#NOT double-checking this. I cannot be bothered.

[highoninktm]

Locked houses and opened paths

Summary: katsumi gets locked out of her house, so she has to stay the night with Hana

“Fucking hell” Katsumi muttered to themself, failing at opening the door once more.

Of course she’d forgotten her keys the day her parents were out of town. Just their luck.

They could technically get in by window or picking the door lock, but that would set off their fathers’ extensive security systems and they really didn’t feel like dealing with that today.

So that left one option. Stay at a friend’s house.

She sent a quick text to her unitmates, and before they could even switch tabs ask someone else, they’d already gotten an offer from Hana to stay with her, and confirmation from Isomi that it’s fine with their parents.

They sighed and answered the sisters’ texts with a quick ‘be right there then’

-~~——————————————————~~-

After an excruciatingly long train trip, she’d finally made it to the Kanzaki house. Honestly they always forgot just how big the house is.

They moved their arm to ring the doorbell but before her finger could make contact with the buzzer, the door opened, revealing a blindingly bright smile belonging to one Hana Kanzaki.

“Hi Hirano-senpai! Come in, come in!” She said, ushering Katsumi inside.

Katsumi quickly took off their shoes and switched them for a pair of indoor slippers, following behind Hana.

Eventually they reached the destination, and Hana opened the door to reveal a large neat room, if a bit empty. There was a futon fully prepared and laid out on the floor, as well as a dresser and wardrobe on opposite sides of the room, the closest to decoration being the rug on the floor.

“Sorry it’s not much, but I hope this is to your liking! The bathroom is on the left side and on the other side of the bathroom is my room if you need anything during the night!”

Katsumi blinked twice before fully registering the words. Sharing a bathroom. With Hana. Sure. They could do that. They totally wouldn’t like self implode or anything.

Her brain took a second to process the rest of the sentence.

“Wait what do you mean not much, the whole room is bigger than my father’s office this is more than enough. And I’ll keep the rest in mind.” She regained her composure soon enough. “Thanks again for taking me on such short notice.”

“Ah it’s no problem at all! I’m happy to help anytime especially if it’s a friend in need.”

Something in her stomach dropped a bit at being called a friend, but they tried (and failed) to crush the feeling. Like an annoyingly evasive fly. Or as her Father would say, a tiny enemy drone that refused to get destroyed.

“I’ll leave you to unpack! Call me if you need anything!”

And with that, Katsumi was left alone in the entirely too large guest room.

Well. They should probably just start unpacking her luggage instead of whatever the hell their emotions were doing.

-~~——————————————————~~-

After unpacking what little luggage they had, namely their practice clothing from rehearsal and some essentials they’d brought back from the dorms. They made her way to the living room in search of Hana or Isomi, getting lost on the way several times.

Instead of being greeted by someone she was hoping for, they instead had found the people she’d been dreading seeing most despite having met several times. Their parents. Thankfully only Otogari-san had seemed to be awake. Though they doubted he could get up with both his shoulders and lap being hogged by two grown men and an elderly dog.

Otogari-san seemed to have finally noticed her. “Ah, hello Hirano-san, Hana told me you’d be visiting. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

She walked over and shook his awkwardly stretched hand. Even despite the amount of times they’d met him it never got any less nerve wracking. “Likewise a pleasure Sir Otogari-san.”

If there’d been one thing they’d learned from their fathers it had been to put on a polite face, even in the face of fear. Well. That fear was supposed to be more dramatic situations like business meeting and the like and not talking with your crush’s dad. But close enough.

“Would you like anything to eat or drink? Tea perhaps or biscuits?”

“Ah no I’m quite alright.” Katsumi said, trying to avoid the hospitality. Also they quite doubted he’d be able to get up at the moment.

“Are you sure? Theres chips as well if you’d prefer a snack.”

That did actually sound really appealing…. but she had a mission to focus on. “Ah no I swear it’s quite alright, if I do need something I’ll inform you.” Actually they’re more likely to ask Isomi. But it’s the thought that counts. “Though If I may ask, where is Hana-chan?”

A single raised eyebrow at the use of both the first name and casual suffix. “She should be in the backyard, could I trouble you to tell her dinner is almost ready?”

“Of course sir! Leave it to me!” Katsumi said, saluting and trying not to leave too quickly.

Though they could’ve sworn they heard a small whisper along the lines of youth and love, alongside another voice muttering stars above, she chose to ignore that instead.

-~~——————————————————~~-

“- I don’t know maybe I’m just looking into it too much… Oh! Hello Hirano-senpai!” Hana said, quickly getting startled halfway through petting her horse, causing a dismayed neigh.

Katsumi jogged up to Hana.

“You don’t have to adress me so formally outside of work hours, just call me Katsumi Hana-chan~” Katsumi said, emphasizing each syllable of the other’s name.

“Ah sorry Katsumi-senpai.. i’ll try my best!” The use of a first name and the determination in Hana’s words caused Katsumi’s heart to skip a beat.

“Well as long as you’re trying. Otogari-sama asked if I could call you in for dinner”

“Oh. Well I’m done with feeding the horses so we can go back together.” Hana said with a small smile.

She started walking, so Katsumi followed her in lieu of an answer. The atmosphere was starting to get unbearable awkward, so an attempt at small talk was made.

“…So how are the horses doing?” Katsumi asked.

“They’re doing well! Isomi’s been taking good care of them!” Hana replied happily.

Ofcourse. Hana may have liked horses but isomi’s a way bigger fan. Fuckkk.

“Good to hear, how’s the garden doing?”

Jackpot. Within minutes Hana had started a long monologue on the current status on all her different plants. It was pretty endearing to hear her talking about her plants so passionately. She seemed especially happy with how her tomatoes were growing.

[write a scene transition]

The food smelled great.

It’s always strange to see just how… affectionate Isomi and Hana’s parents are. Not that Katsumi’s parents weren’t they just had a… strange way of showing it. But that wasn’t the important thing right now, so.

They averted their eyes away from Otogari-San and Kanzaki-san’s lovey doveyness and instead looked at the food in front of them at the food. A Persian dish, though she hadn’t asked the name yet. It smelled absolutely amazing. That might be influenced a tiny bit by the fact that it’d been hours since she ate but they couldn’t wait to eat it.

Suddenly Katsumi felt a hand on their shoulder, they damn near jumped out of their skin before turning around and finding Isomi with a predictably shit eating grin.

“Fucking hell you scared the shit out of me. How do you sneak up on people so well??” They exclaimed.

“It’s a secret.” Isomi said, still grinning. It was starting to get a bit unnerving in all honesty.

“Well don’t do it then. What did you even do that for?”

“Oh baba wanted me to ask why you’re just standing there. Dinner’s literally on the table c’mon.” Which was the final warning Katsumi got before being dragged by Isomi to the dining table, and being shoved into a seat, in between Hana and Isomi.

The food was unbelievably good, Koobideh kebab with Japanese style rice and curry. The bits of saffron sprinkled on top enhanced the flavor and Katsumi was tempted to ask for the recipe.

But before they could do that all three of the parents had already left to do their respective tasks. Oogami-San was doing the dishes, Kanzaki-San went to walk the dog, and Otogari-San went to do something completely unknown and just gave a glance at Isomi and Hana that Katsumi is fairly sure was supposed to mean something.

The silence was broken by Hana, asking Katsumi if they wanted to play any games, or perhaps go outside and enjoy the rain for a bit, so they, along with Isomi ended up playing a few rounds of cards before retreating to bed.

Which is how Katsumi ended up where they are now, staring up at the ceiling unable to sleep. Closing their eyes every few minutes just to hear a loud clap of thunder, the rainstorm from earlier having turned to a full on thunderstorm.

There wouldn’t be a problem of course had Katsumi not been scared of thunderstorms. What an embarrassing situation to happen right as they were staying the night at their friend’s house.

Eventually they couldn’t bear staring at the ceiling much longer, and it was impossible to focus on the book on her phone is such conditions, so they decided to brace themself and to visit Isomi’s room. Only to walk past and to hear Isomi snoring so loudly it could be mistaken for the thunder itself. Most definitely a no-go.

So they braved the great unknown and decided to go to Hana’s room instead. Katsumi could see a small lamp shining from outside, so they knocked.

Katsumi heard quiet footsteps before the door opened, revealing a very awake Hana.

“Hi Hana I uhm. Well I.” Katsumi stumbled over her words as they tried to figure out how to explain themself. “I wanted to ask if.” A sudden clap of thunder sounded and they froze.

Hana looked understanding, and let Katsumi in without hearing out their attempted explanation.

“Couldn’t sleep?” She asked, slipping a hand onto theirs. Katsumi’s heart skipped a beat.

Katsumi sighed. Might as well be honest. “No, I’m not.. a big fan of storms.”

Hana didn’t press further. “Do you want to sleep here perhaps?” She asked, smiling lightly.

They nodded, and Hana shuffled the bedding a bit to make more room for Katsumi. Katsumi’s face burned as they laid down next to her, hugging her tight whenever a particularly loud clap seemed to resonate through the room.

Eventually, the pair fell asleep, when morning came the two were found cuddled up together by Kanzaki Souma, who simply smiled and closed the door again.

[hiimcanadia]

I also got this adorable off brand lego set from my family 🥺💜

[mistyechoes]

it is so. utterly impossible. to do my homework

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Actually, I think this does link in with a wider conversation that I have been thinking for a while Tumblr maybe needs to hear.

There's a common meme on this site now that no one here has any reading comprehension skills. The best one is, of course, the original "No offense but reading comprehension on this site is piss poor/How dare you say we piss on the poor" post, which gave rise to the nickname "pissing-on-the-poor website". There's also the "I like pancakes/How dare you say waffles are terrible" one. Both of these are great, because they're silly jokey ways to show two closely related phenomena that are probably the commonest ways to fail a reading comprehension check.

The first is someone reading certain catchphrases or buzzwords in the post, and based on their own biases or prior experiences or whatever else, their brain simply fills in what it reckons the poster is saying on the topic. Instead of reading the rest of the sentence and digesting it, the reader then just uses their assumption as the interpretation, and reacts to that.

The second is closely related, because it also uses biases and prior experiences to to interpret the post, but rather than ignoring what the OP is actually saying, it instead performs a series of gymnastic leaps to construct a whole new assertion on the OP's behalf that simply isn't there.

There's also a third, of course; that one is people being so eager to feel smug and superior over someone they perceive as Bad that they wilfully assume the OP is stupid or being serious when they're actually joking. And if the reader hadn't been so blinded by their desire to get to look down on someone, they'd have seen the very obvious tells, sometimes even including sentences like "Obviously this is a joke." (I think we have all seen examples of these. Also, in a bid to avoid as many reading comprehension fails here as possible, this does not include misunderstandings borne entirely of neurodiverse struggles to parse intentions; but, neurodiverse people are just as likely as neurotypicals to have ego play a part in their misinterpretation of others, and that is what this point is about.)

And the thing is... actually, we are all capable of any of these. I imagine a sizable chunk of people reading until this point were probably thinking "Lol, yeah, people are so stupid," but na, nage, I'm not having that. Literally everyone does these sometimes. And it becomes a particular risk when the topic under discussion is something that might brush against an issue that is a pressure point for you, like a social justice talking point that you are forever having to argue with internet strangers about, for example. Your brain holds schemas! And sometimes it likes to pattern match things before it deigns to tell you about its findings! And that can hit you right in the emotions, which if they are strong enough, really can shut down all rational thought.

But. This brings me to the real point of the post.

Because the thing is, we have all saddled up and gone to war under these conditions, or at the very least been strongly tempted to. And a vital skill that literally everyone has to learn, sooner or later, is:

Before you hit 'reply', double check the post to make sure you fucking understood it.

And that does not mean "simply re-read, confirm your bias, carry on." It means, "Is it possible to read this post from the point of view of someone who doesn't intend it the way I've taken it? If I put myself in the shoes of an innocent, could they still have written these words? Is there another interpretation for these phrases?"

And you do have to do this step. You simply do have to. Because if your desire is to 'clap back' and call someone a gargling knobskin made of garbage, fuck me sideways but you must see that it is imperative that you check if they actually deserve that kind of treatment first. You cannot spend your time claiming that we must all choose to be kind and then not bother doing your due diligence before screaming a person's various and assorted bigotries at them. If you misread it, and they were innocent - you are the raging aggressive cunt in this situation.

It does not matter that you reacted from an emotional place of normally having to defend yourself either, by the way. Sure, that makes the quality of your human soul better than that of the average Redditor who just enjoys anonymously hurting people, I guess? But it's also irrelevant. If you messaged someone and called them a misogynist because you performed several mental somersaults and landed on your own sore spot when they meant no such thing, you are the attacker. You owe them an apology. And yeah, sure, you can explain your over-reaction as the product of your normal experiences if you like, but that is only an explanation, not an excuse. You are still the asshole here. You still need to apologise and mean it.

And you could have avoided it if you'd done that due diligence, as you should have. If you're going to take a swing, make sure it's the right target. This was once described to me as donkey people - they don't think, they just kick. This is admittedly a little unkind to donkeys, who always do their due diligence, but I feel it's an apt metaphor.

TL;DR: If you feel moved to angrily reply to something, first make sure you've interpreted it right. Don't be a donkey person. And if you ask for clarification, people are innocent until proven guilty. Ask nicely. If they are a bigot, you can then smelt them for parts.

[eggbem]

Presenting: The Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie VHS: Clamshell Edition!

Okay, so I have been dying to share this project since I completed it last November, but I've been waiting until I was a little more active on my socials. And now I am!

I was inspired by thecolinstein on instagram to make this. I found his version back in 2023 and I wanted to buy it, but then I thought, hey, I could just make my own how I want it! With a clamshell case! How hard could it be?

Very hard, as it turns out.

That's not to discourage anyone from trying themselves. There were just a lot of roadblocks unique to my own process. Like the fact that I went through, like, five tapes recording the video file because I thought they were bad tapes. Nope, it was my stupid "smart" tv trying to automatically adjust the aspect ratio that was making the picture black out periodically. And before I got a computer that DIDN'T take 1 million years to boot up, it was difficult to design the cover and labels too.

