#but I'm going to keep saying christmas because my brain can't think

[bibannana]

Wolf Pack Christmas Headcannon:

The clones of the pack find our that it is a natborn tradition to buy ugly jumpers/sweaters for Christmas and gift them to others.

However, in true sibling fashion they turned this into a competition. Said competition has two parts.

The first part of this competition is the award for the ugliest jumper that they can find, doesn't matter how ugly so long as it is wearable (not made of anything living or bio-hazardous thank you [rule implemented on the second christmas they celebrated when Sinker turned up with a pile of questionable material and origin and called it a jumper that wriggled]).

The second part of the competition is gifting said jumpers to Plo Koon and seeing which ones he wears most often.

As such, Plo has a collection of ugly christmas jumpers from all of his sons that he takes turns wearing with pride.

[percyluvr]

percy jackson x aphrodite cabin counselor!reader summary: valentine's day at chb brings you and your best friend closer than ever wc: 1.4k

Today was your favorite day at Camp Half-Blood, Valentine's Day. Maybe it was cliché considering you were an Aphrodite kid, but there was just something about Valentine's Day that was addicting to you. Maybe it was the weeks leading up to it that you played matchmaker even more than you normally did as counselor of the Aphrodite cabin, or maybe it was the cute and overpriced chocolate that the Stoll brothers smuggled into camp for the annual Valentine's party.

However, one thing was for sure: it was not because you had a valentine or were in love. Well, you were in love but still had no valentine which came as a huge surprise to all of your siblings, but even more so your friends at camp. 

Since you were 14 and made cabin counselor, you always had a date to your own Valentine's party. This year was different though, you'd realized your crush on your best friend at the Christmas party and knew then that you couldn't break another person's heart by taking them as your date to the Valentine's party and then dumping them the next day. After you completed the 'rite of passage' as an Aphrodite kid, you decided that you didn't have it in you to break anyone else's heart, so whoever you dated next had to be it for you. 

Today you'd woken up nearly on cloud nine. You'd gone about your routine as normal and then got to work assigning tasks for your siblings to set up the party. While everyone at Camp Half-Blood was invited to the party, you still liked to make invites, because really, why have a party if you can't make cute pink invites for everyone?

Usually, parties like this for 'minor' holidays wouldn't be allowed at Camp Half-Blood, but Mr. D and Chiron, mostly Chiron, made an exception because of how much it meant to the Aphrodite cabin. Mr. D only let you host it because you somehow convinced the Olympians to let his wife come down to accompany him to the party. 

Now, after assigning your siblings to their task, handing out invites, and making sure the party was ready, you were sitting at your vanity, redoing your makeup and hair, while your best friend, Percy, laid on your bed and juggled your stuffed animals, which you usually would have found weird or annoying, but now you couldn't help but notice just how beautiful he was. His black hair always sat messily atop his head, nearly never fully dry because he couldn't keep himself from jumping into the water whenever he felt like it. Before last year, you would've fixed his hair and chastised him for jumping into the lake because it made his hair all weird, but you just admired it now. 

Not wanting to get caught staring, you turned back to your mirror, not noticing the way Percy stared at you with hearts in his eyes in the back.

"You look so cute," he said mindlessly, his brain immediately yelling at his mouth for always saying things he meant to keep to himself.

"What'd you say?" You ask, mad at yourself for not hearing him and hanging onto his every word.

Percy had never felt relief like that in his life.

"Nothing, I just said you look like a fruit," he said, mentally facepalming. "You look like a fruit," what the hell is my problem?

"That doesn't even make sense, but okay," you say, rolling your eyes. 

"Sure it does, if your mind is as awesome as mine."

If your eyes could roll to the back of your head and stay there, yours might as well have already because of how many times you roll your eyes around this boy, but never out of real annoyance. How can someone who would typically be so annoying with his stupid jokes be so cute.

"No," you say to yourself. If I keep thinking like this, I'm just going to mess up our friendship.

Little did you know, the boy you were thinking about was thinking about you in the exact same way.

"Hey, when are you going to be done? The party is in like 10 minutes."

"Yes, Percy, I know, it's not like I'm hosting the party or anything," you say, feigning annoyance. "You can go on your own if I'm taking up too much of your 'precious time', y'know," you say, hoping but deep down knowing that he wouldn't go without you.

"Oh come on, you know damn well I would never go to a party without you, especially a party you're hosting, we're best friends," he says, immediately regretting the last words he said as soon as he heard himself say them.

Friends. That's all you are to him.

"Right, what am I thinking?" He hears you 'laugh', and if Percy Jackson knows anything about anything, he knows that is not a real laugh, but he doesn't know what to say to make it better. 

"Well, I'm done now, I just need to put on my dress, just stay here," you state, sauntering off into the walk in closet. You choose your cutest red dress to pair with your darling white cowboy boots, but can't manage to tie the straps into bows yourself, so you decide to ask Percy for help.

"Hey, can you come in here? I need your help tying this!"

Percy blushes, but walks in nonetheless, and is immediately astonished at the amount of clothes in just your closet alone.

The sight of your bare shoulder and small manicured hands holding up your dress was enough for him to combust on the spot, but he held himself together. 

The sight of the dark red tint on his cheeks brought a cheeky smile to your face, knowing that your plan was set in motion.

His fingers shakily grabbed the ribbons on the dress and tied a bow on each shoulder, but not without him accidentally touching your shoulders with the pads of his fingers. 

His touch could've lit you on fire, even though he was a son of Poseidon, not Hephaestus. Even the tiniest touch was absolutely intoxicating.

You turned around and grabbed Percy's hand. If touching your shoulders was just the first step of becoming addicted to you, he was fully ready to do anything for you now.

It's not like you two never touched each other, but it was never quite like this. Not when you both had a sneaky feeling that the other felt the same way that you did.

Even when you got to the party, you stayed near each other. When you went up to the front of the party and went over your yearly Valentine’s spiel, he was at your side. When you went to get some of the definitely not spiked punch, he was at your side. 

When the slow dance songs came on, he gently grabbed and moved your hand from his to his shoulder.

The way you looked into each other's eyes could in itself be a public display of affection. The pure love in your eyes for each other shut all of your admirers down without you even having to say anything. Your faces slowly got closer to each other, still staring into each other's eyes.

"Are we about to kiss right now?" he asked, mostly as a joke, but a small part of him still had hope.

What he didn't expect was for you to softly, with your honey-like voice, "I don't know about you, but I definitely hope so."

With your consent, he felt like his lifelong wish was coming true, and he immediately pushed his slightly chapped lips onto yours. 

The feeling of finally getting to kiss each other was like the best thing in the world but 500x better. He tasted vaguely like a weird but good combination of saltwater and cookies. 

The longer you kissed, the more passionate it got, and this was definitely pda now. His sharp teeth gently bit down on your bottom lip, causing your mouth to open, allowing his tongue in. You'd never felt something so perfect in your life.

When the two of you finally split, it felt like when you were a little kid and your parents took away your toys.

"Not sure about you, sugar, but that was singlehandedly the best kiss I've had in my life," he said with a smile.

a/n: book!percy my beloved also happy valentine's day to everyone reading this! <3

[neochan]

THE PROMISCUOUS TUTOR – TEASER

SERIES MASTERLIST LINK | remember this is part three of a series! read part one & two for context! cannot be read as a standalone!

PAIRING | tutor!jaemin x reader

SYNOPSIS | na jaemin is too sexy to be holed up in the campus library, but once you catch wind of what he does between the shelves, you know it’s your time to see just how well his reputation proceeds him.

WC | 1.1k for the teaser | 20-25k est. for fic

A.N | this is just a teaser for you guys to get hype!! current wc for the entire project is 14.6k....will be posting the finished fic on feb 1st <3

The echo of your footsteps resonates through the quiet library as you navigate your way to the geology section. The fluorescent lights above flicker intermittently, casting occasional shadows that dance along the bookshelves. You can't help but wonder why Haechan chose such a weird ass place to meet.

Decorative rocks are showcased throughout this area of the library, and in the back of your mind you wonder who in their right mind would study geology. Rocks?

“Took you long enough.” Haechan teases, emerging from the shadows between two bookshelves. You squint at him, your eyes still adjusting to the unexpected appearance.

"Why do you have to be so extra?" you quip, recovering from the surprise. It's the second time today he's managed to catch you off guard.

"Extra is my middle name, darling," he grins, leaning casually against the shelves. You secretly wish they would give in and collapse just for the sake of a good laugh.

"Cut the dramatics, Haechan. Why am I here?" you demand, crossing your arms.

"I want to know what you’re doing with Jaemin," he deadpans, peering up through his long lashes. "Because for the past thirty minutes or so, you've been practically drooling over him." He checks his wrist adorned with a silver watch you gifted him last Christmas, "And I've been keeping track, by the way. Don't bother denying it; I've got eyes everywhere."

You roll your eyes, annoyance creeping in. "That's bordering on stalker behavior, you know."

He casually shrugs, unfazed. "Answer the question."

"I'm studying with Jaemin. What else would I be doing?" you retort, finding the situation utterly ridiculous.

"Sure, you're not one of his study buddies?" Haechan drawls, dragging out the second-to-last word and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. You resist the urge to roll your eyes again, realizing you've walked right into his stupid trap.

You glare pointedly. “Just because you caught me looking at another man that isn’t you doesn’t mean I want to fuck him.”

“Oh sweetheart, I didn’t say anything about fucking him.” Haechan replies with a sly grin.

“You implied it!” You huff, jabbing him in the chest with a manicured finger.

He clutches the spot and winces at pain. “Damn your nails are sharp.”

“Why am I really up here.” You were becoming impatient. Perhaps you should have known that Haechan would waste your time. There was nothing of importance for you between these stupid, dusty, rock filled shelved.

A part of you did know it, though. And that part was practically begging Haechan to shove you against the shelves and start fucking your brains out.

You squash that part down. Deep down.

Haechan sighs and takes a tentative step backwards, “Honestly, I was bored and just wanted to mess with you.” You open your mouth to chastise him, but he cuts you off before you can, “But now that we’re on the topic of fucking Jaemin –”

“Don’t think we’re on the same topic here.” You interject.

He keeps going without missing a beat, “I just thought you should know about his....habits” His face beams in pride, as if this super-secret tidbit of information could solve world hunger.

"His habits?"

Haechan takes a step towards you, "Yeah...his dirty, filthy habits."

"What are you getting at Haechan?"

The boy in front of you eyes you up and down before speaking slowly, "You're telling me you don't know?"

You narrow your eyes at Haechan, feeling a mix of confusion and suspicion. "Know what exactly? Stop beating around the bush and just spit it out."

Haechan smirks, relishing the moment. "I just thought you should know that he fucks girls here after hours."

“In the geology section?” You question, skepticism etching your features.

“In the library dumbass.” Haechan retorts, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. His eyes lock onto yours, daring you to challenge him.

“Yeah right.”

He stomps his foot in a childlike manner. “I’m serious.”

Your disbelief lingers. "I don't believe you. It's literally patrolled by security after hours," you assert, your arms crossing defensively over your chest.

Haechan rolls his eyes, seemingly accustomed to your skepticism. "Y/n, me and Jeno used to think Jaemin was rocking your shit back when he started tutoring you."

A wry smile creeps onto your face. "How lovely."

“I mean, now we know you just need help with stats –”

“It’s a hard subject.” You defend yourself.

Sure, you’d never been good at math like others, but statistics was a hard class. And your professor made it even more boring with her monotoned voice.

“I know, cheated my way through an A.” Haechan admits, flashing a beaming smile. “Anyways, he has an entire roster of girls he brings to the library after hours. Honestly, you’re the only girl I’ve seen him actually tutor.” The soft glow of the library lights casts a warm hue on the leather-bound volumes that surround you and you notice it illuminates the curve of Haechan’s jaw too.

“Haechan, I swear if this is a prank or a set up.”

He gives another stomp to the worn-out carpet, "Why would I be lying about this?" he insists, his expression genuinely serious. "You know what, meet me here Friday night at nine thirty."

“The library closes at eight.”

“Back entrance is always open.” He winks at you, and you playfully swat his arm. “Gonna prove that I’m not lying.”

“Whatever.”

