#....i may or may not have this one memorized now oops

[voidendron]

as per tradition for my toons, Veira has run the Ossus datacron for the tuning :D

[octuscle]

Support dude, it’s me again, Mike. I hit you up so much I feel like I should pay you. And hey if you need that, I’ve got you just tell me. I owe you a shit ton, dude. Since you last helped me, Jack and I tied the fucking knot (and had a hell of a honeymoon haha hadn’t gotten so many noise complaints since high school) and I even moved into his place. Real big and nice like, would make a suburban man cream his pants and even a socialite would do a double take. For as filthy as he can be with me, big boss knows how to fucking live.

But I wouldn’t be hitting you up if everything was all sunshine and rainbows, eh? (Though one of these days I might convince Boss to let you in on our thing for a night or two, just to say thank you if that’s a thing you wanted wink) One of the neighbors apparently doesn’t like it so much when I invite some of the guys at work over for our, let’s call em team bonding events. He bitches and moans about how loud and rowdy we get and how it’s ruining the value of the neighborhood. I almost kicked his ass the first time he came by all bossy and shit, but Boss told me he was President of their HOA or whatever the fuck and that I couldn’t. So I’ve been trying to ignore the prude but if he comes over and ruins another good night I might lose my cool and I don’t wanna let down Boss like that.

Any way you can make the neighborhood meet our lifestyle choices better, dude? I don’t wanna give up this lavish living so soon, it’s nice as hell. But I don’t want it to change me. I wanna change it! Ain’t no reason we can’t live it up without being able to get down if you catch my drift. Can you help me?

I have not invested so much time in my favorite customers, so that you now become adapted suburban bourgeois. So it's time for me to take care of your neighbor. He may be the president of the HOA, after all. But that doesn't give him the right to regulate your private lives. But I could add a little spice to his.

Actually, the boring buffer is not a visitor to the gym. Thank God. So at least you have peace from him there. But today he feels like working out his muscles. And of course, when he enters the locker room, you run right into his arms. And the slimy ass-kisser can do nothing but shake your hand in a friendly way, as if you were best friends. Oops, sorry that your towel slips down.

Normally you are hard as granite when you come back from training. At the sight of your neighbor, the 8 inches dangle limply between your legs. He still seems impressed. To warn your man, you send him a quick message about what to expect during his workout. And write him that you are already preparing everything for dinner at home. "Everything is fine, stallion! daddy wont b disturbed during his workout. Ill b home in 2 hrs"

Your neighbor is blocking the very stations where Jack wants to work out. He has memorized the gym rules and points out every pissy infraction to your husband. In the beginning. But the more Jack sweats, the more musk he exudes, the hornier your neighbor gets. And slowly he starts to change. Actually, sleeveless tops are not allowed in the gym. You both don't care. And your neighbor now too. With the white wifebeater he looks almost like Jack's gym buddy. And he's starting to smell like one, too. It's hard to believe that just a few minutes ago he was the overgroomed suit guy. His armpit hair is sprouting. He obviously hasn't been to the barbershop in a few months either. He stops regimenting your husband. The two of them start working out together as if they've been doing it forever. Steve (your neighbor) can't get enough of having Jack's sweaty workout shorts hanging in front of his face during the bench press. His bulge gets bigger and bigger. And the damp spots in his shorts aren't just from sweat. Jack asks if it's not time to go to the locker room. Steve replies that he was already afraid that Jack wouldn't even ask.

"is it k if i bring a pal 2 dinner" texts Jack. "he 1't want much mor then ur cum and mine." "then he shud bring big appetite" you reply. Shit, this time when Steve shakes your hand, nothing is limp between your legs. Enjoy the evening with the president of the HOA to the fullest!

Pics all found @thelockerroomblog

[nikki-is-a-nerd]

Karma is my Boyfriend

Synopsis:

You may not have any plans on exacting revenge to those who've wronged you, but when karma hits them it's no mystical thing, It's just your boyfriend who remembers everything.

Note: NO CURSE AU, Gojo x AFAB!reader, Freelancer!Gojo x College student! Reader

___________________________________

College isn't as easy going as your parents told you, neither was it your most memorable time. It was school, and like all things it had its ups and downs. For a person studying Clinical Psychology, you found that learning to read people and constantly being surrounded by them, wasn't a good mix. Yes, you have bullies, though you are annoyed by their actions your rational mind knows that the only reason they pick on you is because they either feel powerless towards the adult figures in their life or they point out your flaws that they too see in themselves in hopes of transferring their insecurities. Pitiful actions really. Satoru believed you were a saint because of it. How could you, an angel (in his very humble and true opinion, as he once so kindly exclaimed) be so understanding to the slimy, filth of the earth kind of people. Good question.

"Look at her, how can her boyfriend stand to look at her face all day? She looks like a corpse reanimated." A voice cackled.

"I'm surprised you even know what that word means. Let me guess, it was the word for the day?" You said off handedly.

Her friends or posse, glared at you. Like you cared. They snickered to themselves as you suddenly felt a warm liquid cascade down your body.

"Oops, now you look exactly like you should." Their leader laughs, a shrill sound really.

You didn't really care but this was a very expensive sweater that Satoru bought you with his first paycheck for one of his gigs. You sighed, sure he would say something along the lines of 'its alright, I can buy you fifteen more of those' or 'that sweater was so last season, now I can buy you something new' but this was your favorite. You wordlessly took off your now ruined sweater and walked away. A ruined sweater wasn't worth getting called to the dean's office.

Now Satoru was a lot of things, model, gamer, streamer, dance choreographer, substitute teacher for a high school (you don't really get how he keeps getting that), and in his words your loving rich boyfriend. But what you didn't know is that he's petty and vengeful to a fault. He believes that if you wouldn't do it, might as well he does because you are too empathetic for your own good (thank God you were studying to be a therapist). Now you may not tell Satoru about the bullies but Suguru does. You didn't know that Suguru was in the same university taking his Master's degree in business, and coincidentally just taking a video of the entire exchange to send to your lovely boyfriend. Yes, weird but in Satoru's defense his friends like you more than they like him (he's not entirely wrong).

Satoru received a message from Suguru, minutes after you walked away from your bullies. This day was his Streaming day, so mid stream his fans would say that it was the first time they've seen him frown. He kindly apologized to his fans and ended the stream early that day. He knew you weren't one to complain, or to tell him what happened. So he wordlessly shops online to get you a better and cheap (in his opinion cheap means something your bullies can't afford even if they used their daddies black card) sweater that you were sure to love.

"Toru I'm home." he hears your voice call out.

He smooths out his features, and smiles when he sees you enter your shared room. He also takes note that you probably used the university shower since you're wearing a different blouse and cardigan (both bought by him on your twenty-first birthday).

"Sweetie! Your home!" He lunges at you, long limbs and all.

"Toru, you're heavy and tall!" You whined.

"You left me all alone here in our home and when I show you how much I miss you, you complain." He sulks in a corner, making you laugh lightly.

"Not what I meant and I had to go to school." You reasoned.

"Take me with you." He whined even more, somehow reminding you of a kicked puppy.

"Tried that and do you remember what happened?" You asked.

"Not really, I just knew that I was ripped away from my darling baby!" He exclaimed as he walked towards the bed and flopped on it.

You shook your head as you opted to cuddle close to your boyfriend. You were exhausted, mentally, emotionally and physically. Satoru was more than happy to provide you comfort. As you slept, he checked out the people in the video that Suguru sent him. He remembers their faces, their leader, he remembers is also a model for the same brand he models with. She would brag about getting the job because of her father. He was close friends with the brand owner, after all she was his senior.

"Mei-mei, remember that one really annoying model of yours?" He messaged.

"Yeah, what about her?" She replied.

"Can you just terminate her contract and fire her?" He asked.

"Sure. I'd let Utahime deal with the rest. Plus she barely does shit. I didn't even hire her, I specifically said no, and her god father who works in the stupid casting still got her. Fired him too. But why do you want her gone?" She texted back.

"Bullied my girlfriend." Was all he replied. Mei-mei only sent him a thumbs up. Next were her friends, which was way easier. They were rich kids, just staying in the school because their parents were paying for them to be there, even with all the violations they had. Did it help that he was from a distinguished family and that Suguru was willing to play a part as well? Yes. Suguru's family and his family all petitioned for all four of your bullies to be expelled from the University and any of its sister schools, they complained that scandals like these were not worth protecting.

When you went to uni next week, you were surprised to see all four of your bullies having their things and themselves removed from the premises. You eyed them curiously and went about your day. You thought that maybe they were found doing something they shouldn't but they were rich, don't rich people buy their way out of their problems? Nonetheless you were kind of glad.

When you returned home, you found Satoru cooking in the kitchen. He's been proud of his skill as well after he took some classes since he felt bad having to make you cook dinner after your uni and your part time job.

"Welcome back? How was your day?" Satoru asked.

"Work was fine, the cafe was packed today. School was also fine. Saw some people get escorted out of uni." You said.

"Ooh, tell me all about it." He said as if he wasn't the reason.

"Well, the ones who were escorted out were notorious bullies. I mean who remains a bully well into college? Like what fucked up psyche must you have to do that? But they were also my bullies so a part of me was glad." You said the last part softly.

"Did you say they were bullying you? Baby you should've told me. I would've given them a piece of my mind." He cooed. He should really get an award for how well he's acting right now.

"Yeah but it's nothing." You said as you clung to him.

"Well at least they won't bother you anymore." He said truthfully.

"Yeah. Karma really got them in the end." You said as you looked up at him with a small grin.

"Yeah, I told you so, Miss Taylor Swift is correct." He said playfully.

"Now let's eat dinner and watch the really cute anime we found." He added as he sat you down.

Yes, karma really got them in the end but just like what Taylor Swift also sang about. Karma is your Boyfriend, and he truly will do anything to keep you happy. Even if he seems petty.

