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amydancepants-peralta · 3 years

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from the bottom of my heart

(Hi @dumpsteramy! I am your Secret Santa, and I have finally arrived with your Christmas gift! 🎅🏼 I hope you enjoy xx)

from the bottom of my heart

For a detective that had - a mere five hours ago - participated in the takedown of one of Brooklyn’s most notorious killers, Jake Peralta knows that he is feeling way too nervous about the tiny parcel that is currently sitting inconspicuously on his kitchen counter.

He reminds himself of this fact, hands obsessively wiping down each surface one last time in preparation for Amy’s arrival - running through his memory bank of various moments of bad-assery - but try as he might; every single time he glances at the box, wrapped in brown paper and too small to be anything but innocent, his heart leaps back up into his throat all over again.

It’s possible, he reasons; as he grabs the last pair of dirty socks off the floor and throws them in the direction of the hamper, that it’s because this year is one of the few times that he’s actually had a girlfriend over the holiday season.

(The reason behind that detail, he’s not entirely sure hasn’t been deliberate, however that’s just a little too much to unpack right now.)

But it’s also possible (and honestly, curse his impeccable detective instincts, because sometimes ignorance truly is bliss) that it’s because of who his girlfriend is this year; and how much he’s already hoping for a hundred or more Christmases together, that his nerves just plain refuse to take a chill pill for a minute or two. (Or was it whom? Seriously. He cannot tell.)

And then, there’s also the minor fact that he’s kinda sorta already completely fallen in love with her - a tiny nicety that he cannot bring himself to say out loud just yet, because that really is a bell that one cannot unring. But there were implications within that little brown box, connotations of many more years together that hasn’t yet been suggested but that he wants to imagine could actually be possible, and right now he could really do with Terry’s magic 8 ball to give him some kind of sign that everything is going to turn out just fine.

Just be cool, Peralta. No biggie if Amy doesn’t like it. Jake winces, head shaking at his own thought; checking on the takeout keeping warm in the oven. He really is a terrible liar.

It’s only the sound of a key sliding into the lock - AMY’S key, because they are dating and have each other’s keys and it really shouldn’t make him this giddy two weeks later but it really does - that pulls Jake’s mind away from his slightly obsessive thoughts, and his face morphs into a happy grin as Amy lets herself in to his apartment.

Her face is flushed from the cold, half hidden behind a layer of scarves and jacket collars, but then their eyes meet and she smiles and oh, he really is the luckiest guy in all of New York.

“Hey! Sorry I’m a little late. Just got completely swept up in that last bit of paperwork, you know?” Letting his front door swing shut behind her, she uses her free hand to unwrap the layers of wool, craning her neck to meet Jake’s welcome home kiss. “But! I made us some cookies for dessert. Santa ones, with lots of icing. You’re gonna love them.”

He gives Amy what he hopes is a convincing smile, helping her slide the last sleeve of her jacket off and casting it on a nearby barstool as her hands wrap around his waist. “Sounds amazing, babe.”

“Mmm. More kisses, please.”

It’s a polite request - honestly, he’d have responded the same even if it been a demand - and as a contented smile lifts Jake’s lips he leans in for another kiss, letting this one linger for a moment or two, purely because he can.

She sighs against his mouth, shuffling closer and planting her palms against his hoodie; reaching up for the zipper as their lips press together once more.

His eyebrows raise as the zipper descends, pulling away slightly as her hands wrap around his now free middle with a secret smile. She dips her head into his neck, that perfect mixture of flowers and ink that he’s come to know as Amy washing over him, and even though Jake’s technically been here for hours, finally it feels like he’s home.

The hug continues for a beat, and despite the fact that he’d probably stand here for hours if Amy only asked, Jake breaks the comfortable silence to voice a nagging suspicion. “Can’t tell if this is a sweet hug from my girlfriend, or a brazen attempt to steal all of my body heat.”

“You know I’m an excellent multi-talker, Peralta. Clearly, it’s both.” Her soft lips press against the base of his neck as though offering payment for his services, and Jake’s grip on his girlfriend tightens. “You’re just so warm, and Brooklyn is so cold tonight.”

“Oh, so this is like a two-for-one deal kinda sitch.”

Amy nods, the soft edge of her chin rubbing along Jake’s collarbone and truly, he could have a thousand more nights just like this.

Her head lifts slightly, sniffing the air before turning her attention back to Jake. “Can I smell Thai Guy’s Tom Kha Kai?”

“You can.”

She grins, giving his waist a quick squeeze before releasing him from her warmth-stealing hug. “Wow. You definitely win Best Boyfriend for today.”

“Best Boyfriend? Noice. If I’d known it was that easy, I would’ve ordered double on standby for future awards.”

Amy grins, chuckling softly before noticing the parcel (because she honestly is the best detective - even if he’ll never say it out loud), letting her hands run along the edges of his hoodie as she pulls away to make a closer inspection. “What’s this?”

His heart has most definitely returned to it’s seemingly new home at the base of his throat, but somehow Jake manages to persevere. “Oh, it’s some-nothing really … just something I picked up and it’s nothing really it doesn’t matter.”

Her right eyebrow twitches up, throwing him that look she gets whenever she senses a lead, and Jake sighs.

“So … I know you know how my mom used to work a lot, since my dad was a leaving jerk who left like a jerk and whatever.” Amy nods, remaining silent. “Well, the holidays always paid really well so I spent a lot of them with Nana or Gina or sometimes just me and the tv.”

“And Die Hard.”

“Naturally. It’s the only Christmas movie worth watching. And we’d make our own holiday day, somewhere in the week, so the whole actual date thing really wasn’t that big of a deal. But … we did have this one tradition, that actually started the first Christmas after my dad left.”

He watches nervously as Amy rounds the counter, using the tip of her perfectly manicured fingers to shuffle the parcel closer to her position, and takes a heavy swallow. “My mom would buy - and sometimes make - ornaments, and put pictures of us from throughout the year in them.” Running one hand through his hair, Jake moves until he’s leaning against the opposite side of the bench. “She said that way, we were celebrating the year that was and making wishes for more of the same. As you can imagine, as time went on the tree had a bunch of photos of her and I. It was actually kinda cool.”

“It sounds really lovely, Jake.”

Nodding, Jake points at the package Amy’s nimble fingers have begun toying with, silently encouraging her to lift the lid as he continues. “Yeah, so … I sort of had this thought that maybe … this year there could be one with us on the tree.”

Giving Jake one last curious glance, Amy lifts the lid of the small brown box, chewing her lower lip as the contents come into view.

With his stomach feeling like it’s dropped to his feet, Jake leans into the counter, waiting with bated breath for Amy’s response; and she lifts the tiny wreath ornament from it’s resting place, letting the trinket spin as a selfie Jake took of the two of them two months ago flickers in front of their eyes.

It’s the silence that’s killing him, the need to explain and deflect and pretend everything is fine too strong, and even though Jake knows he’s rambling, the words just start tumbling out of his mouth. “It’s no biggie, really. Just something that I thought might be cool. It’s okay if you hate it, we don’t need to bother next year, thats if there even is a next - ” The gentle press of two of Amy’s fingers against his lips throws Jake into silence, and she holds them in place as she rounds the corner of the kitchen counter again, only pulling away once she’s by his side again.

“Jake. I think it’s wonderful. I could never hate this.”

With the sense of relief flooding through his veins, Jake manages a smile, tucking the strand of hair that’s fallen from Amy’s work appropriate up-do behind her ear. “Yeah?"

“Yeah. It’s amazing, actually.” Her hands come to rest on either side of his neck, the sheer familiarity and comfort of the move subsiding any linger nerves as she looks up at him with the softest gaze. “A really special tradition, that I cannot wait to continue. And honestly, I just feel so lucky that you’d want to share it with me. Thank you, babe.”

Her lips press against his as she pulls him in for a grateful kiss; and even as his hands slide along the smooth edges of Amy’s back, Jake can’t help but think that if there’s anyone in this kitchen that’s lucky, it is most definitely him. After all, not only does Amy love the tradition, she cannot wait to continue it - and what could be greater than that?

He wraps his arms around Amy completely, pulling her in for a tighter hug as the kiss breaks, and with her chin resting against his shoulder she takes in the rest of her surroundings.

“Hey. You cleaned!”

Feeling a tiny glimmer of pride at her observation, Jake nods to play it cool. “Well, you know. Tis the season, and all that.”

“The cleaning season?” Gasping, Amy tilts her face back up to Jake with a giant smile. “Oh my gosh, can you imagine!? There could be a different cleaning method each day!”

Her eyes are bright, taking on that special sparkly quality that just takes her beauty levels from one hundred to one thousand as she describes all the different products that could be used, and he is most definitely, absolutely, totally and utterly, head over heels in love with Amy Santiago.

“Look, all of that sounds amazing, Ames, and I’m sure one day if you wish really hard it might even come true. But … for now, how about we eat this Best Boyfriend Award winning dinner I ordered and watch some top quality movies on the couch?"

Amy nods, raising one finger in a friendly reprimand. “But no Die Hard, we watched it just last week.”

“It’s a vintage classic, babe! The kind of movie that never grows old.”

Her responding eye roll is good-natured in it’s delivery, a gentle slap landing along the line of shoulder. “Vintage or not, I get to choose the movie tonight.”

Letting out an exaggeratedly defeated sigh, Jake decides that a pre-dinner commiseration cookie is in order, and he lifts the lid to the container as Amy removes their food from the oven.

“Uh, babe … are these the cookies you made?”

“Yeah?”

“They look … neat.” Jake smiles, one that he knows isn’t very convincing, but he’s also not entirely certain that the lumps he’s discovered in the container are actually cookies - even out of technicality.

Amy’s eyes narrow, abandoning her serving of rice to gaze over Jake’s shoulder, jabbing a finger into his spine. “Out with it, Peralta.”

“No, it’s nothing, it’s just … have you ever seen that show, Nailed It?”

Her jaw drops, brows raising in obvious indignation as she reaches for one of the lumps. “Hey! Eat your damn cookie, detective. Or don’t go expecting anything to happen with your candy cane tonight.”

“My candy ca- oh! My ‘candy cane’. Ha. Nice euphemism, Ames.” Winking, he snatches the cookie out of Amy’s protective grip, snarfing it down in one bite. “Mmm, yummy. Don’t mind me, just standing here enjoying this deliciously amazing cookie that my incredible girlfriend made for me with her bare hands and doesn’t taste like a salt lick at all.”

Casting a side-eyed glance at Jake as she returns to serving their dinner, Amy mutters something about how she really thought the extra icing would hide the salt taste; and even though it’s probably completely insane, he feels strangely excited at the thought of many more years pretending to enjoy his girlfriend’s cooking.

The idea of it all - of a mixture of Christmases, Hanukkahs and Noche Bueanas alike filling up their years - makes Jake’s face break out into a stupidly wide grin; and without thinking he reaches for another cookie, this time making no complaint as the salty sweet combination begins to grow on him.

And truly, there could not be any greater sign that he is completely in love with Amy if he tried.

(A few or so years from now, there will be a Christmas tree standing tall in the living room of the Santiago-Peralta home, covered in ornaments and memories alike. Their son Mac will place the very last decoration on the tree - a tiny little sonogram of his soon-to-be-born little sister - and Jake will ruffle his hair and remember a time when all of this had only been an unspoken dream.)

#MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!#I miss yall #returning from my forced hibernation temporarily #b99 secret santa 2020 #peraltiago fic #b99 fic #christmas fluff #peraltiago fluff

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queertazsecretsanta · 5 years

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A gift for @motherfuckingmagicbrian, created by @one-true-houselight!

Title: Craft Night

Summary: It’s the last Queer Meetup on the moon before Candlenights, and the group is making ornaments! A healthy dose of happy queer people, a good splash of gentle ribbing, and a smattering of angst. Enjoy, and Happy Candlenights!

Magnus put a pile of meatballs on his plate before going to sit down across from Taako. Taako looked at the plate and snorted. “Think you have enough meatballs, Magnus?”

“Well, I was planning on sharing-” Before Magnus could finish, both Carey and Killian cheered and reached over and grabbed meatballs off his plate.

“Hey, throw me one,” Avi called from next to Taako. Carey grabbed another meatball and tossed it to him.

Taako huffed before saying, “Hey y’all, could we make a concerted effort to not throw saucy projectiles while we’re working on art?” He grabbed a napkin from the pile on the table and made a tent for his ornament with exaggerated annoyance.

Johann walked over from the food table and leaned over Taako’s shoulder. “Taako, you’re a wizard.”

“And?”

“You could clean it with magic.”

“Spell slots, my good man-”

“Isn’t the cleaning one a cantrip?” Taako glared as Avi tried (and failed) to look innocent. While maintaining eye contact, the wizard reached across the table, grabbed a meatball, and threw it at Avi, who caught it with ease and ate it while laughing. The others, including Taako, joined in. As they quieted down, Johann sat next to Avi and grabbed a paper plate.

