#also the food and coffee is the top of the list of things i miss about miami

[mlobsters]

the big short (2015)

bro, you can go to versailles in the airport. good cuban food, right there. it's literally everywhere. you can't go more than a few miles in miami without stumbling into cuban food.

this a small part of why i got so incredibly riled up watching this the other day

[roosterforme]

The Younger Kind Part 26 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley says some things in the afterglow of winning custody of Noah that surprise you in the best way. You believe him, but you also need some time to think. But with some bad news on the horizon, when he tells you that he trusts you with Noah more than he trusts anyone else, you don't doubt him at all.

Warnings: Angst, swearing, fluff, smut, and age gap (18+)

Length: 3900 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more! The Younger Kind masterlist.

"Just stay in bed," Bradley rasped when his alarm woke both of you on Thursday morning. You'd spent a good portion of Wednesday night telling him that you needed to go home, get used to your own space again. And then he had spent a few minutes listing all the reasons he wanted you to stay. 

Your favorite reason was that he and Noah needed you with them. He was insistent. 

"Daddy," you groaned, reaching for him, trying to keep him in bed. He rolled his big body on top of yours, propping himself up with his elbows to keep from crushing you. "I need to finish my school assignments by next week so I can graduate."

"I'll help you get them ready to submit," he promised as he kissed your lips. "Now you just stay put, Princess. I'm taking the day off from work. I'll drop Noah at daycare, try to get him back on his normal routine since he missed yesterday. And then I'll be back to spend the day with you."

"Really?" you asked as he got out of bed on your side. You had a side of the bed. You had a specific side of the bed that was yours in Bradley's bedroom in his beautiful house. You sank back against the pillows in contentment, so cozy in Bradley's sweatshirt.

"Yes," he promised. "I'll get him up and out the door, and I'll be back soon." You watched him get dressed in some jeans and a soft tee shirt. He shoved his phone and wallet into his pockets before kissing you on the forehead and saying, "I love you," like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

And then he was gone, and you were thinking about what Meredith might be doing right now. You hoped she was crying over the fact that you had outsmarted her, since she had been trying to manipulate you as much as she had Bradley. You rolled onto your side with a smile. Bradley already seemed so much more relaxed now that he and Noah were free and clear of Meredith. He'd briefly mentioned getting restraining orders, citing the desire to never hear that you saw Meredith in public again as his main reason for looking into it. He said he'd talk to Tracy about everything. 

You were just about to doze off again when Bradley walked back in with Noah in his arms. "He wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to you," he rasped, setting his son on the bed. You supposed that meant he didn't mind if Noah saw where you had slept last night. 

"Come here, sweet Noah," you whispered, pulling him in for a big hug and kissing his chubby cheek. I love you. Have fun at daycare."

"Love you," he said in his soft, little voice before Bradley scooped him up again and left the room. 

When you heard the front door close, you knew you wouldn't be able to fall asleep again, so you stretched and then got out of bed for the day. You wanted to grab a shower, but you thought it might be fun to wait until Bradley got back to do that. Instead you changed into one of his floral print shirts and made your way to the kitchen. 

You really should have been working on something for school, but when you opened the refrigerator for the coffee creamer, you sighed. They were basically out of food again already. A few eggs left in the carton and some vegetables would make a decent enough breakfast, but you'd need to help Bradley go grocery shopping again soon. 

You had just finished your mug of coffee and the grocery list when you heard the front door. "Hi," you called out to Bradley, and he walked into the kitchen where he immediately froze. There were coffee cups in his hands, and you could already see where he'd written Princess on one of them. "I'm going to make you breakfast."

But he was too busy staring at you, his gaze trailing down your body. You were immediately reminded that the only article of clothing you were wearing was his shirt, completely unbuttoned. 

Bradley set down the coffees and smirked at you. "You're gonna make me breakfast, Princess?" he asked. He grabbed your purple crown from where it had been left overnight next to the toaster, and he carefully put it on your head. 

"Yes," you whispered. "I was going to make you an omelette."

He groaned as his fingers stroked down along your cheek, caressing the side of your neck before continuing down the front of your body. You shivered as your eyes closed when he said, "You're so sensitive."

His fingers lingered on your belly before he started stroking your pussy. "Daddy," you gasped, and then he was on his knees in front of you. 

"You're perfect," he crooned, looking up at you. "Everything I want." His voice and his eyes were so open and honest, and then you ran your fingers through his hair. 

"I knew you'd have a good day, Daddy," you whispered with a grin. "After yesterday, you deserve a relaxing one."

"You know what will help me relax?" he asked. 

"Tell me."

And then his mouth was on your pussy.

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

Bradley licked you up and down, loving the way you moaned softly every time his nose tapped your clit. When he ran his palm up and down the back of your thigh, you carefully put your leg over his shoulder, giving him even better access to your pretty pussy. And that purple paper crown on your head? All that did was make him feel like he and Noah had claimed you for their own. 

"Daddy?" you whispered breathlessly. "Are you going to make me squirt?"

Well. Now that was the only thing he wanted to do. "Is that what you need, Baby?" he asked, rubbing his mustache across your clit.

Your response was a bit incoherent, but it sounded like a yes. And Bradley was in the best mood he'd been in for weeks. Noah was his, and you were his, and he was going to meet up with Tracy next week to finalize everything that was important to him. So he'd gladly spend the whole day, right here on his knees with his mouth on your body until you came all over his face.

He smiled against you as he lapped up your wetness, but you really got loud when he added his fingers into the mix. You were leaning back against the counter, gripping the edge, and he knew he was going to have to get you to the edge of overstimulation. Just like last time in his bed. And just like the first time on the couch. 

So he changed up his pace, sometimes languid and sometimes frantic. And he changed up the pressure, sometimes feather soft and sometimes rough. His knees were starting to ache from how they were digging into the kitchen floor, but he didn't dare move. Because you were starting to get loud. Your head was tipped back, and your perfect breasts were on display as his colorful shirt fell open even more on your body. 

You were so young and flawless, and he never even tried to kid himself about the way that turned him on. But now you were his, and he would love you and take care of you well so that you'd want to stay. 

"Bradley!" you cried out, leg tightening against his back. "Oh!"

He grunted and rubbed his fingertips back and forth across your clit as the little bud tightened for him. He smiled as he changed his tempo. A little slower, and you were coming for him. A split second later, and you had pushed the back of his head closer as you squirted onto his mustache and lips. 

"Princess," he moaned as you sagged against him a little bit. You were still reeling as he cleaned you up with his tongue, eliciting little gasps from your softly parted lips. When he stood with a soft groan, he palmed himself through his jeans. He was rock hard as he pressed himself against you and stroked your tits. You were wrung out, biting your lip as your eyes fluttered open and closed, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted it so badly. "Will you let me fuck you, Baby?"

You nodded and turned your back to him. "Yes," you sighed, leaning down on the counter with your cheek pressed to your crossed arms. "Yes."

Bradley gingerly unzipped his jeans and pulled himself free, and when he buried his cock in your warmth he hissed in pleasure. You were mewling and whining softly, seemingly still exhausted from soaking his face, and Bradley couldn't believe you were letting him get off like this. He grabbed you by your hips, the hem of his shirt you were wearing brushing his wrists. Then he fucked you hard and thought about how you should wear his clothes all the time.

He wasn't going to last long in this state, palming and squeezing your hips and ass as he got you whining his name softly. He went a little harder, but as soon as you looked up at him and smiled softly, he was filling you with his cum. His loud groans filled the kitchen as his movements became jerky. And then he collapsed against your back with his lips on your neck. 

"You want me to make you an omelette, Daddy?" you asked softly while he was still inside you. 

"Yeah," he replied, wrapping you up in his arms. "Then I'm taking you out to lunch. We're going on a real date."

He watched you preen as his cum dripped down your legs. But you did nothing to clean it up as you washed your hands and started cracking eggs into a bowl. You added what was left of the cheese that was in the refrigerator along with some onions and peppers. After you made two omelettes, you settled onto his lap at the table

When you looked at the coffee cups, you hopped up again and started to dig in one of the drawers near the sink. "What's wrong, Baby?"

"Nothing," you murmured, returning to his lap a moment later with a permanent marker. Bradley watched you scribble over the word peasant on his cup and write Knight in your tidy handwriting. 

"That's flattering coming from a Princess," he whispered next to your ear. 

"It's true," you told him, taking his chin in your hand and kissing his lips. "You saved me and then you fought for Noah."

He closed his eyes as you stroked his chin with your thumb. The fact that he had his son all to himself meant he could share him with you. And he was working on a restraining order against Meredith to keep everyone a little safer. So maybe he was capable of more than he originally thought.

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

Shower time with Bradley ended up being more sweet than anything else as you and he got each other all soapy. He brought his phone in to play some music, and he sang along softly as his big hands glided along your slick skin. 

Once you were all dried off and in Bradley's bedroom, you just stood there naked. "I need to go back to my place. I hardly have any clothes here, and I need to do laundry."

He just grunted and said, "You should just move in with us."

You started to pull on your denim shorts and one of your tops as you rolled your eyes. "You're not serious."

But it didn't seem like he was joking at all, actually. He paused and looked at you as he put on some deodorant, his brown eyes sincere. "I'm serious," he said, his voice sounding a little more vulnerable than you expected it to. 

"I'll...think about it." But you already had. And the idea of it was too exciting for you to finish processing in front of him right now. He'd just been awarded sole custody of Noah yesterday. Both of you were probably feeling a little high on adrenaline and elation. 

But he just nodded and reached for your hand. "Let's stop at your place later after I take you out for lunch. If you want me to drop you off, I will."

You were already considering how it would be if you didn't get to make dinner for Noah and give him a kiss before Bradley tucked him into bed for the night, and you didn't like it one bit. You knew what your decision would end up being. You loved being here too much. Maybe you'd just stop home and get more of your stuff and your car.

As Bradley closed the passenger door for you after you climbed into the Bronco, you couldn't help but smile. "Is this our first date?" you asked him as he started the engine and backed out of his driveway. 

"No way," he replied. "Gotta count all the nights we watched movies on the couch with Noah. Oh, and the night I fed you the dinner that my date didn't stick around to eat," he said, smiling at you as he drove to one of the cute shopping districts in the city. "And just yesterday I took you to my custody hearing. That was a pretty romantic day out, yeah?"

You bit your lip and sighed. "So romantic. You really dial it up to eleven, Daddy."

"Only the best for a Princess," he insisted with a grin as he parallel parked in front of a cute bookshop. "I made a reservation for the cafe across the street."

Your eye bugged out. It was an expensive French bistrot. You were wearing cutoff shorts. "I'm underdressed!"

"You're fine," he insisted, leaning over to kiss your lips before he took the keys from the ignition. "But we have half an to kill. Bookshop?"

"Absolutely," you agreed. A few minutes later, you were running your fingers along the spines of some mystery novels while Bradley followed you so closely, you could feel his body heat. When you stopped to pick up a hardback, his lips found your neck, and his hands found your waist.

"Daddy," you scolded in a whisper.

"Can't help it."

Then you headed for the children's area, and your eyes lit up. "Noah would love this one!" You held up a picture book of dinosaurs, and Bradley let you hand it to him. 

"What else?" he asked, smiling as he followed you down the next aisle. 

"Outer space. Farm animals. Opposites. Cars. Fairy Tales." You handed him four more books and then picked up a fifth. "Airplanes."

"Well, he really needs that one," Bradley said, adding it to the pile as well.

"They have coloring books!" You knelt in front of the rack and chose three that he didn't already have, and Bradley took them before helping you to your feet. "Which one would he like the most besides the airplanes? I want to get him two."

Bradley shrugged. "We can get all of them."

"I can't afford all of them."

His eyebrows went up. "Baby, I don't want you spending your money on us. I'll buy them."

"But-"

"They can still be from you," he promised. "But I'll pay for them."

"Okay," you whispered, suddenly reminded that you and Bradley were not at the same points in life. He had a thriving career. You were going to be scrambling to finish your assignments in time to graduate and look for a job. And now, because of Meredith, you knew he had money. 

But you let him take you by the hand and lead you toward the register. You knew these books were going to cost nearly a hundred dollars. Then Bradley stopped short in front of a display of baby books. You felt his arm slip around your waist as he leaned down so his lips grazed your temple. 

"Been meaning to ask you, Princess," he said softly, and you turned to look up at him. His face was calm as his gaze dipped down to your lips. "Were you really buying a pregnancy test when you saw Meredith? You think you could be pregnant?"

"No!" you replied with a startled laugh. "Her lawyer just said that to get me upset! I'm not!"

"Okay," he said with a shrug. "Just checking to see if we should be buying any baby books."

You just shook your head as he set the books for Noah down near the registers. "Absolutely not! That would be a disaster."

"Nah," he whispered, taking out his wallet. "It would be okay. Well...maybe not quite yet, since you're just graduating now. But...later."

You were silent as he paid for the books, but you laced your fingers through his. You weren't sure quite what to say, as you and he walked across the street, so you just let your mind race with possibilities. 

And then you were seated at the adorable cafe table with him for lunch. The restaurant was all pastel colors, floral arrangements and expensive desserts. He ordered a bottle of champagne to share, and you were a little bit tipsy as you giggled and bit into a lemon macaron when the bill arrived. Your eyes bugged out when you saw it. Three hundred dollars. 

"Bradley," you gasped. "How much was the champagne?" 

"Don't worry about it," he said, giving you a funny look. 

But as you walked back toward the Bronco with his arm around your waist and a head full of champagne bubbles, you blurted out, "I'm not interested in you for your money."

"Never thought you were," he replied casually, opening the passenger door for you with a kiss. "Let's go stop by your place."

As he walked around to the driver's door, you knew you should insist that he drop you off at home. But when he climbed in, he turned to you and said, "I kind of miss Noah. Mind if we pick him up early after we stop to get you more clothing?"

And then your love for both of them felt so palpable all you could say was, "I miss him, too."

"It's settled then."

