#there's always basics and things that can be helpful to learn

[wishing-on-a-staranise]

Driving lesson.

(best friend!s.h. x gn!reader)

summary: Your best friend Steve offered to teach you driving but the lesson led to him learning a bit more about you.

warning: use of y/n, best friend!Steve (can be interpreted as either platonic or romantic), hurt/comfort, mention of past sa when r was a minor, quite possibly inaccurate description of cars

word count: 2k+

a/n: oops we're getting vulnerable! I'm so sorry to anyone who relates to this, wish I could hug y'all <3

this was almost going to be in my desi!reader series but i changed my mind. Havent been able to get any sort of writing done so i consider this a win. 

bro i dont know shit about cars and im also guessing how miles work so sorry if this doesn't make sense :( I spent way too long trying to figure out what the oh shit bar is actually called and let me tell u grab handles is an awful name

masterlist

the neighborhood is practically empty this time around save for the occasional person every now and then. but Steve reckons this is as safe as it gets.

he's not in his usual driver's seat, right now it's occupied by you. you're grinning a little, excited and nervous. he's helped adjust the seat so it is more comfortable for you, with the seat pulled much closer to the steering wheel. you'd already put your seatbelt on and adjusted the rearview mirror atleast four times already. 

it was your suggestion. you had pointed out that he must get really tired always driving everyone around. And although he wouldn’t say that he was tired, but he wouldn’t mind someone sharing the responsibility with him every now and then. 

You’d told him that you were already aware of all the basics– the accelerator, the break, the clutch, the gears, the entire thing.

“wait, how do you know all that?”

“I tried learning at around 16 but… i gave up”, you'd shrugged.

“yeah, that does sounds exactly like you”, he'd teased with his signature smirk.

“ha. ha. fuck you”, you deadpanned smacking his bicep before you both fell into giggles.

He decides to still tell you everything from the start. “Because I don't trust you.” And you proceeded to roll your eyes through it all. 

By the time he actually let you turn the ignition, an hour had already passed. 

Though the shifting of gears is a little janky, and the way you push the brakes has him grabbing the 'oh shit' bar beside him. He has to admit, you are not too bad.

“How am I doing?” you ask about a few minutes in, glancing at him once before your eyes fall back on the road.

he makes a sort of 'meh' sound, “Not awful”

“Should I shift to the third?”

“Sure”, he shrugs. but all that non-chalance fades away when your hand moves to the gear, “now, lift the clutch slowly”, he warns.

you suppress the urge to fully give him a glare and rolling your eyes again, “I know”

he clicks his tongue, “Do you?”

“don't tempt me to crash this car, harrington", you threaten jokingly before shifting the gear.

“Hmm,” he hums as if surprised at the smoothness of the action, and you can't help but grin in pride, “not bad this time”

a few minutes pass and Steve can tell you're getting confident, maybe too confident. You're nearing a 40mph. which first, is too fast for where you're driving and second, youre not good at controlling the car at this speed yet. and you're not awful, but you're not amazing either, “Easy buddy, slow down, you’re swaying”, his hand flies to the steering to adjust.

“shit– “, you readjust your grip, knuckles tightening around the wheel, “Ok, ok, i got it.” you lift your foot from the accelerator and the car slows down to a speed that doesn't give Steve severe heart palpitations. 

he sighs as his grip finally loosens as his palm slips down to your knee, squeezing to still reassure and ground you, “Lets not go more than 35 for now.” he doesn't notice you stiffen underneath his palm.

“you're swaying again”, you hear him say as his other hand moves to readjust. his left hand still on your knee. but it all sounds so far away. 

your throat dries up, you gulp. fingers tighten around the steering wheel so hard they hurt.

you know it's not him. this is Steve. your best friend, Steve Harrington. but suddenly this is all too similar. and you freeze up.

you two have been way closer than this. you've given each other spine crushing hugs, piggyback rides, even literally play fought, but for some reason the hand on the knee is too close. too much.

your heart plummets and you can't fucking breathe.

and you know Steve would not mean it that way. you know Steve like the back of your hand. He’d never hurt you. He'd never hurt anyone. you try to push it away, you really do. But it consumes you. all of you. because wasn't he also never supposed to hurt you?

and suddenly you're alone in a car with a man you were supposed to trust. and though his hand stays on your knees, suddenly you feel a phantom touch riding up your thighs and suddenly you're 16 again. and suddenly you know nothing. 

