#i have a few friends where it would benefit both parties if i learned it

[greaserink]

love that I've taken 3 different language classes accumulating to 7 years of learning and yet I don't remember a single word from each peace 'n love

[inbabylontheywept]

bad dating stories time: the shoe incident

so in highschool, my best friend wasnt allowed to go on dates unless there was another couple there to keep an eye on him. part of this was his parents being insane, but also, part of it was him being insane. in a problem with no reasonable parties, there are no reasonable solutions.

at some point in my junior year, my sorta-gf broke up with me, and i just wasnt feeling dating, which was bad for my friend, because he had a good thing going with a girl he met in court.

he kind of hounded me about it. kept pushing me to just put me feet back in the dating pool and i wasnt real thrilled about it, because i knew he was pushing me for his own benefit, not mine, so i kept telling him to fuck off, and after a few weeks of being told that i would date when i was damn well ready, he eventually said: okay. what if i paid for the date AND found you a blind date AND all you had to do was show up?

and i shouldve said no, i know, but i let him wear me down, and i will own my fault in that. a date starting on such a stupid premise could never have gone well.

but he still managed to find a way to make it worse.

i dont know how long he tried to set a blind date up. it couldve been multiple attempts. he couldve stooped to this immediately. but what happened in the end was that he called a girl from the ward he attended - a girl that he knew had a giant, mushy crush on him - and he said: hey! how would you feel about going on a date this weekend?

(you know, implying it was with him, but never actually saying it.)

and she said YES WOW I WOULD LOVE TO and he said great! and then he called me up and said he found me a date.

i did not learn about his crimes until several weeks later. i will die swearing before god almighty that i would never have allowed this travesty to happen if i had known.

that was on a monday. the date of the date rolled around that friday evening, and im sorry to confess, i really phoned the whole thing in. i showed up in my favorite comfy outfit, which was also a fashion crime: basketball shorts and flipflops and a baja hoodie. it was super comfy but it made me look kind of crazy. i picked him up first, and then i picked up his date next, and then we went to pick up my date, and thats where you're gonna get the play by play.

i arrived, walked across the yard, and knocked on the front door. she opened it almost immediately, like shed been waiting right by it, and i could see her expression go from OMG IM SO EXCITED to super disappointed, then disgusted and finally pissed. and because i didn't know about my friends sins, i thought it was from my outfit. which seemed... harsh. like, hey, im allowed to be quirky, fuck you. also its a blind date, i thought the deal was that we were both going to be sad broken sacks of mortality.

anyway, we looked at each other for several seconds before she slammed the door in my face.

i looked back at my friend. he was sweating bullets. i dont know what he expected from this, but there was this big long pause where we both tried to figure out what to do, and then the door opened up, and her dad invited me in, and he said she was gonna need a few minutes to finish getting ready, and that in the meantime we could sit and talk.

we did not talk. we did sit. i sat down on the couch, and he sat down in a chair across the couch, and then instead of talking he cleaned his pistol on the coffee table. i wasnt actually sure if it was a threat, or if it was just a fidget thing for 40+ year old republican men, but when i tried to help he got snappy so i just watched him put a pistol back together.

he was okay at it.

eventually my date came downstairs, still mad as hell for reasons beyond my ken, and i felt pretty guilty for being such a mess because i thought that was why she was so angry. i tried to make up for by walking her to the car and getting the door for her, just generally trying to be extra polite, but before i could make it back to the drivers side, her dad called me back to the door. so i flipped around, went to the door, and immediately regreted my decision.

soon as i was within range, her dad got waaaay too close to me, leaned in, and said "whatever you do to her, i will do to you," and my brain went into overdrive making three consecutive realizations.

realization one was, damn, the pistol thing was a threat. that sucks. what an asshole. realization two was, wait, im autistic and even i know theres a 0% chance me and my date even hold hands, least of all boink. does this guy actually think there's even a 1% chance of anyone in that car getting laid tonight? is he an idiot? and then realization three went through, which was wait, is this guy threatening to fuck me? and unfortunately, with my brain doing so much processing, my mouth was left to run amok, so somewhere between realization 2 and 3, i said:

"i can't get pregnant"

which, i swear, wasn't actually me trying to be a smartass, it was just me pointing out that he couldn't actually follow up on that threat. it just wasn't possible. we do not live in the omegaverse and im not scared of you.

still, it was an insanely catastrophic thing to say, and the moment we both heard it, we bluescreened. that single sentence obliterated both of our momentary streams of consciousness like a saltine in front of a sand blaster. problem was, he'd probably gone his whole life not even realizing someone could say something that stupid, and making that realization was going to cost him a lot of thinking time. me though? i had been saying shit like that for 17 years, i didnt have to rewrite my expectations of human nature, i just had to plan an exit and start striding. so i was already halfway back to the car before i heard "hey. hey come back. Hey. Hey. HEY. HEY WAIT. HEY GET BACK HERE. HEY-"

and then i was in my car, and i drove away.

if this happened today, he'd have called her, and the whole thing wouldve imploded then and there, but back then, there were still a decent number of teenagers without cell phones. especially the teenagers of insane, gun toting parents. so she just said: whoa what was that all about? and i said: dont worry about it, he'll tell you about it when you get home.

and she said: ok and went back to staring daggers at me and my friend.

WHICH SURPRISINGLY isnt even how the story ends.

we went to an improv comedy show, and it was a disaster. it shouldve been like, 7/10 tops, but between my date being mad, and my friend having a good time, and me having the existential terror of knowing that a guy with a pistol was probably waiting outside his house for me to come back, it was easily 11/10. i laughed way too hard at everything. especially the jokes that flopped. id sit there in this mostly silent room and laugh until i dry heaved a little, and my date was absolutely disgusted, and even my friend was a little embarrassed, which would just make me laugh harder. i laughed so hard that night i could barely talk the next day. and then the show ended, and my friend said, you know, that was a good time, but i think we should maybe do something a little chiller? who wants to walk around the park? and his date said yeah, and my date said no, and i finally had mercy on the poor woman so i said, look, im gonna drop you off. and i am so, so sorry about this, but im dropping you off like a block away. super duper sorry.

do talk to your dad about the pistols thing if you dont want this happening more in the future tho.

and she said: okay. so i dropped her off, and she walked a block down, and that was that.

then i drove my friend and his date to a park that was good for wandering. i figured they wanted something more private, so instead of following them around point blank, i chose a park with this 30 foot rope tower, and i climbed to the top and i said: hey i can see you anywhere from up here, you are officially chaperoned from a distance. get panopticoned idiot. except my friend really is an idiot, and he didnt really get the whole 'now i dont have to third wheel so insanely hard with you guys' thing so he climbed up the tower too, and then his date followed behind him, so there are three people basically sitting together on top of a telephone pole.

and then they started making out.

i was close enough to hear it.

i didnt really know what to do so i was just kind of sitting there, dissociating, when some college kids came around and started shaking the tower. my friend's date went aaaaaaaaaa im afraid of heights :( and my friend went oh, dont worry, ill hold you tight ;) and i went hey, im gonna climb down and ask them to stop.

so i did climb down, and i did ask them to stop, and they flipped me off, which i wasnt even mad about. at that point i was i was like yeah, it would be weirder if this wasnt a mess. gods plan has been to fly this day like a 747 into my metaphorical twin towers and brother he is close enough for me to see him grinning through the cockpit window. still, eventually the college students got bored, so they climbed up the tower, which gave my friend and his date a window to climb down, and together we walked back to my car.

now, i cant explain why this is, but sitting back in the drivers seat was my carriage-back-into-a-pumpkin moment. i'd been chill about all the chaos, just rolling with the punches, but sitting down made me realize how much of a shitshow the day had been, and while i couldnt go back and fix all of it, i could go back and fix one thing.

so i told my friend and his date, hey, you two, stay here and don't do anything weird. don't. then i walked back to the rope tower, and i started picking up the shoes the college students had left at the base in order to climb.

about halfway through this, i realized that if i took all their shoes, they might think i was in it for the money, and i actually wanted them to know i was in it specifically to spite them. fuck those guys. so i put all the right shoes back, gave myself a 100 foot headstart, yelled "nice shoes, assholes", did a little jig, and started running.

my advice to everyone is that college students are faster than you think. even with the headstart, and the whole climb down the tower thing, i was still only fivish seconds ahead of them by the time i got to my car. i flung the door open, looked in the backseat, didnt see anyone, flung the stolen shoes in the backseat, heard two "ow"s, took that as proof of presence, jumped in and pealed out of the lot.

my friend and his date popped up a few seconds later. they were, uh, doing something weird in the back seat. my one request - obliterated.

they climbed up to ask where the hell all the shoes had come from, and i was like yeah i stole them from the college students, and they were like oh. cool. hope you had fun. and i was like, i did. i did. but speaking of fun, what were you doing back there?

and for the first time in my buddies life, i think he was actually embarassed.

