#limiting to three just to avoid too much repetition and what not

[crxwbound]

location: kang household open: 3/3

it all happened so quickly. one moment, daehyun and his daughter were simply enjoying time out on the porch before the rain began to pour. it wasn't unusual to get rain every so often, but this storm in particular was very unnerving. the dark clouds that had rolled in had daehyun rising to his feet--and then he saw t h e m in the tree line. with color drained from his face and the lunch he had eaten only a short while ago churning in his stomach, the teacher snatched three-year old bella up in his arms without a second thought. " get inside! " he yelled out, directed mostly at the person passing by on the worn sidewalk. " come on! " he called again as he carried the toddler inside, looking back out from the open door to ensure the other was close behind. if they didn't get up on the front porch in a few moments, daehyun already knew he'd be locking the door without them inside. thankfully, it was but a second or two later that he was able to shut the door securely behind the other, latching the lock and ensuring the amulet was securely attached to the wall beside the doorframe.

[the-girl-wh0-cries-w0lf]

Chocolate Princess ♡

Willy Wonka x reader

Description - Y/n Ficklegruber can't help but become enamoured with the spectacularly peculiar man stood in the middle of the galleria.

Word count - 1.6k

warnings - fluff ♡

a/n: Watched Wonka today with my sister and my little cousins and honestly have never smiled so much during a film. Every bit of it was just pure wondourous imagination. And Timothee as Wonka was just too scrumptious! Who couldn't love him!

Masterlist

PART TWO

--♡--

I began everyday as I always did. Being ungraciously tumbled out of my pink satin sheets, poked and prodded by our various servants, squeezed into the most painstakingly prissy pink gingham dress (with a matching bow for extra faff), and hauled into my fathers car to join him on his way to work.

You see, I am the sole child of famed chocolatier Felix Ficklegruber. Since I had completed my mandatory years of studies, my days consisted of lounging about my fathers office in complete boredom. My mind practically weakened with the mundane repetitiveness of it all, and I knew it would surely combust if it was not stimulated soon. For 2 years now, I had been begging my father to allow me to study at the prestigious university at the edge of town. But each plea had been met with a scoff, an eyebrow raise and sharp “no”. Even the library was off limits.

I paced around his office, deliberately scuffing my mary janes against the carpet. I smirked at how each scrape made his face tick as if it was being flicked.

“Would you cease that infernal racket. I am trying to work, precious girl.”

“What work? All you do is sit up here eating your own chocolate.” I slumped down onto the disgustingly green couch.

“Please darling, you are giving me a headache, I must ring for my 8am mocha.” He picked up the telephone, clasping his fingers to his eyes.

I drummed my fingers against my dress and clicked my heels together. “You know,” I trailed off. “I wouldn’t be here to bother you at all if…I was at the library.”

The phone was slammed back onto the receiver which made me flinch. He rose from the desk and stalked his way towards me.

“No daughter of mine will be caught in some stuffy book prison-”

“That’s not entirely correct..”

“--That are refuge for the ugly, the untalented and the p–” He dry heaved. I winced at the possibility of another spew. “The p-” I lunged for a bowl as he spluttered.

“I know what you are going to say so maybe we should avoid any bodily functions.” I picked up his monogrammed hanky and wet it from my glass of water. I dabbed the cool liquid against his mouth. His eyes softened at my action and his hand softly clasped around my wrist.

“Sweetheart, you live in complete luxury. Have treasures other children couldn’t even dream of. Why can’t you just stay.” My gaze fell. His hands held my shoulders to turn me around and led me towards the towering window which overlooked the galleria. “Besides, one day you will inherit my pride and joy, my fortune, the very thing that ignites my soul, my–”

“Who’s that?” I interrupted, and pointed my finger to a beautifully disheveled man who had risen atop his suitcase in order to address the crowd. I quirked a smile and took in the strange man, who was truly more a boy, and his frightfully exciting appearance.

The thickness of the window meant I couldn’t hear what the boy was saying but his movements and expressions delighted me to no end. I giggled as he began to flap, mimicking a butterfly. I gasped as he produced from his shallow hat, a large jar of what appeared to be chocolate eggs. But once he took the top off, I shrieked in delight, as each little egg floated up as if carried by wings.

I felt my father stiffen before he shoved me away from the window.

“Now, now sweetheart. Do not bother looking at this man any longer. Clearly another hopeful vagrant but do not worry.” He lifted my chin with his pinky. “We shall deal with him right now.”

I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly who was ‘we’.

--♡--

Once the three had left their respective stores, I snuck out of our own and managed to squeeze my way through the crowd so I was left behind my father and my, and I regret to say it, godfathers.

They each took a bite of the treats offered by the mysterious man who beamed at them with awe filled eyes.

Even from my limited view I could see the flickers of enjoyment cross each of their eyes as they questioned the different ingredients. But my gazing was caught by the top hatted man. His smile grew even brighter as our eyes met. I felt unsure in the presence of a man such as him and all my normal instincts failed. So I settled on a little wave. He offered a small wave back.

“--100%, the absolute WORST!”

The man jumped out of his skin in glee, mishearing Slugworth because of his focus on me.

“Did you hear that ladies and gentlemen, an endorsement by–wait did you say the worst?”

Anger bubbling in my blood, I finally made my presence known.

“You lie, Arthur. I saw your face! You haven’t enjoyed a treat that much since daddy figured out how to make marshmallow flavored chocolate milk.”

There were murmurs amongst the three in agreement and fond memory of that chocolate milk. But they snapped back and I was held firmly by my father who apologized to Slugworth for my rude behavior. A cane was held down on the hand that gripped me. I looked up and met the sweet face of its owner.

“I am terribly sorry.” With a practiced flick I was released. I looped my hand around my saviours available arm. He led me backwards in comical cautiousness. “But I don’t think she’d like to be held for what comes next.”

Suddenly, the three men began to lift into the air.

“The hoverbugs from mumbai! They love chocolate! You must have put their eggs in the treat!” I exclaimed excitedly, whilst watching the hilarious display.

“Exactly.” In my glee, I hadn’t noticed the adoring look which the chocolatier had fixed on the side of my head.

The fun was interrupted by the chief of police. I rolled my eyes. Slugworth must have phoned.

“Now Ms Ficklegruber if you’d kindly step away from the criminal.” The chief of police gestured and I was led away as they interrogated the man whose name I still didn’t know. I looked on sadly as he was forced to give up his earnings. I shoved off the policemen’s arms, I made my way back over to the man whose face was as solemn as how happy it had been just minutes before. The excitement around the galleria had dimmed as various floating consumers were returned to gravity.

“I am really sorry.” I gestured to the measly sovereign he was left with.

“Don’t be. It was a law and I broke it. These fine men were merely doing their job. But a new day shall bring new promise.” He soldiered on with a smile and once again patted his hat back upon his head. “At least I can make rent.” He flicked the sovereign up and caught it once again.

“Where are you staying?”

“Scrubbits.”

My face fell in sympathy. “You didn’t read the fine print?” I pitied the poor man and what was about to befall him. Scrubbits contract was a common warning amongst residents but as I truly took in the whimsical nature which surrounded this man, I knew he wasn't from here. And that made me smile. This place could use something new.

He sheepishly scratched the back of his head and lowered his eyeline.

“You can’t read?” I questioned but my tone couldn't help but soften.

“I always thought my mama would teach me, but eventually my pursuits became solely chocolate.” I reached out and grasped his arm. Stroking the velvet beneath my fingertips.

Before I even knew what they were, the words left my mouth. “I could teach you.”

He was surprised. “You would? But why?”

“You’re interesting.” I peered back to the shop which loomed behind me. “I need that.”

“Forgive me, I have not even introduced myself.” He took off his hat and leaned into a deep bow. “My name is Willy Wonka.”

I giggled but responded with a curtsy of my own. “Y/n Ficklegruber.”

At the mention of my last name he looked towards the ceiling where my father still hung, gesturing feebly. “Wow. You really have chocolate in your blood. No wonder you’re so sweet.” Both our eyes widened when we realized what he said. A blush spread across my heated cheeks and meeting Willy’s eyes suddenly became impossible.

“Y/N GET AWAY FROM THAT CANDY GRABBING SCOUNDREL!” My fathers voice beat down from the ceiling where he had been watching my entire interaction with Wonka.

“Meet me at the fountain, tonight, 10pm sharp. Daddy will be in a sugar crash by then. It’ll be easy to sneak out.”

Before I could rush off to avoid my father once his feet returned to earth, Willy halted my movements and placed his empty palm out in front of me.

“Before you go, I want to give you something. You shouldn’t have anything I make in bulk. You deserve something a little more…” He placed a cloth over his palm and ripped it off revealing a deep red chocolate heart decorated with tiny flakes of gold. “Bespoke.”

I placed the treat in my mouth and audibly moaned at the taste. This man was a true genius. My father is going to be so mad. I could jump for joy.

“Till tonight, Mr Wonka.”

“Please, call me Willy.” I leaned up and delicately kissed his cheek in a way of goodbye.

--♡--

That night after discovering the true horror of what being a “guest” of Scrubbits included, Willy begged and pleaded with his newest friend, Noodle, to help him sneak out for the night because, in his words, he’d seen…

“The most beautiful girl to ever exist and if I don’t get to see her again tonight, my heart might just burst out of my chest!”

--♡--

[thegeminisage]

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA ECHOES OF WISDOM FINAL VERDICT

SHORT VERSION: minor nitpicks but rad as hell

LONG VERSION:

what i loved about eow:

zelda getting her own adventure, FINALLY. it matters so much to me <3

the thinking aspect of it. i'm used to trying a puzzle a few times and then looking it up if i can't get it, but eow made me WANT to throw myself at the wall until something clicked. it made solving puzzles even more satisfying than in link games, somehow. though i had my initial concerns over not getting a "real" sword, i didn't really miss it until the final fight, and most of the time, i went out of my way to avoid using it if possible, because i wanted to be creative. in fact, even while playing, i looked forward to being able to watch other peoples playthroughs to see how they tackled certain puzzles differently from me. it's so fitting to who zelda is in the lore that it's crazy to me she wasn't een in the original concept - she just fits so PERFECTLY here, as if they'd designed it for her from the ground up.

the way link mattered in the story without stealing the stage (everywhere except the final boss, which i have mixed feelings on). i know that link's function is to act as a stand-in for us, but in this project especially, it's nice to see him get some personality - i think he's earned it!

i ALSO really loved, of course, the final dungeon and working together with link to solve puzzles. the last zelda co-op game we had was four swords where everybody had the same abilities bc they were all link, but what if we had one with link and zelda where they had different abilities? it was so exciting and rewarding to finally get to work with link after all the mystery surrounding him and the fights with his evil duplicate.

the stilled realm stuff was incredible. i had so much fun in the rifts i wish there had been more of them. picking your way around that fucked up landscape is great

being able to cheat your way around any landscape is great also. like i can get to hebra from the ground with enough platbooms, i can jump over tree barriers, etc. it made me feel like a master of the world.

i liked tri! not the most standout companion, but they were just confused enough about basic emotion and nonplussed about things in general to be funny and make me fond

in fact, most of the secondary characters were a lot of fun. i was pretty neutral on wright and lefte and the gerudo ladies, but the zora leaders, impa and lueberry, and of course, conde - they were all fantastic. zelda's dad not being shitty for once was a really nice touch, too.

loved all the callbacks to other games - the deku scrubs, the river vs sea zoras, volvagia, big blue pig ganon even though he sin't my fav

speaking of, i'm not mad about the lore either. it fits with what we know so far and it was GREAT to hear from the three goddesses again when it's been like 20-something years. i was kinda mad when they got shunted aside for hylia and i'm glad nintendo is bringing them into co-existence again

most of the time the music was just okay but when it was good it was REALLY fucking good.

overall, the story was absolutely charming, filled with mostly fun characters and environments and a creative mechanic and a world i cared about saving. none of that feeling i got from totk sometimes where i went "wait, what?" or "this is bullshit!" except maybe when the goron had to break the picture of his dead dad lol.

what i did not love about eow:

my absolute #1 main complaint is the quality of life bs. i should NOT have to go through so many dialogue boxes for a task that is repetitive. minigames that have a 20-second time limit where i spend almost as much time skipping thru the dialogue to try again? come on. smoothies? the dojo? these are things we do dozens, perhaps hundreds of times per playthrough. there is NO NEED to make it that tedious. i would have had a LOT of fun experimenting with smoothies if it hadn't been so tedious, but instead i went out of my way to avoid using them because i was dreading having to sit through the animations and dialogue boxes for more. and there's no quick retry for minigames, either. for the dojo where one misstep means you'll have to start over, all you can do is quit early and then go through the dialogue ALL. OVER. AGAIN. it is 2024!!! surely when they played the game they got annoyed by this too! what are we doing!

similarly, while i didn't hate the slidey menu as much as everyone else cuz i got pretty good at skimming it, it's still nuts to me that they couldn't come up with anything better, perhaps involving some sort of category. sometimes i want platforming echoes and sometimes i want combat ones. separate them!!

while the final boss was FANTASTIC in mood and presentation, my echoes and automatons being kind of useless + me being denied a sword made me feel like i had nothing to do but run around and dodge and watch link and my lynel fight the boss. this is a tricky one because i'm not sure what could possibly be changed to make me a more active participant and still leave link his sword (his presence elevated it so much - much like zelda's does in final fights against ganon), but it felt just an inch to the left from perfect for me

automatons in general - i was really hype for them, but most of them don't even move around on their own, and they're so slow a fast-paced combat sitch will obliterate them instantly. which would have been PERFECT for the final boss where i wanted a more direct means of attack, but they'd get toasted before i had a chance to wind them up. JUST removing the winding element would have improved these greatly without any other change at all, but it's another quality of life thing

the horse was also useless, but the horses have been useless in every game since majora's mask, and even in majora's mask it's iffy.

the world DID feel a little small sometimes, but i think that's the natural result of being able to cheat your way around it - and i wouldn't change that.

finally, the music - most of the music for the overworld sections was boring, where the dungeon music occasionally had more character. i was a little disappointed there wasn't more of the old melodies aside from little snatches of them here and there. i definitely understand composers wanting to do something new, but if their new something is this atmospheric, unhummable stuff...that just doesn't feel like a zelda score, you know? that said, again: when it was good, it was GREAT. that final boss fucking rocked.

overall this made me SOOOO ready for an oracle or minish cap remake from grezzo and absolutely RABID for zelda to have her own 3D adventure someday. they thought it wasn't possible but it ABSOLUTELY is, and the co-op sections near the end were especially wonderful and something i'd love to see in a mainline title someday. yes, this game was flawed, but it wasn't flawed the way totk was, it was overall a great joy to play and well worth both my time and money. there's very little i would change.

and, on a mushy real life note, echoes of wisdom did also help me get through the 15-day power outage after hurricane helene...i started the game just before the hurricane hit and finished it just after i got my power back, so helene kind of defined the experience of playing it for me. i'll never forget sitting in my dark bedroom with all the windows open and the generators going outside and my switch just propped up on my monitor stand, surrounded by battery packs, my only light from flashlights or candles, trying to help the time pass and enjoy the game while keeping a clooose eye on my battery life. it was one of the very, very few things i could look forward to in an uncomplicated way every day, and having something to keep me going was vital to my not just going nuts. zelda games usually seem to come out when i need them most! and i'm grateful to her too <3

[sleepingfancies]

👕5 🌤3, 4 🤝7, 12, 17 💓6 for raphael??????? mayhaps????

HEH >=3 you've activated my trap card (talking abt my ocs for too long)

👕5. What are your characters opinions on scars?

A stupidly nuanced answer for a straightforward question, but that's just how Raphael is. For the most part, scars are flaws to him; signs of carelessness or recklessness. Scars from things like cat scratches, tripping on uneven ground and skinning a knee, blisters from repetitive motion - things a person can "control," he scoffs at. To Raphael, they should have either known their limits or simply been better at what they were doing. Purely accidental or surgical scars he's far more understanding about, and is even curious about them. He likes hearing the stories behind their existence, because it gives him greater understanding of the person. Scars on himself, though? He can't stand them. Even surgical scars he would hate vehemently. Permanent signs of his own mediocrity, in his perspective. They'd drive him insane. He'd do anything to cover them up or get rid of them. He'd be embarrassed by them, he would want no one to see them. Raphael would probably avoid something like surgery for as long as possible if he knew it would give him a scar.

🌤️3. What season would your character say they're most similar to?

Summer babyyyyy. The heat, the blazing sunlight, the rapid weather changes, the inevitability of it all. Summer is a strong hand grabbing you by the shoulder and saying "don't ignore me," and that's exactly who Raphael is. Summer storms are intense albeit short-lived, much like his own temper flares. Summer days are bright and warm, summer nights are gentle and lively. He identifies with all of these things! Frankly, he does know himself well enough to know he is as unpredictable and attention-demanding (and hot, in his not-so-humble opinion) as summer, anyway.