The six friends sat in the middle of a long table with crafting supplies that were once neatly laid out down its entirety. The other members of the Bureau of Balance’s Queer Meetup sat on both sides of the group, laughing and working with the paint, markers, and other tools. The activity of the night was making ornaments for the fast-approaching Candlenights.

While everyone else started shaping their paper plates, Magnus reached into his pocket and grabbed a piece of wood that had clearly been made to be the base of his ornament. Carey looked over as Magnus reached for paint. “Man, that looks awesome! I wish I could work with wood like that.”

Magnus smiled as he mixed some paint on a piece of paper. “Thanks! It’s a labor of love.” He carefully took a thin brush and started to outline a bear’s head on the wood in purple.

“When did you get started with carpentry, Magnus?” Avi asked asked as he traced a cannon onto his plate.

“Well, I worked with a carpenter back in Raven’s Roost…” Magnus’ voice trailed off.

Avi’s eyes widened at Magnus’ hesitance, saying, “Oh shit man, I didn’t mean to bring that up-”

Magnus cut him off. “No, no, it’s fine. It’s not that, it’s… that’s the last time I really remembered learning carpentry, but I went into that job with base knowledge.” He shrugged. “I guess I just picked it up as I grew up.”

Everyone went back to work on their ornaments in silence for a few moments, letting the tension ease out of the space. Killian finished cutting out a heart, then handed it to Carey to cut in half to create their bases. Taako looked over at Magnus’ ornament. “Oh my god, you’re doing a bear. How did I forget to do our race animals?” He looked down at his ornament, a swirly rainbow pattern he had enchanted to sparkle. “How can I add in the noble mongoose?” The others chuckled as he grabbed a piece of paper and tried to draw the animal on it.

One of the guards further down the table perked up at the mention of the race. “I don’t think I’ve seen you guys since the race! That was so cool!” Magnus turned excitedly to them and started chatting about the race as he filled in detail on the bear.

“Well, of course we all know the most important player in that race.” Taako paused for dramatic effect. “Garyl.”

Avi and Johann, who had been thoroughly filled in on the race when the three reclaimers had returned, turned to have their own conversation as battlewagon talk swept over the whole table.

“Are you really making a cannon ornament, Avi?”

“Well, yeah! I putting it on the cannon, after all.”

Johann laughed. “Not on your, you know, Candlenights bush?”

“Nah, I want to spruce up the ol’ pea shooter,” Avi said with a smile. Johann watched as he seemed to trace something being shot from the cannon.

“That doesn’t look like a transport ball.”

“That’s because it’s not.” When Avi didn’t elaborate, Johann raised an eyebrow, much to Avi’s delight. “You’ll see when it’s done.”

Johann couldn’t help but laugh; Avi was a delightful person, and Johann was glad to be his friend, and to get to laugh at his jokes, and to talk to him about music, and…

“What are you doing? That’s a lot of black and grey, buddy.” Avi’s question snapped Johann out of his thoughts. Thoughts he should really dissect, but not tonight.

“I’m just doing the more neutral colors first, then adding the colors later. See, this is gonna be the ace and aro flags fading into a music staff, and I’m trying to draw a violin over here.” Johann pointed out the elements on his half painted ornament as Avi nodded.

“Music staff’s what the notes go on, right?” Johann had been teaching Avi a little more about music; Avi not only wanted to be a little more musically inclined, but it meant he got to see the bard more often. Johann tended to be on the more subdued side, but when he talked about music, his eyes lit up. Avi loved it when that happened.

Avi’s thoughts drifted as Johann nodded happily, but they were brought to a halt as he looked at where Johann had indicated the ace flag was going. “Hey, uh, Johann?”

“Yeah?”

“I think you did the ace flag backwards,” Avi said while pointing at the ornament.

Johann’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding. I thought the black was on the bottom.” Avi shook his head. “Well, fuck.” He started laughing, and Avi joined in.

“I mean, you can just say it’s an artistic interpretation,” Avi joked through giggling.

“The most important rule of any artist!” Johann said with a smile, “Everything was intentional, even mistakes!” They both cracked up and continued decorating their ornaments.

“How’s your mongoose coming, Taako?” Race talk had died down significantly and everyone had gone back to quietly talking and decorating.

“Fantastically, my good man.” Taako held up the mongoose, which he was just cutting out. “It looks like it could come alive in my hands.”

“If that came alive in your hand, I’d run away screaming,” said Killian, who looked over from where she was drawing something colorful onto her half of the heart.

“Well of course you would, mongeese are formidable creatures!” Taako jokingly made the paper animal walk up to Killian and growl.

“Is it mongeese?” Carey asked with a frown.

“It sounds better than mongooses,” reasoned Magnus.

“But maybe it’s like moose, where it’s both singular and plural?”

“Carey, my dear,” Taako said, “I see your point, but how could you try to deprive the world of the joy that comes from the word mongeese?”

Carey cackled. “Fair enough, my dude.”

Taako grabbed the glue and looked over at Magnus, who had finished his bear and was adding in the colors of the trans and bi flags. For some reason as he looked at the former, he felt a tug at the back of his mind. Magnus looked up to see Taako staring at his ornament with an inscrutable look.

“You ok, Taako?” Taako seemed to shake himself back to reality.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s…nothing. Just my brain being weird.”

“Alright.” Magnus smiled. “Hey, our new digs have room for more decorations. Think Garfield sells pride flags?” Taako grinned.

“I bet he does! Or maybe he could order some.” Taako turned to Carey and Killian. “Hey, does Fantasy Costco sell pride stuff?”

“FANTASY COSTCO, WHERE ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!” Magnus suddenly yelled, making Taako wince. Carey, Killian, and some people from other parts of the table joined in for “GOT A DEAL FOR YOOOOOOU!” as Taako put his head in his hands.

“That jingle will kill me. I will die.”

Killian laughed, saying, “To actually answer your question, Taako, Fantas-”

“Don’t say it, he’ll sing again.”

“Ok, Garfield’s store does has some general stuff, and he’s said in the past he’d order things for people if they wanted something specific.”

“Yeah,” Johann piped up, “he’s ordering me some ace stuff. I’m getting socks!”

“Fantastic,” Taako said with a grin. “Our apartment will be popping.” He finished glueing his mongoose to his ornament, then held it up to show it off. The original sparkly rainbows worked surprisingly well as a background for the furry addition. He grinned at the chorus of oohs. “Thank you, thank you. Now, I would of course be willing to provide my expert advice to you all if you so desire.”

Johann and Avi had been chatting about Bureau business as they decorated, but a natural silence had fallen for the past couple of minutes. Avi looked over at Johann, who seemed to be staring into space. “Your ornament looks good, Johann.” Johann looked over at Avi and smiled before looking at his ornament. The flags and music staffs were finished, and he was almost done with the detailing on the violin.

“Thanks. I still can’t believe I got the flag wrong,” Johann said with a chuckle. “I guess I only found it recently, so it makes sense I would mess up.”

“Yeah,” Avi said, “yours isn’t like mine, where we get taught the order in school. ROY G BV!” Johann laughed and continued painting. He felt calm, but more of a happy calm than normal. Not that he was normally sad, but normally he was more…neutral, he supposed. His job sometimes got a little mundane when he wasn’t having to make the world forget him…he shook himself out of that. Dwelling on that fact wasn’t healthy.

“I’m glad you did find it though.” Avi’s suddenly serious tone brought Johann back.

“Found what?”

“Your flags. Everyone should get to be themselves, and get to celebrate it.” Johann smiled. While being asexual or aromantic wasn’t looked down upon or anything, it was still not as well known as other identities. Hell, he hadn’t heard of it until a few months ago, when he was hanging out with Avi.

Avi and Johann were laying on the quad, giggling and passing a flask between them. It was a late evening in spring, the slight chill in the air warded off by the flask’s contents.

“Hey Johann,” Avi whispered, “you ever have a girl? Or a guy? Or someone else?”

“Not really.” Johann spoke in what he clearly thought was also a whisper, saying, “I never really clicked with anyone, I guess.”

“Really? Man, whoever you like is really missing out.” Avi immediately blushed, but Johann didn’t seem to react to the comment, instead getting lost in thought.

“Whoever I like. Right. Here’s the thing…” Avi pushed himself into a sitting position to look at Johann. The bard had never mentioned his sexuality in the past, but had laughed at Avi’s near-constant gay jokes (mostly variations on “I can shoot this cannon straight, but that’s the only straight thing I can do!”), so Avi had always assumed he was queer in some way, but…

“I don’t know, man. I…when I think about relationships, I can see myself with anyone…kind of? But it’s not like I see someone and go ‘yeah, I want to do things with you!’, it’s more, like, I want to hang with people and talk but…I don’t know, I’m not making sense.” Johann finally looked up at Avi. Avi was surprised to see fear in his eyes.

“Hey, no, it’s fine. What you’re describing, I have friends like that.”

Johann’s eyes widened, and voice lost all pretense of whispering. “Wait, really?”

“Yeah, it sounds like you’re ace. Maybe aro too.” Johann sat up and listened intently as Avi explained that yeah, some people don’t experience attraction, and he felt like a weight was lifting off his shoulders he never knew was there. As Avi finished, Johann felt like pieces were falling into place around him, and it was wonderful, but it was also so much-

“Hey, you ok?” Johann shrugged? “Want a hug?” The bard nodded. “Bring it in, my guy.” And the two sat next to each other, embracing, as Johann processed that there were words for him, that he wasn’t just off, wasn’t just missing something. It was a while before Avi spoke again.

“If you want, we could call some of my friends and you could talk to them too.”

“That would be great,” Johann said into Avi’s shoulder. He laughed. “But maybe not now. It’s like…” He tried to check his watch, but found it wasn’t on his wrist. “Shit, it’s, um,” he floundered before staring intently at the sky.

“Shit, dude, can you tell the time by the stars?”

After a long pause, Johann responded. “No.” Avi started laughing. “But I thought I’d try, I guess? Fuck. Well, it’s late, and I’m drunk and having life changing revelations. We can call them tomorrow. Tomorrow?”

“We should be able to do that.”

“Thank you, Avi.” Avi squeezed his shoulder, not trusting himself to speak as tears streamed down his face.

Magnus smiled as he carefully finished writing ‘Happy Candlenights!’ on a light grey ribbon. He checked his ornament’s paint to find it was still tacky, so he set the ribbon down and started to look at the other’s creations. Carey was detailing a line of rainbow daggers through the center of her half-heart, separating the words ‘Happy’ and ‘Candlenights’ written in a swirly hand. Killian was drawing simple ducks along the border of her ornament. She seemed to be letting a rainbow lollipop dry in the center.

From his angle, Magnus couldn’t quite see Avi’s or Johann’s, but figured they would show them off eventually. He sat back and gave a contented sigh. Taako looked up. “Everything ok, big guy?”

“Oh yeah,” Magnus assured, “I’m just happy. I haven’t been in one place long enough to be part of a Queer group in a while, and I’m just glad to be here with all of you.” He smiled at everyone as he continued, “I don’t know if I realized how much I missed having something like this. It’s…” He paused, trying to find the words. Finally, he simply said, “It’s hard to describe. Sorry for being sappy.”

“Nah, don’t apologize Magnus. This is a really positive space, and I’m glad you’re feeling it,” Killian said with a smile. She reached over and grabbed Magnus’ shoulder reassuringly. Across the table, Taako tried to wipe his eyes without people noticing. It didn’t work, and Carey passed him a clean napkin.

“I’m fine, really,” he said as he wiped his eyes again and Carey held his free hand, “Magnus just had to go and be emotional.” Everyone chuckled before Taako continued, “But, yeah. I, uh…didn’t exactly cultivate companionship as well as one might hope, before this. And it’s nice. It’s like it fills a hole I didn’t even know was there.” And Taako felt that peculiar sadness he sometimes got, but he also felt a peace, looking at the faces around him. “And as much as I love all my friends I have, there’s something about hanging out with people like me, at least every so often, that’s important.”

By this point, Avi and Johann had looked up and were nodding at what Taako had said. The six reached out and held the others-hands, shoulders, whatever they could reach-and smiled at each other, not really doing much about the tears running down their faces. After a bit, they mostly untangled themselves, and Avi spoke up.

“Hey, I need people who will appreciate my gay jokes!” As everyone laughed, he held up his ornament, which depicted the cannon. But instead of shooting out a transport ball, it was shooting out a rainbow flag. “See, it can’t even shoot straight!”

The whole table laughed harder. Everyone started showing off their completed ornaments as Magnus carefully glued his ‘Happy Candlenights’ ribbon above the bear on his own. Once they had all sufficiently appreciated their friends’ art, they all started helping clean up the table, stacking unused supplies to be put away, throwing away dirty paper, and washing paint brushes. Soon, the room was clear and people started plating leftovers to take home. The six friends waved goodbye and wandered back to their beds, ready to sleep. Their ornaments hung on their bushes (besides Avi’s, which hung off the main cannon), a testament to who they were and who they loved.