You find yourself baffled by Haechan's sudden revelation about Jaemin's supposed "dirty habits." There's a lingering question in your mind – why is Haechan even sharing this information with you in the first place? As the absurdity of the situation sinks in, you can't help but wonder what prompted him to bring you to this secluded spot just to share peculiar details about Jaemin's life.

Is he threatened by your sudden interest - if he really was catching on to the fact that you were after Jaemin.

A few beats pass before he’s nudging your shoulder. “So?” He jostles your arm with his own until you swat at him again, “You’ll meet me here?”

“Sure, Haechan.” In truth, you had nothing better to do. And maybe you could use this to your advantage. The next part of this stupid challenge was to fuck Jaemin anyways, and what better way than to use his rendezvous spot to do so.

If Haechan was telling the truth.

“We should make out.”

You slide your eyes to his and cock your head, “In your dreams Hyuckie.”

note. let me know your thoughts!!!! i really need feedback in my inbox <3 also, if you want to be on the taglist, comment on this post (if you're in the taglist for the rest of the series, no need to comment)

[benisasoftboi]

I am so happy with the conclusion of BBC Ghosts.

There were so many things I loved about the final series that I can't even keep it all straight in my brain, I'll have to rewatch it all (and the Christmas special, of course! Must remember it's the not the true end yet!)

But something I can immediately say I loved was what they didn't do. See, that line in the trailer that turned out to be from episode 5 - about there being a pattern to when they move on - worried me. One of the best things about the show, to me, is how there truly is not any reason at all to why the ghosts are there, or when they go. It's something the creators have said over and over, and that the show has always backed up; we saw so many times that, unlike in most ghost media, addressing unfinished business or achieving emotional resolution changes absolutely nothing. Pat hit some sort of emotional resolution three times. And Julian realised the importance of family, and Robin saved someone’s life, and Thomas discovered the truth of his death, and so on and so on. Finding closure isn't the end, and equally, the end isn't predicated by a climatic conclusion. It just happens. And the same is true for why people become ghosts. It just happens. And you exist, and fill your days, and then you’re gone. And no one knows why.

It's kind of the most agnostic television show I've ever seen.

I love that. Every other afterlife show I've ever seen has some kind of reward and punishment system. Or at least says that there's a reason for things, some kind of higher power at play, not necessarily a god but something like it. Even the American adaptation felt the need to bring Hell into it, which is why I need to specify that I'm only talking about the British version here. And I feel like a lot of fans wanted there to be reasons too, or felt like there simply had to be, that it wasn't even a question. I get why - it's not just because it's the standard for ghost narratives. It's really uncomfortable to think about the randomness of life and death. But Mary didn't go because of anything that happened before that day, and Cap was never going to go because he came out, and one day, when they've all gone, there won't have been a reason for it.

Because the real point of BBC Ghosts is that there is no point. You’ve just got to make it through the days, surrounded by people that irritate you, trapped in a confusing world where you’re mostly powerless. And it sucks, and you're angry, and sad, and bored as hell. And you also find happiness in the mundane chaos, and you get really good at chess, and watch the ants in the garden, and write bad poetry, and read terrible romance novels, and gamble money you don't have, and go camping, and play games, and learn French, and watch reality TV, and have sex with a decapitated Tudor nobleman’s body, and dance to old music, and look at the stars, and find that you actually really love all those annoying people after all, and that’s the point.

[bumblebeesfromvenus]

Deck the Halls 🎻

Bale!Bruce Wayne x Wife!reader

A/N: This is the ultimate crossover, Bale!Bruce and Christmas, what more could you want??? I don't know quite how I feel about it mainly because I wrote most of it at 3 am lmao. Love-hate relationship, I guess. I hope you like it, anyway!

~Fi 🐝

Fi's Christmas Market ☃️

Warnings: implied angst?? Mention of his parents' death (very briefly), so much fluff omg, starring Alfred, Selina, and Lucius, Bruce is obsessed with you <3

Word count: 3.6k

Please don't copy my work! I put a lot of effort and heart into the things I write.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫

"A Gingerbread house contest?"

Bruce gave you a skeptical look as you explained your idea for the annual Wayne Yule Ball. You were sitting at the meeting table in the office of Wayne Enterprises, brain storming ideas to make this years Gala a little more interesting. The events were always quite boring, the only thing keeping your spirits up was the bar most of the time.

You'd occasionally hang around on the side lines with Alfred, people-watching Gothams wealth. This year had to be different. You were sick and tired of the fad and dragging evenings.

This was the Yule Ball, after all. The Manor would be decked in lights and ornaments, the lovely tunes of Christmas would echo through the halls and you'd actually have some fun for once.

Bruce would try to make them more bearable for you, inviting you to dance as much as he could, even if it earned him detesting looks. He wasn't a huge fan either, but it was his duty. He'd rather be curled up with you, feeling your warmth against his skin while doing your favorite festive activities.

Selina was seated next to you, twirling a pen between her fingers, looking like she was about to collapse from boredom. Alfred sat next to Bruce with a notepad, writing down any ideas that had come forth. Lucius was there too, of course, hoping to aid in any technical things.

"Yeah, why not? We need to do something interesting this year, and a making Gingerbread houses is a pretty classic activity, no?" You responded, shrugging slightly.

"I'll definitely come to the Ball if you pull through with that." Selina smirked. Bruce sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, honey? I mean, most of the people that attend aren't really ones to get their hands dirty."

"If I may, Master Bruce, I think it's a great idea." Alfred interrupted politely, making you smile. "I think it's important for the rich of Gotham to not lose touch with the average life. And, it'd be quite sweet, wouldn't it?"

Alfred grinned, proud of the pun he just made. You let put a small giggle while Selina and Lucius were smiling slightly. Bruce, on the other hand, sighed as his brows pulled together.

"Alright, so if we do this, who's going to be the judge?" He asked, finally caving in to your request.

"I knew you'd come around," you smiled, watching as a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth, "I think it's pretty obvious. Alfred should judge the houses."

"Me? Miss, I'm flattered but I don't think I have the expertise to-"

"Nonesense, Alfie," Selina cut him off, "We've all seen what you can do in the kitchen. If anyone's going to judge anything, it should be you."

"I agree. He does make a mean Victoria Sponge." Luscius agreed, his reasoning strong enough to make Alfred ponder for a moment.

"It doesn't just have to be houses. We can just give them creative freedom, let them go at it." You suggested, earning nods of approval.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this," Selina mumbled, inhaling a sharp breath,"What if we make it a family event? Let them bring their kids. They'd probably be more open to the whole idea that way."

"Good thinking, Miss Kyle."

Bruce chewed on his lips as he thought. This would be very different than most years. His parents had started the tradition of a yearly Yule Ball, and he was afraid to make changes. But then he thought back to how his parents always tried to keep a somewhat humble life to be able to help the people in need more efficiently. Also, he could never say no to you.

"Okay. Why not. Even if they don't enjoy it, at least we'll have a good time." He smiled softly, looking at you. You almost beamed with excitment.

"We need a price too, right? What's the point of a contest without a price." Selina intervened. A silence fell over the room as everyone was thinking of what the price coule be.

"I say we give the winner an hour with Bruce's credit card and see how much damage they can do." You snorted, meaning it as a joke but when you weren't met with disagreement a surpirsed expression took over your face.

"Fine by me." Bruce shrugged. You forgot that he was a billionaire sometimes.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that but that just upped my determination by 100%." Selina grinned, making Bruce roll his eyes.

Bruce started talking to Lucius about the organizational aspects while you discreetly high fived Selina under the table. You'd talked about this idea before, your friend mostly finding it funny that the most esteemed people of Gotham would have to struggle with sprinkles and sticky icing.

She was quite impressed you pulled through, although that Bruce agreed wasn't a surprise to her. He'd do about anything you asked, which she sometimes used to her advantage.

"You truly have him wrapped around your finger, huh?" Selina mused, sending a sly smirk your way. You leaned back in your chair, inspecting the shimmering wedding band on your hand.

"Well, he wouldn't have put a ring on it if I hadn't." You grinned, making Selina shake her head with a chuckle.

"When do I need to be there to see Gotham get down and dirty?"

"December 25th, 8:00 pm, Wayne Manor."

"See ya then." The brunette gave you one last grin before taking her leave, claiming she had some 'business' to attend to. The so called 'business' would surely end up on the front page of the Gotham Gazette tomorrow morning. She was a great friend despite her passion for her illegal hobby. You couldn't really blame her, though. She'd grown up with nothing, and had to fight to survive.

You were the last one to complain if one of Gothams renowned business men mysteriously lost a couple of million dollars, which then appeared donated to a charity the next day. She'd never steal from you, or Bruce.

That's not to say she hadn't tried, but Selina did find that Martha's necklace suited you just a tad better than her. She had quite the soft spot for you, you weren't like the rest of the wealthy people she knew. You were honest, understanding and kind. Selina put a great amount of trust in you and she knew you'd never break it. If that meant having to put up with Bruce once in a while, so be it.

Alfred slipped into the seat next to you, Bruce and Luscius still discussing the guest list, when to send the invites, and to order all the necessary things for the contest.

"Truly a marvelous idea, Mrs. Wayne. He never dared to make any changes before you came along, you know?"

You turned you head towards him, a slight blush on your cheeks. Did you really have that much of an impact on him? To think that you were the one that made the Bruce Wayne soften and be more open to change made your heart swell with pride.

"Really? I thought he just never cared that much. For the Ball, I mean." You said, intrigued of what you were about to learn from Alfred about your beloved Husband.

"No, no, not at all. It was his favorite thing as a boy. What I'd do to see him happy like that again." The older man sighed, a melancholic tint in his eyes.

You smiled at the thought of Bruce being excited for Christmas. Just being a boy. You reckoned all of that changed after his parents' death. The warm and loving holiday was now left in gray dullness and the emptiness that he felt in his heart when he'd sit under the tree, all alone, yearning for a hug from his father and the gentle touch of his mothers lips on his cheek.

You were determined to fill that void, shower him in all your love until the gaping hole in his chest was fixed. Who knew if it was possible, but you were willing to give it your all.

"You will, I promise." You replied softly, gently placing your hand on his arm. Alfred gave you an appreciative smile, the sadness in his eyes wavering slightly. He softly padded your hand, resting it on it for a moment.

"You make him so happy already, though. I suppose I can't complain too much, can I?" He joked, making you laugh softly.

"I'm just loving him, that's all."

"That's all he needed." Alfred smiled softly.

Bruce glanced over to you, his heart pouding with pure love as he saw you laughing with Alfred. His two favorite people were getting along so well, it made unbridled joy bloom in his chest. You had changed his life, only for the better, you made him feel like a person again.

For years he'd been aimlessly wandering, hoping to find himself. He was lost in the dark, going through life pretending to be someone he wasn't. Or was he? He didn't know. But you were his guiding light, your gentle flicker lighting up his path. Your soft warmth getting him through many a cold night when the thoughts of self doubt and fear were gnawing at him.

All he needed was you pressed against his chest, your soft breathing like a sweet lullaby to him as you slept peacefully in his arms.

"Mister Wayne? Mister Wayne-" Lucius voice broke him out of his daydream, his back straightend and he cleared his throat, hoping no one caught him. You were still chatting on with Alfred, so you hadn't noticed, good. But when he looked over to Lucius, there was a knowing smirk on the man's face.

"Yes, Mr. Fox? Do you have the guest list ready?" Bruce questioned, fiddling with his fingers. He looked at Lucius expectantly, trying to hide his slight embarrassment.

"I don't blame you for staring. She fills the role of Mrs. Wayne perfectly." He answered, a gentle smile on his face. Bruce's shoulders immediately dropped, the tension fading away. He let out a small huff through his nose with a tight lipped smile.

"She does, doesn't she? It's like she was made for this. Made for me." He said quietly, the adoring look in his eyes as he admired you not being missed by the Inventor. Lucius placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Why don't you spend the day together? I'll take care of everything." He said reassuringly.

Bruce's eyes widened slightly and he turned to face Lucius.

"Lucius-"

"No, I won't hear it. Go on, spend the day with her." He gave him chuckle before patting his back and gathering his things.

"We're done here, Mrs. Wayne. You can have your husband back." Lucius laughed, packing up the last of his documents. You giggled, which immediately set Bruce's heart aflame.

"How gracious of you, Mr. Fox." You teased, getting out of your chair, Alfred by your side.

