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[cassynite]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @dujour13!! Thanks so much--I have been focusing more on drawing than writing lately but unlike my writing drawings don't look good till they're done so here's a bit from chapter 3 of Daeran fic (which at this rate is going to get finished before chapter 2 lol).

----

It's the movement from the guards stiffening to attention that alerts Daeran to the figure walking his way. She is still in the armor that she wore at Iz, when she threw herself into the maw of Deskari's trap and emerged alive. Then, she'd looked regal and triumphant and only half as contrite to Sparrow as she should have been. She'd graced Daeran with a nod as cold and remote as he'd ever seen from her, as if he'd just successfully pulled off yet another grand statement snubbing the Mendevian old guard, and not just miraculously come back from the dead and the horrors of the Abyss.

She does not look cold or regal now. Her armor is stained from the battle in Iz, and her pinned hair and her face is spattered with crusted blood. She looks tired, like the sun orchard elixir is only wallpaper over her century and more of living. The expression she wears when staring at him, sitting right outside the war room waiting for Sparrow, is complicated.

"Hello," the queen of Mendev says. Her voice is low, and slightly hoarse. "Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

She doesn't wait for a response, for Daeran's refusal--and it would have been a refusal, as if he wants to sit next to his honored cousin--but when she does settle next to him, he doesn't rise. He's waiting for Sparrow after all. If the lauded queen wishes to endure his presence until the Knight Commander arrives, he is not going to flee from her presence.

It is several minutes of silence thick enough to cut a dagger through before Galfrey sighs. "I'm sorry."

It takes a second for the words to register as real--but Daeran would never even dare to imagine Galfrey apologizing. It's enough for his self-control to break and to stop pretending she isn't there; when he looks over, Galfrey is already turned slightly toward him, her lips tight.

He finally recognizes the expression on her face: guilt. He doesn't even think he's seen her show something as mortal as guilt before.

"For what, exactly?" His voice is hard. "Sending us to the abyss to what was, in retrospect, almost certainly our deaths? Or something else? I never did forgive you for how you made me cut short my little sorcerer's contest in '14."

Galfrey ignores the barb. "Stopping the Nahyndrian crystals by any means was necessary for the war efforts as a whole. If anyone could have survived it, it was the Commander--and she did. But. I should not have let you go with her. I should not have forced you to stay in the Crusade in the first place. It was...rash. And it ultimately put you in more danger than you should have ever been placed in."

Half a dozen responses form in Daeran's mind--how if he'd really wanted to leave the Crusade, he would have found a way. How Galfrey's petty little revenge had become the best thing that had ever happened to him. How he didn't need her, or anyone, to baby him, and that he was capable of making his own decisions--and had made them already, when it came to so many things about the Crusade and its Knight Commander.

He gives a graceful half-shrug, turning his attention away from Galfrey in a cutting end to the conversation. "I rather imagined you'd be glad to see the back of me. I can hardly tarnish my family's good name and my mother's legacy if I was already where everyone assumed I belonged anyway."

To his surprise, Galfrey lets out a small chuckle. "You're hardly beyond recall. Your mother was a hellion in her younger years as well, you know," she comments.

It's rare for Daeran to be rendered speechless, but he opens his mouth and for several seconds, no words come out. Not once in his life has his mother's memory ever been anything than that of a paragon of virtue. Finally, he says, "Excuse me?"

"Oh yes." Galfrey straightens, some life returning to her expression as she recalls the distant past. "She even ran away from home, tried to renounce her title. Your grandparents were far more traditional in their upbringing, and Silaena apparently chafed under the expectations of her role. She went off when she was--maybe a few years younger than you at the time, really. Joined a traveling theater troupe."

[pomefioredove]

Hiii!! Could you possibly do headcanons of overblot boys + adeuce with a s/o who likes to collect figures or like manga or something along those lines? Also I love your writing you’re awesome sauce. feel free to delete or ignore if you don’t wanna do it!! I understand :3

<3<3 ofc

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ collector! reader

type of post: headcanons characters: riddle, ace, deuce, leona, azul, jamil, vil, idia, malleus additional info: romantic or platonic, reader is gender neutral, reader is yuu

looking at... [vaguely gestures to Heartslabyul] all that, I can't imagine Riddle has any grounds to complain about knick-knacks or clutter. he literally lives in a minimalist's worst nightmare. he also gives the impression of a collector of odd trinkets. like stamps or antique tea cups. grandma vibes. probably gets you a nice display cabinet for your things

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Ace is a sixteen year old boy who balls and thinks of himself as a lady's man. and, I mean, he loves you, but you can tell what he's about to say before he even opens his mouth. weeeeeeb... then he saves up all year just to gift you that one ridiculously priced figure for your birthday. like I said, he loves you, he just has a very... defensive temperament

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

I feel like Deuce is a really good listener (or, at least, he knows how to be quiet when you're talking, unlike a certain other Heartslabyul first year), even if he doesn't quite get it. besides maybe Jack, he's the most willing to watch your favorite shows with you, read your mangas together, hear about each individual trinket you own... even if he still doesn't understand. it makes you happy <3

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Leona is more of a meh guy. "what do you want, a cookie?" is probably in his top ten favorite expressions. things to say when he doesn't care about something. and. listen. he cares about you, he does, but he's not really the type to pretend. he'll let you talk about your collection, though. as long as you're happy with him, you won't seek out Idia and become completely intolerable (his words, not mine!)

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Azul is having flashbacks to all the junk that Jade and Floyd hoard. but, hey: at least your collection isn't of broken toasters or wild mushrooms. he can respect the pride you take in your hobbies, and the care you... wait, how much does all this cost?

...yeah. okay, he understands. definitely not toasters or mushrooms. your room is practically a museum

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

[Jamil voice] "once you're done playing with your toys will you come help me clean up the lounge"

no, he doesn't get it. you haven't said how much all of this costs because you think he might have a heart attack if he saw the numbers, and you keep your belongings tidy enough for him not to stress. so he doesn't complain

(and also because he knows they mean a great deal to you)

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

[Vil voice] "once you're done playing with your toys will you clean up the lounge" lol

he's not exactly jumping for joy when you spend all your allowance on plastic merchandise and picture books. I mean, he's already had to lend you his winter coat, and there was that week you had to stay at Pomefiore because the water at Ramshackle was out... but making purchases seems to make you happy, so he begrudgingly accepts it

there are worse hobbies to have, after all. [side-eyeing Rook]

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

I don't even want to write Idia's part. I'm afraid he'll materialize in my room and start fangirling over this (rip idia shroud you would have loved x readers)

but seriously, he's been recommending you his favorite mangas and animes and games. he probably buys you authentic figures that are thousands of thaumarks on a whim 'cause you kinda like the character. very sweet. very thoughtful. when should I book your wedding. etc

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

you'd think that Malleus would be astonished? WRONG this guy lives with Lilia "hip with the kids" Vanrouge. who is not only a hoarder, but someone who most certainly has a shelf of manga and figures from his favorite games somewhere in the cavernous hole he calls a room. Malleus has probably gotten him one for his birthday (after the 5 hours it took for him to figure out how to buy things online). so like. it's no big deal to him. if you ever mention wanting new manga or figures or... anything... he will give you twice the amount of thaumarks necessary. he's like that

[bleedingoptimism]

𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚

part 1

“You look pale,” Jeff comments making Eddie snort loudly.

Of course he looks pale, he’s got vampirism, doesn't he? But then again, so does Jeff and he looks great.

“When was the last time you fed?” He asks.

Eddie sighs heavily trying to reign in his bad mood. He knows Jeff’s just worried and wants to help, and he’s grateful to have run into an old friend from high school as soon as he moved into the big city. 

Because he’d be utterly lost without him.

He doesn't know where anything is, he gets lost in the subway, and he has no idea when he’s being charged too much for a muffin or suspiciously too little for a hotdog, or where all the blood markets are.

“Like, two weeks ago,” Eddie finally answers.

Jeff looks surprised but it’s not actually that bad, people with vampirism can go up to 4 to 5 weeks without blood. 

It’s not the same as those vampires from movies and books, they still eat food and they can stand in the sun with just minor cases of sunburn. There’s also the light sensitivity, making them all look like assholes wearing sunglasses everywhere.

Also, they are not allergic to garlic. Which, thank the heavens because Eddie loves garlic, a lot.

There’re a couple of side effects that do come in handy sometimes, like augmented hearing and smell. And the healing spit is super weird but nifty. No super strength regrettably, that would’ve been awesome.

Anyways, it’s like they have super anemia or something.

“I went to a blood bar, hooked up with some dude but. I didn't have a good time, at all. I kind of don't want to go back to bars for a while,” He elaborates and when Jeff frowns worried, he shakes his head,

“No, not like that. It’s just… the dude was like way too into it, you know? It kinda freaked me out.”

“What do you mean? Don't you find it hot? When you feed?” Jeff asks him, curious. 

Eddie nods quickly, “Yes, of course I do! It can be really sexy with the right person, but this guy, he was like- like way too loud and like, he was faking it? I don’t for who, though. And halfway through it, I started getting worried I’d accidentally hired someone instead of just hooked up and I didn’t have any money, and then I started thinking about money and my dick-”

“Ok! Ok, I get it.” Jeff thankfully interrupts him. “Dude, why didn’t you say something, I know of a place. I didn’t mention it before because it’s kind of boujee and handles itself a little differently.” 

“Oh? Do tell” Eddie tells him excitedly, he loves going to new places, especially if they are weird.

