couple of my planters but Idk if I should count those as individual plants because I have no idea how I could ever untangle them. They're an indigenous species here so they're going outdoors year-round after this Winter.

Approximately 100 Arizona Cypress (Hesperocyparis arizonica) seeds that I'm cold stratifying until Spring (half in the freezer, half in the refrigerator). I gathered them from my neighbor's tree. No idea if they'll sprout or if I'll keep any alive.

What are these "unconventional" techniques you mentioned?

Mostly self-watering Kratky Method Hydroponics with a bunch of recycled trash. The Norfolk Island Pine and Ellwoodii are currently in the soil they came with and I'm trying to decide whether I'll re-pot them in hydroponic planters. I don't think I have the materials to make that happen and even if I do, it might be a bad move. From what I'm seeing online, none of the trees I have are common as bonsai. They're all pretty unconventional. Commonly kept as ornamental plants, sure, but specifically as *bonsai?* not unheard of but definitely rare.

Plus, like I said in this post, I want to use bonsai for more creative art than just imitations of nature. "nature is neat innit" is a good message, I agree with it wholeheartedly. But we're using living things as a sculpting medium. We can, we should, be more original than that. Hell, there's a lot to be said about using living things as sculpting medium, and cultural exchange, and cultural appropriation, and so much of the rest of the world. A tree in a pot that's been forced to look a certain way can absolutely be used to say something more profound than "nature is pretty." And, if I can stick with this, I intend to say these things.

Ok wait a second. Hydroponics? Self-watering? What's the Kratky Method?

The Kratky hydroponic method is passive hydroponics. The gardener takes a net pot or other container that water can flow through freely, an inert growing medium with no nutrients of its own, and a reservoir with extremely diluted liquid fertilizer. A wick is also optional and I've decided to use said option. The plant is planted in the medium in the net pot, the net pot is suspended in or over the water, and if a wick is used it hangs into the water so it can, y'know, wick up water for the plant. It was originally developed and meant for annual crops by a guy named Kratky at the University of Hawaii but honestly it kinda reminds me of Mexica chinampas. Regardless, it's a way to grow plants without a lot of soil and without moving parts like water or air pumps, is my main point. It's easier and cheaper to turn a glass jar from the grocery store into a self-watering planter than it is to buy real planters and soil. It's easier to check a reservoir than it is to water the plants *just right* on a regular basis.

but y tho?

the intersection of autism and ADHD is a helluva drug. I saw a "self-watering succulent planter kit" at the supermarket once a few years ago, bought it, broke it by being exceptionally and hilariously stupid, and never let the idea leave my mind. I have ADHD so having something that's easy to visually inspect, something that I can forget to water for a few days and can visually see when it needs more water, might be the only way I can keep plants alive. Call it a disability aid if you need to. Plus I got tired of throwing glass jars away and idk where to recycle glass so I've chosen to reuse it instead.

So now what?

I start posting here weekly-ish and you like and reblog if you want. Or you scroll past this and ignore me because it's not your style, that's also ok.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

#Intro post #Bonsai #beginner bonsai grower #plantblr #hydroponics #Kratky Method

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thestudentfarmer · 3 months ago

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4 24 2025

Hello hello,

We have entered the time of year where it starts bouncing from high 70*f-91*f. I'm expecting to see most of the produce start going to bolt and then seed. Which is both exciting and stressful cause it'll be a lot of catch it before it drys too much from here till unknown lol

The first carrot patch is flowered up nice. Lots of bees, flys, wasps and various butterflies and moths have been coming by to pollinate. For which I am grateful, as this year I've noticed certainly less than usual. Because of this I'm going to try and keep the two "wild seeded" areas in continually growth and bloom. I dont want to risk losing what few I've seen so far this year.

The roots of those carrots that's are flowering and trying to seed. This is big as a simple brick now. Due to the storm the other day they blew down. I used some fabric to help support it back upright and they seem to be doing well as I've seen no slow down in the blooms.

We are also trying one more time on growing potatoes. We're gonna try the laundry basket method and see if it works for us in zone 9b-10a.

