#i only bought two yesterday bc i had no more money

[mikubinders]

book fair in my city, I've already bought 2 books, more to come

[wooahaes]

a love that burns brightly

pairing: non-idol!s.coups x gn!reader

genre: fluff. domestic fic. established relationship.

word count: 1.0k~

warnings: reader has a side business selling candles. mentions of hot wax (being melted).

daisy's notes: me as i restrain myself from writing husband!cheol again bc i feel like im too predictable-

If there was one thing you could say about your boyfriend, it was that he probably advertised your side business more than you did. 

Candle-making had started as something you did kind-of for fun. Sure, you sold your candles from the very beginning, but it was more-so because you needed some way of recouping the money you sunk into it. And, sure, it was only a side business that took up… a lot more time than you liked admitting. But that was what your days off were for: dedicating as much time as you needed to make your candles and restock the online store. This time of year was always your busiest for a reason (Holiday scents! Sales! Clear your inventory so you can start fresh in the new year!), and that meant Seungcheol stayed over at your apartment a lot more… especially when he came in with a list.

He’d been reading it off to you as you moved about your kitchen (your center of operations, so to speak), “Jeonghan said he loved the cinnamon candle you gave him. Joshua liked the pine one, and I thought we could maybe throw in an extra? I’ll pay for it. And Jun…”

All of this was what he’d pulled together over the past week. You’d told Seungcheol that if he wanted to sell to his coworkers that it’d be fine (considering how often he bragged about your work), but yesterday was the deadline for any orders. Of course… You didn’t expect him to manage to get every single person he was close to to buy at least one. Even that Vernon guy, who apparently bought three—two for his parents and one for his own girlfriend(slash-his-own-apartment since they lived together).

You looked up from the double boiler you were using to melt wax. “Cheollie?”

He stopped mid sentence, right about to tell you what he’d convinced Jihoon to order, “Yes?”

“Why don’t you live here?” The two of you had been together for almost two years at this point—although you’d known him for longer.

He made his way over to you, setting the list down closer. “Don’t you remember?” He leaned against your fridge. “You said you didn’t want to live with anyone for a while.”

Your brows drew together. When did you…? And then it clicked. Back when you first met Seungcheol (through Joshua—he went to the same gym as you, and one music-based conversation was enough to make the two of you friends), he’d said something about his own roommate at the time. You’d admitted that that was the exact reason why you weren’t going to live with anyone for a while. You made enough to support yourself: why not enjoy the solitude?

(“Even if you’re dating someone?” Joshua had said, nudging you as he kept stealing glances at Seungcheol.

“I mean, maybe eventually, but the right person isn’t going to force themselves in unless it’s an emergency,” you had shrugged in response. “I don’t mind sharing my space if I need to, but… I like living alone right now.”)

“I mean… Yeah… But…” You avoided his gaze, stirring the mixture with your silicone spatula to try and help it melt more evenly. “I just thought we’d talk about it at some point.”

He crossed his arms. “Honey?” 

“Hm?”

“Is this your way of asking me to move in?” 

One glance at Seungcheol was enough to tell you he was thoroughly enjoying the idea of making you admit it. Another slow stir, and you nodded after a moment. “Maybe.”

“Is it?” He pushed a little further, and you swore you could hear his smile in his words alone. “Do you want me to?”

“Can it be your Christmas gift?”

He let out a soft chuckle. “If you want. My lease isn’t up for a few months, but I’d love to move in when it’s up.”

You hid a smile. “Can you get the jars from my office? You’ll have to center the wicks when it’s time, too.” 

Seungcheol stepped forward, pressing a quick peck against your cheek. “Whatever you need me to do,” he turned. You listened as he walked out, yet still spoke loud enough for you to hear him, “Can I get one for free?”

“Aren’t you sick of them by now?”

You heard the sound of glass clinking together as Seungcheol heaved the box into his arms, making his way back in, “I’m not moving in for a few months,” he said. “And you usually have one burning here…”

Fair enough. “You can get one of the leftovers.”

“Deal.” He set the box at his feet as he began to pull the jars out, setting them out. “I know I’ve said it before, but… I’m proud of you.”

“Cheollie—”

“No, really,” he said. “I am. You work full time and you do this as a side business because you love it. If you ever wanted to quit and do this full time… I’d be happy to support you.”

“I like my job,” you shrugged. “I like this, too, but I’m happy with the balance I have now. Especially when I have this guy who comes around sometimes to help me…”

He smiled, setting another jar down. “Is he handsome?”

“I think he’s pretty sexy, yeah,” you giggled. “I think you know him, actually. His name is Yoon Jeonghan—”

Seungcheol almost elbowed you playfully, only stopping because of the hot wax in front of you. “You’re so mean to me,” he pouted. “Right after you were begging me to move in, too.”

“I wasn’t begging.”

Seungcheol chuckled again. “Sure you weren’t.” He let out a blissful sigh. “So… What scent is this batch going to be again?”

“I dunno. What scent did Yoon Jeonghan want again?”

Wax be damned. He turned, immediately pulling you in for a quick kiss, and you could feel him smile against your lips as you giggled. Honestly, you couldn’t wait until he moved in with you officially.

(... And maybe you’d text that to Jeonghan so he could get in on teasing Seungcheol, too.)

taglist: @twancingyunhao @wonuziex @synthetickitsune @staranghae @porridgesblog @weird-bookworm @bangchansbae @laylasbunbunny

[ryverbind]

Faceless Fixation (Sal Fisher): Beg For It [21]

TW: smut :P

_______________

dacnorthxx started following you.

sallysusedtoiletpaper: VI WHO IS THIS WHO IS NORTH WHY IS THIS INTERACTION GIVING ME LIFE??? t0ddles2: @sallysusedtoiletpaper frontman of dark autumn complex sallysusedtoiletpaper: @t0ddles2 oh omg ok... I've never heard of them are they any good?? ashypoops: I haven't heard of them either. What genre? More importantly DOES VI HAVE HER VERY FIRST SHIP toodswithoutthed: @ashypoops I WAS ABOUT TO ASK BC THE CHEMISTRY!?!? they're obsessed w each other... I went stalk his profile. Ship name options: northlence, violeth... t0ddles2: they're rock/metal. even if u don't like the genre, they're worth a listen sallysusedtoiletpaper: WORD I just followed him and their band account >:3 also @toodswithoutthed I'm personally a fan of violeth. I'm linking this shit in the faces fan discord ashypoops: THERE'S A FAN DISCORD??? can u send me an invite pooks🥺 sallysusedtoiletpaper: @ashypoops ofc😘 sallysusedtoiletpaper: OMFG SOMEONE BEAT ME TO THE CHAT EVERYONE KNOWS NOOOOOO

———

Yea, so I lost my job. Big shocker.

Once my boss found out that I dipped mid-shift, the text was typed out and sent by the evening.

In any other situation, I'd be fucked. Indefinitely. Completely broke and flailing to get a new job. In fact, that was my first thought. As soon as I got the text, I clicked onto my bank account to check how much I'd have to live off of until I found a new job--

--only to find out that I had over $2,000 just sitting around, which was such a nice surprise. I don't think I've ever had so much money to my name before in my entire life. And all the transactions were straight from all my streaming apps. All within the past two weeks since being back in LA.

To say the least, losing my job couldn't have happened at a better time. Now, I can put my focus into something I actually enjoy doing.

But first, a trip to Nockfell, which is proving to be more chaotic by the second.

"Todd, dude, there's a chemistry to this thing, okay? It's a ritual," Larry says, all seriousness and business face as he stares back into Todd's uninterested gaze. "I can't fly without it."

Todd blinks, a flash of frustrated disappointment crossing over his features. "You're not taking an edible before the flight, Lartholomew."

Ash had a ticket ready for me before she even got to LA yesterday. Her entire mastermind plan was to abduct me whether I liked it or not-- not that I would've said no to begin with. And besides, having her at the apartment to help me pack last minute made pre-flight stress non-existent.

Travis is camping out at my apartment. He was more than happy to kick me out of my own house, claiming that my bed is comfiest anyway. Regardless, he said he had no desire to return to Nockfell anyway. And dad was just excited for me to go visit considering how much I've complained about missing the little town over all these years.

Sal and I haven't spoken since his last commanding text to me. Right before his very sudden face reveal. He's caught in an almost petrifying silence-- has been since he put his prosthetic back on. I, on the other hand, very much resemble a little puppy whimpering and begging at his feet. Metaphorically, of course. I wouldn't dare to physically exploit my internal thoughts.

The really sickening truth is that I'm so desperate to see his face again that I'd trip him down a flight of stairs just to recreate yesterday's scene.

Just kidding. I don't mean that. I definitely don't.

"All our seats are kind of screwed up, so I have no idea where you're sitting, sugar." Ash pokes my cheek, her chin in her palm and elbow propped on the armrest of her seat. "I bought them kind of last minute so I took whatever they had available."

A little smile tips my lips as I turn my attention away from the grumpy smurf and focus on my stunning best friend. Her viridian irises glow with renewed joy and energy like our plans check off so many bullet points on her bucket list. "That's okay," I reply, tilting my head. "At least we actually have seats, right?"

Ash grins, her maroon shaded lips accentuating the light freckles along the bridge of her nose. "See?" she chirps, arm winding through mine to pull me closer. "You get it. When do you not get it?"

Our plane calls for us to board, and so begins the toxic, anxiety-inducing split-up of the century. I lose all The Faces somewhere in the crowded line that gathers at our gate in just a matter of seconds. That's okay though, I'll probably end up sitting with some old lady that smells like an odd mixture of peonies, Dial soap, and Lysol. You know, a funeral home and two colds away from death. So long as she's nice, I'll catch her dentures when they fall out of her gaping mouth as she naps.

Anything for MawMaw.

I hobble my way into the plane, brain set on finding my seat before stressing about all other one hundred and fifty two things I have to worry about later. People are everywhere and it's, expectedly, a huge plane. Three rows-- two seaters against each wall and a row of three seats down the middle. Sickening, really. Social anxiety's worst enemy is looking for means of escape only to be met by even more people.

I block everyone out as best as I can, pretending that the people I bump into are just very dense pieces of furniture. Or, actually, even better-- a bunch of really buff kitties. Yep, just passing through a horde of Maine Coon's and Munchkin's.

I spot row F, my pupils zeroing in on the letter like a scope on a gun. Target acquired.

The majestic way I veer around what my mind imagines is a really tall Siamese and their spouse, a yellow Persian, is something that the directors of The Matrix are pissed that they couldn't come up with. I swing my foot around a figurative pair of paws and reach my free hand out to grip onto my seat-- F20. That's right bitches, I did it.

I swing my suitcase up, somehow managing to actually get it into the overhead compartment. I give it a good shove with both of my hands and a grunt, then pull the backpack off my shoulders to keep it at my feet when I sit down.

But now that I've stopped, cats are pushing past me and it's so aggressive and rushed that they suddenly aren't sweet, fluffy kitties anymore. They're people again and I'm starting to get dragged away from my seat by this sea of shared distress.

Nimble fingers latch onto my wrist from the seat beside mine-- the seat against the window. The hand tightens around me, giving my body a good yank forward. I use the aided force to weave my way around a few more people up until the hand pulls me into my seat.

I huff out a breath, pushing my hair out of the eyeholes of my mask. And begrudgingly, I turn my head to meet bright cerulean hair.

Sal isn't looking at me, he's facing the window. His entire stature gives off a mixture of unbothered and ashamed. He shouldn't feel that second one-- never. Granted, he shouldn't feel angry half as much as he does but that's besides the point.

Ever since it happened, I could tell that the abrupt exposure of his face has been heavily weighing on him. I don't owe this man a single thing-- he's been awful to me in so many ways, but I give credit where credit is due. Not only did he own up and apologize to me yesterday, he helped me to my seat... and he is handsome. Regardless of how he views himself.

He's my biggest enemy and I, his. But if I plan on getting fucked during my visit to Nockfell, I have to give him the Beating of Truth.

"So," I mumble, chewing on the inside of my cheek. If you couldn't tell, I'm absolutely forcing myself to do this even though it's the last thing I want to do. "How are we working around Ash, Larry, and Todd when we get to Nockfell?"

Sal's head tips up a bit, like he's wondering to himself if I actually just spoke to him. Then his head pivots sideways so that he can side-eye me.

"What?" He asks, voice genuinely shocked and confused. It makes my heart stutter a bit. Any time he speaks in a tone that isn't aggressive, it completely reboots my system.

"How are we going to follow through with this arrangement?" I try again, simplifying it into Sal terms. He has a wide vocabulary range; maybe using bigger words will snap some sense into him. For added effect, I lean onto the armrest separating him and I, trying to show that he doesn't repulse me or anything of the sort.

Sal doesn't move away, instead, he adjusts his body so that he can address me. Fully turns his prosthetic face to me and settles into his seat. I didn't realize how tense he was when I first sat down, but watching him relax now shows me how much my simple mention of our agreement settled his mental turmoil.

He's quiet for a moment, eyes dancing across my mask and body before his gaze meets mine again. "You still want to?" he finally decides to ask, eyebrows lifting beneath his prosthetic.

"Yea," I snort, scrunching my nose up as if his question is ridiculous. "Why wouldn't I?"

Okay, stupid question. I know the answer and the words came out before I could stop them. In more ways than others, that was a genuine response though. I can't accept that Sal would be so put off by his own appearance because I truly think it's so lovely. I have to remember though that not everyone sees themselves the way I see them though.

Sal's brows bunch together again, his eyes narrowing. "Stupid fucking question," he echoes my own thoughts, voice even and void of tone. Whoopsie.