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

Later that evening, after the three of you went grocery shopping, Bradley watched you teach Noah how to play Go Fish on the living room floor with a forgotten bowl of popcorn next to you. He was essentially just your servant for the night, bringing both of you snacks and drinks while you played. Not that he minded at all. 

The fact that you tried to let him know you weren't into him just because he had a job and some money was pretty humorous. But then again, you'd just witnessed Meredith trying to fleece him. So while he didn't need you to say anything about it at all, he did appreciate that you had. 

Bradley had also surprised himself. When he considered that you might be pregnant? Well, he didn't hate the idea of it one bit. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted Noah to have a younger sibling or two. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to raise said children with you. But you were young. There would be time to plan for that in the future.

He sat on the couch and sorted his mail from the past few days. He'd been so preoccupied with Meredith and Tracy and everything going on, he realized he needed to catch up on chores. "Almost time for bed, Bub," he said, smiling as you let Noah win at the card game. Then his hand froze before opening the envelope that arrived today. 

Deployment papers. 

If he hadn't skipped out on work again today, he would have been informed in person. Shit. Six weeks away from home. He watched you laughing as you ate a few pieces of popcorn. And then Noah was climbing into your lap and asking you to read another one of the books you'd picked out for him. 

"Okay, but your dad said it's almost bedtime. How about we go brush your teeth and get pajamas on? And then I'll read the outer space book before you do goodnight kisses?"

Noah readily agreed, and then you were leading him from the room. Bradley took the opportunity to email Tracy as well as send a text to Nat. His best friend had been bugging him to elaborate about yesterday, but she also knew he needed a little bit of time to process things and take a little break after all the worrying. 

"Daddy?" you called out, and Bradley smiled as he stood. "We're ready for bed."

"I'm coming." He sat on Noah's floor and listened to you read the book about solar systems and space exploration while Noah looked at the pictures. And when it was time for goodnight kisses, Noah gave you one and then Bradley leaned down to smother his face with a dozen. He giggled and then yawned, and as Bradley took your hand and pulled you out of the room, Noah's eyes were drifting closed. 

You started to pull Bradley toward his bedroom with a smirk, but he shook his head. The startled look on your face reminded him that you were only accustomed to getting what you wanted around here now. And he loved that. "I need to show you something first," he insisted, kissing your forehead. 

"Okay, but why do you sound so reserved?"

"Just come here, please." He picked up the mail from where he left it, and then he sat down on the couch. You eased yourself down next to him, taking the papers when he handed them to you. "You know what that is?"

"No." But as soon as you scanned the header, your eyes went wide. You read for a few seconds before whispering, "You're being deployed?"

"Yes," he replied, but you had returned to the document in your hands, your eyes moving quickly down the page before you wrapped your arms around his neck. 

"Who's going to care for Noah?! Bradley, he needs to be on a schedule with daycare. And someone needs to make sure he eats healthy dinners and snacks. And he needs bedtime stories and coloring books." You looked panicked, and then tears filled your eyes. "And I don't want you to go away. I'll miss you too much."

He collected you onto his lap and swiped your tears away as they fell, but he couldn't help but smile. Your concern for Noah, ever since the very first day, made him feel so calm. And he knew you loved his son. "Well, I'm kind of hoping you'll care for Noah while I'm gone."

"Me?" you squeaked, lips parted in surprise. "You'd trust me with Noah by myself for six weeks?"

"More than I'd trust anyone else."

You threw your arms around his neck again and sobbed against him. "I'll do it. I'll stay with Noah. I'll take expert care of him."

"You already do."

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

Oh, Daddy! We don't want you to leave! But the way he trusts Princess is everything. Hope you enjoy your fic, @beyondthesefourwalls And thank you @mak-32 !

PART 27

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[lnfours]

summer love | l.n

summary: part 2 to this request but make it ✨summer break ✨

warnings: fluff, language, all the feels, lando being 100% whipped. fem!driver x lando :,)

masterlist | part 1 | ask box

₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

it was officially summer break, a whole month off of racing to recharge the batteries, spend time with family and friends and just do normal people things.

but all you could think about was him. it was sickening. you weren’t sure how or why, but you found yourself thinking about lando a lot more than you should. and you knew you shouldn’t, he was your teammate, but something about that day in the drivers room made your heart rate spike.

you were laying in bed, scrolling through instagram when you had come across his story. you held down the picture, examining it as you looked it over.

it was a picture of the sunset, the location tagged london, england. you furrowed an eyebrow, he spent his summer break at home? before you knew it, you were sliding up, adding a comment underneath the picture.

you’re home for summer break?

you bit down on your lower lip after you had sent it. surely he wouldn’t reply, he was probably off having a good time, enjoying his life and not thinking about you-

yea, feels good to be home. where’d you go to spend holiday?

you clicked at the top of your screen, opening the dms. you had saw the previous dms being memes you had sent one another a while back, the two of you going back and forth about who was funnier.

it was you.

actually, i’m here too 😅

you saw his icon appear at the bottom of your message before it changed to say he was typing. you tried so hard to ignore the way your stomach was doing cartwheels.

out of ALL the places you could’ve chose from, you picked london? stalker much? 🙄

you let out a soft laugh, typing back a whitty response.

you wish i was here to see you, norris 🥱 no, i’ve just never been. always been on my bucket list to come outside of racing

typing…

i do, actually. i miss you

you read it over and over again before another message appeared from him.

also, where are you staying? we can meet up, get coffee or something? i can show you around 😁

okay, now you were internally screaming. you clicked on the photo option, snapping a picture of you in your bed, adding the location of the hotel you were staying in before sending it. he opened it almost immediately, sending another picture back. he was shirtless, sunglasses resting on his nose and you noticed he had grown out his facial hair. the sun was still setting and it looked like he was on a beach.

you’re literally 15 minutes away from me. hang out with me, i’m bored ☹️

you smiled before sending another picture, this time of the tv in the hotel which was currently playing an episode of a show you had seen a million times before.

can’t, busy :/

another picture from him, this time he was in his car. he had a shirt on now, the white fabric making him look tanner, his hair messy. how could someone look so good?

too bad, i know where you are 🥰

you took a picture of yourself giving him the finger, a playful smile on your face.

ok fine, but you’re getting me food

he replied with another picture, this time of his hand on the steering wheel. the mclaren logo on the center was the star of the show, the four little lines on the bottom making an appearance.

deal, see you soon

you double tapped his photo, throwing the covers off of your legs before making your way to your suitcase. you grabbed a pair of shorts and an over size hoodie, tugging it on before fixing your hair. you opted on no makeup, slipping your sunglasses on before grabbing your bag. once you made sure you had everything, you made your way to the lobby.

in the elevator, your phone pinged.

your chariot awaits, m’lady

you rolled your eyes and smiled, typing back a response.

coming to lobby now, mr. uber driver

he double tapped your message and when you walked through the doors of the hotel, you immediately spotted him. he was waiting for you, leaning against the passenger side door. you smiled, approaching him as he smiled back at you.

“hey,” you said, the two of you reaching for a hug. he wrapped his arms around your waist, desperately trying not to hug you too tight as you slung your arms around his neck.

“hey,” he smiled back, “ready for the best tour of london you’ll ever get with your favorite guy?”

you looked around, a playful smile on your lips, “lewis is here?”

he rolled his eyes, shoving your arm softly as he chuckled, “oh, fuck off.”

you laughed back at him, letting him open the door for you. you smiled and thanked him, letting it close as he made his way to the drivers side. you took note of each little personalized detail of the car, smiling softly at how much of his personality was put into it.

“so,” he said, starting the car, “anywhere in particular you wanted to see?”

you shook your head, “no, but if you want, you could show me your favorite places.”

he nodded, pulling out of the parking lot, “i’ve got the perfect place for you.”

you couldn’t help but smile again as you looked over at him. he handed you his phone, spotify open, “play whatever you want.”

you raised an eyebrow, “whatever i want?”

he nodded, “yeah, curious to see what kind of music you listen to.”

you smirked, typing in ‘summer love’ by justin timberlake. the song boomed through the speakers and he laughed, turning it up slightly as he made his way to one of his favorite spots.

after more songs, which may or may not have included some one direction songs (which he surprisingly knew all the words to), and some small talk later, he pulled into a parking spot at the overlook. you both got out, standing in front of the car as you looked out at the view.

“wow,” you breathed, “this is stunning.”

you looked up at the sky as you finally got to see it’s beauty without any light pollution. he smiled, leaning against the car as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“yeah,” he looked over at you, “it is.”

you looked over at him, “you’re looking at me like that again.”

he raised an eyebrow, but the smile still sat on his face as he shook his head, “no idea what you’re talking about, doll.”

your stomach did a flip and you walked in front of him, your legs between his, “how many girls have you brought here?”

he snorted, “none, only you,” he looked up at the stars now, his neck on display for you. his fluffy curls were pushed back with his sunglasses, his nose and cheeks slightly red and covered in sun freckles from being outside all day. he looked so pretty like this to you, who was still standing in front of him and god you wish you didn’t look awkward staring at him like this, “kind of a place where i come if i need to get away, just think for a little bit.”

you finally adverted your eyes back to the sky, “yeah, this would be the place to do it.”

he nodded, “so, to answer your question, none. guess that makes you special.”

you gasped, “i’m special to the lando norris?”

“don’t start,” he rolled his eyes playfully, “you’re like, P3 at best.”

“well you know what they say about being third,” you said, “they have the treasure chest.”

he chuckled again, the soft breeze of the night whisking a hair in your face. he carefully reached out and brushed it back, “actually, you get 15 points. cmon, you’re supposed to know this, y/n,”

you couldn’t wipe the smile off your face even if you tried, “you would know, huh?”

your phone buzzed in your pocket, pulling it out and reading the notification.

⚠️ time to bereal ⚠️

you clicked on it, looking up at him but he was already looking at you, “wanna be in my bereal?”

“sure,” he said and you smiled before clicking on the notification.

however when you held your arm up, you started laughing and not being able to take yourself seriously. lando laughed with you.

“hurry! take the picture or it’ll be late!” he laughed and you pulled yourself together before laughing again. you weren’t sure what it was. if it was how close he was to you or how happy you were right now, but he took the phone from you.

“jesus christ,” he laughed as he raised his arm up, pulling you in by your hip. you wrapped both arms around his neck, smiling at the camera. he turned the phone around to get the other picture, this time he turned his head towards you and you faced him with a smile. he smiled back, your hand resting on his cheek. the flash went off and he brought his arm down, but you still kept his face in your hand.

you took the phone from him, “thank you,”

“yeah,” he smiled, “anytime,”

you locked your phone, slipping it back into your pocket before looking at him again. he still had the same look on his face, almost like he was-

“i like you, y/n,” he said, “a lot.”

you smiled, heart jumping up to your throat, stomach doing flips, and you swore you were going to pass out when he placed his hand on your cheek, thumb stroking the skin, his fingers starting to move into the hair behind your ear.

“i like you too,” you said, and that was all he needed to hear before he was pulling your neck towards him, lips connecting with yours. your body felt like it was on fire as his hands moved from your face to your hips, shifting as he leaned back against the hood of the car, taking you with him as you laid on top of him.

the kiss got hot, his tongue poking out to lick at your bottom lip. at first you didn’t let him in, which made you giggle against him. but, the giggling turned into gasping the minute he tugged on your hair gently, allowing him to sneak his tongue in.

he finally broke the kiss, the both of you panting. you hadn’t realized that your hands were in his hair, it now being a mess of frizzy, beachy curls. his lips were red and puffy, pupils blown. you were so in love.

your phone buzzed in your pocket, taking it out and almost laughing at the notification. he smiled at you, but raised an eyebrow in confusion, “what? what’s funny?”

you turned your phone around to show him oscar’s comment on your bereal:

oscarpiastri81: WHAT THE FUCK??!?!

he laughed, pulling you as close as he could while you typed out a response to your teammate, “you hungry?”

you nodded, slipping your phone back into your pocket, “starving, actually.”

he nodded, taking your hand in his as you stood up, “i know a really good spot not far from your hotel, think you’ll like it.”

you smiled as he opened the door for you, you thanked him with a quick kiss on his lips, “sounds perfect.”

[coqxettee]

How to romanticise January 🦢✩₊˚☁️⋆☾🌬₊✧

Happy first week of January completed!

I know January can be one of the dullest & hardest months, especially because Christmas is over, it’s still wintery & cold and it’s back to “normality” but here are some things you can do to make January a beautiful and cozy month ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Embrace the beauty of new beginning’s. Have an everything shower, create a new schedule, tidy your bedroom/space, organise your work, clean, plan a glow-up/plan for the new year. It’s a new year which means new beginnings so embrace these changes. Change can be scary but it is needed and can be beautiful ₊˚⊹♡

Invest in YOU. Save up money (or use money from Christmas) to get your hair done, a new manicure, buy a new item of clothing, invest in self care products i.e - A new robe/fluffy dressing gown, skincare products, new January pyjamas etc ₊˚⊹♡

Journal. Purchase a journal and practice journaling. You can do morning/night journalling, or write about what you did that day. There are loads of Journal prompts on Pinterest ₊˚⊹♡

Wear white’s, creams, beige’s, baby pink’s, grey’s & browns. Neutral colours look stunning this time of year, especially when there it’s frost on the ground or it’s raining outside. Perfect for outfit pictures ₊˚⊹♡

Bundle up in your nicest coat and scarf and go on a wintery walk. Take outfit pictures and listen to romantic music as you walk. Bring back dead leaves from the trees and press them to create a winter journal page ₊˚⊹♡

Bake - Bake anything. The new year is the perfect time to try new recipes, maybe try some healthy baking recipes. Take photos of them and write the recipes down in a notebook ₊˚⊹♡

Have cozy movie marathons, watch your favorite comfort films under huge blankets with hot cocoa, in a cute mug ₊˚⊹♡

Heal your inner child. Listen to classical music, ballet music and movie soundtracks, to take you far away to whimsical places. Light candles, watch nostalgic movies & tv shows, read your childhood favourite books ₊˚⊹♡

Eat warming, nourishing and comforting foods. January can be one of the coldest and hardest months for your body and mind, nourish your soul with warm soups, hot drinks etc ₊˚⊹♡

Start new habits/hobbies, Yoga, Pilates, (Working out in general) Painting, Crochet. Having a new hobby means you can always go back to it in the year ₊˚⊹♡

Read - Create a new TBR if you haven’t and start it at the top. Read new books and make your way through the list ₊˚⊹♡

Try frosty “Cold Girl” makeup with beige undertones for January. Try a new lip colour or put something shimmery on your eyelids. Also, give your makeup a clean (your brushes, palettes etc) ₊˚⊹♡

Take care of your skin babydoll. Use a moisturiser after showering, wear hand cream, use a good winter primer for your makeup, always take your makeup off in the evening and never miss a morning/evening of winter skincare. This is when your skin needs it the most ₊˚⊹♡

Get a new daily coffee order/go to coffee order at your local coffee shop. Try something new ₊˚⊹♡

Try going on daily walks ₊˚⊹♡

Self care nights at least once a week (working week) and set aside Sunday’s to have self care DAY’S ₊˚⊹♡

Start a new TV series ₊˚⊹♡

Limit screen time ₊˚⊹♡

Make lists of things you want to go that day ₊˚⊹♡

[courtingchaos]

A/N: This is a dumb little thing I wrote because I’m trying to claw my way back into writing. I’ve also been having a pretty rough go of it mentally and watching old Loony Toons is actually like, really fun. So just take this.