🌤️4. Is there a natural phenomenon that scares your character?

Raphael is not at all keen on tornadoes. Teothe is a relatively flat and low-lying country, with the coast to the east, the Nattenheim mountain border to the west, and the massive expanse of the Arboretum to the south. Because of its topogrophy, Teothe is extremely susceptible to tornado formation during summer thunderstorms. The idea that wind alone could destroy his home, kill his family, and overall destroy his life really scares Raphael quite a lot. Living away from home, when tornadoes do occur, he is in a constant state of worry and fear until he knows his siblings are alright (which, given how far away he is, could take weeks).

🤝7. Who is your character most honest with?

Again, a weirdly nuanced answer, because tbh Raphael has different definitions of "honest" when it comes to himself. Truthfully Raphael really only has three close friends, Mirabelle, Alizee, and Conall. Mirabelle is a coworker of his, and one of the few people who's seen Raphael at some serious low points. Mirabelle is the most acquainted with his worst impulses and behaviors. She knows how destructive he can get, and he's most honest with her about those tendencies. Alizee is Raphael's immediate younger sibling, and she knows how complicated his relationship can get with their family. She knows that he's different when he's at home, and she knows why things are tense between him and their mother. Raphael's most honest with her about the pressure of being an eldest sibling and what his childhood was like before her. Conall is (initially) a complete stranger, who has no clue who "Rikke the Savior"/"Rikke the Traitor" is, who barely speaks Teothean, and is mostly just deeply distressed that Teothean trees and spiders can't speak. Conall has no context for half the things that make Raphael want to gnaw on plastic. It takes a little time (but faster than Raphael would've expected), but Raphael becomes honest about a lot of his identity struggles with Conall. Although Conall doesn't know who Rikke is, he can relate to Raphael's general problem, since his own mother is quite the meance back in the Arboretum. So Mirabelle, Alizee, and Conall are all recipients of Raphael's honesty in their own unique ways. There is no one person whom Raphael trusts with being honest about every aspect of himself, though.

🤝12. How would your character react to being put in a position of leadership?

It's not ideal! He would much rather be a follower, since he's been the leader of his siblings for most of his life as it is. Stress would weigh down on him pretty hard. He also wouldn't want to be "threatened" with a leadership position forever (again). If he was put in a position where his leadership was indefinite, he wouldn't be able to separate leadership from his place as an eldest sibling. His leadership would turn condescending and far too familiar, and he'd likely receive pushback until he either snapped or simply quit. If a leadership position is being granted to him as a reward or as recognition, he'll accept it quicker than if it's because he's actually qualified to lead. He does occasionally place himself in leadership positions voluntarily, if he feels like the original leader isn't doing their job right/well anymore. Raphael is what you might call an "emergency leader." He'll follow until things start going chaotic or horribly wrong, and then he'll step in and start guiding, even though he doesn't actually want to be the leader. He usually has some choice words for failed leaders.

🤝17. How well does your character work with others?

Generally Raphael doesn't work well with others. To the above point, he has absolutely no patience for incompetence at work. Raphael will openly question methods and behaviors, challenge ideas, and argue strategic plans. His superiors at his job have all but removed him from fieldwork and reconaissance entirely, because he cannot help becoming combative if he feels his coworkers are being stupid, inefficient, or uncertain. It's a combination of his eldest sibling instincts and prioritizing how he does things, for better or worse. He's confident in his own personal ability to charmingly disarm others, so he finds more abrasive and blunt methods of talking to others irritating and unnecessary. He doesn't account well for how other people might operate, simply believing their ways of doing things aren't as good as his. He works best by himself, or with a small group of excellent communicators (which most of his coworkers are not).

💓6. How well does your character act under pressure?

Raphael functions well enough on the surface under pressure - he makes a good show of not being impacted by pressure at all, appearing very flippant and nonchalant. But in actuality the fear of failure is stifling. If he fails in general he kicks himself something fierce, but to fail under pressure, when expectations are high? When people trust him to do good work and succeed? Failing simply isn't an option. If he failed in front of others while under pressure, their disappointment would be so palpable he'd fly off the handle at the next person who asked anything of him. He never wants to be known as the guy who fumbled when it mattered most.

[pcrtisuyog]

The Art of Retargeting Without Being Annoying

In today’s ever-evolving world of digital marketing, staying in front of your potential customers is crucial. That’s where retargeting—also known as remarketing—comes in. It allows you to re-engage with users who have interacted with your brand but didn’t take the final step, such as completing a purchase or filling out a form.

However, retargeting is a double-edged sword. Done right, it increases conversions. Done wrong, it becomes intrusive, repetitive, and, frankly, annoying. Striking the perfect balance is what defines the art of non-intrusive retargeting.

Whether you're learning digital marketing by TechnoBridge or already practicing it professionally, mastering this skill is essential.

What Is Retargeting?

Retargeting is a form of online advertising that targets users based on their previous interactions with your website or app. It often uses cookies to track visitors and displays ads to them across different platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Google Display Network, etc.

Imagine a user browsing a product on your website but not buying it. Retargeting allows you to show them an ad for the same product as they scroll through their favourite blog or social media.

Why Retargeting Can Become Annoying

Let’s face it. Most of us have seen an ad 15 times in a week and thought, “Okay, I get it!” This kind of redundancy doesn’t just fail to convert—it creates a negative perception of your brand. The line between helpful and harassing is thinner than you think.

Common mistakes that make retargeting annoying:

Showing the same ad too many times

Targeting users who already converted

Ignoring user intent and context

Lack of personalization

Ads that follow users across unrelated platforms for too long

Mastering the Art of Subtle Retargeting

To ensure that your efforts in digital marketing aren’t doing more harm than good, consider the following strategies to humanise and enhance your retargeting campaigns:

1. Set Frequency Caps

Limit how often a user sees your ad. Showing an ad three times over a few days is fine. Showing it 30 times? Not so much.

2. Segment Your Audience

Not all visitors are the same. Tailor your retargeting based on:

Pages they visited

Time spent on the site

Whether they abandoned a cart or just browsed

Segmentation ensures more relevant and timely messaging.

3. Exclude Converted Users

If someone has already made a purchase or signed up, stop retargeting them with the same offer. Instead, show them:

Related products

Loyalty programs

Content that nurtures the relationship

4. Create Diverse Ad Variations

Rotate your creatives and messaging to avoid fatigue. You can test different formats like:

Carousel ads

Video snippets

Testimonials

Discount codes

5. Use Sequential Retargeting

Guide your audience through a story. Start with brand awareness, then product benefits, and finally conversion offers.

6. Respect Timing

Don’t show an ad immediately after a visit. Wait for a day or two. Give the user time to reflect, making the follow-up more effective and less intrusive.

Empathy Is Key in Retargeting

At the heart of effective retargeting lies empathy. Think like your customer. What kind of message would you appreciate seeing? What tone would you respond with?

This is where a deeper understanding of digital marketing by TechnoBridge shines. The courses not only teach technical tools but also help marketers think from a human perspective. Knowing when to back off is as important as knowing when to push forward.

Final Thoughts

Retargeting is powerful—but with great power comes great responsibility. Bombarding users with ads isn't a winning strategy. Instead, focus on creating value, maintaining relevance, and most importantly, being respectful of your audience's space.

By applying these principles, you won’t just improve your conversion rates—you’ll also build trust, loyalty, and a more meaningful connection with your users.

So, the next time you dive into a digital marketing campaign—or better yet, a training module on digital marketing by TechnoBridge—remember that the goal isn’t just to be seen. The goal is to be remembered, appreciated, and welcomed back.

[ashish2345]

Make Family Dinners Stress-Free with the Right Small Pressure Cooker

Family dinners are meant to be comforting, joyful, and an opportunity to bond over delicious home-cooked meals. But with busy schedules, tired evenings, and limited time, preparing dinner can sometimes feel more like a chore than a pleasure. That’s where the right kitchen tools make all the difference—especially a small pressure cooker.

Compact, efficient, and incredibly versatile, a small pressure cooker is the unsung hero of countless kitchens. While many associate pressure cookers with large meals and batch cooking, the smaller variants (typically 1.5 to 3 liters) are perfect for everyday use, especially for small families or anyone looking to simplify the dinner rush.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how the right small pressure cooker can make your family dinners easier, faster, and more enjoyable—without compromising on flavor or nutrition.

Why a Small Pressure Cooker?

At first glance, a small pressure cooker might seem like an odd choice for family meals. But when you consider the benefits—quicker cooking times, energy efficiency, easy cleanup, and portion control—it becomes clear why this compact appliance is gaining popularity in modern kitchens.

Whether you’re preparing meals for two to three people or cooking side dishes to accompany a main course, a small pressure cooker helps you get dinner on the table in no time. It’s ideal for:

Small families

Couples

Parents preparing quick meals for kids

Seniors looking for easy cooking solutions

Secondary cooker users (for rice, dals, or vegetables alongside the main dish)

Speed Without Sacrificing Taste

One of the biggest stressors when it comes to dinner is time. After a long day, the last thing anyone wants is to spend an hour over the stove. A small pressure cooker dramatically reduces cooking time without compromising flavor.

Here’s what you can whip up in under 30 minutes:

Masoor dal in 10 minutes

Steamed vegetables in 5–7 minutes

Pulao or khichdi in 15 minutes

Chicken curry in 20 minutes

Baby potatoes or boiled eggs in just 6–8 minutes

Because the cooker locks in steam, flavors are intensified and nutrients are preserved. This means meals come out richer and more aromatic than they would with traditional boiling or sautéing.

Compact Size, Big Convenience

Small pressure cookers are a blessing for those who want to cook quickly without pulling out large, heavy pots. Their size makes them easier to handle, clean, and store—especially in smaller kitchens or apartments.

The compact design also helps in reducing clutter during meal prep. You don’t need multiple pans for rice, lentils, and vegetables. The small cooker can handle one-pot meals effortlessly, which also means fewer dishes to wash after dinner—a big win on busy weeknights.

Better Portion Control

Portion control isn’t just for diets—it’s also a smart way to reduce food waste and ensure freshness in every meal. Small pressure cookers naturally encourage right-sized cooking. They help you avoid overcooking or making too much food, which can lead to waste or repetitive leftovers.

This is especially helpful for:

Families with young children

Seniors or single parents

Anyone practicing mindful eating or meal planning

With the right size (usually between 2L to 3L for small families), you can cook just enough food to satisfy everyone—fresh, hot, and ready to serve.

Perfect for a Variety of Meals

Small pressure cookers aren’t just limited to dals and rice. With a bit of creativity, you can prepare a wide range of dishes for family dinners:

Vegetarian Meals: Chana masala, rajma, mixed veg curry, aloo matar

Non-Vegetarian Meals: Chicken stew, mutton curry, egg curry

One-Pot Meals: Biryani, khichdi, pasta in tomato sauce

Side Dishes: Boiled corn, steamed beans, sauteed greens

Desserts: Rice kheer, caramel custard, halwa

The versatility makes a small pressure cooker a multi-tasking tool that adapts to your cooking style and family preferences.

Energy Efficient and Budget-Friendly

Using a pressure cooker saves energy because it cooks faster. The shorter cooking time means less gas or electricity is used. In fact, pressure cookers can reduce cooking time by up to 70%, which can lead to significant savings in the long run.

This makes small pressure cookers a smart investment, especially for those who cook daily. They also cost less upfront compared to larger electric models and are available in a wide price range to suit different budgets.

Easy to Maintain and Clean

Another major stressor after dinner is cleaning up. Thankfully, small pressure cookers are incredibly low-maintenance. Their size makes them easy to wash in a standard sink, and most come with detachable parts like the gasket and weight valve, which can be quickly cleaned and reassembled.

Tips for easy maintenance:

Clean the gasket and valve regularly

Avoid using harsh metal scrubbers

Dry completely before storing

Replace the gasket every 12–18 months for optimal performance

Because they don’t have electronic components (unless it’s an electric model), stovetop pressure cookers last for years with proper care.

Safe for Daily Use

Modern small pressure cookers are equipped with advanced safety features, such as:

Gasket Release System (GRS)

Precision Weight Valve

Metallic Safety Plug

Cool-touch handles for easy grip

These features are designed to ensure safe cooking under pressure, giving you peace of mind even when multitasking in the kitchen.

Choosing the Right Small Pressure Cooker

When selecting the best small pressure cooker for your family, consider the following:

Capacity: 2L is great for 1–2 people, while 3L is ideal for 2–3 people

Material: Aluminium is lightweight and affordable; stainless steel is more durable and induction-compatible

Brand: Trusted brands like Prestige, Hawkins, Butterfly, and Pigeon offer reliable options with good warranties

Induction Compatibility: If you have an induction cooktop, choose a model with a sandwich base

Handle Design: Look for ergonomic, heat-resistant handles for comfort and safety

Conclusion: Less Stress, More Flavor

Family dinners should be a time to reconnect, relax, and enjoy a warm meal together. With the right small pressure cooker, you can eliminate the stress of long cooking hours, reduce post-dinner cleanup, and serve wholesome food without breaking a sweat.

[sankavin]

A Complete Guide to SaaS Integration Platforms

If you're juggling too many apps and still struggling to keep things streamlined, you're not alone. SaaS apps are lifesavers, but if they're not talking to each other, they're just more hassle. The solution? SaaS integration platforms. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, step by step.

What Exactly is a SaaS Integration Platform?

A SaaS integration platform lets your cloud-based apps share data effortlessly. Think of it as the glue holding your apps together, ensuring smooth, automatic communication without any manual hassle.

Why Do You Need SaaS Integrations?

Let's keep it simple. Without integrations:

You manually enter data repeatedly.

Errors pile up quickly.

Processes slow down.

Your team becomes frustrated.

With integrations, apps sync automatically, workflows are smooth, and life becomes much easier.

Key Benefits of Using SaaS Integration Platforms

Here’s how integration platforms change your business:

Saves You Time

By automating repetitive tasks, integration platforms let your team focus on bigger things—like growing your business.

Keeps Data Clean

No more duplicates or inconsistencies. Data flows smoothly between platforms, always staying accurate and updated.

Boosts Productivity

With fewer manual tasks, productivity skyrockets. Your team is happier and more efficient.

Cost-Effective

Cutting down manual tasks reduces labor costs. Your budget, thank you.

Different Types of SaaS Integrations

Let’s look at three common integration types:

App-to-App Integration

Connecting two apps directly for instance, linking Salesforce to Slack, so your sales team instantly gets notifications about new leads.

Data Integration

Synchronizes data between platforms. Imagine your CRM data always matching your marketing database—no effort required.

Workflow Automation

Automates complete business processes. A customer fills a form, triggering automatic actions like CRM updates, email campaigns, and billing.

Common Use Cases for SaaS Integration

Here are the scenarios businesses most often use integrations for:

CRM Integration: Connect Salesforce or HubSpot with email marketing apps for automatic follow-ups.

Billing Automation: Automatically link Stripe with accounting apps like QuickBooks or Xero.

Customer Support: Sync Zendesk with your CRM to track customer interactions seamlessly.

How SaaS Integration Platforms Actually Work

APIs

APIs let software communicate. SaaS platforms use APIs to send and receive data automatically.

Triggers and Actions

Something happens in one app (trigger), prompting another app to respond automatically (action).

Middleware

Middleware translates information between apps, ensuring smooth communication even when apps aren’t designed to work together.

Top SaaS Integration Platforms in 2025

Some integration platforms are game-changers. Here’s a quick rundown:

Zapier: Easy to use, perfect for small businesses.

Workato: Ideal for larger teams needing advanced integrations.

Konnectify: Great for embedding integrations directly into your app.

Tray.io: Offers extensive customization with low coding effort.

MuleSoft: Robust platform for enterprises requiring complex integrations.

Choosing the Best SaaS Integration Platform

When picking a platform, ask yourself these questions:

Ease of use: Can non-tech folks use it?

Scalability: Will it grow with your business?

Security: Does it meet standards like GDPR or HIPAA?

Cost: Does it fit your budget?

Steps to Implement SaaS Integrations

Ready to get started? Follow these easy steps:

Identify Your Needs: List your apps and figure out what you want to automate.

Choose Your Platform: Pick the integration tool that fits your needs.

Configure the Integration: Set up triggers and actions clearly.

Test and Launch: Test thoroughly, then roll it out to your team.

Common Challenges (and How to Avoid Them)

Integrations aren’t always perfect. Watch out for:

Limited APIs: Some apps might restrict access.

Data Issues: Different formats can create chaos.

Security Concerns: Always pick secure platforms.

Scalability Problems: Make sure your chosen platform can grow alongside you.

Best Practices for Smooth SaaS Integration

Keep things smooth by:

Clearly defining what you need.

Regularly updating and maintaining your integrations.

Monitoring your integrations frequently to catch issues early.