“Well, it’s real private, like ‘can’t get in unless you are on the list’ private. And it’s run by this girl. Blonde little thing, super cute. Scary as fuck. Everyone calls her ‘The Boss’” he says doing air quotes.

“Dramatic, I like it.” Eddie smiles.

Jeff chuckles, “So the gist of it it’s you go there and just hang out normally, like any other kind of bar. The place is beautiful, the music is good, and the drinks are delicious. But what's interesting about this place is the hostesses,” he says and even does a little pause for effect before continuing, “Similar to a blood bar there’re people there willing to be fed on but what’s cool about it is they get to choose.”

Eddie raises his eyebrows, “That sounds kind of fun, actually.”

“Right? And it feels, safer somehow? For them?” Jeff agrees and Eddie nods and smiles at him, waiting for him to keep going.

“Anyway, the hostesses choose and then you get to go upstairs and talk through what you want to happen, just feeding, sex, talking, anything they agree to, it's on the table. I once ended up just playing a game of Uno with the girl I fed on and two other hostesses that hadn't picked anyone that night.” he finishes and Eddie laughs delightedly.

“Ok, this place sounds amazing, what’s the catch?” 

“Well, you have to pay an entry fee, the drinks are expensive and there’s always the possibility you’ll leave empty-handed. The first time is free though,” Jeff says.

“Like drugs,” Eddie replies and Jeff nods solemnly, 

“You know the hostesses can be kind of addicting.” 

…

That night, on the way there, Jeff tells him they have to sign a guest list at the entrance,

“No one uses their real name, not because the place is shady or anything! But because they want to leave that choice to us and the hostesses if you ever get too close with one. It's not like, frowned upon.”

Eddie nods listening intently, he feels kind of nervous in a way he hasn't in a while, but he’s not sure why.

“Also, secret nicknames are fun! I’m known as Jay there. So please don’t dox me. Or yourself.” Jeff tells him.

After careful consideration, Eddie smiles and says, “I’ll be… Strider”

“Nerd”

“Shut up, you are just jealous you didn't come up with it yourself”

Jeff laughs, “You got me there,” he says, and then, “We are here” and he opens a big glass windowed door and vows to Eddie, inviting him in.

Eddie chuckles and enters and immediately almost runs into someone—a tall, massive guy with short curly hair and the shadow of a beard.

“Hey freak,” Jeff greets calmly, “He’s with me,”

Eddie cringes at the nickname, bad memories from high school bullying. But the dude just nods and gives Jeff the tiniest of smiles, so he figures it’s the nickname the bouncer chose for himself.

They enter and sign their name in the guest book, a girl about their age with dirty blond hair and hundreds of freckles on her nose and cheeks is there and she asks Eddie a couple of questions. Not in a weird way, but in a ‘you are new and I’m curious’ kind of way.

Eddie feels comfortable and excited as they go in.

Jeff was right, the place is beautiful. The lobby leads to a big room with high ceilings and fake candle-lit lamps. The chairs and tables are antiques and all different but roughly the same time period so they look good together. There’re old signs and posters from all kinds of drinks and different products adorning the walls. And the music is instrumental and oldie too, sounds like probably 40s or 50s.

It is incredibly boujee. But in a fun way, cozy and warm.

They get a seat at a small round table in a corner and Jeff lets Eddie look around for a while before asking,

“So? Weird right? It’s like stepping into another time,”

Eddie snorts, “Yeah, one that has no idea which time period it wants to repre- who is that?”

Jeff looks at where Eddie is looking and sighs, “Of course you noticed Sunshine,”

“Sunshine?” Eddie sighs.

“That’s what they call him. Because apparently he smells like flowers and summer and tastes like orgasms or something,” Jeff says amused rolling his eyes.

The guy, Sunshine, is probably the prettiest person he’s ever seen in his life, definitely the most beautiful man in this room. His face is a contradiction of sharp and round angles that is just absolutely perfect, and he’s wearing a black suit that clings to his body like a second skin, showing off his big shoulders and his tiny waist. He’s looking around the room with big, brown eyes that look bored as he leans against a wall like he’s above it all, he’s a fucking dream.

Eddie swallows audibly and looks smirking at Jeff for a second before his eyes drift back to the man, “Tastes like what, you said” he teases and Jeff snorts.

“Not that anyone would know, as far as I know, he’s never taken anyone upstairs,” he tells Eddie in a conspiratory tone.

That makes him incredibly curious, “Really? Why is he still here then?”

“I don’t know for sure, mostly rumors but he’s the boss’s favorite, that’s for sure. Oh!” Jeff exclaims and then nods his head to a girl sitting on the other side of the room, in a big fancy-looking chair that looks more like a throne than a simple piece of furniture.

She’s got blonde hair up in a ponytail and she’s wearing a flowery dress but there's something about the way she looks around the room, something about the way people walk around her and look at her, with respect or fear, or maybe both. She’s fucking intimidating.

While Eddie’s looking, the girl from the front desk, with the freckles, comes to sit on a small stool beside the “throne”, there’s another one on the other side that’s empty. The blonde girl moves her hand towards freckles and she kisses it and then her shoulder and smiles as she leans in closer and starts whispering to her.

It’s kind of surreal. 

“That’s The Boss, and the girl from the entrance, that’s Sparrow. She’s her girl.” Jeff explains.

“Respect for looking scary in a sundress,” Eddie comments.

And Jeff nods, “Anyways my theory is, Sunshine is actually just a bodyguard and not a hostess but the people that come here like to think they actually have a chance with him, so no one says anything to the contrary.”

Eddie snorts and nods, it makes sense. It's actually very good marketing, just like the ‘the first one is free’ thing. That boss girl is really smart with her business.

Jeff and he get a few drinks and they chat calmly, Jeff isn't looking to go upstairs tonight, he only came by to accompany Eddie and Eddie knows he should be looking around, trying to make eye contact with someone, but he can stop staring at Sunshine.

He even looked at their table at one point, and Eddie thought he was going to faint. He was scanning the room as he apparently does every couple of minutes when he caught Jeff’s eye and Jeff lifted his hand in greeting.

And Sunshine’s face completely transformed, his bored calculating expression changed into a beautiful smile that made his eyes shine. He wiggled his fingers at Jeff cutely before going back to looking like fucking Droopy Dog. If Droopy was the sexiest motherfucker alive. It was amazing to see.

Eddie’s jaw almost hit the table and he turned to look at Jeff stunned and he just shrugged,

“Sunshine was one of the hostesses I ended up playing Uno with. He’s fucking vicious,” he says smiling at the memory.

Eddie chuckles as his eyes follow Sunshine moving across the room, he just can't. Stop. Looking.

But the thing is, Sunshine is looking back now. Keeping eye contact with him obviously and unashamed. It’s thrilling and it makes shivers run down his spine.

He watches as Sunshine sits on the stool on the other side of The Boss’s throne and grabs her hand and holds it, intertwining their fingers. 

The Boss and her girl turn and look at him and the three of them start whispering, looking at him.

“Dude,” he says and turns to Jeff to see if he’s seeing what he’s seeing.

Jeff looks from him to the whispering party, “Un fucking believable, first time here and tonight is the night Sunshine is taking someone upstairs” he says looking fed up, but clearly in a joking manner.

“Is that what you think it’s happening? No way,” Eddie shakes his head as Sparrow says something that makes The Boss chuckle but Sunshine speaks up and she sobers up immediately. Curious.

“He’s looking right at you, he probably went to ask Sparrow about you,” Jeff insists.

“Maybe he’s looking at you”

“He’s seen me before,” Jeff scoffs.

He’s about to reply but their conversation gets interrupted by someone shily clearing their throat. A girl, a hostess, is looking at him with curious eyes, and shit… she’s cute and looks like a nice person but, Eddie can’t- he needs to know what those looks from Sunshine meant.

He needs him.

He looks back at the group quickly to see Sunshine and The Boss in deep conversation and Sparrow… is she glaring at him?

He rejects the girl, as nicely as possible and Jeff scoffs and murmurs ‘unbelievable’ under his breath again as Eddie turns to look back at Sunshine.

Who is walking toward them, holy shit.

“Holy shit,” Jeff says and then moves to stand. Eddie grabs his wrist and tries to pull him back.

“Wait what are you doing, dont-” But Jeff frees himself and starts walking away,

“Good luck!” He sings songs and then leaves him alone.

part 1: you are here

part 2: 👄

part 3: 🩸

bonus content: ☀️

ao3: 🌙

art: 🦇

coffee?☕🥐💕

[walpu]

I'm coming at you with the speed of thousand asteroids affectionately and hit you with a "your writing is awesome!"

Also, may I request an Aventurine x The Nameless!reader.

Thank you very much and have a nice day :D

Thank you so much for your kind words and for the request, it was so fun to write <З

Hope you'll enjoy it, have a good day as well 💛

Aventurine x The Nameless!reader

characters - Aventurine

notes - gn!reader, fluff, a bit of hurt/comfort. Once again, no beta. I'm so sorry.

Aventurine

Considering that the Astral Family and it's members are pretty well-known (everyone seems to know at least their names) he has probably heard something about you even before you first met him.

I can imagine your first meeting going like this: he casually approaches you, acting all buddy-buddy, and says something like "ah, mx , who knew I would meet you here of all places <З".

If your first meeting was during the Penacony quest get ready for him calling you "friend" in this sassy voice of his 💀 Yes Aven we all get it you don't have any actual friends calm down

Can imagine him trying to get closer to you by painting your potential partnership as something mutually beneficial. You could use a friend from the IPC, right? And he wouldn't mind having some connections with a "brave and honorable" Nameless. So why don't you join him for a glass of wine, hmmm?

