#introvert's guide to a cool summer

[queen-of-elves]

I made a Introvert’s guide to a cool summer notion template you can use for free (o˘◡˘o) I had a lot of fun making it and maybe it might come handy to some introverts scared of wasting their summer away

[whispersoftheton]

Anthony bridgerton x wife!reader. Maybe his wife has quite a childlike innocence that the women of the ton take to be weirdness and they tend to isolate her but she never knows why. Maybe they’re newly married and she decides to invite some of the ladies for tea but no one shows up and she’s upset because she’s confused and Anthony comforts her and joins her for tea instead to cheer her up.

Hey! Thank you so much for requesting this & for being so patient! This wasn't meant to be this long but it sort of took on a life of its own. I hope you enjoy it <3

Anthony Bridgerton x Fem!Reader

Warnings: none just comfort :)

Word Count: 1.1K

Every square inch of Aubrey Hall's walls flourished with the season's most stunning flowers, the gardens lush as far as the eye could see. The breeze did little to cool you off from the summer heat as you sat under the tent, sipping your afternoon tea overlooking the meadow alongside Violet Bridgerton. It had been a tedious day of tending to various duties around the household, and you were expecting company from some ladies of society later that evening. It seemed your schedule had been considerably more than full since your wedding a few months ago. Rather frankly, you were just as exhausted as you were delighted in your new marriage to the Viscount. Keeping up with the Bridgertons all while being the latest lady of the house proved to be quite the task. Sure, your introverted preferences to stay within the walls of your home with a good book or spend quiet time in the gardens studying the plants were different than the interests of the ladies of the ton. However, you always tried your very best to keep everyone surrounding you in good spirits while performing your obligations, always looking toward Violet for approval, wanting to stay within your welcome. She was the Viscountess before you, after all. You could only dream of living up to her in your new position. Overseeing every small detail runs smoothly across your home, not to mention the impending weight on your shoulders due to the responsibility of Anthony's sisters coming out in the following seasons. You didn't know how long you could keep this facade up if you were being honest with yourself. But you had standards to upkeep, ways in which the Viscountess held her own beside her husband, and the last thing you ever wanted to do was let Anthony or his family down.

The sun blared upon the exquisitely green grass; surrounding the field on the outer edges were countless trees with blossoming flowers overflowing the gardens. Springtime at Aubrey Hall, indeed, was like no other. You turned your attention toward the Pall Mall game. Your husband stood before his siblings, mumbling something you were sure was some tease towards Eloise, making you smirk. Anthony turned toward the field and adjusted his grip on the mallet before making his final shot. A generous mix of disappointed grumbles and cheers erupted from the handful of Bridgertons as he made the final winning score. Half of them scrambled to debate the shot while the other half stood by, giggling toward them.

Anthony left his siblings to argue among themselves over the game he now reigned as champion over. Eloise was clearly bitter and left feeling she had been made a mockery over this loss after spending her spare time practicing for this very moment. Anthony placed his mallet on the stand alongside the others and approached you. He graciously extended his hand toward you, motioning you to go with him before the both of you bid goodbye to his mama and slipped out of sight and into the grand home.

"Eloise is taking quite hard, isn't she?" You said as he guided you through the doors. "She must have thought her practice would allow her to best you once and for all."

"Having hopes of besting her older yet clearly more skilled brother? Unlikely, my love." Anthony taunted, evidently still on a high from his victory. You stood in the main room while Anthony poured himself a drink, beckoning you to join him before you politely declined.

"I cannot. I am having the ladies over for tea shortly, and I cannot be anything less than perfection for their arrival." Anthony wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you in for a brief kiss. Enough to have you wrapping your arms around his neck and yearning for more as he pulled away just enough for your noses to brush tenderly against one another.

"No moment in time exists in which you are not perfection, my love." Anthony's smile warmed your heart as you relaxed against him. "They will love you as much as I do; I am sure of it." His validation and loving gaze melted any lingering stresses still dancing around in your head. All that was left was to check off some last-minute preparations, and the tea could commence.

The late afternoon sun cast dispersed shadows across the cobblestone path. Anthony strolled into his home since returning from a lengthy afternoon of business meetings and running several errands around town. Anthony had hoped to come home to you excitedly telling him of your afternoon tea with the ladies of the ton. Instead, he found the halls seemed eerily calm for this time of day. He entered the main room and caught you sitting quietly on one of the sofas in a far corner. You curled up beside the unlit fireplace, twirling your fingers anxiously in your lap when you felt Anthony take a seat beside you.

