#also it is Not a ton of filling which makes it easy to wrap but you may want to add more

[locke-esque-monster]

I got real nervous they were doing Lila x Five really early in the season. It wasn't even explicitly stated, it was just a feeling from how they were setting up and framing things. Lila disagreeing with Diego and going to talk to Five. Lila keeping secrets from Diego that Five knew about. The tension of Five covering for Lila to Diego. Lila's dissatisfaction with her relationship with Diego and asking for a break. Without actively being romantically into Five, it kept setting up the narrative for Lila to leave Diego and Five was all tied in with what she was going to as an alternative to Diego. Add that to the promo pics with them together - even having watched it later and avoided spoilers I had a real bad feeling where this was going long before 4x5. (Or at least avoided until I already had my theory - my phone helpfully suggested an article days before I got to 4x5. I was not pleased to say the least.)

But there's a lot of reasons I take issue with this pairing and how it was done, so Christ, I guess let's get started:

Five explicitly stated in season 3 that Lila is not his type.

Five murdered Lila's parents. Sure, on the Handler's orders. But you think it's easy to have a romantic relationship when you know those hands killed your parents (aka my biggest critique of Tony/Bucky shippers in the MCU).

Five is indirectly responsible for the Handler's death. He saved everyone but her when he time traveled back. Sure, Lila was upset with her, but this woman raised her. She's got to have some complicated feelings about that and Five is all wrapped up in them now.

Five also had a weird relationship with the Handler, where she was a little flirty with him, which was all kinds of uncomfortable. Lila briefly mimicked this in season 3, which was even more uncomfortable. It's unclear if this was deliberately copying her "mother" or not. But adding Five and the Handler's complicated relationship on top of the other issues means there's a whole carousel of baggage to unpack here.

Five has always seemed kind of annoyed or tolerant of Lila, which extended into early this season. It's maybe a hair kinder at the start of season 4, but definitely not where it should be if there's potential here. It'd be one thing if they were friends after 6 years, but their relationship hasn't substantially changed at the start of this season to suggest otherwise.

If you have to do an all musical montage to show 2 characters falling in love, I'm sorry, you're not doing this right. That's telling, not showing. These characters have had tons of interactions to build off of. If you can't do that, then you're effectively saying that you have no foundation for this relationship.

Also, if it takes 6 1/2 years of being each others sole companions under adverse conditions for you to get together - maybe you shouldn't be together. It's one thing if it's treated like "Finally" or "Oh I didn't think you also felt this way". It's another if it's like it's a new idea entirely - that suggests loneliness and a desire for companionship and they're you're only option.

Five's history includes him having a pseudo-romantic relationship with a mannequin when he's left alone in the apocalypse at 13. The next time he's separated from his family for years he's with Lila. I'll allow that it makes sense he developed feelings for her specifically because of his history. That said, that makes this a wholly unhealthy relationship when he has a history like that. Lila is filling a gap Five's psyche has clung to before in similar harrowing times.

Frankly, the fact Lila was first looking for excitement out of her home life and is now upset she can't get back to her family isn't a good headspace either. (I'm also deeply frustrated that Lila feels trapped at home. Lila is so capable and she has a buttload of family members who apparently can take their children on a whim during all this chaos. You're telling me she couldn't have found a better outlet to work on their marriage or get some freedom before it got to this point of lying to Diego?)

Five is volatile and Lila is unpredictable. They're nothing but a menace to practically every other character they meet, including each other. But once they're a couple, they're perfectly pleasant the whole time. I don't buy it. The only fight they have is when Five lied to her. I'm not saying they can't be sweet. But this is all sweetness. For me to buy this couple they need to lovingly bicker. Instead, they've both had personality transplants.

So they decide to go back to the greenhouse after 6 years 5 months and 2 days. Five admits to having the book 5 or 6 months on their 7th anniversary of being lost. Let's be generous and assume they kissed within a couple days of getting to the greenhouse, because they look reasonably settled. That means that best case, Five decided that after being in a relationship for less than 2 months, he was going to throw his whole family away and run away with Lila. That is a hell of a lot of commitment for a short relationship.

And keep in mind, it's not like their family is safe. Last they heard, they hadn't solved the Cleanse. So they're either actively in danger or dead. Five - The man who spent 45 years trying to save his family. Who survived decades in the apocalypse alone (minus Delores the mannequin) and murdered his way through time for the chance to get back and save them - is going to let his family die for a 2 month relationship. I call bullshit.

Also, I will give Five credit that he tried to stay on task during the fight with the Cleanse. He only seemed to fight in retaliation for Diego - he actively looked towards the fight at least once before Diego pulled his attention. But you're telling me he's ready to keep fighting Diego and is threatening to kill him over Lila? That his powers only work correctly after 7 years of having them back because Lila begged him? I once again call bullshit.

And Five was going off to mope alone and never come back and potentially let his family die from an active threat, all because Lila didn't pick him? That is not the Five I know.

I also feel like we maybe did all this arc to get Lila to the point where Five has to convince her to stay because no one else could even if she hates him for it, but still get her family on the train to get the planned ending. And that feels very clunky and I hate it.

Outside of plot lines - it is a bit disturbing to me that we're pairing up an actor whose barely an adult with a woman 15 years his senior - practically old enough to be his mother. This is a aside from the fact he's a what, 71 year old man internally at this point and Lila (if we assume even living at the commission she's a similar age to Diego) is in her early 40s by the time she kisses a physically mid-20s Five. There's so much about that I am not okay with I don't even know where to start.

I also hear the writers wanted a romance for Five. First, okay, then have a longer season. Develop a character for Five earlier on in the season or the show you can pair him with. God knows with that history and age issues it'll be tricky. But also frankly - why? Why does Five need a romantic love interest? He's been fueled by the love of his family and that's done so many impressive things out of love for them. Not everyone needs a romantic love of their life to find happiness and it feels very heteronormative (is that the word I want?) that we need to have that for Five. Give Five an apocalypse-free world and his family alive and then we can see what happiness he can find.

[ang3lfluids]

Hihi! Welcome!! You're writing for a ton of fandoms I'm either currently in, or used to be into which is awesome, do you have any general dirty hcs you wanna pop off? Any Fandom :3

HC ROULETTE!!

feat: Scaramouche ,, Vox ,,Ticci Toby ,, Andrew Graves

TW: DARK CONTENT AHEAD!! 18+ ONLY MDNI!!!

Eves notes: wrote this as soon as I woke up so if it’s crappy that’s why :3

SCARAMOUCHE:

- not super dark but I feel like he really likes blood. Super into knife play watching you beg and squirm for him not to hurt you. Really gets him going

- prefers a partner who is.. mentally weaker than he is, its an ego thing. He prefers how easy it is to just smack you around and force you to do whatever he wants. He’s also psychically stronger than most of his partners so that also comes in handy when they’re trying to put up a fight

- will sit there and talk you into fucking, even if you didn’t wanna. Then when you guys do fuck he’s shaming you and embarrassing you for trying to say no :( he knows what’s best for u !

- into dollification 100%, likes dressing u up in pretty frilly shit. Watching you quiver as he gets so fucking eager and just starts playing with you before you’re even fully ready :(

- likes to see you cry, also enjoys when you’re yelling at him to stop. You’re so fucking weak compared to him, your hitting and shoving means nothing! He’s still gonna fill you up no matter what you do or say.

VOX:

- voyeurism!!!! Super into watching his partner during the day, he likes knowing he can keep them safe. Thats his property. He also likes that he can watch you rubbing yourself to the idea of him hurting u :3

- shocking ~ if u step out of line with him, he’ll pinch u and shock you to get u back into ur place. If he feels like ur misbehaving too much than he’ll shock u hard enough to make ur brain stop for a solid 3 seconds, sometimes enough to knock you unconscious. Thats one of his favorite things to do because then it’s easier to slip his cock inside your eager wet cunt.

- hypnosis, usually only pulls this card if you’ve been pushing his buttons all day. He’ll act all gentle, all kind. Sitting you down before he wraps a hand around you throat making you stare at him as he tells you that you’ve pushed him so far. Just be prepared to not remember anything from the night before and also be prepared for the pain to follow (plus all the bruises, bite marks and slap marks)

- is prone to outbursts (duh) and takes them all out on you if ur near. Hits you, smacks you, shoves you, calls you every mean name in the book tbh. Most of these end with either him leaving you to tend to the mess he made, or him fucking your throat raw as you sob around his dick

- low-key into corruption but it’s a little hard to find a pure soul in hell but it’s definitely there, I mean he’s fucked u up so bad you enjoy the abuse he’s putting u through so!! Take that as u will

TICCI TOBY:

- WOOWWW KAYYY- hes a lil psycho so he’s into weird shit

- PRIMAL PLAY !!! Ughh loves to chase you through the woods, he made the deal that if u can get out he’ll set u free :( ya well that’s never gonna happen. Youre going up against a serial killer ? U really think he’ll risk u getting out? Nooo :( he’ll have you face down in the dirt fucking your sweet little pussy as he mocks you, hands gripping your flesh so hard they’re bound to bruise

- tbh Toby didn’t have a great role model growing up so- that low-key reflects in his relationship. Pushes you around 24/7, really just into his own pleasure.

- 100% a head pusher - you’ll both be relaxing ( a rare sight) and he’ll start stroking the back of your head putting pressure on your neck to bring you to his very apparent bulge.

- borderline beats the fucking shit out of you during sex. Smacks you with the back of his palm, chokes you till you’re toeing the edge of passing out, bites you till you’re bleeding esp in tender places like ur thighs or breasts

- actually enjoys the struggle you give MORE than sex most times. He thinks it’s cute you’re still trying to get away from him considering so many different factors are against u

ANDREW GRAVES:

- lets be so honest this boys so into step-cest, incest that whole shebang.

- besides the whole incest deal he’s pretty tame compared to the others I’ve written

- “you like your big brothers fat cock inside you hm?” Kinda bs :(

- adores eating pussy, like sit on his face pretty please he adores it

- definitely a switch me thinks- like if you asked to peg him he’d bristle and say fuck no, but then he’d look into it. Then beg u to fuck him :(( he’s a whiny little fuck

- I think in the dom position he’s fairly tame but sub?? Completely different person. Wants you to smack him, hit him, choke him, call him namesss. He’ll be putty in your hands tbh

- forced feminization, look at him and tell me he’s not pretty as fuck. So when you’re riding him and calling him a pretty girl he’ll whine and beg you to stop (don’t he’s lying). One time he let you put eyeliner and mascara on him, this ended up with him crying and begging to cum so it was all dripping down his face :((

- but he can be just as rough with as you are with him, with some limitations.

