#between that and the PHD my stress is going so much better

[merakiui]

keep thinking how can differ dicks between species in twst boys…idk if it is scary or exciting to let IT be put into someone;)

It's beyond terrifying. T_T whether human or mer, the twins have massive monstercocks and I will die on this hill. OTL they are absolutely packing in human form. Those dicks are going to break you and ruin you and make you so stupid and cum-drunk; and now no other dick will satisfy quite like the tweels' can. Their dicks are so big you'd think they were made specifically to breed!!!! You can never try topping either of them (although they're certainly willing to let you try) because not even a minute into sex and you're already losing your mind. With their mer forms, I imagine they can either have two (for oviposition routes) or one really big, inhuman, prehensile monster of a cock and it drives you so crazy and !!!!!!! The delusions are interchangeable.

AND AZUL. I have a PhD in Azul cock. (˘ ˘ ˘) I could talk about the potential all day because he has the tako hectocotylus that can fill you in more ways than one (spatially and biologically). It's even better if he's fucking you in mer form and he doesn't tell you he's putting his dick in, so you're either getting stuffed full or it's just one of his tentacles. It's like Russian roulette but for sex and breeding. Will he knock you up today, or are you safe? >:) better let him climax quick if you're so desperate to find out.

It goes without saying Malleus is the king of monstercock!!!! He has two of them. <3 it's even better because you could fall apart on one or both of them and Malleus will later worry about whether or not you enjoyed yourself. He goes to Lilia like: "do you think my friend enjoyed our copulation? I worry I may not have been adequate enough." 🥺👉👈 firstly, Malleus, you and darling are lovers at this point!!! <3 and secondly, you were more than adequate. He is immaculate and so good with aftercare as well. But before you can get to the gentle aftercare, you have to be destroyed by the monstercock first.

With Lilia, I imagine he can change his dick size using magic. He's so silly and spontaneous in that way. One minute he's average-sized and the next he's filling you all the way up to your stomach as if he's trying to rearrange your guts. T_T and he's always giggling and cooing at you like, "Aww, can't take more than this? Was it not you who told me you wanted it deeper?" >:( troublesome!!! You want it deeper and he wants to parent another child. orz

As for Sebek, since he's part fae, I imagine he just has a big dick, too. I think he fucks you without realizing just how big he is and then he's smug seeing your tummy bulge and the way you look so blissed out because a human who can't take something like this is obviously subpar! (No, Sebek, you're just big and also you just gave darling the best fuck of their life. T_T)

Savanaclaw has dicks befitting their beastfolk nature. Leona with his barbed cock....... it will hurt, but maybe you like the pain hehe. And Jack with his absurdly big dick and knot!!!!!! But he's so sweet about it, and he's surprisingly good at "just the tip" when he knows you can only take so much. He doesn't want to stress you out or hurt you, and he's very patient and gentle and loving. Ruggie has a smaller cock, but he knows how to utilize other assets (hands and mouth and words) to get you worked up. But then it's in his nature to be submissive during sex and it's really so cute even though he hisses at you to call him something other than that. T_T at least call him cute when he's not babbling nonsense and filth because he's so lost in the sensations.

[paintingwhiteceilings]

Can you do Male Reader X EXO?

So, its basically when either Male reader or an EXO member is struggling with his homework.

❃EXO and helping with your school/uni work ❃

A/N: Heyyy, I am so sorry this took as long as it did. I had to take some time off of posting on Tumblr as I am about to start my graduation process for my RMA. In a way, it was super cathartic to write this prompt so it became a bit of a mix between school and uni work, I hope you don't mind :')

Regarding male x-readers: I try to keep my prompt as gender-neutral as possible, mostly so anyone can insert themselves regardless of whether they identify as male, female, non-binary, etc. However, I am totally open to doing any LGBTQIA+-specific prompts, so feel free to do so!

Xiumin/Minseok:

✾ Considering this man is rumoured to have a PhD (although not specified in what), you would think that he would be an amazing person to have around when you are struggling through your homework/coursework. However, being smart doesn’t always equate to being able to offer understandable explanations.

✾ His brain skips so many steps when he is tackling a problem or working on an essay. He knows why something is right or wrong, but he can’t really explain how he got to his answers. It comes so naturally to him that he struggles to dissect his thought processes and convey them to someone else.

✾ Ultimately, he will convince you to email your teacher/professor; they can explain it much better than he can, anyway. After having corresponded so often with professors during his own studies, he is more than capable of helping you with formulating your email in such a way that they would agree to help you out.

✾ Still, after having studied as much as he has, he understands the struggle of keeping up with homework/coursework. Considering he got his degrees whilst being an idol, he is incredible at planning his work efficiently. Thus, he instead offers to help you with creating a schedule, giving you a more healthy work-life balance.

Suho/Junmyeon:

✾ Well, considering that he has an MA in Cultural Management and talked at Stanford (plus it has been proven time and time again that Suho is incredibly intelligent), he is one of the best members to go to if you ever struggle with your homework/coursework. He strikes me as someone who, although they are incredibly smart, can explain his inner thoughts very well.

✾ Give him a whiteboard, and he will shine. Don’t ask me why, but I can totally imagine him being one of those people that is convinced that “you have to visualize things. Write it down to have more space in your head to think.” Does that work? Maybe. Is it annoying to be told time and time again to “just draw it”? Yes.

✾ If he isn’t familiar with the topic/class that you are struggling with, he will take time out of his busy schedule to familiarize himself with it. He will find a couple of sources or a handbook so that he can read up on it.

✾ A part of him enjoys studying and learning together, smiling the entire time as you do so. Despite your own stress on why you can’t seem to work through the problem/assignment, you can’t help but return his quiet enthusiasm.

Baekhyun:

✾ Another member who went to university to get his degree (although I can’t find out whether he has a BA or MA, sources are so incredibly vague) and is probably used to studying whilst being unbelievably busy. Furthermore, Suho has said before that although Baekhyun tends to be the mood maker of EXO on camera, Baekhyun is a deep thinker and has many philosophical conversations with him in private. Therefore, I can imagine him being another member who would be good at conveying his thoughts very well, offering you a coherent explanation.

✾ He would be an expert on making studying fun. Instead of having to cram a bunch of facts or read a long dry article for your next class, he would find a way to gamify it, turning it from a long boring study session into a fun competition. Although he might not be a huge help regarding the content of your class, he would help you to keep your motivation while studying.

✾ At the same time, I can totally see Baekyhun being a massive distraction while studying. You will be trying to solve a problem or work on that lengthy essay, and Baekhyun keeps trying to get you to pay attention to him, as he is too restless to sit still and study. He strikes me as someone who tries to convince you to do it tomorrow instead.

Chen/Jongdae:

✾ He has an MA in Media Advertisement so you can bet that he can sell a story. I am pretty sure Media Advertisement falls under either business or communication studies, so he will probably be not too shabby at statistics either. He will, therefore, not only sell you on why studying this particular subject is fun, but he will also be able to help you actually study the contents of most math-based subjects.

✾ Chen probably is too busy to delve deeply into the subject matter that you are trying to grasp, though. He will try, nonetheless, to work through it with you. He will sit next to you as you try to solve equations, and although he might not have mastered the theory himself, he will try to learn it with you, giving you a fresh set of eyes.

✾ I think rather than being incredible at explaining stuff, he would be an amazing person for emotional support. I can see him prioritize calming you down first and having you take a step back from studying to clear your head. He would make sure that you stay hydrated and fed while studying, preparing a bunch of snacks beforehand that he will hand out as a reward for making it through another chapter.

Chanyeol:

✾ Am I tired of repeating myself and saying “This member is smart because they got their degree”? Yes. Am I insanely impressed with most of EXO going to university whilst balancing their studies with a full-time idol career? Yes, and I will never shut up about it. Anyway, yeah Chanyeol went to university bla bla, making him, not just smart, bla  bla, but also hard-working, bla bla. You know the drill.

✾ Regardless of whether Chanyeol is well-studied in the field you are struggling in, nothing will stop him from becoming an expert. He is reading up on it as if his life depended on it, driven by his strong dislike of being bad at something. It doesn't matter whether you tell him it is okay and that you can always ask a fellow student or your teacher/lecturer; he is having none of it.

✾ At this point, he is more frustrated about not grasping a particular part of the theory than you. Even after you two manage to work through your homework/coursework, he will continue to read up on the topic until he fully understands it.

✾ He might be an overachiever and perfectionist who could’ve very well used the time that he spent on a piece of information he will never ever use again more wisely, but if anyone ever needs to know more about that specific theory, he can tell them everything.

D.O./Kyungsoo:

✾ Listen, I love him with every fibre in my body, and I will continue to do so until I turn to dust, but Kyungsoo has admitted, on several occasions, that he is not a big fan of studying. Sure, he got his degree, just like the others, and got his culinary license, indicating that he is more than capable of retaining a ton of information and working through difficult assignments/problems. But, does he enjoy studying? No, not really; he got it over with and seems glad to be done.

✾ So, when you ask him to help you with your homework/coursework, he will remind you, at least seven times, that he isn’t too good at studying and that there are better people to ask for help instead. He will try his best, albeit reluctantly, reminding you continuously to lower your expectations.

✾ In the end, he will try to help out in a different way, either by supplying you with a ton of study snacks or recounting how he worked through tough assignments back when he was in university, with the hope that maybe it works for you as it did for him. He makes sure that you are as comfortable as you can be, convinced he can’t do much more than that.  

