#going to start animation soon at school so just wanted to test it out before haha

[kald-dal-art]

More TBOSAS fan art of moments that didn’t make it in the movie. So a moment that made me cry, a moment I thought was sweet and a moment that threw me completely off guard and I had to reread it like 5 times to make sure I read it correctly 😭

[woodywood101blog]

Experimental (Part 1)

Yazan loved learning about new medical breakthroughs. As a doctor, he spends a lot of time understanding how new technologies are being tested and introduced that help make his patients' lives better and healthier. He mostly found it interesting learning about the newest ideas. As soon as it says "first" in the research paper title or news report, he was right on it.

So when he saw a research paper from an Australian team that said "first experimental pregnancy in a man", he looked at it with both intrigue and concern. Clearly men shouldn't get involved in something so.. feminine, he thought.

Of course, when he read the paper, it explained that the researchers at the University of Sydney's School of Medicine were only able to confirm viability up to 3 weeks of pregnancy. They explained that the hormonal changes required for the pregnancy to continue in a man would be so overwhelming that it would cause harm to the man, and that is without considering that it would be medically an ectopic pregnancy from the get-go. Suffice to say, it's medically dangerous, and emphasised as such by the researchers.

Oh well, good try, Yazan thought.

A couple of weeks later, an email popped into Yazan's inbox about a conference in Sydney, and a request to present there. He actually had never been to Australia before, especially with how expensive flights and everyday costs there are, so he took the chance and agreed to present.

Yazan finally made it across to Australia and was able to present his new research in haematology, while also taking in the sights and experiences of Sydney. One night, he stumbled across Oxford Street, the hub for queer culture in Sydney and home of the Mardi Gras parade. He grabbed the first high table he could see at the Oxford Hotel, and just observed people going about their fun Saturday nights while tucking into a steak.

He saw someone eyeing him from the side, and when he turned he saw a beautiful man. Although he was short, he appeared built like Yazan. He had short brown hair, a square jaw and light stubble, but didn't appear stoic or aggressive like other men. This man slowly walked towards him and sat in the seat next to Yazan.

"You're Dr Yazan, right?"

"Yeah... and you are?"

"Mike! I think I saw you at the conference in Darling Harbour today? Well done today!"

Sure enough, Mike was sitting and observing Yazan's presentation, but also for other reasons. Mike was part of the Australian team that researched male pregnancy. He had been developing a form of hyper-concentrated hormonal medication that would allow a pregnancy to remain viable for longer than 3 weeks in men, but was a long way off small-scale animal testing, let alone human testing. Mike was getting worried the research would be wound down by the university, so was starting to think about ways of getting the research to speed forward, without the university's immediate knowledge.

And he knew exactly what he wanted to do...

"So, that's the general gist of what I've been researching on..." Yazan said. "I kinda need to pop to the bathroom quickly.. do you mind looking after my meal, please? Feel free to have some of the fries!"

"No worries!"

Show time. Once Yazan was out of sight, Mike grabbed a small vial of what looked like salt flakes, but were actually some of the experimental hormones. They looked almost exactly like the coarse salt already on Yazan's steak, so it could work, Mike thought.

"Here goes nothing..." Mike sprinkled the salt all over the steak and the fries. At the very least, his food will just be very salty.

"Hey there, thanks for that!" Yazan said as he got back a couple of minutes later. They ended up continuing their conversation about the research they were respectively undertaking. Yazan asked about the fertility trials Mike helped with, including the male pregnancy trials, but made it very clear he wasn't surprised with the outcome.

The talking slowly turned to flirting, especially after Yazan finished his meal. He started feeling quite flustered, and vaguely horny. Of course, it helped that Mike was one of the cutest Aussies he had met here. Eventually, Yazan took off his tie and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt.

"Looking good, doc" Mike said with a wink.

"If you want to see more, want to come back to my hotel?"

And with that, Yazan and Mike sauntered their way from Oxford Street, across Hyde Park towards Sydney Town Hall. Mike took his chance and reached towards Yazan's hand. Yazan latched on without question.

Once they got to Yazan's hotel room, it was almost instant how quickly they got their clothes off each other. They were like two horny rabbits going at it, and they were at it almost all night. Yazan felt such a rush of energy throughout the whole time, and never once felt tired or spent. Mike wondered if the hormones were doing their thing, but those thoughts were overruled by the fact he was fucking the hottest doctor in town!

Each time, Yazan urged to be the bottom, which he found unusual as he normally is the top. There was something about Mike that just made Yazan want to be fucked by him.. maybe it was the muscles hidden under Mike's suit? All Yazan understood was that he needed to be fucked now through any means.

They woke up the following morning, the bedsheets sprawled in every direction on top of Mike and Yazan. Mike woke up with his dick still in Yazan, and still rock hard. Sure enough, it appeared that Yazan was still eager to go when he started waking up and felt Mike still in him.

"I could honestly keep going all day, Mike. I feel like I'm 18 years old all over again!"

"Really?"

After one (or two) more loads in Yazan, they finally moved into the shower. Yazan's abs had become slightly misshapen from how much Mike came in him. It was a bit surreal for Mike to see, because it really did look like he was pregnant.

What have I done, Mike worried.

***

I haven't done this in quite a while, but finally getting around to getting the first part out of a longer-form story I've been thinking about. Let me know your thoughts!

[ajortga]

comfort person

pairing: sam carpenter x female reader

summary: sammy spends time with you after a long day, giving you all the love money can't buy.

word count: 1.7k+

a/n: first sam fic, just had this idea and plan on writing more of her later on. more jenna fics will be out soon:). thank you for 600 followers<3

-

Sam is greeted with the sight of your figure waddling to her after school, her hands making way to her helmet that protects her head. As she takes it off and feels the cool breeze flow through her hair, she her heart strings tug when your smile widens and you walk faster to her.

“Hi, baby,” she says, kissing your forehead gently while playing with your hair. Her arms wrap around you as soon as she places her helmet against the seating of her motorcycle.

Immediately you cling onto her, burying your face into her chest because that’s the only place your head can reach. Her scent invades your senses, sweet and slightly musky from her leather jacket.

Sam peppers kisses against your hair, stroking it softly. It warms her heart (that’s meant to be tough) seeing your slightly grumpy façade melt as soon as her protective arms wrap around you. But, could you not say the same for her? Seeing the way your girlfriend’s eyes soften like ice cream on a hot summer day. Sam isn’t the closed off person that your best friends see, not your Sammy.

She’s the sweetest, making you melt into her arms whenever you have a bad day, cuddles and kisses at night, soothing tummy rubs for bad stomach aches. 

“Hi, Sammy.” You look up at her, eyes a little tired with her arms snug around your waist as she brushes a strand away from your face, studying you.

She softly smiles at you, rubbing your cheek. “Tired?” She asks, a little worried.

You nod, “Just a little. Too many tests.”

“That’s not good,” the taller girl says, voice etched with concern. “You were up studying.” She pauses for a moment, before lifting you on the motorcycle seat, behind her. “What about this? I’ll make you feel better, are you willing to go somewhere or do you want to stay home? I have a surprise.”

You murmur incoherently against her chest, a few muffled words before saying, “Mm willing to go somewhere.”

Sam kisses your forehead, “Okay, hold onto me. When we get home I’ll give you all the cuddles in the world, cook you dinner, and turn on your favorite movie. It’s Friday anyway.”

Your girlfriend turns around and places her helmet on your head, making sure that you’re safe and comfortable before taking off, a soft vroom sounding.

You drive through the buildings and city of Woodsboro, people spilling coffee, apartments into view, parties beginning to happen as you cling onto Sam’s waist.

A turn here, brake here, vroom there. Your eyes close, nuzzling into Sam’s back. It’s not long before you two come to a stop when you open your eyes. 

“Build-A-Bear?” you question, looking at your girlfriend who is grinning at you.

“You know I can’t ignore the way you keep checking on my phone if that Pochacco plush is sold out, right? My whole search history is, “Pochacco plush build a bear” or “Is Pochacco still at Build-A-Bear stores?” Don’t even get me started with, “Why is Pochacco build-a-bear stuffed animal so expensive on eBay?” So we’re going to find that stuffed animal.” Sam scrunches her nose, seeing the way you embarrassingly smile.

For some reason, Sam’s internet on her phone works better than yours, so you catch yourself desperate to see if your Build-A-Bear plush you wanted is still out of stock online.

She ties the helmet on your head against the handles of her motorcycle, extending her hand for you to hold.

You take it as you both walk into the store. “I don’t understand how your phone works faster than mine, Sammy. You barely use it!” 

Sam rolls her eyes, “Not my fault that the wifi just favorites me, mi vida. Come on, we’re gonna get you that plushie.”

Your arm clings onto hers as you place your head on her shoulder, a way for you to show your affection. It’s always sweet to Sam, seeing your clinginess whenever you’re with her. You're skipping with her, teeth shown in a toothy, happy smile.

She doesn’t understand how you do it, she’s supposed to be closed-off to everyone except for Tara. Her sister even has to tease her for it because she finds herself buying flowers for you and making a Spotify playlist for you. “It’s cute, Sam.” Tara assures her, pinching her shoulder.

Sam holds the door for you, in which you immediately cling back onto her. Cool breeze surrounded you both from the AC, the comfy atmosphere of stuffed animals and outfits. You drag her to the Sanrio section where Pochaccos were waiting for you.

Before she could even speak, you turned to her, holding an unstuffed Pochacco while wearing puppy eyes. A smile cracks onto her face as she pulls you into her chest, “Is that all you want? Shouldn’t we get him some clothes so he isn’t.. You know, unclothed?”

“Naked,” you correct, looking up when she rolls her eyes and nods. “Yes, naked. Do you have to make me say it?”

You sniff, “Yes, I do actually. Okay, help me choose the clothes, Sammy!”

As you two hold on to each other while looking at the colorful clothing, she gently circles her thumb against your palm. She reluctantly agrees when you ask her to have her speak for the voice box. You didn’t want to sleep without hearing her. But sometimes, she had to work late, and this was a cute option.

Sam goes through the clothes, pulling out a purple bikini, “What about this one?”

You stare at it, before bursting out into a laugh. “Sammy, Pochacco is a boy! He can’t wear a bikini!”

“Oh yeah? Says who, Y/N? This is a free country!” She argues while your head is buried into her chest, the scent of musk from her leather jacket filling your senses.

“Yes it’s a free country! But I was wanting Pochacco to wear something that fit his personality!”

She sighs, relenting as she puts away the bikini. “I thought our Pochacco would look very fashionable wearing a purple bikini. Oh!” She pulls out a flying ace outfit, with pilot goggles and a fluffy brown bomber jacket. “This one?”

Sam knows she made the right choice as you give her a toothy grin. A grin that makes her smile too. “Okay! Yay! That one.” You watch when she helps you carry the outfits and your bags. 

“How about we get him some overalls too? He can’t always go out wearing the same outfit, can he?”

“I guess not,” you sigh dramatically, “Overalls would be very cute.”

You two dig through the outfits before being able to find the jean overalls. “I have another idea for an outfit we should get.” 

Your girlfriend turns to you while grabbing a pair of tiny overalls, “Oh?” She tilts her head, “What would that be, mi vida?”

The tall brunette feels your hands untangle from hers before you run away, coming back 10 seconds later with your nose scrunched, holding a familiar purple bikini. Her eyes gleam, grinning at you. “Told you, fashionable.”

You roll your eyes.

~

By the time you two are about to checkout, you both are holding a lot of outfits. (Sam insisted as she got your stuffy shoes, hats, scarfs, hell, even a dress.) It made your cheeks burn as you had to look away from her to not let a smile break throughout your face when she was looking for a “I love Sam” or “I love Y/N” shirt. Unfortunately, she had to resort to a “I love you” shirt instead. 

Your forehead is peppered with kisses when you both are in line. You let the sweetness of Sam comfort you as you nuzzle her, burying your body against her.

“Talk about a cute couple,” the two girls say behind you, jealousy and admiration in their tone. 