[tryslora]

Nate vs. the Edits

I have a ton of posts partially written, and this particular one will probably touch on some of those themes. Particularly the concept of time (and how little of it there is in a week).

So. Apologies in advance for that. I have swiss cheese brain. I might not even remember if I’m repeating myself. Maybe y’all will forgive me, or maybe not. I figure readers are happy enough to click next/close and move on. <3

The topic I’m thinking about today is how editing and drafting can be inherently antagonistic.

It’s no secret that I owe multiple books right now. I have two that need to be drafted: the next in the Seven Lakes series, so my indie publishing life doesn’t fail before it gets off the ground, and the next Welcome to PHU book, otherwise known as Nate’s book, which uh… I should’ve started drafting two years ago.

It’s also no secret that I am working with Duck Prints Press to bring out paperback editions of the PHU books, starting with the Twinned trilogy. Commit to the Kick is already in print through DPP, and the second and third books are in progress. We’ll Kickstart print editions once they are edited and ready to roll.

Editing is… hard. I mean, it’s probably hard for everyone, but it’s really hard for me because it is one of my mental breaking points. My brain assumes that when something is drafted, it’s done, and making big changes (or even small changes that have big effects) is hard for me to do. I am more than willing to admit to this fault.

It means that when my brain goes into edit mode, drafting mode goes POOF and disappears. And well, vice versa.

Over the last year, I’ve done a lot of work in learning how to edit, and I’ve gotten better at it. I did a first round edit of Into the Split to handle some large issues before DPP starts working on it. I did a big overhaul of a short story and turned it into a much better version of itself that I could submit to a market. But during that time, I couldn’t draft.

Part of that was time being a finite commodity, and part of it was that editing makes me overthink everything. And for Nate’s book in particular, there is a lot to overthink.

Nate’s book (Run Together, or RT in acronym form) is a book where it would be very easy, and possibly even a good idea, to have multiple narrators. While I had considered it briefly for Pels’s book (Not Your Guardian Angel), in the end, that one was a stronger book for being a single POV. This one I can see all the ways that having all three characters allowed to speak could make it stronger. Cass internalizes so much. And Dax… we’ve hardly gotten to see into his head at all in the PHU ‘verse so far. We know about how he handles his Talent, and that he’s a football stats vending machine. But seeing into his emotional side would be nice, especially considering the things he needs to work through during this storyline.

Every time I started working on the book, I thought about all the pieces that had been broken in ITS and needed to be fixed, and I stalled. I couldn’t wrap my head around the best way to tell the story.

I dubbed this problem “Nate vs. the Edits” in my head, which seemed like a decent title for a bout going multiple rounds in my brain with heavy fighting and damage. Like. Yikes.

Editing makes me analytical, and drafting requires me to shove my analytical parts into the background, letting the foreground take inspiration without failing under the anxiety of the details.

I have always trusted my subconscious when drafting. I have a brain like swiss cheese—I can’t hold details in my mind on purpose, but if I trust them to be there (like programming to a base case for recursion—yes, I know this makes no sense to anyone but me) the story works. I can recall things if I don’t try to recall. Trust my subconscious to fill in the blanks.

Right now, I have “outlined” the first maybe… quarter? third? of Nate’s book. I split a few of my pieces of the timeline into enough information to be able to draft three chapters. Except I feel like they aren’t quite right. The pacing is off.

I’ve lost the ability to write for the joy of writing the serial, for the joy of rolling around in drafting fic about the characters who live in my head. Or, I haven’t lost it… not completely. But I’m struggling with it, and yes, continuing to second guess myself. I’ve become my own gatekeeper, constantly concerned about whether I’m doing it right.

Ironically enough, this also affects editing. I haven’t opened the file for MF that I received a couple of weeks ago because I’m a bit afraid of what I’ll see. Like. They are edits and there are already notes in there that I just have to either agree with, reject, or find a different way to do it. Easy peasy, right?

HAH.

Instead, I’ve decided to use blog posts as my palette cleanser. I’ve spent the last half hour after work accomplishing nothing more than eating dinner and reading half a volume of manga. I know I need to write something so here I am, putting words on a page in hopes that it breaks the fiction loose.

Nate’s rattling around in here somewhere. So is Adam (for the 7Lakes book). They are ready to roll. It’s me that’s stalling.

A part of me thinks that when I’m retired, it’ll be easier. Mornings for drafting and afternoons for editing, or vice versa. Chores as palette cleansers between tasks. I hope that turns out to be true.

But for the moment, I’m squeezing in writing and editing like a teenager hiding my viewing of racy videos—hiding in a closed office for thirty minutes and praying I can get to the end before the time is up. Stealing away and closeting myself with my tablet, spewing words onto the keyboard, spilling my mind like blood from a wound.

/exhales

Yeah. I’m full of weird analogies. 

I know that there’s no secret to this. Yes, we all believe that we have a muse when we write, but we also have to put in the work. Editing is work. The paralyzation comes with the territory, and it means I’m learning. I am discovering what I’m doing wrong (and right!) and I need to internalize it.

No magic formula, just… patience. Doing it anyway. Pushing through.

If I have to edit and re-edit the first chapters of RT, it’s okay. It’s a serial, but I always try to get 4-8 chapters in before I start posting. I have time to fix things.

And somewhere, somehow, I have to do the editing for MF, too.

Two entirely different parts of my personality vying for what little time we have.

Best let them get to it, then, huh?

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[pbandjesse]

We are at Jess's house! Her house is coming together so nicely and I love that every time I come here it has more furniture and feels so much more complete. It's great.

Today was a weird day. I didn't go to work. Took the day off because when I woke up I was so stupidly dizzy I didn't feel safe going to work. I thought it was possibly a migraine, or just plain exhaustion. So I texted Alexi that I was going to stay home and went back to sleep.

I didn't feel great emotionally sleeping until 11:30 but I apparently needed it. I felt a lot better when I woke up. Even though it felt so late in the day.

I got up and made the bed and went to get ready for the day. I just wanted to be cozy because we would be going to Jess's tonight and I wanted to be able to sleep in whatever I wore. So waffle shirt for the bill there.

James had made me an egg sandwich so I was able to eat something right away. I decided to go through my purse so I would only be carrying the essentials for New York tomorrow.

I was still feeling a little off though. I would take some time to lay down. Got back up and did a little sewing of a Christmas gift. I vacuumed and tried to be at least a little productive.

I was not having an amazing time though. I got very upset when I tried to wrap gifts for Jess and couldn't reach the box of wrapping paper in the closet. And was upset that I was upset. Was just going through it but was feeling irrational for being upset. I was also just upset with myself.

I didn't have a ton to do. And I didn't have the energy to attack any large project. I didn't want to go out because I didn't want to buy anything. I would just lay on the couch or in bed with sweetp and tried to at least rest.

Around 3 I did finally leave. I had to go to creative alliance to pick up some fabric and poly fill that was left for me. And even though the sun was in my eyes a lot it was a nice drive and I appreciated getting to see the neighborhoods we are looking at for moving again.

I parked and walked down the street. The person at the front desk was very nice and went to find the bags. And then when I headed outside someone was making the weirdest turn possible and me and a guy standing there shared a laugh and walked together for the next block talking about people being weird driving. Just a nice little human connection moment.

I went home and tried to make sure I was happy with my mini backpack for New York. I didn't feel 100% comfy with a backpack over my jacket but I am going to try using it as a cross body? First time trying that but so far it is pretty comfortable. And it'll keep the back part where I have my id and cash safe from pick pockets. I lost my wallet once in New York on New Year's Eve. And I never want that to happen again. So I only bring my id and one credit card (the easiest one to freeze) and maybe some cash and that is it. Just a little peace of mind.

James would come home little after 430. And after watering the plants and making sure everyone was fed, we were gathering our stuff and heading to the car.

When we got outside Mr Will was there! Gave me a big kiss on the cheek. And told us to be careful on our little trip. He also said he's trying to get us a new oven by next week so that's exciting.

It was a pretty easy drive to New Jersey. And we arrived before 7. I was really excited to see Jess. And give her gifts! She also had Christmas and birthday gifts for James. She got them a really nice kitchen knife and cover and two baking dishes. Very thoughtful gifts. And she was really excited to get one of the pieces of pottery I made. Which made me feel really good.

Soon we were heading a few towns over to go to dinner. And the food was good but there was a family who just let their 4 kids run around the restaurant?? Throwing things and screeching?? Never even asked them to stop or come sit down or anything. It was very obnoxious.

Santa was there though and he was a good one. So that was nice. And we talked about our schedule for tomorrow. And our fears about how busy it might be. We have both seen pictures of how insane some of the holiday stuff has been but maybe people will have been dissuaded from coming from those videos? Who knows. I hope it will be fun regardless what we do. I'm just looking forward to a cool day.

We got back here and we showed Jess the wedding book and it was nice to see it through her eyes. What she noticed that Callie didnt and stuff like that. Then we just spent some time hanging out talking about the things shes going to be doing with the house. And she just gave me some makeup and showed me her new hot brush. Same one that I want so it's nice to get to see it in person. James is taking a shower and I will soon too.

I hope to sleep good tonight. And have so much energy tomorrow. I hope it's a really good day. I hope it is full of Christmas spirit.

I love you all. Goodnight!

[madamlaydebug]

There's nothing worse than waltzing down the grocery store aisle, filling up your basket, walking to the cashier and end up looking at a crazy expensive number on your bill. "Where did that come from?", you might wonder. If you're trying to be mindful of your health, and you're buying organic groceries and things that are good for your body, it can be really disappointing to end up paying a pretty penny every time you go to the grocery store. But it doesn't have to be that way! Follow these easy tips to save on your grocery bill and stay within your budget.

1) Plan Your Meals and Make a List. This is the starting point of everything. Start by planning and writing down a meal plan for you and your family for the entire week, and write the list of foods you'll need to cook those meals. When you're doing this meal plan, be mindful of the seasonal fruits and vegetables, as they're usually cheaper than their non-seasonal counterparts. Then, check your refrigerator and pantry to see if you already have some of those items or others that might work as fine substitutions. For example, you might have planned to make a quinoa salad, but you have a bag of wild rice sitting in your pantry. This could work just as well and you'll end up saving money! Check off the items you already have from your list. Finally, you're ready to go grocery shopping.