Kai/Jongin:

✾ Listen, don’t get me wrong, I adore Kai. However, I have to say that he is not the brightest when it comes to academia (at least compared to the rest of EXO) or, like, his common sense. Yes, he had his moments of genius in New World, and I am sure that when it comes to memorizing dance and lyrics, he is insanely good. However, give him a math problem, and he will cry.

✾ Kai strikes me as someone who was exhilarated to be done with school, not seeing the point of going to university like the rest of his members. When you ask him to help you out with your home/coursework, something inside of him dies as he knows nothing that will be leaving his mouth will be helpful. He is too sweet to say no and will try his hardest to help you with whatever you are struggling with. Nevertheless, he is even more lost than you upon reading your assignment, confused by all the fancy words the assignment seems to be using.  

✾ Nevertheless, Kai would be an amazing person if you need someone to talk to without necessarily needing any advice/answers, just to get your own ideas out of your head. He knows exactly when to nod and say “hmhm”,  aware that you don’t necessarily want to get his input, only needing him to work through your thoughts and ideas on your own.

✾ Honestly, he gets an A for effort for me. Kai is good vibes only, and he would give you a hug for support.

Sehun:

✾ Another one who is glad he finished school and never has to go back. Again, don’t get me wrong, I love Sehun, but you can’t deny that he isn’t the smartest person in the room. As Suho said during EXO Ladder, “I think, they (the beluga whales) have the same IQ as Sehun” after noting they have an IQ of 60-90.

✾ Where Kai still tries to help out, he flat-out refuses. What do you mean you need his help finishing your work? He is so unapologetic about it too and slightly offended; why did you have to remind him about the horror that is school? He left that behind him and under no circumstances will he ever be dragged back in. He is rich, and he needs no degree.

✾ Such a bad influence on you as he tries to keep you from doing your work. “Well, if you are struggling with your homework you might as well take a break and go to the convenience store with me.” Funnily enough, it actually helps to clear your head. Sometimes the best thing to do is to step away and try again with a clearer mind. Sehun maintains that it was his plan all along; you doubt it.

✾ He will end up asking one of his members to assist you with your homework, calling in a favour with, for instance, Suho. They are all down bad for him, so you end up with the best tutors EXO has to offer.

Masterlist

[oswaldsleftbicep]

headcanos for the college life of the boys, pls?😭 (+ what their major would be)

college life

,,,,,anon are you in my head?? i shit you not, this exact scenario has been sitting in my notes app for like a month jskdfnkjs that being said, this will all be based off my own experiences with american universities

i'm actually looking to go back to college! i reapplied for my university, and also applied to another just in case, but i'm anxious to get back to it

lots of changes have been happening lately.

genre: other, crack if you squint

cw: language, no beta we die like men

Lucia

❧ most definitely majors in business or communications, but minors in political science (polisci)

❧ he joined a frat as a first year, got a little freaked out over the hazing part but was in too deep to back out, so he stuck it out

❧ idk how frats work, but he ended up becoming a big to a few freshies in his later years :,)

❧ does debate club/moot court as an extracurricular and comes up with the most bullshit arguments that,, surprisingly make sense

❧ since he has the means and the will, he goes to grad school for his masters degree but goes for something more to do with law or criminal justice, having been inspired by moot court

❧ however, he doesn't go for a phd and doesn't go to law school or anything, settling for a job in local government

Levy

❧ starts out as a regular history major, but by his second year he changes it to specifically military history, with a minor in medieval and early modern studies (mems)

❧ spends most of his time in the history building or at the campus library, where he has a part time job, but he also made it a point to join the university's polo team. anytime he's stress out about something, he'll go and care for the horses

❧ makes regular appointments with his advisor, but they became so frequent that the two of them end up getting coffee once a month and to catch up

❧ most definitely is on the dean's list and graduates with high honors

❧ starts being a ta in the second semester of his third year, and does it every semester following. he's the sort of ta that you either find annoying and insufferable, or you have a massive crush on

❧ goes on to get his masters and phd in military history, concentrating in some probably really obscure period of time

Mefy

❧ kinda a mix between his brothers, he's a polisci and mems double major; he couldn't pick which he liked more so he double majored instead of making one a minor

❧ out of curiosity, he went to go see the theater department's production of the iliad and was enamored at the idea of putting on shows of ancient stories and plays, so he took it on as an extracurricular

❧ he tries to keep his newfound hobby a secret from his brothers, but they eventually find out and come to every one of his shows :,)

❧ he does well in class and participates enough so that the profs all know him by name and are fond of him, but mefy secretly hates most of them, save for his war history prof and the theater director

❧ carried on to grad school, focusing on the politics of war in early and medieval times, but doesn't pursue more than a masters

Oswald

❧ started out as a geography and environmental science (ges) major, but unintentionally selected the bachelor of science path instead of the bachelor of arts path

❧ cue his horror when he sees that he has to take not just bio, but math up to calculus and physics

❧ he tries to push through, he really does, and he comes to enjoy a good chunk of his sciencey classes,,, but eventually it was too much, and he brought it up to his advisor, who suggested to switch to a ba, and poor mans was like "a what??"

❧ but he's doing much better now as a ba, and discovered a new passion for environmental justice!!

❧ got a job working with the campus maintenance crew and helps take care of the landscaping; he also joins the environmental club which helps keep the campus clean and safe, and they also get to work in the compost gardens!

❧ he unfortunately wasn't able to consider grad school due to funding, but with the help of his advisor, he was able to get a certificate and an internship in agriculture!

Kaim

❧ ok it's so hard to imagine this man in college,, he just seems so old to me lol

❧ but we can all agree he most definitely attended an ivy league school, majoring in music and joining the campus orchestra

❧ he also found interest in the culinary program and got a little job with the campus event catering staff to help prepare the food and serve guests at fancy events, and he stuck with it for so long that he became part of their management!

❧ his experience with that job lead him to discover that his university offers a hospitality studies program, and he got his certificate in that

❧ he was also absolutely an ra and enforced his rules so much that he had to be moved to a majority upperclassmen hall because all the freshies loathed him and kept asking admin to change dorm halls lol

❧ got really good grades and made the deans list, and actually got scholarship money to go to grad school, but he just simply didn't want to and was content with his bachelors degree

Mikael

❧ he majored in astronomy, with a minor in linguistics and ancient studies. he originally planned to major in astrophysics, but upon realizing just how much math would be involved, he was repulsed and settled for astronomy

❧ it's not that he can't do math, he very much knows how to and he's incredibly intelligent, he simply just doesn't want to do it lol

❧ he's sort of an enigma on campus, he's got this otherworldly air about him, like he's not from this time; whether that means he's a visitor from the past or future is up to interpretation, but it intimidates the hell out of everyone else that he's mostly left alone

❧ he attends all of the ancient studies and mems events, and he's also in the astronomy club; in fact, he's one of the only members of his club to attend every single meeting without fail, no matter how late in the night it is

❧ attends grad school and gets his masters in ancient linguistics, and later focuses on how ancient civilizations interpreted astronomy and how it affected their culture, which earns him his phd

❧ rubs his phd in lucia's face at any chance he gets, practically forces the man to call him dr. mikael

Ricardo

❧ tried his hardest to pick the easiest major, but none of the classes were interesting to him and his advisor all but begged this man to pick something he's actually interested in; so now he's a war history major lol

❧ he also joins a frat, influenced by media's portrayal of them and assuming that he's gonna party every night and get loads of bodies; however, he doesn't realize that he actually needs to keep a certain gpa to stay in the frat, and that he has rules he needs to follow, so he almost gets kicked out several times

❧ he shapes up pretty well by his second year, which is also when he looks into volunteering with campus police and eventually gets a part time job with them

❧ he does manage to graduate on time, and is more than content with just his bachelors; he told his advisor he'd rather shove a gun up his ass than go to grad school

❧ his advisor, along with all of his profs hated him, and are so happy to see him gone

Noel

❧ surprisingly, he majors in biology and is on the premed track for pharmaceuticals; he has an interest in the medical field, but doesn't want to be a doctor or nurse, so he figured working in a pharmacy or even making medicine would be the way to go

❧ also surprisingly, he's like really good at the more difficult subjects, like organic chemistry. he's flying through the work during discussions, to which his partners are all like "???? teach us???"

❧ unfortunately, he is not a good teacher. he knows the content, he really does, but he cannot for the life of him understand how he got there. "you just,,, do it? like write it all down, and convert it and you're done" i've never taken orgo

❧ it got to a point where the prof was convinced he was cheating, but when they tested him, he was even able to mental math that shit and he was left alone lol

❧ stumbled in on the cosmetology students working on their hair dressing, and was like "can i do that?", scaring the hell out of everyone when did he get here?? but they took him in and he helps them study and practice

❧ other than that, he spends his spare time hanging out in the wellness center or outdoor zen gardens, and he also joined the environmental club to help upkeep the gardens makes sure to hand the smelliest piles of compost to oswald

Lucas

❧ double majors in art history and literature, so he spends a lot of time in the humanities and fine arts buildings

❧ at least five people in all of his classes have a massive crush on him; he's just so pretty and smart and he reads??? awooga!! but most of those crushes dissipate once they try and have a conversation with him, they just can't follow along with his train of thought

❧ speaking of which, his profs either love him or hate him. he'll come up with the most bizarre and elaborate interpretations of texts and art and still somehow have solid reasons to back it up. anytime they have socratic style discussions in class, no one can follow up or argue when he speaks because,,, what the hell did he even just say?