You two get to a register as Sam pays. Next thing you know, the Pochacco is taken out of your hand to be stuffed. A soft whirring sound buzzes from the stuffing station, fuzz flying in the large container with a bear to decorate on top. You shiver from the AC that is starting to get a little too chilly.

Sam smiles down at you, her fingers threading through your hair. They begin to stuff your Pochacco, his body starting to inflate until it looks like a cute puppy. 

“All done!” The worker says, handing the puppy to you with a sweet smile. 

The cute face stares back at you as you hug him tight, a soft song playing when you squeeze him.

“I’ll get the custom voice box tonight, promise.” Sam says, draping her leather jacket over you, catching the way you begin to feel cold. 

“I love you,” you whisper, letting her kiss you softly. You hold Pochacco up for her to hold, the leather sleeves slightly oversized. You two leave the store and sit against a chair together.

He’s cute, Sam thinks, squishing him gently as you two begin to dress him. You start him with some overalls, black converse, and a heart headband. She notices how you look so happy. It makes her heart squeeze. 

“Come on, baby. Let’s get you some cinnamon rolls, okay? Then we can cuddle up and watch a movie when we get home.” Your arm links with hers as you both head back to the motorcycle, Sam making sure to stay on the side with the cars on them as you two walk.

The rest of the day, you spend time cuddling in bed with a fluffy blanket wrapped around you two. You don't let your stuffed animal go whatsoever. (Sam doesn't want to admit that you brought an extra chair to make the fluffy creature sit at dinner.)

"An extra meatball for him," You point at Pochacco as she sighs, pouring some spaghetti on a small plate.

-

Whenever Sam comes home late, she's greeted with the sight of you, hugging the plushie and squeezing the voice box like you'll die if you don't hear her.

"Hi, sweetheart. Just wanted to let you know that I love you and miss you. Hold tight, I'm always thinking about you and will give you so many cuddles when I get home, okay? I love you mi vida."

You sniff, burying your face into the plushie as you keep squeezing the arm, a different lullaby of Sam playing every time.

[dakotalun]

"Close" | Eddie Munson

pairing: Eddie Munson X Fem Reader

summary: Eddie is teaching you how to DM, but what you don't realize is how close the two of you get throughout the night.

warnings: tooth-rotting fluff

word count: 1.3k

a/n: Just thought we could use some fluff in our lives.

*******NOT MY GIF, CREDIT TO OWNERS*******

When I showed up in the drama room before the weekly Hellfire game, Eddie thought I was lost. Just by the clothes I was wearing and the smile on my face he thought this was some prank from the jocks. He told me later on that he thought “there was no way that someone like you, someone so pretty and normal was interested in Dungeons and Dragons.”

But I was, I love D&D actually. Always have, well since my friends at my old school dragged me along to the first club meeting that year, but I fell in love instantly. The way you can just transform into someone else and not care about the shit going on in the outside world was a dream come true for me.

Once Eddie and I got to talking we hit it off, he was a god at being a DM and I loved that because my last one just wanted to kill all the players as fast as possible as if it were a race to see how many he could off before anyone got into the real storyline.

“So meet at my place around 8? My uncle should be at work by then so we can have the place to ourselves.” Eddie was walking with me to my next class after lunch. The two of us were planning on joint DMing a campaign and wanted to get together soon to start planning.

“That should work. Man, I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they see me sitting in the throne for the campaign!”

“Woah there sweetheart, the throne in there is mine. But I’ll gladly have you on my lap,” Eddie whispers at me before winking. 

I just laughed and punched him in the arm, “In your dreams lover boy,” We reach my classroom after the short walk from the cafeteria, “See you later Eds.”

“Bye sweetheart,” Eddie waves at you before heading off to his own class.

---

The school day couldn’t have gone by slower. The anticipation for tonight was gnawing at my stomach all day. I’ve always been interested in being a DM but never had the chance, so when I approached Eddie with the idea I was fully prepared for him to shoot it down.

To both my luck and surprise he agreed to teach me and help me with a joint campaign to get my feet wet in the Dungeon Master pool. I had almost every book on D&D, reading them late at night when I should’ve been studying for my tests. They were just too fascinating to put down once picked up.

Once I heard the high pitch screech of the school bell dismissing us for the day I was out of my seat and through those doors before my teacher could even give me the homework. I’ll just get it from May tomorrow. I headed straight home to get prepared for tonight, not that this was a date or anything. I just wanted to look good because this is the first time Eddie and I have hung out one on one since we met. 

By the time 8 rolls around I’m already dressed and prepared to see Eddie. I’m going a little out of my confort zone with this outfit because I’m not wearing a bra which is weird for me. The white tank top I have on doing nothing at hiding my nipples and the attached nipple piercings. It’s starting to get colder outside so I threw on some loose fitting jeans and a leather jacket to complete the look before I was off to Eddie’s trailer.

Truth be told, I wanted to wear something that involved a skirt because I notice the way Eddie’s eyes travel to my thighs when I wear one but I also felt like that was coming off too strong, so I decided against it. This shirt will have to do for now.

The drive was short and quiet, the only noice being the wind blowing in from my windows and the animals outside. I reach Eddie’s house and hop out my car, grabbing my bag out the passenger’s seat before heading towards the door.

Just like Eddie said his uncle was at work since I didn’t see his truck outside next to Eddie’s van. I walk up the steps and knock on the door a few times until I hear the lock click and am met with a bright faced Eddie.

“Right on time, come on in.” Eddie opens the door a little more allowing me to walk inside, “Make yourself at home.”

The place is cozy and nice, hats and mugs are hung from the walls in the living room. My eyes scan around, taking in the place Eddie calls home.

“Want a drink?” Eddie offers from the kitchenette to my left.

“Coke if you have it please. If not water’s fine,” I reply, sitting down on the couch. Eddie returns with a Coke for me and a beer for himself.

Eddie couldn’t take his eyes off me as I took the Coke from him, the way my nipples just barely peeked out from beind the leather, showing him the faint outline of my piercings. It was killing him not being able to touch me the way he wanted, to feel me underneath him.

Eddie clears his throat, “So where do we begin?”

---

A few hours later Eddie and I are sitting on the couch, looking over all the pages of notes and open books on the coffee table in front of us. We’ve been going over the base plot line for the campaign for a while now and just need to figure out monsters and level up points.

“I think it would be wise to level them up just before the Ogre caves so that way they won’t get immediately killed you know?”

“I hear that but if we level them up then, we would have level 3 players fighting level 9 monsters in the next town.”

“Shit right, okay what if we,” I think for a minute, taking a quick drink of my third Coke of the night, “I got nothin’.”

Eddie is still looking at the book in front of us, his leg bouncing up and down quickly showing how anxious he is at the moment. I look up from where I’m staring when I feel the movement, my eyes immediately locking with the point where our legs are touching.

My gaze then raises to our arms, his shoulder squished against mine, the muscles flexing as he plays with the rings on his fingers. I took off my jacket a while ago, getting too hot with excitement as we talked about the storyline. Now it felt like my skin was on fire, his heat engulfing me as we sat side by side.

Eddie must have noticed my staring and stopped looking at the books and looked at me. His gaze follows mine when he notices it’s not focused on his own. And once he does notice what my gaze was focused on, he gets even more nervous, his eyes growing wide at the sight.

The softness of my skin on his and the rough feeling of my jeans on his skin through the holes in his own is like heaven to him. He wishes I would stop looking at his arms and look at his eyes because he needs to read my full expression.

As if I read his mind my eyes lock with his, the brown orbs he has containing nothing but warmth in return. The two of us just sit like that for a full minute, neither one of us wanting to break the connection we have. I can see the mix of emotions behind his eyes, the conflict of what to do next. I’m sure he can see my emotions too, fighting and slowly losing the battle to not lean in and kiss him.

I can clearly see the moment when his restraint snaps, the way his eyes darken and become softer at the same time. He leans in slowly, so aganizingly slowly, he doesn’t want to scare me away, he’s giving me an out. But I don’t take it. Instead I take my hand and put it in his hair before pulling his face to mine, locking our lips in a long awaited kiss.

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[redgoldsparks]

May Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

The Crane Wife: A Memoir in Essays by CJ Hauser 

This essay collection focuses on human relationships, many of them romantic, but also with grandparents, parents, sisters, best friends, COVID-isolation pods, and with the children of romantic partners from previous relationships. The title essay interweaves the experience of a broken engagement with a scientific expedition to study the dwindling population of whooping cranes in the Gulf Coast of Texas to devastating effect. Another experience, covering the DARPA Robotics Challenge trails, in which teams test out potential robotic first responders, speaks to the author's own desire to both save others and be saved by a string of problematic men. The author dated a lot of men and a few women in their twenties and processes them through the lens of media (the film The Philadelphia Story, the TV show The X-Files,the novels Don Quixote, Rebecca, We Have Always Lived in the Castle) and the perspective gained with time. I really loved this whole collection, but the piece that keeps rolling around in my mind is "The Fox Farm", about trying to recreate an archetype of a child's fantasy house (full of animals, friends, gardens, infinite rooms) in real life as an adult. I left this book wanting to know more- when did the author start using nonbinary pronouns? Have they resolved their feelings about their tits? Is that guest room in their big upstate New York house still available for visiting artists, and if so, how do I apply for the position of resident writer/new friend?

American Teenager: How Trans Kids are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era by Nico Lang

Queer journalist and author Nico Lang traveled around the US to meet 11 families of trans teens and see how anti-trans legislation is impacting their daily lives. Each family has different circumstances; one teen fears his top surgery will be indefinitely delayed, while another had surgery already and has joined the boys swim team at his high school. Some teens are moved to become activists while others want to just live their normal, low-profile lives. With humor and compassion, Lang shows trans teenagers as they really are: kids trying their best, day by day, to grow into their truest selves and fullest potential. The various chapters are by turns deep, silly, introspective, sweet, and smart, just like teens themselves. I was able to read an advanced copy of this book- pre-order it now, or look for it on shelves in October 2024!

Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb read by Elliot Hill

NO ONE IS DOING IT LIKE ROBIN HOBB. NO ONE! After a disappointing journey up the Rain Wilds River, baby we are BACK! And by back, I mean, back in a first person POV and back with FitzChivalry, one of my literal favorite fictional characters ever. This is the 7th book about his life, and the 14th overall book in this series, so I won't be summarizing it. Let's just say that Fitz found his happy ending (minus a few key soulmates) and then his life kept going. More problems, more politics, more magic, maybe stranger than ever before. A new character introduced in this series swept in and stole my heart. I can't wait to dive into the next book very soon!

Rose/House by Arkady Martine read by Raquel Beattie  

A brief murder mystery set in an fully conscious AI house in the southwest desert. This story feels in conversation with Ray Bradbury's story The Veldt and has many elements I enjoy, but a somewhat unresolved and slightly unsatisfying ending. I'm honestly still simmering on my thoughts, but looking forward to discussing this in book club soon! Edit post book club: a discussion helped me clarify what I thought was working in this book (tone, setting, themes) and what was not working (too many red herrings for such a short book, and an ending twist that seemed to undercut the book's main premise). I still think it's worth a read for Arkady Marine fans, but it is not as strong as her full length books.

Dances of Time and Tenderness by Julian Carter

In 2016 Julian Carter, a queer author and long-time participant in San Francisco's dungeon kink scene, received an invitation to be part of an archival matchmaking project. The project paired artists, activists, and scholars with specific issues of OUT/LOOK: The National Lesbian and Gay Quarterly. The assignment was to use the issue as a jumping off point to think about queer history and make something "new and provocative." Carter's assigned issue was from Winter 1991, the year the CDC announced 1 million American were HIV positive and AIDS was the 3rd leading cause of death in people aged 25-44 years. One of the many who died in 1991 due to AIDS related complications was Lou Sullivan, one of the first trans men to publicly identify as gay. From this starting point, this book traces paths of queer lineage, both proclaimed and obscured, traveling through history, memory, and poetry. Carter is linked, through friendship or scholarship, to Susan Stryker, pioneer of transgender history, to Zach Ozma, who edited Lou Sullivan's diaries for publication, and to Lou himself. Casting a transgender eye back on a queer history divided sharply into gay and lesbian, Carter allows himself to claim as ancestors sailors, skeletons, writers, lovers, and reaches forward in time towards students, readers, and artists. Including me. I was fortunate enough to be gifted an early copy by the author, and read it back in February back in one delicious rush. I already want to read it again, and more slowly, this time underlining and annotating it. This is a book to savor, but is easy to devour instead. It's sensual and surprising, formally precise, and made me want to dig around in a mess of queer historical papers and also contribute my own to the pile. It's out on June 4, 2024; give it a pre-order or look for it on shelves soon!

