#gended neutral reader

[thedemises]

. . .  SOMETHING TO SAVOUR! featuring the straw hats!

contains! . . . lowercase writing, one piece, luffy being luffy, bad writing for a fighting scene 💀, pretty much a oneshot inspired by the live action episode where opla!sanji is introduced, but reader is the waiter, some dialogue lines are somewhat changed as well as those two guys who attempted to kill each other, the reader is called [name] so feel free to imagine that as your own name, bad flirting; brought to you by the waiter! reader. crossposted on ao3. notes! . . .  AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH- hello :D, hope everyone's doing alright cuz I'm not! but don't you worry about that, I think I'll handle everything just ok 👍👍

sniff... sniff sniff-... sniff...

“hmmm... i smell...”

a familiar young man's nostrils flare as he sniffs the air like a dog seeking for a mere piece of meat, tilting his face upwards to get a whiff of the savour scented air coming from a nearby restaurant a few miles away. he held on to his straw hat by a hand that's placed on the top, just so it wouldn't slip off.

“...MEAT!”

as it were an instinct, monkey d. luffy bounced off the thousand sunny the moment it docked as he went off towards the direction where the smell was coming off from, drooling as he imagined the meat he'll get to eat today. meanwhile, both god usopp & tony tony chopper decides to jump off and followed after to catch up to luffy as well as call out to him.

as the other crewmembers were getting ready to get off the ship (excluding cyborg franky, he was in charge to look after the thousand sunny and was busy with something he urgently needed to fix), most of which watched as their captain, sharpshooter, & doctor headed towards the nearest village ahead through the thick forest.

“we haven't even gotten off and that idiot is already going after food everytime we dock at a new island...”

the navigator, cat burglar nami jutted out her hip as she places a slim hand over her forehead and the other on her hip, seemingly unamused as she closes her eyes shut at her captain's usual antics. but knowing him though, she couldn't name a thing could prevent this—after all, that is luffy's natural nature.

“we only docked here to have restock our suppiles after a month of sailing on the sea and the first thing he does is look for food.”

an amused chuckle erupts from nico robin's throat (including soul king brookwho laughed heartedly to himself), as the lady crossed an arm over her chest while her other arm positions itself to have her chin rest on her hand. robin wore a carefree and calm face, the opposite of what the ginger woman felt.

“it's amusing” her voice was as fruity and pleasant as it always is whenever she spoke, the dark-haired woman calmly walks past the other girl who eventually followed after.

it didn't take long for luffy to search for a restaurant nearby, savory symphony was the name, already dashing towards the place with no signs of stopping—luffy usually listens to his guts than his brain after all, hunger overtaking his mind.

standing in front of the restaurant, he takes a good look at the place overall—the strong scent of food wafting from the entrance to persuade and attract customers, the warm and cozy color scheme of the building; splashing of carefully selected colors going well together with the others, the creative design of the arch way and sign that displays the restaurant's sole name—before luffy heads on in without a second thought, approaching the direction of the hostess who was greeting people coming in or out, while subconsciously licking his lips when imagining the food he'll eat.

eventually, afterwards, the whole crew (not really) got themselves seated at a table by the kind hostess (also, nami had to hit both black-leg sanji and brook for attempting to flirt with the woman +trying to ask what color her underwear was) and waited for a waiter to come and serve them after skimming the menu.

“luffy, stop trying to eat the table,” nami speaks, gazing at her captain gnawing at the table with furrowed brows after smacking him on the head. then she sighed when the impatient luffy whined back. “but i'm hungry!!! the food's taking too long...”

“just wait. the waiter isn't here to take our order yet.”

nami turned her attention to the other crewmembers, glancing at roronoa zoro's direction specifically who hadn't finished ordering yet. as in—if he did. “okay, so is everyone ready to order?”

zoro, still looking at the menu with a squinted eye, said while staring down at the menu, “not yet,”

“did ya even read the thing?” sanji spoke while he eyes the grass-haired swordsman with a pointed gaze, holding his lit cigar between two fingers. usopp added along with a raised eyebrow, noticing the swordsman's mannerisms, “yeah, sanji's right. you've been staring at the menu for a while now, not even touching it either.”

then, after a bit of thinking and internal decision-making, zoro handed the menu to sanji who perked up at that as his curled eyebrows raised up.

“oi, you're the cook. pick something i would like.”

“huh? again?”

nevertheless, the crew's cook took the menu without further complaints and began skimming through the choices of varied beverages and meals, thinking to himself which suitable dish to select for the green-haired man (who was grinning smugly to himself for a some reason but, somehow, nobody took notice—too busy with something they're focused on—perhaps, except the observant archeologist).

“yohohohohoho!”

a heartedly laugh erupts from brook's moving jaw (but how would he be laughing in such manner when brook doesn't have a esophagus or vocal cords anymore?) while he examines every inch of the restaurant's interior, feeling intrigued and amazed at the exquisite designing (noticeable inspiration coming from music sheets; the musical symbols, clefs, lines, breaks, key signatures, etc.); after all, he is a musician and that is his passion for his whole life.

just witnessing people appreciate music in a kind way, even if it's only through creating a musical theme for a restaurant, brings him joy.

“the place is quite lovely. i assume the owner has quite a love for music, no?” the tall skeletal man rotates his skull to face the intrigued archeologist, who was also studying the place with an attentive gaze.

robin glanced and nodded with a soft, yet uncanny, smile. “it is indeed. it's no wonder the restaurant's called the savory symphony. It's a musical term, isn't it?”

“oi! listening to what i am saying: this here is my table. close to the kitchen so I can smell the beef.”

a loud voice of a man can be heard out throughout the restaurant, coming from a few tables away from the strawhats—his gruff voice that bounced off the walls made every person in the restaurant to turn and focus their attention on him and the other guy he was arguing with, listening clearly. luffy only stopped chomping on the table to look over at the scene that the others were paying attention to.

“maybe you ought to try a table outside,�� the other man begins, jabbing with a thumb over his shoulder to where the exit is, while he casually sits in one of the seats in a relaxed manner. he wears dark glasses and has bubblegum pink hair pulled back in a half-up ponytail. despite his soft features, the sword by his side and his wrist resting on the hilt indicate that he probably is not one to play around.

“hah?”

the red-haired man, who had earlier called out for everyone to hear, got up right at once and tried to frighten the pink-haired man by sizing him up, but the latter remained composed and showed no signs of fear.

“cause’ right now, the only thing I smell is you.” the male with pink hair concluded his statement with a smirk on his face; one may infer from that that he is quite prideful.

of course, the other doesn't take this too calmly.

“RAHHH!” crashing of glasses and plates rang out after the man with messy red hair forcibly knocked off the fragile tableware in rage, frustrated of the guy who sat in front of him so casually—sitting in his chair of his table that he paid for.

the other patrons at the other tables start beginning to feel nervous of the situation escalating before them, yet no one took the place to prevent the two men from making their argument grow into a full physical fight inside the restaurant.

in the background while the duo were arguing as their voices (really, mostly the red-haired) go increasingly louder, there was rustling of clothing—it was faint and quick; like the thing or individual was in a rush to put on the unspecified clothing.

“now, now, gentlemen,” with footsteps that sound a lot like metal clanking against the wooden floor, the two men focus their attention on to the approaching figure instead of themselves—and saw a friendly-looking pretty individual in a formal black suit while holding a platter of fresh bread in one hand

now that he's focused on the person—are they a woman or a man? he doesn't know, but it's rude to assume when you don't know what something, or someone, truly is. plus, the waiter is really pretty—his perceptive gaze becomes lovelorn; if someone were to look a little closer, his pupils would appear to have changed into pumping hearts, and a light blush appears on his cheeks as he admires the attractive waiter from head to toe, almost shamelessly (gaining the cook a side-eye from thr green-haired swordsman, which he chooses to ignore).

however when he looks down at the person's legs, sanji briefly loses that loving expression and replaces it with one of confusion and curiosity. for a second he catches a shiny glint, as if the light bounced off something reflective, but the dark shadows obscure whatever he's trying to see, so nonetheless he made up his mind, shaking his head and assumes he's just seeing things.

“just so you know the rules here: we do not waste food, and there is no fighting at the symphony.”

the redhead doesn't back down and disregards the waiter's mere words with a brush off his shoulder, having an eager expression on his face. “no. this ain’t gonna be a fight. I’m just going to kill him-”

the other lets out a scoff, smirking a bit more as if to challenge the man. “i'd like to see you try.”

before the argument could escalate any further for the two angered men, the worker promptly takes a step forward to interfere and raises a straight hand in a stop motion, the smile (though stiff) never dropping off their face. “i’d like to pour you each a glass of ithürzburger stein,”

glancing between the two men with an expectant gaze, they added with a short bob of their head, “on the house.”

for once, the red-haired man considers this offer as his tense shoulders relax, then he nods and calms down from the anger he previously felt.

“okay, I’ll have that drink,”

this pleases the waiter for a moment, glad to not be dealing with not one, but two nuisances in the first few minutes into their shift. however, they changed their mind when the man's calmness completely gets washed away by a wave of bloodlust as his hand slowly reaches over to grab the handle of his axe attached on to his back.

“only after he apologizes for his bad manners.”

“over my dead body.”

the bubblegum-haired male abruptly stands up and goes to unsheath his blade as the other man takes out his double-bladed axe, both reeked in bloodlust and battle hungry gazes as they glared at one another. none of them were backing down from this fight (even if it were petty).

the waiter, however, wasn't letting this happen before their very eyes and interferes the fight from happening—tossing the plate up into the air beforehand—and attacked the two men by sending harsh blows using their legs.

“argh!”

“ugh!”

the red-shaded men let out grunts of pain in unison, the unnamed waiter hitting at least one of their weak spots as the individual knocks both of them down before one of them could slice a hair of theirs. the plate of bread fell down from the air and the waitperson, perfectly on time, impressively caught the plate and each single piece of bread onto its surface.

some people there were impressed by the employee's skills and reaction time, and  from the other table where most the strawhat pirates sat; usopp, chopper, and luffy looked amazed at the waiter's fighting skills.

“that waiter's a good fighter,” luffy offhandedly says, with the captain's lips upturn into an iconic grin as tilts his face to the others; that most came to a silent shared agreement.

though, sanji seems to be focused on his thoughts when he got a quick look at the waiter's legs more properly as they lifted a leg to kick the two men. his expression was unreadable so no one wasn't able to tell what he'd been thinking about.

taking a breath, the waiter looks down and kicks the knocked-out swordsman to the head to make sure to themselves that he's completely unconscious for a sometime. a deep, weary sigh escapes their lips as they stepped past the unconscious bodies.

with a hand inside the pocket of their pants as they walk over to the next table, the individual clears their throat and acts quite like as if nothing happened.

“alright everybody, no cause for alarm, folks! please, enjoy your meals!” their voice was loud enough for all of the restaurant's people to hear audibly and clear as they smoothly pass by table after table towards a certain one, meanwhile the staff proceeds to go on doing their jobs like normal and the customers remain back to minding their own business either eating and/or talking to their friends and family.

though some, more likely new customers, were whispers towards another about the scene that just happened. meanwhile, the customers that came frequently and were familiar with the place and all the employees weren't as disturbed or the least bit surprised.

as soon as the unnamed worker approaches the strawhat crew, they place the plate of bread on to the table's surface—instantly, the rubber boy noticed and stretches over to grab almost of the baked goods, though chopper and usopp were luckly enough to have had grabbed some before their captain could get it all—and briefly fixed up their patterned necktie before promptedly speaking.

“hi,” they began, with firmness and exasperation—possibly from the previous scene that recently occured—but yet they still wanted to appear friendly as they put on a front of excellent customer service. one may notice they're vaguely confrontational.

“welcome to our shitty restaurant where the only thing worse than the ambiance—”

the waiter looks away from the strawhats' table to another table where some laughing punks were seated and having a good time; thankfully, they weren't making any noise that would disturb other patrons. As they settle into a stance after previously shifting their weight from right to left, the waiter reluctantly turned to face the pirate group.

“—is the food. my name is [name], what can I get for you?” the waiter stood with their head cocked slightly, their gaze blinked off sideways as if in thinking something else.

“one of everything!”

luffy proudly said that without a trace of hesitation, even as he was stuffing his face with the tasty bread. his voice was muffled as he happily chewed, relishing the taste—the waiter just remained mostly unfazed by his boisterous commentary.

the worker doesn't miss a beat when they added, “so, any drinks? perhaps one of our signature cocktails to help you choke down your meal?”

nami raises an eyebrow in response to the waiter named [name]'s veiled passive-aggression. the ginger woman crosses her arms and legs to make herself more comfortable, as she speaks up with indifference.

“giving us the hard shell right off the bat, huh?”

the instant nami spoke, [name] focuses their gaze and full attention on to the young lady. the waiter's attitude turns a 180° angle with their attention given to the bright ginger-haired pirate—this makes zoro involuntarily scoff in the background.

“ah, apologies, miss, I.. didn’t see you there.” the server chuckles a bit at their mistake, though it wasn't exactly neccesary, “would you care for an apéritif to start? we have several rare micqueot vintages in stock. Or perhaps, you’d like a glass of umeshu?”

with a smirk formed on their face, the corner of their mouth having smile wrinkles that formed over the years from merely cracking a smile or frown, [name] briefly blinks one of their eyes while still staring at nami—basically, winking at her. “you know, something sweet for someone sweet.”

nami reacts to this odd behavior with her face scrunched up into a grimacing expression. “is something wrong with your eye?”

“just blinded by your beauty.” is what the waiter replies with a dazed, dreamy look in their half-lidded eyes. this makes nami cringe slightly more for a brief second but she attempts to maintain a polite face. somewhat.

meanwhile, the other members��excluding luffy, who was looking out for the food from the entrance where the other waiters come out with a tray of food ready to be served to their perspective customers—appeared baffled, curious, intrigued, amused, and smug at the display before them.

sanji, staring flabbergasted, gets a jab to his side; causing him to grunt in pain as he looks at who nudged him—zoro. and that bastard had a smug, smirking face that made the blonde want to personally kick it off himself.