❧ but every now and then, he'll break through to them all and say something that, one, makes sense and, two, is so though provoking and interesting that it leads into an hour long discussion and research party

❧ decided to be an ra in his second year, but ultimately stepped down by the end of that year due to stress. now it's like he did a full 180, breaking every rule he ever enforced, especially the curfew one. it's so common to spot him walking around campus at ungodly hours of the night that he's essentially become a sort of cryptid

❧ he uses his free time volunteering in community service and activism. anytime there's a protest on campus that supports a good cause, he's there the entire time. he'll also help organize events like that, passing around and posting flyers across campus

Kurt

❧ majors in zoology with a minor in environmental studies

❧ i keep picturing my physical geography prof who was so into birds, like a stupid amount, i think the two would get along well

❧ he starts a club that focuses on caring for campus wildlife and making a safe environment for them, be it picking up litter or putting up bird feeders

❧ he runs the campus shoot-your-shot page, and is surprisingly good and matching up submissions and helping people find their person

[seecarrun]

I'm someone who is dealing with mental health issues. Due that I can't focus on my studies and other things in life and my productivity and creativity is decreasing day by day. I don't have reliable people around me with who I can talk to about my inner turmoil. I want to get professional help, but my parents are not allowing me to do that as they think that "getting help is something that is not well accepted in the society" and it would give them a bad name.....

I'm blank at this point now and I don't know what to do...... From your recent asks from some trolls (I'm extremely sorry about that), I can see that you are a parent.

What advice can you give me in this situation?

Ah man. I’m sorry you’re going through that, friend.

I get it. Growing up, both of my parents were dealing with some serious mental health issues, but never really sought actual help for themselves (or my sister and me) and now they’re old and dealing with sooo many related physical health issues on top of everything else, it’s super hard to see. Thankfully, I am old and able to get myself in therapy now, lol, but it would have been nice when I was younger!

I am a parent, but my son is just almost two, so I’m still pretty new at it. BUT! Along with being a parent, I am also a teacher who happens to be married to a school counselor, and I’ve been doing that a lot longer than parenting, so sorry in advance if this advice is more teacher-coded than parent-coded.

But I think you should seek out a school counselor, if you have one available and accessible.

I know some of them suck. Believe me, I’ve worked with some horrible school counselors, as has my husband; he’s literally getting his PhD in counselor education because he’s seen so many shitty counselors, he wants to educate them to be better or get them out of the profession before they begin, but if you have one at your school it is a great first step.

If you don’t have any counselors at your school, do you have any teachers or coaches you can reach out to? Even if they’re not your current teacher. I teach elementary school and I have kids I used to teach come back to talk to me while they’re in high school. It’s not weird, students are always our students.

After that, any trusted friend’s parents? Growing up, my friend’s parents were a big help in keeping an eye on me and helping me out when my family was horrible to be around. Even if it was just opening their home to me to hang out there.

My only other thought is, honestly what kept me sane through high school, was finding a hobby I could sink myself into. I ran. I still run. Running is my therapy between actual therapy sessions, and I don’t know where I would be mentally without that escape from the real world when I’m stressed or feeling anxious. Maybe try finding your escape hobby to help you until you can get some professional help.

I don’t know if that is helpful at all, friend, but I hope it was. And I hope you’ll reach out if you are feeling like things are too much and you need some adult insight. You matter <3

[chaoticsoft]

As I've gotten older, I've grown a little bit afraid of talking about when things are going even remotely well for fear of sabotaging them. But I've found that this has been making me into someone who can only fully acknowledge that things were good after they've already ended which is...not the person I want to be. So. I'm saying it out loud. Things are getting better here.

It's insanely challenging still but I'm glad we did this. I'm glad we tried something. Went somewhere completely new and different and confounding. I truly believe that's the entire point of life, to live, to change, to overcome difficult things and emerge a stronger & fuller version of yourself.

The difference between where I was this time last year and right now is staggering. I've come from being someone too afraid to approach PhD programs for fear of more rejection to now being the breadwinner of my household. I'm tempted to qualify that statement with all kinds of limitations and reasons why it's not a big deal, but it IS a big deal. This season is changing me even when it doesn't feel like it. I'm becoming someone who believes they can do things and that is everything.

And you're going to laugh, but it's truly bananas how much power just setting the intention had. By December of 2023, I spoke it out loud and wrote it down that I wanted to leave, to move somewhere far away. I wrote out the kind of person I wanted to be, the friends I wanted to meet, the direction I wanted to be heading in my life. And, of course, I am nowhere near accomplishing everything I visualized (in the intense stress of moving to a new country I've all but dropped my workout routine, but there's still time to get shredded; I may not ever speak more than intermediate Korean, if that, but that's okay), but I am not the person I was and speaking those intentions aloud to myself, honoring them, choosing where to set my focus, that is a significant part of how I arrived here.

I am unfinished but changed. Scared still, of course, but stronger. Different in ways I won't even be able to fully see until I've left this place for the next.

[antiqua-lugar]

fuck it it's veilguard plotting time

just spent three hours putting things into boxes and couldn't even go to gym because my headphones died, moving sucks, i am taking a break so it's plotting rooks for veilguard time!!! (with the help of this picrew)

main rook: male - dwarf - warrior - shadowdragons - LI: Lucanis

just a regular dwarf from a merchant family in the dwarven enclave of minrathous who went well. this is fucked up. dwarven society is fucked up. tevinter society is fucked up. i really can't sit here and not do anything about it.

his house isn't happy but his family is supportive and also they have given up on telling him what to do long ago. the one time they tried to matchmake him, his perspective wife decided to follow her dreams and ran away to antiva.

depending on how they met it's not impossible he flirted with varric. he will do it again because is he just supposed to NOT flirt with famous author varric tethras?!

tall for a dwarf to go with lucanis being a short king.

rook: female - city elf - rogue - shadowdragons - LI: neve

your regular hypercompetent servant who is actually plotting a revolution. on the side she's looking for her favourite uncle who disappeared months ago. if he got killed she would like to know by whom and shank them.

conceptually, started as the watson to neve's noir holmes and instead she became a jeeves.

rook: male - dalish elf - NOT A MAGE - grey wardens - LI: davrin

bargained his way into the grey wardens in exchange for help with his clan and now he is faithfully fighting darkspawn - preferably nearby other dalish clans, thank you very much. "wardens can't have families" but no one said anything about not checking up on your allies, did they. spent a few years in the deep roads and learnt some dwarven and also likes dwarven food. depending on the world state he might or might not have spent a night with a warden hawke. he definitely hit on velanna and she said no. his sister is a keeper.

i predict many "no, the OTHER dalish grey warden" moments.

he's supposed to be the stoic type on the outside.

rook: nb - human - mage - antiva crows - LI: emmrich

between the circle and becoming an assassin that at least can go whatever the fuck they want, at five years old they already picked becoming an assassin.

really good at disguises and going undercover despite the fact that they are REALLY FUCKING TALL so they definitely stand out in a crowd. how the fuck does that work.

they definitely aren't telling emmrich to just let them know if he needs more corpses.

they might have some white hair due to crow training do not even worry about it.

rook: male - human - ? - mourn watch - LI: taash

he's a scholar. he is doing the thedas equivalent of a phd. he is tired. picrew doesn't let me show it but he's greying and it's mostly the stress. he is 100% into whatever solas is doing because it looks extremely cool and he wants to know everything about it but also can solas stop doing it he has deadlines.

i think he'll probably not be a mage but whatever role i think will work better to be a mortalitasi assistent.

either extremely tall so he and taash can look like the biggest couple you have seen in your life or quite short so she use him as headrest.

rook: female - dalish elf - ? - lord of fortunes - LI: bellara

she genuinely thinks it's fun to hunt for treasure but also she's on a quest to retrieve elven artifacts and bring them back to the dalish.

i'm thinking she might be a mage in a year where no one really needed a second or a third so she was allowed to go adventuring as long as she promised to write back regularly.

also I like the idea that she left a guy at the (metaphorical) altar when she killed a bear for their engagement and realised she was dreading it and would rather go have another round with the bear. she gave the pelt to her mom for safekeeping "i am definitely getting married one day I promise".

she always makes sure to bring jewelry for her mother and her sisters at every arlathvhen (she WILL attend even if it kills her).

rook: male - vashoth - ? - veil jumpers - LI: harding

there aren't that many options as a vashoth to build a life but sometimes you go hunting and thinking and stumble in people doing cool fade stuff in the woods.

i honestly ship harding so much with one of my inquisitors that romancing her myself is going to annoy me a bit, I can already tell. i really like this guy tho. oldest sister is working for the company lead by my ashkari adaar in a timeline where she isn't inquisitor.

[btschooseafic]

AO3 Recs - NJ Centric

AO3 recs with Namjoon as the central character.

(All member x member fics)

The Day He Grew Wings by sleepydrabbles [completed]

ot7, ot6 x namjoon, dragons, hybrid au, trauma, trauma recovery, hurt/comfort, mind the tags

namjoon wakes up one day and finds he’s turning into a dragon hybrid. luckily his friend yoongi works to protect hybrids. / although there are a lot of painful moments, in general this writing is so soft and sweet. namjoon’s painful introspection is relatable, the way seokjin struggles to balance his different instincts is relatable, yoongi mourning his friend while still loving the new person he’s becoming is…

A Good Ending by Caitles [completed]

ot7, isekai (fall into another world), otome

namjoon gets isekai-ed straight into his favorite new otome and can’t choose between the six love interests. he doesn’t want to lose any of them

you’ve always known how to make me purple by CrabWhisperer [completed]

ot7, a/b/o dynamics, canon compliantish, trans character, harassment

Namjoon tries to navigate the world without a sense of smell. The others try to communicate their feelings.

i could tell somewhere in your smile that lately you had trouble sleeping by CrabWhisperer [completed]

ot7, hanahaki, canon compliantish

The tapes that Namjoon meant to get sent to the other members after his death arrive early.

and diamonds become dust by CrabWhisperer [completed]

ot7, hybrid au, time skips, some smut

Namjoon has a gilded life but runs away to something much better.

you need to believe in your aching mind by CrabWhisperer [completed]

ot7, pre-canon compliantish, wingfic

Winged human Namjoon accepts the offer to become an idol rapper.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation, Age 18 ½ by Runchrandom (infraredphaeton) [completed]

ot7, gangs, underground rapping, assassins, crack

Namjoon accidentally starts a gang with the boyfriends he keeps accidentally acquiring.

when tomorrow comes, how different is it going to be? by cherryblossombomb [completed]

platonic! ot7, time travel, canon compliantish

Namjoon wakes up in the future.