[youcouldmakealife]

KS Fill: Tonya/Vladimir Petrov, Thomas/Anton; castle in the clouds

Another of the Kickstarter fills, for the prompt: always happy for a Vinny/Tony update, especially if Tonya is involved

Even as a child, at her most idealistic, Tonya certainly never expected to live in a mansion like this. A castle, maybe. She liked castles, though she’s not sure where she expected to find one in Brooklyn. Though, it’s not like mansions were any more realistic, growing up in New York City.

And they wouldn’t live in one if they lived in New York, but in Hartford, it was barely even a splurge. And Vladimir had dreamed of castles too as a boy, wanted Antosha to live in one, or the nearest thing they could get for him. It’s massive, and impractical, and Tonya loves it.

They don’t take advantage of the benefits of it very often, however. Once, they let a production crew film the exterior while they were on vacation in Italy anyway — unfortunately, the film was terrible, so Tonya can’t rewatch it for the thrill of seeing it on screen. Or, she could, but she has to get through the melodrama and the bad acting first, and that’s a chore.

It’s the perfect place to host a party, specifically a party with gravitas — a gala, a ball. But with the exception of Vladimir’s induction in the Hall of Fame, they haven’t had any parties worth talking about, because Vladimir is…territorial, Tonya thinks the best word is. His house is his house — she’s still amazed he allowed the film crew, and is sure he wouldn’t have if he hadn’t been out of the country — and he’d prefer they didn’t have guests at all, with the exception of close friends, family. Even then, it’s only Anton who doesn’t get his hackles up after a few hours, and that might just be because he still considers it Antosha’s house too, even after all these years. Which, of course, it is.

But they’ve been married for thirty years now, and Tonya thinks that’s worth celebrating, and Vladimir agrees. He didn’t agree it merited a party on the scale of the one they’re throwing today, but he caved once Tonya assured him all he had to do was show up, and that the only guests staying overnight would be blood-related to them.

Well, and Thomas, but Vladimir’s fine with that. It seems like the exception for Anton applies to him as well. She doesn’t know if that’s because Vladimir considers him an extension of Anton, welcome wherever he is, or if he’s become family in his own right. She likes to think it’s a bit of both.

With an hour to go the place reminds her the castles she dreamt of, lit up and glittering, even if they're nothing alike. The catering staff have assured her they have everything they need, and after two minor wardrobe emergencies she’s finally finished getting ready. Or, she hasn’t, but the final touches must be done right before the guests arrive.

Vladimir’s ready, he’s assured her repeatedly, which she’s sure isn’t true, but he’s his own man. She hasn’t seen Anton since breakfast, which she finds ominous, though she doesn’t think he’d go far without Thomas, and he arrives in front of her almost as soon as she thinks of him. Such a good boy that she merely needs to think of him for him to arrive, offering help.

“Can I help with anything?” he asks, hands twisting fretfully, like it’s hurting him not to assist, and Tonya takes a moment to wonder if she's developed psychic abilities. Perhaps, but it's more likely that Thomas is just unfailingly helpful.

Tonya takes his hands between hers, stills them. They’re cold, and she wants to chafe them, warm him up. What was that saying, cold hands, warm heart? If anyone fits that it’s Thomas. “I’ve hired professionals to do everything,” she says. “We’ll just get in their way.”

She knows this because she has, at every other event with catering staff, gotten in the way. She’s finally learned her lesson — no meddling this time. So far she's stayed strong, but she's not sure she'll last the night.

“Right,” Thomas says, nodding, hands still between hers. “That makes sense. Our equipment managers say the same thing.”

She bets they do. Vladimir in particular was a menace about his equipment — she’s sure they popped a bottle of champagne the day he retired.

“I know what you can do for me,” she says, and Thomas brightens right up. He really is too good a boy for his own good. She imagines people take advantage of it all the time. Look at her, doing it right now.

“Can you find Anton for me?” she says. “I worry he’s hiding.”

She doesn’t worry he’s hiding, exactly — she knows he’s hiding — she only worries he’ll continue hiding after all the guests have arrived, leaving poor Thomas to muddle his way through a room of people he doesn’t know. Not that Antosha knows everyone, and many of the people he does know haven’t seen him since he was a little boy, so it’s really more them knowing him — she’s sure he’ll be delighted to hear ‘you were just this high when last I saw you’ over and over again.

Perhaps she shouldn’t be surprised he’s hiding. And she isn’t. But Thomas is a guest, though a particularly helpful, considerate one, and Anton may not be hosting the party, but he is hosting Thomas. And Tonya did not raise a bad host. Or, unfortunately she did, she thinks, but he certainly didn’t learn it from her. Thankfully Thomas is very easily pleased, and loyal enough that he’d likely tell her Anton was being an excellent host if she asked.

Thomas nods again, like a little bobblehead. She’s slightly disappointed the Canadiens haven’t done one for him, at least to her knowledge — she thinks Vladimir would be delighted to put it by the ones of him and Antosha in his show-off room. He loves them. Never tires of bobbing their heads. “Can I have my—“

“Your hands, of course,” Tonya says, letting them go. “Do you know the saying? About cold hands?”

“I do,” Thomas says, with a broad smile. She bets he does. Bets people quote it all the time. “Don’t worry, I’ll drag Anton out of wherever he’s hiding.”

“By the hair if you need to,” Tonya says, and smiles at the laugh that trails Thomas up the stairwell.

He doesn’t deserve that boy, Tonya thinks, then goes to bother Vladimir one last time. She hopes that, this time, he’ll actually get ready instead of just saying he already is. Perhaps that’s optimistic. But she thinks everyone needs a little optimism to make it to three decades.

“Tony,” she hears Thomas crooning as she walks down the hall, sounding a little like he’s trying to lure a feral cat, and she smiles wider. Perhaps he’s exactly what Antosha deserves after all.

[euijoosorangeslice]

hey!! I was wondering if you could take a request of andteam and how they would be as fwbs and how they would first react when the idea was brought up either by him or you (minus Maki ofc!) thank you so much!!

i wouldn't suggest reading if you are uncomfy with taki or harua smut, a lil angsty at times, reader is 04

&t Legal Line as FWB's

K- Is probably the one who brings up the idea. Kei would go to a bar to meet up with a date after a hard day a work. He'd get stood up, getting pissed off and heading back to his apartment. You'd open the door for him, and out of nowhere he would just pick you up by your waist and kiss you. Shocked, he would pull away from you and tell you everything that happened. If your down, you two would make it a thing where when Kei gets off work or has a free day, he comes back to the apartment and fucks you enough to make both of you excited for the next time.

Fuma- Would probably end up accidentally do it with you on like New Years at a party. You would probably be one of Yuma's friends at first but you two meet and there is immediate sparks between you two. Fuma grabbing a quick dessert and offering it to you. He'd probably ask to 'talk to you somewhere more quiet' and you two would talk at first. But then talking would turn into touching and then touching would turn into getting fucked in the bathroom. He's the type to immediately talk it out with you, of course discussing your boundaries before one crosses the others.

Nicholas- Nicholas is the type to be head over heels for you, but wont tell you. will think that being friends with benefits will slowly convince you to love him. You would have to tell him that it doesn't mean you'll date him, but that would fall on deaf ears. Would have to scold him a lot, especially if he whispers out a 'i love you' while finishing inside of you.