2) Never Shop When You're Hungry. This might seem a little far-fetched, but shopping when you're hungry can have terrible results! You'll deviate from your list, end up with a cart full of unhealthy stuff that only seemed appealing because your stomach was growling, and you'll spend a lot more than what you had intended. Another great tip is to stick to the produce section of the supermarket; that way, you'll stick to fruits and vegetables and avoid all the packaged and processed stuff. Eating a bowl of this seasonal and delicious Crunchy Fruit Salad before you head out to the supermarket will fill you up, curb cravings, and prevent you from making any irrational decisions.

3) Buy in Bulk. If you’re buying stuff that doesn’t really have a shelf life, then it might make sense to buy in bulk to save a bit more. Stuff such as pasta (made from approved grains), wild rice, oil, seeds, as well as household essentials, can be much cheaper when you buy them in bulk. It's also a more ecological option, as you're cutting down on significant packaging than when you buy individually wrapped items.

4) Check Online For Discounts. If the supermarket or store has a website, it might be a good idea to shop online so you can stay within your budget. You can also check a few different supermarkets to see which one has the best prices, shop online, and have them deliver your groceries to your home, thus saving on gas as well. For fruits and vegetables, an organic farmer's market is always the best option, and it can be pretty cheap if you buy stuff that it's in season. Remember that buying in season it's better for you - and the environment. It's a win-win situation! This Blueberry Cobbler is made with seasonal ingredients, it's healthy, and your family will surely love it.

5) Eat Leftovers. If you make a big dinner and end up with a ton of leftovers, don't toss them away! They can make a great lunch the next day. If you have leftover soup, stew, pasta sauce or pancakes, you can even freeze them and eat up to 2 weeks after you made them. For example, this Chickpea Lime Soup is a great dinner option - and makes a ton of leftovers.

[elsie--young]

Chicago’s Top Tourist Landmarks: A Personal Guide!

Chicago is a city that draws millions of visitors every year, and it's easy to see why. With its stunning skyline, rich history, and vibrant neighborhoods, there’s always something to explore. On my recent trip, I set out to discover Chicago’s top tourist landmarks. From iconic skyscrapers to lakeside attractions, here’s a rundown of the places that made my visit unforgettable.

Problem: So Much to See, So Little Time

With so much to do and see in Chicago, I found myself overwhelmed by the choices. Should I head to the world-renowned museums, stroll along the lakefront, or dive into the city's rich cultural heritage? I wanted to make sure I didn't miss out on any of the must-see sights. But with only a few days to explore, I needed to prioritize the top spots.

Agitation: The Fear of Missing Out on Chicago’s Highlights

I didn’t want to leave Chicago with regrets. Missing out on a key landmark was not an option for me. I wanted to capture the essence of the city, experience its energy, and make sure I hit all the iconic spots that define Chicago. I needed to make the most of my time and ensure that every moment was spent exploring something memorable.

Solution: My Journey Through Chicago’s Top Tourist Landmarks

Here’s how I made the most of my time in Chicago, hitting the highlights and getting a real feel for the city:

1. Millennium Park and Cloud Gate (“The Bean”)

I started my journey at Millennium Park, home to the famous Cloud Gate sculpture, also known as "The Bean." This 110-ton stainless steel sculpture, designed by Anish Kapoor, reflects the city’s skyline and the surrounding park. I spent some time here, taking photos and enjoying the bustling atmosphere. It's a great place to start any trip to Chicago.

2. Willis Tower Skydeck – Reaching for the Sky

Next, I headed over to the Willis Tower, which was once the tallest building in the world. The Skydeck on the 103rd floor is a must-visit. I stepped out onto "The Ledge," a glass balcony that extends four feet outside the building, and looked down 1,353 feet to the streets below. It was thrilling and gave me a bird’s-eye view of the city and Lake Michigan.

3. Navy Pier – Fun by the Water

After getting my fill of heights, I made my way to Navy Pier. This 3,300-foot-long pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan is a hub of activity. I took a ride on the Centennial Wheel, which offers panoramic views of the city and the lake. The pier also has a variety of restaurants and shops. It’s a great spot to relax and enjoy the waterfront vibe.

4. Art Institute of Chicago – A World-Class Collection

As an art lover, the Art Institute of Chicago was high on my list. Home to over 300,000 works of art, including pieces by Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso, it’s one of the largest and oldest art museums in the United States. I spent hours wandering the galleries, taking in masterpieces that span centuries and continents.

5. Chicago Riverwalk – A Scenic Stroll

I wrapped up my visit with a stroll along the Chicago Riverwalk. This pedestrian waterfront offers beautiful views of the city’s architecture. I even took an architecture river cruise, which provided a unique perspective on the city's skyline and an informative history of Chicago’s development. The Riverwalk is a perfect place to unwind and soak up the city’s energy.

Conclusion: Making the Most of Your Time in Chicago

Chicago is a city with a lot to offer. Whether you're drawn to the arts, the architecture, or the outdoors, there’s something here for everyone. By visiting Chicago’s top tourist landmarks, I was able to capture the spirit of the city in just a few days. I highly recommend making these stops a priority on your visit.

From the heights of the Willis Tower to the reflective beauty of The Bean, Chicago’s landmarks tell a story of a city that's dynamic, diverse, and full of life. When planning your trip, make sure to include Chicago’s top tourist landmarks on your itinerary for an unforgettable experience.

[coloursofaparadox]

You enthusiasm for cooking and learning about food is really inspiring !! I can't put too much effort into my diet right now but honestly seeing you enjoy cooking when you used to not like it has really gotten rid of some dread at the thought of having to cook one day . (I really hate cooking and it's something im procrastinating in working on lol )

Have a great day/night and know I remembered to buy frozen fruit because of you lol

Aw!! That's so incredibly sweet of you to say!!!!! I also used to absolutely hate cooking when I was younger, mostly because I was never taught and it felt like murder trying to painstakingly follow a recipe lol. If you want some tips to make it feel less shitty to start, I'll put some suggestions below the cut 😊But seriously thank you so much! And enjoy the frozen fruit I swear to god that shit is like 50% of my diet at this point.

If the thought of cooking also fills you with existential dread due to either ADHD or just general hatred of step by step instructions, best advice is to make one (or two) recipes until you know them by heart and can start improvising a little. I'd recommend something that starts with a base of sauteeing garlic and onion, since that's a pretty standard base for a lot of things and good to be able to just do without thinking. An easy one I can make with my eyes closed at at this point is your own tomato sauce - making it from scratch without knowing spices can be iffy, so pick up a couple jars of premade pasta sauce.

Start with a standard base of sauteeing onion and then garlic in a pot (on like, a heat that won't burn them and stick em to the pan but still makes them sizzle and brown a little), dice up whatever veggie additions you want and fry them with the onion and garlic while stirring till they're edible-ish and not super hard. Then add the pasta sauce, simmer, and add whatever spices you want to taste!

It lets you experiment with spices (very important) while not having to do it from scratch because the pasta sauce already has some flavour to it. If you're not sure what /kind/ of spices to use, find any random tomato sauce recipe and scroll till you find the spices they use. Then you can just pick and choose which ones you like and start adding a little at a time till you like it. Different spices have different intensities (ex. I'll use like half a cup of fuckin paprika but only a couple teaspoons of turmeric or cayenne) I loooove being able to customize flavour with certain spices that I really like even if no one else does lmao. (nutmeg and cardamom in savoury recipes my beloved)

It's a good practice thing to make and isn't something you have to keep staring at a recipe for. Even if you're not comfortable adding spices yet, you still have something edible because of the jars of pasta sauce. You can get used to how to saute different veggies, and just basics of how hot to keep the pan/how to not burn things. Also makes enough for a few meals and can be frozen if necessary. Only dirties two pots to wash, and one is just for pasta water. I usually get lazy and store the sauce in the fridge in the pot I made it in (rip) with plastic wrap.

ANYWAYS sorry that ended up long. If you ever do end up cooking at some point and are struggling let me know and I'd be happy to help!! There's a ton of little questions that no one answers and just assumes you know already in recipes sometimes. But I get the low-effort diet too honestly I've just been trying to keep myself fed lately and the extent of my cooking has been making fancy ramen in the microwave with frozen spinach and dried mushrooms lmao. But yeah. Good luck!!

[bagheerita]

for the fic meme: 1, 7, 15, 23, 37!

Eeeeee, so many!!

1. What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

I’ve been thinking about this since I asked it of you... I'm going to assume that anyone reading this now would know me from Stargate and not any of my previous fandoms, so I would recommend potential readers start with "Nemo." "Nemo" was my first SGA fic, and I personally suggest people discover my headcanons and worldbuilding along with me, lol.  Also, it’s the first in a series which leads to some of my favorite smaller stories, particularly "Written in Your Skin" and "Oh, Talk Not to Me of a Name Great in Story."

For people not interested in committing to a longer story without deciding if they like my writing style, I would probably recommend "With True Love and Brotherhood," as I feel it touches on a lot of the themes that I usually deal with but wraps everything up in a smaller word count.

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

A lot of what I write for SGA is worldbuilding, especially culture, physiology, and history for the Wraith, and I feel like I’m equally proud of all of it. The show doesn't really give us a lot in that direction, so it's a lot of fun to fill in the rather large gaps with whatever makes sense to me.

I don't know if it counts as "worldbuilding," but "Collide" (in the Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar fandom) was a story where I came up with the entire concept and a justification for time travel just so my favorite character could yell at god, and that fic has a special place in my heart.

15. What’s your favorite AU that you’ve written?

It’s hard to pick just one. I’m going to cheat and say my favorite is a story that I haven’t posted yet. (It’s 90% written, so it counts. ;b)  It’s a multiverse/universe jumping fic, and I’ve really enjoyed exploring some “what if�� ideas and putting a certain character in situations that wouldn’t normally happen in my fics.

23. What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

I can’t think of anything that I’ve never tried to write that I wanted to write. There are a lot of ideas I’ve had that I think are really cool, but the concept hasn’t really made it to being a story. A ship I wish I could write more fic for is Todd/Rodney, because that’s my SGA OTP, but I just don't have ideas that want to be written.

I love Regency/historical AUs, and I desperately want SGA ones that involve more exploration of Wraith characters; I have an idea that I’m sort of working on, but I feel like I lack the foundational knowledge that makes a period story feel period, so the writing of it is coming really slowly as I stop every fifth word to question, “But does that sound historical?” and do some research.