How to Measure the Success of Integrations

Look at these metrics:

Reduction in manual workload

Data accuracy improvements

Productivity boosts

Decreased error rates

Using analytics tools (like Google Analytics) helps you track these changes clearly.

The Future of SaaS Integrations

Integration platforms are constantly evolving. Here’s what's coming next:

AI-driven Integrations: AI will soon predict your integration needs.

Low-code/no-code Solutions: Platforms anyone can use, even without coding skills.

Hybrid Integrations: Seamless links between cloud and traditional on-premise software.

Real-Life Examples of Successful SaaS Integrations

Real-world companies doing integrations right:

Uber: Integrates payment systems, maps, and user ratings effortlessly.

Netflix: Connects billing, user data, and recommendations flawlessly.

Conclusion

SaaS integration platforms aren't just convenient—they're essential. They transform your business from scattered apps into one streamlined, efficient machine. Ready to get started?

FAQs

1. Is SaaS integration expensive? Not always. Pricing varies widely—small businesses have affordable, scalable options.

2. Do integrations require coding knowledge? No! Most modern platforms require minimal to zero coding knowledge.

3. Can integrations improve my customer experience? Definitely. Faster responses and accurate data sharing mean happier customers.

4. How secure are integrations? Leading platforms have robust security measures, so pick a trusted provider.

5. Can SaaS integration platforms scale with my business? Yes—most quality platforms offer flexible, scalable plans suitable for growth.

Please don’t forget to leave a review.

[trendingblogsworld]

How to Stay Motivated When Building Your Business One Hour at a Time

Starting a business while balancing other responsibilities can be overwhelming. When you only have an hour a day to work on your entrepreneurial dream, it’s easy to feel like progress is slow. Frustration, doubt, and fatigue can creep in, making it difficult to stay motivated. However, with the right mindset and strategies, you can keep up your enthusiasm and steadily move toward your goals.

1. Set Clear, Achievable Goals

One of the biggest motivation killers is the feeling of not making progress. Combat this by setting clear, measurable goals. Instead of vague ambitions like "grow my business," break them into actionable steps such as:

Write three blog posts this week.

Reach out to five potential clients.

Research and implement one marketing strategy.

Seeing tangible results from your limited work time can help maintain momentum and boost confidence.

2. Prioritize High-Impact Tasks

With only one hour a day, every minute counts. Instead of spreading yourself too thin, focus on tasks that create the most impact. Use the 80/20 rule, which suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. Ask yourself:

What activities drive revenue?

What actions attract new customers?

What steps bring me closer to my ultimate goal?

Prioritizing these will ensure your limited time is used effectively.

3. Develop a Routine and Stick to It

Consistency is crucial when working in short bursts. Choose a set time each day to dedicate to your business, whether it’s early in the morning, during lunch breaks, or late at night. Treat this time as a non-negotiable appointment with yourself.

A consistent schedule creates momentum and eliminates decision fatigue. Over time, working on your business for an hour will become second nature, just like brushing your teeth or exercising.

4. Track Your Progress

When working in small increments, it can feel like you aren’t moving forward. Keeping a progress journal or using task management tools like Trello or Notion can help you visualize how much you’ve accomplished.

Celebrate small wins along the way, whether it’s completing a website, getting your first customer, or publishing content regularly. These achievements, no matter how small, serve as reminders that you’re on the right track.

5. Combat Small Business Burnout

Burnout is real, even if you’re working on your passion. Many solopreneurs experience small business burnout when juggling multiple responsibilities. To prevent this:

Set boundaries between work and personal life.

Take regular breaks.

Avoid perfectionism—progress is better than waiting for everything to be flawless.

Find a community of like-minded entrepreneurs for support.

By recognizing burnout signs early and addressing them, you can sustain motivation for the long haul.

6. Stay Connected to Your "Why"

Whenever motivation dips, remind yourself why you started. Whether it’s financial freedom, creative fulfillment, or more time with family, keeping your "why" front and center provides purpose and drive. Write it down and place it where you’ll see it daily.

Additionally, visualize what success looks like. Picture your business thriving, your customers happy, and yourself enjoying the results of your hard work. This can reignite excitement, especially on tough days.

7. Break Tasks into Micro-Steps

When time is limited, even small tasks can feel daunting. Instead of tackling a project all at once, break it into micro-steps. For example:

Instead of "Build a website," start with "Choose a website platform."

Instead of "Write an ebook," begin with "Outline chapter one."

Checking off small tasks creates a sense of accomplishment and encourages continued progress.

8. Leverage Automation and Delegation

When time is short, automation can be a game-changer. Utilize digital tools to streamline repetitive tasks:

Email marketing: Use autoresponders to nurture leads.

Social media scheduling: Platforms like Buffer or Later save time.

Customer support: Chatbots or FAQs can handle common questions.

If possible, delegate tasks that don’t require your direct input. Hiring a virtual assistant for admin work can free up time for strategic growth.

9. Find an Accountability Partner

Having someone to check in with can make a huge difference in staying motivated. Whether it’s a fellow entrepreneur, a mentor, or a friend, an accountability partner can:

Provide encouragement on tough days.

Celebrate your wins with you.

Offer a fresh perspective on challenges.

Regular check-ins create a sense of responsibility and commitment to your business.

10. Keep Learning and Evolving

Staying inspired is easier when you continue learning. Follow industry blogs, listen to podcasts, or take online courses related to your business. New knowledge can spark ideas and help you stay ahead of the competition.

Additionally, adapt your approach when needed. If something isn’t working, pivot rather than getting stuck in frustration.

Final Thoughts

Building a business one hour at a time requires patience, discipline, and a strong mindset. By setting clear goals, maintaining a routine, preventing burnout, and staying connected to your purpose, you can sustain motivation and steadily grow your venture.

Progress may seem slow, but remember—every great business started somewhere. With consistency and the right strategies, your daily hour of effort will eventually lead to success.

[how2fit]

What is holding people back from the life that they truly want to live? I’d say that one very common and destructive thing is that they don’t know how to stop overthinking. They overthink every little problem until it becomes bigger and scarier than it actually is. They overthink positive things until they don’t look so positive anymore (and as the anxiety starts to build). Or overanalyze and deconstruct things and so the happiness that comes from just enjoying something in the moment disappears. Now, thinking things through can be a great thing of course.   But getting lost in a sort of overthinking disorder – where you too often draw up worst-case scenarios in your mind or try to see all the possible outcomes – can result in you becoming someone who stands still in life. In becoming someone who self-sabotages the good things that happen in life (and the good news you get). I know. I used to spend too much time on overthinking things and it held me back in ways that weren’t fun at all. But in the past 10 years or so I’ve learned how to make this issue so small that it very rarely pops up anymore. And if it does then I know what to do to overcome it. In this article I’d like to share 20+ tips that have helped me in a big, big way to become a simpler and smarter thinker and to live a happier and less fearful life. I hope it will be of help for any other chronic overthinkers out there too to spend less time on those repetitive thoughts. Bonus: Download a free step-by-step checklist that will show you how to stop overthinking. It’s easy to save as a PDF or print out for whenever you need it during your day or week. 1. Put things into a wider perspective. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of overthinking minor things in life. So when you are thinking and thinking about something the first step is to ask yourself: Will this matter in 5 years? Or even in 5 weeks? I’ve found that widening the perspective by using this simple question can quickly snap me out of overthinking and catastrophic predictions and help me to let go of that situation. It allows me to finally stop thinking about something and to focus my time and energy on something else that actually does matter to me. 2. Set a short time limit for a decision. If you do not have a time limit for when you must make a decision and take action then you can just keep turning your thoughts around and around and view them from all angles in your mind for a very long time. So learn to become better at making decisions and to spring into action by setting deadlines in your daily life. No matter if it’s a small or bigger decision. Here’s what has worked for me: For small decisions like if should go and do the dishes, respond to an email or work out I usually give myself 30 seconds or less to make a decision. For a somewhat larger or difficult decision that would have taken me days or weeks to think through in the past I use a deadline for 30 minutes or for the end of the workday. 3. Stop setting your day up for stress and overthinking. You can’t totally avoid overwhelming or very stressful days. But you can minimize the number of them in your month and year by getting a good start to your day and by not setting yourself up for unnecessary stress, overthinking and suffering. Three things that help me with that are: Get a good start. I’ve mentioned this many times by now. And with good reason. This is perhaps the best way to influence your day. Because how you start your day tends to often set the tone for your day. A stressed morning leads to stressed day. Consuming negative information as you ride the bus to your job tends to lead to more pessimistic thoughts during the rest of your day. While for example reading something uplifting over breakfast, getting some exercise and then getting started with your most important task right now sets a good tone for the day and will help you to stay positive. Single-task and take regular breaks. This will help you to keep a sharp focus during

your day and to get what’s most important done while also allowing you to rest and recharge so you don’t start to run on fumes. And this somewhat relaxed mindset but with the narrow focus will help you to think clearly and decisively and avoid winding up in a stressed and overthinking headspace. Minimize your daily input. Too much information, too many times of just taking a few minutes to check your inbox, Facebook or Twitter account or how your blog or website is doing leads to more input and clutter in your mind as your day progresses. And so it becomes harder to think in a simple and clear way and easier to lapse back into that familiar overthinking habit. 4. Become a person of action. When you know how to get started with taking action consistently each day then you’ll procrastinate less by overthinking. Setting deadlines and a good tone for the day are two things that have helped me to become much more of person of action. Taking small steps forward and only focusing on getting one small step done at a time is another habit that have worked really well. It works so well because you do not feel overwhelmed and so you do not want flee into procrastination or lazy inaction. And even though you may be afraid, taking just a step is such a small thing that you do not get paralyzed in fear. 5. Realize that you cannot control everything. Trying to think things through 50 times can be a way to try to control everything. To cover every eventuality so you don’t risk making a mistake, fail or looking like a fool. But those things are a part of living a life where you truly stretch your comfort zone. Everyone who you may admire and have lived a life that inspires you has failed. They have made mistakes. But in most cases they’ve also seen these things as valuable feedback to learn from. Those things that may look negative have taught them a lot and have been invaluable to help them to grow. So stop trying to control everything. Trying to do so simply doesn’t work because no one can see all possible scenarios in advance. This is of course easier said than done. So do it in small steps if you like. 6. Say stop in a situation where you know you cannot think straight. Sometimes when I’m hungry or when I’m lying in bed and are about to go to sleep negative emotions and thoughts start buzzing around in my mind. In the past they could do quite a bit of damage. Nowadays I’ve become good at catching them quickly and to say to myself: No, no, we are not going to think about this now. I know that when I’m hungry or sleepy then my mind sometimes tend to be vulnerable to not thinking clearly and to negativity. So I follow up my “no, no…” phrase and I say to myself that I will think this situation or issue through when I know that my mind will work much better. For example, after I’ve eaten something or in the morning after I have gotten my hours of sleep. It took a bit of practice to get this to work but I’ve gotten pretty good at postponing thinking in this way. And I know from experience that when I revisit a situation with some level-headed thinking then in 80% of the cases the issue is very small to nonexistent. And if there is a real issue then my mind is prepared to deal with it in much better and more constructive way. 7. Don’t get lost in vague fears. Another trap I’ve fallen into many times that have spurred on overthinking is that I’ve gotten lost in vague fears about a situation in my life. And so my mind running wild has created disaster scenarios about what could happen if I do something. So I’ve learned a better way to break out of such a vicious cycle and that is to first ask myself: Honestly, what is the worst that could happen? And when I’ve figured out what the worst that could happen actually is then I can also spend a little time to think about what I can do if that often pretty unlikely thing happens. I’ve found that the worst that could realistically happen is usually something that is not as scary as what my mind running wild with vague fear could produce.

Finding a different perspective and clarity in this way usually only takes a few minutes and bit of energy and it can save you a lot of time and suffering. 8. Work out. Working out can really help with letting go of inner tensions, worries and to reduce my stress levels. This is also supported by studies like this one on exercise and mental health. Exercise makes me feel more decisive after I’m done with my work out and when I was more of an overthinker then it was often my go-to method for changing the headspace I was in into a more constructive one. My current favorite way to use exercise to improve my thoughts and outlook is to get my heart rate up quite a bit for about 10 minutes a couple of times a week. I usually do this by running. I also lift free weights two times a week and that helps, but I’ve found that the cardio sessions are even more effective. 9. Get plenty of good quality sleep. I think this is one of the most commonly neglected factors when it comes to keeping a positive mindset and not get lost in negative thought habits. Because when you haven’t slept enough then you become more vulnerable. Vulnerable to worrying and pessimism. To not thinking as clearly as you usually do. And to getting lost in thoughts going around and around in your mind as you overthink. So let me share a couple of my favorite tips from my daily routine that help me to sleep better: Keep it cool. It can feel nice at first to get into a warm bedroom. But I’ve found that I sleep better and more calmly with fewer scary or negative dreams if I keep the bedroom cool. Keep the earplugs nearby. If you, like me, are easily awoken by noises then a pair simple earplugs can be a life-saver. These inexpensive items have helped me to get a good night’s sleep and sleep through snorers, noisy cats and other disturbances more times than I can remember. Don’t try to force yourself to go to sleep. If you don’t feel sleepy then don’t get into bed and try to force yourself to go to sleep. That, at least in my experience, only leads to tossing and turning in my bed for an hour or more. A better solution in these situations is to wind down for an extra 20-30 minutes on the couch with, for example, some reading. This helps me to go to sleep faster and, in the end, get more sleep. 10. Spend more of your time in the present moment. By being in the present moment in your everyday life rather than in past mistakes and life experiences or a possible future in your mind you can replace more and more of the time you usually spend on overthinking things with just being here right now instead. Three ways that I often use to reconnect with the present moment and to practice mindfulness are: Slow down. Slow down how you do whatever you are doing right now. Move slower, talk slower or ride your bicycle more slowly. Take slow and deep breaths. By doing so you become more aware of how you use your body and what is happening all around you right now. Tell yourself: Now I am… I often tell myself this: Now I am X. And X could be brushing my teeth. Taking a walk in the woods. Or doing the dishes. This simple reminder helps my mind to stop wandering and brings my focus back to what is happening in this moment. Disrupt and reconnect. If you feel you are getting lost in overthinking then one of my favorite mindfulness practices is to disrupt that thought by – in your mind – shouting this to yourself : STOP! Then reconnect with the present moment by taking just 1-2 minutes to focus fully on what is going on around you. Take it all in with all your senses. Feel it, hear it, smell it, see it and sense it on your skin. 11. Spend more of your time with people who do not overthink things. Your social environment is an important thing to think about if you want to break destructive thought patterns and move out of the cycle of overthinking in the long term. And this is not just about the people and groups close to you in real life. But also about what you read, listen to and watch. The blogs, books, forums, movies, podcasts and music in your life.

So think about if there are any sources in your life – close by or further away – that encourages and tends create more overthinking in your mind. And think about what people or sources that has the opposite effect on you. Find ways to spend more of your time and attention with the people and input that have a positive effect on your thinking and less on the influences that tends to strengthen your overthinking habit. 12. Be aware of the issue (and remind yourself throughout your day) Being aware of your challenge is important to break the habit of overthinking. But if you’re thinking that you’ll just remember to stop overthinking during your normal day – and in stressful situations such as an upcoming date or job interview – then you’re likely just fooling yourself. At least if you’re anything like me. Because I needed help. It wasn’t hard to get it though. I just created a few reminders. My main one was a note on the whiteboard I had on one of my walls at the time. It said “Keep things extremely simple”. Seeing this many times during my day helped me to snap out of overthinking faster and to over time greatly minimize this negative habit. Two other kinds of reminders that you can use are: A small written note. Simply use a post-it note or something similar and write down my whiteboard phrase, a question like “Am I overcomplicating this?” or some other reminder that appeals to you. Put that note where you cannot avoid seeing it like for example on your bedside table, your bathroom mirror or beside your computer screen. A reminder on your smart phone. Write down one of the phrases above or one of you own choosing in a reminder app on your smart phone. I for example use my Android phone and the free app called Google Keep to do this. 13. Let it out into the light. Simply talk to someone close to you about the situation you’re thinking about. Just venting for 5-10 minutes as a friend or family member listens can help you to release inner pressure and to figure things out for yourself. Or the other person can ground you and bring you back to earth again if you’re getting lost in nightmare scenarios. And then the two of you can come up with a plan – or at least the start of one – for how to actually improve upon the situation you’ve been overthinking. 14. Journal about it. If you cannot find someone to talk to about your issue right now then a good alternative is to journal about it, as explored in this study. Write out your challenge, your fears and thoughts in a paper journal or in a document on your laptop or smartphone. Letting it out will let you vent in a similar way that you would do with a close friend. And seeing it all laid out on paper or on the screen will make it easier to get an overview of your situation and to find ways to improve things. I also recommend applying tip #16 and the questions you’ll find there to what you’ve written down to help you find solutions to your challenge. 15. Journal about what you’re grateful for. Another way to use a journal to direct your thoughts in a helpful and positive way is to do some gratitude journaling. Here’s one way to go about it. Set off 3-5 minutes in the morning or evening and answer questions that help you to focus your mind on the good things you have in your life. Like for example: What are 3 things I can be grateful for in my life today? Who are 3 people that I can be grateful to have in my life and why? What are 3 things I can be grateful for about myself? This will give you a great start to your day – or ending before you go to bed – and it will over time help you to naturally focus more on the positive things in your life and less on the negative things (or the ones that could go wrong). Try to be specific with your answers to make it more engaging and easier – and not boring or repetitive – to continue with this practice over a longer time period. For example, write that you’re grateful for specific joke your friend told you rather than just writing that she’s funny.

