#gate exam pattern

[onlinetutorsservices]

All About Gate Exams 2025

Many thousands of applicants have been anticipating the comprehensive announcement regarding the  GATE exams

[pavand5444]

GATE Life Sciences Exam Pattern 2025: Structure, Sections, and Marking Scheme

[diasease]

SO STAY HERE WITH ME! ／ ...YOU REALLY ARE... ANNOYING. *️ stop fussing over everything i do. *️ i always... end up making you hate me, don't i? ( or; in another universe, things didn't work out. )

CW: 1.1K words, grammatically incorrect (?), angst, slight hurt/no comfort (???), fluff, gender not specified! reader, heavily inspired from the og scene | UCHIHA SASUKE! itoshi rin x HARUNO SAKURA! reader | blue lock x naruto

IT was late into the evening, but there you were, standing just a few feet away from RIN with an expression of utter disbelief. "Why are you hanging around in a place like this in the middle of the night?" He speaks, as if he had nothing to hide, yet you knew better.

HE'S right. Why were you standing at the pathway that leads to the exit of the village gates? You weren't sure until now. Better yet, why was he passing by this way? He knows you're not dense. You can clearly see him sporting a bag meant for long trips outside the village, perhaps the one for prolonged, higher ranked missions that rarely come by your team's way. It's just as you feared.

RIN ITOSHI's leaving the village.

"It's because you use this path to leave the village. I always..." You finally speak, tone solemn and almost wavering before you were cut off.

"Go home and sleep." The boy interjects, response as if he were commanding you rather than the usual nonchalance that you and Naruto hear.

Much to his dismay, you pushed forward with your questions, like you didn't already have a hunch about the answers. At this point, tears were spilling down the apples of your cheeks, dripping down onto the stone-patterned pavement.

"I'm telling you to keep your nose out of my business. Stop fussing over everything I do." His words came out cold, harsh and a clean jab to the stomach. Whatever part of you that still held on to the hope of this exchange being some elaborate sick joke, crumbled into nothingness.

"I always... end up making you hate me, don't I?" Is all you could respond with, because in the span of what was Team 7, from the day it was formed and up until now, you depended on Naruto, Rin, and Kakashi-sensei for your troubles. You held no water to the likes of them. You were, and still are, weak. The only time you managed to fight was to defend Naruto and RIN from the Sound shinobi during the Chunin exams, but that was barely a contribution. The summary of what you did in your official ninja career was whine about Rin, scold and/or occasionally banter with Naruto, and cry for help.

Your mind goes back to the times before now, where you all enjoyed yourselves, where ramen runs were so common because Naruto couldn't have a day without it. You missed all of it dearly, and your current speech about it seems to reflect among those times, then about how you understood very well what RIN's clan meant to him, expressing your sorrow and a means to work it out in a way that doesn't involve him joining Orochimaru and becoming a rogue. Maybe that was a last resort to convince him to stay? Who knows, the words coming out of your mouth is like something you can't control.

RIN speaks his peace anyway, rejecting any of your pleas. In the end, he's decided on revenge against his older brother SAE, the very man that put their clan into their graves. That was his reason for living. He's forged a path of darkness, one you can't ever comprehend in his eyes. Konoha is only holding him back, and he's already ruled out the rest of his shitty options.

Your pleas begin to fall on deaf ears, sputtering about solitude and just truly desperate.

"I love you, so very, very much! ...I'll do anything for you, RIN! So I'm begging you, please stay here! I'll even help with your revenge! I'll make it happen somehow, I promise! ...So stay here with me!" Your voice is raspy and weak in your confession, tears falling faster that before. You're breaking down, composure shattering along with your resolve, and RIN almost wavers in his previous judgement. "If that doesn't work for you, then take me with you!" You don't even speak afterwards, only sobs escaping your lips with your hands curled up into fists by your sides. But he can't be dragged down by the likes of you, Naruto, or even Kakashi.

"You really are... annoying, lukewarm." Those were his words following yours, as he starts to walk away, steps furthering into the path ahead of him, not sparing you a single glance.

"Don't go!" The phrase leaves your lips before you can even think. "If you go, I'll scream and—" Once again, you're interrupted. This time, it's not with RIN cutting you off with a retort, no. He quickly flits behind you without giving you time to react, muttering "Thank you, (NAME)." before knocking you out with a delicate precision. He places you onto the stone bench before taking his first steps into a new part of his life, leaving the village.

The night may have ended for you with such short notice, but for RIN, it continues. He meets up with the Sound 5, traveling with them into the night to Orochimaru's hideout. It may take a day or more to get there, he's not sure.

So when the group accompanying him stops in the middle of a dense forest a good distance away from Konoha, he finally falls into rest, letting his weary eyes close. He's got a long way ahead of him.

The moment RIN opens his eyes, though, he's met with a TV screen playing one of the later episodes of the 'Sasuke Retrieval' Arc on Netflix. A weight on him takes his attention.

It's you, quietly sleeping against his chest, curled up like you're shivering from the cold. You looked so peaceful, clinging onto him for warmth. A dream. Right, whatever he just experienced... it felt like a really odd dream. Maybe the Naruto marathon you suggested is getting to his head.

With a sigh, he glances at you for a moment before reaching for a blanket lazily hung over the couch's armrest on his side, pulling it into his grasp and drapes it over you with one hand, the other pulling you closer to him. It wasn't like him to sleep on the couch, but who was he to disturb you? He likes you close to him, as much as he refuses to admit it.

After settling you into a more comfortable state, he picks up the TV remote, logging out of Netflix and turning the TV off. 'We can watch the episodes we slept on another day', he thinks to himself.

Getting into a favorable position, his eyes droop with drowsiness, falling back into sleep. The last thing he thinks of before drifting off, is the hopes that you and him don't end up like Sasuke and Sakura (as far as he currently knows, they're on rocky terms). Sasuke is lukewarm anyway.

notes! ahhh oh my gosh it's finished! this was based on this post i made and honestly a reach but i love thinking about rin & sae as sasuke & itachi... the vision is there if you squint... also i lowkey felt lazy so a lot of the dialogue is literally like. copied off the original scene but i couldn't think much of a way to twist it up so!!! forgive a girl <//3 anyways kinda proud of this kinda not, there's a 20% chance i'll do more rin & reader as sasusaku or naruto & blue lock x reader crossovers... who knows!!

masterlist diasease ✶ do not repost, reblogs appreciated.

[lunareths]

Spring Water

‧₊˚✩彡 ── ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: named!MC x Caleb

‧₊˚✩彡 ── sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs: An afternoon of sweeping fallen petals is interrupted by the teasing of one childhood friend until an unexpected injury forces them closer, noticing things about the other they hadn't before.

Giselle isn't a kid anymore and neither is he...

‧₊˚✩彡 ── ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ:6,424

‧₊˚✩彡 ── 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: vanilla spice, but still 18+ mdni, cunnilingus, female orgasm.

‧₊˚✩彡 ── 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍��𝐓𝐄: This takes place before his 'disappearance' but not so far back that they're in high-school, MC is either almost done with the entrance exam or has just started being a hunter. I also got the idea for this during the scene in the main storyline where Caleb holds her still while treating her wound and tells the cat and the bell story, I wanted this particular event to be on his mind during that, just to make it extra tense.

*Doubly so; this is my first bit of fic for this fandom; so I try not to read too many other fics on the first pass as to not be influenced, so if there's any similarities to another work that you see here it's purely coincidental. With that said please enjoy.

It was late spring, and the first hints of summer clung to the shifting breeze as warm sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting flickering patterns across the courtyard. The branches of the surrounding trees sagged under the weight of blossoms, their petals drifting in lazy spirals to the ground. A fusion of floral fragrance and the distant hum of the forest permeated the air, imbuing the space with an almost hypnotic tranquility. Standing amidst the afternoon glow, Giselle Valentine surveyed the mess of scattered petals carpeting the courtyard of her childhood home.

With an audible sigh, she dragged her broom across the stone path, pushing yet another pile of pink and white petals aside. The trees, while undoubtedly breathtaking in their seasonal bloom, left a perpetual mess in their wake—one she was charged with managing.

Just as she cleared a section, another gust of wind swept through, undoing her efforts as fresh petals rained down. Muttering under her breath, she swept a few stray strands of hair from her face, barely suppressing her irritation.

Caleb, her childhood friend, hadn’t initially intended to stop and watch. But there he was, casually leaning against the courtyard gate, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the determined furrow of her brow as she waged an unwinnable war against nature.

She had been at it for some time, her broom scraping across the stone in rhythmic frustration. Each time she made progress, nature effortlessly countered her efforts, sending another cascade of petals to reclaim the space she had just cleared.

Caleb smirked. Some things never changed.

Giselle, ever persistent, muttered in defiance, refusing to surrender to the inevitability of the elements.

His lips twitched in amusement. He supposed he should make his presence known, but watching her battle the petals was far too entertaining to interrupt.

She let out an exasperated sigh, blowing a loose strand of hair from her face. That was his cue. Pushing off the gate, he strolled into the courtyard with deliberate ease.

"You know," he drawled, tucking his hands into his pockets, "they invented leaf blowers for this very reason."

Giselle startled, whirling around at the unexpected voice. A few petals fluttered loose from her hair, and Caleb fought to suppress his grin.

She narrowed her eyes. "Great. The peanut gallery has arrived. How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to see you struggling with inanimate objects," he responded smoothly, nodding at the ever-growing collection of petals swirling around her feet.

A faint flush crept onto her cheeks as she gripped the broom tighter. "I am not struggling. The wind is cheating."

Caleb arched a brow. "Right. And next you'll tell me the petals have formed a conspiracy against you."

“I wouldn’t put it past them," she grumbled, shoving the broom at a particularly stubborn pile. "They look delicate and harmless, but they’re relentless."

Caleb snorted, rocking back on his heels. "So, what you’re saying is, the great huntress-in-training, Giselle, has been bested by springtime flora?"

Giselle pointed the broom at him, her expression dead serious. "Say that again, and I will sweep you into next week."

He grinned, stepping just out of reach. "I’d love to see you try, Gigi."

Her eye twitched. Caleb knew exactly what he was doing.

"You know I hate that name."

"It’s either that or pipsqueak, and I know how much you love that one," he teased, his smirk unrepentant.

Giselle exhaled slowly, clearly choosing restraint—for now. Resuming her sweeping, she muttered, "So, I imagine you finally found time to visit us simple folk, Flyboy?"

Caleb smirked at the retaliatory nickname, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Here to offer moral support… and inhale some good ol childhood nostalgia."

Giselle rolled her eyes. "Yeah? Smell familiar?"

He tilted his head, inhaling dramatically. "Mmm. Smells like hard work… and failure."

She whipped around, aiming the broom at him.

Caleb dodged effortlessly, laughing.

"More like unhelpful commentary," she muttered. "A leaf blower? Seriously? Do you see an outlet anywhere in the countryside, Caleb? Or should I just conjure one from thin air?"

"You could find a battery-powered one if you really wanted to," he quipped.

She scoffed and turned back to her task. "It’s fine. It's just... annoying."

Caleb watched her, the smirk softening on his lips. The scene felt familiar—comfortably so. As if nothing had changed. He liked that.

The way the late afternoon light filtered through the branches, catching in her hair. The way her expression set with the same stubborn determination she’d had as a kid when she insisted she could beat him in races up the tallest tree.

He was struck suddenly by the memory of her younger self—wild, free, scraped knees and bright brown eyes, completely unaware of how she had embedded herself into the foundation of his life.

Now, years later, she was still here. Still stubborn. Still beautiful.

And it was getting harder to pretend that she was still just the girl he grew up with.

He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, shaking off the thought.

"Hey, so. You’re not even sweeping right," he teased, grasping at something lighthearted to clear his mind.

"Oh, I’m sorry,  Mr. Expert Sweeper, would you like to take over?"

"I’m just saying—"

He didn’t get to finish. In that moment, Giselle stepped back, her foot catching on something beneath the petals.

Everything happened so fast.

