#I thought it'd be fun go make her a photographer

[floydsteeth]

Ok!!! I did it!!! :D

Ciels insta :D✨️✨️ I dont use Instagram myself so I hope it looks right

@keithsandwich @bicayaya @lorei-writes @chevcore :3

[badasbebi]

the cupid project ➛ 1/2

part two

✦ pairing: bada lee x fem!reader

✦ summary: you and your long-term work crush devise a plan to win a company contest. in the end, you wind up going to extreme lengths to commit to the bit

✦ genre/au: fluff, fake dating, videographer reader, bada's extra sweet here, slight friends to lovers

✦ word count: 7k

✦ warnings: isn't proofread. another unrealistic meet cute that doesn't really make sense. smut in part 2

✦ a/n: another two-parter simply bc my fics are too long. 2nd part is finished and will, again, be posted soon (literally tomorrow). didnt put as much thought into this one as I have with my other stories, which will probably be a pattern from now. still think its fun. enjoy!

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"It's been three minutes. Why are we still waiting on people?" Youngj fusses, running his fingers through his hair, tousling it

"Relax, Jae. You called us here last-minute. People are busy," Minho says from where he is sitting, scrolling through his phone.

Youngj's eyes snap to him. "Too busy for an emergency meeting with their boss?" He retorts, raising an eyebrow. 

Minho looks at him, then shrugs. "Well, that's what happens when you hire a bunch of ultra-talented, sought-after dancers. We don't need you," He finishes, swiftly turning back around, sunglasses concealing his eyes. 

Youngj gapes for a second, then seemingly surrenders, slouching back in his chair with a scowl. 

Meanwhile, you're balancing a camera lens in your hand on the sofa across from them, twisting and turning the machinery in your hand as you stifle your laughter. Still being somewhat new to the team, you weren't sure if you necessarily had the right to take part in Minho's teasing. You became an employee at JustJerk Dance Academy only six months ago, after JustJerk announced that they were looking for new hires. However, you weren't a part of their star-studded lineup of top choreographers and instructors. Instead, you were hired to be a videographer and photographer, working behind the scenes to ensure that every breathtaking move, every impassioned sequence, and every dancer was captured flawlessly. 

Which, it was not like it was very hard. The people here were phenomenal enough as it was, making your time spent at work nothing less than a blessing for someone who's long watched dancers from the sidelines. Even better, the members of JustJerk Dance Academy aren't just a group of talented dancers, but also a lovely group of people. They're kind and caring, often inviting you out to eat after a long day of filming or helping you with the things you struggled with. Sometimes, you still got awestruck around them because it was such a far cry from what you were used to. But, it was beginning to feel like home. And, as the days went by, everyone started to feel more and more like family.

Well, almost everyone.

Suddenly, you hear the doors swing open and glance up to see who's arrived.

"Sorry I'm late," A voice rings throughout the room, revealing none other than the legend herself, Bada Lee. 

Even after having passed by her a million times, the woman never failed to take your breath away. She was gorgeous and had an allure unlike anyone else, with a presence that seemed to shift the energy in every room she entered. In other words, she was also intimidatingly cool, which led to you frequently avoiding her because you were, simply, terrified. Though she's always been nothing but sweet and brilliant during your brief interactions, this kindness almost made things worse. It'd be much easier to disregard her if she was an asshole. Unluckily for you, she was one of the most charming people you've encountered in your life, making it nearly impossible to ignore the magnetic pull that's been causing an increasing amount of debauched thoughts and dreams. 

Bada walks toward the rest of the group with an apologetic smile on her face. Her long, black and blonde hair was tied back in a bun, and her baggy clothes were noticeably wrinkled, suggesting that she came straight from practice. Despite her slightly disheveled appearance, she looked as enticing as ever. 

You avert your gaze and continue playing with the camera equipment in your hands, attempting to appear nonchalant. 

"What happened? You're never late," Youngj asks, sitting upright. 

"I was helping one of my students out with a routine and got a little distracted. Sorry," Bada explains with a pout, sitting down on a separate couch next to yours. You keep your eyes on the camera in your hands.

"Don't worry about it, I just need everyone's attention for a few moments," Youngj says, scanning the room. "Is this everyone?"

"No, Redllic should be coming in soon. She was right behind me," Bada says, looking over at the door.

Your eyebrow inadvertently quirks up at the sound of Redllic's name escaping her lips. 

"Good enough, then. Let's get started," Youngj leans forward in his seat, clapping his hands together. "I want to first apologize to all of you for calling you here so abruptly. Unfortunately, this was the only time I had to get you all here together.”

Everyone eagerly waits for him to speak, the air thick with curiosity as Youngj takes a deep breath, his gaze shifting from one person to another.

"So, to clarify, I didn't call you guys here for anything particularly important."

Minho laughs bitterly. "I fucking knew it."

Youngj gives him a pointed look before continuing. "There's a special event that the company is holding and I wanted to inform all of you about it in-person, because even though it isn’t anything to worry about, it is admittedly a bit...unusual for us."

"What is it?" Redllic asks, appearing out of thin air. Everyone, except for Bada, jumps slightly, surprised by her sudden arrival.

"Redllic!" Youngj says, placing a hand on his heart. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Oh, sorry," Redllic shrugs, plopping down next to Bada, throwing her feet onto the coffee table. "What's going on?"

"Right, um," Youngj clears his throat. "As I was saying, there's an event that we're hosting for Valentine's Day. We're calling it the 'Cupid Project.' Basically, you're all going to get into pairs, and you'll be doing a variety of activities together," Youngj explains, his eyes scanning the group, watching the reactions on everyone's faces. 

Ew, is the immediate word that pops into your head. This reminded you of the group projects your teachers forced you to do in school. You can already see how this project will play out, and it's probably not going to be pretty. Based on the skeptical expressions you can make out, you are at least relieved to see that you aren't the only one feeling hesitant. 

"What kind of activities?" Bada asks softly, tilting her head.

"Just activities to get to know each other. Doing things you wouldn't normally do," Youngj replies, shrugging his shoulders. "Jho and I have some planned activities, but the point is for you and your partner to find things to do voluntarily. If we plan everything out for you guys, then it'll be completely forced."

"Wait, wait, wait," Minho interjects, pushing his sunglasses onto the top of his head. "So, you're telling me I have to go on a date with someone here?"

"No," Youngj shakes his head. "We're not forcing you to fall in love or anything. This is purely platonic, just a fun way to bond with each other. And there'll be a prize," Youngj says, wagging his finger.

"A prize?" Minho echos, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. You and your partner will compete against the others and the pair who does the most activities and seems to have actually become good friends with each other will win a reward."

"How are you measuring that?" Hoyeon, another videographer, asks. 

"We'll conduct anonymous votes and collect them at the Valentine's Day party we're hosting," Youngj explains. "But, it's not supposed to be all that serious, everyone. We're just trying to do something fun and, you know, team-build since we've gotten a lot of new hires recently. And, we'll get a good video out of it. We're planning on making a highlight reel of the Cupid Project for our Youtube Channel, which will be nice promotional material, too."

So that's what this was really about: content. Truthfully, you wouldn't have an issue with this if it were not very likely that you'd be the one filming or editing this highlight reel. You internally groan, realizing you'll have to deal with an increased workload because of this clusterfuck. 

"I think it's a great idea," Redllic says, a mischievous smirk on her face. You watch her glance at Bada, who is staring at nothing with an unreadable look in her eyes.

"Well, what's the prize?" Minho asks. 

"600,000 KRW"

Others around the room whisper in excitement. You almost drop your camera. Out of shock, yes, but also because that was exactly the amount of money you needed to buy a brand new camera that you've been eyeing for ages. You've been wanting to record more complex videos, wanting to work on actual music video sets, but your current setup is limiting you. If you were able to get your hands on that camera now, you'd be about a year or two ahead of the original timeline you had in mind. You bite the inside of your lip, hoping Youngj doesn't see the desperation in your eyes.

"Holy shit," Hoyeon mutters. 

The two of you make eye contact, and you already know that the two of you are working together. You were close, having joined the company at the same time and being around the same age. This would be an easy win. 

"Alright, so it's settled, then," Youngj says, a confident grin forming on his face.

"Are we choosing our own partners?" Redllic asks, moving a blonde strand of hair away from her face. 

"No. That would lead to a bunch of people asking to be paired with people they're already friends with, which would make the whole thing pointless. We're drawing names out of a hat," Youngj says, gesturing towards the baseball cap resting on the coffee table.

Everyone collectively groans. You try not to cry. 

"Stop, come on, don't make this difficult," Youngj frowns. "The sooner you choose, the more time you have to prepare. Now, who wants to go first? I already have your names written,"

"Wait, let me go first," Hoyeon volunteers, jumping up and grabbing the hat. She reaches her hand inside and picks a small slip of paper out, then reads it aloud. You bite your lip, praying.

"Howl," Hoyeon declares, holding the piece of paper out for everyone to see. 

Your name is not Howl, but you nearly howl right then and there. Realistically, the probability that you would get who you wanted was unlikely considering the number of people in the room. Nonetheless, it hurt. 

The man with the wolf-centric name quietly stands and moves away from the corner he was situated in. He had been quiet the entire meeting, and most did not really notice he was there until Hoyeon mentioned his name.

"Guess it's you and me," Hoyeon laughs, smiling at the tall figure beside her.

Howl gives her a slight smile, shakes her hand, and they sit back down.

"Alright, Bada. Why don't you come over here?" Youngj says, gesturing to the coffee table.

"The one that everyone wants, I'm sure," Redllic comments with a bemused smirk, causing a clamor of chuckles.

Bada scoffs, and heads over to the table. She reaches into the hat, rustling through the papers. You hold your breath, reminding yourself of the unlikelihood that you'd be the name she pulled. However, as the woman's fingers curl around a single sheet of paper, your heart skips a beat. You feel as if you were the one reaching into the hat.

Bada pulls the paper out and unfolds it, her eyes scanning the sheet. Then, her eyes lock with yours, and your heart leaps. 

"Y/N," Bada calls out, holding the paper up.

You freeze, the room spinning around you. There's no way. 

Bada cocks her head to the side. "It's you, right?"

"Oh! Um, yeah," You sputter, quickly gathering the camera equipment around you.

You hear whispers and feel a hundred pairs of eyes on you as you walk over to the girl. You ignore the feeling of your skin burning. 

"Hey, Y/N. It's nice to officially meet you. I've seen you around a lot," Bada says, eyes warm.

"Yeah, nice to officially meet you, too," You say, extending your hand.

Her hand is warm and soft, enveloping yours like a blanket. Your hand feels cold and sweaty. 

"Interesting," Redllic quips, eyes darting between you two, a glint in her gaze. Bada tears her eyes away from you, giving the blonde woman a questioning look as she retracts her hand.

You take the opportunity to step away, returning to your seat and letting the other dancers pull names. The rest of the pairings are revealed without much commotion, except for Minho's, who loudly complains when he has to partner up with Jaeyong, a good choreographer, but awkward man. 

After all the names are drawn, everyone is dismissed. You're quick to leave the room, eager to return to the comfort of your familiar space behind the camera.

"Y/n! Slow down! We need to talk!" Hoyeon calls, catching up to you.

You turn around, side-stepping out of the way of people walking past you in the hallway. You wait for her to stop in front of you before you speak."With all due respect, I don't really want to talk right now. I just want to record. Then go home, and eat some ramen."

"With Bada?" Hoyeon sings, a cheeky grin forming on her face.

"Shut up," You mumble, rolling your eyes and continuing down the hall.

"Wait, why are you so bummed?" Hoyeon starts, following behind you, "Bada's cool?"

You sigh. "Exactly. She's cool. I'm...not."

"What? Yes, you are. Why would you think otherwise?" Hoyeon scoffs, her eyes narrowed.

"I just," You pause in the hallway again, trying to formulate the words. "I'm a little scared of her, is all."

"Scared?" Hoyeon questions, her forehead wrinkling. "She's nice though. You don't have anything to worry about."

"Yeah, but she's so pretty, and talented, and again, I'm not. Not in the way extraordinary way that she is, I mean.” You explain, shoulders slumping. 

A look of realization dawns upon Hoyeon's face, and she laughs menacingly. "Oh, I see what this is. You think she's hot, and you're a scaredy cat who's afraid of rejection. Case closed. I understand."

"That's not how I would phrase things but, essentially, yes," You concede, turning the corner.

"You're being silly. She's not a god. She's literally just a human being...a very sexy human being but a human being nonetheless. Just talk to her like one," Hoyeon suggests, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, are you not going to try to get that money? I know you want it. I saw that crazed look in your eye once Youngj made it to that fifth zero."

You laugh, "I mean, yes, I really want that money. I don't know if it's possible though. Even if I wanted to reach out to her, she’s so busy I doubt she's planning on actually committing to this. Especially because she's already loaded."

"You don't know until you try you wimp," Hoyeon says, nudging you in the arm.

"Ow," You groan, rubbing the spot in a manner that probably proves her point. "Aren't you going to try for the money too? Where's Howl, huh?"

"We're friends already, it'll be chill. I don't know if we'll necessarily win the money, but, like, we'll have a good time," Hoyeon states, grinning.

"Ugh, gross," You say, sticking out your tongue.

She ignores your immaturity. "What do you wanna do with the money anyway?" Hoyeon asks, leaning against the wall next to an entrance to one of the dance studios.

"Remember that equipment I told you about? So I can start working on sets?"

"Oh, right," Hoyeon says, crossing her arms. "You said that you've been wanting to do that for a while, y/n. Are you really not going to talk to Bada? I’ve recorded with her a few times now and I mean it when I say that she's nice as hell. I feel like she'd probably be down, or, at the very least, will understand if you explain things to her. "

"I'll try. Maybe. At some point. It's not going to be today, though," you mutter, reaching for the studio door before you are stopped by Hoyeon jabbing her french-tipped fingernail into your chest. 