#motherfuckingmagicbrian #one-true-houselight #queercandlenights #taz #the adventure zone #taako #magnus #carey #killian #avi #johann #fic #submission

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tsukino-project · 6 years

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Birthday Special Scenario Kagurazaka Soshi 7.17.18

Hello~ Sorry this was a bit late, but here it is! Hope everyone gets to enjoy it.

~Mod Suki 🐱 7.17.18

Ren: T - t - that's -- *speechless*

Soshi: *smirk* Oh, was it too much for Ren-kyun~? (bending down so his face is close to Ren's all the while smiling seductively)

Ren: *blush and faints*

Nozomu: (catches Ren) Soshi-paisen!!

Nozomu: *sparkly eyes* You're so cool!!

Nozomu: How did you do it? Tell me! Tell me!

Soshi: It's a secret, Nozomu~

Soshi: Maybe SORA could teach you how when it's his turn.

Sora: *stiffen* Uh --

Morihito: It's okay, Sora. You just have to be yourself when the time comes. *wry smile*

Sora: Mo - Mori -- *sobs*

Soshi: Yeah, Sora. You just have to be your loud, clumsy self.

Sora: Guh -- Mo -- ri -- *wail*

Morihito: Now. Now. You had your fun, Soshi.

Morihito: That should be enough, right? *bitter smile*

Soshi: Yeah~

Morihito: Ren, are you okay?

Ren: I - I'm fine, Morihito-senpai...

Ren: I'm kind of grateful my birthday came first... *relieved sigh*

Sora: That's right, Ren. Be grateful. *sarcastic*

Ren: So - Sora-senpai? *confused*

Morihito: He's still worrying about what he'll do on his birthday... *wry smile*

Ren: I - I see...

Soshi: ...

Soshi: I'm still waiting for my cake and gifts, you know.

Nozomu: Oh! I almost forgot! (runs to his room to get his present)

Ren: *blush* I - I'll get mine too.

Morihito: I'll go get mine then.

Sora: ... *mope*

Soshi: Oh~ You're not going to get your gift for me?

Sora: I'm not! (sticks his tongue out at Soshi)

Soshi: My~ You're getting defiant now, aren't you? (walks closer to Sora)

Sora: -- !! Mo -- ri --

Soshi: Mori's not here.

Soshi: So --

Sora: I - I'll go get it!! I'll get it now!! (rushes to his room)

Nozomu: Here's my gift for you, Soshi-paisen!

Nozomu: Along with my declaration of a challenge!

Nozomu: Nanase Nozomu. The future charismatic bassist of SOARA definitely won't lose!

Nozomu: I'll make sure to blow away Soshi-paisen's coolness with my overwhelming charisma!

Soshi: Oh~ Then I'll wait for it.

Ren: Soshi-senpai, happy birthday!

Soshi: You're still as formal as ever, Ren.

Soshi: How about calling me 'Sou-nii'?

Ren: *blush* I - I'm too old for that now.

Morihito: Happy birthday, Soshi.

Soshi: Thanks, Mori.

Soshi: *stare at Sora*

Soshi: So -- where's my gift?

Sora: ... *gulp*

Sora: *reluctant* H - here --

Sora: -- Nozomu!!

Nozomu: Here!

Sora: Catch! (throws his gift high up in the air)

Nozomu: Got it!

Soshi: (intercept the gift midair)

Sora: -- !!

Nozomu: Ah!

Soshi: *smirk*

Soshi: Maybe you could try to challenge me after you grew a little more. (mockingly pats Sora's head)

Sora: -- !! S - Stupid Soshi!! *sulk*

Morihito: (trying to stop Soshi's hand) You've got all the presents now. *wry smile*

Ren: T - then let's get the cake out.

Nozomu: Cake! Cake!

Soshi: ... (staring at the cake in his hand)

Soshi: This is a cake, huh?

Ren: I - it should still be edible -- I think... *sweatdrops*

Soshi: Hmm...

Nozomu: Have more confidence, Ren!

Nozomu: We're the ones who made it after all. *brimming with pride*

Soshi: I see.

Soshi: So I'm guessing -- Mori and Ren made the sponge cake while Sora and Nozomu the decorations, right?

Morihito: It's that easy to tell, huh? *wry smile*

Soshi: Yeah...

Soshi: It would only be those two who will suck this much at decorating a cake. *smirk*

Nozomu: Eh~ But I thought it turn out good too. *disbelief*

Nozomu: Right, Sora? It's actually good, right?

Sora: -- !!

Soshi: Ho - oh... *smirk*

Soshi: Don't tell me you couldn't even say that it looks good?

Sora: I - I totally can!

Sora: I - it's -- not that -- bad...

Sora: *flustered* A - anyway, here's the candle. (roughly insert the candle in the cake)

Sora: Make a wish already!

Soshi: *smirk* Fine. Fine.

Soshi: (blows the candle)

SOARA (except Soshi): Happy Birthday!! (pops confetti)

Soshi: Thank you. I'm grateful for all the presents and the cake. Even if it turned out this way.

Soshi: But just buy one next time.

Morihito: I'll keep that in mind. *wry smile*

Soshi: I'll hold you to that, then.

Ren: Soshi-senpai.

Nozomu: Let's eat! Let's eat!

Sora: Come on, you two!

Soshi: Got it!

Morihito: *laughs*

(Thus their simple celebration started with a slice of a weird-looking cake.)

*Here's the image of Soshi's CAKE.

#birthday special #tsukino production #tsukipro #alive #soara #kagurazaka soshi #ohara sora #arihara morihito #munakata ren #nanase nozomu

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vanstae-remade · 7 years

Text

bts are for the gays 🌈

choke on this cishets

namjoon’s tweet about macklemore’s song same love

taehyung wore an lgbt pride jersey

what happened when bts were asked about their celebrity crushes

jimin wore jeans with troye sivan’s youth lyrics written all over them

“whether you’re a guy or a girl my tongue will make you come” - yoongi, cypher pt 3

some of the members helped to write GLAM’s song party xxo

jungkook and namjoon covered fools by troye sivan

yoongi stated in an interview “i don’t have an ideal type and it’s not limited to a girl”

taehyung’s phone case

jungkook’s love for troye sivan, and wanting to collaborate with him

hobi said he wanted to collab with tinashe, an openly non straight female artist

taehyung had a lot of kehlani on his spotify playlist, an openly bisexual female artist

namjoon named kehlani as an artist who has influenced him personally, taehyung agreeing [cannot find direct source]

when asked about the concept for the love yourself : her comeback, namjoon stated “it’s not only about love between a man and a women but about all different kinds of love”

the rainbow sweater hobi wore for the dna mv

taehyung dancing in heels

them all drooling over that shirtless dude in bon voyage season two [can’t find source]

taejin’s screen cut at the 2016 mama’s

the blood sweat & tears mv

boy meets evil talks about “a love that is another name for the devil”

stigma carries very heavy internalized homophobia themes throughout the song, the most popular lyric to quote “are you calling me a sinner?”

lie contains lyrics talking about burying ones true self and “being caught in a lie”

gender neutral/no pronouns used in some of their songs [spring day , serendipity , ect]

blood sweat & tears is about temptation and morals seen in the eye of the public

on the fan survey they created, they put the options “non selection” and “other” for choices when choosing your gender

jungkook is afraid of girls

the young forever photoshoot

taehyung said one of his favorite photographers was ryan mcginley, who happens to be openly gay and a lot of his work is gay as well

that time bts was asked how they’d let a girl down if they didn’t have interest in them and jungkook just kinda

that one time taehyung got drunk and proceeded to kiss jimin’s plushie goodnight

vmin’s puma ad

taehyung singing lay me down by sam smith, an openly gay artist

jin and his fanboys

namjoon recommended the movie “blue is the warmest colour” which is a lesbian film

“i only have you, v”

seokjin went to an all boys school and still received 16 roses on valentines day [no source, not 100% sure this is true]

jungkook not changing the pronouns when singing tori kelly’s “dear no one”

jimin not changing the pronouns during his part in “we don’t talk anymore”, a cover he did along side jungkook

yoongi dressed up as a girl and became min yoonji

taehyung stripped for jimin on a vlive, jimin thought he was actually gonna follow through with it

the spring day choreo . is gay

the whole theme of wings was about temptation, morals, accepting yourself and wanting to be who you despite being afraid of the public’s beliefs

vmin at the isacs this year

can’t find the link but the rainbow bird thing on jin’s shirt ?? for the ynwa concept photos ?? gay

taejin’s song “it’s only you”

this post about bts and gay songs

the photoshoot they did for singles magazine with the fishnets

vmin jamming out to 1verse while tae was on a leash

jungkook said he’d go out with a male fan [translation]

jungkook got overly excited over tae and hobi kissing

jikook and their fanboy

taekook said they wanted to live together when they grow up [can’t find the link just watch bvs2]

somewhere yoongi said he liked older, buffer guys

jungkook uses womens perfume

jimin’s sparkly jacket from the dna mv

yoongi’s “anti social club” merch

jungkook used jimin’s underwear as a microphone

jungkook and yugyeom’s friendship

taehyung belly dancing when they were in dubai [jungkook shouts “ah yeahhh”]

that video of jimin caressing jin’s dick and trying to be subtle about it

taehyung threatened to release jimin’s nudes

cypher fanboy #1, kim taehyung

jungkook taking a picture of seokjin’s bulge using a selfie stick

hobi’s moans during yoongi’s cypher verse

the echoing of the word “ass” in “agust d”

yoongi screaming “J-HOPPPPPPEEEEEE”

taehyung is obsessed with gucci and earlier this year the brand said they wanted to expand to focus on sexuality and gender identity

jimin’s makeup artist said he’s very picky about his makeup and he’s the one who chooses his eye looks n such [can’t find the link]

did i mention how much taehyung adores his fanboys

these random ass scans i found are gay

wishing on a star lyrics

jungkook calling the group a rainbow sensation

taehyung shamelessly checking out jimin and feeling up his abs

94 line praising jimin’s thighs

that time jimin sat in hobi’s lap despite there being an empty chair available

taehyung wrote and composed hold me tight, another song without the usage of pronouns or gender specific words

literally this group has done so much even if it doesn’t seem that prominent, it truly means a lot to me and the rest of the lgbt community, knowing someone is out there who will support us even if it isn’t evident to eye, this is not all they’ve done and i’m sure they will continue to do more, thank you bts, for everything you’ve done and what you shall continue do in the future 💐💌

#THIS LIST TOOK ME OVER TWO HOURS TO COMPOSE #I BROKE OUT THE FUCKING LINKS #IF THEY DONT WORK ILL CRY MYSELF TO SLEEP #ioejforefr #thanks for coming to my ted talk #ref #long post #aiden speaks #gaytan #please fucking reblog this i actually worked rlly hard to make this

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modernvintage · 6 years

Text

Went to sephora over the weekend and at about the point where I was going to drop all of my items (you know how it is), a nice employee handed me a basket (so glad they keep an eye out, it’s a superpower).

The employee’s brows were painted in the rainbow and it was bitchin’ so I told them so, realizing that it was most likely for pride month and that’s unexpectedly good looking and clever.

This employee very, very purposefully looked me dead in the eye with a big ol shiny smile and said, “Thanks! We are celebrating pride month today!”

And I am just all impressed with this person’s makeup skills and I’m juggling my chocolate soleil bronzer and holographic metal lipgloss, so I sort of distractedly but enthusiastically agree cause yep and nod and smile and say, “that’s awesome!” and thank the person for the basket and continue on with my hunt for a new undereye concealer because fine lines ain’t no joke and creasing is a real problem these days.

...hours later, in my ignorant and privileged post shopping spree state, it occurs to me: Duh, I bet this employee didn’t get that reaction every time. I bet a lot of people were absolute rotten tomato plants to the employees who were celebrating. That’s why the employee looked me straight in the eye. They were expecting a challenge. Duh. (Cause, you know, working retail is usually such a joy to begin with).

I can’t tell you the last time I walked into any major store and was able to witness this kind of inclusive culture first hand. Actually, I think it’s the only time it has ever happened in a mainstream mall store. But it didn’t occur to me to be “shocked” (as I’m sure some were) until way after the fact. Because it felt so normal, regular happy customer service chit chat, no biggie at all, of course you’re celebrating pride, it’s pride month, and using eyebrow gels in the colors of the rainbow is a fun way to do it since you work at a makeup store and they probably won’t blur into one muddy color like eyeshadow would (I don’t care what the primer promises, it’s June). And it sure as shit didn’t hinder my experience in any way, so no one can argue that shit. I got what I needed, and some things I didn’t because *sephora* and in fact, I’d say it enhanced my experience overall. Or at the very, very, very least, it made me feel slightly better about dropping a hundred smackaroos (every fucking time, ugh) because hey, this is a nice store of nice employees who love and support LGBTQ folks and celebrate pride and that’s pretty damn cool and I’m even happier to buy pretty sparkly shit I don’t actually need now when all I really needed was face wash.

Anywho. It was great. I wish I had caught on sooner, but it was great.

#sephora #pride month #can it be like this everywhere please #story time #makeup is a great thing

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sicklylittlesnowflake · 7 years

Note

Oooh loved your voltron!!! Would you consider writing more sneezy lance??