[admirxation]

˗ˏˋ admirxation's weekly fic recs ´ˎ˗

!! dark content ahead, please read the warnings the authors have provided, and then continue at your own discretion !!

5th may '24: here are some fics i've collected this week, obviously this is not every single fic but i wanted to give some more spotlight on the ones that literally had me bouncing off the walls lmao. if anyone wants to see more recommendations i have a 'admirxation fic recs' tag if you're ever wanting to read something, and i want to try and do this every Sunday to give some love to creators. i will try to limit this to 10-20, and some weeks might be shorter cuz i don't always have to time. thank you to these creators making these fics and please give them some love

resident evil fics

“If I gotta sin to see her again then I’m gonna lie.” [NSFW] {dad’s boss!Jack Krauser x fem!reader} ~ The reader ends up on their knees for the stranger allowed in their house; starting a fling with her fathers boss.

this was written by @mrswint3rs now i read this a bit ago but i just can’t forget about it. i love krauser content so much like there needs to be more content for this man, i love my pookie leon a feral amount but pookie bear needs to share some spotlight for the other RE guys. i am not embarrassed to admit that i keep rereading this fic, it does something to the brain chemistry. honestly the moment this girl posts more krauser fics im leaping like it’s my last meal cuz AHHHHHHH. the forceful but seductive characterisation that is written within krauser is so memorable and had me blushing and kicking my feet, and to expose myself further the secrecy tropes always get the meter going they are my guilty pleasure.

playing house [NSFW] {stepdad!Leon Kennedy x fem!reader} ~ the readers mother had passed away, leaving Leon and the reader to get closer.

this was written by @miss-oranje-disco-dancer now i always thought i wasn’t into the whole ddlg scene, before anyone things im hating i never gave hate to the concept i was just never apart of the craze if u get me, however, this fic has made me rlly rlly crave ddlg content to the point i’m wondering if the writer laced their words with crack cuz IM SO HOOKED. the gradual progression of the reader and leon is so hot, especially *spoilers for the rest of the fic* when they start sharing a bed dude the tingles i felt, and then the breeding when the reader acts so nonchalant about being bred by leon like YESSIR I NEED THIS MORE THAN ANYTHING.

Playground Love {older!Leon Kennedy x fem!reader} ~ age gap love between reader and Leon.

this was written by @j3llyd0nut . i might have a problem which how much older men fanfics i consume, like gurl its becoming a big problem… that i dont wanna fix oop- this fic doesn’t go into smut (ik what a shocker for me to be recommending something that is straight up porn lmao) but it does deal with age gaps, and i felt the way the writer portrayed it was so well written, especially with the readers’ mothers feelings to it. dating someone older comes with a mix of feelings, the envy was well encapsulated as well as the worry where it is often people try to warn. also the ending quote was such a killer (as an oscar wilde fan hehe… im an english student i love a reference).

Nerd Leon [NSFW] {nerdy!Leon Kennedy x nerdy!fem!reader} ~ Leon and the reader are both virgins who have had a crush on one another.

this was written by @nvoirs (it won’t let me tag them but you have the link to go show them some love). i love lil nerdy leon, he's so cute, especially with the pictures above the fic hehe. honestly the reader is so relatable, the idea of someone asking you out as a joke hahah ive been there too many times, no one can force me back into high school i will claw them. i quite liked the dynamic of them learning together, hehehe it's so so hot and cute at the same time and it deserves so much more love in my humble and very correct opinion.

the last of us fics

older Joel Miller [NSFW] {older!Joel Miller x afab!reader} ~ ft nervous Joel who hasn’t dated in a while and nervous to be with the reader who reassures she wants to be with him.

this was written by @pedroshotwifey and omfg i’m like the biggest simp for joel to the point it’s honestly embarrassing lmao, i feel like they wrote joel quite well and i would imagine if he was to become involved with someone again he would be nervous and be in his head about it; i found the writing of the transition back into sharing physical intimacy really well written and enjoyable, it’s not easy to do that but the author did it so well. my fav joel oneshot.

jujutsu kaisen fics

A proper send off [NSFW] {stepdad!Toji Fushiguro x fem!reader} ~ Toji puts his claim on the reader before she goes to college

this was written by @bratbby333. i feel like i died, like the author put the words on the screen and it make me curl up in a ball and squirming cuz i need toji biblically, and then i died, and then the words brought be back to heaven and then i was bonked and put into horny jail. i’m actually feral for this man. i’m feral for too many fictional men but toji is ughhhhh AHFJFKDKSKSKDDKEKSKW. i loved the descriptions of the reader almost being made for him, or more accurately, Toji making the reader made for him; the description of *SPOILERS* him moulding her pussy for his dick was YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM, i was salivating like fucking homer simpson I NEED IT.

Daddy Issues [NSFW] {stepdad!Toji Fushiguro x fem!reader} ~ reader is a brat whose stopped by her step father Toji

this was written by @nexysworld and my oh my does this girl cook, I AM THE BIGGEST NEXY FAN EVER HEHEHEHEHE. i am a new recruit to the toji fan club and boy oh boy was this the most exciting oneshot to first read after finding my love for this beautiful man. I gotta say the way nexy writes toji is honestly a game changer. like he’s such a jerk that u wanna slap, but i also am enticed by how much of a jerk he is… and perhaps wanna be slapped by him- WHO SAID THAT 👀 damn.

“well, we should probably fuck. Right?” [NSFW] {satoru gojo x fem!reader} ~ reader and gojo are trapped in the prison realm with nothing else to do.

this was written by @kingkonoha. now as we have all learnt about me liking something normally isn’t in my vocabulary; if i like a piece of media best believe im putting my whole soul into it. jjk is a new edition to my fandom endeavours and heheh gojo is my first love, im such a gojo girlie IF ANYONE COMES TO DETROY MY PEACE F OFF LMAO (gojo and toji girlie fr i am). okay if you’re a gojo girlie, kingkonoha’s writing is top tier. i loved the way they encapsulated gojo’s personality, he’s so cocky in this oneshot and ugh i just can’t help but see it so on brand for gojo; also the dirty talk in this fic is like toe curling afhdisosfheisidfhwowjwf I NEED HIM IN A WAY THAT IS CONCERNING TO FEMINISM.

The fanboy guide [NSFW] {satoru gojo x fem!reader} ~ gojo is the readers number one fan and manages to finally meet them in a meet and greet.

this was written by @kingkonoha . i love obsessing over fictional men BUT OH THIS FIC RLLY HAD THE TURNED TABLES. look i dont need anyone judging my likes, i like the idea of someone, especially gojo, obsessing over me and telling me he loves me while i ride him. girlhood = hearing i love you while riding gojo lmao. i love this creator to the point they’re probably fed up on me constantly liking their stuff haha. some bits i wanna point out, the dirty talk was like A* and the way he’s obsessed and basically babbles i love u like AFHFJSWISODODOWKWNEJ this has a chokehold on me and is like feral spray for the gojo girlies to get going lmao.

Tease [NSFW] {satoru gojo x fem!reader} ~ reader teases her sensei over text, and he later shows up at the readers door.

this was written by @dark-and-kawaii . oh look more gojo fics, are we surprised, no rlly cuz he's so hot and ugh i need him so much. i love dirty talk especially sexting it's so hot, but the fact he literally shows up at the door? i was shook but like in a horny way lmao. honestly the jealousy he feels it’s like kinda embarrassing how much i love to imagine someone all jealous over me like hehe tell me how much im in ur mind rent free HAHA. honestly i love this blog, i followed for the bg3 content and stayed for like the absolute talent in every one of their works, so much love <3

i will possess your heart [NSFW] {yandere!satoru gojo x fem!reader} ~ satoru thinks the reader belongs to him and will go any length to make that happen.

this was written by @bratbby333 . okay on this account we love a yandere, the idea of someone being so obsessed that it’s a danger to the lover, themselves and everyone around, A MUST!!!! honestly, it’s kinda baddddd how much i love these yandere oneshots but oh well it’s not like im gonna stop eating this up when everyone fr cooks. i honestly have to say this is the best yandere fic ive seen, like i was fangirling over the author over every word and punctuation they strung together, like huhhhhh it had me on a chokehold throughout it all. the journey of obsession and how far gojo went and his pathway to that was so well written, and the scene with the ex boyfriend and the heart ?!?!?!?! i was literally wide eyed like an owl going “WHAT OMFG”.

to be ex husband [NSFW] {satoru gojo x fem!reader} ~ ex bf gojo comes back in readers life and asks for a hand in marriage.

this was written by @arminsumi . lmao this fic made me have so many emotions. first of all, SHOKO MY BELOVED IS MY BESTIE I LOVE SHOKO. but the idea of gojo being an ex cuz he was a play boy i was like hmmm f u man, breaking my heart (like bruh i was so offended like i actually was the reader to the point i was like bruh i have to calm down) and then after when he’s getting all giggly with suguru im like hehehehe let the fucking commence i need me some gojo action. honestly this fic has an amazing balance of oooo this is sexy, to feelings of being a lil mad, but also comedic moments. it honestly encaptures gojo’s character so well, i was rlly impressed. also i didn’t know how much i needed someone to ask for marriage while fucking ahe

[izzylovesyou2022]

That Is Called Poetry~ Luke Hughes (pt 1)

Maeve paced around the living room, fingers digging into her hair. Luke should have been home by now, he never liked staying out late.

To calm herself, she walked to the old coffee table and picked up the huge book laying there. This book was called 150 Most Famous Poems, gotten for Christmas from Luke.

She flipped to the end of the book and started scanning the words to William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18."

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day," she whispered, taking up her walk around the coffee table, "Thou art more lovely and more temperate."

She read over the whole thing once, then closed the book back on the table and said the words out loud once more.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day," she said, louder than the first time, "Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May!"