"Let's go, my love. We have Christmas movies to watch and a dog to cuddle." You chirped, dragging him out of his chair.

All he could do was smile as he let himself be taken by you and wonder how he got this damn lucky.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

You were now curled up on the couch, Bruce by your side, his arm draped around you. Your dog, Rudy, was snoozing on your lap as you scratched his head. The extra weight and warmth of your pup made it hard to keep your eyes open.

You were resting comfortably against Bruce, who traced gentle patterns on your arm as he was tentatively watching the TV. A smile tugged at your lips at Bruce's soft breaths, his strong chest falling and rising, lulling you to sleep. Your smile was cut off by a yawn. You lifted your hand from Rudy's head to cover your mouth, but he let out a whine, immediately nudging at your hand.

You chuckled groggily, trying to keep the sleep at bay so you could enjoy your moment with Bruce.

"'M sorry, buddy." You cooed, going back to petting your fur baby.

"You're tired, honey, I'll take over. Go to sleep." Bruce said softly in your ear, gently moving your hand and replacing it with his, making Rudy's tail wag slightly.

"S'your fault for being so warm and comfy and- you." You mumbled, letting your head fall against his shoulder.

"I mean, I can stop." He teased, taking his arm away from around you. You caught his wrist in a surprisingly tight grip.

"Do it and see what happens." You slurred, eyes still closed. Even in your sleepy state, you were still your feisty little self.

"Alright, I'd like to keep my arm, please." He laughed, wrapping his arm around you again, just a little tighter this time. You nuzzled closer to his side, making Rudy begrudgingly adjust his position as well.

"Are you excited for the Yule Ball?" You asked quietly, looking up at your husband as best as you could with sleep tugging at your limbs.

"I am. For the first time in a while, actually. Thanks to you." He replied with a soft smile, placing a chaste kiss on the tip of your nose. A lopsided smile crept onto your face, and you stretched your neck a bit to press a sweet kiss to his lips.

"I love you." You mumbled before finally dozing off with a smile on your face.

"I love you too, honey." Bruce whispered gently, his lips pressed to the top of your head as he sunk into the couch.

He couldn't wait for the Ball. Something he loved so dearly that was tainted for him for many years was now coming back to him brighter than ever. All thanks to you, the lovely woman he chose to marry.

He'd marry you anew every single day if he could.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

The day had finally come, and you were a nervous wreck. You really didn't want to mess this up. You had big shoes to fill; Martha Wayne was loved by Gotham, and now that you held the title of Mrs. Wayne, you didn't want to disappoint anyone.

Not the people of Gotham, not Martha, but most importantly, not him. You'd been running around like a headless chicken the entire day, double checking everything so nothing could go wrong.

The decorations were being set up, and you might've snapped at a poor worker for hanging one of the garlands a little too much to the right. You were stressed out of your mind, regretting ever suggesting this. Right now, you were checking if all the sheets of Gingerbread had arrived and if all the decorations were set up.

The gentle touch of Bruce's hand on your shoulder snapped you out of the frenzy in your head. He guided you to a quiet corner with a hand on the small of your back.

"Bruce, I have to get back to-"

He interrupted you with a firm kiss, cupping your cheeks.

"No. You're completely stressing yourself out, and we can't have that. I'll take care of everything. And now you need to take care of yourself. Take a bath, get ready, do whatever you need to do. Please, calm down. Everything will be perfect, I promise." He said it so softly you could feel all the anxiety and stress fall away.

You let out a deep breath as you leaned into his touch.

"Okay. Thank you." You sighed with a small smile.

"Good. You know very well that tiring you out is my job." He said lowly with a glint in his eyes. You huffed and playfully hit his arm.

"Go check on the sprinkles."

"Yes, Ma'am."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

You did as he said, you took a bath to ease the tension in your muscles that had been building up throughout the day.

Now, you were sitting at your vanity, adding some final touches to your make-up. The guest would arrive soon, and you were glad the excitement took over the anxiety.

Bruce walked into your shared bedroom, fixing his cuffs.

"Are you almost ready?" He asked, not looking at you, still fiddling with his suit. You responded with a small 'Mhm!' and walked over to him, brushing some wrinkles out of your gown. When he did look at you, he visibly stopped in his tracks.

You were wearing a green velvet gown with lace accents, and he was completely enarmoured. When his gaze trailed upwards, he caught sight of his mothers necklace sitting around your neck. If you weren't already married, he'd would've proposed right now.

"You look stunning." He breathed out, hie pupils dilated. You chuckled softly, brushing your hand over the lapel of his jacket.

"Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself." You teased, earning a small smirk from him. His hands settled in your waist. Bruce hastily pulled you in for a passionate kiss.

The air was knocked from your lungs as his lips moved so perfectly against yours. You melted into his touch but caught yourself before you'd do something that'd make you two very late.

"Alright," you breathed heavily, steadying your hands on his chest, "that's enough, Lover boy. We have a Ball to host."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

All the guests had arrived and Bruce stepped into the center of the room, beginning his welcoming speech.

"Welcome, Everyone, I'm very glad you could join us here today for the annual Wayne Yule Ball. This is a tradition that my parents started that I wish to keep on as long as I can."

"This year will be a little different. Courtesy of my lovely wife, Mrs. Wayne," he looked in your direction and reached out his hand for you to take with a gentle smile, which you did without hesitation,"there will be a gingerbread house contest. I see you've brought your little ones and I hope that this will be a pleasant and memorable evening for us all." He ended his speech with a soft smile.

"Feel free to take as much times as you desire. Everything you need is provided, so all you need now is your imagination and creativity." You spoke up.

"Your delicious creations will be judged and the winner gets a nice reward. I hope you have a lovely time and a Merry Christmas!"

There was a small round of applause before old and young scrambled towards the tables decked with gingerbread, sprinkles and icing, to begin their gingerbread builds. You participated too, you'd teamed up with Selina, who had been nursing a flute of champagne until now.

Bruce and Lucius decided to indulge as well, already planning out their engineered masterpiece.

"Let's show 'em our claws." Selina smiled slyly. The lights made her dark blue dress embroidered with sparkling stars stand out. She looked very good this evening.

And Bruce might've paid for that dress... unknowingly.

"You got it, kitty." You replied with a smirk.

You were going the classic route. It would be a house, but more of a whimsical cottage type. Vines if icing were woven around the gingerbread walls, blooming into blankets of Ivy. The roof would be decked in sweet snow and delicate sugar flowers.

Selina couldn't help but add a tiny cat hidden at the back of the house. The atmosphere was delightful, laughter and chatter whisked through the room accompanied by the tunes of Christmas songs.

The decorations that adorned the walls and ceilings of the Manor dipped the room in a warm glow. You decided to glance over at Bruce and Lucius, to see what they'd come up with. When your gaze met their creation the piping bag of icing slipped from your hands and your jaw slacked.

"They built the goddamn batmobile." You said in disbelief, making your partner perk up.

She scoffed and went back to, now aggressively, pushing small sugar decorations into the icing.

"Show offs." Selina grumbled.

Bruce noticed your staring and shot you a toothy grin.

"A sweet ride, don't you think?"

You groaned at his terrible joke and shook your head.

"Unbelievable." You muttered, going back to perfecting your little house.

The chattered had died down as the judging began. Everyone watched in anticipation as Alfred made his way through room, inspecting each Gingerbread sculpture carefully. He made some small comments here and there, mainly on the ones the children had made.

In the end, a little girl and her sister won- they'd built, or at least tried to, a castle. Alfred thought it was very charming, and it reminded him of home, so naturally, he picked them as winners. They were overjoyed, jumping around excitedly, gushing it about it to their parents.

The girls earned a round of applause, and an arm slipped around your waist.

"A shame we didn't win." Bruce sighed playfully.

"I can't believe you built the batmobile. I expected a lot, but not that." You laughed, the lights reflecting off of you perfectly. Or at least that's what Bruce thought.

"But it was fun, don't you think? Thank you, again, for agreeing." You said softly. Bruce smiled at you, and gentle squeezed at your side.

"Anything for you. I can't wait to see what you come up with next year." He kissed your cheek, pulling you closer as you watched the joy and holiday cheer fill the room.

He truly couldn't wait for next year, to deck the halls with you by his side.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫

It didn't turn out as Christmas-y as I wanted it to, but I hope you enjoyed reading it nonetheless! <3

[kiefbowl]

this is a random thought I had in the shower actually well over a month ago, but I've been gnawing at it in my brain...and perhaps this is going to sound pathetic and a bit esoteric.

So, it suddenly dawned on me very randomly while I was showering that I have been paying for netflix for my own account since I was a freshman in college. Back in the dvd days, I remember having Firefly sent to me disk by disk my fall semester. This is 2009. It was an important part of college because I let my friends use it on their console and we'd all go to their dorm and watch streaming, and I passed out my log in to a ton of friends. I basically provided free Netflix to more or less 10 or so people over the course of four years for not even $7 a month I think.

What hit me though was that means, this year - that will be 15 years. That's what stopped me in my shower to stare off in the abyss for like 10 minutes and what's been on my mind for the past several weeks. I've been paying netflix for 15 years, which is the longest I've ever done anything. There is no other company I've so consistently paid for like this either, not for that many of years not even close. Quite possibly my longest relationship outside of my family and 2-3 other people. Netflix, the ever constant, of all forsaken things.

And what really bothers me about it is that, uhm, not to be an American consumer but like...I don't feel appreciated by netflix. For the past few years, I've barely used it, except for a few titles I've wanted to watch. I haven't passed out my log in since I changed it not long after college to keep an ex using it for free. I've remained loyal, despite the fact that I don't feel like some sort of loyal consumerist. I don't give a fuck about brands, I try to shop as little as possible, thrift what I can. And yet, what can I say? I actually am a loyal consumerist, to netflix that is.

What a shock to realize this, and what a shock to realize netflix does not acknowledge this, no email saying thanks, no surveys, no swag, no pizza party, no invite no perk no discount no nothing. Instead they raise prices, cut services, lose licenses, and cancel barely finished products. I'm 15 years loyal to this company for this?

And I think about the days of yore, but really not long ago. The preferred shopper's catalogues of department stores, the longtime shopper promotions of industry giants, the award systems for the loyal consumerists of chains and malls. The specialty Christmas items that are today vintage and worth money for their rarity. The thank yous, the special events. The mailers that say "Come to our store loyal customer and receive a free $20 coupon for that day!" And I'm not saying this is good, and of course it's all just marketing and advertisement, and I'm not saying this is the life I want to live...

But I am saying this would be easy for netflix to do, for someone like me. Someone who went from $7 to stream and receive DVDs, who got customers onboard when the model was new and the company was pioneering, to $20 to sit unused but for a month or two out of the year. It would be easy to pull the data. It would be easy to say which accounts have been opened the longest, to actually verify who has given 180 months worth of payments to them. It would be easy to give me a year's discount to say thank you. It would be easy for them to send an email to verify my address to send me merch. Do I want the merch? No, not really. But have they tried?

Have they even sent me an email saying "We appreciate your 15 years of support! We value you!" with little confetti animation? They didn't do it at 10 years. They didn't do it at 5 years. I don't recall ever receiving emails from netflix besides "Unfortunately, our payment model is changing."

As of today, I haven't pulled my account yet. I want to finish Bridgerton, even if this season is a snoozefest. But I think I will. I feel had and used, as pathetic as that sounds. Has Hulu done anything different? I can't remember when I signed up for them but it's been many years. No, but I frankly use it more, so I'm less angry. And with netflix...it's been fifteen years. They have really banked on us being passive in our payments, and accustomed to the freedom of endless choice, and it just feels gleeful that they never even once acknowledged I've been here this whole time. Actually, act like Sears and Bloomingdales 60 years ago, or we quit I think we should say. Ask me my address to send me a glass netflix mug or I'll fuck off, because who do you think you are to think so little of me, the only reason you exist for?

[hrdenha]

...touch me, puppy | s.jy

synopsis: The sounds of his groans made its way through your ears and echoed to the walls. Pride swells up on your chest at the fact, that the untouchable and elusive, Sim Jaeyun is now on your couch whimpering and pleading for your touches. He looks like a guy you want full control of thus, you can't blame the other girls for wanting him, after all, you also want the same thing.

pairings: shytype!sim jaeyun x softdom!reader

warnings: MINORS DO NOT INTERACT. jake's celibacy from sexual endeavors 🤭 reader and jake using her undies in some ways thus, panty kink (?) shy and soft jake. pen*tration, unpr*tective s*x, wrap it up guys!