Eddie Munson x Fem Reader

No warnings, it’s just fluff, however:

18+ No Minors

In the top corner of a paystub:

Edward E. Munson.

“Edward E. Munson.” You repeat it under your breath the way Mel Blanc would and it makes you giggle.

Edward E. Munson, genius.

The man in question appears and leans on your desk, the elevated portion keeping him above your head.

“What are you teeheeing about?”

“Nothing.” You look at him quickly and glance down the same, his brown eyes brimming with mirth. “Just…the cartoons.” You point over his shoulder and he turns, his locks spilling down to hang over your line of sticky notes on the desks ledge. He watches for a moment while the Road Runner gets through the mural and when Mr. Coyote slams face first into it, Eddie snorts and tilts his head back towards you.

“I wouldn’t let that bird go, either.” He says out of the corner of his mouth and you giggle again. That earns you a smile from him, one of his big ones, all teeth and dimples. “See, what I’d do is create a screw up that he’d run into and then have the real trap at the end of that.”

IQ 207, super genius.

“I’m sure you could catch the Road Runner Ed, no problem.” You give him your own small smile and look back down at the time cards for the shop. His government name peaks out at you from under the stack of paystubs you were filing and you have to suppress another giggle. It wasn’t that funny, but having seen him move around the shop like a cartoon on occasion gave it some precedence.

“Oh yeah I’d catch him.” He leans back on the ledge, propped on one elbow to keep watching the episode. “Make a Sunday dinner out of him too.”

“Hey Eddie?”

“Hey whattie?” He answers from under the car he’s working on, peering up through the engine block to see you leaning over it with a smile.

“I’m taking lunch orders.” You wiggle the pencil and notepad so he can see the list. “I’m going to the diner, what do you want?”

He grins, only the briefest of glances at the way your chest presses up against the body of the car, and keeps screwing the nuts back in place nonchalantly. “I don’t know, do the fries come with the shake?” He peers up through the frame to see you frown and start to unfold the paper menu before you pause.

“Eddie?”

“What?” He asks innocently. From under the bumper he can see your toe tapping and he reaches his boot over to wiggle it against your ankle.

“For you, it’s an up charge.”

“Oh just for me?”

“Yeah it says right here ‘in the instance that one Eddie E. Munson orders a shake with fries and is making an innuendo, it’s an up charge of three dollars’.” You ‘read’ out loud and run your finger along pretend words. He laughs again and misses your grin when you turn to leave, tripping on his outstretched leg and shouting at him to keep his limbs secured.

He doesn’t get to his food until almost closing but he finds his fries bagged up in the microwave, ‘Eddie E. Coyote’ written in your hand across the folded over top. When he opens the fridge he doesn’t expect to see the styrofoam cup with the crudely drawn outline of a curvy lady and a strawberry shake contained within. His fingers stain the white cup but he keeps looking down at your little drawing while he picks up his station and waits for Wayne to finish his paperwork.

It’s a Friday morning before anyone else should be in, sun barely over the horizon, your time to get paperwork finished that the techs have conveniently forgotten throughout the week. You’re still sleepy, a little unaware, so you don’t realize the coffee pot already has coffee in it until you pick it up intending on filling it with water. You stare out of the big window in the office that opens into the shop and finally notice one of the bays open. A quick look at the clock on the wall and a snap of your wrist to check your watch and they’re both right, 6:30 AM. The whir of a pneumatic drill pulls you out into the shop, coffee pot still in hand.

“Hello?” You know it’s gotta be one of the guys but you still freeze in place when you catch movement behind an open hood, right until Eddie’s head pops up.

“There you are!” He yells over the hiss of the air compressor. “I was wondering when you showed up.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Like an hour, had some stuff to catch up on.” He rounds the front of the car with one hand tucked behind his back and the other held out in front, a clutch of papers in his fist. “I figured I could not be a piece of shit for once.”

You can see the invoice numbers along the top of one paper and your gaze goes soft. “Oh Eddie, you’re not-“

“Don’t excuse me, I’m bad with homework. Lifelong issue.” He shakes his fist for you to take the stack and when you both head back into the office he takes the coffee pot from you to pour your cup you’d left out. He points at your desk chair and sets your mug down next to your purse. “Sit.”

“This is just a present because I thought you’d like it.” He rolls his wrist out from behind himself, a little cylinder of tissue paper that he hands you.

“You got me a present?” You feel silly even saying it because why would Eddie do that? You’re just the front desk girl Wayne took on when he couldn’t handle his own paperwork anymore. The errand runner, the paperwork finisher, the sometimes maid when no one else remembered how to use a trash can.

“Not just any present.” Eddie shakes a finger at you admonishingly before he folds his arms over his chest and leans on the doorframe. “I got Wayne to part with a cup. That’s like…worse than battlefield surgery.” He laughs and gives you one of those big smiles that makes you feel shy. “In fact, I think he would have rather had his arm sawed off in the mud.”

You tuck your face down so you can maybe hide your stupid little smile, especially when you peel the tissue paper away to reveal a short glass with a cartoon coyote on it.

“Oh my god, I used to have one of these when I was a kid!” Your shocked laughter rings in the empty office and Eddie doubles down on his smile.

“See? Knew you’d like it more than him.”

He watches you tuck it up under the ledge next to the typewriter and finally leaves you alone to do your work. When Wayne comes in at 8 Eddie watches him as he leans in and you hold up your cup, big smile plastered on your face. He can hear Wayne laying it on thick but when he finally comes out in the shop he waves Eddie off when all he gets is a big grin.

“Well Ed, told you she’d like it.”

A terrible afternoon through and through. Half the shop lost power and three Semi’s sit unfinished while a very angry manager finally stomps out of the front door.

“Prick.” Eddie curses behind you while you unclench. You handled him fine, but having a grown man yell down at you for 30 straight minutes left you feeling anxious. “You okay?” Eddie lays his hand on your shoulder, careful to wipe his fingers off on his shop rag before brushing them over your sweater.

“Oh I’m fine, I just hope he knows he can go fuck himself tonight.” You shuffle the guys folder around and shove some receipts in there while Eddie laughs. “Come in here and yell at me like I’m the fucking power company.” You huff and yank open a middle drawer on the tall filing cabinet next to you, tossing the folder into the back.

“You wanna go out for a smoke?” Eddie holds up his pack and jerks his head towards the back door. When you don’t immediately get up he wiggles his eyebrows at you and pulls on your sleeve. “C’mooonnn.” He whines and you relent, turning the sign over on the front door for the lunch hours.

Out back is a row of crates and a bench seat taken out of an old Ford and Eddie presents the cracked leather to you like a throne. “Madam.” He flourishes and after you drop down onto it he hands you a cigarette, lighter already lit when the filter hits your lips.

“That guy was an ass.”

“Yeah well he can take it up with the county.” You make a vague jerk off motion and lay your head back against the wall.

“I wish acme stuff was real.” Eddie says, kicking a stray bolt around between his feet. “Put dynamite in his glovebox so he opens it and gets that banana peel face after.”

“Well you’re a loony toon, I’m sure you can figure that out.”

“Still haven’t caught that Road Runner yet.” He looks up from under his fringe and you don’t catch him staring. “Probably should do that first before I move on to explosives.”

Eddie is ready to call it quits and walk out on this job. Wayne is still hashing it out with the Semi guy, something about how he doesn’t owe the shop for anything, and Eddie is hanging around just in case. This guy keeps pointing fingers closer and closer to Wayne’s face and half the shop is just watching and waiting while Wayne remains calm as ever. Eddie knows you’re watching from the front desk, saw you overfill your mug when you got too caught up staring at this guy going purple. He wants to laugh but he knows that wouldn’t end well so he hides his mouth behind his fist and waits for this to blow over.

The yelling has quieted down but the snide remarks remain and Eddie catches your eye, your eyebrows raised high in question. He’s about to come in and tell you but he thinks of something funnier and grabs an old invoice to scribble on the back of it. He holds it up out of sight of the shop, just below his shoulders and you squint and laugh in silence behind the glass.

‘How about ending this cartoon before I hit?’

He grins at you while you turn away and hold up a finger for him to wait. He’s glued to the way your lip tucks into your teeth when you concentrate, your own scribbling happening before you whip the sign up against the window, a dull thud that only he seems to hear.

‘Road runners can’t read.’

He feels a slight drop in his stomach when you shrug dramatically, your lips forming around what he knows is a quiet ‘meep meep’.

Normally Eddie is in the shop Monday through Friday but it’s Wednesday and you’ve seen neither hide nor hair. Everyone’s been busy and you haven’t felt like interrupting Wayne and his welding so you sit alone in the office during your lunch, cartoons playing softly in the background. The book you’ve been trying to slog through is making you sleepy but the bell ringing on the front door snaps your head up. You could have sworn you’d locked it like normal. “Hey, sorry we’ll be-“

Eddie dangles his store key from his middle finger and smiles at you. “Is Wayne in?” He sounds breathless, asks you that even though he’s already bounding into the shop and yelling for his Uncle. Funnily enough you couldn’t have answered him anyways, struck dumb by his new attire.

You’ve only ever seen him in his coveralls and his stained undershirts but the Eddie that just breezed past you is a new creature. Hair down and washed, fluffy waves bouncing behind him where you can see him jogging across the shop floor. His wallet chain clinks against tight light wash jeans that show off most of his thighs, dark ink showing through the white threads keeping the shredded pant legs together. You’re afraid if anyone looks at you they’ll know you’re staring dead at the slice of his midriff shown off under his cropped black tee, but you can’t peel your eyes away. He’s tanner than you expected and when he makes a big gesture over his head it pulls that shirt up and you make a small sound to yourself and the four walls. His shoulders roll under his laughter and you catch the glint of the overhead lights on his rings. He’s in a brand new costume and you’re feeling insane watching him through the thick glass like you were ogling a shark at the aquarium.

You stare until he starts to turn back towards the office, gaze snapping down the worlds most boring book. His boots fall heavy and that chain clinks into the metal door when he pushes it open with his hip. You expect him to dip right back out to the parking lot but his movement has come to halt beside you and you slide your eyes over to see the bottom half of him, hands on his hips like he’s waiting for you to look. You gather whatever will you have left and take a deep breath before putting on your brave face.

“Don’t you look nice.”

“Oh you think so?” He tilts his head and does a half turn so you get a good side view.

“Mhm.”

“I’ve got a show tonight.”

You forgot he was in a band and shake your head. “I forgot about that. Is it in Indy?”

He nods and his smile lights up the room when he talks about the stage they’ve got. It’s a real venue not just a bar and they’re openers for another local band but his drummer has been talking to other guys and he thinks they’ve sold at least 150 tickets and he’s just nervous now because they’ve never played for a crowd bigger than 50.

You’re listening but you’re also watching this chain dangle from his shirt more and more until a red pick falls out and hangs over the edge of your desk.

“Oh you guys are gonna do fine.” You reach over and pat his forearm, a gentle touch that you play again over in your mind when you notice how soft his skin is. “Seriously! I’m sad I’m missing it.” You pout a little to get your point across and Eddie’s face goes through a series of scrunches before he finally speaks.

“I didn’t even think about asking if you’d be into that.”

“That’s okay! Don’t feel like you have to invite me.” Your neck is hot from embarrassment and you hope he doesn’t think you’re trying to invite yourself along.

“No it’s not-“ He glances at the clock on the wall and sighs. “I’d lo-it’d be cool if you came, but I just need to remember to tell you when.” He says lamely. You watch him seem to struggle with leaving so you give him a break and make a shooing motion towards the door.

“Go catch that road runner, genius.”

For the next two weeks Eddie talks about this show. He tells everyone everything but you specifically some stories over and over. He talks about the actual real photographer that was there, and he talks about the venue and he talks about the girls.

“I’ve never seen so many women going crazy for a man from Indianapolis.” He shakes his head, a blank look on his face while you yet again stare holes through the papers in front of you. There’s no reason to be jealous you remind yourself, because there’s nothing there. Barely a friendship built off of shared chuckling at cartoons most days, but he brings up these bleached blondes and their corsets and you sigh at your small town outfits.

“I mean, it’s the attention really. That’s what’s exciting.” He says quietly over his sandwich, a sandwich that you made for him in a weaker early morning moment.

“You do have a pretty big personality.”

He winces a little and waves his food at you. “You remember how it was in high school. I didn’t get a lot of that attention.”

“I barely remember you, that’s when you got sick right? When we had that big earthquake.” You know it was his third time but then he’d been missing for almost two months and then suddenly was a graduate. He stills for a moment before he flashes you a smile.

“Yeah I forget about that sometimes.”