49 Days by Agnes Lee 

Kit, a young Korean American woman, wakes up on a beach with a map and a watch telling her she's already late. For days, she clambers over rocks and up trails, reaching for an undefined goal. Slowly, the book begins to flash back to Kit's childhood and family, the people she loved and left behind after her accidental death. In Buddhist tradition a soul travels for 49 days before rebirth, and this book follows one version of that path, the grief and slow healing that follow a loss. Drawn in a very simple yet evocative style, the spare ink lines and limited color fill this journey with meaning.

Early Riser by Jasper Fforde read by Thomas Hunt 

What a bizarre and delightful novel. It's set in an alternate history in which ice-age level cold spells cause the majority of humans to hibernate every winter, which has ripple effects on the development of technology, societal rules, culture, and family structures. Charlie Worthing was born in a "pool" in the independent nation of Wales, or a group home in which nuns dedicated to reproduction birth and raise dozens of children, in returns for credits from those who can't or don't want to have their own kids. Charlie has very few job prospects, especially ones that will give him access to morphanox, a drug which helps most people survive their months-long winter sleeps. The drug also turns about 1 in 3000 into a brain-dead zombie, but this risk is considered better odds than sleeping without it. So Charlie volunteers for the Winter Consuls, the law-keepers and problem-solvers who stay up all winter to safe guard the majority. There he has to face the three well documented dangers of winter- Vacants (zombies), Villains (the British) and Winter Volk (fairies, whose reality is debated), as well as rumors of a viral dream. The humor in this book is a close cousin to Terry Pratchett's work, in which absurdity and invention mask some pretty biting social commentary and anti-capitalist motives. I did think some of the twists at the end didn't quite pay off, however, I had such a good time with the ride this book took me on that I'd still recommend it.

Blue Flag vol 2 by Kaito 

This vol has already taken a kind of melancholy, bittersweet narrative tone which might put me off the series. I still really like the characters and overall think the writing is very effective, out I wish the humor and sweetness of book 1 would last farther into the series!

Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins: Jester Lavorre by Sam Maggs, Laura Bailey, Matthew Mercer, Hunter Severn Bonyun, Cathy Le, Ariana Maher

Short and sweet, this prequel comic shows Jester's first meeting with The Traveler, the prank that caused her need to flee from Nicodranas, and a window into Jester's relationship with her mother. It's a slight story but I loved the artwork, especially the outfits and the beautiful city views.

The Book of Love by Kelly Link

Kelly Link, one of my favorite short story authors, debuted a novel 650 pages long. I bought this the day of release but it took me a few months to actually crack it open. I'd seen it described as slow, but I think I'd say leisurely. It opens with an intriguing premise- four teenagers come back from the dead, not knowing how they died or why they were brought back 11 months later- and have to solve a magical problem if they want to keep living. But the book is less a mystery than a close examination of the teens lives in a small New England town in December. The teens include Danial, oldest of many step-siblings, who rejects his new magical powers and just wants to live a small and ordinary life. There's Mo, who lost his parents young, and was being raised by his grandmother, a famous Black romance novelist- who herself died during the 11 months he spent in an underworld. There's Laura, a musically ambitious teen, who comes back to her single mom and sister Susannah, who seems somehow entangled with the magical ritual that killed and might save her friends. And then there's a fourth person who none of the others know, who snuck out of death on their coat tails and has no name and few memories. The book rotates POVs every chapter, with more than 15 different POVs, some of whom only appear once in the whole volume. I love Link's writing style so this worked for me, but I can see how this choice to linger over details not directly related to the plot might not work for some readers. I really enjoyed this but it did take me 3 weeks to read it and I suggest other readers pick it up when ready for a slow burn of a book.

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol 

This original fairytale opens with teenage Jane mourning the recent death of her parents, after she already lost her younger brother to the sea as a child. Because there's no male heir, Jane's horrible cousin will be kicking her out of the house in a week. The only option she can see is marrying within the week so that she can access her dowry. So Jane walks down to the fishing village below her manor and proposes to a beautiful but shallow fisherman's son. He accepts- then is immediately lured under the waves by a mermaid. Jane runs into the town asking for help but only an old woman with witchy vibes is willing to aid her. The crone gives Jane a potion so she can breathe underwater, a stone which will allow her to walk on the bottom of the ocean, and a shawl to keep her warm in the depths. So armed, Jane walks into the sea after the boy who feels like her only hope. Under the waves she encounters allies and enemies, learns the true power of her own will, and realizes she might have more choices than she's realized.

Blue Flag vol 3 by Kaito

Well, I started another book because the last one ended on a massive cliff hanger, but I think I'm setting the series down after this one. I still think it's very well written, but the main character has such low self-esteem that he shouts at other characters that he sucks, he's a jerk, he doesn't deserve their friendship and they should leave him alone. I bet the arc of this series will be building this character up to where he believes he deserves their love and friendship, but I just don't feel like dwelling in this character's self-pity at the moment. I would have eaten this shit up as a teen though! Especially with the queer characters.

The Free People’s Village by Sim Kern

Set in an alternate timeline in which Al Gore won the 2000 election and declared the War on Climate Change instead of the War on Terror, this novel is an interesting mix of hopeful and dystopian elements. The main character is Maddie Ryan, a white high school English teacher working in a primarily Black neighborhood in Houston, TX. The novel is Maddie's written account of a tumultuous year in which the grungy music warehouse where her punk band practices and performs is threatened by a proposed high way and oil line which will rip up not only their art space but also a historically Black neighborhood. Maddie starts attending activist meetings which quickly morph into a full blown protest encampment surrounding the warehouse. Dubbed the Free People Village, this protest movement goes viral and is met with the exact same kind of violent police response as the current student encampments protesting for Palestine on college campuses. Woven through this depressingly accurate political forecast are multiple queer love stories, interracial friendships, a 101 crash course in anarchist philosophy and bracing look at what long-term activism takes. Folks with more of an organizing or activist background than I might find some of this book a bit basic; but I was completely drawn in by the relationships and conflicts of Maddie, Red, Gestas, Angel, and Shayna. This book feels almost painfully timely, and I hope a lot of people read it and gain both courage and perspective.

[thatbigbisexual29]

Getting Pushed Off the High Horse (Haikyuu!!)

Soooooooooooo... hi everyone! It's been a while since I've posted a fic, and I deeply apologize! Life has been busy so hoping on the computer and writing is kind of a hard task, I'm sure some of you can relate. And don't worry, I'm still working on that lee!Hobie fic, but after that's posted I might stop with the Spiderverse fics for a while. I still love the movies, but I've ran out of tickle fic content for that certain fandom. So I'll try posting something new! Hence this fic! I've been a fan of Haikyuu for a while and started watching it again *shoves down at least 50 animes I've been putting on the back burner* Okok I've been rambling now, so here you go! Enjoy! :3

“Hell yeah! That spike was even better than my last one! Eat my dust Akaashi! Woo!” was what Bokuto was currently shouting at his teammate.

It was very uncaptain-like, but his friends knew him well to know that this was a common occurrence. Whenever the team practiced together, Bokuto’s gloating personality shone. Akaashi didn’t mind the showboating, he honestly didn't. But today was not the day.

First, he woke up 30 minutes late to school, had to make up an exam in his first period, spilled his lunch all over himself, read a passage wrong in his English class and got laughed at, found out he failed that first period exam, got a C on another exam, got fussed at for sleeping in class, and accidentally packed his dirty uniform rather than a clean one for practice, so he stunk really bad. Out of all the days the gods wanted to test him, this was the day. And Bokuto was no help. In fact, he was the one that caused Akaashi to spill his lunch. He apologized… but not after he cackled like a lunatic! He even threatened to make ‘soup crotch’ his new nickname. A ‘don’t you fucking dare’ look ended that threat quick and Bokuto even offered some clean clothes he had. Which was surprising since… well, since it’s Bokuto. 

And now, after that extra mean spike Bokuto just served, Akaashi’s anger was near its boiling point. He glared at his captain from the other side of the next, wanting so badly to wipe that smug smirk off of his stupid face. Bokuto caught on and had some shit to talk.

“Oooh, is someone mad he can’t block my spikes? You should have gotten used to it by now~ Isn't losing to me your strong point? Since you’ve been losing to me ever since we met, I thought you would have rolled over and accepted your fate already~” Bokuto purred, snickering when Akaashi’s glare grew sour. The ravenette responded with a quick, “Shut up, owl.”

“Don’t let him get in your head!” Konoha shouted. Akaashi shook his head and tried to focus. But today’s events just kept piling up every time he looked at Bokuto’s stupid, annoying face. He took a deep breath in and exhaled in an attempt to calm himself. As soon as these practices were over, he could go home. He just wanted to go home.

Washio served the ball and the game was in motion. After the back and forth tosses, Bokuto took his stand.

“Pass it to me!” he called. Akaashi kept eyes on his friend, watching the ball spin in the air towards him. He watched as the ace readied himself then ran to the net, Akaashi right in front of him. They jumped at the same time, Akaashi ready to block. Bokuto had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, one his best friend could spot a mile away. Then, there was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“Take THIS, soup crotch!!!” Bokuto’s scream echoed across the gym as the sound of the ball slamming on the court followed suit. When they landed, Akaashi struck. He immediately ducked under the net and tackled the older boy to the court. Surprised, Bokuto let out an undignified squeal before bursting into maniacal laughter. He guarded his head as Akaashi attempted to collide his fists to the other’s shitty hair. He wasn’t trying to seriously injure, he would never go that far, but a few bruises wouldn’t kill the ace.

“I! Told! You! To! Shut! Up!” Akaashi growled between blocked hits. Bokuto just laughed and laughed as he grabbed Akaashi’s wrists and held them up.

“Hahaha! Looks like soup crotch can’t take the teeeasiiiing~” Bokuto just had to keep it up. Akaashi’s eyes burned bright with a murderous fire. Without knowing what else to do, Akaashi ripped his arms from Bokuto’s grip and shoved them into his armpits. That probably wasn’t the best idea since his pits were extremely sweaty, and because Bokuto decided to show everyone his best rodeo bull impression.

Bokuto proceeded to shoot his arms to his sides and hug his chest, cackling hysterically as his friend attacked a particularly bad spot. Their teammates watched on with exasperated yet understanding smiles. And plus, they didn’t dare intervene. Not when Akaashi’s face looked like he was happily skinning his prey alive.

“Yeah, yeah! Nothin’ to say now, huh? Huh? You were all big talk not one second ago, where did that talk go? Where did it go Bokuto?! You shut up real quick when someone gets a few tickles in, don’tcha? Come on, tease me again! One more jab, one more mock, one more word I dare you!” Akaashi bellowed with a sadistic smile on his face. Bokuto howled with mirth as he rocked side to side, kicking his feet to try and lessen the tickly feeling somehow.

“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! A-AKAASHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHI! NAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA! EHEEHEEHEE- GAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!” screamed Bokuto. He could never handle tickles well, his friends knew this. Even a squeeze to his side would send him through the roof. But this was plain ol’ mean. Akaashi knew his weak spots better than anyone, and how to tickle just right so Bokuto ends up crying.

“Oh nuh-uh! You deserve this, you bastard! How are you able to read the court, but not your friend?! Why do you have to be so. Damn. Annoying?!” Akaashi growled as he now focused on Bokuto’s ribs, alternating between his massaging technique and his clawing technique. The poor ace finally managed to roll onto his stomach, but somehow, not being able to block out the tickles from behind made him even more ticklish. 