If it works I'd be stoked as potatoes have not done we'll for us. Ive also been thinking of trying out strawberries and sweet b potatoes with this way, but I've got to find some baskets first (we want to scour second hand stores and yard sales before buying new)

There is as well growing now, cucumbers, watermelon vine, corn stalks, ive started some tomatoes cuttings in an effort to get more cherry tomato plants from the one that overwintered. It's looking unwell and I'd like to relocate them to another spot once they root.

The sunchokes are starting to green up in the back garden (nothing yet in the front. Though it's jsut likely they'll be later)

Thebgreen onions have started flowering and hopefully this year will bring some seed :)

Kitchen wise, i made strawberry preserves with no sugar the other day.

A moment to rant, It's been impossible to find without corn syrup or a sugar substitute in the locals stores round us. The few brands I've found with plain sugar or no sugar are nearly twice the price of the cornsyrup/substitutesugar for a smaller jar than pictured. Anyone else suffering this problem too? End rant.

This weekend I'm hoping to make some French toast with the jelly to top :) and some fried pb&jelly sandwhiches.

Okay that's it for now :) just a lil post for now see you soon!

🌱🐝happy homesteading🐝🌱

#homesteading #thestudentfarmer #self sufficient living #studentfarmer #self sufficiency #food #garden #gardening #low waste #chickens #going to flower #suburban biodiversity #suburban garden #urban biodiversity #urban green spaces #urban homesteading #urban gardening #urban farming

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angiethebangie · 4 months ago

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˗ˏˋ★CH 5: TRUTH IGNITES TRUST (DV)★ˎˊ˗

NOTE: I'M SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG ON THIS, it's a much shorter chapter, but a fairly important one I'd say. I've been rewriting some of the scenes in past chapters since I wasn't very happy with how they turned out. I'll be sure to update you guys on how that goes. Anyways, I’m gonna go drop dead in my bed, enjoy! <3

_________

The silence engulfed them as Asta and Noelle’s bickering finally dulled down, leaving behind two drained Bulls.

Honestly though, he’d be more concerned if they weren’t tired after all that. Casually fighting a swarm of angels, returning with mountains of injuries, and then proceeding to argue over the most absurd topic imaginable? If there was one thing he took away from this, it’d be that the Black Bulls were the strangest group he’d ever come across.

It was impressive, really. Both their energy and the way they’d somehow managed to draw out some surprisingly genuine laughs out of him.

Finral wasn’t sure what to think about them.

That seed of doubt Vanessa had unknowingly planted in him? Yeah, it sprouted. And it was growing at a terrifyingly quick rate, twisting into something that was impossible to ignore. A real pity, considering that Finral wasn’t the best gardener.

His eyes shifted back onto Vanessa. Finral was a light sleeper, like, a really light sleeper. The amount of times he’d jolted awake in the middle of the night because of a bush rustling or a branch tapping against his window was downright comical. So Vanessa being able to sleep through Asta and Noelle’s—let’s be honest, shouting —as though it was second nature made Finral almost envy her ability to tune out such noises.

That was a kind of peace he craved for. Especially since he was running on three hours of sleep practically every night. Maybe four, on a good day.

He felt his lips press into a thin line when his stare caught the now bandaged injuries. Despite her being out cold, breathing steady and untroubled, he couldn’t stop the nagging sense of guilt that clung to him like an old, familiar weight.

Finral clenched his fists, nails digging into the fragile skin as he shook his head, hoping that physically doing so would dispel the dark thoughts from spiraling any further. He was disappointed to see that it hadn’t done much. The weight persisted, getting heavier. Just like it always did.

A disgruntled sigh left his mouth, its volume relatively low, but in the empty atmosphere felt startlingly loud.

Unfortunately for him, the Captain’s sharp perception didn’t miss a single thing. Finral didn’t have to look to know he was being observed. Yami had been staring at him ceaselessly ever since he bore witness to Finral’s reaction to that… letter.