Here's the playback:

Yes, I did record it at (almost) full aspect ratio, not 4:3, but 1.85:1 because that's how I'd watch it (I didn't want cropping on certain scenes and I REALLY didn't want letterboxing). And those glitchy parts on CJ's face are from my phone's camera, not the recording itself (you have no idea the heart attack I had before I double-checked lol)

Now, obviously since there's nothing on the tape to say that this is just a fanmade product, I will NOT be recreating this VHS for sale, not like thecolinstein (he has disclaimers on his). I'm not sure of the legality of selling my version. My whole intent was to simply make it look like the real deal, like you could find this in a garage sale bargain pile and believe it might have once been widely distributed. Also, I cannot be bothered to try taping the video file again, you can't make me lol. This was just a passion project. But I do hope I've inspired someone else!

[13-ontheshore-26]

ᡣ𐭩 stardew valley ᡣ𐭩you finally make a move on harvey ᡣ𐭩

cw: makeout scene which hopefully is well written, given this being the first time in years I wrote one.

a/n: so this is the first fanfic I've written on tumblr...please be gentle with me ᡣ𐭩 if there are any requests you have, feel free to ask them in the inbox :-P

he isn't used to people interacting with him, let alone flirting with him

so regardless of all of the coffee and pickles you give him...he's going to think it's just your way of being a good friend

so you decide it's only right of you to up the games

it starts with small touches, brushing your hand against his arm as you pass by each other in the hallways

and yes he turns red, but other than that nothing changes! so. it's time to pull out the big moves

"Harve-ey! The farmer's here to see you," Maru calls back to the clinic when you walk in with a jar of pickles and a wave. You flush in response to her call-out and the fact that you're so transparent in your reasons behind the visits. A clatter, almost like metal instruments falling onto a floor, and a flustered hum follows. Maru winks at you and turns her stare back to her computer as Harvey pushes through the double doors to the lobby.

He's flushed, pink where his mustache doesn't obscure his cheeks. The stethoscope around his neck is hanging askew, alongside his tie. He seems startled to see you, as if you haven't been coming in near every day, with a gift or simply to talk between patients. Suddenly, a smile breaks out on his face and he waves quickly at you.

"Farmer! I didn't expect to see you today-" Maru scoffs and both of you cast her a quick glance till she covers it up with a cough.

"So-o, what brings you in today? Did you head back down into the mines? Please tell me you didn't-" Your laughter cuts him off and he turns pinker, though no one thought that was possible.

"I found horseradish in the woods a few days ago. Thought some pickled ones would brighten the workday." You give him a lopsided smile and hold out the jar which you held on top of your head. Harvey's eyes brightened at the sight of it and he reached out to steady it, cradling it in his arms. He looks up, beaming at you.

"This is so nice of you! Thank you!" Harvey looks down at the jar in his arms and you watch his mustache twitch as his smile grows bigger. Then he looks up at you, eyes wide behind the frames of his glasses.

"Oh but-" You tilt your head at him as he pauses and hold back a smile at the way his eyebrows quirk together at your movement. "You've given me so many of these these recent months...I don't want you to lose out on any profit because you're giving them all to me or anything." The feeling of sighing noisily is almost too hard to overcome — how much clearer could you be? At this point, there was only one reason behind foraging: him! You hold it back, however; you know how anxious Harvey gets and you're not trying to risk the tenuous friendship between you both by showing any kind of frustration with him.

Maru has no such qualms though and lets out another noisy scoff, not bothering to hide this one behind coughing when you two both look at her. Instead, she rises up and gathers her laptop, muttering something about going to cross-check some samples in the back. After reaching the door though, she turns and looks at you meaningfully, only moving to the back when you return her look with a grimace.

You refocus back onto Harvey and, taking a breath, reach forward to lay one of your hands on top of his cradling the jar. His breath catches and you feel his eyes locked on the way your hand holds his. You wait until his eyes slide back up to meet yours where you smile at him gently, speaking quietly.

"Harvey. You know that these pickles are only being made for you, right?" You cannot hold back your smile as his eyebrows raise, dislodging his glasses so slightly and making them slide down his nose. You rarely get to see the doctor this dishevelled and really, you're savoring it as best as you can.

"W-what do you mean by that? Oh Yoba, please do not feel obligated to make these all for me, oh dear I feel so bad-" Harvey's rambling is cut off when the hand holding his moves, taking the jar and moving it to rest on the counter. You return your hands to his, holding them in a firm, rough grasp.

"Harvey, honey," The pet name slips out, but you cannot bring yourself to regret it when Harvey, startled, goes red at the sound. "You are not putting me out by letting me make pickles for you. I like making pickles to give you. Harvey, Yoba, I like you." The flush returns to you as your confession holds in the air between you two. However, you cannot bring yourself to be upset by yourself letting it slip as you watch his cheeks turn red and his pupils dilate behind his glasses.

"Oh, I didn't-well I didn't actually think." Harvey's voice cracks while he stands there, tongue-tied, hands slightly trembling after your confession. You smile at him softly, slightly aware of the fact that this might be the softest you've smiled or looked at anyone who was standing in front of you.

"Harvey, honey. It's not something to stress yourself over. I like you, so I do not want to push you into anything-" Your voice is so low, it's easy to hear when Harvey speaks over you.

"No! No, that's not what I meant. I like you, so much. It's why it's just hard to realize that you-" He flushes. "You like me. It's not something that I'm used to you know? It's just...unexpected."

You barely hold back a coo at the way he tries to avoid your eyes, but the way he still squeezes your hands quickly warms all inside you. However, the way that your hands raise to cup his flushed face brings his eyes back to yours, the smile rising across your face is too strong to be hidden.

"Harvey, darling, I could not like you more. And if it takes me saying that constantly to get you to accept it, I'd gladly accept the challenge." The way he tenses in your hold almost makes you nervous, but then you see the way he drops a telling look to your lips. Your smile grows even bigger.

"Now, how about you come over for dinner? I'm not the greatest cook, but there will be wine and my cat would love to meet you."

Harvey nods a little wildly and you cannot help the way your fingers brush against and over his cheek in response. He catches a rogue breath.

You return your gaze from where your fingers graze his cheek to his eyes and see the question in his. You smile slightly and he cannot stop the way his lips fall slightly apart.

Leaning into him, the way he leans in to meet you — it's something you know you will not be forgetting anytime soon.

The second your lips touch, a sigh leaves the two of you. He nearly melts into you and you tighten your grasp on his jaw. The kiss begins almost annoyingly chaste, but when you touch your tongue to the seam of his soft lips, they part immediately. You lick into his mouth the second he lets you in, his mouth sweet enough to have you addicted already. The way he presses against you as one hand travels to hold the back of his head sends any thoughts into a swirl.

Then, a click of one of the clinic's far doors brings the two of you back to earth. You draw back, incredibly reluctantly. The way Harvey chases your lips nearly sends you back to him, but you draw in a heavy, steadying breath and drop your hands to his waist. You lean back to create some space between you two; however, you cannot bring yourself to separate your hands from his waist.

The click of shoes grows closer and you can tell when Maru returns to the lobby of the clinic, between the hush of the opening door and the quick intake of breath once she takes in your positions. She mumbles something and swiftly returns to the back, letting the door thud behind her.

You giggle at Harvey's face, embarrassment taking over his face. The expression is so incredibly endearing you cannot help yourself from leaning in again to press a soft kiss to his lips, slowly pulling back.

The grin you send Harvey, now red-cheeked and red-lipped, is quite satisfied, and the way he rolls his eyes makes you laugh once again.

"So-" You rub your thumbs over his sides. "I'll see you at dinner tonight?"

The smile spreading across his face makes it even harder to stop yourself from leaving the clinic. However, you know if you go back, neither you nor the doctor will get any work done during the day.

It is only the idea of having him all to yourself, in your home, beside you, which makes it slightly easier to leave the town behind you.

divider is @c-heriis

[mrsbarnesblog]

just a friend

masterlist

requests are open

summary: your best friend gets jealous when he sees you talking to some random guy at his party

words count: 3k

warnings: +18❗️smut, swearing, p in v sex, protected sex, friends to lovers, possessive but softie Rafe, dirty talk, pet names

You were standing near the kitchen island, far away from everybody else, sipping on your drink and observing Rafe. The loud music busted through the speakers, there were too many unknown faces and for the hundredth time wished you had stayed at home. 

Rafe was sitting on the couch in the middle of the room with Kelse, Topper, a few other guys, and, most importantly, some random girl. She was way too touchy for your liking and it honestly seemed like she was ready to get into his pants in front of everyone. 

Rafe didn't pay much attention, though, even while she was rubbing his pants-covered thigh and saying something in his ear. No, Rafe was too interested in the conversation with his friend, but it didn't stop that nasty and overwhelming feeling of jealousy bubbling in your stomach.

You and Rafe have been friends for almost three years, but it didn't seem like it. While you had neved crossed the invisible line, unknowningly for each other you both admitted to yourself that whatever was going on in between you two was not a regular friendship. Friends shouldn't sleep in each other's beds. Friends shouldn’t spend that much time together alone. Friends shouldn't be jealous every single time someone talks to their friend. And friends shouldn't be in love. 

Yet, here you were. 

You were staring at this scene for at least fifteen minutes and it drove you fucking insane. Especially the fact that Rafe had never let any man even talk to you, not to mention be all up in your face. It was so unfair that he had double standards for you and that he probably didn't even realize your feelings for him. 

Rafe was just too overprotective and possessive and you had to admit the ugly truth to yourself that it wasn't because he was in love with you. 

You finished your drink, wincing at the taste of alcohol, and straightened, looking across the room full of people. There were too many guys; you spotted the one that looked kind of attractive and moved in his direction. You were done with Rafe’s bullshit. If he could have girls all over himself, so could you. 

“Hey.” You tapped on the guy’s shoulder to grab his attention. He became flirty way too quickly, stepping closer to you and giving his best smirk, yet your eyes were still drifting back to Rafe. 

You saw the exact moment when your best friend noticed your current company. You and Ed were chatting for no more than five minutes, and while he was talking about it being his plans for the night, you saw Rafe getting up from the couch with a frown on his face. He quickly crossed the room, not bothering to check on the girl who was trying to get his attention over the loud music, or say even say something to his friends. 

“What are you doing here?” His brows furrowed even more, his eyes going up and down the guy near you. 

“I’m talking, Rafe. Go back to your company.” You rolled your eyes, looking back at Ed. “So what were you saying? Your frie—” 

“You’re coming with me, Y/N.” Before you could even say anything, you were dragged away to the second floor, where no one could bother you. “What the fuck was that, huh? I told you like a million fucking times to not talk to the guys at these damn parties; they're goin’ to hurt you.” Rafe freed your hand, pacing in front of you and running his own hand through his hair. He was visibly annoyed and pissed, and with the way he was acting, you wanted to push his buttons even more.

"You are my friend, Rafe, and you have no fucking right to tell me who I can and cannot speak to or go out with!" You shouted back, not even in the slightest fear of the flames in his eyes, when his head snapped back towards you. 

"Whether you like it or not, Y/N, I am not going to let any fuckers with bad intentions get near you."  

"Apparently, they are the only ones who are interested in me. You seem to be always busy with all the girls who are ready to climb you.” You laughed even though it hurt you to say it out loud. “I'm sick of your double standards, Rafe. You think I want to look at you with some random girls? You think it’s okay to scare guys away from me and then casually let everyone be all over you?” 

“What the fuck does that mean? You know I am not dating anyone. They can do whatever they want because I have no plans with any of them." He rolled his eyes, already irritated that he was actually fighting with you for the first time. But there was no going back and you both felt it. The constant tension and secret feelings were overflowing and they had to find a way out. “You’re acting like a child, swear to god, babe.”

“Because you're giving me mixed signals and confusing me!” You stepped closer, pointing a finger at his chest. 

“You know the reason why I do this.” Rafe grabbed your wrist, slightly pulling you closer. Your eyes locked on each other, and your faces were so close that you could smell liquor his his breath. You felt the way your stomach dropped when Rafe’s eyes quickly felt to your lips, yet you were still filled with anger. 

"No, I don't! You’re giving me hope on something, you’re being affectionate with me, we’re spending all our time together, but then you just step back as if it was nothing! Just stop playing with my feelings and tell the fucking tr—-“ Before you could even finish your sentence, your body got pushed back and pressed in between the wall and Rafe’s body. His grip on your face was firm yet gentle enough to not hurt you when he brought you closer to him and finally kissed you.

You both moaned into the kiss as if you were surprised and content that it had finally happened. Rafe’s lips moved quickly, easily dominating over you, as he swiped his tongue over your bottom lip, asking for permission to slip in. 

“I’m just a friend, huh? You’re driving me fucking insane. You’re mine, don’t you understand it?” He mumbled against your mouth, sliding one hand down your body and at the same time pushing his legs in between your thighs. He just simply wanted to pin you against the wall, but the way his thigh pressed into your pulsing core made you both hiss. “Do you really think I would let anyone kiss you? Touch you? I’m selfish, Y/N, and I don’t like to share anything or anyone.” You felt as if you were high or drunk with the way your body reacted to Rafe’s touches, trying to concentrate on his words but actually only wishing his lips to get back on yours. 

“You let them touch you. That girl was all over you today, and you did nothing to prevent it.” You breathed into his lips, feeling a lazy smirk stretching across his own. Rafe leaned in again, pressing a few quick, wet kisses to your mouth and wrapping one hand harder around your body.

“She was fucking annoying and I tried to get her off of me. I don’t need any of them. My eyes have always been on you. I swear.” Rafe’s hands tugged on your dress, sliding it higher to have more access to your body. “Holy shit, Y/N. I don't know how I was able to be friends with you for so long. I want you so bad.” 

You moaned, your head falling back against the wall, when Rafe’s lips slid down the side of your neck, leaving soft bites and reddish marks. Your own hands reached under his t-shirt, touching his firm abs and scratching his tanned skin until he moaned into your mouth. 

“I was scared to make a move. To scare you away. But you are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I cannot pretend to be only your friend." His hands were sliding up and down your thighs, bringing you closer and not pulling his face away from your neck. Your scent has always driven him insane and he couldn’t have enough of you. “Do you feel it? Do you feel how hard you make me, Y/N?” His hands tugged your hips closer, until his bulge was firmly pressing into your leg.  

“Rafe…” You whined, your hips moving on his thigh, which was still pressed in between your legs. The feeling of your underwear getting wetter by the second made you wonder if Rafe could feel it through his pants. “Y-you know that everyone thinks that we’re sleeping together, right?”