Her body lurched, the broom slipping from her grasp as she stumbled over a hidden tree root. Caleb moved on instinct, his reflexes sharp. He barely had time to react before she yelped and went down, landing hard on one knee.

Caleb was beside her in an instant.

"Geez—Giselle?" The teasing edge in his voice had vanished, replaced by sharp concern as he crouched beside her.

She grimaced, shifting to sit properly. "I’m fine—" She tried to stand but inhaled sharply, her ankle buckling beneath her weight.

Caleb caught her before she could fall again, one arm looping around her waist. "Yeah, that definitely looks fine," he muttered dryly.

She groaned and sighed in irritation. "Obviously, I didn’t see the root."

"No kidding."

Without waiting for an argument, he hooked his arm under her knees and lifted her effortlessly.

"Caleb—!"

Ignoring her protests, he adjusted her weight. "If you’re going to yell directly into my ear, at least try to sound more grateful."

Carrying her to the porch, he set her down gently.

Giselle hissed, her hands gripping the edge of the porch as she tested her weight again.

Caleb exhaled sharply through his nose. “Yeah, okay. Stop moving,” he muttered, already lowering himself into a crouch before her.

She huffed, crossing her arms, but refrained from arguing as he positioned himself between her knees, his gaze narrowing with concentration.

His hands were steady and gentle as he carefully reached for her foot, his fingertips brushing the bare skin of her calf before they curled around her ankle.

"Just let me look at it," he said, his voice quieter now—measured, controlled. Yet something in the way he touched her—so careful, so deliberate—sent a slow, uncertain warmth coiling in her stomach.

Caleb exhaled through his nose and took his time, loosening the laces of her shoe before carefully sliding it off.

Giselle flinched, a sharp inhale slipping past her lips as a fresh wave of pain flared when he inadvertently moved her foot too much.

"Sorry," Caleb murmured, genuine in his apology, his brows knitting together as his jaw tensed slightly. He adjusted his grip with greater care.

He continued, gentler now, his fingertips grazing over her sock before slowly peeling it away, revealing the delicate curve of her ankle—already beginning to swell, the skin tinged red from the strain.

Neither of them spoke as he pressed lightly against the swelling, his touch steady and methodical. The warmth of his fingers against her skin sent a ripple of awareness through her—one she wasn’t sure she was ready to acknowledge.

He gazed over the soft slope of her foot, the warmth of her skin pressing against his palms.

For a fleeting second, he, too, became acutely aware of everything—the way her leg rested against his thigh, the subtle heat radiating from her, and a delicate scent clinging to her. It was faint but unmistakable, a blend of crushed strawberry leaves and something sun-warmed and clean, like ripe fruit kissed by the afternoon air. It lingered in the space between them, deceptively light yet impossible to ignore this close.

He shook himself out of it, forcing his focus back onto her injury.

"Well...It’s not broken," he finally said, his voice lower. "But you’re not walking on it for a while."

She shifted, leaning back slightly. “Thank you, Doctor Caleb, you’re clearly in the wrong profession.” she teased, but her voice was softer, her breathing a little shallower now.

He didn’t answer.

Not right away.

Because his hands were still on her, still resting against her skin, and she wasn’t pulling away.

Caleb exhaled slowly, trying—failing—to ignore how warm her skin felt beneath his hands. His fingers lingered, pressing lightly against the curve of her ankle, feeling the soft thrum of her pulse beneath his thumb.

“I, uh—” He cleared his throat, his hands reluctantly sliding away from her skin.

Giselle raised an eyebrow, a perplexed expression flashing across her face at his sudden hesitation.

Caleb rubbed the back of his neck, forcing out a lopsided smirk to cover whatever the hell that moment had just been. “Let’s, uh—let’s leave that career path to Zayne, shall we?”

Her lips twitched, her eyes glinting. “Caleb? Mr. Popularity, Ace Flyboy is yielding?”

Caleb scoffed, shaking his head. “Please. Patching you up was something I did all the time when we were kids. I’d be a terrible doctor for like... anybody else.”

“Mm, yeah,” she mused, leaning back onto her hands. “You did have a habit of slapping a bandage on me and calling it a day.”

“Worked, didn’t it?” he shot back, regaining his footing, slipping easily into that familiar teasing territory.

“Only because I didn’t know better,” she smirked. “Zayne would’ve had me in a full-body cast if he saw how you handled first aid.”

Caleb rolled his eyes, but the warmth clinging in his chest was undeniable. The teasing, the banter, the way she looked at him just now—it was so them, so effortlessly natural. And yet…

His gaze drifted downward again—to her leg, the faint sheen of sweat on her skin, the way her dress still rode just a little high. He forced himself to refocus.

Clearing his throat, he stood with more purpose than necessary.

“We need to get you inside,” he muttered, extending a hand toward her. “Before you do something else dumb, like try to walk on that.”

Giselle shot him a glare, crossing her arms. “Oh, come on. I’m not that stupid,” she huffed. “I wasn’t about to just  stand up and start walking on a busted ankle.”

Caleb lifted his hands in mock surrender, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Okay. Okay.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “I won’t surprise you this time. Here’s me, officially asking for your consent to carry you inside to the couch, Miss.” He met her gaze, arching a brow. “Do I have it?”

Giselle blinked, momentarily caught off guard. The way he said it—half teasing, half exasperated—shouldn’t have made her stomach do a little flip. And yet, her face was flushing despite herself.

She cleared her throat, rolling her eyes for good measure. “Hmm. You do.”

Without another word, Caleb bent down and effortlessly scooped her up, hooking one arm under her legs and the other behind her back. The movement was smooth, practiced—like it took no effort at all.

Giselle stiffened slightly, caught off guard by just how easily he lifted her. He smelled nice—clean, like fresh linen, and something subtly spiced, warm, and grounding. It was a small detail, but it lingered, distracting her almost as much as the quiet strength in his arms.

She had known he was stronger now—had seen the way his frame had filled out with each visit, the way he moved with more power, more certainty—but feeling it was something else entirely. Had he always been this strong? Or had she just never noticed before?

For a moment, adult emotions complicated the familiar, simplistic image she had of him, shifting the way she saw him in a way she still wasn’t sure she was ready to face.

Before she could dwell on it, he was already lowering her onto the couch, his touch steady but brief, pulling her out of her thoughts as he straightened up.

Caleb lingered for a moment, standing over her, his gaze half-lidded as he took her in.

She was still catching her breath, her chest rising and falling in slow, measured beats. Loose strands of dark hair framed her face, a touch tousled from the movement, her skin still carrying the faintest flush—not just from exertion, but something else. His eyes drifted lower, over the way her dress settled around her thighs, the curve of her leg now resting against the couch.

There was something disarming about seeing her like this—unguarded, caught in the space between irritation and something softer. For a moment, the teasing, the familiarity, the easy banter between them faded into something quieter...heavy.

"I'll, uh, get you some ice to bring the swelling down."

Giselle hummed in acknowledgment, reclining slightly against the couch, her fingers absently toying with the hem of her dress. There was no discernible expression on her face, no teasing remark—just a quiet, unreadable stillness.

Caleb hesitated for a fraction of a second, the odd tension clinging to his skin like static. He wasn’t sure what to make of it—the silence, the way she wasn’t meeting his eyes. Brushing it off, he turned toward the kitchen, willing himself to focus on the task at hand.

As he disappeared around the corner, Giselle exhaled, releasing the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. The warmth of his hands still lingered on her skin, the ghost of his touch refusing to fade.

She glanced down at her ankle, then at the empty space where he'd stood just moments ago.

The boy she had grown up with was still there, beneath the teasing quips and exasperated sighs. But there was something else now—something unspoken, something neither of them seemed quite prepared to confront.

"Here," he said quietly, his voice steadier than he felt. "Keep this on it for a while."

"Thanks."

Her fingers brushed against his—just a second too long.

The contact was brief but charged, her gaze steady and unreadable. For a moment, something unspoken hovered between them, fragile and uncertain.

Then Caleb stepped back, clearing his throat, shoving his hands into his pockets as if that would somehow ground him.

“You’re lucky I was here,” he said, his usual smirk settling back into place, though there was a stiffness in his posture that hadn’t been there before. “Otherwise, who knows how you’d have gotten inside?”

“I would’ve managed,” Giselle countered, though her voice was softer now, almost teasing.

“Sure you would’ve,” he murmured, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. But even as his smirk remained, the playful glint in his eyes did little to disguise the way his jaw clenched—the way his gaze flickered, just briefly, back to her legs before he forced himself to look away.

Giselle shifted on the couch, reaching forward to adjust the ice pack. The strain from sweeping earlier had left her muscles tense, and even the simple movement felt more cumbersome than expected. As she leaned in, the fabric of her dress slid higher against her thigh, baring just a little more skin to the dim light of the room.

And then—for the briefest moment—Caleb saw the most precious part of her.

The faintest trace of soft, white cotton.

His breath stalled. A flicker of something unsteady passed through him, quick as a spark but impossible to ignore. He snapped his gaze away, jaw tightening as he willed himself to think about anything else—her injury, the ice pack, the fact that he really, really didn’t need to be noticing that.

Heat coiled at the base of his spine, his body betraying him in a way that was both unfamiliar and entirely unwanted. His gaze tore away instantly, his jaw tightening as though sheer willpower alone could erase the image from his memory.

But it was too late.

The imprint lingered. The way her skin looked against the fabric, the sheer intimacy of it.

This was Giselle. His Giselle.

He had no business noticing things like that—but the realization hit him all at once, crashing over him like a wave he hadn’t seen coming. For the first time, he wasn’t just seeing Giselle as his best friend.

It wasn’t as though he had never noticed her beauty before. That awareness had crept up on him gradually, in ways that were easy to dismiss—a passing thought, a flicker of admiration, something harmless and fleeting.

But this?

This was different.

This wasn’t distant admiration. It was a gut-punch of attraction, startling and unrelenting, settling somewhere low and dangerous in his stomach.

And he hated it.

He hated how effortless it was, how easily his body reacted before his mind could reason its way out of it.

He had to say something—anything—to shatter the thought before it took root.

“Hold on—let me help. "Geez, Giselle...” he muttered, his tone sharper than necessary, almost scolding.

Not because she had done anything wrong.

But because he needed the distraction.

She blinked, momentarily startled by his abrupt shift in demeanor, her eyes searching his face. If she had noticed why he was suddenly tense, she didn’t say so.

Still, there was that shift again—no matter how many jokes he tried to hide behind, it just kept coming back, creeping between them, demanding to be dealt with.

Before she could respond, he was kneeling before her again, reaching for the ice pack, hyper-focused on the one task that didn’t require acknowledging the torrent of emotions racing through his skull.

His fingers brushed against hers as he adjusted the pack, the cool condensation dripping against his skin, but his own body ran too warm now, his pulse unsteady, uneven.

He forced his grip to remain steady, willing his mind back to neutral territory.

This was just Gigi.

Gigi, who had scraped her knees a hundred times as a kid. Gigi, who had always been just a little reckless, a little too stubborn for her own good.

But she wasn’t just Gigi…

No.

Giselle.

An unfamiliar weight settled in his chest, the realization creeping in before he could stop it and that realization unnerved him more than anything else.

“You don’t have to—” she started.

“Gigi just-” Caleb interrupted, his focus locked onto her ankle as if it were the most critical thing in the world. “Just let me do it.”

Giselle narrowed her eyes, sensing something different in his tone. Instead, she leaned back against the couch, watching him work, noting the quiet tension in his shoulders—tight, deliberate, restrained.

“Thanks...for taking care of me Caleb,” she murmured after a moment, her voice softer now.

Caleb nodded, but he still didn’t look at her. His fingers lingered, adjusting the ice pack with meticulous care; his jaw locked tight, his movements betraying a deliberation that hinted at something simmering beneath the surface.

The room felt smaller, the silence heavier. Outside, the wind rustled faintly, a quiet whisper against the walls. The only sounds between them were the steady rhythm of their breathing; the only light was the fading glow of the setting sun, casting long shadows that stretched across the floor.