When the two of you will eventually get closer this mf will get clingy af. Yeah I've mentioned it already in my previous post but you being one of the Nameless opens up so many new perspectives.

Visits you on the Express regularly. If he comes when you're not here, he'll wait for as long as he can for you to come back. Sadly, Aventurine is a busy, busy man. So he can't wait for long. Will leave small notes for you tho, to let you know that he was there but you didn't grace him with your presence

If you come back when he's waiting, Aven will play it off as if he himself just got there and didn't have to wait for you at all, saying somethin like "Oh look, here you're! And here I thought I would have to wait for you, haha. Seems like luck is on my side today~"

He doesn't want you to worry, after all. Also. He wants to save some face. Pom-Pom will rat him out anyway.

Speaking of Pom-Pom, they're probably sick of him at this point lol.

Would ask you about your adventures and listen very closely to every story you may want to tell. He can't help but smile softly while listening to you, he just loves seeing the passion in your eyes. Doesn't matter if the story is about you dragging the Trailblazer away from the trash cans in Belobog (or worse - admiring the trash cans with them), he will still look at you with the same adoring smile.

If you ask him what he's been up to during the time you where gone, Aven would simply laugh it off and say that his boring IPC stuff cannot compare with your bizarre adventures so it doesn't even worth mentioning. Reassure him that you don't care if it's boring, you just want to hear about his day regardless of how it went.

Sometimes he can't help but feel jealous. You're free to travel, to do whatever you want. You have this sparkle of excitement in your eyes every time you tell him about your travels. And he has nothing of it. Simply can't have.

He doesn't have any negative feelings towards you, of course. Mostly some bottled up bitterness toward his fate and himself.

He gets a bit lost in his own head every time he starts feeling this way. Please take his hand and invite him to join you during your next adventure. He will laugh softly and tell you "maybe next time, darling". Even if he doesn't know when this "next time" will come the thought of it, of you wanting to share your precious moment with him, fills him with hope.

Adores when you bring him small gifts from the places you've been. It doesn't have to be something big, really. Just the thought that you were thinking of him when the two of you were apart is enough.

Don't forget to send him pictures of yourself!!!! He wants to know how his dearest darling is doing even when they are freezing their ass off in Belobog.

Would sometimes surprise you by showing up on the planet/space ship you're currently staying on. Aventurine rarely can't stay for a long but he cherishes those short moments when he can just walk around and do nothing in particular with you.

Usually when he visits a planet it has something to do with the IPC's business so he only has time to do his job and. Well. Gamble. Maybe buy some new clothes too if he has enough time.

But with you he can actually explore the planet. You bring him to the local restaurants, small tea shops, seemingly small and insignificant places. But it’s places like these that reveal the real beauty of the planet. He slowly learns to appreciate it when you're by his side.

[luveline]

Hi don’t know if you’re taking requests (if not please ignore!) just wondering how Halloween would look like in the KBD universe or even a masquerade ball for prince Steve and reader?

thank you for requesting angel ♡ kbd mom!reader, 2k

"I think we should paint her orange," Avery says. 

Steve pushes the wand of his bubbles back into the container, coating it in solution. "What for, honey?" 

"For Halloween! We'll paint her orange and she can be a pumpkin." 

"Oh." 

Steve purses his lips, blowing bubbles over the green grass of the garden. It's alive despite it being late October, mildly crisp underfoot. He can hear leaves crunching under Bethie's boots where she runs around toward the back gate. 

Wren sees the bubbles and giggles wildly. Steve grins. "You like those, sweetheart?" 

"What if we make her green like a witch?" 

"Who, Ave?" 

"Wren." 

"Oh. Well, Wren can't use face paint yet, babe, she's too little," Steve explains, dipping the wand in solution again. "But they're very good ideas. Do you know what you want to be?" 

Avery throws her hands out. She's getting older than he ever imagined her, but she's still so small at the end of the day with delicate little hands and facial expressions cute enough to make a grown man cry. Steve would know, he's cried a ton of times just looking at her. 

"I already told you." 

Steve pretends to remember to spare her feelings as he blows more bubbles. He knows you'll know, and so it's a white lie. Better for everyone. "I remember! You're gonna be awesome." 

She smiles for the first time in ten whole minutes and sits down next to Steve. He offers her the bubbles and the wand, freeing his hands to give her a loving squeeze from either side. "Very good ideas," he repeats, patting her arm.

Bethie comes running with two cupped hands. Steve can picture her find before she shows him, and still he's horrified to see a slug in her palm. It's not big but neither is she, lavishing across the breadth of her hand. 

Ew, Steve thinks. "Wow, Beth! What did you find?" 

"There's snails, too!" she says excitedly, her eyes bright as her attention flickers between the slug and her dad. "They're sleeping, I think. They're stuck to the slide." 

"Beth, listen to me really quickly?" 

"Yeah, dad," she says, nodding. 

"I like that you're being gentle with the slugs, you're being nice, but as soon as you put him down, don't touch your face, okay? In fact, when you put him down, we're gonna go inside and wash our hands." 

Beth looks down at her slug in alarm. "What?" 

"He's not dangerous!" Steve reassures her. "But he might have germs. Germs don't hurt our skin, but they can't go in your mouth, okay? Good girl." 

"He can't hurt my skin?" 

"No, bub. Some bugs can, but not the plain black slugs. How about next time you want to pick one up, you come and get me and we'll pick it up together?" 

Steve doesn't want to kill her fearlessness in this sole area, not when she's usually timid around everything else, but he also doesn't want to kill her full stop. All these random bugs, Steve doesn't know what's what. 

"Okay. I picked this one up because he's got a yellow stripe," she says. Beth speaks in full words and makes sense the majority of the time, but her delivery is clumsy, heavy in places. Steve can still remember her first word. He's a firm believer in taking your time (please. please, let her take her time). 

"You're super brave," he praises.

"Mom says bugs are more 'fraid of us than we are of them." 

"She's right. Think if something this much bigger than you picked you up one day, you'd want them to put you down gently, right?" 

Determination fills her eyes. "Yes." 

She starts to run off but then slows, holding her hand aloft in front of her. 

Closer by, Avery blows bubbles near Wren's soft chair, the youngest baby giggling like a tinkling bell. You and Steve have emphasised to Avery that Wren isn't her responsibility. Look after her as you would your other sisters, but don't feel like being the biggest sister makes you in charge. Avery sort of listened, but now she's planning Halloween costumes in her head, Steve's worried she's putting too much on her little shoulders, as she tends to do. 

"Come here, my big girl," he demands, opening his arms. 

Avery grins and jumps into his lap. Steve groans playfully, happy to be trampled, and just glad she had the foresight to screw the cap on her bubbles before she pounced. 

"Hello. So, do I need to go to the store for this costume?" he asks. 

"Probably."

"Okay. Are you coming with me to choose?" 

"Mom said we're all going after lunch." 

Steve waves her arms back and forth. "I guess we better get ready, then." 

Easier said than done. Steve marches the girls back inside to find you've already dressed Dove and sat her in her chair with her lunch in front of her. Feeding young kids is tough because you're always trying to rotate things to keep their tastes big, but you've given in today to an easy solution; everybody's having pizza subs and halved grapes. So long as they're fed, who minds? 

"Give me the babies!" you say, jumping up from your seat to grab Wren, chair and all, "Hi. Something tells me it's time for a bottle." 

"I'll get them dressed–" 

"Go get yourself dressed. They can eat first." You kiss his cheek. "I put some stuff out for you already." 

"I can do it," he insists. 

"Take a break," you insist back, your tone gentle as velveteen.

His turn to kiss your cheek. "Do you know what Avery wants to be for her costume?" he asks in your ear. 

"She wants to be Belle, she told us weeks ago." He remembers as soon as you say it. "But I don't think finding a costume for her is going to be very easy this close to Halloween." 

Steve doesn't blame either of you for your busy October, but he hates himself watching Avery grow more and more disappointed with every store you drive to. There are no yellow princess dresses to be found, only store brand pinks. Bethie is ecstatic to choose one of those ones and Dove insists on a white fairy costume with sugar paper wings, but Avery's frown grows heartbreaking when it's clear there aren't any Belle dresses to buy. 

"I'm sorry," you're saying, Wren strapped to your chest, Beth and Dove knee to knee in the shopping cart in front of you. "It's my fault, baby, I left it last minute." 

"No, it's my fault," Steve says. 

Avery glares for a while, standing in front of all the dresses. Steve bends down to speak with her. "I'm sorry, Ave. Don't be mad at mom, okay? It's not her fault even when she says it is, she was busy working and I forgot about costumes because I had all that stuff with Wren and the doctors and my glasses and–" He winces. "I'm sorry. Really, really sorry. So be mad at me if you want, I was supposed to remember, but I'll make it up to you, promise."

"I told you ages ago," she says morosely. 

"I know. You did. I didn't think about them running out of costumes, Avery. Sometimes when you're a grown up you have so much stuff to think of you don't have room for all of it, but that's not fair, huh? Now you don't get the costume you wanted." 

She sighs, but the thing about Avery is that if you understand her point, she runs out of anger, just like her mom. She wants to make up, burying her face in Steve's thigh for a hug. 

"What am I going to be now?" she asks. 

"How about Belle's blue dress, babe?" you suggest. 