"You better. Or else," Hoyeon threatens, a dark expression coming over her. 

"Move your finger, please," You say, swatting her hand away.

Hoyeon rolls her eyes. "Whatever. Good luck filming. I'm gonna go find Howl. Love ya,"

"Yeah, yeah. Have fun," You wave goodbye to her as she walks down the hall, pulling out her phone.

Once she's out of sight, you release a deep sigh and push open the door, only to be met with the sight of a familiar face. 

"Oh," You breathe.

Bada turns, a surprised expression on her face. "Y/n, hi. Were you coming in?"

"Um, yeah," You reply, slowly entering the room and closing the door behind you. "Are you rehearsing something?"

"Yeah," Bada answers, glancing at the mirror.

"Sorry. I can go-"

"No, no, don't worry about it. If you need to film in here, that's fine. I'll just go next door," Bada says, waving her hand.

You pause, taking a breath. Now’s your chance. "Actually, forget the recording, could I talk to you real quick? About the...cupid thing?"

"Yeah, of course. I was actually hoping we'd get a chance to talk," Bada grins, sitting down on the floor and patting the spot beside her.

You hesitantly walk over and sit down next to her. You take a moment to compose yourself, running your fingers along the smooth fabric of your pants.

"So," Bada prompts.

"Uh," You stammer, wracking your brain for what you were supposed to say. "Um, well, I just wanted to say that, uh, you are really, um, talented. And-oh, this sounds really weird." You finish, running a palm down your face in embarrassment. 

"No, no, it's not," Bada chuckles, a gentle smile on her face. "Thank you, though. But, um, that's not what you wanted to say, right?"

"Right. Sorry," You apologize, a rush of blood filling your cheeks.

"Don't worry. Take your time. We have a lot of it," Bada reminds you, studying the expression on your face. Her voice and words are calming, but her staring is freaking freaking you out further. 

You take another deep breath, hoping to quell your nerves. "Okay. I'm sorry. Uh, I'll try again. What I really wanted to say is, I know that it’s a stupid contest, and that you probably don't care about winning, but I actually really want to participate in that project and win that prize money. And, I was hoping you'd, maybe, help me win?" Before she can respond, you launch into another tangent. "I'm sorry, you're probably busy, which is okay, but I just want to upgrade my equipment so I can get more opportunities outside of-"

"Hey," Bada says, gently laying her hand on top of yours. "Of course I'll help you. You don't have to apologize. I think it'll be fun."

You nearly spiral, but Bada's touch is surprisingly soothing, and you calm down despite your anxiety. 

"Oh, wow. Thank you, so much," You breathe.

"It's not a big deal, seriously. I'm looking forward to it," Bada insists, squeezing your hand.

You stare at her, and her kind, sparkling eyes. What have you gotten yourself into?

You both sit there for a second, a pregnant pause in the air, before you quickly pull your hand away, remembering how sweaty they were.

Bada smiles, unphased. Then, she begins tapping her fingers rhythmically against the ground, a contemplative look on her face as she stares at the space where your hands were previously intertwined. 

"So," Bada suddenly looks up. "If you're just in it to win it, and you really want a fair shot, I think we need to do something a little extreme."

You blink, scared. "What do you mean…extreme?"

She bites her lip and you have to resist the urge to stare. "Youngj said this was supposed to be platonic, so that's how most people are going to approach it. How do we seem better or stronger than other platonic relationships? What’s more intense than that?"

You must be misunderstanding where she's going with this. "Um, a romantic one?" You say, furrowing your eyebrows.

To your shock, she nods. "Exactly. Y/n, I'm saying that we should make our Cupid partnership a romantic one," Bada states, her expression serious.

Your head is spinning. She is taking this much more seriously than you were anticipating. You were expecting to just go out for coffee a few times, and maybe post a picture of your twinning lattes on instagram to sell your friendship. You have no idea how to process this more intense proposition.

"Are you suggesting that we pretend to date each other?" You confirm.

A beat of silence. She leans back slightly, her eyes flickering. "I mean, yeah. Sure," She pauses. "Unless you're not comfortable with that."

"I am," You respond, the lie escaping your mouth with ease. 

Bada's eyes widen and she sits up, a smile growing on her face. "You're sure? If you're not cool with that, we don't have to. I know the idea is a little bit out there. I just, uh, want to help," She babbles, her fingers tapping against the floor again. 

You laugh. Was Bada Lee nervous? "I'm not uncomfortable with it. I trust you. As long as it helps us win,"

"It will, I promise. I'll make it worth your while," Bada vows, her expression determined.

"I can't wait," You laugh again, feeling the butterflies in your stomach flutter.

"Cool," She breathes, her body relaxing. "Well, I should go. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

You grin, nodding. "Yeah, that'd be great."

"Awesome," She smiles, standing up. She reaches her down and grabs your hand, pulling you up. "I'm not gonna be able to actually meet-up with you tomorrow because I have something scheduled, but I already have your phone number. I'll text you."

You nod, distracted and unable to speak as her soft fingers brush against your palm.

"Bye-bye," She waves cutely, her long legs swiftly carrying her across the room. You wave back, her departing smile etched into your brain as you watch the door click shut behind her. Then, you're alone. 

You stare at the floor, processing the interaction. You had just agreed to pretend to date one of the hottest and most intimidating women you had ever met. You had no clue why you did it. Maybe the promise of money and fulfilled dreams had blinded you. Still, the whole thing seemed a little too ridiculous. Too dangerous. 

But there was no backing out now. You already went through the trouble of telling Bada about your desperation, and you told her that you trusted her. You'd have to commit. 

"Well," you whisper, hugging yourself in a soothing motion. "Here goes nothing."

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You fidget within the plush confines of your seat, hesitantly glancing around your dimly lit surroundings as you twist a gleaming piece of silverware between your fingers. Your other hand remains in your lap, afraid to touch the red linen covering your table. Your gaze settles on a couple a few tables away from you, clinking their wine glasses together with pompous grins. It crosses your mind that the wine they're drinking is probably worth more than the money you're doing all of this for, and you make the executive decision to reach for the bottle of wine the woman sitting across from you generously bought. 

When you drop your fork to outstretch your hand toward the bottle, the woman in question seems to notice, hurriedly grabbing ahold of it before you can reach it, and pours the liquid into your glass, herself. 

"Thank you," you murmur, retracting your hand and finally allowing it to fall on the table. 

"No problem," Bada replies, her voice warm and velvety, like the wine. She pushes your drink toward you, and you hurriedly snatch it up to take a large gulp, allowing it to trickle down your throat. The heat of the alcohol soothes your anxiety, and you exhale deeply. 

Your relief lasts for approximately one millisecond. Because, in the next, you're putting your drink down and are being reminded of the predicament you've gotten yourself into. Bada's preoccupation with her menu gives you the chance to observe the way the soft glow emanating from a nearby lamp illuminates her features. The light traces the curves of her face, accentuating every perfect line. Her eyebrows furrow in concentration, compelling you to consider reaching over the table to smooth the lines over with your thumb. When you try to look away, your gaze locks on the pouting of her lips as she focuses on whatever she's reading. 

"I'm thinking of getting the Frutti Di Mare," she voices, snapping you out of your trance. She sets the menu down and looks up, a gentle smile on her face.

"I don't know what that is," you respond dumbly. 

She laughs, the sound light and airy, causing the skin near her eyes to wrinkle adorably. "I thought Italian was your favorite?"

"It is," you confirm, feeling flustered. "I just-the Italian places I go to are super watered down. The fanciest thing you'll see there is fettuccini alfredo,"

"That makes sense," Bada nods, her smile turning playful. "Then, I'll let you know what it is. It's basically seafood. I think it's usually served with pasta."

"Ah," you reply, nodding slowly. "Tasty."

Bada laughs again, and you feel like a scratched CD—unable to get any words out, twitching in place, devilish sounds threatening to enemate from you at any moment. "I'll make sure to order an extra portion for you to try. Unless, of course, you don't want me to."

"No, that works. I'm fine with that," you respond, quickly.

"I figured." Bada smiles knowingly.

Your hand clutches your chest. "Hey, is that a little shade? Did I miss it? Please, elaborate," you joke, leaning forward.

Bada giggles. "Maybe. You've been drinking a lot of that wine. And I think you ate most of the breadsticks."

You glance at your breadcrumb filled plate, then at the half-empty basket of breadsticks. "Oh. Wow. I did."

"You did," Bada affirms, her expression amused. She scoots her chair closer and takes a sip of her own drink, her tongue darting out to lick her lips once she's done. You have the overwhelming urge to mimic the motion, but resist, choosing to instead stuff another breadstick in your mouth.

You swallow the last bits of the breadstick, wiping the crumbs off of your mouth, only for a new, smaller, crumb to appear. Bada notices, and when she raises her arm, your breath hitches. You feel her soft hand graze the side of your face, the pad of her thumb rubbing the crumb off your lip.

"There we go," Bada smiles, satisfied. You can't help but lean into her touch, the warmth of her skin a pleasant contrast against the cold room.

You're startled out of the moment when the waiter appears, setting a basket of warm bread down. You jump, moving away from Bada.

"Have we decided what we'd like to eat?" he asks, his accent thick.

Bada nods, seemingly unaffected by the exchange. "Yes, we're ready. I'll have the Frutti di Mare."

"Great choice," the waiter says. "And, for you, miss?"

"Um, Spaghetti," you answer, your voice strained. 

The waiter scribbles down the order. "Anything else to drink?"

"I’m good, thank you," Bada answers, her tone sweet, smiling gratefully at the man.

"I'll be right back with your food," the waiter bows his head, his ponytail bouncing, and swiftly leaves the table, leaving the two of you alone. 

Avoiding eye contact with Bada, you grab ahold of your glass and drink. The air crackles with something subtle, and you find yourself stealing glances at Bada’s pretty face in between sips, your cheeks warming.

But you needed to get down to business. It’s already been two days since you discussed fake-dating, and this is the first time you’ve done anything together. The clock was ticking.

You placed your drink down on the table and swallowed loudly, causing Bada to stop fiddling with the napkin in front of her in favor of looking at you. 

"So," you start.

"So," she copies.

"What's the plan?" you ask, drumming your fingers against the table.

Bada's eyebrows furrow again. "The plan?"

"For the whole Cupid thing," you clarify.

"Oh," she says, blinking. "Right. Well, I was thinking, that this was sort of the plan."

"This being..."

"Dinner. At a fancy restaurant," she responds, gesturing to her surroundings. "People will see us hanging out together here, and it'll get the rumor mill running. I wouldn't be surprised if the media picked it up, honestly. I think it's a pretty solid first step. We're just planting the seeds,"

You nod. "Yeah, okay. That makes sense. How do we get from here to actually dating?"

She leans back in her chair, pondering the question. "Hm. I don't know. An Instagram post, maybe? A soft launch?"

You consider this. "Okay, sure. But, what would the picture be of? This is all so, vague."

Bada shrugs, nonchalant. "We'll figure it out as we go. We're gonna be spending a lot of time together for the next few days so there'll be plenty of opportunities for pictures. For now, I think we should just enjoy dinner. We're supposed to look like a couple in love right now and I don't know if trying to scientifically plan a soft launch is really giving romance."

"Right," you sigh. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," Bada says, reaching across the table to give your hand a quick squeeze.

You're interrupted by the waiter returning, bringing the food. He carefully sets the dishes down, and a delectable smell fills the air.

"Bon appetit," the waiter bows his head and disappears again.

"Thanks," you call after him, taking a moment to observe the meal.

"It looks great," Bada comments, reaching for her fork.

"It does," you agree, grabbing your own utensils. You take a tentative bite, moaning loudly as the flavors immediately explode in your mouth. "Holy fuck."

Bada stares at you, wide-eyed and frozen, a piece of pasta still stuck on her fork.

You blush, covering your mouth. "Oh my gosh, sorry."

She gulps, snapping out of her stupor. "No, no, it's fine. That was just, a, uh. It seems like you really like it!"

"It's really good," you confirm, your words muffled by the food.

"I can tell," Bada chuckles, her voice low and her eyes twinkling.

"Sorry. I'm gonna try not to embarrass myself any more," you say, chewing more delicately.

She laughs softly. "There's no need to apologize. You're funny, y/n," Bada says, the sincerity of her words and the fondness in her tone making heat rise to your cheeks. 

You eat the rest of your food quietly, listening to the bustling noise around you, the sound of Bada's utensils clinking against her plate unusually relaxing.

As you're finishing your last bits of pasta, a group of loud voices and giggles pass by your table. One of the girls, a brunette, notices the two of you and stops.

"Oh, my god," you hear the girl not-so-discreetly whisper, clutching her friends' arms. "Is that who I think it is?"

You glance at Bada, and she's looking at you. You raise an eyebrow.

"Bada Lee and...I don't know who that is? Who is that?" The brunette's friend replies.

You look down, pretending not to hear the conversation.

"I don't know either. You think that's her girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?! No way. They're probably just hanging out or something."

At this, Bada drops her fork and reaches across the table for your hand, grabbing it gently.

"You okay, baby?" Bada asks, her tone sugary sweet.

You're taken aback by the pet name. But, you decide to play along. You smile at her, placing your other hand over hers. "I'm fine, sweetie. Just a little tired."

"Do you wanna leave, honey?"

"I think I'll be fine," you grin.

"If you're sure," Bada smiles, stroking the back of your hand with her thumb.

"I'm positive, honey bunch," you affirm, biting onto your bottom lip to contain your laughter. 