“REEHEEHEEHEEEEE!! AKA-AKAAHAHAHAHAHAHASHI! SAHAHAHAHAHAHAHARRY! I’M SAHAHAHAHAHAHAHARRY!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! IT'S JUST- BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! IT’S SOHOHOHOHOHOHO EHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEASYYYYY! REEEEEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEEEE!” Bokuto cried. He attempted to crawl away, but Akaashi kept him down by laying his shin over the small of his back. The rest of the Fukurodani team, who decided to take a water break since this might take a minute, laughed from the sidelines.

“Oh my god, he sounds like Scooby Doo!” One of them remarked. The others cracked up even louder, joined their voices with Bokuto’s in the echoing gym. Akaashi himself couldn’t stop himself from smiling earnestly either. Bokuto was a dummy, that fact wasn’t to be argued with. But at least he was a loveable dummy. Even when he’s more aggravating than sin. All the teases and jabs he made to Akaashi were all friendly. He didn’t have a sinister bone in his body. He probably thought that he was cheering up the setter, so no harm was truly intended. Such a moron, Akaashi thought to himself.

“Apologize! Or else!” Akaashi demanded, pausing the tickling and placing his hand on the back of Bokuto’s thigh. Bokuto flipped himself on his back with a panicked scream.

“I’M SORRY!!!! I’m sorry for calling you soup crotch! And for making you spill the soup! And for hitting those nasty spikes! Please please please please have mercy Akaashi!” Bokuto begged. Akaashi smirked and stood up, putting his hands on his hips.

“That’s right dumbass. Learn to cheer your friend up in different ways.” Akaashi was about to walk away when he felt Bokuto’s weak hand clasp his shorts. The ace panted heavily and gulped a few times, wanting to say something but unable to get it out just yet. Akaashi rolled his eyes fondly and waited.

“Aka- *gulp* Akaashi… *pant pant pant* Let’s stop by a store… *pant pant* and get… *gulp* meat buns? I’ll *pant* pay…!” Bokuto asked. The setter looked at him surprised, then smiled and nodded.

“That’s fine with me. Now get up and drink something before you pass out.” He pulled the ace to his feet and pushed him towards the bench. After practice, Bokuto kept to his word and bought them each five meat buns from a local convenience store. Akaashi didn’t need that much, but it was the thought that counts. He reflected back on today while walking home with Bokuto, who wouldn’t stop talking, and smiled. Eh, today wasn’t so bad, he thought. 

[yanderecrazysie]

Watchful (Yandere Goshiki)

A request on my Wattpad

Title: Watchful

Pairings: Goshiki Tsutomu x Reader

WARNINGS: Yandere themes,

Summary: Goshiki can’t approach you, so he opts to watch you instead.

watchful

/adjective/

watching or observing someone or something closely; alert and vigilant:

“Hi (Y/n)! How was your day?” That’s all Goshiki wants to say to you.

But he can’t.

His throat dries up whenever you come into his vicinity, his body seizes up, and his face turns tomato red. He can’t help it, not when you’re as amazing as you are. To him, you’re a goddess that he desperately wants to worship.

Everything about you is precious, from your shining locks of hair to the shoes you choose to wear each day. And he’d do anything to get a hold of either.

But taking souvenirs has never been his thing. For him, watching you at all hours is the best pastime he could ever ask for.

He didn’t understand why you wouldn’t notice him, after all, he’s the ace of one of the top volleyball teams. But no matter, he would notice you twice as hard!

When you’re in class together, he makes sure to sit behind you. As long as there’s not a test, he’s spacing out and watching the back of your beautiful head. He loves the way your eyelashes flutter when you blink, the way your mouth pushes into a pout when you’re thinking hard, and the way your hand shoots into the air when you know the answer.

He’s done badly on his classwork for years, and that’s all because of you.

When he gets out of volleyball practice, he’s itching to see you. You don’t have a club, so you always go straight home. It’s the only time he’s awake and he’s not watching you.

He knows the way to your house better than he knows the way to his own. He always trots down the path with a skip in his step, smiling to himself because he’ll get to see you soon, in your own natural habitat. 

He wonders, if he took you away from the outside world, would you prefer your dream bedroom or the same one you have now? You seem to enjoy your room enough, and he was sure it’d be nostalgic for the both of you.

For now, he couldn’t work up the nerve to even wave at you first. He needed a plan before pulling a miracle like that off.

He shakes his head, banishing those thoughts for now. He didn’t need daydreams like that when he was heading for the dreamiest girl he’d ever laid his eyes on.

He settles himself in the bush outside your room soon enough, lighting up like a Christmas tree when he spots you at your desk. The smile on his face is so goofy that he’s glad you can’t see it. You’d think he was childish, wouldn’t you? 

It doesn’t matter. Not when you busy yourself with your laptop. His eyes light up- you’ve started watching a new YouTuber. Were they recommended to you, perhaps?

You just have it going in the background, but he can see the half-smile that curls across your lips as you listen to the video. Goshiki squints and tries to make out the channel name, but before he knows it, you’re climbing into bed and turning on the TV.

The anime you watch is a rerun, one of your favorites. He’s glad you’re enjoying yourself tonight. You shouldn’t be subjected to school work and drama and such. You were much too perfect for that.

And if you just gave him a chance, he’d take you away from all of it.

[djbunnie]

Oooo!!! What if Sam helped Danny with the "dodging the bullet" moment!!!

Sam knew Danny in highschool Peripherally. He was one of the popular kids (the good kind). And Sam was a bookworm. The new girl Paulina, Sam and she became friends (along with Val, star, dora) a few months later, Paulina started dating Danny. At first she seemed cool and they would talk about everything. At one point, she starts talking about how she has been hooking up with her ex-boyfriend (Dash Baxter) behind Danny’s back. Just before the end of the school year. Paulina tells Sam she is pregnant and that she knows it belongs to her ex boyfriend. She is laughing and really proud of herself because Danny is going to do the right thing. Withdraw his college application and go work to support her and the baby. Her ex, the father of the baby, is kind of a loser, so she thinks it’s the best thing, even if she can continue banging dash while making Danny support her. 

Sam really didn’t know Danny that well, but she got his phone number from an acquaintance of hers who knew it (Tucker Foley aka Danny BFF). Sam anonymously Texted him about the Paulina ploy and said “get a paternity test. The baby isn't yours.”

He then thanked Sam. (through text)

Danny and Paulina broke up. He cussed her out and Danny went to college and made something of his life.

I thought maybe... Paulina told Danny that they had sex at a party when they were drunk, Danny believed her of course, it made sense at the time. but in reality they never had sex because Paulina was with Dash.

Sam did the right thing; she cut Paulina off and moved on with her life…

Meanwhile, before they graduate. Danny wanted to know who sent him the text? He wanted to thank them personally, and wanted to repay them by saving his life.  After a couple of days, Danny almost wanted to give up. He tried calling and texting them. But they didn't respond. Until, when Danny arrived at Nasty Burger and sat at the booth next to Val, star, dora. He overheard their conversation about their ex-friend and how they were lucky to have good friends like Sam in their lives. Praising her for warning Danny from paulina.

When Danny learned that it was Sam who warned him, he went to find her...but Sam was really busy. Because they were graduating soon, Sam was too busy apartment hunting, packing her stuff, and etc.

Unfortunately they never did meet up, after graduation Sam left right away. (I'm being lazy so I'm going to reuse some of the office love idea lol) Sam and Danny met again later in life, (they are 25-26 years old) Sam and Danny were at a bar or some cafe. It was Danny who approached her first. 

Danny: “Sam is that you?”

Sam: “huh? I'm sorry, do I know you?”

Danny: “It’s me Danny! Danny Fenton…we went to the same highschool…and you saved me from Paulina.”

Sam: “Oh! OMG!!! Danny!!!”

Danny: *Chuckle*

They got to talking about life, careers, etc. Sam told Danny about her great job as a game illustrator, originally she wanted to go into business, but she wasn't happy. Then she entered a game art contest, won first prize and got an internship. Sam dropped out of college and has been working for the company ever since. And she loves it. And to further her career she is taking night classes to gain the skills as a generalist animator and/or 3D modeler.

Danny was impressed by Sam, but not as impressed as Sam when she learned Danny is an Aerospace Engineer!!!

Sam: “WOW!!! That is so COOL!!!”

Danny: “it’s nothing.”

Sam: “don’t be so modest, Mr. Aerospace Engineer. I bet you're making Bank. your gf is a lucky lady to have you.“

Danny: “actually…no.”

Sam: “wha?”

Danny: “I-i don't have a gf.”

Sam: “....”

Danny: ���....”

Sam: “....im sorry, i have a hard time believing that.”

Danny: “it’s because of the incident with Paulina, i'm having difficulty with trusting women in an intimate/ romantic setting. ”

Sam: “oh..right, yeah i don't blame you.”

Danny: “Sam…i've been wanting to thank you, for saving me from a miserable fate as a factory worker to support that wicked woman and raising someone else's child. It was thanks to you, I was able to pursue my dreams of working in NASA and freedom.”

Sam: “Oh please, anyone in my position would have done the same.”

I was thinking Danny kind of lied but not really, don't get it wrong. Danny was traumatized. He was never serious in a relationship but he has had a lot of one night stands. and Danny has been very careful. He took every precaution. Danny knows he's in a position where women would do anything to lock him down (baby trap him and etc) because he is very successful and financially good, so yeah.

also it will be interesting throughout the years when Danny is sleeping with other women he imagines he's with Sam!!! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Danny: “What about you? How was your dating life?”

Sam: “It sucks, I've only been with two…well technically one serious relationship.”

The first guy was mostly a “friend with benefits” and the second one was her ex-fiance. (Gregor,) the liar and cheater. Since then Sam has been single since.

I think it would be really sweet if Danny only sees him and Sam having a future together. So Sam and Danny would have a second chance in love/ Friends to lovers type of love story story.

[modyuki]

Heyya Sun!, hope you're in a great shape right now!

soo can i have a Rui Kamishiro x reader(gender neutral) likee when they take a walk and chit chat and suddenly the reader like " haha.. I really love you" in a small voice(but Rui can hear it) like a reflex to say that 'cause they have soo much fun!

Thank you soo much! Love your wirtting!!

✧ · 𝐈 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 · ✧

Notes: THANK YOU I DIDN'T REALLY THINK ANYONE WOULD LIKE MY WRITING AT FIRST BUT I'M REALLY HAPPY PEOPLE DO , AND I KNOW I'VE BEEN GONE FOR A MONTH BUT LISTEN (there's not excuse I've been procrastinating 😭) , But I promise I'll try to post more frequently from now on keyword I'LL TRY. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing :3

TW:none

summary: you are talking to Rui and you accidentally confess to him

⋆ You and Rui have been friends for a long time now since the two of you were neighbors.

⋆ You and Rui Would spend More time together then the others

⋆ Rui would invite you to his house to test out his inventions he totally didn't ask the other members of wxs before

⋆ You started to develop feelings for the purple haired boy in middle school

⋆ You weren't sure what made you love him the way you did but you couldn't help but blush when hugged you or when he did that :3 face

⋆ You kept your feelings hidden during Middle School and you did not plan on telling him anytime soon neither

⋆ But you needed to let out that feeling out even if he didn't hear you

One Saturday morning Rui had invited you to hang out with Him in Phoenix Wonderland and ofcourse you agreed (who wouldn't lol)

And you used the crowded place with many people talking at once to your advantage and confess to him

...well not really but at least you'd get it out of your system right?

And then Tsukasa went flying out of the canon, although It wasn't my plan for it to go that high but it was fun, Well he did say he wanted to be a star so a shooting star should count right :3

Rui laughed at his own joke (it was not funny), You decided to just suck it up and add the "I love you" in the sentence too as you laugh at his joke too

Hahaha! You're kinda right there that's why I love you

What?

That came out louder then you intended

W-W-WHAT I SAID NOTHING HAHAHAHA THAT'S SO-

I heard you say you loved me is that true mm?

He said as he got a little bit closer to you as the both you entered the Farris wheel and he sat a little closer to you waiting for you answer

Still waiting for your answer

He putted a hand on top of yours to reassure you

Yes It is true..

Y/N I-

You don't have to return my feelings just because you don't wanna feel bad I understand if you-

He then pull you into a hug laying your head against his chest as he replied...