There’s quiet between you two while you mark in the ledger and Eddie seems to stare at the side of your head for too long. “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.” His half finished sandwich stays forgotten clasped between his hands. “Like, about those girls. At the concert.”

You don’t look at him when you frown deeply and shake your head at the work you’re so intent on. So concentrated on that you’ve forgotten how to add ten and two together while the jealousy slithers in. “I don’t think anything about it Ed.” The TV in the lobby shows you coyote hovering in the air and then plummeting off a cliff for miles and you can definitely relate to that right at this moment.

“No, I mean I don’t want you to think-“

“Eddie, it’s fine.” You do look up then, wide eyes imploring him to shut the fuck up. “One night stands aren’t gonna ruin my opinion of you, I promise.”

“Did you ask?” Wayne doesn’t even look up from his coffee when he senses Eddie in the doorway.

“No.” Eddie sighs and droops like a wilting lily against the door handle. “I got my foot caught in my mouth, as usual.”

“Mm.” Wayne takes an obnoxiously loud sip and Eddie narrows his eyes at him. “I suggest you fix that then, I can’t take much more of your cartoon jokes. It’s too cute.” He shakes his head like he’s actually disgusted but Eddie knows, Eddie’s heard it all since the concert. Had heard about you timidly asking about his band and then when Wayne mentioned the board games it’d turned into a three hour conversation that his Uncle had regaled him with.

“She’s probably feeling a little hurt, son. You’ve talked about the groupies a lot.”

“I know! I keep trying to not bring them up but they were everywhere.”

Wayne rolls his eyes. “Oh woe is you.” He lets Eddie rot around his bench until he actually needs to get some work done and he shoos Eddie off to his own project.

Most of the shop is empty by 7 but you can still see Wayne’s lights on at his workstation so you know Eddie is probably still floating around. You’d been kind of avoiding him since lunch, still not ready to talk about whatever it was he was trying to talk to you about. You’ve got everything filed and piled for the morning when you hear a soft tap on the window into the shop, Eddie’s forehead pressed to the glass.

“It’s unlocked.” You say loudly, gesturing at the door. He just shakes his head and holds up a piece of paper he’s written on in grease pen.

‘Magnus Stultus’ with an arrow drawn to point at himself. He watches your face scrunch in confusion and he turns the paper to scribble again quickly ‘Big Idiot’.

Edward E. Munson, certified genius.

You think about having this whole conversation in signs is a fun idea in theory, but you open the door slowly anyways and lean your head around to look at him. “Big idiot?”

“Yeah. Huge.” He rolls his forehead so he can see you clearly. “I was trying to ask you something earlier and I didn’t.”

You think about lunch and try to remember any questions asked of you and all you can see is the glaring green neon of your jealousy. “Yeah? What do you need?”

He breathes deeply against the glass and leaves a big patch of fog before finally lifting his head. “I was trying to say I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea about them because I wasn’t interested. I was trying to say I’d wished you’d have been able to be there.”

“Oh.” That definitely sounded better with the context and you’d love to go and see him play, if nothing else to see him in his crop top again.

He can tell you haven’t realized yet and he finally just comes out and says it. “I’d like to ask you if you’d like to go to the next show. With me…together.”

“Oh.” You smile behind the thumb nail you’re chewing on. Everything shifts again for you and you can’t help the giggle that escapes you.

“If you’re laughing at me, I understand, but could I at least walk away first if that’s the case.”

“I’m not laughing at you!” You finally walk over to him so you can lightly tap his shoulder with a mock punch. “I’d love to.”

“We’ve got another show next week but it’s on Friday.”

“Oh now that’s when I get a lot of work done so I’ll have to ask my boss first.”

From across the shop Wayne yells ‘yes!’ at you before you finish your sentence and Eddie looks like he’s turning into a strawberry.

“So do I also need to wear a crop top or is that just a you specific thing?” You try to be cute to break the tension and give Eddie a smirk but the exaggerated up and down he gives you makes you feel shy again.

“Did you like that outfit?” He gives you a little satisfied grin. You roll your eyes at him and nod slightly, another push at his shoulder when he clicks his tongue and gives you a terrible wink.

“I’ll see what I can dig out for you.”

“Oh you do that.”

[jmdbjk]

Bangtan weekly report.

Hello everyone.

A sign of Yoongi! Literally! his signature on a wall at the grand opening of actor Ma Dong Seok's (or Don Lee) boxing gym. Is Yoongi doing boxing workouts now?

Even Chef Baek and Psy attended this grand opening. Yoongi's signature had its own separate panel on the wall...

Kookie finally came home to Weverse:

"ARMY, are you doing well? I'm good I'm working out a lot And I'm doing lots of cleaning too, just really cleaning it all, from floor to ceiling I'm making rice well too It's already mid-March I will come again I miss you a lot" (Trans cr; Aditi @ bts-trans)

I know they take aptitude tests etc. to discern what military specialty/occupation/job they would match better. It is fitting he's ended up in a job that keeps him indoors in a very methodical environment doing something he's already shown an interest in.

There's a chance those who work in the kitchen have to wake up a little earlier than the others to begin preparing the food.

And it tickles me to think there are probably many who surround him who address him as hyung.

AND! I know when he sees Jimin enter the cafeteria, he gets the hugest brightest smile on his face. If he has any say-so in the kitchen, he is making sure someone makes and serves the biggest pancake, best pork cutlet and gives Jimin a huge serving of pork and kimchi stew.

Taehyung sighting at a Compose Coffee in Chuncheon:

Looks like he's found his military version of wooga squad...

I think the organization of "promotions" for Fri(end)s was excellent. I am 100% sure Tae came up with the idea of having people he knows react to the MV. The fan meet that happened yesterday, scheduled Stationhead listening parties and the WKorea thing is pretty brilliant too where it appears he'll sing the song in a prerecorded clip to be posted soon.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by W Korea (@wkorea)

I wasn't sure if we would be able to get the song to #1 on the iTunes Top Songs list but we did it! There were some big releases yesterday.

And Hobi posted this on his IG stories:

This Wednesday will be the 100 day mark for Jimin and Jungkook (Tuesday for Tae and Namjoon). I wonder if all soldiers reaching that mark immediately take their 3 days off (or however many days it is) or can they choose when they want to take it?

I'd like to think Jungkook would be able to squeeze in a little bit of time enjoying one of those $1000 bottles of whisky that we spied in his fridge. I would assume he'll also swing by the house construction to pick out colors and flooring and such. I hope they get to eat some really good food and see all the people they want to see.

I learned they've been conducting readiness training and drills this past week with the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea. The report I read said they've doubled the scale of their drills this go round. (big worried sigh).

If you are in the northern hemisphere, I hope your allergies are not bothering you too much.

[interpolanticssuperfan]

nothing natural | ken x fem!reader | part 3 | 18+ only

hii everyone! thank you SO much for the incredible kindness youve shown me and sweet words so far! and thank you all for reading. i accidentally made this chapter longer than i intended to.. oops. i hope i am doing a good job at slow burning because ive struggled with that in the past. warnings: reader goes outside to smoke a cigarette. lol. enjoy and as always feedback fuels me!!

also, i wanted to let you all know that you can listen to the playlist i have been listening to as i work on this fic which is sort of a mix of stuff that reminds me of ken and stuff i think he'd like. idk i love when authors share what they listen to, so you can check that out here.

you can also reply to my posts or message me if you want to be tagged for updates. i am posting a masterlist today for ease of access.

tags: @heyareyoulistening @itsametaphorbriansblog @alyeria

In the span of one hour, you absorbed more information and somehow became more confused the longer Ken spent investigating every inch of your apartment. You explained to him that you did not own this entire building, and that only one unit was allotted to you, but this still impressed Ken.

“Are you friends with all your neighbors?” He asked, squinting closely at the magnets on your fridge, touching them and flipping frantically through the notepad you used for grocery lists, like he needed to see more of your handwriting, more of the things you used every day. Ken murmured to himself as he took in the words: flour, one dozen eggs, croissants.

You’d reinstated yourself at your dining table with your work laptop, creating an elaborate lie for your supervisor as to why you missed the weekly team check in. My cousin’s dog was assaulted by a rabid possum and we had to take him to the emergency vet, please excuse my brief absence… I’m happy to work overtime to accommodate this inconvenience… He was only a puppy…

So on and so forth. You were confident you could schmooze your way out of a write up. Ken couldn’t stand still, couldn’t contain himself – had whizzed through the front door when you unlocked it, bouncing off the walls with questions and comments that flowed freely.

“No, I’m not friends with all my neighbors. There’s gotta be at least forty other people that live here. Are you?”

“I know all the Kens. We are not all friends. But I know all of them.”

“You’re all named Ken.”

“No. There’s Allans.”

“Right.”

Ken gleefully picked up each cookbook stacked on top of a low hanging shelf, tearing through each one and making tiny astonished faces at each new dish he was introduced to. Recipes on the sweeter side piqued his interest – cinnamon rolls, pastries, cookies. You had suspended disbelief long enough to just let Ken do this, let him touch everything even if he moved your belongings out of place. It wasn’t typical for you to have a man over, let alone one who was learning how the natural human world worked. (And had to ask you with stars in his eyes what ovens were for.)  

“These pancakes look divine. They’re putting all kinds of stuff in these. I didn’t know you could put blueberries in them. They taste good, right?” You craned your neck to get a look at the recipe he was referring to.

“If you’re a decent cook! You just have to pay attention to what you’re doing, measuring, how long things stay on the stove. It’s like that for anything you cook. I’m not great with pancakes, for some reason I always tend to burn them.”

“So what’s your favorite food?” Ken asks, setting the book down and taking to the fridge, flinging the doors wide open and surveying each salad dressing, bottle of water, every can of cold brew coffee. He ran his fingers along the labels, as if reading braille, receiving telepathic information about these products from just handling them. It was an odd sight. Everything he held looked so small in his hands.

“Er… I guess I really like sushi. But I haven’t had it in awhile. Trying to save money, make a habit of eating at home. And I just like to make simple things.”

“What’s in sushi?” Ken’s rotating a banana in his hands, picking at the stem to see what it does.

“A lot of things. Usually raw fish. Rice that sticks together to make a shape, seaweed, different kinds of sauces.” It’s making you laugh, seeing Ken size up this banana with a puzzled look on his face. “Do you want to try eating that?”

He shifts uncomfortably, placing the fruit back down on the counter like it had offended him. “We have these in Barbieland but they are not nearly as squishy. Ours are rock hard. And not brown!”

Ken was right – that banana was probably past its prime, but you hadn’t cleaned out the fridge in a few days. You’d gotten sick of refreshing your inbox waiting for a reply from your supervisor, so you got up and pulled a knife from the drawer, setting the squishy banana on a paper towel to cut it.

“Here. Try this,” you cut through the peel and divide up a small end slice into two pieces, holding one out to Ken who seems frightened by it, squares his shoulders.

“There’s something inside that peel?”

“Go ahead, just take a bite! You might like it, how else will you find out what you like?”

“But (Y/N), I’m not… hungry.”

“That’s okay. It’s a very small slice, I promise it’ll be alright, Ken.”

His eyes flash with trust at the promise you’ve just made him, so he abandons his apprehension and plops the bit into his mouth. It’s like watching a baby bird clamor for its mother’s offering of regurgitated seed and berry mix. Ken doesn’t instinctively chew, he just lets it sit in his mouth like he’s waiting for the fruit to do something. You raise up the other banana slice, catch his eye and show him how to chew, slowly, and then swallow. 

Ken nods, although his movements are strange and exaggerated, but eventually allows a smile. “That was pretty good. Mushy.” He searches your face to see if he’s given the correct answer, which is even funnier to you than him trying food for the first time.

“Did you like it? Bananas are on the sweet side.”

“Definitely. I think I really like them. Can I have the rest of it?”

“So you can taste!”

Ken grins to himself, gives you a proud stance and swaggers to the side, popping his hip out as he starts cutting up the rest of the fruit. 

“Oh, yeah. I can taste everything. Nothing I can’t taste.”

“When I go to the store next I can get you some more sweet foods. But you can’t just eat sweets. Fruit is naturally sweet, but for example, you can’t just have ice cream and brownies all the time. Your body will hate you for that.”

“And I can make you pancakes with bananas.” Ken adds, cocky as ever, already physically spreading himself out in your kitchen like he owns the place, thighs open and easy and confident as he leans back. He adjusts quickly to new situations, you’re discovering, with none of the social anxiety most people might feel.

“Let’s save the cooking and… turning on the stovetop… for when I can teach you. It can be dangerous if you’re not familiar with what to do.”

“But what if I want to surprise you, (Y/N)? You wouldn’t want to ruin it, would you?”

“I’d rather ruin the breakfast than have you accidentally catch my apartment building on fire.”

Ken considers this, starts chewing at the rest of the banana slices while still committed to looking cool as he does so. “You’re so right. So, where do you think I should sleep?”

You put some distance between the two of you, since proximity to the blonde had begun to make you feel inexplicably self conscious, and sit back down at your laptop. You hadn’t gotten this far, hadn’t decided where Ken could stay and if he was even going to stay. Stay for what? A crash course in becoming a member of society? Turn him into the perfect roommate who’s convinced you’re dating now? And how in the hell were you qualified to teach him anything about life, fulfillment, health or success when you were far from the epitome of any of those?

“I thought you said you didn’t get tired.”

“There’s something I need to tell you about,” the sudden change in Ken’s tone caught you off guard, so after taking a brief glance at your emails again and confirming nothing of substance had arrived, you folded your hands in your lap and turned your body towards him, anticipatory and patient.

“When Barbie went to the real world, almost everything about her changed. She still looked like herself, but… it was different. She told us that she got a cold.” Ken gestured to his nose, crinkling it up in dismay. “Sniffling. She had to use tissues.” 

“You’re worried about getting sick?”