16. Just breathe. Release the stress and calm your mind and body down by fully focusing on your breathing. Close your eyes. Breathe with your belly for 2 minutes and focus only on the air you’re breathing in and out. Nothing else. This is one of the most fast acting tips in this article. 17. Set a time during your day to focus on solutions. One thing that kept me in the overthinking trap was that I believed that if I thought a lot about an issue then I could avoid mistakes and pain and come up with perfect solutions. But thinking and thinking in an unstructured way just made me more anxious and worried and so I took very little action. It didn’t help in the way I thought it would. So these days when I start to overthink a challenge I say: “Stop, we’re not going down that road again! What we are going to do is to set off 20 minutes tomorrow morning to work on this challenge in a structured way.” And then the next morning I sit down with a pen and paper or my laptop and focus on this situation in my life. Depending on the challenge I ask myself questions like: How can I remove this challenge from my life? Or how can I at least reduce the impact it has on my life? How can I turn this challenge into something positive or what can I learn from it? What is the worst that could realistically happen in this situation? How can I prevent that from happening? And, if it still happens then what can I do to quickly bounce back from that? Making a plan for how to deal with this situation in my life and spending 20 minutes on that and on problem solving helps a lot more than randomly thinking about it throughout my day and week. When I’ve got at least the start of a plan for how to deal with it then I stop worrying so much and most of my overthinking about the situation simply goes away. Because now I know what to likely expect and what I can do to improve upon this part of my life. 18. Reduce the screen time and scrolling. If I use my phone too much and scroll various websites and social media channels for too long then my mind can easily become overactive. If I read a lot of news or check for example Twitter too frequently then it’s easy to get dragged into the fear or doom that is often used to get more clicks. And research shows that too much screen time can worsen one’s mental health.  So how do you scroll less in a day or week and stop triggering your own overthinking so often? I’ve found that the most effective way is the simplest one. Keep the phone far away from yourself. Put it at the other side of the room – or in another room – and keep it in silent mode while working or having dinner. Set it to show no notifications (or as few as possible). Then check the phone from time to time. Or keep the sound and notifications on for just phone calls and text messages but off for everything else. 19. Put some downtime into your schedule. If you’re always on and don’t take any or few breaks then your mind keeps going far into the evening about all kinds of things and it can be difficult to go to sleep or get a good night’s rest. So scheduling some downtime where you may just watch some TV, play a video game, go out for a walk or read a mystery novel is essential to keep your mind from going into overdrive (and into the overthinking that often accompanies that kind of stressed headspace). I schedule at least an hour of downtime to watch something with my wife or read a book at the end of the day to relax my mind and prepare to go to sleep. And I also put in several 10-15 minute breaks throughout my workday and about 1 hour for lunch. If you have a busy life, then don’t ignore this part. Schedule one to a few hours in, just like anything else during your day and week to make sure you actually take the time to recharge. 20. Go out in nature. Few things are so relaxing as just being out in nature. So go for a walk in the woods, take a stroll on the beach if you live near the ocean or go out camping or fishing for a day or two during the weekend.

This can help you to reset your headspace, reduce stress and slow down from the tempo of your daily life and get a drastic change in scenery. 21. Be kind and patient with yourself. You will fall. Have setbacks. Not reach your perhaps unrealistic goals about overthinking sometimes. That’s OK. It’s normal. Progress is a straight line only in movies and myths. Real life is more messy. Know that. Don’t let that mess dissuade you. Because then you won’t make any progress towards healthier thought habits. One quote I love and that reminds me of this when it comes to any challenge in my own life is this one by Anne Marie Radmacher: “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” 22. Seek professional help. If these tips don’t work as well as is needed for you, then consider finding professional help from for example a therapist or someone who specializes in mental health conditions. One on one help over time may be what is needed to learn how to handle negative and anxious thoughts and sometimes incessant worrying in a better and healthier way. Here’s the next step… Now, you may think to yourself: “This is really helpful information. But what’s the easiest way to put this into practice and actually make a real change with my overthinking?”. Well, I’ve got something for you: A free step-by-step checklist that includes the best and most helpful steps in this article. Save it or print it out so you have it for the next time when you get stuck in overthinking. Download it now by entering your email below.    

[bronzetomatoes]

okay explanation under the cut bc i like talking about my writing

as the title states, the poem is about how i stop eating enough when i get too stressed. it's always initially caused by nausea and a general lack of appetite, but only when i'm actually trying to eat something, and i stay hungry the rest of the time.

the driving metaphor wasn't planned, it sort of just fell into place. i started the poem with the shaking because it was the most noticeable effect, and it reminded me of how my hands feel after a long drive. i think it worked so well because my daily commute by freeway is such a mundane experience for something with so much potential for danger, and that resonates with how easily my thoughts around restrictive eating can start to spiral.

my fingertips shaking is such an inconsequential thing compared to the full-body fatigue, so i led with that and let the rest follow to give it a flippant tone while still showing the severity. the first line says "worth it" while the repetition says "unnoticeable" and "ignorable," changing the stance from accepting to dismissive. "tighten your grip on the steering wheel" is a direct metaphor for holding onto control of the situation.

the boots line was because i got new boots the other day and it was awkward to drive in them, and i couldnt really gauge how much pressure to use on the accelorator (i don't really know how far i should take it). "lighten up on the pedal, you're wasting gas" is a warning about letting the situation get out of hand, but framed as practical advice. don't avoid speeding cause it's dangerous, avoid it cause it uses more gas.

the fog is a direct metaphor for how zoned out i've been (due to stress, due to hunger, lack of sleep, dehydration, worsening tics, etc). "thick enough to taste" is fairly heavy-handed. i've found myself falling behind because i've let it consume me, but i let it happen, because i tell myself i can see a hard limit (the brake lights). "you can feel the dull ache, and cling to it, and pretend it's about focus" is about the physical hunger, and how i use that to ground myself when i can feel my head slipping. i can use that to pretend the hunger is useful

the last stanza is pretty simple. "little cars," "not much weighing you down," straightforward metaphor for making myself more unstable. "steer towards the lines if you wanna stay in them" is literally true because the wind really does fuck w little cars, but is also about pushing the limits a little to avoid going off the road. the last three lines were what i considered my most intentful lines from the poem, so i restated them to make my point a little less subtle. hope you enjoyed 👍

long-term stress can result in disordered eating

[paper--moons]

Regressor!Aizawa Headcanons

There are a lot of moving pieces to manage when one leads the busy life of a pro hero, not to mention being a teacher on top of that. Add the fact that villains have been attacking his kids, his pre-existing mental health concerns, and just the general chaos of life and you've got quite the stress storm brewing! One of the constants in managing all of this stress and anxiety when it gets to be too much is his preferred method to self-soothe: his hair. Most often this presents itself in the form of rubbing the pieces that frame his face between his thumb and fingers, although this isn't always necessarily the case. If he starts to feel particularly distressed he'll switch to tugging on his hair instead of the gentler, repetitive motions of before. And while this is by no means limited to whether he is big or little, his regression does cause a change in how he's stimming. A dead giveaway that he's feeling especially small is that itty bitty Shouta will suck on his hair the moment his cg looks the other way.

But when things get too overwhelming for him, the one thing that helps calm him down even more than playing with his hair? Having someone else do it for him. The reassurance and all encompassing sense of I got you, you're alright that comes from someone cradling his head as they card their fingers through his hair is like getting a dose of pure sleepy calm that washes over him completely. That being said, only a select few people actually get to play with his hair, and even then he's very picky about who makes that list. Not just because he's a bit tender-headed, but also the proximity and closeness that it requires. Shouta isn't the biggest fan of physical contact unless it's on his terms and the other person respects his boundaries, or the other person is well-trusted and allowed to initiate—in other words, he operates on cat rules.

Contrary to popular belief, he does brush his hair—it isn't tangly, it's curly! Still, it can get a little wild looking if he's been rolling around, you know, committing his baby crimes. Shouta absolutely hates the hairbrush though and sees no reason to brush his hair if he's still toddling about. It isn't the hair brushing time, he says! That's in the mornings. But Hizashi disagrees. The minute he pulls it out however, the baby is gone and is hiding in his best hiding spot (which is just under his blanket in the closet, though this also happens to be where he goes when he wants quiet time—so it isn't exactly hard to find him, but Hizashi lets him have a minute anyway before coaxing him out). In the end he still gets brushed, but Hizashi is so careful about it, making sure not to tug or pull and even hums their special song for him while he brushes. And despite himself, Shouta finds that he enjoys it (but only because Hizashi made it enjoyable).

This fate of being brushed can be avoided some days though! But not because the baby manages to hide or convince his cgs about the brushing time being in the mornings. No, Shouta is able to avoid the yucky, yucky hairbrush when he submits to a quick finger combing and allows Nemuri to braid his hair. She is always wanting to style it some particular way anyhow, but for the sake of baby time she sticks to braiding—which is both comfy for him and doesn't run the same risk that a bun or another up-do might (coming loose, getting tangled, etc.). Plus it does still give Nemuri some creative freedoms, what with all the different styles of braids she knows how to do. Though more often than not she winds up giving him a simple three strand braid, or twin tails if she thinks he'll sit still long enough for her to do so.

Shouta is very particular about whether or not he lets them put in hair clippies to keep his bangs out of his face. How is he supposed to hide behind his hair if it's pinned back? The trade-off for the loss of his security blanket had better be worth it—which is why he only keeps certain ones in, and it's kind of become a competition to see who can buy him ones that he actually likes and will leave alone. So far Hizashi is winning, having picked out a set of Chococat barrettes that little Shou absolutely adores (and that big Shou may or may not adore as well). Though Nemuri came in a close second with a set of holographic Pusheen pins, but he prefers to just look at those ones and play with them by popping them open and closed to hear the little clicky noise—which he will do until he accidentally pinches himself and declares the hair clippies are mean.

Dealing with a cranky baby who desperately needs a nap but is struggling to get there? Playing with his hair will ease him right off into dreamland, and his cgs aren't above using this little trick when Shouta starts getting fussy. Really, it's far more effective than Nemuri's quirk is on him sometimes, or it least it feels that way. Especially when combined with a nice warm bottle of vanilla milk. All Shouta can focus on are the fingers carding through his hair, the nails gently scratching at his scalp, and the warm milk flooding his mouth and filling his tummy until he's warm inside and out. It certainly tamps down any of his big bad thoughts that can make it difficult for him to sleep, the anxiety quelled by all these other sensations that are sending his brain signals saying safe, safe, safe.

On the off chance he is due for a haircut and is spending a lot of time regressed for one reason or another, it's near impossible to get him to agree to it. Haircuts are already distressing enough for him, but when he's small everything is amplified. Shouta doesn't want to get it cut or trimmed up because then it won't be right. The way it curls around his shoulders, the weight and feel, it will be all wrong for weeks and it bothers him so much it practically hurts. So it takes a lot of coaxing and considerate explanations to help him get to a point where he tentatively agrees. But it has to be Hizashi that does it. Zashi knows not to cut too much, doesn't make fun of him for how hiccupy he gets, and is sure to pause if it gets too overwhelming. It also doesn't hurt that he's sure to give Shouta a special treat afterwards—usually a visit to the cat café they frequent—for being such a brave boy.

[avewritesmr]

Stray kids reaction to y/k having tattoo sleeves? 🙏🏻 I’ve seen reactions where they specified a couple tattoos but I wanna know what their reaction would be with someone that has sleeves. Or wants to get more tattoos (; also could some of the settings be like on a date? Like during the stage where they’re getting to know y/k?) thnx 💓

Reaction to boyfriend who has a tattoo sleeve

A/N: So I only did three members (picked at random) to avoid this getting repetitive, I think I strayed a little off topic, not sure, but please let me know what you think of it anonie, I loved writing it, and I am so sorry it has taken me so long to write it, all the love and in hopes of having more time to write now that college application and decision time is coming to a wrap 💖

Seo Changbin (Implied NSFW Content)

y/n and Changbin meet on the coldest day of winter, it’s literally freezing and the entire city is basically iced over.

y/n is the new producer at JYP and it just so happens that Changbin is asked to work with y/n on a project.

At first Changbin is really skeptical, y/n is this quiet, kind of scary looking person and he communicates through glaring and frowning instead of words.

Then Changbin starts to slowly get to know him and things change, he finds out that y/n isn’t rude or scary and they get pretty close throughout the time they are working on the project.

When they are no longer work colleagues and the project is complete, Changbin works up the courage to ask y/n out on a date.

They don’t officially date or anything for a while, they go out together on a couple dates and hang out, they spend lots of time together and it is very obvious they are both basically in love with each other.

y/n doesn’t try to hide his tattoos or anything, Changbin’s seen a few of them, the one on the side of his neck and the ones on his wrists and knuckles but he’s never seen the whole thing.

Then one day they’re sitting in Changbin’s studio and somehow y/n spills an entire thing of iced coffee on himself and he’s only wearing a long sleeved shirt.

Changbin has a spare shirt from dance practice so he goes to grab it and in the meantime y/n pulls his dirty shirt off.

Changbin finds the shirt in a drawer and turns around to give it to y/n and he just freezes.

y/n doesn’t even notice him staring, he takes the shirt offered to him and slips it on going back to whatever he was doing before while poor Changbin stares on in shocked silence. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

“You have so many tattoos.” Changbin mutters quietly.

y/n smiles slightly, “You don’t like them?”Changbin shakes his head quickly, he loves them, if he had wanted to kiss y/n before now he wants to jump the other man’s bones, he thinks they are hot and such a turn on.

y/n seems to understand as much and he goes out of his way after that to put them on display even though it’s still freezing outside.

Changbin isn’t complaining (at first), after a while he just finds himself staring at y/n’s tattoos, they aren’t even officially dating so he can’t just grab y/n’s arms and trace over the tattoos or ask the older to do anything to him.The whole thing leads to a lot of frustration on Changbin’s end and a lot of amusement on y/n’s.

“You know you can look at my tattoos if you want, you don’t need to look away every time I look in your general direction.”Changbin’s cheeks flare read but he hesitantly moves to sit closer to y/n and runs the tips of his fingers across one of the many tattoos.

“They’re so hot.” Changbin slaps a hand over his mouth as soon as the words leave it, y/n on the other hand finds this hilarious.

“Are they?” He is so close to Changbins face and his arm has moved to wrap around Changbin’s waist.Changbin remembers every thought he’s ever had about y/n’s hands and the tattoos and what he wants the older to do to him and he can see all the tattoos so close that it makes everything so much worse.

y/n’s smirk is enough to convince him to move towards the older and pull the other’s arm around his waist, he has no idea where the confidence comes from but at this point he has nothing to lose and he’s been fantasizing for way too long anyways.

Things end up so much better than he had every dreamed of and he has to concede that tattoos are the hottest thing ever, especially when they’re y/n’s and they stand out on white knuckles that hold Changbin’s hips down.

Hwang Hyunjin

Hyunjin loves tattoos, he thinks they're cool and the moment JYP lets him get a tattoo (I am not sure if he already has a tattoo tbh) he is getting a tattoo because tattoos are just so cool.

So why doesn't Hyunjin know that his boyfriend (of like 4 months) has enough tattoos to cover 90% of the skin on his right arm? Simple, answer.

y/n is an idol, he isn't aloud to show his tattoos on national television, and since a lot of his initial interactions with

Hyunjin had been backstage at music shows...

music shows = no tattoos being shown.

So let's go back to the beginning to get a clear picture

Hyunjin and y/n first meet at a music show backstage, Hyunjin has heard of y/n but he hasn't really seen pictures of the other that often and now he is face to face with probably the most attractive person he has met in a long time.

y/n is leaning against a wall in the hallway outside the bathroom in a beautifully tailored suit and Hyunjin, who is walking out of the bathroom, is completely enamored by this man that he might know the name of but can't be sure.

person walks past Hyunjin and y/n shoves his phone into his pocket talking happily to said person before they disappear down the hallway.

Detective Hyunjin mode = activated.

His detective work involves a quick google search to identify what group y/n is in and confirm his name, turns out he was right about the name and so he spends the next 2 hours of waiting before he has to preform just scrolling through pictures and tweets about y/n.