“Can you move your hand?”, your words come out all rushed, your brain barely even registering that you said anything.

with his eyes still on the road ahead of you two, he realigns the car, “I'm adjusting the–”

you don't even realise that you're not even looking at the road anymore, you're not looking at Steve either. you don't know where you're looking, all that exists is the hand on your knees and that sinking feeling, “move your hand Steve–”

“hey woah, WOAH!” it's Steve shouting that finally pulls you out of your stupor and when you look up, you find the car actively veering towards a tree, “LOOK OUT!”, he pulls up the manual handbreak, your own feet slamming down on the brakes as well as the vehicle comes to a screeching halt.

it's quiet. 

your eyes start stinging. and it's not because your almost crashed the car.

you can't breathe, you can't fucking breathe. you need to leave, you need to–

“jesus, what are you doing? we could've crashed into the–” you unfasten your seatbelt before scrambling to get out of the car as Steve calls after you, “hey, wh– where are you–?” with shaky hands, you slam the door behind you.

Steve's brows scrunch before he runs his hand through his hair. he watches as you pace by the sidewalk. he turns off the car before he glances at you again and he finds you sitting under the same tree you almost crashed into with your head in your palms.

when he climbs out of the car and comes closer to you, he hears the muffled sound of you hyperventilating through your hands.

gravel crunches under his shoes as he makes his way to you.

“hey”, he starts, unsure, lightly tapping your shoe with his to make you look up at him. You take one last deep breath in before swiping the back of your hand across your face but it does nothing to hide your tear stained cheeks. You still don’t look up at him though, your red eyes trained on his shoe that had tapped yours. 

he lets out a sigh himself before sitting down by the roots of the tree beside you. you wrap your arms around his knees. it's quiet for a while that way with the leaves rustling in the wind above you, chirping of a bird and your sniffles that you try your best to quiet down. Steve nudges you with his shoulder when you have quieted down, “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted. but you gotta keep your eyes on the road okay?”

you nod meekly, “okay”, the word comes out thick.

“hey, c’mere”, he tries shifting to engulf you in one of his warm hugs. and any other moment you would've welcomed that warmth with literal open arms but right now, you're afraid it'd suffocate you so you get up.

“... can we…”, you lick your lips, still stiff, still avoiding his gaze, “can you drop me home? please?”

he gets up as well, brushing dirt off his jeans, trying to catch your gaze but when he couldn't, he nods, “yeah, yeah sure.”

the drive back is silent, you wordlessly sit on the backseat. throughout steve tries to meet your eyes through the rearview mirror only to find your eyes trained either down on your lap or out the window.

when he stops in your driveway, he finally breaks the silence, “we're here.”

you only sniffle in response before stepping out of the car. he has his window rolled down when you shut the car door.

“hey, are you okay?” he asks unsure.

“yeah-", you clear your throat, turning around and your gaze finally meeting his. your eyes aren't red anymore but they still look puffy and if he didn't know you as well as he did, he would notice that you're trying to put on a smile, "yeah I'm okay.. just–”

“what happened back there?”

“nothing, I got too nervous", you shake your head. not knowing what to do with your hands, they fidget with your sleeves, "I think I'll stay away from driving”

“you're fine, it was a one time thing. you didn't mean for it to happen–”

“i wasn't looking at the road”

“trust me, I've done a lot worse, while driving this thing”

“ew”

“what? I didn't even say anything, you're minds in the gutter, bud." he says lightly to soothe your puffy eyes. his finger drums against the steering, "'ll see you later, yeah?”

you nod your head quick, offering another unsure but genuine smile, "mhm, movie night tomorrow?”

“yeah.”

…

it's been nearly a week since that driving lesson. it's also been as long as you've abandoned your designated front passenger seat. 

everything else is the same, you still laugh at his jokes so hard you tear up, lean on him when watching a movie. have movie nights at his place. he still picks you up from work. you still give him snacks for his shift. everything is the same. except you have given up your unofficially default seat. if the car is packed with the party and robin, you take the back seat but even if it's just the two of you, you still take the back seat. 

Steve doesn't know how to bring it up. but he has to. he doesn't know what's going on with you but he knows you all too well. he knows how you are when something is bothering you. he just doesn't know how to bring it up.

“i was thinking..”, he starts as you two walked around your neighborhood.

“that's never good”, you chuckle, kicking a pebble as you walk.

“yknow, I'll be free after work tomorrow. maybe we can, yknow do that driving lesson?”

you stiffen up beside him before stopping in your track. “Steve, I told you–”

“did I do something?” he questions, stopping as well.

“what? …no-”

"is it because I shouted?”

“no, you were right, I almost crashed the car”

“I don't care. you made one mistake, that doesn't mean you've fucked up forever. you wanted to learn”

“yeah, and– and now I don't”

“why?”

“I–”

“give me a reason, any reason”

“I don't know”

“why don't you sit on the front seat anymore?”