Finally, Caleb glanced up, his gaze locking onto hers.

“You’re overdoing it, Gigi,” he said, his voice low, edged with something almost scolding. “All this—pushing yourself, trying to do everything on your own—you’re going to hurt more than just your ankle if you keep this up.”

Giselle arched a brow, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips despite the unspoken tension curling between them. “Why are you wigging out, Caleb? It’s just a little sprain.”

“This time.”

Caleb exhaled sharply, frustration threading through his words. But this wasn’t really about her ankle, and he knew that.

Giselle’s smirk wavered, her expression shifting into something more uncertain.

Caleb shook his head, running a hand through his hair, tousling it further, his mind caught in the dissonance of who he was supposed to be—

The responsible Caleb. The one who looked out for his best friend.

And this Caleb—the one battling emotions that had grown too large, too real, for a friend who, somewhere along the way, had become a woman he could barely think straight around.

"Sorry. Sorry for making it weird," he muttered, his voice gruff, his gaze skittering away as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It’s hard to turn that off." It was a pitiful excuse, but she bought it.

Giselle laughed softly, leaning further into the couch. "You’re the one who came rushing back like I was dying."

"Because you’re hopeless," he shot back, the usual sarcasm returning—though his voice still carried the weight of something unsettled.

It wouldn't be for long, but his walls were back in place, yet he remained kneeling by the couch, fingers absently pressing into the edge of the ice pack, adjusting it once more. He hadn’t moved since placing it there, his hands hovering near her ankle, reluctant to let go.

The silence stretched, fragile, punctuated only by the gentle rustling of petals against the window, the distant hum of the spring breeze.

Then—

“Gigi…?”

The nickname fell from his lips with a gentleness that caught even him off guard, the sharpened edge from moments ago all but vanished. There was something else in his voice now—something hesitant, unguarded. A quiet mix of anxiety and nervousness, like he was teetering on the edge of saying something he wasn’t sure he should.

She blinked, tilting her head to look at him. “Hmm?”

He didn’t respond right away.

Instead, his hand moved—trailing up, fingers brushing lightly along her calf as he turned to face her. His movements were slow and deliberate, as though he wasn’t entirely aware of what he was doing, his hand warm on her leg, his thumb tracing soft circles just above her knee. The weight of his gaze on her made Giselle’s pulse quicken, the charged silence between them thick enough to drown in.

“Can I…” His fingers flexed against her thigh, the words catching in his throat. For the first time in a long time, his nerves got the better of him. “Let me…”

He trailed off again, and Giselle’s breath hitched. She had never seen him fumble for words like this.

"Let me make you feel better."

His tone was steady now—completely fixed—but the way his fingers trembled, just slightly against her skin betrayed him. Not hesitation. Not doubt. Just the weight of this moment.

She blinked, startled by the low, almost pleading quality in his voice. “Caleb, you’ve already—”

“Just… let me,” he interrupted, his hand sliding just a little higher, his grip still sure, still confident, even as the faintest quiver ran through his fingertips. His thumb brushed along the sensitive skin above her knee, his focus utterly locked onto her, his own nerves an afterthought compared to the anticipation thrumming between them.

“You’re always trying to do everything yourself, Gigi,” he murmured. “You never let anyone… me, take care of you.”

Her heart pounded, heat curling deep in her chest at the weight of his words—the care behind them. This wasn’t about her ankle anymore.

And still, he wasn’t rushing, wasn’t pushing.

He was just waiting.

“Caleb…” she started, but the hesitation in her voice melted away when he leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss just above her knee.

Her breath stilled, her body tensing slightly at the unexpected sensation. But his touch was so gentle, so deliberate, that she couldn’t bring herself to pull away.

“Say yes,” he murmured, his lips brushing against her skin as he kissed higher, slow and reverent. “That’s all you have to do.”

She stared down at him, her chest tightening with emotion. The boy she had grown up with, the one who had teased her endlessly, climbed trees with her, and always made her feel safe, was now kneeling in front of her like she was the center of his world.

Despite the surge of so many different emotions welling inside her, one feeling cut through the rest—her trust in him.

Caleb did make her feel safe. He always had.

And though she was stumbling through this, awkward and uncertain, there was a quiet, steady comfort in the fact that it was him.

Her hand slid down to rest lightly on his shoulder, her fingers trembling just slightly as she nodded, meekly, the weight of the moment stealing her voice.

A tinge of coyness bloomed in her chest, warm and unfamiliar, leaving her unable to say yes—so instead, she let the simple movement speak for her.

Caleb exhaled, a shaky breath of relief, and for a moment, he paused, his forehead resting lightly against her thigh. Then he looked up at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of nervousness and longing.

“I’ll take care of you,” he murmured, his voice soft but sure.

Caleb exhaled, a shaky breath of relief, and for a moment, he paused, his forehead resting lightly against her thigh. The weight of her silent consent settled over him, grounding him, steadying him.

Then he looked up at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of nervousness and longing

"I'll take care of you," he murmured, his voice soft but sure.

Giselle nodded again, unable to meet his gaze. She wouldn’t dare. A blush burned high on her cheeks now, making it painfully clear how out of her depth she was. And yet, her body relaxed under his touch, tension melting away with every slow, deliberate press of his lips against her skin.

He moved carefully, patiently, his warmth lingering with each reverent kiss. There was no rush, no urgency—only quiet devotion, a silent reassurance that she had every opportunity to stop him.

But she didn’t.

Because she trusted him.

His hands slid gently along her legs, parting them slightly as he shifted closer, his movements careful and deliberate. There was no urgency, no demand—just quiet intent.

Each kiss he placed on her skin felt like a promise, like something deeper than words could ever convey. Devotion. Reverence. A quiet, unspoken need. The tenderness of it made her heart ache in the best way, warmth pooling deep in her chest.

"Caleb…" she whispered, her voice trembling. She wasn’t sure what to do with it—what to do with herself.

Every sensation was new and unfamiliar in a way that left her breathless.

He paused, glancing up at her, searching her face for any sign of doubt.

"I'm okay," she breathed, her voice unsteady, laced with something soft and aching.

A stifled moan caught in her throat as her fingers—delicate, uncertain—instinctively found their way into his hair, threading through the strands as if seeking something to hold onto.

His lips curved into the faintest smile before he leaned in again, his kisses trailing higher until they reached the hem of her dress. He hesitated there, his breath warm against her skin, his fingers hovering at the edge of the fabric as if giving her a final moment to stop him.

When she didn’t, his hands moved with quiet reverence, gently sliding the fabric up just enough to continue.

What followed wasn’t rushed or clumsy. Caleb’s touch was careful, deliberate. His movements unpracticed but instinctive, guided more by the overwhelming need to make her feel good than any kind of experience.

His heart pounded in his chest, nerves fraying with every second. This wasn’t something he’d ever done before.

Wasn’t something he’d even imagined he would be doing—especially not like this.

Not with Giselle.

Not on some lazy spring afternoon, with sunlight spilling across her skin, her scent—warm, faintly sweet—wrapping around him, making it impossible to think straight.

But now that he was here, so close to her, his focus narrowed—drawn to the small, tender details he hadn’t noticed before.

The faint tremble in her thighs as his hands brushed against them. The soft, nervous rhythm of her breaths. The warmth of her skin beneath his lips.

He tilted his head slightly, the somewhat rough denim of her dress grazing his cheek as he pressed another kiss higher up her thigh. Her scent—something faintly floral, something undeniably hers—wrapped around him, pulling him deeper into the moment.

And then, just like that, the same shyness that had enveloped Giselle crept into him.

The weight of the moment settled in his chest, filling it with the flutter of something unfamiliar. Something delicate. Something real.

But it didn’t feel overwhelming.

It felt right.

He was exactly where he wanted to be.

He pressed a kiss to the soft curve of her inner thigh, his lips lingering there as he let himself breathe her in.

There was something intoxicating about the way she enveloped his senses—like warmth and something delicate, mixed with the faintest trace of spring air from being outside. It was subtle, but it wrapped around him like a thread, drawing him closer.

Then, as his lips brushed against the edge of her underwear, the cotton soft against his mouth, a breath caught in his chest.

He hesitated.

His fingers tightened slightly on her legs as he glanced up at her, something deep and searching in his gaze.

Her eyes—half-lidded, flickering, uncertain yet steady—met his. Her cheeks were flushed, warmth rising to the surface, but there was no fear there.

Only trust.

And then—her fingers, which had been hovering uncertainly at her sides, found their way into his hair again, tangling lightly as if to tell him, wordlessly, that it was okay.

That was all he needed.

Caleb slid her underwear aside carefully, his breathing going ragged despite himself. The sight of her—bare and vulnerable before him—was almost enough to make him stop, not because he didn’t want this, but because it felt like too much. Too intimate. Too important.

He took a steadying breath, his lips slowly brushing against her again, this time lower. The heat of her skin, the faint taste of her—salty, sweet, utterly unique—sent a shiver through him.

His grip on her thighs tightened slightly as he leaned in further, his tongue darting out tentatively at first, unsure but curious. The texture of her, the softness of her, the warmth—it was intense in the best way.

She gasped softly above him, her fingers tightening in his hair, and the sound sent a thrill down his spine.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the way she felt beneath him, the way her body responded to his touch. Each sigh, each subtle shift of her hips, guided him, building his confidence as he moved with more fervor.

Pulling back a bit tentatively, a deft finger slid into her wetness, yielding an arch to her back, his tongue drawing towards the bundle of nerves at her apex.

He pressed his lips against her again, this time more firmly, his tongue moving with slow, deliberate strokes that earned him another soft, breathless moan.

"Gigi... you taste so good…"

He’d whispered it, almost to himself, unsure if she’d even heard him. But it didn’t matter—this moment had consumed him, like a man lost in something he had no desire to escape from.

Just like he always had when it came to her, he subconsciously committed everything to memory—the motions that made her tremble, the rhythms that had her gasping, the way she writhed beneath him, utterly undone.

The way his fingers came away slick, drenched in her, it was hypnotically visceral.

This is Giselle, he thought, the realization hitting him with a force that almost made him falter. The girl he’d grown up with. The person he’d always cared about, always looked out for. The one he could never seem to get out of his head, no matter how hard he tried.

And now, she was here, her body trembling beneath his, her trust in him so complete that it made his heart flutter.

He lifted his gaze for a moment, watching the way her head tilted back, her lips parted as she breathed heavily. The sight of her—flushed, utterly unguarded—threatened to unravel him, the blood rushing away from his good common sense.

Then she whispered his name, her voice trembling, and something inside him shifted.

This wasn’t just about her body, her taste, her response—this was about her, about showing her how much she meant to him, even if he couldn’t quite put it into words.

His movements softened, his kisses slower, more deliberate, as if he were trying to tell her everything he couldn’t say aloud, and when she gasped again, her fingers tugging at his hair, he knew—he would give her everything.

A searing white heat tore through her.

Her body reacted instinctively, an involuntary push downward as a rhythmic climax built, crashing over her in waves.

She hadn’t known it before, had never felt anything like it, but in that moment, everything around her shut off.

Caleb followed her through it, riding each pulse, each tremor, not certain if he was doing the right thing—only knowing that he never wanted to stop.

When her body stilled, Caleb exhaled, his breath unsteady, his body still thrumming with residual heat. His pulse hadn’t quite settled, and neither had his thoughts. The familiar tension that had plagued him the whole afternoon began to rear its ugly head again now—charged with something deeper.

Giselle's chest rose and fell in slow, steady breaths, her skin flushed, dewy in the fading light. The tension that had once gripped her was gone, however, replaced by an almost ethereal softness. She looked utterly at peace, and for a moment, Caleb just watched her.

His gaze drifted downward, lingering over the gentle curve of her thighs, the way the last traces of her pleasure still clung to her skin. His throat tightened, that familiar trance-like state still clinging to his mind like a persistent fog. She was beautiful like this—unguarded, undone, and something deep within him ached.