It was a little unsettling, his stare annoyingly casual and unreadable, but not dismissive. He really didn’t think he was that interesting. Besides, there wasn’t much to look at. By now, though, he was too drained to care, the confusion and self-doubt long since acquainted with him.

What was one more person scrutinizing the wreckage in his mind? It wasn’t like it would make much of a difference.

So, trying his best to brush aside the searching look, he opted to tilt his head back, letting his gaze drift upwards. Finral had always found solace in the sky, especially at night.

But this time, he felt little comfort in what he saw. The sky looked wrong.

Finral didn’t realize how far down the Abyss was until now. Everything felt so much farther away. The familiar warmth of the sun’s beams were absent, replaced by chilling gusts of wind. The fluffy, wispy clouds that often carried rosy pink hues were exchanged for dense, smokey gray ones that covered the entirety of the sky. Now that Finral registered it, the sky had been like that for hours now, and it still showed no signs of dispersing.

Almost like this was the regular for them.

His frown deepened, slowly becoming hyper aware of how out of place he really was. Instinctively, his arms crossed over each other, pressing up against his chest as he curled into himself, goosebumps becoming more prominent.

Back in Nirvana, the sky was never dull, always shining with an array of colors that made it feel so much closer than it really was. Walking anywhere in Nirvana guaranteed the sight of golden rays spilling across perfectly chiseled streets. The sunlight had been (and still was) one of the only things he actually appreciated about the place.

Here, though? The sunlight barely touched the Abyss’s surface, passing right by as if forgetting it even existed. Those same dreary, gray shadows dominated, leaving the demons no choice but to litter every corner with some sort of illumination in hopes of brightening it up even a little. They lacked so many things that most angels took for granted. Everyday.

And wasn’t that just depressing?

Even now, it puzzled him. Angels in Nirvana had everything. Wealth, education, property. Everything they could ever possibly want right at their fingertips. Yet, none of them were ever truly satisfied. Finral knew this all too well, having been raised in the very manner owned by the one and only Vaude lineage.

Unlucky enough to have a childhood where all he was told was that he ‘tainted the Vaude’s family name’ just by being born, he’d seen it all. They lived in perpetual, mindless overconsumption, buying material goods in hopes of filling that empty spot in their hearts. Stuffing their homes with unnecessary things, entertaining themselves with shallow conversations and superficial speeches, hosting prodigal parties just for the sake of it. The list never ended.

Although he’d always found those parties suffocating, it was normal for him. At the time, that was just how life was.

But then, there were the demons…

They had less. So much less.

Though, for some reason, more of them seemed happier. It was subtle, but Finral had always been good at picking up little details. In the way they laughed together, instead of at each other. The way they carried themselves, walking comfortably and distinctively.

Something told Finral that their honesty played a part in all this.

Compared to up there, the environment was much more… welcoming, in a twisted sort of way. He still couldn’t help the paranoia that struck him every time he walked alone in the Abyss’s equivalent of a marketplace. But, so far, nothing happened.

No one attempted to start empty small talk. No one shot him a strained, insincere smile.

And besides the stares, no one necessarily treated him like a big deal.

Which was probably his favorite part, if he were being honest. No one down here knew who he was, or knew how he wasn’t good enough. It felt like—like there were no expectations.

From what he observed, every relationship down here was built on trust. Which took time to earn. He’d never experienced it himself, and doubted that he ever would. Which was okay with him. Even if he did, under some miracle, have someone put their trust in him, he knew that he’d eventually fail them anyways. It was better to keep to himself. Safer, that way.

He couldn’t disappoint someone who never believed in him to begin with, right?

Rolling his shoulders back, the ache returned, refusing to ease. The tension was woven so deeply into his body that it felt almost permanent. That couldn’t be very healthy for him. But, what’d he know?

Finral exhaled a long breath from his nose, hand tangling in his hair and pulling just hard enough to feel that relieving sting of pain.

Seemingly, not much.

No matter how hard he tried, his thoughts swirled like it was an overfilled cup, tipping dangerously from every nudge towards the truth. A part of him wanted to ignore it, stay blissfully unaware of whatever sickening schemes were being disguised as heroic deeds. But, another part of him—a much, much bigger part—desperately needed to know.