“I–", you start but stop when your voice cracks. fuck, why is this getting to you so much lately? it's been fucking ages. “I don't know”, you complete your sentence, frustrated, before sitting on the curb near your house.

you're looking down at your nails, picking at the skin with your legs splayed out in front of you when steve wordlessly sits beside you. you sniffle, “I'm sorry”, murmuring as you put your head on his shoulder.

he tries to put a reassuring hand on your knees but you tense up again. you almost squirm away from his warm palm before taking it in your hand instead.

you have to tell him. you know you should. you should tell someone. doesn't matter how long ago it happened.

it's like a lump stuck in your throat, can't swallow it, can't cough it out.

But you have to start. where do you even start?

“I... I don't like that”, you say, eyes still trained down.

“oh”, you wonder if you should say more, if you should tell him, hell, you're surprised it took so long in your friendship for it to come up.

you lick your lips, wondering if you should explain more. "when I was 16--" but the lump in your throat stays persistent, your tongue tied. you blink back tears, biting your lips.

in the way he holds you at this moment, you wonder if he just knows somehow, whatever it is that is in your mind. maybe not the details or maybe not even your situation but he knows you're hurting. somehow he just knows.

“M’sorry”, you say again, burying your nose into the crook of his neck.

“no, no– is– is this okay?” he carefully moves to hug you.

“yes”, you say quickly before wrapping your arms around him as well. you sniffle again, “sorry, I don't know why I…”

“it's okay, you're okay”, his warm palm rubs your back as he holds you as if he's protecting you from any further harm. your fists clutch the fabric of his polo shirt, you're fucking shaking in his arms.

“y/n, you could've told me”

“it-it's not that easy”, you stutter out.

“well… I'm glad you've told me now”

you nod, trying your best to gulp down anymore sobs, “I might never learn how to drive.”

“that's okay, I'll drive you. wherever you need to go, I'll drive you”

…

[seven-supernovas]

𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐤𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫

sevika x girly!reader - au ofc

ᥫ᭡only sfw hc's ᥫ᭡

cw: simply girly reader x sev, no gender markers, r! has traditionally feminine traits/hobbies.

✗ sevika swears she hates shopping. She states that one there are better ways to spend her time and two there are better ways to spend money. That's probably why she wears basically the same outfit everyday.

✗ sevika who enjoys shopping now but only with you. Because when you get excited about something you see in the shop it get her happy too.

✗ sevika who can't tell you what concealer is and why there are so many colors of them but will buy you the right ones.

✗ sevika who keeps at least two backups of all your favorite beauty products so when you run low she can just replace them. She thinks you don't know but you definitely do but to keep it up you'll just say things like; "I could've sworn I was almost out last week." just loud enough for her to hear.

✗ (poc/black!r specific) sevika who was once overwhelmed by the sheer amount of products at your local beauty supply store. But now deep into your relationship has become sort of friends with the store owner and employees. I'm pretty sure they know your name now only because of her.

✗ sevika who notices you like a charm jewelry like pandora charms and with randomly surprise you with new ones. Now you have two full bracelets.

✗ sevika who feels ichy and weirded out by makeup as she says its "Like putting on a second face." but will for sure sit down when you practice looks on her.

✗ sevika who pre-schedules all your appointments months in advance. She can't seem to remember to tie her own shoes sometimes but remembering your appointments is way easier for her.

✗ sevika who made google calendar solely to keep your appointments in order.

✗ sevika who understands that you don't tend to like outside activities but still convinces you to be outside with her at the very least.

✗ reader who researched the perfect products for sevika so she would have a proper skin care routine, rather than simply wetting her face with water.

✗ (long nail lover) reader who scratching Sevika's scalp with her long nails because even if she doesn't admit it sev loves it.

✗ (short nail lover) reader who always paints their own nails and also paints sev's nails to match.

✗ reader who spends an unreasonable time doing their hair and trying new styles so much so you've trained Sevika to help you.

✗ (black!r specific) reader who after spending sometimes 12+ in the salon chair getting fresh braids comes home to sevika running you a fresh bath.

✗ reader who buys sevika a shit ton of workout clothes and gear. In a year her gym clothes turned from baggy t-shirts and random things in her closet to almost exclusively alo and gymshark.

✗ reader who is constantly looking for pink and cutesie workout gear but always ends up with something black or dark purple in her cart to match your own.

✗ reader who learned to cut hair because sevika would just do it herself and you wanted to do it for her. Of course your kit is pink filled tho.

─── ୨୧ ────── ୨୧ ────── ୨୧ ───── ୨୧ ────

original masterlist

arcane masterlist

more sevika hc's

[butterflytarot]

Broke Witch Hacks

Listen! I get it. Money's tight, times are tough, and witchcraft - though very important - has to take a backseat to the mundane sometimes. Though there isn't always an alternative to everything or a cure to struggling financially, I thought I'd include some tips for broke witches and practitioners!