Euijoo- I really think Euijoo would hate the fwb lifestyle. He loves you too much to stay just friends, but he might just try if it means you will be closer to eachother. Would try not to tell you but he would let you know he's in love with you. Doesn't mean you two have to act on it though, so it doesn't change much.

Jo- I could see this working out with Jo. Like a college fling, who you meet up with at any social event or even in the campus bathrooms to fuck. I think Jo would be good at not having feelings for you, probably will just want to get his dick wet and then leave. You would probably be the first to catch feelings, but I feel like he would back out of the relationship.

Yuma- Spots you at a friends house for a house party and will not hesitate to fuck in the pantry with his hand over your mouth. Wants to make you scream his name so loud you two get caught, but he doesn't really know what your into. Would ask if you wanted a round two (then three, four, five etc) Probably after the millionth time you'd pop the what are we question. 110% he's gonna say fuck buddies.

Harua- A truth or dare game turned into 7 minutes in heaven, and you learned that's all that Harua needed to finger you and make you come on his fingers under your skirt. You two would make out a few times on occasion, getting Harua's number and meeting up with him at his place. Hearing the cheering and teasing from his room mates when he fucks you hard enough to have the bedframe clicking against the wall.

Taki- A childhood friend that would be tired of being teased for being a virgin. You would offer yourself up to him, letting him practice his sexual skills on you. You'd practically train him to fuck you how you like it. You two could still see other people and go on dates, but you two would end up coming back to each other eventually. You two are basically soulmates.

[candyredmusings]

“Another One Of Those ‘Things My Discord Said’ Sentence Starters.

Things taken from DMs and a few group chats from Discord. CW: NSFT Change / Edit as necessary !

i am literally tom cruise

cum is cool.

[NAME]  is fucked up cus he is straight man

[NAME]  show me your fuckin tits

[NAME], you better not be standing catatonic in your room wearing your handmade jigsaw robe again.

its like they creampied me but instead of cum it was new music

like what about my pussy-area makes u think sea cucumber

the mind is weak. but the body is funky

so im reading that fanfic where 1d like, buys your soul or whatever and im shook

well tom servo is a sex god

and then i freaked it

FUCK YOU APPLE JACK FUCK

ILL SLURP WITH YOU

LEMME SHOW U DICK

ITS A SIDE QUEST YOU SILLY BITCH

I’m a zombie the law can’t stop me

LEAVE YOUR GOLDEN UNCRUSTABLES OUT OF MY HOME I WILL NOT FALL VICTIM TO THY TRICKERY

you, telling me to ignore a twink with side swept brown hair? foolish.

Hes so hot i briefly started texting like a straight person

and because I’m god and I’ve decided that. No. In fact. I’m not done.

MY DUMB BOTTOM BRAIN FOLLOWS COMMANDS TOO WELL

[NAME], I know you love bloopy reggae jams. Now is not the time

OH THATS WHAT I THOUGHT YOUD SAY YOU STUPID ACCIDENTAL HIMBO DEMON

man i rlly am attracted to paul mccartney.

its not that kennedy was gay af sleeping w jackies fat ass out, he just has a better one-

jealous of my massive honkeers

YOU BRAINCELLED BITCH

this forced open my third eye and i saw the devil--

oh me seeming romantically interested in u is making u uncomfortable?? noted

the only pussy this party city shake out wig looking mother fucker is getting

[NAME]  expose your teeth right fucking now

IN THE DEPARTMENT OF OLD MAN FUCKING, WEVE GOT YOU BEAT

What if we kissed while one of us got called racist and we are both boys

i just jacked it to minecraft piss porn

I will pop a huge tentacle boner

i hate females fr fr

we left u to die to play minecraft

IM GONNA FRICKLE-FRACK YOUR WIFE

CAN I KARATE CHOP IT LIKE IN SPONGEBOB

DWIGHT FROM THE OFFICE IS NOT MY SKRUNKLY

she would never ever take away one of these stupid fucking hats

My brother in Christ you’re being haunted

i want to wring you like a wet towel and slap u against a wall

Yeah you'll come to learn I just have a thing for milk

Piss ur pants harder pls I wanna watch

I'm gonna corn on the kill myself

good morning to parappa and his stans. everyone else..... hi ig

lol look at this clown with no slurs

God has abandoned his children but unfortunately for you I pay child support and I will smite thee.

this is how I reveal myself to be homophobic

I have no sluts

idk what it is abt it but boba makes me become like an actual whore

im homophobic suddenly

he was like ‘You're so big”.... and i just started crying

anyones penis can be hard hes not special

for the love of god please help me

i can talk about piss for hours

im sorry i havent recognized mickey mouse clubhouse ost as the cultural landmark that it is

I ASKED IF WE WOULD RP AFTER FUCKING BIBLE STUDY OR WHATEVER

the benefits of being a yandere is that i dont have to forgive OR forget and I am a living breathing PVP zone so Fuck with me white boy.

When toxic by ashnikko comes on I enter the gaslight gatekeep phases of my girlbosshood

im like a child in line for the newest fucked up disney ride

[NAME] is just all fucking Sorts of fucked up

im clownfaking

why are we here? to suffer? every other day i get messages from a whore

always thinking abt when my friend called me a "white boy whore"

you gotta PUMP the errand girl with cocaine

im beyond shame bc i love all cock try again

people have fetishes.

They really do crucify anyone these days huh

u may have never hungered for cock but you have hungered for a sub sandwich and honestly? theyre basically the same thing-

hi im drawing hentai

[NAME] idk why but that really. makes me want to stab you

“Don't have sex FOMO, [NAME], no! “

“TRY AND NUKE THIS, BITCH.”

“There's a group of golden skeletons behind you hitting the griddy “

“GRANDPA’S ASHES SUCKED MY COCK AND TOOK ME TO ARBYS.”

“You’re lanky with no gender and silly goofy with the rizz it works.”

“You can’t just tell me I could be a Tumblr sexy man to my face at 4:30 PM.”

"I have strong opinions about the soviet union"

“CALL THAT PUSSY THE MATRIX CAUSE IM IN THIS BITCH AND I CANT GET OUT “

“dont cry. 8000 types of reptiles on the planet, okay?”

[NAME] lives his life like he’s an RPG character but picks only the rude dialogue options.”

“I need to beat off to this before God destroys California.”

"No amount of pussy could get me on a rollercoaster with three loops"

"I love your senior citizen pussy"

"Gerber is pretty reliable .. I mean .. The Gerber baby didn't die .... did it?"

“you are white i assume”

"I hate you terrorist, and you may quote me on that"

"I love watching you play minecraft. It's like watching a baby fawn."

"I've never seen old men who fuck harder."

"i don't need him to KILL i need him to FUCK ME"

"well maybe if you just dicked down your wife she wouldn't have gone on a murderous slut rampage"

"why cant these BIG titty bimbos stop HANGING around me"

[dark-elf-writes]

So for you PYT AU, how do Inko and Oboro get married, do they just go down to the courthouse with a few people because that's all they need for their love? Or is it a sweet little backyard deal? Or is it further into Oboro career so he is making bank and they do a big do where he spoils Inko? Please I need details. Also I am envisioning Izuku as flower child.

At first I wasn’t sold that they would actually get married or if they would be the couple that just dates forever and calls each other husband and wife, but then I thought about benefits and possible issues with hero work if she isn’t his wife so yeah it would make more sense for them to be married.

The strike me as a couple that still wouldn’t rush into marriage though. Like Inko got massively screwed over in her last marriage and wasn’t even technically divorced until several years into her relationship with Oboro so I can see them having like a suuuper long engagement during which izuku just starts referring to Oboro as their dad because “my mom’s fiancé” is a god damn mouthful when you’re like ten and trying to tell a story and it’s not like they remember Hisashi being around anyway.