She continued quoting it until a booming laugh echoed through the living room.

"Memorizing Shakespeare again, are we, flower?"

Maeve didn't blush but her cheeks grew warm with pleasure at Luke's words.

"I didn't think you knew who Shakespeare was, Lukey," she admitted, taking slow steps towards him.

Again, Luke let out a booming laugh and wrapped her up in a tight hug.

"Flower, I've been your best friend since the age of seven and have lived with you for several years. No kidding that I know who he is."

A pleased grin etched over Maeve's face as she followed Luke into the kitchen.

"I'm glad you paid attention enough to--HEY!!"

A small squeak excited Maeve's mouth as Luke grabbed her and set her up on the counter, which was followed by quiet giggles.

Luke opened the fridge door and grabbed himself a water with one hand and bopped Maeve's nose with the other, causing it to scrunch.

"Oops, sorry, flower," he smirked, keeping his eyes on Maeve as he took a big swing of water, "I couldn't help myself."

Maeve bit down on her lip as Luke busied himself with the fridge once more and wondered if he was flirting with her or if he was just teasing her as usual. Not that she'd actually mind flirting with him, although he didn't know it yet.

"I'm just happy you pay attention to the poems I read," she breathed out, lips twitching as Luke pulled himself from the fridge.

Luke leaned against the counter near Maeve and arched his eyebrows.

"Flower," he began, reaching out to rest his hand on Maeve's shoulder, "I pay attention to the poems you write, too."

[sunnflowyyr]

Hello there! Is it alright if I ask for rottmnt donnie and leo with a reader that speaks a different language? (And if I may be specific, could that language be german?)

Sorry if this is of any inconvenience :>

hello anon! thank you so much for this request; not an inconvenience at all! i don't know german myself, but i've always wanted to learn! it's a really interesting language (as they all are), i just have no initiative or patience to teach myself. oops.

i wasn't sure what to write (platonic or romantic), so i hope you don't mind that i made these headcanons with an s/o reader.

i hope you enjoy!

_______________________________________________

Disaster Twins With An S/O Who Speaks German

-

Donnie

when he first hears you speak german, he falls in love HARDER

he loves hearing your voice as it is, but in another language?

even if he doesn't know it at first, he will listen to you when you speak all the time

because, as we all know, donnie consumes all kinds of knowledge in his genius little turtle brain

so he'll start learning the language in his spare time

within a month, he has a lot of words memorized

add a couple and you could say he's pretty fluent for a beginner in the language

he learns all of this without really telling you, of course, because he has this perfect idea in mind

and one day, as the two of you are hanging out in his lab, he stops tinkering on his tech and watches you watch something on your phone

he sits up, catching your attention before asking you out in german

you're eyes almost pop out of your head; you're totally stunned!

and also extremely flustered by how good his german is

his grammar is excellent, though his accent/tone is a little off

you do answer with a yes, and he grins smugly at your embarassed state

when you realize how invested he is into learning your language, it makes you really happy

so you help him practice by having full conversations in german

if he's annoyed with his brothers, he'll start mumbling about them under his breath and hiss german insults (about leo mostly tbh)

Leo

stares at you with wide eyes, confusion visible on the turtle's face

it made you laugh, and he swears his heart banged against his plastron

"...you speak english? thank you, for saving me."

you seemed a little lost in your tone, and he could sense you were hesitant because english wasn't your first language

but he just grins, all but flirtatious as he swoons leans closer to you

"any time, stranger ... so what's your name?"

he makes sure to speak clearly and refrain from using too much slang when he's talking to you so you can understand

like donnie, he could literally listen to you speak for hours

he learns the language over a longer period of time compared to donnie

at least a year into knowing you, he probably knows a good amount of vocabulary and some sentences

mainly learns how to flirt with you and insult his enemies

despite his flirtatious personality, he has his heart set on you and only you

so he'll learn a lot more and practice how to confess/ask you out in german

but his first mistake was looking up how to say the full phrase online

though when the time comes, he messes up and says something way off from what he meant to say

you could tell because of the date he set up and that charming expression on his face when he said it; clearly obvious he was gonna confess to you, just didn't say what he meant to

probably something like "i eat toenails"

he got trolled by the internet

when you start laughing out loud, his heart aches and he is mortified did you really have to laugh at his confession?!

probably the first time you saw his confidence fall

"(name), please don't laugh, i .. i want to be with you and-"

"leo, i want to be with you too; i love you, but that's not what you said!"

you both now laugh at that moment

[snickerdoodlles]

Thank you for sending me an ask for the author ask game! Now right back at you: F. canon fics or au?, V. post the last sentence you wrote, and X. give a summary of your current project! Thank you :)

you're welcome!! excited to see u in my inbox too :D ❤❤

F. canon fics or au?

yes! 😂

my preferences for canon vs AU largely depend on how much i feel a character is tied to their setting. for example, i don't really read anything that's non-mafia for kp. for me personally, the cores of the kp characters are so heavily influenced by trauma induced by the mafia specifically that i struggle to connect to versions of them that don't have that aspect. i know it's done, they're just not stories for me. i do pretty alright with AUs that are still mafia but with other elements (like magic) thrown into them to alter the setting, and i more-or-less consider canon-divergent AUs to still fall under the 'canon universe' umbrella, but i tend to be more drawn to pre-/post-canon or canon fics for kp because of the specific setting. the magnus archives would be another example of a fandom where i'm drawn to the impact of the setting on the characters specifically. i like all the characters a lot, but i frankly would not give a fuck about any of their stories outside of the horror context grinding them into dust.

on the flip side, i tend to esp love AU for anything where the setting is just set dressing to the character drama. this tends to be the case for a lot of stories with ensemble casts for me-- for example, a lot of animes, esp sport ones. i read a lot of AU for stuff like yuri!!! on ice and haikyuu!! because its a lot of fun to think of how to transfer those friendship dynamics to other settings, or put them all through hell in a different genre specifically because canon is slice-of-life. but also several of my costume cdramas are fun to AU because a lot of their drama is tied up in specific character dynamics, almost moreso than their specific settings. a story like bad buddy does AU really well too, because their story is in their romeo and juliet dynamic, not their setting.

that was a very long and rambly answer oops 😂 basically it boils down to what questions i have for a character and how necessary i feel canon is to exploring/answering them.

V. post the last sentence you wrote.

[stares at WIPs] which one of you was i last working on again...

...also some of these look very alarming without context lol, i'm just gonna cheat and give you a sneak peek for one of them 😂:

Chay's googling the pet store's hours as though they don't have its schedule well memorized by now. "I'm pretty sure us just owning a fish counts as animal abuse by now. How bad's our karma after our latest Mr. Gold, you think?" "Oh, we're definitely getting reborn as fish in our next life," Kim says over the rattle of the glass rocks he's cleaning. Chay bumps Kim's hip with his, lips screwed up in a pucker as he tries not to look amused. "Should we make merit at a temple before we go to the store, just incase?" Kim puts his hands together and bows his head reverently. "May we earn just enough that we don't wind up in a home like ours." Chay breaks, giggling loudly, and that's all the merit Kim ever needs in this life. "We could also stop risking our next life and just come clean to P'Khun." "Oh fuck no, I'm taking my chances with karma. At least it's known to be forgiving."

X. give a summary of your current project!

[points to snippet above] it's called "The Lives of Mr. Gold" !! it's summary is: Kim and Chay raise one fish.

aka Khun decides they should all bond over being fish fathers and buys Kim and Chay a goldfish to raise. Kim and Chay swear they're doing a great job of it.

[fic author asks]

[twstinginthewind]

Had a little private Secret Santa Story exchange w friends; by the luck of the dice, I got assigned to write a story for my bestie, @twst-the-night-away ! So, I did a Cater🧡Savvy story, before they get serious about one another. Merry Christmas, Daisy!

2100+ words. Cater-centric fluff just for Savvy, teeheeeee~. Cameos from the PMC and Trey. Music included in links towards the end. Happy reading!

A gift that’s uniquely you

“... and tbh? It’s not like I’m, like, actually competing with anyone? But it’s totes like a competition. And I don't want to come up short.”

The three members of the Pop Music club sat around the small club room table, deep in discussion over snacks and canned beverages. Cater idly adjusted the strap of his guitar, looking over at his clubmates with a pleading expression, and went on. “I just wanna get Savvy the perfect Christmas present. I’ve only got a week to come up with a real show-stopper. And I don't really know what I’m doing. I'm smelling a Top Ten Holiday Disasters in my future….”

“I think what you’re smelling might just be Lilia’s homemade trail mix,” Kalim piped up, then covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes wide. “Oop! Ahaha. Sorry, Lilia! I mean…”

The little fae chuckled, shaking his head. “No, it’s all right. I agree the feta cheese may not have been the wisest choice. It doesn’t seem to keep as well as the other ingredients. I only had it in the cupboard for a month...”

In a single motion, Cater and Kalim reached out and pushed the dish of trail mix further from where they were sitting. Lilia rolled his eyes at them. “That said.” He sat back in his seat, drumming his fingers on the body of his bass guitar. “In regards to your conundrum, Cater. While I do realize that the young lady you wish to impress is also receiving gifts from some rather generous individuals, are any of them approaching her with the same sentiment as yourself?”

“The same sentiment? I, um…” Cater’s face flushed red, nearly obscuring the diamond marking on his cheek. “Hehe. Well, I don't really know. But #AllsFair, am I right? If I happen to get an edge over someone else, sorry, but not sorry. I just need something really memorable, that Savvy’s gonna really like. Bonus if it's a ‘cammable moment, right? Something to look back on and def remember as one of the best gifts ever.”