(definitely considered!! this really should’ve gone up on his birthday but what do u know I fail at life!! anyway here’s more lance bc I love Voltron and I’m still pretty new pls forgive me!!)

Lance felt like he had bonded with Blue pretty well.

As much as he missed home, Blue allowed him and his friends to go beyond Earth and discover alien life they had no clue had existed. Growing up Lance always wanted to save people and be a hero, and Blue helped him do that. Blue felt extremely connected to the water, thriving the most when she was in it, and Lance felt the same way. He had grown up by the water, and had obtained his fondest memories by the ocean, with his family and friends back home.

However, one thing him and Blue did not necessarily connect on too well, was the cold.

Blue had ice capabilities, which Lance found cool and useful to saving the day, but the cold was something Lance just simply wasn’t accustomed to. He had experienced snow for the first time at the Garrison, and it truly was an enchanting experience, but shortly after he took ill with a cold and couldn’t perform to his best standard. He absolutely loathed this, because of course due to his impaired performance, he’d be compared to Keith again, and how much lesser he was than him.

Needless to say Lance absolutely hated this past mission.

They had received a distress signal at the Castle from a planet about a galaxy away; and of course they had to go check it out. That was how the Paladins ended up landing their lions on an icy, snowy planet the equivalent of Antarctica, but an entire planet of it. There had been a Galra ship forcefully taking some resources from their land; scaring the innocent civilians away into the shadows.

While the mission was a success, Lance did not have a good time in the slightest.

Lance did not like the cold at all. He preferred the glorious warmth of the bright and blazing sun, the sunshine that reminded him of home and the people who loved him. The cold was a harsh, bitter cold (ha) reminder that he was far away from his home and family, that they were many many galaxies away from him.

The cold was extremely uncomfortable, making his nose run consistently, distracting him from operating Blue to her full potential as they battled yet another Galra robot. As Lance shot out an ice beam, it was only reflected back at him, turning the operating room into what was practically a freezer. Lance desperately wanted to call out to Keith to thaw him out, but something in his brain seemed to be blocking him.

Lance had always had trouble connecting with other people, and asking for help. A lot of the time, there were people available and willing to extend an arm no questions asked, but Lance couldn’t find the heart to actually ask for it. He hated to appear weak and fragile, or a burden of any kind, and his pride prevented him from reaching out. So instead, he wallowed shivering in misery until one of the power beams from the robot had thawed him out. Besides, the whole team was busy trying to take down this thing, he could wait.

Eventually, victory was theirs and they exited their lions to greet the extremely joyous and happy civilians.

“O’ great Paladin! We are ever so humbled as to have been freed by thou,” One of the alien civilians praised, clinging onto Lance’s side gratefully.

Lance beamed, flashing a sparkly grinning as he returned their hug, winking, “Any time, dearest!”

“Lance,” Pidge groaned, rolling her eyes.

“What?!” Lance giggled, trying to mask how cold he felt. He tried to repress his shivers, holding himself, trying to insulate the remaining warmth in his body. He badly wanted to cuddle someone in this very moment, someone like Hunk, who was the best human furnace ever. However his eyes drifted over to Keith, his mind wandering off into a daydream where he could cuddle Keith instead. His strong arms wrapped around him sweetly..Lance blushed as he realised what he was thinking of, and looked away.

“Great Paladin, why are thou convulsing in such a manner?” One of the aliens questioned, tilting their head with curiosity.

Lance tensed, growing defensive as he put his hands on his hips, striking a heroic pose although he shook with the cold, “I’m just excited for your new lives to begin!”

His heroic stance was interrupted by a tickle brewing in his sinuses, his nose twitching as he inhaled sharply, frantically covering his nose and mouth with a hand. He pitched forward with two forceful, but kittenish sneezes. He recovered quickly, looking around hoping no one had noticed, and thankfully no one had.

“What is the significance of that human action?” One of the aliens asked quizzically, looking thoughtful as the other aliens nodded in agreement.

Lance blushed, eyes widening as he racked his brain for an answer, rubbing his nose quickly before sniffling, “Um, uh, we humans do it when we are humbled and flattered!“

The civilians’ eyes lit up, beaming and grinning. Lance winked and flashed a toothy grin at them, before he looked over to his right where he saw Shiro wishing the civilians well, bidding their farewells.

"Farewell Paladins!” The civilians waved, as the Paladins began to retreat back into their lions, waving back at them fondly and brightly.

“Farewell blue Paladin!” He heard one call out.

Lance grinned, before yet another unexpected tickle had him sneezing before he even knew what was going on. He had barely managed to turn his head to the side, sneezing two blessedly soft but extremely ticklish sneezes.

“The Blue Paladin appreciates us!” One of them yelled out.

Thankfully his friends couldn’t hear his quiet sneezes over the loud cheering of the alien civilians. He returned to Blue, sitting down and finding that she had warmed up considerably but was still a little chilly to his dismay.

“You did well today Blue,” Lance muttered lovingly as he began to fly her into the air with the rest of his friends. They soared through the sky, aiming to head back into space, and back to the Castle.

“Well done team,” Shiro said fondly, his face camera projecting onto all of their screens.

“Yeah guys, we did it!” Pidge beamed enthusiastically.

Lance opened his mouth to reply, however his breath began to hitch yet again, eyes watering as he disabled his communication to the rest of the team. His nose twitched, twisting his body to the side as he two forceful and pitched sneezes into his cupped hands.

He groaned softly, sniffling. He turned to enable his communications again but his reddened nose began to quiver yet again. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, turning to the side again and sneezing four kittenish and ticklish sneezes into the crook of his arm.

Once his nose felt clear of any tickles, he enabled his communications again.

“What the heck was that, Lance?! Are you okay?!” Keith yelled worriedly as Lance came back online.

Lance chuckled nervously, “Heh, just accidentally clicked disable, I guess.”

“How do you accidentally disable..oh never mind,” Pidge stated, deciding to pass it off as just another one of Lance’s silly shenanigans.

“Well, at least you’re okay, Lance,” Hunk responded as the team landed their lions into the Castle.

“Well done Paladins!” Coran greeted as the five of them came in to the bridge.

“I think this calls for a celebration dinner?” Hunk grinned, rubbing his hands in anticipation.

“Great! I’m starving,” Pidge added.

Lance sniffled softly, feeling fatigue slowly but surely ease its way into his bones, slowly leeching at his energy. The familiar feeling of heat beginning to rise in his face was a sure sign to him he could be coming down with something. Lance could not afford to be weakened, and needed to be working at a high standard constantly. He had to nip it in the bud.

“You guys go ahead! I’m going to go catch some Z’s,” Lance yawned, stretching to prove his point. He tried to hide his cringe as he heard his voice start to become laced with slight congestion and become a little scratchy.

“Um, you sure Lance? You have to be hungry, no?” Shiro questioned.

“Nah, I’m missing out on some well deserved beauty sleep, how else am I supposed to captivate our foes and strike them when they least expect?” Lance joked.

Keith blinked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously, “Hm. You..don’t sound too hot, Lance.”

Lance huffed, “Well of course I don’t, Keith. We were just in a snow planet, in case you haven’t noticed? Also, I don’t sound hot, because I’m super cool, man.”

Keith rolled his eyes, “Sure. Just..uh..don’t die.”

Lance couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his face, as he retreated out of the bridge and towards his quarters.

Once he arrived there he pulled on his pyjamas before pulling on some socks, his feet freezing. He jumped onto his bed, a soft moan escaping his lips as his muscles relaxed against the mattress. He pulled his covers over him, wrapping himself up to insulate the heat. He snuggled up against his pillow, yawning. Just as he began to nod off, he was pitching forward with an unexpected sneeze.

He coughed lightly, the sound resonating from his chest. He frowned, a sinking feeling telling him that this was something he couldn’t just sleep off.

But he was an optimist; and hoped sleep would take this away anyway.

Lance woke up the next day to an intense tickle in his nose. He gasped involuntarily, nose twitching similar to a rabbit and eyes, falling into a prolonged, intense sneezing fit. Each sneeze was ticklish and forceful, but still quite kittenish. Times like these he wished he had a Dad Sneeze because that would mean he could just get the tickle out and not have to suffer and endure this for a long amount of time.

Once he finished, he sniffled liquidly, rubbing his nose on his shirt sleeve. Now that he had fully woken up, he was now becoming aware of a throbbing headache, hot air coming out when he exhaled and an overall groggy, sickly sensation throughout his whole body. With all of this in mind, Lance was confident in saying he was sick.

He got up, eyeing his alarm and eyes widening as it had been a whole 30 minutes after his regular waking time. For some reason his alarm hadn’t gone off today, when previously it had rang religiously at the same time every day.

He started to rush to get dressed into his usual attire, before speed walking out of his quarters only to be stopped by a chesty little fit of small coughs, stifled by his sleeve.

He groaned, inhaling involuntarily as he brought his hands up to his face and sneezed two, slightly wet, congested sneezes yet again. He sniffled frustratedly, rubbing his nose vigorously as an attempt to force the insistent tickle out of there.

When Lance made his presence known to the whole team, they were all stunned.

Hunk dropped his spoon into his food, mouth hung open as he took in Lance’s sickly appearance. He was quite a few shades lighter, dark circles lining beneath his eyes, nose reddened as well as his cheeks flushed with what he suspected was a fever. His eyes didn’t exert his usual cheer and energy, they looked drained and dull. All in all Lance looked exhausted and sick.

“Good morning!” Lance tried, forcing himself to try and feign a joyful timbre to his now scratchy and congested voice. It did not work in the slightest.

“Are you switching career paths to that movie trailer guy once we get back to Earth because your voice is very much lower or..?” Hunk questioned, still shocked by his friend’s sickly exterior.

“What? I’m on top of the world, Hunk,” Lance insisted, taking his seat next to Keith. He inhaled sharply and sneezed to the side.

“You’ve got a cold,” Keith observed, almost accusingly.

“Huh? I always sneeze in the morning,” Lance pointed out, dismissing him.

He just sat there for a few minutes uncomfortably playing with his food as everyone ate, but still stared at him.

“Are you going to eat, Lance?” Shiro asked calmly, a gentle tone to his voice.

Lance flashed him a grin as he slowly lifted some food into his mouth, really no appetite to eat much. He continued to fill his face very slowly, until the burning tickling sensation that began to twinge in his sinuses returned with a vengeance.

Lance tried to scrunch his nose and discreetly rub at the sides of his nose to try and coax it away, repress the itching sensation but eventually, the tickle built up and up until he knew it was impossible to keep in. He turned away from Keith, raising his cupped hands and steepled them over his nose and mouth, sneezing twice in a high pitched manner.

“Oh my god, your sneezes are adorable!” Pidge commented.

Lance sniffled, looking up with her with a doe-eyed, deer in the headlights kind of look in his eyes, “Huh? Oh, that’s an odd thing to remember, Pidge. But thank you!”

Keith blinked, unsure if this was real, “..what do you mean, you just sneezed–”

“Keith? Are you feverish? I didn’t sneeze. Hm, you should go to the Cryo pods perhaps,” Lance cut him off. Keith gave him an incredulous look, looking extremely stunned.

As the team continued to eat, Lance’s breath caught, eyes fluttering shut and Lance sneezed twice again irritably.

“Bless you,” Shiro said.

Lance completely ignored it, continuing to eat. Then a few minutes later, Lance put his fork down as his nostrils began to flare again, raising his arm to catch his two forceful, congested sneezes.

“Bless you,” Shiro said yet again. Lance looked around, as if trying to see who had sneezed. Keith blinked, getting a little frustrated.

This process went on and on, this repeating cycle of Lance sneezing and Shiro blessing him, and Lance pretending nothing had happened. Until finally Lance sneezed four powerful exhausted sounding, sickly sneezes into his arm and Keith burst.

“OH MY GOD, BLESS YOU, LANCE, BLESS YOU. YOU SNEEZED. NO ONE ELSE IN THIS ROOM, LANCE. YOU SNEEZED. CONGRATULATIONS. THERE WE GO. Quiznak,” Keith hissed in frustration.

Shiro, Lance, Pidge and Hunk fell uncomfortably silent, and then everyone’s faces crumpled and they all started bursting into hearty laughter. It was the kind of tear-jerking, knee slapping, wheeze inducing, stomach hurting kind of laughter that had them gasping for air because they couldn’t stop. Keith couldn’t even help but join in a little, a smile creeping onto his face as he discreetly covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing.

The laughter stopped when Lance started hacking, choking as he fell into a coughing fit, tears stinging his eyes. Keith widened his eyes in alarm, instinctively patting his back as he coughed ferociously. Once Lance was done, he was exhausted, a few tears streaming down his face, breathing heavily as he struggled to regain his breath.

“Lance..” Shiro started.

“Well that was some good breakfast, I’m off to the bridge now!” Lance cut in, quickly getting up and pushing his chair back, heading off to the bridge.

The remaining Paladins exchanged an exasperated look.