Oboro proposed in the most over the top way possible while still keeping it rather private. I’m talking a big family dinner at a restaurant he rented out completely, a nice walk where they were a bit in front of everyone else, candles, rose petals, biodegradable glitter and confetti poppers that Hizashi and Izuku aimed directly for both of their heads when she said yes. Incredibly romantic. Oboro is filmed on patrol with glitter stuck in his hair and the biggest grin on his face for DAYS.

The actual ceremony they would probably keep pretty small/pretty much a hero only affair. Both for security reasons and because Inko doesn’t really have any civilian friends and a lot of her coworkers weren’t the kindest after the news of their relationship dropped. Jokes on them though because after one too many glasses of wine at a gala it was learned that she, Jeanist, and surprisingly Snipe get along like a house on fire and no one knows peace again.

It is a backyard affair in the house that she and Oboro bought and he tends to the gardens on his time off as a stress relief thing. Izuku is the flower child looking completely adorable in their dress and flower crown even as they purposefully pelt their family members with flower petals because Oboro told them they could and Shouta definitely deserves it for some reason or another. Nemuri so the one that marries them as there would have been a fight trying to get her on one side of the wedding party over the other as while she might have been Oboro’s friend first her and Inko become like sisters over the years. There’s a lot of laughter and happy tears throughout the ceremony. Izuku is all but sobbing into Jeanist’s shoulder from the moment their mom gets to the altar because she looks so fucking happy. Their first kiss is with smiling lips and tears on both of their faces. Oboro immediately pulls back to grab Izuku like some sort of weird lion king scene because he did it. This is his family now.

The reception is a lot of terrible dancing and videos that get posted to social media that go viral because no one expects to see heroes act like normal fucking people/ what the hell is Lunch Rush doing that does not count as a dance but the ceremony is just for them.

[alicedopey]

A Malfoy Anniversary

Fandom: Harry Potter

Genre: AU, Fluff, tiny bit of angst

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Hermione Granger

Words: 2014 (Gosh, I suck at drabbles)

Warning: Draco is in love (Yes, it's a warning)

Summary: Draco and Hermione celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

A/N: Another request for my 500 followers celebration. Prompts are in bold. This one was written for @mzliterarydreamer, hope you'll enjoy it.

The table was set beautifully; the finest tableware, lit candles and petals of roses all over a lovely tablecloth. The dinner was simmering in the kitchen and her gift was carefully hidden where she would not look. 

Everything was perfect, Draco thought proudly, admiring his handiwork. It had taken quite some time and some help from Blaise – who did not hide his amusement – but everything was perfectly ready to celebrate his first wedding anniversary with the one and only Hermione Granger.

Blaise had been more than skeptical when Draco had mentioned a simple celebration at home but Draco knew it would be deeply appreciated by Hermione. She has been very nervous and constantly exhausted for some time now. He wanted his wife to relax. 

His wife.

Life could take the weirdest turns, he thought with a smile. Who would have thought that Draco Malfoy could date, then marry one member of the famous Golden Trio? No one, and certainly not the lovebirds in question. To say it had been easy would have been a lie. 

Both heartbroken, they had met randomly at Diagon Alley and ended up in bed, using each other for some rebound sex. It slowly turned into a friends with benefits agreement that Draco wanted to keep secret. He had sensed Hermione did not fully agree but she eventually caved. It lasted six months until a bloke had the foolish idea to flirt with Hermione at a party they both attended. For the first time in his life, Draco had seen red and punched the man, exposing their relationship. Hermione had gotten mad and had reminded him that hiding them from everyone was his idea in the first place. Draco had apologized and told Hermione he loved her in front of every guest, her friends included. He had ignored the collective gasps and had kissed her. Hermione had kissed him back, told Draco she loved him too and that was the real beginning of their love story. 

Her friends had been a little wary at first but they had accepted him in the end…except for Weasley. When they had moved in together, he had finally realized their relationship was serious and his behavior softened a bit. Let’s just say he tolerated Draco for Hermione’s sake…and vice versa. His side still remained reluctant but at least his mother accepted Hermione, such as Blaise did. He did not care about the others, his father included. He had finally learned to be happy without Lucius’s endorsement. Now, he was happy and so was Hermione. That was more than enough for him.

The sudden crack of in the air notified him his wife just apparated. He heard her heels clicking on the floor as she walked into the main room. She hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek. 

“Good evening, Mr. Malfoy.”

“Good evening, Mrs. Malfoy.” He replied joyfully. “How’s the deputy minister of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?”

“Exhausted.” She sighed. “But more than ready to celebrate our anniversary.”

“I hope so.” He turned and took her in his arms. “I planned pretty nice things just for you.”

“I can see that.” She said, tilting her head on the side to admire the table above his shoulder. “That’s beautiful Draco, thank you.”

“Anything for my lady.” He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. “Why don’t you take a nice hot shower while I finish cooking dinner?”

She smiled at him. “Great idea, Mr. Malfoy. Gives me time to pamper myself and get all beautiful for you.”

She let go of him after a last kiss and made her way to the bathroom. Draco watched her leaving then headed to the kitchen to check on their dinner. When Hermione went back a few minutes later, Draco had just finished serving the food in their plates.

“It smells delicious.”

“And you look delicious.” She had put on a long green silk dress that fit her curves perfectly.

She gave him a radiant smile. “Anything for my man.” 

They exchanged a look before bursting out laughing. 

“Aren’t we cheesy today?” She asked once they calmed down.

“We sure are…but I love it.”

“I love it too.”

He bowed before her and invited her to join him. Hermione walked to the table and Draco pulled out her chair for her to sit on. She did and he gently pushed it back before taking his place at the table.

“Wine, Mrs. Malfoy?”

“I’d rather drink water if you don’t mind. I’m so exhausted I would end up falling asleep right on the table if I drank one drop of alcohol.”

She seemed a bit nervous and Draco thought for a second that she was hiding something before he realized she probably did not wish to upset him.

“It’s alright.” He assured in a soothing voice. “Maybe a class of champagne for dessert?”

“Yes, maybe…now, can we taste this wonderful food because I’m famished.”

Draco laughed at her enthusiasm. “Of course, dig in.”

As a matter of fact, Hermione was truly famished because she finished her plate pretty quickly. She gave Draco a sheepish look when she saw him smirking at her once he had finished his own plate. “Sorry but I hadn’t eaten all day and…”

Draco frowned. “Why? I’m sure you could have taken the time to eat.”

“It’s not that.” She protested. “I just did not feel really well this morning…”

“What do you mean?” Draco was worried by now. “Are you sick?”

“No, no, no, Draco”. She put her hand on his to comfort him. “It was just some stress and I feel better now.” She stroked his skin with her thumb. “Your dinner was delicious. I know it’s not the first time I’m telling you this but you should definitely cook more.”

Draco felt a little bit better at her words but he could tell Hermione was really hiding something this time. All of a sudden, he remembered what Blaise had told him when he mentioned Hermione’s nervousness and his heart clenched in his chest.

“Draco, look at me.” He did and met her reassuring smile. “I am fine, I swear. Don’t worry about me.”

“Alright…still got some place for some strawberries and cream?”

Her smile widened. “You know me too well, Draco Malfoy.”

She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. “I’ll tell you what, Hermione Malfoy. Go and get cozy on the sofa. I’ll bring the dessert there.”

Once she was gone, Draco cleared the table and cleaned everything in the kitchen with the help of magic this time. He took the strawberries and the cream out of the fridge, set them on a tray with two glasses of champagne. 

He looked at them with a frown, remembering she had refused to drink. Maybe she was sick…but she looked fine except from the constant fatigue and her nervous behavior. Maybe Blaise was right then, there was something else. Draco felt the pang in his chest again. No, he berated himself. It was impossible. 

He put on a smile, took the tray and made his way to the living room. Hermione was waiting for him on the sofa with a package at her feet. His worries completely evaporated when he saw her smiling so sincerely. He put the tray on the coffee table and sat down next to his wife on the sofa.

Hermione took a strawberry and dug it into the cream before biting into it. “Delicious.”