“Okay Cater! That’s a great starting point!” Kalim bounced in his chair, smiling broadly. His eyes gleamed. “Now where do you go from there? Will it be a beautiful pet tiger cub, maybe? Oh, or maybe some breathtaking jewelry? A trip to a private island? Custom couture?”

“Easy, Kalim, easy!” Cater held up his hands. “I'm not exactly a one percenter, you know. I gotta work within a budget.” He shook his head, and tucked a loose strand of ginger hair behind his ear. “Besides, those gifts are all kind of…” His voice faded off, and he tapped his chin thoughtfully before continuing. “...kind of a big deal. For a really serious relationship.”

“And, I would assume, you are not quite that serious with the girl?” Lilia tilted his head. “I think I would have recalled if you mentioned having a girlfriend, after all.” His nose crinkled in an impish expression. “None of us have left our bachelor life behind us just yet. Unless you're hoping this will catapult you into the Taken Man category.” Lilia put a hand over his heart, and leaned towards his cheerful, white-haired companion. “Oh, Kalim. He's so young, and he's leaping into this romantic dream. Leaving us single men behind!”

“Does that mean you won't come to club anymore?” Kalim looked panicked. “Oh no, Cater! You're our best guitarist!”

“I'm the only guitarist, Kalim. But I’m not going anywhere!” Cater looked at his phone and sighed. “Aw, man. Club meeting time is almost over. Let’s get all this cleaned up. Listen, can you guys text me if you have any more ideas?”

“Sure thing, Cater!” Kalim bounced up, brushing some crumbs off of his sweater. “I hope you find something extra-special. But don’t forget us when you're off in Boyfriend Town!!”

“Some men never come back,” Lilia deadpanned. “But I hear it's quite the way to go…”

“You two are a couple of real pieces of work, you know that? Absolute knuckleheads, fr.” Cater slipped his guitar back into the gig bag and cleared some trash off the table. “Thanks for letting me get that off my chest, at least.”

The club members finished getting their space back in shape and headed back to the mirror chamber, bidding each other farewell before traveling to their respective dorms. Cater walked down the path towards the main hall of Heartslaybul, breathing in the thick scent of roses that always hung in the air. He was no closer to solving his gift-giving problem.

Another scent beckoned to him beneath the ever-present roses, and he let that guide his steps. Something savory was being prepared in the dormitory kitchen, an unusual switch from the usual parade of sweets that Heartslabyul was known for. His curiosity piqued, Cater stepped into the warm, cozy room, waving cheerily at a giggling curly-haired freshman who greeted him on her way out. Inside, he saw his friend Trey pulling a baking tray from one of the big steel ovens.

Cater dropped into a chair. “Whatcha working on, bestie? Whatever it is, it doesn't smell half bad. Maybe it’ll help me recover from Lilia’s idea of snacks…”

Trey looked over his shoulder and smirked, his glasses glinting in the warm light. “They’re for tomorrow's afternoon tea, Cater, and I’m not offering previews. But it’s cheese and onion scones.” He placed the hot tray onto a cooling rack and slid his oven mitts off. “I hope I got the flavor right this time. I was working on a couple of variations with Joker, since she was assigned kitchen duty today.”

“I saw her on my way in. You made her miss her club meeting, mister Vice Housewarden.” Cater leaned back on the wooden kitchen chair, balancing it on its back legs as he sat. “Not that we got much done, as usual.”

“Spent the time gossiping again?” Trey stepped behind Cater, and gently but firmly put his hands on the chair back. “Come on, now . You’ll break the chair.”

“Ugh, fine, Mom.” Cater repositioned the seat to its normal standing, then sat up exaggeratedly straight with his hands folded in front of him. “Is that better?”

Trey sat across from Cater as he straightened up. “Won’t earn you a scone, if that's what you were hoping for. What do you guys talk about every day, anyway, that keeps you from making any actual music? I couldn't imagine the science club getting so distracted.”

“That may be because you’re all nerds, /aff.” Cater relaxed his posture. “Naur, but fr, I was actually attempting to get advice from the boys. I know, me, admitting a problem? It's more likely than you think.”

A green eyebrow delicately raised behind heavy glasses frames. “Interesting. And here I thought you were maintaining that carefree façade campus-wide.”

“I’m getting less cautious in my old age?” Cater offered, shrugging. “It wasn’t THAT deep. I was just complaining about how I can't figure out a decent Christmas present for Savvy. You know, the same thing I bitched about with you last night.”

“You didn’t go for the water flosser? Shocking.”

“Again? The depths of your nerdity constantly astound and baffle me.”

Trey shrugged. “It’d be unique and show that you care. Ticked off all the boxes, in my opinion.”

“Except for it being fun, Trey.”

“I thought it was fun.”

Cater sagged slightly. “Yes, but you're definitely not the target audience that I’m aiming for. Think sweeter, cuter, blonder.”

Trey reached across the table to pat Cater’s hand. “I already told you before. The best thing to do, if you want to be impressive at this gift-giving game, is to give something that no one else can. Something uniquely Cater.”

This time, a ginger eyebrow rose. “You look at me and tell me; are you following your advice for your own gift exchange, buddy?” Cater drew his hand back cagily. “Are you doing something unequivocally Trey for your special little bae?”

“I don't have anyone fitting that description,” Trey said with a straight face. “But I do end up giving people a lot of homemade sweets as gifts. It’s something that’s a part of me, kinda. And that makes it special.” His voice lowered to a bare whisper. “And I’ve got a private baking lesson lined up for the ‘special bae’ that I certainly don't have.”

Cater smirked. “You sly dog. Something that’s a part of me, huh? But I don’t make anything special, anything OOAK like you do.”

“Don't you?” Trey pointed markedly at the gig bag and shrugged. “I could have sworn you were a member of our elite arts community.”

Cater sat a moment with his mouth agape, dumbfounded. “... actual galaxy brain thinking, Trey. OM7. Memorable, unique, ‘cammable, and hella budget-friendly.”

“Not as practical as the water flosser though,” sighed Trey.

“Enough with the water flosser.”

“But it works so well.”

“Trey.”

“Sorry.” Trey adjusted his glasses and snickered. “Anyway. I have to start getting those scones onto a rack to cool. I’ll make sure you get one tomorrow, okay? Now, go put together your gift. If she doesn't love it, let me know so I can shake my head in disbelief.”

“Yes, sir, vice-housewarden, sir!” Cater offered Trey a mock salute as both boys rose. They gave each other a complicated handshake-to-hug maneuver, ending with a back pat, before going their separate ways. Cater rushed up the complex series of staircases to his dorm room, and brought the guitar back out. He was already starting to get some ideas….

The next few afternoons, Cater rushed back to the dormitory after classes, and shut himself into his room. It was a lucky thing that, as a third year, he didn’t have to worry about roommates, because he found himself staying up until all hours practicing the same few bars over and over, trying to make everything sound just right. As it stood, he only had to deal with angry pounding on his wall once, before he figured out he could run his old wired headphones through his amp.

Finally, he sat back onto his bed. He tapped his phone screen a few times, and listened to the playback. Perfect. Perfect! He almost couldn't believe it was him he was listening to. Maybe I should start taking this whole music thing more seriously, after all, he mused.

Despite the lateness of the hour, he sent a quick text message to Savvy.

> Hey! Meet me 4pm in the pmc club room. I have something for u!

There, he thought, and he put his phone down on the bedstand to change into his pajamas. He had just pulled the shirt over his head when he heard the tell-tale ping! of an incoming message.

> I have something for you, too! I’ll bring it with me. See you then!

Well. All right. Cater smiled to himself as he slid into bed, exhausted but content. Tomorrow, he would give Savvy the most impressive gift she ever got.

The next day, classes couldn't end soon enough. Cater fidgeted anxiously through each period, watching the clock as if it were slowing down just to spite him. In his last lesson of the day, the moment that Professor Trein lifted his head and said, “That will be all, thank you,” Cater was out the door and on his way to the club room.

He hurriedly set up his equipment. Amplifier turned on, phone and guitar plugged in, levels checked, tuning done, tiny party lights set to sparkle, Santa hat positioned just so over artfully tousled hair; everything was perfect. Now all that remained was to wait.

At 3:59, he heard steps coming down the hall. Cater sat up a little straighter. Now, it was his chance to make Savvy feel really special. His hand hovered above his phone, waiting. And when she walked through the door, all beautiful smiles and shining eyes and with sweet anticipation on her face, Cater took his chance. He tapped play on his backing tracks, and started to play.

As the notes poured from his guitar, he felt more comfortable and more himself than he had in a long time. It was almost like the feeling he got when he was skating, pulling off a long rail grind or a sick jump. It was freeing, genuine. Even through the cliched holiday songs, Cater could feel his own heart beating; he hoped that Savvy would feel it, too. It was almost magical. This was something he could give that was uniquely him. And he hoped she could appreciate that.

Song 1 • Song 2

When the last few notes faded away, and all that remained was the crackle of the amplifier, Cater looked up at Savvy and took a deep breath. “Merry Christmas,” he whispered. “Merry Christmas…”

[gay-otlc]

Keepblr Wrapped 2022

Stats

note: numbers might not be 100% accurate

17 drawings of Fíntan in the definitely canon Neverseen uniform (likely more but tumblr search function sucks so 17 is the amount I found)

528 works published or updated on ao3

-230 ass of Fintan

69 genders transed

420 bowls of Pinterest soup

80085 cursed posts made

A fuck ton of absolute chaos

Year In Review

Most of the world started 2022 by praying this year wouldn’t be as bad as the last two. I started 2022 by being a math gay and posting the results of a survey on the KOTLC tumblr fandom’s gender and sexuality demographics. In conclusion, keepblr is very queer, which we probably didn’t need an official survey to prove.