“that waiter acts a lot like you,” the swordman comments, letting out a brief scoff at the exchange between their navigator and the waiter serving them as he turns his head to properly face the cook, “like a carbon copy of you. but possibly, better.”

at that, the black-leg pirate fumes but he internally calms himself down to avoid causing a scene—why does it awfully irk him to have a want to tell off the waiter named [name] to knock it off and away from his dear nami-swan? while simultaneously having a connection with that server even though he probably hasn't met this person yet?

having nothing else to say to spit a remark at the stupid mosshead, sanji stays seated in his place while he watched the scene before unfold.

© thedemises 2024. all rights reserved. please do not repost, copy, or claim as your own. ━━  word count: 3,124.

[a-case-of-attachment]

A continuation of this.

“That’s my name darling,” he said flatly, his usual false charm failing him. Astarion tried to smile but even he can feel it was strained, the action barely even making his lips curl. You brushed your thumb ever so gently across his cheek, like you were wiping away tears that had yet to fall. Astarion took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was to come. Even though he doesn’t want to his mind was already supplying him with a dozen rude and somewhat dismissive things to say, things that will make it seem like he never cared for you at all when the reality is that you were probably the first person in centuries that he had truly cared for.   

Your sudden movement startled him, Astarion stumbling backwards as you wrapped your arms around his neck and buried your face in his neck. He stood there stunned, arms spread out on either side and his eyes wide in disbelief. The two of you had hugged several times before and Astarion had enjoyed the closeness greatly but every other time you had asked him if it was ok first, adorably hesitant as you waited for him to either welcome you with open arms or turn you away. You hadn’t asked this time, had just flung yourself at him with complete and utter abandonment and were clinging onto him like some kind of limpet. He didn’t hate it, never had despite the show he made of letting you do it, like it was some huge inconvenience that you were forcing upon him. You had never seemed this desperate before though and Astarion didn’t know how he was supposed to act or what your sudden need to be close meant. 

Just like the first time you had wrapped your arms around him in the unexpected gesture of comfort Astarion found himself once again hesitantly wrapping his arms around you, his touch as light as possibly could be as he placed one hand on the small of your back and the other between your shoulder blades. Despite his confusion Astarion found himself sinking into your hold with a sigh, his eyes falling shut as he let the side of his head rest against yours. It was strange, how comfortable he felt within your arms, even now when he knew it would most likely be the last time he would get to have this. 

“I’m sorry,” you mumble into his neck, breath warm and sending a shiver down his spine. Astarion tightened his hold on you, pulling you as close into his embrace as he could. He doesn’t want this to end because despite his best intentions he had gotten rather attached to you and yet he knows it must, for his own sake at the very least. “Come now darling, there is nothing for you to apologies for,” Astarion reassures you, his voice surprisingly soft and steady. That had been the easy part though and he needs to force the next part out, the words feeling like led in his mouth and tasting just as bitter. “If you wish to take Gale as a lover then who am I to deny you that.” He sounds just as heartbroken as he feels, his fingers curling into the fabric of your blouse like he can somehow keep you there with him despite the fact he had just told you he wouldn’t stop you from pursuing the wizard.   

“WHAT!” you exclaim loudly, jerking back out of his hold and looking at him like he had gone completely insane. Astarion stumbled back at the sudden movement, his arms thrown wide to avoid hurting you as you scrambled to put some distance between the two of you. “What?” he asked in confusion, “What do you mean what?” He didn’t understand what in the hells was happening and your clear shock and what possibly could be horror was not helping things. His head hurt, brows furrowing as he tried to figure out what in the nine hells you wanted from him. He had told you it was fine for you to take the wizard into you bed despite how sick it had made him feel to utter such words, had practically absolved you of any guilt you might feel about the whole mess and yet here you were acting like he was the one sprouting utter nonsense. He was quickly running out of graciousness and if you didn’t scurry on back to camp and Gale soon Astarion didn’t think he would be able to keep himself from saying something truly awful that would put an end to whatever semblance of friendship he might have been able to salvage from this mess. 

“You,” you accused, point your finger at him, “you said I could take Gale as a lover.” Astarion blinked stupidly at you, unsure of why you seemed so offended. “Well yes darling, that tends to be what happens when two people want to sleep together.” He spoke to you like you were an idiot, voice condescending as he relaxed into a more casually guarded stance. Your eyes widened at his words, your mouth opening and closing silently like a fish floundering on the fishmonger's slab. Astarion smirked slightly at the comparison, letting out a small huff of amusement as he imagined you flopping around like a fish desperate to get back to the water. His small moment of amusement was short lived though as it seemed to be the thing to kick start your brain again because the next thing he knew you were shouting at him like he wasn’t less than a foot away from you, your cheeks red with anger and fists curled tightly at your sides. “I do not want to sleep with Gale.” 

He should be worried, should try to de-escalate the situation because he had never seen you quite so angry before but Astarion wasn’t known for being level headed, nor for doing the proper thing. Plus, he found your anger somewhat thrilling, his cold dead heart fluttering slightly now your attention was firmly fixed on him. “Of course you do,” Astarion scoffed, rolling his eyes at your adamant refusal to admit it. Hoping his behaviour would fan the flames of your anger. “No need to deny it darling.” Your scowl deepened, clench fists tightening and eyes practically glowing with your anger as you forced out your next words through clenched teeth. “Out of the two of us I think I would be the one to know who I want to bed.”  

Your insistent denial of what he had seen with his own eyes had any enjoyment he was getting out of this back and forth drying up, his own anger bubbling up in a hot and agitated mix that left him practically snarling at you like some sort of animal. Why were you making this so unnecessarily difficult? Astarion wanted this to be over and done with already so he could go drown his sorrows in the neck of some wild beast that took more than quick reflexes to take down. Just, why couldn’t you do what he wanted you to for once and let him suffer in peace? “If you don’t want to be his lover then why have you been spending so much time with him then?” It was his turn to accuse you now, unable to keep the sneer out of his voice as he practically spat the word lover at you like it was bitter poison on his tongue.  

As soon as the words are out of his mouth Astarion wants to take them back. Not because he doesn’t mean them but because he had never wanted it to be so blindingly obvious that your little flirtations with Gale had affected him so deeply. It was an admission of weakness, a weakness that Astarion had never wanted to fall prey to. Had never wanted anyone to know existed, especially you. He should have known, this was you after all and despite every wall he had built and casually callous comment he had thrown out you had wormed your way into his heart, burrowing under his ribs and leaving him weak to every last morsel of your affection he could get. You had completely ruined him and he had let you because he had wanted you to see him for who he was and not some pathetic hollow shell of a man, good for nothing but a quick fuck and a beating. He truly was a pathetic excuse of a man.  

You’re anger seemed to melt under his hash glair, instead looking at him like he’s lost his mind. Like he’s the one acting crazy and irrational when clearly, you’re the one who is suffering from some sort of brain damage brought on by the bloody worm living free of charge in your head. “Because he’s my friend Astarion,” you insisted, sounding exasperated yet honest and still Astarion didn’t believe you. He couldn’t believe you because it all just sounded like excuses now. Little lies to sooth his pain when the truth would have hurt far less. “Oh please,” Astarion scoffed, “no one would willingly subject themselves to his dull and fanciful drivel if they weren’t hoping to end up under him.” He certainly wouldn’t. Had in fact had to stop himself on several occasions from stuffing a sock in the other man's mouth just to get him to be quiet for more than five seconds. He highly doubted that you, with some form of intellect, would subject yourself to such drivel if you weren’t expecting to get something more satisfying out of it.  

Your eyes narrowed, jaw visibly clenching as you folded your arms defensively across your chest. “I like his stores, they’re stupid and help distract from this shit show we’ve ended up in.” You tilted your chin up slightly, eyes glinting with conviction and challenge, like you were daring him to prove otherwise. Normally Astarion would find your confidence and unwavering conviction rather charming. He would take grate delight in watching whoever you were focused on at the moment squirm and fold under your hard gaze but normally he wasn’t the one caught in it. Normally he wasn’t falling apart at the seams and rapidly losing grasp of what was going on. “Really darling?” Astarion scoffed, “Lying isn’t very becoming.” 

That does the trick, Astarion practically able to taste your anger as it comes rushing back into focus. “I’m not lying you dense idiot!” Astarion gasped in indignation, a scathing comeback already on the top of his tongue but you cut him off, your voice raised and full of anger that Astarion was quickly becoming familiar with. “Why in the hells would I want another lover when I’m already in love with you?” 

Everything goes silence, Astarion’s eyes wide as your words settle heavily in the space between you. He can see the realisation dawn on you as you realise what you have just admitted to. Can see the panic fill your eyes and your fight or flight instincts beginning to kick in. You hadn’t meant to say it and yet you had, those deceptively simple little words taking shape and shifting reality to accommodate them. You loved him.  

Naturally Astarion panics. It’s to much, to soon. To frustratingly perfect because this was exactly what he had planned to happen from the moment he had decided to join your little ragtag group of misfits and weirdos. He had wanted you to fall for him. Had wanted you to love him enough that you would protect him, fight for him, kill for him even but now that it’s happened, that he’s gotten what he wanted he wants you to take it back. You couldn’t possibly love him, not truly. How could anyone ever love him when he was nothing more than a broken and battered puppet with its strings cut, blood stained and hollow. And yet there is a spark of something behind his ribs, embers of something long forgotten glowing bright once more.  

“What?” He manages to croak out, his eyes wide and filled with shock. It’s a hollow victory, one that leaves him feeling sick. “Nothing.” You’re quick to dismiss it, attempting to brush it away and hide it like it’s something to be ashamed of and Astarion wishes it was that simple, but he didn’t think he would ever be able to forget the way your eyes had burned with anger and annoyance, your voice loud enough to reach the gods as you had shouted your confession at him. “No, you said…you’d said that you…” He can’t quite get the words out, his tongue feeling heavy in his mouth and his mind to scrambled to make sense of what was going on. “No, I didn’t.” Astarion narrowed his eyes at you. Fine, if you wanted to be as stubborn as a mule about it then two could play at that game. “Yes, you did,” he said in the same matter-of-fact tone as you had, taking a probably unacceptable amount of joy in watching your eye twitch slightly. 

His sense of victory is short lived as you seem to deflate, your shoulders slumping as you look away from him. “Why does it even matter if I did?” you asked though Astarion thinks it’s supposed to be rhetorical, your voice small and broken sounding as you finally turned away from him. “You clearly don’t care, or you wouldn’t be trying to palm me off on to Gale.” That’s not true, not in the slightest. Astarion doesn’t want you anywhere near Gale. Would be incredibly happy if you forgot the blasted man even existed, even happier in-fact if you let him push the dull man off the next cliff you passed. But you had been interested in the wizard, practically making heart eyes at him every time he came sniffing around. Or at least that was what Astarion had thought you wanted. He had thought that you were seeking physical comfort elsewhere when he couldn’t provide it, searching for a connection that went beyond intelligent conversation and quick whit. So, he had done the right thing, planning on letting you go with minimal fuss in an attempt to lessen your guilt and ease his own pain but nothing with you ever went the way he wanted it to.  

He’s the one left floundering this time, suddenly unsure of what he thought he knew. The guilt he feels doesn’t help matters, sitting heavily in his stomach and making him feel sick. “I am not…” Astarion starts to protest but you either don’t hear him or don’t care, cutting him off before he can finish. “I just, you could have just said if you weren’t interested anymore.” You turn back to look at him, eyes a stormy mix of anger, pain and regret that cut through Astarion’s cold dead heart like a blade of ice. How could you possibly think that he had no interest in you? Astarion adored you, much to his own annoyance and though he wasn’t ready to let down all his carefully crafted walls just yet he had thought you had at least understood that. “What? No, I’m…” You cut him off again, your words ringing with a finality that had him truly panicking. “It’s fine Astarion, I get it. You don’t have to worry about this,” you gesture between the two of you, hand limp and lacklustre, “being an issue anymore.” You didn’t give him a chance to answer, turning away from him as you started to make your way back towards the camp, leaving him stood there as still as a statue and feeling just as heartless. 

Astarion’s panic grew with every inch of space that was added between the two of you, his hands twitching at his sides in aborted attempts to reach out for you. He couldn’t lose you, not now, not like this and with every step you took away from him Astarion felt his chance to fix what he had broken slipping away from him. It’s a new kind of desperate hopelessness that has his mind scrambling for something that would make you stay with him. Pair that with his self-loathing because this really was a situation of his own doing and it was a miracle that he hadn’t just turned tail and run, shouting out a rather dismissive and hurtful comment as he went. He had to be honest with you, but he had never been very good at honesty, not with himself or others and the thought of having to be now left him feeling sick because all honesty had ever gotten him was pain and sadness. 

“I was jealous!” The words rush out of his mouth in a mix of panic and desperation, his voice twice as loud as it had been and seeming to echo around the small space. It’s your turn to look at him owlishly now, eyes wide and mouth hanging open slightly in your shock as you slowly turn to look back at him. It makes him want to flinch away from you. To hide his weakness, this shameful dent in his otherwise pristine and sturdy armour. It hadn’t always been there but then he had met you and the weakness had grown. Like a hammer striking against metal until something gave way, a crack opening up across his chest that you had been able to slip your fingers into and force open further with every smile, every playful tease, every affirmation that he was enough just as he was. It was to much, yet still not enough and the words had come rushing forward to bridge the gap that had grown between you, Astarion unable to stop himself from admitting the painfully obvious truth of his behaviour. 

Silence hangs between the two of you, not even the wind daring to disturb the rather ponente silence. The longer you said nothing the more Astarion wanted to take it back, to brush off this whole ridiculous situation and disappear off into the woods but he knew he couldn’t, not if he is to have any chance of salvaging some sort of relationship with you. “What?” You finally break the silence though Astarion had been hoping for something a little more eloquent and longer and for you not to sound so confused by the notion of him disliking the attention you gave the others, especially Gale of all people. “I was jealous,” he repeated, thankfully able to keep his voice quieter and calmer the second time round. “Why?” The suspicion in your voice was hurtful but considering not five minutes ago he had been pushing you towards Gale’s limp embrace he couldn’t really blame you for not believing him.  