— AUTHOR'S NOTE: this should be publish on the upcoming weekdays but it's currently our hell week and school is also kicking my ass for the last time before we go home for christmas. so, i decided to just drop this. hope y'all enjoy ❣️

"Seriously, Y/N? Do you even realize what you're saying right now?"

You hum in agreement, eyes looking straight to that man who currently sitting on the sofa. He's not looking so comfortable with how stuck he looks while an unknown girl was trying to flirt with him.

Yeji groaned, still trying to give you some 'sense'. "I mean, Jake's not bad. He got the looks, and he got the brains. He also has sense of humor..." You hummed again, now, while nodding but still, watching on what the woman was doing with your target. "That's why a lot of girls want to take him to their bed but all of them failed. Rumor has it that he's still a virgin but it didn't even take a toll on his famed career. Girls doesn't care if he is. If all, knowing his a virgin just adds fuel to the fire. I wouldn't be surprised if he thinks that that woman was just trying to strike up a conversation with him instead of flirting with him. Jake is just... He's just, umm, how do I put this nicely? Nerdy... and innocent. Yeah."

You chuckled, "And, he's cute... I like him" then, you stopped to analyze what you just said but "... yeah, I like him." You mumbled again.

Your friend took a sharp gasp, all attention in you. "Wait... You mean LIKE like? Girl, may I remind you that a whole Lee Felix is waiting for you? Are you for real?"

"I don't like Felix, though. I don't like playboys." You said in a matter-fact tone, eyeing your friend to add thickness on your claim before looking back at Jake who's now talking with the woman. His head was now gently swaying from left to right obviously rejecting the unknown woman's advances.

Even if the place was loud and somehow dimmed because of the lights, you clearly see how the woman were annoyed before it left. You also saw how Jake sighed, his body finally relaxed after the encounter. He pushed up his specs, his eyes catching yours as he did so. You smiled, not breaking the eye contact, "... I always like the innocent looking ones"

It was almost a week after the party. In Yeji's surprise, you didn't make a move not even an attempt. After the eye contact, or in Yeji's perspective — after the unknown woman left, your friend convince you to strike a conversation but jake immediately avoided your eyes and you let him. You knew he was uncomfortable, and you don't want to push that so, you let him go do his thing. Not even glancing at his way again throughout that night.

"I'm still confused. I thought you like him?"

You hummed but didn't answer. You're busy trying to open a file on your laptop but it keeps crashing until a message box appear saying that you should wait for awhile. You clicked you tongue before pushing your swivel chair to the side where Yeji was, err, you don't know what position she has but she was comfortably laying on your sofa as she waited for your answer.

"I do. I like him. I told you, he's cute"

"So, why didn't you took the change to flirt with him?"

"Do I need to?"

Yeji unbelievably scoffed, as if she wants to give up, "What— but, I thought you like him?"

You shrugged, "Yeah, because I just thought he's cute"

"Oh, so you just like him? Not LIKE like?" She ask again.

Your forehead creased, slightly tilting your head to her. You seriously don't understand what Yeji was yapping about. You like Jake because you seriously think that he's cute. You're not sure if this is just a small crush, as of now, you're also trying to figure it out.

You were about to open your mouth to answer when your laptop and Yeji's phone produced a sound. Your eyes move to the screen where a text box flashed.

"Shit..." Your laptop got a virus. Talk about being unlucky.

"What happened?"

You sighed, shaking your head "Just my beloved laptop catching a virus"

"That sucks. What about your files? You backed it up, right?"

"Fortunately. What about you?"

"Nothing, just that Mr. Baek sends the partner composition for the final project this semester. Did you get it?"

"I didn't have my phone, charging. But, who'd I got?" You casually asked, still trying to get your laptop working.

There's a moment of silence, you reasoning with your device while Yeji trying to find your name from the lists. You were about to ask again when she suddenly shrek.

"What in the world happened to you?"

"You got Jake as your partner!" Yeji exclaimed all smiles.

"I did?"

"You fucking did!" She screamed again, standing up, walking, and then putting her phone under to your face. Letting your eyes be the one to confirm the information. Talk about being lucky.

—

Yeah, you're really lucky now that the elusive Sim Jaeyun is now on your apartment. After confirming the partnership about the project, you two decided to start the project today at your house. He slowly walks to your couch, putting down his things and trying not to meet your eyes.

"You can relax there, I'll just get us some foods" Jake nervously coughed trying to blur the silence before nodding. A smile crept in your lips but you tried to tone it down. He's just so cute, you can't help it!

After spending a few minutes, you finally step out of the kitchen with tray of food in hands. Putting it down, oblivious at the set of heavy eyes throwing a lingering look on your body as you did so.

"Is it okay if we use your laptop? Mine's got a virus."

"I dont... mind. You can use it." He whispered, eyes focused directly at you. Nodding, your hands took his laptop and put it in your lap. You clicked the button and the monitor automatically lights up, displaying the password bar in the screen. You silently face the laptop to Jake who's currently sitting beside you, his slender fingers typed the password with ease before pushing down the enter.

The laptop opened but instead of the home screen, the laptop automatically displays a tab from the browser. The four walls of the room were now filled with moans from the speaker of the said device.

Jake mumbled a cursed, hands immediately taking the laptop from your lap and exiting the tab that cause a thick silence and awkwardness in between the two of you.

You look at his side, his whole face, some part of his neck and ears are now in shade of red. If he can't look straight in your eyes earlier, at this moment, you doubt Jake still know how to breath.

In an attempt to not further embarrassed him, your fingers travel on top of your lips trying to hide the curve smile that was playing on your lips, "I'll just get more water for us" You excused yourself taking the pitcher even if it was still half way full. It's the least you can do, giving him the solitude to calm himself.

When you come out for the second time, you decided to finally settle beside Jake to continue your business but to your surprise, the man immediately scoot away as if he just got burned by your presence.

You eyed him in shock which jake also did albeit, he's more on a nervous side.

What did I do? Is he that disturbed by my presence?

The silence that made its position between the four walls of living room from the very start became more palpable though you decided it was enough, "I think—" You started carefully, trying not to spook him. Heck, you're not even looking at him, just keeping your eyes in front scared that you might scare him even more. Although, you saw how jake focus his eyes on you from your peripheral. You realized that this is the second time— since he walked inside your abode, that he looked at you straight. You felt slightly pleased at the manner in which he looks at you, yet the way he averted his body played on your mind again causing you to shun the positive emotions away.

"I think, It would be better if... we just divide the tasks and work in it separately. I'm sorry for wasting your time" You repeated, loud and clear. No one said anything after that, room filled with silence once again. You were about to stand up and walk away when a hand gripped your wrist, pulling you back.

The unexpected impact made you loss your balance. And the next thing you knew, you were on top of Jake. On his lap, to be exact while both of you positioned like sitting and laying on the couch at the same time.

"I-I'm sorry..." He uttered trying to scoot away from you, again.

And before you can even think, words started pouring out of your mouth, "Do you hate me?"

Jake was stunned, his body freezing under you before meeting your eyes, "What? No!"

"Do I make you uneasy?"

He, again, shook his head before answering, "Of course not!" in a defensive voice.

"Then, why—"

"You make me nervous!" He said in large voice. "not in a bad way, though. It's always in a good way. You're just so different. You're beautiful and smart and I... I like you. I like you so so much. I like you ever since I saw you last year in freshmen orientation. I like you so much that when you look at me last week at the party, I started think about... things with you. I can't help it, its just—"

"Is that the reason why you're watching porn in the middle of the day?" You asked, cutting him off. A sly smile, that you didn't try to hide this time — is now displayed on your lips.

"I-I'm so—" You hushed him, putting your index on his lips. His pinkish, plump, and kissable lips. You sighed when his bulge starting to let its presence known under you. He's turned on.

"You sure I don't make you uncomfy?" You asked again which he immediately answered with a shake of head. "No..." He whispered, his hot breath making contact with your neck.

You stand up taking a step back and putting a distance between the two of you, just enough for your eyes to hug his presence. The action made Jake confused, in fact, his hands didn't leave your wrist even though there's a reasonable distance in between the both of you. In his eyes, a lot of emotions are playing. Disappointment... Doubt... Awe... Lust?

You silently put your hands inside your shirt, unclipping your bra before sliding the straps on your arms and finally disregarding it somewhere. Jake silently watching you, mouth slightly ajar, eyes observing your actions as your hand touched his clothed dick. After a few touches, your hands travel on his waist. He lets you unbuttoned it, taking off his underwear and pants completely causing his hardened to sprang forward.

You look at his dick in surprise. Oh! look. at. that. His face and ears weren't the only red on his body, that's for sure. It was twitching, his tip in the painful color of red, plus the precum oozing on its tip. You're not a masochist, you know how painful it is to be exposed and not touched. You knew how Jake wanted to be touched just by how his dick twitch, hips slightly buckling up when your breaths made in contact with it. He's, maybe, a 6 inch with a good thickness. You want to lick it, to touch it. You really do. His dick is so pretty. The way his pubes were cut clean tells you more about him and you don't mind spending your time with it in your mouth but not before you drop the million dollar question.

Jake watches with a heavy eyes as you climb on top of him in straddling position.

"Tell me what you want..." You can feel his dick on top of your pussy even though you're still wearing your cotton shorts. You wanted to move your hips but controlled yourself. "What do you want right now, Jake?" You ask again looking down at him, his mouth slightly open ajar as he met your eyes. "You. I want you, Y/N... please"

You smiled giving him a peck. Jake must've been expecting a different kiss from the way his lips tried to chase yours. You smiled, not yet. He groaned in response but you paid him no mind. You kneel in front of him, in front of his dick and you didn't waste your time. Your hands immediately grip it, tongue making contact on his tip which you tease wholeheartedly. Jake's moans poured out of his lips together with a curse moreover, when you finally took him inside your mouth.

With the way your tongue play with his shaft, his tip hitting your throat, and how your mouth suck the life out of him, Jake's groans and moans intensifies as well. You look up to him, eyes fluttering behind your long lashes. The man was vocal, his groans are making you wet. You can feel the heat between your legs increases in every suck you did and moans that came out of jake's mouth. Your eyes met, and you can't help but to chuckle on how fucked up he looks which by the way, send vibration to his cock. He was trying to look at you, to imprint how you suck him on the deepest part of his mind yet he can't help but to close his eyes and lose himself in the pleasure... in you.

"Shit, Y/N... yes, that— that feels good" He moaned again, "I'm gonna..." You felt his hips meeting your mouth causing you to pick up you pace. And with his last groan, he cummed. His thick and white cum flooded your senses, you swallowed it before sucking him again.

"You're so... beautiful" He mumbled breathlessly, eyes boring from the way you lick him clean. His dick was still hard and hot, even after cumming, his dick refused to soften up.

You smiled, before you crawl up to him. Jake was focused on you, on your lips to be exact. He wanted to kiss you, and you let him. You gently clash your lips with his, letting his tongue explore your caverns as you tease his cock with your hands. Jake groaned in between your make out session, tasting his own cum on your mouth did unspeakable things inside him.

"Please, I need to be inside you... please. please." He whispered as he kissed your lips, saying it like a prayer over and over again, hoping his goddess would make his wish come true. And, what can a goddess do but to answer his prayer?

With that, you straddle him again, "You mind if I'll do everything myself?" You asked which came out as a whimper when you directly felt his dick on your tight pussy after taking off your shorts and panties, before straddling him. Jake looks up as you allowed him to take in your body. To let his brain register that a woman is willingly giving her body to him. His head shook before answering a breathless 'no'.

"Tell me, jake... are you a virgin?" You asked again, kissing his checks then his lips. "No... but ever since I saw you, I stopped. It's been a year since." He sighed, eyes closed as he feels the way your sinful lips travel dow his neck, adorning it with bites.

"So, I'm the first in awhile?" He nodded again. "And, hopefully the last." You chuckled at his words. You pulled back looking down at him, your eyes took his visuals in.