Draco’s eyes darkened as he watched her eat the piece of fruit. When she was done enjoying it, he leaned over her to lick the last remnants of cream on the corner of her mouth. He attacked her mouth and she kissed him back feverishly. When they pulled apart from each other, they were both breathless.

“I got a little something for you.” Draco summoned a long and blue velvet box which landed on Hermione’s lap.

“Oh Draco, you’ve done enough already. The dinner was exquisite and…”

“Open up.” He softly cut her off.

Hermione took the box in her hands and opened it, revealing a bracelet made of gold with the sweetest charm attached to it: the letter D and the letter G entangled. The D enclosed a red ruby and the G enclosed a deep green emerald. 

“Gryffindor and Slytherin swapping their colors to show how we became one. You like it?”

Hermione’s eyes were glistening with tears. “I love it, Draco. Thank you.”

Draco took the charm bracelet from the box “The salesman said you could add as many charms as you’d like. Who knows? Maybe the initials of a little Granger-Malfoy production.” He added as he clasped the bracelet on her wrist.

“Draco…”

“I know, I know…you just got a promotion and you want to wait but it’s just a thought.”

“Draco…” Hermione touched his hand and he tilted his head up to look at her. “Open your gift, now.”

She handed him the package he had seen earlier. Draco discovered a plush dragon with an envelope tucked between his paws.

“Go on.” Hermione encouraged him. “Open it.”

Draco took the envelope, opened it and unfolded the paper it contained. He let out a shaky breath when he read its contents.

“You’re pregnant?” He asked in a whisper.

“Hmm hmm”. Tears were rolling down her cheeks but she was smiling. “Are you happy?”

“Happy?” He embraced her cautiously, scared to hurt her. “I’m ecstatic. This is wonderful news.” He pulled back to look at her. “What about your job though? I know how important it is.”

“Don’t worry about my job. It will be here when I get back.” She pecked his cheek. “Our family is more important. I was really happy when I found out a few days ago, you know…and I’m certain your mother will be too.” She winked at him.

His mother has been not so subtly asking for grandchildren since they got married. She would be very happy, indeed. Draco looked at het flat stomach and his eyes widened at the sudden realization.

“Now I get why you were so nervous and nauseous. You got me so worried. At first, I thought you were sick then Blaise said…” He stopped himself when Hermione narrowed her eyes. 

“Draco…I thought we agreed on the fact that Blaise’s advices on relationships were not the best.” She crossed her arms. “What did he say now?”

Draco sighed. “He said…he said you wanted to leave me and were too nervous to tell me.”

“What?” She exclaimed, standing up abruptly. “And you believed him?”

Draco gulped loudly. “Not at first but…I could tell something was not normal and you would not say anything.”

“I was not sure and when I got the results, I wanted to surprise you tonight.” She snapped.

“I got that now…but it did not seem so crazy when he said it. I mean, I’m not a really good catch now. A jobless former Death Eater does not make the perfect husband and you are Hermione Granger.”

Her gaze softened. “Oh Draco, after all we went through, you still believe that?” She sat back down next to him and cupped his cheeks. “Don’t you get it? Do I need to repeat my wedding vows? I’m nothing without you. You are my heart, body and soul.”

Draco put his hands on hers and smiled. “Now who is being cheesy again?” He entwined their hands before pulling them away from his face. He leaned in for a kiss.

“I love you Mrs. Malfoy.”

“As I love you Mr. Malfoy.”

He let go of her hands and put his on her still flat stomach. He was already picturing it swollen with his child and it made his made his heart swell. “I can’t wait to meet the little guy…or girl.” He added when he felt Hermione’s reproachful glare on him. “I even have ideas for the name.”

“Oh, me too!” Hermione replied excitedly.

Draco groaned. “Please, don’t tell me it’s Harry or Ronald.”

“Of course not!” Hermione laughed then a smirk appeared on her face. “What about Neville though?”

Tagging (feel free to ask if you want to be added or removed): @naaladareia@mzliterarydreamer

[cosmica-galaxy]

I had this on my mind for a while thanks a post made by rotshop so hear me out, platonic yandere Hofnarr and Jeb, I just think it's a neat idea (I know that in canon Jeb was using Hofnarr but this is my scenario and in my scenario they are friends). I feel like Jebediah's obsession would have started a few years before he killed Phobos but he didn't show it openly, after that it only went downhill. For Hofnarr however I'd imagine that he was a lot more obvious with his fondness with you though it gets written off by many as just him being really excited that someone wants to be friends with him. He still (somehow) retains his obsession for you as Tricky and it's ten times worse.

I doubt the two would start an alliance after Hofnarr becomes Tricky without the input of their friend. If they can come up with a convincing enough argument. That is, if you'd want to associate yourself with them after what they have become.

If we were to go off the themes the two represent then you'd be death, the neutral party, peacekeeper, the only thing keeping the other two from tearing each other apart. It would take time before they even remotely started trusting each other again, but seeing how you tirelessly try to keep together a long torn apart friendship makes something klick in their heads. Maby it wouldn't be so bad if they were to bond together again, like before shit hit the fan.

They could get rid of competition, just like old times.

I do think that both Jeb and Hoff (Tricky) would see a mutual benefit for trying to keep the Player for themselves. I also agree that Jeb would slowly sink down into obsession over time, kinda like in Salty's fic where the Player is ripped away from Jeb after Phobos's downfall in order for a time skip to occur. During their time apart, Jeb goes through the whole trials of killing Hank and dealing with Project Nexus. But the player returns before he officially joins the AAHW, seeing at the end of the game he's without his halo and is very wary of the employers. Tricky on the other hand would probably decay into a form of mental torment while hoffnar's personality is slowly eroded away. Then hoffnar goes crazy, becomes a killer clown, dies, gets reanimated as a zed, learns to DJ, kills Hank, and revisits Nexus City after becoming a zed. In fact, Tricky may have been the first zed case to ever exist (if you ignore Jeb reanimating corpses in the 1st episode of the animation.) So that also means that Tricky is in Nexus City post zed outbreak and possibly may have returned to Nexus City shortly after Jeb did. Jeb was maybe even looking for Hoffnar before he discovered Hank in his ruined office. So, the two obviously know where the other is. So I think it would be of no surprise that the two would also figure (track) where the player is and both would eventually run into each other again. Tensions are high between the two, but the potential of a mutual benefit, and the remains of a hollow friendship, may just rekindle some form of tolerance between the pair. After all, Tricky is known to be nostalgic and Jeb has a lot of common enemies with Tricky. Why not kill the rivals? Just like old times.

[slusheeduck]

Get to Know my Tav!

Snagged from @mistercrowbar!

Falerin Glais - Drow Half-Elf - Fey Warlock - He/him - (1)27

favorite weapon: Sorrow. For the most part, he likes staying back and slinging offensive spells to get the job done. For situations where that's not possible, though, it's nice to have a way to stab people without getting too close.

style of combat: "So anyway, I started [Eldritch] blasting."

most prized possession: His spellbook! It's the one he was gifted from his mentor ages ago, a very handsome, leather-bound tome that attaches nicely to a belt. While he's a warlock, he still tries to learn spells the traditional way, and he has a nice collection inside.

deepest desire: To live without the threat of death (or ceremorphosis) hanging over him.

guilty pleasure: Climbing things. In a sense, it's not guilty to enjoy it, but every time he does, he can hear his mother telling him not to--just think of your condition, Falerin!

best-kept secret: His first time was with his patron. His very powerful, very noteworthy patron. His first time with a non-fey was with Astarion.

greatest strength: His patience. It's a learned skill, but he's very good at meeting people where they are and not pushing until they're ready. It's helped immensely with keeping peace among the party.

fatal flaw: His stubbornness and self-reliance. He learned early in his life that nothing would get done unless he took the initiative to do it himself, but as a result, it makes him very, very bad at asking for help. It also can end up with him railroading his way through life, regardless of how what he does makes others feel.

favorite smell: Foresty smells--wet leaves, morning mist, wildflowers.

favorite spell or cantrip: Cloud of daggers all day, every day. Yes, it's killed some of the people they've needed to save and resulted in some hasty Healing Words, but it's so convenient and straightforward.