You’re Stressing meowt! by batjacky [completed]

ot7, cat shifters/hybrids, lowkey sugar baby namjoon, crack

Namjoon, a cat shifting phd student brings home a bunch of cats not knowing they are also cat shifters.

Snowfall In The Soul by suugabee

ot7, soulmates au, dream sharing

Namjoon meets his soulmates in his dreams.

for lovers who hesitate by jia_yang (serenaracha) [completed]

ot7, canon compliantish, secret dating

Namjoon finds out he’s the seventh wheel of a six person relationship in Bangtan. But is he?

Bulletproof by Fabro-de-omres (Fabro) [completed]

platonic(?) ot7, superheroes/superpowers au, touch starved

Namjoon is invulnerable, which also means he can’t feel his teammates touching him. /lovely soft writing and namjoon, interesting super powers and world building.

[aca-panic]

Academic calming

Today there was a Zoom meeting of the ABD PhD students with the current professor in charge of the American Culture Studies program. I've had this professor for a few courses, which is why despite the fact that I don't have much to do on campus anymore, I am glad she's in the position.

The meeting was actually quite calming and de-stressing. She reinforced that we're all on time, no matter how long it's taking to get our dissertations finished. It's nice to hear that from someone in her position. I still want to get mine done by next December, but that's more that I want this done so I can move forward.

She also shared that with her own research and writing, she works on it every day. Even if it's just for five minutes. Hearing that, from a published author, made me feel sooooo much better.

It's also making me feel better about what I'm working on right now. I know I really do need to sit down and write, but I'm not there right now. I recently got permission from my chair to go ahead without doing the interviews. I've been reading over and taking notes from reviews of the show. I figure at least this way I still get others' thoughts on the show, and people who are mostly musical theater people, which falls into my scope.

But it's also helped with focusing my chapters. Again, in the meeting I was reminded that they don't have to be exactly what I said they'd be when I first wrote my abstract. I've figured out what each chapter needs to focus on, as well as the overlap between them, so there's a through-line through this whole thing.

I feel like I can get things much better organized and focused now, allowing me to sit down and get these drafts (often first drafts) written and sent to my chair so things can finally move forward.

I really want to simply have a PhD and get my life really moving forward. It will really help me in finding a place where I can get my career really going. My current position is great for now, but I can't let it become permanent. It's not what I want to do, which is really important when you're in academia.

[unbounded-cardinality]

Unsequenced

Having decided at age 19 that medicine was not in the stars for me, I managed to steer clear of biology for the better part of 35 years. But for reasons related to work, I decided a few months ago that I ought to look into the field, and in particular, into the realm broadly known as genetics or genomics. To sum up, it feels (to me at least) like we are on the cusp of some kind revolution -- in medicine, in law, in personal self-care, and so on. The sense is akin to what happened in the 1990s with the Internet -- a chaotic world of new technologies and no one knowing for sure how things were going to shake out.

One book I wish to recommend to my readers is: Genome, The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters, by Matt Ridley. It was first published in 1999, and clearly a lot has happened since then. Nonetheless, the material has a refreshing presentation for the novice, and details some important ethical choices humans will likely have to confront in the upcoming decades. Ridley has a PhD, and his explanations can be technical, but entirely readable for the layperson. Here's the cover:

Compelling questions that arise in reading through Ridley's book are:

To what degree might work and law change, given that much evidence bears out a relationship between stress, cellular condition, and longevity. Literally, why am I entitled to a long life just because I was clever enough to get into computing at a promising moment in history, while someone else is consigned to a shorter life just because his work options induce greater stress? And this isn't just about longevity. This topic inevitably dovetails into politics, economics, and the tangled web of issues attached to both.

What is gender? If studies in genetics bear out what many experts are likely to assert -- maybe already -- that gender is a relative term, then what does that mean for so many other things. For starters, what is marriage? This already is a contentious issue, but what happens when there is wider recognition that science actually backs up ideas contrary to, for example, what our religion expects? This story sounds vaguely reminiscent of Galileo getting imprisoned for claiming that earth actually orbits around the sun, not vice-versa.

With a likely presidential rematch in 2024 between Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump -- both older guys -- should the American electorate demand that both candidates be genetically screened? For example, it might not behoove the American electorate to have a chief executive with Alzheimers, especially in the middle of the biggest European war in 80 years. And what if genetic screening turns up even other things? Is the American voter ready for any of this?

Still unsequenced.

Despite the hype in personal genomics, never once have I felt inclined to sequence my DNA. With good reason, I viewed that data as yet another tool of control. Why would I divulge my very own genes when so much of the data out there is so readily hacked? But more than that, I have long viewed personal genetics as an overstated, highly Americanized wedge: another way to separate people under the aegis of science.

Well, Matt Ridley's book has changed my opinion. There are some very, very strong reasons for getting sequenced. But if you do that, you probably want to first make sure there are some smart friends or professionals who might shed some light on the results. And even then, you should expect in many cases data that is more gray than black and white.

May 13, 2023

[cerebipalsy]

Yesterday I finally “broke up” with my therapist.

She served me well when it came to understanding my family better and coaching me prior to/in the immediate aftermath of my top surgery...but for someone with a PhD in social work who’d worked with other disabled clients, she wasn’t great about understanding

the stress and pressure I’ve been feeling with academics despite very much wanting to achieve those goals (in fact, she occasionally quipped about me eventually going to Stanford)

the concept of executive dysfunction and why I struggle to care for myself, and whether or not I’m trying my best (something I really think a therapist should be familiar with...)

my experiences with disability existing simultaneously as a material difference in my brain functioning and as an axis of social discrimination

how my unique needs for sexual and romantic intimacy as a disabled person go beyond “loving myself”

the nuances of bisexuality and gender nonconformity (she tried, but continuously misgendered me, and had some rather binary ideas about the psychological differences between men and women)

I stopped opening up to her about these things a while back, actually. I never told her about my autism and so deprived myself of an outlet for my special interests. In the past she had already taken me saying I’d physically never be able to do something (drive, due to impaired reaction time) as an indication of poor self-concept over me knowing my own damn limits...because she’d worked with other wheelchair users before; I didn’t think she’d take this well either. Ironically, one of the first things I told her was that I’m a psych (neuroscience) student, so she seemed to expect that I would know all the terminology. I knew most of it but was still embarrassed when I didn’t pick up on something.

Of course, she had good intentions, but overall, I think this change was months overdue, and I’m really proud of myself for making it.

[phytine]

The results are here, one day late of course (thanks french administration you never disappoint) and I'm accepted. 198th for 598th accepted.

I'm a french teacher.

Goodbye unemployment after the PHD. I'm not a teacher in my speciality but that's all that matters.

[house-of-galathynius]