"Aw, they're cute!" the brunette sighs. "I've gotta tell Sooyoung about this."

"Yeah, we should leave them alone, though. Let's go."

You and Bada watch the pair walk away. As soon as the women are out of sight, the two of you burst into laughter, dropping the facade.

"Did you see their faces?" Bada giggles.

"'Who is that?'" you imitate, your voice high pitched and nasal.

"Baby," Bada says, smirking. 

You laugh, but the endearment sends butterflies to your stomach. "Sweetie."

"Honey bunch," Bada grins.

"Honey bunny," you fire back.

"My love," she replies, tilting her head with a smirk, her voice playful. 

"Lovebug," you answer, raising an eyebrow.

"Is this foreplay?" she jokes, laughing. 

"I mean, if you want it to be, I'm not stopping you," you say, the words slipping out before you can stop yourself. Bada's eyes shoot up, and you feel slightly mortified and shocked by your own brazenness. 

"Do you mean that?" Bada asks, her voice dropping down an octave.

You open your mouth, then shut it. This is odd. You were regretting your lack of filter at first, but Bada seemed a bit too intrigued by the idea of consensual foreplay with you. She could just be joking, or really committing to the fake-dating bit. The look in her eyes was telling you otherwise, though.

However, you're cut off by the waiter reappearing. "May I interest you in dessert, or shall I bring the check?" he asks.

"Just the check, please," she says, not breaking eye contact with you.

The waiter bows, leaving the table once more.

You opt to stare down at the table. "I'll pay half," you offer, avoiding her earlier question.

"It's on me," Bada says. "I brought you here."

"Thank you."

"It's no problem," she says, a small smile on her lips.

Once the waiter comes back, Bada gives him her card. When he returns to your table with the receipt, Bada locks eyes with you, your heart thumping loudly.

"Let's get out of here," Bada says, and you nod.

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You stand at the entrance of the restaurant, a gentle breeze caressing your face. Your hands are stuffed in the pockets of your coat, and the chilly air nips at the tip of your nose.

"Are you ready?" Bada asks from behind you. You turn around to look at her, and the way her eyes reflect the light of the streetlamps above you causes your chest to tighten.

"Ready," you confirm, a hint of a smile on your face.

"Alright," Bada says, shoving her phone, which you don't remember seeing her pull out, into her coat pocket. She leads you to her car, opening the passenger seat door for you.

"Thanks," you smile, and she responds with a nod. 

After the door is closed, she goes around to the driver's seat, starting the engine and driving out of the parking lot. You're both silent as she navigates through the streets. You peer out the window, watching the city lights flicker and blur as you replay tonight's events, attempting to ignore the now obvious tension. 

"So," Bada breaks the silence, causing you to whip your head toward her. "You still haven't fully explained to me what plans you have in mind for that camera you're wanting so badly."

"Well," you begin, relieved that she took the conversation in this direction. "I love what I do at JustJerk. Seriously, watching you guys dance is amazing, and the people are the best. But, I don't want my career to end there. I want to do more on top of that, diversify my portfolio and all. What I really want to do is get onto a music video set. Maybe start directing, too. One day."

Bada hums and smiles. "That's amazing."

"Thanks," you grin, scratching the back of your neck.

"With all due respect, though, do you really need the new equipment for that? You do such a good job with our choreography videos. I don't know anything about videography, but I'd be surprised if that alone couldn't get your foot in the door."

"Well," you draw out, considering your words. "That's probably true. But, I don't think I'm that lucky. The equipment will help, the camera will be useful...the lenses will be nice to have…”

Bada frowns. "Have you given it a shot yet, though? As much as I'm going to try my hardest to help you win this money, realistically, there's a good chance that we still won't win. I'd hate to see you postpone your dreams just because of this camera, or because of this project."

You pause, staring at the car's interior, listening to the sound of the engine running, lost in thought. You weren't sure if it was because you admired Bada so much, or if it was something about her tone, but you were actually starting to rethink things. Perhaps you were holding yourself back a bit. 

"Maybe," you simply respond, unable to say much else. 

"I mean, the equipment will probably help," Bada concedes. "But, not having it won't stop you, I'm sure. Our videographers really don't get enough credit. But, you're all great and you're especially amazing at what you do, y/n. The only reason why I haven't gotten around to working with you is because the other dancers keep getting to you first," she admits, bitterly. 

"Wow," you breathe. "Thank you."

"Of course. You're awesome," she says, the confidence in her words filling your heart.

"So are you," you say, turning away from her, trying not to blush.

"I know. You’ve said it already," Bada smirks, and you simply roll your eyes. 

A more comfortable silence envelops the two of you, and the tension from before dissipates. You lean back in the passenger seat, a smile on your face, feeling content.

Soon, Bada pulls up outside of your apartment, and you're disappointed. 

"This is you," Bada announces.

"Yep," you nod.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," she says, smiling.

"Me too," you reply with a matching smile. "Thank you for dinner."

"It was no problem," she states, waving her hand.

You step outside, but, before closing the car door, you hesitate. "Um," you say, unsure.

"What is it?" Bada asks, a hint of worry in her tone.

"Can I give you a hug?" you blurt out.

Bada looks startled, but her expression softens. "Sure," she nods, turning the engine off and stepping outside.

You meet her on the sidewalk, and pull her into a hug, wrapping your arms around her torso and pressing your cheek against her chest. She hugs back, and you swear that you can hear her heartbeat.

"Goodnight," Bada whispers into your hair.

"Goodnight," you echo, pulling away, already missing her warmth.

She opens the car door again, ducking inside. "Text me when you get upstairs," she instructs.

"I will," you promise.

"Great. Goodnight, y/n," she smiles.

"Goodnight, Bada," you reply, watching her drive away. Once her car disappears, you sigh.

As you trudge up the stairs to your apartment, a single question repeats in your mind: What the fuck am I doing?

You finish cleaning up and getting ready for bed approximately two hours later. As you lay in bed, scrolling through social media, a post from a JustJerk fanpage catches your eye. It's a picture of Bada and you together at dinner, with the caption, "Caught on a date?!"

You laugh at the predictability of the situation, and just as you're about to turn off your phone, you think to check Bada's Instagram, curious. She posted a new story.

You tap it, and it's a picture of you, taken from behind, standing outside the restaurant. There are no words attached to the picture. Just one, pink heart.

You smile, saving the picture, and fall asleep with the image burned into your mind.

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Three days later, you are stationed near your camera, watching Bada teach. The day after your fake dinner date, she sent you a text describing the next stage of the plan, which was attending each other's events and collaborating in public whenever it seemed right. This initially felt like an excellent idea. You'd been dying to watch and record one of Bada's classes since you started working at JustJerk, and it brought you guys one step closer to convincing everyone you were seriously dating. What could go wrong?

The actual execution of this idea turned out to be much more distressing than you previously imagined. It started this morning when you were filming Minho's class. You kneeled in the front of the room, prepping your camera as Minho made rounds around the studio to talk to his students individually. Engrossed with your equipment, you didn't hear the sounds of the door opening and closing, or the following eruption of loud murmuring. It was not until you saw a pair of sneakers stop in front of you and caught a whiff of a now-familiar sweet aroma, that you bothered to glance up. When you did, you found yourself making eye contact with Bada, holding a bouquet.

"These are for you," Bada said, a proud smile on her face. 

Your jaw dropped and you scrambled to get up, almost knocking the camera over. They were roses, vibrant and beautiful against the dull gray of the dance studio. No one had done this for you before. 

"They're gorgeous," you whispered, accepting the flowers.

"I'm glad you think so," she replied, her smile deepening as she observed your reaction. You cradled the bouquet in your hands, inhaling the smell of the roses with a pleased hum and missing the endeared expression on Bada's face. You certainly didn’t see the way she started to lean forward to press a soft kiss to your forehead. Shocked, you loosened your grip on the bouquet, feeling nothing but the rush of warmth spread through every inch of you as a result of her tiny peck. 

She shifted back, as relaxed as ever. "I gotta go, but I'll see you later?" 

"Definitely," you nod, clutching the bouquet once again, head spinning.

"Great." She nodded, then made her way out of the studio.

After she left, you turned to face the room, only to be met with everyone’s staring. Right. That is what this is about. Getting attention. Nothing else. 

You glanced at Minho, who had a teasing smirk on his face.

"What?" you asked him, scowling. 

"Nothing," he laughed, then restarted his class. 

Now you are recording Bada's class. Or at least, that’s what you’re supposed to be doing. But, having to observe her so confidently lead her students through a routine, hearing her call out corrections with a simultaneously gentle yet demanding tone, noticing how hard her abs are when she lifts her shirt to wipe the sweat from her brow for the last hour? It's been painful. You're so busy trying not to swoon you've nearly forgotten to press record a couple of times.

She suddenly looks at you, flashing a small smile at you accompanied by crinkling eyes. You give her a thumbs-up and quickly shift your gaze toward the camera as if you were busy setting the frame, even though the shot is already perfect.

Bada returns her focus to the class, and the lesson continues. Every once in a while, Bada walks over to you, checking in and asking how everything is going. Each time, she offers a smile, a wink, or some form of encouragement, and every time, it takes everything in your power not to blush. She's clearly playing it up for the audience, but the effect she has on you is no act.

Her students are buying it, though. The moment she gets near you, the girls (and a few guys) start whispering amongst themselves. It's working.

"Alright," Bada claps, signaling the end of the session. "That's it for today. Good job, everybody."

"Thank you, teacher!" they all exclaim, bowing and gathering their things.

You're packing up your camera when you feel a pair of hands grasp your waist. Startled, you drop your tripod.

"Gotcha," Bada giggles.

"Shit, that scared me," you say, placing a hand on your heart.

"Sorry, sorry," she laughs. "How'd the recording go?"

"Pretty good," you say, bending down to pick up the tripod. Bada immediately crouches, beating you to it. "Thank you."

"No problem" she says, straightening up, extending the tripod towards you.

"Thanks," you say again, taking the device from her. "Anyway, you did good. It's not going to need much editing."

"Really?" Bada smiles. "Thank you. That means a lot, actually."

"It’s no problem," you grin, suppressing the fluttering in your stomach. "And, uh, thanks again for the flowers, by the way. They were beautiful."

“You are very welcome. Just fulfilling my fake-girlfriend duties," Bada beams, and you have to look away.

"Well, anyway, I should probably head home," you say, avoiding eye contact. "Gotta get started on the footage."

She tilts her head. "Uh, I don’t think so. That’s gonna have to wait for tomorrow,” 

"Huh? Why?" you ask, confused.

"Because, y/n, we're going bowling with Youngj and them? Don't tell me you forgot," she chides, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh," you say, remembering. "I thought that was supposed to be later."

"It's 7:30," she says, a slight frown on her face.

"Fuck," you curse, running a hand through your hair. "Sorry, I'll get out of here."

"We have to go there together," Bada reminds you.

"Shit. Okay, yeah, let's go," you sigh.

"Are you okay?" she asks, concern etched onto her features.

"Yes. No. Ugh. Sorry, I just had a lot on my mind today. Didn't get much sleep," you say, rubbing your eyes. It wasn’t a complete lie. Ever since your date at the restaurant, you’ve been getting bombarded with messages from friends asking about the two of you, giving you little time to rest alongside your work for Justjerk. There was more going on today, though. 

"That sucks," Bada sympathizes. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not really," you answer, bluntly.

"Okay," she says, softly. "But, if and when you do, I’m all ears."

"Thanks, Bada. I appreciate it," you reply, and a part of you is telling yourself not to get attached. But the bigger part of you, the part that wants nothing more than to fall into her arms, tells that smaller part to fuck off.

"Of course. Anyway, we should really get going," she says, and you follow her out the door, leaving your thoughts and feelings behind.

read part two

[longingforrotkehlchen]

My Top 10 of 2022

I thought it'd be fun to share my favourite ten photos from last year. Surprisingly, I found it a bit difficult to narrow them down (I'm never really in awe of the pictures I take, though they do grow on me), but I decided for these (LONG POST WARNING!):

10 - The Leucistic Nilgans (Reblog / See post)

I was counting Egyptian geese when one clearly stood out right away. Nilgans without an eye patch, woah! So, yeah, I gave all of my attention to our friend here, who didn't enjoy that at all. Birds don't like it one bit when you stare at them. They know you're up to no good, but I managed to snap a few shots before this pretty goose (or shelduck) got into the water, and safe from the weird man. The others around me didn't feel threatened - I wasn't looking at them.

9 - The siskin bunch (Reblog / See post)

It was a long winter day when I finally managed to get some decent shots of siskins. These were birds that had always eluded me, first to spot them, and then to photograph them, as they normally forage too high, though usually in flocks. The geography of this lake helped me stay at eye level, and as plenty of them were going from branch to branch looking for food, I got this quite nice shot, even if the light that day was constantly changing and far from the best (and my cheap-ass lens depends a lot on the natural light).

8 - The epitome of a robin (Reblog / See post)

Rotkehlchen was always going to make it in this list, wasn't he? Oh, yeah, I remember that day. I was there to photograph the rare penduline tits that stopped coming to that spot the very same day I decided to go to see them. When my hopes were practically gone, this lovable guy showed up, looking at us the photographers waiting for the birds that never came and probably wondering: What are those idiots doing there? The other two guys kept on their business, while I couldn't resist to get down and picture him. I didn't get any penduline tits, but I got a big reward nonetheless: The epitome of a robin.

7 - Serenity coot (Reblog / See post)

Just a damn coot, right? Nothing special... Well, you see, I have this habit of taking pictures of whoever is there, and this time, Blässhuhn was there. I interrupted my chat with some other guys taking photos that you meet along the way and I decided to just snap this fella, who was actually preening uncontrollably. However, I captured this brief moment where everything seems to make sense, and that gives me tranquillity and inner peace just by looking at it. This should be just some regular photo, but it has something, something that touches me inside.