pet peeve: Being pitied, or worse, babied.

bad habit: Licking things. At this point, he'd still do it even if his fey exposure was somehow eliminated.

hidden talent: He's actually quite good at crafting spells, though he often has nothing more to go off of than theories since his own skill is fairly limited. He and Gale started bonding by playing around with the spells he came up with.

leisure activity: Crocheting to the sound of camp bickering. After their adventure, it's often to the sound of Astarion complaining about clients.

favorite drink: Black tea with milk and one sugar.

comfort food: Fresh-baked bread with butter and jam (any kind, but he's very fond of blackberry or marmalade)

favorite person: It's actually a hard tie between Astarion and Gale. While he fell in love with Astarion fairly quickly, he and Gale clicked almost immediately upon meeting. They spend hours talking shop about spells, magic, and other sage-friendly areas long after others (Astarion included) have gotten bored and left. Beyond that, they both have a deep sense of loneliness that they haven't been able to shake off before now, so finding someone who understands just how special it is to have friends makes their relationship all the more special.

favored display of affection (platonic and/or romantic): Physical touch. His mother was a cuddler, so casual touches and hugs are his favorite way to show people he cared. He did NOT hesitate to hug Karlach to test her heat. He did, however, struggle a lot with Astarion being touch-averse early on; he stuck it out and didn't say anything, but it bothered him far more than he let on.

fondest childhood memory: He had a fairly happy childhood (the benefit of being raised in a cosmopolitan surface city by his human mother, no doubt), even with his heart condition, but one of his fondest memories was playing around with magic. It was one of the few ways to play that didn't end in a scolding or a visit from the local healer, and even as a child, he knew that magic was his best shot at fixing himself up.

Tagging anyone who wants to share more about their Tav!

[bisluthq]

I think the new/old lyrics from My Boy makes it about Joe, but the widows (and the maylors that think it's for matty) are interpreting the "I'd play again" wrong.

She doesn't want him back like that, to me at least, it reads entirely like she misses his friendship? And nothing else

Imgonnagetyouback sounds like a completely different type of back together, which makes sense bc that one is definitely 100% for matty

I’m gonna complicate this further tbh. When I first heard the song I heard more Joe/really LTR on it tbh so I do lean towards that in spirit/vibe/atmosphere but I also think her saying this is just about her being really sad makes it more about like both men rather than one of them.

To me, the whole “play pretend / I’d play again” has a very specific and personal meaning and idk that Taylor shares this but here’s my thing: I knew my first ex and I needed to break up when I felt like I was playing pretend with him. It was a very specific moment too. He had moved into his first flat, right, and I didn’t help him move like it took a few days for me to even go visit him and even though he now had his own place (I’d had my own place since we finished school but we used to spend more time at his mum’s than at my place because I always had housemates and his mum’s place had free food and free booze so like big brain energy right why would we hang out with like 2-3 other people and eat pasta and drink shitty booze when we could be at his mum’s place eating nice food and drinking nice booze and watching stuff on the nice big tv like BFFR there was a clear winner there and it wasn’t wherever the fuck I happened to be staying at the time) we actually hung out less? I think because now his living sitch was comparable to mine right and I’d rather deal with my own housemates than his ones and have all my stuff and like there were idk just no benefits to going to his place. But then he hosted this party and everyone got really wasted (surprisingly or, given where this story is going, maybe not so much) I did not. I brought out drinks and like poured out snacks and then everyone, including him, went to bed and I stayed up tidying shit. And I just had this very unreal feeling all around me. Like I’d spent an evening playing pretend girlfriend/wife. Like I didn’t want to do any of this shit right - I didn’t want to be standing there at 1 am washing fucking glasses right and I hadn’t wanted to be pouring crisps into bowls and I hadn’t wanted to be the one to tell him like booze is running low and someone must run down to the store (he went) like… I hadn’t wanted to do any of that shit. I don’t think I even especially wanted to be there that night, let alone like helping to host. I’d rather have been doing other stuff. So anyway, there I was at 1 am washing dishes and I realized full on, in that exact moment, that I’d just been playing house. I’d spent the whole evening playing pretend. And that’s when I knew we were over.

Granted, the whole thing went on for a couple more months but that playing pretend realization hit me before I suspected he was talking to his upstairs neighbor (he was) and before he broke up with me because he thought I’m a lesbian (I’m not).

I also will say that there was a time that he absolutely was my best friend. A long time even. But at the end, I was playing pretend.

and a part of me, to this day, would absolutely play again. Not because I want him back like that in any way - I think if he showed up at my house and said it’s been me all along I’d be absolutely mortified - but because there was a point at which we really were a great couple. We had a lot of fun together. We had a lot of inside jokes. We had a lot of firsts. We learned a lot about ourselves and what we want in relationships from each other. We - almost definitely - messed each other up in a bunch of different ways. And yes, a part of me would play again because it was a special and wonderful time in many respects.

I’ve had that feeling of unrealness/playing pretend since btw and I always know either this thing is about to end or I’m about to have some kind of major life change if it’s not about a relationship (I used to get that feeling towards the end of the school year at uni like not as strongly but once exams started and the weather started getting warmer, everything would start to feel less real).

and again, I would play again because I have a lot of fond memories of my uni summers.

so idk I have specific personal associations with that line and I agree it doesn’t mean you want that person back nor do I even think you necessarily want the friendship back as it was. You want that moment back from before you realized you were just playing iykwim? At least that’s what it means for me and it might well mean something different for Taylor but that’s how I hear it in the song.

[scorbleeo]

Book Chat: Common Goal

Game Changers (Book 4) by Rachel Reid

Source: Google Images

New York Admirals goalie Eric never thought his friends-with-benefits arrangement with much-younger Kyle would leave them both wanting more…

Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It’s time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time.

Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken heart. He’d sworn to find someone his own age to crush on (for once). Until he meets a gorgeous, distinguished silver fox hockey player. Despite their intense physical attraction, Kyle has no intention of getting emotionally involved. He’ll teach Eric a few tricks, have some mutually consensual fun, then walk away.

Eric is more than happy to learn anything Kyle brings to the table. And Kyle never expected their friends-with-benefits arrangement to leave him wanting more. Happily-ever-after might be staring them in the face, but it won’t happen if they’re too stubborn to come clean about their feelings.

Everything they both want is within reach… They just have to be brave enough to grab it.

ISBN: 9781488076855 (2020) | Source: Goodreads

This Was Far Better Than The First Book

Before we begin, I DNF-ed Game Changers which is the first book in this series. Yes, I went on to read books 2 and 3 but the first book was not as important to the second and third book as it is to this book. You see, the main characters in the first book are this book's main characters' best friends. That being said, it did not matter whether I read Scott and Kip's story or not, I went on to Common Goal without any confusion or whatnot.

In terms of storyline and my opinion, this book definitely had more interesting aspects than Game Changer or Tough Guy (the third book). Age gap is not something I actively look for, but it is not something I avoid as well, I'm just more or less indifferent most of the time. However, it was almost impossible to be indifferent while reading Common Goal considering it was the only reason why Eric and Kyle feared getting together right from the beginning. What surprised me was although age gap was a problem both parties created from some seriously lack of communication, hence leading to a somewhat third act breakup, it was not a dreadful time. Reid wrote them and their issues in a way where you feel for both parties, you understand where both of them are coming from and it just made the entire reading journey an emotional roller coaster ride.

I am in no position to compare Eric and Kyle to Scott and Kip but I really liked Kyle and the humour he brought to the table. It was a lot easier to connect to this couple.

Rating: ★★★★☆

P.S.: That whole scene of Ilya at the Kingfisher with them? I laughed so much and so hard.

More on the Game Changers series here: Heated Rivalry (#2) | Tough Guy (#3)

[runnersnz]

“Hmmm, that elusive Why? Pretty sure the answer I would have given at silly o’clock in the morning on 1st June 2018 would have been very vague and involved something along the lines of “I’m not sleeping anyhow” and “Why not?”, to something with a bit more self awareness, given the benefit of time and a good few thousand foot fuelled kilometres of reflection.

