#' call/text iris "

[blushblushbear]

Fuyu may be a bit of a stiff stuffy old man

But he's sad and lonely and really into theater and interested in musicals and such and fucking SAME

I wanna hold him, never let him be alone again and also take him to see a Broadway show or show him Pavaroti and both of us be excited nerds about it

Also he's tall and I'd have fun yanking him down to my height for a smooch

[daxtoncity]

Friends

So besides the incredibly vague title alone, this post is gonna explain something, a little bit different. As the sole creator of Daxton’s storyline, the underlaying basis of just, Daxton’s foundation in general, what I say, simply, GOES AND I THINK THAT’S INCREDIBLY FAIR RIGHT IM NOT CRAZY-

That being said, the characters that I’m gonna briefly mention here with my own summaries, they all have one thing in common: I didn’t make them.

My friends did, and the friends that did go out of their way to create something that I have been workshopping for such an incredibly long amount of time, it’s been in hiatus after hiatus as I got older, but when I met these people through this HELLSITE, they pushed me to keep going, and this is easily the longest and most effort that I have outputted into Daxton’s development, I mean I have names for locations AND EVEN THEN AT LIKE 13 AND STUFF, I DIDN’T EVEN HAVE LAST NAMES FOR SOME OF THESE CHARACTERS AND THE FACT ALONE THAT I AM ENVISIONING PLACES NOW, THAT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE A LOT BUT TO ME THAT’S MONUMENTAL

So the best way that I can even begin to repay these friends of mine, is, simply this: These characters, are, absolutely canon. They started out as OCs for my dumb little universe created by these wonderful people, and now as the creator and owner of Daxton, I’m making them canon.

Without further ado, It’d be my honor to introduce these one of kind creations.

The following two were created by my friend @alicethecoffeeaddict, Andromeda and Vergil, a pair of demonic siblings, Andromeda, a confident, no shit taking, proud of her sexuality succubus, and Vergil, a friendly, albeit introverted compared to his sister, incubus who works a side life as a nurse. That’s all I’m gonna say about them at the moment, you read this and wanna know about them more?? GO TO ALICE AND YELL AT HER TO MAKE MORE CONTENT OF THEM--

This one, ohohohoh, this one, is a, PERSONAL, favorite of mine. Created by one of my absolute bestest buds in the entire world, @sutasaido, Heartbeat is the city’s most beloved entertained, donning a helmet with a heart shaped electronic screen visualizing a rhythmic heartbeat tempo on the front, he’s a talented musician that has not a single struggle in the world to put all of Daxton’s hands up, rest of the world must have missed his hype tho-GO YELL AT ELI TO GET MORE HEARTBEAT CONTENT

The second to the couple of last ones, sadly, I can’t tag on here because he doesn’t use Tumblr anymore, but if you scroll by and read this and wonder who this is, my buddy John aka MossyPebble, you’ve MOST DEF HAVE SEEN THAT NAME IF YOU’RE AROUND THESE PARTS, but he created probably one of the most INTRICATELY DESIGNED AND FUCKIN BADASS CHARACTERS, the evangelical automaton created by man to protect them from every and all threats in the city, and even the world at such a scale, named Gehenna. However, reduced time shared along with humans thanks to ungrateful creators locking him away into the depths of their compounds poisoned his advanced thinking and labeled humans as their own greatest danger. Now, like I said, JOHN ISN’T ON HERE ANYMORE BUT I WILL SAY THAT IF HE DOES MAKE MORE ABOUT GEHENNA I WILL LET Y’ALL KNOW

Now, the very last ones, for now anyone, have been crafted by someone who is, easily, my greatest friend and my overall empowering form of inspiration with just how incredibly creative she is, it is, very easy, to label as most definitely my biggest supporter, @flowerthornsart, without her I don’t think some entire sections of Daxton to this day would have been getting coats of polish slathered on with how much she encourages me to keep going with this, so of course-

Mantis is the first hero I wanna talk about, plagued by floating remnants of her villainous and monstrous mother’s reigning terror, Mantis is determined to take that once ruined verbal imagery of someone so murderous and fraught with danger, and replace it with the shining, welcoming sight of a sweetened heart and comforting aura belonging to one who knows what it means to be a hero, that not allowing anyone to hinder your actions and the determination that backs up one’s selflessness, is all that it takes. And last but not least, Iris, an abandoned science project given form, the spunky and gremlin like slime cryptid lovingly lingers in Daxton’s Undercity, reclaiming once lost subway systems as her own housing, she’s later discovered by the band of heroes following Blade, and the crew gained yet another irreplaceable fragment to weld with the grander picture of it all. AND FINALLY, GO YELL AT TERESA IF YOU WANT MORE-

Much like before, THAT IS ALL THAT I HAVE FOR YOU AS OF NOW, THE VILLAINS ARE ARRIVING SOON BUT I WANTED TO GET THIS OUT AND ABOUT AND HAVE A FRESH AIR AROUND IT ALL ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY THIS CAST CONSISTS OF YOU GUYS WHO I TAGGED I LOVE Y’ALL DEARLY AND I WILL FOREVER BE INDEBTED TO THE KINDNESS YOU GUYS GIVE ME <3

[drill-teeth-art]

Wow! Here’s something incredibly personal.

This is Good Bi Gender. A comic I made to express some feelings I have about my gender. I don’t really have that much else to say about it. Here it is.

[Image Description: A digital comic made with sharp, angular abstract lines and only the colors white, blue, pink, and black. The featured character is all white, except for facial features and hair colors, which changes from panel to panel. The comic reads: Cover Panel: The text "Good Bi Gender", the words colored with the trans flag. It shows a glitchy person's face, half pink and half blue. Panel 1: White text reads: "Hello. My name is apparently irrelevant. And my pronouns are he/him and she/her. But you can't call me she/her. And here's why." Someone with a half-pink and half-blue shirt looks to the side. One eye is covered with hair, and the other eye is pink while the iris is blue.

Panel 2: The character sits happily, imagining facial hair and a masculine voice. "I don't want top surgery. I love my chest. And I dream about being on testosterone someday soon." The character looks at a phone, frowning. The phone shows the male symbol with an "X" through it. Text next to it reads: “People don't seem to think that the features I dream of are very pretty though... Or they think even worse of them than that…”

Panel 3: The character’s features are all pink, and sits in a blank frame. The character reaches over to a blue frame, frowning. “I don't like the animosity. I really despise it.” A photo of the character shows an all-blue frame and blue hair, with pink outlines and facial features. “To be a boy... I aspire to be one. I aspire to be masculine in all its handsomeness. All its prettiness.” Panel 4: The character sits in an all blue panel, but reaches back out to the pink panel. “And I'm still a girl too. I was so excited to have both. To love both. To have handsome femininity. Beautiful masculinity.” The frames break and connect, and pink and blue swirl together. The character smiles in between the frames, with one pink eye and one blue eye. “So excited. And yet I get asked…”

Panel 5: Two hands hold out two different pills to the character, one blue and one pink. They ask “Male? or Female?” using the male and female symbols.The character, facial features an array of pink and blue, looks between the two hands, distressed. “It's both! I'm both! They're not opposites. Not narrow boxes. I say I'm both despite the insistence that I can't be. And I know what I look like. I know I look like a girl to most. I know that if I say people can call me she, that's all I will get from most. Because it's "easier". It "makes more sense". To have my masculinity, I am often forced to be unflinching in it and it alone. To never use she. Because if I don't, I will never get to have he.” [The words "she" and "he" are italicized.] Panel 6: Text reads: “I'm still very happy to be so comfortable in my identity. To know, despite all that, that I am indeed a boy and a girl and both. But you know. Telling people to only use he/him for me. Guarding my masculinity all just to have it. All at the expense of the part of me who is happily and unashamedly a girl.” The character cries from one pink eye, the other hidden. The character holds a pink girl in a sea of blue, the girl crying out. In the midst of the blue, text reads: “Well, it fucking breaks her heart.” End ID]

Edit: @starberry-skies wrote an ID for the comic, so I added it to the og post with its permission!

[cordeliawhohung]

the prowl - single dad! Price x teacher! stripper! Reader (fem) taglist

[7] intended plurals

cw: minor mentions of masturbation

You stare at the slip of paper in your hands and you feel your stomach plummet through the floor. 

All murmuring conversations around you fade into white noise. Every childish giggle and the scrape of chairs along the freshly lacquered floor. You read off the carefully scrawled out numbers before you. The paper is hastily torn. Printer paper shredded for a quick note to be doused with rich dark ink. It swirls and cuts in sharp corners and dashes. A moment of disbelief settles over you before you’re able to swallow down the fact you’re staring at John Price’s number. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes, voice low and hushed. “I know it’s a tall order, but it would settle my mind a little. We’ve never been apart so long before. Call me an overbearing parent, if you want.” 

Setting the paper face down on your desk, you carefully push yourself to your feet. Your eyes glance over to Amelia’s desk where she’s busy fetching last week’s homework from her dinosaur bag. You notice there’s a new charm on the zipper — a stegosaurus with comically large googly eyes. Her movements are slower than usual. Heavy lethargy pulls at her body as she sorts her items. When she turns, you see the irritation rimming her eyes. The crystalline blue hue of her iris looks nearly translucent by comparison. 

“How long will you be gone?” you question, turning your attention back to John. 

“Only a week,” he assures. “Normally I can weasel my way out of these sorts of conferences but didn’t get so lucky this time. She’ll be staying with Diana, of course, but she’s not… the most talkative with me. Don’t want to irritate her by just trying to get information about my kid.” 

“She doesn’t tell you about Amelia at all while she’s watching her?” you ask, baffled. 

“Only the important things. Pictures and daily updates aren’t on that list, unfortunately.” 

Nodding, you allow your brain to soak in the information John’s tossed your way. A phone number. A trip. His daughter. Your student. It’s a simple task. Inconsequential. It isn’t wholly uncommon for teachers and parents to exchange numbers. Oftentimes it’s easier to communicate over text than in what little office time you have. Yet, this feels different. Wrong. It’s wrong because you still think about running into him at the tea shop the other week. You can recall his wet clothes clinging to his chest, and how you touched yourself to that very image later that night with shame broiling deep in your stomach. 

Could you keep your fingers off your phone long enough — off your cunt long enough — that it would be professional? Healthy? Can you fully separate the John standing in front of you now and the John whose side you once curled up against? Whose sent you bathed in? 

“It’s a tall order, and I know I’m askin’ a lot of you already…” he continues. 

“No, not at all,” you cut him off. “It’s not a problem. I couldn’t imagine having to be away and not get to talk with your own child.” 

“You’re sure?” he asks. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to do me any favors.”

Shaking your head, you smile. “It’s fine, John.”