He resolves that day that he needs to talk to the other no matter what it takes, he just needs y/n's number.

His first plan is to recruit Jisung and Jeongin's help because they tend to find talking to new people easier and maybe he won't be as awkward if he talks to y/n with other people present.

This plan falls through very quickly because instead of helping all Jeongin and Jisung do is laugh at him.

He turns to his second (and last) plan.

Lee Minho is 2 months older than y/n, so maybe by some stroke of luck Minho knows y/n, or someone in his group, and Hyunjin can maybe convince Minho to help him start a conversation with the other.

Hyunjin is in luck, not only is Minho more empathetic about his hardships than Jisung and Jeongin but he just so happens to know y/n well enough to be able to walk up to him and strike up conversation.

Hyunjin follows Minho with gradually decreasing confidence. Sure he is going to get the chance to talk to y/n, which is what he wanted, but what the hell is he going to say?

Should he just ask for the others number?

Just introduce himself and maybe y/n will ask for his number? Maybe he can just turn around now and run away before this gets particularly embarrassing for him?

Maybe the floor underneath him will open up and swallow him whole because good lord y/n just smiled in his general direction and why are there so many people in this area at this specific time?

Turns out y/n wasn't smiling specifically at him, he was smiling more at Minho.

"This is Hyunjin, he wanted to tag along."

"Hey, I'm y/n, it's nice to meet you." Maybe his smile will kill Hyunjin before he remembers how to talk.

"uhh-hh, yes I know, I- uh, Hyunjin." God why was that so awkward someone save him, where did Minho walk off to? who is that? why did he take Minho away from him?

"Are you okay?"

"yeah, yeah, I am good." god he needed salvation right now.Basically, Hyunjin is awkward and nervous and he feels like the first meeting is a complete disaster and y/n will never talk to him again.

Somehow though y/n decided he isn't pitiful enough to ignore and walk away from, it takes a bit of prodding and joking on y/n's part for Hyunjin to relax a little and they hold a decent conversation. When Minho informs Hyunjin they have to head back y/n is typing his number into Hyunjin's phone and urging him to send a text whenever.

y/n and Hyunjin talk often after that, they meet again just a little over a week later backstage at a music show again and decided that they should take the risk and start dating.

They're moving a little quickly true, but, they can learn more about each other as time goes on.

Neither one of them is necessarily free at any one point in time, they see each other at a few events but their dating is limited to talking over the phone and basically texting all the time.

And then the day comes.

Hyunjin has the day off and y/n has wrapped up a photo shoot, the timing is perfect, the managers are okay with it and Hyunjin is buzzing with excitement because it's been almost 4 months and he is going to go to his boyfriend now.

They decide to meet at y/n's empty dorm just to be in each others presence.

So Hyunjin is standing outside the dorm door waiting for y/n to let him in and he is just shaking with happiness.

So when y/n opens the door with his hair a little messy and no make up on, Hyunjin's first instinct is to launch himself at the other and hug him as tightly as he can.

They might not have been able to see each other these last four months but that doesn't mean Hyunjin hasn't learned enough about the other to love him.

y/n only laughs and pulls him into the dorm hugging back with a soft smile on his face.

Hyunjin is so busy hugging y/n that he doesn't see the tattoos covering y/n's right arm.

He doesn't see them in fact until after he's been ushered into y/n's room and is about to head towards the cat laying under the window.

He turns around to ask y/n about the cat's name and then freezes because holy mother of all beings is that a tattoo sleeve?

"Yeah, is it a problem?"

"A problem? god no!" Hyunjin moves closer to war his fingers around y/n's arm and raise it so he can inspect the intricate designs.

"They look so cool, this just makes me want a tattoo even more." y/n laughs, "I can take you to get one." Hyunjin looks up with starry eyes.

"Management would kill, but I don't really care anymore."

"Maybe you should get it okayed before you do anything?"

"If they try to kill me you'll come riding in on a motorbike and wearing a leather jacket and save me." Hyunjin replies with a serious face.

y/n laughs, "That is just a stereotype, my mom would kill me if I got on a motorbike."So what did Hyunjin learn today?

He definitely wants a tattoo and wouldn't mind getting yelled at by management for getting one behind their back. He wants y/n to go with him because this man is an expert and if anyone (y/n included) disagrees then Hyunjin will be inclined to fight them.

y/n is 100% a mama's boy and Hyunjin is living for it (Another one of his life sources at this point in time is y/n's tattooed arm wrapped around his waist but he doesn't want to discuss those emotions just yet).

Yang Jeongin (I.N)

So y/n’s a barista at a cafe and that is how Jeongin meets him first, it is late summer, the uniform for the cafe workers is a button down white shirt so even though it is 35 degrees (Celsius) out Jeongin never sees y/n in anything but his work uniform which is a long sleeve button down white shirt.

After 2 months of (not really) subtle crushing Jeongin asks y/n for his phone number, they chat for a few days and then go on their first date in early October.

The date is a sweet, cliche outing, Jeongin is a blushing mess 90% of the time and y/n treats him with so much care. Dates aren’t that frequent after the first one but just before winter Jeongin and y/n make it official.

At this point it is so cold that there is never a moment for Jeongin to see y/n without a coat, hoodie or long sleeved shirt, so he lives a life of blissful ignorance for almost a month.

And then one day he is sitting at the counter in the cafe, y/n is just finishing his shift and Jeongin is waiting for him.

The manager walks by and tells y/n to clean up before he hands over to the next person and so y/n moves to the sink and rolls up his sleeves.

Jeongin isn’t really paying attention, he’s a little focused on his phone, but then he looks up.

😯 = Yang Jeongin when he saw y/n’s tattoos.

“Your face literally just derailed.”

“I didn’t know you had tattoos.”

“Well you didn’t really ever get a chance to see them.” Silence.

“I am sorry I probably should have told you before this.”Jeongin doesn’t respond to that, he doesn’t know how to, so he sits in silence contemplating the situation, while y/n finishes up. When they walk out of the cafe it is in strained silence, Jeongin doesn’t like it at all.

“Can I see them?”

“Sure, let’s go sit somewhere.”They end up on a park bench, y/n with his sleeves rolled up and Jeongin carefully tracing the ink covering y/n’s arm his eyes widened in awe.

“What’s the meaning behind thisone?”

“Nothing really, I got it because I thought it looked nice.”Jeongin laughs lightly and goes back to studying the tattoos on y/n’s arm, now that he is over the initial shock of discovering the tattoos he is enraptured by them.

He’ll probably stare at them whenever y/n wears something short sleeved, or rolls up his sleeves.

He genuinely thinks they are really cool and thinks his boyfriend is like a million times cooler with them.

[mostly-marvel-musings]

Fourth date

A/N: I miss being outdoors and I miss making out in cars okay? I had to put it in fanfiction.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: 18+ car sex, fluffies.

Word count: 1.5k

Bucky Barnes Masterlist

Bucky Barnes Taglist - @marvelgirl7 @mycosmicparadise @feetoffthetablee

Everything Taglist – @godofplumsandthunder @ladyacrasia @agustdowney @swaggysposts @littlegasps @suchababie @another-stark-sub @supraveng @kahlanmars @disappointmentofthefam @pandaxnienke @tom-hlover @just-the-hiddles @fyreball66 @asmigurub @avantgardium-leviosa @imerdwarf @gladiosamicitias @fanofalltheficsx @ladyburberry @chickensarentcheap @dontmindmyname123 @old-enough-to-know-better73

.

It wasn’t that something was going to happen. Something could, but you hadn’t planned on it. Or had you?

You wore the best pair of lingerie you had, you’d made sure you looked and smelled perfect and you were currently looking for a secluded spot to park your car in. It was a drive-in movie date or as you remembered, your fourth official date with James Bucky Barnes.

A little black n white romantic film with some snacks whilst being in the comfort of your car, seemed like an ideal date.

Things couldn’t be going any better. After three amazing dates, and four head-spinning, heart-stopping kisses, you were ready to take things forward. He had been patient and understanding and was grateful that you were too.

That being said, you weren’t oblivious to the lingering touches and lust-blown stares that were transpired every time you were together.

After turning the ignition off, you rolled down the windows to let the cool night breeze in as you and Bucky waited for the show to begin.

“This is a good enough spot right?” You asked, turning to face your date who smiled back and nodded.

“Yeah I think so. It’s secluded.”

You had to admit that it made your heart jump, you kept repeating in your head to keep calm and not let your nerves show.

“I don’t know what you mean by that, Mr Barnes.”

You couldn’t see his face in the darkness as the large screen in front if you went black, but you addressing him as Mr Barnes stirred something in him that was far from decent.

As the initial credits began, you clapped your hands and dug into the popcorn you had bought earlier, sliding close enough to Bucky so that you could lean your head against his shoulder. Your pulse began racing as he put his arm around your shoulder and began gently grazing his hand against the skin of your neck.

About fifteen minutes in, you felt his gaze on your face, turning the air inside warmer or was it your cheeks?

You weren’t sure.

“You’re staring.”

“Do you know how beautiful you are? It's truly distracting. I could just stare at you forever”

Bucky’s whisper sent tingles down your back as your heart straight up skipped a beat or beats, you weren’t certain but you tried your best to keep a straight face.

“Creep.”

Your voice came out airy and flustered, exactly like you were feeling, as you squirmed in your seat, pressing your thighs together.

He moved your hair out of the way before pressing his lips to your temple, slowly inching his way down, his breath hot against your prickled skin.

“Look at me,doll.”

When you turned, he wasted no time in capturing your lips in a searing kiss, inciting a delicious need inside you. Tracing your bottom lip with his warm tongue, Bucky plunged it inside as you allowed access, tasting a mixture of popcorn and candy.

His hands were tangled in your hair as yours fisted into his shirt, pulling him impossibly closer in the restrained space of the car.

An involuntary strangled moan left your lips as his hands cupped your breasts over the fabric of your blouse. Sucking on your bottom lip, he dared his hands lower and reached the hem of your top, slowly touching your flushed skin inching upwards until he reached your bra.

“We’re in public.” You mumbled, not really worried about the consequences, you wanted him just as much right now. And to be fair, you were in a secluded spot.

“I don’t care.”

“Okay good, neither do I.”

Chuckling against your lips, he undid your bra, freeing your breasts before capturing them in his palms, kneading the flesh and twisting your nipples until they hardened under his touch.

Trailing a line of wet kisses down your neck, Bucky reached your chest to where his hands had been just seconds ago, he heard your quiet giggle.

The ends of his short hair tickled your skin as his lips closed your left nipple.

“That tickles.”

He looked up at you momentarily, his eyes dancing with mischief as the light from the screen reflected in them.

“What? You mean this?”

The repetition of movement elicited a laugh enough to travel outside the confines of your vehicle.

“Shush, now doll.”

Your giggles died down once he resumed bruising your lips with his own, his tongue battling against yours as his hands explored your body, reaching the button of your jeans and stopping there.

Both of you knew where this was headed, without words, you broke apart only to close the windows back up.

“You’re sure about this right?”

Biting your lip, you nodded, not trusting your voice enough to form words.

He unzipped your pants before you shimmied out of them, effectively bumping your head against the roof in a low thud.

“Are you okay?”

“Yep. Cars..”

Any further conversation was cut short as stroked your panty-covered core, causing you to gasp.

“Sit back sweetheart.”

Doing as he instructed, you let your back rest against your seat and watched him dip his metal hand inside your panties. The cool metal created such a contrast against your hot core, you clamped a hand over your mouth to not let out a whimper as he teased your folds.

“Let me hear you baby.”

You hid your face in his shoulder and let out a moan as a metal finger reached inside your entrance. Your soaking walls welcomed the intrusion as he began stroking it in and out.

As a second finger was added, your hips moved on your own accord and began grinding against his hand, desperate for more. Your hands twisted his shirt into a creased crumple as he worked you up, nice and slow.

“You take my fingers so well, don’t you?”

Bucky groaned in your ear as he felt your walls clench around his metal fingers, encouraging him to speed up to watch you come undone.

A heady mixture of restrained moans and unabashed desire turned the windows of your car foggy.

“Cum for me, beautiful..” he begged, lust-blown eyes seeking yours for a second before they fluttered closed.

Your walls spasmed around his fingers as they curled inward to send you toppling over the edge, your cries getting drowned and swallowed as Bucky’s lips covered your own in a potent kiss.

After what felt like an eternity, you broke the kiss and rested your forehead against his to catch your breath.

It was pretty clear neither of you wanted to stop at that, you took action first and slipped in the back seat, leaving your jeans in a pile right where you sat previously, panties joining soon.

Bucky scrambled to get over to you but ended up bumping his head on the roof, just like you had.

“Fuck, sorry. You okay Buck?”

“Yeah. Cars, am I right?”

You opened your arms for him as you nodded, a lovesick grin adorned your face that was mirrored on his face too.

Awkwardly he managed to unzip his pants and get out of his boxers, making you bite your lip once more as his erection sprung free.

“Do you um, is—is there a condom around here? I forgot one..”

“It’s okay I’m on the pill.”

Your confirmation was all he needed to lay on top of you before you both quickly realised that the position wouldn’t work, given the cramped space.

Bucky sat back and motioned you over, straddling his legs you scanned around the dark empty space outside the car once before aligning yourself and sinking down on his length slowly.

Shuddering as his cock disappeared inch by inch before fully sheathing inside your warmth, you stayed still for a beat.

Your breaths mingled and foreheads touched as your fingers tugged on the ends of his soft hair, his grip tightening on your hips.

Languid at first, you began grinding your hips, your entrance mapping and memorising every ridge and vein of his length.

Limitations of space didn’t stop you from chasing what you were after as you felt his hips meet yours halfway. Breathy grunts filling the silent night as he plunged into your wetness eagerly. A wanton cry that you let out caused Bucky to bring his hand up to cover your mouth to avoid getting caught.

"Stay quiet for me, doll. Can you do that?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Such a good girl.”

He praised, continuing his upward thrusts to help you reach your orgasm once more, his own climax not far behind as your walls constricted around his cock.

Burying your faces into each other’s necks, you both chased your highs, gasping shallow breaths that matched the rhythm of your hips.

Biting back a moan, you felt your lower muscles tighten before the coil in your belly snapped and you came gushing around his cock, your body quivering in his arms.

Bucky’s end washed over him too as your walls clenched and fluttered deliciously, causing his cock to twitch before spilling his load. Spurts of cum painted your channel white before trickling out, leaving you both to pant and regain your senses.

Neither of you spoke for what felt like forever, huffing as your rapidly beating hearts returned to normal and your spent bodies calmed down in each other’s embrace.

A lazy smile decorated his handsome, relaxed face as you emerged only to kiss him, a much calmer, tired kiss nevertheless containing all the passion and adoration you carried for the super soldier.

“Cars, am I right?”

“Definitely.”

[sleeping-on-cracking-ice]

Y/N gets attacked and Chishiya is sure she will handle everything but when he sees her later there's blood everywhere, later he finds out that attackers actually cut her cheek really deepy and she will probably have a scar. He feels guilty and try to make it up by bringing something special (like cute pictures of cats bc he remembers when she quietly told Kuina that she loves cats) and from that day he is always trying to make sure that Y/N is doing fine. (2/2)

Of course! Here you go!

A Ginger Cat | Shuntaro Chishiya

{Alice In Borderland Masterlist}

Characters(s): Chishiya (ft. Kuina, OC, Ann)

Summary: You get hurt during a game, but Chishiya thinks that you can handle it yourself. Later when he discovers that you were injured more worse than he thought, he brings you something to cheer you up

Warnings: swearing, blood

Word Count: 4.6k

*reader is female

The registration room had an eerie aura, you swore you could’ve heard a pin drop in there. Nothing was moving except the occasional piece of dust flying past in the breeze. You stood with your back to the wall, glaring up into the bright florescent light that had seemed to become an all too familiar ongoing theme of these homicidal games.

The wall was cold and rigid along your spine, but you put up with the small sharp pain. There was nowhere else to wait, besides on the disgustingly dirty floor. You had to gain as much rest and strength before beginning the game.

Kuina sighed heavily to the right of you, glancing at the game phone she had picked up a few minutes prior and rolling her head back against the wall in boredom. Chishiya stood next along from her, earbuds lodged in his ears and blasting loud music while he held his gaze strictly on the ground in front of him.

“Come on,” Kuina groaned, stretching her hands above her head. “When is this game starting? We’ve been here for a solid half an hour.”

She walked to the entrance of the registration room and peeked her head out the door. “I’m surprised no one else has come. Maybe it’ll be just us,” she suggested, turning back to you and Chishiya.

“That sounds great, until it’s a game of hearts,” you bluntly stated, fiddling with the fabric of your shirt. Chishiya and Kuina both turned to you, sudden concern on their faces at your accusation.

The room fell quiet once more, until a familiar voice echoed through the room from all your phones simultaneously.