We celebrated Valentine’s Day by coming up with keeper themed pickup lines, including but not limited to “I hope your mind isn’t as impenetrable as the rest of you” (shoutout to Achilles for that one). Then the Stellarlune cover dropped, and the sapphics of keepblr were all really normal about all the pretty girls on the cover. In honor of Maruca on the cover, Swan dedicated the entirety of March to her.

Other people in the KOTLC fandom have discourse about Sokeefe vs Sophitz. We don’t do that here. We have discourse about the size of Fintan’s ass. The discourse started in May, but Fin continues to deny the (true) accusations that his ass is flat.

As previously mentioned, keepblr is very queer, and we somehow got even gayer when pride month rolled around. Alden and Quinlin had their no homo wedding, but the rest of us were proudly yes homo.

In August, the (in)famous stripper Neverseen uniform post reached 500 notes, and we celebrated by drawing fanart. Unfortunately, some members of the instagram fandom were upset about this, and we had a bit of a war between the platforms, but eventually that died down.

As the release of Stellarlune approached, Arjun decided to redesign the book covers. Marketing KOTLC as a ya tiktok sensation. Using canva. The result was… memorable.

In October, the KOTLC series turned ten years old, and Tobi hosted a month of prompts and events to celebrate.

After years of waiting, Stellarlune was published! This book gave the fandom many great things, like unhinged gardener Fíntan and Prentice pagetime, but it also brought some aggressive Fitz-bashers onto tumblr. They have since been added to Fin’s soup, but not before one of them could send Roisin the iconic “Just because you’re gay doesnt mean Sophie is!!!” ask.

Keepblr’s 2022 will soon end with a fandom-wide secret Santa, that I should probably be working on now instead of writing the year in review. Oops. Anyway, thank you to keepblr for making 2022 slightly more bearable and a lot of fun, and I hope we cause just as much shenanigans in 2023.

[musicalfanfiction99]

TWDAK & VTSOM Ft. Periods ~ Pt. 1

A/N ~ This was a random thought that popped into my head and people enjoyed my previous writing about this so... Here goes nothing. Hope you enjoy!

Warnings: May be OOC, small mention of suicide, Albert being a pest

Albert Krueger You're in your bedroom getting ready to go to bed when suddenly you're lower body starts cramping up. As you're in pain, Krueger senses that you're in need of help and decides to bring you to his office. Once you fell asleep, you were transported to his office.

"L/N? Y/N L/N? Dr. Krueger is waiting for you at room 1015." Hm??? Not this again...

"Welcome back L/N."

"Hello, Dr. Krueger. So why am I here again?"

"Hm, I sensed that something was wrong so I decided to bring you here."

"If that's all I should really get back to sleep then I'd you don't mind." Just as you said that you started clutching your stomach.

"Are you all right Y/N?"

"Yeah, I'm fine I should just leave now- actually do you have any medicine here?"

"Well we are a medical office so we should have some in the back, but what for?"

"I just don't feel well, some ibuprofen should be fine."

"As a doctor, I cannot give medicine without a clearer reason."

"Have you never taken a single biology class once in your life?"

"I've taken biology courses, mainly marine biology though. So would you be kind enough to tell me what's wrong so I can give you your medicine?"

"Can I just go home instead?"

"I'm afraid not. I have to help you before you go home, I can't just send you home."

"At this point you might as well feed me to the Dream Eaters or turn me into one."

"Why these suicidal thoughts all of a sudden Y/N? Are you in need of a therapist that can help you with these thoughts? While I may specialize in Dream Therapy I do know regular therapy too. So, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

"No. I'm not suicidal either."

"If you say so. So, would you like to tell me what's wrong before I send you home? Or would you like to sit through a therapy session?"

"Neither." It's just your period Y/N, why are you so scared of Albert?

*Whispering* "It's just personal stuff. My period, to be exact."

"Hm. What's that? I can't hear you, speak up."

"It's nothing." You get up from your chair and whisper in Albert's ear, "It's. Just. My. Period. So, can you please give me some ibuprofen, Dr. Krueger?"

"Sure. Was that so hard~? I'll be back shortly. Just wait here." While you're waiting you see his bright pink telephone and decide to call someone on it. You walk up to the phone and start dialing a number that you memorized but don't know why. When the person answers the phone you hear a deep voice that reminds you of... Vincent? Did you really memorize Vincent's phone number?

*On the phone* "Hello? This is Vincent Edgeworth. May I ask who's calling?"

"This is Y/N L/N calling from Krueger Corporation. I remembered a random phone number and put it into the phone to see who's number I memorized. Sorry to have disturbed you, Mr. Edgeworth."

"It's alright. If your calling from Krueger's office does that mean that Albert's there?"

"No, he stepped out of the office for a minute. Would you like to talk to him?"

"No, that's alright. If that's all you called for I'll be going then. Have a nice day, Y/N."

"You too Mr. Edgeworth." You put the phone back on the receiver and sat back down. Albert walked into the room a few moments later.

"I'm back~ my dear Y/N. Who were you on the phone with?" He heard me talking to Mr. Edgeworth, oops.

"I was just talking to someone that a memorized the phone number for."

"Hm. Okay. Well I brought you medicine and water. Here, take this." He hands you a bottle of ibuprofen and water.

"Thank you, Dr. Krueger."

"Anytime. Well I guess I'll see you again sometime later. Goodbye, Y/N." You blink, and you wake up in your room.

"Well, I guess he's changed, he's now nicer than normal." Then you see a .TXT file pop up on your computer.

"Well, I guess I was wrong."

[yourbelgianthings]

taz november celebration fic four: prompt bakery au

sorry this is a day late but i'm also kind of not because of how long it is it evens out, i went with modern taakitz (feat. some other balance peeps) and may or may not have gotten a bit carried away, but i hope y'all enjoy the fluff! ~3.8k words @taznovembercelebration (in fact it's so long i will have to post in multiple parts oops)

Before the sun had even begun to dawn in the sky, Taako was starting all the different doughs and batters for the day and preheating the large double oven. He loved working in the early morning quiet and solitude, every measurement memorized and every movement second nature. His bakery was called Sweeten It Up with Taako, and it had become a popular fixture in the city. In the beginning, he just made things for his friends, then had a stand at the farmer's market, and finally saved enough to buy a brick and mortar shop. On either side was a dog training school and a combination plant/metaphysical/book store. A big buff guy with reddish hair and a beard named Magnus who was a bit younger than Taako ran the dog store, and a short, older white-haired gentleman with medium brown skin named Merle was the proprietor of…whatever the deal at his store was. Taako himself was tall and slim with long platinum blonde hair and sandy brown skin, he always thought the three of them must look straight out of a goofy buddy comedy on the days they took their lunch breaks together. They were pretty funny, and he didn't mind the company sometimes, but he was there to work and hone his craft, not make friends.

That morning, like every other, Taako made sure the display case was set up perfectly before flipping over the open sign. Croissants, muffins, éclairs, lemon bars, his signature elderflower macarons, and every other enticing treat imaginable were arranged in layers on cake stands and in trays. "Once again, perfect," he said to himself with a smile, now open for a day of business. The first customer to arrive, opening the door with a little jingle of the bell, was Lucretia, the curator of the city's art museum. She had dark skin, and her gray natural hair was cut very short. Even wearing just the museum uniform polo shirt, nametag, and khakis, she exuded a sense of elegance and grace. "Morning, Lucretia!" Taako greeted her cheerily. "Let me go grab your order, one sec," and he was gone before she could reply. She gasped when she saw the box of cutout cookies frosted to look like watercolor paintings. "Taako, these are gorgeous! I don't know if you can make it to the opening we're serving these at, but there's a ticket for the exhibit with your name on it at the front desk whenever you're free." Taako and Lucretia weren't necessarily close personal friends, but they talked a lot about art whenever they got the chance, and that can tell you a lot about someone. They thanked each other and he promised to be over soon. After Lucretia left, the rest of the morning passed normally, with a steady stream of business people, parents and children, and retired folks.

Around noon, though, a customer he had never seen before caught his eye as soon as he entered. He was a little shorter than Taako, dark-skinned with cool undertones, his locs up in a ponytail and wearing a long black coat. Taako was stunned, but he quickly blinked and snapped out of it. "What brings you in today?" he asked. "This is a bakery, yeah? Presumably I'm buying some of your baked goods," the stranger replied, with a twinkle in his eye. "Yes, yep, it definitely is!" Taako was not used to feeling flustered, let alone at work, where he was at charge and could do what he was best at. All of a sudden, it seemed much warmer, and he quickly freed his hair from the braid down his back and swept it up into a bun with a purple scrunchie. The stranger asked which muffin was best, paid in cash (and tipped!), and left, but waved as he turned to go at the door. Taako waved back dumbfoundedly, kicking himself for not having thought of anything witty to say as he watched the door close. What on earth was that, anyway? He saw plenty of hot guys every day, there was no reason to waste time thinking that this might be anything different. Still, his mind kept wandering back to the stranger the rest of the day.

After he locked up, he called Lup, and she picked up right away. "Hey, Taako! Are you off?" "Yep, just heading out. Your place or mine tonight? I will have you know I don't feel like cooking, so don't let that influence you." Lup laughed. "No worries, carryout is fine, but we're redoing the bathroom, so yours is probably better." "Got it, see you at 7." click Taako didn't want to cook?! There's another point for the list of reasons she'd been worrying about him lately. She sighed as she headed to her car from the studio, brushing dust and bits of dried clay from her hands and clothes as she went. Lup looked a lot like Taako, except her hair wasn't as long, and she dyed it starting at the top of her ears red, and then orange halfway down. She often wore it in two Dutch braids so it was neatly out of her face while she was working.

Taako was secretly disappointed he was hosting. He always felt bad that his apartment didn't live up to Barry and Lup's cozy little house that actually felt like a home. His apartment was just where he crashed when he wasn't at work, the only room with any effort actually put into it was the kitchen. Even though it had been a while now, it was still hard to get used to the idea that he wasn't going to have to leave soon. He loved that he and Lup and Barry regularly spent time together though, so it was worth it to have them over.