I roll my own eyes, sighing. "Well, to settle the whole debacle," I start, aiming to just bite the bullet and extinguish the awkwardness and misplaced fear vibrating between us. "I think you're quite the catch."

Friendly banter is weird. Borderline uncomfortable, but... not quite. Just so that I'm ready to get this over with but I'd be prepared for it to happen again.

A nasally snort leaves Sal and he rotates his head so that he's facing the pair of seats in front of us.

"So," he prods, ignoring my statement. "North?"

Mission success. I know he'll never admit it and he doesn't need to, but I think he appreciates the compliment.

"What's it to you?" I counter, adjusting my position in turn. I sit criss-cross applesauce in my seat, making sure my feet don't touch Sal because God forbid. "You still get to fuck me."

"Not much," he says lowly, hand moving to ruffle up his fringe. There's that dagger tattoo again. And then his head tilts just a bit, haunting sapphire blue piercing straight through my soul like the weapon etched onto his skin. "But you're mine. North can't give you even an ounce of what I can."

Fuzzy fingers, a pounding heart, and the worst case of cold sweats possible dominates my body for the rest of the flight. My brain replays that statement over and over again, plaguing me with recurring physical reactions like I've just heard it in real life again. I wish he hadn't said anything at all if it was going to leave me like this.

Neither of us said another word. The only sound between the two of us was the constant cracking of my knuckles accompanied by me putting my feet on the ground-- then sitting criss-cross again-- then having to readjust again and again and again. He left me quite literally restless and I'm sure he's relishing in just the knowledge of it.

Landing in Nockfell was a quick divergence from bubbly hearted affliction in my being. A good distraction from Sal.

Perpetual autumn. Nockfell never gets too hot or cold. The air is always misty, the sky always grey and cloudy. Tall, ever-growing trees dominate both night and day, stealing all the light from the sun and hiding it in their leafy treetops. Nockfell houses the kind of atmosphere that I've dreamt of returning to for years now; the gentle eeriness and chill that I've longed to bask in ever since I left.

We step out of the airport and into the small parking lot where a suspiciously blue haired man is waving at us with a big, dad-like grin on his face. Not a question in my mind. That's Sal's dad-- the cropped, receding cerulean hair was the first obvious sign but as we grow closer, his bright azure eyes are the second giveaway.

"Wassup, daddio!" Larry exclaims, wrapping Sal's father up in a huge bear hug (which is so Emo Buff Daddy of him). I nearly forgot that Sal's dad, who I now know as Henry, is also Larry's step-dad. Crazy.

"Not much, big guy!" Henry chuckles, rubbing Larry's back affectionately once the hug comes to an end. He pats Larry's shoulder, that big smile still on his aged face. "You guys brought the friend back! Convinced her to come huff up our humid air?"

Henry moves over to Ash, Todd, and then Sal to hug all of them. He purposefully places a discreet kiss on top of Sal's head before turning to me.

He holds his arms open suggestively and my heart flutters. "You okay with hugs?" He asks me. "Everyone's family here."

A grin of my own sneaks onto my face as I take a little step toward Henry and wrap my arms around his middle.

Henry's arms latch around my body, shielding me from the moist, heavy air of Nockfell and anything else that could possibly hurt me here. His embrace is so comforting, so familiar, so protective that tears I've been holding back for weeks suddenly rush to the surface.

I love my own dad, he's perfect, but being hugged by his near doppelgänger reminds me of how much I miss him. I wish dad and I weren't apart so often. But that'll change soon with the money I'm making.

I don't allow myself to weep, I hide the tears and pull away from the comforting hug I needed so desperately to smile sweetly at Henry. Lovely man, his own smile widens.

The group of us piles into Henry's old 2000 Nissan Pathfinder to navigate around Nockfell.

We first stop at Ash's place-- a home I haven't seen in a decade now. Everything is so nostalgic-- the tall, two story, white-painted, wooden home and the canopy of evil-looking trees that hide it from the road reminds me of a time that's been ripped away from me.

Ash leans on the door of Henry's SUV, the window down for her to speak to me before she disappears. "I'll come by Sal's or the apartments later to scoop you up, 'kay? Parents and I have a meeting with some guys to transfer ownership of some things to me before the move." She chews on her lip, a deep yearning in her pretty eyes. "I'd let you stay with me if I could."

I shake my head at her-- I don't want her to feel guilty for handling business. "No that's okay." I tell her sweetly, grabbing onto her hand. "I'll kickback with the guys."

Ash smiles, squeezing my hand in hers before breaking off to head to her house.

Now, I never imagined I'd end up coming back to Nockfell in general, but to stand in Sal Fisher's home? These were even more improbable odds.

And worse, Todd suddenly slips out of the house with the very mean (he's ditching me!) excuse of meeting with Neil for a late lunch. That just leaves me, Larry, and Sal standing in the spacious kitchen of their shared two-story home. It's quaint, roomy, and pretty nice. I imagine it's kept up specifically because Sal tends to it.

And Sal, he doesn't say anything. Which is typical behavior from him. He only, swiftly, spins on his heels, luggage in hand, and disappears into a room right past the stairs. Okay, fair. It's late in the afternoon-- naptime.

And now it's down to two.

I look to Larry with a grin. And he's grinning back excitedly, wiggling around like an antsy child who's about to go on a field trip.

"I can't believe we managed to get you over here," he whisper-yells, screaming silently. You know, just open-mouthed and head tipped to the ceiling in pure excitement.

"Even Copernicus wouldn't be able to debunk this turn of events," I joke, watching Larry dance around his kitchen. I put my bags down. I'm sure we'll figure out this situation later when Ash returns.

Larry opens up his refrigerator, moving around some bottles before uttering an expletive. "Ah, fuck," he hisses out, quickly lifting his head which results in him slamming said head into the freezer door. I pause, wincing, eyeing his silhouette warily while awaiting whatever he has to say next.

He resurfaces from the fridge, rubbing his aching head and chewing on his bottom lip. "I left my fucking bags in Henry's car." He curses again, glancing up at me with agitated eyes. "I have to run over to the apartments real quick." Larry starts inching away from the fridge and I feel my heart leap. How could he forget his luggage in the car? And is he really about to leave me here with the master of aggressive seduction himself? We're bound to tear this house apart either via sex or a physical fight. I just don't know which one.

"I'll be like... ten minutes at most," Lar says, squeezing past me and around the kitchen table, rerouting to the front door. He gives me a look that screams vulnerability and urgency. "Please don't kill Sal, and don't let him kill you. Okay? I'll be back in a jiffy."

I blink at him, running my tongue along the inside of my dry mouth. This is not going to go well. "Okay," I say anyway. I can already see the headline on the newspaper-- 'Masked Streamer, Sally Face, Brutally Murders and Chops Up Rising Streamer, VioletViolence, With Kitchen Knife.'

Larry nods at me, pinches his lips together in a moment of concerned hesitation, then disappears through the front door.

I stand in the empty kitchen for a moment, watching the back of Larry's head through the front door window. "In a jiffy..." I murmur to myself, recalling the most soccer-mom words I've ever heard come from Larry's vicinity. It was so odd, I mean he would never say something like that, but here we are.

The house is empty aside from myself and Sal. What the hell am I supposed to do? Watch The Office?-- well, that actually doesn't sound bad at all.

I can literally do anything I want, though. I have been given the most opportune opportunity to act upon my will as I see fit. With that in mind accompanied by the suspiciously good conversation a certain blue-haired individual and I shared on the plane, I think I have an idea of what I could do. And I know I'll have a willing partner. 

This will either end in a homicide via kitchen knife or an orgasm. I'll take my chances.

A sly little grin fights its way onto my lips as I spin on my heels, trekking over to Sal's room. His door is closed, giving him an ample amount of darkness to hide in while gaming or sleeping or whatever he's doing. But for me, it's the ample amount of darkness to create a moody setting. It's perfect.

The cold, metal doorknob sits comfortably in the palm of my hand as I give myself one last chance to think about this. I really shouldn't do this, but the timing will never be this good again. With everyone moving to LA, I may never get a chance this convenient since someone will always be around.

That's the last little bit of encouragement I need to twist the knob and slowly push the plain, white painted door open.

The wood squeaks on its hinges, making Sal turn his head up from his PC. His dark, shadowed eyes meet mine. They go from curious to a bit miffed in half a second— but he doesn't say anything, really just ignores me and turns back to his setup.

My heart races. He didn't turn me away or tell me to get the fuck out of his room. That's a good start. But that also means I can actually follow through with my very sudden plan— a plan which has no plan. I didn't even brainstorm what I could do because I genuinely didn't think I'd get this far.

I watch him closely, noting the way his computer casts a cool, blue glow against his prosthetic. His hand moves the mouse around and he clicks on various things, really paying me no mind at all.

My teeth clamp onto my bottom lip as I step past the threshold of his room, grabbing hold of the door and slowly closing it behind me. Once it latches into place, I wait, simply observing the man with my back to the door. For good measure, I turn the lock. You know, just in case I manage to get somewhere.

And he still doesn't look my way. The fact that he's ignoring my presence right now makes anticipation build up within me. My heart thumps a little faster than it already has been. My cheeks feel warm, I can't keep my hands still. It's like my brain is kicked into overdrive, forcing me to take notice of every little thing.

I lick my lips and take a step forward, scratching at the skin on my knuckles. I take another step, then another, my body growing warm with anxiousness all because I may stand in front of this man, present myself to him, and come to regret it. I really might embarrass myself. Just because we agreed doesn't mean he wants me at this exact moment.

But before I'm even really prepared, I'm standing right beside him. And he's sitting there without a care in the world, comfortably propped up in his gaming chair and pulling up different comments on what looks to be YouTube.

I've done about all I can for right now, but we are on limited time. So I watch him for a moment. He has to know I'm right here— I wasn't quiet, I didn't avoid his field of vision. I'm right here.

And I still get nothing.

Time to think. Should I say something insulting? That usually gets him riled up. Maybe then, one thing will lead to another.

I bounce on my heels for a second as I think up a quick insult. "Is this how you waste your time? Figured you'd at least reply to some of your fans if you were going to read their comments. Kinda shitty of you." Low blow probably. I don't really mean it, but I'm sure he'll take it seriously. His fans mean a lot to him, it's the best way to gain his attention.

But Sal doesn't even react, only scrolls through a few replies under a comment and clicks 'like' on a some. He doesn't flinch. Doesn't look at me. Never makes a sound.

I roll my eyes. Playing hard to get are we? He fusses at me for not complying all the time— he's such a hypocritical asshole. I hate that I'm into it.

I swallow thickly, putting my hands behind my back to try and hide my nervous fidgeting. "Sal," I try, cringing a bit. That was desperation— he has to know that.

Again, nothing.

He really must be trying to piss me off, that or he isn't interested at all. But thankfully, the zero interest half doesn't stink like I was afraid it would. Instead, it spurs me into action.

He can ignore my words all he wants, but he can't ignore me.

"I'm going to touch you," I warn because consent is important. "If you don't want that, you need to tell me."

I wait a good thirty seconds but he stays silent.

I pinch my lips together then grab onto the armrest of his chair, pulling it back just enough to place my body between him and his computer. He simply looks up at me with disinterested eyes, so I go further, fueled by the spark in my soul and the rage of him purposefully pretending I'm not even there.

I take a step forward and put a gentle hand on his shoulder for balance, then easily slide myself onto his lap. His thighs are warm beneath my own, his skin smooth under my fingertips. The dark ink on his biceps contrasts beautifully with the milky color of his skin and it's quite an honor to finally run my hands over his art.

I watch the way my fingers drag down his arm then up again, returning to his shoulder. I'm on top of him and he still hasn't said a word, still hasn't touched me. At this point, I'm yearning for something— anything.

The only good sign I'm getting is that he hasn't pushed me off.

I glance up, looking into his blue eyes that are darkened by the shadows of his room. They're watching me closely, no ounce of emotion reflected in them. He's just observing.

My other hand travels to his prosthetic face, gripping onto his jaw in the way that he does to me so often. "Think you can ignore me?" I whisper, a little smirk quirking my lips despite how badly I wish I could contain it.

A slight furrowing of his brows is what I get in return.

Ha, got him.

He still doesn't say anything, but I've piqued his interest at least.

"Larry's gone," I say next, my eyes traveling to the rough prosthetic in my hands. I run my thumb over the underside of his jaw, feeling a number of scars.

"I assumed so," he says, voice a bit deeper than it normally would be and toneless like it seems to have been all day.

My gaze meets his again, and this time there's a little fire in his pretty eyes. There's desire, interest, slow-building exhilaration. I love seeing this look on him.

"Mhm," I hum, moving my other hand from his shoulder to the side of his neck. "Are you going to sit here and ignore me like the asshole you are, or are you going to have mercy on both of us?"

Sal slowly blinks, eyes traveling over my form, drinking me in like I'm the last drop of water on earth. "You called me an asshole for a reason," he bites out. "Don't expect much. Unlike you, I can actually hold out."

"But what's the point of holding out?" I counter, tilting my head to the left. "Larry's heading to the apartments. We have about ten minutes. That's enough room for one of a couple options. Stop being a little prick and do something."

"More like twenty. Larry takes his sweet ass time." Sal's eyes narrow. "You think insulting me is going to coerce me into this, you little bitch? Thought you knew our dynamic well enough by now." My words are getting to him. That's exactly what I want.

"I do know our dynamic," I whisper, leaning my head down so that my face is level with his. I look into his cerulean eyes and they gaze back at me, one pupil dilated. Then, I bend lower until I'm at the nape of his neck, his hair tickling my jaw.

I use the hand holding his face to tilt his head up and away from me, using the angle as leverage to place my lips onto his warm skin.

I hear a muffled sigh from him in response and it takes everything in me not to smile.