"Sweetheart." Anthony paused before placing his hand in your lap. You didn't know if it was for comfort or to stop you from fidgeting. His warmth was welcome either way. "Is something wrong?" He cautiously asked.

"No one came." The words strained from your throat. "I know your mama and sisters left this morning on a day's travel, but I hoped-." Your voice broke before resuming. "I hoped at least someone would have-." Tears brimmed your eyes, and scattered tears stained across the top of your dress, some still falling down your cheeks. Anthony's hand cupped your face, his thumb gently preventing the tears from their continued flow. He took your hands in his and placed a lingering kiss on your knuckles before standing before you and offering you his hand. Without another word, Anthony dragged you along the halls and out into the gardens. Various flowers bloomed around you, and he brought you to one of the rarer flowers now flourishing on the property.

"What are we doing here?" You questioned while admiring the intricate patterns in which the vine had taken, the beautiful springtime flora temporarily making you forget the catastrophe of this afternoon. Anthony stepped closer from behind, arms wrapping around you as he whispered in your ear.

"It is when I am gazing upon the most exquisitely beautiful flower in the garden that I think of you." Tears again swelled inside you, but for a different reason this time. "The day will come when the world will see the beauty I am fortunate enough to hold near every day. In the meantime, I get you all to myself, hm?" The warmth and comfort of his words and presence enveloped you, brushing away the day's worries and woes with an ease only he possessed. His voice was a soothing balm for your soul that always had a way of convincing you everything would be okay. Because when you were around Anthony, you knew it would be.

Mini Tag List: @bugnug @queenofmean14 @fiction-is-life @thethreeeyed-raven @ssprayberrythings @fatbottomedvirgo @fictional-hooman (let me know if you would like to added by leaving a comment here or dm me if you’d like to be added.removed)

I DO NOT HAVE WATTPAD. I do not consent to having my work reposted, translated, or published to any third party site or app. if anyone sees my work anywhere that is not ao3/tumblr or under any other username that is not whispersoftheton, it has been reposted without my permission

[wvnrqs]

dates with txt.

pairings txt members x fem reader genre fluff

📁 now playing .. tinnitus - txt

yeonjun - he would be really romantic and would take you to dinner at a fancy restaurant. "m’lady" he said, smiling at how happy you are munching down on your food. "this is literally amazing!" "just like you princess." he would flirt shamelessly with you and loved seeing you burst into a flustered embarrassed mess. you both take a long car ride after dinner and jam to music together while the windows are rolled down, the night is cool and you are holding hands. the date would end with him kissing your hand like you’re a princess and he’s your prince ★

📁 now playing .. sugarcoat - natty

soobin - he’d be really nervous because he’s a shy introverted bby. you would have a cozy home date where he goes to your house and cooks your favourite food for you. "mm, this is so good! i didn’t know you were such a good cook!!" "it’s nothing…" he blushed. you would watch a romcom together while eating chips but you end up nodding off and sleeping on his shoulder. "love you," soobin whispered as he stared at your adorable face, hesitating befroe kissing your forehead. he cuddled with you and you both slept on the surprisingly comfy couch.

📁 now playing .. fast forward - jeon somi

beomgyu - he would take you to an amusement park and would be even moree silly because he was super nervous deep down. "what about that rollercoaster?" he pointed to the tallest, scariest ride you have ever seen. "t-that one?? but-" of course, beomgyu was already dragging you over to the ride. you ended up screaming and gripping his hand so tightly your knuckles turned white. "that was literally the worst thing i’ve ever ridden on." beomgyu chuckled lightly and ruffled your hair like you were a kid. "i’ll buy some ice cream to make it up to you." you both shared an ice cream and went home after he piggybacked you home from the bus stop !

📁 now playing .. dance with me - beabadoobee

taehyun - he’d bring you ice skating for the first time (but don’t worry, it’s his first time too). he would be an ace at it while all you managed to do was fall while running on the snow. your frustrated self burst out, "i can’t do this anymore!" taehyun laughed at your obvious struggle and glided gracefully over to help you. he was guiding you along when you slipped and fell (i’m sorry this is so cliché) right into his arms. he caught you with ease and tried his best not to laugh at you because you were probably about the most pathetic beginner skater he’s ever seen (time to call sunghoon as a replacement ice skate teacher). he bought you a snack that you happily munched on to make up for all the times he teased you.