He forced himself to move, to shift his focus. Slowly, with a quiet reverence, he reached for the hem of her dress, carefully pulling it back down, covering her with the same care one might handle something fragile. There was no urgency now, no teasing quip to fill the silence—only the quiet weight of the moment settling into his bones.

She needed rest.

With a reluctant sigh, Caleb pushed himself to his feet and disappeared for a moment, returning with a blanket. By the time he'd come back, she was already asleep.

His eyes welled slightly at the sight—the way she had curled into herself, her fingers lightly grazing the couch, her expression soft, peaceful.

A quiet chuckle barely left his lips as he shook his head.

“Not fair, Gigi. You’re always wandering off on your own,” he murmured, though the words held no bite. Maybe it was for the best.

Carefully, he crouched down and draped the blanket over her, his fingers brushing against her arm in the process. She barely stirred, only shifting slightly, nestling deeper into the warmth.

For what felt like an eternity, he simply stayed there, crouched beside her, taking her in.

Then, finally, he let out an exhale, rubbing a hand over his face as exhaustion began to creep into his own limbs. With a quiet sigh, he shifted back, settling onto the floor a small distance away.

Caleb exhaled slowly, leaning against the couch, but even as his eyes threatened to close, his mind refused to settle.

The weight of what had just happened began setting over him like a second skin—clinging, inescapable.

So what now? he mused inwardly.

Would they talk about this? Would they even acknowledge it?

A part of him—the part still intoxicated by the feel of her, by the way she had trusted him so completely—wanted to believe this meant something more. That it wasn’t just a passing moment, a fleeting indulgence, but something real. Something that changed things between them in a way he wasn’t sure he could come back from.

But that was selfish.

He had offered her this, and she had accepted—but she owed him nothing in return. No promises, no confessions, no neatly wrapped resolution. He wouldn’t let himself expect anything from her.

And then, there was the other part.

The rational part. The one that reminded him who they were to one another.

Giselle was still his best friend.

They had spent a lifetime in easy companionship, in teasing, in trust. They had never—not once—crossed this line before.

And now, they couldn’t uncross it.

Would she regret it? Would she pretend it never happened?

Would she want him to?

His fingers curled slightly against his knee, tension creeping back into his jaw. If she wanted to forget this, he wouldn’t fight her on it. He wouldn’t push, wouldn’t hold onto something she didn’t want to keep.

Even if he already knew—deep down—that forgetting was impossible.

But if that was what she wanted, she would have it.

And he would still be there for her.

No matter what.

Leaning his head against the couch, he let his eyes drift shut.

His resolve was absolute, as steady as the rhythmic rise and fall of his breath.

Outside, the lazy spring afternoon carried on with no care for the weight in his chest, no concern for the quiet war waging in his mind. The wind whispered against the walls, the golden light of the setting sun stretched across the floor, and beside him, Giselle slept—peaceful, untouched by the turmoil threading through him.

And so, with only the sound of their breathing and the faint rustling of the wind outside, he let himself doze off, too.

[natalchartnurtures]

PAC How is the Lion's Gate Portal affecting you?

Happy Lion's Gate portal!

General themes of the messages that came out today:

Addressing the sense of disconnection from being swept up a little too much by the 3D right now, with a focus on the root chakra and resolving stagnation.

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Pile 1:

Your energy right now feels like the color yellow to me—so fresh, energetic, and exciting. This shows that the Lion's Gate portal will help you feel more expansive, like you "own the goddamn world today." It's giving me healthy solar plexus energy, so for those of you who have been healing it for some time now, take this reading as a sign that not only is your solar plexus healing, but it's also expanding, and it's happening quickly 😉✨.

I'm getting a sense of lightness from you during the Lion's Gate period. Anything you were burdened by before August—such as exam stress, financial blockages, or something similar—will be dealt with FAST by the universe during this period, and you'll feel like you can breathe again. At the very least, you'll have a reason to be grateful and feel oh so special about seeing the universe work its magic in your life FOR you ✨.

I love it! I see you receiving a lot of help and support in overcoming any feelings of disempowerment, stuckness, and disappointment. It seems to me that you were trying to manifest something specific, but it just did not seem to get off the ground. That's exactly what this portal will give you a boost towards! Isn't that lovely? You'll feel a rejuvenation in your hope for this "failed" manifestation, and you might even feel the motivation to go at it again in a more planned and helpful way this time :)

Ooh! I also see a major boost in your ability to connect with your intuition, grace, and compassion. If you felt like your emotions went numb lately or you've been doing too much shadow work/emotional healing work and have been exhausted from it, you'll particularly feel an enlivening in your emotional body during this period. You might attract just the right things that will help you FEEL again, but be sure to allow it in 🤓.

Your psychic gifts (if you have any) will definitely grow substantially over this period too, so get ready to be surprised by just how much you can pick up. And it goes without saying that when your gifts are expanding, you need to make sure to ground and clear your energy from time to time to avoid floating away haha.

Side note: Try not to fight your new abilities or try to fit them into a particular box if you sense them coming up. Be open-minded when it comes to your own psychic gifts because everyone has their unique ways of connecting with the non-physical 💜.

Overall, it feels like you're having a spiritual upgrade of some kind this Lion's Gate portal! Congratulations, Pile 1 🎊.

And Happy Lion's Gate Portal!

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Pile 2:

There's always a pile in my readings that I call the "brain pile," and this one is it. You all have a brain/mind that is incredibly active and in some cases a little too active (I'm guilty of that myself 🙃💋).

Lately, maybe your mental body has been wreaking havoc in your world and disrupting your well-being? Maybe you got stuck in unhealthy patterns of overthinking, irrational fears, and intrusive thoughts? THAT'S EXACTLY what this portal is helping you with. It's bringing you divine intervention in whatever form YOU are open to receiving right now—maybe through books, tarot readings (such as this one 🙃), people, quotes, messages in songs, dreams, etc. You get the idea, right? This is to help you snap out of this almost trance-like state that your automatic thoughts have trapped you in. You're being looked after, don't you worry, sweet pea 🥰—that's a huge message I'm getting for you specifically.

Not only that, but I get that this divine intervention will eventually become a 'mental glow-up of sorts,' and it seems to me that you're ready for it now more than ever. You're balancing your mind right now, and you're getting all the help you need with it because, boy, this is a long-standing cycle you're fighting, so Spirit is like, "we need all hands on deck!"

Haha, that's good!

I see so many detours on your path going forward now, which is all part of this divine intervention. You might initially not understand the ways the universe is trying to help you, and you might fall into more chaos (mostly because your mind is resisting the sudden changes), but in due time, you'll not only find your balance but you'll also find a way to integrate your inner child AND all the wisdom you've gathered so far in this life effortlessly. Your mind was busy fighting these other parts of you up until this point, so I guess that's why? I'm so happy for you, though! Such a lovely thing to experience :)

I get a sense that you'll be living a much richer life because of this internal shift.

Wow. Love that 😁.

That was your message and Happy Lion's Gate Portal!

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Pile 3:

Your message is making me tear up, Pile 3. Aw. You're being guided gently to learn how to trust the universe again.

I can see that you've been doing a lot of healing all by yourself, and this work, merging with the energies of the Lion's Gate, is bringing you opportunities to trust in the magic of the universe again. You'll feel supported, less alone, and overall more connected to a greater fabric of existence. You may have slipped into isolation of some kind, and this problem is what's being dealt with on your behalf during this magical period :)

You're going to feel confident in your intuition, and you'll be able to not only listen to your emotions but also trust them deeply. This will build an inner security that you probably didn't know before. If you NEEDED external validation before the beginning of this Lion's Gate period, this time will bring you the necessary ingredients to build that unshakable sense of inner security, fueled from Source itself. Of course, you'll like any external validation that comes your way, but it won't dominate the rest of your inner world :)

Beautiful. This is a beautiful expansion for you, Pile 3.

If you find yourself feeling alone out in the world or feel like you have no friends, that's because of this great big spiritual flush of the old energy you're in the middle of right now. Any energy that wouldn't reciprocate your energy with you, or anything that isn't ideal for you or anybody that's toxic for you, WILL be snatched away like 💨, and you'll be like 😶 but whyyyyyyy.

Spirit sees the bigger picture—things that we literally can't—and is doing everything to keep you on your highest path :) Remember, "rejection is divine protection." It might seem a little frustrating to hear that right now, but it's all for your greatest good. Trust. That's your lesson anyway 🙃😉.

On a more positive note, I see this portal infusing you with so much energy and momentum that you'll be itching to put it all towards something. If you've been stagnant in your 3D life up until, say, July or felt like nothing was changing and it's all the same old same old, then this will change BIG TIME, and you'll be the reason why 😉.

Spirit will be inspiring you directly to make any changes that will bring you a sense of well-being in this important phase of your life✨

That was your message and Happy Lion's Gate Portal!

--------

[vamphorica]

mattmello week i: vacation

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Category: M/M

Fandom: Death Note (Anime & Manga)

Relationship: Matt | Mail Jeevas/Mello | Mihael Keehl

Characters: Matt | Mail Jeevas, Mello | Mihael Keehl

Additional Tags: Vacation, Beach Holidays, Childhood Sweethearts, Wammy's House Era (Death Note), Wammy's House (Death Note), Fluff, Public Display of Affection, Gentle Kissing, Gift Giving, Canon Compliant

Word Count: 2,777

Series: Part 1 of MattMello Week 2024 | @mattmelloweek

Summary: Matt and Mello decide to take a spontaneous trip to the seaside.

────────────────────────────

“I’m bored, let’s run away.”

October had brought about with it the mundanity of the forthcoming academic year, no longer enticing in its promise of long hours studying in the library to fixate on specialist subjects. Once again, there were exams to sit that required revision on topics that were frankly boring, and Mello was becoming more and more agitated with each paper, the fear of bad results paralysing him at the bedroom desk for hours on end. The week of respite that was afforded for Christmas was some distant fantasy, and as Matt rested his chin on the other boy’s shoulder, he knew it was time they escaped from this place, even if for a brief moment.

“And where exactly do you propose we go?” Mello mumbled, distracted by the encyclopaedia propped up against the wall that he was using to copy his reference notes. He wrote fast, Matt noticed, but his script was beautiful and easy to read. Bastard.

Matt moved his face so he buried his nose in Mello’s blond curtain of hair, breathing deeply, “We can go to the coast and back in a day.” He pulled back suddenly, cupping his hands across his face as he sneezed loudly. Mello rolled his eyes, flicking a page.

“Hardly beach season, is it?”

Matt shrugged, “Do you want to go away or not?”

“My History exam is in three days.”

“Great, tomorrow it is then.” Matt grinned, “I’ll set the alarm nice and early.”

────────────────────────────

Mello had always been the early riser of the two, and was growing frustrated at how incessantly Matt moaned about his self-inflicted exhaustion. They had scaled the gates at the crack of dawn, taking nothing but a small backpack that contained the accumulation of coins that they had both hoarded over several months from various circumstances since forgotten about. The train station proved to be a nightmare, with Mello notably irritable at how persistent the ticket seller was in interrogating them about their ages and why they intended to travel to the seaside on this rather cold Tuesday morning. Yes, they may have been bunking, but Mello hardly thought it was any of her business to be so intrusive.

“I got no sleep at all last night…”

“Shut up. Take a nap on the train or something, you shouldn’t have stayed up.” Sharing a dormitory with Matt had long since taught Mello to tolerate the repeated beeping that emanated from Matt’s various consoles that he played into the night. The rhythmic pattern they tended to possess often helped him drift to sleep himself anyway, “Need I remind you that this was your idea?”

Matt made a noise akin to an injured puppy, his hand slipping into Mello’s as the train heaved into the station. The blast of air confronted them with the reality of this little adventure that they were about to pursue. Mello squeezed Matt’s hand, and they stepped into the carriage, accompanied by a certain nervous excitement in anticipation of the day ahead.