My mouth moves slowly along the side of his neck, placing meaningful, wet kisses along his throat. But when I get to the hilt of his tattoo, I bit down gently.

He flinches at the feeling of my teeth digging into his skin, then completely aborts his mission to ignore me completely.

Sal's hands fly to my waist, one gripping tightly onto my hip and the other trailing up my back and into my hair, gripping the strands tightly before yanking my head back.

My teeth are ripped from his neck immediately and Sal pulls me away from him by the base of my neck. I gasp, staring into his captivating azure eyes from just centimeters away. His prosthetic nose bumps my mask's and he holds me there without a word.

His eyes trail down my face and heavy breaths follow his gaze. His cold fingers are curled into my neck, his nails digging into my skin.

I swallow, wondering if maybe I should have just minded my own business, stayed in the living room and waited for Larry to come back. Maybe I pissed him off.

I lick my lips and blink at him, my mouth gapes open as I try to find something to say. He's silent. It's not awkward, just scary. Scary is ten times worse.

Sal must see the regret and fear in my eyes because his own eyes lessen their harsh glare a bit and then he rasps out, "Can I touch you?"

Every inch of my body goes rigid with shock, anticipation. "Yes," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. My fingers tighten ever so slightly on the underside of his jaw while my heart runs an entire marathon in my chest. Now is not the time to get nervous because I sweat when I'm nervous. I need to be horny– not nervous.

Sal takes a deep breath, eyes set on mine. I feel his chest rise ever so slowly, then go back down the same exact way. The pause between us is utter agony and I feel like I'm going to start spazzing out or something. Honestly, with the way I'm sitting on top of him, I might just fall over and die on the spot. That feels less incriminating than whatever is about to ensue.

Cool fingers grasp onto my thigh, his palm flattening against my skin. His hand drags up to my side, followed by his other hand leaving my neck to grab the other side of my waist. The feeling of him touching me, just like he'd asked, fills me with memories I tried so desperately to forget just a couple weeks or so ago. This is deja vu in the best way.

In one swift motion, Sal lifts me up and plops me on top of his desk. I brace myself with my hands on either side of his keyboard that lays behind me. Questions of concern start flowing through my brain because this is an odd place to be.

"Don't knock over my shit," Sal breathlessly informs, eyes glancing up to me. HIs hands move to the waist band of my bottoms and I suck in another anxious, anticipatory breath.

I nod quickly, watching him with wide eyes as he looks down at my waist, his hands circling to the front of my stomach and fumbling with the button of my shorts. Oh my gosh.

I gulp, looking at anything but the man between my legs, currently pulling down the shorts I'd traveled in. His cold fingers brush along the outside of my thighs, causing goosebumps to rise all over my skin. He's slow, purposeful, dragging this out to get whatever reaction out of me that he can. It feels like my heart is about to explode.

I have no idea what he's about to do, he doesn't warn me either. I don't have the guts to watch this scene play out. The prospect of his dilated pupils, messy hair, and that glare in his captivating eyes is too much-- so much that warmth pools between my thighs before he can initiate anything.

"You look scared," he murmurs and I flinch at the gentle, comforting tone he uses with me. I've never heard something such as this come from him and be directed at mebefore.

"I am," I answer honestly, licking my lips while his fingers slowly pull my shorts down my legs. I lift myself a bit to aid him, shivering when my bare legs meet the cold surface of his desk. "A bit."

"Why?" Sal asks, hands pressing onto my thighs. With how warm my skin is and how cool his fingers are, the contrasting temperature is enough to spark an aneurysm. He drags those hands of his up my legs until he reaches my panties, hooking his digits into them.

I shake my head, chin quite literally tilted up to the ceiling. I'm not quite sure what has me so scared. Am I afraid of myself? Him? Getting caught? Being dropped again?

One risky hand leaves my hip and Sal's prosthetic comes into view. He's hovering over me, in a standing position now. His hair falls onto my shoulders, shielding us from the rest of the world like a curtain. I blink up at him, breath caught in my throat as a rush of chills invades my body.

"Hey," he says. His voice is a bit on edge, but it's concerned. So concerned that it distracts me from my own fear for a moment. "You're okay," he continues, his hand gripping onto my chin and pulling my head down so we can be eye level. I look between his bright eyes-- his eyebrows are risen a bit, as if to communicate to me that I can trust him. But can I?

"I'll take care of you. If you want to stop, if you don't want to start-- let me know. Say anything and I'll end it immediately." He tilts his head a bit, eyes glancing over my face. This is different. This looks vulnerable. "If I made you uncomfortable at all, I--"

My head shakes in opposition. I don't even have to think about it. "No, it's not that. It-- I trust you." The words spew out of my mouth and I immediately regret it. Something smug takes over his expression and I press my lips together, grabbing onto his wrist connected to the hand that's still holding my chin. "I trust you with this. If I was tied to train tracks, I wouldn't even think of calling you." I narrow my eyes at him to exemplify my point. His eyes squint as if he's... smiling? I'll ignore that. "But you've never... made me uncomfortable. You always ask. You always check. So..."

I watch him nod slowly, our gazes never disconnecting. He seems to contemplate what I've said, measurably formulating his next move. "Do you want to talk about what's stressing you then?"

My head rears back and my eyebrows furrow, his hand falling away from my face. "What brain eating amoeba has overtaken you?" I blurt out, holding a hand out between us. It's incredibly odd-- this is out of place. "You are never concerned about me-- what is this?"

If you can't tell, I'm not a fan of change. I greatly prefer stability even if it's toxic.

Sal drops the caring act almost immediately, his eyes rolling so hard that I'm worried they'll sink into his body. "I can't go down on you if you're freaked, can I? I wouldn't even feel comfortable doing that. I'm an asshole, not a monster."

I pause, every facial feature relaxing as his statement slaps me in the face. Key words: go, down, on, you, asshole, monster. Yep, only monstrous assholes go down on their enemies. I'm the very brave, very eager, very shocked recipient of this going down.

I take a deep, shaky breath, blinking at Sal who watches me with what looks like a raised eyebrow. "Okay," I breathlessly whisper. "How are you-- are you..." Why am I rambling? What kind of answer am I looking for? Obviously the prosthetic is about to come off and I just have to contain the desperate, whore-like rage within.

"Shut up, Vi," he chuckles over my nickname, grabbing onto my thighs and tugging me to the edge of the desk as he sits in his chair again. My fingertips press into the wooden surface while my heart threatens to pound its way through my ribcage. "Just let me taste you."

Cue internal screaming. I'm so going to faint-- and the addition of watching his pretty guitar-playing hands leave my skin to unbuckle his prosthetic is pushing me to astronomical heights. I don't even exist anymore. I'm just a wisp, a little phantom fairy watching her favorite sex movie play out in real time. It's called Faceless Fixation. She's the Fellatio Fairy. I don't even-- whoever is writing my life needs to give me a break.

I'm shivering like I have hypothermia by the time Sal carefully pulls the prosthetic off his face, making sure to not mess up his hair. And then he glances up at me. Bright eyes hesitant, sort of wide. Eyebrows risen just a bit and lips pressed together like he wants to say a thousand things but can't. He looks so nervous and it's a moment we can both share.

For reassurance (I think we both need it) I smile at him. Just a slight upward tilt of my lips as I press my thighs together. He's so beautiful. Every scar, every indentation, every feature, every little freckle. Just wow-- he's a sight to behold.

Sal's gaze flits to my lips, then down to my legs and he grabs onto them again, purposefully pulling them apart. His black polished nails dig into my skin as he gazes down at my underwear. I'm so used to watching his reactions and feelings portrayed only through his eyes, but watching the way his jaw tenses and the moment his lips part like he can't wait any longer makes me feel like I'll implode. 

His fingers run up my legs to my hips, dipping into my panties and pulling them downward. I gulp over the sight, relishing in the deja vu. How kind of him to not rip these this time. 

I lift myself up as he shimmies them down my legs, finally pulling them from around my ankles and holding them up for me to see. I blink, warmth rushing to my face at his boldness. And Sal, well-pleased, quirks a little seductive smile at them before switching his gaze to me.

"I haven't even touched you and you're soaked," is what he murmurs, eyes dancing over my half naked body with very little focus on my face. It's like he's glued to what hides behind my clenched thighs, eagerly awaiting what he'll find between them. "You're inflating my ego way too much," his voice is a bit louder this time-- darker, more sinister. The pronunciation of his words shows off charming, slightly crooked front teeth and sharp canines. I'll never know how I haven't ascended already.

I shiver, trying and failing to hide my reaction. But it doesn't really matter, seeing as Sal caught onto it anyway and his hooded eyes are on mine, a dangerous glint clashing with the hypnotizing azure shade of his irises. 

His hands are on my legs again, fingers roughly squeezing my skin. He isn't putting off his plans again though. When he separates my legs and I try my best not to push him away out of fear, Sal leans forward and presses his lips to the inside of my left thigh.

I take a deep, shuddering breath as I bathe in the feeling of his soft, jagged lips moving along my sensitive skin. I commit the image to memory, absolutely astonished over the way his blue eyes are closed while he inches closer and closer to my pussy.

I'm unable to take a full breath at this point, my body is tense while I try to hold myself in an upright position, pathetically falling apart as his mouth dances along the inside of my thigh like he's studied and perfected each step he takes. His hands are molded into my skin, they've become a part of me. He's pressing my thigh up to his face, leaving the most inebriating kisses. I wish he would stop teasing me already.

At the same time, I'm obsessed with the way he's handling me. Delicately, carefully, but he's in full control and making me wait. Testing me. Seeing if I'll push him, hoping I'll give him a good reason to punish me.

Sal's eyes open again, glancing up to meet mine. I suck in a breath, watching as he opens that dirty mouth of his and bites into the sensitive skin at the top of my thigh.

I hiss, wincing at the slight pain but my eyes never leave his. They could never. And he loves that, takes it as a challenge because those sky blue eyes close and he bites down harder, sucking my skin into his mouth to leave his mark. 

Some kind of satisfied, sickeningly delighted feeling swells in my chest at the knowledge of having a mark from him on my body. It's primal, it's a little weird, but I adore the idea and maybe he does too. After what he said to me about North on the flight to Nockfell, I'd guess he's more than happy to stake his claim even if it's invisible to the outside world. 

Sal finally pulls his teeth from my leg, revealing a gnarly, dark purple mark in his wake. He places a quick, soothing kiss to the abused skin before trailing his way closer to my pussy. He masks his destination with more wet kisses and bites and I'm so worked up by now that a light sheen of sweat has formed on my forehead. I can't be doing this-- this is complete torture.

"Sal," I groan out, flinching at the sinful tone of my voice. It makes him pause his movements as well. "Please," I tack on, the word quiet and agonizingly pleading.

He hums against my skin, eyes zeroed in on mine. I hate being so direct, it's terrifying, but it's worth it if it'll end up with his tongue buried in me, right? 

"Beg for it," he says lowly, a slight rasp to his voice. His tone makes me shiver, as well as his words and I would drop to my hands and knees if he told me to right now.

My lips part upon hearing him and I release a shaky breath, thighs drawing together until he stops them with his tight grip. My heart is running a marathon, my limbs are trembling and I'm wondering if maybe this is all just a really awesome dream.

"Please," I repeat, voice coming out as a whine. For once, I don't regret it because this is what he wants. "I'm desperate." I don't know how else to portray to him that I need this-- the wait is nearly excruciating. "I need to feel you."

Sal pulls away from my skin, tongue lapping at all of his bite marks before a sadistic smile pulls at his lips. "How much do you hate me?" And he's waiting, waiting for a wordy explanation of my distaste for him. But now, with the way things have changed between us-- even if it's slightly-- describing my loathing somehow feels harder.

So I snort, trying to coerce him into putting his mouth on me again regardless of the location. But all the shivers, waiting, and very slow building orgasm is slipping away into the distance. "A lot," I whisper shakily.

He gives me a look, eyes narrowed and lips pressed together as if I've disappointed him. "You can do better than that, Vi. Where's the fire?" He leans toward the thigh he hasn't captured with his mouth yet and skims his teeth along my skin. "Should I give you an example?"

I lick my lips, a sudden fluttering in my chest making me feel light headed. I hesitantly shake my head-- the longer he isn't paying attention to me, the farther I am from cumming. I can come up with something to say can't I? Of course I can. He's infuriating enough.

"Alright then," he mumbles monotonously, finally ditching my thighs. He yanks me a bit closer, eyes still rifling through my soul. "Then tell me. And if you stop," he warns as I swallow against the pounding in my chest due to his positioning, face mere inches from my sopping cunt. He's dragged this on long enough. "I stop. Keep that filthy mouth of yours moving."

He waits for me to launch into a monologue of detest. His mouth so close to my clit, breath tickling my skin and forcing a quiet little whimper from me. 

"I fucking hate the constant foul mood you're always in," I force out, feeling my heart leap into my throat the second the words leave my mouth. Because Sal keeps his promise and with an inebriating grunt of approval, he finally attaches his lips to my clit, tongue running over it like he's desperate to soak up every inch of what I have to offer.

The feeling of his mouth on my pussy is incomparable to any other type of satisfaction in the world-- this is what I've waited for. And he happily makes up for the lost time, expertly flicking his tongue over the bundle of nerves and sucking it farther into his mouth. He moans against my cunt, hands dragging up my thighs to cup my ass and force me even closer to him. He squeezes my skin, a reminder to keep talking.

I dig up all the things I can't stand about him, slathering them across my brain so I can tell him about it. "You're a brick wall. No matter what I say, you refuse to listen. How come you're never open to hearing anyone out?" I whimper between words, squirming around on his desk and trying my damn hardest not to ruin any of his belongings.