I love you too Y/N and I return your feelings because I truly feel the same way about you, I really love you

You return his hug and when you finally pull away from the hug , the two of you looked into eachothers eyes and shared a nice sweet kiss

⋆ After that you guys spent the rest of the ride with you having your head layed on his shoulder and him having his head into top of his while the both of held hands

⋆ You can say without doubt that that was the best day in your life and you'll forever remember this day

⋆ Even you didn't plan on him listening what you were saying , you were glad he did.

Notes: I APOLOGIZE AGAIN FOR PROCASTINATING I'M SORRY LISTEN I HAVEN'T EVEN PLAYED MY GAMES BECAUSE OF PROCASTINATION BUT ANYWAY, drink water get something to eat and take a break or else your stuffed animal gets it 😡

[lilith-little-world]

Sneak Peek of Chapter One|| The Isekai’d Oracle||

This is very short and I will be posting more sneak peeks of the wip chapter and drawings of possible spoilers for future scenes. For clarification, this is a Sun Wukong x Reader, for each chapter my minimum word count is around 10k words, usually, I try to push for 20k. The most I had done is over 50k words for a chapter (still fucking proud of that). It may take a while tho. I will upload the story on Ao3, Wattpad, or both.

Also, this will be unedited and will have a lot of grammar mistakes. There are going to be huge or small changes when the finalized chapter, comes out. So enjoy the first part of the first chapter.

Summary: The reader was pushed beyond her breaking-point, and wishes for a new life. Not knowing, it had set in stone her destiny. Thrown into the world of the Lego Monkie Kid, she earns the title, “Fated Oracle”, who has returned to give her guidance. The bad news, she doesn't have a clue what's happening and regrets ever wanting a new life. Yet she decides not to change the ending but change the path towards it. Will she succeed in not having everyone go threw angst? Is it possible that the Monkey King will not fuck over any new friendships and have everyone mad at him? Let's find out if our precious reader makes the story all fluff or have it ruined by angst and pain.

The campus was busy as any other day. Students walked to their classes, and clubs doing activities or talking to their friends, everyone was enjoying their sunny and bright day. Then there was you, stuck in the campus library, quietly crying. Shame and embarrassment never hit you. Is it so bad to have a break from the constant shit the world dumps on you? Apparently, it is.

The students ignore your display of raw emotions. Nothing new, many students before you, would seek the endless bookshelves. To have a spot to cry in. It's the only area on this campus where the possibility of some alone time exists, even though it was public. 

When was the last time you took a break and just be yourself?

You sob while watching an animated show on your barely working laptop. The only thing comforting you on this terrible day. The 2D Lego characters act out the ending of the series. Well, for now, as the foreshadowing of season 4 plays. It had been a while since you had last seen the show. Rather busy with the fuckery of this year. You close the laptop when the screen fades to black. You stare at a random corner, letting your mind think.

The current enemy.

Earlier in the school year, you made sure to be on top of your classes and get good grades, only to fail. How did things get so bad? You did everything right, and chose the “correct path”. So, why isn't everything working out? 

A few faces pop into your head, almost in a taunting way. Of people, you can blame this unfair situation you’re in. Yet you didn't have the heart to do so. Still, your infuriated mind replays the memories of how this mess came to be. 

Midway into the first half of the semester, your parents had gotten sick with the flu. Sadly, you were the only child that had “enough spare time” to take care of them. It made you miss a few in-person tests during that small period but nothing your overall grade couldn't deal with.

Luckily, your parents had gotten better, soon after. The moment they were in stable condition, you had already packed your bags. Ready to go back to the college campus. Then life decided that it didn't hit you hard enough. 

Consequently, your mother had gotten into a small accident at work. The day you were planning to leave. Luckily, it wasn't anything serious, yet somehow, your help was once again needed.

However, what got you upset the most, is how the professors weren't sympathetic to your current situation. Refusing to allow you to retake the tests or projects. Next thing you know, the zeros started to pile up and destroyed your once-good grades. Even though you tried to stay on top of the online work or trying to be part of the group projects yet it wasn't enough. So now you're failing the whole semester because a sorry excuse for a professor wanted to be an asshole.

This was going to be your last year, but that isn't the case anymore. Worse, you don't have enough money left to redo the semester. Dealing with your family and school was stressful enough, but what took the icing on the cake was that you had to work during all this. Being a server for some rundown diner, working late nights. You went beyond your limit and still kept pushing forward. Naively thinking that things would have gotten better. 

You tried, and you failed.

What a cruel joke that is being played on you. If only something can whisk you away so you don't have to worry about this anymore. This isn't even the major you wanted to take but had done it to please your parents. Wasting your time on this damn absurdity, trying to play it safe. All because it was the “right path” to choose. Now here you are crying in a damn public library because you ruined your life. If only some greater power takes mercy on you and gives you a new life. A new start.

Then you'll make your own path to choose.

“Hehe, as if someone can be that generous.” You said to yourself. Closing your eyes, taking a breath. 

“I don't have time for this. I already wasted enough. I need to be at work soon.”

Quickly pulling yourself together, you put away the laptop in your bag. The world doesn't stop spinning for anyone, after all. Anyway, you can always postpone a good cry for later and you can rewatch the series anytime.

The sun was setting, bringing the cold night. You shiver from the cold winds, regretting not bringing a jacket. Regardless, being cold or not, you waited at the bus stop around the corner. A few others wait along. The minutes pass by longer than usual. Cursing to yourself when you realize the bus is going to be a few minutes late. Another misfortune event on this godfucking day.

The sound of loud rumbling breaks your negative mood. The bus slowly came to a stop, the brakes hissing. A part of you wanted to say fuck it and not go to work today. Nevertheless, your body automatically steps in and shows your bus pass. Already have the actions mesmerized.

‘Guess it won't hurt to be on autopilot.’

That quickly, you zoned out and let your body lead. Only to check in when noticing your stop and putting your bag in the break room. 

You put a black collared shirt on top of yours. Getting a hair tie out, you pull your hair back to a semi-high ponytail. It wasn't much but was better than being yelled at for not having it up.

“Alright, time to work and suck up.” You said, mentally preparing yourself.

This job was okay, depending on the night it was going to be. Either the diner is extremely busy or dead, and both are horrendous. Be stuck with countless people and their orders or have nothing to do for hours and get paid less for it.

You really need to find a better job.

“Come on sweet cheeks, customers are waiting already.” 

Not caring to give a response to the head chef. Getting the menus, you put on your best smile.

“Hi, welcome, hope your evening is going great! What drinks do you want?”

You scribble down and go back to the counter, getting the drinks on the tray. The bell on the door jingles, letting you know that more customers have arrived. 

‘It’s going to be a busy night, huh?’

The small restaurants slowly fill up, soon getting cramped. Luckily, other servers showed up so you didn't have to serve every customer. 

“Hey, it's your turn to clean the restrooms.”

 

“I'm a little busy doing my job.” 

Your coworker scowls.

“They can wait a minute or two. The restrooms can not.”

“That isn't my fault, Tom. My job was to wait tables, not clean the restroom. Also, we both know the customers can't for a goddamn second.”

You had never been on good terms with your coworkers. Since you like to mind your own business. Regardless, this person standing in front of you was just rude. Thinking he can boss you around.

“Yes but it's your turn to clean the restrooms.”

“Which I know, and I'll do it after I finish serving this table. You know since that's my job that I'm getting paid for, so it takes priority.”

The chef rings a bell. Tom just smirks at you. Rolling your eyes, you get the plates.

“Remember straight to the restrooms.” He said a little too cheerfully.

You hold back your groan and put on a smile. Placing the plates on the table with a group of people around your age. They chat away, talking about plans or stories. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. You nearly get lost in it before remembering your job.

“Is that all?” 

They nod, not paying attention to your presence. You glance at the clock on the wall. Your shift was coming to an end soon.

‘Better get to the restrooms before Tom has an aneurysm.’

The restrooms weren't even messy. People would rather not use the small area, so it didn't get too dirty. You just swept and mopped, making the room smell pleasant. Didn't even take long before you finished. 

“Can't believe Tom made such a big deal out of this. I get that some people just like to be pricks but meeting so many in my life seems overkill.” You said to yourself while taking the bag out of the trash cans.

“Bet that fucker is having a good laugh. Hope he does, at least one of us is enjoying our night.” You dumped the dirty mop water down the toilet. 

Now you can end this night and go home. The broom and mop go back to the janitor's closet and take the bags out back. You stop and look at the employee parking. Tom had been bragging about his new car. You slowly walk to it, getting a good look. The car was nice, new, and clean. It also seems he left the door unlocked.

“Fuck it.”

You open the door and tore the bags open. The dirty toilet paper covered the seats. You left the bag there and shut the door. Trapping the putrid smell. A genuine smile finally stretched across your face. Entering back into the establishment, humming. You went to the break room and grabbed your bag. Pulling out your phone and headphones. Ignoring the other coworkers who were on break.

“What got you in a good mood? You looked like you were about to shit your pants when we talked.”

“Oh, I just saw a funny scene out in the employee's parking lot. Some bozo got their car trashed.” You said vaguely, glancing at the man whose face turned pale. He immediately ran out of the room. 

“Well see you all later, hopefully not.”

You left the restaurant before the chaos exploded. Only halfway on your trip back home when you finally got a phone call from your boss. You ignored it and tried to enjoy the bus ride. 

There weren't many people there. Good, you never liked how these things get so crowded. The bus was oddly going a little faster than usual. You didn't question it, trying to focus on your phone. Scrolling through your feed, until your screen starts to glitch, and words appear.

Welcome back…

There was a loud screeching that tore the air. As the world became a blurry mess. 

[lovetaroandtaemin]

All I Wanted

Chapter 2: Are You Satisfied?

Osaki Shotaro x Reader

Word count: 872

Content warnings: None for this chapter

Thank you again to @wonbons for beta reading! Your feedback has been a huge help and I'm incredibly grateful.

Fic is under the cut

Shotaro was more nervous than usual for his first statistics test of the year. He had a good enough grasp on the material, but there were a few things he was shaky on. He did spend a lot of time studying, but he just didn’t understand certain concepts. He knew that he had to focus today though because he couldn’t let his grades suffer. If he did, he would never hear the end of it from his dad.

You, on the other hand, were filled with confidence. You refused to let anything get in the way of passing. Studying was your entire life for a week before the quiz. You didn’t talk to anyone for the first few days, which resulted in several angry voicemails from Karina because she hadn’t heard from you. You apologized for ignoring her and made sure to talk to people while still studying as much as you could. Your degree was far too important to you to fail.

As you were making your way to class, you saw Wonbin. He smiled and winked at you, and you gave him a small smile in response. He continued walking as you silently prayed that you wouldn’t fail.

You walked into class and smiled as you saw Shotaro. He was wearing his bright purple beanie, which you had learned meant that he had overslept and hadn’t had time to brush his hair. Initially he looked upset, but as soon as he noticed you his expression changed to that signature smile that made you feel all giddy inside. You took your seat next to him and started to discuss the upcoming quiz.

“How do you think you’re gonna do?” he asked.

“I know I’m gonna pass,” you replied, “I was up until 3 AM studying last night.”

“I wish I had your confidence, (Y/N).”

“I’m sure you’ll do great, ‘Taro. You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for. Plus, I know how much you’ve been studying.”

“Thanks, (Y/N),” he mumbled, with a barely noticeable blush starting to appear on his face.

Your conversation was cut short by Ms. Kim passing out your tests. You once again silently prayed to whoever would listen that you would pass and began to work as soon as you received your test. As you answered the questions, you couldn’t help but wonder how Shotaro was doing. He had looked upset when you walked into class, but you hadn’t been able to ask him why before the test started. You made a mental note to ask him about it after class.

The second the test was placed on his desk, Shotaro started answering questions to the best of his ability. He wasn’t confident in all his answers, but that didn’t stop him from giving everything he had. Once he finished answering the questions and handed in his exam, he spent the rest of the class period doodling in his notebook. The drawings of animals and flowers may have looked like something silly to pass the time to someone that saw them in passing, but for Shotaro art was his escape. And with stress from school and his dad’s daily lectures about not wasting his potential, he needed it.