Whether or not he could handle it was a problem for later.

“Alright,” Yami’s gruff voice cut through the blur in Finral’s mind like a sharp katana. “You’ve sat on your asses long enough, time to head back.”

Finral dragged his gaze down from the sky, directing it towards the Captain. He blinked, disoriented, and not fully processing his words. Back?

Asta perked up almost instantly, his foot tapping restlessly against the stone ground. Even Noelle looked a little relieved, her posture relaxing at the mere mention of going back.

Back where, you might ask? Great question, Finral was wondering the same thing.

In his usual unbothered stance, Yami glanced over at Finral. “Hey, Featherhead.” His wings puffed up on their own, the mentioned feathers straightening out as though equally offended by the nickname.

“ Featherhead?” The indignant shriek came out of his mouth before his mind could catch up.

Yami—the shameless bastard—just grinned at him, looking far too pleased with himself, before continuing on as if he hadn’t insulted every living being with wings that ever existed. “Think you can open one of those fancy portals to our base?”

Finral’s indignation was topped with another scoop of confusion. Sorry, base?

They had a base. He thought they were just a bunch of jumbled demons who formed a group to reach a common goal of sorts. But, he had no idea they were this serious about their roles. An entire base?

“Wait, wait—when did you guys have a base?”

Finral thought his question was perfectly reasonable. Apparently, he was the only one who thought that.

Yami arched a brow, grin widening just a little. “Yeah. Didn’t think we lived in a ditch, did ya?”

Shaking his head, perhaps a little too vigorously, Finral sputtered for a second before gaining back control of his composure. “I- no! No, obviously not. It’s just- a base? I mean, what are you guys, some secret Military Agents or something?”

“Hell no. But hey, you’re making us sound a lot cooler that way.” He shrugged, releasing a puff of smoke that unraveled, drifting in the same direction the wind blew.

And of course, you couldn’t have scoops of indignation and confusion without finishing off with a sprinkle of amusement. You know, just to balance it out.

He glanced away from Yami, biting his lip as his nerves once more stole the spotlight. The Captain asked him to portal them to the base, which wouldn’t be an issue if he knew where the base was.

Seeing as how he just now discovered they even had a base to begin with, Finral could only make a few assumptions.

“Uh, I…can’t. Portal you there, that is,” he admitted, voice dropping despite himself, unsure of how it would be received. “My magic doesn’t work like that. I can’t portal somewhere I’ve never been before.”

The words hung heavy in the air, the delivery coming out much more timorous than he intended. Finral didn’t know what he was expecting. He just knew it wouldn’t be good. The usual—annoyance, frustration, disappointment—the same ones he’d constantly be met with in Nirvana, no matter how hard he tried. A mistake always has consequences. Always.

And Finral tended to make a lot of those.

The Captain paused, lazily scratching at his stubble with that same unreadable expression that he seemingly enjoyed gluing to his face.

Finral happened to be good at reading people, so it was a little maddening that he struggled to translate most of the emotions flashing on Yami’s face. That ability would be especially useful at the moment.

But, he’d have to make due. As long as he prepared for the stinging words that were about to come, it’ll hurt much le—

“Huh. Makes sense.” Yami shrugged, unbothered.

Unbothered? What?

Why was he so unbothered? Wasn’t this the part where he was supposed to get mad?

He blinked, completely thrown for a loop. There was no yelling. No disgruntled muttering. No disappointed sighs. Just—acceptance?

Yami tilted his head back, gesturing impassively to his right. “Then portal us somewhere nearby, or somethin’. Doesn’t matter.”

Staring for a second longer, he swallowed down the lump lodged in his throat. Nodding slowly, he replied, “uh… yeah. Yeah, I can do that.”

The Captain didn’t give him much to work with, if at all. Though, using simple deduction, Finral figured somewhere secluded would make the most sense. A forest was likely his safest bet.