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

This was an easy choice: “Aubade.” I love this fic so much. Writing it was a comfort to me in a time when life was uncomfortable, so it has that feel of comfort to it for me, which it might not for anyone else, so I get that my feelings about it are very personal.

The plot is a far future AU of “The Last Man,” sort of an “anti-fix-it” fix-it fic, where things don’t go so terribly after Sheppard disappears, Teyla saves herself (as she should), Carter and Todd manage to stop the galaxy from imploding, and instead of making a hologram message to send to the future Rodney invents AI and saves the galaxy; the deus ex machina to punt Sheppard back through time doesn't exist (yet), and Sheppard has the option to actually explore living in the distant future. I had a ton of fun thinking up some of the events of the intervening millennia and the characters Sheppard would be meeting when he arrived in the future, who are in many ways reflections of the people he has left behind.

It got pretty much no response when it was posted, except from me and my artist recognizing each other’s talents. It’s gotten some kudos and comments since, but, like, I would love to discuss the lore of it with someone, or at least hear what people thought of the original characters, and no one seems interested- which is fine, it’s my baby other people don’t have to love it or want to dissect it... but they should, lol. Also Eos_x did the cover art and character portraits and her art is fantastic, she deserves way more recognition.

Thanks so much for these asks!! <3

ask meme: questions for fic writers

[haruharuz]

March 2022 Meal Inspo

We are about to be three months in so I wanted to provide some inspo (mainly for myself) for this month. My personal month goal is to up my protein & carb intake as well as bringing more healthy fats in. Please feel free to read the tips at the bottom to help!

(｡>﹏<｡) Pro Ana DNI ! People in recovery are fine!!

Breakfast:

Avocado Toast + Omelette

Baked Oats recipe (sweet & tipped w mixed berries)

Loaded potatoes

Greek yogurt parfait with blueberries

Japanese breakfast

Lunch / Dinner:

Spicy tuna onigiri

Shakshuka

Quick tomato ravioli lunch

Chickpea buffalo wrap

Purple Rice Rolls / Fàn Tuán

Tonkatsu bento

Chipotle chicken avocado melt

Burger on brioche bun with two vegetables and a baked potato

Homemade pizza

Grilled mozzarella, tomato (or sauce in my case) and pesto sandwich

Korma curry

Tikka Masala

Check this girl for easy lazy vegan meals

Vegan lunch ideas

Vegan budget meals

Yummy Looking Chicken Dinner

Cozy comfort food recipe compilation

Red beans and rice

Steak with mashed potatoes and green beans

Bibimbap bowl

Salmon rice bowl

Poke bowl

Homemade fries topped with grilled chipotle style chicken, cooked spinach and cheese

Black bean and mango rice burrito

Spring rolls

Dessert:

Healthy tiramisu bowl

23 healthy dessert recipes (str8 from TikTok lol)

What I eat in a days for inspo:

What I eat in a day cutting edition

WIEIAD : 1

What I eat in a day to stay thick and fit

Vegan $30 budget what I eat in a week

Things to ask yourself:

✨ "Do I have a fruit/vegetable, source of protein, and a carb on my plate?"

✨ "What can I add to this for it to be more filling and contain more nutrients?"

✨ "How many colors are on my plate?"

Reminders:

💞 you can always add a canned vegetable to the side for cheap if you're missing veggies in your meal.

💞 I eat things like pickled sausage, tater tots and pizza. I just use reasonable portions & add things to them. (Like spinach on pizza) I also make things from scratch a lot, which helps a TON.

💞 I didn't watch through all the what I eat in a days. But some of them looked decent. You don't have to drink chlorophyll water or ACV.

💞 Instead of asking what you can remove, ask what you can add. Have some fries, but add a source of protein like grilled chicken with some mozzarella, then some fibers with spinach and a side salad.

Toodles!

[aruuq]

Gifts Headcanons – Tokrev Characters; Advent Calendar Day 9

characters: angry, baji, benkei, chifuyu, draken, emma, hanma, inupi, izana, kakucho, kazutora, kokonoi, mikey, mitsuya, ran, rindou, sanzu, senju, shinichiro, smiley, takemichi, wakasa x gn!reader

genre & style: fluff

word count: 2.4k

notes: from now on i’ll probably leave the missing days in the calendar be, ‘cause some of them are not in my mind to be finished right now, and it blocks me from doing the other ones. so i’ll try to post the ones that are supposed to be posted on the particular days as it should be, and i’ll just simply post the missing ones when i finish writing them (still want to keep it before the end of December, so do not worry, i will, hopefully, get this)

warnings: mention of food, cigarettes, tiny spoilers from bonten future (inupi, draken and kakucho’s workplaces)

event’s masterlist │ other gifts headcanons: gnshn ┃ hq ┃ jjk

❄ Takemichi buys you something really cute and really suiting you. It may be a small and adorable piece of jewelry, a cute teddy bear reminding him of you, or literally anything. He puts lots of thoughts into choosing a perfect gift that will make you happy. For sure he asks Chifuyu for a bit of help, so the present ends up being packed in polka dot paper with some Christmas themed ribbon around.

❄ Mikey buys you tens of packs of your favorite sweets. When he gives them to you, neatly packed in a big box with red ribbon around it, he jokingly says that you can share what’s inside. By which he means, there’s almost no candies left for you and your poor stomach. And if you don’t like sweets at all, that’s even better! (for him) But, even though Mikey sometimes is a douche, he still hides a little trinket that reminds him of you somewhere in these sweets for you to find later.

❄ We’ve been able to see the way Draken chooses gifts for his beloved ones. He buys you something you’ve told him about in the past that you really want to have or something he’s seen you looking a second too long for just checking it out in a shop. It doesn’t matter if he’s known about it for a few days or a year. No matter if it's something considered practical or a stupid trinket. He'll get it for you. Anything to please his beloved significant other.

❄ I know that it might be an easy answer, but what can I tell you… Mitsuya makes himself a gift for you, and since he’s a literal god if it comes to sewing, my next words should be obvious. He makes you your favorite piece of clothing. And since he’s sure that you are sure of what he has prepared for you, he also buys you your favorite sweets/snacks and puts them at the top of the bag, so at first it looks like they are filling the whole container. At least he tries to make this gift a surprise for you.

❄ Chifuyu is a precious boy who wants to share his passion with you by giving you something close to his heart. He buys you a few of his favorite copies of mangas, and wraps them individually in a brown paper. On each package he writes “open when…” and gives you recommendations for all sorts of situations in your life when this particular title feels like a perfect choice to read. He also puts tons of sticky notes inside and writes on them his thoughts about particular parts of the story, or characters, or anything that may catch your attention, so it feels as if he’s reading it with you.

❄ I don’t know why but I really see Baji buying you a little trinket or piece of jewelry, definitely something pocket-size, but then, when he goes to your house for exchanging gifts, he finds a stray kitten, and the bought present is not the only thing you get. Of course, if you don’t want to or if you can’t, he doesn’t force you to keep it, but if you are willing to, he’s more than happy to teach you all that he knows about cats, and help you with raising your new child.

❄ I assign matching ugly Christmas sweaters for Kazutora. I don’t take criticism. Just. Look at this boy and tell me he wouldn’t pop out in front of you in a hideous sweater with a giant plush reindeer head sewn on the front, and it also has tons of little bells sticking everywhere, and,,, have i just seen Christmas lights shining on it with every color known to humankind??? And when you think it can’t be worse, he gives you a messily taped package that also rings with every movement, and has fur sticking out on the sides. And you know you will be fucxed this Christmas, ‘cause he won’t leave you alone if you decide not to wear it. I don’t need to elaborate more. I’m closing the case.

❄ He just buys something. Smiley, unlike some of his friends, doesn’t think a lot about what he should buy you. The first thought that comes to his mind is what you get. And, based on the crazy mind this boy surely has, it may be literally anything. The funniest part is that Nahoya buys you this thing the day before Christmas (or a few hours before your meeting, depending on his mood), so there’s no withdrawal. You get ˢᵒᵐᵉᵗʰⁱⁿᵍ or 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘, or 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 or maybe s̸͚̳̆̽o̶͕͋̈́̈́ͅm̶̗̞͑͆́e̸̢̥̮̓͋t̵̯͘̕̚ȟ̴̯i̷̢̬͛ǹ̸̡̰̫͑̈́g̴͉̞̓̔̐. You’ll never know until you open the Pandora’s box. Literally.

❄ I think that he’s still a bit of a child at heart. Angry will buy you a big plushie! But I think that he’ll also bake you your favorite cookies (if you don’t like sweets then he can make you your fav dinner!), and go a step further, doing something for you that reminds him of his childhood. I have a headcanon that when the twins were younger they kept doing lots of jewelry out of the colorful beads. Souya makes you one in your favorite colors! Maybe it looks a bit messy without any kind of consistency in choosing types of beads, but it’s pretty! (bonus point: if your pronouns are different from the ones assigned at birth, he’ll make you the second bracelet with your proper ones on it! no misgendering with this boy on horizon)

❄ Not a single soul can be surprised when I tell you that Kokonoi buys you something expensive. He has the money and he wants to spoil his baby, there’s nothing wrong with this! But because you mean so much to him, it’s not everything he prepares for you. Sure, he may buy you a piece of jewelry with real diamonds in it, or clothes from a worldwide known designer, but he also makes something by himself. It can be decoupaging a wooden box for upper mentioned jewelry, baking you your favorite pastries or just making a simple card. Koko wants to show you how much you mean to him by giving you more than his money.

❄ It may not be the usual type of present, but it is for sure the one that’ll have a lasting impact on your life. Inupi gives you a motorcycle engine in a box neatly wrapped in a ribbon. Scraping his neck, he then tells you that for the past months he’s been collecting parts and they’re all hidden in his n Draken’s shop’s magazine so that you two can build a perfect bike for you there. He wants to share his passion with you, but also it’s his sneaky try to spend more time with you.

❄ I don’t want to say that Ran forgets about buying you a present but let’s be honest. He does so. But it’s not because he doesn’t care, he was probably just too busy with the gang stuff, and before he had a chance to think about what he wanted to buy you, you popped up in front of him with a gift, saying “Merry Christmas”. His first reaction is just looking bewildered at you, without saying a single word – but after a second he blinks one, two, three times, and hugs you tightly, thanking you for the present. He then proceeds to slyly take out his phone out of his pocket to text his younger brother and prettily ask him to threaten the owner of the most bourgeois restaurant in Tokyo so that you can come and eat there without a few months in advance reservation.