After everyone finished their tests, class was dismissed. You tried to follow Shotaro to ask him why he seemed upset earlier, but he ran out the door before you could catch up to him. So, you sent him a text instead, letting him know that if he needed to talk about anything you were there for him.

The rest of your morning classes were a blur, with papers being assigned and more tests being taken. You had been rushing to get things done all morning, so you decided to go to the library to take a break in a quiet environment before you had to continue your studies.

The last person you expected to see as you entered was Wonbin. You knew that it was rude to assume from the limited interactions you had with him, but he didn’t really seem like the type to spend free time at the library.

“Hey, Wonbin. How are you?”

“I’m doing ok, I just wanted a quiet place to study. What’s up with you?”

“I wanted to take a breath before my next class, tests all morning.”

“Yikes. By the way, next time you see Karina would you give this back to her? She left it at my place last night,” he said as he handed you her makeup bag.

“Will do, thanks.”

The two of you chatted for a few more minutes before you left to continue your day.

The next day at the end of class, Ms. Kim gave everyone their tests back. You looked at yours, and you saw that your score was 93. Excited that you passed, you showed Shotaro. He seemed a little bit less excited, however, as he wordlessly showed his paper. It had 86 written at the top in bright red ink. Even though he was a little upset, he jokingly promised to kick your ass when it was time for the next test. You laughed and said you wished that he would.

“Well I guess I have to, now,” he said with a wink.

Thanks for reading!! Sorry about the lack of update last week, Preparing for Easter was a bit chaotic. I promise chapter 3 will be out next week. Stay tuned!

If you'd like to be added to the taglist, either comment or dm me with the username that you'd like tagged. Once again, thanks to @wonbons for beta reading!

[invisibleraven]

Sick days for PeterPatterLina please and thank you

The first thing Julie thought when she woke up was how much every part of her hurt. It felt like a bone deep ache that radiated through her entire being. She didn't think she had pushed herself any harder than normal at the gym the day before, but maybe she had?

Only the ache didn't go away even after a long hot shower and some pain meds. Thankfully she didn't have anywhere to be, but still, she had hoped to be a little productive on her day off, not clutching a hot water bottle on the couch.

Worse was that the guys were both out today; Reggie had taken the kids to a farm outside the city to see the animals, maybe see if he could convince Danny to pet a horse. Luke was doing some guitar work as a studio musician for an up and coming band they had met at some function or another.

So Julie had the house to herself and couldn't even take advantage. Instead she got herself some of her favourite feel better snacks and turned on the cheesiest rom com she could find.

She eventually drifted off, but woke up still hurting all over and started to worry. What if something was really wrong? She dragged herself up, and grabbed her phone.

Julie: Don't want to worry either of you, but I really don't feel well, gonna get papi to bring me in to get checked out.

Reggie: We're on our way home now anyways angel, sit tight and I'll drop the kids off to papi and bring you in myself.

Luke: I've got one last track to finish up, just let me know where you end up and I'll be there as soon as I can boss.

Reggie was home soon afterwards and froze when he saw Julie laying there on the couch. "Hey darlin', not feeling too hot?"

She shook her head, hissing a little when he scooped her up, patting him gently on his chest when he started to apologize non-stop. "It's okay cariño, I just hurt everywhere."

"You didn't do that at yoga yesterday though," Reggie commented, securing her in the passenger seat of their sedan.

"It's probably nothing, but I'd rather know then not," Julie said. "Now distract me with stories of the farm."

Reggie offered her a smile, even if it didn't reach his eyes, regaling her of how Danny now wanted a horse and Luna had almost caught a chicken. "Apparently they have a 4H club at their school, I'm gonna see if they can join, they'd love it."

"And see if they need parent volunteers while you're there?" Julie teased. Reggie flushed but she knew that meant yes. They were in between albums now anyways, it would be great for him to get involved in something involving the great outdoors before they missed daylight once they got stuck back in the studio.

They registered at the local hospital, and Luke joined them after a half hour, clutching Julie's hand in his, Reggie's in the other. None of them were fans of the hospital, and more than a little worried. Especially after all the tests they ran on Julie with no answers.

Finally they were called back, the doctor not even reacting to there being three of them. But nothing could prepare them for what he said next.

"We found a tumor in your ovary Mrs. Molina," the doctor said. "We are hopeful that it's benign, but we'd have to do a biopsy to make sure. If it is, it'll be a simple surgery to remove it. If not..."

"I know," Julie replied. "My mom... she went through it all. She didn't make it."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the doctor said. "But let's not dwell on that right now. We'll schedule your biopsy, and take each step as it comes, okay?"

Julie nodded, hands clenched, barely feeling her husband's hands on her. The words were muffled, the world sideways. She couldn't register anything, not even being guided home, two anxious faces sat beside her as she started to cry.

Most of the rest of that night was a blur to Julie. she was sure at some point her dad showed up, Victoria with food in tow, not that she could even think about eating. She tried to be normal for Danny and Luna, but she was also sure they could feel the tension in the air, and they treated her like she was made of glass.

Luke carried her to bed that night while Reggie tucked in the kids, the three of them eventually gathered in a tearful huddle in the bed as they made plans. Discussed what would happen if the worst should happen.

None of them slept very much that night.

The day of the biopsy, Julie was wide awake long before dawn, staring out the window. Luke and Reggie were curled around her, Danny and Luna down by their feet, the whole family wanting to be together the night prior.

"Mami," Julie prayed. "Please... look after them if I can't."

"Don't talk like that," Luke murmured. "It'll be alright."

"And if it's not, there's lots of options," Reggie said, yawning around the words. "You're not going anywhere, we won't let you."

"I don't think you have any control over that hun," Julie chuckled.

Reggie and Luke just clutched her tighter, as if that would keep her there. Like their love would make it all better, and Julie sorely wished it would.

She doesn't remember much about the trip to the hospital, or going under. Only awakening in a private room with four anxious faces holding flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals. Hugging her family close and starting the next part; the worst part-all the waiting for the results.

The next few weeks were fraught, and Julie jumped every time her phone rang. She tried writing song after song, with the guys helping when she broke down or screamed in frustration, tossing the notebook at the wall.

Finally the call came, and Julie was sure she cracked her phone screen from how tightly she was gripping it.

"Mrs. Molina? The tumor was benign."

"Oh thank God," Julie breathed out.

"We're very happy to report that we found no pre-cancerous signs either, so we can schedule a time for us to get the rest of it out and that should take care of the pain."

Julie thanked the doctor profusely, setting up a follow up appointment and turned to her family, full of smiles.

"I'm okay," she breathed out.

There was a lot of cheering, crying, and hugs that night.

And Julie slept surrounded by her family once more, not wanting to be apart from them any longer than she had to. They clung to her, and maybe there was something to their love keeping her there. So Julie hugged them back just as tight, determined to stick around for as long as fate would let her.

[apurritionandabeerition]

Chapter 0

I am Cat, I’ve died once now, and that has now established that even death cant fucking stop me. anyway due to me “dying” I have these fucking- magical ghost powers,

Flight, phasing through walls, the usual, I also can sense where ghosts are, but recently that’s been unreliable as shit. When I go to the location the ghost is gone like i pinpoint the location, and the presence fades out into the general area, and I can't follow where it’s going.

Ghosts don’t move around normally aside from where they died or where their corpse is so this can’t be a normal ghost, Though i don't really know what they are… I mean there are city ghosts which are basically the spirit of the city… I’ve seen one before but I'm not sure if this town has one. Anyway as school has started and even though I’ve died once this does not relieve me of my responsibilities apparently.

It’s like god himself thought “fuck you, you are not escaping swedish” the good part is in my class there is someone who is interested in similar things, in computer class we sit right next to each other. Anyway I managed to launch a game on one of the school laptops and she noticed it. I thought at first she would report me to the teachers and they would patch the trick I used but instead she asked me how to do that on her computer.

Turns out if I bring a usb stick with the game downloaded on it I can run it as the school doesn’t block executables, though this doesn’t work if it has a launcher such as Stonestar or Smoke. It made computer class hell of a lot interesting as most of the things they teach us I know already, i mean who doesn’t know how to use Microwsoft Word?

maybe I can boot off of the hard drive i have if I download Wondows on it and then the Smoke launcher.

I’m upset my friend here isn’t in my swedish class, it’s quite like mental torture trying to learn it, at least if she was in the same class I’d have something to do as the teacher is unnecessarily strict and won’t allow me to draw during class like i usually do. Usually in the back of the class I hear an unholy amount of chatter and one of them ate an entire jar of pickles including the juice.

Though when I get a chance to draw something I draw the ghosts I encounter as it makes quite interesting practice even though the teachers might be a bit worried for my mental health, and i should probably get a secondary sketchbook if i will show them to my friend, as i don’t want to look like i escaped a mental asylum, though thinking of outfits to use when flying is enjoyable. We both seem to be into roguelikes and roguelites. and i do like those games more with friends as it’s more fun to get fucked over but just together instead.

Anyway we are going to have a math test soon and I haven't really been paying attention in class due to the whole mysterious second ghost thing so my friend and I have been hanging out and studying which to be honest I’ve never been that good at, I can listen in class but not really know what to do after, though the chemistry exam will be easier as it is practical not theory for once. It’s generally easier to remember things when you do them with your hands and the teacher is pretty chill.

more on the ghost side of things i haven’t had to worry about much recently as the before mentioned odd ghost seems to be taking care of it, i can’t tell if they are avoiding me or it’s a coincidence, though even though there is now a second person dealing with the ghosts there is a ton of them which i’ve only seen in this town as the ambient ghost stuff is plenty here i guess. it’s probably why i ended up respawning with a power up like an anime character. Though this mysterious ghost seems to only be really helpful and so I won't chase it down as I can't tell if it wants to be found or not, though I am really fucking curious. Still bashing ghost heads in as a ghost is pretty fun. My school has made a fanclub of ghost me.

more about the powers thing apparently dying gives you the power to bash a man’s head through concrete…

\~\~\~POV SWITCH!\~\~\~

I’m Samy, and once upon a time, I died. I got better, though. I got REALLY better, like, FLYING AND GOING THROUGH WALLS AND ELECTRICITY BETTER. But a part of these powers is knowing where other ghosts are. But I've been noticing that when I get close to where one specific ghost is, it’s gone. It’s… fucking weird like i can’t pinpoint it’s location. Surely there has to be another ghost here that’s like me, right..? But anyways, I still have to go to school, for… reasons? The day i use fucking chemistry is the day i die for the second time and hopefully PERMANENTLY. At least I can avoid Swedish cause I moved here. I heard screams of horror from the classrooms… But hey, it’s not terrible. There’s this other person in school, REALLY fucking cool.

She managed to hack a pc to play games n shit, which is HELLA cool, and i got to play too so, eh. Too bad that the teacher is going to hate my guts more, cause I'm gonna be even MORE distracted in her classes... But eh, it’s life.

The friend I mentioned said they wanted to show me some drawings, which seems fun! Hopefully they won't ask me to draw, though. ~~When they grow up, they are going to be an old cat lady if the drawings are any sign.~~ also the kibtys are cuetb and i loev em!

Oh shit. I just realized a chemistry test is coming up. Oh no. OH NO. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING ANY ATTENTION IN CLASS IN THE SLIGHTEST, with my friend showing me how to get games working and the occasional poking around for ghosts, FUCK!.. And my last grades were already fucking terrible! i’ll have to figure out how i fucking find my way out of this TEST HELL and the chemisty one isnt the only test because we have maths too-. okay okay, Kinda a bit dramatic, I know, but yeah…

But, going back to the ghosts thing. Sometimes, there’s just a random ghost, trying to do something to the school. I sometimes deal with it myself, but other times, it just goes away. I think it’s because of the other ghost I mentioned before. It looks different from what a usual ghost, kinda like… the northern lights? I tend to see the trail behind it in the sky, it’s honestly really cool looking… but it’s still really weird. Even with my and the other ghosts' help, which screws it, I'll nickname Aurora.