“No, not… right now.” Ken tried again, attacking it from a different angle. “Barbie said the longer she was here, the more she kept changing. Barbies never got sick before. But she had to see a human doctor, and she started making her own food and eating it. Sandwiches. And her flat feet never went away.” Ken’s distress was evident, but you weren’t sure what he was getting at, couldn’t see what panicked him so much about this topic.

“I don’t understand. What are you saying, Ken?” You tried to keep yourself casual, so as not to freak him out even further; he’d already begun pacing, boots clacking against your kitchen tile with each step.

“I’m saying that the longer I stay here, the less I’m going to be like… how I was.” He sounded so unsure, on the precipice of a conclusion, fearful of what he might learn. “Don’t you get it? I’ll have to brush my hair. Call the dentist. Pay taxes. Wear deodorant. I might get a breakout on my chin, just like Barbie did.” The last part sounded like the nail in the coffin for Ken, who looked weak just recalling the memory.

“Taxes? But you don’t have a job, do you? For all the city knows, you don’t even exist.”

“That’s not the point, (Y/N)! I’ll have to get a job.”

“Sorry, I’m sorry. So… it sounds like you’ll become less like a doll?”

“Exactly. And I’ll have to do it alone.” Ken was silent, pensive as you let his confession settle. Perhaps it wasn’t the changes that he dreaded.

It was doing it without any support.

“I see. So you’ll have to sleep. You’ll have to eat. Is that scaring you?” Your intention was to minimize these facts of daily human life, shrink them down to manageable tasks, not to trivialize his valid concerns.

Ken hollowed his cheek, bit the skin in between his teeth and looked around for something to focus on while he reflected on what you asked. Noticing the cage you had set up for your guinea pig, Ken crouched in front of it without so much as a knee crack, raising his eyebrows up inquisitively.

“Who’s this?”

“I should’ve introduced you to her earlier. She’s my guinea pig, her name’s Willa. See her long hair? It’s really beautiful, but she’s pretty high maintenance.” 

Sounds like someone else in this room.

Being so close to Willa appeared to calm Ken down, and you watched his shoulders drop slightly, saw the veins in his neck depress, growing less agitated. “Does she have to brush her hair?”

The cookbooks, grocery lists, the banana had inspired Ken to ask countless questions, but meeting Willa, Ken merely watched in quiet awe.

You couldn’t help but laugh at his purported  jab. “I help her with it every day. She’s got a special little brush.”

“Hers is longer than mine. At least she gets some assistance.”

Ken sighs deeply, not taking his eyes off tiny caramel colored Willa, who has no idea what’s happening, just lounges in the paper substrate fleece and wiggles her nose up at the blonde staring her down. He rubs meager circles on his knees as if to soothe himself, then sighs again, long and dramatic. From minute to minute, Ken’s moods shift so drastically – he could be lovingly describing his newfound obsession with bananas and then just as easily pivot to jealousy over a guinea pig receiving grooming services from its owner. Decoding him was like whiplash.

“Ken?”

“I’ve been putting off thinking about this part.”

“You mean losing your doll-ness?”

“Yeah.” Ken’s voice is small, terrified, unbefitting of how he presented himself. Put together, well dressed, toned, tanned, oozing with charm. It all dissipated with his answer. 

With your foot, you push out the dining table chair adjacent to you, the scrape spooking Ken as he jumps. “Why don’t you come sit here and talk with me? You can bring Willa, she likes making friends. Just be mindful of her.” Nervous, Ken obliges, sticks a hand into her enclosure and waits for Willa to crawl over to him. 

To your shock, she comes without a moment’s hesitation, nosing at his palm and blinking at him. Willa ardently disapproved of your last boyfriend, and she never seemed to like the odd hookup you’d bring over after your explosive breakup. She’d ignore any man in the apartment for the most part, but you couldn’t believe how easy it had been for her to warm up to Ken, snuggling up to him already. 

“Wow. She normally doesn’t like strangers.” 

“Looks like she prefers your friends. She’s so soft,” Ken notes, temporarily forgetting about the needling anxiety he’d been expressing to you, and sits down. At your table Ken seemed larger than life, so full of color and irresistible personality. The most interesting irregularity you had ever entertained. He flattened the backs of his hands on the placemat and smiled down shyly at Willa, gentle like he was convinced the tiniest movement could hurt her.

(A smile that had the power to devastate – could ruin your life, could make you want to throw it all away just to know him; a smile that Ken saved specifically for a defenseless creature that nibbed at his thumbnail.) 

“Go ahead and pet her! They like that,” you encouraged Ken, denying the lump in your throat, who obeys and brings a steady forefinger to Willa’s back, warily petting her in one stunted action. Willa rustles, but doesn’t flee or make any noises contesting his presence. “She might try to run away, so just make sure you keep an eye on her.”

“I promise I will, (Y/N). How old is she?”

“She’s two and a half.” You raise your eyes to Ken, who’s entranced by the small animal and her lustrous coat, indifferent to his surroundings now that he’s connected with this hairy comrade. “How old are you?”

“I have no idea. How old are you?” 

This shouldn’t have surprised you at this point. Nothing could catch you off guard now as you went down the list, dedicating yourself wholly to figuring out what to do with this guy. Given how unadjusted he is to the world, is Ken your responsibility now? What would happen to him if he went out, unprepared, unassimilated, and tried to do things like get a job, buy something from the store? Had he ever seen currency before? 

Would you have to teach Ken math? You failed calculus. More than once. This wasn’t boding well.

“I’m twenty five. You don’t have a birthday?”

“What’s that?”

“It’s how you keep track of your age. Could you look at me for a second? Maybe I can try and guess.” Ken’s reluctant to stop looking at Willa, but does as you say, and it strikes you to admire him overtly like this, free from the guise of contrived modesty, not hiding how strongly you want to see him. He’s open, almost tranquil, those wide eyes continuously following yours, every single aspect of his demeanor softening the more you drink him in.

You couldn’t help but freeze. Pinning him. You could hear the robins chirping outside on the patio. Buses shuttling along on the road outside. Your blood pumping in your fingers, the hot curl of desire in your stomach. At once, everything felt vibrant, felt… exceptional.

Because of him.

Blonde angel, almost porcelain. Kind with your pet. Enthralled with the simplest items you owned. Eager to assist you with any task, however minor. Naively trusting. 

Blind to the ways this world could twist and chew you up. Brand new.

You wouldn’t ever be the source of pain for Ken. In that moment, searching his stark blue eyes for an answer to a question you couldn’t articulate, you wrote it on your heart, that no matter what happened – whether Ken stayed in your life, as a friend or something more – you would never hurt him.

You don’t even remember what you were trying to do with him. Mesmerized, you simply just enjoyed the sight, at a loss for words. What was there to say that wouldn’t fizzle out and die on your lips?

How are you real? (He wasn’t.)

How did you get here? (He’d waited for you.)

Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?

“(Y/N)? Did you calculate it yet? Maybe it’ll be easier if I unbutton my jacket. Willa, stay put, I need to do something,” It flew over your head, you couldn’t hear what he said, just gawked and felt your pulse thrum as Ken started to undo the top of his denim jacket. Deft fingers working, you had to be aware of how affected you looked. You couldn’t hide it.

To see more of Ken’s chest physically pained you – it hurt to look, hurt to squirm and act like it wasn’t overwhelming, burning you up. He showed off his defined, carved muscle, smooth and enticing like a joke or something. 

Willa sniffed the salt and pepper shaker, not moving even a millimeter away from Ken as he undid the last button with a muffled pop. 

Where wisps of blonde hair would’ve led down to the tip of Ken’s waistband, there was nothing, just more of that milky white skin, blameless and pure and teasing. Where ribs should have anatomically been, his chest expanded then deflated, ripples of flesh rolling, then relaxing.

All of him on display. All of him so… bare.

Well – not all of him. Not yet.

You hadn’t felt anything like this before, not ever. You were experienced – you weren’t uneducated when it came to sex, or… pleasure. Yet it was impossible that you’d felt true desire in the past, even for the man you’d fallen in love with and been betrayed by, because those memories shriveled in comparison to what you felt in this moment, seeing Ken like this, expectant and unrestrained and so fiercely magnetizing. You saw your future, you saw his body, you saw Ken’s long eyelashes fluttering and pretty like a girl’s, and it was too fucking much, louder than your heart slamming inside your chest.

You began to question if you were even real. If this was happening. Maybe you were the lifeless doll. Harsh stings peppered out along the slope of your neckline – for the second time since meeting Ken, did that really just happen today? – and you made the horrible mistake of telling him the truth just as he was starting to visibly fidget, awaiting your reply.

“(Y/N)? Is this helping? If not, I can –”

“You’re so goddamned gorgeous. Fuck.” 

“What?” Ken blinked, taken aback. He looked like he wanted to say more, to press you, but he couldn’t form a response. 

“I’m. Jesus. I am so sorry, Ken. That wasn’t appropriate at all. I’m… supposed to be helping you. I’m sorry.” Dizzyingly, you shot to your feet, dug your heels against the floor just to feel grounded, and reached over the table for your purse. 

Weren’t you the one supposed to be in charge of boundaries? Teaching Ken how to act, how not to rush things when you met someone you wanted to get to know? 

Ken had flushed a deep shade of peach, an obvious blush that mottled his neck and spread out to his clavicles, nearly reaching his shoulder tips. 

“Did I do something wrong? Can you please tell me what it was?” Ken urged, pupils the size of saucers and still dancing to follow your every move. His face was frantic, lips parted revealing more of his perfect teeth, just another element of his perfect face, everything so perfect about him, and your headache threatened to return in full force.

“No – no, you didn’t, Ken. I promise. I just need to go outside and smoke, it’s not your fault, okay? Can you please stay here with Willa? I’ll only be a minute.”

Ken clearly didn’t know what you meant, or what smoking entailed, but he stayed fused to the chair, biting at his lip again in fragile confusion and not daring to abandon Willa. Fumbling for your lighter through the fabric, you caught the unmistakable downturn of rejection swimming across his features, and the notion that you might have inadvertently let him down made you sicker than the intense wave of lust that had just crashed over you, almost crumbling you, reducing you to nothing but a star cursed to orbit a bigger, more important planet. 

[thatwasthenightthingschanged]

eras tour city guide: Munich

(Gelsenkirchen | Hamburg)

are you're traveling to see the eras tour in Munich and are looking for things to do in the city or just need advice for good food/drinks spots? Or are you looking for some insider information about the venue? I got you! here are some ideas for you (I will continuously update this post!):

THINGS TO DO

Englischer Garten: one of the most well-known nature spots in Munich (it's not my personal fave but the list would be missing something if it wasn't on there). huge park right in the middle of Munich. in it, there's also the famous Eisbachwelle where surfers surf on the Isar! however, it's always very packed in the summer

castle Nymphenburg: very pretty castle! it also has a huge park around it that is way less touristy so you have a chance to spend some time more by yourself!

Marienplatz & Karlsplatz/Stachus: if you're looking for shopping opportunities, this is the main place to be in Munich. extremely packed on the weekends however. at Marienplatz, you will also find the city hall whose chimes ring (including figurines coming out of the tower) each day at 11am, 12pm and 5pm!

Auer Mühlbach: nice spot for a walk along the Isar that is less crowded!

museums: many museums only demand an entrance fee of 1€ on Sundays! so if you're into museums I'd take advantage of that :) popular museums in Munich are the Pinakotheken or the Deutsches Museum.

lakes: you can reach many pretty lakes very easily and very quickly by train! (for example Starnberger See where the train tracks go right by the train so driving there has studio ghibli feels imo! Eibsee & Walchensee are also very nice but do require a car)

Glockenbachviertel: this is the area for queer history and the queer scene in Munich! Freddy Mercury for example used to frequent it! It's also right next to Viktualienmarkt (a place with many different food stands) and it's not as crowded as the Marienplatz/Stachus area. it also has very cute traffic lights!

take a walk by the Isar (for example the Flaucher)

FOOD & DRINKS

Gans Woanders: lovely little restaurant very close to the Isar! they built a little wooden house right in the middle of the city and it has a very cozy vibe. they sell home-made (vegetarian) pizza and fries! (I personally think their pizza is one of the best pizzas ever) and if you go there on a weekday at lunch time, they have even cheaper prices!

Katzentempel: located in the Univiertel! if you have ever wanted to get a coffee or some nice vegan food while petting very cute cats, this is the place to be for you! but: make sure to reserve a table because it tends to be fully booked especially on weekends!

Om Nom Nom: very tasty vegan food and they also sell a bunch of vegan snacks

Pure Burrito: on the note of non-expensive stuff, if you like burritos I can very much recommend this food chain! their small burrito is honestly so filling it's a whole lunch and it's only about 5-6€ for one!

Der verrückte Eismacher: ice cream parlour that sells experimental sorts of ice cream! it's probably one of Munich's most famous ice cream parlours. but: slightly more on the expensive side - you need to buy at least two scoops of ice cream and those cost ~3€. they also give you a free small spoon of an ice cream you want to try on top.

general advice: if you're looking for cheaper meals & drinks you should head to the Univiertel (subway stations "university"/"Giselastraße"/"Münchner Freiheit") - especially the food and drinks right in the city center are veeeery expensive (even the bakeries which is just insane to me but that's just Germany's most expensive city for you). it's also right next to the Englischer Garten!

GENERAL INFORMATION & ADVICE ABOUT THE VENUE

I will make a separate post about the eras tour concert dates at the venue once they will release information specifically about those two concerts, but for Harry Styles at least we were allowed to bring a 0.5l clear water bottle with us into the stadium!

bring a jacket! yes, even if it's 30 degrees celsius outside. it is always very windy in the stadium no matter the temperature outside!

there are tons of food stands in the area of the Olympiapark but also within the stadium (besides your usual drinks stands). at the last concert I went to there they sold Bratwurst in the pit lol

if you only have a ticket to one of the shows but are still/already in town for the other show, be sure to catch the concert from Olympiaberg! you can enjoy a nice sunset and do a picknick there and might (depending on where you find a spot) see the screen! but: I've been there for concerts a few times and the hill fills up fast, and I assume it will fill up even faster for Taylor! I would advise you to get there at 6pm at the latest if you want a (good) spot!