6 - The 'intersex' mallard (Reblog / See post)

Ever since @namu-the-orca told me about what I had actually photographed, I've been absolutely keen on this little girl. When I saw her again, she had a boyfriend, she was getting harassed by other drakes (because she's actually a female), and I totally had to snatch more pictures of her. In that exact moment, she just happened to open her beak, and I caught a lovely picture I really like. Now, I know she lives there. She's always there, and I pay attention to her, I look at her, and I enjoy knowing she's around, but I don't think I will be able to take a better picture of her than this one.

5 - The making of a wildlife photographer (Reblog / See post)

I don't want to keep raving about this guy, but he was so amazing that I did things I'm not very proud of just to get a snap of him. And I did that because I wanted to tell my little Tumblr world that this bird is amazing. First thing I'm not proud of is getting into a swamp to get close to him, and the second is playing playback (I genuinely had no idea that thing actually works and I was surprised it did) so he would just get furious at me, thinking there was a competitor in the area, and sang from a more visible place instead. The result was really nice, though. It looks like a typical profile photo in a bird catalogue, but I'm no wildlife photographer, and that's stuff some of them do, and I personally would rather avoid doing that kind of stuff. The picture is nice, but I think that what I did was wrong. Birding sadly also means disturbing birds by definition, so we shouldn't do extra stuff. My only comfort is that the guy was already singing non-stop.

4 - Finally goldfinch (Reblog / See post)

You've surely seen better pictures of goldfinches than this one, but it's been a personal struggle for me ever since I started this hobby and I was so happy to finally get a nice photo of one. It looks nice, that's for sure, but no wonder the feeling of accomplishment helped me decide for this one. Goldfinches are common, but in my experience, they're shier than other birds, and for a guy that just walks around with his camera, that's a problem. In this case, I was super lucky, since two goldfinches were having some beef, so they were 'busy', and I also was in the perfect position for this particular shot only because I had just got there (there's a slope to get to the lake and then I'd have been too low).

3 - Jabba the Spatz (Reblog / See post)

I simply thought this was a hilarious shot! Its other photos ended up being way more popular, but I still love this loafing baby sparrow with a dopey facial expression. Also, it was loafing just in the gap of those stones. Also, it was loafing right in front of me and couldn't care less about my presence. Sparrows are usually great models, and they're such cute birds. I always enjoy photographing them.

2 - The not-yet-blue daredevil (Reblog / See post)

This one is very nice. Like, for me, this one and number one are miles ahead of the rest. The story behind this one is simple: I heard baby whinging and there I went. A blue tit chick was chasing mom or dad, while another (this one) seemed to be a bit more independent. After the initial recognition of the situation, I saw that one of them was hanging low and relatively close to me. I lifted my camera as quick as I could, shot, and the moment was gone. I immediately checked the photos out on the display and I seemed to have got only blurry shots. As usual, I cursed my luck, but when I got home, not only this one looked sharp, it looked amazing. The pose, the colours, the whole moment... I realized I had taken a pretty damn good photo, and the difference between having it or not was such a fine line.

1 - Und die Dohle (Reblog / See post)

My current laptop background. It was April 2nd and it was... Snowing! I guess I haven't lived here long enough or it doesn't snow enough for me not to lose my sh*t when I see snow, so as soon as I saw this spring miracle, I grabbed my camera and went out. I wanted to take pictures of birds in the white snow! However, my choice of destination was perhaps questionable, as instead of going to a place with higher altitude, I went to the lowest point in the city... So there was no snow... But it was still snowing!

I like all the photos I took that day with the snowflakes falling from the sky, like this one or this one, but the jackdaw is by far the best. I spotted two jackdaws among all the crows that normally hang around there, and I was determined to finally get a nice photo of one of them. However, they were incredibly shy. No matter how far I was, if I took a step in their direction, they'd feel threatened and fly farther away from me. The snowfall was increasing, it was getting late, but I wanted my jackdaw photo. Eventually, I managed to approach one by making sure a trash can was blocking their view, and it worked! My knees were most likely hurting, but from there, I snapped a few shots, and one came amazingly well.

I love everything. The snow falling, the expression, I mean, the jackdaw looks fierce and majestic, and it has such a dramatic aura. Once I checked that I had indeed taking a good photo, I thumbed-up a crow that I may or may not have given peanuts earlier, and that was waiting next to me for an extra treat. There was no treat, but he got a photo too, since he was there.

If you read the whole thing, I hope you enjoyed knowing a bit about the background of what I do for fun, or at least I hope that it wasn't too unbearable. If you also have a favourite picture from this blog, I'd love to hear from it!

[sketchfanda]

A Little Moxxie Love:Stella's Hubris

Now call her a shallow, sadistic, vapid self absorbed harpy bitch (which she certainly was but few if any would have either the spine or the balls to say that to her face) but if Stella was chocolate, she'd certainly eat herself. Case being the absolute sadist glee and pride she felt in this little master plan of hers, as she sat lounging in the room of the hotel she'd booked tonight for herself and a very special guest. One she would very much take satisfaction and sheer glee in dominating and destroying. Dare she think, she might've been actually getting aroused (not horny, that's the commoner way).

Now why you might be wondering, well I'll try and keep this short, plenty of you are more than familiar and acquainted enough with the ongoing soap opera strife involving Stella, her husband and said husband's Imp boytoy. Suffice to say, and this is an understatement, she was pissed, not to mention sick and tired of the fact that the damn owl, if he had to go cheat, had to do it with an imp of all hell's natives!! Now sure she could just divorce his ass or hell just have him killed but then she had a stroke of genius, so she thought. She'd get payback by finding and banging some Imp's little brains out, thus ensuring the best lay of his measly little life and of course proving herself the more desirable Goetian.

Hey don't look at me like that, you expect me to make any sense of this swan's logic? It made about as much sense as the fact that for some reason their parents thought it'd be a good idea to arrange a marriage between the 2 despite the fact it clearly wasn't working out and that Stolas maybe might have been a closet case? But the point is she that she had gone and made these arrangements to have some imp brought to her at this little secret exclusive hotel for a night of passion. Which she was going to have filmed and photographed for her personal pleasure of course.

Hearing the sounds of the door opening, footsteps and a muffled voice, the fowl woman (pun intended) grinned as she got up from her lounging, looking herself in the mirror with a little narcissistic affection and admiration at the lingerie she got for this occasion. Just because she was going to bang some rando imp didn't mean she couldn't look fabulous after all, stepping into the boudoir as she beheld her lucky prey. Tied up with a burlap sack over his head as she pulled it off revealing it to be Moxxie of all people. Now I know what you're thinking but doubtful she even cared to know which imp Stolas was seeing so it was purely coincidence she got Moxxie snagged because that's how his luck is going here.

The gagged imp was clearly none too pleased, his muffled ranting pausing soon as he laid eyes on her. Going stiff as a board as he began to put the mental gymnastics together as to who she was but not so much the why he was here. Not helping the fact that for as much of an evil bitch energy she was giving off, Stella still did radiate quite a sexual charisma which wasn't helped by the ensemble she was wearing that just screamed made to get a dick hard. Or the rather sadistic twinkling gleam in her eyes as she sensually laughed at his reaction, leaning in close to caress one talon under his chin.

Stella:"Well I do have to rather admit, far as imps go? You're certainly not too hard on the eyes, rather dashing and handsome in way, cute even. Consider yourself a very lucky and blessed little one then because tonight, you have the luxury of sharing my sexual company this evening. We are going, and honestly, why play it polite, fuck and it's going to be fun....for me, I assure you."*The demon swan bitch queen all but reassured her captive beau for the evening, making it clear to him what her intentions were. Undoing her outfit enough to expose some of the more intimate, down right naughty sexy portions of her body before him. Taking delight in his reaction especially when she could the distinct bulge forming in the crotch of his pants. The mere idea she was enticing enough to coax Moxxie into getting an erection a very fine boost to her ego, as well as fuel to her own libido of course.*

With that said of course, the Goetian deviant woman decided she'd had done enough stalling and set to sate her carnal appetite, a nice cold dish of sweet revenge in the form of fucking her own imp boi toy. Running her talon down along to undo his bowtie and unbutton his shirt, licking her beak at the sight of quite a nice body for such a runty imp before she came to stop at the fly of his pants. Undoing it as she knelt down to have herself a better look see at the toy she would be playing with before she found herself getting quite a shock. Eyes shocked wide, beaked mouth agape as before it sprung out and stood quite the impressive length and girth she'd ever witnessed given whaetever prior sexual experience she had before and during her marriage to Stolas.

Stella:"W-well....certainly not a runt where it counts hmm?"*Trying and failing to sound nonchalant and unimpressed and really how could she? Thinking what the absolute fuck, was it possible for any imp to be so big or was Moxxie just some sort of mutant?!!*"W-well let's see if you're experienced enough with it to please someone like me, little man...."*Her bravado clear as day as she nervously grasped and stroked his shaft in her hand, feeling it twitch and pulse with every massage of her feathery palm and fingers. Uusing her free hand to undo the binds and restaints on Moxxie, after all it wouldn't do to not least let her gentleman for the night please her to the best of his abilities if he was tied up.*

If her hubris hadn't already been coming to bite her in her feathered and sexy avian ass, the moment she'd let him loose was pretty much it. She wasn't sure how or why it'd managed to come to play out like this but Moxxie was pretty much dominating her and she found herself loving it. Her brain and body alike becoming hit and overwhelmed with such unreal sensations of mind numbing sexual pleasrure she never thought imaginable and yet she was feeling it. Gripping and biting the sheets for her infernal life as the imp had her currently her pinned down, taking her from behind in the prone bone position.

Their bodies naked and contrasting one another as the imp's crimson red compact form flexed its quite surprisingly built muscles, his pelvis a blur as he thrust and pumped his cock away into the sloppy wet pussy of the snow white swan noblewoman like a jackhammer. His massive golfball sized nutsack smacking her clit as the bed creaked and shook from the intense force of his rutting as Stella could only make what could be described as some bizarre blend of the cries of birds in mating mixed with a porn star as she got railed by a well endowed co-star. The vindictive spiteful bird losing all sense of pride and arrogance, even forgetting what reasons she had for arranging this liaison or the fact she knows she shouldn't be enjoying this. To think a mere imp could give her so much pleasure, someone of her stature and pedigree in high society and what's more, she was loving each and every single damn second of it.

To think her parents could've gone and maybe gotten her this, this absolute unit stallion of an imp as her persona pleasure butler or something instead of marrying her off to a closet case!! She could've been getting laid around the clock and forgotten all about that nonsense about image, class and sophistication!! Fuck it she would gladly forgo trying to get all of Stolas' assets and fortune just to be a sex slave for this stud!! Wait was she really thinking that?

Of course she damn well was as she cried and howled for Moxxie to not stop, to use her as he saw fit and reduce her to his personal sexual plaything!! Make her his pretty little erotic songbird as he continued to fuck her relentlessly, no doubt the imp hitman was driven to try and meet whatever high standards the Goetian woman had unaware that he'd pretty much exceeded them the moment he penetrated her and took control. Her cries of calling him master and daddy in between her whorish, wanton moans as he put her body through a variety of positions she'd likely never experienced past the vanilla basics or whatever sort of sexual education her parents had provided her. Which knowing some nobles was basic as fuck which was pretty ironic given the rumours some extremely rich types were said to get up to behind closed doors according to movies like eyes wide shut but hey Stanley Kubrick was a weird fuck like that.

The Swan demon woman had especially found she rather relished the sort of positions that made her feel degraded, the sort fitting for the bitch in heat that she had been reduced to such as the mating press or doggy style. Even during the shifts where she was on top, such as cowgirl, she felt more like she was simply showing off for her new imp Daddy as she posed erotically for him and flashed her sensual assets before him. Making it known to him that he had her absolute devotion and belonged to him, mind body and soul as the pair went at it with their scandalous rur long into the night. By sunrise Moxxie had made his leave, the lady killing charmer limping slightly, exhuasted yet proud at the job well done at an unexpected mission being accomplished while Stella liad in the remains the demolished bed, smiling in a sexual coma made possible only by such an alpha male.

Some days after this secret liaison, Stolas was pleasantly surprised to find Stella had mailed him the divorce papers with her signature, much to the confusion of him and his brother in law as she didn't even include any terms granting her the majority of assets per the prenup agreement in their marriage. Just 5050 with equal custody shared between them in regards to visitation and parental supervision of Octavia and that was that. Millie meanwhile was quite surprised herself when she answered a knock on her door to find the swan herself on the other side with suitcases in hand. Of course one explanation later of course and the kinky shortstack wife of Moxxie knew her man's natural sexual charisma went and worked its magic once more.