Even with mine and Aurora’s help, this place is still really haunted. It’s a small town, which doesn’t explain WHERE it comes from. Maybe the ghosts are from the town itself…? But whatever it is, it is probably also what brought me back to life. Which is… Weird. A town that never truly dies sounds both cool AND very dangerous. But I do mean, REALLY, REALLY cool.

I haven’t done it much, since, school, and trying to maintain a facade of giving a fuck about grades, but, when i get to? Being able to stop a disaster, and being able to be a hero, AND being able to punch a ghost in the face? It’s honestly REALLY FUN.

Though, I do need to be. Kinda careful? Try not to bash someone's head into concrete, I guess? I’d be worried about going to jail, but i can go through walls, no jail cell is gonna stop me, FUCKERS!

[banannabethchase]

Adam has a a break down, a break through, and a break out moment. Net positive.

~

Penultimate chapter, and this is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy!

Mini playlist: King of My Heart - Sub-Radio Rhythm of Your Heart - Marianas Trench I Think I'm in Love - Kat Dahlia Let My Love Open the Door - Luminate

~

It’s too soon before the problem shows up again. He fails the Chemistry practice test, absolutely bombs it with a 48%, and Mr. Pace doesn’t even have pointers for him. Just shakes his head and asks him to do an error analysis.

Even Dalton can’t pull him out of his funk with his wildly inappropriate questions about animal mating habits to throw off the teacher. He keeps trying to push at Adam’s leg, jostle him, get some sort of reaction, but Adam’s just numb. He’s too focused on how much he fucked up, how badly he did.

He leaves the barns, and nearly slams into Jon, who’s standing there, looking confused. “Hey, Cowboy. Heard you’re being weird.”

“I’m not being weird,” he says. His tone says he is definitely being weird.

Mox wiggles his phone. “Dalton texted me. Said you didn’t laugh at a single one of his plastic cow dildo jokes. That’s unlike you.”

“How do you know?” Adam folds his arms across his chest, suddenly too cold and too seen. “Maybe I find cow dildo jokes crass.”

Mox throws an arm around his shoulder and Adam, almost automatically, leans into him, relaxing into the warmth. “Talk to me, baby,” he murmurs. “Something’s wrong.”

Adam doesn’t want to. He’s afraid that, if he says it, if he admits it, he’ll collapse into the words.

“Please,” Jon says, voice strained, “let me help.”

Before he can stop himself, Adam speaks. “I want to drink. All I want to do is go home and pound a couple beers and just – black out. Forget it all.” All of a sudden, like a broken damn, he’s crying. He can’t stop it. “I’m so sorry, Mox. I don’t want to want it.”

Mox shushes him, leading him somewhere and sitting him down, pulling him close and holding Adam tight. Adam sobs into his chest, feeling the guilt and the regret pour out of him. He can’t stop apologizing, can’t stop gripping onto Mox’s jacket just in case it’s the last time he gets to do it.

When he starts to breathe a little more steadily, Mox says, “Feeling any better?”

Adam sits up a little, wiping the tears and snot off his face. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve said that a lot.” Mox’s voice is calm, quiet. “What’s going on?”

“I failed my Chemistry practice test,” Adam admits. “Even with all your help. I completely tanked it. And all I could think of is how much I want to just – stop feeling. I want to go home and get blackout drunk, and…” He trails off, trying to hold off sobbing again. He forces himself to meet Mox’s eyes. “I’m so sorry. I let you down.”

“You absolutely did not,” Mox says. “Hey. Stop. You didn’t.”

“But I wanted –”

“You wanted to,” Mox says, “but did you push me away and go home and do it? Did you skip school and get a forty and get hammered? No.”

“But I wanted to,” Adam practically wails. “I wanted to do it.”

“But you didn’t actually do it,” Mox insists. “You know how many times I want to go do some speed and see what happens? How many times I want to pound a bottle of vodka, just to shut off my brain?” He shakes his head. “Baby, this shit happens. And, honestly, there’s no way this is the last time it’s gonna happen. And that’s okay.” He cradles Adam’s face in his hands. “Christ, you’re pretty when you cry. Fuck you.”

Adam laughs, and, just for that, wipes his nose on Mox’s sleeve.

“Ew!”

Adam lets himself smile, hesitant. “You’re not mad at me?”

“I’m not,” Mox says. “When this happens, though, talk to someone. Any time you feel that way, talk to someone. Anybody. Don’t, like, shove it down or whatever. That’s when it gets bad.”

Adam wipes his eyes and finally has the wherewithal to look around, and he makes a strangled little laugh. “You brought me to the soccer fields?!”

“Nobody’s out here ‘cause they have a game today,” Mox says. “Apparently, playoffs aren’t going the way the regular season was going, so they keep getting stuck going to the other schools.” Adam doesn’t miss the way he forces away a smile. “Figured this would be a safe place to go, until you were good to drive.”

Adam nods, and they sit quietly for a minute. Adam lets it sink in: for the first time since he’s been at this school, their team isn’t guaranteed to make the finals. Part of him wants to feel mean about it, be a little bitchy about the fact that they really did need him. But that part is small, and overtaken by feeling genuinely sad for the boys he used to call his friends, and the one he called his love, He looks over at Jon. “Want to come over tonight? Maybe – maybe you could help me with my test?”

Mox grins, rolling his eyes. “You convinced Eddie to tell you I got a hundred on the midterm last year, didn’t he.”

Adam shrugs. “I like getting information on you. You’re not exactly an open book.”

“I’m open!” Mox says, opening his arms. “I’m so open.”

Adam tilts his head. “You kind of aren’t. Tell me something I don’t know.”

Mox kicks his feet at the bleachers, considering. “Oh, here’s one. My parents found me high out of my mind two summers ago and sent me to a psych ward thing for rehab for two weeks.”

Adam almost falls off the bench. “Oh, damn we’re opening right to the middle of the book I see.”

“Yeah,” Mox says. “That was before Eddie gave me his little speech. Clearly, Eddie was more persuasive.”

Adam gets comfortable. “Tell me something else.”

Mox considers. “First time I had sex was with this girl on the cheerleading team. End of freshman year of high school, when I was doing football conditioning camp.”

Adam raises an eyebrow. “You had sex with a girl?”

“Why’s everybody always assume I’m gay?” he mutters. “Yes, I’ve had sex with four girls, two guys, and one dumbass, who is sitting in front of me.”

Adam pushes him a little bit, and Mox slides off the bench onto the ground.

“You’re still the dumbass.”

“I’m not too sure about that.”

They talk for ages, Adam sharing fears he hasn’t told anyone, not even Kenny, and Mox casually mentioning the time he got a staph infection from a shitty doctor and spent the entire summer before freshman year of high school in the hospital. Adam stays close to him the whole time, because he thinks, maybe, Mox needs this just as much as he does. Mox doesn’t move him away, holds him close unless he’s telling a story that requires wild gesticulation.

“Thanks for finding me,” Mox says, his arms around Adam’s shoulders as the sun sets and the chill of a fall evening wraps around them.

“Me?” Adam asks. “Find you?”

“Dumbass,” Mox says fondly. “Yes. You ran into me that first day of school and I literally fell for you.” He presses a gruff kiss to the side of Adam’s head. “I dunno. You make me happy. I’m glad you found me.”

Adam doesn’t really know what to say. He doesn’t want to think about where he might be right now, what he might be doing, if Mox hadn’t helped him figure himself out. He doesn’t know who he would be if he hadn’t met Mox on that first day of senior year. “I’m glad we found each other,” is what he settles on, and they soon stand, and make their way to Adam’s truck, hand in hand.

~

That weekend, Mox calls him at eight in the morning on a Saturday demanding a ride.

“I’m barely awake,” Adam whines, rolling over. “Leave me alone.”

“Nope,” Mox says. “I’ve decided. You’re coming to my match today. You’re going to see me and Eddie and Willow wrestle. Oh, and Ruby’ll be there. She doesn’t have a match, but she’s doing a run-in for Willow’s and she’s going to do some really cool heel shit.”

“I think I understood about a third of that last bit,” Adam grumbles, but he’s already out of bed and reaching for a pair of pants. “What do, uh, what do I wear?”

Mox laughs on the other end of the line, and Adam feels something bloom inside his chest. “Anything you want, baby. I wouldn’t be opposed to you showing up in your best farm boy gear. Maybe you can even come in and make the save.” Adam can practically see the smile in Mox’s voice. “Please?”

Adam yanks his jeans on and throws on his favorite Dolly Parton shirt, the pink one. And, because he can’t resist Mox, “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

Thirty minutes later, he parks his truck in a dilapidated parking lot of some sort and immediately wonders if he’s in the wrong place. There’s only eight or ten cars here, and he was pretty sure that’s around how many people were wrestling today. He parks, grabs his keys, and slides out of the front seat. He brushes his hair out of his face as he walks down a hidden path, and briefly wonders if today is the day he gets murdered.

“Hello?” he calls, against his better judgement. “Mox? Eddie? Anybody?”

Something jumps at him from the woods, and Adam moves on instinct. He ducks their arm, throws them to the ground, and gets his knee on their chest. And looks into blue eyes of none other than Mox. “Oh,” Mox says, a light in his eyes, “ooh, that was good. Can you do that to me, like, all the time?” He visibly swallows, eyes darting from Adam’s leg to his crotch, then moving up his body. “You know, you look really good from this angle.”

“Okay, calm down, you weirdo.” Adam stands, and refuses to start preening. He holds out and hand and Mox takes it, pulling himself to stand. He presses himself up against Adam, hands on his waist.

“Hey there, Cowboy.”

“Keep it in your pants,” Adam laughs, and he draws Mox in. When they kiss, Adam thinks this may be worth the early phone call and the cold October dew soaking into his pants.

“Come on,” Mox says, after longer than they probably should have taken. “Let me show you what this place looks like. It’s so cool.”

It’s a glamorized back yard with metal chairs, a cobbled together ring, and a little shack labeled “Bathrooms” that looks like it odor lines coming off of it.

It really is cool.

“This is where you and Eddie, like, beat each other up all the time?”

“Not all the time,” Mox says. “Sometimes it’s other people. Sometimes I even win!” He grabs Adam’s hand, pulling him toward the ring. “We just got the ring set up, but I want to show you how it works.” His grin grows a little dirty. “I mean, since I already know you can take somebody down.”

“Okay, well, that was only because I thought I was in a murder forest,” Adam counters. “I doubt I can do that kind of thing again.”

“We’ll see.”

Mox, to Adam’s mild annoyance, is right more times than he’s wrong. He teaches Adam how to fall, how to land on his back and roll, and it’s strangely like soccer. His speed impresses Mox, as does his ability to take a hit to the stomach.

“You really are built like a brick shithouse,” Mox says, a little awed.  He pokes at Adam’s stomach, then shakes his head. “How the fuck did I pull you, again?”

“You’re charming and I have a thing for nerds,” Adam replies. “Come on, let me do that thing where I throw you over my shoulder again.”

Mox lights up. “Gladly!”

They practice moves that Adam can’t quite keep track of until the person who runs the place, an early twenty-something guy who looks like he’s a little hyped up on more than coffee, tells them it’s time to get ready.

“Who the fuck are you?” He points at Adam. “You’re not one of my guys. Are you?”

“Nah, this is my boyfriend,” Mox says. “Tony, Adam. Adam, Tony.”

“Isn’t Eddie your boyfriend?” Tony asks. “Wait, never mind. I don’t want to get involved.” He points to Mox. “You. Your match, are you pulling weapons out?”

“Yes.”

“Stop it!” Tony says, “Stop – you are seventeen! You are not allowed to be using weapons! My dad and I do not have the ability to, like, make things legal for minors, you know.”

“But what if you don’t know I’m pulling out weapons?” Mox asks. He’s got this mild expression on his face, but Adam is fairly certain he’s about to pull some shit.

“You just told me!”

Mox’s expression turns moony-eyed and innocent. “What if I was pretending?”

“I hate you,” Tony says. “I wish you weren’t one of the most reliable people I’ve worked with. Go away.”

“Oh, you want me to leave?” A smile breaks through, and Adam can’t help but giggle.