“I think we shouldn’t disappoint them, hm?” You felt a smile spreading across his lips and you giggled back at him. Your hands are now tagging the annoying piece of fabric that hid his body from you, not even caring about people that might go to the second floor of Cameron’s house and catch you.

You managed to drag the t-shirt off of Rafe, your mouth instantly getting watery with the image in front of you. Sure, you saw Rafe shirtless countless times at the beach, but knowing that you could shamelessly do whatever you wanted made your whole body tingle. 

“Fuck that.” Before you even knew it, Rafe’s hands easily lifted you up, making your legs automatically wrap around his body. His lips met yours again, and he started blindly moving towards his bedroom. 

Your body bounced on the way-too-soft and way-too-expensive mattress of his king-size bed as he threw you there and went to lock the door. Rafe followed you shortly after, too desperate to keep touching you. His hands slid up your bare thighs, going past the strings of your panties, pushing your dress until it was gathered around your waist. 

“Can I take it off?” He looked at you, his eyes surprisingly soft and completely different from what you'd expected. You just simply nodded, lifting your hands in the air, until the only real item of clothing was taken off you and thrown somewhere in the room. 

Rafe’s eyes took every inch of your exposed skin, his hands gently sliding down your sides. You were only dressed in a simple black set, but for Rafe, it was the sexiest thing in the world. 

He wanted you for so long. Just looking from afar, he was trying to restrict himself from getting closer to you because he had always thought that you deserved someone better. But at the same time, who could treat you better than him? Only Rafe knew everything that you liked and needed, and he was willing to give it to you. 

“You’re so pretty, for fuck’s sake. I’ll be careful with you.” Rafe's body covered yours, his soft lips kissing your neck and going all the way down to your belly, making you gasp. You buried your hands in his hair, moving it away from his face. “I’ll take care of you. I promise I won’t fuck this up.” He looked up at you with his baby blues, and your whole body got covered in goosebumps from the look in his eyes. 

“Please, Rafe.” You whispered, taking his face into your hands and dragging him back on top of you. You two could not stop moaning as your hands began to explore each other's bodies and your lips met once more in a passionate kiss. “I want you.”

“Baby… Can’t even imagine what you’re doing to me.” He groaned against your mouth. The position that you were currently in, with Rafe comfortably in between your slightly spread legs, made his pants-covered erection perfectly press into your dump panties. “Need to be inside of you or else you’ll make me cum in my pants.” 

It became a mess of tugging on each other's clothes while trying to have as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. When you were both naked, Rafe slowed down, holding your face with one firm hand. “Is it really what you want to do? ‘Cause I won’t go back to pretending to be friends anymore.”  

“Just fuck me already, Cameron.” You whispered, not breaking intense eye contact. 

“As you wish, sweetheart.” With these words, Rafe pulled back to reach the nightstand and take a condon. He carelessly threw it near your exposed body and took a few seconds to finally admire your naked form. 

You were basically inviting him to do whatever he wanted with your slightly spread legs, which let him see how wet you already were. That pleading look on your face didn’t help the situation either, making Rafe want to fuck you dumb until his name was the only thing on your mind. 

He looked you up and down a few times before leaning forward, pressing your legs closer to your chest. Rafe’s calloused hands reached to your sensitive breasts, touching nipples with his thumbs, until your eyes rolled back into your head. 

“Are you ready for me, or do you want me to eat you out first, hm?” His soft breath on the side of your neck sent shievers down your body. As much as you wanted to feel his lips on you, it felt like you could not think straight without his dick stretching you out, so you helplessly shook your head. 

“Next time, please. I need you now.” 

He gave you a sly smile and, in a single motion, ripped off the foil, rolled a condom over his throbbing cock, and placed himself at your entrance. You squirmed at the feeling of his tip going up and down your wet slit, gathering your juices and stimulating your sensitive clit. 

“Fuck, so you’re soakin’ my sheets, baby.” He smirked, looking down at your pussy and teasing you more, until a moan of his name escaped from your mouth. “Keep your legs here, okay? ‘N I’ll take care of you.” 

When you felt Rafe's cock slide into you, your eyes flattered before closing completely. It was big. It was bigger than you had ever had before, but it seemed like your body quickly adjusted to him as soon as he bottomed out. With one hand near your head to hold himself up and the other one on your leg, he slowly started moving in and out. 

“Rafe!” You squeaked, digging your nails into your thighs and trying to control yourself.

“Sh-h, ‘s okay. Knew this pussy was made for me, babe.” He moaned through gritted teeth, gradually increasing the speed of his thrusts. Soon, the sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, along with muffled moans and Rafe’s praises. His bed was making a noise with every movement, and if you hadn't been too lost in the pleasure, you would’ve thought about other people hearing you. Rafe could not take his gaze away from your face—the way you tried to control yourself but soon lost it when his cock touched that sensitive spot inside of you. Your glossy eyes, hot skin and puffy lips made him go feral, fucking you harder into the matress of his bed.

“That’s right, scream my name. Made ya go dumb for my cock, huh?” He watched in awe at the way you were going insane under him; your release was visibly getting closer with every thrust. You moan even louder, feeling a tight knot form in your lower stomach, and the feeling gradually increased when the base of his cock brushed over your clit. “Squeezin’ me so tight. My good girl... fuck, baby. That’s right, cum for me. I’ve got you.” 

Rafe grabbed both of your hands, showing you to put them around his neck. It made your legs fall from the previous position and you weakly put them around his waist. Rafe finally lowered his face closer to you, catching your lips in a wet and sloppy kiss, still pounding into you roughly and steadily. 

“I-I can’t, Rafe, please!”

You particularly breathe the same air, moan into each other’s mouths, hooded eyes locked on when the orgasm washes over you almost simultaneously. Without even realizing it, you dragged your nails down Rafe’s sweaty back, leaving red marks that he will proudly show off tomorrow. His hips slowly pushed into you while you were still pulsating around his cock, enjoying your own release. Just the feeling of your pussy milking him could’ve made him cum again. 

“Rafe…” You whisper, your eyes now closed and your head feeling all fuzzy and warm. Rafe slowly slipped out of you, walking away to throw out a condom. You whined at the empty feeling and the coldness that the lack of his touch had brought. 

“‘M right here, baby. You did amazing.” As he came back on top of you, now wearing boxers, he placed kisses on the heated skin of your neck, his hand sliding down your side to soothe the aching muscles of your legs. “My pretty girl... Gosh, now I’m not letting you go. Like ever.” 

You giggle, draping your arms over his shoulders and playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. “So all I had to do was talk to some random guy for you to get all angry and kiss me?” 

“Don’t remind me of that. I just realised that I might actually lose you.” Rafe whispered the last part, nuzzling into your neck and wrapping his arms around your waist until there was no space left between your naked bodies. 

“You won’t lose me, I promise.” You hugged him back, enjoying the comfortable silence that fell into the room, until you both fell asleep in each other's arms. 

[astraystayyh]

Burning in the winter wind

changbin x reader. (fake) enemies to lovers. hurt/comfort but it’s a light fluffy read!! college!au. lowkey romcom vibes (i tried 😭) wc: 4.4k)

summary : Sustaining an ankle injury during a ski retreat isn't fun. Especially when Seo Changbin volunteers to stay back to tend to you- the one man you can never get a read on.

a.n: sahar finally writing a fic that doesn’t take an emotional turn… we cheered!!!!!!!!!!!!! my 3rd fic for the winter falls collab with my writer :,) if u haven’t checked out xi’s fics yet what are u waiting for!!!!! please enjoy reading, i hope you’ll like this one too <3 i love you muah

“Are you okay?”

It is quite difficult to roll your eyes when your face is pressed against the snow, you’ve found, so much so you're sure you’re breathing in dainty snowflakes rather than the intended oxygen. 

A dull pain emanates from your right ankle, the very one you just twisted while attempting to ski down a sled, making you plummet head-first into the hard ground. Despite how soft snow looks as it blankets the earth in a pristine white, it is quite incapable of cradling your fall. Instead, its snowflakes seem to liquefy, filtrating through your clothes and making a biting cold cascade down your spine. 

Clearly, you are far from okay; hence, your eyes roll in a silent protest at the stranger’s questioning, though they cannot see you. If you further bury your head in the snow and do not move, would they think you are a collective hallucination and spare you the embarrassment of helping you?

“Um, should we call an ambulance?” 

Clearly not. 

“I'm peachy!” you throw a thumbs-up in the air, not bothering to lift your face off of the ground, you’re sure that by now the blank canvas beneath you has reluctantly molded itself to the contours of your face. 

Much prettier than a snowman, you’d personally argue. 

“Are you sure?” the tentative voice quips up again and you suddenly feel bad for ignoring this passerby, now stuck comforting an odd person whose limbs are not adequately crafted for skiing.

“Yeah,” you finally turn around, realizing that the pain in your ankle will not disappear, even if you choose to ignore it. “Just resting, on the snow. The view is nice from here, you know.”

The stranger backs away subtly at your words, and you chuckle inwardly. 

“I got it.” Someone else speaks from your left and their voice carries a familiarity that drapes an uncomfortable weight atop your lungs. You pivot your head incredibly slowly, locking eyes with none other than Changbin. 

You scoff outwardly. 

“Need help?” he asks, hovering above you like a shadow. 

Changbin was once your partner in a lab chemistry project, he is also the one person you now avoid most in college. 

So, you do what any sensible person would in your place— you turn away, once again pressing your face into the comforting oblivion of the snow.

“I… can still see you.” His words linger, hesitating in the crisp winter wind, and you respond with a (now more effortless) roll of your eyes.

“I know.”

“Then, what are you doing?”

“If I pretend you are not here long enough, will you finally tire and leave me alone?”

“No.”

“Fine,” you huff, turning back once more. You summon the resolve to finally push your torso up from the pits of your embarrassment, before glancing down at your ankle, only to find that it has doubled in size. An angry scream bubbles up in your throat, but you will yourself to tame the fire within— if you think slightly more about your situation, you’d burst into tears right here and then.

“That needs to be treated,” Changbin states simply, his eyes also locked on your injury. You shut your eyes closed, forcing a deep breath to travel through your lungs. The oxygen you just inhaled seems only to fuel your anger more. 

“I actually think it’s fine,” you put on the brightest smile on your face, yet your eyes refuse to follow the movement of your lips, making you look like a catatonic doll. You hope that’s enough to make Changbin go away. 

“Who are you lying to?” he cocks an eyebrow at you.

You’re wrong. Again. 

His self-assured tone further aggravates you, so you will yourself to stand up, wincing as soon as your right foot touches the floor. You bite your lip hard enough to draw out blood, the metallic taste of it coating your tongue uncomfortably. 

“See, I can stand!” you say cheerfully and he crosses his arms before his chest, clearly unimpressed. “Try walking.”

“I actually wanna stay here.”

“Still as stubborn, I see,” he sighs, before bending his knees slightly. Next thing you know, you’re scooped up in his arms, your hands wrapping around his neck instantly. 

“What are you doing?” you ask incredulously, eyes darting furiously over his face. 

“Carrying you to the infirmary.”

“I can see that,” you say between your teeth. “I said I'm fine.”

“You clearly aren’t.”

“What are you? an ankle expert?” 

“When your parents own the ski resort you kind of become one,” his eyes meet yours once, still as emotionless as they’ve always been when they gaze at you. 

“Do your parents own this?” you clear your throat, surprise overtaking your tone. 

“Yeah.”

“Can you tell them to upgrade my room to a suit, then?” you bat your eyelashes at him, your smile as sweet as saccharin. 

“You literally buried your head in the snow two minutes ago because you wanted me gone.”

“Exactly,” you nod vigorously, “that was two minutes ago, I am a changed person now.”

“Yeah?” he smirks slightly, the corners of his mouth almost tugging upwards. “What changed?”

You shrug as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I didn't know your parents owned the resort.”

☃︎⋆꙳•❅

“It's not broken, thankfully, just sprained. You need to ice it, and not put any pressure on it. Keep your leg elevated at all times, and avoid walking at all costs.” Maria’s voice reaches your ears in waves, the pain in your ankle making it harder to grasp what she’s instructing you to do. Still, you easily understand that all your winter break plans are now officially ruined. 

“But I wanna ski,” you pout at the fifty-something nurse who smiles sympathetically at you, handing you a cooling balm. 

“You shouldn’t have fallen then.” Changbin deadpans before she can reply and your right eye squints in annoyance. Maria catches it and winks at you. 

“You shouldn’t have fallen then,” you mimic, voice high-pitched. He simply shakes his head, a ghost of a smile appearing for a second on his lips, before disappearing promptly. 

“Thank you, Maria,” he bows slightly, his voice sounding kinder when it speaks to everyone but you. 

“Welcome, baby,” she squishes his cheeks before patting them gently, and you stifle a giggle at the blush sprouting on his face. 

Maria leaves the room, stating that she has another patient to check up on. Your eyes remain downcast, glaring at your ankle as if it’ll scare your body back to health. 

“You'll burn a hole into your skin at this rate,” he comments, his hand suddenly appearing in your line of view. You sigh in defeat before reaching for his hand, intertwining fingers as he aids you in rising. His arm becomes a secure anchor around your waist as he guides you toward the elevator. There, he inputs a code on a small panel before pressing button 44.

“That's not where my chamber’s at.”

“I know, I had them move your stuff to the penthouse,” he explains simply as your heart skips a traitorous beat. 

“Actually? I was just kidding; I don't want an upgraded room.” 

“I wanted to,” his eyes locked on yours, a myriad of stars seemingly swimming in his pupils. “It has easier access for you since it opens up directly in the room.” 

“I'll pay you back. How much is the difference?” 

He leans in, whispering a six-figure number in your ear and you feel your knees buckle underneath you. 

“That much?” your face pales and he nods. “You still want to pay me back?” 

A nervous chuckle leaves you as you lock eyes with the camera in the elevator, “thank you Mrs. Seo for the gift,” you bow down to the best of your capacity. “Thank you, Mr. Seo.” 

The penthouse is much more spacious than your previous room, vast windows framing breathtaking vistas of pristine mountains. The sound of a crackling fireplace tames the fire within you, morphing it into a harmless ember rather than scorching flames, soothing your soul. A chandelier right above the bed casts a warm glow on the room, that softens your heart and makes you less resentful towards the snow.

“Here,” he sits you down on the edge of the bed, before heading to the mini-fridge across from the room. He takes out a packet of ice before promptly kneeling in front of you. 