Before getting into this, I do want to clarify: For many practices, you don't need any tools or resources in order to practice, but I know that tools and whatnot can be very useful and may align with your traditions, so I wanted to highlight budget-friendly recommendations with this post! Thank you, and I hope this helps some of you, because it helps me!

SMOKE OPTIONS

Incense can be a very cheap option depending on where you live. In fact, some shops even sell boxes in bulk for under $2. I recommend getting them in-person from small shops, but you can find good deals online too! This is a great alternative to candles if candles are too expensive for you.

Additionally, tealight candles! They're often cheaper, and sold in bulk. You can also get those talls candles - you know, the ones that usually have religious imagery? - at places like flea markets, dollar stores, etc! If you don't agree with the religious imagery they depict, you can cover it with paper, peel it off, write on it with marker... and so on!

CRYSTALS

Crystals are often very expensive, but sometimes, they're WAY more cheap than you'd think (you just gotta know how - and where - to look)!

First and foremost, look up open and closed mines. If a mine for a specific crystal is open, you're going to find it on the cheaper end of its usual price scale. If it's closed, ways a few years until it opens again, otherwise it'll likely be more expensive!

Secondly, be mindful of shops you buy from. Any shop could overcharge you, so learning about the quality of different crystals is important.

Thirdly - be mindful of CALCITES! Some people will sell you a calcite (which is usually $15 or under) but say - or truly believe - that it's a different crystal (which is usually more expensive). The tell-tale sign of any calcite is that the crystal looks "wet." Look up the difference between green calcite and aquamarine - commonly confused for each other - and you'll see what I mean!

Lastly, ETSY ETSY ETSY! Etsy is going to be your best friend when it comes to crystal shopping! You'll want to apply the price filter, otherwise you'll find more expensive stuff. I recommend shopping in the U.S. specifically - the quality of crystals is higher than other places, like Hawai'i or Indian, but it's more inexpensive than places like the U.K. Some crystals you can even find free on Etsy, such as selenite.

Commonly inexpensive crystals can be certain calcites, selenite, sodalite, tiger's eye, and howlite! Crystal chips can also be quite expensive (I once got genuine turquoise chips for under $10)!

You can learn more about shopping for crystals here and you can learn more about tiger's eye specifically here.

HERBS

Let's be honest, having your own garden can be really unrealistic, and buying genuine herbs can be pricey. Instead, I recommend buying tea at the store! Your average tea bag has various herbs in it which you can use for your workings.

You can also do energy work with your basic drinks - tea, milk, even water - as well as your food (that's part of kitchen magic)!

Your average cooking seasonings (salt, italian seasoning, pepper, garlic, etc) are all things you can also use! (It's actually common for normal household items in general to be used!)

WATERS

Using water in your practice can actually be huge. Even if you don't have clean water, even if you'd rather just use rainwater.

Rainwater on your window can be used for divination. Moon and sun water can be used for various practices - medicinal, cleansing, offerings, etc. Regular water or salt water for cleansing... Salt water is also great for protection. And so on!

PENDULUMS

Pendulums aren't always the fancy, triangular jewelry you can find online. You could use almost anything for a pendulum - even a pencil tied to a string! Just know your positioning and have your protections up!

BURNING PAPERS & ELEMENTAL WORK

Sometimes, writing your intentions or prayers on regular paper and then burning it can be very helpful for spellwork or manifestations.

Additionally, whispering to wind or trees are also options people lean towards - Whether it be kindly asking the elements to carry out your wishes to the rest of the universe, or just having a friendly nature spirit being a listening ear, any elemental force or spirit you have a good relationship with may be a great resource to you in dire times!

If nothing else, putting energy and intentions into what you speak or think can sometimes be the most powerful magic you can do! Not everyone throughout time had fancy bowls or effective candles, but magic and witchcraft were still practiced. Learning chants, prayers, dispellings and verbal banishings, and much more, can really be helpful to you!

You might like to review this resource on mantras!

SPELL JARS

Spell jars can be difficult to find, but an alternative I like is using mason jars! Usually you can just clean them out from any residue food or juice, and places that give out free food often have stuff in mason jars. Otherwise, lots of people tend to give away mason jars free, on sites like Freecycle or Facebook Marketplace. And sometimes, mason jars can be cheap when you buy them as food at the grocery store, even the dollar store!

Speaking of the dollar store, you can easily find mini jars at the dollar store sometimes too, depending on where you're from! Usually they come in sets of 4-8! They're often very tiny, but great for mini jar spells that you can easily slide into your purse after buying & doing some spellwork with them!