A huff escapes with the chuckle he gives you. He looks different today, you realize, than all the other times you’ve spoken with him. His hair is more mussed than normal, and the lack of his usual business casual attire isn’t lost on you. A plain charcoal grey t-shirt fits snug and close to his torso, and you try not to stare at the thick hair that decorates his arms. His shoulders are… big. Bigger than the dress shirts he normally dons would have you believe. Dense and wide enough to get lost in. 

“Daddy?” 

Both you and John turn to find Amelia anxiously pulling at her skirt. Moisture brims so heavily in her eyes you’re surprised they haven’t spilled over yet. You’re reminded of that day she tripped on the playground with shredded knees and fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Now, the scabs have healed and you can’t even make out the scars. Amelia Price is stubborn. She refuses to cry the same way she did that day, no matter how much the pressure builds behind her eyes. 

“Are you leaving now?” she asks, bottom lip trembling. 

“I’ll be back before you know it, pumpkin,” he promises. John sinks down to kneel in front of Amelia. She looks puny next to him. Doting hands straighten out her uniform, attempting to undo the anxious wrinkling going on in her skirt as the fabric is clutched between her fists. “Granny’ll take good care of you.” 

Their farewell is tearful and long. Long enough that your other students begin to whisper and stare, so you attempt to control the damage before it fully starts. John embraces her. Lifts her small frame into the air to hug her tightly as he cradles her head like it’s the last time he’ll ever see her. All eyes are on you by the time they’re finished sending one another off, and no questions are asked as Amelia returns to her seat. John leaves the room with a tight lipped smile and a wave to you. You refuse to let your eyes linger on the wet patch on his shoulder. 

For the rest of the day, Amelia seems to be merely a shell of the girl you had grown to know. Despondent and quiet, she hardly participates in any of the activities you’ve prepared for the day. Her curious mind seems just as silent as she is. She does not raise her hand in question or quirk her head in curiosity throughout any of your activities. That vivacious girl is hardly present at all. Stuck in her mind. Thinking about nothing but her father and how much she wishes he was home. 

You try to rekindle that spark inside of her. Feed it all the fuel it could ever dream of consuming with engaging stories and silly voices. Nothing rouses her. Even the coloring project you have them do for their English time fails to bring a smile to her face. Her usual love for art has dissipated into dust just like everything else she ever seemed to enjoy. She sits, curved forward over her coloring page as she lazily draws inside of the lines with peeling, cracked crayons. 

“Wonderful job, Amelia,” you croon, kneeling in front of her desk. 

Your praise hardly stirs a response from her other than a sheepish smile that quickly fades into a quivering lip. All your students have good and bad days. Children her age aren’t exactly known for their emotional maturity, but she’s downright pitiful like this. Like a wounded animal. 

Tapping your fingers on her desk, you quietly grab her attention before you lean closer to whisper. “When you’re finished, why don’t you let me take a picture? I’ll send it to your dad.” 

For the first time that day, Amelia’s eyes illuminate with something other than tears. Mouth agape and crayon still firmly in hand, she stares up at you, dumbfounded. 

“Really?” she asks. 

You grin. “Really. Take your time, and come find me when you’re finished, okay?” 

She grins back. “Okay!” 

When Amelia finishes her coloring, she demands to be in the picture you send to her father. She holds the paper out like it’s a work of fine art. Something she’s slaved over for months. A toothy grin graces her lips as she tilts her head to the side in the way little kids always seem to do. She giggles profusely when you show her the picture, and you quickly text it off to the number John gave you before the next lesson starts. 

Amelia is quite the artist today!

It takes him some time to respond. You can already imagine him, half awake, head held up by the tips of his fingers as he sits in some meeting too far from home. Maybe he’s slouching like he did that night at the club. Legs spread far and wide, head tilting to the side as he listens to whoever’s speaking. You wonder if he’ll visit you — visit Saffron — again when he returns home; his way to unwind after a long trip. It’s been a while since you — Saffron — last saw him. 

Your thoughts are mercifully interrupted with the quiet buzzing of your phone. 

Glad to see her smiling again. Thank you.

Once Amelia’s learned you’re her new, unimpeded access to her father, she’s consistently requesting you to send pictures and messages to John. You can see the way she holds herself back. Quietly separating the important stuff she wants to tell him now, from the stuff she’ll tell him herself when he gets home. Still, nothing matches the way her cheeks get rosy and her lips pull into a grin when you read off a response from him during what little down time the kids have between lessons. It’s simple enough, and John is polite in his responses. Professional. Proper. 

This is a respectable relationship to hold with a parent. 

You have to keep that mantra in your head lest it degrade into something terrible. 

On Friday, Amelia arrives to class, beaming. She doesn’t greet you like she usually does, but every time you look at her while lecturing or reading, she’s grinning. She’s held that expression so long you’re certain her face is going to freeze that way. Forever joyous. Patiently waiting for… something. 

It isn’t until their first recess that you’re able to sniff out the reason for her behavior. Her hair is different. Adorable. Long, inky locks are half pulled up into strands that gently swirl down her back. A fat, puffy bow adorns her hair, keeping the strands of her hairdo together. It’s a pristine white, but you can see small designs that you can’t quite discern from a distance. You watch it bob and bounce as you lead them outside into the dwindling summer heat.

Before she has the chance to run off and join her friends on the playground, you catch her attention. “That’s a pretty bow, Amelia. Is that new?” 

Giggles burst free from her lips as she sways back and forth. They’re sharp and shrill, as if she’s been holding them in all day. Blue fabric swirls around her knees as she moves, nearly buzzing inside of her own skin. 

“Granny bought it last night. I saw it, and wanted it because it reminds me of your dresses!” she explains, eyeing your clothing. 

Now that she’s closer, you’re able to make out the pattern. Little lollipops and hard candies adorn the white fabric, giving the appearance that it’s polka dotted. You have a dress that’s eerily similar in patterning to it hanging up in your closet at home. Today, you’re wearing daisies and moons — doesn’t quite match, yet her enthusiasm is touching all the same. 

“That’s so sweet of you. It looks beautiful on you.” 

“Can we take a picture? For papa?” she asks. 

Refusing to deny her request, you sneakily fish your phone out from the pocket of your dress to open the camera. You attempt to get her to pose — big smile! — but she only looks at you with pinched brows. 

“No, you have to be in it, too,” she insists. 

“Do I?” you challenge. 

“He has to see that we’re matching!” 

Hesitant, you bite into your bottom lip. Sending pictures of Amelia to John is something you have no gripe with. It’s his daughter — after all — but a picture of you? It unsettles your stomach. Disrupts the bile and has the muscle angrily churning in protest. In want. Just as you open your mouth to make up an excuse, or explain that it’s not proper, you lose the will. When she stares at you with eyes so wide and hopeful, you find it difficult to deny her anything. 

“Alright well… maybe a video will be easier,” you give in. 

Propping up your phone on a nearby bench, you let Amelia take the lead. You’re awkwardly in frame behind her, hands politely folded in front of you as she rattles off her story. She makes a show of displaying her new bow, and telling the camera all about how her grandma got it for her. How it reminds her of you. When she’s finished, she does a cute, clumsy spin to show it off properly before she looks at you expectantly. 

“Okay. Spin,” she directs, swirling her finger at you as if it were a wand. 

Chuckling, you follow her command with stiff, awkward limbs. You try not to be too showy. Too much. Too anything. Luckily, your lackluster performance satiates Amelia long enough for you to walk back up to your phone and cut the recording. You send her off to play with her friends before her break is used up and wasted talking to you. The video is already sent John’s way before she even reaches the top of the slides. 

For the rest of the day, you try your best not to look at your phone. It’s not a difficult task to accomplish. Children this age need a lot of attention and looking after. Besides, you have a job to do, and talking with John Price isn’t on the agenda. You spend your time reading stories, instructing writing, and leading projects. By the time all your students are gone and off enjoying the weekend with their parents, you’re tired to the marrow. Fatigue seeps into every cell in your bones, webbing cracks into the structures until you can do nothing but sit and rot in your chair as you grade easy assignments with a red pen and stickers. 

You’re yanked out of your thoughts the moment your phone vibrates against your thigh. Allowing yourself a quick mental break, you pull it free and unlock it to find the preview of the video you sent John staring back at you, along with his response. 

My girls.

You can’t stop staring at it. Those two words. One of them is certainly a mistake. Girls. Girls. Plural. More than one. More than one and his. His girls. It’s a typo. An error. It should be singular. Girl. His girl. His daughter. Nothing to do with you. You’re not his. Nothing of his. 

The words seep into your brain. They take purchase in the raw, messy parts of you where they feed off the sparse nutrients lurking in your grey matter. The worst desires you try not to crave. As you read the words again, you hear them in his voice. Low and deep. Quiet. Tired. As if you’re pressed against his side again attempting to keep his mind off a long day. It ruins you. Shreds apart the most delicate parts of your skin until all of you is an open wound begging to be saved. To be kissed. To be loved. 

The screen goes black and you slam it face down on your desk. It’s a typo. That’s all it is. And still your heart pounds in your throat as if to choke you and put you out of your misery. 

A pitiful squeak leaves the chair as you stand. Every ounce of blood in your body rushes to your core. You feel it pool in your face, ears, and chest, leaving you with clammy hands and colder feet. Everything within you is telling you to run. To flee. So you do. You shove your phone back into your pocket with no intention of responding to him, and you leave with your bag hastily thrown over your shoulder. 

“Goddammit,” you mutter. 

You can run, but the damage is already done. John’s in your classroom in the form of a scented note. He’s in your phone as pixelated replies to your messages. And now, finally, he is in your head. He’s in your head, lurking in the form of knowing smiles and deep baritone, and you don’t think you’ll be lucky enough to shake him off any time soon.

[eatingfood]

*

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

he’s staring.

in the corner of your eye lies a silhouette, a blur of black hair and sharp facial features. awfully hard not to notice, when he’s standing so close to you — gazing at you so intently. waiting for you to say something.

(resisting the urge to look at him directly is a struggle.)

a smile tugs at the corners of your lips, something giddy and sweet flooding your veins. he’s just standing there. all while you tap at the keys of your laptop, trying to focus on your work. in vain.

because, inevitably, the rubber band of your patience snaps — and you can do nothing but give in to the temptation. feeling him shift from foot to foot, silent as a mouse. you turn your head.

suguru looks meek.

there he stands, tired eyes trailing over your facial features, before falling down to the floor. something about it makes you want to coo — almost like he’s a little flustered. fidgeting with his hands, wringing his long fingers together, so patiently waiting for your attention to fall on him. 

you swear you see the ghost of a pout slip into the curve of his lips. wearing a comfortable sweater, oversized and fluffy, framed by the obsidian of his hair; cascading down his shoulders like a black river. let loose, free to fall as it please, a signature sign that he’s tired.

and as soon as your eyes meet his, a certain something blossoms within the scope of his iris. peeling at the corners, slipping into the amber and cedar, an emotion you can’t quite place. would it be too tacky to call it love?

a giggle slips from your lips, dancing on the tip of your tongue. it’s soft, a little teasing, but who could blame you when he looks so cute? suguru, with his tall stature and broad shoulders, sharp eyes and intimidating presence, staring meekly in your direction. as if too embarrassed to ask for something, curling into himself.