“It'll be a little cold,” he reassures before placing the ice on your wound. the sarcastic retort you had withers at the tip of your tongue, like a candle flame blown away by a gentle breeze; because Changbin is being gentle to you right now. his eyebrows scrunching as he makes sure not to hurt you even more, his fingers encircling just above your ankle to hold you in place. Clad in his black hoodie and joggers, the tenderness of his touch is an echo of softness from days long past. 

“Thank you,” you whisper, hoping your voice would get lost in the crinkling of the wood. It doesn’t, as Changbin looks up at you, pausing his movements. “For helping me,” you add, “you didn’t have to do it.”

“It's okay. You’re not a stranger, so…” he trails off, as a buried bitterness floods your throat, akin to downing a shot of acid. You withdraw your ankle from his hold, taking the ice packet from him.

“You can go, I got it,” you smile, yet your eyes flee away from him, refusing to catch his gaze, refusing to peer into that same void that once lured you in.

“Fine. I'll come check on you later.” 

As Changbin swiftly exits the penthouse, you sink into the mattress, hands pressed against your forehead, squeezing tight. to Seo Changbin, you were not a stranger. To you, he might have been everything, once.

☃︎⋆꙳•❅ 

You first met Changbin on the stage of your nationwide rap contest, held within the confines of your campus. 

You did not know he was, but you were instantly captivated by his incendiary stage presence, and so was everyone around you, gleaming eyes turned unanimously toward him, the air ablaze with loud cheers erupting like a bubbling volcano. The question at the tip of your tongue was a natural one— “Who the fuck is this gorgeous man?”

It was as though he had sensed your inquiry, because soon after he concluded his rap with a boastful line— “They call me,” a pause, his eyes meeting yours, “Seo Changbin,” he finished, a subtle smirk painted on his lips, as if he knew that his name would become a golden trademark, one that the music world would remember for generations to come. 

His gaze lingered on you, but you did not shy away from it, you’ve never been one to run away from the things you want. Instead, you smiled at him, a toothy grin that left your cheeks slightly aching afterward.

He did not return the gesture fully, but the corners of his lips did tug upwards, as he dipped his head slightly forward in thanks. 

Cute. 

You stayed back long enough to witness Changbin accept his well-deserved first place award, clad in his gray joggers, a snug black tank top, and atop it a deconstructed hoodie boasting enticing holes on the side, giving you a generous view of his sculpted muscles. His silver chains glimmered under the resounding flashes, and you felt a surge of pride at this stranger basking in the spotlight. 

Your smile only grew wider as Chan and Jisung ran to him, encircling him in his arms and shaking him with palpable happiness. Thunderous cheers erupted, a chorus of voices chanting 'Seo Changbin' at the top of their lungs.

His name will stay with you long after that.

“So, is he single?” you inquired casually a few days later in the university cafeteria, three cups of iced americano placed before you, Chan’s extra sweetened. The latter looked up from his phone, eyes slightly widening, before leaning in.

“You like Changbin?” he asked incredulously and you squint your eyes, moving even closer to him. 

“Why? Shouldn’t I?”

“I'm just surprised because you’ve never liked any of the guys I introduced you to.”

“Because they’re all douchebags who can’t keep up with me,” you declared, tossing your hair over your shoulder as Chan smiled amusedly.

“Hey! He introduced me to you,” Jisung chimed in from your left and you rolled your eyes, patting his shoulder reassuringly. “We’re better off as friends, Ji.” 

That was true, your first, and last date with Jisung, ended up with you ordering sushi and laughing at your Tinder matches at an empty parking lot. He's been one of your closest friends ever since.

“Are we?” Jisung made obnoxious kissing noises and you faked a gag, pinching his arm. Han retaliated by yelling so loudly the entirety of the cafeteria turned to look at you. Chan attempted to cover his face with his palm, a desolated look painted on his features.

“Anyways,” Jisung cleared his throat once he settled again, “he is single. But he’s not looking for anything right now.” 

“Maybe he just hasn’t looked at me yet.”

Fate seemed to be on your side because Changbin did look at you after that. Your professor Kim, an unwitting cupid, paired you with him for your chemistry project, and for the following month, you found yourself meeting Changbin every day in the college laboratory, to work on the synthesis and characterization of aspirin.

Changbin was different from anyone you’ve ever taken a liking to. He did not stir violent butterflies in your stomach, nor made your palms sweat endlessly from nerves. Instead, he infused a peculiar serenity within you, enough to make you eagerly count down the minutes until your next meeting.

Contrary to the fiery persona he unleashed on stage, Changbin exuded a calming aura that held you captive each time he drew near. It was impossible to divert your gaze from him, especially when his loose curls cascaded perfectly over his dark brown eyes, ones framed by thick-rimmed black glasses. His scent, a captivating blend of pinewood and spices, lingered like a second skin on your body, trailing after him and enveloping you in its embrace, long after he was gone.

He felt like a winter wind brushing against your skin—strong enough to be felt, yet cool enough to be craved by each one of your senses.

You sensed his gaze upon you as well, felt the subtle brush of his hand against your spine when he moved around you, unnecessary yet deliberate. How he brought you hot chocolate every time you met up to warm up your icy fingers. He was sweet and caring; in a way you’d only notice if you paid attention to the things said silently. 

Yet, he remained an enigma—warm on certain days, cold on others. It seemed as if he restrained himself from growing comfortable in your presence, as if you were a bad weed that’d spread through his roots if he dared approach you. Or maybe that was how he viewed himself— a delicate shell with a void inside, guarding itself against any perceived threat. 

Who was Changbin, truly? What did he like and dislike? Why did he withhold his smiles, stifle his laughter, and avert his eyes after just a fleeting glance at you? Why did he draw near only to retreat each time you attempted to get close? The questions swirled in your mind, creating a tapestry of curiosity that begged to be unraveled by his hands.

“Wanna come to karaoke with me and hang out tonight?” Chan asked a week after the end of your chemistry project. You hummed non-convincingly, nose buried in your newly purchased book. 

“Changbin might come too,” he sang-sung and you quickly perked up, much more interested in his plans now. He snorted at your reaction, and in response, you playfully flashed him your prettiest middle finger.

Chan's disbelief was right though. It was unusual of you to be so expectant of someone’s presence, for your gaze to flee to the door every two seconds awaiting their entrance. 

Despite your high hopes, Changbin did not come that night, and as much as you tried to have fun, a sense of disappointment tainted your mood. That, and the realization that he wasn't a mere crush, but something much more to you. The man you couldn’t get a read on was already coursing through your veins when you thought he had only stopped at the surface of your skin. 

Muttering a quick excuse about needing some fresh air, you left the karaoke booth, exhaling heavily, the warmth of your breath translating into silver gusts of air in the chilly night. As you descended the stairs, however, your ankle twisted on the slippery ice, and you found yourself falling, bottom-first, onto the unforgiving concrete.

An ugly sob caught in your throat as hot tears streaked down your cheeks, your palm now scraped and bloody from the impact of the fall, in a useless attempt to soften the blow.

“Let me see,” someone crouched in front of you, and you gasped softly as your eyes met Changbin's concerned gaze.

“Oh god, this is so embarrassing,” you admitted, clasping your eyes shut as he gently held your injured hand in his own, blowing air into the open cuts to soothe their burn.

“I didn't see anything,” he reassured, his tone overly sweet, and you squint your eyes at his obvious lies. “Definitely did not see you trip over nothing,” he added, a teasing smirk drawn on his lips.

“Hey!” you punched his arm playfully and he laughed, full-blown high-pitched giggles you did not think Changbin, out of everybody you knew, would be able to conjure. His eyes were squinted close, his apple cheeks raising higher as he laughed some more, and you felt an electrifying warmth flowing through your being. Suddenly, you were burning in the winter wind. 

Suddenly, you wanted to confess. 

“Did you just get possessed by a five-year-old girl?” you teased as his laughter quieted down, the smile refusing to leave his face, yet. His eyes softened as they found yours, a simple hum leaving his lips in reply. He applied some pressure on your ankle, checking if it is swollen, but that was the last thing you cared about. The sight of Changbin smiling so freely still running through your mind, again and again. You replayed it enough times since to make sure it was safely guarded in your memory, that the long march of time may not wear it down, graining its delicate edges. 

“You should smile more,” you said softly and he looked up at you, a twinkle of gratitude gleaming in his eyes. 

“Your ankle is fine. Stay here, okay? I have a first aid kit in my car.” He didn’t wait for you to reply as he jogged up to his vehicle, and you sighed, heart clenching at how affected you were by his simple touches.

“It will sting a little,” he spoke gently once he returned, before dabbing up your cut slightly with an alcohol-drenched pad. You hissed softly and he frowned, pausing in his tracks. “Okay?” 

“Mm,” you nodded, a small smile playing on your lips, “Okay.”

He continued cleaning your cuts, before applying a cooling cream on it and wrapping it in a clean gauze. He hesitated for a few seconds and your breath hitched as he leaned forward, placing the faintest kiss on your palm. 

“Healing kiss,” he said shyly, a blush blooming on his face and you giggled, bringing his hand to rest upon your cheek.

“I like you, Changbin,” you said truthfully, simply, even as your heart thudded in your chest. “Tell me, should I stop? I don't want to hurt myself.” 

“I…” he began, his words trailing off, interrupted by Chan walking out of the karaoke booth.

“What happened? Are you okay?” he asked, worry clearly dripping from his tone and you cursed inwardly. You loved Chan but you’ve never been more annoyed to see him. Your eyes flee tentatively to Changbin as Chan takes your hand in his, inspecting it. 

“Let's go inside, it’s freezing here,” Chan pulled you up and you nodded, as Changbin followed suit, before he stopped you by the door, his hand on your arm. “Come over tomorrow, please? We can talk then.” 

“Sure,” you smiled and he nodded, swiping his thumb soothingly along your wrist. “Thank you,” he whispered, before walking inside. 

☃︎⋆꙳•❅

The landline ringing snaps you away from that long-buried memory, as it disappears before your eyes like morning mist. You rub your forehead tiredly before answering.

“Hello?” 

“Hello, I would like to inform you that we'll be coming up with food service shortly,” the sweet receptionist announces in a cheery tone, and you furrow your brow.

“I did not order anything, though.”

“It is on the house. Enjoy your food!” she explains gleefully before hanging up.

On the house meaning it is Seo Changbin's treat. You couldn't help but scoff at the array of food presented before you minutes later, including that damned hot chocolate he always used to bring you, complete with marshmallows on top and colorful sprinkles because why settle for plain when you could have rainbows in your drink.

“He remembers,” ou whisper to yourself before sighing. What was the point of him remembering now? Every bit of hope you had was dismantled two months ago, akin to a hopeful dandelion blown away by the bitter wind. 

You bite your lip, contemplating for a few seconds before finally dialing Changbin’s number.

“The food will get cold. Come quickly. I won't wait for you,” you mumble before hanging up and tossing your phone away.

A few minutes later, Changbin enters your room, his cologne still following him like a second shadow. You avoid his eyes as you dig into the seafood pasta, the one he ordered for you.

“Good?” he asks, and you glance at him from the corner of your eye. "Yeah, good."

“Are you okay?” he inquires, taking a bite of the pepperoni pizza. 

You knew he was asking about your ankle, and yet, in this moment, sitting on the floor of the penthouse Changbin upgraded for you, eating the food he bought after tending to your injury, you suddenly no longer cared about the state of your body. Instead, an exasperation built up in your throat, directed towards the man who had left you hanging many nights ago. 

“You confuse me,” you say honestly, putting down your fork and he frowns. “I confuse you?” he repeats incredulously.

“Yes. You always confuse me and I hate it.” Sudden tears threaten to well in your eyes and you groan, burying your face in a pillow to hide it.

“I can't believe you are saying this,” he whispers, pushing away his plate and you scowl, lowering your silky shield. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You never came, y/n,” His voice, draped in heavy emotion, catches you off guard like a sudden storm in the calm of the night. “I waited and waited for you and you never came.”

“I came,” you say quietly, the hurt suddenly feeling fresh within the confines of your heart. “At the wrong time, maybe the right one, I don't know. But I came.”

“What?”

“I came to your dorm only to see you kissing a girl’s cheek and hugging her by your door. You told her you missed her and to come later once you sorted something out. Was I… What? supposed to enter and sit there to hear you reject me?” You say quickly, finally releasing the words that had long haunted you.

An incredulous laugh escapes his lips as he runs a hand through his hair, slightly pulling at its edges. “My god, that was my sister.”

“What?”

“She came over unannounced that morning. I actually told her she can't stay the night because I had someone important coming over. That someone being you,” he explains and you feel hot embarrassment flood your being, then relief. For what, exactly? Wasn’t it too late?

“How was I supposed to know?” you ask defensively and his eyes widen as he comes closer to you. 

“You could’ve asked me!”

“I was embarrassed because I put my heart bare to you. I told you I liked you when I wasn't even sure you liked me back.”

“Of course, I liked you back.” His voice softens as if it were a truth known to everyone but yourself.

“Then why were you so… distant.”

“Because you scared me, you came into my life unannounced and everything changed around me,” he pauses, a shaky breath escaping him. “Because I wasn’t looking for anything but it turns out I just didn’t know to look for you yet.”

You giggle against your will at his words, shaking your head slightly. “That's exactly what I told Chan when I asked if you were single.”

“See, soulmates,” he grins, satisfied, and you feel tingles pulsate through your entire being at his words.

“Slow down Mr. Seo. We are not even dating yet.”

“Yet? So, is there still a chance?”

“I…” your phone rings and you let out a loud groan as you peek at who's calling— Chan.

“You have the actual worst timing ever dude,” Changbin nearly screams into the phone and you can clearly hear Chan’s confused voice asking “Changbin? Where is yn?” 

Changbin hangs up on him without answering, before putting your phone on silent. Then his, for good measure.

“It's like he’s my archnemesis or something,” Changbin sighs and you laugh, amused by his exasperation. 

“So,” he clears his throat, a bit shyly, “can we start again? Properly?”

“I don't know… I need to see if something’s still there…” you muse and he cocks an eyebrow at you, leaning even closer. 

“And how will you do that?”

You throw your hands around his neck, before resting your cheek on the slate of his shoulders. He remains still for a few heartbeats, only to tighten his hold on you, his lips delicately grazing the exposed canvas of your neck.