"They don't have any Belle costumes!" 

"I know, but we can make one. That's what me and dad did growing up, right?" you ask. 

"All my costumes were homemade," he seconds, "that was the fun part." 

So Avery marches you guys to the normal dresses and together you look for something nice and long enough for her tall stature. It's in the middle of this searching when she gasps, jumping up to grab Steve by the elbows. 

Delighted at being forgiven, he bends down at her whim. "What?" he asks excitedly. 

"Wren can be a bumblebee, like me!" 

"You remember that?" he asks. 

"No, but you have the photo in the car. Do you still have the costume?" 

It's Steve. Of course he kept the costume, he keeps everything, an attic stuffed to bursting with the offcuts of your lives. You giggle from the landing underneath him, the baby in one arm and a spooky drink made special by Dove in the other hand. "I wish you could drink more than milk." 

"Don't poison her!" Steve says, covered in cobwebs and knees white with dust as he climbs down the rickety ladder back onto solid ground. You wolf whistle as he reaches up to close everything safely, and cheer when you see the bee costume in his hand.

"You're the best. Think we should let Avery put it on her?" you ask. 

"Maybe. Think she can be gentle enough?"

Your little girl, so preoccupied with her sister's costume that she forgot about her own? Yes, Avery can be gentle enough. She sews Wren's small arms into the costume's sleeves like she's handling a girl made of glass, and she doesn't attempt to lift her, quick to say, "Dad, can you pick her up for me?" 

Steve lifts her and Wren does her scrunch, legs pulled up high and face a little startled. She's just old enough to giggle, prompting Bethie to join in as she races across the living room rug, the skirts of her dress fluttering against the floor. 

"She looks like a bee!" Dove says, following after, her fairy wings jittering with her movements. 

"She is!" Avery says, buttoning Wren's last button. 

Finally, after an exhausting afternoon (both of energy and your wallets), the four girls are dressed in their Halloween costumes. Avery as Belle in her original blue dress and white apron, not the costume she wanted but clearly her favourite character nonetheless. Bethie wears her pink princess dress and one of Avery's big plastic tiaras, her hair done as you would style your own for date night. Dove twirls in her white fairy dress, silver corset ribbons shiny in the light. Wren gurgles in his arms, her soft wings folded between her and Steve's chest. And you, uncostumed, stand beautiful and tired in the doorway, sparkly eyeshadow in a stripe up your cheek. 

The girls smile at him and their eyes glimmer. 

"Wow," he says, leaning back against the couch. "You guys look amazing." 

"It's about an hour until we're gonna leave," you say, "so please do mommy a favour and watch some TV, okay?" 

You set them up in a line with a bowl of chips each —you can vacuum them clean. Steve cleans as quickly as he can while you wipe your face and put aside some stuff for tonight in case the girls come home hungry, and eventually, eventually, you and Steve make your way to the kitchen table for a quiet minute together. 

"Wren's–" 

"In her bassinet," Steve says. "You're–" 

"Fine." You reach for his hand. "And you're–" 

"Perfect." He rubs the back of your fingers with his thumb. "I've missed you today. I know we were together, but…" 

You slouch into the table, resting your cheek on a placemat and closing your eyes. "Me too, sweetheart." 

He shuffles closer and leans in. "Tired, huh?" he asks gently, pressing similarly soft kisses to your cheek. "Love you," he says. "Don't fall asleep." 

"I'm not. Just resting my eyes." 

He doesn't rub your back, worried it'll send you to sleep. Instead, he kisses all over your face, sloe at first and faster when he realises it'll take a while to cover every inch. You smile and let him do as he pleases, laughing under your breath as he kisses your eyelid, squirming when he pecks under your nose. "Freak," you mumble. 

"That's what I'm being for Halloween."

"What am I gonna be?" you ask.

"Same as every year, I thought. Most beautiful girl this side of the Mississippi river." 

You like the sound of it, pulling your joined hands to your face to nuzzle his knuckles. 

"Or you can be Frankentstein," he suggests. "I'll be the monster." 

"We can just be the two tiredest parents ever." 

"That's not super creative, babe, we kinda do that every day." 

"So I'm not beautiful every day," you say quickly, having set him up. "Knew it." 

"You tricked me." 

"Did not. Make it up to me?" 

"What do you want?" he asks. 

"Just a hug, Stevie." You raise your head to smile at him sleepily. "A really nice hug, please." 

He saves the line about every hug being nice when it's with you and cuddles you, stroking your back for countless minutes, murmuring nothings to you until baby Wren shriek-cries from the living room. Steve soothes her upset, and you start the impossible task of getting everyone in their shoes for a night of trick-or-treating.

[bookishtheaterlover7]

a/n: Hello, my fabulous Readers! It's been a hot second since I last wrote a fic. And I can honestly say, that I've been distracted by the whole Chris Drama and Fiasco. But that doesn't mean that I haven't been writing fics. I actually have a few lined up, that are definite WIPs, so stay tuned. In the meantime, I hope y'all will enjoy this fic.

Which I'm happy to dedicate to @cutedisneygrl, Happiest Birthday to you, girl! Thank you for always lending an ear, and also happily sharing your fics with us. You're awesome, and I hope you enjoy this fic. Sorry if it's a little late.

And to @royalwriteroftheuniverse, for being one of the best friends, I could ask for on here. You're one of the best, and honestly, you both deserve the best. ❤❤❤❤❤

Yes, this will be a thing now. Some of my fics will be dedicated to my friends, family, or even the fans like me, who are writing this. 😆🥺 So, without further ado, enjoy this fic. Hopefully it isn't too cringey.

Steve Rogers x civilian!Reader

Requested: Yes

WARNINGS: None really... No mention of Y/n, Steve is a big softie, Y/n is kind of sad for most of the fic, food(?), feelings of loneliness...

Enjoy!

I'm using this gif, because it's the one with my most favorite button-up, that Steve wears in the entire MCU. Feel free to comment what's your most favorite Steve casual wear in the entire MCU.

*Y/F/C/D = Your Favorite Cold Drink

The clock continued to tic the hours away, as you laid on your bed. Trying to will it to move faster, and end the long day. Time always seemed slow during the tough days. Even longer lately, what with Steve being out on seemingly endless weeks of missions.

You really couldn’t complain, considering that that is his job. And it was all for the good of the future. Your future, together. Steve has been open about building a safe and happy future. And being able to secure it, one bad guy at a time.

You chuckle at the thought. Remembering the night Steve said those very words to you...

You had called an hour before, needing to vent. Your work day was one of the worst you’ve had in a while, and Steve, hearing the frustration, and weariness in your voice, took it upon himself to try and make it better. He arranged the pillows to frame your bed, pulled the curtains closed, put the lamp on its dimmest setting, grabbed the comfiest blankets, and made a little love nest for you two love birds.

He nervously looked over every little detail. Fluffing up the pillows, smoothing down the bed sheets, pulling at the curtains, double and triple checking everything. Luckily, you announcing your arrival, broke his intense focus.

Steve rushed off. Tripping and stumbling on his own feet, regaining balance, and taking another look around, before stumbling once more, and finally hopping down to you. Not that you were having any of it. Immediately assuming that Steve had prepared something romantically sexy. Which, in Steve’s opinion, was sweet but nothing romantically sexy about his plans.

But at Steve’s insistence, and puppy dog eyes, you were, albeit begrudgingly on your part, lead upstairs to your converted room.

“You sounded so sad on the phone earlier, I wanted to do something special. Try and make your day a little bit better.”

You smiled as tears slowly filled your eyes. Jumping into Steve’s arms, as he picks you up, and puts you on the bed, to rid you of your work clothes. Slipping you into your favorite button-up of his.

You’d stay in the love nest for hours. Snuggled into the love of your life, except for the few times, he’d get up to get food and water. Insisting that he should get them, not wanting you to get up and leave your little bubble.

Few minutes into your meal of a shared bowl of chocolate covered fruits, Steve’s phone rang. Causing him to step out, to answer it. Not coming back until a few minutes later. His expression crestfallen, but trying his best to keep up a mask of happiness so as to not drag your already down mood. Ofcouse,you knew him well.

“They’re calling you away on another mission?” You asked, after a few minutes of silence.

“Yes. But it’s a necessary evil, if I want to build our future.” Steve sighed, giving you a weary smile.

“And I do want to build it, one bad guy at a time.” He continued, taking both of your hands in his.

“Are you proposing to me right now, Rogers?” You laughed.

“Believe me, Doll. When I propose, you’ll know...” Steve smiled.

“Well, until then, I’ll take a few of your shirts. But even after you ask, you might never get them back.” You declared teasingly, grabbing a strawberry and running off, as Steve gave chase.

You sigh and get up out of bed, deciding to go down to your living room to watch a rom-com with your over-sized stuffed bear. But not before grabbing your favorite button-up shirt, that Steve left at the foot of your bed just before he drove off to the compound for his mission, a few days ago. You pressed it to your nose, inhaling the comforting scent of aftershave and wood, something that was uniquely Steve. And changed into it, buttoning up most of it, and leaving some undone.

You made your way down the stairs and into your kitchen, grabbing some leftovers stored in tupperwares, in your fridge, and preparing to heat them in your microwave. You stepped into your living room, turning on the TV. and arranging the throw pillows, blanket, and your bear, so that your couch has prime comfiness, all before the microwave dinged to signal that your dinner is warm.