Inevitable

Rowaelin Month, Day 6: College or University AU @rowaelinscourt

Words: 3.4k 

Warnings: Sexual content

I mean technically they both are doing their PhD’s so it does include college/university... 

~~~

“For fucks sake.” Aelin swore at her phone screen, frantically swiping through the email she had just received— desperately hoping what she was reading was a joke. 

Lysandra was typing away at the desk and momentarily looked up to Aelin, her brow furrowed as she noticed the stressed look that Aelin had. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Aelin groaned and then tossed her phone onto her own desk and leant back, her head looking to the ceiling where she hoped it would cave in and save her. But after five seconds, she realised she’d have no such luck and she would in fact have to deal with what she had just read. 

“I’ve had another student switch.” 

Lysandra blew out a breath. “Yikes. To who?” 

Aelin gave her friend a pointed look. 

“Again?” Lysandra asked in disbelief. 

“My students now consist of five men, three of whom are certain I will go out with them. The other two stuck with me because they couldn’t stand to be surrounded by ten girls fawning over Rowan.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at the email again, “remind me why I thought doing a PhD that included teaching was a good idea?” 

Lysandra shrugged. “It looks good on your record and you enjoy it?” 

Aelin rolled her eyes. “Rowan shouldn’t even be allowed to have that many of them at once. The whole point is that they get targeted learning and more time as individuals to ask questions.” 

“Just talk to Rowan, tell him you think it’s unfair on the students and that you should divvy them out equally.” Lysandra went back to typing. 

Aelin sighed. “I’ve tried to talk to him. But he just has this ridiculously handsome, smug grin on his face and tells me that if I was a better teacher they wouldn’t leave.” 

Rowan and Aelin had started their PhD’s at the same time just over a year ago. It had started out civil, the two of them working together when they needed to but keeping their distance otherwise. Despite the relative peace that was between them, Aelin had always thought of Rowan as a certain shade of stuck up and found him to be an annoying know-it-all at other times. But it had been hard enough to get this spot in the first place, she wasn’t going to ruin her opportunities for the likes of him. But when one by one her students had started to migrate to his classes and going to his office hours, her professionalism had faltered and she was being reduced to teenager-like actions, such as going home to her friends and bitching about him. 

It didn’t help that he was actually incredibly smart and he did have a way with the students, teaching them better than any qualified professor. It also didn’t help that he was fifty shades of gorgeous and Aelin’s line between hatred and like had started to blur— a little too much. 

“Honestly, I think you just need to get drunk with him and let him have his way with you. This tension and anger between both of you is clearly just pent up sexual frustration. He’s hot, you’re hot— I don’t see why you can’t just get it over with.” Lysandra said, a smirk on her face. 

“That is not helping.” Aelin ground out. 

“That’s what Aedion and I did. And now look at us.” 

“You and Aedion were not in the same position. You two never hated each other, you just liked to wind each other up and then go and have stupidly noisy make-up sex.” 

Lysandra grinned. 

Aelin looked at her phone again and just sighed. She replied to her student telling them that she couldn’t stop them from switching but she recommended they didn’t as they would not get the same level of care with Rowan. But she knew it would fall on deaf ears and she would be, yet again, another student down. 

~

Two days later, Aelin was sat in the shared office. She was chewing on a chocolate bar and going through her prep for the lecture she was giving on Monday. It was one she had done multiple times, but she liked to keep things new and updated— also she liked to try and be better than Rowan. Who was currently sitting in the chair next to her, glancing at her screen with a smile. 

She swivelled her head to him and glared. “What?” 

Rowan shrugged, “nothing. I was just thinking that the reference you used there doesn’t actually support the argument you’re trying to make.” 

She rose an eyebrow at him. “The point of using this reference is that he provides a good counter-argument, I know he doesn’t support it.” 

“Well it doesn’t make sense to talk about him there… you should put him in further along the presentation.” 

Unbelievable. “Why don’t you just concentrate on your own work.” 

Rowan laughed. The sound sending shivers through Aelin. “Are you cold?” He asked.

Aelin pulled her cardigan tighter around her shoulders. “No.” 

Rowan stood from his chair, tucking it neatly into the desk and then picking up his jacket and bag. “A few of us are going to the pub later. I was instructed to ask you if you’d like to join.” He said politely. 

Aelin released a hollow laugh. “Thank you for that heartfelt invitation, Rowan. But I have plans tonight.” 

“You finally said yes to one of your students then?” He asked sarcastically.

“Why, are you jealous?” Aelin retorted. 

“Unlike you, I don’t need to resort to my students to get a date.” 

She whipped her head and stared at him. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

He grinned at her. “No, actually. I don’t. And I find that tormenting you gives me great pleasure.” 

“Gross. Go find pleasure somewhere else.” She turned back around and ignored his chuckle. He didn’t say goodbye as he left the room, closing the door behind him as he did. 

Gods, he frustrated her to no end. And she hated the fact that every time they did this, she would feel her heart begin to beat faster and her skin go hot. The moment he mentioned pleasure all she could think about was the two of them together— just as Lysandra had said. Hot and heavy in the sheets, his strong body over hers as he did all the wicked things she had thought about for months. 

Fuck. 

She needed a drink. 

She promptly shut down her computer and grabbed her stuff. She headed straight home where she found Lysandra and Aedion lounging on the sofa making out. 

“You two need to get ready. We’re going to a bar. I need to get drunk.” 

She didn’t loiter to hear their response. She waltzed into her bedroom and found the shortest dress possible and put on make-up for the first time in a while, even going as far as to curl her hair at the ends. She surveyed herself in the mirror and thought that it would be good enough— good enough for her to find any guy who was somewhat good-looking and take them home. 

When she entered back into the living room, Lysandra and Aedion were still sitting on the sofa, both of them looking slightly puzzled— albeit, Aelin thought she could see a hint of smugness on Lysandra’s face, but decided to ignore it. “Why are you not ready?” 

Aedion relaxed into the sofa, “we weren’t planning on going out tonight. Plus, you can’t just waltz in here and demand we change our plans.” 

“Your favourite cousin is in distress and she needs distractions. That warrants a change of plans.” 

Lysandra smiled in defeat at Aedion and merely patted his knee as she disappeared into her own room. Aedion didn’t follow though; he studied Aelin for a moment before sitting forward, clasping his hands together. “What is this about?” 

Aelin was already rummaging in the alcohol cupboard and pulling out a bottle of tequila, pouring herself a shot and knocking it back quickly. 

“Aelin?” 

She poured another and handed it to her cousin and then sat next to him on the sofa. “I just need to have some release. Rowan is driving me crazy and I just can’t stand it anymore.” 

Aedion snickered and drank his shot. “I should’ve known.” 

“What does that mean?” She asked bitterly. 

“It means the two of you have walking that fine line of love and hate for far too long. It’s time that one of you caves and just admits that you’re into each other.” 

“That’s not true.” She huffed. Although her heart might not agree with that statement. 

Aedion gave her a knowing look and stalked off to the bedroom. Both him and Lysandra returning a little while later looking much more ready to go and have a night out. The three of them clambered into a taxi, and despite it only being seven, the bar was already beginning to fill as they made their way in. Lysandra and Aedion went and found them all a table, whilst Aelin made her to the bar and ordered a round of way too many shots. 

It didn’t take long for Aelin to feel the buzz of the alcohol and with the bar filling even further and the music getting louder, she found herself dancing along to it and dragging Lysandra out to the floor where a group of younger girls were already dancing away, drinks in their hands. Aelin didn’t think about the other people watching on, not as she lost herself in the song. 

Breathless and feeling a little giddy she excused herself to go to the bathroom. Lysandra seemed more than happy to traipse back to their table, leaving Aelin alone. 

The dark corridor was lined with other girls queuing to go in the bathroom, she almost groaned, but stopped herself. She was trying to have a good time, she wasn’t going to let the little things bug her— not tonight. 

The queue moved steadily forward, Aelin mere moments away when she looked up and her body went stiff at the sight to her right. 

Rowan Whitethorn. 

Stood there in all his glory. A grey t-shirt clinging to his muscular frame, jeans that hugged him in all the right places and a smirk that would drive Aelin crazy any day of the week. 

She didn’t think as she stepped from the queue and went over to him. 

“You said you were going to a pub.” 

He grinned. “You said you had plans.” 

She gestured around her, “I do. I am currently doing the plans.” 

“Good for you.” He returned to looking at his phone and Aelin crossed her arms, not moving. 

“What are you doing here, Rowan?” 

He didn’t even glance at her. “I’m out with friends. Is that okay? Or do I need your permission?” 

“Out of all the bars…” She murmured. 

“I could say the same thing to you.” 

Aelin narrowed her eyes at him and turned on her feet, marching back to the table. Aedion and Lysandra were deep in conversation when she returned and they broke apart when they noticed the sour look on her face. 

“What happened?” 

“Rowan happened. He’s here.” 

Lysandra clapped her hands together and bounced in seat as she announced, “this is amazing.” 

Aelin did not feel inclined to agree and flagged down a waitress and requested another round of shots and then quickly knocked them back one after the other. “I have to get out of here. Lys, help me find a man.”

Her friend rolled her eyes, then pointed to a random corner where a group of six guys were sipping on their beers and checking out the girls on the floor. She knew that they looked like the type of guys who would use you once and drop you immediately after, but that was exactly what she was looking for. She didn’t hesitate as she sauntered over to them, and introduced herself. They wasted no time in letting her join them and she soon had another drink in hand and was chattering away, getting cosy with them. 

She wasn’t sure how long it had been, but there was a tap on her shoulder and she rolled her eyes when she saw Rowan. 

“Can I borrow this lovely lady for a moment?” He asked politely. 

“Bring her back soon.” One of them laughed and Aelin attempted to disguise her slight disgust. 

She followed Rowan back to the darkened hallway, the queues non-existent now. She leant against the wall and brushed her hair from her face and neck, revealing her low cut dress and the glistening of her skin from the heat of the bar and the alcohol. She couldn’t help but notice the bob of Rowan’s throat as he surveyed her, much to her satisfaction. 

“You know they’re only after one thing.” He ground out. 

Aelin smiled. “Who says that isn’t what I was looking for too?” 

Rowan laughed incredulously. “You can’t be serious? They couldn’t handle you.” He stepped closer to her. 

Aelin tilted her head at him. “And you could?” 

There was a pause as he looked her over, glancing down her body then back to her face. “I would handle you very well.” 

She gulped and tried to put some distance between them. But the air was thick with tension and she could smell his intoxicating scent, she could see the darkened look in his eyes and feel the quickening beat of her heart. 

“What are you doing here, Rowan? To torment me some more?” Aelin looked away, trying to catch her breath. There was a commotion at the other end of the corridor and then a rush of feet as a group of people came staggering down, pushing Rowan into her further. Their chests brushing and Aelin couldn’t help but suck in a breath as she felt his hardened muscles against her body, the feeling of him sending jolts through her. 

“I think it’s only fair.” He said. His voice low and gravelly, his breath tickling her neck as he leaned in closer. “Because you torment me. Every. Single. Day.” 

Aelin shivered. “Rowan…” 

“I know, Aelin.” Her name rolling of his tongue, the sound of it heating her and she met his eyes. “I feel it. And I can’t let you go home with some guy who has no idea how to please a woman like you.” 

“That sounds like a challenge.” She whispered. 

Rowan smiled suggestively. “Maybe it is.” 

Aelin started to close the distance, her eyes darting to his mouth and then back to his eyes. He was smirking as she moved in closer— and then she was gone. Sliding from under his arm and back into the crowd. She immediately found the guy from before and pulled him to the floor where she let herself go completely, dancing and flirting like she never had before. She always had one eye on the corner where Rowan was watching her intently, his face schooled into neutrality. 

She took another shot and turned to whatever-his-name-was and offered him a sultry smile before dragging him to the doors of the bar and hailing a taxi. 

“Your place or mine?” She breathed. 

The guy shrugged, “yours. I just need to grab my jacket. Don’t go fucking anywhere.” He said, before disappearing back into the bar and Aelin stood there summoning up more courage and confidence. She felt an arm snake back around her waist and pulling her into the taxi. 

“You’ve made your point. Now let me make mine—“ Rowan ground out, “me and you? Inevitable.” 

And then Rowan’s lips were on hers and she was sighing into the kiss, their mouths moving together, tongues touching as they deepened the kiss, Aelin climbing onto his lap in the backseat of the taxi, his hands roaming her body as she pulled at his hair, trying to get closer. 

“Where exactly am I taking you?” The voice from the drivers seat interrupted. 

They broke apart and Aelin rested her head on Rowan’s shoulder, grinning as Rowan kept one arm around her, stroking down her back; all the while telling directions to the driver. Seconds later she was slipping off his legs and strapping herself into the seat next to him. Neither of them saying a word for the ten minute drive, only their fingers brushing occasionally. 

Aelin was on fire at the touches, from the kiss. Her body was alight with anticipation. The feel of Rowan against her was like fireworks and she didn’t care about the consequences— tonight she was going to get it out of her system. 

There was a moment of hesitation as they walked up to his door. She watched him put the key in the lock and she doubted this was the right thing… but then he smiled at her, extending his hand and he pulled her inside, promptly pinning her against the wall and kissing her with all his might. 

“Don’t think about it.” He murmured. 

She shook her head as he kissed down her neck. “This is not going to end well.” 

“If I have anything to do with it, it’s going to end very well. For both of us.” He chuckled. 

She playfully hit his shoulder and let him explore her neck further. Her hands held his waist tightly and then he was nipping at her skin, his hands going to her chest, squeezing gently. Then she was groaning and taking his shirt off, throwing it to the floor. Rowan hiking her dress up as she kicked off her shoes. 

There was stillness as he took her in. Her body on show to him. His eyes roaming her completely, a feral kind of look on his face— until he was feeling her again, and she was sighing into the touches. 

“We should have done this months ago.” 

Aelin could only nod. They were kissing again and Aelin had her arms around his neck as he lifted her to the wall, pinning her there as he ground into her. The feel of him sending lightening up her spine and earning a lengthy moan from her lips. 

“Bedroom?” 

She shook her head. “Here.” She kissed him, “take me here.” 

He lowered her to the ground, holding up a finger to her— telling her to stay put. He jogged to another room and came back moments later with a condom. His trousers and underwear were off within seconds, the condom ripped open and on him in seconds. 

“You’ve done this before.” She laughed. 

Rowan rolled his eyes and went back to her, picking her up again then positioning himself at her centre. 

“No foreplay?” She asked. Her voice shaky as she felt him brush against her. 

“We’ve been doing that since we met. I can’t wait any longer.” 

Then he slipped into her, slow and deep and she was gasping for air at the feel of him inside her. She couldn’t think as he moved slowly at first, then faster as they found their rhythm. Aelin’s head falling back against the wall as she let the sensation of him fall over her. Rowan’s own moans were deep and croaky and their breaths loud as they joined together. Her hands gripping his shoulders tightly, her nails digging into his skin as she felt the pressure building. 

“Fuck.” She moaned. 

Rowan kissed her neck, then across her cheek to finally find her lips. It was hot and messy and she didn’t care one bit. His tongue tasted of whisky and she was in absolute heaven with him. 

“I told you,” as he thrust into her harder, “this,” another, “was,” another, “inevitable.” 

Aelin groaned, biting down on her lip as she came undone atop him. Her orgasm ripping through her fiery and deep as she felt him continue to move inside her until he was moaning louder and then his movements slowed and stopped. He remained inside her for a moment, revelling in the feeling— then slowly let her down. 

Her legs were weak and she was still catching her breath. But Rowan bent down and captured her lips with his own as he took her hand and led her to the bathroom, turning on the shower and bringing them both under the stream of hot water. It was moments later when he was down on his knees and licking and sucking at her centre, Aelin only able to grip his hair tightly as she let him pleasure her once again. 

There was a brief reprieve of cleaning each other before he was taking her to his bed and they spent the night in and out of sleep, waking up to touch and feel the other until they were both utterly spent. 

She woke in the morning, his arm over her protectively, their naked bodies entwined. She didn’t move, relishing in the feel of the two of them. 

Maybe Rowan had been right… 

They were inevitable. 