“Because I, well. You and I are…and I,” Astarion stumbles over his worlds, any eloquent declaration of his feelings vanishing with a frustrated sigh. No matter how badly he wished to return the sentiment he just couldn’t. He’s not ready for that yet, hasn’t come far enough yet to fully trust another with that show of venerability. He wants to though, one day that is. He wants to see the smile that would spread across your face in unbridled joy and devotion as he said those three little words to you. Words he had already jokingly said but now they needed to truly mean something he couldn’t force his lips to form. “You know why,” he said solemnly, giving you a look that he hoped would convey everything he couldn’t quite bring himself to say. 

Astarion gets to watch a whole myriad of emotions dance across your features in a rather short amount of time. There is confusion, doubt, anger and realisation but at the end comes understanding, your features softening considerably. “Astarion.” The way his name sounds on your lips, like your heartbroken and full of sorrow has him looking away, unable to stomach the pity he knew would be shinning so brightly in your eyes. He wants to move on quickly, a witty and slightly self-deprecating remark already on the tip of his tongue but you surprise him once again, appearing in front of him like magic. A dream that his fragile and broken mind had conjured to ease his suffering. 

You are ever so gentle as you reach up towards him, fingers caressing his cheek for just a moment before they are gone. You softly cup his jaw, fingertips slipping into his hair and thumb just brushing across his cheek. Astarion goes deathly still, like a statue as he watches you with wide and confused eyes. You are touching him again, a lover's caress if he was sentimental enough to call it something more. Surely that was a good thing? If he had truly ruined things between the two of you than touching him would be the last thing on your mind. Unless you were intending to slap him that is, but you're not. At least he doesn’t think so anyway, and he wouldn’t be inclined to stop you if you were, after all he deserved it for his little tantrum. You don’t slap him though and those few seconds of skin on skin contact are enough to let doubt, and uncertainty come creeping back in, a voice at the back of his head that sounded far too much like Cazador whispering that he wasn’t deserving of love and he was foolish to think anyone like you would give it to him willingly and without a price. 

Astarion wants to look away; to hide his shame but he is stuck within your gaze, trapped as you look back up at him with a serious determination that leaves him silent and somewhat obedient in the moment. “There is nothing going on between me and Gale, nor between me or anyone else.” Your voice doesn’t waver, so sure and confident in your admission. He wants to find fault with your words, a lie that will unravel your words and prove once and for all that no one is as kind and as accepting as you claim to be. He doesn’t find it though, not even a whisper of deceit and somehow that’s worse because that little spark of hope that had all but been snuffed out flickers back to life, bright and painfully insistent as the reality of his situation finally begins to sink in. “Right,” he said uncertainty, not sure what to say now that his anger and false bravado had run out of steam.  

Like most situations that left him feeling uncomfortable and unsure Astarion found himself brushing it all off with a melodic laugh and dismissive wave of his hand. “Of course there isn’t darling. I mean, why would you go after someone else when you already have perfection in front of you.” He offered you one of his most charming smiles, hoping that it would be enough to mask the slight hint of uncertainty in his voice. He doesn’t think he is quite as successful as he hoped to be, your brows furrowing and lips pursing with concern with a slight hint of frustration that Astarion is surprised he doesn’t see more often when he gazes upon you.  

Panic spikes once more at the back of his mind as you step back with a sigh, your hands gently pulling away and leaving him feeling bereft. His hands dart out to yours, cold fingers gentle as he takes one of your hands in his and lifts it up slightly between the two of you. Astarion is unsure how to continue from here, his eyes trained on his thumb as it rubbed gently across the back of your hand and desperately trying to work up the courage to say what needs to be said. This is a serious matter, as are most things that concern the heart and he needs to tread carefully if he desires to undo some of the damage and hurt he had caused this evening.  

By the gods he was a fool. He had been so close to losing you, the one thing that had actually gone right in his life and all because he was an insecure, jealous fool of a man who struggled to see the good in people after a lifetime of pain and deceit. And you were good, annoyingly so sometimes but that was part of your charm, a kind soul that was open and honest to a fault. If the two of you had met any other way Astarion would have found you an easy mark, easily playable to his whims and even easier to deliver to Cazador’s feet, a sweet thing sacrificed in exchange for a reprieve from the pain and suffering he endured night after night. The thought makes him feel sick, the realisation of how easily he could have missed out on this turning his stomach and making his heart ache. And yet it was nothing compared to the disgust and disappointment he felt towards himself for having almost destroyed this rather wonderful thing growing between the two of you. Astarion had hoped that with distance and clarity, peace of mind would follow but it seemed that no matter how far he ran Cazador still managed to keep a firm grasp on his mind and heart. No more. Astarion was free of that vile beast and his palace of misery and by the Gods he deserved something good for once in his wretched life. 

“I am sorry,” Astarion started, his voice soft and remarkably calm considering the turbulent mix of emotions he was feeling, “It was not my intention to hurt you.” He ignores the slight arch of one of your brows, instead pulling in a deep breath as he prepared himself to be as honest and open with you as he could. “I had forgotten, what it is like to have someone genuinely care for you and I, well I,” he stumbles over his words slightly, his throat feeling uncomfortably tight all of a sudden. “Astar…” you start to say, voice calm and understanding but Astarion cuts you off with a sharp shake of his head as he raised a hand to silence you. He needs to say this to you now or he just might lose his nerve and never speak of it again.  

Thankfully you fall silent, a light squeeze of his hand the only indication that you understood what he needed from you in the moment. “I had been waiting for the moment you got bored of me, to be cast aside and forgotten in favour of someone who could truly be with you.” It’s surprisingly easy to be honest and open with you. Though the truth leaves him feeling vulnerable and exposed in a way he dislikes greatly, it also eases a weight that he hadn’t realised was sitting heavy on his chest.  

  

Astarion watches a multitude of emotions dance across your face, some of them so quick to pass that he doesn’t have the time to really register what it is you are feeling. As the silence stretches on though he begins to panic, fearing that his honesty had been too much for you. He wants to take it back, to laugh it off as just some silly nonsense brought on by a rather idiotic burst of jealousy. He could distract you with kisses and gentle touches meant to get your heart rate spiking and that far too intelligent mind of yours foggy with lust and longing. He’s still holding one of your hands in his and he lets his face fall down to watch as his thumb brushes over the back of your hand, the gesture meant to be soothing and offer some form of comfort but for who he wasn’t so sure. Maybe he should let go, take a step back and a deep breath so he could regain his bearings and take back some form of control over the situation before it could get any worse than it already was. If that was even at all possible.  

Your hand is warm on his cheek, touch ever so gentle as you caress the soft skin under his eye. Astarion hadn’t been paying attention though and the sudden touch takes him by surprise, his head jerking up to look at you with wide eyes. You don’t move your hand with him, his sudden movement dragging your thumb across his lisp and snagging on his bottom lip, tugging gently at the soft flesh. His breath catches, unprepared for the love he sees glowing in your eyes, sharp and intense and completely focused on him. Your thumb gently brushes across his lips, just once before you gently slide your hand back to curl around the back of his neck.  

Astarion goes willingly as you press down slightly, guiding his head down to yours as you tilt it back slightly and then his lips are brushing against yours, the ghost of a kiss that you had shared many times before. He lets out a shaky breath, his hold on your hand tightening. It seems to be the only permission you need because with your next breath you press your lips firmly against him, leading Astarion to a gentle and soul splitting kiss that has him whimpering, blindly grabbing for your neck with his free hand to keep himself grounded. He can feel your pulse under his thumb, steady and calm as you flay him open. It’s just a kiss, so similar to ones you have shared before and yet it leaves him feeling raw, only hanging on to his sanity by a thin thread of silk that is threatening to snap at any moment.  

The kiss ends just as gently as it began, Astarion leaning forward slightly in an attempt to prolong it for just a moment more. With a sigh you press your forehead against his, your fingers toying with the soft hairs at the base of his neck. Astarion is once again lost for words, unable to do anything but stand there and stare at you in silent wonder. You do not seem to have the same problem, your warm breath making his lips tingle as your words slipped from your lips like silk. “I love you.” Those three little words, overused and cheapened through the centuries but somehow you still manage to make them sound so deep and meaningful, weaving them through the cracks in his soul as you breath new life into him. He can’t say them back, not now but one day he will and he vows there and then to repeat them time and time again until he has pressed them into every inch of your skin, until there is nothing left inside of you but the love and devotion he feels for you. One day he will leave you with no doubt in your mind of his devotion to you but for today he tightens his own grip on your neck, gently urging you towards him as he brushes his lips against yours. “I love you,” you whisper again and he can’t stop himself them, sealing his mouth against yours as he tries to drink the words from your lips.  

The kiss is slow and gentle, Astarion delighting in having you close and knowing that he is the only one you want. Smug comes to mind and he is very much looking forward to rubbing this in Gales face. The poor bastard will be heart broken of course, but it will be his own fault for foolishly trying to pursue another’s lover. It’s truly going to be a delight to see all that anguish on the other mans face the first time he hears you declare your love for Astarion. He can already taste the sweet tang of victory, or maybe that’s just your lips as they glide across his with just the barest hint of tongue without the demand for more. It’s quite a tame kiss, and yet it’s one of the best he has ever got the pleasure to experience because it is you and it had followed your declaration of love for him. He suspects that these kinds of kisses will be his favourite for quite some time.  

The kiss ends far too soon for his liking but you do not go far when you pull back, your forehead resting against his and your hand cradling the back of his head. There is a rather lovely moment where neither of you says a thing, just gazing at one another like a couple of live sick idiots. If Astarion saw anyone else like this he would have scoffed, a biting remark quickly rolling off his tongue about how disgusting and stupid they looked. Not you though. He had known that securing you affection would be a heady rush of power and security but he hadn’t been quite ready for everything else that came with it. His mistake really, because he hadn’t never considered the fact that he would feel even remotely enamoured with you in return. How foolish of him to have underestimated you like that. He really should have known better.  

“So, are we both on the same page now?” you ask quietly, like you were afraid to be to loud and break the calmness between you. Humming softly Astarion lifted his hand, gently brushing the back of his knuckles across your cheek. “I believe we are darling.” You smile brightly at his words, truly radiant in the moment with the moonlight and darkened forest behind you. Astarion wants to kiss you again and now that he has secured your affection he supposes he can, when ever he wants to. And that was just what he was going to do now, humming slightly in satisfaction as he leant forward.  

“Argh!” Astarion cried out, eyes wide and arms flailing beside him as you gripped his ear tightly and yanked him down by it. “If you ever do anything like that again Astarion I swear to the gods that I will tell Lae’zel that you want nothing more in this life then to suck on her toes after an eight hour hike,” you hissed angrily, eyes alight once more as you threatened him with something truly horrific.  

Astarion’s stomach rolled at the thought, knowing perfectly well how putrid the Githyanki’s feet got after spending the day walking through the sun-drenched hills and valleys of Faerun. Surely you would never dream of doing something so vile, not to him at least. “Do you understand.” You yanked on his ear as you spoke, Astarion now almost doubled over and hissing at the sharp tug of pain. “Yes! Yes!” He cried out, fingers curling around your wrist but not attempting to pull you off. He supposed that said a lot about how far he had come in his time with you. Before this whole nonsense with the brain worms and saving people, he would have snapped your arm before you could even get a hold of him. Now all he did was hold your hand still, eyes wide as he looked up at you and very conscious of how easily someone as delicate as you would brake if he just tightened his grip ever so slightly. He couldn’t be so careless to do such a thing now, even as he hissed and bared his fangs. You had just declared your devotion to him so it was only right that he kept you safe in return, even from himself.  

There was a brief moment where the two of you glared at one another, Astarion able to feel your pulse under his fingers thumping away at an annoyingly steady rate. You are both angry, upset as well but Astarion would be a liar if he tried to say that your actions didn’t spark some form of smug possessiveness. You had practically declared that you were his indefinitely and though he was not foolish enough to think that you wouldn’t change your mind once it became clear how truly damaged Astarion was, he was selfish enough to grasp what you were offering him with both hands and refuse to let go until you cut them off and left him alone in the darkness once more.  

Huffing you let go of Astarion’s ear, practically pushing him away from you and if it wasn’t for his agility and quick reflexes he probably would have ended up sprawled across the dirt at your feet. Scowl deepening Astarion stood up straighter, his hand going up to rub soothingly at his abused ear. “Gods, you’re maddening,” Astarion huffed, knowing full well that he deserved your ire and probably more. You rolled your eyes at him, shaking your head at his over the top reaction. “As are you,” you grumbled back.  

The two of you glared at one another for a long few seconds, trying to will the other to back down. As it was you both seemed to crack at once, you laughing gently as Astarion scrunched up his face in disgust. “Really? Could you not think of something a little less putrid?” Honestly, he felt sick just mentioning it again. You shrug, smile falling and a seriousness settling on your features. “I love you Astarion,” you stated, refusing to lose eye contact with him as you spoke. Taking the few shot steps to you, Astarion cupped your cheek, his other hand settling on your waist.  

There are so many things he wants to say to you, so many things that would reassure you of his feelings. Flowery words from poems and books detailing great romances, tainted with words he had used one to many times to entrap someone in his snare. He refused to use them now, refused to lump you in with those poor souls that had meet their end because of him. So he said the first thing that came to mind, his voice as steady and serious as yours had been. “Gale will have to pry you from my cold, dead hands if he wants you”.  

His words startle a laugh out of you but before you can remind him that the wizard has no chance with you Astarion leans forward, pressing his lips against yours. It’s a gentle kiss, one that he hopes will show you all that he can’t even begin to form into words. You mean something to him, something that terrifies him and yet leaves him feeling like he could touch the clouds all at once. Astarion has never felt for anyone the way he does you and though that is rather frightening he is willing to grasp onto that feeling of elation, refusing to let you go until you were the one that asked him too. It was selfish of him to covert you so but no one could deny that was a rather strong aspect of his personality and Astarion would take every moment he could get with you, basking in your love like he did the warm rays of the sun.  

When you pull away from one another you don’t go far, foreheads pressed together and staring into each other's eyes. If Astarion had a functioning heart he is sure it would be beating away like crazy, just like yours is. It’s a sound he enjoys, knowing it's because of him, for him. He could listen to your heart beating for hours, had in fact done that on several occasions as you lead asleep in his arms whilst Astarion waited for dawn to brake and the moment you would slip from his arms, leaving him lamenting the loss of your warmth.  