“Registration is now closed,” it spoke. “Game: Mice, Cats and A Dog.”

You frowned at the strange game name, having heard nothing like it before. You felt a feeling of relief wash over you as a five of clubs card conveyed itself on your screen. You were anxious you had accidentally manifested it to be a hearts game with your sly comment earlier.

“Rules: Players are the Cats. There are three live Mice to catch, each hiding in different areas around the building. Once found, the Mice must be killed using your own preference of weapon that is available on the table in the registration room.”

All three of you glanced towards the small table positioned next to the phone table that was scattered with small weapons that would hardly be enough to hurt a human. You had been wondering why they had offered such shitty weapons.

“Although, you must avoid the Dog’s gaze, for it will kill the Cats on sight.”

Your heart dropped at that last statement. You were to be hunted.

“You have an hour to kill all three Mice and return to the lobby with the bodies. If you fail to do so, all exits around the building will be closed and several more Dogs will be released and finish off the remaining players. You have ten minutes to position yourself in the building before the Dog is released.”

The list of rules on your phone screen shifted to a timer for ten minutes, already beginning to count down. You turned to Chishiya and Kuina.

“Any strategies?” Kuina asked, looking between you and Chishiya.

You pursed your lips in thought. “Split up. That seems like the most logical option. It will be quicker to find the Mice then,” you proposed, crossing your arms over your chest and scanning over the small map nearby that disclosed the layout of the deserted hotel the game was taking place in.

“But then the “Dog” will have more of a chance to find us if we split up,” Kuina argued. Kuina always focused on the safer route to ensure everyone’s survival rather than the easiest.

“No, it will be worse if we’re together, cause it can kill us all at once,” you retorted, walking over to the weapon table and starting to scan your options.

“I agree with Y/N,” Chishiya spoke up, pushing himself off the wall and strutting over to stand next to you and help pick a weapon. “I played a game very similar to this one. The best option is that we separate. Only then do we have a chance of finding the Mice in the time limit.”

Just as he said it, the phones all announced you had nine minutes left until the hunter began searching for you.

“One mouse each, and if you find yours early, keep searching so we can speed up time.”

You nodded at Chishiya’s command, snatching a small hammer and a pocket knife from the table for your weapons. You all walked out of the registration area (the front desk of the hotel) and into the empty lobby, watching as the hanging chandeliers glistening against the moonlight shining through from the obnoxiously big windows.

If anything could have gotten worse, you had to find tiny mice in a huge hotel in the complete darkness of night.

***************

You took to the upper bar.

The area in itself didn’t seem that big. But when you found it, you realised that it would be incredibly hard to find a single mouse in the cracks and small spaces between all the furniture. The eerie aura didn’t help much.

You sighed in frustration after searching underneath yet another couch. “What the fuck is this game? How the fuck am I supposed to find a rodent in a huge place like this?” you whispered angrily, flopping down on the couch dramatically.

It had been around forty-five minutes since the “Dog” had been released, but you have always been quite confident in your escaping and hiding strategies, so you weren’t too worried. The only thing you were concerned about was finding a mouse. Chishiya and Kuina had to have caught theirs by now.

A small scuttling noise cut you from your thoughts. You snapped your head towards the bar, where the sound was emitting from. A wave of excitement filled you, becoming hopeful that the noise was the mouse you were searching for.

You stood from the couch and quickly walked towards the bar, making sure not to make too much noise in case you alerted the rodent. The noise seemed to have come from behind some bottles beneath the counter. You crouched down on your knees and looked along the shelves, scanning for any sign of movement.

“Come on little mouse,” you taunted, becoming frustrated. When you noticed the flash of illuminated eyes staring holes into you through the glass of a tequila bottle, you quickly snatched the neck of the bottle and pulled it from the shelf, locking eyes with a desperate mouse with it’s back half stuck in a mouse trap.

The mouse shook violently against the trap, letting out small squeaks of pain and glaring at you with fear in it’s eyes. Although, it’s most noticeable feature was a large cross that almost seemed burned into it’s lower back. The cross had no fur or skin along it.

“This has to be one of them,” you reassured yourself, reaching to pull out the small pocket knife.

You picked up the mouse trap and hissed as the mouse managed to nip a part of your finger in defence. “Little shit,” you muttered, before pressing the point of your knife against the mouse’s back and pushing in harshly to kill it.

You hoped that you would just end it’s life and that would be that. But of course, the game had to throw in some sort of twist.

As you stabbed the small rodent, a impossibly loud screeching sound emitted from it’s tiny throat, making you drop the creature in shock and cover your ears.

The animal screeched and screeched, pain dripping from it’s cries that echoed across the room angrily. You began to panic, realising that there’s a chance the hunter could hear you. But maybe that was the point.

“Shut up!” you yelled over the mouse’s cries. You pulled the knife swiftly from the mouse’s fur and continued to repetitively penetrate it’s skin, mercilessly making it shut up while blood splattered across your angered face.

You breathed heavily once the room had fallen silent once again, staring down at the mutilated dead rodent. For a short moment, you felt bad for ending it’s life so unpeacefully.

Your head snapped up to look over the bar when sudden heavy footsteps made their way down the hall outside the bar. Your heart leapt to your throat and you turned to press your back against the bar, keeping your head down so whoever it was couldn’t see you.

You cringed as you picked up the remains of the mouse, holding it tight in your hand so you wouldn’t drop it. If Chishiya and Kuina had finished their halves, all you had to do was get to the lobby and you would be fine.

You placed your spare hand over your mouth to quieten your breathing, listening to the footsteps of the stranger who brought themselves into the room. The rapid movement of their feet made you anxious. You had never encountered a hunter that could run as fast as that.

You heard them flip a few tables over, hearing glasses smash against the walls aggressively. You closed your eyes tightly in realisation. The attacker was trying to make it harder for you to leave quietly if you were in there.

When the room fell quiet, you slowly peeked your head over the top of the bar. You managed to catch sight of the hunter themselves.

They seemed to have resembled the body of an older male, fit and tall. They had long, baggy pants, a black t-shirt while holding a machete that easily was as long as your arm. But most oddly, they wore a mask that conveyed a snarling German Shepherd.

The hunter was preoccupied over by the lounged area, looking behind the back rests of the couches and underneath coffee tables.

‘If I stay here any longer, they’re guaranteed to find me,’ you thought to yourself.

You decided you were going to attempt to leave. You had more of a chance of surviving by running than hiding.

You lifted your legs and trudged towards the edge of the bar, ducking underneath the table that was placed at the end before slowly rising to your feet. A quick glance down at your hand was enough to reassure you that you hadn’t dropped your ticket to a few more days of staying alive.

You kept your eyes locked on the hunter, making sure they didn’t turn their back as you were trying to leave. You thought you had almost made it before you miscalculated your step and tripped over a shattered glass on the ground, making you stumble forward and a loud noise erupt from the impact from your shoe to the glass.

As soon as you regained your balance, you didn’t even bother checking if the hunter had heard, you knew they did. You immediately took off running, holding your pocket knife in one hand in fear. You weren’t even halfway down the hall running towards the lobby before you heard the Dog’s footsteps behind you, trailing close and fast.

“Chishiya! Kuina!” You screamed out, picking up your pace and holding the body of the dead mouse close to your chest to make sure you didn’t drop it.

There was no way they were going to help you now, especially against someone like that. You were on your own for now, so you put faith in your own legs to carry you all the way down to the lobby.

Your heart was racing as you almost fell down the flights of stairs, so desperate to get away. At some point, you glanced upwards and saw your pursuer on the flight above you, making you feel sick.

“Fuck,” you gasped out, quickly scrambling down the darkened stairs. The blood of the mouse’s corpse seeped through your fingers as you held it in a tense fist, dripping down your arm grotesquely.

As you neared the ground level of the hauntingly big hotel, you stumbled as you jumped the few remaining steps and saw a sign that had an arrow labeled “Main Lobby” pointed to the left. You took in that direction, glancing behind you to see the “Dog” hot on your tail.

But unfortunately, you took too long to look at the sign. The “Dog” quickly caught up, grabbing an aggressive fistful of the back of your shirt and yanking you backwards towards them. You were too scared to scream. The air was forced from your lungs as you were pulled back, landing on the ground with the “Dog” suddenly standing over you, feet planted on either side of you.

Before you could even think, their machete plummeted down towards your face, making you flinch your head to the right, narrowly avoiding the blade. Although, the edge of the sharp metal managed to graze your cheek, creating a long gash along the side of your face.

The “Dog” continued to attempt to stab you in the face, stumbling above you as you attempted to kick their legs out from underneath them. In a sudden desperate attack, you kicked with all your might at their locked knees and they let out a yelp of pain as their knee buckled harshly backwards. You took the opportunity to run, not even giving them a second glance. You knew they’d already be back on their feet, after you again.

As you neared the humongous room that was labeled the lobby, you saw Chishiya and Kuina by the big doors that led inside. They seemed to have been banging their fists against an invisible force, separating you from them. The game must have locked them in when they placed their dead mice in the box that was located in the centre of the huge hall.

Their faces changed their hopeful expressions when they saw your pursuer, the blood running from their cheeks, making them pale. As soon as you entered the lobby, passing through the invisible force with ease, they followed behind you quickly.

“Hurry! Throw it in!” you heard Chishiya cry to you desperately behind you. You glanced back to see him slowing down, holding out his taser towards the “Dog” in case they managed to reach you. The electric light of his taser lit up significantly in the darkened room.

Once you reached the small white box placed on the table in the centre of the room, you shoved the disgusting remains of your victim inside, watching as it landed on top of two other mice.

Everything froze. The “Dog” immediately stopped running, dropping to their knees and face-planting onto the ground in front of Chishiya. All three of you stopped in shock, heavy breaths filling the air. Had you done it?

“Game Clear. Congratulations.”

The collar around the “Dog’s” neck exploded, blood splattering the walls and coating the gorgeously patterned carpet with it’s own artwork. You had seen it many times before. Once more couldn’t hurt.

“Took you long enough,” you heard Chishiya smartly remark. You glanced towards him, raising an eyebrow. He looked smug, as always. Not a single scratch on him.

“Give me a break, I had to face someone three times the size of me,” you remarked, rubbing your face tiredly. Your adrenaline had calmed, and now the pain of your deep gash on your cheek settled in. You hissed as your palm grazed it, pulling back and looking at your hand to see blood across it.

“Shit,” you rasped out, wiping your hand on the material of your pants.

“You okay Y/N?” Kuina questioned, walking over to you. You shook your head, dismissing her. “Yeah I’m fine. Just a small gash. It’ll heal soon enough,” you reassured.

“Are you sure? That looks quite deep,” Chishiya commented, strutting over and using his hand to push your chin to the side so he could look more closely at it. The feeling of his hand placed so gently on your skin made your heart suddenly race, and you panicked and pulled your head away before he could even see your wound.

“No, it’s fine,” you insisted, attempting to hide your embarrassment. “Let’s go back. It’s getting late, and I’m tired and hungry.”

***************

You stood in your bathroom, attempting to wash your clothes that you wore at the game earlier. You were soaking and scrubbing them in the bathtub. No matter how much blood seeped from the fabrics, it never seemed to be clean enough.

You grunted, annoyed and tired. Kuina said she was going to spend some time out nearby the pool with Arisu and talk to him about his game. Chishiya didn’t say where he was going, but you assumed it would be the roof or something away from everyone else.

A wet feeling along the side of your neck made you suddenly flinch and hit your skin, worried it was a weird bug of some sort. But your eyes widened when you brought your hand back and saw the concerning amount of blood spread across your palm.

You stood up from the side of the bathtub and leant against the sink, looking to the large mirror. “For fucks sake,” you sighed out as you caught sight of your large gash again. “This has been bleeding for hours. How do I make this stop?”

You winced as the moist towel you used earlier was once again dabbing along the skin of your face, collecting up the annoyingly large amount of blood percolating from your cheek. You were becoming afraid that it wasn’t going to stop at all, but you were too stubborn to go to Ann for medical help.

You’ve seen her weird dissection obsession, so you felt uneasy putting the trust of your health into her hands.

The blood dripped quicker the more you attempted to clean it up. Soon, there were miniature blood puddles scattered around the sink as you kept trying to clean them.

*********** “Hey Usagi, have you seen Y/N?”

Chishiya was making his way around The Beach searching for you. He usually liked spending his late nights having a drink with you in a quiet corner of the ground floor pool. Although, he hadn’t been able to find you and he was getting worried. You usually were either down in the lobby or with Kuina after games.

“No, I haven’t. Sorry Chishiya.”

He huffed annoyed, thanking Usagi and walking away from the dance floor. He thought he should check in your room as a last resort, but if you weren’t there, that’s when he would really worry.

He slowly made his way up the multiple flights of stairs, passing by a few people on the way. During the walk, he zoned out in his own thoughts, his mind filing with you.

How would he ever tell you how he felt? He believed you only saw him as a friend, an annoying one at that. Especially since you happen to banter a lot with him. The thought made him smile, he loved that you didn’t take his bullshit seriously and treated it like a game.

‘How do I let her know that I truly do care for her?’ he asked himself, fiddling with the drawstrings of his white hoodie as he strolled down the brightly lit hall. He hadn’t ever been the best with emotions, so how could he show that he was genuine about his romantic feelings towards you?

When Chishiya reached your room, he lifted his fist to knock on the rotting wood, freezing suddenly. Why was he hesitating? He’s done this so many times before, why was he suddenly nervous? He shook his head, embarrassed for catching himself in these thoughts. He had worked himself up again.

He knocked on your door loudly three times before calling out to you. “Y/N? You in there?” The silence that followed his call made him anxious. He knocked again, this time more persistently.

“Coming!” he heard your muffled voice call through the door. He stood back from the door as you opened it, giving you a small smile. But it soon disappeared from your face when he locked eyes with the bloody tissue that you held to your cheek.

“Hey Chish,” you groaned out, lazy eyed and turning back into your room, leaving the door so he could come in. Chishiya rushed to you quickly. “Wait, Y/N. What’s going on? Why are you hurt?” he asked frantically, pulling on your shoulder to get you to look at him.

You brushed his hand off of you. “It’s fine. Just a small gash from the game earlier. It started bleeding again,” you said, giving him a stare.

Chishiya shook his head and cupped your face, avoiding your cut, to have a closer look. “No Y/N, that doesn’t look okay. It’s bleeding way too much.”

You stayed still as he replaced your hand holding the tissue on your face with his own, being as gentle as he could as he cleaned the blood gathering around the gash.

“Here, sit down on the bed,” he muttered, indicating towards the end of your bed. You both shuffled over and sat down, Chishiya still holding the tissue on your face.

You could feel his hot breath against your lips as he examined your wound. His dark eyes glistened in the dim light of your hotel room. He looked ethereal. But he took a quick glance towards your eyes, snapping you from your daze. You hissed as he caught a bit of the gash on the tissue. “Sorry,” he apologized, moving his hand to your chin to readjust your position.

He then sat up and walked towards the bathroom, walking quickly so the blood of your injury didn’t drip too much. As he was there, you heard a soft gasp. He probably had found the blood-covered sink and towels.

He returned back with a clean towel that he found in your bathroom cabinet. He held a somewhat annoyed expression on his face. “Why didn’t you tell me this? If I knew it was this bad, I would’ve helped you out.”

You shrugged your shoulders. To be honest, you weren’t too sure why you didn’t tell Chishiya or Kuina. It just didn’t seem that big of a deal.

“You’ll need some stitches,” he concluded, holding a clean towel underneath your cut. “Also, stop using tissues to clean the blood. They flake easily and can stick to your injury.”

You nodded, looking down in embarrassment. You wish Chishiya didn’t find you like this. You hated making anyone else worry about you when it wasn’t entirely necessary.

“Look at me,” he demanded, bringing your head up with a gentle hand on your neck. Your breath got caught in your throat as he wiped around your cheek, cleaning up any excess blood.

“Come on. Let’s get you to Ann,” he said, standing up and holding his hand out for you.

You took his hand and he pulled you up playfully, making you almost stumble into him. You glared at him. “Wow. Even when I’m injured you’re still a bully,” you teased. Chishiya smirked and winked at you, making you roll your eyes.

And yet, the whole way to Ann’s medical room, you didn’t let go of his hand.

***************

You woke as the sun hit your eyelids, illuminating your room with bright rays of light. The sun was strangely gorgeous that morning, so you woke up in a good mood.

You sat up and stretched, letting out a large groan as your bones popped in your back. Although a wince made its way onto your face as you yawned, making the skin of your treated gash stretch.

Chishiya had told Ann to place a protected medical patch on your cut, since he thought it would be better than just leaving it in case of it getting infected or worse during your next game. So for the time being, you had a flat piece of cotton taped on your face. Ann said to only leave it on until it had certainly stopped bleeding through, as well as to change it around two or three times a day.