“I knew it, you smell nice, and you are really warm,” you sigh contently, closing your eyes as a soothing peace wash over you, all the worries you harbored dissipating at his warmth.

“You smell really nice too,” he whispers and a grin lights up your face. 

“I can hear you smiling,” you point out, leaning away slightly to look at him. 

“I’m happy.”

“That's cute.”

“You’re cuter,” he says, nuzzling your nose with his own. “Your total for the food is 160 dollars by the way.”

“Can I pay back with my kisses?” you smile cheekily, bringing your lips a hair breadth away from his. 

He’s breathless as he finally presses his mouth on yours, “Please do.” 

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

Opposite Personalty but Same Alignment* Characters Played by the Same Actor: How do they feel about each other?

Duke Su, The Double vs. Zheng Zhe, Story of Kunning Palace

Feeling: Permanent mutual hatred

Duke Su: He sees Zheng Zhe for the first time and he can't believe his eyes: there is a man who looks like him (magnificent) but he's squandering it by dressing like a beggar. Then he learns that ZZ does not scheme; does not enjoy plays, banquets, or anything really; and worse, has faith that hard work will pay off in a corrupt system. But it's the fact that they look alike that keeps Duke Su up at night. He even tries to send ZZ better clothes but they are given away because "maybe it's a bribe". Disgusting.

Zheng Zhe: Learns that there is someone who looks like him, but who is detatched, vain, and ostentatious. His approach to politics reminds ZZ too much of Xie Wei. He intensely dislikes this man. He's suspicious of him. It bothers him less though as a person who always leaves a party at 9pm.

Prince Xiao Lin, Till the End of the Moon vs. Su Yishui, Love of the Divine Tree

(this picture is the clam version of Xiao Lin but I think it's pretty)

Feeling: One-sided hatred (improved over time)

Xiao Lin: he's met a Demon Child before, he was nice about it. Princes should treat other princes with respect and decency. It's a bit weird that they look so similar but it's not a big thing.

Su Yishui: He thought he hated Su Yu the most (after himself), but here is a prince who is not only loved by his family but looks Iike him? And can use magic? And is nice??? Mu Quingge is definitely going to leave him for Xiao Lin. (Hatred/jealousy calms down a bit when he learns Xiao Lin is in love with someone else)

Zhuo Yichen, Fangs of Fortune vs. Gong Yuanzhi, My Journey to You

Feeling: Best Second Best Brothers Forever

They're both sad little orphans with brother obsessions. Zhuo Yichen has a proven ability to tolerate any personality as long as it's roughly on the side of good. Gong Yuanzhi would need some time to adjust to having two brothers that he would die for, but I'm convinced it would happen eventually. The doppelganger thing would be fine after ZYC checks to make sure GYZ isn't a shapeshifter.

Orchid, Love Between Fairy and Devil vs. Yun Weishan My Journey to You

Feeling: Enemies to sisters

This is kind of cheating because Yun Weishan starts as a villain, but Orchid is as competent at melting cold-hearted villains as Gong Ziyu. She'll be so excited for a friend (who cares that they look alike!) and YWS cannot resist a cute little sister. They are both so desperate to be loved.

Xie Wei Story of Kunning Palace vs. Chang Heng of Love Between Fairy and Devil

(I found a picture of Chang Heng looking pissed off in front of a qin so maybe these are actually the same personality and same character. Lol, no, joking)

Feeling: the fairy monarchy is corrupt and has betrayed the trust of the people, therefore it must be overthrown

Xie Wei learns that the king of fairies allowed one of his subjects to be thrown into eternal prison (Orchid) and he is pissed off, it reminds him too much of his childhood trauma. The innocent should not be sacrificed. He begins to plot against the corrupt. Chang Heng has been a loyal subject for a long time, he's the God of War, but Xie Wei makes some persuasive arguments about how Orchid saved his life and therefore he owes her eternal plotting and perhaps some murder... The look-alike thing only matters in that it allows them to confuse people and carry out complicated plans

*I am being generous with same alignment, but if the show generally has them on the side of good.

**I can only do shows I've watched and characters that are really different. Maybe I'll add to this as I do more.

[moonlight-records]

Test Run | MV33 + OP81

pairing: mv33 x reader x op81

summary: after being gifted a penthouse by your boyfriends, you need to go to IKEA to furnish it. Though it's law that you test run things first

warning: fluff!! poly!reader, poly!max, poly!oscar, 416 in there too, makeout, they're in love your honor!! the squad actually. honestly this is a stupid ass idea i had, i hope y'all enjoy it

fc: n/a

wc: 2.3K

Having a rich boyfriend has a lot of perks. Having two rich boyfriends has even more perks which is exactly where you landed. Dating Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri was like having two black cats that only liked certain people but their favorite one was you. Not that you minded one bit. Oscar and Max actually meshed very well together, you brought the bit of adventure they needed, and they kept you grounded when needed. Everything was perfect like the final pieces of a puzzle coming together.

There was one catch though.

The catch was Max and Oscar had their golden retriever type best friends that you cannot separate. If you try to separate their best friends nothing but chaos will ensue so often (even if one pair refuses to admit they’re friends behind the scenes) thus, Lando and Charles will pop over to Max and Oscar’s joint hotel rooms because “Max and Oscar haven’t shown us a sign of life so we’re here to kidnap them.” You are more than glad to have Max and Oscar go and socialize when you’re there during the race season but it’s now turned into you also being dragged along because Max and Oscar are “always in a sour mood when you aren’t around,” according to Lando and Charles so you go but it’s always fun, no matter what the adventure is.

“IKEA? Really?”

“Yes, really.” You huff as you check your purse before glancing up, “you two gifted me a penthouse. We have to shop and decorate it.”

“We can just hire people to do that for us.”

“Max is right." Oscar starts, “Besides, you’ll probably be staying with Max or I anyway so.” He offers a nonchalant shrug.

You let out a noise as you look at your two boyfriends. “No! You two bought me the penthouse! I’m going to use the penthouse! Besides, it’s so big and spacious,” You say as you twirl in your spot, “and it’s lovely. Even if I’m not here often I’d like a place to come back to when I can’t go with you guys during the race seasons or, respectfully, when I need me time.”

“You can me time at our places,” Max frowns.

You go over and gently pat both their cheeks, “I love you both so much, but that’ll last about a good ten minutes before one or both of you wander in before trapping me for cuddles.”

“…She’s got us there,” Oscar murmurs as Max glances at Oscar, a playful sour look on his face because Oscar was right. There was no real way to argue their way out of this one. Max sighs and looks back at you. “Okay. Fair. You got us there but why do we have to go to IKEA? Seriously give me about five minutes and I’ll have people—”

“Nooooo,” you groan as you drop your hands, “that’s so boring! That takes out such a fun aspect of owning something! Nothing brings a couple closer than building IKEA sets and getting super frustrated at the instructions and the sense of pride when you figure it out!” You pout looking at your boyfriends, “Will you please come with me?”

Oscar and Max look at each other silently having a conversation. They both cave in as they nod to each other and look back at you. “Okay, fine.” Oscar says, smiling slightly, “You win. We’ll go to IKEA with you.”

“Yes! Oh this will be great!” You say and double check you have everything before hoisting your purse strap up your arm and heading to do the door. “Come on! Lando and Charles are probably waiting for us!”

“Okay.” The boys call in unison before they register your words. “Wait, what?!”

You happily park the car and climb out, giddy seeing the familiar giant dark blue and white building with their yellow lettering staring in front of you. IKEA. Your home away from home. You don’t bother waiting for Max and Oscar as you head to the sidewalk, finally looking at your phone. Your eyes study the photo Lando sent you from where they parked, which was much closer. Looking up, your eyes scan before finding the custom Lamborghini Urus and the ‘LN4 15’ license plate on the back. You make your way over and don’t think as you open the back door to climb in, as this is a habit for you two.

“Guess whOOOOOOOOOAH—” You shriek at the sight before you.

Instead of Lando and Charles being in the front, as you expected, they were cramped in the back. Legs were tangled, hands were roaming as short brown hair has a hand tightly grabbing it. You blink seeing Lando’s head that was tilted back snap forward as Charles freezes above him forcing his gaze to find yours as he nips at Lando’s neck. The three of you stare at each other before Charles and Lando are scrambling to sit up, Charles smacking his head against the top and rubbing his head face flushing. Lando sits up quickly face equally blush as he turns his attention to Charles for a moment. “Are you okay babe?”

Your jaw drops open at the question before you close the door and look away in shock for the cameras. If this was a sick joke the cameraman needs to cut the cameras. Come out and expose themselves. But no cameras could be found but Oscar and Max who were swiftly making their way over to you raise brows at your expression. You turn back and open the door again, Lando now straddling Charles with his head tucked to his chest, going on about how ‘i’m going to trap you in a bubble’ as Oscar and Max peer in, also stunned at the sight, “Babe!?” You finally ask.

“What?!” Max and Oscar asks, heads snapping to you as Lando and Charles once again are frozen and also look at you. Oscar and Max turn back to their best friends before looking between you and their friends before finally Max speaks. “What the hell is going on!?”

“Maaaaax.” Charles starts, “Oscaaaar. Y/nnnnn. Heeeeey.” He continues as both Lando and Charles’ face are beet red. “Well—” He starts.

“Charles and I got bored waiting so we were making out.” Lando blurts out.'

“Lando!”

“I’m sorry! They were going to ask!”

“…Babe?” Oscar repeats and Lando looks at his teammate and best friend before smiling sheepishly, “Surprise!” Lando says.

Max is staring in shock while Oscar shakes his head. You can’t help but giggle but then Oscar jokes, “Cannot believe you’re dating my dad. Isn’t that breaking some kind of code?” and you break into laughter. Lando also cannot help the laugh that escapes him which causes a chain of laughs as Lando and Charles climb out of his car, locking it behind him. “You’re right Osc, I am breaking bro code and I’m sorry.” Lando slings an arm over Oscar’s shoulders. “But he’s just so hot,” before laughing as Oscar shoves him telling him he’s “disgusting”.

“Well!” You announce as you clap your hands together, “We can freak out about the revelation of Charles and Lando’s new blooming relationship after! Today, we’re here to shop for the penthouse and the only way to do that is test running things.”

The boys look at you in confusion. You stare back, “What? Have you guys never gone to IKEA and acted out different scenarios?”

“No,” the four say in unison.

“Oh. Well! Today is the day,” turning on your heels, “onward!” You point before skipping to the entrance with the four guys taking a moment to ask themselves what the fuck before following you. You all opt for the stairs seeing how crowded the elevator was. You immediately grab a bag for any non furniture items before wandering into the store.

You go through the show rooms slowly but surely. The living rooms are cute but not exactly what you want so thankfully you take photos of what you do like and see what you can pair together. Then you guys enter the kitchen and your eyes light up before making your way to the counter. You glance back seeing the boys talk and you shake your head before Lando wanders over. “Oh my god,” He says looking around, “I love what you did to your kitchen.”

Thank god for Lando.

“Oh my goodness, thank you.” You say and grab the two glasses in the show room and pretend to pour you and Lando a drink, “So you wanted to talk?”

“Oh yes.” Lando nods slowly, “I did.” He takes the glass and pretends to drink it via air sip, “Well, you know I don’t like to gossip—” You see Charles’ head snap at his favorite word ‘gossip’ as you keep character as you nod. “You? Gossip? No never. I also don’t like to gossip.”

“Right, right. But you know, like…” He lets his voice trail off, “you know I like. You know I don’t judge—”

“No no you never do! You know I’m the last person to speak ill to speak on someone.”

“Never! You know we never clocked in a day. Not a single shift at the hater headquarters.” Lando slowly shakes his head, “cause we aren’t those type of people.”

“Oh, god no. Not our style at all—Oh my god! Charles hey!” You say as the Ferrari driver wanders over, “do you want a drink.”

It takes Charles a moment before he gets it. This is what you meant by ‘test run’. “I would love a drink actually.” He leans on the kitchen island, “so what are you two talking about?”

You pretend to get him a drink, “Oh you know—”

“Ollie.” Lando says pretending to sip his drink, “but you know we’re not one to gossip.”

“Oh of course not. This is like—good journalism.” Charles says as he takes the glass from you but he’s locked in about his adopted baby brother. Max and Oscar wander over and watch the scene unfold, glancing at each other then the three of you.

“Right!” Lando adds on.

“I mean, myself? I’m a bit of a mathematician.” You start, pretending to swirl your drink. “I’m just taking some data points.” Lando and Charles nod in agreement. “I mean, we’re like a study group you know? I got notes. You guys got notes. We all got notes. It would be rude note to share those notes to help everyone involved, right?” Lando and Charles nod while Max and Oscar question silently what the fuck is going on.

There’s a small silence before Lando lean forward, “So here’s what I know about Ollie.” You and Charles instinctively lean forward. Lando glances around before leaning in and glances at Max and Oscar, “you guys either need to lean in for good journalism or walk away.” Max huffs while Oscar just signs and leans on the counter. Max slowly looks at Oscar before sighing before joining the council.

“So…” Lando starts, “You know, Ollie just recently moved here. Well,” Lando glances at the table then back at the glass as if he got something in there, “I happen to see a certain, Mercedes driver leave his apartment complex today…” You gasp as Charles slams his hand down on the counter, “I knew it!”

“I’m sorry, we were suppose to think they were "just friends” or…” Max lets his voice trail off as Oscar snorts. You look at your boyfriends while smiling and shaking your head before collecting the glasses and putting the showroom back together. You three wander to another kitchen showroom while Charles is ranting Lando’s ear off. This time you, Max, and Oscar have one of your typical “arguments” which was Max and Oscar pleading their cases on why they could stay in for the fifth night in a row to take care of you while you explained that '“I’m on my period. I love you both so much but if I don’t have me time for more than ten minutes I’m gonna start screaming or sobbing.” In the end, it settled on them going out to get dinner and bringing you back something before three of you laugh because it felt like every other day.

Each showroom was a different scenario. Lando and Charles in a toxic marriage arguing while hosting as you, Max, and Oscar are the poor friends caught in the middle. Another was Max and Oscar dating you not only being the snitch but the mistress (scandalous). Oscar and Lando being roommates who are SO down bad for each other. You and Charles being enemies confronting each other (fake play fighting included). Early 2000’s college students pre gaming for a night out. You name it, they probably did it.