In all reality I’ve no idea why that morning was the morning. It really didn’t seem special at the time, but it was the first step and any change starts with a singular first step, right?

I’d become unsure of who I was anymore, as being ‘Mum’ had been a massive part of my identity. My teenage daughter was managing stress in ways I struggled to understand and didn’t know how to help with, my job (whilst I love it with a passion) was swallowing me whole, sleep was continually elusive, maybe some degree of freaking out about getting older and wanting to live to 100, and give my body and mind the best chance of complying, not just existing.

Running, even from the first half a kilometre jaunt to the end of my road and walking home, provided something that was just mine, with results being determined only by me. Clocking over the kilometres provides the chance to either not think at all beyond breathing and moving forward one step at a time, or space to let things settle and to think more clearly. It’s funny that it can do both.

Right from the start running made me feel better, even when it was ridiculously hard (and still is sometimes). About six months in, I convinced my daughter to join Heart and Sole, an incredible ladies run group in Tauranga. To say it’s changed my world doesn’t even come close to summing it up! The tribe of wahine toa that it connected me with are like none I’d ever had the privilege of being part of and I’m blessed to name many of them among my besties now. We laugh together, cry together and build each other up without reservation. So many of the crazy ass goals and adventures we sign ourselves up for start off as ‘any given day run chats’. My first ultra (Tarawera 50km 2021) came about exactly that way, after Robyn M (she’s signed up many, many unwitting victims) said “You could totally do the TUM50, it’s like a giant party.”

The road to get there was far from friggin smooth and that doesn’t even include Covid. Like many rookies I nudged up the mileage too quickly and had what appeared to be a calf tear in my right leg, rehabbed that, and back on the horse. Here is where I’ll have to admit to being a slow learner I guess, as what felt similar happened in my left leg not long after. Turns out though it wasn’t a calf tear it was a stress fracture just below my knee. A little more investigation, including bone density scans brought to light osteopenia, thankfully not an end to my ultra journey but a serious kick in the butt to train smarter. I joined Squadrun, expanding the tribe of awesome people in what I was fast learning was an epic trail community in NZ, and strength work through Beyond Physio and Fitness – yes you guessed it even more fab peeps!

Trail running builds and restores every facet of my hauora, from simple dog jogs with our two rescue pups, Hilli (she’d run until she died) and Archie (the social runner who wants to chat to everyone), around our local Buffalo Girl trail at Tect Park, to events and adventures across our gorgeous country.

Ultra running has been and continues to be the most humbling of experiences – pushing to see what the body and mind is capable of, friends and family and often relative strangers banding together to support one and other, and encouraging people to do way more than they thought they’re capable of. My incredible partner Phil thought he might max out around the half marathon mark, and he is now two 50km ultras down, with a 50miler in mind and well within his capability. 

It’s commonplace for my running bestie, Ruth, and I to cross the line and cry happy tears, quite possibly having cried a few tears (and used a few choice cuss words) earlier in our runs too. I’m very lucky to have found a run-bestie who is a similar pace, loves crazy adventures (at least once she’s had a bit of time to think about ideas thrown her way and the very real risk of FOMO) and who can spend hour upon hour upon hour flowing between solving the problems of the world to companionable silences. We are a couple of 50kms, a 70km, two 100km and multiple other adventures in with many more to come. I think if I could offer any sort of useful life advice to others it would be something like this: Find your tribe, find something that builds as many aspects of your hauora as possible, and look up and see the world around you.

Today my ‘why’ is much clearer. Running, especially trail running, makes me a better person; connected, calmer, happier, healthier and better able to navigate the ups and downs that life throws my way. In 2022, when one of my favourite people lost his battle with mental illness, I worked my way through the grieving process by running miles for him, for his wife (my childhood friend of over 40 years), for his beautiful children, and for myself. My attempt at the TUM Miler in 2024 will be a celebration of life, of seeing what’s possible, of working through the shite stuff, of supporting and being supported and of whatever else comes. I’ll be running the miles myself, but I know I’m not alone.”

Katreena @kitkat_running_wild (Tauranga) Photo taken at Tekapo – Portraits of Runners + their stories @RunnersNZ

[adamgant]

Friday Faves 10.20

Friday Faves 10.20 https://ift.tt/jtNRefo Hi friends! Happy Friday! How was the week? I hope you had a great one. What’s going on this weekend? We have an event for the girls’ school, Trunk or Treat, and we’re celebrating the Pilot’s bday a little early (and yes, his favorite cake is on the menu). I’d love to hear what you have going on! Workwise, I’ve been doing a ton of functional testing for clients lately. As much as I love workout programming, this is close competition for being my favorite work-related task. I LOVE going through all of the data and creating custom action plans. I put on some binaural beats, sprawl out on the PEMF Go Mat (my code is FITNESSISTA15), and go through EVERYTHING. If you’ve been curious about functional testing as a 1:1 client, please let me know; I have three spots left as we wrap up 2023. It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below! (pics to an art show we attended by the Boys and Girls Club. I got the sweetest greeting cards and a javelina painting for P’s room! Dress is here and P is still loving her Vivobarefoots.) Friday Faves 10.20 Read, watch, listen: Five pick-me-ups. Why building muscle is more important than losing fat. What little things in your home are just for you? Fashion + beauty: Shopbop sale is here! It’s a tiered sale, so the more you spend, the more you save. You can get up to 25% off. Here are some of my favorite picks: This floral dress would be gorgeous with heels or booties This jumpsuit (I have another Pistola jumpsuit in red and love it) These recycled leather pants – so cute for fall and holiday parties  These wide leg pants These straight jeans This nude slip dress These bow earrings LOVE the cut of these ALC dresses (size up) This black maxi These drop earrings Fitness, health, and good eats: EquiLife has COFFEE! When they launched this past week, I was so pumped about it. Ever since I learned about how coffee is process, particularly how it’s decaffeinated, I’ve been pretty strategic about my coffee choices. I switched to decaf in the morning a few years ago, and when we got our Nespresso, I started drinking the organic pods since the taste of the decaf is horrible. I’m so excited to try something new that’s free from the pesticides and mold that can negate the positive health benefits of coffee. Here’s what’s exciting about this one: Providing more than double the antioxidants found in blueberries Contains Chlorogenic Acids (CGAs), a superior form of antioxidants Effective at scavenging free radicals & preventing cell damage Increases brain function & supports healthy levels of inflammation Organic, single source coffee Free from pesticides & mold Whole bean, available in both regular (Revive) & decaf (Relax) You can get a free bag of it here with a purchase of $99! (I would do a detox kit and a box of their chocolate brownie snack bars. You’ll have some tasty snacks and be ready for our community detox on January 8th! Use the code FITNESSISTA10 for 10% off, too.) LOVE the Simple Mills protein pancake mix. It’s so good and the edges are a little crispy. They’re especially amazing with berries on top and a side of chicken sausage. Cinnamon apple pie ice cream. Interesting links between seasons and metabolism. You have to try this pumpkin baked oatmeal. Happy Friday, friends! Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today and I’ll see ya soon! xo Gina The post Friday Faves 10.20 appeared first on The Fitnessista. via The Fitnessista https://ift.tt/fOKuDed October 20, 2023 at 06:15AM

[dragonbleps]

When you get this, please respond with five things that make you happy! then, send to your last ten people in your notifs (anonymously). you never know who might benefit from spreading positivity <3

Oh I haven't done one of these in a while! Let's see...

Drawing! Drawing my own OC is always comforting, but when I get the inspiration, motivation, and time to draw someone else's OC, interacting with mine or not, MAN is that the good stuff!! Seeing people's happiness at having one of their characters (or fave characters from a show or something, their blorbo) gives next-level energy for several days.

Writing! Being able to put down quite literally whatever I want into words, and being able to evoke feelings with them? Incredible. I mostly write about my own OCs, but a few close friends have entrusted me with writing their OCs to write interacting with mine, as well! That kind of trust is precious and I don't take it for granted.