When your eyes finally adjusted to your surroundings, your sight landed on a strange scene in front of you.

At the table on the end of your bed, there was a small plushie of a ginger kitten. The makeshift fur on the stuffed toy was slightly dirty and it was missing a bead for an eye, but it still remained strangely comforting.

You crawled to the end of your bed and reached out to grab the plushie, bringing it close to you and looking over it for anything. Who knows? Someone could have put it in your room as a trap.

But it was proven safe when you noticed the small, neat writing on the end of the kitten’s tail, which read ‘Chish’.

You chuckled at the childish toy, realising Chishiya must have snuck it into your room while you were asleep.

“Idiot,” you laughed, “Can’t tell me he likes me as his friend but he can put enough effort into finding a stuffed cat in the Borderland for me.”

It felt special, because you knew Chishiya would have had to go into deserted Tokyo to find such a gift for you. You looked on the table and saw a small piece of paper. You frowned and reached out for it and opened it.

‘Here’s a stupid plushie for your troubles. Kuina said you liked cats so I thought you’d feel better with this xx’

You laughed at his half-hearted message. Chishiya never was that good with words, but he didn’t have to be in order for you to understand how he felt towards you.

Although the plushie was a bit beaten and battered, it still brought such a sense of home to you.

***************

You sat in the lobby, watching everyone scuttle around. Your usual drunken party group passed through every now and then, which was always good entertainment.

You jumped as you felt a pair of hands suddenly grip onto your shoulders, quickly moving to your eyes and covering them.

“Guess who?” the stranger asked cheekily, making you relax when you recognised their familiar, cocky voice.

“Get your hands off me Chishiya,” you giggled, pulling on his hands and turning around so you would face him. His face held a big smile across it, which was so unlike his usual neutral expression.

“What’s got you so happy?” you questioned, raising your eyebrow. Chishiya pulled away from your face and jumped over the back of the couch so he was then sitting beside you.

“Nothing, I’m just happy to see you,” he admitted, laying his head on your shoulder comfortably. His boldness was rather prominent then more than you had ever seen.

“How’s your cut?” he asked, looking up to examine the patch on your cheek. You shrugged it off. “It’s fine, not too bad now.”

Chishiya smiled, and suddenly leaned forward and left a lingering kiss on your good cheek, making your eyes widen at his action. “That’s good,” he gushed and continued on like he didn’t do anything.

“Yeah. Um...” you muttered awkwardly while rubbing the spot on your face where he kissed. “I wanted to say... thanks for the gift earlier,” you said, placing an arm around his shoulder comfortably.

Chishiya beamed happily, but tried to hide his blush by turning away from you. “No problem,” he mumbled out, trying to sound like he didn’t care.

You laughed at his response. Chishiya may have not been that good with words, but he didn’t need to be for you to notice that he really loved you.

[missjoolee]

oooooh here’s a book 📓 for you!

So, finding one that i haven't already shouted at you was only a bit of a challenge haha 😂 but I can safely say that this idea was too much to copy/paste into a chat. but it's also too much to not copy/paste and edit for the sake of sharing here. so apologies for any glaring grammer errors/typos/continuity issues that i miss.

This came about when I asked the question "do flatearthers believe in the molten core?" and somehow my cracked-brain was like "make it jatp" so here it is. a weird flatearth!au

In a heavily industrialized world, major corporations have been milling all the resources and green spaces are an endangered commodity. sunset curve is a kind of an anarchy/guerilla style band that breaks into warehouses, plants(power and other), and like…rail-yards, to put on shows while also sticking it to the man, protesting the further industrialization and destruction of what few natural space they have left. (now or never is an actual revolution anthem).

One night after a show at some mining companies processing plant the guys do a little exploring of the plant to take pictures for their social media to prove they were there. (they take the pictures but don't leave a trace so the companies don't have hard evidence to press charges with) when they stumble upon a weird room in the basement.

Then in futurama style, Reggie, Luke, and Alex get trapped in a box the size of an elevator, that STARTS LOWERING. they don't have time to panic much before they are cryo frozen. and when they wake up its dark and they can hear the sound of machinery but they don't know what's going on. when suddenly! the sounds get louder and now it sounds like metal breaking and there is shouting outside. the machine sounds cut off abruptly and a hiss alerts them to the door unlocking and they all rush forward and tumble out of the box of a room. (when did their legs turn to jelly?)

before they can stand up. a yell that is kind of familiar sounds out, and like reflex, they yell back as a swish of curls darts through the doorway of a room that is not the one they entered the box from.

Meanwhile, julie is spending her summer on her grandparents ranch being a farmhand. the repetition of daily chores, along with the physical labor involved help her to avoid her emotions regarding her mother's death. On a day just like every other so far, she feels anxious but can't place whats causing it. by the end of morning chores, she swears she can hear a low rumble coming from the old storage barn towards the back of the property. when she goes to investigate, she notices a vibration in the ground that gets stronger the closer she gets. Opening the door and flicking on the lights, nothing looks amiss, but the rumbling sounds is definitely coming from somewhere inside. It's as she is looking around that a loud boom comes from what she had thought was a side room. with the boom comes a quaking of the earth knocking things off of shelves around her. then metal shrieks and julie can't help but yell with it as she ducks to avoid various farm tools raining down. it's when the door to the side room opens and three men pour out that she really panics. how did they get into this old storage barn? it was locked!

Eventually, a story unfolds of a mining corporations secret attempts to find more metals, minerals, and oil by drilling further down than had ever been done before. they knew the earth is flat so they weren't expecting the drills to break though the underside into a second world, similarly advanced, two sides of the same, flat, coin. the original probes broke through the ground at Julie's grandparent's ranch, and the government quickly moved in to keep things hush hush) there was limited communication between sides before SC side went radio silence without notice. on the SC side, the government shut it down when they found out. kind of like a "don't introduce new wildlife to the wrong ecosystems" sort of thing. it's 45 years later when the guys come through.

Once the excitement calms down, julie and the guys they realize the guys are from the other side and they pose as farmhands so as not to get picked up by a secret department of the government (thinking like the weird one ffrom the transformers movies that nobody believe existed despite the custom boxer shorts) which is headed by caleb. being farmhands also helps out with boarding and feeding them as they try to figure out what to do next. but they are a bit baffled by all the plantlife and GREEN and it takes a bit to really become helpful.

then, luke discovers Roses rehersal barn which holds all the old instruments from the Petal Pusher days and immediatlely gets the guys to jam with him because this is the longest he's gone without making music (despite the random bits of songs he's written down since arriving) and Julie gets HELLA upset that they are touching her mom's things

here the narrative gets kinda shaky. how do we move forward? Do the guys try and go home only to fall in love and choose to stay? Do they uncover a plot from the SC side to invade and steal this sides abundant resources? (they had stopped the project before they couldn't test the safety of traveling between sides. but now that the boys have made it across, they know it works) all while avoiding caleb and his goons that have come sniffing around the ranch.

side story is Willie running a fruit/veggie stand down the road. he constantly has to be moving though so in his free time, he skate boards the paved roads distributing wildflower seeds. and alex blames the unpolluted air of this side for his constant battle with coherency around willie.

(send me a book emoji and I’ll share the plot of a fic i’ll probably never get around to writing. No time frame on this. I will answer any that show up in my inbox so long as i still have ideas!)

[heyiwrotesomethings]

Lepidoterophobia Prt. Three (Finale)

Shinobu Kochou x She/Her Reader

A/N: A couple of y’all asked real nice for kisses and you know what, that’s valid. Shinobu is such a tease though so she’s gonna make you work for it! Just not in the way you’d expect. It’s all fluff but get ready for some loving caresses and a massage at one point! It gets a little frisky, but nothing too explicit and sorry for the sub bottom energy but, come on, its Shinobu. I think this will be it for this little series. Thanks for liking it so much! <3 (Part One) (Part Two) Word Count: 4,977

(Y/n) had been recuperating within the Butterfly Estate for only two weeks before she felt as if she was about to lose her mind.

She still hadn’t been allowed to leave her bed. Only limited movement and changes in position to partake in very simple exercises and to avoid bed sores were permitted. What made it even more depressing was how the small movements would take the little energy she had right out of her. Then there was that disgusting medicine as well. (Y/n), quite literally, almost threw up the first time Aoi had given it to her. Aoi had scolded her good after that, going on about a special brewing process and rare ingredients; how Shinobu had worked tirelessly to make it for her.

Shinobu... Now, if (Y/n) had to assemble a list of reasons for the impending mental breakdown she felt coming on, Kochou Shinobu would be at the tippy top of that list.

She was an absolute tease! Lingering touches, no regard for personal space whatsoever. Then there was her downright devious way with words that could make (Y/n)’s skin heat intensely and her brain short circuit, leaving her completely out of commission for the rest of the day in some cases.

That was to be expected though, especially since this was Shinobu they were thinking about, and (Y/n) was fine with that. She wouldn’t want her any other way. However, despite all of the teasing, or because of all of the teasing rather, Shinobu and (Y/n) had yet to kiss, unless one counted nose and cheek kisses of course. There was no shortage of those sweet affections.  And it wasn’t like (Y/n) hadn’t attempted on quite a few occasion to initiate a kiss herself, but her attempts had always been thwarted. If not by the sweet little girls of the estate interrupting the moment, then by Shinobu herself turning her head so (Y/n)’s lips would meet the soft skin of her cheek instead.

There were a few close instances, such as last night when Shinobu had come by to bid (Y/n) goodnight. She hovered over (Y/n)’s face, close enough that (Y/n) could feel the air leave Shinobu’s lips and wash over her own as she spoke. Unfortunately, (Y/n) had forgotten to actually pay attention to what Shinobu was saying, which led to more teasing.

After Shinobu had thoroughly roasted (Y/n), she delicately cupped the side of (Y/n)’s cheek, her cool and calloused thumb had skimmed over her lower lip, pulling it to the side slightly as Shinobu came closer still. Their noses brushed and (Y/n) almost forgot to breathe, her head muddled with the dizzying wisteria scent that clung to the other woman. (Y/n)’s eyes slid shut and her heart beat pounded in her ears. The feeling of Shinobu’s thumb as she made another pass over her lip was electric, fire, leaving a tingling feeling in its wake over the trembling flesh.

And then, a sweet yet chaste kiss to (Y/n)’s hairline and Shinobu rose back to her full height, an undisguised smirk and gleaming, mischievous eyes filled (Y/n)’s vision as her own eyes snapped open to look over the Hashira with a barely contained sense of betrayal. Shinobu’s pigeoned laughter rang in (Y/n)‘s ears for hours after the Hashira had retired to her own bedroom and (Y/n) awkwardly maneuvered herself in her own bed to yell into her pillow.

“(Y/n)? (Y/n), are you sleeping with your eyes open? What an unsettling habit.”

“Hm?” (Y/n) blinked, turning her head to see the devil herself smiling down at her. She looked unfairly angelic in the soft sunlight that was streaming through the window. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” Shinobu asked, taking a familiar perch on the edge of (Y/n)’s bed.

“Meh,” (Y/n) shrugged, willing the beating of her heart to not betray her, “Nothing. What were you saying earlier?”

Shinobu leveled a look at (Y/n) that could be clearly interpreted as saying something along the lines of, ‘I could easily grill you for the answers I want, but I’m feeling merciful at the moment so I’ll let it be’. “I had said good morning and asked you if you were ready for your light exercises. It was strange to see you look so focused. I’ll admit, I didn’t know your brain could work so hard. Don’t strain it too much though, okay?”

“Shinobu!” (Y/n) huffed, pursing her lips while Shinobu laughed at her cute expression.

“Oh don’t take it too hard, (Y/n). You know I’m just teasing. I think you’re quite intelligent,” Shinobu praised, leaning over to land a quick peck to (Y/n)’s forehead before pulling back up. “Now how about we sit you up, okay?”

“Okay,” (Y/n) couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at her lips in response to Shinobu’s affections, “I’m ready.”

(Y/n) strained her core, and with a little help from Shinobu pushing at her back, she managed to sit upright in bed without much fuss. Still, (Y/n) felt a little light headed from the excursion.

“Take a moment to focus on your breathing.” Shinobu said. She had noticed (Y/n) swallow thickly and rubbed her back in soothing circles. “Let me know when your ready to move to the edge of the bed.”

After a minute passed, (Y/n) nodded at Shinobu and slowly but surely they worked together so that (Y/n)’s legs dangled off of the side of the bed and her arms hung loosely at her sides. It had really surprised (Y/n) how quickly her health had deteriorated in the wake of the butterfly demon’s attack. Even her legs which had been her best asset to her survival that night, felt like lead now. Heavy and weakened like the rest of her body as her energy was sapped away to heal the most damaged areas.

“Let’s begin with your arms, shall we?” Shinobu spoke almost in a whisper, her mind undoubtedly returning to that hard night as well. “Can you lift them for me?”

(Y/n) fought against the heavy feeling in her arms. Thanking the gods for the absence of the snug slings she no longer had to wear constantly. Though she had to fight hard, the burn she felt as she raised her arms felt kind of good, like stretching a sore muscle. She only managed to raise her straightened arms so that her hands were about level with her navel before they started to tense and shake.

“Good, Just hold.” Shinobu coached. (Y/n) held the position for almost fifteen seconds before she let her arms fall back to her sides in a sharp exhale of air. “Well done. Take a couple breaths and try another rep, okay?”

(Y/n) made it through three more repetitions. Blood thrummed in her ears and a light sheen of sweat covered her forehead but she had done better than yesterday and that was all she could ask for. Next were the wrist rotations which were a welcome relief despite the slight discomfort (Y/n) felt reverberate in her elbows. Then the finger flexes and shoulder rolls solidified the poor slayer’s exhaustion, but at least that signified the end of her light stretches. Or so she thought.

“We should really stretch your legs a bit. They feel stiff, don’t they?” Shinobu inquired, inspecting (Y/n) from where she stood in front of her, a finger tapping against her chin as she spoke.

“They have been feeling rather stiff,” (Y/n) agreed, “but I’m sure if I tried to stand up right now I’d buckle over like a sack of rice.”

“No need to stand. Usually I’d get the younger girls to help with such things but it won’t take long, lean back,” Even as Shinobu spoke, she didn’t give (Y/n) enough time to move on her own, pushing her flat on her back with a gentle hand pressed firmly against (Y/n)’s chest near her collarbone.

“Wah- wait. Aren’t you going to talk me through it or— eep!” (Y/n) choked on her words as Shinobu worked her hips between (Y/n)’s legs which still dangled off the bed. (Y/n) felt her blood pressure skyrocket as the space between them completely disappeared.

One of Shinobu’s hands moved slowly, excruciating so, over (Y/n)’s thigh in a way that was entirely unnecessary.

“Are you alright, (Y/n)? I’m not hurting you am I?” Shinobu cooed while her hand disappeared under the backside of (Y/n)’s thigh.

“No!” (Y/n) squeaked, cursing the way her voice rose another octave above her normal cadence.

“Good, I hope we can keep it that way. Let me know if it gets to be too much, okay dear?”

It should be a crime to have a voice that can hold such power over a person like that. Shinobu could have told (Y/n) to climb to the top of Natagumo Mountain and jump off and she’d have done it, no questions asked. (Y/n) released a shuddering breath and nodded her response, unable to trust her own voice to reply without risk of further embarrassment.

Shinobu hummed and pushed up on the back of (Y/n)’s thigh, her hand naturally sliding up to the crook of the slayer’s knee as the leg rose up. Slowly, she began to push the knee inward towards (Y/n)’s chest. (Y/n) winced slightly at the stretch, but it hardly registered in comparison to Shinobu’s extremely close proximity.

Shinobu placed her once idle hand over (Y/n)’s knee cap, her other hand sliding further up to cup (Y/n)’s calf, gently squeezing while she raised the rest of the leg and began to slowly stretch it over (Y/n)’s torso as far as she could get it to go.

(y/n) sucked in a breath, “Okay, that burns a bit!”

Shinobu paused her movements and held the leg in position, “Not bad flexibility, (Y/n). With a little bit of work I bet you could go even further. I think I’d like to see.”

What was (Y/n) supposed to say to that? She made some uncommitted sound and tried not to think too intently about how Shinobu was pressing into her. After a few more moments of holding the position, Shinobu moved the leg outward to stretch it from another angle. The limb cracked near the base of her hip and (Y/n) sighed with relief. This was a lot more gentle than what the younger girls put her through during recovery training all those months ago.

“Oh? Does that feel better, (Y/n)?” Shinobu asked, her voice like honey and silk. Her hands slowly massaging the muscles of (Y/n)’s calf and thigh. (Y/n) nodded, her eyes nearly closing as she focused on Shinobu’s ministrations. “I’d like to hear you say so, just to make sure.”

“Yeah, it feels awesome.” (Y/n) sighed again, unabashed. Shinobu giggled.

“Wonderful, let’s move on to the other one then, shall we?”