[patheticbabie]

Jason Todd headcanons

back again with my own jason headcanons. I'll get round to posting for others. Also requests are always open, so don't be shy.

• Jay takes in strays, especially if they're babies. He doesn't mind taking in babies, he's got really good fatherly instincts

• Everyone always makes up an excuse to come over to his place, because they don't wanna admit that they love his cooking

• Has a protective mother hen vibe. He's the mother of every friend group, especially towards Roy and Kyle

• Will always text good morning and good night, doesn't matter where he is. His day isn't complete if he doesn't send a text

• In his free time he likes to game, believe it or not he's got over 100 hours on animal crossing

• Although he's got amazing detective skills, he sucks at murder mystery games and movies

• His fave movie genre are rom coms, he even has a top 10 list with his fave movies. His all time fave is 10 things I hate about you and Romeo + Juliet

• Family game night? He's super competitive. There is no such thing as friendship and family during those nights

• He likes feeling wanted within his family, so if Cass asks him if he can accompany her to ballet lessons, or with her and Steph during shopping trips? He's dropping everything to be there

• Will never admit it, but he does love when Dick calls him little wing and he secretly loves his hugs

• Even though he constantly bullies Tim, he will always come by and give him a new cup of coffee and a snack

• If he comes across a stray puppy in the alley? Best believe he's taking the puppy home, and asking Damian to come over to help out

• Every Saturday, he likes to come over and him and Alfred will spend the day cooking new recipes, and then serving it for dinner

• Will act smug and say "yep, Alfred and I cooked this"

• He loves loves compliments. Go on inflate his ego, he deserves all the compliments

• This man is a downright flirt. You're his s/o patrolling with him or you're a villain? Best believe he'll corner you and do the hands above your head trick and lean in close enough to kiss you

• The type to jam the comms by asking the dumbest questions "what type of cheese is your fave? Because mine is parmesan? You could put that shit on anything"

• Also "who's your top 5 rom com leading ladies, and why?"

• Once Dick heard him giggle while wearing his red hood helmet, and he has never let him live since then

Jay: do you think my helmet makes my head look big?

You: is that serious question? Because the answer I'd give you isn't one you'd like

• He is petty as hell!! Eat the cookie he was saving? He'll mess up your apartment by slowly stealing one item at a time

• His fave thing to do after patrol is to snuggle up next to you, head on your chest as you play with his hair

• He loves when you have your head on his lap while he reads or watches tv

• He wears glasses when he's at home, and it's hard keeping your hands to yourself when he's wearing them

• He has a few tattoos, one on his chest with the R for Robin, and half a sleeve on his upper arm

• Has both ears pierced

• He lives for your massages, especially after taking a beating during patrol. He'll be on the bed, muscles tense as you work his shoulders while kissing his neck

• The type to text "this reminded me of you" if he's away on a mission

• As soon as he comes home from a mission, don't expect to leave the apartment, he's gonna show you how much he missed you

• Loves pet names: baby, babe, darling, sweetheart, love, princess, pretty, petal

• If he's had a hard day, always make sure you have his fave food ready, and hold him close to you

• Jason's love language is touch and words of affirmation. Sometimes he gets in his head and overthinks. Be there to remind him how important he is to you, and why he deserves to be loved

• His fave way to spend weekends is by sleeping in, or waking you up with his head between your thighs, or leaving kisses down your neck asking if you wanted a little morning workout

[noonaishere]

Music of the Heart [J.YH] - sixty-six | principles

You walked into the building, coffee in hand and walked over to the elevators. For some reason, you had never really registered the list of principles Wonderland had emblazoned on the wall in the lobby, probably because you were much too dazzled with all the albums and awards to really register it. In reality, it was hard to miss, and you had read it had been there since the company’s inception; a reminder of what made Wonderland different from other companies, their ‘humanistic theory’ if you will. 

Wonderland’s Principles:

Wonderland puts people first

Wonderland respects positive aspects of employees, and their freedom and dignity

Let kindness, genuineness, and compassion be how you interact with each other

You looked at it for a moment. You wondered if any other company was known for such a thing. Sure, some had organic food in the cafeteria, but that didn’t stop them from forcing their idols to starve themselves before comebacks. And sure, some said they valued their talent, but had cafés where fans could go in the hopes that an idol might show up for them to gawk at. Though Wonderland’s lobby had floor to ceiling glass, the shutters allowed light in but made it impossible for outsiders to see into. And they were so well known for pressing charges against sasaengs that there wasn’t a single one camped outside like there were with some other companies. You had even heard that they bought the building their idols’ dorms were in, so they could ensure they had high security, and spaces where they could hang out together away from prying eyes. You thought it was sad that a company had to go to such lengths to make sure their workers could have privacy, but you were glad they took the extra steps; it must be hard for idols and actors at other companies to give one hundred percent of their effort to their work when they also have to deal with such things, on top of the company stealing their wages without them knowing. Money was another thing Wonderland was also very transparent about, going as far as to have the yearly wages for each position at the company on their website for all to see. And with some companies being shady about payment to their own workers, it had caused ripples in the industry with more than one idol leaving their company for Wonderland once their contract was up. Where other companies might use shady means to poach talent from each other, Wonderland didn’t even have to, people just came to them.

Out of the corner of your eye you saw Maddox walk past you to the elevators, he probably couldn’t see you because of his extremely dark shield-style sunglasses that covered almost half his face. It was cloudy out.

You joined him by the elevators.

“Hey Maddox.”

He turned. His lip curled for a moment; pain from the movement of turning too fast. “Oh, hey.”

“Hungover?” You smiled.

“Not as bad as I thought I’d be, I’m not sure why.”

“Maybe it was the water.”

He touched his cheek. “Maybe you’re right.”

You chuckled to yourself.

The elevator arrived, you both got in, and when you got to your floor he set off down the hall, not in the direction of the studio.

“Where are you going?”

“To say hi to everyone?”

“Huh?”

“I go around and say hi to everyone in their studios before I go into ours.”

“Oh… I didn’t know that.”

“Have you met the other producers yet?”

You shook your head. “Just you guys.”

“Come with me.”

Maddox knocked and opened the door of whoever was in. The two of you went around greeting everyone, some of them asking you about yourself. You got a little bashful as Maddox talked you up as the new ‘genius producer’ Hongjoong had decided to take under his wing, feeling like a five-year old who had to stand there while their parents told their friends about how well they were doing in school or at dance class or music lessons. 

This wasn’t something you had ever experienced personally, with your mom being the way she was; you stood there while she talked you down to all of her friends, but you had seen other kids being talked up by their parents to their friends, so, you knew it was a thing that happened. 

“I’ll send you the link. You should really check out her mashups, they’re incredible.” Maddox beamed as he patted you on the shoulder.

“Well, I hope you become as great as Hongjoong thinks you can be,” producer Igarashi smiled.

“I’m certainly going to try,” you smiled back shyly.

She smiled again. “Cute. I’ll see you later, Maddox, I’m a bit busy.”

He nodded. “No problem, sunbae.” And closed the door.

When you were far enough away from the door you hopped, too excited to hold in your emotions.

“That was Igarashi Umeko! Are you serious?! Why didn’t you tell me I’d meet her?” You yelled at a whisper while you hit him excitedly.

He smiled as he tried to guard from your attack of happiness. “Did you want to meet her?”

“Well, since she’s not in our little group, I didn’t think I ever would. She did some of my favorite work with the girl group KnightMare… UGH, her visual-kei inspired stuff is so cool.”

Maddox smiled.

Once you got to the studio, you, Maddox and Hongjoong got to work setting up for recording. Hongjoong turned to you, startling you. 

“What?”

“‘Music daddy’?”

You stared at him for a moment before remembering what you had said the night before and laughed loudly. “Sorry. I was tired.”

He smiled.

“Don’t laugh so loud, please,” Maddox whined.

“Sorry.” You and Hongjoong went back to setting up. “...Music papa.”

The two of you laughed softly and finished setting up.

Jongho, Satbyeol, and Yunho showed up-- without their managers. It was something you had thought about, back when Doyun started his recording by showing up late, but you had an idea that Hongjoong only asked for their managers to be there with them in case something went wrong. Not only would there be more witnesses to whatever it was, but as the managers should be managing their talent, it was like having a child at school with their parents with them.

When you and the group had left for the barbecue place yesterday, you thought you heard some people in the hall saying that they thought they heard that Doyun’s manager had left him. You wondered if asking about it would make you nosey, probably, but you also wondered if he left from a sense of failure, or a sense of wanting to distance himself from the sex pest. If Doyun was being fired and having charges pressed against him, they’d have to press them against his manager as well, right? He’d have to be culpable to some degree; he spent the most time with Doyun, so he’d have to be an accomplice to at least some of his horrible deeds. You wondered how it would play out during the court case.

But that was something to save for the future, you were sure that the affected staff and their lawyers at Wonderland were all busy getting all of that ready. So far, so many people - not just at Wonderland - had come forward, that it really was beginning to look like a class action lawsuit; but instead of a bunch of people suing a company, they were all suing one guy. There had also been a few official emails from the CEO about the new company policies they were going to institute in order to make it easier for people to report bad behavior like Doyun’s, but to also get people to not feel so afraid of reporting such things. The fear Doyun had struck into all the newer staff had been palpable, and so there were supposed to be new, yearly meetings where the rules and regulations - and what the staff were owed by the company in terms of respect - were going to be reviewed so new staff knew what protections they had, and older staff were reminded in case they had forgotten. The emails also assured the staff that no one would be fired for coming forward with allegations, which sort of cemented in your mind that that might have been the reason none of them came forward about Doyun.

What a fucking mess. At least Wonderland was doing something about it and not trying to hide it like some other companies might have.

“T/n?” 

“Huh?” You responded.

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at you for a second. “You okay? You were really zoned out just then.”

You looked up from your reverie to find everyone looking at you. Yunho seemed the most concerned, though he was trying to hide it. He wasn’t doing a very good job.

“Yeah, I’m good. I was just thinking about stuff.”

“Anything good?” Jongho asked.

“Wondering if I should switch from Windows to Linux.”

“What?”

“What?” You feigned ignorance.

Yunho suppressed a small laugh.

“Let’s start recording, if everyone’s ready,” Hongjoong said.

A few hours later, each other the three had been in and out of the recording booth, recording, re-recording takes they didn’t like, listening to the songs as a group, and discussing with you and the rest of Crom3r what their characters were expressing at that moment. The difference between the sessions with Doyun and without Doyun were like night and day. 

“Okay, let’s break for a bit. Is a half hour good? You can get some food, walk around a bit?” Hongjoong asked.

Everyone agreed. Yunho, Jongho, and Satbyeol left the room, while you, Hongjoong, and Maddox cleaned up some of the lyric sheets and other things you didn’t need anymore.

“It’s so much nicer without Doyun,” Maddox said.

You laughed. “I was just wondering if this was what a normal recording session was like.”

“Ohh yeah,” Hongjoong nodded. “Jongho’s session before he was cast in the show, and this: these are what recording sessions are normally like.”

You nodded.

“Did you hear his manager left?” Maddox asked.

“I thought I heard someone say that. Did he leave him or the company?”

“Both. Well-- he left working for Doyun, but when one of the victims said that he was there when Doyun propositioned her and then left the room, leaving them alone, he was fired.”

“Holy shit.”

“I think Wonderland might be thinking about suing him for endangering the staff with his actions.”

“I don’t think we should talk about this like it’s gossip,” Hongjoong said. “The situation could change day by day, and the court case hasn’t even started yet.”

“Come on, Joong, you’re not curious?”

“I am, but I think it makes more sense to wait until things are settled.”

You and Maddox nodded. You sat in silence for a few moments until Maddox said:

“I wonder if he’ll try to counter-sue anyone.”

Hongjoong sighed. 

You chuckled. “Maddox, you’re making our captain sad.”

Hongjoong sighed louder.

You laughed and stood. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

You went to the bathroom and then took a walk around the floor. Instead of corporate art, there were pictures of idols from music show appearances and concerts on the walls. Really nice ones too: interesting angles, the colored lights making the backgrounds super dynamic, some of the idols were mid-dance or mid-jump. They all looked really cool.

“Uh--” You heard.

You looked away from the pictures to see who it was.

Yunho.

Of course.

“Uh-- sorry.” He averted his eyes to the floor and walked past you.

You sighed and turned. “Hey.”

He stopped, seeming to wonder if it was him you were talking to.

You walked up behind him and he turned to face you, fearful, almost.

“We keep running into each other a lot, huh?”

He nodded nervously.

“Why do you look so fucking scared? I’m not going to yell at you or something.”

He relaxed a little.

You sighed. “Listen, since we need to see so much of each other now, I could maybe see my way to not being so horrible to you.”

“I didn’t think you were.”

You raised an eyebrow at him.

“I mean… I kind of deserved it.”

You shrugged in agreement. “Regardless, I have to help you and we have to interact while we work on the album, so we need to make nice. For the album recording at least.”

He nodded slowly. “I’ll… keep my questions and stuff to the recording.”

You nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine. But if we end up at another group barbecue, you can talk to me then, too.”

His brows ticked up in shock.

“I don’t want to make an awkward atmosphere for everyone else.”

“Oh! Yeah. That makes sense.”

The two of you stood awkwardly for a few minutes.

“Um…” he trailed off.

You looked at him.

“Do you still play bass?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded.

“Why?”

“Oh, um… I was wondering if we’d see you play at all. During the recording.”

“Probably not. It’s not like we’re recording a live band.”

“Oh-- yeah. That’d be silly.”

You raised an eyebrow at him as he looked around for a second. Both of you went to speak at the same time.

“We should get back to the studio--”

“Could I maybe have your number?”

You both paused, and stared at each other with wide eyes.