❄ Rindou, unlike his older brother, doesn’t forget about preparing a gift for you. Lots of people would expect him to buy you just an expensive thing, but in my opinion it doesn’t suit him. I rather see Rinrin as a person who buys (or even makes!) something really meaningful, a gift that for everything around may be considered as not exactly fitting the description of a great gift, but you will automatically get what he has thought when he chose it. Deep down inside I think he may have a soul of a romantic that no one knows about.

❄ This boy’s precious with his s/o, I’m sure of it. Sanzu wants his loved ones to feel special, to be with them and for them. I really see Haru as a person who wants to show how good of a boyfriend he is. So he takes you on an arcade date. As soon as you are willing to, he’s gonna win every prize you desire. A teddy bear? You’ve got this. Fifteen of them? Not a problem. You want to play on more interesting machines, these where the prizes are electronic devices or other not typical items? He’s more than happy to win them for you. After this you come back home with your car stuffed to the brim with tons of plushies and other rewards. Haru makes sure you post a picture of the gifts he’s given you on social media so everyone knows how lucky you are to have him, and he also orders your favorite takeout for a grand finale of your date.

❄ Hanma gives you a box of cigarettes for Christmas. But only as a joke to annoy you when he opens it before you have a chance to take it, and he lights one cigarette up, blowing smoke in your face. He then grins and mumbles a stupid “kidding”, dodging your kick right before your foot meets his body. He’s annoying and he loves pissing you off. But Shuji loves even more seeing your happy face, so he makes sure you'll know how much you mean to him on a night full of entertainment he’s prepared for you. What adventures await you? You’ll never know if you won’t come with him.

❄ Izana seems to be an awkward person when it comes to giving and receiving gifts. At first, when you come up with the idea of exchanging Christmas gifts, he’s unsure if he feels comfortable with doing so. Deep deep inside, Izana feels uneasy with the thought of disappointing you. That’s why he proposes a compromise which is exchanging lists of potential gifts that you can prepare for yourselves. You are happy, ‘cause you have the opportunity to exchange gifts with him, and he’s happy, ‘cause there’s no way of letting you down.

❄ I spot a soul of a romantic which he is not embarrassed to show in Kakucho. He takes you to the bourgie restaurant on Christmas day. But taking you to expensive places like this is a bare minimum he could do, ‘cause you often go out without an occasion. Kaku goes a step further, borrowing Bonten’s limo and using all the privileges he has as the number three of the most dangerous organization in Tokyo – he takes you to the places no one is able to go, and shows you the other side of the town at night. You’re super safe, because you’re with him. I just like to imagine that he’s a bit extra when it comes to his loved ones.

❄ Shinichiro looks like a person that likes to spoil their loved ones – he just loves to see those closest to him happy. But he does it to an extent where it’s not healthy. Hypothetically, you’ve agreed on small gifts only – he gets you a bracelet or necklace with a small charm… with a diamond. Or you’ve both decided that telling each other what you’ve wanted for Christmas is the best idea – so he gets you exactly what you want… and a bag of other gifts too! You need to teach him that he doesn’t need to overdo in order to make you stay, ‘cause you feel stupid with your gifts being ten times cheaper than his, and his wallet feels bad, because it’s always empty.

❄ Wakasa doesn’t really care about Christmas, but he cares about you and your feelings, so he reflects your approach to the whole gift-exchanging-thing. If you are really hyped and think about his presents months before, he starts to save money, to buy you something really meaningful. But if you don’t care much, he orders your favorite takeout food or takes you on a cinema date. Waka just gives the same amount of effort as you, and I personally think it’s pretty cute and adorable of him.

❄ Hot take! Benkei is like a huge teddy bear when in a relationship. Meaning, he constantly gives you tons of big bearhugs, where your face is squished into his chest, his arms wrapped around you, and sometimes he even lifts you up just to do a few spins! That is why, as an addon to a present he’s known you really wanted, he makes a stack of coupons for these amazing hugs (and each type of hug is on a different color of paper!). For sum ppl it may be out of character for him, but ya know what? I’m starting a big teddy bear Benkei brainrot, and no one can stop me.

❄ Emma invites you over for a spa day with her. She buys all kinds of cute masks with animal patterns, moisturizing creams, hair masks, literally everything you could have imagined. If you are willing to, she proposes to give you a manicure and pedicure, it may be just only a cuticle removal if you don’t want to put color and/or do the extensions. When the time comes for the both of you to relax and chill on her bed with face masks on, Emma even cuts cucumber for your eyes to make this experience as if you are in a movie.

❄ I love her so much. Senju is a literal sunshine, but the one that can kick your ass. And she wants her significant other to also be a badass that can kick asses of the people that annoy them. And that is why she’s bought you your favorite snacks and drinks for your gift and thrown them into a paper bag. When she gives you your present she also says that from now on, she’ll help you to learn some basics of self defense and promises that will also teach you every cool kick or punch you’ll want to know! Senju pledges to take you after every lesson for popsicles that she’s paying for!

[illusionsofdreaming]

Notes: Some random headcanons that have been floating around my mind for the longest time and they need to get out so that I can focus on writing these imagines smh-

Ft: NPC Fatui Agents

Pyro Agent

Severe tsundere syndrome

wants to be a loner but everyone drags him into their shenanigans

doesn’t know how to deal with affection and would either: scowl and be snappy about it or turn invisible and escape like a coward

hates being vulnerable and showing weakness

wears his ‘villainous’ persona diligently as a way to scare others away

quick to temper and say the wrong things in the heat of anger, when he cools he is also quick to regret 

bad at apologising, but give him some time, he’ll get to it - eventually

touch-starved

surprisingly does not have high alcohol tolerance

Anemoboxer

friendly big brother everyone wants in their lives

fist bumps YAY

tanker of the team and takes it upon himself to protect everyone

a bit of a himbo

is probably an older brother himself with tons of younger siblings back home

breaks up fights within the group

bakes. the. best. cakes.

all brawn no brain

the hugs this man gives is to die for - it’s those full-body, wrap you in warmth and thick arms, pillowed in nice pecs- *cough* I mean. Great. Amazing. Hugs. Yeah.

is a bit oblivious to signs - getting into a serious relationship with this guy is rollercoaster ride filled with plenty of misunderstandings (incredibly entertaining or frustrating for others to watch)

Pyroslinger

the life of the party

easygoing and a terminal flirt

gets punched a lot due to being a flirt

cheesiest lines that will make your toes curl with second-hand embarrassment

thrives with attention

easygoing, laidback because commitment scares him

thinks he’ll never ever settle down for one until he does- ohshit

a damn sap and loyal fool to his s/o

loves kids

unfortunately terrible at cooking despite his proficiency in handling pyro

Geochanter

The youngest in the group

is actually the strategist in the group and is incredibly good at it - although he does not see this himself 

a bit too humble to the point his self esteem is actually crap

wishes he can be of more help in a fight

is babied and protected by the rest of the group

soft and gentle temperament

affection makes him weak in the knees

quick to blush making him an easy target to tease

highest alcohol tolerance

Electrohammer Vanguard

tired af of watching over the team

migraines 24/7 from dealing with group shenanigans

no-nonsense, kind of stick-in-the-mud guy which unfortunately only makes the mischievous ones want to irritate him more

handling the team feels like being in charge of daycare

wants to retire

seems irritated by his teammates all the time but will send you to hell if you hurt them

noticeably soft against Cryo Cicin Mage

big hands that envelop yours in a very comfortable, safe way

startled by physical affection and is a bit awkward in receiving them but will reciprocate hesitantly

Hydrogunner 

a man of little words but incredibly skilled in his arts

tinkers with his tools when he has time hoping to improve the healing capabilities of his weapons

at down time he just wants to watch sunsets and sip tea

little critters are drawn to him when he’s alone

pets the little critters when he thinks no one is watching

takes care of the team in quiet, unnoticeable ways

little is known of his background

Cryogunner

sashimi > cooked food

fashionista - which is why the Fatui gear given to him is breaking his heart

absolutely hates the design and unwieldiness of it-

sent in many redesigns to HQ but received no response yet

this close to quitting if they don’t give him nicer gear

ripped from head to toe from carrying the heavy ass gear

bear hugs

Cryo Cicin Mage

second baby of the group

incredibly shy and always hides her face under the shadow of her cloak and shields

quick to scare - and quick to attack when scared

admires Mirror Maiden a lot and aspires to be as graceful and elegant as her

hopes she can grow taller soon

lover of pets

very scared of pain

any affection shown towards her makes her blush all the way down to her toes

sheds tears easily as well

cuddles - lots of them

physical contact reassures her - will always have her arm linked with yours or her tiny hand laced with yours

Electro Cicin Mage

alongside Pyroslinger they’re the pranksters of the group

she’s tries to incite Cryo Cicin Mage to be more daring - and sometimes goes a bit overboard in teasing

too much energy

bubbly and loves teasing those around her

snaps when those precious to her are hurt

only the touch of her s/o and closest friends will be able to snap her out of her bloodlust

Mirror Maiden

is the big sister of the group

graceful and mysterious and knows how to use it to her advantage

finds Electro Cicin Mage and Cryo Cicin Mage adorable and helps them in handling their elements

gets along best with Electrohammer Vanguard

always has a practiced smile on her face that makes her hard to read

her real smile could actually stop hearts

so used to caring for others, is a bit surprised when she’s on the receiving end

is the only one who can deal with Pyro Agent when he’s being an insufferable brat

[eringurumi]

Dusa Pattern

I got a request for a crochet pattern for my amigurumi plushie Dusa, so here it is! She is actually pretty straightforward when it comes to the crochet bits, and the hard parts are embroidering the face and shaping the hair! As always, if you use this pattern, please link back to my page, and tag me here on tumblr or @erin.gurumi on instagram! I love to see what people make!