Taking a deep breath that Finral felt was necessary to clear his head, he closed his eyes, trying to remember the towering trees he saw when wandering around earlier. Focusing his mana, he felt a familiar pull in his chest as a glistening portal began to form, stars flickering faintly at its edges.

In the split of a second, the portal accommodated its size for the figures preparing to walk through it.

Just as it stabilized, Finral took a step back, opening his mouth to warn them about the usual safety precautions. Spatial magic wasn’t something to be taken lightly—not even by him.

The more familiar with a place he was, the easier forming a portal becomes. However, that went both ways. The less familiar he was with a place, the more room that left for errors.

And in spatial magic, errors were dangerous.

But before he could get a single word out, Asta let out an excited whoop, leaping onto his feet and (quite literally) launching himself straight through the portal like a cannonball. Without a single ounce of hesitation.

Finral’s jaw dropped. “Wait—! Asta, I didn’t-“

Too late. He was long gone.

Noelle, standing nearby with her typical air of indifference, simply sighed as though this was a daily occurrence. With everything he’s seen so far, that probably wasn’t too improbable of an assumption. Sparing a glance at the portal, her eyes lingered on the shimmering light. For a split second, Finral could’ve sworn he saw a flicker of something bordering on… admiration?

With slightly more hesitance, yet just as little precaution as Asta, she strode through without another word. Her posture was confident and graceful, as though walking through an unpredictable portal was as mundane as walking through the market to buy groceries.

He felt his breath get stuck in his throat for possibly the hundredth time he’d been in the Abyss.

Who does that? They met only hours ago, and the two of them walked in without a single ounce of self-preservation. What if the portal was unstable? What if it led to the wrong place?

His bottom feathers dimly glowed as he continued to hold open the portal, standing there dumbfounded. Finral felt his heart race for reasons he couldn’t understand.

Then, like it was the most natural thing in the world, Yami moved towards Vanessa, effortlessly scooping her up like she weighed nothing. To him, she probably did. Breathing softly and steadily, the succubus’s head lolled against his shoulder, not stirring in the slightest. Seriously, how deep of a sleeper is she?

As Yami prepared to walk through, just as the other two had, Finral’s mouth opened on instinct, the words tumbling out.

“Woah—wait! Why did they just… why are you-” Finral silently cursed himself for his tangled up tongue. It shouldn’t be this difficult to form a single sentence.

Yami paused, glancing at him over his shoulder. His dark eyes met Finral’s, sharp and holding that same infuriating expression that he couldn’t decipher if his life depended on it. The man’s lips were pulled into a frown that looked a touch softer than usual. He didn’t say a word, just stared.

Finral looked down, breaking eye contact as one hand found his temple. This was ridiculous. It was beyond ridiculous how torn he felt about such a simple action. All they did was walk through his stupid portal.

Without a single question, and without a single doubt, that is.

“You just met me. You don’t know my intentions, or-or how much control I have over my magic! What if the portal leads to a… death trap, or something?”

He was reaching, Finral was well aware, but he needed to get the Captain to understand how reckless that was.

“Well, does it?” His tone was low, but no less composed.

Finral tilted his head back up. His stare was the most intense it’s been since their first meeting, with that same focused look he had when he caught Finral tugging on his feather.

It made him feel like he spilt something he hadn’t meant to.

“...No, but-“

“Then what’s the issue?” His gaze lingered for a few beats longer before he turned his head back around, fixing his grip on Vanessa before sauntering into the shimmering gateway. Finral stood there frozen, the words replaying in his head like a broken record.

What’s the issue?

He forced his feet to move, feeling slightly light-headed from holding open the portal for so long. Finral (gracefully) staggered after the Black Bulls. With a shut of his fist, the portal dissipated in the blink of an eye, his illuminated feathers flickering back to normal.

For a brain that thrived off theoretical questions, it was incredibly useless at explaining ones he actually needed to know the answer for.

What was the issue?

Was there even any issue?

#ao3 fanfic #angels and demons #finral roulacase #finral roulacase x yami sukehiro #finral x yami #vanessa enoteca #alternate universe #angst with a happy ending #yami sukehiro #black clover #noelle silva #asta black clover

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