You asked: “What?”

  previous | main cast | masterlist | next

Send an ask or leave a comment if you want to be added to the tag list! 🎵

@luvvvx • @iamthehotdemon • @hrts4hanniehae • @rachs-words • @stayatinykatsy •

[wildemaven]

Farmers Market: Saturday Afternoon with Javier- Part 2

Pairing: Javier Peña x Reader

Rating: T

Words: 895

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol and food; if I missed anything, please let me know

A/N: This is a part 2 to this story. I wanted it to be from the reader’s perspective, so hopefully it reads that way. I’m not really sure how I feel about it as a whole, I rewrote it a few times in areas, but think I got it to a place where it mirrors Javier’s perspective like I was wanting it too. Also, in case it isn’t obvious when reading, italics are written as flashbacks. I think that’s it. Enjoy!

Masterlist / Saturdays with Javier Masterlist / Part 1

Having someone like Javier as a constant in your life was an indescribable feeling. His presence brought you a sense of security. Your days now lived with more intention and brilliance.

It’s a balmy Saturday afternoon and you find yourself tucked securely into Javier’s side as you make your way through your favorite weekend spot.

Mornings are a little different. Waking in his arms to soft kisses and tangled limbs before the sun bleeds through the windows of your shared home announcing the new day— loved and protected.

You find yourselves weaving through the mass of market goers. Fresh baked breads and brewed coffee, a refreshing aroma. The weight of Javier’s touch never far— he’s got you.

Your list ready, empty tote awaiting the days finds.

You’ve never been one for grandiose gestures, you found beauty in quiet appreciation. Javier loved celebrating you, grand accomplishments or small triumphs, he found any reason to show how much he adored you. After moving in together months ago, he’d left a bouquet of baby’s breath tucked inside a vase you’d inherited from your grandmother with a small note placed beside it—

I love you - JP

For a week the sweet flowers would live in that spot on your kitchen table until a new bundle replaced them. Every week that little bundle of flowers brought you so much comfort.

Javier shared his plans for the week in between bites of his custard filled pastry wandering on to the next merchant. The path always the same each visit. Javier had mentioned he appreciated the normalcy each visit brought him, a welcomed routine.

That dim lit bar wasn’t your first choice that evening. You weren’t immediately convinced anything would come of this blind-date when you’d stepped into the bustling dive bar tucked away on the outskirts of Laredo. If all you left with was the thrilling experience of glitchy neon beer signs, sticky table tops and keyed up jukebox tunes, you’d see it as a bucket list experience and call it a night. The 30 min tardiness on his part only added to the proof of why you didn’t date in this manner.

Javier’s presence is all-encompassing. He guides you through each spot you’ve visited numerous times before. Casually moving from stall to stall to visit the merchants, now dear friends whose chats you’ve grown to cherish deeply. Their goods now weekly necessities in your home.

The upbeat tune drowns out the chatter amongst the other bar dwellers. Condensation pooling beneath the glass of beer you’ve been sipping for the last hour. Tonight’s impending letdown slowly becoming an afterthought.

You’d lost sight of Javier while picking up a few loaves of sourdough, remembering Chucho had mentioned he just used up the last of his. Across the way he was chatting with the local florist. Early on, Javier never strayed far from your side, always allowing you to lead the way. But more and more, you catch him browsing, sometimes grabbing things that catch his eye.

The trajectory of your night shifts as a slow ballad quiets the smoke hazed room. You find your arms resting on the shoulders of a stranger you’d just met. His hands placed gently but firm on your hips as you both sway to the acoustic chords. The song far too established for only just meeting merely minutes ago, but it holds promise for a possible future. The chorus fills the air, your eyes locked with his. There’s an unspoken feeling you both share, time suspended around you— he’s captivating.

Fresh bundle of babies breath tucked under his arm, the other wrapped around your shoulders. A quick kiss to the top of your head as you double check your list, everything accounted for.

Last call has been announced and yet you don’t want this night to end. The exchange of life stories between you both has been easy. The cadence of his voice has you hanging onto his every word, longing for endless conversations. The gravel crunches with each step as he walks you to your car, drawing out your departure as much as possible. The invite, albeit impulsive, had left your mouth before you’d even realized it. He accepted immediately, meeting this Saturday at the city’s Farmers Market. The kiss, felt long after you’d parted ways and his spicy musk lingering in the air as you drive home, he was everywhere and you needed more of him— Javier Peña.

The late afternoon light filters through the trees, crowds of people gathering near the live band preparing to start their next set. Catching a few songs from headlining acts for the weekend was always your last stop before heading home.

The first few chords of a song begin to play as you push through to look for an available spot. Sidestepping through clusters of other concert viewers, pulling Javier along with you.

The words you instantly recognized, you smile as you continued on, finding an opening near the front. A squeeze to Javier’s hand— our song.

He promises sunsets and picnics by the lake. He promises laughter and long conversations over dinner. A promise to always kiss away your tears and bring you flowers when you need them most. He promises slow dances in dim lit dive bars until they’re kicking you out. He promises all his Saturday afternoons. He asks you for forever— Yes!

[jjba-smash-or-pass]

Who are your top 5 favorite JoJo characters and why? Who are your least favorite characters?

Alright I'm gonna go into more detail because I love talking about characters <3

1: Foo Fighters. Like I've said before, Kakyoin and them have some similar motifs, namely the motifs of feeling othered from the world and not really having friends until they become a part of the main Jojo group of their respective parts. As a (probably) autistic person and a (definitely) ADHD person, I heavily relate to this message, as I never really feel like I belong unless I'm with my tight-knit friend group. What I like better about FF, though, is that this "otherness" is a key aspect of their personality and characterization, instead of being shoehorned in right before their screen time ends. That, and their overall personality is just more fun. Also nonbinary representation is always cool in my book.

2: Josuke Higashikata. He's the manifestation of my favorite things about Jojo all put into one character. He's got a snazzy outfit. He can switch from silly to serious at a moment's notice. But most importantly, he has a heart of gold and won't stop fighting for peace. The fact that he's a former fictional crush of mine definitely kicks him up a few places as well.

3: Yoshikage Kira. I know I said Josuke includes all of my favorite things about Jojo, but Kira is a manifestation of all the minor things I love about Jojo. He "looks normal" in canon but wears a Bright Purple Outfit. He has really unique dialogue. He's insanely smart. And, of course, he's a needlessly cruel villain. Araki seems to love creating villains that like to kick puppies for fun, and I love seeing them in his work. The funniest part is that Kira would actually just be a normal guy, if not for his urge to kill women. There's a lot of other things about his character I like, but none major enough to mention here.

4: Jolyne Cujoh. I really appreciated seeing her character growth throughout the story of Stone Ocean! Jolyne, like Josuke, has a lot of that fighting spirit and willpower, but instead of fighting for the sake of others (although she definitely does that don't get me wrong), her story is about fighting for the sake of herself. She's been through a lot. She grew up without a father figure. And now, she's stuck in prison for a crime she didn't commit. Her story is about fighting for her own future, fighting to make amends with her father, fighting to free herself and her soul. And in the end, it was her decisions that ended up defeating Pucci.

5: Danny. The bestest boy. Little ouppy. He deserved better.

okay but really my number 5 pick is Iggy. He's a dog who gives absolutely zero shits about humans unless they're giving him coffee gum. But underneath that shittiness is a tenacity that's almost human-like. He reminds me of my own dog, in a way. She's a grumpy old lady who doesn't listen to a word you say unless there's food involved, and she refuses to die. Seriously, she's gotten her little paws on SO much chocolate during her lifespan, and she's had to take a medicine that was supposed to give her leukemia years ago.

And for the sake of not making this any longer than it needs to be, I'll just list my least favorite character from the main cast and then overall.

My least favorite Jojo character from the main cast is Giorno. I feel like there's a lot of missed potential with his character. This is a 15-year-old boy who has both Joestar and Brando blood. There was so much Araki could have done with Giorno that he didn't, and instead created a character with very little personality who was supposed to be the driving force of his part. I think he's part of the reason Golden Wind is one of the most forgettable parts to me.

My least favorite Jojo character overall is Forever the orangutan. His Stand fight could have been really interesting but instead we got a child's bare ass on screen because Forever was a creep. I actually watched the Jojo OVA from the 2000's, and they cut Anne's character out entirely but keep the Strength fight. Because Anne wasn't there they altered how some of the events went down and honestly? It was super cool. I liked it a lot more. And do keep in mind that I don't think Araki was trying to write this as a sexy thing. I do think he was trying to incorporate shock factor though so it's still not very redeemable.

[talldecafcappuccino]

14, 27, 29 for the fic writer ask meme?

14. If you could see one of your fics adapted into a visual medium, such as comic or film, which fan fic would you pick?

Either my body over yours (because sexy bodyguard tropes) or things keep getting better (because I need to see Ted interacting with the Queer Eye folks for real)

27. Is there a fic you were nervous to post/share? Why?

Probably the sequel for the bodyguard universe because I was like, “what if this isn’t how anyone imagined Ted and Rebecca’s lives to go and it ruins the original fic retroactively?” 😅

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

I randomly wrote the first third (?) of a fic a week or so ago. It’s ’s pretty low on my list to finish so…here’s a (long) bit of that:

Rebecca pokes her head into the coaches’ office and finds Beard all alone. He’s absorbed in a book about bioluminescence, his legs propped up on his desk. Ted’s chair sits empty across from him. No track jacket hanging over the back, no backpack or coffee cup to be seen.

Her stomach sinks as she realizes they’re not just missing each other this morning. He’s not here.

“Where’s Ted?”

“He’s home,” Beard replies, barely glancing up from the page he’s reading.

She frowns. “Is he sick?”

“He’s feeling a little off this morning.”

Her stomach sinks again. She and Ted were due to get drinks tonight, a pre-game ritual of sorts. With West Ham tomorrow, she’d been counting on it to take her mind off seeing Rupert tomorrow.

Except that’s not right.

Rebecca frown deepens. Ted’s not one to take a sick day from the club, especially not the day before a big game like this. Or at least not without texting her some sort of explanation. There’s something Beard isn’t telling her.

She steps further into the office, looming over him in her three inch heels.

“Feeling off how?”

Beard sighs and closes his book, his finger wedged between the pages to save his spot.

“Let’s just say you should ask before eating someone else’s food and leave it at that.”

He chuckles as he reopens the book, self-satisfied in a way Rebecca finds incredibly odd if Ted is actually ill.

He’s also being cryptic and if she knows one thing about Coach Beard it’s that once he’s speaking in riddles, he’s unlikely to explain himself.

Right. The only answer is to go see Ted for herself.

“Fine. I’ll swing by and check in on him at lunch.”

“No!” He sits up, dropping his feet from the desk and clambering into an upright position.

“Why not?”

“Because you can’t!” His voice squeaks on the last word, the sentence lifting off into the stratosphere of the office.

“I can’t?” She raises a brow defiantly, but Beard shakes his head.

“No, sorry, but you are the last person who should be seeing Ted right now.”

She scoffs. Granted it might be odd for a boss to see her employee when he’s in physical (possibly gastronomical) distress, but they’re friends. Good friends. The type of friends who help one another out when they’re in pain. Emotional or . . . otherwise.

She crosses her arms over her chest.

“And who are you to decide that?”

Beard splutters, his eyes looking between her and the door. Despite the crazed look in his eye, he can’t seem to find an answer to her question.

“That’s what I thought.” She adjusts her purse on her shoulder and turns on her heel just as Beard finally finds his voice.

“Wait!” He reaches under his desk and pulls out a medium sized brown paper bag, the top rolled shut.

“If you’re going to insist on doing this, can you at least bring him this?”

She eyes the bag as she takes it from him. “I suppose I can.”

“Just don’t look inside.”

“Fine. May I just say, this is one of the strangest conversations I’ve had with anyone, let alone an employee?”

“Yeah well the conversation you’re about to have is gonna give this one a run for your money.” He shakes his and opens his book. “Tell Ted I said hi.”

She stares at him for a minute, debating if it’s worth asking what he means. It’s not. She’s better off seeing Ted for herself.

[sugareey-makes-stuff]

It has been a hot minute since I’ve made one of these. So, I’m here to wish @digthewriter all the best wishes since it’s their birthday today! And thus, we’ve got a custom nameplate and a rec list to celebrate the occasion! Dig has been a longtime fandom friend who I met through our mutual Drarry circles. We also happen to be local, so hanging out (on and off the internet) has worked out really well! When fests were hosted on LJ back in the day, that was how I got to know other Drarry fan artists. It was really cool to see Dig’s name start popping up in some of the fests I participated in because I always love checking out other people’s artwork. It’s no surprise that Dig’s work stands out. I have no idea how many works they’ve made over the years, but it’s super impressive! They have this crazy ability to take a prompt, run with it and turn it into a masterpiece within a blink of the eye. The fun and creative patterns Dig uses is also what makes their art unique. I’m only just learning how to use patterns in my own art, and let me just say...there’s def a strategy behind that. It’s not as easy as it looks, so I’m always in awe when Dig can just make things work. Did you know that Dig is also a writer? Yep! I remember when I received a really awesome fic (which I’ll rec below) for H/D Erised back in 2013. That was how I found out that Dig wrote fics, and I’ve been following their art and fic creations ever since. It’s always nice to know that there are kindred folks who dabble in both, which is not common or an easy thing to do! If Dig wasn’t already working on a gazillion projects, they’re also a fest mod for a variety of fests and communities, like Draco Tops Harry, HP Drizzle, Sirius Black Fest, Rarepair Shorts and Dove Drabbles, just to name a few (I’m sure I’m missing a lot more). Rarepair Shorts was what got me back into writing (in general and for Perciver), and that was how I got more into HP rare pairs these last few years. I think over time, Dig and I have gotten to scream about a bunch of things, whether it’s about Drarry, Merthur, fests, adulting, wishing we had more time to do more things, Perciver and well, it’s totally their fault for getting me hooked on Herbtamer (Charlie/Neville). Honestly, I really just appreciate their enthusiasm for fandom as a whole, and how supportive they are when it comes to many and all the characters and ships that exist. They really know how to spread the love with variety. If you want to see some of that, here are some of my favourite Dig art pieces: 🎨 >>> Gonna make coffee (Linny, G)

Summary: Luna wakes up before Ginny and puts on Ginny's shirt to go and make coffee/breakfast.