~~~

Tags: 

@morganofthewildfire @tomtenadia @fredweasleyhasadhd @luckyrunawaycheesecake @live-the-fangirl-life  @fireheart-violet  @charlizeed @scarblx @xo-fangirl-xo  @wordsafterhours @jesstargaryenqueen @sailorsassley @sjmships @endlessdaydream @aflickeringsoul @tillyrubes10 @rowaelin-cressworth @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @rowaelinismyotp @rosegoldannie @maryberry @viajandosinalas @becarefuloflove @allthebooksunderthemoon @sheharahu @swankii-art-teacher @superspiritfestival @becarefuloflove @tanvee1231 @viajandosinalas @backtobl4ck @emily-gsh​ @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart​ @becarefuloflove​ @goddess-aelin @thegreyj

[miekasa]

bestie this is completely unrelated except it sorta is bc doctorxdoctor is scrumptious except i cannot with med school so my go to is professors at the same uni who are married

i think you drabbled a bit about this before??? correct me if i'm wrong lol 😭

Oh that’s hot, too and I’m on board. I probably have 😭😭 but it’s a fantastic au, so I love it when ppl wanna talk about it. Some quick ideas for both that have been in my rotation lately

Some cocky new resident bursts through the doors to the office space where you, Levi, your residents, and a few co-workers typically reside, frantic, and  demanding to speak to Dr. Ackerman. Levi only looks up from his notebook with a blank expression in his eyes to question, “Which one?” All of the kid’s confidence wavers, “Um... aren’t you Dr. Ackerman, sir?” Levi only shrugs, and points a weighted pen in the student’s direction, to an office door barely open wide enough to see a sliver of your profile as you type away on your computer, “Yes, I am, but so is she.” 

You should have known better, or at least been a little more thorough—for someone completing their MD-PhD, you’d think you’d do a quick Google search on the guy you’re seeing at least once to see if anything important pops up—because Jaeger really isn’t that common of a last name. Because not only is your boyfriend of nearly a year the younger brother your least favorite TA/supervisor, he’s also the son of the medical director of the hospital you’ll be working at next semester; and word on the street is Dr. Carla Jaeger doesn’t take lightly to her baby getting hurt. 

After taking residences in facilities nearly four thousand miles apart, Jean couldn’t care less about being a fully fledged doctor—the only thing on his mind is getting home to you, and never leaving. So, when he finally gets to your place, there’s not a single doubt in his mind when he drops his bags, cups your face between your hands, and asks you to move in with him. 

Connie really needs to stop calling you down to his office for “urgent” matters concerning the x-rays and images of your patients, when his only urgent concern is that he misses you. And that the x-ray table was freshly sterilized, so if you wanna... relieve some stress, he knows a place. 

Mikasa always had a soft spot for kids, and at one point considered pediatrics as a specialty. Even though she went down another route, she’s reminded of her love for children when Sasha asks for her to cover at her clinic for last few hours of the day. It reminds her that while doesn’t regret her speciality, but she does envy Sasha sometimes. So much so, that when she comes home to you later that evening, she can’t stop herself before she blurts out, “What do you think about adopting a kid?”

And for the professor/university side of things: 

Hange can’t help but cackle in the corner of the classroom as Levi’s student finish their presentation—a fourty-four slide powerpoint defending their belief that you and him are 100% dating—because while they compiled some pretty convincing arguments, Hange thinks it’s hilarious because Levi’s only reply is, “We’re very close with each other, as roommates should be.” 

You and Levi have a very special end-of-semester ritual. After all the exams and final papers and projects have been turned in, you like to sit on the touch with a glass of wine, and look through your course evaluations together; and they’re anonymous, but you two like to place bets on which students wrote which review. Most are positive, and you think it’s funny that 90% of Levi’s follow the general vibe of “Prof Ackerman is kind of cold-hearted on the outside and not an easy grader but he’s a good teacher.”

It’s only like the freshman think they have a chance with you—for one, you’re a senior, and secondly, you’re their lab TA and you can very easily fail them if they tick you off—but they have to admit to feeling a little crushed when they find out that not only are you not single, but you’re dating Armin, the other lab TA everyone has a crush on.

A rare au in which Levi does admit that he is married, but doesn’t disclose any information about you until the very last day of the semester. His students are practically bouncing off the walls on the last day of lecture before exams, ready for the big reveal. Imagine how dumb they feel when Levi finally tells them your name, and they realize that he’s been talking about you all the time, because your name is listed well over twelve times in the citations for the articles they’ve been reading all semester. (Eren has you sign his syllabus and his first midterm of the year, because you’re basically a celebrity at that point).  