[bylertruther]

How do you feel about Joyce?

i think, like most single mothers in her position, that she tries her best. unfortunately, due to a lot of factors, her best isn't the best, but she is trying, and her kids know that. she could make an effort to be more involved in jonathan's life, rather than expecting him to take care of himself (and everyone else) as he always has—there's a reason he had to learn and perfect that skill in the first place.

i sincerely hope she has an actual conversation with jonathan next season and encourages him to chase his own dreams without fear that he'll be "abandoning" her and will. she's treated him like a co-parent for way too long—she needs to set him free and offer him support. it'd be so dissatisfying for me if she didn't.

i enjoy her character best when she isn't being reduced to a plot device to further hop's development and involvement, like in season four. i felt like they totally nerfed her character in that season actually which is unfortunate. so many characters getting more complex storylines, and then they made her a joke. so cool, writers room. thank you for that. 👍

ummmmmmmm. what else... i like her androgynous / gender-neutral sense of style. i like that she asks will about his drawings. ...kind of really wish she'd be shown on screen doing the same with jonathan and his photographs lol.

idk what else to say! she's okay. she's got her good stuff, her bad stuff. a lot of people think the good cancels out the bad, but the truth is that they coexist and exacerbate her sons' issues greatly. every time i think about something she often does for will, i can't help but ask why she can't do that for jonathan, too. she's a layered character guilty of a lot of the things some people accuse other characters of (*cough*karen*cough*), but somehow it's never brought up.

oh, something else: i'm crossing my fingers that they give us juicy, serious background lore in that play that's coming soon. i'd love to hear more about what she and her life were like before her kids. and i also hope she teams up with karen next season. joyce tries to blow her off like she always does, but karen digs her heels in and insists that she be involved in whatever the hell is going on. something like that would be fun, i think—and it'd get joyce away from the same two male characters she's always grouped up with.

that's about it for my thoughts on joyce!

[im-a-chunky-potato]

WERE MOOTS AGAIN!!!

DO YOU HAVE ANY HCS YOUD LIKE TO SHARE :D!!

[apologies for the caps i am simultaneously tired out of my mind and full of energy help]

HIIII! okay okay my brain is blanking out on headcannons so you get something even better, and can hear about my coffee shop au! (It's not that impressive but egeghsh)

Its also pretty long so just be prepared!

First off This is just a modern au, there's no abilities in it!

So really the main characters are Fyodor, Nikolai, and Sigma because they run the coffee shop in the au.

Speaking of that the coffee shop is names the Decay of Angles because somebody misheard them and they couldnt afford to fix that when they noticed it so the name just stuck around^^

Sigma is the only responsible one of the group and acts as the manager of the shop

Nikolai's job is to help with marketing ideas and provide fun event ideas.

And Fyodor deals with creating new menu items and just making great coffee

They all take turns taking people's orders so it's a completely different experience with each person you get!

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

The basic concept I had for this is that it's just a really chaotic coffee shop where people all around Yokohama come to meet new people and share their stories! Umm as for other characters I've added we have

*Dazai- a pretty popular photographer known for his dynamic photos. His most popular being one known as the burahai trio and then a lot of photos of a certain redhead. He's a pretty common customer!

*Atsushi- A broke student just looking for a cheap way to stay caffeinated and to make money. He helps around the shop and befriends Sigma.

*Akutagawa is pretty much the same as atsushi, but quieter.

*Elise- a sassy little girl who just likes her caffeine

*Yosano- the cities best doctor with some veterinarian skills too! If anything is injured go to her! She's very much in need of coffee.

*Rampo, still the greatest detective the world has ever seen! Usually he goes to the coffee shop to question or give riddles to fyodor

*poe, rampoe's boyfriend and one paying for all the coffee:( he's an ongoing author!

*the hunting dogs are all police officers

*Higuchi is a model! Because I said so

*all of the black lizards+kajii and Chuuya are part of a band for fun! Chuuya definitely gets recognized the most though.

Everyone else is there too I just need to figure them out heheh

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

MOVING ON! Obviously there needs to be some sort of issue so I've decided that Fitzgerald wants to buy out the coffee shop and turn it into a chain. But that would lose the charm it has, and all the customers are against it and chaos ensues

But I think it'd also be fun to just delve into everyone's stories and have fun with that, so who knows.

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

Relationship wise I have no clue but

Dazai and Fyodor definitely act like exes towards each other

Sskk and skk exist in this universe

Maybe healthy fyolai? As if that exists.

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

Ahaha sorry this is already getting quite long! Maybe I'll share more eventually, I have so many thoughts on this au. Though I don't wish to bore you!

[gretavanbear]

Different Worlds - Jake Kiszka / Reader

[Notes:

I know. what the fuck why did she leave, girl u know for a fact i would still be in that room with him. sorry for the short chapter, it's past my bedtime rn anyways enjoyyyyy !]

Chapter 4 : Photoshoot

"Good morning, [y/n]!" Elizabeth beams as I step into her office. She had her hair down today, and she wore a big chunky cardigan which looked extremely soft. I greeted her in return and sat down at her desk with her. 

"So, today we're gonna walk around with the boys for some pictures, I thought it'd be some good promo! I found the perfect spot for some really nice pictures" She smiles and clasps her hands together. 

"That's a good idea! What would you like for me to do?" I ask, waiting to hear my tasks for the day. 

"Alright, so I know this isn't your job technically, but I wanted to try something for funsies today. There's this app called 'TikTok' where you basically take short videos and people can share them and react to them and stuff and I thought the fans would appreciate some content of the boys! We already set up the account and everything, you'd basically just have to take some videos of them" She smiles. 

"Oh! I love TikTok" I respond. "I'd love to do that! Sounds fun" I smile.

"Yes! I'm glad you're familiar with the app! So we're meeting the guys at the location later today, until then I can give you some paperwork and photocopies I'd need you to do?" She asks. I nod happily and do the work assigned to me. 

_ _ _ 

I step out of Elizabeth's car and am greeted by a sign for a national park. It was beautiful, it reminded me of the Banff national park. There was a huge lake and a little dock for people to stand on. The park was empty, I figured Elizabeth got to reserve it for a couple hours. There was a girl there with a big camera in her hands, the strap around her neck, she waved at Elizabeth and walked over to greet us. 

"Hi Liz!" She said, smiling. Liz and the photographer chatted quietly as I took in the beauty of the park. I pulled out my phone to take a couple pictures. I then hear the sounds of tires rolling on gravel, I turn around and am met with a black jeep. Out comes the 4 boys were all here for. I look at Jake first. It had been a week since our last encounter. I hadn't seen him since, only the rest of the band. He makes direct eye contact with me, not wasting any time with looking at the scenery behind me. He wore a black button down, unbuttoned until the middle of his chest. His skin looked so soft. He had dark grey pants and his dirty vans again. His hair loose yet held back by some sunglasses. His energy radiated onto me, he was so cool and I felt incredibly intimidated. He finally breaks the eye contact and takes in the view, I step away from his general direction and greet the band as a whole. I feel butterflies swarming my stomach as my mind races back to our last encounter. I shake my head quickly- hoping the thought makes it's way out of my head for now.

"The newbie is here!" Josh exclaims. I nod awkwardly. "Ready to be thrown into the lake aren't ya" He adds and Samuel laughs at his comment, the ice shaking in his iced coffee. 

"Josh I'm gonna start giving you the wrong time so you actually arrive on time. What's your excuse this time?" Elizabeth looks at him, with a slight sound of annoyance. 

"Sorryyyyyy Liz we were hungry, Sammy needed his coffee" Josh apologizes, taking Elizabeth's hands into his. She rolls her eyes playfully and forgives him, warning him not to be late again or she'll 'shave his precious head' as a consequence. 

"Alright guys so you know what's about to go down today, were gonna take a little hike and get some nice shots! I've given [y/n] the task to film a TikTok for us today, so just be yourselves and enjoy the walk! I unfortunately have another meeting I need to attend. [y/n], Josh will bring you back to the office later, okay?" Elizabeth announces, and then heads to her car. 

We decide to take the easiest trail possible. The boys even asked the park security which is the easiest one to take. We get our pictures and I film the TikTok as requested by Elizabeth. I started to feel more comfortable around the band, I spoke mostly with Josh since he was the most communicative one. Jake hadn't spoke to me at all today, I caught him looking at Josh and I couple times, but he'd look away as soon as I'd catch him. 

_ _ _

As we settle in the car, Josh asks everyone if they had their seatbelts on. I chuckle at his overprotectiveness and watch him start the car. He offered shotgun to me, so I could avoid "being in the back covered in the guys' filth" as he said it. His car was surprisingly clean, I don't know why but I expected him to be messy. Probably because his personality is very.. 'out there'.

"Hey Josh?" Jake finally speaks. I haven't heard him all day.

"What do you want" Josh asks, over exaggerating his annoyance towards his twin. i giggle at his performance.

"I'd love to listen to the demo we recorded last night, I want to see if I can make any changes." He says, explaining himself. My heart beats faster at the sound of his voice.

"Yeah sure." Josh responds. He plugs his phone into the aux cord of the car, scrolling through his recordings.

"[y/n], Jake has been going crazy over this song, he wrote it in one night he says! Crazy guy" He says, looking over at me and then in his rearview mirror- to make eye contact with Jake. The car starts backing up as Josh begins to drive us back to the studio, which was about a forty minute drive.  The song starts off with a bang, almost.. angry. I can hear Danny finger tapping his knees behind me, and I see Sam move his fingers to the beat of the song. I quickly look at Jake, and he's looking at me with a look I can't quite make out. Like he's scanning me or waiting for something. The first part of the song is amazing, talking about a fiery-type of love, something about a woman being a hearts desire. My heart is pounding, thinking Jake wrote this. Did he write it for me? I feel my fingers shake at the thought.

Until we get to the chorus. 

"Lover, Leaver, Taker, Believer'

Each word makes my heart sink deeper and deeper, dragging it out nice and slow just hurting me more and more. My throat feels tight and my mouth feels dry. I feel the tears start to make their way to my eyes. I don't bother listening to the rest of the lyrics, I just stare out the window until the song ends. Not letting Josh witness the tears coming out from the right side of my face. I wipe my tears- pretending I was just itchy.

"I think it's turning out really good, don't you think?" Jake asks. Josh hypes him up, and the band talks about the song some more until we arrive to the studio. I thank Josh for the ride back, trying my best to mask the hurt in my voice, and make my way quickly to my car. All I want right now is to cry and let it all out, let the pain that Jake has caused me out in the open. I think of the song he wrote about me, I think of the experience we shared. My vulnerability wasted, my first time; wasted. I gave him my all and he tainted it. I cry loudly in my hands, accidentally pressing my horn which causes a loud honk to come out of my car, alerting Josh and Jake, who were parked only a couple parking spots away from mine. Jake makes eye contact with me, but all I can do is back up and drive away.

Away from him.

Leaving him, once again.

[vuyosiyamba]

Pokemon XY Game Rewrite (what if story) WIP

Disclaimer: this is not meant to flaunt my ideas and say that they're better than the canon pokemon game. it's a fun what-if story.

What if:

The kalos starters got mega evolution forms.

The kanto starters were given kalosian forms (introducing the regional variant forms idea that was used in Pokemon Sun and Moon into Pokemon XY).

Team Flare was a vigilante group who kills criminals in Kalos and they were introduced early in the game?

There was a second evil team in the game. They'll be criminals who want to take over Kalos. they will also be fighting team flare and all of that. Their name will be Team Glacier and Team Flare will be fighting them in the game to reflect their whole "Evil can't be cured. Only killed" mentality and reflect how Lysandre will stop at nothing to kill criminals in the world. He'll still go through with using the Ultimate weapon to kill everyone, even criminals because he thinks it is a necessary sacrifice.

The Rival (Serena/Calem) joined Team Flare because Lysandre manipulated them into joining to get rid of all of the criminals in Kalos and the world but leaves out the part where he'll kill everyone, even innocent people and Pokémon to do so. They also join because team Glacier killed their parents.

Shauna, Tierno, & Trevor had the Kanto starters but the starters have Kalosion forms.

Diantha had a Diancie as her Ace Pokemon that mega evolves.

Diantha plays a role in helping you fight Team Flare in the story

Gurkin dies in the end part of the game and Korrina is left to continue his duties or whatever as a Guru?

Lysandre has Pyroar as their ace pokemon that has a mega evolution form?

Another evil team is introduced in the game that Team Flare fights. You will also be fighting them in some parts of the game.

There were other mega evolution trainers scattered around Kalos that you could battle (similar to Pokemon Let's go Pikachu and Let's go Eevee because that was a cool concept).

Xerneas and Yveltal get mega-evolution forms:

credit: r/pokemon on reddit

credit: Shin Art on Youtube

These are my ideas:

Froakie, Fennekin, & Chespin will still be starters but in this, AU they can mega evolve.

Calem's dream: become kalos champion/policeman.

Trevor's dream: become a Pokemon Professor.

Shauna's dream: Become a Pokemon Photographer.

Tierno's dream: become a Professional Dancer.

Shauna's starter: Kalos Bulbusaur (grass and fairy type).

Credit: HistosAP on Devianart

Trevor's starter: Kalos Charmander (dragon and flying type).

Credit: CriticaLink on Reddit

Tierno's starter: Kalos Squirtle (water and fighting type).

credit: ajkent14z on Devianart

Rivals starter: depending on which starter you choose, they'll pick one with a elemental type that is strong against yours.

Lysandre's ace pokemon will be a Pyroar that will also be given a mega evolution form. Lysandre's ace being a pokemon from a different region didn't feel right, so it'll be Pyroar.

credit: Amazen-megas on Devianart

The things that'll remain the same will be:

Main rival: Calem/Serena (depending on whether you choose to play as a boy/girl. throughout this story, I'll call them Rival for short, just to save time in writing).

Rivals: Trevor, Shauna, Tierno will still be your rivals as well.

Customisation: You still get to choose to be a boy or girl that you can customise and give them a name.

Champion: It'll still be Diantha but she'll be more active in helping you fight team flare in the game. Her ace Pokemon will be Diancie, a rare mythical pokemon from the Kalos region that can mega evolve. it would be cool if she fought with more kalos pokemon and having her ace pokemon be a pokemon from kalos instead of her ace being a pokemon from the Hoenn region. It didn't feel right making her ace be a hoenn pokemon. Also, her Diancie can mega evolve too. I thought it'd be cool to have a champion for the 1st time who has a rare mythical pokemon on their team to fight you in the game or whatever.

Pokemon XY story part 1:

At the beginning, you still meet your new friends as normal who tell you to meet them at Aquacorde Town.