Sal lifts my legs over his arms, pushing them onto his shoulders and I swear I'm about to combust. The way his tongue maps figure eights and circles around my clit does nothing to help, only sends me further toward falling apart.

I squeeze my eyes shut, fingers curling over the edge of his desk, heavy breaths and quiet moans falling past my lips no matter how badly I wish I could keep them inside. "You have some kind of God complex. You think you're right about everything, have to be in control of everything and I can't stand it. I can't stand you and your constant need to have everything you want."

His teeth graze over my clit and my mouth falls open, waves of pleasure rolling through my body like I've never experienced before. He moves downward, his tongue buried between my folds and licking up every bit of my arousal that he can get. Upon getting a better taste of me, he moans and I can feel the vibration of it everywhere, all the way up to my fingertips.

"I hate how easily you turn me on, how wet I get just from a simple touch," I admit, teeth clamping down onto my bottom lip as his tongue explores the inside of my pussy like he's been starved of me for far too long. His nails dig into my skin, the action eliciting a stinging sensation that only adds to the pleasure he's giving me. This is everything. "And you're so unfair. So pretty, so damn attractive with that horrible personality of yours. Why can't you be pretty through and through?"

I open my eyes again to watch him, drowning in the prospect of his face buried between my thighs, cheeks flushed and hair a mess. I watch as he drags his mouth up to my clit again, drawing patterns and shapes I don't care to know over the bundle of nerves. The rough, slick feeling of his tongue on such a sensitive place is addicting. So long as he's around to bring me to new heights like this, I don't need anything else. Maslow's hierarchy of needs has never been so wrong-- this is my sole need.

I can't help myself-- I reach a hand out, my fingers burying themselves into Sal's hair. It's soft. Just as soft as I knew it would be. And he doesn't seem to mind, only continues to suck on my clit and abuse it with his tongue. I close my hand into a fist, lightly tugging on his hair. I need something to hold onto.

"And your stupid fucking mouth," I groan out, sucking in a breath that never fully fills my lungs. His tongue dips into my pussy again, making another little groan follow my first. My thighs are clenched tightly at this point, quaking furiously. Sal never tries to stop me, doesn't calm me. It's clear how much he enjoys bringing me to ruin. "All the awful things you say, so many dirty words and you are so good with your tongue. I've never craved and loathed something so much in my life." 

Sal smiles against my pussy-- I watch in pure amazement as the corners of his lips curl upward like what I said was everything he's always wanted to hear. It's so lewd, so perverted and I absolutely will never forget this moment.

One of his hands lets go of my ass, trailing down my thigh again but moving to the inside this time. As his teeth gently nip at my clit and his tongue laps at my pussy, the tips of his fingers press against my opening, a silent request for more of my profession of hatred. A profession I'm more than happy to give him.

"I can't imagine how much I'll hate the way you fuck me just because I know it'll be better than any sex I've had before," I tell him, watching his mouth move against my cunt with furrowed brows and my lips parted in intrigue. Oh, he's so good at what he does. 

Sal's eyes meet mine again. Eye contact with him when he's in such an erotic position is incredibly intense. I feel like my entire body is going to crumple before he can finish me off and it all counts on if he's able to hold me up or not. But as soon as his cerulean gaze meets mine, two of his fingers sink into me. The action is slow, drawn out, and drags a nasty moan out of me in turn.

Sal whimpers against my pussy, taking care of me like he promised he would. When his fingers reach as far as they can go, he curls them, causing me to flinch at the sensuous feeling. There's so much going on to the point that every inch of my body feels impossibly overwhelmed. 

My sensitive clit gets sucked into Sal's mouth again, but then he pulls away. His fingers make up for the absence of his tongue, pounding into me in the same salacious way he's done before.

"Is that all you've got?" he grumbles breathlessly, glazed eyes glaring into mine. This is the expression I'm used to with him-- anger and dominance. 

I choke on the breath I try to take, my thighs pressing into his neck as his fingers slam in and out of my soaked cunt, digits only pausing their relentless pace to curl into me. I try to fight against my one working brain cell, try to form words for him, but-- "I can't." is all that I'm able to create, the two short words coming out as an imploring cry.

Sal stands, finger-fucking me into an alternate dimension. He hovers over me, his hair brushing my shoulders and neck. I watch him, an absolute mess beneath him but I can't look away-- even through the panting breaths that morph into whimpers and moans. 

His eyes glance between mine, seemingly contemplating something in that meticulous mind of his.

"Yea, you can, gorgeous," he grinds out behind clenched teeth, using the hand that's gripping my ass to press me against his chest. Our even closer proximity somehow forces his fingers deeper into my pussy, his thumb rubbing my clit. "Tell me more." My mouth is dry, I'm going to cum soon, and hopefully I don't actually fall over before that.

Sal takes a page out of my book, leaning closer to me and nipping at the skin of my throat. A little gasp falls past my lips and I finally let go of his hair, dragging my hand down to his neck. Those fingers work me to the core, never ceasing their movements and pushing into me with so much perfectly applied force. 

His mouth moves along the side of my neck, his lips still wet from my juices. I have no idea what gave him the confidence, but I'm not mad. Everything that couldn't be done with his prosthetic can be done now and he's taking advantage of it. "Speak," he snaps, tone not so gentle or comforting like it was when this first began. "Or else."

My mind is blank. "I'm about to cum," I begrudgingly whisper, completely overtaken by his fingers thrusting into me and his thumb focused on my oversensitive clit.

I shut my eyes, my free arm wrapping around his shoulders. Every inch of my body is tense, senses heightened and alert. I don't think I can possibly hold on any longer-- I doubt Sal needed my confirmation to tell that I'm close.

His digits curl into me again, repeating the action. I follow up with a loud whimper, my nails digging into the skin of his neck as he sucks on the skin behind my ear. I wish he'd have ditched the prosthetic sooner because I've really been missing out.

The hand still gripping onto my butt retreats to my stomach, fingers disappearing under my shirt and crawling across my ribs to my bra. He treats it as if it isn't even there, hand easily dipping beneath the fabric. His palm envelops my breast, squeezing gently and massaging the skin. It's such a considerate touch compared to the way he treats the rest of my body-- he knows exactly where the sweet spots are. 

"Cum," he commands, lips brushing the shell of my ear and fingers pounding into my sore cunt, thumb running over my hardened nipple.

My head drops onto his shoulder and with one more curl of his fingers, I do as he says and fall apart in his arms. I burst almost instantly, doing anything to keep myself silent over the feeling of his fingers gently caressing the inside of my pussy, riding me through my orgasm just like he did the first time. My teeth sink into his shoulder, a muffled whimper following soon after. Sal tenses up in my arms, a pleasured breath falling from his mouth and fanning over the side of my neck.

"Good girl," he purrs into my ear, lips skimming over the warm skin at my throat. He leaves one more sloppy kiss to my neck then pulls away to look into my eyes again. I can hardly hear anything he says as my teeth are forced away from his shoulder, still reeling from the orgasm that slammed into me nearly unannounced. My limbs feel like jelly as chills run up my spine. "You listen to me so well," he continues. I can't even look into his eyes; I just watch the way his lips move. How his tongue presses into the back of his teeth to pronounce a syllable. His sharp canines that undoubtedly left their own bruises on my skin. 

I gulp, unable to peel my eyes away from the mouth that masterfully brought me to climax. For the first time ever, I wonder what his mouth would feel like against mine. How soft his scarred lips would feel, not on my skin, but captured by my own. What his tongue would taste like. What his teeth would feel like nipping at my lips. 

Sal doesn't move away from me-- keeps our close proximity with his nose nearly brushing my mask's. He slowly, delicately pulls his fingers out of me but only continues to gaze into my eyes.

This is dangerous territory. Very dangerous. Because the impossible is coursing through me right now and I... somehow can't find it in me to hate him in this exact moment.

But then he blinks. Stands to his full height, moving away from me. His azure gaze turns to the desk I'm sitting on and he grabs my panties, offering them to me. Not an ounce of emotion evident on his face. I'd always wondered what he'd look like simply because I was curious if his face gave away his emotions better than his eyes could. It's pretty impressive how he's able to keep a straight mug though, RBF and all. Especially when he lifts the hand he fingered me with to his mouth and licks my cum off. He doesn't even look at me as his tongue runs up the length of his digit, just turns away from me and walks to the other side of the room.

I'm floored, jaw dropped and pussy wet. Again. That's really fucking hot.

I watch him strut away, follow his movements as he drops to his haunches and opens up his suitcase with his clean hand. He grabs something then faces me again, beginning to walk back with a finger still in his mouth.

My chest tightens at the sight. He can't be doing this to me. Not when Larry is going to be home any minute-- he needs to keep both his hands at his sides.

Thankfully, Sal has some mercy on me and finally finishes cleaning his fingers, eyes darting up to mine again. He walks up to me, right where I'm still sitting on top of his desk and drops fabric onto my bare thighs.

My brows furrow and I look down, grabbing lace. I lift it up, unfolding it to see that it's a near replica of the lace underwear he'd ripped off of me in Vegas. Only it's a completely brand new pair. No rips, no issues. My heart swells a bit at the gesture-- he bought a new pair like I'd told him to. I wasn't even serious, but he did it anyway.

I puff out my cheeks, contemplating what to say. Thank you's are virtually nonexistent between us. My eyes flit up to meet his again and he stuffs his hands into his pockets, watching me.

"You taste good," he nonchalantly comments, causing an infuriating blush to heat my cheeks.

"Thanks," I murmur, holding up the lace panties to show that I'm thankful for them too. "You taste pretty good too." He does. I'll have to return the favor to him when I get the chance.

A barely audible snort comes from him and I almost smile. 

"I'd fuck you, but Larry will be back any minute and Ash probably isn't far behind him," he says, turning on his heel and walking toward the door. "I suggest you put your clothes back on. Panties are clean, I washed them."

My eyebrows raise and I pinch my lips together. Huh. "How kind of you," I say half sarcastically. Only half because it's helpful that they are clean-- it's almost like he knew he'd place me in a predicament where I needed fresh underwear. "You trying to kick me out?" I add. Of course he is, I'm just trying to make my way out of here as awkward-less as possible.

"Hell yea," he says proudly, "I have shit to do."

"Are you calling me a distraction?" I ask, looking toward him as I shimmy my underwear and shorts up my legs then start working on the button.

Sal tilts his head, hand on the doorknob. "And a mild aggravation."

"Oh, wow," I gasp, feigning surprise. "Mild? I must be working my way onto your good side."

"Fuck me good enough and we'll see how far you get," he replies, eyes watching my every move but face still unreadable as I begin walking toward him. 

I roll my eyes. Of course. I pinch my lips together and give him a disinterested look. This is my lesson to never try to have a casual conversation with him again. He clearly doesn't want it, which, fair. Our agreement is sex, not friendship. "Okay," I say dramatically when he opens the door for me. "Bye, Sal."

The man nods his head, acknowledging the shift in the room. His eyes stay glued to mine like they have been the entire time I've been here. Now that I'm not distracted by his mouth on my pussy, I realize that this is an odd thing for him to do. He looks at me every once in a while, but not in such a... scrutinizing way. 

He purses his lips and says, "Bye, y/n."

Every nerve-ending in my body suddenly shuts off. Everything is still. I have no thoughts for a moment, no physical reaction. Just stillness. I don't breathe, I don't move. I just watch him.

There's no way— he has to have mixed up my names. It has to be that.

And then everything hits me. Sal Fisher just said my name. And not the fake one that I've been hiding behind. He said my actual name— the one that's on my birth certificate. And now my hands are shaking, my heart is racing, my breaths are uneven, and I feel like I'm going to throw up.

"What the fuck," I say shakily. I'm not ready for this. I'm going to completely switch his thought process around-- "did you just say?"

The look in his eyes changes, they light up a bit as if he's caught me. And still he decides to mess with me. "Huh?" he innocently asks.

Okay, I'd really like to wake up now.

My eyes narrow. So that's the game he wants to play? This isn't the time and I don't have the mental capacity to handle this. Not only am I recovering from a mind-blowing orgasm, but I was just getting over the overwhelming anxiety I suffered from yesterday.

"I'm not y/n, if that's what you're thinking," I rush to tell him, even adding in the fakest little smirk I've ever slapped onto my face. Anything to get him off my tail, whatever I can think of to save my ass. This really can't be happening to me.

He's still watching me speculatively and it's making my brain itch. "You know," he finally starts, voice disgustingly pleased. "I went out on a limb with that one." I watch in horror as a little smirk begins to grow on his face. I don't want to accept it yet, I really don't, but I think I'm fucked and not physically. 

At the end of the day, he's still managed to fuck me in multiple ways. I cannot stand Sal Fisher.

"What are you even talking about?" I ask him, clearing my throat quietly while taking a safe step out of his door and into the living room. I try my best to keep my eyes on him while extinguishing the fear from my gaze. If I act horrified, he'll sniff me out instantly. That is, if he hasn't already.

Sal chuckles deeply— it's, shockingly, an amused and prideful one rather than something sick, dark, and twisted. He leans against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. I try my best not to adore the way his scars stretch with his laugh and the sight of his pretty teeth. "Any other woman would have assumed I was sleeping with someone else if I called them by another name," he says lightheartedly, tilting his head down a bit. "But you didn't. And that can only mean that I'm right."

I open my mouth to decline, fear thrumming through me. He caught me red handed. I can't fucking believe this.

"And don't try to deny it, you won't change my mind. I've been very sure of who you are for months now."

My head slowly begins to shake of its own accord. He never fails to shock me. "How..."