Technical stuff: 

I used a 3mm hook and these yarns:

Red Heart Super Saver in Minty (head)

Loops and Threads Impeccable in Green Lagoon (hair)

Cream (scrap yarn from a stash, similar to Red Heart Super Saver)

Red (scrap yarn from a stash, similar to Red Heart Super Saver)

Red Heart Super Saver in Medium Purple

^ Head

As I mentioned, the crochet part is pretty straight forward. The head is just one big sphere, but the part I find the most challenging is doing the embroidery

6 sc in a magic circle

inc 6x to make 12 stitches

(1 sc, inc) 6x to make 18 stitches

(2 sc, inc) 6x to make 24 stitches

(3 sc, inc) 6x to make 30 stitches

(4 sc, inc) 6x to make 36 stitches

(5 sc, inc) 6x to make 42 stitches

(6sc, inc) 6x to make 48 stitches

 7 rows of 48 stitches

(6 sc, dec) 6x to make 42 stitches

(5 sc, dec) 6c to make 36 stitches

(4sc, dec) 6x to make 30 stitches

(3sc, dec) 6x to make  24 stitches 

(ADD EYES/STUFFING AND START EMBROIDERY- see below!)

(2sc, dec) 6x to make 18 stitches

(sc, dec) 6x to make 12 stitches

dec, until closed, finish stuffing and finish off

^ After you are nearly done with the sphere (for me, I like to start when I am at the 30 or 24 stitch row), I used some yarn to embroider her eye liner (it ended up looking a bit too thick, but I was really struggling with making it look even.. I even ended up cheating a bit and using some marker... which I bet would have turned out nicer had I just used that!). Then I also added her nose and mouth - I didn’t have black embroidery thread, so I used yarn and a bit of unraveled yarn... This is probably not recommended, so if you have a better strategy please go for it!! I think this turned out a bit more skeletal than snakelike, but I did my best!

^ Hair Snakes

Making the actual tubes was very straightforward, it was the attaching them to the head which took some thinking! For simplicity’s sake, I made four tubes, one slightly thicker than the other, and all the same length. But, I imagine it’s really easy to make them a bit longer, or maybe add one more to fill in the back of the head!

Make one of:

6sc in a magic circle

sc 6x until you have a tube 12 inches (30 cm) long (stuff lightly as you go)

Make three of :

5sc in a magic circle

5sc until you have a tube 12 inches (30 cm) long (no stuffing in these ones, probably could do very light stuffing if you want)

* FOR TWO of these I added a metal armature - the stuff I had around is probably not right for making dolls, it looks like 1.2mm aluminum? 

^ Ok, for the first two hair pieces, I used the empty (no metal) 5sc tube and the stuffed 6sc tube. I bent the 5sc tube into a sort of omega shape, looping around the crown of the head, touching points at the forehead, and coming down to make the bangs. The 6sc tube went behind the 5sc loop, coming down towards the cheeks and then curling back to make the front of her cute little bob! Use tons of pins and then sew in place, either with the tail of the yarn or a separate length of thread/yarn!

^ For the second two hair pieces, I used the two 5sc tubes with the metal armature in them. for the back, I sewed it behind the 6sc tube and bent the two ends to look like the snake head and tail that come from behind her head. For the second tube, I bent it into her cute snake on the top, with the bottom curled tightly to fit into the space left by the bangs-tube, and sewed it on there. I used some fabric paint to make little dots for the snake eyes!

^ Medallion, Wraps and Duster

Super simple, these were just chains that I made until they were the right length to wrap - you can mostly improvise... I think I could have made the head wraps longer, you can see they are kinda faked in the back! (Also, I experimented with a slightly larger medallion size, but ended up preferring the smaller one.)

2 small Side Wraps:

chain ~6, leaving a tail

2 long Forehead Wraps:

chain ~15, leaving a long tail

Medallion:

8 sc in magic circle, use yarn to embroider the Hades insignia

I used a candle to VERY CAREFULLY burn the fuzz off the medallion, so it would be a bit shinier. If you want to do this, please be cautious, mindful of the type of fiber your yarn is made of, and if you are little, have an adult help!

Hot glue the crisscrossed wraps and medallion together, tie all the wraps in their various places, then pull the ends inside a tube or head!

Duster: cut purple yarn into small strands, tie them tightly at one end, then hot glue the duster head to a toothpick... I’m sure there are nicer ways to make one of these, but I liked the look of the yarn!

^ The last thing I did was add her fangs and pink cheeks using a bit of felt and glue - I did this last because I figured the more I handled her with all the sewing, the more they might get messed up.

Here you can see from the back a bit better... I definitely think it could be improved by making the wraps longer and adding an extra hair tube, but overall I am happy with how she turned out!

And that is it!! She is all ready to keep Hades clean and beautiful! If you have questions please feel free to ask me! Again, if you make her, tag me here or instagram @erin.gurumi - Good luck and happy crocheting! ^_^

[ushidoux]

Good Teacher - Sugawara x Reader

Summary: You meet Sugawara on an online dating app expecting something tame, but get more than you expected. (~3.1k words)

Warnings: fem pronouns, fem!reader, some features are described ***, dom/sub dynamics, collaring, daddy kink, breathplay, dacryphilia, spanking, edging, toy use, restraint use, sub drop

A/N: Again, this was a commission so some features are described!! Otherwise, please enjoy my first longer BDSM fic.

---

Being alone in your bedroom at 9pm on a Friday night may have felt like a loss on any other day, but today, with your phone buzzing non-stop and every neuron in the sexy parts of your brain firing, you could not think of anything else you would rather do.

Well, actually you could think of a few, and most of them involved slipping out of your pajamas and slipping under your new flame.

Sugawara Koushi.

A name like that sounded sweet. Maybe even bland. Safe.

When you’d swiped right on his profile on the tamer of your social media apps, you’d expected someone mild-mannered and easy to speak to. He was an elementary school teacher with soft features, white hair and a cute mole under his left eye. He couldn’t possibly be as forward as the other guys you’d dealt with over the years. A tame, responsible choice.

You’d started texting back and forth quickly, with polite, formal introductions which progressed to cute messages and long phone calls, and you’d even managed a very chaste first date where he’d picked you up at 8pm on the dot and taken you to a fine restaurant on the water.

You normally would have expected to be dicked down that night, and had paired sexy lingerie under your silky mauve dress for exactly that, but you weren’t too surprised when he left you at your doorstep with a peck on the forehead.

The only unsettling thing about the kiss was the way his eyes had lingered on your lips, just as his fingers trailed the curve of your jaw as he tucked your hair behind your ear. It was too practiced, too… dominant.

You suspected he was holding something back.

And he was, because once you’d ventured to call in the middle of the night, a little bit tipsy and yearning for a little bit more than a smile and a gentle touch from him, you’d broken some sort of dam.

He’d called you a needy, desperate, pretty little slut, desperate for Daddy’s cock but needing to prove herself that she was willing to ride with Daddy’s very, very strict set of rules first, and you’d practically cum at the sudden turn of his voice.

Now anything was fair game.

I have… particular taste. Are you sure you can keep up, princess?

The warmth between your legs and the image of full balls and a weighty, rigid cock told you, you would absolutely be ready for anything he had in store for you. 

Yes, daddy. I’m up for anything you want.

You, of course, couldn’t see the wide smile spreading across his face on the other end, as he palmed his cock slowly while reading your texts and admiring your nudes, and texted back:

We’ll need a shit ton of rope.

---

Sugawara’s hands are much larger than you’d anticipate, and rougher, and you wonder how much of it is due to high school athletics or from the fact that he’s quick to slap or spank you at any chance he gets. Your skin is sometimes red, sometimes bruised, and always marked, and it’s exactly the way you like it.

The first time you have sex, he starts you off as though you are the most shy of virgins even though you claim that you’re not exactly inexperienced.

“I wouldn’t want to break you, pretty girl,” he teases, as his hands worship your body, tracking down your waist to the center of your legs, and patting your cunt softly. Today, he’s promised to focus on your pleasure only because he wants to “break you in.” You wonder how many he’s “broken in,” then you realize you don’t really care. You’re his one and only princess right now, and you intend to be for quite a while. 

The pleasure of being a good dom is that he can choose to serve - he can choose to be doting and he can choose to be harsh with punishment. Since it’s your first day since you’ve entered this contract with him, he’s decided to focus on the catering part of his personality, and familiarize you with his desires.

The rose-gold Turian collar on your neck compliments your skin well, he takes note, as he takes one of your nipples in his mouth and leans you against him while you are seated on the edge of the bed and he’s kneeling just so before you, fingers deep in your cunt.

“You’re gonna keep that pretty little thing around your neck, aren’t you, pretty baby?”

His fingers move so fast that it’s hard for you to speak, and the arm that’s wrapped around your waist and keeping you flush against him is tightening the longer he continues. He’s a lot stronger than he looks, you know from every heavy spank he’s given you.

“I-I will, daddy, every day and every night,” you pant out, your tongue lolling as his fingers curve upwards and his lips leave your nipple with a soft pop and make their way to your quivering mouth.

“Good,” he whispers as he bites your lower lip. “You’re so obedient… I like that in a little one,” he affirms.

---

He’s kind when he teaches, patient even. 

He’s also generous; he gifts you with your first corset, a dark, lacy and tight thing that almost takes your breath away initially, especially when he tightens it onto you himself. Even if it’s constraining, you feel empowered from the very moment you look in the mirror. Your breasts sit high, and you spin once in a gesture of delight; he kisses down your neck as you admire yourself.

“This is only to get you used to a little bit of restriction,” he reassures, as he pulls you into his lap. “But I can’t deny that you look breathtaking.”

---

Since you’ve been so bold as to take his breath away, it isn’t too long until he decides he wants to see what you look like when you’re truly struggling for air. After all, the little shiny thing around your neck catches his eye way too often for his comfort, and his pants suddenly feel too tight for a casual grocery store run.

Your safeword is red, like the blood that courses through your veins as his fingers tighten around your throat.

He thumbs your pink, puffy lips, and it would be loving if he wasn’t calling you a stupid little cocktease.

“Pretty little bambi, prancing around like you’re free to be with anyone other than me.”

The breath that tickles your face is a taunt, because you’re slowly getting lightheaded, barely able to focus on the long index finger he’s commanding you to suck. 

The pressure he puts on your neck is varying; for moments you can draw a single staccato breath, which encourages him to press his lips to yours and absorb you in a kiss before he reapplies pressure; his naked body presses against yours, rolling painstakingly slow. He hasn’t even entered you yet.

Breathplay, he calls it.

You gasp as his cock slips into your wet entrance just as fast as his hand leaves your throat, and he too draws a deep breath as he fills you to the hilt. 

He lets out a soft laugh as he caresses the hair that is sticking to your face, and readjusts himself yet again - of course, he’s also better endowed than you’d expect him to be - before he picks up speed and chokes you again.