”hey there,” you exhale, something amused laced into the vowels. ”everything okay?”

he averts his gaze. enamored with the smile on your face, the crinkle of your eyes, the melodic lilt of your sweet laughter. like peach blossoms and duvet covers, too soft for him to handle. far too sweet, the mere sight of you, all cozied up on the couch; legs crossed and laptop balanced on your thigh. 

(suguru wishes he could take its place.)

a tilt of your head beckons him to speak, and he can’t help but notice the remnants of something teasing in the gesture. he feels a little out of his element, almost shy, and it’s discomforting — but he’s just so tired. much too plagued by the need to be close to you.

he can live with a little teasing, if it’s you, only if it’s you. 

”what’re you working on?” he asks, delicate, soft voice flowing from his lips like melted honey. there’s a raspy tilt to it, a little scratchy. you smile, gaze drawn towards the screen in front of you.

”nothing much, just some essay. i’m almost finished.” a low sigh, as you lazily scroll through the text. suguru hums. when you look over at him, the smile on your face grows just a tad softer. ”did you need something?”

suguru stills. blinking drowsily, slow and awfully endearing, a flutter of his black lashes. absentmindedly fidgeting with the hem of his puffy sleeve. the silence lingers, a contemplation etched onto his features, until he clears his throat — still unable to look at you properly. 

(there’s only one thing he wants. needs. asking for it is just a little bit tough, though.)

patiently waiting, you begin to study his expression. second nature, to tuck his features in between your ribs, smoothe along the contours you’ve come to love so dearly. memorizing every dip and birthmark.

there’s a barely noticeable flush to his cheeks, a crimson smear that starts at his ears and only ever nips along his cheekbones, but it’s enough to let you know that he’s embarrassed. more than enough, seeing as his gaze won’t even land on you, seeing the fatigue beneath his eyes, the crease between his brows. something that sticks to his skin and drags him down. 

he has been a little stressed, lately. more so than usual. and you’ve noticed, of course you have — worriedly waiting for him to approach you, to let you help. winters are never very kind to him. 

he’s gorgeous, though, even like this. especially like this. sleepy, just a little unkempt, in his natural state. bare, somehow. like he just woke up, like the morning sun is kissing up his collarbone and he just made a cute little sleepy noise that you’re going to tease him for over breakfast. like he’s unguarded, at peace, safe in your arms.

it makes your heart soften considerably. crumbling at the corners, a pang of lovesick ache tugging at your fragile heartstrings.

and finally, you speak up. urging him to continue, gently, not wanting to rush him. ”well?” 

suguru gnaws at the flesh of his bottom lip, just a little chapped. his tongue flits out to lick along the dry skin, and he does a little cough under his breath. you’re patient, waiting for him to speak, but it’s tough when all you want is to tug him close.

(you have an idea of what he’s going to ask you, what it is he wants. because you know him — and you want it too.)

”… can,” he starts, tentative. slow, as if he’s trying to swallow the embarrassment, gulp down the nervous flutter of his heartbeat. then he continues. ”i get a hug?”

finally, he looks at you; and your heart ricochets in your chest. amber eyes boring into yours, deep and warm, soft around the edges. kind of shy. 

a sharp intake of breath. you can’t help the grin that crawls up to your lips, and you can’t help the words that spill from them. ”gosh, you’re so cute.”

suguru turns away, with what you’re almost sure is a low grumble — buzzing in his throat, like a dragonfly itching to break out. he really does look meek, a little needy, so cute you’re afraid your lungs might collapse. when a chuckle pushes past your lips, the red tint on his neck and ears only seems to exacerbate. 

with swift movements, you close your laptop, plopping it down on the table in front of you. not wanting to waste any time, a little afraid that he’ll change his mind. ”of course you can,” you assure him, a soft lull of your tongue.

leaning back, you rest your head against a pile of cushiony pillows, melting into the couch beneath you. extending your arms; beckoning him close, into your embrace. the smile you grace him with is a little teasing, but mostly soft, inviting.

and suguru can’t resist it.

he still seems a little flustered, as he crawls along the couch, to take his rightful place in your arms. flopping down on top of you with a huff, like a big dog, cheek squished against your chest — eager to listen to the echo of your heartbeat. steady and soothing, a lullaby to his muddled mind.

a long, satisfied sigh escapes him, muffled into the fabric of your shirt. he wraps his arms around you, nuzzling a little further into your touch. slowly melting.

ah, he’s just too much. try as you might, you don’t fully manage to stifle the coo that laces the tip of your tongue. just admiring him, in the dim lighting of the room, all sleepy and content. that palpable fatigue, slowly dissipating. a soft groan slips from his lips when your hand goes to card through his hair, softly, nails raking over his scalp.

”my big baby,” you murmur, planting a kiss on the top of his head. suguru wants to grumble, protest a bit, but all he can do is soak in the words, the skip of his heartbeat that follows. ”everything okay?”

he nods. groggy, cheek against your soft chest. no longer able to hide his neediness, to muster the strenght, thoroughly soothed by the warmth that seeps from your body. from your veins to his. and he sighs, barely above a whisper. ”jus’ missed you.”

he must notice it, you think — the rapid rhythm of your heartbeat, something erratic in the decisive thumps of blood. a little louder than they should be. 

but if he does, he doesn’t mention it. only shifting a little in your arms, nuzzling further into your chest, relishing in the sensation of your hand in between his messy locks. so cozy. 

”i missed you too,” you echo, unable to fight off the sappy grin on your lips. so much affection in every caress, every soft glance. eager to be let out. ”’m sorry if i’ve been neglecting you.” 

suguru shakes his head — brushing off your guilt. always so willing to put your peace of mind before his. it only weakens you further, thoughts fuzzy with the image of him, the love that clouds your vision. how to properly convey it in words. 

”i’m always so proud of you,” you exhale, a little shaky. so earnest that you falter. a loud mantra of your heartbeat filling your ears, so much fondness stuffed inside your chest. ”working so hard. love you so, so much, honey.”

this time, it’s suguru’s heart that stutters and flails. reduced to a desperate instinct, something intimate and bare. the term of endearment slips off your tongue like it was always meant to be there, like that’s where it belongs, coupled with the soft sensation of your fingers ghosting over his skin. brushing away his bangs to smear a kiss against his forehead.

”i’m never gonna let you go,” you promise, unable to control the affection smeared into your voice. like you’d explode if you didn’t speak it out loud. ”my angel.”

”okay — that’s,” suguru croaks, before you can continue. exasperated, deeply embarrassed. at this point, he’s sure his face must be red, and he’s sure you can see it. despite his attempts to hide away in the crook of your neck. ”that’s enough.”

laughter bubbles up in your throat, sweet like osmanthus and whipped cream. giddy and teasing, in equal measure, sending a jolt of fondness running through his veins. ”are you embarrassed?”

”no,” he scoffs, too quickly. you both know he’s lying. it’s a rare treat, seeing him this flustered — how could you resist the urge to tease him a bit? 

”then why d’you want me to stop?” you grin, searching for his gaze. but suguru refuses to look at you.

”it’s just…” he mumbles, a string of tiny words. gnawing at his bottom lip. ”a little much, don’t you think?”

”i mean it, though.”

suguru groans, and a bout of giggles pushes past your lips. the smile on your face is starting to make your cheeks hurt, an achy kind of joy. yeah — suguru is just far too cute. he’s cute, and pretty, and beautiful, and gorgeous. how could you keep yourself away?

reaching for a strand of his hair, you let it fall between your fingers. smooth and silky, brushing against your skin, soft and familiar. memories bloom from your fingertips, seeping into your subconscious; the first time he let you touch his hair, that content purr in his throat, the time you braided it as the world fell asleep around you. he takes good care of it, always has. attentive and delicate, almost as lovingly as he handles you.

a great surge of affection sprouts in between your ribs, spreading throughout every cell of your body, wholly engulfing you. it’s too much to bear.

a blissful sigh. you tilt your head, softly, a bleeding tenderness to every word you speak. and you do, with a sincerity to your voice that he’s never been able to handle. “is it really so strange if i want to give the love of my life some affection?” 

— and suguru’s resolve crumbles into dust. 

”… you’re,” he tries, a shiver of his weak voice. under normal circumstances, he could think of a suave reply, something to get the upper hand; but today, suguru happens to be very tired, and you seem awfully set on making him melt through the couch. ”— awful. you know that?”

his heart aches, when the bitter words make you giggle. a little sleepy. it makes him want to tuck you into his chest, hide you away inside his ribcage. kiss you breathless.

”so mean,” you pout, entirely fabricated. a heavy amusement lays thick on your tongue. “i’m professing my undying love for you here, y’know?”

”that’s exactly what i mean,” he sighs, unable to repress the slight smile on his lips. a little tug, that says more than his words ever could.

the laughter in your throat lingers, for a bit, until the intimacy of the moment softens you up. something tender and genuine in the depths of your eyes. ”i mean it, though. i’m not just teasing you.” 

your hand goes to cup his face, thumb smoothing over his cheekbone. and then you’re leaning in, to press your lips against his forehead — pulling away with a drawn out mwah, a soft grin, a little boyish. terribly cute. 

”i really do love you,” you profess, a whisper. he believes you. “i love everything about you.”

a moment passes. the soft ticking of the clock fills the space between your words, and the scent of leftover curry and brewed coffee simmers in the faraway kitchen. wafting out into the living room. 

suguru places his hand over yours. a rough palm, always so gentle with you, slipping down to your wrist so he can hoist himself up. 

you blink. 

before you know it, he’s pressed his lips to yours, slow and methodical. tender, tender, tender. always. he sighs into the kiss, content, and your heartbeat quickens — he tastes like honey and rain.

when he pulls away, he’s smiling. a little lovesick.

”i love you too,” he hums, a soft purr that trails down your spine. he delights in the way you finally blush, cheeks warm beneath his heavy hands. ”so, so much.”

all you can do is stare, entirely transfixed. 

then you’re averting your gaze, and he’s stifling a soft bout of laughter, and something warm and wonderful blooms in the nearly non-existent space between you. his cheek finds itself pressed against your chest, again, allowing the soft and rapid thumping of your heartbeat to carry him away.

an anchor for him to hold on to, his lighthouse at the end of a murky ocean. it’s always, always there — that soft mantra of thump, thump, thump.

(he can’t tell you how many times it’s saved him.)

”… you can’t do stuff like that when my guard is down,” you murmur, after a moment. sheepish. ”what if my heart explodes?” 

suguru only chuckles, sleepy and raspy, the same as ever. he turns his head to press a kiss against the fabric of your shirt, right above your heart, a kind of cheeky, soft apology that you know he doesn’t actually mean. 