You guys finally make it to the second floor after enjoying your test runs. You actually pick things out before ordering the big furniture since Max and Oscar had been convinced you guys weren’t going to find things so his car won’t fit anything and making sure you got kitchen installation through IKEA. After buying the smaller things, you drag them all to the food before you’re all sitting down, eating meatballs and giggling back on the different scenarios. Even Max and Oscar had fun which was a win for you.

“When is your furniture arriving?” Oscar asks after saying goodbye to Lando and Charles before heading to Max’s car

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Will you be up to answer the door?” Oscar raises a brow as Max lets out a laugh.

“Haha, very fun, I will.” You stick your tongue out while Oscar chuckles and kisses your cheek.

“Did you hire them to assemble it as well?” Max asks.

“Just the kitchen.” You explain and Max nods as he takes the bag and puts it in the trunk. “Everything else you guys have to build.” “We?” Max asks. “Didn’t you say part of the bonding experience was for us to build it together?”

“I did. But why would I lift a finger when you two can do it for me?” You smile, ��Silly boys. I’m here for moral support and to hand you things! You guys do the actual manual labor. I’ll buy lunch?”

“And dinner.” Oscar adds and Max nods.

“Deal.”

[acesw]

Reverse: 1999 : Disabled Characters

The game doesn't stray too far on the neurodivergent allegory for the arcanists themselves. But at the same time, there are also inclusions of other characters who are very much known to be disabled. So for this post I'll delve into that, just a bit.

Now, there are 10 characters that I want to put in the spotlight. These mostly lean towards being canon, but a part of these are also researched upon and shortened so the post doesn’t become way too long.

Cristallo, Rabies, Erick : Chronic Illness

It's quite self explanatory that Cristallo herself has a chronic illness. She was born prematurely, with an added condition that makes her physically fragile. As seen in the game, she needs a life-support system to maintain her health when she's outside. It's also implied that her condition may be a recurrent cancer, as her arcane abilities are tied to a machine that provides cobalt therapy, a known advancement in radiotherapy in the post-WWII era.

Rabies is an odd case. In his stories, it's noted that Adam cured Alicia through unknown means at the cost of contracting rabies himself. However, instead of the virus being acute and guaranteed to be fatal, it becomes a chronic illness to Rabies due to the abundance and use of arcanum. And since the rabies virus attacks the brain, his cognitive capabilities and ability to recall things before the present had been impaired, making him rather docile and animal-like in nature as a result.

Erick, as revealed in her anecdote, has a hereditary blood condition that came with her arcane skill. With her arcane skill making her physically powerful, overusing it will accelerate the effects of her blood condition to the point that it can become fatal. To prevent this, she also inherited an armband from her grandfather, Harald. The armband suppresses one's ability to use arcane skills, but by extension it also prevents Erick's condition getting worse.

Shamane : Amputee

Shamane's circumstances are also self-explanatory. He lost his arm for unknown reasons, but after having lived without it for 20 years, it doesn't bother him anymore. However as we know, he crafted his prosthetic arm as a means to avoid scaring kids. (which I think is quite cool in itself)

Ms. Radio, Bessmert : Blindness

Ms. Radio and our new friend, Bessmert, are both canonically blind. Ms. Radio has stated that she cannot see, and asks Vertin to left in places where she can feel temperatures to make her feel at peace.

And as we know, Yenisei (or in other words, Yenisei's VA) has stated in the 1.6 livestream that Bessmert is known to be blind, but even with that, she's a great researcher and guide to her.

Mesmer Jr. : OCD [Content Warning: Mentions of Self Harm and Suicide.]

Mesmer Jr.'s character has heavily implied throughout the main story and her own to have OCD as a result of the traumatic experiences she had gone through from her field of work and her family’s history in it. She identifies that she has "incurable" anxiety, which causes her to think differently about arcanists and act a little irrationally from our own perspective. This anxiety results in double checking everything and having a slightly intensive routine.

This routine is created as a means to maintain herself and her own sanity, but an imbalance or interruption can greatly upset her. As a result, she has conflicting ideals, experiences hallucinations and panic attacks, has suicidal thoughts, and actively inflicts self harm as a means to cope with her anxiety. However, she’s calmer and at peace with herself when she's left alone in a quieter and clean space, away from others, and where nature is heard more than constant buzzing. In short, Mesmer Jr.’s mental health is really complex and would be better if it's explored in a separate post.

Baby Blue : Alice in Wonderland syndrome

It's no secret that Baby Blue has Alice in Wonderland syndrome, or in other words dysmetropsia. This affects her perception of reality and her ability to recall, but this in turn makes her arcane abilities all the more powerful. As a result, she doesn't realize that she's growing up, yet it seems she doesn't mind that much. This doesn't seem to affect her physically either; In fact, it has a heavy influence on how she displays her arcane skills.

Poltergeist : Social Anxiety

Poltergeist has been known to be anxious in social settings which conflicts with her people-pleasing tendencies. She's also insecure about herself which adds up to her not wanting to be directly perceived. At the same time, she doesn't like being left alone as a result of having been ignored and forgotten post mortem. Poltergeist is also elaborate (i.e. not wanting to be looked at for too long) yet awkward at the same time when communicating them.

However, I'm not sure how to describe Poltergeist's case quite well, but the idea of her having social anxiety resonates greatly in my mind, so it can be treated as a partial headcanon.

Balloon Party : Autism and Speech Impairment

Balloon Party as a child had contracted an illness that caused her to have a persistent high fever. In the end, she awakened her arcane skill this way, with her being able to cough up balloons that can be harmful or a cure to anything.

However, it might have also affected her speech because of the physical strain that comes from coughing, it results to BP's speech being a bit slow and having abnormal pauses before she speaks again. Though, this also might be a sign of her possibly also having autism, where rigid and uneven language development is a common pattern in how autism affects one's ability in communication. Her speech also has a pattern of echolalia, having a flat tone, and lack of control of it.

However, speech impediment isn't everything about autism, and there's a lot more about BP's character that also connects with it such as her special interests. I can better explore this in a different post, which will be explained below.

Last Notes

These are the characters I’ve written down, most of these are less headcanon and more of observations I’ve found when looking into these characters. Some people from the lore chat have also added their own insights on some of them. (Thank you lupjo for beta-reading through it and helping me out) 

Of course, there are a few more characters I want to discuss because of the implications of them having autism / ADHD, but these will be written in another post in the future because I still need to research and gather other information. Additionally, it would be an opportunity to talk about the connections between an arcanist’s and neurodivergent person’s relationships with modern society.

Congrats for reaching the bottom of this post, and feel free to add your own ideas or headcanons about the characters here and/or any other ones.

[edenfenixblogs]

I recently received the following message from a (former?) friend of mine:

okay I am being so genuine right now: since you seem to have educated yourself on what is bothering jewish people about the pro-palestine movement, /what/ is it. I genuinely cannot see and have not interacted with any pro-palestine activists that have actively advocated for the murder of jewish people. I have seen Israelis who have justified the breaking of the truce to bomb Palestinians returning to north gaza. Note I said Israelis and not Jews.

I responded by essentially saying that there's a lot there and I'll need some time to compile and articulate.

I mention this in order to ask if you (or any of your followers/any Jewish tumblr users reading this) have anything specific you'd like to point me toward (search keywords/starting points, links, thoughts, interpret however) that's not already on the list of what i'm planning to discuss (included after this paragraph), anything you specifically want me to read, suggestions of where to place emphasis, or any stories or thoughts you'd like me to pass on to him directly.

current tentative list i'm planning on going over with him, in no particular order:

clarification of scope of conversation (specific to non-jewish western left rather than on the ground or from affected groups)

dual loyalty accusations and harrassment of random jews that have nothing to do with medinat israel

taking discussion of antisemitism in bad faith by default

opportunistic use of the issue by more active antisemites, broad failure to to recognize when that's occuring

uncritical sharing of dogwhistles, conspiratorial thinking

outsiders and newcomers attempting to speak on the matter with authority we don't have

neglect of fact-checking and widespread mis- and disinformation

tokenization of antizionist jews and "jews" - jvp in particular i need to look into more

glorification of hamas and disregard for israeli civilians

misuse, misunderstanding, and demonization of zionism

application of western frameworks of colonization when not applicable

binary good guys/bad guys framing, contrarianism, taking "sides"

might talk about bds e.g. the whole boston map thing but not yet confident on this one, need to do a lot more digging

denial of jewish history - focus on denial of eretz israel as the jewish homeland, holocaust inversion, treating absolutely anything but especially those as trivial or "so long ago"

treating or discussing jews and/or israelis as monolithic

double standards and singling out of israel, holding it as inherently more suspect or less legitimate than any other state

@faggotry-enjoyer Oh man! This is such a good ask!!!! I was going to wait until after work to answer, but your list is so good and so thorough that it relieves a lot of the work I’d have to do.

Some stuff I linked overlaps with your list but I wanted to provide links to these points when possible.

Another thing that bothers me in particular about the western leftist movements’ approach to pro-Palestine conversations (and more: I am critiquing their approach to supporting Palestine not their support itself):

The absolute inability for Jews anywhere to even discuss provocation from Hamas, the history of bombs coming into Israel out of Palestine, or any other act of aggression from Hamas. Anytime we try to discuss anything even remotely nuanced or historical we are told “there’s no excuse for genocide” or “I guess you just love killing Palestinian babies” when that’s not what we are saying at all. Or, more often, the assumption that we are flat out lying about Hamas’ tactics and use of human shields and Palestinian civilian suppression and their view of the disposability of Palestinian lives.

The blanket condemnation of Zionism without understanding that it is a complex philosophy with several movements and differing goals.

The complete lack of media literacy.

The specific dismissal of From the River to the Sea as a term stolen from a Palestinian civilians who desire to express hope in a fully free and equal future but people who use it explicitly to call for the death of Jews. And the weaponization of the phrase to make it a death threat to any Jew who points this out.

The lack of specificity in terms line “Free Palestine.” Yes, Palestinians deserve full and equal freedoms and representation in government. This is a wonderful thing that I support with my whole heart. But that doesn’t change the fact that many bad actors and antisemites are hiding within the Free Palestine movement who are specifically manipulating the phrase to imply free Palestine FROM JEWS—both in terms of their presence in the levant at all (which would entail yet another anti-Jewish ethnic cleansing) or simply the murder of the 7 million Jews who exist in Israel. So asking a Jew why they won’t shout “free Palestine!” At the top of their lungs is taken as a sign that western Jews don’t want Palestinian freedom. When actually it’s a refusal to call for their own deaths.

The assumption that western protest tactics are inherently useful in this conflict and the refusal to look to interfaith and intercultural organizations on the ground in I/P who have been doing this longer, better, and more effectively than western groups.

The focus of western efforts on naming one side a victor in this conflict rather than peace for all.

Not understanding how few Jews there are in the world. And relatedly, the dismissal of the fact that the destruction of the modern state of Israel with no solid plan for a shared Palestinian/Israeli solution would mean the loss of sovereignty for half the global Jewish population, which would indeed affect Jews worldwide.

Dismissal of Israeli leftist efforts to oust the Likud and Netanyahu, because it doesn’t fit the narrative of all Israeli Jews being evil.

The sharing of graphic content of 10/7 attacks, dead and injured Palestinian and Israeli children, and calling any victims martyrs without appropriate trigger warning and as a political tactic.

Mocking Jews (yes, even celebrities) who express feeling fearful for their personal safety as antisemitism rises worldwide.

The expulsion of Jews from their non-Jewish communities and friend groups.

Not understanding the magnitude of the Jewish diaspora and its affect on Jewish culture and voice during this conflict.

Other friends and Allies please add on with your own experiences and concerns!

[erinlindsayy]

professor || carol danvers

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ . ┊ You're Carol's designated note taker, and usually the one teaching her a few things. What happens when you give her the wrong set of notes?

➺  warnings: dirty talk, spanking, edging, violent use of straps, carol danvers tops (but I fully believe she's a switch now), umm... general unholiness, bratting, etc.

✧   a/n: surprise... I'm back... more content coming soon... I promise I've got a val/carol/r fic coming soon, but this popped into my head and I couldn't resist... JOCK COLLEGE CAROL, OK? JOCK RUGBY COLLEGE CAROL.

↬ like this work? let me know! comments help encourage writers to write more and let them know that you liked what they wrote :)

★ requests are open–I write for a number of fandoms! just ask :)

☆ comments + reblogs are greatly appreciated ☆

“Can any of you attempt to discern meaning from this week’s assigned reading? Why might I have selected this particular work for you all?” asks Professor Valkyrie, starting class for the day. Your hand immediately raises, and she nods in your direction. 

“Well, was not Beckett’s entire point to find meaning in the absence of conventional meaning?” 

Professor Valkyrie, nods. 

‘Interesting thought,” she says. “Care to elaborate?”

“Well,” you begin. “Beckett created a landscape for us that is so alien and foreign, and unlike what we know. The play does not include any symbolic elements, and it does not really go anywhere. You might try to make meaning out of the carrot that Didi and Gogo share, or the leaves appearing on the tree, but they literally mean nothing. At the end of the play--we, as well as Vladimir and Estragon, are all still waiting for Godot. So, in a sense, there is no meaning, but perhaps there is meaning in the fact that there is no intended meaning.” 

“Good,” replies Professor Valkyrie. “As always, a carefully articulated and thoroughly crafted response. Excellent work as usual.” 

You smile politely, and fall back into your seat as Professor Valkyrie continues to lecture about Samuel Beckett and the wonderful nature and reality of Waiting for Godot. 

Meanwhile, you’ve jotted at the top of your notes, in big bold letters ‘I hate this play!’ 

After all, the ability to just to understand and converse about a work of literature does not mean that one has to enjoy it. 

After class, you’re stopped, as usual, by the one and only  Carol Danvers. Resident jock, captain of the division one team, aspiring pilot, rumored sex god extrodinare, Carol Danvers. She’s quite the legend around campus, but not exactly for her work ethic as it pertains to academic pursuits, which are... lacking, to put it politely. 

“Do you have my notes for me,” she asks, holding her hand out. “I need to at least act like I’m going to study tonight, right?” 

You roll your eyes. “Carol, why do you ask for my notes if you never use them? You do realize that mere possession of the notes will not translate into you understanding the material, yes? You have to actually read them in order for the information to enter your head.” 