📁 now playing .. 4EVER - clairo

huening kai - he’d set up a whole picnic for you at a park for a late morning breakfast. he prepared a whole meal for you and it was surprisingly the best thing you’ve ever tasted. it was breezy that day, and the park was right next to the beach! after eating and chatting casually, you both took a leisure walk on the beach. it soon resorted to kai splashing water at you and promptly ruining your summer clothes. "hey!" you ran to splash kai back and the romantic walk on the beach ended up as a water fight. you were so loud (you screaming and kai cackling) even the children building sandcastles stopped to stare at you both weirdly. after the hectic water fight, you sat down and competed to see who’s sandcastle was better because you both were the most competitive people ever to exist. kai let you win in the end because he felt bad about ruining your clothes.

🫧 little note - i deeply apologise if this was cringy, cliché or just bad. it’s my first time writing these 😭 i’m very open to constructive criticism / comments! lmk if you want more like these

[noaltbruh]

hi you should totally do what its like do what its like to live with the bucci gang in a house all together thxx

*Kicks the air, giggles, screams into a pillow, throws up, dies and comes back to life just to write this post*

No bro I don't think you understand, you've just awoken my most unhinged side ever, literally I think about what it would be like to live with this wonderful family 24/h. There is nothing else in my brain, just them doing shit.

So yeah! I hope you enjoy ^^"

Life with the Bucci gang! 🐞🤐🔫🍊🍓⏪🎙 (or rather, a survival guide about living with them)

Alright, the main rule in this house is: "Don't kill each other. If you absolutely need to, at least hide the body well before it starts smelling like Mista"

Any other rule is either ignored, purposely broken, straight up not acknowledged, or only followed because Bruno said so and you don't disobey him.

Congratulations, you just got yourself free entertainment for the rest of your life and at any time of the day. Who needs Tv when you can just watch these guys do literally anything?

What are you in the mood for today? Trish kicking Mista with a shoe because he accidentally ruined her dress? Narancia blowing up with Aerosmith that one spider Fugo is afraid to squash? Giorno turning everything he sees into frogs? Abbacchio trying not to look like a total simp every time Bruno breathes?

With that being said, I hope you're not an introvert, my friend. There's no freaking way in hell they aren't going to drag you on their shenanigans. No, you can't choose, you will take part in whatever the heck they're doing, they're forcefully gonna make you tag along if you were to ooppose.

Buddy say goodbye to your privacy, that stopped existing as soon as you walked through the front door. 99% of the times there will ALWAYS be someone with you. Whether they're actually talking to you or are just in the same room as you doesn't matter. Rest assured that being alone will become a rare occurrence, no matter how antisocial you may be.

Don't try to lock the door of your room, they'll gladly destroy it and then ask Bruno to replace it with a zipper. Alternatively, some of them might even climb up from a window if they're feeling goofy that day.

I advice locking any snacks you may want to keep to yourself in a drawer or another place you know of. If you don't, there's a very high chance that whatever you were trying to keep to yourself will get stolen by the pistols sooner or later.

Another advice I can give you is to write down all important dates related to them, or little things you know they like. It must not be easy to remember those sorts of things when you live with so many people.

Most days you're gonna find Trish practising her singing in either the music room (yes they have a music room) or her own. Don't be shy and ask her if you can listen to her, she'll always reply with a yes :)

They have a very big and well taken care of garden. If you feel like spending some time with Giorno, helping him water the plants is a great idea! Prepare for lots of fun facts about gardening, while you're at it.

I suggest laying there particularly during summer nights. There's always a nice breeze to send the excessive heat away, and the stars look very nice from there. Someone else will most likely join you as well, you can stargaze together!

If you feel like having a conversation that requires more than two brain cells, Fugo's always there for you. He's used to some of the others calling him boring and such, but a nice chat about Latin, Politics, Philosophy or anything alongside those lines is always welcomed. Even if you don't know anything about those subjects but are willing to listen, he'll be happy.

Prepare for Narancia bursting in your room with a new dance, a song to listen to, or cool trick he's come up using Aerosmith, and way too much excitement. The latter one is only allowed if you're in the garden, but try to stop him from shooting any plants while you're there.