“Good morning–LANCE?! What’s wrong?!” Coran gasped as Lance entered the bridge looking like a ghost. The younger boy erupted into a little chorus of congested little coughs into his arm. He cleared his throat, flashing him a weak grin, but before he could speak the rest of the Paladins were piling into the bridge.

Allura eyed Lance suspiciously, knowing full well he was sick but knowing he would not give in without a fight. She quickly exchanged a knowing look to a worried Shiro, as if to try and reassure him that she had this.

“So, let me give you a run down of today’s plan..” Allura started to explain, but as she spoke her words faded out into an inaudible slur that Lance couldn’t even hear. He began to lose control of his own senses, his hearing fading out and vision blurring, but at the expense of that came heightened feeling. His head hurt bad, but Lance continued to struggle and force himself to try and make out what Allura was saying, but to no avail.

He could hear a faint ringing in his ears as his palms began to excrete sweat, a sure sign he was beginning to panic. Lance felt extremely overwhelmed by this all, not wanting to fail anyone and ruin everything but his brain was turning everything to a inconceivable mush. He balled his fists with frustration, breathing heavily as he grew even more and more angry with himself, his chest tightening.

“Lance?”

“Fine. I’m fine!–” Lance cut himself off with a forceful sneeze he forgot to cover, the expulsion loud and exhausted compared to his normal kittenish fits.

“Listen, Lance..you don’t have to–” Shiro started.

The words were spoken with a soft, caring and gentle timbre to them–but his fevered brain decided to filter it and the words sounded harsh and belittling to him.

Lance hissed, nails digging into his hands aggressively, tears pricking his eyes, “Im fine! I’m fine!”

He crossed his arms aggressively, biting his lip as to stop himself from getting overly emotional over nothing. He knew no one was being mean to him–rather, he was being mean to himself and his fever was clouding his perspective and upping his emotions. Even then he couldn’t help the little heads of tears, that thankfully never fell. Lance inhaled sharply, turning away and forgetting to cover a fit of ticklish, exasperated sneezes.

When he finished, he sniffled pathetically, and though he looked sick and horrible, Keith thought he looked cute.

Keith sighed fondly, “Okay, that’s enough.”

“Enough what?” Lance challenged.

Keith didn’t say anything else and simply approached the boy and picked him up with ease.

“Keith!” Lance protested, struggling to get out of his grasp as Keith walked onwards to the quarters. The others let out a breath they had no idea they were holding, glad that Keith took the initiative to call Lance out.

Keith grinned at him, “You’re sick, Lance. C'mon, look, you’re so hot.”

Lance finally relaxed, and wiggled his eyebrows, “Keith, listen, if you have to tell me something..”

Keith blushed a deep crimson and looked away in embarrassment, “Nothing like that, Lance, you little..”

He cleared his throat, “Anyway, im sick of watching you struggle like this, so you are going straight to bed. I wish you had never left anyway–I turned off your alarm for a reason, Lance..”

Lance blinked, “..you turned off my..?”

“Yeah, I did. When you said you were heading off to bed super early without eating we knew something was up. We all agreed to give you a sick day and let you rest, we just didn’t think you’d..be so determined,” Keith explained.

Lance smirked, “Awh Keith, you watched over me as I slept..”

Keith flushed a deep hue once again, the heat in his cheeks nearly as intense as Lance’s fever, “No I didn’t! I barely even was in your room!”

“Alright, Edward Cullen,” Lance slurred feverishly, gazing at Keith fondly. He lifted his hand up to his face to cover his soft little sneeze and effectively not spray Keith’s face.

Keith mumbled his bless you and entered Lance’s room, setting him down onto his bed. Lance’s face was scrunching up again, pitching forward as he fell into a short fit of kittenish sneezes yet again.

He couldn’t help his little smile, “Pidge was right, you do have a cute sneeze.”

“Yeah? Well you’re just pretty cute overall,” Lance said feverishly, closing his eyes and snuggling up against his sheets and pillow.

A surge of warmth rushed through Keith’s body, butterflies cheerfully fluttering about in his stomach. He felt all warm and tingly, a childish smile playing on his face. Keith pressed his lips together to stop himself from looking like a fool, and cleared his throat.

“You’re not too bad yourself,” Keith choked out.

“I’m cold, Keith,” Lance whined before coughing softly.

“I’ll get you another blanket,” Keith promised as he turned to leave, until Lance’s arm shot out from beneath the blanket and grabbed at his arm.

“No, Keith. Come here, please?~” Lance pleaded, eyes sparkling with hope.

Keith couldn’t give in to that face. He couldn’t give in to this boy no matter what he did. He nervously climbed into the bed, slipping himself in between the mattress and the covers. Immediately Lance clung on to him, his breath hitching as he stifled two high pitched sneezes onto the soft fabric of Keith’s t-shirt. He nuzzled his nose into his shoulder lovingly, snuggling with Keith.

Keith blushed further, his heart racing. There were voices in his head screaming, as his brain went on alarm, going on high alert like he was a preteen again. He let out a shaky breath, and managed to relax himself, wrapping an arm around Lance lovingly. Surprisingly, it all came naturally to him. It felt so right, like they were meant to be like this. Both of them, just like this.

“..I’ve wanted to do this for a while now,” Lance murmured softly.

Keith smiled softly, breath slightly shaky, pressing a gentle kiss against Lance’s pink nose, “..y-yeah, m-me too.”

#lance mcclain #keith kogane #klance #voltron #langst #takashi shirogane #hunk garrett #pidge gunderson #vld #sickfic #fever #whump #prompts #i cant believe i finished this #i hit a huge writers block lmao #but whoo more voltron!!

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inquiringquilter · 5 years

Text

Wednesday Wait Loss 144

Welcome to Wednesday Wait Loss. Please share what you’ve been working on!

First let me tell you what I've been up to

I’ve finished my Spring Market quilts and have done two photo sessions. Now it’s time to mail them off. Goodbye quilts! I won’t see you for a while but have a nice trip!

I can’t share much about the quilts since they are made with secret fabrics, but here’s a hint. One of the quilts uses colors that remind me of fall—very rich golds, rusty oranges, deep greens and a little bit of secret magic I won’t tell you about. I took a photo of some fall leaves and some batiks from my stash that remind me of my new quilt, although the fabrics and colors in that quilt are different than these but at least you can get the feel of this new collection.

I wish I could show you the actual fabrics because the colors in my new quilt are amazing! You will want this collection, believe me.

On Monday, I blogged about the Island Batik “A Piece of…” Blog Hop which is happening all month long. Click here to read all about the amazing batik collections that are being featured, and to enter to win some fabulous prizes from Island Batik! Be sure to visit each Ambassador on their day because many are having giveaways too.

My day is next Monday so be sure to drop by.

Well that was my week!

Now let's see who made this week's feature

As usual there several wonderful linkups that caught my eye.

First up is Chris @ Chris Knits Sews who linked up a Disappearing Nine Patch and a Patriotic Duty quilt that is being quilted. She also linked up some test blocks for wedding toppers! Yes, Chris is going to make quilts to adorn the tables at a wedding reception. Isn’t that cool? Let’s give her lots of encouragement because that must seem like an overwhelming task!

Next up is Alice who has returned to WWL with an sparkly tree skirt she is making her daughter. Welcome back Alice!

Next is Frederique @ Quilting Patchwork Applique who linked up a beautiful bird quilt.

Finally, Vasudha @ Storied Quilts linked up a quilt celebrating the Diwali Festival of Lights. Drop by her blog to learn all about this wonderful festival!

Congratulations ladies! Here's an I Was Featured badge for your blogs or to simply print out and wear with pride! Thank you for supporting my blog!

Time to link up!

Now it’s your turn to link up your works in progress and recently completed quilts! Here are some quick reminders about the linky party:

By linking up, you give me permission to grab a photo or two to share here on Wednesday Wait Loss.

This linky is all about encouragement, so please visit a few of the links and leave a comment.

If you’re uploading a photo from your phone/computer, leave a comment below that explains your project. And for the rest of us, please reply to a few of these comments leaving words of encouragement for a quick finish.

Please link back to my post somewhere in your blog post or use @inquiringquilter and #wedwaitloss to tag me in your Instagram/Flickr post.

If you link a photo from Facebook, please mention @InquiringQuilter and my Wednesday Wait Loss.

I’m not sure how to link up!

Need help? Click the Wednesday Wait Loss tab above to get step by step instructions on what to do. You can link up a blog post, a photo from Flickr, Instagram, or Facebook, or a photo direct from your cell phone provided it is low resolution.

If you are linking up from your phone or computer and not a blog post, you may be asked to leave a website address. If that happens, here are a few you can use.

example.com error.com fake.com

Don’t be frustrated! If you can’t get linked up even after reading the instructions on my Wednesday Wait Loss tab, simply send me your images via email and I’ll add them manually.

When is the next giveaway?

I’d like to celebrate the holidays for our next giveaway, so I’m having that special linkup on Wednesday, November 20th. You can link up any quilted project for any Winter holiday—Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, New Years, Winter Solstice, or whatever you like. Not sure what the prize will be, but it’ll be good!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Linking to several fun quilty linky parties.

you might also like

Tell me..what have you been Working on this week?

#WIPs

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megwritesfanfiction · 7 years

Text

The Lies We Told (Beast Boy/Raven , Chapter 3/??)

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. This is a work of fiction that I am not making a profit off of.

Author’s Note: Got about one half to a third of the next chapter done too! Yay caffeine! Seriously, I think caffeine is making me a thousand times more productive!

Past Chapters: Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Chapter Three: Hey Jealousy

“Are you sure?”

Rachel pushed as smile to her lips as she gently squeezed Garth’s thigh in the driver’s seat. “Yea, of course.”

“I feel like I’m being shitty boyfriend.” Garth frowned, tenderly taking her hand and kissing her fingertips. “I’m cutting our vacation short.”

“We’re going to Gar and Terra’s engagement party.” Unfortunately. “It’s not officially a vacation.”

“An engagement party at a bed and breakfast, so it’s kind of like a little vacation.” Garth shrugged satisfied. “A couple nights away, room service, food, drinks, and I think there is even a beach.”

Rachel’s thoughts went to tequila. This weekend wouldn’t be so bad after all. “They’ll understand.”

“I’m honestly not worried about them understanding.” Garth admitted. “I’m more concerned about my girlfriend understanding.”

“Your girlfriend understands.” Rachel nodded. “You’re finishing up a case with the Coast Guard. Duty calls. You can ride back up with Wally, and I can drive your car back with Jinx if you’d like.” The would leave her more time to lay in bed and work out her feelings with some alcohol.

“My girlfriend is too good.” Garth gushed with a goofy grin.

‘Of a liar.’ She couldn’t help but think. Rachel pushed a smile to her face and gave his tangled hand a little squeeze.

Terra had decided that it would be fun, it was the blonde’s word, to host a weekend long engagement party at a bed and breakfast outside the city.

The landscape was a wondrous blend of sea and mountainside. The villa was located over an hour out of Jumpy City, overlooking the coastline. Even though the air held a wintery chill, the plants looked lively around the estate and the beach below looked inviting.

Rachel sighed as they pulled up. The gate leading up to the villa was decorated with a bright white ‘congratulations’ banner written in fancy script surrounded by gold and pink streamers with sparkly balloons fitted on the end. “A bit much for an engagement party.” She muttered as the car slowly parked.

“Hey.” Apparently, it was loud enough for her companion to hear her. “You only get married once, right?” He grinned, planting another kiss to her fingers. “Just wait until it’s our turn.” Garth winked, exiting the car.

The violet eyes were wide with disbelief as she sat in the passenger seat of the black sedan. He was thinking of marriage. Her stomach fluttered sourly. The commitment would certainly help rid any hope of a ‘fairy tale ending’, but the thought made her feel hopeless. She didn’t have time to think about the future.

Rachel had to focus on the right now. She had to focus on getting through this evening.

With a deep breath, she exited the car pushing a smile to her features. Maybe if she kept her face like this long enough, she wouldn’t feel as empty.

Garth stood at the back of the car. Their luggage in one hand and the other stretched out for her to take.

Taking his hand, the pair made their way inside the villa.

“Bout time!” Wally shouted as the pair entered.

“Forgive us for not getting here early.” Garth quipped back blandly, dropping the luggage to the floor. “Are we the last ones here?”

“Yea,” The redhead confirmed. “Vic just got here to be fair. He said that Bee had some things to finish up, and then she would be here tomorrow.”

“Bonfire?” Rachel questioned, hand going to her hip skeptically. “In winter?”

“Technically it’s still fall, but,” Wally continued. “We’ve got this whole place to ourselves which means we have dibs on the beach as well.”

“In thirty degree weather?”

“Fifty-five, actually. And, we’ll have a large fire.” He nodded. “Also, beer. Lots and lots of beer to help warm us through the night.”

“Whatever.” She sighed.

Garth chuckled. “I take it everyone’s already outside then?”

“Yep.”

“We’re gonna drop our stuff upstairs and we right out.”

“Aye, Aye Captain.” Wally saluted before disappearing into the back of the house.

The bonfire was filled with their usual shenanigans.