Sal shrugs. "You couldn't have timed your introduction more horrendously. Think about it," he says, chewing on his bottom lip. "I bitch at y/n over a phone call, then the next day, a wild VioletViolence pops into my life and isn't too surprised by my shitty personality. The second you were added to the Discord server, I had my suspicions." He shrugs nonchalantly, like the confirmation doesn't bother him in the slightest. "I talked it over with Larry and Todd too. They're pretty sure of your identity as well. They were just nice enough to wait for you to tell us on your own." His eyes narrow, sly like a fox. "But I'm not nice and wanted to know for myself. Wanted to scare you a bit too."

I swallow over the bile rising in my throat. Scare me, he did. I have no idea what to do with myself. I must look like a deer in headlights nearing its death sentence. "It... it doesn't bother you?" I decide to ask in a small voice, unable to blink as I watch him closely.

That same smug little smile is still lighting up his marred face as he says, "Regardless, I still can't stand you and I'll still fuck you stupid."

-----------

A/N::::::: OMFFGGGGG I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS CHAPTER FOR AGESSSSSS PLEASE!!! more specifically the end of it! i've had this last scene written since like... 2022 o_O 

i want to give a HUGE thanks to my very good friend, Phoebe, who inspired me to write the catalyst of the smut scene with this AMAZING piece of art that they drew :3 i am soooo so grateful for having the opportunity to see the art in general, but getting to write it too??? OMG so incredibly grateful <33

side note: this is my first time writing a smut scene like this one-- well, actually any time i write a different kind of sex it's new for me LMFAO i am exploring EVERYTHINGGGG and i also have no idea if this is any good. so like last chapter, if y'all could give me some tips or things you like and didn't like, i would GREATLY appreciate it :3

i'm going catch up on my neglected homework. as always, have a wonderful morning/day/evening/night. my heart belongs to all of you <3

[lady-assnali]

SOME sentences Sunday…SEVERAL sentences Sunday…you get the idea.

Have this baby model Crygi that wrote itself yesterday for my dear @thecollectionsof bc I’ve been really holding out on the Crygi lately and I can only say soon or one day so many times before I feel guilty for abandoning my children

———

Crystal shifts her weight between her feet as she stands in line, an exuberant smile on her face. She clutches a magazine close to her chest, occasionally glancing down at it. But she can’t look long, or she’ll lose it right here in the line at this local bookshop between the woman with five beach reads and the young mother and her child balancing stacks of Pete the Cat books in their hands. Instead, she concentrates her energy on living in the moment; the shop smells like robust coffee beans and the undeniable fragrance of books. The playlist is folksy and she recognizes the Noah Kahan song playing because Gigi had been singing it all summer after they’d taken a coastal weekend away just a month before. The trip had been a surprise, and they’d spent an entire day driving up and down the gorgeous, ritzy coastline of Massachusetts listening to lyrics about how everything’s alright when she calls me back. It couldn’t be more true.

Right now, Gigi’s in a timezone five hours ahead of her filming content for a brand Crystal has never heard of but Gigi absolutely idolizes. She’s been working like crazy, but the constant flow of it all has really helped her boost her name. She offhandedly mentions more than once that Crystal can even quit her just in case job now that Gigi has a steady following, but she hasn’t been able to do that yet. She doesn’t want Gigi to think she’s using her for her newfound money (even though they still bulk shop at Costco and get the cheap takeaway they like on Friday nights Gigi is home).

She gets to the front of the line and reluctantly lets go of the magazine, only long enough to let the cashier scan it.

“I don’t need a bag.” She waves her reusable tote in the air, but the magazine just goes right back into her hands. She holds the cover up for the cashier to see and in a loud, giddy voice she announces “This is my girlfriend.”

Gigi’s the front cover of Vogue, an idea she’d held on to since the start of her accidental modeling career and hadn’t stopped thinking about since. She’d told Crystal the moment she’d found out, sobbing on the phone in the middle of LAX. Crystal had met her at JFK with a bouquet of flowers and a sign that read Vogue cover model Gigi Goode.

Now, she gets to hold the magazine in her hand. Everything her girlfriend has worked so hard for in one binding of glossy papers. Well, two-Crystal’s bought one to keep and the other to cut apart so she can carefully frame the actual cover.

She’s absolutely mooning over the photo; Gigi, clad in a beautiful champagne colored dress that she’d made herself from something she’d gotten off the rack. She’d shortened it, added boning, and restructured the entire thing to turn it from Little House on the Prairie to Real Housewives (or something like that; Crystal’s still workshopping the joke). In the cover photograph the old dress hangs in the background like a ghost. The headline? Farewell, Fast Fashion.

“She made this dress.” Crystal points to the photo, turns around so the woman with the romance novels can see the cover too. “She’s so talented, and just the most beautiful soul you’ll ever meet. And this is just…it’s a lifetime of hard work.”

Crystal’s so close to crying now that she has to peel one hand away from her magazines to wipe at the corner of her eye, but she’s not embarrassed. She can’t feel anything but proud.

On her way out (after stopping to show a few other patrons of the book shop, pointing them to where they keep their magazines) she calls Gigi, who picks up on the first ring.

“My brilliant, talented, beautiful girlfriend, I have a copy of Vogue in my hands as we speak.”

On the other side of the phone, Gigi squeals.

“I haven’t seen it in person yet!” Crystal imagines her jumping up and down, her loose curls bouncing and her smile absolutely illuminating the room.

“I’ll send you a picture. It’s incredible, Geege. You look gorgeous. And I might’ve told everyone in the store that you were my girlfriend because I still can’t believe it.”

“Believe it, Crys. You’re stuck with me for life.”

They speak a little bit longer, Gigi reeling as the photos Crystal scoots over on the sidewalk to take of the magazine come through. It’s even better than she imagined, and she’s dying to see it in person.

“Two days!” She cheers. “One sleep! And then I’ll be home for weeks and we can cuddle and lay around and I can use my fancy Vogue money to take my girlfriend somewhere with the best dessert in the city.”

“Where’s that?”

Gigi laughs.

“I don’t know! But we’ll have two whole weeks to find it!”

[starjxsung]

hi my angel! it’s so nice to hear from you again! i’ve missed you so much🫶🏻

a month kinda feels like forever sometimes, right? i’ve seen many stars and star shaped things and i’ve been thinking about your every time <3 and hoping that you’re doing well.

i’m so excited for the kitten video. i’m honored that you thought of me bc cat lady™️ is my brand! skz with kittens may just heal my life.

im picking up my wristbands for lolla at will call bc shipping was like $80😪 buuuut its beginning to feel so real for me too, it’s crazy. im really really nervous and excited. and im so excited for your ateez concerts too!! (pls send me some good yeosang/san pics pls i beg u). my bf got me two ateez albums for our anniversary but they still haven’t gotten here😪😪

ahhh for kdrama recs i’ve watched the tale of the nine tailed (because im in love with lee dongwook, it can be a lil bit too long sometimes though), it’s okay not to be okay and my demon! and i’ve enjoyed them, especially the last two! now im watching an anime named Nana (my sapphic dream💔)

im so sorry to hear the kitten story💔 it’s always so sad when they pass away, especially when it happens in your care😪 thank you for always helping the kitties out 💜 another cat gave birth at my grandma’s house and the kittens were very sick, only one of them survived and has an upper respiratory infection. but we’ve been treating it as best as possible. one of the older kittens stopped using his back legs and is currently at the vet receiving treatment to see if it’s any neurological disease or something. and im so so so sad about that too </3

as for the comprehensive exams, i barely studied because i have, what i suspect to be, ✨undiagnosed adhd✨ i passed one of them but the other one (which is a really stupid test in itself tbh. everyone was really pissed at that one bc it doesn’t really evaluate anything) was a hard fail😂 im not too stressed because i have a shot during next semester to pass it.

i,once again, am so glad to have heard from you <3 thank you (and momo, what a cute pic!!) for always rooting for me! my kitties and i are always rooting for you as well🫶🏻 i send you so much love from the middle of nowhere to the middle of nowhere. i hope you’re taking care of yourself too and taking time to do what you love at your pace🫶🏻

i love you bb! im here for you💘

-🐈‍⬛

STOP OMG I think of you all the time when I see anything cat related these days 😭 the love extends from me to you and back again like ten times over. I love you so so much

counting down the minutes until skz x kittens video. Jisung with kittens is going to heal me spiritually I just know it (though based on the teasers those kittens dgaf about any of them LMFOSODJFKFKDJ)

I cannot believe Lolla is so close like I swear we bought tickets yesterday??? And tour is going to be announced any day now im genuinely tweaking I need them to stay away until I save more money 😭😭 also I PROMISEEE to get the best Yeosang/San pics I am physically able to. I love you so much in my head we r going to every concert together and we have barricade seats.

Ahhhh I will totally check out your recs!!! I’ve heard so many good things about Nana and I bought a Nana keychain the other day despite not watching the show literally just bc it was so darn cute. Once I have my purse again I’ll post a good pic of it and if you like it I can buy you one & mail it to you !!! There’s a little boutique near my apartment that makes & sells them and they’re so cute you’d LOVE them

I’m so sad to hear about all the kitties :(( Momo had a respiratory infection when I found her and it was so sad watching her sneeze every 2 seconds and administering so many meds to her ☹️ I hope the RI goes away quickly and I hope the kitty with leg problems gets well and that it’s not a neurological issue, that’s so tough 💔☹️ thank you for always taking such good care of them, you’re such an angel 🫶💞

HEY you passed one exam though!!!!! That’s so major!!!!!!! You should be so proud of yourself my angel!!!!!!! Sending you all my love and I’m sure you can nail the other one on the second go around. Sometimes you just need a second try and that’s perfectly okay. You did your fucking best and that’s reason enough to celebrate ❤️💫

I love you so so much and I’m so glad to hear from you too my love. I get through my worst days remembering that people like you exist and I hope you’re taking the best care of yourself possible. precious cargo 🫶💫❤️💘💝 I love you !!!!!!!!! Pic of me and Momo (real):

[askeataiho]

I posted 8,047 times in 2022

That's 4,225 more posts than 2021!

185 posts created (2%)

7,862 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@kaunisbaby

@lonelyvomit

@paleangels13

@pastlink

I tagged 7,603 of my posts in 2022

Only 6% of my posts had no tags

#blind channel - 4,599 posts

#joel hokka - 1,682 posts

#olli matela - 1,433 posts

#joonas porko - 1,379 posts

#niko vilhelm - 1,365 posts

#aleksi kaunisvesi - 976 posts

#tommi lalli - 681 posts

#bc us tour - 634 posts

#critical role - 546 posts

#bc european headline tour 2022 - 535 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#oh my roommate at the time i first took it got where she's from where i'm from and where her last roommate was from she's a language sponge

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Cat pictures requested by @kind-as-sunshine​ 🐱

My Ria 🥰

She's being dirty laundry.

See the full post

8 notes - Posted November 25, 2022

#4

Had a Blind Channel dream (like my third? ever) with pack dynamics, A/B/O, and mpreg, probably because I read Sweaty t-shirts and first times right before bed. 😅

It was after an event - concert or something - and the pack was going to go back home soon.  I was Aleksi and was with Joel - the Alpha - buying some things at a convenience store before joining the others to catch the bus. I (Aleksi) wanted to buy Joel a little gift but had almost no money of my own.  I bought him a little chocolate.  I wanted to give him a gift because I had two tough things to tell him 1) that I’d broken the washing machine (hold over from my previous dream last night) and 2) I was pregnant.

So out in the hallway outside the store, I tell Joel I’m pregnant and he sort of panics.  Eventually he grabs my (Aleksi’s) phone and is scrolling through the texts.  I’m just really defeated by Joel’s reaction and now he’s acting like I was cheating so I just say I’m going to my sister’s and that she’s a professional soup cook??? (I think implying that she’ll give Aleksi a job because he’s also good and making soup?)

So I just leave Joel standing there stunned and go to line up for the bus in the other direction.  I can see the other guys waiting for the bus back home looking around for me and Joel.  Then I woke up; sad ending.

So that was a weird dream huh? 😂

9 notes - Posted April 25, 2022

#3

My cat Ria, enjoying the blanket I bought just for her 🥰🥰🥰

9 notes - Posted November 16, 2022

#2

My account has been restored! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

Took just over a week, but it’s been restored!

I’ll be keeping my back up account ( @askea-taiho ) as, well, back up in case this happens again, since it happened for no reason before.  I’ll try to match the follow lists to each other within the next few days.

16 notes - Posted September 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Spent all of yesterday at work thinking about @mondayborn and co.’s Heavy Blankets AU (the latest one was so cute!) and will probably think about it today too.  Instead of my own WIPs.  a/b/o AUs often make me think a lot about how such a society and biology works and this one especially makes my brain whir.

Love this AU and reread all of them today.

20 notes - Posted March 21, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[nathank77]

8/5/24

9:34 a.m Added to/Edited 9:52 a.m

The only thing I can think of are the commonalities with the two nights that I had to double up to sleep:

1) I had 2 Red Bulls.

2) Both days were a game day where I did nothing but game. I gamed for like 8-10 hours yesterday. The day before my dad's house I gamed for like 8 hours at least.

3) Having a little caffeine after 5 p.m

Other than that there aren't other commonalities. I didnt even shower both of those days cause I showered the day before my dad's and the night I came home from dad's.

I didn't even make a phone call or run an errand or anything. I relaxed. I relaxed and played Minecraft both days and played my heart out. I mean that's all I can say.

I slept fine the night I came home from my fathers on the standard dose but I was outside. I was social. I showered. I exposed myself to sunlight. Although the half was so thick it must have been a .7 or a .8....

Last night it was probably a .6 or .7. The night before my dad's I mean it was 1.5 by the time I fell asleep.