Lastly, you can use other dishware or containers for spell jars! In my practice, I almost never close spell jars actually, so things like cups, bowls or plates work just fine! If you prefer to close your spell jar, simple food containers work lovely as well! If you can't afford food containers, you can re-use some from certain foods - for example, deli meat at the store (usually the cheap brands) sell their meats (like harm or salami) in hard plastic containers, which you can clean and reuse! You can also use Altoid (mint) cans, any cans you wish to reuse actually, and so on!

SEX MAGIC

Sex magic requires literally nothing but knowledge and your body (and sometimes, not even any work with your physical body is required)!

ALTARS

Hidden altars can be made with everyday items, decor, shoeboxes... Learn more about it here, if this interests you!

Additionally, the home in many cultures can be seen as a temple. How you treat your guests and fellow residents, how much love you put into the home, and things like taking care of yourself inside all matter. Relaxing is very important psychologically within your home. Dancing and singing can put out good energy. And so on. You don't need filled bookshelves, fancy floorings and extravagant food to make your home a happy place, a holy place, a spiritual place to be.

You might enjoy learning more about how the household was regarded in ancient Greek and Hellenism, which you can do here!

SHADOW WORK

Shadow work can simply be just a pen and paper! But also, you could use your phone notes.

Another method of shadow work only involves TRAIN OF THOUGHT! It's all about self-reflecting in the moment, following associations, and consistently asking yourself why you feel things the way you do and/or see things the way you do! You can get pretty deep when interrogating yourself internally, without pressure of writing everything down!

SPIRIT WORK / WORSHIP

Spirit work, and worship, is free! You don't always need glamorized art, bowls of water and incense offerings every night, to worship a spirit (like a deity). In fact, sometimes devoting acts to them is a way of worship, like studying, resting well, crying, or even going outside!

Additionally, spirit work and making deals with worship sometimes is all about the energy and effort you put into it. Depending on what transaction you're making, no physical items are required!

Just make sure you're staying safe, and that you're respectful of all spirits involved!

THANK YOU!

I hope this was helpful to some of you! Please feel free to comment if you need help finding a low-cost alternative to something! <3

[etherfraisie]

Endearment

—> in which Cove learns few terms of endearment for you

Pairings: Cove Holden x fem!reader

Tags: fluff, (maybe) a bit cringe. both of you are still nervous around each other. you’re still at the early stage of the relationship. tweaked the main story a little bit to fit the narrative in this fic. HEAVILY self-insert. Sets time in between step 2 and step 3. Reader is Indonesian for the sake of this fic.

Words:

Sayang = dear

Sayangku = my dear

Cintaku = my love

Kasih = love

Cantik = pretty

“Sayang.”

The moment Cove said that, you stop whatever you’re doing. The pen in your hand drops as you slowly look up to Cove who’s sitting in front of you.

It was faint, barely a whisper. The word almost drowned between the soft music that idly plays as you’re both doing your summer work. But you heard him nonetheless.

It’s been a while since you talked about your biological parents with your moms. Ma had told you that you weren’t born in America. You originated from Indonesia and your parents moved to America as your dad got a better job opportunity there. You weren’t old enough to remember all of your previous life before moving here. Faces of your biological parents are blurry, but you remember a few words of your, technically, mother tongue. Mom did mention how it was difficult for you to learn a new language at first. It took some time and practice, especially because you’re still so young.

Since then, you try to relearn your mother tongue. Trying to reconnect with your roots. Ma and Mom were worried at first. Scared that it’ll somehow change you, but they’re supportive nonetheless. Especially now after seeing the way you happily tell them random facts about your culture.

Cove is no different. He has always been your first supporter and this won’t be an exception. He has helped you find information about your culture in every way he can. He is always there beside you, for better and for worse.

However, you don’t remember ever learning the new language together. You had always just talked about the culture. Sure, Cove has shown interest about learning together in the past, but you know how difficult it could be to learn a new language. You don’t really want to fill his already full plate with something so small, you think.

So it’s shocking to hear him call you a term of endearment in your mother tongue. Cove’s face is red. Too red, actually. He’s never this red even when he’s saying one of his corny pickup lines. Knowing him, he probably has planned this for a few days now.

Seeing that there’s no reaction from you, Cove slowly opens his mouth again.

“Sayangku—“

“Stop, stop!” you cut him immediately, not able to handle how much his words can affect you. Your hand outstretched, grabbing a handful of his face and effectively stopping Cove from saying anything further. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?! When did you learn that?!”

Cove holds your hand that’s covering his face, pulling it away gently. He sheepishly answered, “a few weeks ago.”

“You…” At a loss for words, you sigh. Looking at him with adoration. “What am I gonna do with you? You know you don’t have to do that.”

“But I want to! I know how important this is to you, and it’s important to me too,” Cove quickly replied.

You laugh at his antics. Oh, surely one of these days he will stop with the unpredictable silliness. But you wouldn’t wanna change it any other way. You’re happy to see the next thing he’ll do that will surprise you.