Victor stationed at the grill, teasing Garfield with meat and threatening to toss his vegetarian options in the sea.

Richard competitively initiating a game of flag football at sunset, only to be shocked with his wife’s team was named victorious.

Wally threatening to throw Jinx into sea. Rachel had to give him credit this time. He actually made good on his promise, and well, surprisingly, lived to tell the tale.

The fire roared, and the friends had settled into their usual round of conversation. Things felt exactly how they’d always been.

She dug her toes into the sand, resting her head against Garth's shoulder. Her fingers wrapped around her beer bottle as her eyes watched the dancing flames.

“I feel like we should do something.” Wally commented, picking up another beer from the cooler.

“We are.” Terra gestured to the bonfire and the people around it. “Drinking, talking, laughing.” She paused. “More drinking.”

“I mean like a game.”

“So Richard can have some more sour grapes.” Victor teased, still feeling the pride of his victory. “Up top Kori!” He raised his hand.

The orange haired woman grinned, slapping her hand to his victorious. “Indeed!”

“Oh, yea still undefeated, baby!”

“Whatever, I’d like to see you defeat me without the help of my wife.”

“And break up the dream team, no thank you, sir.”

“No more team sports.” Wally corrected.

“Drinking games.” Gar nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.

“Beer Pong? Jinx suggested.

Terra laughed, resting her head on her fiance’s shoulder. “Not drunk enough for that yet.” She grinned. “Later.”

“Never have I ever is always good.” Richard suggested.

“I’m sure that was more fun when we were still teenagers.” Rachel insisted, ignoring the affection across from her taking another drink. “I’m pretty sure we’ll all end up drunk.”

“So we all win.” Wally grinned. “Except for Richard cause he’s a boy scout.” The redhead man saluted.

“I think we’re all on an even playing field.” Gar looked around the table. His eyes narrowed, sizing up his competitors, his hand slipped down to Terra’s thigh.

Rachel ignored the heat of the green eyes making their way around the circle. She blamed the flushing on her face on flames, and the nausea of his affections on the beer.

“It’s pretty even.”

Wally sneered playfully. “Noooo, it really isn’t.”

“I don’t even want to know.” Victor decided.

“Me either.” Garth decided quickly.

“Oh you guys have too.” Wally called out.

“What have you done?” Maybe if she played the part of girlfriend, she’d become it. Rachel wrapped her arms around Garth’s, resting her chin to his shoulder. She tilted her head playfully.

“Good question.” Garth agreed, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

“Let’s find out.” Wally insisted, pulling a bottle of whiskey from his bag. “You lie, penalty shot. After each round we all do a shot.”

“Seriously, Fireball?” Jinx frowned remembering her past experience with the whiskey.

“Oh yea, and that’s not all!”

The game began as it always did.

They laughed.

They drinked.

It was as it always was.

But anytime Rachel felt the warmth of normalcy, the flicker of Terra’s engagement ring and bright white bride sash from across the bonfire would catch her eye and the cold reality would set in all over again.

They weren’t just hanging out. They weren’t just getting together and playing a game.

This was an engagement party.

They were celebrating.

That silly piece of jewelry made it unbearable to witness the couple’s affections. That piece of jewelry reminded her why she felt so empty.

She took another swig of her beer feeling her chest tighten.

“I’ll be back.” Her hand gently touched her boyfriend’s shoulder.

Garth pulled himself away from the current conversation. A playful frown crossed his lips. “You okay?”

“Yea,” Rachel lied, putting her bottle in the sand. “I was gonna go dig out the hoodie I packed. It’s a little chilly out here.” Believable enough.

“Alright.” He accepted, kissing her forehead. “Hurry back, so you can take your shot.”

“I will.” Rachel nodded, standing quietly. Seemingly unnoticed, she moved away from the bonfire and walked up the path that led to house.

She slammed the door behind her. Dropping her sneakers to the dark hardwood floor, she slid to the floor.

“I can do this.” Rachel reminded herself.

She’d honestly had years to prepare for this moment.

Rachel could remember when the two reunited as teenagers. Terra was living outside of the world of being a superhero, and Garfield had seemed to have given up them rekindling. So you can imagine the surprise on everyone’s faces when the blonde reached out to him.

“I can handle this.” Violet eyes closed as she reminded herself that she’d been through worse.

She could deal with this disappointment even though she, truthfully, never expected the couple to last. It was terrible for her to admit it, but it was the truth. And it felt worse that their relationship endured and thrived.

“You’ve been through worse.” Rachel whispered, remembering that at she’d, literally, survived going to hell and back. “You can deal with this.” Her eyes closed and all she could see was that engagement ring glimmering in in the light of the campfire.

She couldn’t remember if her jealousy had been this unforgiving before they were engaged.

It was times like this she wished for her old emotionally restrictive life. “I can deal with this.” Rachel decided, giving herself a firm nod. “With alcohol.”

Surely this place had to have an extensive liquor cabinet. At the very least a well stocked wine cellar.

Rachel stood, exiting the kitchen and making her way to the large dining room. Past the formal table, she spotted a sidebar cabinet stocked with liquor.

“Of course.” She cursed, pulling on the locked cabinet door. She stepped back from the cabinet, eying the furniture thoughtfully.

Well, the little pillow in their room said “Our Home is Your Home”, so that applied for the liquor too. Her eyes glowed white with power as the energy fizzled at her fingertips. With a click, the door swung open.

“I forgot you could do that.”

Rachel whipped around to see Garfield standing in the doorway with an amused smirk. “I can do a lot more than that.” She quipped. “Do you also forget you’re green as well?” She played off her embarrassment turning back to the cabinet reaching for a bottle of vodka. It wasn’t tequila, but it would have to do.

Gar chuckled, looking down at his pale hands. “I actually do. I hardly ever take the modifier off anymore. It’s almost like it never happened.”

“I’ll say.”

He took another step into the dining room. “I noticed you’ve been gone awhile. Are you alright?”

“Peachy.” She answered refusing to look at him or to acknowledge the warmth spreading on her face. Rachel focused on unscrewing the cap. “I got tired of drinking beer. Needed a little quiet.” And watching the public displays him and his new fiancée, but he really didn’t need to know that part.

“So you went searching for,” Gar walked over to her, inspecting the label on the bottle. “Vodka? Hm, I thought you’d be more of a wine girl. Red specifically.”

“Occasionally.” She corrected, taking a swig.

“Really?” He seemed genuinely amused.

“But this will do nicely.”

“Want some company?”

She shook her head. She didn’t need to sulk with the object of her affection. “I’m good, I’d hate for you to miss your party.”

He shrugged. “They’re already two steps from wasted. When you left they using the Fireball instead of the beer. We have a lot of kinky friends, let me tell you.”

She laughed taking another swig.

“I think they’re playing beer pong now with Jager penalty shots.”

“Beer pong?” She asked, wrinkling her nose. They were getting too old for that shit. “How’s that going to work with all that sand?”

“I, honestly, didn’t want to know. I think that’s the point of the Jager penalty shots.” Gar admitted. “And, I think they are too drunk to care.”

“Why aren’t you drunk?”

“My metabolism is still off the charts even though I can’t remember the last time I shifted.” He smirked. “And I avoided the Fireball.”

Rachel nodded with a small laugh.

“Why aren’t you drunk?”

She took another swig of vodka. “Half demon, remember? I’m a little buzzed. My alcohol tolerance with quite high.” Unfortunately. She sighed. “You don’t have to stay with me. I’m in good company.” She motioned to the bottle of vodka.

Gar chuckled. “And leave me to babysit them outside?” He took a seat on the rug next to her.

“It is your party after all.”

“So,” He took the bottle of vodka from her hand, taking swallow. “I’ll do as I please.”

#teen titans #teen titans fanfiction #beast boy #raven #bbrae #beast boy and raven

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lazymilkshakecolor · 7 years

Text

Cloak or jacket?

Summary:How Naruto told Sarada that she achieved her dream of being hokage.

A hawk was pecking on her window,she would of ignored it if it wasn’t wearing an orange ribbon, which signifies that it is from the hokage himself.

‘Seriously, what does he want at 1 a.m.’ Sarada thought as got up from bed and headed to the hokage tower.

On her way there she was thinking about Naruto’s behaviour these last few days.

‘He keeps his hokage hat on all day,he’s been having a lot of meetings with the elders, he challenged to a fight a few days before,and he’s actually doing his paperwork fast without Mister Shikamaru nagging him,and Boruto did mention that uncle has stopped refiling the stock of ramen cups in his office, maybe he’s listening to mama’s advice and cutting back a little,’

Sarada chuckled knowing that that will never happen before knocking on the hohage’s door,she opened it to see him sitting on his chair,his hat on his head , and a small stack of paperwork in front of him.

‘‘Sorry for waking you up at this time Sarada but it’s very important.’’

Naruto had a serious look on his face, which is weird since he looked very happy this week.

‘Shit, this might be very dangerous, it might be a dangerous enemy, but he wouldn’t send me alone to face someone dangerous, not because he didn’t trust in my abilities but because he believed that in teamwork everything is resolved faster and safer, then it must be something political, I am the ambassador of konoha after all,and it’s gotta be very important meeting if it’s in the middle of the night, likely with the ambassadors of the other hidden villages.’ Sarada ‘s thoughts were interrupthed with Naruto’s voice.

‘‘Sarada.’‘ he said with a stern voice.

‘‘Yes sir.’‘

He took a deep breath as if getting ready to reveal a big secret.

‘‘Do you prefer a jacket or a cape?’‘ he said bluntly, stern look still on his face.

‘‘WHAT?!’‘ Sarada questioned with wide eyes.

Sarada left brow twitched when the hokage started laughing.

‘‘You should have seen your face Sara-chan.’‘ he said as he leaned over his desk.

‘And this is the strongest shinobi in the world .’ Sarada thought, but she could feel her lips twitching upward in a smile at his childish behavior.

When he calmed down he grinned and said:’‘I think you’ll look more badass in a jacket, maybe a black one,it suits you better, don’t you think?’‘ he said with a raised eyebrow.

‘‘Yeah it does,but i don’t need a jacket, the girl on fire isn’t going to get cold uncle.’‘

‘‘Oh yeah,the jacket of the Phoenix of the leaf should be fire proof.’’he said as he scribbled it down on a piece of paper.

‘‘Well Id love a fire proof jacket, maybe with sparkly fire designs so it will go great with my fire proof sparkly boots.’‘ She deadpanned.

‘So he woke me up in the middle of the night to talk about jackets,i would’ve expected Chou-Chou or Hima, but not the Hokage himself.

‘‘Very funny Sarada,so black fire proof jacket with some traditional fire designes on the edges, you agree?’‘

The young women just glared at him,a glare that would have intimidated the bravest of men , but his smile only grew wider.

‘‘You’re kinda mean at night time, you know that?’‘

‘‘Yeah that tends to happen when I’m woken up after an S class mission to discuss fashion, sir.’‘ she said, lips turned slightly down in a frown.

‘‘Well, i bet on every ramen stand in the village that i can turn that frown into a wide smile in one phrase Sara-chan.’‘

‘‘I doubt that sir.’‘ she said eyebrow quirking up at the challenge.

‘‘Well then.’‘he said as he scribbled on his paper and then handed it to Sarada.

Sarada noticed that his hand was shaking as he handed her the paper, but the kind of shaking that signifies excitement not fear or anxiety.

‘‘Hmm’’ Sarada hummed as she read the paper which said:

Konoha fabrics product order:

-Jacket:-black

-Fire proof

-traditional flames on the edges (This is a special request of Tatsuo who will know what that means.)

‘Hm isn’t Tatsuo the grandson of that lady that used to make the hokages cloaks ‘Sarada thought before she continued reading.

-Written at the back in bold red letters ‘‘ Hashidaime.’‘

Sarada looked back and forth between Naruto and the paper, mouth agape, until the paper dropped from her hands.

‘‘Please, please tell me you’re not playing some cruel joke.’‘She said while running her fingers through her hair and while taking deep breaths .

‘‘I wouldn’t dare ,you’d punch from here to Kumo.’‘ he said as got up and stood between her and his desk.

‘‘You mean i actually did it?! I’m gonna be hokage!’‘Sarada said as she jumped up and down , a wide smile on her face.

‘‘I told i can get rid of miss cranky and sleepy.’‘

‘‘I gotta go tell Boruto,oh no he’s on mission i gotta tell my parents,i gotta tell sensei and and--’‘

Sarada finaly ran out of breath, the combination of jumping and excitment and talking ran her out,but her smile was still as wide as it was when she moved forward and threw her arms around Naruto.

‘‘Thank you, thank for training me , for making me your apprentice and for picking me.’‘

‘‘Hey! i should be the one thanking you Dattebayo!’‘

Sarada laughed as she moved away and wiped her tears,she looked at him and started laughing again.

‘‘What?’‘

‘‘That’s why you wouldn’t take off your hat.’‘

‘‘Of course not,i have to say goodbye to my darling before you take her from me.’‘

Sarada chuckled, she normally wasn’t a giggly person, but this,this is something she fought for since she was 12,her inspiration to attain this position only grew when she knew about her clan,and she just couldn’t believe that she got here.