[himboskywalker]

I’ve been wanting to talk about this for awhile. At the age of 25 I finally realized that I have adhd,and discovering that has both been an immense relief and extremely difficult. I went my entire life feeling different and set apart,and knowing that I wasn’t like my peers and there was something about me unique. And a struggle of realizing that I am neurodivergent is putting aside that feeling of lifelong difference in the face of understanding with a diagnosis comes the realization that what I thought was uniqueness is in fact a shared experience that many many people have. Labels I understood myself by and was proud of for so long (creative,chronic daydreamer,intelligent,reader,academic) are in fact not quite so unique. And then creative and academic and smart morphed into burnt out and depressed and clinically anxious seemingly out of nowhere in grad school.

What I thought was determination and zeal became despair and exhaustion and indifference. And without deadlines and goals and the intense stress and nonstop overload of school I realized I can’t stay on task and what I thought was procrastination became executive dysfunction. And it’s been such a weird mourning for myself the last two years,of who I thought I was my entire life and what I thought I would do with my life. I’ve had to come to terms that I don’t want to go into academia and get my PhD or do all of things incredible things,that I simply want to be happy and live my life. And that’s been hard when my entire identity was being extremely smart and becoming a professor.

And healing and self realization aren’t linear. I oscillate between relief and despair when I realize that I’m not a piece of shit and lazy,that there a reasons I struggle to function and be productive some days. Sometimes it’s a benediction and act of forgiveness to myself,to realize that I can’t write or create or do the things I love,not because I’m worthless but because I can’t concentrate and stay on task. And some days my anxiety gets the better of me and I hate myself for not being who I thought I was,and it’s easy to be angry or apathetic towards myself for not sticking to a routine I know I need.

But if anyone else has been going through anything similar I just wanted to say you’re not alone. And it’s hard to start learning as an adult,and to shift your entire world view and adapt the way you understand and take care of yourself. And as a writer I do get mad at myself for not being able to create when I want to,and it can be easy to direct negativeness and frustration inward. But be kind to yourselves,and forgive yourself for not being what you think you should be.

I’ve learned so so much the last two years of what actually gives me joy and what I do want in life. I’ve learned that peace and friends and family will always be the priority in my life. I’ve learned I’m aloud to be happy even if I consider myself a failure,that the people I love don’t view me that way. And even when it’s been a hard week and I struggle to create and engage with what makes me happy,I have to forgive myself for that too,and for falling off my routines. All of us deserve and need to take care of ourselves and love ourselves.

[djmarinizelablog]

Writing Levihan Fanfiction

A conversation about Levihan fanfiction between Ness @glassesandswords and RK @djmarinizelablog.

Listen to the interview on Youtube/Google Drive or read the transcription below.

Ness: When did you get into AOT and Levihan?

RK: I started Attack on Titan in 2019. I saw the anime first around the third season. I got married and then the pandemic happened, so I figured I wanted to do something that I would enjoy during those times. That's when I started writing fanfiction. Apparently, there's already a huge readership for Levihan, especially when I discovered the authors like @fanmoose and @TundrainAfrica. They were pretty much the pioneers of the fanfics in the Levihan fandom.

SOS is actually my first Levihan fanfiction. It's pretty much like a comedy, because I needed something to distract myself from the angst. And then I wanted to try my hand in rom-com, so I came up with Free-Falling. That was the fic that I was able to finish before publishing the first part.

And now here we are.

Ness: I wanna fangirl about Free-Falling. What goes behind the research for the fics that you write? In Free-Falling, you have a lot of terminologies that are related to skydiving. How did you come across this idea and how did you go about in writing it?

RK: For Free-Falling, I was particularly interested in those moments of skydiving, so I watched a ton of Youtube videos of people just jumping out of the plane. If I were to write a scene about this, how would I describe it? How would I describe the stunts, the sounds and sights? What's the feeling of free-falling upon jumping out of the plane? They just go together, you know? Being able to visualize and imagine how Levi as a skydiver would actually fall in mid-air...

I also researched a lot of skydiving terms--what do they call the gear that they use? When they do a parachute land, how do they do it? I also looked up the science terms that Hange uses: What are the things that PhDs usually talk about, aside from getting stressed out? I even Googled Physics thesis papers and dissertation titles!

I do that for all the fics that I write. In Handle with Care, Levi is a lawyer, so I'm trying to figure out all the appropriate legal terminologies that a lawyer would use. In the story, Levi handles the case for Erwin. What happens when someone drafts an appellate? How does one handle a case?

In Surf Town Summer, I try to imbibe the tropical beach vibes that remind me of the Philippines. There's a lot of imagery for the clear waters, white sand, and blue skies. With Levi being a surfer in that story, how do you subscribe the stunts in the water? It's the same thing with Free-Falling: what's the feeling like when he's together with Hange?

It's really up to us as writers to indulge our readers in a world that they can believe in. How do we guide them throughout the story that we have created ourselves?

Ness: I could feel my adrenaline pumping when I was reading Free-Falling! Have you ever gone skydiving yourself?

RK: (laughs) No. My husband--he's been trying to invite me to go with him. Hopefully, when things get better around here, we could try it out. There's actually a skydiving center near our place here.

Ness: That's amazing! Can you tell us more about Down with the Gold?

RK: So Down with the Gold is actually an Erurihan fic. We have Erwin, Levi, and Hange as treasure-hunters in this jungle where they meet different clans and tribes. They meet the Warriors and the Hunters and then they get involved in this entire treasure-hunting mystery. I don't want to spoil too much right now, but all I can say is please read it and support it if you can.

Ness: I'm excited to read it! It's Eruhan and Levihan in one!

RK: I love treasure-hunting stories. I've watched too many adventure films that inspired it. I'm excited to finish the entire story. I have friends who have given me plot points on how to roll out the story; they have given me advice on what to do for the next chapters. I'm always thankful for that.

I think that's the wonderful thing about being an author and being friends with fellow writers and artists.

Two of my friends, @ackermela and @zoevihan on Twitter, made fanarts to go along with the fic. Please check them out if you can.

Ness: You have 20 works in Archive of Our Own. Which one are you most proud of? Do you have a list of your top 3 or 5 works?

RK: A lot of people are more familiar with my multi-chapters as I try to update them once a month, so I'm gonna focus more on the one-shots. I don't really look back on those once I publish those fics.

So one of the earlier Levihan fics that I've written is Sycamores. It's a post-canon Levihan story where Levi and Hange finally meet in the afterlife. It's actually tagged MCD but I swear it's a happy-ending story. Please don't be too scared of the tag! Just read it. It shows how these two try to find each other in another lifetime. I'm not gonna spoil the story if you haven't read it yet. You can check it out on ao3. Rika actually read it and she even left a super comprehensive comment about the fic. Hi, Rika! aka @pinkweirdsunsets

We wouldn't be this tight-knit of a community if it weren't for her and this server that she created.

Ness: Rika's amazing! This is a Rika appreciation segment. And also a Rika slander (affectionately).

RK: And also gotta yourself credit, Ness. I've read most of your meta essays that you've written on Tumblr. I love reading how you depict Levi and Hange's relationship and how other people in the fandom see them, whether in canon or in AUs. I enjoy it when people are able to make a spin-off from their relationship and create an entirely different world in their stories.

Ness: Do you have any particular writing rituals? Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what do you listen to? Or does it change according to the genre?"

Sometimes I usually stream my WIPs while I'm on the Discord channel. You guys are more than welcome to hop in and vibe with me.

Ness: Do you have a playlist?

RK: I do! I actually created this OPM Levihan playlist. OPM stands for Original Pinoy (Filipino) Music. This was in collaboration with my fellow Filipino Levihan friends. They helped me collate all these songs that remind them of Levihan. It's on Spotify!

Ness: What's your favorite Attack on Titan soundtrack?

RK: You know me--I like rap. So, K21 is really one of my favorite songs. Some of the kids on the server want me to rap that for them.

If you can choose between spending a day with Hange or cleaning the barracks with Levi, which one would you prefer?

I like cleaning. As much as I love Hange, I might chop my ears off by the end of the day just listening to them talk about titans. Levi can order me around the barracks all day and I'll probably learn a new cleaning solution. Maybe. I don't know.

Ness: Or you can have Hange talk to you about Titans while you're cleaning the barracks with Levi.

RK: Oh, there you go. Why not both?

Ness: What would be your relationship advice to both Levi and Hange if they were your friends?

RK: What! I think THEY need to give me relationship advice. I'm married to a wonderful person; he's the love of my life. Sometimes, Levihan really reminds me of my relationship with my husband. We bicker a lot; we tease each other a lot; but the end of the day, we love each other.

So, just keep going, I guess. Keep loving each other, that's it. Go, Levihan. Good job. You're doing great.

Ness: Let's say you can only choose a universe from one of your fics. Which one would it be?

RK: It's funny because Soo gave me this sample question before. They also gave me the answer that they wanted to hear as well. Props to you, Soo @argethara, so I'll answer Free-Falling.

Imagine being part of the skydiving squad. Being able to jump with the two of them. And do free-fall in the sunset and watch Levi and Hange kiss in mid-air.

Ness: Yes! Are there any other Attack on Titan ships that you are fond of?

RK: I like Aruani. I feel like if the canon extended past the intended story, we would have seen more Armin and Annie interactions. But hey, that's what fanarts and fanfictions are for.

Ness: What's your favorite part of writing a fanfic?

RK: You know what's funny? 'Cause whenever I write a fanfic, it's more of 30%, no, it's always 20% actual writing and 80% doing anything else aside from writing. I don't know how to feel about that.

I'd rather do anything else aside from finishing the chapter. Maybe I'll watch a movie, maybe I'll listen to some music, maybe I'll do something else. Clean the house. Anything that doesn't involve writing.

I have a full-time job, and I have a lot of things to do around the house as well, so.