Was it bc I didn't do anything but game and I drank two Red Bulls? I mean I've had many red Bull days Aka 24 ounces of red Bulls.. and fell sleep on the standard dose.

I had anxiety last night cause I could only take 1, 50 mg of CBD cause I only had one more gummie left. Im getting them today.

Today I'm feeling really depressed, I don't have many things on my list of things to do. Shave my face/Head idk If I'm going to do it. I'll likely shower.

Part of me wants to bring the clear bin by my game stack up to the attic despite it being empty mostly. It only has my uhart target bag in it and 2 shirts I don't like much. I wanted to fill it but I'm sick of it taking up space in my room. I can always bring stuff upstairs and fill it.

I was also planning to "set up" both Macbooks. One is purely professional and is set up. The other I want to hook my fb to and Instagram bc it's my "gaming/fun" macbook.

I'm meeting with Erin today. I'd do laundry but I'm going to wait until later this week.

This whole week I barely have anything to do but therapy Tuesday and thursday. I have nothing to be anxious about. I know I was anxious about my cbd.

I am anxious about my uti... but I'm coping. I honestly just want to watch TV. I used to have TV days but now that my gamers burn out has been cured every day I can relax I just game.

Idk ill eventually get out of the rut and at least shower.

I still got to figure out what to do with the mouse deodorant and stuff...

I also got to finish putting my shreddables in bins but I'm absolutely not doing that today.

I got to try to be active. I just feel depressed cause I had my eyes closed for a long time and couldn't sleep... and then I don't want to buy cbd but it def helped with my panic attacks...

I def had some microsleep flashbacks last night and the night before my dad's. Rapid eye movement nervousness about it being fucked up and not working right/not being in alignment.

I mean I bought 100mg a day of CBD again.... I want to go down to 50 but my brain is like take 100mg fuck the money... and I used to not even be able to think about the word panic without having heart palpitations.... so it's hard to decide not to buy it.

I also notice white on my inner cheeks could be From SLS and my cheek healing now that I removed it... or could be a yeast infection, when I have my psychical I'm going to ask to get tested for yeast again as my tongue is still black hairy tongue that is insanely clean bc I scrap it twice a day... but with the white on inner cheeks if it doesn't clear up, it could be yeast or a sign of cancer...

I'm just wondering why I'm trying so hard. Part of me is like go to prime house despite knowing I won't meet anyone there anyways.

Another thing that is getting to me is my ac is slowly shitting the bed and I can afford to put it on the new credit line... I mean not if I want to get a bed... but I feel I may have to spring the cash from the new credit line cause it really is shitting the bed.

Also my cigarettes are due soon. I got one more carton and I don't want to go to new Hampshire but I'm thinking like somewhere around the 15th or so... that'll be another bill... I wanted to get my southern degree replaced with my name... but I can't afford the fee cause I had to pay for my car taxes. Also l salvariuos. And cbd...

Maybe next month. Also I have to eventually bring in my "gaming" Macbook to apple but can't this month too broke.

I def have money anxiety. And I was thinking about going to prime house today bc maybe it is just 2 red bulls and gaming all day effecting my ability to sleep and caffeine after 5 p.m... cause that is also a commonality between the night before dad's and last night.

So yea I'm a ball of anxiety and I'm sick of being alone and i wish I could find a gf.

Beyond that my car ac is terrible.. I'm sick of how hot it is. It makes me want to stay in the house all day everyday. I can't wait for the weather to be less fucking disgusting.

Being in my car makes me nasous it's so fucking hot and I can't even crack a windows both motors on the driver side and passenger side are blown.

[hayatgazisi]

Helloo

Today i had the best experience with my boyfriend :33 i met with his best friend coming to istanbul from a veeery far away place. I was very anxious because of the fact that he is a chef and he would make amazing foods and i would have to give up on my diet but thankfully they were very supportive :) i fasted until lik 3 in the afternoon and then i had fume salmon with very little rice, lots of coke zero and some broccoli, cucumbers and tomatoes. Since i prepared the food, i tried to use very little oil but i also wanted to amaze the chef guy lmao. After he ate it, he said he had an orgasm bcs the food was very good so... cheers to that!

I also didnt drank any alcohol today. My man drinks a lot of beer and i also love it but i am trying to quit drinking

The only worst part of the diet is that i start abusing cigarettes a lot when im hungry but... what can i do sometimes 🤧

Yesterday i saw a post saying wearing corsets make you less hungry during the day and it REALLY was true <3 thanks to that one post, i consumed around 1100 calories today without even feeling any hunger.

Since i am tall and pretty much obese, my daily calorie intake shouldnt be more than 1300 and i think i managed it pretty well today, also my smart watch said that i burned 350 calories today so im very very safe :)

Today was a veeery good day! I am very happy and i am also very energized. god i love healing. I love that i am healing, i am not doing deadly and unsustainable diets and not losing any hair but still feeling healthy.

Also, i had parachute pants that i spent a lot of money. I had two pairs of hem and when i first bought them, they were a bit loose on the waist even without a corset.

Today, i couldnt even make them pass my kness.

So that is a veeery great motivation! :3

[thoughts-onmars]

december gurl

Hello mars,

I had my computer on a pillow for better stability for my eyes but it was kind of uncomfortable. I have been listening to Doja all morning today and even yesterday lol i LOVE Planet Her it is a catchy and boppy album. I hope that my gurl Ari releases some music soon. I have been listening to my MJ playlists again and some of my older 90s early 2000s music bc I like the sound of the instruments in the songs in them. I really like New Jeans too though for current kpop music. I am ready for 2024 to have some new tunes.

Today has been pretty productive in my eyes. I was pretty productive yesterday too. As soon as I got up I got the beans boiled and the chicken was also set. My food yesterday was so good. I love that I am getting better and faster at cooking lol. It really helps grow my confidence. I made red enchiladas with chicken and cheese and the beans and I even made some rice which tasted better than the first batch I made. Just a cooking mama lmao. I also went on a run and went to king soopers for some mailing bags to send beanies for my fam and whatever else i could fit with two hands lol. I got that done today and also returned the pants that were way too long and too small tbh lol. I am glad it was hassle free and plus I had to go mail the other ish so it worked out.

I was able to return the hair dye also hassle free and I got a blue and purple one to dye today. OP I just remembered that today I have to give JP his massage/cupping sesh bc I did not have energy to do it yesterday. I wrote it out so now I really have to do it jeje. Anyway today for food I am thinking of making some stir fried udon noodles with broccoli and carrots and cabbage. Maybe even make it spicy but not everything has to be spicy mars. I still have leftover chicken from yesterday so I was thinking of adding it to the noodles or frying it with some breading but now that I am writing my idea, I do not have any breading....wack. So anyway it will just be chicken pieces in the noodles and then the sushi that I bought yesterday at the king soopers.

December has been pretty good to be honest. I haven't been feeling as home sick and I think it is because I am messaging and talking to my mom more and it helps me feel like they are still just right here close by. We are 12 days in but for some reason I just feel like I have been doing more mentally and physically. We are getting closer to the end of the year and I am still also thinking about the internship in Washington. Should I wait it out?? I really want to travel and go to Asia for my dirty 30. I am turning 30 sheesh that is so crazy and people out here saying I am 23 lmao I lub it.

The prices are pretty average and we have our play money fund so we would only have to worry about flights and airbnb. JP did say the airbnbs were pretty cheap so that makes me excited that we can explore more and maybe even hit two countries. I will start looking at flights more seriously probably after I get home in Feb after going home. I think imma go to IN in Feb/March. I am not sure. My fam seems to always be busy bodies so it can be kind of hard to figure out when to go but I am sure if I just communicate instead of free balling it, it would work out lol.

Okay mars have a great day even though it already it. Do your best in all you do this week and just show up. Stay consistent and what is yours is already yours, it cannot be taken.

deuces ~~~~~

[runfast-runfar]

Life Lately

1/29/2023

✨ life has been very up and down lately. Long story short, my current therapist who I love so much, said her supervisor will only allow her to continue working with me if I get higher care help with food stuff. So I did and have a dietician and an Ed therapist which I’ve been doing for a month now, but I literally can not afford it. I’m spending almost $600 a week (and making $800 a week) and so I can’t save any money, can’t pay off my credit card, can’t buy groceries consistently… it’s just added more stress not really resolved anything. Plus the two new therapist I am seeing I don’t really like very much, they’re not telling me ANYTHING I don’t already know… it’s that I’m not ready to fully recover. And I hate that if I’m not, the way the system is set up is to have the therapists you do have have to stop working with you to encourage “higher care” but if I can’t afford basic specialized care… how tf is higher care an option??! Ugh. It’s a mess.

I have my therapy with my long term therapist I love on Tuesday, and I’m going to talk to her about it all. I’m really REALLY hoping we can find a way for me to do my best alone and then still work together (she’s not licensed yet, she’s an associate hence having to follow her supervisors authority to a T). But I will be crushed if I can’t see her, but I genuinely can’t afford more than 1 therapist a week and i don’t want to see either other therapist over her.

✨ anyway, that’s the shitty stuff. But other things in life are pretty positive atm! Work is going well, and I am liking it as much as one can like a level entry, out of college in a field they don’t particularly want to be in, as much as could be expected lmao

But I did speak to my manager and put in some boundaries with my available work hours (I was pulling 10-12 hour days bc of my commute) and so I now leave the office at 4 instead of 5:30 three days a week cutting almost 3 hours off my work day on M, W, and F’s which has been SO needed!! Proud of myself for asserting those boundaries tbh!

✨ I went running last weekend for the first time in almost 3 months, and it actually went great! Definitely slower and that is hard to come to terms with, but I went out again this morning for another 30 minute run and I am trying to just remain grateful running is back in my life!! And I am going to try running 3 days a week for 30 minute sessions for a few weeks to see how it goes, then increase it slowly if it goes smooth!! 🤞🤞

✨ some yummy foods lately I’m obsessed with; it looks gross but is SO tasty… mashed banana with maple syrup, pb, and cinnamon on top of freshly made bread!! And then I had steel cut oats for the first time yesterday and omg game changer!!!

✨ thea is her usual, perfect, adorable, derpy self (ignore my mass pile of stuffed animals)

✨ my brother is hopefully getting a job he’s been interviewing for for a month in the next week or so, and if he does we will be looking to move out in the next month or so!! (Hence needing to be able save money/have an income…) bc I need to not live at home anymore.

✨ speaking of saving though… I did have the plan to buy myself a ps5 when I officially landed my first big girl post college job, and they just got restocked so I bought one!!! So now I reallyyyy can’t afford therapy lmao 😅 I mean I can for $110 a week with my one therapist, not $600 a week for three lol

So that comes on Wednesday so next weekend I know what I’ll be doing all day Saturday and Sunday lmao

I bought the new ratchet and clank game and then also the last of us part 1 (the show is SO good!!) and I’m so excited!!

✨ I went to the humane society last weekend and then again this weekend and it feels SO good to be going back! I hadn’t gone since September of last year due to the new job and just the anxiety and sadness around some of the animals there for so long. But I loved getting to be back! I walked this 4 month old husky named Zeus, and then Oso I TLC’d and did some mental stimulation games and he’s such a sweetie pie ugh I love them all!!!

✨ today has been a nice, somewhat lazy day! Slept in until 8am and then went on a 30 minute run, then stopped at the farmers market for a few things, came home and did a 30 minute intervals and arms peloton class with Robin Arzon :) Then I watched M3gan (lol wild!), and now I’m watching Get Out while drawing in bed with a few candles lit!

✨ not thrilled about the work week ahead, I appreciate having a job a lot but I am definitely only planning on staying at this place for a year or 2 max and then I want to segue back to social sciences bc tech is not for me long term!

✨ I want to watch one more “scary” movie (or like thriller type movie like M3gan or Get Out) tonight so any suggestions I would love! :)

✨ well, I hope you’re all doing well, and have a lovely Sunday to finish up your weekend!!

[insidetheacademy]

smoke break || william v. afton x reader oneshot

a/n; hi!!!! i am so obsessed with william and what better way to deal with it than writing a oneshot where we get caught smoking by william bcs i need a new smoking buddy so bad huhu

t/w: cigarettes :-)

image credits goes to noisx!!! <3 :-)

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･

the clock hits 3:30 and you let out a sigh of relief as it was your time to take a break. you head out the back door and take out your pack of cigarettes. huh, only two left you thought to yourself, you swore you just bought them yesterday. you shrugged and lit the cigarette with your lighter, taking a long inhale on it. as you took another hit, someone opened the door right next to you and there he stands, the co-owner of the restaurant that you work at, William Vincent Afton. you looked at him with a confused look. “you know it’s my break time right? so whatever you’re trying to make me do, go get another person to do it,” you said while bringing the cigarette closer to your lips.

William stepped outside and closed the door behind him, “you know those aren't good for you right, love?” he spoke as he bent his knees to look into your eyes. you scoffed and said “piss off,” you tried to take another hit but you were unsuccessful as William took the cigarette out of your fingers. “hey! what the hell man?!” you furrowed your brow in annoyance. he carefully put the cigarette in place between his fingers and took a hit.

you widen your eyes in a bit of a shock and groaned, “what the hell, Afton? if you wanted one you should’ve just asked nicely!” you lectured him. he puffed the smoke in your face and chuckled as he watched your face turn into annoyance yet once again. you cant believe that you are actually in love with an asshole. you took out your pack of cigarettes once more and lit the last one in the pack.

“do you usually smoke during your break, dear?” he spoke as he took a seat next to you. you puffed out the cancerous smoke and shook your head. “sometimes, i go to the toilet to smoke to just release some stress,” you said as you looked down. you were pretty sure that your co workers and the customers who came knew that but feeling no remorse to them that you might’ve smelled like cigarettes you just pushed the thought away. “ah, so that explains the other co-workers complaining that you had too many toilet breaks,” he laughed, remembering the amount of people who work there complaining about you.