You quickly grabbed it, utensils, and Y/F/C/D from the kitchen, carefully carrying them in your arms, and using your elbow to turn off the light in your kitchen. Leaving your living room lamp, and your TV as your only remaining light source. Creating some sort of ambiance that allowed for optimal comfort once you wrapped your shoulders in your blanket, placed your bear on your lap, and pressed play on your movie, before grabbing your food and settling in for the night.

A few hours later, the roar of a Harley can be heard in the distance. A bit toned down, due to Steve knowing that most, if not all of the residents of his neighborhood were soundly and safely tucked in their beds.

The mission was shorter than expected, and for that he silently thanked God. Because he was able to come home to the woman he loved sooner than anticipated, and will be able to surprise her with the best gift he could ever give her. Him.

He shut off the engine, as soon as he arrived and parked on the driveway. Removing his helmet, grabbing his things that he had strapped to the back of his motorcycle, and grabbing his keys to unlock the front door.

The first thing he noticed was the TV was on (hard not to when he noticed the dim glow coming from the living room). The one thing he didn’t expect as he was reaching for the remote was the sight of you holding your bear, the very over-sized bear that he had won for you at the Fair last month, close to you, one of your cozy blankets draped over your shoulders, and the collar of his button-up peaking from under the blanket.

He chuckled at the adorable sight, but sighed softly. Knowing you well enough, that you had a rough day, just by needing any semblance of him near, and needing every aspect of your cozy cocoon in order to feel better. He knew what was needed, and it was something he definitely needed for himself too.

And so, he put his bag and shield down to the side of the recliner to the right of the TV, out of the way, so that none of you would trip on it the next morning. Removed his leather jacket, and placed it on the arm of the couch by your feet, before kneeling down by you, to get on the proper position to be able to pick you up, and carry you bridal style. Hopefully without fully rousing you from your sleep.

You were half awake as Steve slowly made his way up the stairs, to your shared room. The blanket still wrapped around your body, essentially wrapping you up in a burrito. You felt the need to find more warmth and comfort from the solid wall of muscle that you were resting against. And so snuggled needily into it, much to Steve’s amusement.

And that is why he decided to remove his shoes, before going into bed with you a minute later. Not wanting you to spend even a minute without your human teddy bear. He could change and take a shower in the morning, he just knew you both needed the other near.

“I’ve got you, Doll... And I’m not going anywhere...”

a/n: Hope y'all enjoyed it. I'm kind of nervous uploading this, and I'm also worried that it's cringey. Love y'all, Bookies! Stay sane, especially with things coming up in the Fandom soon.

Steve Rogers Masterlist

Chris Evans Characters Masterlist

Main Masterlist

[katzchai]

private session for free // seo changbin x reader

pairing: seo changbin x reader contains: fluff, personal trainer seo changbin, date invitation

"okay, maybe it's not that bad." i said to myself while looking at my reflection in the glass doors.

i've moved to a new city a month ago and i've finally built up the courage to get out of the apartment after work and try a new gym. back in my hometown, i'd visit the gym once a week for the fitness class and i loved it. perfect amount of a workout and fun.

if someone would try to call me a gym rat i'd laugh in their face. do i like going to the gym? like the actual gym? hell no. i always hated the PE classes at school and i still remember all the times when the coach would scream at us because we couldn't hit the ball right or run for longer than 5 minutes without a break. it wasn't until the coach got sick in the middle of the last semester and we got a new PE teacher that i started to enjoy something gym-related.

our new teacher introduced us to fitness and she would hold one class a week. that was the only time i had fun. after graduating and starting a job i decided to try fitness in my free time and it became a part of my friday. everyone would go to clubs on fridays but me? i'd get my bag and go straight to my favourite gym in the city.

now after moving for a new job, i had to find a gym in the city that's not only close to me but also feels good - the right vibes have to be there - otherwise it's not fun at all. i did my research on maps to see where the closest gym is and i found one 5 minutes away from my apartment so after work i went home, grabbed my bag and i came here.

now, as i'm standing in front of the doors i'm thinking if i'm at the right location. everything inside looks so - black and white. no character to the place and i'm rethinking my decision to come here. but hey, momma didn't raise a quitter.

as i'm opening the doors and stepping into the gym i hear lots of very upbeat music. "okay, i can still turn around and go back home." and as i'm about to turn around a lady behind the desk pops up. 

"hey! welcome to hitshOt, the only gym in the city where nobody judges you. is it your first time here?"

"yes, hello. i was thinking about signing up for the gym membership."

"awesome!" the girl behind the desk has a name tag and while i'm coming up to the desk i read that her name is dabin. "we don't offer any free trials but we offer the best equipment and the best personal trainers so i'm sure you'll find something for yourself here."

"oh actually, do you offer any fitness classes? i'm not interested in the typical "macho" stuff. i prefer something more... fun."

"i'm so sorry but we don't. we're in the process of firing more staff and maybe one day. but hey, you can go in and take a look around and if you decide to stay you can pay me once you'll be going out." am i disappointed? yes. this is the closest gym to me and the ratings were high but if there's no fitness this is not a place for me.

"well... i'm sure the gym is amazing but no thank you. i'm not interested. to be honest with you Dabin i hate working out in a gym because it seems like everyone is waiting for you to fail. i'll keep an eye on your website to see if there are any fitness classes in the future though."

as i'm picking my bag from the floor i can hear a strong voice behind me. "who said that the gym is only for the typical "macho" stuff? i'm pretty sure you can do anything in there and have fun." i turn around and see a very muscular guy who is definitely at the gym almost 24/7 - i mean who has arms like that and doesn't go to the gym? "do you think that maybe you could give the gym a chance with me?"

"and who are you?"

"changbin. i'm a personal trainer here and before you say anything - i'm willing to get you on a private session with me for free. i've got time since the person who was scheduled didn't show up and i can show you around and maybe you'll decide to stay with us."

"and what if i don't want to try out the gym with you?"

"i can take you out for a coffee and convince you that working out can be just as fun as fitness."

shocked i start to wonder why this guy is so keen on getting some one-on-one time with me. i won't lie he is handsome and i'm all for the meet-cutes but something seems fishy.

"i can see you haven't decided yet, so i'll be in the cafe next door," he says and walks up to me. when he stands next to me he whispers "the coffee and the private session will be on me, beautiful. no matter what time."

and what do i do? i say bye to dabin and walk out of the gym and head to the cafe. you never say no to a free coffee. and a private session with a "macho" like that.

[seryna99dragon]

My top 10 Solo Leveling characters + explenation.

I know some of you may not agree (especially no. 10), but please don't hate me. I just like them a lot. This is my opinion. Feel free to tell me if I made a mistake or if I spelled something wrong! And feel free to tell me what your top 10 is, too!

Baek Yoon-Ho

I'll be honest, I love Yoonho. He's such a cool character. I love cats/tigers/panthers, all of them. I love the way he acts like an aggressive cat, the way he has cat traits and I love how he can transform into an awesome white tiger-like beast.

2. Lim Tae-Gyu

His personality just screams out sleepdeprived and cocky, but he is not. I love his cocky smile, even though he isn't. When I read the fact that his occupation before his awakening was tennis I came to love him even more. And you got his uniform design. It's awesome!

3. Kenzo Tanaka

I know he doesn't have a lot of screen time, but I love him. He really strikes me as one of those tough guys that are actually soft on the inside. And I love how he is so calm, unlike most other tough guys. He just strikes me as a really nice and caring guy.

4. Lennart Niermann

Lennart is awesome. His personality is awesome, his powers are awesome. I love him. He's such a soft and calm person. Every time he was on screen he made me calm. His powers, though. They make me wild! They're so cool! I mean, just look at that picture! Not to msntion the way he protected Thomas. He knew he wouldn't be a match against someone even stronger than Thomas, and yet he helped Thomas.

5. Min Byung-Gu

He strikes me as one of those softies everyone would love. He's just so nice towards others and he has such a welcoming smile! I love his warm smile! And his design is nice, too. They gave him a nice color palette. The way he uses a book to use his powers also has me going wild. It's just so cool! It makes me think of one of those overpowered wizards!

6. Thomas Andre

Thomas Andre just screams out brute power! He's such a rough and tough guy. I like how he just smashes eveything and how rough he is with his opponents. Whenever he walks next to someone he looks like a giant. That's really funny. And the way he transforms into an overpowered knight-like looking person is just amazing!

7. Lui Zhigang

His mysterious and dark aura makes him really appealing. He doesn't have a lot of screen time, but he is such a cool person. He's so powerful, and yet we haven't seen him fight once. But the way he has awesome panels in the manwha makes up for it. His panels are always either dark and mysterious or beautiful.

8. Woo Jin-Chul

Woo is in my top 10 because he has such a calm and mannered personality, even though his stress level is at 100% everytime we see him. He always manages to find a solution to a problem. When he stopped Baek and Hwang from a fight, we saw his true power. Even though the two were S-ranks, he stopped them. Yes, his arm throbbed in pain, but he still stopped them, which means he's storng.

9. Choi Jong-In

Choi is a sly, but calm person. I love how he's with Baek 90% of the time. They're always bickering together and throwing a tantrum. Yet he still manages to do his job properly and clear most raids easily. I love his design a lot and his attacks are awesome, too.

10. Hwang Dong-Soo

HEAR ME OUT! Hear me out! Dongsoo may not be the nicest person, but the way he's shown in a dark and mysterious way has drawn me to him. He also strikes me as one of those complete douchebags with a slightly soft side. He came over to Korea, all because someone killed his brother. Now their band wasn't too good, but he still cherished his brother from the inside. Even if it's just in the slightest. That means he has a soft side and I love him for that.