Ness: How do you manage everything this, like everything at the same time?

RK: Hah! I don't know, Ness, how do you manage this fandom? How do you do it? I'm throwing the question right back at you.

But I'm sure you also have this experience as well since I know you also write stories. The moment when you finally realize how you're gonna write a certain scene. Or when I finally realize how to do the scene that I want to happen. It's like a Eureka moment, like, Yes! This is it!

Then I just let go.

Ness: Once you start writing, you just tend to forget about everything else. It takes so much effort to sit down and actually write something.

RK: You know, the best solution to combat that is to read a lot of other stuff. Read other people's stories, other people's fanfiction. And just consume any other kind of art that inspires you.

I think that's what art is all about.

That's why I like reading other people's writing, and if I enjoy it, I leave a comment or kudos.

Especially for the younger ones. I am a personal advocate of inspiring the younger kids of the fandom to pursue the art. Don't be embarrassed about what you want to do. Don't think too much about how other people will perceive it. I guarantee you that you will always find someone who will appreciate the art that you put out there for others to see. As long as it's done well with the heart, and that you enjoyed whatever you did, I'm sure people will appreciate that.

Ness: I honestly love this. Because I remember you were one of the people who commented on my fics when I first started writing, so that really inspired me, and that just made me want to write more because it really made me really, really happy. So thank you so much, Ate RK. You are the best.

RK: I tried. I try to be a big sister to everyone in the fandom.

Ness: You are. You definitely are a big sister to us. Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview.

RK: Thank you for inviting me as well! I know we've been planning this for months, so I'm glad we're finally able to do this.

<end of transcript>

[winterbanner]

I Would Give Her the Stars (Bruce Banner/ Reader)

Summary: "In that moment I would have gone to the ends of the universe if she pleased. I would have given her all the stars in the galaxy." 

Tags: Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Slight Angst, This Is Really Cute 

Word Count: 1684

Warnings: None except for some brief language

Paring: Bruce Banner x Fem Reader (uses she/her pronouns)

Additional Note: I rewrote this because it was absolutely awful. I think it’s better now! ;)

It was early, the tower was absent of noise with the exception of the whistling tea kettle sat upon the stove. Tony and I had been working all night to calibrate a new GPS system for the quinjet. It was hard work that required precision and concentration. That was hard to perform, however, when my lab partner was blasting Black Sabbath as if he were at some sort of underground warehouse party. 

My eyes ached from staring at my screen for so many hours, the throbbing synced with that of the headache that had crept its way up to my temples. I just couldn’t take the work any longer, which is something I don’t often say. I have a passion for lab work; I mean, I wouldn’t have seven PHDs in the sciences if I didn’t. That night, however, I needed an escape. 

I needed to go see her. 

I knew where she’d be. Up on the rooftop, staring out over the urban skyline. That’s where she went  to think after her attempts to get some rest were tried and failed. New York truly is the city that never sleeps, and neither does Y/N. 

I rummaged through the cupboard until I had retrieved her favorite mug, and paired it with the one she had gifted me last month. There had been no special occasion, she said she saw it and thought of me. It was one of those novelty mugs you find at convenience stores. On the front were the words “science is my bitch” written in a large bold font. I laughed the hardest I had in months after opening that gift. The rest of the team gives me weird looks whenever I use it, but that mug was the first gift I had received in a very long time. 

I took the kettle off the stove and prepared the two mugs of tea. One spoonful of honey, just how Y/N liked it. Afterwards I made my way to the elevator before requesting JARVIS take me to my destination. As I began my ascent my nerves began to get the best of me. I have this habit of second guessing myself, of letting my mind spiral into anxiousness. These thoughts, however, came to a halt as the elevator doors opened to reveal Y/N sat upon her chair serenely gazing out over the bustling city streets. 

At the sound of the elevator ding she turned her head, her lips curving upwards into a smile as she took in my presence. 

Y/N always smiled when I walked in the room. 

“Well hey there genius” she greeted, her grinning face illuminated by that of the dimmed roof lighting, and the neon glow of the Avengers symbol plastered on the front of the tower. 

“Hey Y/N, um- I brought tea.” I responded, gesturing the two mugs I held in my hands. 

“Somebody pinch me. Not only has Dr. Banner escaped from his natural habitat, but he also comes bearing gifts! I’m in shock.” 

I laughed heartily, “Well, my natural habitat has been invaded by a wild and obnoxious Tony Stark.” I responded. 

“Anybody who manages to survive Stark is more than welcome here. Besides you've been down in that lab for hours, you’re gonna fucking suffocate if you don’t get some fresh air.” She said as she gave the seat next to her a pat, thus signaling her wish for me to sit there. 

I thanked her before sitting down and handing her the cup of tea. “Careful it’s hot.” I warned, not wanting her to burn her hands on the hot ceramic. As I handed over the mug I felt her fingers lightly brush over mine, causing my heart to flutter. 

She thanked me in return before reminding me that she always enjoyed my company. Her words filled my chest with a warmth that I rarely feel nowadays. A warmth that I only feel when I’m with her.  

Afterwards we sat and conversed for what felt like both several hours, and a few minutes all at the same time. Conversation with Y/N flowed with ease, our topics ranging from the books we were currently reading, philosophy and politics, to Thor’s new obsession with microwaved popcorn. I couldn’t care less what we talked about, the only thing that mattered was that I was with her, and it seems as though she just might have felt the same way. 

I have always considered myself to be an awkward person. Social interactions were never really my forte, especially after the accident. With the big guy around, I didn’t think that anybody would want to be friendly with me. I assumed that everyone was afraid. With Y/N, however, it was different. She never once looked at me with fear in her eyes. Her disposition was so warm, so welcoming. If I ever needed someone to talk to I knew she’d be there, and she knew I was there if she ever needed the same. Around her I could be myself. She just felt safe. 

After a while I noticed she had grown quiet, her mind drifting off to somewhere else. She sat in her chair, her head tilted upward towards the sky, her brow furrowed in deep thought. 

“You okay?” I asked, concerned that she was upset.

 “Yeah, I just- I wish I could see the stars.”

I looked up, my eyes met with the inky blackness that was the New York sky, all of its stars drowned out by the light pollution and smog. 

“Yeah, it really is a shame isn’t it?” I questioned, receiving an affirming hum from her in return.

At that point we both sat quietly, our eyes transfixed on the sky above in search for the stars that were never going to appear. The silence settled between us comfortably. I knew she was getting ready to say something, but I couldn’t be sure what. 

“When I was a kid,” she began, “We lived in this house out in the country. Out there the stars were breathtaking. You could see every constellation so clearly.” 

I saw her lips curve upwards in response to the happy memories replaying in her mind. 

“Before my mom died, whenever I was upset or stressed out, she would take me out to the backyard. Together we would lay in the grass and just stare up at the sky. We would stay like that for hours; it was peaceful.” 

Her head dropped, her eyes now gazing forward onto the cityscape before us. “I miss that”, she said, her voice barely above a whisper. 

In that moment, as I observed her melancholic gaze. I wanted nothing more than to give her what she wanted, to give her the stars.

Then after a moment of thought, I realized that I could. 

                                    ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next night I found her in the very same spot, looking over the city lights and skyscrapers unable to sleep once more. 

At the sound of the elevator’s ding she turned to face me , her lips once again forming a smile at the sight of my presence. 

“Two nights in a row?” Y/N questioned, “ That big brain of yours must be really fucking tired.” 

“Actually,” I said,  “this big brain of mine has something to show you.” I waved my hand signaling for her to follow me. 

She smiled in both confusion and amusement as she stepped into the elevator. We stood side by side, our shoulders brushing up against one another as we made our descent down to the lab. 

“Now close your eyes.” I requested 

“Bruce what is this-” 

“It’s a surprise, now close your eyes.”

She complied, the corners of her lips turning upwards as I grabbed her hand and led her down the hall to the lab. I led her to the center of the room and requested her remain there as I went and turned off every light I could find within the vicinity. Afterwards I felt my way back to her through the darkness and positioned myself so we stood directly in front of one another. 

“Okay now open your eyes.” 

“Bruce, is the surprise the news that I’ve gone blind?” she questioned causing us both to laugh. 

“No, just watch.” 

At the press of a button the room became illuminated with starlight. Stars, galaxies and planets hovered above our heads, in majestic hues of purple and blue. The scene was nothing short of magic. The universe on full display, three dimensionally projected all around us. 

At the sight of the stars above her, I saw Y/N’s face light up. Her face filled with amazement as she beheld the multitude of constellations shining before her eyes. Her smile beamed, its brightness competing with that of the brightest stars in the room. 

To me she was the brightest star in the room. 

She slowly spun in a circle in the attempt to fully take in her surroundings, her eyes reflecting the twinkling of the floating stars. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. 

She turned to me, her eyes glistening with moisture. “Bruce I-” 

“Do you like it?” I asked, her lack of words worrying me. Maybe this was too much?

Her silence, however, was replaced by her embrace. She took me in her arms as she gently wrapped them around my neck and pulled me close to her. 

“Thank you, Bruce. Thank you so much.” She whispered, her voice cracking at the end. 

I held her tighter in an attempt to pull her in even closer. Her embrace radiated pure love, a love I hadn't felt in a long long time. 

“Y-you’re welcome.” I answered, overwhelmed with adoration. 

As we pulled away I looked at her face illuminated by the glimmering starlight. I felt as though she was the only person that mattered, that she was the most precious thing this world had to offer. In that moment I would have gone to the ends of the universe if she pleased. I would have given her all the stars in the galaxy; and to this day, I still would.