“you know if you wanted a stress reliever, you could've just walked into my office and I would've helped you out,” he said in a sultry tone as he took another hit on your cigarette. you punched him playfully, “you are disgusting Mr. Afton,” you said as you laughed a little at his stupid perverted joke. “you know you have to buy me another pack of cigarettes, right?” you said hoping that he would AT LEAST give you extra money or buy you another one for your addiction.

he threw his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it, “I’ll think about it, love.” he said as he cupped your chin and kissed you on your lips. he tasted like a cigarette (i mean of course, dumbass) but the kiss was so addicting. you tried to deepen the kiss but he pulled away, “sorry, bunny, duty calls.” he winked as he went inside. what an asshole you quietly say to yourself

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

[itsclydebitches]

so ironwood was confirmed to be dead by Miles in a $42 cameo session, where the person who bought it had asked for "comforting words to soothe our anguished souls" bc she was an ironwood fan and wanted a pick-me-up after that devastating finale. miles' response was to essentially mock his fans (it really sounded like that, especially since he ended with "thank you jimmy, may you rest in pieces, crushed beneath the weight of the kingdom you tried so hard to hold up above your head."

apparently the VA, jason rose, confirmed it in DMs w the same fan who sent in the cameo ask. so like, quite apart from how rude and disrespectful it was of miles to make a mockery of james in a cameo where he'd been specifically asked for comforting words regarding the character, ngl but i think that if you have to confirm a MAJOR CHARACTER is dead outside of canon bc you failed to actually show it on screen.....you've failed as a writer. and also that kind of thing shouldn't be confirmed in an expensive and exclusive interview lmao like how hard would it have been to just talk about good aspects to james' character instead of calling him a dickbag and saying 'don't do a genocide, guys!!'

it reeks of unprofessionalism and also it just makes everything surrounding ironwood's character arc even worse since apparently 'his fate was sealed' from the moment he was introduced to the show.

Me, who received the first Moderna shot yesterday (🎉 🎉 🎉 ): Ugh I feel too crappy to answer asks today

Me, upon hearing this news: You know, I have suddenly found an untapped source of energy

Okay, all joking aside, I watched the vid and it’s definitely a lot. I don’t have any information about the request itself except for what Miles mentions in the recording, so I can’t speak to what the fan may have been looking for outside of that, but some highlights include: 

“This is for the filth in my degenerate discord server” - Yeah, that’s how a lot of us (fans) talk about ourselves. It sounds like someone who really enjoys Ironwood and makes joking, self-deprecating comments about their love of a character. That’s familiar to me and speaks to the expectation that they hoped for something other than what they got. At least, if I’d sent in a request like that I wouldn’t be happy with the vid, but that’s obviously my own perspective and not this fan’s. I’d be very curious to know their own thoughts though... 

“Sometimes a character we like doesn’t make it, does something we don’t agree with... or both!” - That is indeed how characters work! The real question is whether their death/actions make sense within the story, which is not addressed here. Many fans who enjoyed Ironwood don’t have a problem with him dying or turning into a villain  — I’ve been honest about my acceptance of either/both, regardless of personal preference, provided it was written well  — and that was always the issue. Not what happened to Ironwood, but how it happened. 

“James Ironwood’s fate was sealed the moment his character was conceived many years ago.” - Personally, I don’t believe this. RT makes a lot of grand, sweeping statements about what’s been planned “for years” or “since the beginning” and too often we’re faced with writing that directly contradicts that. Though it’s unlikely we’ll ever know the truth, neither option paints the writing team in a good light. Either they’re straight up lying about what’s been planned (or twisting tossed out possibilities into assurances after the fact. For example, someone once suggested Ironwood might become a villain somehow at some point and now that’s presented as, ‘We’ve deliberately been working towards this specific ending for years’), or they’re being truthful and just... can’t write what they want to write. It doesn’t sound good when a writer says, ‘I’ve planned this the whole time’ and a good chunk of the fandom responds, ‘Then why couldn’t we see that planning this whole time?’ 

“When James was introduced we intentionally made him look like kind of a big dickbag, but then we realized that dickbag had a heart and was also half metal, and that was pretty cool!” - I don’t even know what to make of this. I’ve deconstructed his introduction before, but to summarize here, he’s presented as no more of a “dickbag” than Ozpin who may not be doing enough to protect the people, Winter who allowed herself to get taunted into a fight on campus, or Qrow who deliberately started that fight while drunk. Glynda is the only one who is arguably innocent here. The implication seems to be that obviously Ironwood became a villain because “we intentionally made him look like kind of a big dickbag” but then... does that mean Qrow will become a villain too someday?? 

The comments about them realizing he had a heart and was half metal just speak to that lack of planning. No, you obviously didn’t plan this downfall from the start if you “realized” something as basic as him caring for others partway through writing him and then allowed that care to drive his character for so long that the decent into villainy read as OOC, rather than inevitable. You obviously weren’t writing him with a backstory that influenced his character  — of which his semblance is a major part  — if you “realized” he was half-metal... whenever that happened. The fact that we never saw that backstory, or the semblance on screen, or returned to his half-metal nature outside of a ‘That’s coding for evilness’ theme again speaks to the fact that either a) none of this was actually planned or b) the execution is seriously lacking here. 

“Let us all take a moment to thank General James Ironwood for his service to the Kingdom of Atlas, but... at the end of the day, don’t do a genocide [laughs]” - I’m having trouble articulating why I dislike this. I’m really too tired to be unpacking this right now (lol), but it has something to do with  — as you say, anon  — that mocking tone. Something else to do with the surge of purity culture in recent years. The tone feels like it’s tied up in an unsaid, ‘You like the character who tried to commit genocide?’ accusation when, you know, he’s a fictional character. People can like characters who do bad things. More significantly, he’s a fictional character Miles wrote. There’s something particularly distasteful about writers who feel like they’re laughing at fans for liking something when they created the thing with the intent that we would like it. And many did. So they gave attention, time, money, passion, etc. to the work and then when that part of the work finished, the creator appears to make light of that investment? Idk, I’m speaking about more than just this one line  — the tone of the vid as a whole, really — but it feels much less like “You enjoy Ironwood! 😄” and more “You enjoy Ironwood...  😬” Like yeah, fans enjoyed the character that you wanted them to enjoy who you wrote to have a heart and then suddenly commit genocide instead. There’s definitely nothing complicated in all that. 

“Thank you, Jimmy. May you rest in pieces crushed beneath the weight of the kingdom you tried so hard to hold above your head. Amen.” - All of the above x2 with the added issue that this was never shown on screen. Miles presents Ironwood’s arc like this seven year long plan when in fact they couldn’t even manage the basic move of telling the audience what happened to the character in his final hour. The fact that a fan had to pay to find out whether Ironwood is dead is not a gold star for the writing. 

Every time the RWBY crew speaks about the story in supplementary material the canon itself gets worse. Hyping Clover/Qrow on social media pushes the canon closer to queerbaiting. We’re way closer to that with them hyping Blake/Yang. Long ago comments about Ozpin’s cane suddenly make Volume 8 a retcon. A Q&A about Ironwood’s semblance makes his arc a thousand times more confusing about how we’re supposed to read his character  — to name just a few. Now this. When a friend first told me this info had dropped I thought, “Thank god. He’s not coming back then. I don’t want them writing Ironwood’s character anymore,” but really... can we believe anything the crew says? “Crushed beneath the weight of his kingdom” doesn’t mean Ironwood won’t show up in Volume 9 if it’s a spirit world type adventure. It doesn’t mean he won’t show up three years from now with even more metal in his body and a, “We said he was crushed, not that he was dead ;)” explanation. Hell, it doesn’t even mean he won’t show up with no explanation at all because, as established, what’s said in supplementary works and what happens on screen are two entirely separate things. Iffy as the vid may come across to those who did like Ironwood, I was initially happy that it at least gave us some closure... but now I’m not even sure about that. 

[ironmandeficiency]

two-steppin’

pairing: agent whiskey / reader

word count: 1428

summary: jack surprises you with a pair of boots and plans to go dancing. problem is, you’re woefully unprepared

a/n: line dancing is a superior workout imo, enjoy my self-indulgent desire to dance with one (1) cowboy. ps, another post made 100% on mobile bc i’m bored out of my mind

when jack told you three weeks ago that he was going to take you line dancing, you thought he was joking. he was set to be gone for two weeks plus on some mission or another, and had sprung the date idea on you while lounging in his arms, blankets tangled around your limbs.

but then, the night after he told you about the date idea, a new pair of cowboy boots are on your shared bed with a little note telling you the best ways to get them used to your feet. he knew exactly what he was doing; he had left for the mission that morning and put the boot box on the corner of the bed to greet you when you woke up.

he couldn’t be serious.

you immediately called him at work demanding an explanation. “i told ya already sweetheart, we’re going line dancing soon and i want your feet to be used to wearing the boots. it ain’t fun to dance in boots that ain’t broke in.” other voices are heard from his end and before you can verbally obliterate him for the audacity, he tells you he loves you and will talk to you later, hanging up with a click.

jack’s a stubborn man on his best days, acting more like a mule than a man on the worst of them. there’s no sense in trying to talk him out of the dancing he planned on, so with an indignant huff, you put on a pair of socks and slip the boots onto your feet. nothing could have prepared you for how comfortable they would be, the extra inch or two they gave you and the leather felt under your fingertips.

you had three weeks to figure out how you were going to keep from looking like a fool at whatever bar(s) he took you to. based on his insistence, you knew that it would mean a lot to him if you went dancing with him, and who were you to deny your cowboy of the simple pleasures?

the first step was to buy clothes that matched the vibe jack was going for with the boots he bought — a couple pairs of bootcut wranglers, a few plaid shirts and tanks to wear under them, and just for shits and giggles, a stetson that pulled it all together. you used the card he gave you when he added you to the account his statesman pay deposited into, knowing full well if he took a gander at the statement, he’d see that you were going all out.

the clothes were done, so now it was time for the line dance tutorials.

in all honesty, the only line dance you truly remembered was footloose, and if jack ever heard you admit that you knew he’d be ashamed. you couldn’t help it though, footloose was a classic almost of the same caliber as dirty dancing.

youtube was your best friend during your nightly at-home lessons. you wouldn’t have believed anyone if they told you just how many types of line dancing existed. after your first lesson, you decided to start wearing the boots around the house as much as possible like jack said to and it made a hell of a difference.

through all your searching and dancing, you stumbled upon a song you weren’t sure how to describe. country… rap? hick hop? there weren’t enough words in your vocabulary to make sense of it. but despite your initial confusion at the genre-meshing, the dances for it were actually quite fun. it was a catchy song, one of those that would send adrenaline in your veins when the first notes hit your ears.

by the end of week two, there was no telling how many country songs you now knew the words and dances to by heart. it was safe to say you were proficient in several dances, and a few that you could do blindfolded with your hands tied behind your back.

you were confident that you wouldn’t make him look like a fool, which was your biggest concern from the word go. jack was a dancer through and through. he’d sway you gently in the living room to conway twitty and twirl you in time with tom petty, the grin on his face wider than the brazos. he could cut up every rug he stepped foot on and everyone would know it as soon as they started up the music. every bit of swagger he entered a room with would be all the more prominent when he found his way to a dance floor, and now you were actually excited to join him instead of watch from the sidelines.

then you get a phone call. jack’s ringtone plays its signature chorus of “save a horse, ride a cowboy” and you actually start singing with the song before remembering that it was only playing because of a phone call. gentle words are exchanged, questions about how your days have gone since the last you talked.

“i’m gonna be late comin’ home sugar,” jack’s voice is dejected as he tells you the news and you desperately want to kiss the blues away from him. “there’s a chance i may not make it back in time to go dancin’ like i wanted, it’s all up in the air right now.” a couple days after he had left, he told you more about the date he had planned. it was a gala that hosted a dancing competition that raised money for local homeless shelters and protested against anti-homeless architecture.

“that’s alright jack, don’t beat yourself up about it. besides, it’ll give me more time to perfect my boot scootin’ boogie.” he laughs at your corny joke and you’re happier to hear him smile despite his plans possibly falling through.

“well you do that sugarplum, i’ll call you as soon as i can.”

“stay safe jack, i love you.”

“i love you too, see you soon.”

it was the morning of the gala and there was no telling whether jack would be home in time. you talked to him yesterday afternoon and he had been cautiously optimistic at the idea of being on a jet headed home that evening, but he would have told you had he been able to. all you could do in the meantime was get everything ready that you needed to and wait it out.

the hours ticked by and soon, the gala was less than an hour away from starting. no word had been sent about jack’s whereabouts but you did your best not to worry. he was a highly experienced agent and would do what he needed to in order to come home to you. in the meantime, you decided to do last-minute refreshers on a few of the favored dances you’d been working on. there was nothing else to do and no sense in getting ready to go to a gala you weren’t sure you would be attending, so why not?

jack wanted to find the nearest cliff and drive off it. he couldn’t believe that he was going to be late getting home to get ready for a date that he had planned for you both. there was no time to deal with debriefings or even call you to give a heads up, he had to get home as soon as possible.

he knew that he was probably making much more noise than was warranted as he all but fell through the front door, but he couldn’t find it in him to care. when he walked into the living room and found you in stern concentration, following along with the tv as it taught one dance or another, all he could do was watch.

he leaned against the doorframe, completely enamored by the sight of you dancing yourself silly. the way you grinned in triumph when you nailed a hard move, the laughter that rang out when you nearly tripped over your own feet, it had him under a spell. when this last song ended, he made his presence known with a quiet entrance into the living room. he snagged the remote from the arm of the couch and put on another song, choosing to simply sway with you as you relaxed into his touch.