[chirpingfromthebox]

Making Mischief

With all the depressing and worrying news from the league these days, I figured it was time to distract myself by dusting off and finishing this old draft o' mine.

I don't know enough about hockey to make posts making insightful comments on the intricacies and nuances of the sport. So I'll stay in my lane: hyperfixating on weirdly specific topics.

With that being said, here is my attempt to convince the higher ups (in this case this being all you cool kids on Tumblr) of my idea for the best name for PWHL New York.

First of all, I am not a New Yorker. Gotta get that out of the way upfront. So, New Yorkers, feel free to judge me all you want.

[jk, New Yorkers don't need permission. they were already doing it anyway.]

Second of all, there is no chance outside of the biggest "donation" you've ever dreamed of for them to be named the Pizza Rats.

It's just not gonna happen.

It's too much fun and too internety.

Sports teams tend to want names that are edgy or strong or cool. But more than anything they tend to want something that's as inoffensive as possible so as to be blandly palatable to everyone.

But I'm willing to compromise!

Part 1:

The Name

Okay, so we can't have Pizza Rats. I'm also going to imagine they'll never go for The Rats either. So I present to you an option that works for everyone:

The New York Mischief

Is it tough/cool/etc?

I would argue it's that perfect middle ground of tough, cool, and fun. This team is out here causing some trouble, but, you know, like misdemeanor-level trouble. The rebellious fun kind of trouble. And who doesn't love a rebel?

[Wait, does Canada have a Misdemeanor vs. Felony system for crimes? In case it doesn't, Misdemeanors are lesser crimes: shoplifting, graffiti, indecent exposure, simple assaults, trespassing, etc. As opposed to felonies, which are major crimes: treason, murder, arson, kidnapping, etc.]

Does it sound good?

I think so! It sounds like a special brand of trouble you can only find from the Empire State. You'd see someone do something wild and go, "Oh snap, that's some New York mischief right there."

But most importantly: Does it involve Rats?

Thank you for asking! And YES it does!

"Mischief" is the collective noun for a group of rats!

And this is how we sneak the rats into New York.

Part 2:

Rats are Amazing and If You Don't Agree You Are Wrong

I get it, people hate naming teams after animals they consider to be "common" or "pests". They want apex predators! They want something deadly and muscley with some pointy bits!

But please bear with me as I make a case for why rats are awesome.

Let's start by debunking the general reasons why people would be averse to associating their team with the humble rat.

Rats are the weak prey to stronger creatures. People love to name teams after apex predators and megafauna. But you know what's almost universally on the endangered species list? Apex predators. They sound cool, they're tough, they could kick my ass, but if you face the facts they are generally not survivors. But rats? People have been actively trying to kill them for centuries! And we have failed! At best you can hope to win a battle with them, because you aren't going to win the war.

Rats are disease carrying vermin. I can't really say this isn't technically true of some wild rats. But if we're scared of Sharks because they might eat us, we're afraid of rats because they are inevitable. You can stay away from sharks, but you can't stay away from rats. They're coming for you. You can see them lurking in the shadows. You can hear them in your walls. If you give them any chance they're going to gnaw their way into your house, shit in your oatmeal, and just generally fuck up your stuff. Just look at the definition of vermin: "small common harmful or objectionable animals...that are difficult to control" And remember, dear readers, the rats aren't bringing trouble upon rats, they are bringing it to everyone else. Only the non-rats have to fear the Mischief.

Rats don't have the values we want in a team. Ridiculous! Anyone who thinks such a thing doesn't know anything about rats. As anyone who has had pet rats before can tell you, rats are actually highly intelligent and very social. They love to play. They are excellent problem solvers. They are scrappy survivors capable of flourishing in almost any environment. And they laugh when you tickle them.

And what says "New York" better than scrappy survivors who won't go down without a fight, work together when things get tough, and are always disrespecting other people's homes?

And while I've never had the opportunity to try it, I suspect that New Yorkers might also laugh when tickled.

Part 3:

Imagery

Okay, so "Mischief." In terms of imagery, how can you sell that?

And I'll tell you!

You do it by NOT having a little cartoon Rat for a logo. I can't help but imagine whatever marketing firm they hire trying to do some San Jose Sharks style thing with a rat biting through the hockey stick. Or a Penguins-style thing with a rat in skates or something.

I know I might be alone in this, but little cartoon animals for logos is really hard to do right. It is just way too much of a representational image for something inherently ethereal: a sports team and the community around it.

Sure, there have been teams that have made it work. But it requires a truly skilled graphic designer and you can't bet on the suits upstairs finding one of those. Like, if you're going to have an animal logo you gotta get a little representational with it.

(speaking of which the MN Wild has a dope logo and I wanna throw hands with all the people who talk shit about it. From a graphic design standpoint that logo has more thought put into it than any other logo in the NHL.)

I also have beef with logos that are just letters. Listen, I love the art of typography, but if your logo is a letter that you added a modicum of flair too? You were out of ideas.

You told your graphic design team, "We don't want to seem boring, but we also want the bare minimum. Give us the most broadly palatable thing you can make."

I am not a great artist and definitely don't know anything about designing logos. But to put my money where my mouth is I sketched a couple of basic ideas just to prove that it's possible and that there's potential here.

I was trying to riff the idea of the Rat King because I think it fits in with the idea of rats as being more than animals, but part of legends and mythos all their own.

Throwing one onto the actual jersey for fun:

I dunno! This if this is just me messing around. Imagine what you could come up with if you paid someone with actual talent!

The End

Anyways, that's my pitch. Thank you for listening to my idea. Please feel free to come up with your own. It's not like they're listening, so we might as well have fun here in the shadows.

And you know who else likes to have fun in the shadows?

That's right!

THE RATS!

[lpsotd]

Another anon who read the tags on your last post here! I've felt the need to write something myself since your situation feels so similar to mine when I was younger and maybe my experiences will help you in some way. Feel free to not respond to this if it's uncomfortable, it's totally okay! :)

I also didn't have a supportive family when it came to my interests, still kind of don't. I'm 22 (soon to be 23) and my family members are still looking at me funny regarding my hobbies, just like they did when I was 14-15. It was weird for them to see a child… liking toys and shows made for kids I guess?? They've also said that I was mature for my age, but let me tell you this is INCREDIBLY coercive. ''Since we've called you mature, you wouldn't want to betray us and do something childish now, would you?'' - guys. Just because YOU'VE called me mature doesn't mean that it's true. Maybe I am mature but EMOTIONALLY or got good grades at school. But it doesn't necessarily mean that I will abandon anything that brings me comfort and joy for the sake of a byname that won't mean anything to me. Ever. I think that being mature also means accepting what is dear to you and not being ashamed of that. Being mature is being responsible for your own well being - which you do by enjoying your hobbies! By surrounding yourself with things that will make you get through life a bit easier. Throwing everything out, or denying ever liking said thing is the childish thing to me here.

It's good to read that you want to embrace who you are! After all - we only have one life to live. Why waste it on pleasing everyone around instead of ourselves? ESPECIALLY if it's a hobby that does NO HARM to anyone (well maybe except your wallet). Don't ever let go of what you love, unless YOU decide it's time to move on. I still keep my LPS collection after all those years, after being told countless of times to ''sell them, because you will save some good money'' or just to give them away. What if (stay with me here) I WILL decide what to do with MY property?

And regarding those people who've belittled you for your interests - I am still recovering from the same thing that happened almost a decade ago at school. But I've learned that not everyone behaves like those mean bullies - maybe some people are genuinely interested in what I have to say? Maybe we can bond over this? Maybe I can get a new friend who will accept my ''weird'' hobbies? And thanks to that mindset I've tried opening to more and more people, only to find out that those bullies were the MINORITY and usually people are glad to hear they're not alone in their hobbies or pleasant memories. It made me feel so much less anxious about myself, I can't recommend trying to open up enough!! Sorry if this ask got long, I had plenty of thoughts in my brain it seems, haha. Anyway, OP you're not alone in your struggles and if you have any worries feel free to say so! Stay awesome <3

~lots of love from anon

i think it's kinda insane that adults expect children to immediately grow out of the things they like in favor of more "mature" interests and media. like, why can't that 13 year old watch my little pony? would you prefer it if they were watching that or something like euphoria? 😭 why is it so bad and weird when children are acting like children and want to engage with media that was literally created for them. that's something i don't think i'll ever understand

i'm happy to now be surrounded by people who care about me and indulge in my interests, and i hope you are able to have that too anon !!

[octoberautumnbox]

Pupu mode on 🔛

It's 2024 and we still have no news about Jo Yuri's comeback 😔

Not even updates from her socials 😫 I also miss her gaming livestreams.