Jake looks good. He always is. He looks cute with his specs on, a small amount of sweat on his forehead after the stunt you two pulled earlier. He's wearing a casual long sleeve that has a black collar. The longsleeve has a patterns of horizontal lines with an alternate color of black, white, and red. his neck was adorned with a simple yet elegant silver necklace. His hair was soft, not to mention his lips. That sinful swollen lips of his. He looks hot and irresistible. You can't blame the other girls who wanted him by themselves. You also want the same thing.

At that thought, pride swelled up on your chest. Letting yourself fall in temptation of kissing him deeply again while hips slowly thrusting to create a friction. Your hands pull up your top that perfectly hugs your curves to completely expose yourself to jake as you rub onto him.

Pulling back from the kiss, you finally lift yourself, hands gripping his shaft as his tip scratch on your folds. Letting him know how wet you are because of him.

Jake moaned, still looking at you. He won't close his eyes, he wouldn't miss this for the world. He just want to slam your body down his cock but he control himself. The fact that you're the one in charge is making him crazy.

You gently aligned his tip on your whole, allowing your wetness to naturally push him inside you. His breath hardened, groans getting fuller and louder when you finally let yourself down his cock.

You moaned, head tilting back when you felt his thickness. "You felt thicker now than earlier on my mouth. Fuck, Jake... you felt good"

His dick twitched inside you and in response, you felt your legs shaking. Jake's breath pick up it's pace, his hard breathes filling the room. "You're not going to cum, Aren't you?" He shook his head, answering a 'no' with bated breath. You hummed, smiling down to him as your hands slowly took his glasses off before putting it down on the side table.

He looks handsome, as always. And the way he looks up to you with such innocence in his eyes is turning you on even more. You pushed yourself for a kiss which he accepted gladly, allowing the both of you to be engrossed by each others tastes.

Clenching him painfully inside, jake groaned again. "Fuck... so tight" You start going up and down on his cock. Pleasure starting to build up as you did so. But then, you noticed something. He's not touching you. His hands softly and were carefully pleased on your sides as if he's scared to fully lay his hands on your body.

You took jake's palm, slowly sliding it upwards to your body and onto your breast, persuading him to hold you.

"You can touch me, it's okay..."

"I'm just shy—"

"Don't be, don't be shy. You can touch me, puppy. It's okay" You said in assurance hips continuously fucking yourself in his dick. And, he did. Jake deliciously gripped your bossom, teasing your nipples after. And to your surprise, Jake took your left breast in his mouth while the right was still on his hand. His tongue plays with your erect nipple, biting it hard enough that adds on your pleasure causing you to moan.

"I don't mind if you leave a mark. I would even gladly accept it" You whispered, chuckling on how hard he sucked your breast.

"Does it feel good?" You ask, keeping up your pace. The man under you whimper in response, and you can't help but to kiss him messy again. After a while, an idea sparks your mind.

"Let's try a new position, puppy" You immediately laid on your back, a pillow supporting your upper body as it leans on the arm rest of the couch. "Come here, and fuck me" You said again, as your legs invite him in between.

Jake got on top, kissing you again while letting you strip him his remaining clothes. You pulled his shirt up before pulling him closer to you together with his dick sliding inside as he started rutting you.

Your hand made contact with your lacey panties. Jake's still observing you and swear that he saw the mischief writing on your eyes as you push the garment up to his nose.

"Smell it if you're a good puppy, Jake." You render, trying to stabilize your voice from the bliss of his thrusts. "Are you my good puppy?" You ask again, teasingly. He obliged, sniffing it. Taking a good whiff off of it. You smell good, the fabric is soaked with your pussy's natural smell and he knew that he's addicted. Jake was turned on even more, even taking a mental note of wanting to eat you later.

You relased a breathy chuckle, and silently inserted it into Jake's neck which made his dick twitch inside. "So, you like this? I can't believe how perverted my puppy is." You teased, chuckling again as Jake's cheeks get redder. You pulled the red dainty garment down making him kiss you.

"Red really suits you, jake." After those words, you felt how his thrust becomes sharper and harder. "Ugh! Tight..." He moaned, "Fuck me, jake. Yes, please harder!"

He picked up his pace, who would've taught the elusive sim jaeyun fucking you hard with his thick, veiny, and long cock? Fuck, the pleasure was intense. You can't help but scream, basking yourself in pleasure itself. The room was filled with groans and skin slapping now more than ever.

Your walls clench him tightly at the same time you feel something building up on your lower abdomen, "Jake! Ugh, I'm gonna—! Come inside!" And, then you screamed, the same time you cum. You don't care if your neighbors can hear you. You don't fucking care. Jake continues to thrust, as you are slowly being overstimulated while he rides your orgasm.

"Shit! Y/N!" You felt another wave building up on your abdomen together with how your legs uncontrollably shake. "J-jake!" You cried, eyes keeping close at the intense pleasure. With the last curse and thrust, you came for the second time as you felt him filling you up to the brim with both his cock and cum, giving you a creampie. His thick load painted your walls as he collapsed on top of you.

"That's a good puppy..." You whispered in his ears, brushing his hair as you felt his cum slowly oozing out and down of your hole. "You're a good puppy." Mumbling the last words and a pair of lips kissing your neck was the only thing you felt before darkness got you.

share me your thoughts 💭 likes, reblogs, and comments are very much appreciated!

purely fiction.

© hrdenha - 2023

[thewertsearch]

TG: i will be your server TG: and past me will stay as roses server TG: which is to say present me will TG: the one in the black suit GG: ohh… GG: i guess that makes sense TG: he can keep managing her for a while TG: until she sorta checks out soon and becomes totally useless

Rose is already detached from the party, following unseen orders in service of an unseen plan - but according to Dave, she's going to get worse.

This, I assume, is the point at which she becomes obscured from Kanaya's viewport. Rose is going to keep digging this hole, right up until she reaches some critical point on her timeline - and then, if I'm reading correctly between the lines, she's going to fall apart.

Final alchemy session, let's go!

Hey, calm down! Just because it's snowing outside doesn't mean it's Christmas just yet.

We're certainly getting close...

STEP OFF. … You decide he can keep the SORD….. though.

Abandoning your best weapon? A poor tactical decision by the Knight.

TT: Did you do anything on the moon besides rifle through my belongings? TT: Such as remove your shades and turn your gaze Ringward, by any chance? [...] TG: i did TT: What did you see? TG: horrible things [...] TG: when i saw them TG: their voices became clearer TT: What were they saying? TG: i couldnt really focus on anything specific TG: but TG: in totality TG: im pretty sure it was TG: like TT: ? TG: a plea for help

That's a little vague - but then again, they may be so alien to us that they're not able to communicate more clearly. This might be the closest thing to a human-readable message that the Gods can create.

This is probably a good place to put my transcription of the Squiddle song from Jade's nap. Much of it is unintelligible, but the parts we can hear are rather illuminating.

Squiddles are no ordinary friends, they work, and play, and work again. But they have homes, and mommies too; yes, they have mommies just like you.

Firstly, the Squiddles try to explain that they're not completely different from us. They're extraordinary creatures, practically incomprehensible to the Players - and yet, they have a home. They have loved ones. They play.

They repeat this assertion twice, as though they desperately want the Players to understand this.

So let them go to bed right now, so they can rest, and make cute sounds. If they can't rest they won't be strong …and they are really tiny.

They go on to say that they're exhausted. They need to rest, but something is keeping them busy. As a result, they're becoming 'tiny' and weak.

They can't make the 'cute sounds' that they're known for, which I suspect is a metaphor for the advice they normally dispense to Derse Dreamers, but I'm less sure about that.

[Unintelligible] …so let them sleep... …cause they will die if…

At this point, the music begins to fade out - but not before we hear that the Squiddles' lives are in danger. Something out in the depths of space is killing the Noble Circle of Horrorterrors.

Squiddle dee dee, squiddle dee dum. Everyone sing, a Squiddley song. Let's all be friends, And work as a team. Squiddles for you, Squiddles for me.

The final verse is self-explanatory.

It's unclear what, exactly, is happening out in the Furthest Ring, but it's dire enough that the Horrorterrors are reaching out to their neighbors, the Players of Sburb, and asking them to form an alliance.

We're seeing that alliance through Feferi, who has convinced them to blow the Dream Bubbles and link the two sessions. We're also seeing it through Rose, the only human Player willing to listen to the Squiddles' song - but her situation is more murky. I do think I understand her mental state a little better, though.

Rose is acting on Horrorterror advice - which means she's acting on whispers, corrupted images and half-heard fragments of a song. I don't think the Gods are manipulating her so much as they're playing a game of Telephone with her brain. They can't relay direct instructions, so the best they can do is transmit the vibe of what needs to happen, and the Seer has to figure the rest out for herself.

No wonder she's so evasive about her plan - I don't think she understands more than a quarter of it. She isn't nearly as in-control of the situation as she's pretending to be, and if she admits as much to John, she'd probably lose her nerve.

[scarletttries]

Night at the Museum (Steven Grant One Shot)

Pairing: Steven Grant x GN!Reader

Rating: Pure fluff, gender neutral pronouns throughout :)

Word Count: 1.7k

Author's Note: My Christmas gift to all the Steven Grant lovers, I feel like I've been writing a fair amount Steven smut lately so here a sweet sugarplum fluff for him :) Enjoy, and my requests are always open for sweetie Steven 💕

Night at the Museum (part of my Christmas list)

Glittering decorations, festive cocktails, a beautiful string quartet. Even though you'd insisted that this did not fall under you job description when Donna practically forced you to plan the staff Christmas party this year, you couldn't help but feel a little proud of how well you had pulled the little soirée together. Now there was just one final step to your plan, the reason you had accepted the task in the first place - talk to Steven.

The gift shop employee had caught your eye from the first conversation; his bright passion, his brilliant mind, his obvious sweetness inside and out. After a couple of months curating a new exhibit for the museum, you had come to the conclusion that as beautiful and kind as the man was, he was clueless when it came to picking up the signals you were clearly sending out, and if you wanted to be more than a colleague, and then more than a friend, you were going to have to take matters into your own hands.

---

"I know I usually hate Christmas but I can't miss the party!" Steven muttered under his breath, trying not to think too much about the fact that he was confiding in a stuffed hippo from his little counter, because he couldn't talk to his goldfish until he got home. "You know exactly why I want to go - for (Y/n)." He sighed, resting his head on his hand and his elbow against the counter with a smile as he watched you walk through the grand foyer, seemingly unaware of his longing stare as he racked his brain for any excuse to go talk to you. As if you felt his eyes on you as you moved, you glanced over to him, giving him a smile and wave as you continued your march to Donna's office, needing her sign off on yet another tedious matter for the party. As he tried to return your wave he forgot he was using his arm for support, lifting it to wave and letting his face fall right onto the counter with a thud. Steven almost didn't want to raise it again in his embarrassment, sure you must think he was an absolute idiot for the way he always managed to make a fool of himself around you, but as he glanced up he was glad he did, the blushing giggle he could see on your cheeks worth the slight knock to his. As soon as you disappeared around a corner, he went back to his goddess-themed plush toy and their conversation, "So now you see why I've got to go to this party! But I keep looking like a numpty every time they come near me, so I've got to make a plan. What do you think I should say?" He paused as if the toy was going to give him an answer, disappointed when his thoughts were the only thing he heard,

"Well I can't just say I love you to a colleague I've never even asked on a date! I'll look insane! No, I need to play it cool."

---

Steven felt decidedly less than cool as he walked into the almost empty museum that night, closed to the public for the staff party, giving him less people than usual to hide behind when it came to the sea of judgemental eyes. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, tugging on his slightly ill-fitting suit and focusing instead on his objective for the evening - talk to you.

You could feel your heart jump a little bit as you heard your name called out over the festive melody filling the air. Steven always said your name like it was filled with excitement and wonder, not like someone he went to work with day after day.

"The museum looks amazing tonight, you did a great job party planning!" He said happily, leaning forward as if he was going to greet you with a hug before doubting himself and settling for a small wave instead.

"Thanks Steven, I'm really glad you came." You replied sincerely, relief that he had actually come tonight boosting your confidence more than a little.

"I never miss a party, me." He lied, frowning as the words came out of his mouth, searching for a new topic before you could follow up on his fib, "I heard your exhibit getting expanded, congratulations! Ancient gemstones right?" he questioned, ignoring the voice in his head suggesting he offer you a diamond then and there.