Drunk conversations with Abbacchio at 3 am. are a MUST. He'll only ever share his alcohol if he's feeling dizzy already, so wait until he starts getting a bit off and you're good to go. Do you remember anything you talked about after that night? Nope. Maybe you discussed the meaning of life, maybe you just yelled at the Tv watching old races of formula one, or maybe you've found the cure for cancer...But you'll never know.

Bruno is a safe space in the house. If you want to catch a break and take it easy from the others' chaos, he's the most reliable one. You don't have to necessarily do anything together if you don't want to, but his presence alone guaranteed to make you relax.

Don't go into the basement, please. It used to be a nice and tidy place where Bruno kept old stuff he didn't need anymore, but it progressively became more and more messy once the gang came along. Now legends say that old artifacts and mystical objects, such as Mista's hair, ended up there and were never found again.

The house has a lot of very pretty balconies with a wonderful view of the city. A couple of times a day you should go out and take some fresh air admiring Napoli, it's very soothing.

The roof is also a perfect place to if you look for a great sight of the town. If you're brave enough, you can climb up from one of the balconies. If you're not, that's fine: there's a safer ladder that will bring you there in the backyard, and you always have the support of the others if you felt scared anyway :)

Speaking of which...Yes, they may come off as extremely annoying and overbearing sometimes, but remember that once you settled in, you're family to them and there's no changing that.

They will ALWAYS be there for you, no matter what the problem or your reaction to it might be. Rest assured that you won't have to face it nor suffer alone, they'll all there to lend a hand for you and help you through it. Even if you're just feeling sad for no reason, someone will undoubtedly try to cheer you up, and succeed in doing so.

Sure, maybe some of them are not the best at expressing that they care, but they truly do and will show it to you in one way or another, whether it's direct or subtle, they will let you know you can count on them.

Movie and game nights are...Something else for sure! Every time one or two people get to pick what you're gonna play or watch, and since they have very different tastes, you can be sure as you can be that you'll enjoy yourself and have fun.

For example, one week you're watching the most gut-wrenching disturbing, complex and traumatizing movie of all time, picked by Abbacchio just to scare you all for his own amusement. Narancia will be screaming, Trish is acting like she's fine but is actually holding on to someone, Giorno is getting shushed by everyone because he's got a third eye and is somehow predicting the whole plot. A loud "SHUT THE FUCK UP, GIORNO!" from our goth man is gonna be obligatory.

The other week, instead, Mista and Narancia decided you were going to play Smash, and you WILL be playing Smash. Poor Bruno is trying to find the pattern to the attacks and fails to realize that those two dorks just spam random buttons hoping to win. Needless to say, they end up losing anyway. Also, Fugo almost threw the controller and broke the Tv a couple of times, but shhh it's okay they're rich, they can buy a new one.

The sweetest part about these "events", however, is that at the end of the night, you're all super tired. You'll just end up falling asleep all together in the salon, cuddling up against each other to feel warm, without even realizing it. The Morning after, whoever wakes up first usually makes breakfast for the rest, so you all also eat together before actually starting your day ^^

Get this through your system: no matter the time of the day, someone will be up. There isn't a single moment during those 24 hours in which they are all asleep. You'll find Mista sleeping at 3 pm on the living room couch, just to see him stealing salami from the fridge at 2 am while you were just trying to get a glass of water. He won't even let you leave and just ramble about his latest theory about salami.

Yes, your sleep routine is gonna get fucked up too, cope. Also, very often you'll hear noises coming from other rooms, although it's probably just Bruno and Abbacchio banging like there's no tomorrow . When that happens, spend time with someone until you both fall asleep, or get yourself something to block out the noise. (I'd choose the first option, but you do you).

The house has a sort of balcony that acts as an entrance to the garden. On some nights, you may find someone (usually the quietest members) hanging around there. Stop to talk to them for a while, they're weirdly more open about their feelings at that time of the day.

Mista, Narancia and Trish are going to CONSTANTLY ask you to hang out, these guys enjoy the outdoors way too much. Before you know it, you're dressed up to go party in the hugest, loudest, most crowded disco you're ever seen.

Or maybe they're dragging you to a bar and gossip about people all night, OR they're planning to infiltrate in some rich guy's party they only found out about because Trish is famous and knows way too many people.

Don't worry if you get nervous though, they'll stick around by your side to make sure you feel comfortable, and they'll leave if they see you starting get overwhelmed. All of you need to have a good time or it's no fun.

Group reading with Fugo and Giorno. I repeat: group reading with Fugo and Giorno.