Tony makes a frustrated sort of noise and stalks off, flipping them off.

“Man, I love him,” Mox says, sighing. “He does his best work when he’s a miserable bitch. I’m doing him a favor.”

“I don’t see how any of that was a favor, but okay.”

Adam gets dragged around the place to meet at least a dozen people, from wrestlers to managers to crew, and he tries to memorize every name. He fails, but he figures Mox’ll be able to fill in any blanks. He finds himself shaking hands with a guy Mox introduces as Bryan. “This is my opponent tonight. I’m going to kick his ass.”

“Only because it’s the booking,” Bryan argues. “Hi.”

Adam waves. “So – everything is preplanned?”

“Yep,” Mox says. “I have been contracted to beat the shit out of this guy and then choke him out during…” He trails out, eyes focused somewhere else. “Oh, shit, I have the best idea.” He looks at Bryan. “You up for doing something stupid?”

Bryan shrugs. “Do I have a choice?”

“Not really,” Mox says. “We’re going to bring my boyfriend into our match.”

“Eddie?” Bryan asks. “Isn’t that kind of expected at this point?”

“Not that boyfriend,” Mox says, and he turns his grin to Adam. “How you feel about making your wrestling debut, Cowboy?”

~

Mox plops him in a front row seat right before the show starts. “Watch until I give you the cue. It’s fun. You’ll love this.”

“I – okay,” Adam says, blinking. “Do you need help or anything? You know, before your match?”

Mox presses a kiss to the top of his head, ruffling his hair enough that Adam knows it’s about to frizz out. “Nah. Just remember: when I wink at you, you run into the ring.”

Adam laughs. “Yeah. Sure.”

He gets to see what it really means to ‘run into the ring’ when he watches Ruby do it midway through the show – Willow’s getting whacked with a chair by her opponent after winning, and Ruby sneaks in behind and takes the chair from her.

Adam exhales, slumping against the chair. The guy next to him, familiar in the way a person a few years below you in high school is familiar, turns and laughs. “Oh, you think this is over?”

Adam opens his mouth to respond, and watches Ruby rear back and smack Willow on the back with the chair. And he freezes. “Holy shit!”

“Holy shit is right!” the guy says. But his is less worried than Adam’s, more delighted.

Adam fidgets, a little concerned, but then Willow gets up and throws Ruby across the ring, and he feels a little better. And, somehow, worse. There’s more emotions in this than he expected for something scripted.

Mox goes on next, and, unfortunately, he does bring out a weapon. Technically. The sound a whiffle bat makes when it cracks across somebody’s back is a little louder than Adam had expected, and he winces.

“Get fucked!” Mox yells, and he smacks Bryan over the head with it. Bryan crumples, landing on his stomach, not moving. Adam stares, a little confused. It seems a little too real.

Mox comes over to pin him, hand on his chest, when the guy reaches up and grabs his neck, throwing him down, pulling tight. A chokehold.

“Uh,” Adam says, looking around. Nobody else looks as concerned as he feels, and, honestly, they’re all cheering. He’s probably the one who isn’t getting it.

Mox is crawling toward Adam’s side of the ring, winking wildly. “Oh!” Adam exclaims. “Right!” He scrambles to his feet and gets into the ring, remembering what Mox told him to do. He stands on the ring and pushes Bryan off of Mox with his boot. Bryan stands up and pretends to kick him, and Adam ducks. He jumps over the ropes, pulls back, and flips over them, ramming into Bryan with the inside of his arm. It’s kind of like the elbow jabs he used to get called on for doing during soccer games, only this time the crowd cheers, and Bryan crashes to the ground. Mox stands and grins at Adam. With Mox’s smile directed at him, it feels like the world has steadied underneath his feet. He hasn’t felt this particular exhilaration in a long time.

Bryan gets up quickly and pretends to kick Adam in the face. He goes down hard, rolling out of the ring like Mox taught him how. The referee conveniently only turns around at that point, when Mox has Bryan in a headlock and squeezes. Adam shuffles back to his seat. People are staring at him.

“Are – are you new or something?” the guy next to him asks. “I’ve never seen you here before.”

Adam nods. “I’m Mox’s boyfriend.”

He opens his mouth, closes it, opens it again, then blinks. “I’m Wheeler,” he says, reaching out hand to shake it, but his eyes are still on the match.

“Adam.”

Bryan passes out and collapses, the ref calls it, and Mox raises his fists, victorious. Then he finds Adam and beckons him up into the ring. He hesitates, for a brief second, then runs back in, standing next to Mox. Mox shoots him the prettiest smile Adam’s ever seen, grabs his hand, and raises it. He drinks in the cheers, and wonders if, maybe, soccer wasn’t the only sport he’d like.

Mox pulls him to the “back”, also known as a shitty tent behind the bathrooms, and kisses him in front of the rest of the wrestlers, like it’s nothing. Adam feels a little dizzy with it, the high of performing for the first time in so long, when it’s something he didn’t realized he’d missed.

“That was so fun,” Adam says, when they break away. He ignores the way people are looking. He doesn’t want to knows if those eyes are kind or judgmental. He also finds he doesn’t really care. “Like, really fun.”

“Want to come next time, too?” Mox looks like an eager puppy, practically bouncing on his toes. “I have a match with this guy, Claudio, Eddie hates him but we could do some really cool stuff.”

“Maybe after midterms,” Adam says. “But, yeah. I want to do this again.”

“Cool,” Mox says, grabbing his hand. “Come on, Eddie’s on in a few, and I want to make sure he’s ready.”

They shuffle to the back of the tent, where Eddie is tying up his boots, looking incredibly angry.

“Is he okay?” Adam mutters as they approach him.

“Oh, totally,” Mox says. “I mean, he gets kind of mean before a match, so don’t piss him off. But he’s fine.”

Adam takes that to mean he shouldn’t talk, so he just smiles while Mox claps Eddie on the shoulder. “You doing okay, King?”

Eddie nods, rolling his shoulders as he stands up again. “I’m fine.” He taps his cheek. “Kiss for luck?” Mox rolls his eyes, but he does it.

Then Eddie looks at Adam. “What about you, Pagey? Kiss for the King?”

Adam feels his entire body flush red, but he leans in, pressing his lips gently to Eddie’s cheek. “Good luck,” he says, feeling shy all of a sudden. He’s never had Eddie’s focus on him like this. He’s not sure how Mox handles it.

Eddie grins, throws his head back, laughs like sunshine. “Good luck. God, you’re adorable.” He pats Adam’s cheek, then, to Adam’s shocked delight, his ass. While Adam stands there, baffled, Eddie gives Mox a firm, if a little aggressive, kiss, and swaggers off to the ring.

“We’ll watch from back here,” Mox says, “I’ve got a raging boner and I don’t want anybody else to see it.”

Adam refuses to dignify that with a response.

~

Eddie wasn’t kidding when he said he gets covered in blood, Adam realizes. His match has him covered in thumbtacks, hit with brooms, and, at one point, his opponent shoves Legos in his mouth and then kicks him.

And then Eddie somehow wins with a pin on top of a barbed wire-coated baseball bat, and Adam is baffled.

“I do not want to do that,” he says, turning to Mox. “I don’t wanna bleed. Like, ever.”

“Sometimes you don’t got a choice, Cowboy,” Mox says, clapping him on the shoulder. “But I’ll do my best to protect you.” He pulls Adam toward him, gives him a rough kiss on the side of the head. “Now I’ve got to go out there and give Eddie a big ol’ kiss to scare off any homophobes that stumbled in here.”

[silverstonewolf]

STAR DRAGONS CH1

Chapter 1

meteor

Ok, the story starts at me (Mark) cooking breakfast for my grandfather, who I live with instead of my parents never had time, so they just left me with him. I went to wake him up before school. "Grandfather time, wake up," he came down with a dress gown on over his pyjamas he was about to ask if I had lunch "yes and you're in the fridge,". I walked off to my friend house (Nico), who looked annoying in smell clothes. He had become forgetting all of him to buy things ever since she had a boyfriend. I asked him, gave him a fried egg sandwich, and he could tell his dad about this because it had been three weeks, and the teacher had become worried. "I have asked if I could call up dad to call, but she said I have no reason to him up and that I am too young to be left with a phone unsupervised." I then asked if he wanted to come over to my house after school and call him "I don't know if she let me but then may not think I remember dad phone number yes I think it will work". We were at Oriana house, who had parents who were extra on tv show and love her "men am jealous" we both told her as she come out of house she laughs. But then she realised Nico smelled her to pull him into the house, and he was wearing her twin brother clothes, who couldn't go to school.

They went to school telling Oriana are planning she was in she had ginger hair and a camera around her neck she took pic of her brother. So after school we all went to my house telling Nico after tea which was a roast dinner. "Hi dad," "Son, I was starting to get worried," "Yeah, I have something to tell you," he told his dad everything then we went outside take the the dog out of a walk. I hope that one problem was solved "Hey isn't your birthday come up soon?" she asked, "Yeah but I only get two presents because granddad is sick of buying me my parents one." She was about to hug me when something big crush in-between us it was a star. I picked it up, and my dog was trying to bite it, by jumping, we ran back to the house.

Where Nico is crying outside, but he is happy he turns around and was about to tell us what dad said. Then he touched the star, and it started to glow. Oriana did the same, and it opened up like a ship inside where three stars shaped animals woke up and tough and us in our heads that dragons. We were going to attack our town as a started pointing of inventing they were here to help us to defend are self. By giving powers me thunder and lightning, Nico lce and Oriana grow a fox tail and ear she had wind power.

Now, a test to see how well you do, we were given a map of a shop we ran to the store to see a dragon site on top of the store. We actively are powers, Nico stadded the tail, and it yelled out fire as it turned to lce. Oriana grabbed a snow broad and float in mid-air she then hit his head. I started shocking him, too. It tries to claw at us, but we dodge it then then try to fly away, but I stop it, shock it in between its wings. It then uses it fire, but Nico protects us by putting his lce sword in the road. We attacked it at once, and it vanished, and time came back to normal because my dog jumped on me, I didn't realise time had stopped.

[rainbows-in-me]

The Cinderella Story!

Everyone who’s ever given an audition, interview, or even test knows never to expect anything. I mean, isn’t it always easier to assume the worst so you won’t feel the wave of disappointment when you don’t succeed. Well, that is exactly how I approached my audition for the school musical this winter. With little to no expectation or preparation, I entered the infamous drama room and came out of it the exact same person – if a little more traumatized. My performance during the audition wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it was certainly not the greatest. I ran through my lines and nervously sang the song, avoiding all eye contact with my teachers. Safe to say, I was not expecting a callback. I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email the same day requesting me and a few of my peers to return for a second audition. 

Two auditions became three, and it was finally time for the roles to be announced. After a lengthy process of animated songs and chemistry reads, I had lost all hope of landing the part I dreamed to play: Evil-stepmother Vivian. It shook me to the core when I saw my name next to the character Cinderella. I rubbed my eyes and looked again; it was surely a mistake. It took me a few moments to digest the fact – I was Cinderella! I had auditioned for the role of the stepmother, assuming it would be impossible for me to play the main character, not realizing the incredible opportunity that awaited me. 

Soon the rigorous rehearsals began, and I never felt more at home. I would wake up early in the morning to reach on time for practices before school and stay back to rehearse after school, and yet when I finally got home, I’d want to go back. The two months I spent preparing for the role were times I truly felt fulfilled and content. I built unbreakable bonds with my fellow cast members and strengthened my relationship with my teachers. 

The last few days before the main show were stressful and almost nauseating. I had never played such a crucial role before, and I was terrified. I started to question why I was even given the chance to play Cinderella, but the support of the people around me gave me the nudge I needed to break out of my shell. The show wasn’t without mistakes, but it was ours and we did our best to make it a success. The praises and claps of the audience warmed my heart and gave me the confidence to let go of my inhibitions. Being a part of the school musical will always be the most impactful and precious experience of my life, shaping my relationship with theatre and its community. I will undoubtedly cherish my memories as Cinderella and encourage anyone who thinks they aren't good enough to simply try; it might just change your life.