You pick your starter pokemon and Rival picks their starter with the elemental type that's strong against yours. Trevor hands you and Rival a Pokedex.

Once you've picked your starter (Froakie, Fennekin or Chespin), Rival will ask you to fight them. Shauna will also ask you to fight her, too but Rival beats them to it. Rival suggests that they all fight each other (think of it as a triple threat match but insert pokemon instead of people).

You and Shauna lose. Shauna compliments Rival on how good they are at battling and you too since you almost beat Rival.

You tell your mom that you're off on your journey as normal. As you leave you see Shauna waiting by the gate. She asks if you're excited to start your journey. You say yeah and head out.

Rival teaches you how to catch a Pokemon as normal and proceeds further down the route to train or something.

On the route to Santalune forest, Trevor and Tierno will ask Rival to fight them. Rival sees you and asks if you wanna join in and fight Trevor and co in a double battle.

Trevor fights with Kalosian Charmander and Tierno fights with Kalosian Squirtle. You and Rival win. Trevor and Tierno compliment you both on your battle strategy.

They heal your pokemon and proceed further into the forest to catch pokemon to gather data into the Pokedex for Prof.Sycamore.

Tierno will be training his pokemon too and doing a small mini performance with his pokemon in front of the friendly and less violent pokemon in the forest who are interested in seeing him perform more.

credit: r/pokemon on Reddit

He befriends a kalosian Pikachu (electric and fighting type) and adds it to his party (it'll evolve into a kalosian Raichu later on in the game).

Rival fights trainers in the forest to get stronger. catches a Fletchling. Trevor catches a Bunnelby?Shauna takes photos of Pokemon and sees a Scatterbug. She catches it.

All of you leave Santalune Forest. Once you're out, Rival says that they need to do some training so their ready to fight the Santalune City Gym Leader so he leaves. Trevor says that he needs to try catch more Pokemon to fill up the Pokedex.

Tierno says that he'll help Trevor with that and train his team too while he's at it. Shauna says that she'll train after she goes ahead to Santalune City to take pictures of the scenery.

In Santalune city, Shauna fixes Viola's camera. viola thanks her. Shauna shows pics she took in the forest. Viola compliments her pictures (hint at her being a photographer in the postgame stuff).

When you go to train on the route that leads to Santalune City, you'll see Rival training alone on a small patch of tall grass (somewhere on the route) and a small scene starts to unfold.

They play a video recording where 2 people (a man and a woman who resemble Rival) are telling them how to battle (you see that the recording is old like it was recorded years ago).

After Rival wraps up the training session, they see you and ask how much of that you saw. You say everything.

Rival: Those were my parents. They were Pokémon Trainers. I learned everything about battling from them. They were awesome.

You: Were?

Rival says: My parents...passed away.

You: I'm sorry for your loss.

Rival: Sorry, can we change the subject. I really don't want to talk about this.

You agree and chat about something else as the scene ends. Somewhere in Santalune City, you see Tierno dancing with some breakdancers who are impressed by his dance moves and they clap for him.

Tierno sees Rival and greets him. He says that he was just taking a break from training and helping Trevor catch Pokemon. He says dancing is his way of taking a break. You compliment him on his dance moves and he thanks you.

The breakdancers ask him for another dance battle. Tierno asks you if he can excuse himself and has a dance battle with one of the breakdancers (this was just put to foreshadow Tierno becoming a Dancer as the Post-game stuff roles. Also wanted to flesh him out a little).

There will be a Pokemon library in Santalune city... somewhere. You'll find Trevor studying different Pokemon. He says hello to you and says that he was just studying some Pokemon in these books.

He was trying to see if he could find a book on Xerneas and Yveltal: the legendary pokemon of Kalos. Trevor offers some information on them saying that Xerneas is the Pokemon that protects life and Yveltal is the bringer of death (some lore to put early in the game instead of you learning about it from AZ late in the game. If the game does tell you about them early then nevermind).

As you head to the Santalune City Gym, Rival appears and asks you to battle them. Rival battles you with their Fletchling first, then their Starter Pokemon.

You win and Rival thanks you for the battle. Rival gives you the Rollerskates instead to thank you for battling them. When they leave, they get a holo caster message that they read immediately. They say: "What... Understood." Then they leave the scene.

I have to end it. Part 2 will come soon.

[rannadylin]

Ranna in Middle-earth, 2022

I'm not much for new year resolutions, but perhaps I should make one to actually post more about my gaming in the brief moments that said gaming gets to flourish in between all the lesson planning. XD Anyway, at the end of 2022 I got back into LOTRO a bit, so how about a brief recap?

OK, right, this isn't going to be all that brief and there are going to be screenshots, so time for a read more! Click to read what I've been up to in LOTRO, including the introduction of this guy...

In November, having seen someone's hobbit lore-master post and being thrilled to discover that was now an option, I made a hobbit Yolotli Itzli. :-D

But she mostly wears her hood up to cover for the lack of braided hair options on hobbits... :-(

Around that time, my main, Lennidhren (also a lore-master, but elven since I've been playing her since long before hobbits could pursue this most delightful of classes), has hit level cap and started exploring Gundabad! But then I thought maybe it'd be a good time for more alting until the level cap is raised again so the quests she's doing there could give her XP again...

I've actually not leveled Lottie very far yet, but did switch over to Fjiola for a bit; she's in the 30s and now questing around Esteldin (but being photographed only in Bree, apparently)...

HOWEVER while she was doing that I had a sudden urge to try the new Brawler class. So, continuing my efforts to make all the Itzlis as hobbits, I went with Violet's older (second-oldest) brother, Corbus, a.k.a. Audie's nemesis. :-D

And it turns out Brawler is ridiculously fun to play, so I have basically spent all of winter break that I wasn't baking cookies or visiting family playing this fierce little dude.

He has acquired a cat...

And a matching title. :-D

And a hobby...

And so many pretty screenshots...

And so many questionable fishing spots... :-D

And now he's zooming around Moria!

Brawler seems to involve rather a lot of one-shotting enemies on the first punch, sometimes even if they're several levels higher than him, so zooming is accurate. Especially when I'm used to playing a lore-master! XD

[hullosweetpea]

i was tagged by the lovely @mayalaen a [redacted] time ago with a snippet game! Post a snippet from your WIPs with the following words: Stretch, Forget, Size, Rough, and Save

At the first hour break, Eddie cracks his neck and wipes his hands on his jeans. He needs to be better about stretching, but he’s already resigned himself to being a hunched over eighty-year old man. Nancy says he looks like Gollum over Precious while he draws. Eddie skipped over the insult and instead interrogated the Nancy Wheeler over her Lord of the Rings knowledge. The model stretches his arms over his head and bows his back. His scars ripple over his muscles and Eddie’s not a saint. He wants to write odes to this man, wax poetic about his moon cratered back, set it all to a lament and listen to the guys roast him for writing a love song. It'd be worth it. The kid next to him —Will, maybe?— looks at the model, too. His face flushes pink down to his dorky turtleneck/cardigan combo. 

^ From my Steddie Big Bang that “whoopsie i didn’t get submitted in time.” New plan is to finish it up and post around the end of the year when it takes place.

If that’s something you want and he can’t give you, you’re better off single. Sit him down, tell him you aren’t compatible. Don’t tell him why unless he presses. No need to open a can of worms. And hey, don’t forget to enjoy your new single life. Find out what you like. And don’t forget free condoms and dental dams are available at the campus health center! Did that answer your question? 

^ From WNDY 87.5, an a/b/o Buckingham that was supposed to be for a server exchange and now it’s eaten me alive (see a theme here?)

It’s three days until Steve makes the call to Heat Wave. It’s a brisk and clear January morning, and he knows if he doesn’t call before work he’ll have to wait until Monday. Steve munches on his bagel as he flips to the alpha section of the pamphlet. There’s five in total, each with a slightly grainy photograph and biography blurb. His first instinct is to choose Chrissy: bubbly, attentive, [adjective], and most importantly —female. But his eyes keep drifting to the alpha in the middle: Eddie. Eddie’s tongue sticks out in his photograph. He confesses his love for scenting and snuggling in his biography. Said biography also includes a tortured innuendo about the size of his knot. Eddie seems like fun. Steve could use fun.  

^ From Heat Wave, a Steddie a/b/o i’ve working on and off for about the past month, with potential to be Day One for the @omegaversesteddieweek.

“You’ll need to stop taking your suppressant immediately. And I’d highly advise against scent blockers, too. It’ll take about a month for your suppressant to cycle out of your system, and then you should go into heat. It’ll be rough, but when it’s over you’ll need to schedule a follow-up with me. From there, we’ll have a better idea. If it’s suppressant build-up, we should see your symptoms clear up and your heats average out by your third heat. If it’s early onset menopause, nothing will change.” 

^ Also from Heat Wave (literally my only wip that has it)

Steve and Nancy collapse in the front seats of Steve's BMW. He cracks a grin and turns to Nancy. So was it like you thought it would be? She pushes her bangs off her sweaty forehead. Sips from a metal bottle. A bit more intense than I thought. Turns out saving the world doesn't keep you flexible, Nancy says. 

^ From my Ballet Steve AU (THAT I SWEAR I’M WORKING ON)

new words: upset, down, light, cold, try

new people: @hullomoon, @lexirosewrites, @itcanbepalped, @rewritingicarus, and @sharkfish + anyone else who is a writer because i don’t want to get my podficcers and writers confused

[brightgnosis]

Yesterday was the city-wide Garage Sale event we do every year. My Husband and I woke up early af to go out for it, hoping to find a few things; he was hoping to find a Kitchen Aid mixer (which, like, good luck lol). But I didn't really have anything in mind, personally. I did wind up finding quite a few ritual items, though, surprisingly!

Ironically the first house we stopped at, that set the tone for me finding ritual items? Was accidentally the house of the same lady I've been getting rides to my Master Gardener meetings from, before I started driving again; the same woman whose brain I kinda "broke" by mentioning I eat sausage, but whose been too polite to actually ask me about it.

From her I got a little white ceramic pitcher with a bowl (stamped 'Enesco'), for washing my hands before ritual and prayer — plus a little floral patterned Espresso Demitasse that says "Present" (stamped "Made in Germany"), that I got for proper liquid offerings for the Ancestors now, rather than using my other Tea Cups; both were 50 cents apiece.

She also had a beautiful set of 4 tea cups stamped 'Harmony House Japan', in the 'Eugenie Rose' pattern (according to the stamp). They don't have the matching saucers, but just having the 4 cups is impressive enough. So I snagged all of them for my collection.

I keep making friends and talking about inviting them over for tea in the Garden "or something". So it's nice to now have cups I won't mind being accidentally broken. Especially since I basically got rid of all the ones I didn't mind getting broken a couple years ago, and these were only $1 together.

I also got this beautiful gilded crystal Cloche from another woman for $4 (along with two storage baskets for $1 apiece, and a candle holder for another $1). I thought it'd be great for food offerings, so that the Cats can't get to them anymore.

She said it was her Grandmothers when she sold it to me. So judging based on that, and the age of the gilding, I'm tentatively estimating somewhere along the 30's and 40's. I'm not familiar with crystal or its patterns, however.

And more crystal, too: Two plates- one round ($4), and one rectangle ($3). Both from another couple at a difference house; I picked these ones up for ritual Challah. Originally I was only going to get the rectangle one, but I like making round ones, too. So I grabbed both.

I'm going to see if the nice guy from the Vintage shop I love in town, who sold my the crystal candle holder that I use for Novena and Novara, will help me identify and date the crystal objects since I don't know how to do that; he seems to really like crystal objects and knows a lot about them. So maybe he'll be willing to either consult on them, or outright identify them for me.

I also got several really soft shirts from another house. But they're all modern ones so I haven't bothered photographing them. It's nice to have a few more thinner sweaters that I can wear through the cooler parts of Spring, though.

All in all, the shopping / garage sale part of yesterday was great- though most houses really didn't have anything worth looking at; most people we talked to admitted to either doing their big garage / yard sales either the day or the weekend before because they hadn't known about the city-wide event. So we just kind of meandered around town, mostly looking at the houses. But it was still fun, and I still got a lot more than I ever expected when we left, ha.

[asmollbisexual]

Hi hello welcome :)

This is my second legacy challenge I've made for the Sims 4 and I can tell this one is so much better.

Currently this is only a six gen legacy, as I haven't figured out what to do with the other characters I've made yet, so eventually I'll probably make a part two :)

Each generation is closely based on one of my OCs. I always play out their lives but I thought it'd be more fun to turn it into a legacy challenge. I know they have quite a few rules for each one so feel free to cut any out to make it more fun for you if you decide to play :)

Basic Rules

- No money / need cheats (within reason)

- No career / aspiration / skill cheats

- Any and all mods are allowed

- You can play on Normal lifespan, however I find it better to play on Long, that way you have more time to do the challenges and still play with the sims yk?

- Have fun :)

- Also the Sims don't have to have the same names as the character it's based off ofc

Generation One - Kobe Nakamura

Everything seemed impossible to you. Your parents were super strict and super old fashioned, so when your little sister came out as trans, they didn't treat her well. That was the breaking point for you. You ran away from home with your sister and tried to give her the life she deserved, even if it meant giving up on your own dreams... Whatever they were...