"Barry?" Lup called as soon as she walked in the front door. "One second, honey, let me just get off the ladder!" A pale chubby man with light brown hair and a beard wearing glasses and paint stained jeans and a tshirt emerged with his arms outstretched for a hug. As they embraced, Lup exclaimed, "You didn't need to work on the bathroom after school, care bear!" "I don't mind. Really anything quiet after the day I had with those middle schoolers is fine by me, and of course, they still don't even understand the weather cycle!" They laughed and headed to their room to get changed for Taako's. Barry pressed the buzzer in the lobby, the speaker crackled and then projected Taako's voice: "Welcome to Chez Taako, darlings, let yourselves in." His apartment was on the third floor so Barry and Lup took the stairs, opening the door to see Taako flopped on an armchair reading a book. He put iit down as soon as he heard the door and ran over to hug them.

"Ooh, whatcha reading?" asked Barry. "Some book Merle gave me, I don't really get what it's about. Most of the stuff at his shop is weird, but all the plants are somehow always in perfect condition." "That reminds me," said Lup, "I was going to ask if you wanted to invite Magnus and Merle to hang out with us sometime. They seem pretty cool, and we have more spots open in our video game tournaments." Taako bristled and glared at her. "Fuck no!" he snapped. "They're two guys that happen to work next to me that I eat lunch with sometimes. Hardly the same category as my sister and my brother in law, don't you think?" "Jesus, Taako, you could just say you don't want to, calm down." He collapsed onto the armchair again. "I'm sorry, Lulu. I guess I'm just a bit on edge."

Lup went to sit criss cross on the floor next to the chair, and Barry sat on the futon. "Why, what's up, bud?" she asked gently. "Why not?" He gave her a tired smile. "Shit, I was supposed to order food for us already, wasn't I? Sorry, guys." Barry stood up and grabbed his phone. "No worries, Taako," he reassured. "We all have those days, I'll do it. How's Chinese?" The twins nodded gratefully, as much as the three of them were a family and Barry and Lup were a couple, Barry was good at reading when they needed their own moments as well. "Hairbrush, Taako?" "Should be on the dresser."

Returning with it, Lup scooted Taako off the chair onto the floor right in front of it, and she sat in the chair, putting her legs around him. She silently began to brush his hair, and when it was perfectly soft and smooth, she braided it too. They had done this a million times, it almost always worked to help Taako relax. When Lup needed the same, her and Taako sat across from each other on the floor and held each other's hands, and he instinctively knew how much pressure he needed to squeeze with. But Lup was helping him right now, so he got up, still without a word, and sat on her lap. They held each other until Barry said the food was good to go and asked if they wanted to play Mario Kart. The rest of the evening passed like it always did: easy, comfortable, and filled with laughter. The next day at the bakery, the stranger returned, and did so for the rest of the week. He and Taako chatted every time; Taako learned that his name was Kravitz and he worked at some kind of therapy place nearby. On Friday, he slipped a business card in the paper bag, but it had his own phone number written on the back.

"Have a good weekend, Kravitz! Hopefully I'll see you again!" he called as his new favorite customer opened the door to leave. Kravitz smiled. "You too, Taako. I'm sure you will." As soon as he left, Taako ran into the freezer and screamed. "I'm sure you will"?! What did that mean? Was it good? He thought so, but he wasn't quite sure, and now he had all weekend to worry about it. Or not, honestly, this was ridiculous. He wasn't a middle schooler with a silly crush, he was just providing good service at his job and a new regular said he would be back, that was all it was. Definitely just that for sure. He took a deep breath, realized he was still in the freezer, and quickly left it to warm up and continue his day. When the bakery closed, Taako texted Lucretia: exhibit tonight? always more fun when you can show me around <3 We already have an event booked tonight :( Tomorrow at noon? sure thing, thx lucretia!

Well, that was something for tomorrow, but he was left with no plans for tonight. He thought back to what Lup said, maybe it would be a good idea to hang out with Magnus and Merle more. It wasn't like he had to tell them his life story, but the amount of time he spent alone probably wasn't great, as much as he liked to try and convince himself otherwise. Did he even have their numbers? That could be a goal for next week Taako, and apparently tonight Taako was going to get drunk alone. A classic Friday night activity. He just needed to get home and make it to tomorrow. You'd be surprised how hard that could be. However, to his surprise, after his first glass of wine, he got a text from an unknown number. It read: Do I have Taako? This is Kravitz "Holy shit, that actually worked," he thought. yep it's me ✨ You know you could have just asked for my number i figured a little surprise would be more fun! Taako couldn't believe this was happening, he pushed the bottle of wine aside and laid down on the futon. He definitely did not want to end up drunk texting right now. His instinct was to tell Lup right away, but he decided to wait and see where things went. You're right, I think you're very interesting, Taako um thanks?? Yes, it's a compliment, I don't get to choose who I talk to all day at my job, so I'm quite selective outside of it huh well that's something in common i don't talk to a lot of people either but idk if we're coming from the same place on that one…anyway what's your job like, what happens at a therapy place? Well, I'm actually specialized in grief counseling, so I help people through a lot of heavy stuff dude how do you deal with that i could never You just have to be able to leave work at work, it was hard at the beginning but I've had a lot of practice impressive that makes sense though you seem like a good listener hey i need to go make dinner ttyl? Yes, I'll be here, this was nice

Success!! Texting wasn't the same as real life interaction, but this was a good start for sure. Taako suddenly felt full of energy, he practically skipped around the kitchen getting everything out for beef stroganoff. In his apartment, several blocks away, Kravitz was in a similarly good mood. His roommate, Lucas, saw him looking down at his phone and smiling and asked, "Talking to someone, are we?" with a knowing smile. "None of your business," he retorted, and jokingly stuck his tongue out at him. Taako's text reminded him that he hadn't eaten yet either, but he honestly hadn't even been thinking of that. All day, as soon as he had seen the card left in his bag, he had just been waiting to be able to get home and send that first message. He was rarely so distracted, especially with his line of work, but there was just something about Taako that stuck in his mind and stayed there. His reverie was interrupted by Lucas's voice from the kitchen: "I made stuff for tacos, but if you don't get in here, there won't be any left!"

The next morning, Taako woke up excited to go see the exhibit with Lucretia. He had actually forgotten what it was even of, but that would just get to be a surprise! Once he had selected his museum outfit (a pastel pink fuzzy sweater with a long swishy pleated skirt in an eggplant color with heeled boots and several gold necklaces) and gotten dressed, he sent a picture to Lup, as they often did with their fashion choices. lulu, fit check! ooh love it 🤩 you're up early for your day off though what's up? museum with lucretia yay that's great! have fun tell her i said hi :3 "Taako, you look gorgeous!" exclaimed Lucretia when he arrived at the front desk. "And perfect timing, things aren't too busy yet. Let's go!" They strolled through the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition, marveling at bones, flowers, and desert landscapes, all painted in bright colors and blue strokes. "Which one is your favorite, Lucretia?" "I like the bone paintings the best, I know the flowers are her most popular works, but I love how she also found beauty in the morbid and unconventional. Most people would consider an old bone too boring to even give it a chance as their subject. What about you?" Taako paused to think.

"Probably The Sky Above The Clouds. The different perspective is oddly peaceful." Lucretia nodded. "So much of her work has a sense of solitude, but not loneliness," she observed, and he knew what she meant, but not what the feeling was actually like. When they reached the end of the gallery, Lucretia had to go give a talk, but Taako had nothing else planned, so he wandered to the sculpture garden and sat at one of the small tables. He absentmindedly pulled out his phone to check his messages, and then decided to text Kravitz. hey handsome are you free at all today? Ten or fifteen minutes later, a reply came. Oh, handsome? Thank you very much, and I'm going to a concert later tonight if you want to come? yeah i'm down! who is it? My friend Johann's band, they're called Voidfish and he's the violinist oh, i've never heard of them but that sounds cool Kravitz sent him a location and time to meet, and he figured this was probably enough to tell Lup about now.

luuuppp guess whatttt what taako? i think i'm going on a date? i'm not sure if it's a date but this guy i've been talking to invited me to a concert tonight! omg! you didn't even tell me you were interested in someone, rude, but i'm so happy for you 🩷 hey now! i was waiting to see where it went and it still might not be anything that's true, but taako, you deserve to have fun with someone you like, it's been a long time, so try to just stay in the moment and take it as it comes, okay? what are you lulu, our mom? oh wait lmao haha very funny, seriously though i'll try, love you love you Not sure what to do with the rest of his time before meeting for the concert, Taako took the long way back to his apartment, enjoying the feel of the air and taking in his surroundings in a way he never really had before. When he got back, he decided to take a nap so he would be ready for the potential late night out.

At his apartment, Kravitz was also carefully selecting his outfit for the evening. He wore the same thing to work every day: black pants, a white button down, and a red tie, so he never had to worry about it getting ready in the mornings, but this was a weekend and a special occasion at that. He settled on a band shirt Johann had given him at the last concert and his dark blue denim jacket covered in a large collection of raven patches and pins. The dark and eerie birds had always fascinated him. Sitting on his bed, Kravitz took a deep breath. Normally, he wouldn't make plans like this so spontaneously, but there was something about Taako that oddly put him more at ease. It was certainly a new and strange feeling, but not an unwelcome one. He quickly texted Lucas saying that he would probably be out late, and headed for Bumbershoots to meet Taako. Since Kravitz lived closer, he arrived first, but he only had to wait about five minutes for his companion.