‘‘But why me?’‘ she asked.

‘‘Huh?’‘

‘‘You could have picked Boruto or Konohamaru sensei, but why me?’‘

Naruto grinned and patted her head.

‘‘Cause Sarada, over the years I’ve seen you fight many battles , both mentally and physically and through those battles I’ve seen that you’re will of fire will never fade,and i didn’t make you the leaf ambassador for nothing, it was to see you’re political skills, that both Boruto and Konohamaru don’t have and besides a Hokage must have the desire to connect with as much people as she can and wasn’t that your original reason for wanting this position Sara-chan?’‘

‘’yeah.’‘

‘‘Now , know why I got you here at night?’‘

‘‘Actually no, why?’‘

‘‘So that you’ll go and wake Sasuke, he’s getting pretty lazy these days.’‘

‘‘Give him a break, Saboro won’t let him rest, he always wants to train.’‘

‘‘Yeah he’s getting old.’‘

‘‘You’re the same age uncle.’‘ she said with a a cocky grin.

‘‘You know i can still change my mind on the hokage thing.’‘

‘‘And I’m going, bye!’‘ she said as she ran at top speed from the window,Naruto followed her fading back as she got closer to her parents house, he then looked at his fathers face on the mountain.

‘‘My duty as hokage to this village is over now,and I am sure i made the right choice for my successor and that the village will continue to prosper under her rule.’‘

After a few minutes of starring at the hokage faces he sighted.

‘‘Sarada’s right, I am getting old.’‘

A knock resounded on the door ,Naruto was surprised to find out that it was his son.

‘‘Hey dad i finished the mission early, what’s this?’‘ he picked the paper off the ground and read it.

‘‘Sarada?’‘

‘‘Yeah.’‘

‘‘You tell her yet?’‘

‘‘Yeah i just did, i wish you were here, she was ecstatic.’‘

A smile made it’s way to Boruto’s lips.

‘‘You know Boro,you should pop that ring tomorrow .’‘

‘‘I was planing on doing it this week that’s why i visited uncle Sasuke yesterday.’‘

‘‘Well i should probably go sleep,big day tomorrow,oh and dad nice choice on the black jacket,she looks more badass in black.’‘ he said as he closed the door to his fathers office.

‘‘Heh, and Sasuke says I have a terrible fashion sense,i just picked his daughters hokage jacket,and orange is always in Dattebayo!’‘

Loud banging was heard on the door of the Uchiha household,the Uchiha couple sensed it was their daughter that’s why they rushed down stairs and opened the door to a smiling Sarada.

‘‘Sarada what’s wrong?’‘ Sakura asked as she pulled Sarada inside.

‘‘Nee-san you okay?’‘ said the brown haired Uchiha boy, his sharingan activated checking for threats.

‘‘I’m fine, I’m great.’‘

‘‘Then why did you wake us at 3a.m?’‘ asked a grumpy Sasuke.

‘‘Well, i was discussing jacket details with the hokage,it’s going to be black and fireproof.’‘

There was a momnet of silence until Sakura broke it, a hopeful expression on her face.

‘‘Sarada you mean your dream jacket?’‘

It wasn’t that hard to guess after the details she just gave and the wide smile on her face.

Sarada nodded and she was immediately squashed against her mother.

‘‘Honey i knew you could do it.’‘

‘‘Do what? tell us already!’‘ said Saboro, while Sasuke was standing beside him finally catching up after getting rid of his sleepiness.

‘’Sarada.’’he didn’t say any other thing his eyes said it all for him, happiness,pride,hope.

‘’Okay someone tell me what is going on here!’’Saboro shouted .

‘‘I’m going to become hachidaime,I did it! I did it! Shanaroo!’‘

‘‘My daughters going to become hokage shanaroo!.’‘

‘‘Hn’‘

‘‘My sisters hokage, i’m going to be the coolest kid in the village!’‘

‘‘We should go and celebrate!’‘ Sakura said.

‘‘But it’s 3 in the morning Sak.’‘

‘’So? my Sasa achieved her dream we will wait until the stores open.

‘‘Mama! You can’t call a hokage that!’‘

‘‘Sak we will celebrate tomorrow.’‘

‘‘No, shanaroo!’‘

‘‘I want cake!’‘

‘‘Stop it guys that’s an order from the hokage!’‘

#sarada uchiha #sasusaku #borusara #naruto #hokage

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meirin88 · 4 years

Text

Birthday Special Scenario Kagurazaka Soshi 7.17.18

Important Note: This is a fic I've written for @/tsukino-project blog using my old account @/sukinamonodesu. I'm reuploading my old works here under the tag #my fic.

Originally uploaded on 7.17.18.

Ren: T - t - that’s – *speechless*

Soshi: *smirk* Oh, was it too much for Ren-kyun~? (bending down so his face is close to Ren’s all the while smiling seductively)

Ren: *blush and faints*

Nozomu: (catches Ren) Soshi-paisen!!

Nozomu: *sparkly eyes* You’re so cool!!

Nozomu: How did you do it? Tell me! Tell me!

Soshi: It’s a secret, Nozomu~

Soshi: Maybe SORA could teach you how when it’s his turn.

Sora: *stiffen* Uh –

Morihito: It’s okay, Sora. You just have to be yourself when the time comes. *wry smile*

Sora: Mo - Mori – *sobs*

Soshi: Yeah, Sora. You just have to be your loud, clumsy self.

Sora: Guh – Mo – ri – *wail*

Morihito: Now. Now. You had your fun, Soshi.

Morihito: That should be enough, right? *bitter smile*

Soshi: Yeah~

💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫

Morihito: Ren, are you okay?

Ren: I - I’m fine, Morihito-senpai…

Ren: I’m kind of grateful my birthday came first… *relieved sigh*

Sora: That’s right, Ren. Be grateful. *sarcastic*

Ren: So - Sora-senpai? *confused*

Morihito: He’s still worrying about what he’ll do on his birthday… *wry smile*

Ren: I - I see…

Soshi: …

Soshi: I’m still waiting for my cake and gifts, you know.

Nozomu: Oh! I almost forgot! (runs to his room to get his present)

Ren: *blush* I - I’ll get mine too.

Morihito: I’ll go get mine then.

Sora: … *mope*

Soshi: Oh~ You’re not going to get your gift for me?

Sora: I’m not! (sticks his tongue out at Soshi)

Soshi: My~ You’re getting defiant now, aren’t you? (walks closer to Sora)

Sora: – !! Mo – ri –

Soshi: Mori’s not here.

Soshi: So –

Sora: I - I’ll go get it!! I’ll get it now!! (rushes to his room)

💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫

Nozomu: Here’s my gift for you, Soshi-paisen!

Nozomu: Along with my declaration of a challenge!

Nozomu: Nanase Nozomu. The future charismatic bassist of SOARA definitely won’t lose!

Nozomu: I’ll make sure to blow away Soshi-paisen’s coolness with my overwhelming charisma!

Soshi: Oh~ Then I’ll wait for it.

Ren: Soshi-senpai, happy birthday!

Soshi: You’re still as formal as ever, Ren.

Soshi: How about calling me ‘Sou-nii’?

Ren: *blush* I - I’m too old for that now.

Morihito: Happy birthday, Soshi.

Soshi: Thanks, Mori.

Soshi: *stare at Sora*

Soshi: So – where’s my gift?

Sora: … *gulp*

Sora: *reluctant* H - here –

Sora: – Nozomu!!

Nozomu: Here!

Sora: Catch! (throws his gift high up in the air)

Nozomu: Got it!

Soshi: (intercept the gift midair)

Sora: – !!

Nozomu: Ah!

Soshi: *smirk*

Soshi: Maybe you could try to challenge me after you grew a little more. (mockingly pats Sora’s head)

Sora: – !! S - Stupid Soshi!! *sulk*

Morihito: (trying to stop Soshi’s hand) You’ve got all the presents now. *wry smile*

Ren: T - then let’s get the cake out.

Nozomu: Cake! Cake!

💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫

Soshi: … (staring at the cake in his hand)

Soshi: This is a cake, huh?

Ren: I - it should still be edible – I think… *sweatdrops*

Soshi: Hmm…

Nozomu: Have more confidence, Ren!

Nozomu: We’re the ones who made it after all. *brimming with pride*

Soshi: I see.

Soshi: So I’m guessing – Mori and Ren made the sponge cake while Sora and Nozomu the decorations, right?

Morihito: It’s that easy to tell, huh? *wry smile*

Soshi: Yeah…

Soshi: It would only be those two who will suck this much at decorating a cake. *smirk*

Nozomu: Eh~ But I thought it turn out good too. *disbelief*

Nozomu: Right, Sora? It’s actually good, right?

Sora: – !!

Soshi: Ho - oh… *smirk*

Soshi: Don’t tell me you couldn’t even say that it looks good?

Sora: I - I totally can!

Sora: I - it’s – not that – bad…

Sora: *flustered* A - anyway, here’s the candle. (roughly insert the candle in the cake)

Sora: Make a wish already!

Soshi: *smirk* Fine. Fine.

Soshi: (blows the candle)

SOARA (except Soshi): Happy Birthday!! (pops confetti)

Soshi: Thank you. I’m grateful for all the presents and the cake. Even if it turned out this way.

Soshi: But just buy one next time.

Morihito: I’ll keep that in mind. *wry smile*

Soshi: I’ll hold you to that, then.

Ren: Soshi-senpai.

Nozomu: Let’s eat! Let’s eat!

Sora: Come on, you two!

Soshi: Got it!

Morihito: *laughs*

(Thus their simple celebration started with a slice of a weird-looking cake.)

*Here’s the image of Soshi’s CAKE.

#my fic #tsukipro #soara #kagurazaka soushi

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suzyturnerbooks · 5 years

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It’s that time again. Time for the Fab40s to strut their stuff and style an outfit with one general theme. And this month we’re very proud to be supporting Gay Pride month. When Shelbee first gave us this month’s theme, I thought. Hm… gay pride? Then I thought, why rainbows, of course! That should be easy. But I was wrong. I popped to the shops to see if I could find anything rainbow inspired but there was hardly anything on offer, apart from a couple of t-shirts that looked awful on me. And then I had a bit of an epiphany. My rainbow-coloured sarong…

Rainbow coloured sarong

I bought it from a shop in Praia da Rocha (a hub for tourists, especially in the summer) a couple of years ago. It usually only gets worn over my bikini but it seemed like the perfect choice for gay pride month. I must admit that I did check out at a few videos on Youtube to see different ways of styling sarongs but wasn’t over keen on their ideas. Then I found a Cosmo video which offered much the same thing, except for one particular style which I tweaked a bit until it felt right. And this is what I ended up with:

I have to say, I was so delighted with the way it looked that I’ll probably be wearing all my sarongs and scarves this way from now on lol! You’ll be sick of seeing them by the end of the summer 😉

As for the rest of my gay pride outfit, I knew I wanted something sparkly or with sequins, which is why I chose my colourful gold Vans. I removed the laces because they are a bit too rigid with them in. Occasionally I wear them with ribbon laces, but for this instance I liked the simplicity of them as they are.

Initially, I tried the sarong with my khaki denim culottes – I liked it but hubby suggested I try white instead. Usually when he suggests something, I roll my eyes (LOL) but on this occasion he was right! The white skinny jeans really lightened up the outfit, making it even more perfect for the summer.

Accessories

As for accessories, the more colour the better! Which is precisely why I did rainbow coloured nail varnish too lol. Unfortunately I’m limited on colours (no green or yellow) but the effect is the same. I’ve worn these earrings lots of times – I do actually own three pairs in different colours but these were the best for the outfit considering they’re multi-coloured. The two gold rings and watch were gifts from mother-in-law, and I bought the bracelet years ago, not sure where from. And if you’re a regular reader, you’ll know my clutch is from Massimo Dutti because I use it all the time!

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Support for gay pride

I’m so delighted to be supporting such a wonderful theme this month. I’m a huge supporter of the LGBT community and truly believe that we should all be able to love whomever we want to love, regardless of sex. I just wish that everybody else felt the same way as I do. Which is precisely why I’m wearing my rainbow outfit in support of all LGBT folk out there!

Now let’s see what the rest of the gals are wearing for this fabulous theme…

Shelbee on the Edge

I think Shelbee’s theme is absolutely magical in so many ways and I adore her outfit. She found the most perfect pair of tights to celebrate this awesome cause and she looks utterly fabulous! I must say I adore this colour on her ❤ Jacket and Dress: Thrifted Tights; Sock Dreams Shoes: Aerosoles Belt, Necklace, and Earrings: Old

Sheela Goh

As always. Sheela has totally nailed the theme this month. Her inspiration is the uber fabulous kookie designer Hester Sunshine (from the recent Project Runway) and she looks INCREDIBLE! Isn’t this pic simply amazing? I adore the backdrop too. LOVE! Outfit: Everything c/o Forever 21.