Your reply is snarky, short and snappy, but you’re fed up with Carol at this point. She asks you for notes in all the classes you share together (which, granted, is not many,) but never seems to read them or take any of her classes very seriously. Carol narrows her eyes at the response. 

“I’ll just sleep on them? Os--” 

You cut her off, finishing her sentence. 

“--mosis does not apply, Carol. You know that. You cannot absorb the material through the pores of your skin. Read the notes, and actually try for once, or stop bothering me. I could be taking notes for myself, rather than focusing on summarizing all of the lectures so that you can stuff them into your bag, never to see the light of day again. Don’t ask me for notes again unless you’re ready to be serious.” 

With that, you hastily pull out a few papers from your bag, not bothering to double check if they were the correct ones or not. You shove the papers into Carol’s and turn away sharply, not bothering to look back. Granted, you were headed in the completely wrong direction, but you weren’t about to give Carol the satisfaction of seeing your face again. 

Of course, Carol knows that you hardly need notes for your own purposes. Summarizing the lectures for her provides you with the information you need to keep your own mind sharp, with years of literary study and reading filling in the blanks to broader context for you. But still, you love to hassle her. Carol does feel guilty occasionally, knowing how much work you put into the notes you take for her. They’re always organized, and you write important little tidbits down in the margins. She always glances at them, but can never bring herself to actually study the notes. 

Tonight is different. Carol is inspired, reenergized by your scathing talk. She sits down at her desk, and finally pulls out the notes you gave her. She reads the first line, and laughs to herself. 

These definitely weren’t the notes she meant to give me, she thinks to herself. 

_______________________________________________________________________

You’re startled out of your evening study session by a loud ding from your phone. Normally, you wouldn’t check your phone in the middle of studying, but you’re intrigued. 

Your jaw drops slightly when you notice that the text is from Carol. 

8:57 hey. I’ve got a question about the notes

You’re shocked. Carol actually... read the notes? 

9:00 Shoot for it. How can I help? 

9:01 Well. The notes weren’t really on Waiting for Godot

9:04 Oh. Did I give you a repeat copy of last weeks’?

9:05 Well, I wouldn’t exactly say that they’re standard academic notes

You roll your eyes at her comment, typing out a harsh response before deleting it and sending a far more cordial reply. 

9:06 Oh? 

9:07 Well, for starters, I don’t think that Waiting for Godot has anything to do with sex. 

Attached to her text is a picture of your recent exploration of the things that turned you on, or as you aptly named it “An empirical study of the things that make me wet.” 

You’d never meant for anyone to see it, ever. It was purely a list of the things that you desperately wanted to try, things you enjoyed watching and reading, various things that interested you. 

You’d written the list mostly as a joke, as a way to get the ideas out of your head. You wondered how it even found your way into your backpack, and you’re ready to curl up into a ball and cry when Carol texts you again. 

9:13 I could help you, you know

9:14 I have a few things that I could teach you

9:15 What do you say we make a deal? 

You swallow thickly, intrigued. 

9:17 What sort of deal? 

9:19 You teach me literature. 

9:21 I’ll fulfill your deepest fantasies. (And take you out on a date ;) )

You blink slowly, unable to process the words appearing on your screen. A date? Lessons in sex? It all seems to be far too much to handle, and you’re not sure if Carol is serious. The prospect is alluring, however, and you can’t help but admit that you’ve had the tiniest (largest) of crushes on Carol ever since you saw her in that signature leather jacket of hers, kicking her legs up against the desk in front of her, even if your feelings were against your better judgment. You knew she was aware of this fact, and the way you were always angry around him for some odd reason. 

9:24 If this is a joke, it isn’t funny, Carol. 

9:30 I’ll pick you up at 7 tomorrow. Be ready. We’re getting pasta.  

__________________________________________________________________________

“So. You want to be a pilot, but now you’re here playing rugby and studying literature?”

Carol shrugs. 

“My best friend Maria and I were supposed to enlist together, but some shit happened and he needed me to stick around. I’ve always been good at rugby even though my dad hated that I played sports, and so I stuck around here. Got a full scholarship for rugby, and put the dream of flying aside. The academy will always be there. It’s not what I wanted, but it’s what Maria needed. I couldn’t just leave her when she needed me most.” 

You smile softly at Carol, shocked by her sudden display of emotion. She’s clearly conflicted, and her eyes drift up to the sky, staring wistfully at the dimming horizon. 

“I think that’s very brave of you, Carol. You’re a really good friend,” you say, reaching out to place a hand atop hers in a sudden burst of confidence. The evening had been oddly pleasant, and conversation flowed between the two of you. Granted, Carol was still somewhat of an egotistical jerk, but she was obviously emotionally conflicted, and she had sacrificed her biggest dream to help her closest friend when she needed it most.  

Carol looks down at your hand, tensing up for a second before flipping her palm to meet yours and giving your hand a quick squeeze. 

“I’m alright, ok? I don’t want you worrying about me.” 

You nod. Carol smiles, and moves to stand up. 

“What do you say we get out of here, and head back to my place? Maybe watch a movie?” 

You smile, nodding at Carol. “I’d like that a lot,” you whisper. “I’d like that.” 

Carol holds her hand out to you, helping you up out of your chair. You move to pull your hand out of hers, assuming she meant to just assist you up, but she holds on firmly as the two of you walk back to her vintage red Mustang. 

The drive back to her apartment is filled with throwbacks from the 90s, widows open and hair wild. You’re both singing the words of the songs obnoxiously, relishing in the sweet freedom of the open night. 

When you finally reach her apartment, your eyes are bright and your hair is messy. You look over at Carol, messy hair strewn about. You begin to laugh uncontrollably, with Carol joining shortly after upon seeing your own windblown look. 

When the laughter finally succeeds, you look over at Carol to find her gazing at you intently. You laugh apprehensively, but Carol’s gaze does not falter.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re beautiful,” she asks. 

You nod your head slowly. “Not really, no.” 

“But you had a boyfriend?” 

You nod. “It wasn’t really the best of situations. I’ve since come to many realizations about myself since then.” 

Carol smiles. “Well, then I guess I’ll just have to tell you as many times as I possibly can to make up for the lack of times you’ve been told that.” 

“Carol, I don’t even know how to respond to that,” you sputter out. 

“So don’t.” 

Carol leans in over the middle of the car, hesitantly pressing her lips against yours in a tender kiss. You’re surprised at first, but you lean into the kiss, melting against her mouth. Your hands tangle in her already messy hair, and you smile against her lips. The kiss intensifies as your hands begin to roam down Carol’s back, fingers itching to explore. She pulls her hands off of you, smiling softly. 

“Let’s head inside, Princess. We can have a lot more fun in my bedroom than we ever will out here.” 

You nod your head, eagerly anticipating the next steps. 

When you reach her apartment, he leads you past the kitchen, flipping on various light switches as she heads through the living room, finally reaching her bedroom. It’s surprisingly neat, with framed photos of her and a woman that you guessed was her friend Maria. There’s a small pin shaped like a sort of star resting atop her desk, with a framed photo of an adorable orange kitten. Her bed is neatly made, and the room is incredibly put together. 

“You like it, huh?” 

You jump, startled by Carol’s voice. 

“Yeah. Um, it’s very nice,” you reply. “Super neat.” 

Carol laughs. 

“Yeah, for all my disorganization at school, I do like to keep my apartment pretty tidy.” 

Carol walks over to her desk and picks up your list. 

“I think this belongs to you, my darling. We don’t have to do anything with it, or even speak of it again should you so wish that to be the case.” 

You bite your lip, considering your options. 

“Were you really serious, Carol?” 

Your heart is beating fast, and your palms are beginning to grow clammy. 

She laughs. 

“Of course I was serious, Princess. Why would I offer if I wasn’t?” 

You look down, mumbling your answer out. 

“I didn’t really think someone like you would ever be interested in someone like me, honestly.” 

Carol laughs, walking over to you. She gently tilts your chin up, meeting your eyes. 

“Hey. You’re smart, you’re beautiful, and you drive me up a wall when you’re yelling at me to fucking finally read your notes, as you so kindly put it in your own words. Of course I would be interested in a girl like you. You’re incredible.” 

She kisses you softly, slipping hers hands underneath your sweater. Breaking away for a second, she whispers to stop her if anything is too much. Green for go, she says. Red for stop. 

Her hands roam up your body, making their way up to your neck. She gently squeezes at the column of your throat, whispering in your ear. 

“I noticed you had this on your list, Princess. I did read your notes this time, and I did study up. I know all the things that could make you tick. And yet, I still want to hear you tell me what you want. You want me to choke you? Squeeze your throat till you’re begging me to stop?” 

“Yes, please,” you moan out. 

“Then use your words, Princess. Mmm... and what else should we do today? What other things from your little list do you want to try? I know you don’t want to start off simple... You even said so yourself. Tell me with your words, Princess. Tell me what you want.” 

You gasp, head tipping back as Carol’s hands resume their exploration of your body. 

“Cat got your tongue, Princess? Normally you’re so vocal during class... Why change now?” 

You moan again, unable to speak properly as Carol’s fingers find your nipples, gently pinching. He pinches harder when you are unable to answer her question. 

Moving hers hand to cup your jaw, he harshly tilts your face to look at him. 

“Answer me, Princess. I’m growing impatient and I don’t have all day. Normally you’re so quick to answer. What a shame.” 

“Put me in my place, please,” you gasp out, voice breaking. “I want you to edge me and spank me and punish me and tell me what a naughty little girl I’ve been, touching myself to the thought of you. I want to eat you out while I’m forced to touch myself, unable to cum without your permission. I want you to choke me as you pound me into the mattress with your cock, reminding me of my place. I want to be your good little girl, moaning only your name as you show me who I belong to.” 

Carol smirks. 

“I’ll be honest—I always knew you had a thing for me. You weren’t exactly discreet. The secret is, I had a thing for you too. I wasn’t expecting you to write about me in your notes, though. And I definitely wasn’t expecting you to write something like that ever. Our little teacher’s pet, our good little girl, the smartest girl in class—and such filthy thoughts! Didn’t take me long to figure out who the mysterious blonde figure was. You wrote some pretty explicit stuff in there, Princess. You’re such a filthy little whore... So many dirty thoughts! Imagine if those notes had fallen into the wrong hands...” 

Carol’s hands dip to the edge of your sweater, swiftly pulling it off of your body. She cocks an eyebrow at you upon seeing the lacy navy blue bodysuit underneath that you’d specifically selected for tonight. 

“Did you wear this just for me?” 

You nod. 

“Good girl. I like the way you think. Now, take off those pants for me. While you’re at it, get rid of that lacey little thing. It’s pretty, but you’re prettier.” 

You obey her quickly, shedding every stitch of clothing from your body. You’re trembling with excitement and anticipation, and you’re nervous as Carol’s eyes rake up and down your body. 

“Stunning,” she says, never taking her eyes off of your body. “You’re absolutely perfect. I can’t wait to teach you how to be a good little slut for me... you’re such a good learner. Wonder if that translates in the bedroom?” 

You groan, rolling your eyes. “Why don’t you shut up and find out already?” 

Carol laughs condescendingly. 

“You sure you want to mouth off like that, Princess?” 

You nod. “You seem to be all talk right now, and no action.” 

Carol growls. “We can change that. I don’t tolerate brats around here. Brats get punished. If you’re a good girl, you get rewarded. Which is it going to be tonight, Princess. I need an answer.” 

You roll your eyes without even thinking. “Just fuck me already, Carol.” 

Carol tangles her hand in your hair, pulling your head back. “I told you that brats get punished. It looks like you've selected the brat role tonight. Get on your fucking hands and knees. I’m not going to ask you a second time.” 

You quickly obey, scrambling onto your hands and knees. You wiggle your ass slightly, but Carol firmly holds it in place. 

“Stop. Now, since this is your first time, I’m going to take it easy on you. We are only going to do ten, but mark my words, if you pull this sort of bratting on me again, I can and will increase that number. Now, I want you to count.”

The first strike comes faster than you were expecting, but it does not hurt as much as you thought it would. 

“One,” you gasp out.

Carol strikes again, harder this time. 

“Two,” you gasp out again.

He continues, hitting a bit harder each time, and your ass is red by the finish. 

“Good girl,” she whispers in the shell of your ear. “You took your first punishment so well for me—it is almost like you were made to do this...” 

She ghosts her fingers lightly over your neck, drifting down to your collarbone before moving her hands to gently massage the soft tissue of your breasts. 

With a gentle slap to your aching ass, she gives you a new set of instructions. 

“Now. For our next lesson, you’re going to suck me off. The better you do, the less edges I’ll give you tonight. I hope you’ve been studying, Princess. Either that, or you just better wish that this comes naturally for you.” 

Carol swiftly pulls her pants and boxers down and throws her shirt to the side, revealing her toned abs and muscled back. You can see her muscles ripple as she stretches her arms above her head to take her shirt off. Your jaw goes slightly slack at the sight of her perfect nude figure.

“Close your mouth, Princess. You’ll catch flies.” 

You blush. “Sorry, Carol. You’re just so beautiful.” 

Carol winks. “I can tell, Princess. Your eyes haven’t left my torso.” 

You giggle, but quickly stop when Carol moves directly in front of you. 

“Test time, Princess. Hope you’ve studied. But, if you haven’t, I’ll allow for retakes. Think of this one as a pretext, if you will. How much do I need to teach you when it comes to this particular subject?” 

You moan at her words, mouth salivating. You’re desperate to touch her, to run your tongue over her strap. Carol leans down to press a quick kiss upon your lips, immediately guiding your face to her strap after. You’re unsure of what to do at first, the feeling foreign upon your tongue. Eventually, you begin to find your rhythm, head bobbing as you introduce a hand to match your rhythm. You continue your tiny kitten licks, timing them with the thrust of your fingers. Carol is silent for the most part, but every so often she breaks her stoic silence with a loud moan or gasp when you hit a particularly sensitive spot against her body. You grind against the pillow that Carol has placed between your legs, annoyed with the lack of friction you got, but thankful to have anything at all. Your tongue continues its way along Carol’s strap, body quivering with pleasure. 

It isn’t long before she’s moaning continuously.

After all, you have always been a very quick learner. 

Carol pulls away, and you whimper at the loss of contact. She messily kisses you, groaning at the taste of herself on your tongue. 

“For your first time, that was surprisingly good.”

You beam in satisfaction.

“However, I’m still going to edge you at least five times.”