"Thanks, I can't wait for the new artifacts to arrive, there's jewellery in there dating back to some of the first human civilians." He nodded happily along as you described your plans for the exhibition, thrilled to see you speak with such devotion, proud just to know someone like you, "I always think there's something beautiful about the fact that as long as humans have existed, they've wanted to sparkle." Steven grinned the sentiment, almost captivated by the joy with you approached your work and your life, the happiness that seemed to fill him whenever he got to spend time in your presence.

"Well you certainly do." He offered sweetly, eyes widening in panic as if he hadn't quite realised a compliment was leaving his lips before it was too late. Not wanting to risk sticking around to watch you shoot him down he quickly excused himself, desperately hurrying to a quiet corner to pull himself together. You watched in confusion as he stepped out for some air, mumbling to himself and wringing his hands together as he went, his chest rising and falling intensely as he brought his heart rate back to a safe level, unsure whether to be proud of himself for finally (almost) flirting with you, or kick himself for running away before he could see the fall-out.

You let the party continue to pass, keeping an eye on Steven as he finally plodded back in, reluctantly listening to a rant from Donna and correcting a few people on his name, looking a little bit downtrodden by the end of it,

"Steven. Pst." You beckoned from behind him, leaning against the corner of a long stretch of corridor undisturbed by party goers. He pointed up at himself as if there was anyone else you could be talking to, only taking a few uncertain steps forward when you nodded and used one finger to gesture him towards you. "I wanted to show another Christmas decoration I put up for the party." You explained, the curve of your smile making Steven's heart beat harder against his ribs, grateful and terrified to actually have a moment alone with you. You took a few slow steps backwards as you beckoned Steven towards you, finally coming to a stop and pointing up at the ceiling, hand struggling to hold still with the anticipation.

"Oh." Was all Steven could breath out as he saw the little green branch with its white berries hanging over him - Mistletoe. The first thing you'd dug out when you agreed to plan the party, hiding it far away enough from the foyer that you wouldn't be disturbed. Steven didn't dare move a muscle as you stood toe-to-toe, sure he must have misunderstood, certain you couldn't be thinking what he was thinking.

"You know the tradition for the two people under mistletoe right?" You prompted, the crimson colour spreading across his cheeks as he began to lift his trembling hands enough to make you sure this was something you both wanted.

"To - to kiss." Steven stuttered out, short of breath as you nodded, leaning slightly forward until the tip of your nose brushed softly over his as you did.

"Do you want to kiss me Steven?" You almost whispered, faces barely an inch apart, feeling the heat radiating from him as he nodded, bringing his twitching hands to cup your cheeks as his lips finally closed in on yours. It was soft. Tentative. Like part of Steven still didn't think this could be what you wanted. You brought your hands to his waist, slowly snaking around to pull him closer, encouraging him to apply a little more pressure the kiss. You leant into it, opening your mouth slightly and tilting your head to feel more of his soft, plump lips, slightly wet as his tongue seemed to hover just shy of yours. He let one hand brush over your cheek and fall to your neck, holding the nape of it as if terrified you might disappear if he couldn't feel you, and taste you anymore. You let your tongue lightly brush his, feeling him eagerly respond to your movements by deepening the kiss again, lips moving against yours like he'd never need to take a breath again, surviving solely on the feel of your mouth against his, the perfect fluttering building in his chest.

Finally you pulled away, leaning back just far enough to notice Steven's frantic breathing, the awestruck look in his eye as his gaze danced around your face looking for any sign of rejection before staring back at your lips, the only thing he could picture himself thinking about for a very long time. And then you smiled, and he was sure his heart was going to explode then and there, the affection as you rubbed his lower back and held him close the sweetest thing Steven could ever remember feeling.

"Happy Holidays Steven." Otherwise at a loss for words at what to say to this man looking at you like maybe there should be a museum dedicated to you alone, like you had single handedly hung every star in the sky along with the festive decoration above you.

"You wouldn't be free on New Year's Eve would you?" He asked, attempt at joking betrayed by his utterly pleading tone and the pure elation in his eyes when you nodded. Maybe Steven didn't hate Christmas anymore.

[lyrenminth]

Quiet love 2/?

For this chapter I highly recommend to listen Ariana's song - we can't be friends - to get in the mood

And yet, Justin wasn't the type to make a move. So, you were screwed up.

"I had a great night" you said, heading toward your room. "What are you plans tomorrow?"

"I'm gonna go golfing with the guys"

You nodded.

"Have fun"

"We can have dinner here" he added.

"Yeah, sounds good"

And the sudden thought caught off guard. Did his friends knew about you? Tate knew because it was obvious. But people here in LA knew?

"Justin, your friends know about me?" you asked, regretting it at the moment.

He frowned, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Your friends in L.A, not in Eugene"

"I don't think they care or why they should know?"

"Because it makes me feel unwelcome. The fact the you prefer to hide our friendship"

"That's not true" he argued "I don't want nosey people in my life, our friendship is something I treasure"

"And what's wrong with people knowing about me?"

"I want privacy in my life"

"I'm not going to spill anything"

"It's not about that!" he raised his voice, frustrated. You flinched and he ran his hand through his hair with exasperation. "The fanatics are crazy. And I don't want people stalking you, telling you insults and threatening you when things aren't pretty during the season"

You stayed in silence. You were arguing before bed again. How funny.

"I'm not talking about the fans, I'm talking about your teammates, people you know here in L.A"

He gulped, and crossed his arms against his wide chest.

"Mmm it's not common to present a friend" he said, suddenly shy "Only girlfriends and wives"

"Only...oh" you felt dumb, of course you wanted a space reserved for another person.

You let out a sigh. You were so stupid.

So, so stupid.

"Well, that's clarifying" you said, trying not to cry.

Really? Crying because your friend is your friend and gives you friend treatment? Then why...why he does those things that confuse your brain? Why he treats you so nice, invite you dinner and let you stay all the time you want? Made you feel wanted and loved?

You felt your eyes burn and blinked to keep the tears away.

"Are you ok?" he said, worried getting closer to you. You gave a step back, and he looked hurt.

"Yeah, it's...summer allergies I think"

"You don't have allergies"

"Mmm L.A weather is intense" you changed the topic. You looked at your room's door and bite your lip "I'm tired, see you tomorrow"

"Wait..." he call you but you were closing the door already.

Needless to say you couldn't sleep so much that night.

You couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if you tell him the truth. You dreamed about him a lot. You dreamed about his affections changing its course and realizing it has been you the whole time. You wanted to be his special person because he was yours. He was yours since childhood. He was yours since the gave you a Star Wars band-aid when you scraped your knee playing or when you searched for frogs during your walks in Oregon. He was yours during the Christmas exchange, and the family meetings. And what would you do with all your affection if he said no?

The thought made you cry harder.

You were bleeding your love at 3 am.

The next day, you avoided him like a plague. Yes, it was childish and immature but you couldn't look him in the eye without feeling a turmoil of emotions inside you, good and bad. If you dare to look at him you would started crying or threw him a shoe. You went straight to work, and since you seemed in distress you co-worker, Lydia asked you what's up.

You tell the story, his name was omitted in purpose. All the emotions, his behavior, your confusion, your friendship. At the end of your story, she wasn't happy.

"I'm sorry, but I think you should put your big girl pants and ask him" she said, sounding rational "it's not healthy for you staying in a situation like that. Pretty cool of him letting you stay, but if it's something bothering you, you should talk to him. The worse thing that can happened it's knowing you can't prolonged that situation anymore"

"How am I suppose to do that?"

"Hey, I think I catch feelings for you but we really haven't spoke about it so tell what do you feel so I can make decisions "

"I'm not brave like that " you regretted.

"You must, baby. You are dying in a "what if"

"But he is my friend, I don't want to lose him" it was true, you had so much story.

"It's better for you. You deserved to be loved by someone without limitations"

You were crying at that point, feeling pathetic.

"If he says no, where am I going to stay?"

"I have a friend who is looking for a roommate, the apartment it's closer to work, so you don't need a car" she said, compassionate about you.

"Can you send me the number?" you cried.

"Yeah"

When you arrived at the house he was in the kitchen which surprise you because you purposely took the longer route. He should be sleeping by now. WHY HE WASN'T SLEEPING?

You said the driest "hi" and went to your room. You felt his stare burning your skin. Your heart beating so fast you were scared of having a heart attack.

You changed your clothes for something more comfy, you grabbed a book and sat on your bed to start reading. You were two chapters in when Justin knocked your door.

"Come in"

He appeared, in grey pants and a blue shirt.

"If you are hungry there tacos and soup" he said "Keenan's wife made it"

"Thank you" you said, still reading your book. Words didn't make sense but it was better than look at him because it was painful. He leaned at the door.

"Can we talk?" he asked. You stomach twisted.

You feelings were to intense after the talk with Lydia, but what she said it was true. You were dying of uncertainty.

"About what?"

"About...us" he replied.

You gulped, and it was like passing a stone through your throat.

"Okay"

He moved again, somehow staying in the same position. He put his hands in his pockets then decided it was better to cross his arms. You waited patiently.

"Are you mad at me?" you sighed.

"No, Justin" your voice was soft but firm. Good.

"Yesterday you were mad" he stated, you didn't blink. "What did I do?"

"Nothing" you felt like someone was cutting through your chest to get your heart out. "I'm more annoyed with myself than with you"

"Why?"

Why it was so difficult to talk about it?

"I misinterpreted our situation" you voice trembled and you cursed at yourself for being so weak around this man.

His face was blank. The same face he puts when a journalist ask a stupid question.

"How so?"

Oh, dear. If you could only talk without fucking crying. It was happening, wasn't it? Revealing your feelings and potentially losing a friend.

You were so scared.

You deserve a love without limitations.

"Gosh, Justin. I came here, you lend me your car, you bought me pickles, you treat me like more than a friend and then you say you want me to stay..." saying it out loud made you feel worse. It was nothing, it was kindness. It was friendship, wasn't it? "I... I know we haven't seen each other in years so I thought...I thought that you may feel something for me as I feel for you"

His throat bubbled. His gaze was on the floor.

Of course, how could you forgot? He was a man.

"I don't know what to say" he started. "You know, my work, my life is very different from yours"

What the actual fuck? What was he trying to say? Was a Mr Darcy type of proposal?

"Justin tell me the truth, do you like me back? Yes or no?" You asked, getting angry. You didn't deserved such disrespect. If he didn't like you back, well you would deal the heartbreak but prolonging these feelings until the end of season and beyond was madness.

"I'm not sure" he replied, you almost didn't hear him.

But it was all you needed to know. You exhaled deeply, feeling all the emotions at once. Luckily your face remain blank, you grabbed the sheet with such force your knuckles turned white.

"I guess... that's ok" you looked at your watch only to see it wasn't night yet. "Well, I'm going to continue with my original plans" you opened your book again trying to play it cool not reading a damn word "If you need something send a message"

"What do you mean?"

You raised your eyebrows in confusion.

"By original plans?" he prompted.

"Moving out, I mean" you replied not glancing once. You were acting petty, but he just said he didn't like you back. Of course you were ashamed, angry and desesperately in love.

"Oh, alright" he looked around, not even giving you a glance.

His short answer was like a stab in your heart. Sometimes he was so cruel, but he had the right to feel what he was feeling too. You could not force him to like you and that was even worse. Your eyes were burning, tears blurring your vision.

"Good night" he had the audacity to say before leaving.

And when he closed the door, was like closing all the posibilities you had to be something for him. Throwing years of friendship only because you misread him.

And you felt so so stupid. Of course you were only his friend. How could you even think to be more than a friend? He was Justin Herbert, young, rich, athletic. He had all the options in the world, why he would settle for you?

You started crying, leaving all those emotions out.

Just another sleepless night.

[hidefdoritos]

So, for Christmas break, I've been staying with a very considerate older couple. When I got here, I found out that they're also...comfortably wealthy. I wish I could have been live-blogging my stay here, but this summary post will have to suffice.

MOSS'S MUSINGS: HOUSEGUEST EDITION.

-Ask which dishes you are allowed to use. I didn't know this would even be a question--I grew up with one set of dishes--but it matters. The dishes we've been using are red with snowmen on them. Tonight I put my soup in a red bowl with Christmas trees around the edge. That was wrong and bad. I have been told that they "prefer I not use that" because it is "for special occasions," and was told to "set it aside so I can hand-wash it." Side note, rich people also own things that can't go in the dishwasher. Thankfully they told me about this ahead of time.