---

“I… Kou-”

“Daddy,” he stresses, unphased as he continues to press a small clitoral stimulator to your tender, overworked bud.

“D-Daddy~” you cry out in a soft, drawn out whine, and you shift a little bit because the ties that keep your ankles attached to the legs of the chair, your pussy exposed and vulnerable with your crotch wide open, are starting to dig into your skin. But you can’t move all that much, there’s additional rope around your waist that keeps you against the back of the chair and you think the soft satin that keeps your wrists behind you is probably overkill, even if you have to admit you like the color.

“Yes, sweetheart~” he whispers in a voice accented with assertive sweetness, his eyes still lowered and focused on the heave of your chest as he watches you drip before him.

“I-” 

You scream.

He’d angled the toy upwards, and somehow within the small bundle of nerves he’s targeted an even more precise cluster of endings - there’s a flash of white you see before you cum practically violently, lurching forward so rapidly that he has to keep the chair steady so that you won’t fall over on the pretty little face he adores.

It’s possibly the fourth time he’s had to ground you in the past hour, and it’s an act of mercy because he had been edging you repeatedly, forcing your pussy to clench desperately around nothing but air.

The way you gush and spray so lewdly onto the chair, onto the floor, onto the hand he plays on your sopping wet pussy reminds him he chose very, very well.

---

It’s nearly silent and it’s dark now, far too dark for you to see. 

Your Koushi has prepared you for this next step lovingly, sometimes not so lovingly over the past couple of weeks to build up to this.

The blindfold that obscures your vision is soft and slightly sweet smelling, as though spritzed with a floral scent about a day ago prior to this. Again your hands are bound, but he’s used lined handcuffs instead of ties, and your wrists are before you, not behind you. 

But you’re lying on your belly, a spreader forcing your thighs apart. He must really love the way your pussy looks staring him in the face.

“You seem to be a glutton for punishment, princess,” he says, accenting his words with a hard slap on your inner thigh. You gasp, but his hands linger tighten, and are then followed by what can only be the press of his tongue against the stinging portion.

“Daddy, I’ll behave, I’m so sorry,” you moan as his hand grips a generous portion of your asscheek.

But you won’t behave, because you’ve learned that Suga likes just a touch of bratty behavior and that gets him quite physical with you. He knows this just as much as you.

He slaps your ass fervently, the slight jiggle drawing a pleased sigh from his lips.

“You’re a silly little slut, though…” he starts, rubbing a hand along the length of your thigh, “how can I trust any of your promises?”

His finger travels to your open center, and when he sees you tense up, he stops.

“You need a firm hand to guide you always…”

His right hand curves again around your cunt and his middle and ring finger finds its way into your slippery hole, while his index taps your clit and his little finger (he’s dexterous like this), taps ever so lightly around your asshole. 

You shudder.

“Arch your back, you little cumslut. Make it easy for daddy.”

As you inch backwards slowly using your elbows and knees to rise up, his right hand continues to move with you, but then his other hand lands heavily on your other asscheek.

It breaks your concentration and you almost fall because it takes quite a lot more energy than you would expect to move this way with your hands bound and your legs spread, but you persevere. 

For him.

Before you can whine once you’ve gotten into position, he withdraws his hand from your cunt.

“No!” You find yourself shrieking before you realize. You can’t have him edge you again, he’s absolutely cruel, you can’t…

“Oh, I thought I called the shots here, princess,” Sugawara reminds you, voice honeyed and cruel. You can feel his fingers weave into your hair and the warm tip of what must be his cock prod at your entrance.

“Sir, please~”

“Beg.”

He spreads you open with a hand massaging your ass, again tapping teasingly all around your vagina, but he won’t push in to give you the pleasure of having his cock inside you.

Your heart is pounding with desire.

“Please!”

“Please what?”

“Please fill me up, daddy!”

That statement of desire earns you an inch, an inch that makes you swallow saliva hard and your muscles tense with need and want.

“M-more, more please!”

“You’re so demanding. I would say your eyes are bigger than your pretty little pussy, but you can’t see, can you?”

He laughs, but he pushes in further another inch, than another, moving painstakingly slow, slow enough that you’re biting your lower lip until blood is drawn. The stretch is achingly delicious but it leaves you starved for more.

You’re begging and whining, and soon you’re trying your best to sink onto him further but he’s got you restrained for a reason.

“Greedy little bitch,” he murmurs, but he kisses your neck lovingly as he fills you to the hilt.

The unmistakable noise of flesh hitting flesh and minimal friction fills the room but you care less about sound, only about the slap of his balls against your cunt as he thrusts into you from behind.

More. Deeper. Faster. Harder.

He’s a master at drawing desire out of you, you wonder if you even needed these toys and ties and other accoutrements. You’re already so utterly wrapped for him. 

---

There’s a movie playing on your screen that you had both been pretending to watch, cuddled together on the couch, your legs resting across his lap. You had barely gotten through the opening credits before he pulled you onto him fully and had you straddle him.

“You want a snack, pretty baby?” He whispers, as though it weren’t just the two of you staring in each other’s eyes.

Your eyelashes bat and you nod.

He doesn’t break eye contact while he reaches for a strawberry, fresh from the farmer’s market you’d strolled through this morning, from a bowl set on the table. 

This one is drizzled in chocolate, and he runs it along the length of your collarbone, eye contact still heavy and unflinching before he dips down to catch it in his mouth.

It hangs out halfway from his teeth and he cues you to take it from him mouth to mouth. You split half of it, letting the sweet tartness permeate your senses.

His arm hooks around your waist and pulls you in close as he presses his lips against yours. You weren’t aware of the glob of strawberry-flavored saliva he’d collected until he draws away, tilts your head back and tells you to open up wide so he can spit directly into your mouth.

---

“Swallow.”

Suga’s relentlessly pounding an erect, frustrated and thick cock into your mouth, past your teeth and down your poor throat, and he’s close to his release now, you can tell by the way he’s now pressed your face so far against him that his carefully cropped pubes prick your face.

He’s warning you beforehand, and you’re thankful for the warning because when he cums with a soft, almost angelic moan, his penis jerks inside your mouth ever so slightly, and there’s a gush of hot, slippery liquid that slides down your throat.

You breathe through your nose. He tastes sweet, maybe it’s because of the strawberries from just earlier today, but nevertheless it’s a pleasant liquid you gulp down around his cock.

He loves the way your throat feels when it clamps around him, especially when you initially gag once accepting his cock.

You’re perfect.

“Come up, darling,” he bids you, pulling you up from your position on your knees.

“Are you gonna fill me up, daddy?” You mewl softly as he lifts up and carries you before laying you on your back.

“Yes, pretty baby, but let me taste your juicy little cunt first,” he says before he dives in between your legs.

---

“You’re so good for me, you know that, don’t you?”

He kisses your neck softly as he holds you close to him while you lay in bed together. It’s close to 1am and he’s focused on aftercare, caressing your arms and waist and the curve of your hip gently. You’re facing away from him, not because you’re upset, but because you’re exhausted.

He’s worried you’re having a sub-drop; after all, he’s spent the last two hours slapping your face and calling you disgusting. He wonders if you forgot to use your safe word.

You’re new to this and he’s put you through a lot in the past few weeks.

“Sweetness,” he whispers, directly into your ear. “Look at me?”

You turn, cheeks still flushed from particularly hard slaps. His heart aches a bit for you, because those sweet lips are pulled downwards into a frown and he’s not sure if those are fresh tears that wet your eyelashes. 

He kisses your eyelids then rests his chin on the top of your head.

“Are you doing okay, my princess?”

You nod and reach for his face with your fingertips. Your dom softens under your touch because you are so precious to him. His fingers close around yours and he kisses your forehead.

“The most important thing is your comfort,” he asserts. He taps the collar around your neck that suggests in some way that you are his and he is yours. “You can take this off at any time.”

You wrap your arms around his waist and bury your face into his chest. It’s been fun and it’s also been freeing to have him take care of you. There’s a soft haze that wafts around your brain lately as you surrender to him. You are in love with him, deeply, in such a short amount of time.

“I would never,” you say, finally. 

His heart skips a beat.

“Unless you want to buy me a nicer one, of course.”

He chuckles. 

“You’re a feisty little one, aren’t you?” He remarks. He’s glad to look down at you and see you smiling again, eyes bright and brown. He reaches for your ass cheek, then raises your leg so that it lies across his hip. 

Your eyes twinkle with mischief.

“Well, that’s why you picked me to teach, isn’t it?” You raise an eyebrow, and the cheeky grin on your face is enough to make him get absolutely hard again.

Of course, only if you’re up to the task.

Suga bites gently on your lip again, his hand on your thigh. 

“I didn’t expect you to learn so quickly.”

“Maybe you really do have the gift of teaching,” you reply, as you stick your tongue into his mouth.

[hops-hunny]

College Girls

Pairing: Rodrick Heffley x Reader

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 2.2k

Request: anon “How about Rodrick invites the reader to a party (he’s been crushing on her for the longest) but she plays hard to get and at the party her friends try to convince her to give him a chance and later it leads to them playing 7 minutes in heaven and they confess to each other and it goes from there ;) it could end in smut or fluff your way ly <3”

Summary: (college!au) College girls and their games, good thing Rodrick loves to play.

Warnings: Mentions of weed and alcohol, making out, teasing

A/N: Ok I forgot to make them confess but it’s implied sorry anon. I still hope you enjoy it!

If there was one thing Rodrick knew, college was a shit ton different than high school was. However, that wasn’t a bad thing. Unlimited booze and bud, hot chicks, and parties that never ended? He was practically in heaven! He had grown into himself, feeling more confident than ever since Heather had rejected him his senior year. In fact, he couldn’t recall the last time he thought about her but if he had to pinpoint it, it was a few months ago when she had hit him up, begging the boy to give her a chance. Oh the irony behind that. That was another good thing about college. In high school, all the girls thought he was just some loser who wasted too much time on a band that would always be shit. 

But with years of experience under their belt and more free time to practice, Löaded Diaper was beginning to become a big deal in their rinky dink shithole off a small town. God was he glad too because with clout, also came hot girls in skirts that barely covered their ass. The opportunity for endless amounts of hookups was an absolute dream come true, but all dreams lose their shine eventually. When fucking became a mere thing to pass the time between class, gigs, and parties, he realized that it wasn’t as great as he thought it was. He was starting to crave something more, something like or, someone like- her.