You whimper. 

“But Carol—“

“No buts, pretty girl. It’s for your own pleasure, alright? It’s good to practice delayed gratification. Now, get over there on the back of the bed for me. Spread those legs as wide as you can. I want that dripping cunt of yours on display.”

You move off of your pillow, following her instructions. Carol walks over to you, hovering over you on the bed as she cages your body with her arms. 

“I want to hear every moan you make,” she growls. “Don’t hold back on me, Princess.” 

You nod. 

“Yes, Carol.” 

Carol smiles and strokes a single finger through your dripping folds. You shudder. The feeling of her soft fingertips against your throbbing core is heavenly, and you’re unable to hide from the breathless moan that escapes your mouth. 

Carol continues to slide her fingers through the folds of your cunt, relishing in the puffy texture as she explores. Her fingers trace small circles here and there, dipping into your soaking hole when she feels like doing so, pinching your clit, edging you into oblivion. 

You ask her to cum numerous times, but she always pulls away. Finally, she pulls away for the last time. 

“You can cum this time, Princess. But I want to cum on my cock for me like a good little slut, alright? I want you to scream my name for me. Let the whole world know you’re mine now.” 

You nod, moaning at her filthy words. She carefully lines up with you and thrusts in quickly, giving you a chance to adjust to the size and foreign feeling of the cock inside of you. 

When you nod at her, she begins to thrust her hips at an ungodly pace, hitting that perfect spot inside of you that makes your eyes roll into the back of your head. She moves one hand to your clit, rubbing tight little circles over the throbbing organ, and her other hand moves to your throat, lightly pressing down. She’s pushing you into the mattress, firmly grinning the column of your neck as her hips thrust faster and faster. 

“You like it when I choke you? When your brain starts to go a little bit foggy and you can’t tell if it’s from the sex or lack of air? You like it when I tell you what a good little slut you are, taking my cock like such a good little Princess, showing how well you learn and how well you take instruction?”

“Yes,” you manage to gasp out in between moans. “Please, fuck me harder.” 

Although it seemed humanly impossible, Carol managed to fuck you harder. The relentless snap of her hips grew faster, thrusts hitting further and further inside of you each time. The hand rubbing your clit runs faster, harder, and just before you’re about to rip over the edge, Carol whispers in your ear. 

“Cum  for me, Princess. Cum like the good little girl you are.” 

You scream out in ecstasy as you tip over the edge, collapsing against the mattress. Carol pulls out, falling into bed next to you, wrapping her arms around you as she presses kisses to your neck and collarbone, drifting up to your forehead. 

“You did so well, Princess. You’re such a good learner. Looks like you’re just as good in here as you are in a classroom.” 

You smile. 

“I try my best. Honestly, that’s all I can ever do.”

Carol smiles. 

“A good attitude to have. Now, let’s go get you cleaned up.”

A few snacks, some water, and one blissful shower later, you’re dressed in Carol’s old sweatpants and sweatshirt as you climb into bed beside him. She’d invited you to stay the night, and you hadn’t been able to resist. Carol flips the lights off, pressing a delicate, featherlight kiss to your forehead. 

As you lay in bed however, you remember an important fact. 

“I still have to teach you all of literature,” you mumble. 

Carol laughs softly. 

“And I have many things to teach you still, darling. But for now, sleep.”

You smile, closing your eyes as you feel Carol’s grip on you grow stronger. 

Literature could wait until tomorrow.

[vashti-lives]

The making of a woolfellow

Last weekend I decided I would loose my mind if I didn’t make a quick easy project I could hug when I was done. I realized a pattern I was already comfortable with had a very familiar silhouette and couldn’t resist taking some inspiration from @sleepnoises clayfellows!

The base of this guy is literally just Purl SoHo’s Big Snowy Owl as written. As long as you are comfortable knitting small tubes either via magic loop or with double pointer needles this is a super super easy project. I used magic loop for the base, ears, and eye plate because when I young poor beginning knitter I absolutely could not justify buying a bunch of double pointed needles when my interchangeable circular set could also make small tubes, and now I’m very proficient at magic loop and and cannot be bothered to get good at DPNs. But either will work.

I knit as directed until I hit the point in the pattern directions where it tells you to stuff the body at which point I started making minor adjustments for the eventual wool fellow. I added a poly batting liner at the same time the instructions tell you to stuff the body. I always do this in plush toys knit with big yarn because there’s not really a way of knitting big yarn tight enough that stuffing won’t fall out, but in this case it’s also extremely necessary because it gives an extra anchor when you’re sewing in the buttons.

Once I had lined it and mostly stuffed it I took a break from the main project and knit and embroidered one half of the faceplate, for measurement reasons. I’ll put the directions for how I made the faceplate below, for now it just matters that you know that I did this because I wanted to know how big it was so I would be able to place the buttons. For the record my plate was… roughly 8 inches. I cared enough to check but tbh by this point in the project the election was over and my willingness to be precise was basically zero. As you will see. This was also when I rummaged through my button collection and found buttons small enough to be pressed through the plate fabric but big enough they wouldn’t immediately fall back through. Probably 7/8 of an inch??? Idk. Might have been better off with slightly bigger buttons. More on that later.

I didn’t do a great job sewing the buttons on symmetrically because I figured it didn’t really matter and technically this is true but also it would be easier to put the plate on nicely if the buttons were symmetrical.

A naked woolfellow!! Avert your eyes!!!!!

To work out where to put the buttons count ten stitches, put a removable marker, count 8, removable marker, count ten and put a removable marker. Basically you want the buttons (and eventually the face) to be in between one of the 8 stitch sections because the ten stitch sections become the ears/horns.

I pulled random cheap buttons from my stash and sewed them on with a thread shank, but using buttons that have an existing shank would be easier.

As a completionist and because when I finished knitting the body I wanted to be basically done I also knit and embroidered the second plate here and sewed them together using a lazy faux mattress stitch/ladder stitch. Once that was done I went back to the directions and finished the head/ears as written!!

The faceplate is knit almost identically to the bottom of the body save for the fact that there’s no need to purl. I also swapped out kfb for m1L (save the first row) for texture reasons but you could kfb the whole time if you wanted.

This is what I did but depending on your gage and how big your guy is you may want to adjust.

Faceplate: make two

Cast on 8 stitches and join in the round

Kbf across (16 stitches)

Knit

K2 m1L across (24 stitches

Knit

K3 m1L across (32 stitches)

Knit

K4 m1L across (40 stitches)

Knit

K5 m1L across (48 stitches)

Knit

Cast off

Close up hole in middle and embroider the eyes.

As far as embroidering the eyes goes my only advice is to take these three phrases and accept them into your heart:

It's ~rustic~

It's organic

It's a design choice

Some final thoughts:

On the base pattern:

I will note for the record if I was going to redo this— and I will almost certainly be making a second one— I would skip the diamond texture, particularly on this multi colored yarn. It looks fine on the finished guy but for the amount of extra work and wrist strain I don’t think it’s really worth the effort, at this in this context. YMMV and if you’re knitting in a solid color you might weigh things differently but it’s worth noting Purl SoHo’s own variations on this pattern— a bunny and pig— do not include any kind of texture or pattern.

On the button mechanism:

About the buttons and the double sided eye plate-- I do not know that this is the best way to accomplish this. It's the best I could manage while having an nervous breakdown but I suspect someone clever could think of something better. They are frankly fiddly and even with the batting they are not the most stable. I definitely wouldn't give it to a child like this, even if they're too old for the buttons to be a choking hazard, the whole thing is too delicate.

It would definitely be more functional for hardcore cuddling and squishing if you just sewed it on and didn't worry about it being reversible. I may eventually do this. The buttons might also be more stable if you lined it in a knit fabric instead of (or perhaps in addition to) the batting. I think it would be a good use for a worn out t-shirt.

On yarn and yardage:

Yardage first-- the pattern says the main body uses 180ish yards, but I definitely used at least 200, and maybe a little more. The eye plates also probably took 40 yards total? I'm not sure I didn't pay that close of attention. It was about one ball of Valley Yarns Valley Superwash Bulky. This also doesn't include the Hometown USA I embroidered the eye with. I have absolutely no clue there. 10 yard? 15?

For the curious I knit this out of Malabrigo Rasta which is. An insane choice for this project. BUT a few years ago I splurged and bought 5 skeins in two colors from my local yarn shop because it was shutting down and I wanted to help the owner recoup what she could. Also it was my birthday. I then very promptly ruined all this yarn by trying to wind it with my yarn cake winder and over spinning it. It didn't take me long to realize the gage was not going to be fully consistent with this yarn AND parts of it had way too much energy now and were going to create fabric that never really laid right. I cried. This was like, $140+ worth of yarn. It got stuck in a bag and shoved in the back of my closet in the hopes that I would forget my crimes.

When I was pondering what to knit last week the yarn psychically contacted me and told me it was ready to be a woolfellow. Or maybe I just saw the pattern and remembered it. Who can say. In theory the pattern should take 180 yards of wool, which is just shy of how much I had in this color, out of caution and in the hopes that I would have enough leftover to attempt arms I knit the bottom in scraps of gray yarn leftover from a previous project. I kind of thought the gray wouldn't show but TBH I'm not mad it does, it ends up looking like the bottom is unglazed which is cute. I like it so much that I embroidered my eye on the purl side to match it. Anyway-- as turned out knitting the bottom out of gray was a good choice because I used up almost all the Rasta as it is, I have maybe 1-2 grams left. It's probably because I didn't gage swatch, but it might also be because over-spinning the yarn did weird things to it.

It it is sad the original cropped jacket was not to be but I would absolutely never have bought this yarn to make a stuffed animal and it is so nice. I love it so much. I am absolutely turning the second color I bought into a second guy. It's all got a very pollyana life lesson feel. Sigh.

If you're wondering this guy's colorway is Solis (the other yarn I have is in Azul Profundo, which will also be very nice.) To me the nearly 60 dollars I spent on this yarn is so so much money but I will say that if you want yarn that is a) a natural fiber b) very very very soft and c) hand dyed Malabrigo Rasta is about as cheap as you'll find and it is absolutely beautiful in finished products. You miiight want to get 3 skeins just to be safe.

That said I have absolutely knit this pattern in much cheaper yarns and also gotten nice results. If you're ok working with acrylic yarns I knit it in Hometown USA to make a Totoro-- with some minor alterations-- and it was very cute. I also used K+C Luxe Alpaca Solid from Joann (technically it was under the buttercream line at the time, but it's the same yarn) to knit the bunny version of this pattern. There's also plenty of cheaper wool yarns online that are very nice.

If anyone other than me ever makes a woolfellow PLEASE tag me!!!

[scenetocause]

the child they had as teenagers :( but look they both made it to f1! and still in love!! i love these tags sm omg

this involves playing fast and loose with some timelines and/or their kid being a bit smaller than that but whatever that's why it's called fiction, i assume the photo is 2024 so this is like, somewhere in europe

Having had to take a year out, straight after he'd finished F2, wasn't ideal at the time. Mark'd nearly torn his hair straight out, Oscar's mum had bothered him more than any pregnancy side effect and he'd had to sit down and explain that, yes, he knew he could keep going with sim work and he wasn't planning to quit racing, just taking a sabbatical.

It wasn't like there was a seat for him in F1 anyway, so in a way it was the perfect timing. If you overlooked getting his once-a-year drunk in Abu Dhabi and forgetting to take a pill right before getting on fucking Lando Norris' knot, of all people.

His management had been keen to make sure Lando was, subtly and behind a lot of NDA's, forced to pay the child support. Had mumbled about even if Oscar's career was ruined, he'd be taken care of for life at least.

And he genuinely believes he will be, just not quite in the way they'd been imagining - cold legal documents and transaction records. Instead, Lando's holding him round his shoulders while Oscar keeps a tight grip on Albert, trying not to let the generalised anxiety of bringing their kid to the paddock get above base levels, even as the cameras flash.

When Lando'd set up the meeting with Zak Oscar had nearly started a fight about it, insisting he could find his own seat, had his own seat, if he waited for it.

"Yeah but," Lando had argued. "Danny's leaving, isn't he? And I know you're good, I don't want some shit teammate."

"Besides," Lando had leaned in close, breath hot on Oscar's ear. "You'll get all mardy if there's another omega in the garage. They're talking to Yuki."

They probably weren't. But it was enough to check the baby monitor and drag Lando to bed for some reassurance that he was definitely Oscar's alpha. And it would make things pretty convenient, both being on the same. team.

Two seasons in it's still pretty convenient. Being able to nest together between sessions, leave Albert babbling at their families in hospitality, keep each other together, keep what they have safe.

Some of the time, at least. The press, unfortunately, cannot be accounted for.

"Is your daddy going to win the title?" It's a photographer Oscar doesn't like in the first place, braces to move them on from this impromptu photocall and feels Lando do the same, next to him.

Albert, definitely a mix of both of their genes, seems less fazed. Glaring out from under his mop of curls, replies in a toddler deadpan. "Yeah. Both of them will."

There's a chorus of 'aww's and Oscar decides it is time to move it along, picks Albert up onto his hip and feels Lando scoot round to be the other side, hemming their child in from any other paddock freaks.

"We can't both win the title, champ." Lando says it gently, like he's trying to explain something he's worried Albert's going to get upset about.

Their child just shrugs, clinging close to Oscar as though he's sleepy. "Have to learn to share."

It's said so seriously Oscar very nearly doubles over laughing and drops his son, only just about stops himself. "I guess we will, yeah."

[baeddel]

i really like how even your casual posts have the cadence of some sort of natural philosophy tome written centuries before germ theory. a delight to see on the dash. 🐝💖

the 'cadence' ... there are so many little things that i read which i think of so often that they become like melodies i have memorized in my playing, and when i write or talk i cannot help but repeat them. it's not really an allusion, because it shares no bearings with the original, and you could not discern the reference out of it even if you had the referent in front of you. but within myself i hear it 'against' the original, as one hears two lines of a polyphony against one another. these originals may be pilfered from old books and poetry, or from old translations, but as often are from non-native speakers of English who i have personally known or met online, who are not that confident in the language, and who muddle through a sentence they don't really believe in but cannot be bothered to double check before pressing 'send', and in that way hit upon some wording which will never leave me, one which they may soon eliminate from their idiolect but which i will ever after have to force my native language to become capable of repeating.

anyway, this is an incredibly sweet ask, so thank you 😭