“How much have you learned?” you ask. You rest your head to your hand, patiently waiting for his answer.

“Well, um.” He absentmindedly rubs the scar on his hand. “There’s the basics of introducing yourself.”

“And then you jump straight into the terms of endearment?” you tease which has an immediate effect on him as his face turns deep red and his eyes looking anywhere but yours.

“No! No… Well, yes, I kinda did.” He scratches the back of his neck. “Can you teach me more?”

“I’d love to!” You shoot up, happy to see him also invested in your culture.

You thought that was it because after that you both started doing your summer work again. The thought of teaching Cove about your culture makes you giddy. Your leg couldn’t stop bouncing in its place. But then Cove mumbles something.

“What is it, Cove?” You lean closer to him making sure to hear what he’s about to say.

“Can I call you that from now?” he says a little bit louder.

“Call me what?”

Cove takes his time to answer you again. His body language becomes more nervous as the second goes by, but he’s determined to talk about it so you patiently wait until he opens his mouth again.

“Can I call you sayang from now?” His voice keeps getting quiet as he says his question.

That’s it. Now he has done it.

You can feel your face getting warmer and to save you from embarrassment, you hide your face in your hands. Cove isn’t any better either. He’s not only rubbing his scar, but his whole arm now. Nervous over what you’ll say, he looks away from you and only steals a little glance while he waits for your answer.

After recollecting yourself, you slowly look up from your hands. Taking a peek of Cove, he’s still rubbing his arm slowly.

“Uh, yeah… sure…” you mumbles. Then you thought it wasn't a firm enough answer. “Yes! I’d love that! Call me sayang!”

The words had come out in a shout, which startled Cove. But he recovers immediately and laughs. The air surrounding you two isn’t as awkward as before now, as you both laugh about the silliness and how nervous you were a second ago.

Ever since then, Cove has never stopped calling you sayang. Quite the opposite, actually. He keeps adding more and more endearment in his vocabulary. ‘Sayang’ for everyday use, ‘cintaku’ when he’s feeling extra happy that day, ‘kasih’ and his puppy eyes are a common combo to melt your heart, and ‘cantik’ when he’s teasing you.

You couldn’t be more proud and Cove couldn’t be more happier to be able to help you.

[caitchercatlady]

Sleeping Over at Ramshackle w/Kalim

Though you don’t remember much of parties from your world, Kalim’s parties at Scarabia do help you in coming out of your shell. Despite his extroverted nature, Kalim always makes sure that everyone, including you, is having the time of their life. You’re so appreciative that you wish you can do the same for Kalim.

Then, the idea hits you.

Over the course of the school week, you organize the spare bedroom with spare sheets that you have and do some cleaning. On that Friday, you are nervous out of your wits, but you finally gather the courage to ask him to have a sleepover at Ramshackle Dorm. In his chipper and excitable way, Kalim is very honored to accept your invitation. He will see you after club activities that night.

Hearing Kalim accept your offer should help tame your nerves, but it only makes them more rattled. Maybe Kalim has high expectations of you. Oh, you feel sick to the stomach.

Thanks to Jamil being able to keep secrets, he offers you some recipes that remind Kalim of home. They’re basic, but they won’t break your bank either.

At least it will give Kalim something to be impressed by.

You are finishing the cooking, which makes Grim droll like crazy, when you get the anticipated knock at the door. You cover the pots and pans to keep the heat of the dishes (and to ensure that if Grim tries anything funny, he’ll get a warning burn touch). You take deep breaths before you answer the door, and when you do, you catch Kalim with beaming eyes and a full luggage trailing behind him.

He greets you with a hug. “Hi, Prefect! Thank you for inviting me over to your dorm. The place looks great! Wait…You’re cooking something? It smells wonderful in there! May I come in?”

“Yes, yes, you may,” you reply, stuttering and moving away to give your guest room to enter.

Yanking his luggage behind him, Kalim makes his way to the living room. He asks if he can sit his things by the couch. When you answer his questions with permission, Kalim leans his things against the couch and immediately wants to know where your kitchen is. You guide him over there and handle the freshly made meal, thanks to Jamil’s instruction. Kalim’s eyes sparkle at your hard work.

“Prefect! These are my favorites! How did you know?”

“Oh, uh.” Your cheeks flush, and you scratch the back of your head. “A little bird told me,” you reply metaphorically.

“Well, please give that bird friend of yours my thanks. This will go great with the snacks I brought over. Oh! I’ll be right back!”

Before you can respond to his sentences, Kalim makes a mad dash back into the hall. You can Grim side-eye each other, not because of what Kalim has brought, but with how much. He doesn’t return just as swiftly, which makes you concerned but Grim drool. Kalim does come back with an arm’s hold worth of sweets, much to your dismay. When he reaches the kitchen counter, he lets the bags and boxes fall onto it like an avalanche.