Jennie, a Pocketful of Polka Dots

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Jennie is pure fun, not to mention drop dead gorgeous (!), in her cut-off denim shorts and rainbow hoodie. I love the red tank top with the red converse too. And those heart-shaped sunglasses are the best. Jennie looks super cool! Cropped Sweatshirt – c/o Shein Tank – Worthington DIY Cutoffs – Levis Earrings – Charming Charlie Shoes – Converse All Stars Sunnies – Vans

Daenel, Living Outside the Stacks

Sadly, Daenel is unable to join us this month but I highly recommend you check out her blog to see her awesome content! Daenel is simply amazing ❤

via GIPHY

WHERE I LINK UP

Fake Fabulous

Ageless Style

Not Dressed as Lamb

Shelbee on the Edge

Style Splash

Living on Cloud Nine

A Pocketful of Polka Dots

Nancy’s Fashion Style

Chic & Stylish (Mumma B Stylish)

Elegantly Dressed & Stylish

Top of the World

Elegance & Mommyhood

Confident Twosday

The Fab40s: showing our support by Gay Pride month It's that time again. Time for the Fab40s to strut their stuff and style an outfit with one general theme.

#Fab40s #Gay pride month #gay pride outfit

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ladylaurette · 7 years

Text

30 goals all women should achieve by age 30 by Love, Haley

30 goals all women should achieve by age 30As you can probably tell from my photograph, I am not quite thirty. In fact, so long as I'm being honest, I am not even a legal adult just yet (I turn 18 in July). I am, however, old enough to know what kind of woman I'd like to be by the prime age of thirty: self-assured, capable, and successful. My hopeful guess is that many other girls my age, and even most twenty-something women, want the same things as me. What follows is a list of basic goals I'm striving to achieve by age 30 - ones I think you should strive for, too. 1. Pay off your student loans. This is probably wishful thinking on my part, but unless you've been in graduate, medical, or law school, or recently gone back for a new degree, thirty seems late to be making those last few payments. Pay your loans off as early as possible so you can avoid nasty interest rates and evade debt later. 2. Think long and hard about marriage - but ignore others' expectations. By thirty, most single women are probably feeling the pressure from family, friends, and society: "When are you going to get married?" "When will I have grandchildren?" But before she answers anyone else's questions, you should know the answer yourself: Do you really want to get married? It might be my inner child of divorced parents talking, but marriage definitely isn't for everyone. Likewise, you are no less "feminist" or "progressive" for wanting a traditional family. There's no better time than your twenties to decide if marriage just isn't your thing, or if you're looking to put a ring on it. 3. Refer to your vagina by name. In other words, boycott the words "down there." At thirty, you are a grown-ass woman. Shyly pointing to your pelvis won't help the doctor figure out what your problem is. Just spit it out already: IT'S A VAGINA! 4. Know what you can and can't wear to work. Here's what I learned while conducting research for my interview in the Governor's Office: corporate careers, like law, government, and finance, generally require suits or pencil skirts with low hemlines and muted colors, while "business casual" allows for cardigans instead of blazers, bare legs (but still no hems above the knee), and brighter colors. Also, as a general rule, never wear anything so short, small, or sparkly your grandma wouldn't approve of it. 5. Understand your skin type. Last summer, when I got my first facial from Ulta, I basically learned that everything I'd thought about my skin was wrong. To which I basically said "Ok, cool." No woman should have to learn that lesson beyond the age of thirty. If you're rounding the bend and still can't manage your skin woes, have your skin mapped by a dermatologist or cosmetologist. Skin mapping gives you a visual of where your skin is oily and dry, and even helps you target the source of your breakouts (mine are hormonal, in case you were wondering). 6. Quit dieting. When I first learned about intuitive eating, I was a 16-year-old girl struggling to overcome a severely damaged relationship with food and some borderline anorexic habits. In case you haven't heard of it, intuitive eating is - quite simply - eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full. Deciding to combat the cycle of yo-yo dieting - i.e. lose weight, gain it back, rinse, repeat - and to instead trust my body's natural instincts was quite possibly the most important decision I ever made. Yes, I still eat way too much Annie's mac 'n' cheese, and I definitely still binge on ice cream when I'm PMSing (sometimes I even feel guilty about it), but now that no food is "off-limits" to me, I've also learned what it feels like to crave healthy foods like veggie sticks and oatmeal....weird, right? 7. Practice self-care. It's a lesson all women need to learn: taking care of yourself isn't selfish. It makes you a more complete person, because you are able to address your most basically needs that might not be met. For example, are you sleeping enough? Are you drinking enough water? Are you eating three meals a day? Start with these basics before moving on to more complex needs, such as feeling safe, comfortable, important, and loved. 8. See a therapist. I have a friend who - much like Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow - swears that everyone should try therapy, and I have to agree. You don't need to be mentally ill to benefit from therapy. While I haven't been to therapy since childhood, I fully plan on going again before I get married, because I know there are issues related to my parents' divorce that I need to work through before I can have a truly healthy relationship. You don't have to like it once you try it, but you do have to realize that some problems are simply too big for you to solve on your own - and if therapy's too expensive for you, know that there are plenty of free mental health resources that anyone can take advantage of. 9. Learn how and when to say no - and then actually do it. "No" is in every woman's vocabulary - for example, when my conservative friend asks if I'll be voting Republican in the next election. But how often do we say no to our friends, who want to go out drinking for the third time this week when all we want to do is watch Netflix in pajamas? Or to our bosses, who want us to finish four critical projects by the end of next week and still have the nerve to ask if we'd be willing to take on a fifth? We women feel responsible for taking care of everything and everyone; it's our natural, biological instinct to put on everyone else's oxygen mask before tending to our own. But know this: it is not your job to protect everyone else's feelings from being hurt. Once you turn thirty, it's about time you put on your own damn mask first - before it really does become a life or death situation. 10. Find a cause you care about. By thirty, you've finally pushed past the grueling years of school-stipulated community service in high school and college. Thus, in adulthood, volunteering is more rewarding than ever because it is, finally, 100% voluntary. So, take it upon yourself to explore the causes you're passionate about. Once you've found that cause - whether it's lobbying for cruelty-free cosmetics or building houses with Habitat for Humanity - stick with it for a lifetime of fulfillment. 11. Start speaking candidly about sex. The most perfect time to start being honest about your wants and needs during sex is the first time you have it. Nevertheless, being straightforward is difficult for most normal, caring human beings (and if it's not hard for you, then kudos for being more badass but no less loving than the rest of us). After all, you don't want to be needy. You don't want your complaints to interfere with your partner's pleasure. You don't want to "kill the mood" - although suffering through discomfort and even pain just to save a little awkwardness pretty much does the trick in that category. But trust me, sex is better for everyone involved when both people are honest about their feelings. Don't just speak up - don't be afraid to ask your partner how he or she or xe is doing, too. 12. Save for retirement. You are given a 401K for a reason. It's your responsibility to use it. And, in case you were wondering - which I know I have been, considering I'm only 17 - your 401K is a workplace savings plan that allows you to invest part of your paycheck for retirement, without subjecting it to taxes. Also important to know: the recommended savings rate is about 10% of your income, meaning anything above that is stellar. (Another finance lesson I learned today: the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Who knew, right?!) 13. Take a multivitamin.... Which reminds me, I haven't taken mine yet today. BRB. 14. Accept all compliments without qualifying them. Stop saying "Thanks, but..." whenever someone tells you how pretty or smart you are. You're a gorgeous, badass genius. Please recognize yourself as such. 15. Say "I love you" as often as possible. Simply put, you never know when it might be the last time. Call your parents to say it, and especially your grandparents, if you're lucky enough to have them. 16. Wear less makeup, less often. #iwokeuplikethis shouldn't be specially reserved for celebrities who have paid for thousands of dollars in plastic surgery and skin-care treatments. All women should feel comfortable enough in their own skin not only to post a makeup-free selfie, but also to walk around unencumbered by greasy foundation and clumps of mascara hanging in their eyes in their day-to-day lives. If applying professional-quality makeup every day is your jam, you do you. But don't let society's unreasonable standards make you feel obliged to cake on the blush when you're really not feeling it. 17. Go to the doctor. And the dentist. And the gynecologist. Especially the gyn. The fact that your mom stopped making appointments for you is no excuse to stop going. In general, women need a check-up and a full pelvic exam (that includes a Pap smear) every year, and a dentist appointment every six months. And, on that note, my first visit to the gynecologist is about six years overdue.... 18. Accept your clothing size. Accept that it does not define you, ever. So the size five jeans didn't fit, after all...a word of advice in this situation: "fat" is just a meaningless adjective, not a feeling. Don't try and force them to fit - or worse, starve yourself to squeeze into them. Your size is merely a number that has nothing to do with your self-worth, so don't belittle yourself for going up a size (or over-pride yourself on going down). Your booty will look much better in some comfy size sevens, anyways. 19. Find a workout that doesn't suck. Admittedly, the level of a workout's suckiness is relative. Personally, I hate running, but some people swear it is the be-all end-all and that you haven't truly lived until you've run your first marathon. (Me, on the other hand? I'm more of a "lift weights and kick shit" kind of girl.) However, the important thing isn't how you work out. All that matters is that you do. So, in the wise words of Nike, just do it. 20. Have a will. Where there's a will, there's a way...to provide for your death. Not the most optimistic sentiment, but still important, and still completely necessary - especially if you have already started a family by then. 21. Know how to defend yourself. In my opinion, self-defense classes, along with rape prevention classes, should be mandatory parts of college orientation for both genders. Many colleges do offer the opportunity to take classes like this, and I fully encourage women in particular to take advantage of them. I know I will. But in case you missed your shot in college, know that it is never too late to learn how to defend yourself. At the very least, applying to carry pepper spray - that's right, there's an application now (or in the state of Massachusetts there is) - will offer some extra protection. 22. Vote. Too many elections are swayed not by those who actually vote, but by the vast number of Americans who don't. I've said it once and I'll say it again: you are a grown-ass woman. You can handle watching a debate or two and checking off a box at the polls. Just long as it's not next to the word Trump. 23. Travel alone. Learning to live alone is one of those valuable life lessons learned in college that most adults wouldn't trade for anything. Even more rewarding - or so I hear - is the experience of traveling by oneself. Planning, budgeting, and executing a trip all on your own is a lot of hard work - but it's an important step toward becoming a self-sufficient adult in an unforgiving world. (And, as a sardonic side note, traveling alone as a woman may also be the perfect chance to test out some of your new self-defense skills.) 24. Own a planner - and actually use it. My planner rules my life. The days I forget it at home are days that most people should probably avoid me. While not everyone needs to be as obsessed with their planner as I am, I think every woman would benefit from getting in the habit of writing down assignments (whether at work or school), important appointments, birthdays, etc....especially if it's in a cute Lilly Pulitzer or Kate Spade agenda. 25. Pay attention to the news. Daily. Unless you need to avoid triggering material due to a mental illness like depression, it is absolutely essential to know what's going on in the world at all times. Political affairs can change in the blink of an eye, and you don't want to be the only one at work who doesn't know about the big financial crisis overseas or the latest terrorist attack. I subscribe to theSkimm to get my news in one convenient daily dose. It's delivered straight to my inbox five days a week, it's easy reading, and - best of all - it's completely free. 26. Follow up when networking. I met an amazing professional from the State Street Corporation in Boston at a Girl Scout event this November - and what did I forget to do? The most crucial step of networking of course: I forgot to follow up! (Of course, the irony of the whole situation is that one of the topics of the company's presentation was networking. But that's a story for another time.) By the time I finally got around to building a LinkedIn profile, it seemed awkward for me to try to get in touch. So I still haven't. And now I've learned my lesson. Hopefully you, too, will learn yours before age thirty. 27. Identify your priorities - and edit your life accordingly. "Edit your life" seems like such an obnoxious Hollywood phrase, so I'll explain in layman's terms: if you are twenty-two years old and still taking the piano lessons your parents made you start when you were five, even though you really hate them, my only question to you is: why? 28. Try journaling. I've kept a journal since I was eight years old, and not only has it helped me preserve my memories, but it has also trained me to better write and communicate, and to express my emotions in a safe, constructive way. Knowing that I can reach for my journal whenever I'm sad, mad, or scared is an enormous comfort to me - one that I think every woman should experience by age thirty. 29. Put your phone away when you're with friends. Unfortunately, I come from the generation where "hanging out" means sitting next to friends while scrolling through your individual Pinterest feeds. Fortunately, all it takes to change that is a little bit of will power...good thing I have 12.5 years to master that one! 30. Set reasonable goals. I learned from Girl Scouts that if there's anything all goals should be, it's SMART: in other words, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Saying "I will become a U.S. Senator" probably isn't realistic for a twenty-year-old soon-to-be college graduate - but saying "I will apply to intern with my state Senator by the start of second semester" is. That isn't to say we shouldn't dream big - but in the wise words of Drake, who "started at the bottom/now he here," the path to success starts small and gradually grows over time. Nobody learns to run before they learn to walk - except maybe Amy Poehler. She's so fabulous; I'm pretty sure she ran first.

#lovehaley

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