Traits : Hot-Headed | Paranoid | Loner

Aspiration : Super Parent

Careers : Salary Person | Tech Guru - eSport Gamer

Skills : Mixology | Video Gaming | Cooking

Challenges --

Create your teen founder and their younger (child) sibling and move to an apartment

Master the Cooking skill before becoming a YA

Play video games with your sibling all the time

Own a bar and drink every night after your sibling is asleep (the stress is too much)

Only have one best friend until Adulthood

Marry that Sim and have 2 kids (preferably twins)

Get to level four of the Salaryperson career, quit after you get married

After you quit your job, your spouse helped you discover your passion. Max the Tech Guru career - eSport Gamer branch

Be the best parent ever

Generation Two - Hanako Ito

You had possibly one of the best childhoods you could ever ask for. Your parents spent everything on you and your sibling, both their time and their money. One Christmas your parents bought you a camera, and by the end of the day your room was covered in photos. Yeah, this is your purpose in life. You have photos of your friends and family EVERYWHERE!

Oh, and you love parties.

Traits : Creative | Art Lover | Insider

Aspiration : Friend of the World

Career : Freelance - Photographer

Skills : Photography | Singing | Dancing

Challenges --

Complete the Friend of the World aspiration

Go to Karaoke with friends and/or family every Sunday

Have a photography studio for both work and personal use

Have your very own club for your close friends, gather every Saturday night to go dancing

Take photos with/of your family and friends, display them all around your home

Marry someone you meet at a Karaoke bar

Have at least one friend in every available world

Generation Three - Jakob Nagame

Ever since you were young you've been in love with cooking. Every night you would help your parent make dinner. Seeing the joy in people's faces as they ate your food gave you great satisfaction. So you decided from a very young age that you want to be a chef!

Traits : Foodie | Cheerful | Squeamish

Aspiration : Master Chef

Career : Culinary - Chef

Skills : Cooking | Gourmet Cooking | Baking

Challenges --

Go to university to study culinary

Master the Culinary career - Chef branch

Maintain a strong relationship with at least one Sim from university

Reach level 10 in the listed skills

Complete the Master Chef aspiration

Marry your childhood bestfriend

Have an outdoor winter wedding

After you get married, have at least 2 kids, adopt at least one

Own a restaurant

Generation Four - Ren Takahashi

Life wasn't the easiest for you, what, with being trans and trying to make it as an actor. Luckily, your parents were incredibly supportive, for both you dreams and being trans. You were very easy to get along with, and you just seem to make friends everywhere you go.

Traits : Romantic | Outgoing | Active

Aspiration : Master Actor

Career : Actor

Skills : Charisma | Acting | Bowling

Challenges --

Get max level in the Drama Club

Date at least four other actors/actresses

Marry a close friend

Go out drinking at least once every other week - always make a friend each time

Max the bowling skill, after having you have kids take them bowling often

Have 2 children

Generation Five - Hide Nishio

Music is your life. You can't live without it. You would sit alone in your room blasting music, and whenever you were with your friends you were always singing with them. You want to write your own songs. You want to be in a band with your friends. You want to live every stereotypical musician's life.

Traits : Music Lover | Party Animal | Bro

Aspirations : Serial Romantic | Musical Genius

Career : Fast Food Employee

Skills : Guitar | Juice Fizzing

Challenges --

Get at least level 2 in all music related skills

Reach level 10 of the guitar skill and make most of your money licencing your own songs

Get a high level in the Juice Fizzing skill - you like to make your own drinks at parties

Go to a bar or night club at least every Friday night

Date at least 10 sims

Woohoo with at least 15 Sims, in as many different locations as possible

Complete the Serial Romantic aspiration first

Make a club, this is your band

After completing the Serial Romantic aspiration, have a romance with all of your band mates (but don't date them). When you start dating your future spouse, ask your band mates to just be friends

After marriage, complete the Musical Genius aspiration

Generation Six - Hannah Jefferson

Unlike your parent, who loves people and all things loud, you just wanted to sit in a cozy conservatory and read... And practice witchcraft. What? It fascinates you. No one ever finds out though, not having friends helps keep it a secret. All your hobbies are typically done alone, and that suits you perfectly.

Traits : Bookworm | Socially Awkward | Maker

Aspirations : Spellcraft & Sorcery | Master Maker

Career : Freelance - Maker

Skills : Fabrication | Herbalism | Wellness | Knitting | Cross Stitch

Challenges --

Reach at least level 5 in Knitting and Cross Stitching skills

Max the Fabrication and Herbalism skills

Reach high level Wellness skill

Go on vacation to Granite Falls at least once a year

Compete the Master Maker aspiration as a YA

Before you marry attempt to complete the Spellcraft & Sorcery aspiration

Sell your candles, knitting, cross stitches on plopsy, then eventually in your own shop

Have a conservatory filled with plants, books, and wellness stuff

Have only one child, any more than that is too much socialising

If you try this challenge or like it please let me know!! :)

[purplesurveys]

1829

Do a lot of people tell you that you are funny? Usually it's only my friends, but that's also because I only try to be funny around them haha. I'm pretty serious/formal with most others cause it's hard to tell what kind of humor they have and I don't want to possibly offend.

Have you gone to a tanning bed lately? No and I never need to. I get tan for free where I live, lol.

What did you do on the Fourth of July? After checking my IG archives, all I did that day was work from home and post some outtakes from my Bangkok trip as I was apparently still on a vacation high.

Do you ever watch Hannah Montana? I watched the first two seasons, but it was around that time that we moved houses and we couldn't afford cable yet, so I was never able to catch up with the rest of the show. I still really liked Hannah Montana though and had her first album and even the Wii game. I think I even owned a couple of bedazzled Hannah Montana tops haha.

Do you think Miley Cyrus is a good role model? She must be to a certain audience, I guess?

Do you have nice legs? I like them, at least.

Are you good at decorating? No, that's what I need my sister for haha.

Have you ever been to Ohio? No.

Do you like southern accents? No.

Do you watch Big Brother? No, never saw the appeal.

How old is the oldest person who has ever liked you? Only one person has and they're the same age as I am.

Do you get intimidated easily? I try not to.

Do you get a shower every day? Pretty much, yes.

Do you like mountain biking? Nope, I can't even bike.

What is something you like to do for fun? Watching wrestling, painting, and learning about either social history or prominent family trees.

Do you remember a lot of things from whenever you were a child? Well, yes. I had a darker childhood than all my peers, and a sure side effect of that is developing a sharper memory...

What was something good that happened to you this week? I managed my last event for the account that I negotiated to get off of and from now til the end of March I just need to oversee turnovers.

Have you ever been to Ireland? Never been.

Do you have a lot of shoes? It's not a closet's worth but it's definitely more than enough!

Would you rather go out to eat or make dinner yourself? I'd rather choose from the pantry.

Do you like The Goonies? I've never seen it.

Would you ever consider being a photographer? I did, but I realized it wasn't for me. Photography is an art, and I am no good at art.

What is something that you aren't good at? I'm awful at any sort of creative writing. < Hey, same!

What is something you really regret? Buying running shoes that cost way more than how much I'm willing to pay for shoes. I thought it'd make me get into running.

Running just sucks.

Do you think you have a lot of friends? No, and it's okay. I get what the adults mean now - your circle really does get smaller the older you get, and that's ok! I actually prefer it this way! Hahaha.

Do you like to answer questions in detail? Yeah I tend to be a big blabberer hahaha.

Who are the texts in your inbox from? They're all work people.

What is something you wear everyday? Just airy and thin stuff since I live in a country that's well over 32C everyday and it wouldn't make sense to wear thicker tops and jeans or sweatpants at home.

What clothing store do you really like? Shopee and IG stores...hahahaha.

Do you have a lot of chores? I'm in charge of a handful but I wouldn't call it 'a lot.' We share equally.

[stormgardenscurse]

Can I order a scenario about reader and ruggie making valentines day chocolates together but at the end, reader gives a special batch of (honmei/romantic) chocolates to ruggie and fumbles over her words while confessing? Thank you so much if you do this! - anon 🥑

(Combined this with valentwst!)

Day 4: Ruggie + Stars

Summary: A modern reincarnation AU, where you meet Ruggie once again in your second lifetime.

Note: Italicised paragraphs are meant to be memories from your time in Twisted Wonderland!

Ruggie was never one to waste a wish on something impractical. In last year’s event, he used his star in regards to a steady future - this time around, he bends that sentiment a bit.

Because you see, he met someone he knew he’d cherish for lifetimes to come. Thus he made a nonsensical wish: to remain by your side so that he may experience many more things with you. It only made sense, seeing as having you in his future would make him incredibly happy.

If he had his way, Ruggie would’ve wished that in another life, you’d have the opportunity to meet a bit earlier; just so he could’ve seen more sides to you and get to witness how your smiles have grown.

Ah, but that was simply him daydreaming, wasn’t it? Turns out even practical guys can get like that sometimes… Just what were you doing to him?

-

“I can’t believe we’re getting paid for taking pictures like this,” Ruggie laughed. “Not that I’m complaining. It’s easy money, and a fun place to visit too.”

It was a Saturday afternoon when you and Ruggie wandered about the zoo, photographing the animals for a small job. A college student needed images to accompany their research project and was too busy to do it themselves, which was where the two of you came in!

“That’s true,” You hummed in agreement. “Though you worked here before, right? Wouldn’t you be kind of bored about coming back again?”

Ruggie seemed to have a good memory too, seeing as he still remembered the zoo's layout like the back of his hand.

“Well, I guess it’s different when I’m here as a customer. There’s no free lunch, and I don’t get to drive those fun safari cars anymore,” Ruggie joked. “But it’s still pretty fun since I’ve got company that I like. I wouldn’t have dragged you along otherwise, ya know?”

“...I see,” You tried to appear as nonchalant as possible. “In that case, should we get souvenirs for today? Since I’m your favorite person and all.”

“We can get matching ones.” Ruggie browsed the shelf of keychains, finally lifting up a pair. “What do you think?”

Sometimes, you really didn’t know if his relaxed reactions were a blessing or a curse. On one hand, it meant you were close enough to joke as much as you’d like - on another, it meant that if you were ever going to confess to him, you’d have to be so obvious that it'd even get through to a rock.

It wasn’t even because Ruggie was oblivious, but rather you had a gut feeling that he could sense you were nervous.

Damn him and his compassion sometimes. He was waiting to see when you’d feel most comfortable with putting everything out there.

You're pulled out of your thoughts as you walk by a discount basket full of soft toys - it seemed like there was a design error for the plushies, resulting in the store cutting the prices by a large amount. Even students like you could afford to buy a couple.

Or maybe…

"Ruggie," You tugged at his sleeve and pointed towards the basket. "Do you think you could get these for the kids living near you?"

His eyes lit up. "Huh, I wonder…"

Ruggie counted the numbers in his head as he looked through the toys, deciding on a group of mixed animals as you helped him plop them into a basket.

"I know they're cheap, but it's not like you to just go ahead and buy so many." You observed, nonetheless aiding him with the purchase.

"That college guy said he'd pay more if the picture quality was good, right? We took care of that, and I'm pretty sure I can talk a bit more out of him~" You made your way out of the souvenir shop half-a-dozen plushies richer, finally calling an end to your time at the zoo.

"You seem a bit more victorious than normal."

"The younger kids will be pretty happy with this haul, so that's enough of a victory for me." He offered to take the bags from you, carrying them with ease. "I don't always spoil them, so once in a while I'll consider it a good deed."

"You're using your cut from this job to fund it, right?" When he nodded, you smiled in return. "Well, I can't have them thinking you're better than me. I'll put in some of my share too."

Ruggie tried to gauge your expression. "You sure?"

"Who do you take me for?" You playfully scoffed. "They aren't bad kids, so I might as well."

"Something special every now and then can really lift their spirits." He agreed.

"We should treat ourselves too. There's a donut shop nearby, right?"

-

"Ruggie, are you not planning to do anything on valentine's day?"

"Hmm? Not really, though that holiday does get busy, doesn't it? Maybe I'll find something to do."

...He wasn't about to start signing up for delivery jobs, was he? "You really should treat yourself more, you know."

"Shishishi, are you worried about me?"

"Just…" The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Gathering your courage, you quickly fished a box out of your bag and shoved it into his hands, speaking quickly. "I made these the other day with Trey's help. They should be edible, at least - I'll see you after class!"

And with that, you were gone; your departure too abrupt to notice the surprise on Ruggie's face, followed by a fond, disbelieving laugh.

"...You can't expect me to not be happy, right?" He muttered to himself, smiling like an idiot. "Who would've thought that I'd get chocolates like these?"

There's a little note taped onto the box: 'Take care of yourself, will you? Happy Valentines!'

Well, Ruggie wasn't about to let this slide: White Day was going to be fun indeed.

[gyucore]

to reach a happy ending

pairing: beomgyu x reader

tags: fluff, childhood friends to lovers

word count: 1.6k

warnings: beomgyu swears like once

prompts:

017: "A fairytale with a happy ending always brings a smile to my face."

023: "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

— requested by ⛅ anon! sorry this took so long to make. i hope you like it!! ♡

"Ew, look at this." You hand the dusty old photo album to Beomgyu who's sprawled across the floor by your side.

"Wait—" He stops you, rolling away before letting out a sneeze so loud that it managed to echo off the dusty untouched walls of his old room. The poor guy couldn't help it, his room hadn't been cleaned since he moved out in the middle of high school, and his mom preferred to keep things as they were— dust and all. You wonder if it was simply an excuse to clean one less room.

Beomgyu did say he had dropped in yesterday without notice. You'd think he'd want to spend some quality time with his parents first, but he'd decided to invite you over after spending a single night under this roof. Having heard nothing but radio silence from your best friend in years, you were thrilled to get to see him again. And what better way to shed off the ever present awkwardness in the beginning than to go through old photo albums?

"Okay, show me." Beomgyu rolls back to your side, scooting in closer to rest his head on your lap.