While Matt did fall asleep the moment that the two sat down, Mello was intrigued by the journey, fixated on watching the rush of blurred landscapes from the window for the entirety of the two hours. His memories of arriving at the House were hazy things that arose only occasionally, but aside from that car journey, he had never travelled this far before. With Matt by his side, any anxieties of arriving somewhere completely new dissipated, replaced instead by a lingering curiosity of the world outside the confines of Winchester.

“Wake up.” Mello nudged Matt as they arrived, prompting the redhead to open his eyes slowly, frowning, “We’re here.”

“Already?”

Mello nodded, standing up, “You coming, or what?”

The two stumbled off the train to the quiet unfamiliarity of a strange place. The platform was empty and the grey clouds above promised nothing pleasant regarding the day’s weather prospects. The two looked at one another as they often did in these moments of uncertainty, but they had come all this way in search of something different from the claustrophobia of the House, which Mello insisted he knew well enough to give a decent estimate of how many bricks it was made up of.

“Let’s go.”

It was obvious this was a town that woke up for the summer, then proceeded to hibernate for the rest of the year. Storefronts selling buckets and spades, postcards, and other tat stood neglected along the narrow high street leading up to the coastline, and the few pensioners that roamed around peered suspiciously at the two small twelve year old boys that passed them by, as if they were breaching their territory. Mello stared back at them in defiance, hardly in the mood to be intimidated by these strangers, but Matt quietly averted his gaze to the cobbled ground, his hands nestled deep in his pockets.

The sea greeted the boys soon enough, stretching out into the whiteness of the autumnal sky as it lapped at the pebbled shore. There was a certain stale smell to the air and the soft cawing of gulls echoed in the isolation; all of a sudden Matt and Mello were the only people in the world. There had always been people around them their entire lives, mostly adults monitoring them and forcing them to comply with their strict rules about who they were meant to become. Yet now, in this empty beach town with its long stretch of seclusion and its cool, sharp breeze, Matt and Mello could sense the enticing opportunity of freedom for the first time.

“Let’s go in the sea.” Matt turned to Mello, a grin lighting up his expression.

“It’ll be damn freezing!”

“We can just take our shoes off and roll our trousers up.” Matt had already begun making his way to the shoreline, treading over the rocks carefully, and Mello quickly followed behind, hardly as resistant to the idea as he would have liked Matt to believe. They kicked off their trainers and discarded them without much concern as to whether they would still be there when they returned, before proceeding to fold over their trouser hems quickly, racing against one another to experience the sea for the first time.

“Ready?” Mello asked and Matt nodded. They shuffled close to the lapping waves, before Mello grabbed Matt’s wrist and ran, pulling the redhead alongside him. They both shrieked loudly as the icy water immediately numbed their feet, giggling at the extremity of their joint reaction.

“It’s so cold!”

“Yeah, no shit!”

They waded in as far as they could, until the water rose to their knees, before stopping to glance back at the beach behind them. There really was no one around, and their hands found each other's shirts, instinctively compelled to cling onto one another for a sense of comfort. They knew there was no risk of judgement here, and the warmth of their bodies was a reassurance in contrast to the bitterly chill waves in which they stood.

“Hey, Matt.”

“Yeah?” Before Matt had time to react, Mello slapped a tsunami over him, provoking another loud scream.

“You wanker!” Matt shoved Mello, causing the blonde to lose his footing and crash down into the sea, which snatched him as if reclaiming something sentimental once lost. Matt immediately grabbed a flailing hand that remained outstretched, pulling the completely damp Mello upright again, smacking his back as he hacked loudly, saltwater caught in his throat. He recovered quickly enough, but not without scowling at Matt.

“Sorry…” Matt mumbled, before attempting a small smirk, “Guess you won’t need a shower tonight.” Mello punched his arm softly, before pressing himself close to the other, giving Matt the opportunity to wrap his arms around Mello tightly, burying his face in the soft curve of his neck and shoulder. He forgot Mello could be fragile too, sometimes.

They stood together like this for a quiet moment before Mello complained that he was cold, and they made their way back up to the shore, wincing as their feet suffered against the hard rocks beneath. Their shoes remained where they had left them, and they gratefully sat down to slide them back on. Matt pulled off his hoodie and began patting Mello’s hair dry uselessly.

“I’m fine, I’m fine…” Mello resisted, but he appreciated the gesture, as ridiculous as it was, “Matt, I’m hungry. Do we have money for food?”

“Yeah.” Matt counted out ten quid from what he could find at the bottom of the backpack, “What do you want?”

“Anything. Well, not ice cream.”

Matt smiled, and stood up, “I’ll see what I can do.”

────────────────────────────

“What can I get for you, son?” The man at the counter was significantly younger than the other residents they had seen so far, and his accent was wildly different to what Matt had heard before, throwing him off as he stared at the battered fish before him blankly.

“What do you have?”

The man laughed, making Matt feel like an idiot, but as he pointed up the menu behind him, Matt could see that the options were limited to fish and chips. They sometimes had it for lunch at the House, but Mello was a picky eater and Matt did not fancy taking a risk.

“Chips. Please.”

The man nodded and began piling a generous portion onto a sheet of newspaper before wrapping it up. Matt wasn't entirely sure of what he thought about this practice but knew better than to comment on it. He exchanged it for the coins and as the man counted his change, he felt the warmth from his parcel melt away the sting of his frozen fingers. Mello would appreciate having something hot to eat.

He found Mello where he left him, sat up with his legs pulled tight against his chest and Matt’s hoodie draped over his shoulders like a cape. It had become sodden as it caught the droplets of water that fell from the strands of his golden hair. Matt sat down as close to him as he could, crossing his legs and laying the package in the centre of his lap before opening it up.

“Here we go. They're hot, so be careful.”

Mello smiled, picking a chip up and blowing on it gently before putting it in his mouth.

“That's really good.”

Matt tested one himself, and nodded his head in agreement, “Yeah. It is.”

Before they knew it, they had attacked a good half of the portion, their fingers slick with grease and crystals of salt. There was something that felt a little bit mischievous about it, for although Wammy’s didn't discourage unhealthy eating habits, it felt like a confirmation of what they had set out to do by taking this little excursion from the boredom of their everyday lives back at the House. Maybe it was because of this that Matt felt a surge of confidence rise within.

“You've got something on your face.” He commented nonchalantly and, without giving Mello time to respond, gently tilted his face with one hand and pressed his lips onto the blonde’s. They had kissed before, once or twice, in the shadows of the corridors while everyone was asleep, but Matt had always felt compelled to initiate it more brazenly. He felt Mello’s lips move against his and they sat with the saltiness of one another for a few moments before reluctantly disengaging.

“I found something while you were gone.” Mello mumbled, and Matt raised an eyebrow, curiosity peaked. Mello gently took the frames of Matt's goggles and pulled them down so they hung around his neck. Matt blinked. It really was a grey day today, now that the world was no longer bathed in a warm hue.

Turning around, Mello picked up something from the ground and then held it up to Matt. A piece of vivid green seaglass, smooth and bright, “I was surprised to find any here, actually, but it's like I thought. It matches your eyes.”

“Oh.” Matt didn’t really know why he struggled with an appropriate response to this, but his chest felt distinctly heavy with adoration for the boy before him. Mello recognised a piece of Matt in this strange landscape. He smiled softly, “Thanks.”

Mello nodded and handed it to Matt, who turned it over in his palm, comforted by its flawless texture, “Do we have to go back to the House?”

“Hm? Yeah, Matt. We do.”

“What if we just stayed here? Or took a train to London. We could even fly to the States from there.”

“With what money? Besides, they’ll find us eventually, you know.” Mello sighed, resting his chin on his knees. Matt leaned against him, relieved that his clothes had more or less dried now, even if it was inevitable that he would go down with a cold in a matter of days, “We don’t have the luxury to just run away – like it or not, we are successors. Sooner than later, I expect, L will have to make a choice about who he wants to take over when he dies.”

“You’re right. I just wish we didn’t have to deal with the pressure.” Matt replied quietly. It was not really the pressure he faced that concerned him, but rather the effect it had on Mello. He had watched how his studies consumed him, how obsession with his position in the House ate away at him with an unrelenting force. Matt had always known that such a trip as this was never going to deter Mello away from the House’s ambitious expectations, but he had hoped that it at least reminded him that there was more to life than the grades that held him captive.

“We should buy a postcard before we go.” Mello announced suddenly.

“Why? Who would we send it to?”

“We can keep it as a memento. Come on.”

The two boys scuffled up, neglecting the remainder of the chips on the shore as an offering to the gulls that had been circling close by, and drifted back towards the high street. The sun was already setting, casting the shops in a warm glow, and Mello dragged Matt into a small store that still had its ‘open’ sign turned outward. It was a musty little establishment, full of all kinds of oddities and junk that only a seaside town could make appear mildly endearing. Matt stared at a collection of taxidermied rats wearing clown outfits in horror as Mello made his way to the postcard stand.

“This place is so creepy.” Matt muttered in a hushed tone, but Mello ignored him as he sifted through the postcards, disappointed by the selection that was on display. Outdated Jubilee celebrations for various Royal Family members, postcards from Mallorca and Budapest, an assortment of ‘Get Well Soon’ cards. He was close to giving up until something caught his eye.

“Greetings from Los Angeles, California.” He read across the front of the faded postcard, depicting a sprawling skyline of tall buildings and palm trees, the sky blue and clear in a manner that looked almost artificial, especially in comparison to the bleakness of this little town. Mello could not quite place his finger on it, but something drew him to the image, something he wanted to hold onto.

“Yeah, come on, let’s go.” Mello muttered, his eyes darting over to the woman at the counter, who appeared half asleep. He slipped the card in the inner pocket of his jacket, without even Matt noticing, and they left the shop, only the small sound of the bell behind them indicating they had ever been there to begin with.

────────────────────────────

Despite the mild panic Matt and Mello felt upon realising that they were two pounds short of covering the fare back, only managing to earn after hanging around unashamedly begging for change to use at the telephone box, the two eventually caught the last train back to the House. Mello could feel himself drifting off, catching his head falling against his chest as he tried to blink some energy into the final stretch of the day.

Matt repositioned himself so that he could encourage Mello to lean his head against his shoulder, his hand rubbing the blonde’s thigh reassuringly, “Do you reckon Roger will be angry?”

“Mhm.” Mello replied, “Why, you scared?”

“No! No, I really enjoyed today. I’ll take whatever punishment.” He smiled, “Promise me we will run away together again soon, please?”

Mello’s eyelids felt too heavy to fight against, and as he breathed in the familiar smell of Matt, his mind wandered to that bright sunny skyline of the postcard buried in his jacket.

“Yes Matt, we will.”

[kamiko1234]

I'm bored rn so imma just info dump all my favorite Arthur headcanons y'all XD

Arthur uses a BUNCH of very expensive and flowery perfumes. That man is smelling like the most expensive shit you can imagine

He also uses a BUNCH of hair products. He spends ATLEAST 20 mins in the shower JUST dealing with his hair. It's very thick and horrid to take care off.

On the topic of hair, he takes AGES to get his hair done in the morning. As someone with the same hair type and base hairstyle, let me tell you brushing it out once it get's tangled enough can be a straight-up NIGHTMARE.

The reason for his hairstyle (part of the hair open with the other over it in a ponytail) is that he needs access to his hair for sacrifices. Having it all up in a ponytail or smth would mess with that access, especially since he also needs it quickly. But wearing the entire hair open also wouldn't be an option since it would get in his face and bother him during fights. So, he compromised and got to the hairstyle we know and love him with now XD

When he feels safe and has no need to be alert or expect any fight, he wears his hair in a bun or some other way to keep it out of the way.

He's one big softy for his family. You don't normally see it since Jeremiah/The Uzais as a whole just aren't very affectionate people, but Arthur is a total pushover for them (THEY DON'T DERSVE ARTHUR OMFG)

The man is LOADED. Like, no joke he's RICH. In the same vein however he also has no conception of his actual wealth 💀 He's buy a 1000 dollar flask of wine or smth and think that's completly normal and reasonable.