"Hey, Kravitz!" Taako called. "You look stunning!" "I could say the same for you," Kravitz replied as he took Taako's hand and they entered the bar together. Voidfish played a great show, and Johann was amazing on the violin, but the baker and the therapist spent most of the evening simply focused on each other. They sat at a table in the back drinking cocktails (old fashioned for Kravitz, blackberry bramble for Taako) and talking for the whole show. Kravitz told Taako the names of the different songs as they were played, and Taako critiqued the band's outfits like he was a famous fashion designer, which made Kravitz laugh more than he had in a while. When the show ended, they paused outside the building, unsure what to say and neither one wanting to leave. Taako looked at Kravitz and asked, "Was this a date?" "I think so," Kravitz smiled as he replied. They both started laughing and pulled each other into a hug. As he continued to visit Taako at the bakery, Kravitz started to find extra items in his bag, usually new recipes being tested out. No matter how wild something sounded, it always ended up being delicious. He recommended Sweeten It Up with Taako to all his clients and Coworkers. One Friday afternoon, he got an unusual text from Taako.

hey krav, do you want to come over? my place is nothing much, so don't get your hopes up, but i'd love to have you It would be my pleasure, Taako, and don't worry about any of it okay? Taako sighed with relief. He still hadn't had anyone but Barry and Lup over to this apartment, but this could be the chance to make what he really wanted of it. Some of the decorations from his last place were still in a box, and he decided to get them back out; stringing the fairy lights up around the living room, hanging the pride flag on the wall, and putting the vase of fake flowers on the coffee table. It almost looked like someone lived here now, and like someone else would want to visit. He smiled and went to the kitchen to start getting dinner ready. When Kravitz arrived, he brought a fancy bottle of champagne with him, which he offered to Taako upon opening the door. "Kravitz! You didn't have to do that! This stuff is really nice too, oh my gosh…but since we have it, I think it'll go perfect with dinner. Since I forgot to ask what you wanted, I hope pizza is good." "That's excellent, yes." They had a delicious meal of Taako's signature homemade pizza, including dough made by hand (of course) and fresh mozzarella cheese, and glasses of sweet, refreshing champagne. Afterwards, they watched some terrible movie that was on TV, cuddling and making fun of it the entire time. As the credits finally rolled and Taako reached for the remote, Kravitz stopped him, taking both of his hands and staring into his warm brown eyes. "Can I kiss you?" he asked in a low voice, serious and sincere. "Yeah," Taako whispered without hesitation, surprising himself. The kiss was perfect, tender yet intense, warm and hungry. It wasn't just one either, they pulled away, smiled at each other and agreed with just their eyes, and then they were making out the best either of them had ever experienced. Being in one another's arms and pressed into each other's bodies was such a comfort that it more than made up for the old futon they were on. For a moment, there were no clients or macarons or roommates or sisters or anything else in the world but Kravitz and Taako and their hearts and bodies. Finally, Taako rested his head on Kravitz's shoulder, lazily looking up in his direction. "So, are you my boyfriend now or what?" Kravitz just smiled and pulled him in for another kiss, and they both understood that meaning perfectly.

[crow-with-too-many-books]

I should do more book polls here...

More about each option below

These all stem from the looking at my bookshelf. So some may just be uhh bc interesting. Bc LISTEN I have to many books I've yet to read bc I want to read them all.

1. SOCCK do I need to say more? Favorite Series right here (I may or may not have it basically memorized) and I have a yearly reread of it (like with Ranger's Appretice) I haven't read it this year yet so it gets to be an option (unless you want to count the amazing comic adaptation by @ jccatstudios bc omg it's amazing)

2. Wings of Fire Series. Saw something abt it recently and I own up to Book 13 (tho I'll get 13 and 15 if I end up reading it) + Darkstalker and Dragonslayer. Waaayyyyy back when (like at least 8 years ago) when I last read it was up to Book 8. + Darkstalker I read that one too. So technically I'd read 8 new books if I read this (15 + slayer) Bc who doesn't enjoy rereading childhood books?

3. Ink by Alice Broadway. Skin series. Interesting concept - I almost picked it up once but ended up changing what I was going to read last minute (oops)

4. Uhhh Rick Riordan. Fun Fact I've never read Percy Jackson until 2021 (and before then I thought the movies were good ;-; so bad) So more of his work bc yeah. I own Kane Chronicles and Magus Chase but decided on Kane to be the choice. Peaked my interest more than the other right now.

5. Dark/Spark I got this a while ago at library book sale and and just...haven't read it yet? Superhero esc ans such and I mean look at the titles lol.

6. Hit and Run. Been wanting to read more mysteries.

7. I got the first book off of a 'blind date' book reading thing. (Like nothing but the genre and a sentence abt it wrapped in paper so you don't know what you chose until after. I just never got around to it (I'm horrible I know) I think bc I was in the middle of a different series at that time and it got hidden on my shelf (book overflow before I got more bookshelves lol)

8. Shadow Run. I've had this for a while. Idk feels like it's gonna be a hit or a miss book but I'm adding it anyway. (And I own the 2nd book to so)

9. What If It's Us. Gay. I've been telling myself to read this series for so long and I just NEVER did. Make me do it.

10. Leviathan series. Got this one semi recently, its steampunk and the books are weirdly heavy (bc it has pictures! (Wow so amazing)) Wouldn't of gotten it if I hadn't interested me some :)

Only the first 2 options are rereads (one is semi) then rest I've never read. And please, give me book recommendations!

[amortean]

― NAME: lue.

― PRONOUNS: she/they idc this body is a flesh prison.

― MOST ACTIVE MUSE(S)? I've been writing this character for, like, 12 years... I think the Sheila brainworms have cannibalized all the other worms...

― RP PET PEEVES? I don't think I can get into this without revealing how much brain damage I've sustained my experiences here over the years. If you know, you know.

― EXPERIENCE / HOW MANY YEARS? My earliest memories are from when I was around 12-14 on some obscure rp forum that is still barely clinging to life last I looked. I did a lot of rping on AIM & MSN Messenger... and then fell out of the hobby for a few years when a friend (and main rp partner) passed away. Sheila & Eve (& Gatsby) were conceptualized on Gaia in 2011, and the group I wrote with (👋 hi steph LMAOOOO) moved to tumblr a short while later, annnnd... I've kinda been here ever since.

Whoever that anon was from years ago who was like "ummm don't you think you're too old to be rping :\" well I'm even older now.

― FLUFF, ANGST, OR SMUT? Hitting my partners all day every day with fluff + angst wombo combo until they beg for mercy. Smut is not something that's ever happened with this character for... a variety of reasons... and I would only ever feel comfortable writing such things with a long-term ship partner.

― PLOTS OR MEMES? My strength lies in improvisation; some of my favorite, most memorable threads had absolutely zero plotting. A little plotting is fine, but I love the element of surprise, so I don't like mapping everything out in excruciating detail. I also don't do memes very often just because I lack the energy :( And I've always felt bad for sending in memes to friends without ever really giving them an opportunity to send me memes in turn.

― LONG OR SHORT REPLIES? Comfy zone is pretty much anything from one-liners to a couple paragraphs. Otherwise I just—I dunno—burn through my already scant reserves of creative energy way too quickly.

― TIME TO WRITE? Ungodly hours in the morning when most everyone else is asleep so there are minimal distractions. Unfortunately, this means my sleep schedule is usually trash. If you see me posting replies at 5am no you don't.

― ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S)? When Sheila was new, the only things we had in common were our musical instruments of choice (we're both pianists) and—rather unintentionally—our chronic back pain. Due to the way I developed her character over the years (I don't like retcons, so there are a lot of ghosts in Sheila's past, for better or worse), we've become more alike in the Department of Crippling Trust Issues, and I do sometimes wish I had developed her differently because I worry that people may mistake her for a self-insert or think I'm projecting way too much onto her. Oops.

also pomegranates, we both love pomegranates (all my OCs love pomegranates). I think our sense of humor is also similar (? I need a third party to confirm or deny this) although my clown shoes are bigger by far.

Tagged by: @renatvvs 💙💙

Tagging: @lotuskissed, @vxmpirehunterd, @glaswen, @xkuja, @stellevatum, @therealricksanchezpleasestandup

[betatesterjeremy]

<The following is a transcript of an audio recording started by Jeremy Albert on 1/6/24.>

Jeremy: “Oho, shit!! God damn it! I fucking hate this level so much, hahaha! … Oh, Jenny, I got the recording started on accident during that! … Better now than later, I guess.”

Jenny: “Oh, good, okay…”

<Short pause.>

Jeremy: “… Are you going to say it, or am I?”

Jenny: “It’s your recording, man.”

Jeremy: “I’m afraid of confrontation! You know that, haha!”

Jenny: “Alright, fine, you big baby.”

Jeremy: “Hey! Haha!”

Jenny: “Hello? This is Jennifer Parks, one of the beta testers here.”

Jeremy: “Jeez, with the formalities, haha!”

Jenny: “This is for our project manager, Jerma.”

Jeremy: “Yeah, yeah, but he doesn’t care if you’re formal or not!”

Jenny: “Okay Mr. No-Need-For-Formalities, shut up and let me make the complaint, haha!”

<Movement and laughter is heard.>

Jenny: “Don’t push me, haha! … Anyway, ahem. Jerma- Uh, Jeremy and I are here to make a formal complaint about the difficulty of a level.”

Jeremy: “Okay Miss Formal, you’re just going to breeze over that you called me Jerma before, but now you’re correcting yourself?”

Jenny: “Shut up!! Haha!”

<Movement and laughter is heard.>

Jeremy: “Oh, so I can’t push you, but you can push me?”

Jenny: “You started it!”

Jeremy: “And if you were sooo responsible, you would have finished it!”

Jenny: “Maybe I will!”

<Movement, then a thump is heard.>

Jenny: “To the couch with you, loser!”

Jeremy: “You’re so mean to me. I’m going to cry.”

Jenny: “Sure, haha!”