Chaewon is almost always hanging out with Yena. I need Yena to get these 2 back together and keep Joyuriz alive

FRISKYYYYY HIIII

no we gotta let her cook she's gonna come back with a banger trust 👏

she updates every once in a while through bbl actually, for everyone who doesn't know she's still continuing her diet and is living well! she recently sent a few pictures and it looks like shes doing fine :))))

I'm also pretty sad that the last gaming livestream got canceled but the light stick livestream went great! meanwhile I hear they're working on the gaming livestream so it doesn't break next time lmao I hope she picks a scary game

meanwhile SsamYen yeah they do hang out a lot but I take Yuri for the type to be like

"Hello? Yena-unnie?" "Yuri! Look, I know I still owe you that beef-" "Damn right you do! It's been two years, Choi Yena-yah!" Yuri half-screams into her phone's mic, dead-set on letting her Unnie know how she feels. "I know, I know! I'm making it up to you! I'll take you to Busan and everything!" "... Promise?" "Of course! Are you free this weekend?" Yena knew she was playing a dangerous game. It breaks her heart, but she doesn't have a choice. "I'll make time. You better get me the good stuff! And seafood too!" The younger girl does well hiding the excitement bubbling up inside her. "Okay, awesome! In return though... There's also something I have to tell you." They both know what this leads to, and it's a conversation they've desperately been trying to avoid. "... Is Chaewon-Unnie coming?" "Yeah, if it's alright with you- Hello? Yuri?" Yuri's phone flies across the room, ending with a loud bang on the far wall. She brings her knees to her chest, hugging them tighter with each passing second, fighting back imaginary tears she knows won't fall again. "She'll come around. It's Yuri we're talking about." Chaewon brings her arm around Yena's shoulders, pulling her in. It's times like this that Chaewon dies a little, knowing that no matter how badly she wants to comfort the both of them, she'll only ever make it worse. Meanwhile, Yena sighs deeply, wondering how she'd ever tell Yuri face-to-face about the woman she chose to fall in love with. How she would ever ask Yuri to accept that she and Chaewon chose each other and left her out, left her alone.

again i did not expect it to turn out like this frisky's whiskey is actually angst juice anyway I just think yuri likes sleeping in unlike her unnies who go batshit crazy at the slightest provocation

[pjsk-writin]

hi hi hi i was the person who sent the tech sekai one :P i wanted to go off anon this time 👍👍

i love your writing a lot so as soon i saw ur post i wanted to request again !! sorry this is literally 2 minutes after your announcement 😭😭😭

if you could, could you do gn!reader who's does freestyling for choreography and one day while they're dancing for a song vivid bad squad (seperate headcanons!) walk in

sorry if this request doesn't make sense, take your time and i hope you have an amazing day <3

OMG HIII I loved writing that one !! and tyy, dw abt it lols <3 but HELL YEA I LOVE FREESTYLING its literally so cool...the req makes total sense, I hope u have an amazing day too and I also hope u like this !! <3

◇ FREESTYLE - Kohane Azusawa, An Shiraishi, Akito Shinonome and Toya Aoyagi x Reader

Kohane:

At the very least, Kohane knew that you danced and choreographed freestyle. She always got too shy to ask if she could watch-

She's always wanted to see what you could do though, she found freestyle really interesting! If anything, it could help her learn more...

She didn't even mean to walk in unannounced- She was just poking in to ask you a quick question, but she froze when she saw you dancing

You looked so...So graceful as you danced, simply allowing yourself to exist and go with the flow in the moment. She envied you for it.

She stood absolutely frozen, watching you in awe. You were so cool!...

When you finished dancing, she clapped, her grin wide before her face flushed.

"Sorry for intruding! You just...Looked so cool..."

An:

An absolutely loves dancing, so of course the moment she hears you dance, she wants to see!

She usually gets really busy though, so the first time she truly gets to see you dance is entirely an accident

You were dancing in a free space behind the WEEKEND GARAGE, and the moment she walked out and saw you, she started cheering you on

You would definitely feel a bit of embarrassment as people began to show up and cheer for you too, but it was also...Nice

When you finished your dance, she immediately wrapped her arms around you, laughing

"That was so awesome, you have to teach me how you do it!!"

Akito:

Unless it's for a show, Akito doesn't really pay attention to dancing. It's just...something to do-

Which is why he doesn't really think much about you doing choreography...At least at first. You of course manage to change his mind <3

He walked into your room to ask you a question, but paused once he saw you freestyle dancing. Since when has dance been so...Intriguing?

He leaned against your doorframe, his eyes just observing you. You looked so amazing dancing like that

When the music stopped and you finally noticed him, he was speechless before he cleared his throat, smiling at you

"That was really good...Mind if I watch another time?"

Toya:

Toya does find dancing fun, but he doesn't consider himself that good at it. He doesn't dance in his free time often-

He definitely admires good dancers though, and often takes the time to watch them and appreciate them for what they do

This is why when he walked in on you freestyling, he was absolutely blown away. You told him about it before, but seeing it was a different experience-

He's just bewildered that you can dance like that without thinking. He always has to remind himself where to put his foot, what do you mean?-

When you finished, he gave you a warm smile, just appreciating you in the moment. You were so cool...

"You're amazing."

[thatturtleleon]

OMG I am soooooo sorry!! I meant for tfp Airachnid x arcee x fem human reader! My bad 😅😅😅😅 That was totally on me lol

It's still cool if you can't! And if you can't some genreal fluff hc's with tfp arcee and her human s/o will be fine! Thank you and have a good day/night!!!!!

Note: Lol ur good!! I've never explored this ship before so hopefully these are ok! You have a wonderful day/night as well <3

TFP Airachnid x Arcee x Fem! Reader hcs:

*cracks knuckles* alright lets get started

first of all, these two bots are definitely more on the reserved "I work alone" side

Airachnid spent most of her life going solo, collecting alien species after she left the Decepticons, and Arcee doesn't do well with people, and is constantly dealing with the trauma of losing her past partners

(In this situation we'll pretend Airachnid wasn't involved in any of Arcee's trauma)

however, when you arrive in the picture, they found themselves drawn to you

they began to enjoy your company more and tagged along side you in missions

Airachnid was offered to join team Prime, but she refused, claiming she wanted to remain solo but was still open to helping out only if the team really needed it

that being said, you and Arcee noticed she "just happened" to be free to assist you guys on a mission, especially when it was going to be just you three

very soon the three of you were together almost all of the time, they felt comfortable around you and each other

you felt comfortable around them as well, every time they let you ride around while they were in one of their vehicle modes, you felt perfectly safe

eventually you all confessed to each other on a mission after being badly injured

that incident made them realize how fragile humans were compared to Cybertronians, and how quickly someone special could be taken away from them

it's safe to say they were more than happy to know that you had feelings for them as well

I imagine the others hearing about the news and making a little sign that said "congrats girlfriends!!" or something cute like that <3

dates include laying down together after a long day and looking up at the stars, each of you taking turns pointing out different constellations and telling stories

Airachnid likes to show you and Arcee around her ship, eagerly explaining all of the different species she's collected over the years

if you have a hobby you really enjoy, they'd nod and listen carefully as you talk about it

although, you could be talking about something as boring as a potato and they'd still be 100% willing to listen

they love your voice and they love hearing all the wonderful human traditions humans do with their partners too (you explained anniversaries to them and they never ever forget to get you something special that day)

on missions, these two show off for you. they try to act like its nothing but secretly (not so secretly) very much enjoy when you tell them how awesome and badass they were

both Arcee and Airachnid "fight" over who gets to drive/fly you around that day

"I believe it is my turn Arcee"

"Really? Cause it looks to me like y/n's eyes are definitely screaming 'motorcycle' right now"

"Her eyes are not screaming such things"

its cute, you let them bicker and love to tease them

cuddling was a bit of a challenge at first because you were so much smaller than them, and they didn't want to squish you or hurt you in any way

eventually you settled on laying on each of them, taking turns leaning on each of their shoulders

if you're really tired, they'll make sure to grab a pillow so you have something a bit more comfortable to rest your head on <3

they're also incredibly protective, of each other and of you

both of them know you can take care of yourself but they want you to know that they've got your back, as well as you got theirs

[snailsnfriends]

Are you watching lore? If so could you try to recap it? I’m so worried for my boy.

I am!! I'll recap the past three streams as briefly as possible, and tell you whether or not dream is a large part of it. this is longer than I'd hoped for so it's under a read more

stream 1 - tommy wants to talk to tubbo. tommy leads tubbo to a bunker he created under his house. he revealed that he has formed a sort of addiction to invisibility potions because they ensure his safety. he explains that he lives in constant fear, and dream is the reason. he says that while invisible one time, he saw dream enter the prison, so he figured that it was dream's home he wants to kill dream, and tubbo is on board with the plan. tubbo goes to eryn for supplies, and tommy goes to wilbur's revival spot and begins to speak to the sort of grave site. he explains that he's afraid that he's bringing tubbo into the wrong thing, and that he's scared but also excited to fight dream. he says that he knows that wilbur is proud of him. then phil approaches and they talk about wilbur briefly. tommy says that he loves wilbur, he literally says "I love him." (so awesome great moment). phil learns of tommy's plans and gives tommy armor. the stream ends in high spirits. dream is not in this stream at all.

stream 2 - tommy and tubbo enter the prison. it looks very overgrown and doesn't seem to be in commission anymore. they sneak through and eventually find dream, and the fight begins. they fight for a bit, and they notice how dream is much weaker than he used to be. at one point in the fight, tommy freaks out and enderpearls into the main prison cell, and tubbo follows. tommy accidently blocks them in, and they believe that the fight is over. however, tubbo finds a bunch of harming potions from the little chute in the back corner of the cell. he splits them with tommy, and they throw a bunch of them at dream, making him very, very weak. this allows tubbo to kill dream, taking his final life. clingyduo celebrate and leave the prison with plans to create a new country, called l'moonberg. they tell badboyhalo and sam about their win, and the two are excited to hear the news. they tell punz as well, and punz says that he has something that will be good for their new country. they follow punz into this weird, underground bunker. clingyduo catch wind that something is off, and punz reveals that he's not the only one with a revive book. clingyduo run away, but punz and the newly revived dream catch up to them. dream is in this one, but he barely speaks at all.