I really love the colours and patterns used in the piece. They go so well together (those warm and cool colours are complimentary on the colour wheel yo), and the perspective of looking into the room is so aesthetically pleasing to look at. I love how Ginny’s still snoozing, and Luna’s secretly gazing at her (and ieeeee! She’s got a Ginny shirt on that’s tartan!). :D 🖌️ >>> Morning in the Garden (Herbtamer, G)

Summary: Neville shares his favourite place with Charlie in the morning.

What I love about this piece is not only how soft the colours are, but how papercrafty this looks. It’s like the textures and details are popping out and the scene is moving. SO COOL...I mean, how does one even do that?!! And the endearing looks Charlie and Neville are giving each other? So cute! That’s really the cherry on top. 🖼️ >>> Body By Biryani (Drarry, G)

Summary: Harry co-owns a Biryani Stand at the Wizarding Little India Bazaar. It's Draco's favourite spot. All the aunties love to take care of Draco and want Harry to ask him out already.

Just looking at this piece makes me feel like I’m right there at the Bazaar. There’s such a sense of a welcoming environment, the food looks yummy, and the textures really bring the art to life. There are so many details to appreciate, and I really could look at this for quite some time. And if you’d like some new reading to add to your TBR list, please go ahead and check these Dig fics out: 📘 >>> Only the Lonely (Drarry, E, 20.9k)

Summary: Lonely Draco is lonely. Everyone knows it. The thing is, the only person who doesn't see it, is Draco. Also Potter's looking mighty fit!

OKAYYYY. I know this is an older story, but pleasseee go read it ASAP. I think it’s brilliant (not just because it was gifted to me), but the first time I read it, I was so moved by how much angst and overall feelings this sprung up in Harry and Draco, but me just reacting to them. Harry and Draco come together so beautifully, and there are many little details and metaphors that prove they were meant to be. Every time I reread this fic, yasss...I always remember why I love it so much. Make sure you have tissues with you, and I promise this will be worth the read with a happy ending. 📒 >>> As if you were on fire from within (Herbtamer, T, 9.2k)

Summary: Neville finds comfort in an unlikely friendship after his boyfriend dumps him.

I’m so glad I found this gem! This fic just sums up what I think Neville and Charlies energy would be like. Charlie, being so bold and forward and Neville, being reluctant and awkward. And Gran being gran...she’s definitely a smart lady for sure, even if she might enjoy meddling a bit to make sure Neville is happy. And she’s got a good eye for good blokes (ahem Charlie ahem). I do love how we see how Gryffindor these two idiots are, especially when they fail to use their words or make misguided assumptions. But when they finally do sort their crap out and talk to each other honestly, Neville and Charlie make an excellent pair. Their chemistry is electric. You can find more of Dig’s work on AO3. Make sure to leave kudos and comments to show appreciation for all of their fandom contributions. Dig, thank you for everything you’ve done over the years, and all the stuff you keep doing for us. You’ve been such a rock star celebrating so many different ships (and fandoms). I’m so glad to call you a friend who just gets what fandom and geek life is all about. Have a great day!

[faithtales]

2022: Yearly Round-Up

First things first: Happy New Year!!! Look at you, you made it through to tell the tale! And what a year 2022 was! For me, the highs were very euphoric, and the lows were the absolute worst. From January 2022, I wished the year would just end already. I had a very painful start to the year. In February, my only surviving grandmother passed away, and the day I got the news will go down as one of the worst days of my life. I miss my gogo dearly, but I’m also happy she is finally resting. The last long conversation I had with her was very deep, and left me inspired to live a life she would be proud of. 

This was also the year we experienced devaluation, inflation, a fuel crisis, persistent blackouts and the list goes on and on. I couldn’t have picked the worst time to move out. Prices skyrocketed, and Little Miss Independent here called mum, dad, and her big sister Charity when she met any inconvenience (baby steps, guys, baby steps). But despite all that, I have really enjoyed living alone and the peace that comes with it. Honestly, it is not as scary as most people portray it. I truly love it here - highly recommend.

The good parts were really good, too. I loved quality time with family and friends, and the wins were nothing short of miracles. I significantly reduced the time I spent on some social media sites and deleted some apps while at it, and I'm glad I did. I also had a fairly great year at work, mainly because I enjoy the work I do, and I am surrounded by some really awesome workmates. It was a year of lessons, too. The biggest lesson is that when God says His mercies are new every morning? He means just that! That He loves you unconditionally? Never ever doubt it. I am walking into 2023 with all the lessons in mind and asking for God’s grace to take me through.

So, as per tradition, before we move on completely, here is my round-up for the year 2022:

Top 5 places visited:

1. Zomba Mountain - William Falls and Songani Lookout

Took a hike very early on in January, and got to see the amazing William Falls and went all the way to Songani Lookout with my girls. Zomba views will never ever get old.

2. Rumphi

This year was my first time going up north beyond the city of Mzuzu. All I can say is, the north really is underrated. I went all the way to Karonga, and Chiweta was a marvel. This was a work trip so I didn’t get to do much, but it just made me itch for a proper Rumphi trip. I have always wanted to visit Mushroom Farm and Nyika Plateau… What I saw of Rumphi made me realise this is one of the most beautiful districts in Malawi (by far, too!).

Photo credits: Adventures with Colby, and Herman Is Out of The Office

3. Makokola Retreat

I remember going to Makokola Retreat when we were younger during school holidays (called Club Makokola back then). When I visited this year, I felt so nostalgic! It is still as amazing as it was, and I’m so glad the standard keeps going up. This is truly one of Mangochi’s finest establishments.

4. Kefi  Hotel Café

The newest Instagrammable location in my beautiful hometown! Kefi is located near the Zomba Botanical Gardens. They have really great food, and I love that they maintained the good old Zomba colonial style exterior and blended it with aesthetic interior design. I truly enjoyed the calm and quiet here.

I don’t know if you can just show up now, but last I checked, you have to book ahead, so plan accordingly if you ever want to visit.

5. Maravi Coffee 

I finally fulfilled my promise to check out this place inside the Nature Sanctuary, right in City Centre. Such a cosy place, surrounded by trees and cheeky monkeys. For a second, you forget you are in the middle of dusty Lilongwe.

Top books Read

Let me not even lie guys, I did not read enough interesting books to come up with a list for this year’s round-up. What I did do though, was get into podcasts so that’s how I am making up for not coming up with a list of my top reads.

Fav Podcasts

I discovered that a very great way to spend time in slow Lilongwe traffic is a good ol’ dramatic story by Wondery! Wondery is by far, my fav publisher of podcasts. The drama. The scandals. The history lessons – oooh yes!

Here are my favourites, with my personal rating

American Scandal:

Edward Snowden (4/5)

Watergate (3/5)

The Clinton-Lewinsky Affair (4/5)

Tuskegee Syphilis Study (5/5!)

British Scandal:

Spy Cops (5/5)

The Coughing Major (5/5)

The Litvinenko Affair (3/5)

The Canoe Con (5/5!!!!)

The Murdoch Phone Hacking (3.5/5)

Business Wars:

McDonald's vs Burger King (4/5)

15 songs that were stuck on replay in 2022

Since Spotify decided to discriminate us this year and not give us our well deserved Wrapped, I had to come up with this list manually, so I hope I'm not too far off.

The one thing I have loved about this year is the amount of Malawians putting out quality music on streaming platforms. It gives me so much hope for what's to come.

1.     Jehova – Ryan Ofei

2.     Somebody Knows – ELI-J

3.     The Commission – CAIN

4.     Bwenzi Langa – Free Worship Malawi, Simplice Bless

5.     He’ll Be There – Lynual Younce

6.     I Am Yours – Terry Clark

7.     Standing By The Bedside – Cox Family

8.     Shall Not Want – Elevation Worship, Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore

9.     There Was Jesus – CAIN

10. No Words (ft. Leon Timbo) - Jason Nelson

11. Never Lost - CeCe Winans

12. You're Gonna Be Okay - Jenn Johnson

13. Capable God - Judikay

14. You I Live For - Moses Bliss

15. Alipo - Kelvin Sings, Beracah  (why is this song so short tho? 🥺)

You can find this playlist on Spotify 

Honourable mentions - songs I replayed on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/oF7EUyQArPQ

https://youtu.be/WZAzTGsEnHI

https://youtu.be/PJDRmhaPAaQ

 And that’s it! I wish you a great new year, until the next round-up, God willing, enjoy 2023!

-Fai

P/S: My website is down at the moment, so I’ll use Tumblr till it’s up and running again.

[jacoblindberg]

The blueprint diet: how to follow it and an analysis of variety

blueprint diet in a sequence

Green giant (GG) a protein shake

Super veggie (SV) lentils and broccoli

Nutty pudding (NP) nuts, berries and protein powder

Third meal – a salad

As I write this on 2023-11-14 GG is discontinued. I love my GG after adjusting it by cutting the chlorella amount to half and adding spices.

blueprint diet in key words

How I would describe it in key words

Much raw food via NP

Minimally cooked ie steamed boiled not fry SV

A lot of Olive oil

Rich in omega 3 (chia, flaxseed etc)

Much veg

No coffee

No sugar

Low in fruits

Lots of berries

Slow carb

Automated

third meal

He has a few different options for his 3rd meal, but at the core of it, it’s a salad or veggie dish with the following ingredients:

Spring mix Arugula Sprouts Tomatoes Avocado Pecans, almonds, mustard seeds Goji berries Sweet potato Chickpeas Beets Radish mint

dressing: olive oil, lime / lemon / vinegar,

GG, SV, NP

link to recipes in excel with the ability to generate a shopping list based on the number of meals you will prep:

automate blueprint cooking

here is a weekly schedule

GG = green giant SV = super veggie NP = nutty pudding

tue: order groceries online

sat: inspect groceries; if some are missing, buy in the local food store.

sun ~4 pm: cook 5 portions of SV and NP, put 1 in the fridge and 4 in the freezer. ~5 pm Also, make 6 portions of another recipe; eat one now and put 1 in the fridge and 4 in the freezer.

rotate different dinner recipes each week. maybe 4-8 in total. related note: [[slowcarb diet recept ttjl]]

every evening, move the next day’s SV, NP, and dinner from the freezer to the fridge.

mon: if week number = 1, make GG for a month to store in home/office. potentially order online to fill up supply.

how to follow it

i think the way to follow it for an extended period is to allow yourself to eat something else during the weekend. similar to how people have cheat days. of course, I will eat healthy food during the weekend (not binge eat candy and deep-fried potatoes), but nevertheless, I am different from Bryan, who eats the same thing every single day. i could not. i don’t want to. food is such a joy in my life. still, i like the autopilot blueprint offers me. to this end, i suggest getting the best of both worlds by eating blueprint weekdays and skipping it on the weekends.

mon-fri: breakfast = GG, lunch = SV & protein topping, dinner = whatever i batch cooked that week.

sat breakfast: GG or eggs or whatever sat lunch: eat out or cook something fun sat dinner: eat out or cook something fun

sun breakfast: GG or eggs or whatever sun lunch: eat out or cook something fun sun dinner: see above.

analysis of variety

if the variate is too low, i may get bored. is it too little variety? no! here are the numbers

weekends bfast, lunch, dinner can vary => 6 meals. weekday 5 breakfast, 5 lunches, 5 snacks, 5 dinners as follows… breakfast: same lunch: same SV mon-fri (can vary protein topping) snack: same NP mon-fri (can vary berry topping) dinner: same mon-fri but differs week to week among ~8 recipes.

over an 8 week period, I eat the following on weekdays & weekends…

weekdays: 58 same breakfast 58 same lunch albeit different topping 5*8 same snack albeit different topping 5 same dinner a 5 same dinner b 5 same dinner c 5 same dinner d 5 same dinner e 5 same dinner f 5 same dinner g 5 same dinner h

weekends: 28 possibly unique breakfasts 28 possibly unique lunches 1*8 possibly unique lunches 1 dinner of a b c d e f g

I write “possibly unique” because I allow myself to vary all the weekend breakfasts, all the weekend lunches and all the Saturday dinners. it does not mean i will do it – it’s is possible (and allowed) to eat lobster two Saturdays in a row!

I don’t know why I labeled week 1 to 8 with letter a to h, but I did so now I stick to it. I’m the master of the notation in this text.

looking at dinner and lunch what’s the % variation? I calc this below.

there is a lot of variation in the weekend lunches and Saturday dinner, so we can already conclude this will not bore me. we can focus the anlaysis on the items that repeat.

i have already done same breakfast for years many times before so i know this does not bore me. neither does it bore other people too. for reference, the same breakfast means 33% of all meals are the same if you eat breakfast, lunch dinner. and 25% if you eat one snack per day. we can use this as comparison.

72 weekly for 8 weeks until the cycle repeats. let’s analyze one cycle. 72*8=112 food meals in total. I eat 6 of dinner a to h. 6/112 = 5% each so neither of a to h will be boring because 5% is a low number.

together all of a to h covers 6*8=48 of the 112 meals. 48/112 = 43% so it is important I enjoy recipes a to h since they will make up a big portion on my diet. i will indeed try to locate my top 8 recipes from the 500+ recipes I have cooked the last 15 years.

same lunch 5*8=40 times and 40/112 = 35% which is a high number for a recipe. it’s similarly high as eating the same breakfast daily. thus, varying the topping will be essential to avoid boredom, as approximately a third of all food meals come from this.

toppings can be

sardines, canned

salmon, smoked / oven / fried

feta cheese

chicken thighs, cooked in oven

halloumi, fried

tempeh

more…

It didn’t take a genius to conclude you must vary the super veggie to stick with it, however it is comforting that it’s similarly unvaried as eating the same breakfast which most people can easily do. Moreover, the math around the low % of eating the same dinners over and over comforts me.

I’m reminded by a quote that most people already eat the same meals over and over again.

Eat the same few meals over and over again, especially for breakfast and lunch. You already do this; you’re just picking new default meals. - Tim Ferris