(he could never feel sorry for telling you how much he loves you; no matter how flustered you get.)

and, at last, suguru thinks the fatigue clinging to his soul may have slipped off entirely. substantially. soothed by your presence, your very being. 

it’s embarrassing, being so very doted on, being so painfully unaccustomed to it. but suguru could never hate it. he could never hate a single thing you do to him, grant him with, from your soft touches and cheeky kisses to the burnt pancakes you worked so hard on. 

he’d rather die than deny you. 

so he has no choice but to bask in it; the feeling of your hands in his hair, nails on his scalp, breath against his skin. the change you’ve brought into his life. bringing with you the fading scent of peach blossoms and chewing gum, sweetness and softness. happy dreams.

yeah, that’s right. he has no choice but to melt into your touch, nuzzle into your chest, fall asleep to the sound of your heartbeat. 

no choice at all.

[boydepartment]

@ iluvmygf- nishimura riki x fem! reader: ch 8

description: nishimura riki is a headache to his managers. as much as he loves being an idol and as much as he loves that he gets the freedom to travel. he hates that he can’t show you off. publicly… as himself… so he makes a twitter account called @ iluvmygf at first not a lot of people follow it. it goes unnoticed, for a few weeks. until it doesn’t. his account about you goes viral… and people are nosy as to who loves their gf so much to constantly post about her.

genre: romcom, crack, humor, something fun and lighthearted like a hallmark movie. it’s also set from november-february bc i said so and i want a christmas ark 😋🫶 this is an smau

warnings: cursing, most likely crude humor, probably kms jokes

pretend like the photo riki posted at the end is like never been seen or whatever, im not his gf so i don’t have like never before seen photos of him. sorry i put this series on hold i hope you guys can forgive me

TEXT + SOCIAL MEDIA CHAPTER

“SOMEONE CALL MR BIGHIT”

___

masterlist

taglist: @yourmomscuntis2tighy @yannew @wzy3ka @stellarpsh @czlluvriki @im-yn-suckers @owotalks @filmofhybe @skepvids @ocyeanicc @amymyli @imsodazed @rikislady @j-wyoung @bangchansbangers @sassyfanlawyergarden @miko1ly @itsactuallylina @haewonluvr @entenen @cb97mylove @jxp1-t3r @ineedaherosavemeenow @str4wb3rizz @beomgyusonlywife @jiaant11 @sweet-kisses-and-bloody-screams @enhaz1 @mrchweeee @stryroses @riziwon @cholexc @soobiverse @tzuyusluv @hayleyrkbee @softiehee @captivq @yla-aira @svarcq @s00buwu @rodygr @ikeu4life @faraonatojishady @ohsjy @bts-iris @wqsty @en-gene2 @mrowwww @eumppattv @junsflow @ilurvriki @bunchofroses07 @ariadores @luvkpopp @asherthehimbo @realrintaro @myjaeyunn

comment, dm, send an ask, or reblog to be added :) i try to keep up with tag lists however i get a ton of notifications everyday so please lmk if i forget you. if you do choose to comment please do it on the masterlist. taglist is still open

a/n: again i’m sorry i put this series on a hold. i promise i will finish it by the end of this month :) i have a couple trips n stuff but i feel good enough rn to finish it. maybe ill even pick up the jake one. again i apologize for being distant on my account or bitchy if someone is an asshole in my inbox 🫶

[gloomy--angel]

Decrypting the fragmented messages from Martyn‘s PiratesSMP finale (I‘m back with lore brainrot yay!)

———

In his stream there‘s 6 messages he gets with only parts revealed. The rest looks like this with the strange symbols always changing.

(example)

So here’s all the timestamps for the messages & what I’ve been able to get from them. I can‘t ensure they are correct. (The text in italics is stuff that I‘m still unsure about & the rows of 5s are the words I haven‘t been able to decrypt. I‘ll explain why that is below.)

- - 1:15:21 - -

Martyn!?

- - 1:38:48 - -

That has to be you? What took you so long to get out here?

- - 1:46:38 - - (message confirmed by martyn)

There isn‘t much time left! You‘ll be alright so long as you hurry.

- - 1:47:43 - -

C.H.E.S.T have taken an invention/infection and tweaked it. The world got locked in. Iris 5555 failsafe 555 di5 t5e5 5i555.

Edit: You could get locked in. is another solution I found. I think this might fit better.

- - 1:59:47 - -

The portal is close. We can‘t risk them seeing it. 55 5555 a distraction so you can slip away.

- - 2:13:05 - -

Be swift, keep calm & remember your training. Ill only be able to keep it open n for a few more minutes then I‘d have to quarantine this world.

———

I‘ll try my best to explain how I got to these results now (I hope this explanation makes sense to someone lol)

Firstly I looked at all these messages, screen recorded them and then did some research on how to even make them look like this. I found a tutorial and during this video I noticed that not every fragmented letters looks the same. They are based on the width of the original text. An i is a very slim letter so the fragmented (or as it is apparently called, obfuscated) text would be slim as well. The opposite goes for a wide letter like w and d which will result in a wide fragmented character.

With this info and the example message Martyn revealed I was able to test and confirm this. Every fragmented symbol has a set width, reaching from 1 to 5 pixels. The fragmented characters constantly change, but they always stay the same size. So all I had to do now was skip through my recordings of the messages and find frames where the I can count the pixels of every missing character and write the number down. It took very long and I had to check several times because I kept making mistakes and miscounting. But I got these results:

- Message 2: 5553 has 35 55 you! 5553 3554 you 55 2555 to 553 553 here?

- Message 4: C.H.E.S.T 5555 2545n 55 155e53155 555 3w5545d 131 555 5o525 553 25c455 151 3515 5555 failsafe 555 di5 35e5 515551 

- Message 5: 555  555352 15 52o551  55  55523 r154 t555  555155  131 55 5555 5 51535a53155 55 555 555 5l15 away.

- Message 6: 55 s51431 k555 5525 5 55555555 55u5 355151551 3ll 5525 55 5525  35 4555 i3 5555 n 455 5 few 5555 min5355 5he5 325 5555 35 quarantine 3515 55525111

(didn’t do 1 & 3 because 1 was kinda obvious and 3 was already revealed. )

Now I know the amount of missing characters & how many pixels wide they are. In the minecraft text font almost all characters are five pixels wide, as you see above. But there are a few outliers:

4 pixels: lowercase k & f

3 pixels: lowercase t and uppercase i

2 pixels: lowercase L and apostrophes (there is also a 1 pixel apostrophe but it doesn‘t seem like it‘s used here)

1 pixel: lower i as well as dots, exclamation marks and commas

With this I was able to read some of the missing letters. The rest was guessing. Or I guess using wordle solvers and other websites to find fitting words. That’s how I got to the results above.

———

Additional notes on the messages:

— I don‘t know if the word in message 4 for is invention or infection. I think both would work. Infection could mean some kind of virus?

— Iris is the only word I could find that would fit with a capital i (and make sense in the context of pirates) but I haven‘t been able to form a logical sentence with it. I‘m assuming it is a capital letter because it‘s a new sentence. But it could technically be a t. (if anyone has ideas on this pls tell me..)

— Don‘t know what the missing words in message 5 are. I don‘t think they would change the meaning greatly though. (make doesn‘t work bc k is 4 pixels)

— The italics words in message 6 I‘m still a bit unsure about. There is some other word groups that could fit, but none of them made much sense in the whole sentence. I do think it’s possible that I‘m wrong there.

— Edit, bc I forgot to add this. But I don‘t know why there is a singular n in message 6. It is either a strange way to shorten and which would not match the rest of the writing style at all or it is a typo which I don‘t think is that unlikely tbh. I think the way the message would have to be written (with commands I assume) would make it easy to make a mistake there, so maybe it is just the n from open.

— Edit 2: Missing part in message 5 might be "We need a distraction …" (suggestion from @.ilexdiapason)

———

I am honestly very surprised that I got this far. Not what I was expecting when I started this. Obviously these messages weren‘t intended to be decrypted like his — which is why I don‘t think I will ever figure out the full messages — but I wanted to try anyway. Martyn has said he‘ll reveal them at some point so I guess I‘ll find out how correct I am. I definitely had my fun with this, also big thanks to the two people (once and percival) in Martyns discord that were replying to my messages while I was doing this lol <3

[withleeknow]

somewhere only we know.

pairing: ot8 x reader (ot8 in the sense that there's no name mentioned so you can imagine whoever you want) genre/warnings: established relationship, (tooth-rotting??) fluff, half a second of angst if you squint; this is pretty self-indulgent and also i just randomly wanted to write it this way. kinda similar to this but not really word count: 0.6k note: again, imagine whoever you want! mimo is on the cover just for illustrative purposes and also he's my guy so what did you expect from me lol

as always, i’d appreciate any thoughts or comments you may have, and please drop a like and/or reblog if you enjoy reading ♡

navigation / masterlist / ko-fi

the waterfront on the tail end of a sunset walk. your hand tightly intertwined with his. sharing strawberry tanghulu and tasting the fruity sweetness on each other's lips. neighborhood children rushing by in a hurry to make it home for dinner. 7:12pm, his jacket around your shoulders to keep you warm as dark blue begins its descent for the evening. the wind and her gentle kisses upon your hair. you stop to take a picture of the sunset but he stops to take a picture of you. a rose-colored blush when he tells you you're the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. love, love, love. him, the stars shining in his eyes before they have to come out and paint the sky. mismatched footsteps and twin smiles.

the middle of your apartment's entryway, not even making it into the living room. your arms around his neck, his hands on your waist and in your hair. a long trip coming to a stop, a big suitcase abandoned by the door. the scent of his familiar cologne that you've yearned to touch for weeks now. 1:19am, wide awake. somewhere in the world, iris by goo goo dolls is playing on repeat. i missed you's and i love you's and fresh tears. feeling like you could hold him like this for hours until the darkness outside falls away. no more facetiming with seas of distance between you. chests pressed tightly together, no space, all love. sweet nothings whispered right next to your ear. home is where the heart is, and your heart is home.

the park five minutes away from his parents' house. your head on his chest, both of you on a large picnic blanket laid out on green, green grass. his heartbeat under your palm, your mind somewhere up there among the clouds. sleepy and lax under the influence of the sun. 3:29pm, an iced matcha latte and a slice of lemon cheesecake sound absolutely divine right about now. there's an urge to voice that thought, but you know neither of you can be bothered to move. his lips pressed against your forehead, then a tender "i could stay like this forever."

the convenience store just around the corner. a spontaneous snack run in the middle of the night because you were craving sweets. empty streets but your hearts are full hearts. the cashier's ringtone is a song that you both hate. 12:22am, no worries in your head. tomorrow is still the weekend. banana milks and chocolate ice cream. he falls for you all over again when you aren't looking, and tells you "nothing," with a coy smile when you ask why he's staring. time works differently at night, almost like it doesn't seem to pass at all. there's no logical explanation to why you feel like you're on top of the world at midnight in sweatpants; maybe it's just being with him, maybe it's just being in love.