Kalim wipes his brow and sighs heavily. “Gee! I kinda forgot how much I brought over until I opened my suitcase. No wonder it looks so much emptier now.” He lets out his cheeky laugh.

“If you think about apologizin’, don’t,” says Grim. “This is the buffet of my dreams.”

You grab Grim by his collar before he’d dive into the pile. “Grim, don’t be such a hog. Kalim put so much thought an effort for us. This is sharable.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Kalim replies. “I wanna try your cooking since you worked so hard on it.”

“As you are the guest, Kalim, you can pick first.”

“Oh boy! I can’t wait!”

The dinner may not be the Scarabia usual way of sitting and eating, but Kalim is very respectful towards your dorm and  your things (Much more than Grim is on a typical day). Along with that respect, he is incredibly pleased with the cooking, praising your gifted talent.

“I always wanted to learn how to cook, but everyone says it’s too dangerous for me.”

“Not if you know how to do it right,” you encourage. “If you’d like, I still have some spare ingredients for bread.”

“You want me to make bread with you?”

“It’s quite easy…if you want to, of course.”

Kalim giggles and latches onto you like a baby monkey to its mama. “Prefect, you’re the best. I promise I’ll be a good pupil. Where do we start?”

To say that baking the bread is quite the adventure is an understatement. Yes, Kalim is the Deuce of food instructions, but all ends well when the delicious bread comes out of the oven. Though Grim confirms how scrumptious the bread is, he pretty much eats anything. Kalim’s and your opinions matter the most, and you both concur with smiles and piece swallows.

The clock is striking late, and you figure that you need to get ready for bed. If not for sleep, at least to get comfy. You are heading from your bedroom to the washrooms to wash up and change, only to be intercepted by Kalim on his way from getting himself clean.

“Prefect! Glad, I caught ya!” He latches onto your hands and pulls you towards the guest room, where he will be sleeping for the night. As you enter, your let out a heavy sigh to the mess that Kalim’s already made with his belongings. He sees your face and his eyes widen. “Oh, I’m sorry! This will be clean by the time I leave, I promise.”

You smirk. “Thank you, Kalim.”

He quickly hugs you before he makes a swift walk to his luggage, retrieving a bow-wrapped-only present. Kalim shoves the gift into your arms excitedly. “I figured you’d like a new set of pajamas to where. Something for when it gets hotter here on campus…Not that I think you didn’t have any, but you never know.”

(Describe the pajamas after Kalim’s card drop)

Kalim swallows nervously. “Do you like them?”

Your face is washed of color as you admire Kalim’s present, gracing your fingers across the fabric. “Kalim…I love them. No one has ever given me anything like this before.”

Kalim’s starry eyes beam at your compliment. “Really? I’m glad to hear it, Prefect. Let’s go and have you try them on! What do ya say?”

You don’t get time to respond as Kalim pushes out of the guest room and down to the washroom. He fortunately leaves you to do that by your lonesome while he waits out in the hall. These pajamas act like outerwear with how many straps you have to tie to look appealing and practical. Nevertheless, you manage through it, impressing Kalim once you model your new night clothes to him.

He wastes no time in dragging you back to his room. It astonishes you still how Kalim can make a conversation out of anything. You let him speak his piece, but his sunshine energy doesn’t help your eyes stay perched open as they should. It’s nearly midnight by now.

Kalim notices this (how can he not?). His smile still plastered, he says, “Prefect, thank you for hosting your sleepover and thank you for inviting me.”

Your cheeks flush. “It’s nothing really.”

“Nothing? It’s not nothing. I’ve been having a great time.”

“Though I don’t have all of the animals and a buffet for a sultan?”

“You think those are the most important things about a sleepover party, Prefect?”

“Well, I…”

Kalim snickers. “Prefect, I know my own parties are unlike others, but a party is not all about how many things you can make or get. Parties are for having your friends to hang and have fun together. They’re about seeing people smile, cheer, and laugh. Does that make sense?”

You blush again. “You’re so kind, Kalim. I don’t know what to say.”

“Hey, it’s what friends do for each other, am I right?”

You nudge his arm. “I suppose you’re right.”

“And friends know when it’s time to get some sleep.” He yanks on the sheets and burritos you in them like the topping stuffings.

You attempt to protest about sleeping in the guest’s bed with him only for Kalim to massage your temple with his pointer finger. He’s not going to let you stress out over the little things. Well, for him, it may not be the little things.

Does he have any idea? you ask yourself.

The answer arrives swiftly when Kalim snuggles against you and yawns, “We should do this every week,” grinning against your cheek.