“what about the gala, jack?” you asked after the third slow song crooned from the surround sound speakers.

jack just smiled and kissed your forehead, pulling you closer. “they can have their fun without us. i’ve got more important plans to tend to, sweetheart.”

whiskey taglist: @catsnkooks @blue-space-porgs @obirain n @themarcusmoreno @likeshootingstarsinthenightsky @captainrexstan @battletales @darthadeline​ @roseofalderaan​ @majorshiraharu​ @getdookuedon @max--phillips @andysficrecs @bisexual-space-slut

[digitalworldbound]

day one: sibling shenanigans

this is a day late bc yesterday was my birthday. ive tried to edit this, but it's like pulling teeth oof. anyways, excited for takari week!

The Yagami’s air conditioner did little to fend off the sweltering August heat. Despite staying inside, Hikari felt like she was melting. Yamato and Takeru fared no better. Their father’s central air had erupted in a cloud of smoke in the night, the boys waking up sticky, sweaty, and flushed. They arrived at the Yagami’s thirty minutes later under the guise of a video game tournament, but Taichi laughed when he caught the pair arguing over who got to sit closer to the fan.

Hikari stretched herself across their worn couch, feet barely poking over the arm. Leftover air from the fan whispered over her flushed cheeks. Taichi, Takeru, and Yamato crammed themselves in front of her. It was obvious that their legs had gotten longer when the three of them had to fight for dominance underneath the coffee table.

Some snacks were spread out on the table, but the heat subdued even Taichi’s stomach. “Yamato, you miss more shots than a damn Stormtrooper. Takeru was wide open! He would have been an easy kill!” A mop of brown hair playfully shoved the boy beside him.

“If I wanted to support some talentless douchebags, I would have bought a Nickelback album.” Yamato smacked the nape of Taichi’s neck. “And besides,” Yamato paused, “If he was such an easy kill, then why weren’t you able to snipe him first?”

Hikari snickered, shoving a socked foot in her brother’s face. His cries of indignation were no match for Takeru’s and Yamato’s arms as the held him down to let Hikari continue her assault. “Onii-chan, only winnersget to trash talk.”

“You boys are terrible, turning my innocent sister against me.” He huffed. It took a moment to shove the brothers off, their sweaty skin clingy together. Takeru laughed before grabbing his controller. He cocked an eyebrow in challenge, “Best two out of three, eh, Taichi?”

The boy in question only rolled his eyes, shifting to he could stand. Takeru raked his fingers through his damp hair, “Unless our brave leader is scared.”

“It’s not that I’m scared, I just…have to use the bathroom is all.” Even Hikari could see through his flimsy excuse.

“Wow, I can’t believe my brother is a chicken.”

He smacked her forehead on his way out of the room, skillfully ignoring the way she stuck her tongue out in his direction.

Yamato rolled his eyes. Pushing his hands together, Takeru gagged at the sound of his brother’s knuckles popping. The older boy merely laughed, twisting his back to enhance Takeru’s unease. “Well, we might as well as take a break. It’s hard to play with just two people.”

Hikari’s head perked up. “I can play with you guys.”

Takeru and Yamato shared a look before their laughter spurred Hikari out of her state of relaxation. “Hey!” her indignation made the boys laugh even harder, nearly rolling over each other. She crossed her arms over her chests, poking the boys with her toe. “If you just want to twiddle your thumbs for the twenty minutes that Onii-chan will be in the bathroom, then be my guest.”

“Hikari, don’t be like that. I just don’t want to hurt your feelings when I win.” When he wasn’t fighting with her brother, Yamato was easily one of the more brazen Chosen. If the mood struck him right, he could even wind Koushiro up with his teasing.

She cocked an eyebrow, picking up her brother’s discarded controller. Takeru said nothing, but readied his player for battle. He had learned that of the two, Hikari was the more stubborn Yagami. There would be no changing her mind once it was made up. Scooting over, Yamato made room for Hikari between himself and his brother.

The round started; the brothers teamed up without a word. Within minutes, her avatar laid lifeless on the battlefield. Perfect.

“He told you so,” Takeru muttered underneath his breath. Hikari was unperturbed. “Can we try again? I just had to get a hang of the controls.”

With a poorly stifled laugh, Yamato busied himself with a bottle of water. He nudged Takeru under the table, shooting him a look Hikari had no trouble deciphering: It’s cute that she thinks she has chance.

“Why don’t we make it interesting with a little bet? Everyone bets a thousand yen, winner takes all.” She did her best to seem nonchalant, widening her eyes to lure them into a false sense of innocence. Like any good fish, they took the bait, hook, line, and sinker.

A wallet was pried from a pair of shorts, crumpled bills mingling with spilled popcorn. The brothers wore matching grins of victory. If only they weren’t so foolish.

Her sly smirk dissipated into feigned surprise as she deftly maneuvered around the battlefield, ignoring the way their jaws unhinged at her victory. Yamato grumbled as a wad of cash disappeared into Hikari’s pocket. She ignored his squinted eyes.

“Beginner’s luck,” she said.

“Bullshit. Double or nothing.” Takeru didn’t even glance in her direction. Jaw set, the next round started before Hikari could grab on to her controller. Playing dirty had never been his style, but she had a sinking suspicion that he had her figured out.

She didn’t have long until the boys figured out her ruse, so Hikari worked quickly. Navigating the battlefield with a suspiciously practiced ease, she discerned the boy’s hiding places. Though they had teamed up, they were no match for Hikari’s digital prowess.

It only took her five minutes to wipe them out. “Hmm, that wasn’t my personal best, but it’ll do.”

With a curse, Yamato slung his controller on the coffee table. “Of course you would kick ass in video games. What can’t you do, Hikari? Please, tell me, so that I might actually have a chance at being better than you at something.”

Takeru rolled his eyes as Hikari shrugged in nonchalance. It was as if tricking men had become merely a pastime as if it had become a form of passive income. And Takeru supposed it was as numbers were whispered under her breath as she counted out her winnings.

She glanced up briefly, raising an eyebrow at the brothers’ sullen expressions. “Aw, c’mon, don’t be that way. Practice makes perfect, remember?” Her grin was downright devious. With a leap, she pealed herself away from the floor.

Taichi emerged from the bathroom as his sister toed on her shoes in the doorway. “Where do you think you’re going?” He could see the money crumpled in her hand, the sagging shoulders of unwilling victims.

“Icecream! My treat.” With a wink, she was off.

[corpseyhusband]

hi i’m really fuckin stressed i just moved into my uni residence yesterday and i’m trying and failing to organise my room and my parents called because my uni fees are way higher than they should be and we don’t know why so i need to find out what’s going on and i need to do laundry but i can’t do it without a student card and i don’t have it yet and tomorrow i need to buy a bus card bc i have to go to ikea but without a student card i can’t get student discount and i need to get a printer but idk how to set it up bc my parents helped my sisters move into their unis but bc of covid they can’t help me so i need to figure it out on my own and i’m trying to meet new people but now i think they think i’m just annoying and needy and i really need to make friends and i’m worried that my best friend at home is depressed again and there’s nothing i can do about it from all the way over here and i miss him and i miss all of my friends back home and i miss my parents and my pets and i need to fucking get up bc it’s almost 1am and i need to clean my pot and pan and plates and jug and spatula so i can cook tomorrow bc i only had 2 meals today and one of them was cup noodles and the other was a bun from the supermarket and also i bought a toaster bc i thought i needed one but turns out i don’t even need one bc there’s a communal one so that was a waste of money and i can’t even return it bc i opened it and the only bread i could get is fucking massive so i was gonna freeze half of it but i forgot to buy ziplock bags and i also forgot to buy a lock for the communal fridge and cups and kitchen scissors and shower soaps and conditioner bc i’m still using tiny hotel ones that r basically empty and fuck i forgot to take my antibiotics yesterday do i take two today to make up for it or is that bad and i need to go wash my pots now but i wanna wait until it’s later so that no one sees me because for some reason i think that washing shit in the communal sink is embarrassing even tho i know it shouldn’t be and no one gives a shit and also i don’t wanna bc it’s fucking summer and it’s boiling so i’m in my pyjamas which is like a playsuit type thing so i gotta wear a jacket over it if i go outside so i don’t accidentally nip slip but then i sweat so much and i’m already boiling bc the rooms don’t have ac but i have a fan but i couldn’t clean it properly bc i don’t have a screwdriver so there’s still gross dust clumps on it amd it’s probably making the room grosser and i just want to fucking cry but i’ve cried too many times this week i should be happy i should be excited this is what i’ve been looking forward to for the last year of my life but it’s just so much and i’m so overwhelmed and i need to sort my room out bc the clutter is making me more stressed but i need to sleep bc i’m sleep deprived and i don’t know what the fuck i’m doing with my life

[moonttaeil]

im a nerd and let me explain to you what happened on Wall Street so we can all laugh together. 

to start this you must first understand how the stock market works okay I'll try to put this out as SIMPLE as possible bc that shit COMPLEX. okay, big companies list their shares on the stock market (ws) and these are released on the game.

the game consists on buying shares with the expectation of a price rise after they bought them, meaning that they earn money with that BUT! always assuming the risk of also loosing money-- just like playing with a slot machine lmao 

but this phenomenon is not something “normal” since it is governed by the oh so lovely “supply and demand” we’re so used to see everywhere: higher demand, price goes UP. lower demand, price goes down to hell. 

therefore the purchase of shares itself, when the purchase is done massively, obviously generates a price increase (which is the objective sough when one buYs shares). on this context, the projections made by wall street are very valuable!! if wall street projects that a company’s shares are going up = a lot of people buy them, AND if all of those people actually buy them = the shares will obviously go up. and that's how the project is fulfilled. much of the financial market is driven by these self-fulfilling prophecies. 

the eternal debate is whether this system should be regulated by the state or, on the other hand, if it should be left free to the total market freedom lmao (this last option caused a terrible worldwide crisis like 10 years ago and no one remembers it??? excuse me??? Lehman brothers???)

but Nikki what is actually happening in Wall Street right noooow????? WELL! LET! ME! EXPLAIN! TO! YOU! WHAT! SHORT! SELLING! IS! FIRST!

short selling literally means to borrow a share for a certain amount of time and, in that time, sell it and buy it again. now, If the price goes down =you earn money; if the price goes up= you lose money. let me put this as an example with numbers so your brain can imagine it better: 

you borrow a share for $10,000 for 5 days and you sell it.in that time the stock drops to $6,000 and you buy it AGAIN to return it, right? what happened? you keeping the $4,000 difference!! yay!! if the market rises up to $12,000, you would've lost $2,000. 

this is actually cool because you can earn a lot of money in a really short period of time but there's a.....slight.....problem: the purchase of shares has unlimited possible profit (a share can grow to infinity) and limited loss (the most you can lose is 100% of what you invested). nn the other hand, short selling operations are the other way around for the same reason: they have limited profit (you can earn up to the full original value of the share you borrowed) but the possible loss is unlimited (again, a share can grow up to Infinity). that’s why they’re called short selling operations lol what theyre trying to do is to minimize the risks! it can happen that a company has a catastrophic fall in 5 days but it is very rare that such abrupt increases happen in such a short time.

people are literally betting for a company to fall so they can earn money. haha. this operations are prohibited in most of Europe but not in the US because everyone knows they’re the cool kid and their parents let them do whatever the fuck they want hell yeah!!

okay but Nikki what really happened in Wall Street this week??!?!?!?! calm down kids bc this is where the fun comes around: as you might imagine, while it is difficult to predict which companies will rise, it is a bit easier to know which companies will fall. There are companies that have been falling for years and will continue to do so. these companies are under a great amount of short selling because people know they will continue to fall.

but THEN! A GROUP OF HOMIES ON REDDIT STARTED TO DEBATE ON THAT! my dudes literally decided to hit THE MARKET AND Wall Street. what they they do? they agreed to buy, all together, shares of a company called GameStop (this company has been falling for years ok). this company has been on a steady decline for years so many TOP FUNDS IN THE WHOLE MF WORLD have been short selling with their shares?!?! but these days they ran into the surprise that, instead of going down, it went up. yeah you know what happened. 

Two weeks ago, a GameStop share was worth $ 17. Right now it's worth $ 337.

this means that, if a fund put 10 MILLION DOLLARS in a short sell against GameStop at the original price, they will have to pay now 200 mILLION. ASTRONOMICAL. 

and my homies didn't only do it with GameStop, they decided to start lifting many companies that were considered to be dead such as BlockBuster and Blackberry (lmao I had one of those, did anybody else!? they were cool af) anyways!!

the funny thing is that in the last 24h the biggest fish of wall street have paraded through the media (ALL OF THEM FREE MARKET TITANS WHO HAVE BEGGED TO DEREGULATE) now asking for regulations to avoid this kind of things :((( how sad :(((

the fund that has lost the most is M*lvin C*pital, one of the most important, powerful and ruthless funds in the world. the fund warned Wall Street yesterday (GameStop was at $ 160), that if that company kept growing, they would go bankrupt. and wall street allowed them to leave the short selling them earlier (violating the contract they signed!!! talk about privilege my dude!!)as an exception to avoid their bankruptcy and, by domino effect, the bankruptcy of many other funds. they saved the companies but they had lost an immense amount of money. 

on the other hand, somewhere in the world, there's a group of high-schoolers (the range of age of that reddit group was between 16-18 which makes everything funnier go gen z! go!) from middle-class families, who, from home and their computers, put into the game $100 of their savings and now they had earned around $2,000. and they can still earn more if stocks continues to rise.