your favorite bar on a rainy evening. the argument was stupid, but it was heated enough for you to storm out. only red on your mind; forgotten weather forecasts and forgotten umbrellas. stubborn and angry and alone. the fight was your fault anyway. 8:18pm, a bottle of soju for company. ignoring his calls and texts when your phone lights up with his name. heavy raindrops loud enough to hear from inside your shelter, heavier heart. the way his face fell when you said what you didn't mean. why did you say that? forty five minutes and the bottle is almost empty. far too tipsy to pay attention to the chime of the bell by the door, but sober enough to recognize his presence when he sits down next to you. his rain-dampened hair and your fragile, wounded pride. the apologies are quiet, uttered into the space between the two of you, only for his ears. forgiveness in the form of gentle fingers holding your own. "it's getting cold," he says. "let's go home."

all rights reserved © withleeknow. reposting, translating and/or modifying is not permitted by any means. [posted 16.05.2024]

[irisintheafterglow]

hii iris!! being one of my fav writers, i was wondering if it would be okay to please request you write something halloween related between Satoru and reader while they're in a lowkey relationship and instructors at jujutsu tech? maybe he drags reader and the students on some night of shenanigans? up to u, i just love how u write and i feel you'd kill this hehe

thank u so much! have an awesome day!

life's no fun without a good scare

summary: you have the brilliant idea of playing hide and seek in a corn maze against the most powerful sorcerer in the world. should be fun, right?

wc: 2.6k

cw/tags: fluff and crack and crack and fluff, established relationship, swearing (a lot of it, you'll see why lol), mentions of eating, angst if you squint, co-parenting megumi AND his friends!!

note: AAAA hi!! thank you so much for the love omg :')) i hope you like this, i definitely enjoyed writing it even though i did get a tad carried away lol. GOD this was so fun to write, thank you for suggesting it

likes, reblogs, and replies are always appreciated <3 thank you for your support!!

“I’m going to eat so much candy, I’ll throw up.”

“What’re those tubs over there?”

“They’re for waterboarding Itadori,” Megumi deadpans without hesitation, clearly misrepresenting the apple bobbing game just ahead. You state his name warningly, like he was six years old again, and he mutters a half-hearted apology under his breath. “Maybe we switch out the victim for our esteemed teacher, instead.” You cover a snort with an unsuccessful cough. Even though you’d practically raised him, his jabs at Satoru never lost their humor. 

“Your suggestion will be taken into careful consideration,” you say, “though it will become more of a possibility if he continues to run on Satoru-time.” Nobara hums in agreement, kicking a stray piece of hay with her toe while you continue to progress through the general admission line to the pumpkin patch. Your fashionably-late boyfriend had sent you a very cryptic text at noon, instructing you to “pack up the kids and take them to the following address.” When you replied with a chain of question marks, he sent an infuriatingly unserious GIF that had you pinching the bridge of your nose.

“What time did he tell you?”

“5:00.” You check your phone preemptively, already anticipating the followup question. 

“And what time is it now?”

“5:20,” you sigh, sliding your card across the shelf of the ticket booth and receiving four orange wristbands in return. After slipping them onto the wrists of your three unofficial children, Itadori and Nobara immediately disappear into the crowd; Megumi, however, stays plastered to your shoulder and makes his distaste for the bustling festival known. You scan nearby groups of people for a tall idiot with white hair with no luck. If Satoru still showed up, he would have to pay for admission himself. “Let’s grab a table and find me a bottle of soju–”

“Barely twenty minutes and you’re already drinking? Since when did Shoko replace my lovely partner?” Satoru’s sing-song voice calls out from behind you, like he’d been standing with you the entire time. Despite your attempts to remain irritated at him, you can’t resist when he turns you around, lacing his fingers with yours and pressing a sweet kiss to your cheek. “Hi, gorgeous. What took you so long?”

“I assumed you were running late, like you always do,” you argue futilely, the world melting away when you catch his eyes over the rims of his sunglasses. “Is this not too overwhelming for you? Having so many energy signatures in one place?”

“I’ll be fine,” he assures you with a confident wave of his hand. “After all, I have your energy to ground me.” Your legs start to feel a bit gelatinous when you hear a very obvious throat clearing itself and suddenly remember that Megumi is still standing there. “Shouldn’t you be on the playground or something, my dear student?”

“Shouldn’t you be on the playground or something, my questionable teacher?” You burst out laughing and your boyfriend’s jaw drops in indignance, gearing up to say something just as childish. On instinct, you cover his mouth with your hand, recoiling in disgust when his tongue darts out to lick your palm. “Gross. I’m gonna find my friends.” 

“Don’t do anything dumb!” The boy waves his hand dismissively and you roll your eyes. In a different universe where he actually was the child of you and Satoru, he had his father’s sass gene. 

“He’s used to this by now, isn’t he?” Satoru chuckles and it reverberates against your body, making your head spin in lovesick circles.

“I’d imagine so, seeing as we did raise him like this,” you answer, letting him start to guide you toward whatever stand interests him first, his arm draped over your shoulders. “Do you think Yuuji and Nobara have figured it out?”

“If Megs hasn’t told them, then definitely not,” he states with utmost certainty, looking over one of the games with all the concentration of a hunting tiger. In the middle of the stall was a large pool of water, and swirling around in it were small, colorful bowls in the shape of blooming flowers. The goal, you guessed, was to land a small ball in a certain color and get a corresponding prize from the lineup hanging overhead. It was truly an enticing array of stuffed animals, too, from wolves and monkeys to dinosaurs and little princess dolls. “Which one do you want?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?” 

“Choose a prize and I’ll get it for you, guaranteed.” 

“Guaranteed? You do know these are designed to scam you, right?”

“And I am designed to do whatever you want, so take your pick.” After a moment of consideration, you point to a stuffie of a black cat wearing a pumpkin costume. “Cute choice.”

“It reminds me of Megs.” He laughs and pulls his arm back, stretching his neck from side to side and handing a few dollars to the game attendant. It was all for show and completely unnecessary, and he knew that; he also knew that his over-the-top shenanigans always made you laugh after a stressful week. Whether you knew it or not, he’d noticed you were increasingly overwhelmed by all the work from the previous days, specifically regarding training his students while he was off on an assignment. Along with completing your own missions, you were supervising the three first years and guiding them through boring paperwork, which he knew made you feel like shit. It’s why he suggested you go to the festival in the first place, to get your mind off of work and spend time with you. And, he’d be damned if he didn’t get you that fuzzy little cat on his first try. 

“Watch the master at work, sweetheart,” is the last thing he says before carefully tossing the first of three balls toward the only purple bowl in the pool. He’s the tiniest bit off, though, and he curses under his breath as it ricochets against the edge and into the water. “That was a practice shot.”

“Sure, baby, sure,” you giggle, stifling your amusement into a fist. His tongue peeks out the side of his mouth in absentminded focus and you’re sure he’s found the perfect arc when the voice of one of his students cheers from behind you. 

“You’ve got this!” Despite their well wishes, Yuuji and Nobara accidentally timed their cheers at the precise moment his fingers let go of the ball, messing up his aim even worse than the first time. They deflate in embarrassment and Megumi’s face turns red from trying not to laugh. The usual deadly aura radiating off of him increases tenfold and it makes you shiver despite the warm autumn air. “T-Third time’s the charm, sir!”

“Fucking hell, why do I even bother–”

“Satoru, that’s cheating,” you whisper, sensing him imbuing the tiniest amount of Cursed Energy into the last ball to easily manipulate its trajectory. “I can just buy the thing online; you don’t need to be doing all of this.”

“I can buy you anything online, but I also want to prove that I’m better than everyone else,” he mutters much too seriously than the situation required. “Plus, once I win that damn cat, it’ll have a nice story to go behind it.” 

“Your ego truly knows no bounds.”

“You know you love it.”

A minute later, you’re walking away from the game with the fuzzy cat in your arms and Satoru’s arrogant smirk by your side. The rest of the night is spent watching him drag his students into various inflatable obstacle courses and tumbling down the slide after they push him over the edge. In spite of all the excitement, you have to drag them to a picnic table to sit and eat; even then, the three students challenge their teacher to a funnel cake eating contest. To no one’s surprise, Yuuji wins by a landslide. 

Satoru pays for everything, of course. When someone wanders over to a game booth, he pays for their game every single time and continues to pay until they win a prize. By the end of the night, all five of you have at least one prize in your possession and Satoru’s bank account is barely affected. 

Before the fair closes, you propose a game of hide and seek in the gigantic corn maze. You and the three students would get a five minute head start, and then Satoru would enter and race to find you before you reached the other side. The first years’ eyes shine with excitement when you tell them they can use techniques as long as they don’t make a mess. You consider throwing a veil over the entire thing, just to make sure Megumi’s dogs don’t start any rumors of hellhounds in the area. 

“If the kids can use theirs, then you’re not allowed to use your technique,” Satoru concludes and you make a noise of indignation while you gameplan by the entrance of the maze. “Don’t start with me; that’s totally fair!”

“I don’t understand how that’s fair in any way,” you argue up at his ridiculously confident smirk. You wanted to slap him and make out with him at the same time, none of which would have been appropriate in present company. 

“You make portals, sweetheart. If we’re making the maze a no-fly zone and I run into one of your doorways, I’m gonna be in there for the rest of time.”

“I’ll just make simple doors!” 

“The last time you said that, I was stuck on a mountain for three hours,” he reminds you and you huff in defeat, completely forgetting the three pairs of eyes watching this entire conversation. Sweetheart? Since when did he call anyone sweetheart? Nobara and Yuuji knew that you both were friends from high school, but the bickering seemed suspiciously akin to that of an old married couple. They glance at their spiky haired friend for confirmation of their theories, but he avoids their gaze and continues munching on pumpkin spice popcorn. “Alright, five minutes on the clock. Don’t let me catch you,” he smiles wickedly and you all but shove the three students into the maze. 

In a blink, Megumi summons his dogs and sends them to look for the exit. As you sprint down straightaways, Nobara intermittently sticks a few nails into the walls, essentially creating security sensors that will trigger if Satoru passes by it. It also helps establish what paths you’ve already explored and where you need to go next. In what feels like seconds, five minutes is gone and your heart drops as you see a black veil descend over the maze. The atmosphere of the maze feels electric, like wind before a storm, and you nervously laugh and urge the students to move faster. 

“So, are we ever going to talk about you and Gojo?” 

“That’s what you’re focused on right now?” You shoot back in amusement and Nobara shrugs, sending another nail into the corn with a strike of her hammer. “I don’t think this is the proper place to have this conversation!”

“So, are you two actually dating? Megumi won’t say anything, but he’s a terrible liar when we ask if he knows something!”