“Say it again,” he asked, voice barely above a whisper. You smile ever so sweetly, bringing your hand up to cup his cheek once again. “I love you,” your voice is no louder than his but its full of so much love and conviction that it feels like you have shouted it from the mountain tops. You lean forward, pressing a quick kiss on his lips before saying it again and again and again, each time followed by a quick kiss that had him laughing, his hand on your waist tightening and pulling your closer.  

Astarion didn’t think he had ever felt this wanted, this loved before and the thought that he had almost lost it because of his blasted insecurities and pig-headedness made he feel sick. He had been such a fool and though he could not say those three simple words back to you or promise never to hurt you or push you away again, Astarion knew that he would spend every day you granted him trying to show you how deeply he cared for you in any way he could. And if Gale had to meet and untimely end the next time they passed a cliff then so be it, his tragic demise was a price Astarion was more than willing to pay for your happiness.  

Placing one last kiss on his lips you step back, Astarion whining at the sudden loss of your warmth. Chuckling you hold your hand out towards him and nod your head back towards the camp. Astarion drops his gaze down to your awaiting hand, suddenly acutely aware of everything you were offering him. A part of him is scared to take the chance, to open himself up to all the possibilities of pain and loss that could await him in the future. That part is smaller now than it was even just an hour ago, your confession though hard to believe offering a boost of confidence that he hadn't known he needed.  

Smiling Astarion took your hand, that tiny spike of hope blossoming into to something fierce. You loved him and that was more than he had ever hoped to have in this life.  

~*~ 

“Say it again.” 

“Astarion,” you chastise him teasingly, a sweet smile on your lips and eyes sparkling with amusement. You are a vision, a true work of art with the early morning sun behind you and giving you an almost other worldly glow. Astarion wants to remember you like this for eternity, a shining beacon of love and hope in his otherwise grey and blood splattered world. It would be a memory he knew he would cling onto for centuries to come, even long after your bones had turned to dust and your name was nothing more than a whisper on his lips, completely forgotten by the rest of the world. A cherished memory that would be made that much sweeter with those three little words he found himself craving almost as much as the delectable blood that pumped through your veins. 

Astarion reached out, gently taking one of your hands in his. He doesn’t look away from you, watching as your smile slips into something softer and just for him. He does not think he will ever grow tired of seeing you like this, so full of love for him that you see nothing else but him. “Just once more darling,” he urges, desperate to hear it once more. “I promise I shan’t ask again”. You raise a brow at that, knowing full well that is a promise he will not keep. Ever since the first time you had said it Astarion had yearned to hear it again. He had spent many hours that night chasing the words from your lips with his own, feeling you breathe them into him and filling him to the brim with a possessiveness that had yet to fully dissipate. You had practically screamed them to the heavens as he had sunk his fangs into your neck, one hand gripping his and the other cradling the back of his head as he drank his fill. It was strange how everything tasted so much better now he knew how deeply you cared for him, even the most bland and unpleasant badger somehow tasting sweet and succulent.  

He tried his best to look sweet and innocent, titling his head down slightly and looking up at you through his lashes. You raised an eyebrow at him, clearly amused by his act if your wide smile was anything to go by. When he didn’t back down you huffed in amusement, rolling your eyes at him. “Fine.” Astarion’s smile widens as you give into him, shuffling forward slightly where he sat on an upturned tree to get closer to you. 

All your attention is on him as you cup his cheek with his free hand, Astarion refusing to let go of the one that sat between the two of you. “I love you, Astarion.” He practically preens at your words, disgustingly smug about it all. It’s been days since you had first yelled you confession at him and though he was now closer than being able to return the sentiment he had found on particular way to show you how deeply he felt your love and how much he cared for you in return.  

In one quick move Astarion curls his hand around the back of your neck and pulls you forward, pressing his lips against yours. It's a little more forceful then than your normal kisses, Astarion delighting in the startled moan you let out before sinking into it and kissing him back just as enthusiastically. Then again, you don’t normally have an audience. Angling your head slightly Astarion opens his eyes, his gaze locking with Gale’s across the last smouldering remains of the fire.  

The wizard is glaring at him, fists clenched at his sides and the book he had been attempting to read abandoned on his lap. Its deliciously delightful, watching the man squirm in his anger and discomfort. It’s his own fault, trying to worm his way into your heart when he knew it belonged to another. Well, if he hadn't before he did now, Astarion taking every opportunity he could to get you to confess your feelings for him when the wizard was in earshot. Was it childish and slightly vindictive of him? Yes, yes it was but Astarion really didn’t care, glad to put the man in his place time and time again whilst reminding him who you belonged to.  

Huffing, Gale snatched up his book before storming off back to his tent, Astarion able to hear him mumbling to himself about calming down and cursing Astarion’s existence. Astarion pulls away from you with a laugh, delighting in the other man's loss of composure. Your smile falls as you narrow your eyes in confusion. It doesn't take you long to realise why he is laughing, your head whipping around to look at where Gale had been just moments before.  

“Astarion,” you hiss, smacking him lightly on the chest when he still doesn't stop his laughing. “What?” he asked when he finally managed to get his laughter under control, “it’s my fault the man is so ungracious in his defeat.” You role your eyes at him, both of you well aware that Astarion was antagonizing Gale for his own amusement. “Or, maybe you could be a bit more humble in your victory,” you raise an eyebrow at him but you are already smiling again, your obvious amusement not doing anything to make him regret his behaviour.  

Smirking, he grabbed your waist and urged you forward until your legs were pressing against the inside of his. “Well, my dear, where would the fun be in that?” He doesn't wait for you to answer, leaning forward once more and pressing his lips against yours. Unlike the last one this kiss is soft and languid yet full of just as much emotion. They are his favourite kind of kisses, the two of you just getting lost in one another and he would be damned if Gale’s sour attitude was going to ruin this for him.  

Maybe he should be nicer. Maybe he should be more reserved in his gloating and keep these moments between the two of you in the secluded comfort of one of your tents but Astarion didn’t want to. You loved him. Him. The cold, dead, blood-stained monster that had been broken and abused for so long, and yet you loved him despite all that. So no, Astarion would not be nicer and he would not keep this rather amazing relationship between to two of you hidden away like it was something shameful because you loved him and Astarion wanted the world to know just how lucky he was.

@mangomonk @skittleabyss @i-cant-get-into-my-other-account @atsv-obsession @duckyhowls @tamwritesstuff @unrestrictedbyreality @dinstailor @vhaldren @ammistorm @aoirohi @leighsartworks216 @paperjunk @smoothruby @wixed @nairil-daeris @lallita13 @astroxeta @half-poison-and-half-hope @kyceris @maruichio @unnamedgooselovesthed @cb97s-laptop @voidinfernal @the-garbage-central @http-babypixie @jennithejester @koalamuffin @kitorasohma @machinaux @bluewolven @wayward-hel @kiwi-mansanas @nao1800 @jumpdingus @droppedmydamncroissant @kittenkes @black-sapphic @notimminent @ladythornwood @midnightmaurader @catching-fire-in-the-wind @jellybean000 @chonkercatto @inkareds @tenderlyuniquepatrol @goslytherin @whatisthistbh @lisrelly @mirandaancunin @hellethil @lucilleifer @atsv-obsession @moisthairyfarts @princessapalindrome @bruhhhh-huhhhhh @coffeesloth-sam @lov1ngmachin3 @kimdourden @hopeful-n-sad @watermeloncorpse @winchesterfamilyfeud @etruscan-fresh @littleenglishfangirl @halffulltubofmintchip @deepseamermaid @leana316 @loudoll @gracemisconduct @cosywinterevenings @atotalmess-lol @randomrosie01 @pumpkinspicebooty @idnttkn @laavatron @atanukileaf @darkurgetrash @cubomeduza @probablysupernatural @v3ntis-lyr3 @vincetadark @babyqnn @writinghound @timeladyjamie

I think that's everyone! Sorry about the delay.

[fairykazu]

hi pookie !!!!!!! congrats on 500 u deserve it frfr 🫶 for the event, can u have a bouquet of petunias with dan heng? thank you and congratulations again teehee :3

petunias with dan heng prompt: realizing feelings side note: oh mu god i think i brainrotted and then forgot my train of thought. this isn't exactly the prompt but he does realize it i swear. i might write a follow up afterwards because i hate the way i ended this. event masterlist 𝜗𝜚 hsr masterlist

nervous was a feeling that dan heng never allowed himself to feel, he only let it fleetingly pass by like the winter breeze. but he doesn’t understand how he began to feel anxious around you, just simply on edge just by being near you. he could just sweat pure bullets from the amount of sweat he could feel, making his palms sweaty. 

when the both of you went on an assignment for collecting extinguished cores, he nearly left mid-fight, not that he’d leave you in the middle of a fight, but your hand briefly touched his and he died within that moment. after that, he zoned out the entire mission, just focusing on the touch between his thumb and your index finger. his and yours, and his and yours- 

frankly, he doesn’t understand this feeling. if he asked someone on the express, surely, they would know why he’s acting this way. but he doesn’t want to seem like a bother to them. maybe he’d resort to them after a good dive into the archives. 

there was a gentle knock against his door but he didn’t hear it, head too deep in various books that were wide open. stacks of books and stacks of books littered the archives’ floors, it was like a maze to even just travel to dan heng. there were books like feelings and how to understand them and are you anxious? there are reasons why in the shelves. although, he was confused how they got there, maybe when march got them to read for fun, he was thankful. 

did he get the answers he needed? no. but they were helpful regardless yet he was in a dead end. well, it’s time to ask the express, maybe they’d know and surely, they would tell him. but when he tried to seek out answers from himeko and welt, they exchanged a look and laughed with each other. 

welt cleared his throat. “okay, himeko, let’s not laugh too much, maybe he knows why.” 

himeko wiped a tear from her face from laughing too much, catching her breath, “welt, c’mon, just look at him. he doesn’t know anything!” 

“dan heng isn’t clueless.” they were talking about him as if he didn’t even exist. until both of them looked at dan heng as if there was something he was supposed to know.  “is there something im missing?” dan heng asked, confused. 

“no…” 

“okay?” 

. ❀

back to the drawing board, he walked into his room, seeing march and stelle sitting in there. march raised a brow, “dan heng, your room’s a mess, even messier than stelle’s!” it was true, despite the silver haired girl protesting against the so-called “allegations” march is painting on her, his room was messy. there was post it notes on the walls, books on the floor, mattress and even the fan? was he really that deep into researching this feeling, if it is even real? 

“i was curious about something, that’s all.” 

“about what?” 

“name, something about name. they’re confusing me.” 

stelle quipped back, “what? that you like them?” the girl in pink gasped, march slapped stelle’s shoulder, “stelle!” she continued in a whisper-yell, “you weren’t supposed to tell him, he was supposed to figure this out himself.”  

dan heng tilted his head, deep in thought, ignoring the commotion the couple was making in front of him. 

what? no, no, he doesn’t like name like that. 

“look what you did, stelle! you broke him.”  march said, tapping on dan heng’s shoulder as if he was a buzzer in a game show. 

sure, sometimes, dan heng imagines a world where the two of you are together. tranquil hours spent in the park, just looking at each other. or cooking with each other, have a cat or a dog and rest together until the end of time or he’d pray to an aeon for eternity to exist forever just to see you as you both grow old.

but that’s because this is how friends act, right? 

[helplessautomaton]

Anya hugging reader

inspired by @dreamingunderacloudysky 's anya sfw alphabet post!!

x reader art masterlist

drew a fem reader this time around instead of making it gende neutral hehe

anyways i love anya!!

please feel free to send in x reader drawing requests 🥺

[theyanderespecialist]

Base Yandere Robert Small Headcanons: A Bad Yandere (Dream Daddy)

[Hello, My Sexy Muffins! I am back with another chapter, also, happy late Father's Day! This one is Base Yandere Headcanons for a Yandere Robert Small! Please enjoy this chapter here, my muffins!] 

(Disclaimer: Robert Small from Dream Daddy is Not Yandere In canon! This is just for fun and not to be taken seriously at all! Simping for fictional characters and yanderes is fine! Just do not be illegal or gross about it! You know who you are! You Dirty, Flaky, Biscuits! Yanderes are not ideal partners to have in real life! Also, remember to separate fiction from reality and headcanon from canon! Thank you!) 

-Base Yandere Headcanons With Yandere Robert Small X Gende Neutral Reader From Dream Daddy- 

.Robert is a widower; his wife had died, and he is estranged from his adult daughter. 

.He had also had an affair with Joseph, who is married to a good friend of his, Mary. 

.He did not think he would fall in love again and be able to feel so strongly for someone. 

.That was until you walked into his life, a person who had moved into the neighborhood, and he fell for you hard. 

.He thought he would not love someone again, but his love for you was stronger than any love he had ever had. 

.He is a yandere who would be mysterious and keep an eye on you. 

He is the yandere who has experience with hunting cryptids, possesses skills with a knife, and can fight someone hand-to-hand if necessary. 

He loves movies and would love to have movie nights with you, appreciating the work that goes into them. 

.He also loves pineapple on pizza, and if you, as his darling, do not like it, well, not everyone can be perfect, even you, his darling! The love of his life. 

.So he would be certain that he can keep you safe, as he does not want you hurt. 

.Although he knows his limitations and knows when not to put you or himself at risk, and would do what he can to get you and himself out of rough situations, as he won't leave you behind. 

.He is a pro bullshitter. He can weave such amazing stories that people cannot tell if he is bullshitting or being honest. 

.Which makes him a really good lying yandere that can pull the wool over your eyes, and you would have no idea that he was lying. 

.He would be able to lie to you about various things, and you cannot tell if he is being honest or lying, and you end up taking his word for it. 

.He would be a yandere who also makes tall tales to his rivals, bullshitting with them so that they are too scared to deal with him or that they do not want to get involved. 

.He is good at manipulating the rivals to back down and stay clear of you. 

.He is not good at having an honest relationship with you. 

.HE is not able to be honest fully with how much he loves you, and he is not able to wear his heart on his sleeve. 