[jusiri]

The more drawing tutorials I watch the more I understand there's not actually any 'proper' way to draw things, it's literally just 'find something you want to draw, draw it, and then draw it 12,000 more times'

and thats it

[maddieandangel]

Consider: character-exclusive trinkets.

[lexosaurus]

I know that was a shitpost for the latest Danny Phantom fandom meme, but I'm genuinely impressed and how authentic it sounds. How much of Dash's monologue is real advice, and how do you know all of that? Do you work out?

Yes I'm so sorry to inform my good people of Tumblr that I've secretly been a part of the gym fandom for all this time. I've only recently come out as a gymbro in this phandom via my creation of the current dp gym bro au meme that I've forced upon everyone in this good holy christian space. I mix whey protein into my overnight oats, I track my macros, and I have a closet full of Gym Girlie Outfits™️.

And just know it's a badge of honor that I carry to be able to say I've converted multiple members of the Danny Phantom phandom into regular gym goers as well 💪

[icewindandboringhorror]

"We can get through this by working together, reach out to your friends, community is all we have, a social network will be your security in the world, now is the time to lean on others!"

I do agree, and it's scientifically sound (pretty sure there is data about how people with better social networks live longer and etc) but also....augh..... what about the severe social issues, difficulty to leave the house, physical issues which lead to like zero socialization energy a majority of the time, etc. etc. Social support can be a replacement for structural support, but.. I guess I just wish it didn't have to be. Community is extremely difficult to build, even moreso if you're someone who has issues with social cues or group conversations or even just being around others in the first place. And blah, nuance, of course I'm just complaining or maybe being too negative or maybe misunderstanding, but, I hardly have the energy to brush my hair once every 2 months.. how am I supposed to maintain a wide social network and be active in a Community and Join Groups lol... sometimes it kind of feels like "er.. well if thats my only option then...... ruh roh". It's overwhelming

[devotedlystrangewizard]

the school arc to me is so good because it drags ciel out of his position as a powerful figure and literally places him in the shoes of the person he could have been. the circus arc ALSO drags him out of his position as big bad queens watch dog/head of the phantomhive estate but the school arc feels like a mockery of a future that never was. this is what he could have been had his parents not died. and even then its NOT because he will never be that kid.

he never was.

[mellomadness]

I just fell down a rabbit hole about (legal) body disposal and part of me is so anxious wishing I could tell the FBI agent monitoring my internet searches that I’m just morbidly curious and I’m not planning on dying anytime soon (or planning anything ELSE, for that matter)

[arolesbianism]

Everyday I see another youtube video or whatever say smth along the lines of "this character is badly written because they're unlikable/annoying/insert negative description here" and everyday I end up massively disappointed because I came here for analysis on the actual writing of a character not just a description of the feelings they made you experience

[skeletons-in-ur-closet]

i fear i may actually be bad at my job

[butchlifeguard]

i dont wanna decide on a career unfortunately everyone wants me to soso bad

[knightzp]

Hi Miki!!! Was wondering how did you learn english? I'm gonna start working on spanish soon and I'm trying to think what would be best for how to get a basic knowledge of words and stuff because I don't know much

HII TIA!!! ohh in my case i learned a good part of my english just going to classes. english is like the compulsory second language in almost all schools here so i remember starting learning my very first words when i was just like. three years old lol. apart from the lessons i had every year at school my parents also made me attend a lot of extracurricular english classes growing up and i even went a couple of months during summer to the uk where i spent the time living with a family there and so i had no other option than to read and talk in english all the time and it helped a lot too

but ig this isnt very useful to you so thinking of something that can help you in an easier way and that has helped me a lot too was reading a lot and watching shows in english! i was always very lazy to start reading books in english ngl but when i started with fics i had no other option so i slowly began doing it and tbh it took me a while to get really used to it, bc even if i already had a good english level there were still words and expressions typically used in writing that i had never come around just yet. i was slow at first, looking words on the dictionary from time to time, but i really felt like it helped me lots to get better and it still does. and not only fics. unironically reading posts here on tumblr also helps a lot bc it makes me read in english every day and so i can easily maintain my level and even improve it. for the tv shows, i found that watching cartoons especifically helped me a lot since i hear the voices clearer than in other shows and even if you dont know that well the language i feel like this helps. ive done this not only with english but also with french, which im by no means as fluent as im with english but even if i didnt understand every single word i think it helped me quite a lot!

however its true that for what i said abt the reading and the tv shows you need at least some basic level on the language and since you said you dont know much.... mmmm i remember that back in school we used to read some thin books during english classes that were basically adaptations of other actual books (like one i remember was frankestein for example) but with simplified language and they were available for each level you had so something like that might help ! idk if it would be possible to find them online for free but i dont think itd be very expensive to buy one or two if you want to

[wibble-wobbegong]

could a more perfect man exist