You turn the photo album, pointing at one photo in particular of you and Beomgyu dressed as a knight and damsel in distress— Beomgyu playing the role of the latter. Contrary to the roles, you were pummeling Beomgyu to the ground as if having caught a thief, and Beomgyu was shoving his handkerchief to your face, blocking your eyesight. The context behind the photograph alludes you, but this might just be a case of seven-year-olds doing whatever they want whenever.

"The fuck you mean ew? I look great in that dress!" Frowning, Beomgyu grabs the album to stare longer at his past self's glory.

"Lying to yourself isn't good for you, Gyu." You jokingly disapprove. It was fun seeing his reactions right after.

"Oh, look at these."

Beomgyu points at a photo of you and him on stage, wearing the same costumes as before. You figured it was for a play back in first grade when you two had been classmates. The next series of photos included one of you holding out a sword towards a kid in a cheap dragon costume, one of Beomgyu holding back his tears after tripping over and ripping his dress, and ones of you rushing to Beomgyu and kissing away his tears.

"This takes me back." Beomgyu lights up with a smile, failing to notice the surprise on your face. "Remember when your mom made us believe that kissing any injuries we had would make it go away? I knew you wanted to help me back then but I couldn't stop crying and tell you were it hurt, so you started kissing all over my face hoping it'd go away."

You find yourself laughing at your past self's foolishness. "But did it work?" You ask in between laughs.

"Well," Beomgyu chuckles, getting up from his position on your lap. "I don't think it would've worked if another person had done it. But since it was you— Wait." He takes one last look at the album, letting slip a wheeze before placing it back in its box. "Mom wrote something right below the photo."

"What did she write?" You ask, holding out your hands for Beomgyu to grab.

"A fairy tale with a happy ending always brings a smile to my face." Beomgyu tells you as he helps you up, trying his best to keep a straight face after delivering that line.

The two of you burst into laughter at his mother's words. You knew she'd been fond of fairy tales all her life but the caption was taking you out. Beomgyu was literally crying in the photo yet somehow this, to her, was a happy ending.

You eventually take notice of all the photos plastered around his room, some framed, and some simply stuck to the walls— memories of happier times. Most were of you and him, and in some, just you. He'd shown off the Polaroid camera his mother bought for him in seventh grade, proclaiming he'd only take photos of moments he'd want to keep in his memory forever. It never actually crossed your mind that a lot of them would be of you.

Beomgyu notices your wandering eyes and chuckles, placing an arm around your shoulder. The distance between you shrinks as he holds you closer. And at that moment, you take note of everything that's changed.

He'd gotten taller since the last time you saw him. Gone was the lanky boy you knew, evident in the way his muscles flexed with every small movement you wish you hadn't noticed. Beomgyu had grown his hair out; the thick, wavy locks tucked behind his ears, covering the back of his neck. The deepness of his voice had been a surprise when he greeted you at the door earlier, but you held back from pointing it out.

You feared that if you acknowledged all the changes, you'd be forced to face reality. That things weren't the same anymore, no matter how hard you tried. After all, Beomgyu wasn't the only one who changed. You had quite the few character development arcs yourself, and experiences which Beomgyu remained oblivious of. And somehow despite that, in his presence, you started to feel like your old self again.

Beomgyu's invitation had come as a surprise last night. You thought he'd forgotten about you, what with all the silence these past few years.

Life continued on as it should even without Beomgyu by your side, but you could argue that all the amazing experiences you've had on your own would've been better if he were there to experience it with you. And now here you were in his old room, pretending everything was the same as he'd left it.

You look up at your old friend, wanting to tell him what had been plaguing your thoughts the entire day but find yourself tongue tied when his dark eyes stare back into your own. And you wonder, how many times had it been that you'd stared into each other's eyes just like this? How many times had he pulled you close into his arms all those years? And just how many nights had you spent wondering if your feelings for him had grown into something more?

"I missed you." Beomgyu speaks first, his gaze never faltering.

Hearing his voice, you swear you could've melted right then and there. Part of you had wished he'd tell you those exact words, confirming that it hadn't been just you who'd been wanting to see him all these years.

"I missed you too."

Beomgyu could only smile at your response.

His arm leaves your shoulder— hands slowly finding their way to your own. His hold was gentle as he slowly guided you to face him.

"Don't laugh, but," Beomgyu starts. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"Love at fir—"

The question throws you off.

"What?"

"I heard you the first time!" You cut him off, wanting so bad to cover your face from the secondhand embarrassment. "I can't believe you just said that. What even happened to you in college?"

"Hey! At least hear me out before you make fun of me." Beomgyu bursts out laughing at your reaction, his thumbs caressing the back of your hands to help you calm down. "Judging from your reaction, I'm guessing your answer is a no. And I honestly felt the same too until a few hours back."

"Okay, you lost me there."

"Shut up. What I'm saying is," Beomgyu squeezes your hands, leaning in closer. "I'm sorry I haven't been in touch the last few years. I had a lot of trouble adjusting, and it took a while for me to really get the hang of living alone. I wanted to talk to you as soon as I got there but then I thought that maybe it would've been better for you if I left you to live your own life for a while too."

"Beomgyu.." You squeeze his hands back, sensing the sincerity in his eyes.

Beomgyu shakes his head. "I know this sounds silly and all, but I didn't want you to feel the emptiness I felt when I left. I wanted you to go and make experiences of your own without me."

You frown, refraining to speak until he's done.

"But then I couldn't stop thinking about you. Everywhere I went, I'd think of you and how the place would've been better if we got to hang out there together. Every time I had fun or ate something that tasted good, I wanted you to share the experience with me."

Beomgyu sighs. "Honestly, I thought I could make it through my visit home without seeing you but I passed by your house on my way home yesterday and I just.. I couldn't hold back. And when I saw you for the first time in years at the front of my doorstep.. I knew I had to tell you."

Half of you knew what to expect, and the other half doubted the reality of the situation. But all the doubts instantly melt away as soon as Beomgyu closed the distance between you, pressing your foreheads together.

Face flushed, you stare at him in awe and notice he had his eyes closed shut. "Cute." You thought.

He whispers in a voice so quiet you could barely hear.

"I like you."

You couldn't hold it in any longer, the rush of emotions crashing into you like raging waves against a cliff. The next moment, you find yourself inching closer and closer, face heating up even more as you press your lips against his as a reply.

Beomgyu's eyes widen, body freezing in place. He hadn't exactly expected you to respond so soon, especially not like this. And he couldn't be happier.

You feel Beomgyu returning the kiss, his hands going up to cup your face— his hold gentle. The two of you wanted nothing more than to stay in this moment for as long as life permits, because for once, you could finally see the path to your happily ever after slowly unraveling.

This was just the beginning.

[whatyourfathersays]

goodbye → brad simpson

"I think we should break up."

The six words felt like daggers in your heart as you stare at your boyfriend of three years. It wasn't a surprise to you, not really; you'd been expecting it. Nonetheless, it still hurt a lot for it to become a reality that you're losing one of the most important people in your life.

The first sign that you'd noticed Brad Simpson was falling out of love with you was when he had planned a trip to Harry Potter World in London as a fun surprise for everyone who had worked on the new EP with them. It was celebratory, a way to finally relax after months of hard work since the EP finally came out the day after.

There were loads of you, Brad and the boys, their manager, photographer, producers. But someone who stuck out to you was a girl with long dark hair, red lips and a kind smile.

"Some people are coming over for us to take them there," Brad says as he grabs his car keys from the kitchen side. "Couldn't get their own ride there so I offered."

"Okay," you smile, pushing yourself off of the kitchen counter you were leaning against before kissing his cheek three times like you always do. It was a tradition, one that neither of you ever broke.

Until today, when Brad grabbed his phone and walked off without returning the three kisses.

You tried not to be upset by it and sighed, turning to grab your drink from the side before walking into your bedroom and beginning to get ready for the day ahead.

Brad was sat on his sofa the entire time, messaging the group chat he'd made for the day. He forgot to add you, so the inside jokes would fly over your head later that day when they all met up for the trip.

Brad huffs as he looks at the time on his phone before standing up, walking to the room you both shared and standing at the doorway with his arms folded.

"You almost done, Y/N?"

"Yeah, just finishing up my makeup," You smile back. "Wanna sit down and talk for a bit?"

"No, I'll be okay. Gonna go grab some food," Brad decides despite not being hungry. You frown as he walks away, digging for his phone that he left in his pocket.

You tried not to be affected by the distance he'd created with you already today, even though it was barely reaching ten in the morning.

Finishing off your makeup, you go down to the lounge where Tristan and a girl with long dark hair sat with Brad, all laughing.

You smile at Tristan who notices you first, causing Brad to look over his shoulder at you as he sat next to the girl, his wide smile slowly falling as he looks over at you.

"Ready to go?" Brad asks you and you nod, grabbing your handbag as Brad grabs his car keys again, everyone getting on their shows and coat.

The girl with dark hair saunters over to you and smiles kindly. "Don't think we've ever met, but Brad's told me a lot about you. Just thought I'd introduce myself; I'm Bella."

"Hi," you smile politely back. "I'm Y/N."

The girl didn't seem awful, in fact she was quite nice as she complimented your outfit and make up and you couldn't fault the fact that the boys worked with her as she had probably had undeniable talent with production and songwriting.

"Let's go, ladies!" Tristan cheers, slinging his arm over Brad's shoulder. You quickly put your coat on and follow everyone else out of your house, waiting for Brad to lock the door before walking to the car with him.

He seemed distance physically from you, a meter between you both as you reach the Ranger Rover that he'd saved up and bought.

You grab the door handle to the front passenger seat, pausing when you see Bella say in the front seat.

Brad notices, too, looking at you over the car roof. "Just get in the back, Y/N."

"But I always sit in the front," you pout.

It's true, you always have sat in the front. No matter who you were with, Brad would always make sure his girl was at the front with him where he could put his hand on her knee. If it meant getting Connor (he usually forgot the unspoken rule) to move into the back seats, then Brad would refuse to leave until his friend moved away so you could sit next to him. He was always one hundred percent adamant that you sat next to him, always.

"Don't be mardy; get in the back."

Tristan noticed how odd Brad was acting towards you and rolls his window down, offering you a smile.

"Come on, Y/N, join me," he grins and you nod, a sad smile on your face as you got into the car, sat behind Brad.

The ride was awkward, to say the least. Tristan tried to make you feel comfortable but Brad spent the entire time making jokes with Bella that you didn't understand.

"Remember on the group chat when Connor accidentally sent his ballsack to us?" Bella laughs, causing you to frown and turn to Tristan.

"There's a groupchat?"

"Yeah, Brad made it," Tris replies, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Did he not add you?"

"No, he didn't."

You look off out at the landscape, hoping it was just a mistake but everything was piling on. From not returning the three kisses, not wanting to sit with you while you got ready, not letting you sit where you usually do in the car, and now a group chat without you in it? It was starting to make you a little suspicious that something was going on with Brad.

Once you arrive, your excited mood had already been dampened as Brad got out and dug his hands in his pockets, sauntering off to find the rest of the crew that were coming.

Bella and Tristan struggled to keep up with Brad themselves, and it didn't help that you were too sad to walk at a normal pace so you simply just walk slowly.

When you join the entire group, everyone was there. Connor, James, their girlfriends, Joe and Laura, Dean who was filming Brad who was talking, Tristan and Bella talking to each other, some producers you'd never met. All in all, you felt very excluded by no fault of your own as they spoke about topics that were discussed in the group chat that you weren't added to.

You begin the tour around Harry Potter World, trying to stay close to the group but Brad ended up walking ahead with Bella and Tristan. Joe noticed you looked upset and offered to walk with you, which was great because you got along well with his wife, Laura.

Once the tour had finished and you'd bought some goods, everyone made their way outside. While most people left, the main four boys, Bella, Joe and Laura, Dean and yourself all stayed to go and get some food at some local shops.

"Brad," You call out his name and he looks over his shoulder. He doesn't offer you a smile, his eyebrows furrow.

"What's up?"

"Just thought I'd walk with you because I haven't seen you much since we left," you smile, hoping that he was in a bit of a better mood now. You assumed he was stressed about today since he'd planned it and wanted it to go perfect so, for now, you let him off for upsetting you.

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that."

"It's fine; where do you wanna eat?" You try to engage conversation with your boyfriend. "Nando's? Frankie and Bennies? Wagamamas?"

"Don't know."

Ignoring his bluntness, you nod slowly and let out a small sigh.

It was a week later of Brad doing interviews and life shows before tour started and to celebrate, Dean had released a video diary of the trip to Harry Potter World to the fans.

You watched it while you were in bed and Brad was showering. You noticed how sad you looked in the background without even realising it, and the fans had picked up on it too.

Have Brad and Y/N broken up? I didn't see them talking once.

Bella and Brad would be such a cute couple wtf.

Y/N never deserved Brad anyway.

You shut your laptop lid as Brad walked into the room, fully dressed as he climbs into the bed.

He rolls over, his back facing you as you put your laptop on the side, flicking off your lamp so that darkness surrounded you.

"Brad," You whispered through the darkness as your throat constricted with conflicted emotions.

He glances over his shoulder at you. "What?"

"Can we talk?"

"About?"

"Us," you reply and that catches his attention, causing him to turn over. "I think we should break up."

The six words felt like daggers in your heart as you stare at your boyfriend of three years. Never in a million years would you think you'd be laying there breaking up with him, after everything you've been through.

"Okay."

But that single word hurt more, like it was a twist to the heart, making your skin crawl with unwanted emotions.

"That's it?" You reply, surprised.

"If that's what you want, then yes."

You didn't expect for him to not at least try and fight for your relationship. You expected him to want to talk about it, convince you to give him a second chance; not just. . . let you go. That hurt the most.

"Yeah, that's what I want," you say just above a whisper, your voice cracking as silent tears escape your eyes. You didn't realise it'd be this easy for him to let you go.