“I think the latter shooting ominous strikes of lightning into the air is a more pressing issue!”

“Lightning strikes which, I’ll add, are increasingly getting closer!” Yuuji’s voice rises to a panicked yelp and you curse in disbelief as your group slams into another dead end, giggling from sheer fear and swatting the students to find another way. All the while, blasts of pure Cursed Energy fly upward like fireworks, illuminating the field in terrifying shades of blue and red. “Any status on the nails?”

“He just passed the third one closest to us,” Nobara reports, face slowly losing color as the most powerful sorcerer in the world hunts you down. “You can’t send Nue to stall him?”

“You think a bird is going to stop Gojo Satoru?” 

“Well, your damn dogs haven’t come back yet and we’re running out of options–” The back-and-forth is cut short by a faint howl coming from the back right corner of the maze, just a few hundred yards away. One of the dogs appears from the floor, hooking a sharp right turn that has you four stumbling to catch up to it. The howls continue, as do the strikes of lightning, while you follow the dog to what you assume is the exit. “The nails haven’t picked up his energy signature in a while,” Nobara informs you in slight relief while the howling grows closer with every step. Yuuji’s mouth breaks into a victorious grin, but you and Megumi aren’t convinced. 

“Does that mean we lost him? Or did he get lost?” 

“Something doesn’t feel right,” you mutter low enough for only Megumi to hear and he nods in agreement. “I don’t feel him anywhere.” 

“That cracking behind us is just the corn, right?” Yuuji’s voice becomes uncertain and the static in the air only becomes more palpable. You’re so close to the exit and you can tell he’s getting nearer, but something in your gut tells you that you can beat him. But, Nobara’s realization makes your blood run cold. 

“Wait, I don’t sense any of my nails anymore–” 

“Found you.”

Your throats rip a collectively brutal screech as Satoru’s voice seems to come from directly behind you, and you glance backward to only see a pair of knife-sharp blue eyes staring through the black corridor of the maze. Colorful curses of fear babble from the mouths of the students and you slam your feet even harder into the ground as you sprint for the exit. The bright lights of the pumpkin sign were in sight; you just had to make it a little farther. 

“Elephant, elephant, elephant!” Yuuji’s suggestion comes out as incoherent yelps and he tries to fire off black flashes to no avail. Megumi looks at him like he’d grown four new limbs. 

“What?!”

“Summon the fucking elephant, Fushiguro!” A nail rockets away behind you only to be immediately sent back, embedding itself in the husk by your feet. 

“I hate to break it to you, but the elephant isn’t going to do anything when–”

“When I’m already right behind you,” he whispers directly into your ear and you scream as his footsteps line up with yours and his arms snake under your legs, lifting you off the ground like you weighed no more than a cotton ball. He disappears with you into darkness, firing off a single precise attack that cuts the lights of the entire exit so that the path is pitch black. Somehow, you end up outside of the maze while the three students continue to panic inside and he gently sets you on your feet. His menacing aura disappears in a blink and he nuzzles his nose into your neck, his arms holding you close by your waist. “I found you,” he says with a smile. 

“You did. I know you always do, eventually.”

“Mhmm. Did you have fun?”

“Honestly, that was the most terrifying experience of my entire existence,” you laugh, threading your fingers into his hair and tugging him even closer. He chuckles warmly, ironically just as quiet as the fearful bickering of your students in the maze. You barely feel any sweat on his forehead against your shoulder and you can’t even imagine how messy you looked after running for your life. “I look like shit, don’t I?”

“You’ve never looked prettier,” he murmurs, pulling away briefly to press a kiss to your cheek. “We should probably go grab the kids.” You hum absentmindedly, vaguely making out the voices of Megumi and Yuuji trying to figure out which way to go. 

“Stay here a little longer. Let them think you’ve taken me away to your scary vampire lair, or something.”

“As you wish, sweetheart. I'll be your scary vampire anytime.”

if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)

[brbzonedout]

Dear Lover,

It’s only been a month since you’ve last seen your girlfriend. Fall season had just began and the summer session at camp halfblood had just ended. Regardless of the fact you missed each other dearly after three months straight of practically living together, seeing each other every day, and having all of your meals together being states away was utter torture.

On top of that as a demi-god your access to technology is heavily limited since those stupid monsters found a way to track you through cellular data. Now those late night calls you so desperately wish for are limited to a goodnight text and a heart emoji on the side.

Fortunately one recognizably dull day in the beginning of July the mail was dropped off your house as it does routinely. Although this time something unexpected came. A red envelope with a small hand drawn shield on the front was left in the box and it was addressed to you.

Dear Y/N,

Hey Y/N, I’m writing this i’m the morning so good morning. I know it hasn’t been that long since we’ve seen each other in person but being away from you for this feels unnatural and talking to you through text and dm’s isn’t enough for me. I was talking to one of the year rounders at Aphrodite cabin and he gave me the idea to do this, it feels a lot more intimate than texting and it’s like journaling which reminds me of you. I’ve been missing you a lot during this week, we’re preparing for capture the flag and it’ll be weird being on the field without you regardless of what team you’re on. Speaking of battle field I finally got my spear fixed so that should be fun to have back. I also talked to Chiron about getting in contact with my mortal family like you said and we were able to find my grandparents! They still live in Arizona and said I could visit and stay for as long as I wanted. They thought I was missing this entire time, insane right? With that I was hoping before I went over there I could stop in D.C. and see you for a few days. If your people say no that’s alright but I still wanted to ask just to see. Going back to the Journaling thing I’m still doing it and you’re right it does really help with my temper I haven’t had a write up since the last time we saw each other. That’s still not entirely my fault though it was your idea to go swimming after curfew. You know it’s funny you’re such a good and bad influence on me at the same time. This is my first time writing a real letter to anyone so I hope you like it, you don’t have to write back if you don’t want to or feel like it I just wanted to try something new. I wanted to just call through Iris but you know she’s busy during the other seasons, just in case she’s not I put a few drachmas in the envelope. I love you and I miss you just get back to me some way, any way baby.

Love,

Clarisse La Rue ⚔︎

P.S.- If this is boring to read i’m sorry I didn’t really know what to say. I love you have a good day ♥

After reading the full letter tears began to well up in your eyes. This was truly unexpected of her. Some time into your friendship one of her cabin mates told you about the the letters she’d write to her mother when you found one hanging out of the drawer. But since she didn’t really want to be found the ones that she did send out never got a response, she never added a return address. Once she grew up and did start adding it let’s just say her mother still wasn’t able to write back. To have received one from her is something you never thought would happen no one was ever meant to know about this side of her. The only reason the single bunk mate knew is because she was caught writing once and the only reason she told you is because she knew Clarisse had a crush on you. She did lie about never having written one but you understood.

Suddenly while wiping the tears from your eyes the raindrops on your window and the sun shining in created a small rainbow that cast itself into your bedroom. Without hesitation you carefully reached into the envelope as not to rip it and pulled out a drachma.

“Oh Iris goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering. Clarisse La Rue Camp Halfblood”.

With a kiss to the coin you threw it into the rainbow and in disappeared into thin air. Suddenly in the blink of an eye a tall girl with long curly brown hair appeared in the rainbow with her back turned.

“Hi..” You said smiling.

Startled she turned around abruptly, noticing who it was she smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. “So you got it huh?”

[synthsays]

Happy #Fiddleford Friday everyone!!!

Here's some doodles of an AU I got a while ago where The Axototl is Fiddleford's muse while Bill is still Ford's! I call it Double Muse AU

Bonus Fake Journal Entry (WHERE THE SPACES ARE IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE LETTER F IM TOO TIRED TO CHANGE IT)

Transcript of Text: ⬇️⬇️

(Little text under eyeball)

"Dilation with a slight tint of the iris, if I am not mistaken"

(Main Text)

"I believe that [F] has gotten a Muse of his own. From my interactions with this creature I have learned that it calls itself the Axototl. The Axototl knows Bill personally it seems. Now that I knowwhat it feels like to talk with someone with [out*] it really being them, I feel sorry for [F] in a way. The telling sign that he is not himself is the dilation if the pupil, similar to when Bill takes over, except in his case it's the retraction of the pupil in a similar way to a cat."

U gotta decipher the codes urself lol 😋

[ssivinee]

❇︎Meeting Doyennes❇︎

BEBE! Bada Lee x OC Team! F Reader: The first mentions of being on SWF 2 had you excited. Everything seemed to be going well in the process... well, that's until you figure out who your competitors are.

Word Count: 2.1k

Note: Reading the girl's profiles beforehand would really help you, just so you don't get confused :) Also, the contact names are what you named each other.

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It was a warm day in April, and the Interflow Agency building buzzed with sounds of chatter and music. In a dance studio on the 7th floor of the company, loud tunes could be heard blasting as two individuals moved to the track. As the loud bass filled their ears, their limbs followed, feeling the sound and beat as playful grins upheld their faces.

“I need to know how your body moves that way,” the younger girl, Serena, asks. “Simply years of experience,” you quickly answer as you finish off, posing to the aggressive ending of the tune. “I don't think I’d be as good as you in 10 years.”

“You're already as good as me now, Serena. Stop doubting yourself so much, girl.” The older says as she walks over to her phone, turning down the music as they talk. 

“You have any classes later today?” “Nope, the company called an emergency meeting. Didn’t tell me why, though,” you tell her, shoulders shrugging at the text you got this morning from the CEO. “Wonder what it's about,” Serena mumbles, going deep in thought.

“Well, I guess I’m about to find out 'cause I need to go~,” you say, waving off with your bag in hand. “K, see you later!” You hear her say as the door shut.

As you entered the 10th floor, you were met with greetings from fellow co-workers. You enter the meeting room, feeling the serious air settling in on your brain. “Y/n, please take a seat.” You sat in front of the CEO, showing a friendly face, “What’s going on?”

“I actually have some exciting news for you.” You moved forward in your chair, a bit intrigued, “and that would be?”

“The famous Korean televisor, Mnet, reached out to us about a dance show called Street Woman Fighter 2, and I want you to represent us.”

A shocked look appears on your face. You were a fan of the first season, enjoying the fact that “normal people” get to have an inside look at the dance community in some way. “I’d be honored! But that show needs a crew.”

“And that’s why, as the leader, I’m giving you full control over who you want on the team.”

Your eyes widened at the man's statement, “Are you sure?” “I trust you’ll make the right decisions, Y/n. You are one of the most experienced and trusted dancers in this company, so I’m sure you’ll pick the right ladies.”

The CEO told you more about the details and finally concluded the meeting after an hour. When leaving the room, your brain began throwing around names that could possibly join you on your journey to Korea. The CEO had stated you could pick five to seven women, and you already had your first pick in mind, Serena.

But who else?