<A breath.>

Jenny: “Ahem, sorry, the level we’re here to complain about is the Plush Baby level.”

Jeremy: “Hate those things.”

Jenny: “It’s impossible to keep track of all of them, and if I’m right, Mari also hasn’t gotten past it. So it’s not user error. We genuinely think that level may need to be fine tuned and sorted out, maybe making it shorter or making the spawn rate a bit slower?”

Jeremy: “Or get rid of them.”

Jenny: “Ignore him. Anyway, maybe the spawn rate because those little… things. They’re everywhere, and it’s literally impossible to find all of them before you die. The furthest anyone has made it is 3 AM.”

Jeremy: “That was me, and only because I memorized where the girls spawn.”

<Short pause.>

Jenny: “‘The girls’?”

Jeremy: “They’re the girls. They’re like a little stupid popular clique and I’m back in highschool.”

Jenny: “… Oookay, weirdo, haha.”

Jeremy: “They are! They’re the meanest little things I’ve ever seen!”

Jenny: “No, I get what you mean, but we’re still recording!”

Jeremy: “Oops.”

Jenny: “It’s fine, haha! Anyway, us beta testers humbly request that the programmers take a look at that level, as it’s unfairly hard. Thank you. End log.”

Jeremy: “… Y’know what isn’t unfairly—”

<Audio ended manually. Transcript ending automatically…>

<Transcript end.>

[thmgau]

CHAPTER 16 - DRESS REHEARSAL [wattpad link]

---

“Your Lordship! Your Grace! Your eminence! L-Let’s not be hasty!”

It was Wednesday, & the first official performance of Beauty & The Beast was tomorrow. In order to prepare, a dress rehearsal was in place. Most performances do dress rehearsals, just to make sure everyone’s got their lines memorized & all that.

Most of the group sat backstage, watching the performance & waiting for their cues. Natalie, Leslie, & the actor for Cogsworth were onstage currently. Natalie stormed over to Leslie’s “room” onstage.

“I thought I told you to come down to dinner!” “I’m not hungry!” “I am the master of this castle, & I’m telling you to come down to dinner!”

“Y’know, I didn’t think it at first, but Natalie really does fit the role of The Beast pretty well.” Cherry whispered. “Really?” “Yea.” “Care to elaborate?” “No.”

The group continued watching what was happening onstage.

“Master, that may not be the best way to win the girl’s affections..” “Please, attempt to be a lady.” “Deep breaths, master..”

“I’ll give them one last chance.” Natalie huffed, turning toward Leslie. “Would you be so kind as to join me for dinner?”

The actor for Cogsworth glared at Natalie.

“..Please.” “No, thank you.” “FINE! Then starve!” “Master, please-” “If they don’t eat with me, they don’t eat at all!”

Natalie stormed offstage, where the group was. As the rehearsal continued, she leaned against the wall & sighed.

“This is the most I’ve raised my voice, like, ever. Kind of starting to hurt my throat.” “Is that so? You’d think that encounter with The Au-” “Shh!” Cherry shushed Kalani. “Oh, yea. Gotta keep my mouth shut about the thing.” “The magic th-” “SHUSH!” “Cherry!” Allie snapped her fingers. “Quiet down!” “Oops. Sorry.”

The group continued to watch for their cues. They were coming up pretty soon, as the hit musical number Be Our Guest was about to start. They had to put on cutlery costumes & do some dances on stage as the ensemble.

“If there is anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, anything, ANYTHING at all-” the actor for Cogsworth spoke. “I am a little hungry.” “Except that.” “Cogsworth!”

Everyone backstage quickly got into their cutlery outfits.

“Not the most embarrassing thing I’ve worn.” “I kinda like this spoon costume. Can I keep this after the show’s over, Allie?” “Sure. Go nuts.” “Sick.”

The group quickly took a glance onstage.

“Of course, of course... but what is dinner without a little music?!” “Music?”

It was almost time to get on stage. The group readied themselves.

-

“Alright! Does everybody remember the plan?”

Once again, it was nighttime at the puppet shop, & Alph was not there, leaving the puppets to roam & scheme. All of the puppets stood in a line in the main room of the shop, while Sotry stood in front of them.

“Of course, Sotry!” the other 4 puppets said, in unison.

“Allama,” Sotry pointed at the yellow puppet. “What time must we be at the theater?” “8 o’clock!” “Correct. & Wyndo,” he pointed at the gray puppet. “What will we do when we arrive?” “We enter the theater & if we spot one of the poster-destroyers, we approach them.” “Correct! So the plan is ready then. Now, we-”

“Excuse me for just a moment,” Canul spoke up. “but isn’t it risky to do something like this in public?”

Sotry froze, staring at Canul.

“Well, if you have any better ideas, I’d like to hear them.”

Canul fell silent.

“That’s what I thought. Now, let’s return to the back room & prepare for tomorrow.”

-

Dress rehearsal was over now, & the group was headed back to the apartment building. They were all in Nora’s van. Nora sat in the front, driving, with Kalani in the passenger seat. Juniper, Cherry, & Leslie sat in the back.

“Y’know, I’ve been thinking..” “Yea?” “If those little red things above each poster are cameras, do you think they’ve been recording what we say too?” “God, I hope not. That’s a huge invasion of privacy.” “I don’t think this puppet guy cares about privacy if he’s trying to become president of the fucking world.”

Juniper froze, remembering an encounter ze had with Allie just about a week ago, right in front of one of the posters.

“Are you & the others prepared for the performance next week?” “Yup! In the university theater, right?” “You got it! See ya there!”

“Uh, guys? I... think we might be in trouble.” “Huh? How?” “Well-”

Nora’s car skidded to a halt.

“Why’re we stoppin’?” “Another poster’s out there. On that tree.” Nora pointed toward a tree up ahead, which did indeed have a poster on it. “I’ll go get it!” Leslie gave a thumbs up, unbuckling its seatbelt & exiting the car.

As Leslie approached the tree, Cherry turned around in their seat to look at Juniper. “What were you saying?” “Yea, uh, when I was tearing down the posters last week, Allie caught me in the halls while I was tearing one down, & we may have accidentally revealed when & where the performance was happening.” “What?” “Well, none of us knew they were cameras, so it’s not your fault.” “We’re still in trouble though.” “Oh yeah, totally. That puppet guy totally knows we’ve been tearing down its posters.”

The door opened up, & Leslie entered the car again. The poster was in their hands, ripped in half.

“I got it!” “Nice.” “Anyways, we probably shouldn’t worry about tomorrow,” Kalani said. “Whatever happens, we’ll take care of it.” “Yeah!”

[anantgunesh]

I PREFERRED TO WRITE A BLOG INSTEAD 2.o

“Zameen ko aasmaan banau, sitaroon se sajaun; agarrr tumm kahooo” While typing this, I'm listening to a classic 90s song by Abhijeet Bhattacharya performed by SRK. My head is filled with soothing melodies, thanks to my earphones. I developed a deep fondness for this particular song during a period when we frequently watched a collection of movies on our CD player. Looking back now, I realize that the memorable quotes from that era were often overlooked in favour of repeatedly watching those films approximately 210 times.

Good old days! I was waiting for the bus to stop next to go to the restroom. As soon as the bus came to a halt, myself and several other passengers hurried to disembark.

Phew, feeling light as a feather. I am headed to Pune for some important professional commitments I have been planning for a month. Now that my exams are over, I am excited to embark on this journey. Midnight 2 it is, and... Oops, I need to charge my laptop, or it will die on me. Okay, switched on the plug. Great! So, travelling solo on the bus can make getting a good night's rest challenging. And, midnight 2 it is. The passengers seem asleep, while others may be browsing on their phones. Meanwhile, the drivers are preparing to switch turns behind the wheel. My insomniac self is in no mood to shut the laptop and return to bed.

An hour ago, I was drawn to the allure of the night and pulled back the curtains to take in the surroundings.

As I gazed upon the quiet villages and shadowy mountain ranges, my mind wandered to one of my greatest passions - writing. It's a natural and essential part of who I am and for others who share this excellent craft.

Occasionally, while observing the passing scenery of luminous city lights and towering mountains, one may unexpectedly spark many writing inspirations. For this part of the night, I planned to continue writing an unfinished story but see; I PREFERRED TO WRITE A BLOG INSTEAD. I'm unsure what prompted me to write this, but I rarely consider why. As the saying goes, the ideal time to write is when you feel refreshed and unburdened. But I believe there's something special about writing while half-asleep and exhausted. It's almost comical. Yaar, you know what? Writing heavily relies on an individual's gut feeling; sometimes, it can be spontaneous. The innate desire to pursue it may not be apparent initially, but it gradually becomes clear. It is essential to trust these instincts as they play a crucial role in the final product. You don't know when you'll feel like wearing the writer's hat and start typing from that place. "Art is not a thing. It is a way"- Elbert Hubbard. While looking at the scenes outside the bus's window and the cargo trucks passing by, Anant wants to tell the reader that in the midst of all, one should keep space for passion in its life. It can be anything you like and feel like doing at any time, not just your pastime. Like the Mercedes that just zoomed past my bus, your existence will transpire faster than you can perceive. One may feel nostalgic for past activities, such as performing in front of an audience, hitting impressive shots in cricket, or scaling their beloved mountain retreat, rather than actively seeking out these experiences. We may sometimes disregard our creative ambitions as we conform to the schedules established by experts and demanding daily routines. Nothing is wrong, but keeping our creative nerves a little closer to us is a more correct pursuit to look at life. Guys, follow it or find it first, then follow it or just do it, and eventually, you'll find it: your pursuit, your choice. I hope your art finds you and finds you well and you keep finding yourself in your art. "Main koi aisa geet gaoon, ki aarzoo jagaun; agarrr tumm kahoo..... haan agarrr tumm kahooo..." Anant Gunesh. 04.07.2023