.He is the type of yandere that is a bad yandere; he is not able to be honest with you on how much you mean to him. 

.He cannot be honest that he has a lot of issues and that he needs to become a better man before he can be with you. 

.You might be able to have him listen to you, and you may be able to get through to him and have him become a better man and a better yandere for you. 

.But that is unlikely, his Yandere side is very toxic, and he is not able to be truly emotionally vulnerable with you. 

.So he is a selfish yandere that wants you to tell him what he wants to hear, that you love him the way he is, and that he can be with you right away. 

.He is the type of yandere that would want you to enable his yandere side and let him just become addicted to you. 

.The type of yandere he is is the one who is addicted to you and is very obsessed with you, and does not want to lose you. 

.So he will do his best to keep rivals away from you and keep people who try and keep him away from you out of the picture. 

.He does not care if they are your family or friends. 

.You were his, and he does not want anyone getting in the way of his relationship with you. 

.He would tell you tall tales to impress you as well, as I had said before, it is hard for him to be honest with you about who he is and how much he loves you. 

.When he is finally able to be honest with you and tell you how much he loves you, it is the most vulnerable he has ever been with you. 

.If you accept his love, he will make love to you right then and there and will make you feel so good. 

.Showing you that he is a good lover, and although he is not a good partner, he can still make you feel good and have you experience such pleasure because of him. 

.Where you will only want him, and him alone. He will make you addicted to him, just as addicted as he is to you. 

.If you turned him down, there are two ways it could go, maybe three. 

.The first way is you tell him what he needs to hear, and he will work on himself to become a better man for you so that he can be the man that you deserve. 

.Or he will not allow that to happen and take you into a heated kiss, going to show you how much he loves you, and that he is going to prove to you how much you want him. Even if you refused to admit it. 

.The third and final way he would react to you saying no is going cold, but he is stalking you after the fact, making sure that no one tries to get close to you. 

.When he finally has his chance, he is going to drug you and or knock you out.  .Kidnapping you and keeping you locked up in a cabin in the woods.  .He would make sure that it was clear to you that he loves you, and he was going to teach you to love him. If you do not learn to love him, you will be kept captive because you were his and he refused to let you go. 

.You are his, and no matter which way he goes, he is going to keep you as his and you will be his new spouse at some point, Mark his words. 

.He is also so good at making up lies to everyone who asks him what happened to you, and no one would figure out that it was he who had you! 

[YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS another chapter is done! I hope that you all enjoyed this, and stay sexy, all of my sexy muffins!] 

[kingofspadescos]

Dean Winchester x Reader - Ballroom Blitz

Right- sp I've gotten myself hyperfixated on Supernatural and well- I'm only on season 5 but I had an idea- so here we go

Reader is Gended Neutral

Anything in () - is unimportant parts of the song, not plot dependent

Song - Ballroom Blitz : By - Sweet (YouTube video at the bottom)

So imagine-

Dean and Sam were on another case, chasing what they presumed to be demons. A string of murders had been traced back to a bar in fucktown nowhere Pennsylvania, and the brothers had immediately swung by the bar once they made the connection.

(Are you ready, Steve? Uh-huh.

Andy? Yeah.

Mick? Okay.

Alright, fellas, let's go!)

As soon as they entered the bar, they were hit in the face by loud music, the stench of alcohol, and the overall buzz as a hoard of people gathered on the dance floor. Dean looked around with a smirk. This was something he could get used to.

"Hey Sammy, why don't-"

"Oh, it's been getting so hard. Living with the things you do to me"

Dean was cut off by the band that was currently providing entertainment for the customers at the bar. His eyes swept across the makeshift stage of the joint, and up to the singer, who was already looking directly at him. He tilted his head in question, but the singer only smirked and averted their eyes to his brother.

"My dreams are getting so strangeI'd like to tell you everything I see" they sang, looking directly at Sam before grinning and looking to the back of the bar.

"OH!" They practically yelled, causing Dean to spin around to see what they were looking at, thinking something was wrong.

"I see a man in the back as a matter of fact. His eyes was as red as the sun."

He turned back around with a roll of his eyes, now realizing it was only part of the song. When he looked back at the stage you were looking at him again, with a shit eating grin.

"And the girl in the corner that no one ignores 'Cause she thinks she's the passionate one" You said, and even though it was only a lyric, Dean could tell by the glint in your eye and the way you nodded your head in his direction, you were aiming the line at him.

(Oh yeah! It was like lightning

Everybody was frightening

And the music was soothing

And they all started grooving

Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah)

He couldn't keep his eyes off you as you preformed. It's like God had made you the headlight and Dean the deer, unable to move a muscle, to entranced.

"And the man in the back said, "Everyone attack", And it turned into a ballroom blitz" You sang, making a pointed glance to the back of the bar again, but Dean didn't pay much mind to it, a stupid boyish grin still present from the moment he laid eyes on you.

You only rolled your eyes once they were trained back on him. "And the girl in the corner said, "Boy I want to warn you", It'll turn into a ballroom blitz" You continued, crossing one foot over the other and spinning around with a wide grin. He couldn't lie, you had a captivating stage presence.

(Ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz)

Once you finished the chorus you spun back around, locking eyes with Dean again, before sinking to the stage floor on one knee.

"Oh reaching out for something. Touching nothing's all I ever do" You sang, stretching out a hand to the middle of the crowd. "Oh I softly call you over" you said, moving you arm so your hand was reaching out towards Dean, before beckoning him over with one of your fingers. "Then you appear there's nothing left of you."

Dean almost without hesitation began walking closer to you, only being stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "Dean no. You promised you would help me investigate" Sam protested, but Dean shrugged his hand off. "I am helping" Dean insisted with a smirk before walking over to you, moving so there wasn't more than a few feet between the two of you.

"And the man in the back is ready to crack. As he raises his hands to the sky" You continued, your eyes stareing into the shorter brother, as if you were trying to tell him something. "And the girl in the corner is everyone's mourner. She could kill you with a wink of her eye." Then with a very pointed wink, you were standing up again, dancing across the stage, returning to give your audience your full attention.

(Oh yeah!

It was electric

So frantically hectic

And the band started leaving

'Cause they all stopped breathing

Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah)

As soon as the bridge was over you once again sunk to your knees, seeing as Dean hadn't move from his spot. "And the man in the back said, "Everyone attack" And it turned into a ballroom blitz" You sang again, and looked to the back of the bar once more, and this time Dean looked back catching a glimpse of a man who looked to have black eyes.

Realization flashed in his eyes as the song lyrics finally sunck in. However, he didn't have enough time to react as he felt fingers grasp his chin and turn his head back towards you.

"And the girl in the corner said, "Boy I want to warn you"It'll turn into a ballroom blitz. Ballroom blitz." You repeated, emphasizing your words, keeping your firm grasp on his chin to make sure he understood what you were saying before letting him go.

Than everything seemed to happen at once, a scream from the back of the room and then chaos. Dean turned hand immediately on his gun, making his way to the bar. Sam who was already several steps ahead of the other, was already fighting off two demons, stabbing one through the cheek with the demon-killing knife.

(Oh yeah!

It was like lightning

Everybody was frightening

And the music was soothing

And they all started grooving

Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah)

You continued to sing even as you jumped down from the stage and followed Dean, your own gun in hand. "And the man in the back said, "Everyone attack" And it turned into a ballroom blitz" You said, coming up behind Dean, turning so your back was to his, making it so you didn't have any blind spots.

"And the girl in the corner said, "Boy I want to warn you" It's turned into a ballroom blitz."

(Ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz)

A few minutes and injuries later, four bodies laid dead at your feet. "Who are you?" Sam questioned, still on edge, knife ready in hand.

"Sammy c'mon-" Dean protested, even though he couldn't help the curiosity that had been buidling up ever since he saw you.

"Dean don't" Sam said "who are you?"

You huffed, walking back to your stage to grab a half a day old bottle of water.

"Y/n, my name is y/n" you introduced yourself "I'm a hunter, like you, had a dream about the two of you coming to this shit town but couldn't do anything about it since the demons had us on lock down."

You took a much needed drink of water to cool your dry throat before explaining more. "Luckily most of them like to have fun, and what's more fun than a little show?" You grinned "had to get you two to notice them somehow, thought the song was fitting."

Dean had followed you back to the stage, his signature flirtacious smirk gracing his features "well I quite enjoyed it" he said with a wink, moving to stand infront of you.

"Oh I know you did, took you forever to realize that I was trying to warn you and not just flirt with you" you replied with your own smirk.

A chuckle erupted from his lips "so you were flirting with me?" He asked, ignoring every other part of your sentence, opting to get step closer to you.

You shrugged, taking your own step towards him, your hand curling into his collar to bring him closer, Dean immediately biting his lip in response.

"And if I was?" You asked, tilting your head.

"Then I think I owe you a thank you, a date, a bit more"

( It's, it's a ballroom blitz

It's, it's a ballroom blitzIt's,

it's a ballroom blitz

Yeah, it's a ballroom blitz)

[horny-for-tf141]

all credit to you, o mighty @soapcloth , I just brainwormed about this rq:

ghost x coworker!reader - MDNI

a masturbation mention then gend. neutral sexual stuff below the cut

Continuing this headcanon that Ghost's vibe at the office is a little off-putting because he seems a bit threatening, but the way you sometimes find yourself intrigued by his intensity, boredom even letting you feel something like attraction...and sometime recently, you're not exactly sure when, he became the person you usually fantasize about when trying to get off at night --

But what the hell is that? You've hardly even heard him speak a word and he probably hates you......that must be why he looks at you that lionlike way.

You notice over your lettuce wrap that he's just resting in the lip of a window in the lunchroom, his ludicrously large frame dwarfing the view through panes of glass- and he's staring at you. Not making an attempt to hide it. Just mean-dogging you with these pitch dark eyes sunken into bone structure that looks hard enough to break something across.

Saying something would make it real, it might even make for confrontation. And maybe you'd have to deal with the reality for more than five breathless seconds that he has something that magnetizes you, draws you. So you just crunch your lunch and try to ignore it.

That's when he shifts his weight and starts walking toward you -

Flash forward to nasty style fucking in the breakroom on the less used level of the building, your leg hitched high on his waist to get his thick fingers inside you... Moments after swallowing his cum, the feeling not quite leaving your throat-- and getting one of those dumb paper cups of water for each of you. And he wants, wants to ask you out but it's easier to grab you around your middle and spread you out on the conference table, get your underwear out of the way so he can taste you

Corporate office worker!Ghost. The big guy huddled over the computer in the cubicle next to you muttering to himself, fingers too big to reasonably use the allotted keyboard, always in and out of HR because every time he opens his mouth at the water cooler he’s spouting a new morbid joke, but his work speed is unmatched and he’s incredibly competent so they can’t get rid of him— you’re almost sure he’s losing his mind and every lunch he’s staring at you across the break room through hollow, tired eyes like you’re the thing he really wants to eat.

[dankusner]

The New York Times Denounced “Y’all.” We’d Like a Word.

The English language is a remarkable and unwieldy beast.

It lacks the musicality of French or Italian and the precision of German.

It doesn’t, as The New York Times explored in a column published yesterday, even possess a natural word for the second person plural.

Spanish has ustedes and vosotros, French has vous, Italian has voi, Mandarin has nimen, and English has . . . well, therein lies the problem.

As linguist John McWhorter noted in the column, for want of such a word, English speakers have spent much of the past several decades transforming “you guys” into a gender-neutral term to fill the void.

It’s an interesting linguistic analysis—and one that is entirely unnecessary in Texas, or throughout the South.

We’ve long had a word that serves this exact purpose, with no gender implications and a (if we do say so ourselves) mellifluous cadence.

We’re talking about “y’all,” y’all.

The Times column waves “y’all” away as an option, describing the word as “much too slangy, regional or”—in a sentiment both cringe-inducing and puzzling—“what you might even call ethnic” to be adopted by English speakers the world over.

And while we are ourselves often protective of seeing aspects of our culture claimed by our Yankee brethren (we’re still mad about the whole “peas in guac” thing), Texans have long been magnanimous about sharing “y’all” with Northerners.

It’s simply too useful a word to deny our fellow Americans simply because they had the misfortune to be born in New York or Massachusetts.

That “y’all” has unmatched utility can hardly be subject to debate.

One doesn’t need to argue over whether “guys” is now gender-neutral if a way to address a group of people that does not include the speaker already exists.

And while the cohort to which “guys” reads as inherently gendered may be fading, it is still here with us, and heaven help anyone who refers to a woman in her seventies as a “guy” in front of her face.

(During a sojourn in Chicago, this author would often serve as a volunteer usher at the Steppenwolf Theatre in exchange for free tickets, usually as the youngest member of the group by several decades.

The theater’s volunteer coordinator, a brash New Yorker, explained that he’d adopted “y’all” with theatergoers after learning firsthand how “you guys” was received by members of the Guys and Dolls generation.)

“You guys” at least has the benefit of linguistic familiarity (“Hey, you guuuuys!”), but every other suggestion reads as a self-conscious attempt to avoid a more common construction: “You folks” is no more formal than “you guys,” but it’s much more awkward.

“You all” plays to the ear as a deliberate decision to reject “y’all,” rendering the phrase distracting to a listener who is given an inadvertent glimpse into the speaker’s psyche.

“You people?”

Yikes.

The column doesn’t even consider truly regional terms like “youse” or “yinz,” and with good reason.

McWhorter concludes that “you guys” is the least worst option.

Despite the Times’ dismissal of “y’all,” though, there’s evidence that the word’s utility supersedes its, uh, “ethnic” implications.

It’s not just us saying this, either; why, back in 2022, that very same northeastern regional newspaper published an essay by the Dallas-born writer Maud Newton in which Newton detailed her own journey from rejecting “y’all” to embracing it.

When she moved to Brooklyn, she discovered that “far from being a niche Southern phrase, [‘y’all’] already had a home here,” and that she had come to embrace it.

“Far from the oppressive ethos I once imagined, ‘y’all’ represents the best of American vernacular,” Newton wrote.

Newton is hardly the first Northerner to declare that it’s time to embrace “y’all.”

In 2019, Philadelphia magazine urged readers to abandon “youse” for “y’all” (“It’s a warm hug inviting you in and genuinely hoping you stay a while”).