You were in a dilemma, unsure whether to assemble a team that closely resembled your own style for a more unified look or to opt for a more diverse group to avoid limiting your crew. As you contemplated this, you eventually shook your head, realizing that variety would be the better choice. The CEO had provided you with a folder containing profiles of all the other dance instructors at Interflow. You settled in the building's cafeteria, flipping through the thick folder while snacking on some food.

As your fingers flipped through each file, you began picking women whose styles varied and weren't necessarily too popular. That was until you limited down to four other women. 

Emi Tanaka, 28 years old and specializes in contemporary fusion.  Isabella “Bella” Vasquez, also known as Bell, is 25 years old and specializes in ballet.  Maya Chen, 25 years old and specializes in waacking. Iris Onasis, also known as Athena, 24 years old and specializes in tap and ballroom.

Once you've decided, you immediately text Serena.

Dancing Queen👑 I’m taking u out later tn ill txt u the dets later

Flow Baby🧸 is this you asking me out?

You chuckled at the younger girl's response, finding her humorous even when knowing it was a genuine question.

Dancing Queen👑 noooo but it is important😉

Flow Baby🧸 alright then just lmk

You then got into contact with the other girls and told them your unsuspected plan for tonight.

All six of you now sat at a table in a pristine restaurant, all of you dressed up in gallant attires. As the girls chatted away, Serena couldn’t help but wonder why they were all sitting at a table together. It was a fairly unusual combination since most of the girls never worked together. Yes, they were friends, but that was pretty much due to them all working under Interflow.

“I don’t wanna ruin the moment, but can I ask why we’re all here?” Emi asks, almost as if she was reading Serena’s mind. “Well, I just had a meeting with the CEO today, and he said that I have an upcoming project coming up, so I just wanted to celebrate with you guys.”

The girls somewhat eye each other, feeling that there was more to the story. They literally worked in different areas of dance. Why wouldn’t they be suspicious about this? “Well, what’s the project?” “It actually involves you guys,” you let out calmly, but the girls seemed to take your tone a bit too seriously. “Is the project hard?”

“Oh fuck that, what is the damn project?” Iris cuts Maya’s question short as her bluntness turns on blast. “It’s Street Woman Fighter 2.”

…

“WHAT?”

“No way!”

“Is this real?”

You giggle at the several questions being thrown at you, “Yes, 100% real.” “Holy shit!”

“I guess we’re going to Korea, guys.”

The restaurant buzzed with excitement as the news sank in. You and your five talented friends were going to Korea for the viral show, and more people may finally have the chance to see who they were. The initial shock turned into enthusiasm, and the celebration continued.

You shared stories of your dance journeys and discussed the upcoming adventure. How would your diverse dance styles work together? What challenges and opportunities awaited in Korea? The group's unity grew, and you made plans for the project.

As the night progressed, you exchanged contact information and solidified your commitment to this new dance crew. The journey was just beginning, and you were all eager to showcase your talents on the international stage.

So, the next following weeks were busy for the six of you. The team had begun bonding over the hectic time, going out to eat, playing games, dancing together, filming tiktoks, and even coming up with the crew name.

The naming was the most difficult part. Everyone had such good ideas being thrown around and wasn’t agreeing on one. Athena and Maya liked ‘The Sirens,’ explaining that we gave off a dangerous yet elegant vibe. Emi stated she likes the name ‘Unity,’ but the other girls found it a bit boring. 

Bell and Serena stayed silent about the suggestions, saying how they weren’t really creative enough to think of one. So when you suggested ‘Doyennes,’ you were expecting the girls to hate it or even contemplate it but instead received such positive remarks.

After a wait of a month, Mnet released the statements of the show and all the crews joining. The team sat in the dance studio as they scrolled on a shared tablet, looking through their competitors. The team members weren’t released, but the crew names were, so seeing the crew with the pink logo gave the younger dancers chills.

“Jam Republic? They're probably gonna be out biggest competitors, huh?” Emi asks, and all the girls nod. Athena then looks at you and wonders, “Aren’t you under Jam, Lotus?” Her words cause all the girls to stare at you, all beginning to wonder the same thing. “That’s right! You signed with them 2 years ago. So why aren’t you with them?”

“Interflow has always been my top priority over Jam. The contract is a big achievement for me, sure, but I first started here.”

“Did they reach out to you?” Bell asks, but you shake your head, “I was told that Jam already knew I was the first dancer picked for our company, so they didn’t bother.” 

You began to think, Jam Republic had many talented dancers under their belt, so who was going to be chosen? “I’m sure they made a very diverse crew as well,” you tell the girls. “Is there someone you expect to see on the team?” “Oh, Kirsten, for sure.”

Their eyes widened at the famous name, and Bell could be seen fangirling as she sat on the couch. “Kirsten? Like Kirsten Dodgen? Kirsten of the Royal Family? The girl that went viral for being the green shirt girl in Justin Beiber's music video?” You laugh at Bell’s ramble, following it with a nod. “Wait… do you know her?” Emi questions, and you simply nod, typing away at your phone.

As you bring it up to your ears, everyone looks at you like you're crazy. “What are you doing?” Maya asks, but you hold up your finger, silencing them a bit. The person you called picks up, and you smile, “Hey, Kirs,” Bell goes crazy and starts shaking your arms in excitement. “I wanted to ask you something,” you say, and Emi mouths ‘put her on speaker,’ to which you nod, clicking the button on your phone.

Everyone hears the girl’s accent coming through, “and that would be?” “Are you a part of JR’s crew on Street Woman Fighter?” Before she responds, you hear her adorable laugh from the speaker, “Yeah, and I’m assuming you are a part of Doyennes, huh?”

A smile creeps up on your face, “Got that right. I guess I’ll be seeing you in Korea then, Kirs.” “Better give me some good competition, Lo,” you smirk at the nickname, “Of course, you know I never back down.”

“Right, right, well, I have a busy schedule today, so I have to go, but talk to you soon?” She questions, and you hum in agreement, “Yeah, see you in June, girl.” The team hears the line end, and you hear Bell squealing, “You never said you knew her.” “Well, it never came up in a conversation,” Athena says, pinching the girl’s leg jokingly with her obvious tone.

As your crew kept chatting, you scrolled more through the article, and the name in light blue bubble-style letters popped up. Bebe?

You could’ve sworn you’ve heard of them before, so you go to Instagram on your phone, typing the crew name in your search bar. Your finger pressed on the first profile page, and you saw multiple videos of younger girls dancing. But your eyes trailed to the tallest woman in every video. You checked out the tagged pages and saw the familiar name, a light gasp coming out of your mouth.

The girls stop their conversations due to your audible gasp, feeling a bit concerned. “What? What is it?” “Apparently, we won't be the only crew with another JR dancer.” The dancers looked at you confusingly until you flipped your phone, showing them your phone screen with her profile on it. 

“Bebe has Bada Lee as their leader.”

Silence fills the room until Emi breaks it, “Isn’t she the one with viral Kpop choreographies in Korea?” You could only nod at the question. Not only was Jam Republic gonna be a huge rival for you guys. 

This new information made you realize that your talents wouldn’t be the only important thing on this show. Popularity was gonna be a big factor, and knowing that many Kpop fans would likely watch the show, you immediately knew Bada would take the crown for that.

You weren’t oblivious. Bada had the charm, looks, charisma, height, and appeal that would get her trending, and you were sure she'd be trending fast. You grumble, your shoulders slumping at the heavy realization. Maya looks at you worryingly, “Is that bad for us?”

You shook your head, “Not necessarily. It just makes it harder for us. We’re pretty popular, but knowing someone on the show has gone viral multiple times for their dances puts us at a disadvantage. Especially on a Korean show.”

You may only be half Korean and raised in the States, but your mom raised you well enough to be involved in the culture. You knew a lot about Mnet and the way Korea worked, and it had you slightly worried for your crew. 

The Korean public reaction to three international crews wouldn’t be bad. They just may not be as good reactions in comparison to Korean teams.

You shook the thought out of your head, trying to be as optimistic as possible for your team, “We can do it, guys. We’ll aim high, like we always do, and make it to the top.” Everyone nods in agreement, smiles taking over their faces.

“We’re gonna show the world what the Professors of dance can do.”

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Tag list (OPEN): @bada-lee-ily @froufrousnowman @amararosesblog @tikitsune @nimixe @lorenztired @sammybeefangirls @cephox @1luvkarina @badasgirlfriend @keiddeu @mikaleialt @maknaehyucks @fillthwvoid @aestrelle19 @cool-ultra-nerd @itsbokutosjuicyass @gaymoregayandgayer @tnu-ree @cutelittleakira

[martiniblues]

i’d give up forever to touch you ; 이민형

pairing idol!mark x female!reader

synopsis while mark is away on tour, you find yourself looking back at old memories of you two. you have grown used to spending these moments alone while mark is gone, but little do you know he is doing the same thing miles and miles away.

genre established relationship, light angst, fluff, reader uses she!her pronouns, nicknames used for reader (pretty girl, baby) and mark (baby, pretty boy).

wc 1.8k

song : iris by the goo goo dolls

the sheets wrinkled beneath your shifting body. nearly silent crinkles filled the empty void within your room. slivers of light from the moon fell onto your restless figure, highlighting your messy hair and stretched-out shirt. you had gotten into bed at eleven; it was now three, and not a single ounce of your body felt tired.

thoughts ran wild in your brain, causing every other part of your body to feel more than alive. it’s not like this is the first time he’s had to go. with comebacks, schedules, and shows, mark was constantly on the go. most of the time, there would be two to three days in a row where the only place you would see mark was through the screen of your phone.

one time he had to be gone for a week while preparing for a new album, and looking back now, you wish you hadn’t been so dramatic. a week felt like a breeze compared to the treacherous months you were now facing without mark. not only was he physically not here with you in bed, your head rested on his chest, or vice versa, he also hadn’t texted or called all day.

at the beginning, you two constantly kept in touch, sending random photos or messages about how much you missed each other. but now with a dramatic time zone, texts fell further and further apart, which then turned into silence. you missed him more than words could explain; the t-shirt that hugged your body relived some of your sorrow, reminding you of how he had thrown it off the night before he left. giving in, you grabbed your phone from its spot next to you and opened your camera roll, clicking on your favorited photos.

some were of friends and family, but the majority were of you and mark. silly mirror photos taken when putting on face masks and spur of the moment selfies reflected back onto your face, causing your eyes to sting. maybe if it hadn’t been for the overflowing emotion you felt, the tears could be blamed on your brightness being too high, but it took no genius to know the reason. videos from picnics under sunny skies and tipsy late night games echoed in your room and settled right into your heart. silent tears continued to spill down your flushed cheeks, going unnoticed due to your full attention being on your boyfriend. you continued to scroll, stopping on a distinct image. the photo had been taken a little over a year ago.

the two of you sat on the edge of the sidewalk outside of your apartment complex. mark had a full day of schedules, giving him only the dark hours of the night to slip by your place and see you before he had to get up and do it all over again. his exhaustion quickly converted to energy after being in your arms as he stepped into your place. "dude… you’re like a human portable charger." his words were muffled due to being pressed into your neck, before he pulled back to look at you with wide eyes. "can we go for a walk?" he practically begged before lacing your fingers together and pulling you out into the chilly nighttime atmosphere.