The eight languages Arthur speaks and the reasons for them are :

1. English ("world language", can easily communicate with most people, also thinks he's part english)

2. Japanese (shown in the manga, used to live in Japan during Section 13)

3. Italian (works at the Vatican, which is in Italy, and also grew up there with the Uzais from 15 on)

4. French (Thinks he's part french, also general european culture, he's just fancy)

5. German (General european culture, he's just fancy)

6. Mandarin (Most spoken language in the world, helps with communication in asia)

7. Russian (Biggest country in the world, also was later stationed in Russia when the fake Gehenna Gate came up so maybe he knows atleast a bit of the language ?)

8. Greek (general culture, he's just fancy)

He also knows how to speak a bit of Latin due to being raised at the Vatican, and thus coming into contact with these things.

While Arthur does canonically has the Tamer Meister, he's genuine shit at it and dislikes it. He barely passed the exam, and he holds no love for the craft at all. He has an affinity for kin of light.

In terms of his fake heritage, he feels more connected to his "French side" than his "English" one.

The emotionless and detached behavior young him had during that flashback in the Blue Night time travel arc came from an emotional response, and not the elixir experiments. The reason for that is that he seems reasonably emotionally involved post-amnesia. With that I mean that Arthur does show genuine emotion, opinions and is overall more livley. The emotionless and dull stuff was a coping mechanism to deal with constantly being surrounded by death and the possibility of it for himself in Section 13.

That coat he wears is HEAVY.

Arthur is actually a pretty nice guy outside of business and all the demon hate. He's great with kids, even if he is more than a little dense.

He has a whole collection of ribbons for his hair with all sorts of different colours and patterns for different outfits and occasions.

Arthur's favorite colour is blue, specifically royal or prussian blue.

(omfg I forgot to add this one in the initial Post BUT-) Arthur sleeps in a bed with a frankly abnormal amount of pillows. Like that thing is SOFT AS FUCK. You sink into it like water.

AANNNDDDDD that was all ! Thanks for listening ^^

[speedwagons-glorious-mane]

Writing Patterns + Six Sentences

I was tagged in this challenge by the lovely SimplyKaren.

1st rule: share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns! I'm only doing my fanfic available on ao3 for this challenge because I like to keep my personal and professional life seperate

Kill The Child:

Shouta was going to murder whoever thought it would be a good idea to start banging on his door at six-oh-three in the morning, only seconds after he had finally managed to fall asleep after coming home from a grueling patrol.

Best Fiend:

Pochita was not his name, not his real name, but it was the one his Denji had given him and that made it special.

The Trials and Tribulations of Having a Vampire On The Team:

Spencer nodded to the personnel manning the security checkpoint.

Move like a Ghost:

If you wanna be a hero that badly, there’s a quick way to do it.

We Were Robbed:

Shouto stood anxiously in the corner of the boy's locker room and wished he could disappear.

Do Not Stand By My Grave And Cry (I Am Not There, I Did Not Die):

Izuku woke up, clutching a red crayon in his fist.

The Torrid Affair of All Might and Yagi Toshinori:

All Might and His Secretary: Close Friends or a Hidden Romance?

Invite a Rich Person To Your Wedding:

"All done!" Hizashi announced loudly with a flourish.

The Blood of the Covenant:

Spencer knew as soon as he saw the crime scene photos.

You're Gonna Go Far, Kid:

Matt hissed as Claire began to undo the bindings Luke had wrapped around his leg to stabilise the arrow sticking out.

Patterns: huh, I was actually expecting a lot more dialouge in these I feel like it's my go to way to start a story but it looks like I just jump straight into setting the scene for most of these, what a pleasant surprise.

2nd rule: Write the last six sentences you wrote and tag your mutuals to do the same!

@alltheangst9311

@intern15-at-nightvale

And anyone else who sees this and wants to take part consider yourself tagged by me :)

The entrance exam was merely a formality. Izuku knew he'd get in, Eraser knew he'd get in, Nedzu knew he'd get in. It was inevitable. Izuku didn't sweat it. He simply did his best to have fun.

"Care to make it interesting?" Izuku asked Kacchan as they approached the front gates.

"How?" Kacchan asked suspiciously. He was right to be wary after Izuku had spent nearly two years kicking his ass on the regular.

[history-detective]

BlackStar ~Theater Starless translation

Season 1 – Episode 9 (Last Chapter):

Common Chapter 1-5 - Open the gates to darkness.

(Kei, Menou, Rindou, Maica, Yakou, Sinju)

Kei: --This is the outline of the next performance.

Kei: As mentioned earlier, we are considering establishing a new Team C.

Kei: Consider that this performance period will also serve as a test performance for Team C.

Maica: Something like off-Broadway?

Kei: It's safe to say so. Have you heard about Qu being transferred to C?

Rindou: We also understand that. The starting lineup has already been assigned.

Kei: Fair enough.

Yakou: So, is that "Borderline" guy really going to do it?

Yakou: Isn't it too arrogant to fire someone if they don't earn the predetermined points?

Sinju: Well that's true......but Starless is like that.

Menou: It's because it's an unreasonable store to begin with. It can't be helped.

Maica: It's just a matter of crossing the borderline.

Yakou: ..........Are you all convinved?

Sinju: As for the dismissal, Haseyama has said it before.

Sinju: Kei was able to negotiate a deal that saved us from being fired.

Menou: So, have you decided who will do what yet? We're doing a show for another team.

Menou: Different members than usual, a different show than usual. I'm looking forward to it.

Maica: You don't have enough screws as usual.

Menou: Fufufu, I mean it's seems like fun.

Kei: The allocation to each program has been roughly determined.

Kei: However, Heath says he won't sing, so the singer is still being adjusted.

Rindou: Does that mean there is one spot open for Singer? Then- is it okay if I run as a candidate?

Kei: I don't mind. I was considering having you sing.

Yakou: Well, if it's that easy to decide, please consider me as a candidate too.

Sinju: If Yakou is a candidate, I'd be fine too, right, Kei?

Menou: Wow, everyone is so proactive.

Maica: Won't Menou piggyback on it?

Menou: I'm not a pattern person. I want to act, so I'll leave the singing to you.

Kei: .....Hmm. Now, let's use Rindou as a singer.

Yakou: Wasn't that a quick decision? I didn't even try.

Kei: You just rode on Rindou's backside [T/N - Kei is implying that he only put himself forward because Rindou did]. There is no need to consider those who are not prepared to come forward.

Yakou: ......Kuh.

Kei: You have no objection either, Sinju.

Sinju: Ah, yeah, I'm sure I took advantage of it. It's okay, for me.

Maica: But, isn't there an option for Kei to sing?

Kei: Team K's singer is Yoshino. It's not me.

Menou: Indeed, I see. In that case, Kei is divided.

Kei: Of course.

Maica: Also, Yoshino and Akira have been around for a long time, so they perform most of the programs.

Maica: Isn't it too advantageous for the both of them?

Kei: That's right. I admit that there are advantages and disadvantages. So are you going to get off the stage?

Maica: Don't joke around. Who will be there? I'll show you that I can win.

Sinju: It will be me! Because I want to stay in Starless.

Menou: Well, I guess I'll have to try anyway. Hehe, I'm looking forward to it.

Yakou: I don't think I'll enjoy something like this exam.

Sinju: So, should you stop?

Yakou: ......I'll do it. I'm sure I can do it. Can only one person escape?

Kei: As long as I am on stage, I won't allow anyone to pollute it. Go in with that determination.

Menou: ----Rindou? What's wrong? You've not spoken.

Rindou: Oh.....that. Well, Kei.

Rindou: All the other teams already know this story.

Kei: Ah. I've explained it all. And?

Rindou: No....I was just wondering how the other teams reacted.

Kei: I had some trouble with Team B, but not much else.

Rindou: Team W too?

Kei: Ah, it seems like Kokuyou is "going to ride". Is that okay?

Rindou: I understand. Thank you very much.

Rindou: Team B also decided to "take a ride". We cannot back down here.

To be continued.....

DISCLAIMER – This is not an accurate translation! Please do not steal. Please let me know of any corrections and what I translated wrong- I may have just written what I think works best, but if you think otherwise, let me know. :)

[kwlsn]

Seasons kept on changing and soon, you would face one of the biggest changes of your whole life forever — the entrance exam.

Emma had graduated and entered a good university and as you watched how happy she was, it made you think about entering the same campus with her or somewhere else in Tokyo.

Roppongi had been treating you nice and it was a shame that you had to move out soon.

When you first came here, it felt like a fresh spring breeze; filling your head with things you have never done before and urging your hand to write them down as a bucket list, hoping you would also gain a new friend or two in exchange for the succumbing loneliness you felt the first time you slept here — missing Emma, Grampa, Mikey and Shin.

Shin...

Unconsciously, your fingertips made a beeline for your face; running it over your plump lips as the scene of Shin kissing you in the winter crossed your mind unannounced, still feeling like a guilty pleasure you wouldn't mind to indulge in if you were given a second chance to experience it.

Then again, you were left wondering why he never showed up to your place; wondering if he felt guilty and regretting the choice he made that night, ending his relationship with you in harsh winter and letting them stay forever at the back of his head.

Mikey was the same, too.

You weren't able to wait until he and Emma came back and fell asleep inside the kotatsu instead. The time you woke up, you were tucked in your bed and Mikey was already leaving to see his gang; leaving you with Emma and Shin to move the boxes.

Emma was really sad when she heard about you moving out of the Sano Household, but she was also as excited when you said this is the choice you made carefully with Grampa, hoping you'd be able to gain more friends there than before since everyone in Shibuya avoided you and Emma — also known as Mikey's sisters.

Shin, on the other hand, was quiet like a mouse. You would think that he was already dead if it wasn't for him moving everything into the truck in a hurry; saying that he'd leave early because he needed to open the shop before some kids made a ruckus that might try to ruin his business for being late.

Despite the promise you all had made, only Grampa and Emma visited you every week and vice versa; not seeing Shin and Mikey whenever you'd drop by the Sano Household — giving you a slight ick that slowly grew into anger before you finally outgrew it, thinking that it'd be the best for you not to engage with them anymore.

Looking at the small charm in your hand, a faint smile found itself to rest on your lips. It was pink with a tie in a similar colour and a pattern of your favourite flower covering it; a charm that represented you in the best way possible.

As your fingertips traced it, you felt a tight hug around your waist and turned your head around to see who it was; didn't expect him to be here as his brother made another grand entrance, earning a look from few other kids that recognised them.

"Yo, sugar!"

"Rin, don't be like that."

Ran looked at you with his usual smile, crossing his arms as a few people began to distance themselves from the two brothers and you while minding their own business.

Rin, who was still hugging you, looked over your shoulder and snatched the lucky charm away; trying to take a good look at it under the sun while keeping your arms close to you with his other hand, feeling in the mood of teasing you around before Ran took it from him and gave it back to you.

While Ran could understand that Rin would pull a stunt on you once in a while, his heart would never forgive me if he ever made you cry; and today was the time where he'd make sure to do that.

"Heh, child. Make sure to pass, 'aight? Make your family proud."

He dropped it onto your palm and held Rin close to him as the entrance gate was opened, watching you running inside as he mouthed 'good luck' in your direction; in which didn't get unnoticed by you before you mouthed back a 'thank you' and ran as fast as you could inside, keeping your charm close as a flash of everyone popped up inside your head.

I will make y'all proud and happy, just wait for it!

A soft sob escaped from your lips when you realised you made a few big mistakes during the test, letting the confidence take over you and forgetting to add important details — especially during the Math test.

"Sugar, what's wrong!"

Rin's voice called up to you, whisking you into a tight hug with his arms as he kissed your tears away; genuinely feeling worried about how this test might put a bigger toll on you than you coulda expect before.

"Nah, just realising mistakes I made during the test. I'm scared that it'll mess up my performance and answer. What if my first choice eliminated me because of that."