God she was a babe. Rodrick still remembered the first time he saw her. Löaded Diaper was doing another house gig, everyone in the crowd dancing and moving to the intense music. And all of a sudden, a strobe light glossed over her perfectly, almost like a halo of blue light and his eyes were hooked. She was there with her friends, one of them whispering something in her ear which caused her to lock eyes with his. Pretty (e/c) eyes meeting his own brown ones. It was almost perfect, almost. As soon as they had finished the last note of their song, without missing a beat she swiftly made her exit and he made his way after her. Rodrick jumped off the stage, chasing after her and her friends all the way till they reached the curb. He grabbed her arm causing the girl to look back.

“Hey, uh, did you enjoy the gig?” He asked, running his fingers through his sweaty hair nervously. He felt his nerves rise even more at the sound of her friends’ giggles.

“I wouldn’t have stayed the whole gig if I didn’t, would I?” she retorted, rolling her eyes as she began to open the passenger door of the black mercedes.

“Yeah, I guess that was a dumb question..” he trailed off as she closed her door. His eyes widened at the fact he hadn’t gotten her name prompting him to take off after the car. He felt relieved as the girl rolled down her window, looking up at him through her thin framed sunglasses. “Wait! I didn’t get your name, I’m Rodrick.” he smirked, watching as she pulled her sunglasses up to rest on the top of her head.

“Didn’t give it.” she quipped, sending him a wink as her friend took off into the distance. Who was she? All he knew about her was that she had a mouth on her and lived on the other side of campus. A lot of girl’s fit that description so it wasn’t easy asking around about her. However, as he stood here in the corner of the party his fraternity was throwing, he’d recognize a pair of nice legs like that from anywhere. His eyes took in her appearance. She had on a denim mini skirt, black turtleneck and a pair of knee high boots that matched. The boy had to practically stop himself from gawking at how good she looked, curves clinging to every bit of the form fitting outfit. He cleared his throat as his friend nudged him, looking to see what he wanted.

“Uh don’t look now, but I think that girl you were eye fucking is definitely eye fucking you back dude. Is that the chick from the gig a few weeks ago that you won’t shut up about?" Rodrick glared at the man, shoving him into the wall before walking towards her. He watched as her friends “coincidentally” all began to head off in other directions, leaving her to offer him a flirty little smile behind the drink she’d been nursing.

“Well if it isn’t the little drummer boy! To what do I owe the pleasure, Rodrick?” she purred, sitting down her now empty cup. She stepped forward, leaving them to be pressed chest to chest. It could easily be blamed on the crowded room but the two knew otherwise. He smirked back at her, wrapping his arms around her waist securely.

“I’m a simple man. I see a pretty girl sending looks my way, I come.” his eyes widened as he began to overthink his word choice. “N-not like that! Like I come over not like cum in my pants. I-I’m not like some virgin...well I’m not some man whore either! I don’t fuck around a lot. Not like the option isn’t there bu-” he quit his nervous ramblings at the sound of her laughter. He relaxed, smiling as the girl wrapped his arms around her neck. He began to lean in thinking she would ask him for a kiss but instead she missed his lips, putting hers next to his ear before whispering,

“Wanna dance?” Before he could answer, the girl (who’s name he still didn’t catch) was dragging him to the dance floor, moving his hands to rest on her hips. He tried to keep his movements as fluid as possible. It took him a bit but eventually his movements matched hers, as they swayed to the beat of the song. She pressed her head against his shoulder, looking up at him as she continued the movements against his pelvic area. “I love this song, it’s one of my favorites.” she whispered. He didn’t know if it was because he was cross faded or his enjoyment of the movements but D’Evils by SiR was beginning to become one of his favorite songs too. How could it not when there was such a pretty girl pressed against his front?

“Yeah? It suits you.” he muttered, leaning his head down to hover his own chapped lips above the girl’s soft gloss covered ones. She hummed in agreement, both of them slowly inching towards each other before she stopped, letting out a cheeky giggle.

“Did you really think I was going to kiss you that easily? You’ve gotta earn it.” She said, dragging a manicured hand against the skin of his neck. He shivered a bit as goosebumps formed, watching as she disappeared back into the crowd. He swore some, groaning as he fiddled with the growing bulge in his jeans. Was he out of the game for too long or had girls always been this hard to get? Either way, he didn’t care. Rodrick was gonna get this girl and her name by the end of the night if it was the last thing he ever did. He broke out of his thoughts, keeping sight of her figure making its way through the beaded curtain which led to the basement of the large frat house. Quickly he chased after her, trying to keep up with her. And, as if on purpose, every time he’d get close she’d flash him that breathtaking smile and continue on her path. Finally, she reached her supposed destination, a small group of people on couches, discussing the plans to play something. 

“So, what’s the game?” He asked, causing everyone to look up at him as he sat on the couch farthest from her. He looked at the bottle in the center of the table, proud of himself and his seating choice. The further he was away, the more likely the bottle was to land on the pretty thing across from him.

“7 minutes in heaven. You down?” A brunette girl asked, a flirty look in her buzzed eyes. He ignored her small attempt at an advance, nodding as he locked eyes with the girl of the hour. He shot her a wink, smirking as she rolled her eyes, biting her lip to hide the smile that was making its way onto her face. For someone so adamant about playing this game of cat and mouse, she seemed to be fighting off her feelings very harshly. None of that mattered now though. If there was a god, he hoped he’d be on his side. Never had he wanted to be stuffed inside a muggy dark closet with someone so badly.

“Of course I’m down. Do I look like a pussy to you?” he asked, watching as the (h/c) haired girl opened her mouth. He gave her a pointed look, tilting his head at her. “Don’t answer that, legs.” The girl looked surprised at the nickname but didn’t say anything, trailing her acrylic nails up the curve of her thigh. His brown eyes followed curiously, jumping slightly as she closed her legs quickly giving him a mocking pout. Tonight was going to be a long night.

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

Round after round was filled with surprises, none involving Rodrick or the mystery girl of his affections. Sometimes, the two people involved would cheer or jump up excitedly, ceasing the moment that they were desperately waiting for. Other times they would groan in disgust and hell, he couldn’t blame him with the hygiene of some of these people. Have they ever even heard of a shower, deodorant? Only their BO could tell. However, his odds grew more and more as it was finally his turn to spin the bottle. He picked it up, kissing the empty beer bottle as he made up some prayer. He let out a deep breath before spinning the bottle. As he watched it spin, the only thought he could seem to form was, ‘Please, please please. Cmon, cmon, cmon!’

Finally the bottle began to halt, making a rumbling noise as it stopped. His eyes followed the nose of it, letting out an internal cheer as his eyes met the (e/c) eyes from across from him. He pulled up his jeans before walking over to the girl, holding a hand out to her. She eyed it before smirking up at him, allowing her to pull him up. Rodrick looked down at her hand before tangling his fingers with her own, pulling her towards the closet. Once they both were in there, silence overcame them leaving the muffled music from upstairs to be the filler between silent space. He cleared his throat some, catching the shorter girl’s attention.

“Sooo, um. Would this count as earning it?” He quipped, giving her a flirty grin. The girl rolled her eyes before moving closer to him, pulling him down to her own height as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Rodrick wasted no time, pulling the girl by her hips and planting his on hers. The kiss was everything he’d hope it’d be. Passionate, hot, and filled with every bit of desire that had built up over the course of the party. He nibbled at her lip, causing a moan to slip from her lips. He smirked a bit, pulling away some to look into her eyes a bit.

“I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting you to be a good kisser. You looked like you would give me a lot of teeth and too much tongue.” she giggled some, tugging his bottom lip between her teeth before releasing it. He rolled his eyes, smirking as he leaned in, nibbling on her neck a bit. He felt victory overcome him at the soft whimper that came from her lips.

“My pride’s a bit wounded, princess.” he purred, lifting her up as he pinned her against the wall. He leaned back in for another kiss, this one more deep and intense than the last. He groaned softly as she tangled her fingers in his hair, gripping at it slightly. He slid his tongue over her bottom lip, quickly tangling it with hers when she opened her mouth. They’re tongues danced a bit, fighting for dominance before he won. He absorbed her moans, sucking on her tongue as he slid a hand under her skirt, stroking the skin of her upper thighs. Rodrick noted how soft her skin was before gripping at it harshly, stroking her hips with his thumbs.

Just as he slid his hands under her shirt, a knock broke them out of their kiss. He groaned in annoyance, pulling away and fixing her clothes for her as the door was ripped open. The (e/c) eyed girl was the first to walk out, looking back at him as if she had something to say.

“(Y/n).” she said, causing him to look at her in confusion. “My name? It’s (Y/n). I hope this isn’t a habit of yours, making out with girls whose names you don’t even know.” she said, looking up at him expectantly. His mouth opened and closed as he stuttered, searching for the words to say. He cleared his throat before grabbing her hand, beginning the path to his own room.

“Not anymore it isn’t.”

[nonasuch]

Hello, I just read the story about your gachapon machine. It looks awesome! I'd like to do one of my own. Can you give me any recommendations? Thank you in advance.

Sure! It was honestly pretty easy to set up, and to find all the components I needed.

I got my machine from this ebay seller. Specifically, this one, because I wanted a 30” tall machine that accepted tokens. They have less expensive machines that take quarters, and were kind enough to knock $20 off the one I did get. Also I sent them a picture of the finished result and they’re using it in the listing now, which is neat.

The decal for the front I made in Photoshop and just sent the .png file to signs.com. The plexiglass panels slide free, so it was really easy to apply. Just make sure your image is less than 9” wide, and your decal less than 9.5”. I also took a ton of transparent flower and leaf scrapbooking stickers and just like. went to town.

I got the eggs from American Carnival Mart, but you can also get clear 2” acorn capsules from the same seller I got the machine from, or plenty of other sources. My machine holds about 250 eggs.

The tokens are a standard size. You can find used ones on ebay if you look for .984 or 25mm tokens.

I also put my egg prizes in little 2x3” organza bags, which is a totally unnecessary detail that I will continue doing anyway because presentation matters to me. Well, and also it lets me assemble egg prizes in advance, and fill eggs quickly in bigger batches. You could also wrap them in a 5” square of cloth and tie it with a scrap of ribbon.

All told, my setup costs were about $250, but I probably could have kept it under $200 if I skipped the decal and the bags and got generic tokens. I’m super grateful to the folks who helped me crowdfund half the cost, because it would have been a bit harder to justify without them.