"honestly…" you began while the two of you stepped in sync, hands still interlocked and swinging between your bodies. mark made a little hum as his head quickly turned at the sound of your voice. "i was expecting you to pass out when you came over." a breathy laugh left your lips as he continued to swing your hands. "what can i say? it’s just what you do to me, dude." the cheesy words made you both break out into giggles, never once disconnecting your hands. even when he began to wander off, your body just followed his smoothly, like it was second nature.

at this moment though, you stopped. "oh, mark you really know how to make a girl swoon, dude." your unexpected stop made him turn around as your hands became disconnected. at the sudden loss of contact, he quickly made his way back to you, as if you were miles away and not just a few steps. "baby you know i mean it as a term of endearment. i don’t just call anyone dude." his fingers made their way to your face and threaded a few careless strands behind your ear. his hand continued to slowly make its way down your neck and arm, finally re-entwining your fingers as they once were.

your body, which was once cold due to the dropping temperatures, instantly grew hot at his loving gesture. "so haechan, jisung, jeno, and practically all of your friends are on the same level as me?" you teased, tilting your head to the side and peering at your boyfriend through squinted eyes. "no dude- i mean, baby, of course not. hey, i don’t call anyone else pretty girl except you. right, pretty girl?" if there’s one thing you and mark were good at, it was getting each other flustered, and while he tended to express his a lot more than you, this nickname was one of the few gestures you couldn’t pull a poker face at.

feeling your cheeks instantly redden, you dropped your head and stared at the concrete beneath you. even with your eyes glued to the ground, you could practically see the smirk pulling at mark’s lips. "i got you good, huh?" he continued, causing your cheeks to deepen in color. using his free hand, he cupped your face so you could look right at him. "pretty girl," he teased breathlessly once more before pulling you towards him. as your lips slotted between his, you couldn’t stop the smile that pulled at the corners of your mouth. mark couldn’t hold back either, as you could clearly feel his cheek bunch up under your palm. "you finally got some game, huh, pretty boy," you joked, finally pulling back from his firm hold.

just as you did moments before, mark’s ears and cheeks instantly flushed at the new nickname. "dude stop," he whined, turning away and walking further down the street as he sulked. "oh, shut up, you big baby." you quickly got up behind him and wrapped your arms around his torso to stop his movement. mark titled his head over his shoulder to look back at you.

he could have sworn right there in that very moment that he fell in love with you. the look you had in your eyes like you held everything he ever needed within two small irises, and your hands burning straight through the thin fabric of his shirt and imprinting right into his bones. it’s not like this was the first time love came to mind. he was in love with you and had been for a long time, but in this exact moment, he found himself losing all sense of control and completely falling into you and your entire being.

his chest tightened at the memory. the afternoon sunlight covered his skin, warming him up even more than he already was. his shoulders slumped and his lips pouted ever so slightly as he scrolled through the countless candid photos he had of you. he had been stuck on a specific one for quite some time. from none other than that very night.

the two of you had paused your walk and decided to sit under a street lamp. small white flowers bloomed onto the patch of grass next to you. remembering the habit you had as a kid, you began to braid each flower with another to create a crown. maybe it was the focused expression on your face or the way the light from above you both seemed to settle around you like a halo, but mark swore if he didn’t capture you that very instant that he would regret it for the rest of his life. noticing his movements from the corner of your eye, you swiftly turned your head to catch him in the act.

his thumb pressed down on the screen, causing the photo to turn into a short clip. you had pulled an exaggerated smile at his phone before the both of you broke into a laugh, flowers still in hand. the sound of your laughter was enough to pull a small one out of him at that moment. still sitting in the bed, he reached over and grabbed his headphones from the bedside table. he knew, or rather, he thought, that you would be fast asleep during this time.

every single day had become harder and harder, even if it meant he was closer and closer to seeing you again. if it were up to him, he would book a one-way flight straight to you, even if he could only see you for a day. hell, he could buy you a ticket and fly you to him in no time, but with school and work, he did not want to stress you out even more than you already were. it’s selfish; he knows it, but he wishes you would let him be greedy and keep you by his side the whole tour.

clicking shuffle on his playlist, iris by the goo goo dolls began to drift into his ears. it’s like some higher being knew exactly how he felt and queued the song on purpose. shifting to lay flat on his back, mark stared at the ceiling and pictured that you were there with him, hand in hand, listening to this song together.

your body grew hotter the more you held back your own emotions. yanking the covers off, you situated yourself on your back and gazed upward. not being able to look anywhere else. he was all around you. from picture frames on your dresser to discarded sweatshirts on your floor, everything reminded you of him. but for mark, the only part of you he had was on his phone, and with that, you were still light years away.

a single tear sprouting from the corner of your eye, quickly lead a trail past your lips and down your neck. little did you know that mark too had a tear pool down his cheek in that exact same moment. picking up his phone and opening your texts, he quickly sent you a message.

[one audio] made me think of you and how badly i miss you man. it’s true “i’d give up forever to touch you” right now pretty girl. sleep well for me if you aren’t already. call me when you wake up no matter what time it is. i need to hear your voice. im deprived hehe :)) i love you lots and lots baby. talk to you so soon <333

© martiniblues | do not copy or translate my work!

note i got a tad bit carried away with this oops. but iris has been stuck in my head for days now and i also have been into more angsty reads recently so BOOM here’s this. i know it’s prob not my best work lol but i just wanted to get something out and hopefully get some feedback. if you made it this far thank you so much for reading!!

read part two here!

[lynzishell]

The Past 🩵 Asher

Feeling dehydrated and achy, I wake up to a thin stream of sunlight peeking through the window at just the right angle to blind me when I try to open my eyes. But I don’t mind. I welcome the day with open arms as I stretch my body out, settling onto my back with a smile as I remember the night before.   

Y’know, my biggest fear is drowning, especially in the ocean, and yet, my favorite place is the beach near my parents’ house, sitting right at the water’s edge. Being with Atlas, it reminds me of this place. The bright blue of his eyes, the sandy color of his hair, and the dusting of freckles across his nose. And the way being near him makes me feel just a little nervous, like at any moment I could get swept away and lose myself completely.

I can still feel his lips on mine, soft and sensual. I’ve never been kissed like that before, so slow yet passionate, like he was drinking me in and savoring every bit. My entire body lit up when his tongue found mine, and even now, as I indulge the memory, replaying it again and again, I feel my body respond. Closing my eyes, I bring my hand to my abdomen and slowly slide it downwards. But just as I tuck my fingers under the waistband of my underwear, my phone buzzes behind me, making me jump and pulling me out of the moment.

“Jesus Christ,” I whisper to no one in particular as I reach for my phone. I’m not surprised, but still mildly disappointed that the text is from my sister Iris and not Atlas.

[Iris: Are you coming home this weekend?]

In a lot of ways, my parents’ house will always be ‘home’ to me, but I still feel a prickle of annoyance at her use of the word. Like it’s her way of not wanting to let me go. Eventually, she’s going to have to get used to the fact that I’ve moved out and I’m not moving back. I suppose it will take some time though, especially considering how often I do go back and visit. Not for her. For my dog. I miss him, but as much as I want him here with me, sleeping at the end of my bed, it wouldn’t be fair to take him away from that big house with lots of room to run and stick him in a tiny apartment where he’d be alone all day. It just feels cruel.

I take a moment to mull over her text, unsure how to answer. It seems presumptuous to not want to make any plans this weekend, but if there’s any opportunity to see Atlas at some point, I’d like to. It would be nice to go on a proper date. But I also don’t want to get too ahead of myself. He seems like the type that needs to take things slowly, and I’m not exactly known for being good at that. So, perhaps it’s better if I make other plans for the weekend, if only to keep myself in check.

I flop back on my pillow with a groan and type out my response:

[Yeah, I’ll be there in a few hours.]

But then I delete it.

[Asher: Maybe tomorrow. I’ll let you know.]

What can I say, I’m weak.

However, I do stop myself from sending Atlas a text, so we’ll call it a win. He said he’d call, so I’ll wait for his call.

In the meantime, I decide to get myself up and out of bed. Half the day is already gone and I’m starving.

Prev // Next

[a-very-tired-jew]

Microsoft Cyber Attack Assessment of the I/P Conflict

This was sent my way by a cyber security colleague recently. Microsoft put out an assessment of cyber attacks associated with the I/P conflict and determined that the IRI has had a massive hand in them. Yes we know Russian bots are present whenever this type of conflict happens, but to have a full breakdown of what IRI backed groups (government and non-government) are actively spreading misinformation and committing attacks is good to know. I find this chart particularly interesting.

Fig. 1. Chart depicting the various active cyber groups and their personas online. Cotton Sandstorm is the most active group and if you look on the far right of the chart you will see that they have Jewish Peace Advocate listed as one of their online personas. The report indicates that there are active IRI cyber groups masquerading as Jews and/or Jewish groups online and spreading misinformation (keep in mind this report is from February 2024 and we don't have a public report regarding the continued cyber attacks and misinformation campaign). From the report:

During this phase, Iran’s influence activity used more extensive and sophisticated forms of inauthentic amplification. In the first two weeks of the war, we detected minimal advanced forms of inauthentic amplification—again suggesting operations were reactive. By the third week of the war, Iran’s most prolific influence actor, Cotton Sandstorm, entered the scene launching three cyber-enabled influence operations on October 21. As we often see from the group, they used a network of social media sockpuppets to amplify the operations, though many appeared to be hastily repurposed without authentic covers disguising them as Israelis. On multiple occasions Cotton Sandstorm sent text messages or emails in bulk to amplify or boast about their operations, leveraging compromised accounts to enhance authenticity.

...

Iran’s targeting of Israel during the Israel-Hamas war has increasingly focused on stoking domestic conflict over the Israeli government’s approach to the war. Multiple Iranian influence operations have masqueraded as Israeli activist groups to plant inflammatory messaging that criticizes the government’s approach to those kidnapped and taken hostage on October 7.17 Netanyahu has been a primary target of such messaging, and calls for his removal were a common theme in Iran’s influence operations.

...

There's a lot to the report and I highly recommend you read it. Hopefully another one comes out, apparently these are biannual, this summer with a spring time assessment. Please keep in mind that this war has had a ton of propaganda and bad actors masquerading as good ones. There's so much misinformation out there regarding Israel and Jews that is being amplified by people who want us dead, and when we point this out we're quickly silenced. But more and more the evidence supports the idea that manipulation and misinformation is playing a larger role.

And we told you.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/security-insider/intelligence-reports/iran-surges-cyber-enabled-influence-operations-in-support-of-hamas#section-master-oc1474