Dictionary.com suggested it near the top of its list of gender-netural “you guys” substitutes, behind only the confusing plural “you,” which is indistinguishable from the singular “you” except by context.

None of this is brand-new.

More than twenty years ago, Guy Bailey—a linguist who currently serves as president of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and then worked at UT’s San Antonio campus—coauthored “The Nationalization of a Southernism,” a paper about the word’s spread that was published in a 2000 edition of the Journal of English Linguistics.

Bailey’s research found that “y’all” was already widely used outside Texas and the South, and that younger Americans in those non-Southern parts of the country were much more likely to use “y’all” than their older counterparts.

And the BBC—an unlikely source of information about “y’all”—noted in a 2022 story the word’s proliferation not just in the U.S. but across the English-speaking world.

“Y’all” has been in use around the nation within certain demographics since the Great Migration, the period from around 1910 through the early 1970s during which millions of Black Americans from the South moved to the North, Midwest, and West.

If the sprawl of “y’all” has been ongoing for decades, why is the Times now publishing a column denigrating it as provincial and encouraging the long-out-of-favor “you guys”?

It may simply be that McWhorter is fulfilling his role as a proud contrarian, and that the paper generally enjoys being a little bit condescending to those of us from outside of its region of influence.

But one could also reasonably conclude that it’s the widespread—and still growing—acceptance of “y’all” as a universal term that makes some Northerners seek an alternative.

That also wouldn’t be new; just last year, Chicago magazine published a paean to “youse,” arguing that it just sounds more natural coming out of the mouths of “white ethnic Chicagoan[s]” (read: likely Irish, Italian, and Polish) than “y’all.”

In an era in which regional differences are increasingly erased in favor of the accelerated monoculture brought on by the internet—teens are more likely to talk like their favorite influencers, wherever they may be from, than the olds who live down the block—there’s something charming about trying to protect “youse” and “yinz” from the encroachment of “y’all” (though we’re less sentimental about “you guys”).

Still, the word is simply too useful for us to keep it for ourselves.

There’s no need to resist “y’all.” It’s an inviting word. Y’all are welcome to use it.

OPINION

U.S. is facing a civics education crisis

New curriculum will help Texas kids, writes state education board chairman

Now, more than ever, America must cultivate its future.

As a parent of three, a military veteran and the chairman of the Texas State Board of Education, I’ve seen firsthand how our nation’s resilience depends on the education and character of its citizens.

Our schools are not solely institutions for academic knowledge; they are the bedrock of our democratic republic.

Yet, troubling trends suggest we are failing to equip our children with the civic understanding and critical thinking skills needed to lead our nation into a brighter future.

It is with this urgent need in mind that Texas is on the verge of approving the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum, an initiative that places educational excellence, American values and civic literacy at the heart of our schools.

Recent data paints a dire picture for American children:

Students are losing grasp of basic American civic knowledge.

The statistics are staggering, frightening and, frankly, un-American.

Fewer than one in four U.S. eighth graders are proficient in civics, and only 13% of eighth graders are proficient in U.S. history.

These statistics aren’t just numbers; they are a warning for the future of the American republic.

According to the Heritage Foundation, “Civics education in America is in crisis, and Americans should recommit themselves to the teaching of civics in the classroom and at home.”

That organization’s recommendation to state policymakers is to provide parents and classroom teachers with better civics education.

Its recent survey revealed that “two-thirds of parents and nearly three-quarters of teachers share a strong desire to see greater emphasis on civics education.”

Additionally, “both parents and teachers agree that the most important function of civics in modern-day America is ‘practical information and guidance on how to carry out the duties of a citizen.’”

Ronald Reagan famously said “freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”

Without civic education and an understanding of our Constitution, the rule of law and the responsibilities of citizenship, our freedom will be put at risk.

Bluebonnet Learning is Texas’ answer to this crisis.

These instructional materials don’t just teach reading and English; they prioritize civic literacy, reinforce values of good citizenship and empathy, showcase Texas’ rich history and paint a patriotic picture of our nation’s history, government and values, as well as an optimistic vision for our future.

By emphasizing critical thinking, Texas children will be able to distinguish fact from fiction and make informed decisions, better equipping them with the tools for future civic engagement.

What sets Bluebonnet Learning apart is its unapologetic celebration of American ideals.

The curriculum introduces students to the stories of patriots, innovators and visionaries who have shaped this great nation, giving our students the ability to see themselves as heirs to a legacy of courage, determination and sacrifice.

Our nation’s future hinges on the choices we make today about education.

Without a generation that understands and cherishes American ideals, we risk losing the very freedoms that make this country exceptional.

Texas is at the forefront of this much-needed change in the trajectory of our nation’s future, and enacting the Bluebonnet

Learning curriculum will ensure that our schools remain the training grounds for informed and engaged young Americans.

The choices we make for our children’s education will define the destiny of our nation. It’s time for what Reagan called a “rediscovery of our values and our common sense.”

The time to act is now. Our children deserve nothing less and our country demands more.

SBOE proposes oversight of books

The State Board of Education has approved a list of legislative suggestions for Texas lawmakers, which includes a proposal to grant the board the power to rate the appropriateness of school library books – and could also render moot parts of a state law that has been embroiled in litigation for more than a year.

The proposal would give the elected education board significant power over determining what’s appropriate for public school libraries and would mirror legislation that has been filed by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, who in 2023 wrote the Reader Act, a law that placed the burden of rating books on vendors and has been on hold over litigation.

A process of rating books that children are reading in schools is best fit for the state board, said board member Tom Maynard, R-Florence.

“This board knows how to vet materials,” Maynard said.

“We can create a transparent process to do this work. This is work that really needs to be done.”

The board’s proposal aligns with House Bill 183, which Patterson filed ahead of the upcoming legislative session.

The bill would let parents of public school children petition the state board to review any book in a school library for age appropriateness or sexually explicit material.

If passed, HB 183 would largely rewrite a section of the 2023 Reader Act that has been under litigation since July 2023.

Patterson’s 2023 Reader Act requires book vendors that sell to school libraries to rate their material for either sexual relevance or sexual explicitness.

Book vendors – including Austin’s BookPeople – and library associations sued the state over the law, insisting it was overly burdensome to businesses.

The book vendors also claimed the law imposed speech on the businesses since the Texas Education Agency could overrule the ratings the businesses assigned to books.

The section of the Reader Act dealing with ratings has been temporarily blocked by an appeals court.

Patterson’s office didn’t reply to an American-Statesman request for comment.

Since 2020, book challenges and debates about which materials are appropriate for school libraries have skyrocketed across the country, including in Texas, which in some cases has led to dramatic disputes at local school

Rebecca Bell-Metereau Board member, D-San Marcos boards and prompted districts to completely rewrite their library material review processes.

PEN America, a nonprofit focused on free expression, reported more than 10,000 instances of books banned in schools from July 2023 to June 2024, up from about 3,300 instances over the same period in the 2022-23 academic year.

Texas had the thirdmost instances of banned books at 538, though the report notes many of those bans came from a few districts, such as Fort Worth, where more than 100 books were pulled for review last summer after the Reader Act was implemented, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Other states with high numbers of book bans, such as Florida and Iowa, have passed laws similar to Texas’ Reader Act.

During the Texas state board’s discussion last month, member Marisa Perez-Diaz, DSan Antonio, worried about adopting a legislative goal that is related to legislation that is in litigation.

Member Rebecca Bell-Metereau, D-San Marcos, worried that the task of wading through every possible book review request that could come before the state board from across Texas could be insurmountable.

“This would be a herculean task to read and rate all of these books,” Bell-Metereau said. “That just seems insane to me.”

Maynard also suggested local school boards would welcome the state board taking decisions about the appropriateness of library books out of their hands.

“They don’t like having protesters in front of their building,” Maynard said. “For us, it’s business as usual.”

The book rating suggestion for lawmakers from the state board was one of several proposals on a list approved by the 15-member board during its regular November meeting.

The board typically adopts a set of legislative priorities, like a wish list, ahead of the state’s biennial legislative sessions. The 2025 legislative session will begin Jan. 14

OPINION

New Bible version has last word on y’all

Dallas scholar includes everyone with second person plural pronoun

Last week, a linguistic row between New York and Austin over the word “y’all” overlooked a “y’all” expert right here in Dallas with sanctified chops.

On Dec. 5, Columbia University linguist John McWhorter published a column in The New York Times lamenting the absence of a second-person plural pronoun in English, and dismissing “y’all” as a worthy candidate.

McWhorter said “y’all” is “much too slangy, regional or what you might even call ethnic to ever gain universal acceptance.”

The next day, Texas Monthly shot back with a defense of “y’all” noting that it lacks the gender baggage of “you guys” and is embraced more widely than localized solutions like “youse” and “yinz.”

What both outlets missed is that “y’all” has a more sacred connection being explored by a Bible scholar right here in Dallas.

John Dyer, a vice president at Dallas Theological Seminary, has spent the last decade developing a Y’all Version of the Bible, which is now available on Amazon and on the popular YouVersion smartphone app.

(Full disclosure: Dyer is a dear friend whom I’ve known for years.)

Dyer started pursuing the project to address the same problems McWhorter lamented.

English lacks a useful handle for the second-person plural.

On the other hand, the Bible’s original languages — Greek and Hebrew — do have second-person plural pronouns.

And that means meanings sometimes get lost in translation.

For example, Paul’s admonition to the church in Corinth has long been seen as a statement that the Holy Spirit lives inside the body of each individual believer:

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (English Standard Version)

But in Greek, those pronouns are plural.

So that passage isn’t about the Holy Spirit somehow living inside the body of a believer, but about the Holy Spirit visiting the gathering of a worshipping community:

“Don’t y’all know that y’all are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in y’all?” (Y’all Version)

Or consider the popular message from Jeremiah 29:11:

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (New International Version)

Dyer noted that verse is often cited at high school graduations. But Jeremiah’s message wasn’t originally a Hebrew version of Oh, the Places You’ll Go! It was about God’s care for a community in exile.

“‘For I know the plans I have for y’all,’ declares YHWH, ‘plans for prosperity not disaster, to give y’all hope and a future.’”

(The Y’all Version also uses the four-letter Hebrew name for God – Yahweh — rather than “the Lord” used by many translations.)

“In a world where lots of people are super, super lonely, it’s neat to know God has a plan for the whole community and not just the individual,” Dyer said.

According to Dyer’s research, about 15% of the verses in the Bible include a second-person plural.

Dyer said his effort is about accuracy, not just creating a country-fied Bible.

“People ask me, ‘Hey, you should put in other sayings like, “Fixin’ to,”’ but it’s not supposed to be a Southern dialect,” Dyer said.

“It’s supposed to highlight things in the text that aren’t visible in most translations.”

Swapping out pronouns proved more complicated than y’all might think, partly because native speakers don’t use the plural pronoun every time they speak to a plural audience, especially if it would require two “y’alls” back-to-back. For example, we probably wouldn’t say, “If y’all are going to church, y’all will have to get up early.” In that sentence, it’s more natural to change “y’all will” to “you’ll.”

Dyer’s project was originally a browser plug-in that would change “you” to “y’all” where appropriate in certain online Bible web sites, but that proved too technical to gain wide usage and “people kept asking for print,” he said.

A coder himself, Dyer has created a website with similar versions for other regional dialects. At yallversion.com, users can choose “yinz,” “youse guys” or “you lot.”

Dyer used the original languages to identify where “y’all” should be used, but he didn’t create an all-new translation from scratch. He worked from the American Standard Version and the World English Bible, he told me.

The Y’all Version uses modern replacements for several other outdated words. “Kingdom” becomes “empire.” “Brethren” becomes “siblings.” The Greek “anthropos,” often translated “man” or “mankind,” becomes “human” or “humankind.” And “ethnos,” which is often rendered “gentiles” or “nations,” becomes “ethnic groups.” Dyer even coined a new word. In the book of Acts, the Apostles pray to “the one who knows the heart,” but because of the mechanics of Greek grammar, it’s all one word in the original text — “kardiognostes” — so the Y’all Bible calls God “Heart-Knower.” Coincidentally, the Y’all Version inclusion in the YouVersion app happened Friday, the same day Texas Monthly published its story. That milestone is huge for Dyer’s project. According to a YouVersion press release, the group’s apps have been installed on 875 million devices worldwide.

New York and Austin can debate linguistics until the cows come home, but Dallas has the coder that is making a holy difference for y’all.

[lxvebun]

buns notes : Hanma makes me a little feral in general but something about him calling you doll/sweetheart?! Nnnngggh

content:soft!Hanma Shuji x Gender neutral reader. Drabble. So soft and fluffy you may get a toothache. Forehead kisses. Reader is described as pretty and adorable, because you are!>:)

Dc blogs dni

Maybe it's the way it so naturally rolls off his tongue, maybe it's because the nickname is paired with his pretty golden, lovesick eyes looking at you like you've hung the stars or perhaps it's the way that nickname is always paired with physical touch. Hands gently wrapping around your waist or his thumb smoothing over your cheek. But you melt at the way he calls you doll and sweetheart. At this point, he probably uses it more than your name and just thinking about the first time he chose the nicknames over your actual name never fails to make you flustered.

It wasn't even said in a flustering setting but oh did it make your breath hitch and your heart beat a little faster.

It took place on an early morning, after your first night at his place. Your body was still warm from sleep, not fully awake when Shuji walked in, sat down beside you, softly stroked his thumb over your cheek, and pressed a sweet kiss to your forehead to wake you gently. Then, as soon as he saw you were conscious enough to listen, leaning down to whisper in your ear

"Morning, sweetheart,"

"hmmm"

"What would you like for breakfast, doll?

There it is, the combo that makes your head a little dizzy, makes your heart flutter in your chest and your face warm up. And he KNOWS. That's the worst (or best) thing, he knows exactly what he's doing and at times like these when you're swatting his hands off of you and opt to hide your face from him, A little chuckle cannot help but escape his lips.. He's a menace<3 it's what he does best. If you really want him to stop, he would, but seeing as you haven't outright told him to, and you keep giving him these adorable reactions every time, he's not stopping anytime soon. You're his sweetheart, his pretty doll and you will be until you decide not to be anymore.