You huffed out, a trace of dried tears was visible on your face as your nose and cheeks turned red due to the cold air; while you may take it as one of the worst looks you could possibly have, Rin thought it was your cutest look.

He walked a few feet before you and squatted down, telling you to jump on his back; where you gave him a complaint and walked away instead, having your ankle caught by him in the middle of it.

"Sugar, stop crying..."

"I did twenty minutes ago."

"Why are you shaking then?"

"Cos, 'm starving, Rin."

You tightened your hold around his neck, feeling icked by the older man as he brought you to the nearest Lawson; dropping you off to the same table Ran was sitting on, hoping he could babysit you this time after you tried to strangle the younger Haitani with ease.

Ran placed two mentaiko noriben onigiri, two pork cutlet sandwiches and a bottle of cold green tea; looking at his brother you looked pale then to your grinning face as you opened the warm onigiri, looking at Ran with that look.

The look you always made whenever he gave you something, especially food.

The way your eyes would light up and get slightly bigger, trying to look him in the eyes as your cheeks got filled with the food he got; the look that made his heart swell a bit and his love for you grew bigger than yesterday's.

"Good work, pipsqueak. I'm sure you'll enter your first choice."

He placed his hand on top of your head, giving a small ruffle before you pushed his hand away to fix your hair; earning a collective chuckle when you shot them a warning glare, feeling angry at the both of those two for ruining your hair.

Leaning his head against his fist, Rindou watched your hair swaying around in the wind; comparing it with the one when you first met them back then.

The first time he saw you, he was too flabbergasted to hold himself from asking you,

How the fuck you fit in a giant eagle on your head!

Even though he tried to ask it in the least harsh way (since you're a girl and Rin hates listening to one crying), he ended up getting a chokehold from Ran; who was able to take a hold on you and subside the situation, apologising profusely on Rin's behalf.

But, then again, he wouldn't lie when he said he would bet thirty thousand yen to Rindou, saying your pouf must be at least nine centimeters and a wig.

Unfortunately, when both of them showed up in front of your apartment with a box of his favourite Mont Blanc as an apology (and to see how Rindou's allowances for the next three months will be in his hand), he knew right away that he lost the bet and Rindou got a hold on his allowance for this month.

As you opened the door and gave them permission to get inside, Ran almost let out a scream because you looked way so different from this morning.

You were wearing a pink sundress with a strawberry pattern and frills around the skirt; brewing a tea for two of them in a heart-shaped apron while cutting some fruits and small caked out of your fridge.

But, what made them even surprised was your face and hair.

You weren't wearing any excessive fake lashes, exaggerated shimmering eyeshadow in bold colour nor an overlined, nude lipstick on — hell, Ran would even say that you're a natural beauty and would kiss your feet if you promised him not to wear those anymore from now on.

Meanwhile, Rindou was contemplating asking you the whereabouts of your wig because right now, you were wearing your pastel pink hair down with loose curls hanging barely over the floor; something that he would never consider existed until today.

N-no giant eagle!

As if he could see your thoughts behind that small head, Rindou looked outside as you placed the drink and snacks on the coffee table; an unfazed look wouldn't leave his face while he was literally panicking inside and Ran was trying his best to handle the secondhand embarrassment his brother made this morning.

Sipping on the warm tea you made, Ran gave you the Mont Blanc he bought on the way to here; hoping that the three of you could live in harmony since he lived right beside you with Rindou.

"Thank you so much for the considerate gift, I'll keep it inside the fridge now."

He watched you walk back to the kitchen, second guessing himself about how you were exactly his type if it wasn't for that god awful look you were in for.

I won, but at what cost...

"Do you think she has anything that's fat-free and high in protein here?"

"Rindou, that's a fucking cream roll cake!"

Spending years with each other brought the three of you closer than ever and started not to leave out anyone; including buying new clothes, making an appointment at the salon and matching OOTD whenever you were available for a hang-out.

"Pips, don't you ever think about changing your hair?"

Ran took a streak of your hair, watching the colour start to get washed off and expose a white silver hair underneath it; feeling curious if it was the base or your real hair colour.

Taking your time to think about it, you had never actually changed your hair into another colour except for pink since it was one of the most recommended colours the time you dyed your hair for the first time at a salon (except when you dyed it black for the university entrance exam).

"I'll probably say, no. I want to remove it off my hair and probably cut my hair shorter — like, around my knees and cut my side bangs 'til here?"

You held your side bang and slid your fingers over it until it reached right below your shoulders, earning a glance from both brothers who agreed with it as the three of you entered your regular hairstylist — only to have two of them hiding their choices from you.

Stating that it was for an exclusive secret that could be talked about between Haitani only.

Rolling your eyes at the older one's statement, you could only let out a huff before going to the back to wash your hair as the two brothers sat down at the corner of the salon, reading down magazines that were placed on the table.

"Haitani..."

Rindou raised his head when he heard someone call his name out, finding Mikey looking at him sharp through the thick front glass before he stepped into the lounge; expecting an answer from this pair of brothers for ignoring his calls and texts for days.

Ran was the first one who told him to sit down, asking Mikey in advance not to create a fight since this place was his favourite and he had been a regular for years — not wanting to risk getting blacklisted again.

As if Mikey had been looking for them, he placed a document on the coffee table; asking Ran to review the proposal that Kisaki and Hanma brought from Yokohama.

Minutes turned into an hour and half yet the three of them still couldn't find any loophole they could possibly exploit; no chance for them but Mikey still wanting to be able to seize Yokohama through this.

"Ran, it's your turn now!"

Your head popped up from behind the wall, looking at Ran with a small pout as his hairstylist was still preparing the water, asking for you to call for him since he hadn't walked in for a while; finding a man with silver undercut sitting down with them instead.

Mikey grasped the armrest tightly when he heard your voice, hoping he was wrong only to find it was really you.

As his anger was already at its peak, his nails were dug into the expensive leather while Ran tried to pull his hand away, not wanting to see himself kicked out for Mikey's misbehaviour.

"Ah, fuck."

[fairytalesandfandoms]

anyway, some backstory for recent posts

Surpising emotions about rediscovering an old interest

under a cut because 1) length 2) Homestuck is mentioned and I get the impression some people don’t like it very much.

Let us turn back the clock to spring 2008. I was in high school and my Standard Grade exams were just a couple of months away. I had a lot of favourite media, but relevant to this story are examples such as: Treasure Planet, Dan Brown books (which I have definitely left behind in that era, but for a while they were definitely A Thing in my brain), Operation Red Jericho by Joshua Mowll, The Mummy, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones. Hopefully you’re sensing a theme here: I would absolutely devour anything with an adventure/mystery combo, especially if it involved codes, maps, riddles, secret organisations etc. And one day, probably a weekend afternoon, we switched on the TV to find this film was on.

And that film... was National Treasure. And surpise surprise, during the scene inside the Charlotte (and over the course of the rest of the film) I got attached to Ben Gates like a limpet.

Things then followed a pattern which had already become very predictable in my life. I liked a character, which then quickly merged into liking an actor (in this case, Nicolas Cage) and of course then Special Interest Brain dictated that I then had to watch as many of his films as I could. Over the next few years I saw... pitifully few of them, now I’ve finally got up the nerve to look on IMDb, but enough to make it a thing (6 before I went off to uni). Unfortunately, because I am notoriously bad at keeping my interests to myself whether I want to or not, my family inevitably finds out within, like, a week of any new obsession, which as a teenager embarrassed me very greatly (and still does a bit). My mum did try to relate to me with such things (she even got my dad to watch one of the National Treasure movies but I don’t think he was that bothered about it tbh), but that usually only made me awkward because I was watching things with my mum and it was embarrassing.

My Nicolas Cage-watching would get one last hurrah in 2010, when I went to see the university film society’s screening of Kick-Ass in freshers’ week. Again, obsessed. Obsessed enough to go as Hit Girl for Halloween that year, but we all know the drill by now - the highkey messed-up (but my kind of messed-up character, with a tragic backstory, incredible combat skills and a cardigan) Damon Macready was really the blorbo of choice.

But what happened then? Why did I go from this high point to trying to avoid mentioning Nicolas Cage as much as possible? Two words: ‘the’ and ‘internet’.

I was already aware that some of Cage’s films were, to put it bluntly. not great. I had felt the cringe a bit even as a teenager, but I soldiered on. However, when I discovered social media and other similar websites, all the memes and jokes and so on made me even more embarrassed about it, and I felt like no one should ever know because I was worried that then even people whose opinions I respected would just laugh at me and tell me I had no taste, and other things of that nature. Some of those jokes were probably exaggerated for comic effect, but I’m really bad at judging tone and to me they read as straightforward mockery or dislike.

Fast-forward to 2023, a week or two ago. I have just moved to a new flat and have no wifi yet. But clever me thinks “ah, but I have the Unofficial Homestuck Collection saved to my laptop, which requires no internet, and the whole new-job-new-flat hassle means I did get behind on my routine catch-up reading. Let’s do that.”

Those of you who are familiar with Homestuck probably knew where this was going as soon as you read the word in this post. For those of you who don’t know, one of the main characters in Homestuck loves the movie Con Air. It’s referenced at least a few times (I’ve just started Act 5, so there may be more to come). There’s one scene (pp. 1660-1666, CW for some ableist language on the last page) that just really made me emotional because it connected this film with the friendship of two of the characters, and it was like a switch was flipped back on in my brain. Or more like pulling down one of those giant switches they pull down to give electricity to Frankenstein. I felt like I had gone through the cringe and come out the other side. I had to watch Kick-Ass and I had to watch it now. Or at least as soon as I got a free two-hour block of time. 

And then after a few days of reliving autumn 2010 (complete with Lady Gaga songs), I had to watch National Treasure. And I vowed that as soon as I got wifi I would watch The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which I had made myself avoid when it was first out. And now I have. I’m not quite on Javi’s level, because 1) I don’t have Javi’s budget and 2) I would have drawn the line at the sequinned cushion. But let me tell you, teenage me would have gone absolutely feral at that movie. I probably would’ve felt like I shouldn’t be allowed to watch the sauna and pool scenes, for a start. (Thankfully, I’ve become more chill and less wound-up about that sort of thing, relatively speaking.) But god, I had to really get up my nerve to make that ‘what is the internet’s opinion’ post. Now I’ve done that, and gone to the tags in a roundabout way by searching for related movies first and then tag-hopping, it’s a lot less scary. I even managed to look up IMDb, and ignore my brain shouting ‘THE SEARCH ENGINE WILL JUDGE YOU’.

So, my Nic Cage obsession is back “not that [it] went anywhere” (yes, that’s a reference to The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent). More to come, if I can find good content. Unless he gets overtaken by Good Omens

And in the spirit of the aforementioned Homestuck character, I leave you with Rosie, referencing a story I haven’t finished reading and a film I have never seen (YET. BUT SOON).

[atplblog]

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Master Logical Reasoning for Competitive Exams with Brainwiz

In the ever-evolving world of competitive exams, logical reasoning plays a crucial role in determining a candidate’s aptitude and problem-solving ability. Whether you’re preparing for government exams like SSC, Banking, Railway, or high-level entrance tests like CAT, GRE, or GATE, logical reasoning for competitive exams is a section you can’t afford to overlook. Brainwiz, a trusted platform for aptitude and reasoning training, offers expert-guided online courses to help aspirants master logical reasoning with confidence and accuracy.

Why Logical Reasoning is Important

Logical reasoning tests your ability to analyze patterns, identify logical connections, and solve problems quickly and correctly. This section is often a high-scoring part of most competitive exams. A strong grip on this subject not only boosts your overall score but also improves your analytical thinking — a skill that remains valuable beyond exams and into your professional life.

How Brainwiz Helps You Excel

Brainwiz has developed a specialized module for logical reasoning for competitive exams, focusing on the most frequently asked and high-weightage topics. Their training strategy combines concept-based learning, shortcut techniques, and extensive practice, ensuring that students are well-prepared for any reasoning challenge.