“Gods, yes please!” (Y/n) responded eagerly, rubbing her free leg against Shinobu’s side until Shinobu took hold of it and gave it the same treatment as the other leg which was now hanging loosely over the edge of the bed.

By the time Shinobu had brought (Y/n)’s other leg back down, (Y/n) was trying to fight off sleep. However, the loosened and relaxed state of her muscles after the stretches clearly were beating out her efforts.

“Wow, (Y/n). Tired already? You haven’t even eaten breakfast yet.” Shinobu commented while she absently ran her hands over (Y/n)’s thighs, the motion felt comforting.

“I know,” (Y/n) groaned, “It's your fault for being so good at your job. I feel like a limp noodle, a very sleepy limp noodle.”

“Oh?” Shinobu chuckled. Sliding her hands purposefully upward until they rested at either side of (Y/n)’s ribs. The shift in her weight had her resting on her elbows, her chest resting just below (Y/n)’s. “Perhaps I could find a way to liven you up.”

“What do you have in mind?” (Y/n) asked slyly, hoping Shinobu couldn’t hear how fast her heart was racing. She wrapped her legs over Shinobu’s hips, locking her in, in hope to distract her, but also to egg her on.

Shinobu grinned at (Y/n) and shimmied closer. One of her hands came up to cradle (Y/n)’s jaw. She leaned even closer and landed a quick kiss to (Y/n)’s chin, then she pressed another one in the crook of (Y/n)’s neck, making the injured slayer laugh as she nuzzled closer.

“Oh!” (Y/n)‘s eyes shot wide open as the feeling of teeth grazing the sensitive skin of her neck.

“Hm? What is it, (Y/n)?” Shinobu asked, smiling against (Y/n)’s neck. “You seem to be perking up already.” she added, punctuating her words with a quick swipe of her tongue over (Y/n)’s neck, making the girl beneath her shiver.

(Y/n) whimpered quietly, much to her embarrassment, while Shinobu lavished her neck with attentions. Shinobu slowly worked her way upward, kissing her jaw and cheek before connecting her line of vision with (Y/n)’s.

The lovestruck look in (Y/n)’s eyes quickly morphed into an indignant glare as she perceived the familiar, mischievous glimmer in Shinobu’s plum colored irises.

“No.” (Y/n) said, her tone disbelieving. “No.” She said again, this time with a little more force behind it, shaking her head while Shinobu grinned down at her. “Shinobu!”

“I’m sorry (Y/n), but my meeting is starting soon so I must be off. Aoi will be by with breakfast soon. Make sure you eat it all so you can get stronger, okay?”

“But—!” (Y/n) tried to hold Shinobu to her body by tightening her legs around her but they did nothing to help her in her weakened state. Shinobu easily slipped free and (Y/n)‘s legs dropped back down over the edge of the bed in defeat.

“No buts! Let’s get you turned around quick, alright?” Shinobu grunted as she hoisted (Y/n)’s lower half and twisted (Y/n)’s body to lay fully on the bed with very little help from the dumbfounded, disgruntled girl. Then with a quick, teasing squeeze of (Y/n)’s knee, she was gone.

(Y/n)’s arm shook as she painstakingly pulled one of the pillows behind her free and pressed it as hard as she could over her face. “What the fuck?! AHH!” (Y/n) screamed, her voice muffled by the dense material.

***

The next time Shinobu walked into her room, (Y/n) had decided that was going to kiss her. She was going to kiss her full on the mouth or die trying because if she knew one thing, it was that she couldn’t play Shinobu’s games any longer.

For the rest of the day (Y/n)’s head was filled with thoughts of Shinobu getting a taste of her own medicine. (Y/n) had it all planned out. First, she was going to tease and flirt. How hard could that be? Shinobu made it look as easy as breathing. Then, once Shinobu had been thoroughly charmed, she would be practically begging for (Y/n) to sweep her off her feet, metaphorically of course, at least until (Y/n) wasn’t on bed arrest anymore. Then she’d kiss her and it would be Shinobu who would short circuit, Shinobu who would be at (Y/n)’s complete mercy! A foolproof plan!

(Y/n)’s chance came around midday four days later. Shinobu had been sent away on a mission soon after her meeting, giving (Y/n) plenty of time to think of how to execute her plan of action. The slayer sat upright in her bed now that she could do so herself without too much strain. She stared the door down with a determined gaze, gently scratching behind Mochi’s head while the bird stood in her lap. Any minute now she would come through that door. Prepare to be seduced, Kochou Shinobu!

A knock resonated off the door before it slid open a moment later and Shinobu glided in. Mochi cawed happily, flapping off of (Y/n)’s lap to fly around the Hashira in greeting. Shinobu simpered at the overly enthusiastic raven and told the bird about a fresh meal worm cake with his name on it. Mochi screeched and Shinobu laughed, ducking her head as Mochi flew out the door and towards the garden at mach speed. Then Shinobu closed the door behind her. Then, when she turned back and smiled a most dazzling smile that was all for (Y/n), every suave thing (Y/n) had thought to say flew right out the window. Four days of planning, completely down the drain. And all that remained was one lovestruck idiot.

“H-hey... you.” (Y/n) greeted, returning Shinobu’s smile although she was definitely screaming at herself on the inside.

“Hey yourself. You already look so much better than the last time I saw you! You’ve been keeping up with your medications and stretches, right?” Shinobu sat herself down on the edge of the bed. Her back was tilted away from (Y/n) and one leg was tucked and bent over the bed sheets while the other swung off the bed. (Y/n) also noticed that curiously, Shinobu had one hand hidden behind her back.

“Of course I have. I want to get better as soon as possible.” (Y/n) nodded resolutely. “Now,” (Y/n) tilted her head and eyed Shinobu warily, “what have you got behind your back?”

“I have something I want to test with you, a game of sorts, (Y/n).” Shinobu grinned devilishly.

“I have a feeling I don’t want to play this game if that look on your face is anything to go by.”

“Oh don’t be like that, (Y/n). I think it will be good for you. Won’t you please do this? The reward should you succeed will be very sweet.”

“Hrrrmmmm,” (Y/n) winced as she adjusted herself on the bed to sit a bit straighter and looked at Shinobu suspiciously. The Hashira’s eyes gave nothing away and (Y/n) sighed. “I suppose I could humor you. I’ve missed you after all.”

Shinobu simpered, and bounced a bit closer to (Y/n) on the bed, jostling her somewhat. Her hand was still behind her back as the other one lovingly brushed at (Y/n)’s hair. “(Y/n), you’re too sweet,” she cooed, “I missed you too.” She came even closer and nuzzled (Y/n)’s nose with hers, giving it a quick peck before withdrawing. Her face appeared to have morphed into a more serious disposition that had (Y/n) feeling both confused and filled with a sense of apprehension.

“Uh, I don’t usually associate such serious expressions with games.” (Y/n) laughed nervously.

“Perhaps I misspoke earlier,” Shinobu amended, a bit sheepishly, “It’s not a game, I should not have phrased it as such. I’m sorry. I was belittling you without you even knowing, without me realizing. I didn’t mean to, I-“

“Shinobu,” (Y/n) covered the Pillar’s free hand with her own, “it’s okay. What is it?”

“Remember what I said about exposure therapy a while back?”

“Shinobu, no.” (Y/n) backed as far as she could against the headboard, her heart beat picking up pace.

“(Y/n), I think it would be good for you. I’m not saying you have to love butterflies, I just want to help lower the distress and anxiety you feel when they are near.”

“Maybe you should focus on your own fear of furry animals before you start trying to fix my problems.” (Y/n) shook her head, her eyes flickering between Shinobu’s own and the Hashira’s hidden arm.

“I told you, it’s not a fear. I just can’t stand the mess all that shedded fur makes. Need I remind you that I’m allergic to the dander left by most of those furry beasts?” Shinobu easily countered.

(Y/n) thought back to earlier last week when Naho had smuggled in a stray dog to feed it. Kiyo and Sumi had gotten an idea in their heads that if they could hide the dog from Shinobu, they could keep it. Unfortunately, they were not very good at keeping their excitement to themselves. They had already led the dog through most of the estate, including the infirmary just before Shinobu made her morning rounds. By the time they reached (Y/n)’s room to show her the sweet pup, Shinobu was already there, trying to find some solace from the irritants that ransacked her senses. Her eyes were irritated, puffy and watery. Loud, unrefined sniffles and sneezes practically had the poor Hashira gasping for air. (Y/n)‘ s heart went out to her, but the way Shinobu’s voice sounded while she was so congested was insanely adorable.

Shinobu had admonished the girls as gently as she could between ferocious sneezes that seemed impossibly loud coming from such a small woman. (Y/n) felt bad for the girls, for the dog, but at least the dog hadn’t been a stray after all.

Fortunately, it had belonged to the Wind Pillar of all people. Giyuu had apparently been charged with watching the dog while he was away on a mission. He had lost sight of it and had been looking for the fluffy white dog all morning. (Y/n) couldn’t help but chuckle as she recalled how Shinobu shit talked Shinazugawa and Tomioka while sitting at the desk in (Y/n)’s room while she mixed herself some medication between wiping her nose and dabbing tears from her eyes.

“You were so cute!” (Y/n) thought gleefully.

“There was nothing cute about it. I felt disgusting.” Shinobu disagreed, the vein in her forehead pulsed faintly. “Now, back to the subject at hand. (Y/n), behind my back I have a specimen jar. In this jar is a butterfly that is so small, it’s wingspan is only about half the size of my pinky finger,” Shinobu slid her free hand out from under (Y/n)’s and stuck out her pinky finger, “See how small that is?”

(Y/n) had wanted to say something snarky, something along the lines of every part of Shinobu being small, but she smartly kept that comment to herself and simply nodded instead. Shinobu put her hand back down over (Y/n)’s.

“The butterfly can’t get out unless you untwist the lid. All I want you to do is hold the jar for a minute. This is a completely controlled, safe environment for you to explore your responses to butterflies. If you really don’t want to try, I won’t force you. I’m only suggesting because I really wish for you to be more comfortable here, to feel more at home.”

(Y/n)’s heart warmed at Shinobu’s admission. Yes, Shinobu had an air about her that (Y/n) felt powerless to deny, but Shinobu would never want to take advantage of her nor anyone else. Though she provoked and teased like a demon, Shinobu was endlessly kind and compassionate where it mattered.

(Y/n) gave the Hashira a nervous smile and shakily presented her hands over her lap, “Don’t mess this up Kochou. I’m only doing this because I like you so much.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Shinobu said, sincerely. Finally, she produced the specimen jar from behind her back, cupping the bottom with her opposite hand while the other held firmly from the side. She gauged (Y/n)’s expression and observed for any intense discomfort in her body language as her hands made their approach.

(Y/n) immediately locked on to the small butterfly fluttering against the glass and swallowed hard. Her throat suddenly felt unbearably dry. Despite this, she kept her palms, now slightly sweaty, upturned in front of her, waiting.

(Y/n) jolted, feeling Shinobu’s knuckles slide against her palm. The only barrier left between the glass and her skin was slipping away.

“Oh gods!” All too quickly Shinobu’s hands were gone, hovering at either side of the glass, and (Y/n) was left holding the jar. “WhoooeeeEEAH! nooo nonono fuck-!“ (Y/n) scrambled to adjust her hold, only allowing the very tips of her fingers to hold on. Of course she realized that there was a layer of glass between herself and the insect, but she couldn’t help but hastily adjust her fingers every time the small insect fluttered too close. “Shinobu!”

“It’s okay, you’re doing great!” Shinobu encouraged. “Try focusing on telling me what you notice about the butterfly.”

“It looks like it’s out for blood!” (Y/n) exclaimed sharply, not taking her eyes off the specimen jar. Her fingers still dancing clumsily around the glass.

“How about you tell me about what you can physically see that is scientifically sound.” Shinobu tried again.

“It’s blue with black edges that have little white dots and it’s fast as hell! I think it’s tongue thing is flexing at me! Why is it doing that?!”

“That’s the proboscis, (Y/n). Butterflies use it to drink the nectar from flowers.�� Shinobu provided helpfully.

“I bet it would drink my blood like a mosquito if it had the chance!” (y/n) thought bitterly.

“It physically can’t, (Y/n). The proboscis is too weak too pierce skin.”

“Is that true?” (Y/n) asked skeptically, “There’s not a single butterfly that would suck me dry if it could?”

“There is not a single butterfly in all of Japan that could do that to you, (Y/n).” Shinobu assured. Of course, she had read about some species of butterflies and moths overseas that did have the capability to drink blood and even presented the salty nutrients to their mates. She wasn’t going to tell (Y/n) that bit of information anytime soon though.

“Okay, that’s actually kind of reassuring, but it still freaks me out!” (Y/n)‘s fingers had finally found purchase on the rim of the metal lid. The butterfly inside had finally calmed down and settled at the bottom of the jar, it’s wings flapping intermittently.

“That’s okay, do you think you can tell me anything else about it? Our time is just about up.”

“Its legs bend weird. Its eyes are soulless. It looks like it’s resting now but it’s just biding its time.”

“Biding it’s time before I let it back out into the garden perhaps, but it has neither the desire nor the means to harm you.” Shinobu assured.

(Y/n) pursed her lips. She was staring so intently at the insect that she hardly registered Shinobu’s movements until she was fully straddling her thighs.

“What are you doing?” (Y/n) mumbled, not taking her eyes away from the jar despite Shinobu’s change in position. The Insect Pillar did not speak, instead lifting (Y/n)’s chin up. “Hey!” (Y/n) exclaimed. She tried to keep her head down, unwilling to let the butterfly out of her sight lest it suddenly disappear. Yet, Shinobu persisted, taking either side of (Y/n)’s head in her hands, drawing closer until all (Y/n) could see was purple. “Shi-“

(Y/n)’s mind went delightfully numb, filled with a fuzzy warmth that radiated all the way down to her toes. She leaned further into the kiss, reveling in the softness of Shinobu’s lips nipping against her own. After a few more moments, (Y/n) could feel Shinobu’s lips part into a smile against her own and (Y/n) couldn’t help but do the same, resting her forehead on Shinobu’s.

“What was that for?” (Y/n) giggled breathlessly, her hands had somehow made their way to Shinobu’s neck, her fingers laced behind her head threatening to pull the Hashira back in at a moment’s notice.

“Hm? Can’t I kiss my girlfriend?” Shinobu teased, landing a quick, a more chaste, kiss to (Y/n)’s lips.

“You can, and you have, but never on the lips. What changed? I thought you were going to tease me about it forever.”

“As entertaining as that sounds, I was actually trying to do you a favor.” Shinobu grinned.

“How do you figure that?” (Y/n) asked, looking at Shinobu incredulously.

“Because now that I’ve got a taste of you, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.”

“Mm!”

Another kiss more fiery and involved than the last. (Y/n) actually had to slip her hands down Shinobu’s chest and push her away so she could catch her breath.

“Not that I mind, and I really don’t mind,” (Y/n) spoke between breaths, “but what changed, why right this minute?”

“It was your reward.” Shinobu stated plainly.

“For...?”

“Oh my, you really did forget already, haven’t you? I’m sorry, I hadn’t realized I had cut off the oxygen supply to your brain so effectively.”

Suddenly (Y/n)’s eyes snapped down to her lap and yelled loud enough for Shinobu to wince and lean back a smidge. How had (Y/n) forgotten? She picked up the discarded specimen jar by the lid using her index finger and thumb and scanned the inside, shivering once she found the butterfly still inside. Then she reached to place it on the bedside table, it made a little clattering sound as she quickly removed her hand as if the glass had burned her. Pulling Shinobu closer, (Y/n) buried her face in her chest and groaned while Shinobu laughed and patted (Y/n)’s head.

“You distracted me.” (Y/n)’s muffled voice accused.

“Perhaps, but didn’t it feel nice? And look, you are no worse for wear. In fact, I might even say you looked even more relaxed than before we began.”

“So what, are you going to kiss me every time I see a butterfly? Hardly seems practical.”

“Mmm but what a lovely idea. There are certainly enough around that I could get several kisses every day. If we make a habit out of it, sooner or later when you see a butterfly, your first reaction will be to pucker up rather than screaming.” Shinobu mused.

“Can’t you just be satisfied knowing that you’re the only butterfly I have ever, and will ever like?” (Y/n) paused, “Well, you and Kanao, Aoi, Naho, Kiyo, and Sumi.”

“I’m so honored.” Shinobu smiled and rolled her eyes, still stroking (Y/n)’s hair.

“You should be. It’s a very exclusive list. But there is an even more exclusive list that only you have access to.” (Y/n) said, returning to an upright position to face Shinobu once more.

“And what list would that be?”

(Y/n) tilted her head and stole another kiss from Shinobu who eagerly reciprocated, chasing (Y/n)’s lips even as she pulled away, giggling.

“The list of butterflies that I could not be happier to kiss.”