Thank you for reading angels <3

[a-write-for-soreeyes]

Making Bets | Seo-Joon [True Beauty] x Gender Neutral!Reader

summary: making bets with your boyfriend Seo-Joon was NEVER a good idea, but when a no kiss bet with a promise of a week of dates comes up, how could you refuse?

word count: 2280

a/n: sorry i’ve been so absent! it’s been really hard to finish writing anything i’ve started recently but i’ve got something in the works i hope you all enjoy! :D <3

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Making bets with Han Seo-joon was never a good idea. But, when the prize was a full week where the winner gets to choose a week of dates… how could I say no.

“y/n I don’t get why you said yes to this bet, we all know you can’t even last through first period without a kiss from Seo-joon.” Soo-a said as she cuddled further into Tae-hoon’ side on the bench across the lunch table, “yah, we all know you guys are all over each other whenever possible,” Tae-hoon groaned out leaning his head on Soo-a’, “speak of the devil.” looking up from shuffling food around my tray I saw Seo-joon approaching the table trailing just behind Ju-kyung and Soo-ho’s linked arm forms looking a little more than disgruntled at the couple walking in front of him.

“Hello love birds, how nice of you to grace us with your presence on this fine monday morning.” Tae-hoon teased as the other couple sat next to me, Seo-joon taking the last spot to the right of Soo-a, across from me.

“What Seo-joon, not going to kiss your partner hello?” Soo-ho joked as he kissed Ju-Kyung’ cheek before picking food up from his plate and feeding her.

“Morning.” Seo-joon whispered, barely sparing me a glance before looking back at his tray. “Morning babe.” I whispered back.

“So y/n...I heard you and Seo-joon made a bet over the weekend. What’s up with that?” Ju-Kyung asked pushing her hair over her shoulder and turning my way, “oh,” clearing my throat, “Well, Seo-joon's friends were complaining over the weekend about how much we kiss each other in front of them, so we decided to make a bet on how long we could go without kissing each other, and whoever caves in first loses. But, the winner gets to decide a full week of dates the loser has to pay for.” I stated.

“OOO! That sounds fun! We both know you guys though, and we know you both wont last 3 days!” Soo-a joked, causing the rest of the table to laugh, “what plans do you have to win?” she continued.

“Well, I’m not sure to be honest,” I chuckled running a stressed hand through my hair, “I think I’m just going to try and focus on something else other than kissing him, even though that’s going to be hard.” I said laughing a little, sticking my tongue out at Seo-joon just to tease him.

“Well if you need any help y/n just let us know, Ju-kyung and I would be happy to help!” Soo-a said, as everyone returned to their lunches.

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“y/n it’s been 2 days and you’re already starting to annoy us with all your whining about missing your ‘sweet precious Seo-joon’” Soo-jin joked, making a silly whiny voice at the end causing the other girls around the table with us to laugh at her terrible impression of me.

“Ya Soo-ho has been telling me about how annoying Seon-joon has been about this whole bet thing and he’s just about ready to kill him.” Ju-kyung laughed.

Sighing I took a sip of my milkshake, “I know, we’re so annoying but I don’t know what to do, I really miss him, but I don’t want to have to pay for all the dates we’d be going on.”

“Well why don’t you try to seduce him?” Soo-jin started, “I mean you’re closing at your work tomorrow right? Why don’t you invite him over for a late night swim after you close? I mean your boss shouldn’t mind if you don’t tell them right?”

“That’s,,,that’s not a bad idea Soo-jin.”

“Ya! And you can ask him tomorrow at school in front of all his friends! He’d be crazy to say no in front of them! especially to a makeout session in a pool!” Ju-Kyung reasoned, Soo-a shaking her head in agreement at our master plan.

“Alright then! Tomorrow at school.” I stated, taking the last sip of my milkshake.

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“Hey baby.” I said walking right up to Seo-joon in the hallway, effectively stopping Seo-joon and his posse in their tracks.

“Oh, uhh, hey honey, how’s it going?” Seo-joon said, startled by my sudden appearance in front of him.

“Hey y/n!” one of Seo-joons friends said cheerfully. Paying his friend no mind I started to lean in closer to Seo-joon, causing him to lean his head back to avoid mine.

“So listen, I was thinking about going swimming at my work later? My boss is letting me close alone tonight since I’ve got the late shift?” I said leaning in closer with each sentence. Looking into Seo-joon's widened eyes at my statement.

Hearing his friends muffled laughing from behind him, he cleared his throat composing himself, “thanks for the offer baby but uh- i'm busy tonight.” he said hurriedly, before pushing past me and making his way into the classroom behind us, sitting at his desk hiding his flushed face and trying to ignore his friends teasing.

Looking over to Soo-a and Ju-Kyung I shook my head. Soo-a's expression turned to one of disappointment and Ju-Kyung letting out a hufft that our plan hadn’t worked.

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“Soo-aaaaaa, our plan didn’t wooorrrrkk.” I whined, placing my head on my hand and leaning against the lunch table, “I don’t know what I'm supposed to do anymore, it’s been 6 days and I miss him.”

“y/n dude we know you miss him but you gotta stop talking about how much you miss him, it’s all you’ve been talking about since this whole bet started.” Tae-hoon complained.

“Listen, it’s not my fault that he’s so perfect and that every time I see him I just wanna kiss his perfect lips.” I whined my head slipping down my arm as I stared at Seo-joon from across the lunch room.

“Well if I were you and I wanted to avoid kissing my boyfriend I would just ignore him until he gives in.” Ju-kyung said between mouthfuls of rice and meat off of her lunch tray, “thanks babe.” Soo-ho said sarcastically as he looked at Ju-kyung blank faced, “no problem honey, only telling you the truth.” She joked before giving him a quick kiss on the lips, which he gladly accepted.

“I hate you guys and your cute-and-able-to-kiss-each-other, relationships.” I sighed, “well I guess ignoring him until he gives in isn’t such a bad idea.”

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“Hey baby.” Seo-joon whispered as he placed his arm above me on the wall leaning in. “h-hey Seo-joon, how-how’s your day been?” I stuttered out trying to look him in the eyes, “My day’s better now that I've seen you.” He stated, gently lifting my face to properly look him in the eyes. “Listen honey, I have to get going to class but how about after school I take you to that book store you’ve been begging me to take you to”,

“Y-yeah, that would be nice thanks.”

“Good.” He leaned in to kiss me, feeling his warm breath fan across my face, causing me to flush. Closing my eyes I waited for the final push of his lips against mine, but instead felt the cold take the place of his warm breath as he suddenly pulled away his light laughter mixing with the small snickers of his friends watching the interaction, “see ya later baby.” he stated walking off down the hallway, his friends chasing after him, congratulation him on the little stunt he pulled on me. Seeing Ju-kyung, Soo-a and Soo-jin shaking their heads out of the corner of my eye, Soo-jin tutted “using your own tactic against you, that’s evil. but, man, you’ve got it bad for that boy. Good luck paying for all those dates.”

“I’m gonna have to try a lot harder to ignore him if he’s going to keep pulling stunts like that.” I sighed.

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

It’s been 8 days since the bet had started, and it hadn’t gotten any easier to not kiss him. We’ve been effectively avoiding each other, this afternoon at school being the first time we’ve spoken since last thursday.

“Thanks for paying my bus fee. You didn’t have to do that” I thanked Seo-joon awkwardly as we took a seat at the very back of the bus.

“Of course, you’re my partner, you think I'd make you pay your own bus fee?” he laughed lightly, reaching out for my hand. Quickly yanking my hand away from his grasp I cleared my throat fixing my uniform shirt, looking away before I could get drawn back in by him.

“How was your day? You know besides great because now you’re seeing me.” he joked trying to drag my gaze away from the window to my left, “it was fine thanks, boring but you know how it is, stressed for the test on friday though.” I tried to joke, switching my gaze from the window to my fingers, playing with the hem of my dressshirt.

Sitting in awkward silence for the rest of the bus ride, we finally arrived at the small corner bookstore Ju-kyung recommended I check out.

“You know I could have just driven us here on my motorcycle right?”

“Well yeah but you know how I feel about your motorcycle, you’re gonna get killed on that think Seo-joon.” I joked, knocking his shoulder lightly, trying to lighten the mood from the tense bus right here. “Here let me get that for you.” Seo-joon said softly as he grabbed the door handle pulling it open for me to enter the warmth of the small store.

“Ah welcome!” the man at the front desk said as he pulled his headphones up from his neck to cover his ears, “FEEL FREE TO LOOK AROUND.” he yelled over the blasting rock music coming from his headphones.

Seo-joon and I quickly thanked him before walking further into the winding stacks of manga, making sure to be well out of earshot before bursting into fits of giggles over the yelling of the man at the front desk, calming down slightly before hearing him knock over a drink and letting out a few loud curses, throwing us back into our fits of giggles, leaning in Seo-joon's warmth trying to calm down.

Pulling away from him I cleared my throat before making my way further into the store fixing my uniform sweater to try and calm my warming face. Hearing Seo-joon clear his own throat before following a few steps behind me.

Running my fingers softly over the spines of manga looking for a title that grabbed me, I scanned the bookshelf spotting a title I recognized. “Seo-joon look!” I spoke excitedly pointing to the book I recognized on the top shelf, “My sister and I used to read them when we were younger, we would fight over our single copy for hours trying to read it before the other was able to.” I laughed lightly at the memory, not noticing Seo-joon's soft gaze watching me ramble about my childhood. Reaching up to try and grab the book I switched to standing on my tiptoes stretching my arm up as far as possible mumbling to myself, cursing my parents for making me so short. Just as I felt my finger tips brush the cracked spine of the manga a large hand came out of my right field vision grabbing the book off the shelf for me. “Ah thank you baby.” I thanked Seo-joon turning to him, reaching out for the book he still held in his much larger hands, however being slightly startled at how close he was actually standing to me.

Standing still for a few moments just looking at each other I broke the silence, “thanks for grabbing that for me. Could I please have the book now?” my voice coming out in barely a whisper. Not getting any sort of response from Seo-joon I asked him, “Seo-joon? What’s wrong ba-” not being able to get through the full sentence before feeling the breath knocked out of me as Seo-joon pressed his lips against mine, effectively ending the bet in one, beautiful, breathtaking, sweet kiss.

Pulling back after a few moments to catch out breath I looked up at him, eyes slightly closed still relishing in the feeling of the kiss we shared, a soft warm light coming from the shop's eclectic lighting fixtures, haloing him making him look more ethereal than I have ever seen him. “Sorry I didn’t ask you if I could kiss you, but I just saw you rambling about the book you were passionate about, and you look so cute with your hair falling in front of your face like it is,” he whispered lovingly pushing a strand of hair out of my sight, “and I just realized. I love you.” he stated, taking a deep breath in waiting for my reaction to his first confession.

Looking at me worriedly waiting for my reaction. “I love you too Seo-joon” I whispered, standing on my tiptoes, burying my face in his neck embarrassed at the first proper confession of our love for each other. Feeling Seo-joon smile into my neck he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer into his warm body, standing back, flat on my feet he buried me further into his chest, the both of us relishing in the warmth the others love provided.

“You know, I think our first date this week should be the movies tomorrow.” I started to laugh, feeling his chest rumble beneath my head he sighed lightly,

“You’re going to drain my bank account dry this week with these dates aren’t you?”

“Hahaha! Maybe I am. It’s only because I love you though.”

“I love you too”

[edithlovesyou]

SLASHER HEADCANNONS!!!

alright, so first off, i have NEVER don't this before lol i am trying my best with wording and i try to keep everything gender neutral lol (I fixed this up, older writing update- almost a year later)

THOMAS HEWITT

he tries his best to be gentle

he canonically has the emotions of a child so he probably has a lot of moments

he has Messy handwriting, barely legible

he Tries to give you gifts after being accepted into the family

He loves flowersss, I would like to think sunflowers in specific but change it if you feel different lol

He has a favorite chainsaw, he would never tell though because his family is full of a bunch of jerks

he has extreme attachment issues, his family taught him that family is all that matters. if you're family, you cant leave

JASON VORHEES

A very kind soul, i feel he would love animals. humans are a different story.

he Also loves flowers, possibly allergic tho? idk I just vibes from him that say no pollen near him.

he Loves to draw in a kiddish style, I feel like sometimes being a kid makes him feel a bit better about what happened

he Really likes collecting souvenirs from victims, like what he did with his mother in a way, just a memory

You hear the occasional waterboarded gurgling sound, he can still push water through and around his lungs I can imagine, so the sounds are basically his version of clearing his throat lol

DANNY JOHNSON (jed olson, dbd ghostface)

That camera is his life

he's Not really perverted, but sometimes says things and realizes it sounds dirty

Nasty gloves, never cleaned. Ever.

Weird southern accent but not really a southern accent??? idk Every fanart image I've seen of him he looks like one of those people you never know what they are saying or what their accent is or if it's even real

A crooked smile, again with the fanart, he looks like the type to be a bit more southern

A shit ton of acne probably, sweaty mask things

RZ!MICHEAL MYERS

he probably has Stretch marks, that is a BIG man. no way this man doesn't have them

he Loves all his masks and if he ever broke one you can expect a memorial, they are like his version of people

he probably Cringes around clowns because of the old mask, bad memories

he Prefers loose clothes, this isn't really shown but he seems like the type

he is a Nature lover, not to animals tho. just the scenery

He understands emotions he just doesn't care, like a cat

BO SINCLAIR

toothpick in his mouth for no reason, and I'm sure Lester has asked why

he Can go from laughing to pure evil in seconds, we've seen it

he HATES animals with a passion

He feels very safe in his work overalls, just comforting to be in his element

Just saying, he is probably old fashioned. he could probably pick up on modern things if people tried to teach him, will he care? no

LESTER SINCLAIR

he has a Crooked smile but thinks it fits him, again with the southern things, only this time he is self aware and like how he looks

he Finds comfort in the smell of dead animals, let's be real. that man goes to that pit because he knows nobody will try to find him.

he makes Crude jokes but in a good way? (If that makes sense??)- like he fully understands what he's saying but he knows how to word it and make it not as bad. you can still tell what he's saying tho

Eyebags to hell and back, stays up around the pit

he Loves old country, especially on his truck radio

Probably likes the game sorry for the popping sound, I see him as the type to like random sounds

VINCENT SINCLAIR

sculpting helps him when he's anxious about anything

he Loves the wax house dog more than anyone, since his brother isn't really comforting for him, why not a dog?

he tried many masks before settling on one face shape, too picky

he loves sweaters

piano music is his life

he might Make the occasional sound that startles people, other than that, no words from this man

ALRIGHT, hello i am edith! This is my first time writing but i plan on improving and taking requests for readers, i plan on doing any gender, body type, features people want added, anything! That's all <3- - - updated ver lol- I'm dallas or dahlia depending on the day, and I fixed this up! if others have seen it before and wonder why it's different, that's why lol I don't really have time to do fresh writing right now, so I'm doing this

[anxious2dsimp]

Helping a socially anxious s/o | Atsumu, Iwaizumi, Osamu & Kuroo

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡*✧･ﾟ:˚۰˚☽˚｡･:

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡*✧･ﾟ:˚۰˚☽˚｡･:

Pairings: Atsumu x Reader, Iwaizumi x reader, Osamu x Reader, Kuroo x Reader.