Key Features of Brainwiz Logical Reasoning Course:

Topic-wise video lectures on puzzles, syllogisms, coding-decoding, series, blood relations, direction sense, seating arrangements, and more.

Regular practice sets to improve speed and accuracy.

Timed mock tests to build exam temperament and real-time performance.

Performance analysis and personalized improvement suggestions.

Doubt-clearing sessions by expert mentors.

Comprehensive Preparation for All Major Exams

Brainwiz’s logical reasoning training is designed keeping in mind the question trends of various exams. Whether it's the verbal logic of banking exams, the abstract reasoning of management tests, or the analytical sections of engineering entrances, Brainwiz ensures coverage of every type and pattern.

Logical Thinking Beyond Exams

Apart from helping you score well in exams, Brainwiz also emphasizes the development of logical thinking skills that are beneficial in real-world decision-making and interviews. Many companies test candidates’ logical reasoning during their aptitude test preparation phase, especially during campus placements.

Conclusion

Logical reasoning is more than just a test section — it's a reflection of how you think, process, and solve problems. With Brainwiz’s expert-designed online aptitude training, students not only understand concepts but also learn how to apply them efficiently in competitive scenarios.

Start your journey with Brainwiz and sharpen your logical reasoning skills for competitive exams — because success favors the well-prepared.

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Exploring Civil Engineering: Courses, Specialisations & Best Colleges in India

The Civil Engineering course trains students to build, design, and maintain infrastructure like dams, sewage systems, airports, and town planning. Water resource engineering, environmental engineering, and geotechnical engineering specialisation subjects are available in civil engineering courses. 

The increase in urbanisation and environmental concerns requires skilled professionals for the maintenance of the physical infrastructure and environment. Students should focus on the quality factors and their career goals while choosing the best civil engineering college in India. Admission in this course requires state, national, and university entrance tests for eligible candidates. By completion of this course, graduates can get many prestigious job opportunities, with high salary packages. This article will help aspirants get an idea about civil engineering courses, specialisations, and how to select the best civil engineering colleges for them. 

All About Civil Engineering Courses:

The Civil Engineering course trains students to build, design, and maintain physical infrastructure and the environment, like bridges, sewage systems, railways, and smart city planning. Here is all the information about this course:

Specialisations: Transport engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, urban planning engineering, and structural engineering.

Types: 

Diploma- This is a three-year course that can be done after the 10th standard. Focuses on skills development and practical training.

Bachelor’s- B.Tech in Civil Engineering courses after 12th is a four-year course. This includes classroom learning, internships, practical training, and personality development.

Master’s- It is a two-years course, providing an opportunity to master specialised subjects in civil engineering. It can be done after a B.Tech in civil engineering and after qualifying for the GATE exam.

PhD- PhD in civil engineering is a three to five-year duration program. That emphasises research and can be done after M.Tech in civil engineering. 

Job opportunities: The Civil Engineering course provides many high-potential job opportunities, like urban planner, structural engineer, environmental consultant, government and Public Sector Undertaking jobs.

Fees: Fee ranges from ₹25,000-���5,00,000 per year depending on the college and degree.

Salary package: ₹5,00,000-₹20,00,000+ depending on experience.

Different Specializations Available in the Civil Engineering Course in India:

Specialisation subjects promote a deeper understanding and in-depth knowledge in a specific field. There are several specialisations in Civil Engineering:

How to select the Best Civil Engineering College in India?

Below is a complete guide for students who are searching for the best Civil Engineering college in India:

Students must identify their area of study, like whether they are interested in environmental engineering, transport engineering, or structural engineering, then choose accordingly.

Select a college by considering its accreditation, curriculum, educational pattern, and facilities.

Search for college reputation, performance, industry networks, placement status and global opportunities.

Know about the specialisations available at that college.

Pay attention to the location of the college and transport facilities.

Connect with college professionals, seniors to know more about the college and the faculty.

Focus on career goals, whether you want a government, a public sector job, or an international job, and search for a college that has a good placement record. 

Compare the total fees of the colleges and select one that is affordable with the best education. 

List of Best Civil Engineering Colleges in India That Provide Quality Education:

A limited Civil Engineering college in India offers good quality education with skills development. These colleges focus on personality development, soft skills training, global networks, research, and placement opportunities for students. Here is a list of the best civil Engineering colleges in India:

How to get Admission for Civil Engineering Courses After 12th in India?

Here is a step-by-step guide to the admission process for Civil Engineering Courses After 12th in India: 

12th with minimum 50% marks (varies depending on institution) from the science stream with math, physics, and chemistry subjects, are eligible to get admission into this course. 

Aspirants must clear one of the entrance exams, like JEE Main, JEE Advanced, CUET, state CET, or university entrance exam, which depends on the institution's criteria.

Based on your result, apply for your preferred college and specialisation. (through portals like CSAB, JoSAA, university website) 

Submit required documents like identity proof, marksheets, and domicile certificate. 

Based on your marks and choices, seat allotment will be done.

Students will call for admission and document verification.

After the fee payment, students can secure their seats for the B.Tech in Civil Engineering program.

Conclusion

Civil Engineering courses teach the design and maintenance of physical infrastructure and the environment. These courses contain many specialisations that help students gain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of a specific subject. Several of the best Civil Engineering colleges in India provide trending courses like environmental engineering, transport engineering, and construction engineering, which are helpful in providing prestigious job opportunities for national development.

What skills are required in Civil Engineering Courses?

Skills like problem-solving, software knowledge, analytical, mathematical, time management and teamwork are required in Civil Engineering courses.

Why is Civil Engineering in Demand in India?

Civil Engineering make professionals who can work in housing development, metro rail projects, and sustainable construction. These are now rising due to urbanisation.

What entrance exams are required for Civil Engineering abroad after completing graduation in India?

For M.Tech in Civil Engineering abroad, graduates can give entrance exams like the Graduate Record Examination and Test of English as a Foreign Language.

[cafoundationclassesinpune]

CA Foundation: Your Complete Guide to ICAI CA Foundation Course, Books, and More

Are you thinking about starting your journey to become a Chartered Accountant in India? Well, the CA Foundation course is your first step—and it’s a pretty big one! Whether you’re still in school or fresh out of your 12th board exams, this course sets the stage for your entire CA journey. In this article, we’re diving deep into everything you need to know: from the ICAI CA Foundation structure, best CA Foundation books, and registration process, to preparation tips and more. So grab a snack and let’s get into it!

What Is the CA Foundation Course?

The CA Foundation is the entry-level course for students aspiring to become Chartered Accountants. Conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), this exam tests your basic knowledge in accounting, business laws, mathematics, and economics.

Think of it like a doorway—it’s the gate that opens up the world of accountancy, auditing, and taxation for you.

The Role of ICAI in CA Foundation

ICAI is the only statutory body in India that regulates the Chartered Accountancy profession. They design the curriculum, conduct the exams, and even provide official study material and guidance for CA aspirants.

Why Choose the CA Foundation Course?

Let’s be real—there are a LOT of career paths out there. So, why pick CA? What makes CA Foundation stand out?

Top Benefits of Pursuing CA Foundation

High Demand Career Path

CAs are always in demand, not just in India but globally. From corporate giants to start-ups, everyone needs a good accountant.

Affordable Yet Prestigious

Compared to other professional courses like MBA, CA is much more cost-effective but offers equally powerful career prospects.

Opens Doors to Global Opportunities

With the right skills and certifications, Indian CAs can practice in many countries thanks to international agreements and MoUs.

Who Can Apply for the CA Foundation?

It’s pretty straightforward.

Eligibility Criteria Explained

You must have completed your Class 12 from a recognized board.

You can register for the course after your Class 10, but you can only appear for the exam after Class 12.

No minimum percentage is required—but trust me, a solid foundation in commerce subjects will be a lifesaver!

CA Foundation Course Structure

Let’s break it down.

Subjects Covered

The course is divided into four papers:

Paper 1: Principles and Practice of Accounting

This is where you learn the core of accounting—journal entries, ledgers, trial balance, and final accounts.

Paper 2: Business Laws and Business Correspondence

Legal basics meet communication skills. You’ll learn about contracts, the Indian Partnership Act, and how to write like a pro.

Paper 3: Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, and Statistics

This one’s a brain teaser. But it’s fun if you like numbers and puzzles.

Paper 4: Business Economics and Business and Commercial Knowledge

Economics + current affairs = real-world knowledge that actually helps in life and business.

CA Foundation Exam Pattern

Now let’s talk about how you’ll be tested.

Marking Scheme and Paper Format

Paper 1 and 2: Subjective (Descriptive)

Paper 3 and 4: Objective (MCQs)

Each paper carries 100 marks

You need at least 40% marks in each paper and 50% overall to clear the exam.

Negative marking of 0.25 for each wrong answer in objective papers.

Best CA Foundation Books You Need

Books are your best friends during this journey. Choose wisely!

Top Recommended ICAI Books

ICAI’s official study materials are GOLD. They cover everything—plus, they match the exact exam pattern.

Also include ICAI revision test papers (RTPs) and mock test papers (MTPs).

Reference Books by Private Publishers

T.S. Grewal’s Accounting Books

S.S. Bhogal for Business Law

P.C. Tulsian’s Business Economics

CA Raj K Agrawal’s combo book sets

These help when you need alternative explanations or extra practice.

Tips to Prepare for CA Foundation Exam

Let’s be honest—preparation is everything.

Time Management Techniques

Make a study schedule. Seriously, this isn’t just advice—it’s survival.

Prioritize tougher subjects and leave buffer days for revision.

Smart Study vs Hard Study

Don’t just read. Understand. Apply. Practice. Use flowcharts, flashcards, and practice quizzes to stay sharp.

Coaching vs Self-Study: Which One’s Better?

This is a big decision. Let’s weigh it out.

Pros and Cons of Both

Coaching: Great if you need discipline, structure, and expert guidance.

Self-study: Works well if you’re self-motivated and good at managing your time.

Pick what works best for you—there’s no one-size-fits-all here.

How to Register for the ICAI CA Foundation

Now, the official stuff.

Step-by-Step Registration Process

Visit the ICAI official website.

Create a new login under the “Student” tab.

Fill in your personal and academic details.

Upload scanned documents.

Pay the registration fee (around ₹9,000–₹10,000).

Print the acknowledgment and you're done!

Common Mistakes to Avoid in CA Foundation

Even the best students make mistakes. Don’t be one of them!

What Students Often Overlook

Ignoring ICAI study material

Underestimating objective papers

Leaving revision for the last week (big mistake!)

Not practicing mock tests

Career After CA Foundation

So, what happens once you pass?

Next Steps Toward Becoming a Chartered Accountant

Register for the CA Intermediate Course

Start Articleship after Intermediate

Appear for the Final CA exam

Voila! You’re a Chartered Accountant 🎓

Conclusion

The CA Foundation course isn’t just an exam—it’s your first real test of patience, skill, and determination. If you’re aiming for a rewarding career in finance and accounting, this is the launchpad. With the right strategy, proper books, and a bit of dedication (okay, a LOT), you can pass this exam and move one step closer to your dream of becoming a CA.

FAQs

Q1. Can I appear for CA Foundation after 10th? You can register after 10th, but you’re only allowed to take the exam after completing 12th.

Q2. Is CA Foundation tough to crack? It’s challenging, yes—but not impossible. With smart prep and regular revision, you can crack it on your first attempt.

Q3. How many times is CA Foundation conducted in a year? Twice—May/June and November/December.

Q4. Do I need coaching for CA Foundation? Not necessarily. If you’re good at self-study and disciplined, you can ace it without coaching.

Q5. What happens if I fail the CA Foundation exam? Don’t worry—you can reappear. There’s no limit on the number of attempts. Just learn from your mistakes and come back stronger.

[pavand5444]

Boost your IIT JAM 2026 Physics preparation with IIT JAM Physics Previous Year Question Papers. These papers help you understand the exam pattern, question trends, and difficulty level. Practicing them regularly strengthens your concepts and improves time management. Download IIT JAM Physics Previous Year Question Papers now and take your preparation to the next level.