stream 3 - clingyduo, dream and punz are in the prison. dream demands that they drop all their items and empty their enderchests. they comply. tommy even gives away the book that wilbur gave to him before leaving. the only thing tommy keeps are the discs, because he knows that dream believes that they were burned by wilbur ages ago. the pair are lead to this platform surrounded by lava hanging from the ceiling. dream and punz are not in this room, but in a different one, where they're still visible. dream and punz explain that they have been experimenting with death, and that they want to live forever. through their research, (which was killing lazar and vikkstar repeatedly) they learned that limbo is determined by how you die. they feel entitled to this information, as if death HAS to be explored. they explain that because the world is so imperfect, they must kill everyone and potentially revive them, just to start over again. basically, they're causing the apocalypse. they want to see what limbo would be like for someone who dies via self sacrifice, so that's why they've trapped clingyduo. they made a contraption where if a pressure plate is pushed, an opening would be revealed and would set only one of them free; one must die for the other to live. dream and punz leave to get grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch (not kidding) and clingyduo are left alone. tommy reveals that he has the real discs to tubbo, and tommy tries to throw both of them on the pressure plate. tommy doesn't do this well and it's a blooper, but both tommy and tubbo are able to make it out of the prison, but both of the discs were destroyed. tommy is obviously very upset by this. tubbo takes tommy to snowchester and shows him the nuke that "went missing" all those months ago. tubbo suggests that they use it to kill dream and punz. tommy realizes that they have to be killed at the exact same time so one of them doesn't revive the other. tommy says that he will distract dream and punz and get them in the same place so tubbo can set off the nuke to kill them. tubbo is put off by this plan because it would kill tommy (literally eviscerate him) but tommy insists that it's the only way dream and punz can die at the same time. with some pushing, tubbo realizes that it's the only solution. the pair leave snowchester, and tommy is in very low spirits. he makes note of his last walk on the prime path, his last time passing the hotel, etc. tubbo tries to lift tommy's spirits, but isn't successful. they decide to visit l'manberg one last time, and they watch the flag wave. tommy asks tubbo to build the l'manberg flat up above the rubble for him, and tubbo agrees. they sit on the bench one last time, but in silence, because the discs are officially gone. they watch the sunset together one last time, and that's the end of the stream. dream plays a big part in this one.

hope this helps anon!!!

[divorcingjimmatthews]

episode 9 reactions hdhhskfhshfhd (spoilers!!!!)

the cicadas

RANDALL BETTER NOT DIE OKAY I STILL BELIEVE HE CAN LEARN TO BE NORMAL I STILL BELIEVE IN HIM

i'm like 99% sure julie won't die so i'm not worried about her but omg tabitha is going through so much right now with her child in pain/danger and being unable to help... T_T

i felt really bad for mari when she said she doesn't want to be like this 😔 she deserves to get better and to get to be fully herself. she's getting a lot of hate in the fandom that i feel is unwarranted, we've only seen her being really sick and even then she's always been trying to help the others

this should be its own post but i'd like to see a jade and marielle friendship, she would probably get REALLY serious with him if she hears him casually joke about how much he's into party drugs like he did around kenny, and tell him that he should count himself lucky to still be able to just get away from all that consequence-free. i also want a boyd and marielle dynamic, he's good at adopting troubled girls

team tabby

i don't need a lot to be happy. jade sitting as autistically as possible on the kitchen counter means everything to me. he's just so easy to love, like a cat. also i really appreciate the way the show moved heaven and earth to make jade and tabby end up alone together for the night. the matthews house getting demolished + the new horror making it so that no one can be alone at night + jim leaving his family to go on his crazy adventure at the RV... im grateful i truly am

jade really took the supportive role to tabby's lead in the investigation and i love that for them. there's something so special to me about this dynamic, we're so used to genius guy detective + layman sidekick, seeing it flipped is so special to me. tabby is so awesome that the rich genius guy is actually her sidekick! love them sm

victor, tian chen, julie and ethan were so so sweet i'm literally heartbroken about what ethan said to victor!!! now that jade just learned to be normal istg this poor man can't catch a break???? he's a kid and he's scared i obviously don't blame him but i bet victor was so hurt T_T still im really happy to see him be more social. he's in good hands with tian chen. i swear the new "can't be alone at night" horror was engineered in a lab to socialise the loners against their will like feral kittens and i'm so down with it LMAO like yes you can bet i'll write jade fanfic about this

EDIT LMAO POSTED BY MISTAKE HERES THE REST

jim... jimmy... jimbo...

what is he doing!! what is he doing!!!!!!!!!! fighting the rifle guy at colony house istg this man LMAOO tabby did the same thing when she just arrived they're so like that... like now you wanna get back to your family i get it but if you go out there you're gonna die. he looks so cute in that jacket btw now i'm officially simping for both tabitha AND jim just like jade

kenny and sara

im really enjoying these scenes even if i'm suffering so much for kenny and i just want to yoink him out of this depressing plot they got him in, he belonged in that room playing board games with victor the kids and his mom istg!!! but all the sara scenes are extremely compelling and omg kenny is just so !!! i need to hug him. he went through that to keep everyone else safe SIGHS

sara's got a... way of dealing with the whole thing that's for sure. she brought up like the worst possible conversation topic when looking at the map LMAO i just couldn't believe it was possible to screw up that bad. i kinda have a bit of paranoia specifically about going crazy and killing someone and then having to emotionally deal with that (just my brain being my brain dont ask) so her plot fascinates me because i've mulled over how i'd feel and how i'd deal with a situation like that so much. but i draw the sympathy line at hurting kenny and she's still hurting him so !!!!!!!! girl just shut up when he asks you to shut up it's not that hard arghh

really good insight about the place and peoples fears though. was she saying that the place gets stronger the more people it manages to kill? thats a really nice explanation for all the mix-and-match weird horror stuff going on together at the same time tbh, i like it a lot if it's like that. if khatri was afraid of god's punishment or something like that then i guess they're royally fucked (some of victor's drawings showed the place getting flooded...)

[khaleesiofalicante]

I really don't know what to say that I haven't said before, but it's worth repeating once more: This story is so wonderful and deep and so lovely and I don't think any words can really cover to how much I adore it, how much it has meant to me these past few months, and how bittersweet the fact that it's done feels🥺. The epilogue really did justice to the whole story, and I couldn't have thought of a better way of saying goodbye to it.

Max said here that to write someone's story you had to be careful, responsible but most of all gentle. And I think it's something you have shown through and through, the way you respect and love this characters and their journey just makes you love them even more.

I could go on a rant about the whole thing but I will refrain from doing so because it will probably be 10 pages long (trust me, I have ranted to 3 people and myself for hours, I have a lot of thoughts about it😭)

I can't even point out my favorite bits about this, because I loved every single thing!! The good and the bad days, the way they never gave up on each other, all the little steps and the love they radiated! Max writing emails!! If that doesn't shows us how much he loves David, idk what does... Lance and Arthur's own journey and how much they have grown up😭 I saw them being months old I am getting emotional don't @ me!! Chopin!! Rip to Lance but I love him with my whole heart💙. THE MF KISS ON THE WRIST🥺 I will forever be wondering about the white cover, but yes let that man keep some things to himself!! Also, Jackson>>>>

I maay have teared up s little bit on some parts and I think that's valid of me!

Just... Their love. Their whole life. A life with so much joy and so much pain and grief too, but a life they created together and are slowly but surely getting back. The way they never give up because the other one existing is reason enough to try with everything in them🥺. Thank you for sharing this story. It has become one of my favorites to go back to, and I pity the person that asks anything about a good book I've read recently because they are not going to hear the end of it...

I have no words to add, I just want you to know you are such an awesome and talented writer and you never stop amazing me with the beauty you create with words. Never forget you are amazing, please 💙

I'm just gonna add some of my favorites lines because damn they are going to live rent free on my mind for a few weeks at least:

I will do anything, however long it takes us, if I get to wake up to your smile again.

Half a life with you is worth more to me than forever with anyone else.

///

"But all the days I have left, all of it, it's yours."

///

Remember the bad times. Remember the tough shit. Remember you made it through. Remember you can do it again.

///

"You look really pretty when you smile."

///

"Because this life, however broken, is perfect because we built it together." (This lone will haunt me forever btw)

///

He wanted a love that lasted forever.

He wanted Max Lightwood-Bane.

///

All the time

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.💙

I have no words for all the love and support you show me. Also, not me trying to hack into your notes app so i can have a look at all the quotes because I'm always too tired to read the fics again (i wish i could read as much as i wrote, fam, oof i really do).

Anyway, I'm cleaning my IALS notes, and found this tiny lil thing that didn't make it to the fic so you can keep it.

"Nothing above the neck," David told him seriously as Max kissed his chest.

"Why not?" Max frowned as he pulled back from the other man, momentarily pausing his attempts to give his husband a hickey. "Your neck is pretty and long and there is a lot of space for me to cover."

"My students saw the last one you left on my neck and made fun of me," David mumbled.

"What are their names?" Max asked.

"Max," David chuckled.

"Seriously," Max said. "What are their names?"

"You can give me hickeys," David said with a soft smile. "Just nothing over the neck, please."

"Can't believe my sex life is being dictated by a bunch of middle schoolers," Max grumbled. "I'm gonna have a talk with the Dean."

"About hickeys?" David giggled.

"Don't underestimate me, sweetheart, I can talk about anything if I find the motivation."