-In general, they make requests when they mean to give you instructions. "I'm having some ladies over tonight, so if you'd like to clean the bathroom, that would be fine." = I, Moss, need to clean the bathroom before I leave for work this morning. They're secret instructions--instructions in a suggestion-shaped suit. I like to think of it as a secret code that I'm very smart for solving. It helps me to not tear my hair out.

-House thing that shook me to the core: They have heat vents on the floors under the sinks! So you can wash your hands or wash dishes and your feets don't get cold!

-Speaking of heat: heated mattress pads exist! It's like a heating pad for your whole body. High settings are nice for muscle aches; low settings are so cozy to sleep on.

-Speaking of mattresses: The guest room has a Sleep Number mattress. I think it's a scam. It's a balloon under your mattress to adjust the firmness/softness. I am 240 lbs. If it isn't over half inflated, my butt's on the bedframe.

-They are weird about trash. All food waste is handled separately and taken straight to the bin in the garage so it doesn't smell. The kitchen trash can lid has a motion sensor. It's automatic. Scared the daylights out of me when I first walked past it to get water at night.

-Speaking of water, ask what water you should use. Tap is not acceptable to some! My hosts have a fridge dispenser. Unfortunately it dispenses cold water. I have worked around this by getting water in advance of my needs and letting it change toward room temp. Also, you can't put drinks on the furniture! Wood is different from the plastic-coated OSB furniture that I grew up with. I must remember now to use coasters because any spills or drips can leave white marks.

-When they start discussing money, try not to let your mouth drop open at the amount of zeroes. One host bought a new car and was bragging to me about how he only paid $28,000, and that was actually $5,000 off for having a certain type of credit card. I just worked the mental math for the discount percentage to keep my brain from exploding. $5k is more than I paid for my entire car. My family motto is "Buy used and drive it 'til the wheels fall off." I did not say so.

-Most importantly, they've been extremely kind and generous to me. They dropped my rent for the month down to almost nothing. They bought any groceries I expressed interest in. I'm going back to campus with some of the best homemade soup of my life, and a coupon for an oil change, and a new appreciation for dark chocolate almonds. When I got here, my hostess had set up a desk for my sewing machine in her sewing room (!! a whole room for sewing!!) and taught me to use a rotary cutter and an iron that's entirely too complex.

tl;dr rich-ish people are super weird about some things you wouldn't expect, and your head will explode a few times, but they're still people and my overall experience has been great.



[baejax-the-great]

Hi! I just wanted to combat that anon (fuck them btw) and say I ADORE your fics.

I’ve plagued everyone to tears in my life over broken oaths and water in the dawn. Your premises never fail to go hard asf. And your prose? It absolutely baffles me how you write so fast when the quality is just next level, and your characterisation of patrochilles? Ugh it scratches such an itch in my brain, you just Get Them.

I recently logged into my ao3 to read sweet victory and realised most of your fics have availability set to logged in users only. Omg I was like a kid on christmas. I have so much reading to do!!!

Your work is incredible, and brings me so much joy. Have a great day!

Hey, thank you! (but also don't worry about that anon. Pretty sure I know who that is and they have a very weak understanding of appropriate behavior (or how to get under my skin for that matter))

Patrochilles crawled into my brain and sleeps there. Prior to them, I can't say I had much interest in Greek myth. I played Hades, someone suggested I read tsoa, I read the Iliad, became obsessed with Ajax somewhere in the middle of that, and two years later, here we are (366k words on the archive???). I like to joke that the muses still wake up every few years and target a random person with "Okay, it's your turn to make sure his glory is eternal like we promised" and then go back to sleep. And possibly the one I got was confused and hit me with the Ajax beam, too.

I also think when Troy (2004) came out, the muses had to work overtime to fix that egregious error

I'm mostly joking. I tend to think of these Greek heroes as the OG comic book characters. Over the years, so many authors have taken a crack at them with their own biases, preferences, and interpretations. Some shit gets retconned. Some new stuff gets canonized. People debate over it. Except those debates end up on jstor instead of reddit or twitter or whatever.

Obviously, though, as one of the current people writing about these guys, I'm right and my cultural biases have no role in influencing my perfect understanding of their characters (/s).

It was interesting going from Hades game, where Patroclus is so snarky and dry, to the Iliad, where when he finally speaks, it's to literally cry with tears streaming down his face to Achilles. I was thinking to myself, well, I'm fine with Supergiant inventing this part of him and I'll keep it for myself. And then he had the best trash talk of all the Achaeans. I had actually put my book down to text a friend "the trash talk in this book absolutely sucks; humans clearly didn't have that down yet" and then the next line was Patroclus telling everyone to shut the fuck up because he was with me on that one. And then he wrecks Hector's shit verbal-style while blind and dying. Love that guy.

Anyway this is all to say many interpretations are good! Except for Troy (2004) and the one where Achilles considered Patroclus his mommy. It's cool to see how people take small details from a 3k yo book and turn it into full characterizations. Less cool to learn just how badly Ajax's original story got warped. I'm super happy these guys inspired me to write so much in the past couple years and that the fandom has honestly been one of the most interesting and engaged that I've come across.

As for the archive-lock, I tend to keep my active WIPs open to guest readers and then lock them after they've been finished for a little while. It's probably not terribly effective, but my hope is this limits some of the constant scraping being done of the archive.

[shallyne]

The Diary of Feyre Archeron

Just a tiny fic too see if I want to continue it and keep this format!

Words: 800

TW: implications of neglect, manipulation and controlling behaviour

December 21st

Dear Diary (?) 

I never had a diary, I don't know how this stuff works. Mom gave me an old diary she had never used, it's the closest to a birthday gift I have ever gotten from her. I haven't gotten any cake like Elain or a grand party like Nesta but I'm not mad, at least I get the time to draw in my room without any interruptions. I've become pretty good! 

Rumor has it that a new boy will be at our school tomorrow, which is weird because it's two days before the holidays. It probably stays a rumor, it wouldn't make sense. 

Anyways, I think I'm going to sneak into the kitchen after mom went to bed, I'm getting hungry. 

Bye, I guess? 

December 22nd

Dear Diary, 

Today I have been blessed by god. I didn't expect to make another entry so soon but today the new guy looked at me. OH MY GOD, RIGHT? He totally smiled at me too!! (Delusion aside, he probably saw someone behind me. He doesn't know I exist.) 

I hate the stupid lights in the school but I swear the new guy’s eyes looked VIOLET in the light. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I'm totally going to draw himy he's GORGEOUS! Like the men on Nesta's book covers (that she's totally hiding from mom) but a hundred times prettier! 

Well, I have to finish my math homework now. 

Bye? 

January 2nd

Dear Diary, 

Christmas was pretty boring that's why I didn't write anything but today was insane! The new guy has a name, Rhysand (beautiful, right?) and he's in my history class! I actually quite like history and our teacher, Ms Weaver, even though everyone is scared of her but Rhysand made it hard to focus!! It's not like I'm mad about it because he's sitting like right in front of me and he smells like citrus and sea (Not that I sniffed him, I'm not a weirdo) he smells SO GOOD and I could just get lost looking at him all the time! 

Maybe he'll talk to me someday, wouldn't that be neat? 

Shit, mom is coming home and she sounds mad!!! 

Bye! 

January 4th

Dear Diary, 

Today I got Elain’s hand-me-downs! Finally, I've been waiting for this, I needed new pants. Mom refused to buy me new ones because it's my fault I got them paint splattered. It's only one pair that has paint on them, the others are falling apart! But arguing with mum is like arguing with a brick wall, it won't budge.  

I found a pretty blue jumper in Elain’s old clothes which makes my eyes pop! I will wear it tomorrow. Not because I have history class and will see Rhysand, it just looks pretty. 

I also got a job interview at a run down diner at the edge of the town! Mom can't know, she'd never allow me to work or if she would, she wouldn't allow me to keep the money, she always needs to have everything under control, it's so annoying. 

I'm not worried about not getting the job but I hope I can convince them to give me night shifts so mom won't know! Once she's asleep, she's ASLEEP! 

I'd say wish me luck but it's only me and the ink, so I guess I wish myself luck. 

So excited! 

January 13th

Dear Diary, 

I am dying. I really am. I'm barely able to write these words down. 

Fine, maybe I'm not dying really but it feels like it. I got my period and I literally feel like I'm bleeding out. I feel like someone is stabbing my uterus REPEATEDLY. Why would mother nature be so cruel? Why would my own mother be so cruel to still send me to school like this? That was a trick question, it's my mother. Cruel is carved in her bones and blood and brain. Whatever it is, I can't think through this agony. 

Mom says it's normal and I shouldn't be so dramatic and when I tried to talk to Elain she grimaced!! I mean, it's not her fault, I guess. Mom drilled it into Nesta and Elain that these topics are taboo. I think that's stupid because in biology they said periods are natural so why would something natural be taboo? 

It doesn't make sense, right? 

On a slightly brighter side, Rhysand talked to me yesterday and asked if I was okay!! I am aware he asked because I probably looked like death but a win is a win, right? And his smile when I lied and said I was okay, I was melting into a puddle! 

Okay, the water is hot enough for my hot water bottle! I'm gonna chill and listen go Red for the rest of the day until bedtime. 

Bye

Taglist: @captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship @starfall-spirit @rhysiedarling @corcracrow @sydney-fae25 @tothestarsandwhateverend @aayo-whatt @dreamlandreader

[miggydiaz]

An additional thought...

Even though Buddie still is my endgame, I am pretty sure I would've been more on board with EddieTommy than I am with BuckTommy in the short term.

Not to say I am anti BuckTommy because I'm truly not. I think in another time, they could be really good together. But honestly, I think Buck needs to not be in a relationship for a little while. It's been Abby, then Taylor, then Ali, then Taylor, then Lucy, then Taylor, then Natalia...

And one of Buck's biggest character traits is that he feels he needs to go above and beyond to make himself worthwhile of love and attention. He thinks that if he's not giving all of himself to someone/something, if he's not doing THE MOST, that he's expendable. IMO, I think Buck really needs to work on learning to love himself and accept that other people can love him for just being him, without him having to turn himself into whatever he thinks they need or risk life and limb to earn that love. And that's a journey you take on your own, with your therapist, with your chosen family and friends who have been there to love and support you... it's not something you figure out through romantic relationships.

Buck's issues with relationship aren't that he can't find someone who will love him and appreciate him for who he is. It's that Buck hasn't figured out how to love and appreciate himself first. And no romantic relationship is going to fix that. It could *help* him figure it out, especially if he's with someone who has bore witness to Buck's chronic low self-esteem and has always (although maybe not always as gently as he should) tried to dispel Buck of those notions... but in the end, that lesson has to be one that Buck learns on his own. Which I don't think he's ever going to do, especially if he keeps looking for love and acceptance from romantic partners to fill that void. I think EddieTommy would've worked better just because Eddie is at a different place in his journey than Buck is. Eddie's problem isn't feeling like he's not enough anymore. Once upon a time, it was (his conversation with Bobby after Shannon died and his devastation that before she died, she told him she wanted a divorce). But now, Eddie's issue is he keeps trying to recreate the same dynamic he had with Shannon because he thinks that's what is correct for him. He's romanticized a lot of his relationship with Shannon -- and I say that as someone who truly believes he loved her and was in love with her -- and he's trying to get back to that brief stint of time where the two of them and Chris were happy. And because that looks very specific to him, he's trying to find a woman who can slide into that place in his life. The one who makes him want to wrap his arms around her and his boy on Christmas morning, and makes his heart squeeze every time he looks at pictures of her.

But Eddie's trying to recreate something that never existed in the first place. Not in the way his brain has romanticized it anyway. Because underneath those feelings of wistful melancholy, he and Shannon still had real problems that they never worked through. Shannon knew that, which is why she asked for a divorce. But to Eddie, who was ready to re-propose to her, things were good again. If Shannon hadn't have died, I think Eddie would've realized that wasn't the case, but since she did die... he can just hold onto that idea of them. The one where things were good and could have eventually been perfect, just like things could be perfect again if only he could find a new Shannon.

He needs someone to shock him right out of that 'doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity' situation he keeps finding himself in, and you know who would've been really great for that? Tommy. Full on record scratch moment for him. Simply *because* Tommy is a man.