Watching movies! What's better than a good movie break, huh? Whether watching it on my own, or with my dad, or with my friends, it's a nice way to slow down the brain and focus on something I don't have to create. I've even made a discord server for watching movies with friends--once I figure out how best to stream things, that is. I love the idea of movie parties with friends. I think it's the best way to have some quiet time together, and it's something even friends across the world from each other can do if they can get the timing to work.

My pets! Honestly if it weren't for my dogs, I think I would be in a worse place. Instead, I have a routine I do every morning which forces me to get up within a certain time frame, and gets me out into the sun and fresh air several times a day. They're always happy to see me and they're in good health and I couldn't be happier with them. My lizards are fun to take care of, and although they don't play like my dogs do, it has been awesome to see their trust in me grow over the years.

Talking to friends! Having a supportive group of friends is so, so important. Lots of friends is good, but quality of friends is better. And I think my friends are top-tier (although I'm a little biased). They've helped me through tough times, encouraged me through times when I felt at my lowest, and celebrate my happiness and accomplishments. I'm also not afraid to talk to them about tough topics because I don't fear them dropping me instantly for making them upset. I trust them to know where I'm coming from and know that I'm not malicious in intent. I've learned a lot through my friends about both myself and the world. I love them.

[sisterruthisconcerned]

Ruths Backstory part 2 also some Prime Mover and Clergy Head canons

(Now don't ask me what time frame this is set in cause who honestly knows the real timeline with ghost, but just know that Ruth joins before primo even takes over the Ghost Project but he is Papa. She's a few years younger than Copia. I honestly headcanon majority of the papas being around the same age except for primo hes at least 10-15 years older than Secondo whos the second oldest)

Ruth’s Life becomes significantly better when moving to L.A. to her surprise. She was supposed to hate it, her parents had fabricated this whole thing her whole life and now here she was and happier. And she was here to do something heinous, nonetheless. But she was happy because for the first time in forever it felt like she could breathe. Kiln begins to take notice of the positive shift in mood from her. They’re happy but have to remind her not to get too comfortable here because they were going to find a way out of this for them. But unfortunately for them an Emeritus takes notice of Ruth.

That individual my friends is none other than Terzo himself. (I also have actual names for them besides their designated number names but that's for another time) Now Ruth and Terzo actually start off on the wrong foot. Terzo doing Terzo things of course tries to court the new sister into his bed, but with Ruth having no actual social skills and especially no romantic skills, reads him off as being quite rude and insults the young cardinal. Ruth had no knowledge that Terzo was an Emeritus at the time of this either, so the people around who witnessed this took it as an ultimate disrespect to Terzo and wrote her off very quickly, which made her become an outcast fairly quickly.

In this new self-made isolation Imperator takes this to her advantage. She quickly becomes a mother-like figure for Ruth, or one she never really had, and helps her excel through her trials. (Now I Envision these trials being extremely hard, they are exhausting, and Prime Movers have to be willing to work with Darker magics than other clergy members because they are in charge of bringing forth the Antichrist. It's not just fucking lol) Ruth has been delving into the forbidden dark arts for a while which is why Imperator had made her a blessing to the Prime Mover project. (Also, in my lore in order to become an initiate into these trials you have to have a high clergy member blessing. IF the initiates make it through the trials, hopefully alive, that's when they meet the Emeritus bloodline. Then the brothers then choose or deny the initiates.) Now this is where Ruth learns who Terzo actually is, and knows she's failed at the very end just because of one small interaction before all of it, and she knows her coven is going to make her pay. But ultimately to her surprise, and Terzo's brothers, he chooses her.

(this surprises Terzos brothers because they all had an agreement to not take a Prime Mover from any trial who was chosen for them, kinda like taking back their own fate in a way)

Terzo reveals to Ruth he only accepted to get payback but to also make an agreement with her. See Ruth was new blood in their church, she didn't know much of him besides what was said about him. This was perfect for him because it would allow him to still have the crazy party lifestyle without being under the harsh eye of his father and Imperator. Ruth reluctantly agrees to this but in time reaps the benefits from it as well. This deal enabled them both complete freedoms to do what they wanted. Terzo got to keep his way of life and Ruth didn't have to try and conceive and be a wife, but it still looks like they're doing their duty. Over time though they grow quite close, especially bonding over childhood traumas. Kiln despises this newfound relationship, because it's something that's keeping her from escaping now, and distracting her from the bigger picture.

Now, Ruth gets put in charge of summoning's. Mostly ghouls but she's summoned other things for imperator, whether she wanted to or not. Imperator actually puts Ruth in charge of all summoning's, even over the Emeritus, no one did a summoning without Ruth's consent or knowledge. Unfortunately for Ruth though this also meant she was in charge of sending ghouls back too. Ruth is extremely fond of ghouls and builds bonds with the ones she summons. So, when the Ghost project is being discussed Primo confides in her to help him conjure strong ghouls to help him lead. 

[flowersdaggersviolasandblood]

Assassin with a Heart of Gold

Name: Admaer Daeneiros (He/Him)

Race: High Elf

Class: Rogue (Assassin)

Background: Criminal

WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD

Back with the bastard man, I decided that I wanted to beeline over to the Last Light Inn because I wanted to help Karlach get her shit fixed. Fought some peeps and we finally made it to Last Light Inn, meeting Jaheira and the crew. Admaer was able to simply convince the Harpers that he doesn't mean them harm, not revealing the item that protects him and the crew. He also didn't drink the spiked drink that would force him to speak the truth. I was almost not wanting to go meet Isobel because I feared that I wouldn't be able to save her and compromise our good standing with the peeps at Moonrise Tower. But against all odds, I fucking filled that bitch! And so Admaer can freely walk in both Last Light and Moonrise.

And I'm pissed at this lmao! Esepcially since while staying here, I've discovered a few things!

So now Karlach can touch peeps now! With the second insertion of the Infernal Iron, she's now able to touch peeps! Admaer was reluctant to let her touch him, but he indulged her for a moment. However, this did not fix her problem, because her Infernal Engine cannot function in the Material Realm and she would need to return to Avernus. Which is a less than ideal solution to her problem. Admaer avoids the obvious air in the room, just letting her revel in her freedom and ability to make connections again.

I also finally found that fucker who was muttering rhymes in their sleep! And they apparently know where Thaniel is! I feel so bad that I missed this area with the Pero run and I hope there's still a way for me to find Thaniel and life the shadow curse. Admaer brought Halsin to this guy and we learn that due to the Shadow Curse, it put homeboy in a comatose state and we'll have to find something that relates to him that he would remember. So far, we have a hint that something at Moonrise Towers might help jog the guys memory.

We also found Raphael and we get a different scene where, because Admaer knows why Astarion wants to speak with the Cambion, Raphael doesn't bother revealing the scars. Raphael agrees to read the supposed poem on the condition that we do something for them. Metawise, we already know what that is, but for now, he bamfs out of there. Admaer also helped Mol out with cheating at the game against Raphael, and we get a different scene with her as well.

Admaer was able to sus out that Mol made a deal with Raphael to help her friends to Baldur's Gate and set up shop for their upstart Thieve's Guild. You can actually see this in game as none of the kids, aside from Mol, are present. Which this scared me for a moment as I though me going to Moonrise Towers triggered something where the majority of the kids died or something lol. Unlike Pero who tried to warn her about Raphael, Admaer stated his mild concerns, but he's willing to give her the benefit of the doubt that she'll make the right choice if she wants to keep her soul free from the Hells.

We spoke with Wulbren again and learn that the Ironhand Gnomes have had a sour history because of their involvement in helping a Bhaal-spawn in one of the previous games! Which, if you played those games, you experienced their downfall. Since thing, Deep Gnomes haven't been particularly liked in Baldur's Gate and Wulbren has been working hard to repair their reputation. After saving Isobel and doing some side combats, the party is off again as we're now in explorer mode to find more stuff about Thaniel potentially and grind bby. While exploring, Admaer found a Night Orchid and gifted it to Shadowheart. Unlike Pero who did it out of kindness, Admaer is somewhat expectant of a potential compensation in the future.