Reader: Gende Neutral and socially anxious!

Format: Drabbles

Warnings: Talks about social anxiety and anxiety symptoms in general (at least from my experience), cursing, but other than that comfort and fluff!

A/N: This is sooo self indulgent!😅 but since I had no request I figured I’d write something for myself bc I lowkey needed the comfort & I imagine this scenarios in my head whenever I’m struggling with my anxiety :) probably gonna check this tmrw bc I’m sleepy

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Atsumu:

Your personal hype squad.

Will try to make you feel as comfortable in your own skin as he can before you head out to anything social bc he knows how draining it can be

“Baby yer so stunning ya know that? ‘Am so happy a’ get to go to this thing with ya,” Atsumu says with his signature smirk once you step out of the bathroom in your party outfit. However, he can instantly see the doubt in your eyes. You barely manage to smile back with a wobbly grin, the blonde taking it as his cue to walk over to you, retrieving his hands from his pockets. “We’re gon’ have a great time, gorgeous, a’ promise ya that much. We’ll get to have a nice night out,” he says, his eyes softer and genuine as he takes your hands in his, and moves them to loosen you up, “get to dance a bit, relax, and we can come back when ya get tired.” You sigh, a giggle escaping your lips at him wiggling your arms as if you were dancing. You’d ask if it was a promise, but you already knew it was, so instead you tug him closer and press your lips against his. “Thanks, ‘tsum,” you say, your heart more at ease with his kind words as an inevitable smile tugs at the corners in your mouth. He hums happily in response, and as he pulls you into an energizing hug before heading out, you wonder how you got so lucky. Little did you know that despite everything, Atsumu’s always wondering the same thing.

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Iwaizumi

Will be constantly checking on you and keeping you grounded when you’re in a social setting.

He knows how overwhelming it can all get, so he’ll always let you know he’s there :)

You couldn’t tell at what point the group conversation you were in had become overwhelming, the conversation and laughter echoing in your mind louder each time. You started looking around, desperate to find something to focus on to bring you back, but every little thing seemed to make the feeling worse. It felt like you were spiraling, rolling down a hill faster and faster, a knot forming in your throat knowing that if you didn’t hold on to anything soon you’d crash. Suddenly, a warm hand squeezing yours snapped you back to reality from your panic, your head turning quickly to meet a pair of worried olive eyes. He shot you a soft, knowing smile, immediately aware of what was wrong. Without exchanging a word he hugged your waist from behind, leaning his head on the crook on your neck. “I gotchu,” he whispered as his scent filled your nostrils and his embrace started pulling you back to reality. You just smiled, leaning into his touch and kissing his cheek. To the others it was just a mindless gesture of affection from your boyfriend, but you both knew, he was your anchor. Whether it was a hand on your back or an arm around your shoulder, he made it so you always knew he was there, so you wouldn’t have to bear the storm alone.

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Osamu

Uses food to encourage you. Pavlov’s quaking.

Gets you out of social situations when they’re too much & embarrasses Atsumu while he’s at it lmao

You shot your boyfriend a pleading look from your seat beside him. You were out on a dinner with work friends but it drained you so quickly you just wanted out. He gave you a knowing look before staring at his phone quizzically, excusing himself from the table. When he returned he grabbed his jacket and put down enough money to cover your orders. “Sorry everyone, we gotta go. Atsumu shat his pants and he needs me bring him clean ones,” he said with his usual unbothered expression, only you noticing the amused sparkle in his eye, “let’s go love.” You bit the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from laughing at the excuse, holding the hand he offered. You quickly said goodbye to everyone, who still looked slightly appalled, and left. Once outside you looked at Osamu with your best puppy eyes. “I know we left early, but can I still get the special onigiri you promised to make me?” He sighed in return, a lazy smile adorning his face as he lightly kissed your knuckles. “Ya gave it a good effort, so yeah,” he complied as you smiled giddily. “You know ‘Samu, Atsumu is gonna kill you if you keep making stuff like this up,” you told him, earning a shrug from the grey haired male. “It makes ya laugh though don’t it? As long as it makes ya feel less bad about yer limits a’ won’t stop, he can bear it,” he confessed. He’d do anything to make you as happy as you make him.

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Kuroo

This guy has trained for this his entire life by being friends with Kenma.

Reads you like a book, & is great at negotiating to get you to come out of your shell the right amount.

“2 hours,” Kuroo said, his unwavering gaze locked on yours. “That’s so long though,” you whined, your stomach twisting just at the thought of having to socialize with strangers for so long. “You can sit through my ‘lame’ movies, you’ll be fine,” he says using air quotes to refer to the lame part, a confident smile on his face from his sound argument. “But the movies don’t make me anxious or stressed,” you pouted, trying to convince your bf to stay in instead of going to the event. “Fine, hour and a half and I promise I’ll cuddle you till you feel better when we come back,” he offers, stretching his hand out for a handshake to close the deal. You sigh, shaking his hand as you agreed to the conditions, he always managed to do it. “Thank you babe, it means a lot that you always make the effort,” he says with a dashing smile, his hand coming up to cup your face. “I’m sorry you always have to be persuading me, maybe you should just leave me behind,” you say truthfully, suddenly feeling defeated. “Don’t say dumb stuff like that (y/n), if anything it’s part of the fun,” he confessed with a cheesy grin, earning a light chuckle from you. “But seriously, I love you, so I’m doing this for your sake and mine. Going out wouldn’t be the same without you,” he said truthfully as he gently pulled your face towards him, your lips meeting in a soft kiss. You were grateful for him, he knew your limits, and just how much to push you for your own sake.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡*✧･ﾟ:˚۰˚☽˚｡･:

[itstittycitybaby]

Masterlist Baby!

click down below for the rules/guidelines if you’re thinking of sending a request in:

*Rules/Guidelines*

V for Vendetta:

From the Ashes we are Born series: (Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3), (Part 4), (Part 5) , (Part 6), (Part 7), (Part 8),(Part 9), (Part 10), (Part 11), (Part 12), (Part 13).

V taking care of his so/ while they’re having a depressive episode/breakdown hcs

V taking care of his s/o while on their period hcs

V with a s/o who has anxiety hcs

V with a s/o who has ADHD hcs

V NSFW 18+ Alphabet headcanons

V x reader: Candy Corn teeth

Legend of Korra:

Lin Beifong Fics:

Flirty Series: Flirty’s Character Sheet / (Part1), (Part 2), (Part 3), (Part 4), 

(Part 5), (Part 6), (Part 7), (Part ?).

Lin Beifong x gender neutral reader: Naivety is Enduring

Lin Beifong x Fem! reader: Let’s go wlw!

Lin Beifong x Fem! reader: You’re Such a Fucking Hoe (I love It) NSFW 18+

Lin Beifong x Fem! reader: What is Lost is Once Found Again (ANGST)

Lin Beifong x Fem! reader: Spooky Lips (slight smut 18+)

Lin Beifong x Fem! reader: Age Gap (lil angsty)

Lin Beifong Being Jealous hcs (nsfw at the end 18+)

Lin Beifong Post sex hcs nsfw 18+)

Amon

Amon x reader: Please don’t shut me out

The Good Place:

Micheal x platonic! reader: Stay Here, Please (light angst)

Outlast:

Val x Fem! reader: Run, Rabbit, Run Rabbit, Run Run Run (READ TWS!):

(Part 1)

HLVRAI:

Benrey/Gordon Freeman: May Death do us Part (HEAVY ANGST. READ TWS!)

John Wick:

John Wick x reader: Seven Years

[kuviras-eyeliner]

I WAS LITERALLYABOUT TO PRESS SAVE ON A BOLIN X GENDE NEUTRAL reADER AND THEN EVEYRTHING CRASHED AND IT WAS OVER 2,800 WORDS IM ACTUALLY ABOUT TO CRY

[theyanderespecialist]

Base Yandere Robert Small Headcanons: A Bad Yandere (Dream Daddy)

[Hello, My Sexy Muffins! I am back with another chapter, also, happy late Father's Day! This one is Base Yandere Headcanons for a Yandere Robert Small! Please enjoy this chapter here, my muffins!] 

(Disclaimer: Robert Small from Dream Daddy is Not Yandere In canon! This is just for fun and not to be taken seriously at all! Simping for fictional characters and yanderes is fine! Just do not be illegal or gross about it! You know who you are! You Dirty, Flaky, Biscuits! Yanderes are not ideal partners to have in real life! Also, remember to separate fiction from reality and headcanon from canon! Thank you!) 

-Base Yandere Headcanons With Yandere Robert Small X Gende Neutral Reader From Dream Daddy- 

.Robert is a widower; his wife had died, and he is estranged from his adult daughter. 

.He had also had an affair with Joseph, who is married to a good friend of his, Mary. 

.He did not think he would fall in love again and be able to feel so strongly for someone. 

.That was until you walked into his life, a person who had moved into the neighborhood, and he fell for you hard. 

.He thought he would not love someone again, but his love for you was stronger than any love he had ever had. 

.He is a yandere who would be mysterious and keep an eye on you. 

He is the yandere who has experience with hunting cryptids, possesses skills with a knife, and can fight someone hand-to-hand if necessary. 

He loves movies and would love to have movie nights with you, appreciating the work that goes into them. 

.He also loves pineapple on pizza, and if you, as his darling, do not like it, well, not everyone can be perfect, even you, his darling! The love of his life. 

.So he would be certain that he can keep you safe, as he does not want you hurt. 

.Although he knows his limitations and knows when not to put you or himself at risk, and would do what he can to get you and himself out of rough situations, as he won't leave you behind. 

.He is a pro bullshitter. He can weave such amazing stories that people cannot tell if he is bullshitting or being honest. 

.Which makes him a really good lying yandere that can pull the wool over your eyes, and you would have no idea that he was lying. 

.He would be able to lie to you about various things, and you cannot tell if he is being honest or lying, and you end up taking his word for it. 

.He would be a yandere who also makes tall tales to his rivals, bullshitting with them so that they are too scared to deal with him or that they do not want to get involved. 

.He is good at manipulating the rivals to back down and stay clear of you. 

.He is not good at having an honest relationship with you. 

.HE is not able to be honest fully with how much he loves you, and he is not able to wear his heart on his sleeve. 

.He is the type of yandere that is a bad yandere; he is not able to be honest with you on how much you mean to him. 

.He cannot be honest that he has a lot of issues and that he needs to become a better man before he can be with you. 

.You might be able to have him listen to you, and you may be able to get through to him and have him become a better man and a better yandere for you. 

.But that is unlikely, his Yandere side is very toxic, and he is not able to be truly emotionally vulnerable with you. 

.So he is a selfish yandere that wants you to tell him what he wants to hear, that you love him the way he is, and that he can be with you right away. 

.He is the type of yandere that would want you to enable his yandere side and let him just become addicted to you. 

.The type of yandere he is is the one who is addicted to you and is very obsessed with you, and does not want to lose you. 

.So he will do his best to keep rivals away from you and keep people who try and keep him away from you out of the picture. 

.He does not care if they are your family or friends. 

.You were his, and he does not want anyone getting in the way of his relationship with you. 

.He would tell you tall tales to impress you as well, as I had said before, it is hard for him to be honest with you about who he is and how much he loves you. 

.When he is finally able to be honest with you and tell you how much he loves you, it is the most vulnerable he has ever been with you. 

.If you accept his love, he will make love to you right then and there and will make you feel so good. 

.Showing you that he is a good lover, and although he is not a good partner, he can still make you feel good and have you experience such pleasure because of him. 

.Where you will only want him, and him alone. He will make you addicted to him, just as addicted as he is to you. 

.If you turned him down, there are two ways it could go, maybe three. 

.The first way is you tell him what he needs to hear, and he will work on himself to become a better man for you so that he can be the man that you deserve. 

.Or he will not allow that to happen and take you into a heated kiss, going to show you how much he loves you, and that he is going to prove to you how much you want him. Even if you refused to admit it. 

.The third and final way he would react to you saying no is going cold, but he is stalking you after the fact, making sure that no one tries to get close to you. 

.When he finally has his chance, he is going to drug you and or knock you out.  .Kidnapping you and keeping you locked up in a cabin in the woods.  .He would make sure that it was clear to you that he loves you, and he was going to teach you to love him. If you do not learn to love him, you will be kept captive because you were his and he refused to let you go. 

.You are his, and no matter which way he goes, he is going to keep you as his and you will be his new spouse at some point, Mark his words. 

.He is also so good at making up lies to everyone who asks him what happened to you, and no one would figure out that it was he who had you! 

[YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS another chapter is done! I hope that you all enjoyed this, and stay sexy, all of my sexy muffins!] 

(Late Father’s Day Special 8/9) Yandere Robert Small X Gender Neutral Listener (Dream Daddy)

[moodymindymusereactions]

if i wanted to request something can i decided the gender of the reader or is it always gende neutral ??

Of course!  We just prefer to remain neutral when there isn’t a specification to be fair to all the fans out there, but yes, absolutely!  It is your request after all so feel free to tailor it to your personal preference!  ♥