Now, do I think Eddie also has a notion that he's in love with his best friend? Yeah, I do. I just don't think he realizes that's what it is yet. Right now Buck is... Buck. The person who shows up for Eddie, and for Christopher, the person who dragged him to safety after being shot, the person who was there when he had his breakdown, the person he couldn't even look at when they were dying in the hospital because he cannot deal with that level of loss again. I think, somewhere in his mind, Eddie knows that Buck is MORE than just a best friend... he just doesn't have the vocabulary to really name what that thing is. Primarily because he's trapped in this very Catholic idea of what sex and family and romance should look like for himself.

Tommy would've been a safe person to jar him out of those notions -- that his family and his romantic life has to look this certain way because that's what it looked like before -- because Tommy already disrupts that thinking just by being a man. It forces Eddie to consider that maybe his ideas of what a perfect family for him should look like aren't the end all be all. And, if Eddie freaks out, or it doesn't work out, it doesn't hurt his friendship with Buck at all. It may, in fact, help Eddie figure out that while he's not going to have that kind of relationship with Tommy, he's already got that relationship he's been looking for... it's just with BUCK, who he never consciously considered as an option because Buck is a man. I know there's no going back now, because BuckTommy is a thing, and Eddie is trapped in Catholic hangups hell with M*risol, but the more I think about it, the more bummed I am that this wasn't the route they took. I hope Eddie still gets a queer story arc, and I obviously hope Buddie is endgame, but damn, we really could've had EddieTommy helping Eddie figure out how to put a name to the thing he's had for Buck forever and Buck acting like an insane person until he figured out that who he's really in love with is the person who always makes him feel like he's enough and not expendable, the person who accepts him for exactly who he is and indulges all of his quirks and doesn't ask him to change a thing.

[ladysomething]

atp I don't even know why I keep asking stuff as an anon. my identity has been revealed but fuck it.

one more time, let's do 5+1

1. Charles thinking he's the world's most clever person ever has me on the fucking floor. you go get them babe. yes, surely keeping the other idiot satisfied is only because you want to escape. of course sweetie. but question: are omegas more prone to their alpha, or that only goes so far and then they actually can control the feelings said alpha causes on them?

2. Max is an idiot, isn’t he? like, I actually want to open his brain to see how the fuck it works because I am amazed at its capacity (or lack of it/j)

3. I have a thing for the starved man comparision, and it's lovely to see such an accurate scenario for it. because Max actually short-circuited. he's just a man and Charles broke his brain in what? like, less than 5 minutes?

4. Carlos is a little rat, but I'm actually thankful that's he's not like. gross. (please, I'm begging you on my knees. don't make him or other drivers gross) I have this thing where I can kinda stand when oc are gross and little shits, but, even if some would consider said person a little shit (completely reasonable, people are allowed to not like drivers) I don't like it when on fics, they're outright assholes and disgusting craps, cause I don't know with certainity if they are like that irl. idiots and that I can do but over that is too much to bear for me. that's the point where I am reminded that they're real and that stuff. of course, is totally on you, and I don't expect anything, but picture me making puppy eyes at you on this one. and I was wondering, what is he? a beta or an alpha? it probably was said somewhere but I don't remember. because according to my reasoning, he's a beta because he was not in the auction. or was he?

5.I'm so fucking glad I chose wygig as this year's questionable fic. I love it and I have now developed a deep emotional dependence towards it. but haven't we all? (this is to say I love it)

+1. glad you're enjoying (I'm also trip anon btw) had I been in Italy, I would've loved to go to the bar to watch the race. even though I've never gone to watch a race at a bar in Rome, in Italy, depending on where you go, it can be really exciting and ehmmm... definetely an experience, may I call it that way. but sadly, first of all there's a four hour drive from Toscana to Rome and I would get my ass even flatter, and second I left months ago. maybe next time

and as you may have noticed, I gave up with trying to tell you how many points there will be in my ask. have a nice day Mads, enjoy your vacay hun!

look I'll honest. you say your identity has been revealed but you could be any of a handful of anons that have revealed their identity to me. so my terrible memory means that your secret is still safe!

wellllllll ... hm. omegas are definitely more SUSCEPTIBLE to their alphas e.g. with the alpha voice. but anything Charles feels is his real feelings.

haha Max IS an idiot, but so is Charles. they're two idiot peas in an idiot pea pod.

yeah no for real, Max's brain was completely broken. it was like Christmas morning for him haha

Carlos is a beta - basically everybody is a beta. there's only one person whose designation hasn't been revealed yet, but they're not a driver, so. you can pretty much just assume that everybody is a beta. as for making drivers assholes - I don't really do that in general, because usually it's too one dimensional for what I'm writing. it's fun in some scenarios (particularly shorter fics) but even the drivers who are currently 'villains' aren't outright bad people.

hahaha and at the rate it's going, it's length will mean it probably lasts half the year too haha

+1. yeah, I'm really excited!!!! I was kind of like ... if I can't go to Iola, then this is simply an experience I MUST have. cheering for ferrari while they're driving in Italy while I'M in Italy??? ahhhh.

thank you so much, you have a great day too!

[likesofsue]

Your Light At The End Of The Tunnel

This is a little gift and personalized piece for @ghosttownwherenoonegoes @ajokeformur-ray Please excuse me for being super late🙈 Actually, I planned to finish this little thing as a Christmas gift. But I didn't make it in time because I'm so busy and stressed out with everything. So I had to make a few changes. Also, I haven't written anything for Eddie (or anything at all for that matter) in ages so I apologize if my characterization isn't exactly good. But I still hope that you will like it a tiny bit. I love you lots, Eri, and I wish you nothing but the absolute best🫂🥺

Summary: You don't feel very good lately, because university and your job are taking a lot out of you. This doesn't go unnoticed by Eddie and Uncle Wayne, so they decide it's time for a night off for you. And once again you realize how much they mean to you.

Tw: physically and mentally exhausted reader with self doubts -> but it's a fluffy comfort piece

Word count: 1526

(The gif is how he looks at you because he misses you and worries about you. He loves you so much and he only wants the best for you.)

It's evening when you're finally done with your long shift and you're heading home. Exhaustion and stress eat at you, but you try to forget the thoughts of your long to-do list just for a while while listening to the familiar and soothing melodies of Ozzy's music. You need some distance and time to yourself to clear your mind from the same tiring routine of getting up, working, doing housework and studying, and going to sleep. Your job a break from uni, uni a break from your job. Over and over again. And it wears on you, even if you enjoy your work and studies. Pesky and hurtful thoughts are almost a daily occurrence. Voices whispering to you that you are not working hard enough, not being good enough. They have a fun time picking at your brain and making you feel like shit. The urge to give up is strong. Sometimes you feel like screaming, hiding or running away.

But you don't. Never.

No matter how heavy and crushing the weight on your shoulders feels, you know there's light at the end of the tunnel. That shows you how much more you are. How strong, smart, determined, kind, wonderful and amazing you are. So very loved and cherished. And that these bad thoughts of yours are nothing but lies and untruths.

At first you don't even notice his van parked in the driveway in front of your house as you walk around the corner, head down and music blasting from your headphones. It's not until you bump into something - or better, someone - that you look up. Eyes wide, heart hammering against your ribcage. But as quickly as the initial shock came, it turns into a deep sigh of relief. The corners of your mouth twitching upward into a small, tired smile.

There it was, your light at the end of the tunnel.

Wild hair flies through the air as he turns to face you. Big brown eyes so soft and warm that it almost makes you want to cry with love and adoration. Just this pretty and bright smile of his makes your heart feel lighter, as if the missing parts are clicking back into place.

"Woah, woah. Easy there, sweet thing. I gotcha, I gotcha." Eddie feels warm against you as he pulls you close and wraps his arms around you to hold you and keep you from stumbling. "Another long day, hm?"

"Mhm..." You don't have to say it out loud for him to understand. Sometimes actions speak louder than words. And the way you cling to him like a drowning person to a life preserver is more than enough of an answer for him.

"I see." Now it's his turn to sigh deeply. Of course, he doesn't miss the state you've been in lately. It worries him and if he could, he would take all the burden off you. But even if he can't carry your burdens, he can carry you. Give you some relief and time to slow down. He kisses the crown of your head. A gesture so tender, a look into the metalhead's warm and gentle heart of gold. "Do you think I can take you to our place? I know, work and uni and shit. But Uncle Wayne and I would love to have you with us tonight. That's why I'm here, sweetheart."

Your eyes are welling up with tears as you look at him. Tears of gratefulness. You try to blink them away but to no avail. Eddie quietly hushes you - something he learned from his uncle - and wipes away the wet trails with the pads of his thumb. Even the slightes contact of skin on skin makes you melt. You nod and give him another small smile, but this time it reaches your eyes. "Please. Just...just let me take care of a few things, okay? And then we can get the hell out of here."

You giggle a little and place a soft kiss on his cheek. And if you look close enough, you can see him blush just the slightes bit - he's such a sweet and pretty boy. You hear him mutter something under his breath as you walk past him and go inside. You stop for a moment in the hallway of your house and think. Your thoughts are circling around all the things you should be doing. You feel the familiar and hated feeling of your chest tightening. It's hard for you to take breaks, to take time for yourself. There are only so many hours in a day and most of the time you wish you could be in more than one place at once - that would be super helpful. You need to... No. Not today. Not this evening. You call Eddie and Uncle Wayne to mind. They give you the strength you so desperately need. They wouldn't want you to come home after a long shift, only to keep working until you can barely stand on your feet from exhaustiom and the whole world starts to spin around you. No. You shake your head, trying to mentally brush off your worries. And so you keep your promise and just grab a few things you need for your stay at the Munson trailer.

When you go back outside, you take a deep breath. You see Eddie bouncing on the balls of his feet, and you are greeted with a big smile. "You ready, sweet thing?" As soon as you nod, Eddie takes your bag and carefully throws it onto the backseat. He opens the door for you and gestures you to get in with a little silly bow, making you giggle at his antics. He helps you with the seat belt - safety first - before he jogs around his old van and plops down on the driver's seat. The ride doesn't take long, thanks to Eddie's, well, wild driving style and the two of you loudly singing along to your favorite songs of Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. But honestly, you wouldn't want it any other way. It is perfect.

As soon as the van speeds into the driveway and the trailer comes into view, you are greeted with the familiar silhouette of Eddie's uncle. He's patiently waiting for the two of you on the front porch. When he sees you, he stomps out his cigarette and waves at you.

"There you are, kid. 'M glad my son was able to convince ya." He opens his arms for you with the kindest smile on his lips, and maybe you walk to him a little too fast to hide how much you missed him. Wayne chuckles and squeezes you affectionately as you hide your face in his flannel shirt and take a deep breath. A mix of cologne and the stale smell of his last cigarette. Only when his arms loosen around you do you let go of each other and you look at him. Your heart feels light and warm - more at peace -, the way only the Munsons can make you feel. "Now how 'bout we go inside, hm? It's a little cold out here, isn't it, boy?" You both give Eddie a look and laugh when you see him shiver and roll his eyes, grinning. A real metalhead like him would never give up his leather jacket and vest, right?

First Eddie takes you to his room so you can put your things away and get comfortable. To your surprise and delight, you find that he has even cleaned up a bit. No more stains, new bedding. And a dedicated place for your night light on the nightstand, even if Eddie is your noble knight protecting you from the demons of the night. Silly boy loves to hear your giggle when he calls himself that. He hands you one of his most comfy band tees - preferably an Ozzy or Dio one - because he knows wearing it will make you feel calmer and more comfortable, before leading you back into the living room where Uncle Wayne is already sitting on the old sofa. You take a seat between the two men and sigh deeply. You hear the TV running softly in the background, but you don't hear it. Your brain feels like it's full of cotton. Naturally, you reach for one of Eddie's hands to hold it. The metal of his rings cool against your heated skin. It's soothing in a way, grounds you and makes you understand that he's really there with you. Your eyes get heavy and you allow yourself to gently rest your head against Wayne's shoulder, making him smile and hum in approvel.

Finally your mind and body can rest a little, being together with the two people who mean the entire universe to you. You feel at peace, loved, cherished and understood. And even though the world can be scary, tiring and too much, you know that you can do it. Because you are not alone. The Munsons stick together. On good days and bad. They are your light at the end of the tunnel.