Okay, the stuff they recommend might not be the most exciting, but I can guarantee you that if you manage to actually read it, the discussions and conversations you're going to have about it will make up for it. You can basically see their eyes light up and soon as you begin talking and discussing its themes, you'll find yourself carried about by their excitement without even realizing it.

While it's something they usually do alone, sometimes Bruno and Abbacchio will take you fishing with them. It's a complete moment of chill away from the excitement of your everyday life, not to mention that Bucciarati is a great fisherman and dinner that night will be delicious.

If you think these guys are enough chaotic as they are, brace yourself for Holidays time.

Get ready to help decorate the whole house, which, considering its dimensions, is no easy job. The best thing you can do in this case is go with the flow and, most of all, follow Narancia's lead: the two of you will be setting up everything for even DAYS, if it's necessary.

Prepare for constant snowball fights, dudes blasting Christmas music ridiculously loud, alcohol disappearing at an even faster rate than usual, presents flying all over the salon aand lastly...An actual quiet Christmas night where you'll simply be watching a movie together and drinking hot cocoa in front of the fireplace.

Don't be tricked, the next day the extroverted trio is already asking you to go with on them on a Christmas themed party. Good luck.

You guys fight over the best spot under the air conditioner during Summer time, and the winner always turns out to be Trish. Alternately, if someone's able to compromise enough, you'll go get something fresh to change the mood a bit.

One last thing I'd like to mention is that, in the middle of the living room, there is a big frame with all eight of you smiling together. If things ever get rough, look up and remember that your family is always there for you :)

[sellenite]

11 + 12 + 13 for the ask game! 💝

hello Roma, my love 🫶🌷🫶 thank you for stopping by, I love all of these questions a lot :')

I'm once again answering for Suguru 😭 I should have thought this through a little more before I reblogged this, but he's like my only self-ship 🥲 anywhooo:

11. calling each other by their names, plain and simple, or calling each other really flowery pet names?

Suguru isn't one for very flowery pet names, so I think he mainly uses my name. however, I think he does use some more classic terms of endearment like "baby" and "my love." he calls me "sweet girl" a lot too because he knows it makes me blush 😭😭

and I think for him, I mainly use his name because I love it so much + I really like the nickname "Su" for him <333 and I call him "handsome" a lot :3

12. constantly hanging off each other or keeping a tame distance in public?

I kind of touched on this already, but I don't think Suguru is big on PDA. so I think if we're out and about he keeps it tame, but he likes to hold my hand while we walk together or guide me gently with his palm on the small of my back. very delicate, but still meaningful touches.

13. stay at home dates or out on the town dates?

even though we're both introverts, I think we like to go out for our dates! we like to go to concerts together a lot, and I think we do this all year round. but in the spring and summer (when the weather is sunny but it's still cool enough for comfort) we go to the park and he reads his book out loud to me in his beautiful voice while I sketch pictures of him in my notebook :') and he feeds me blackberries because they're both our favorite <3

sobbing over all of these now 😭😭 he is so romantic in my mind

[hanna-fam1249-refections]

Workshop and Reflection 3: Forest School

Hello again,

Recently, our class had the opportunity to visit a forest school. The trip was really interesting as I have never been to a forest school.

I noticed: During this field trip, I noticed that the program is very well planned as they have a different section of play space outside for the children, and it is engaging. Another thing I noticed is that some groups are mixed age. The foxes (children 4-10 years old) and the wolves (8-12 years old) could be combined. I also noticed various engaging materials that the children can use for art and different structures that promote healthy development. A fascinating point I have seen is that they make their own stories rather than just reading one, which I found fabulous because it enhances creativity.

I wonder: At the Forest school, most questions were answered. However, I wondered at the forest school how much research or trial and error it took for them to make an effective and engaging curriculum. At the forest school, I noticed that all the children were engaged. I would imagine it would have taken a lot of trial and error and lots of research. I was talking to our guide about introverts, and she mentioned that some children in the program are introverts too. Which made me wonder how they engage in the program. She answered, in which the child reads their book while the others are playing. I wonder how they created an environment that engages all the children outside.

It reminds me of: I have made connections to some things while at school. One of them being the rope climber in the trees. At my house, my family used to have a climber similar to the climber when I was little. Another thing that reminded me of something was a swing, as I used to go on the swings a lot when I was little. The last thing that reminded me of something was the campfire; my family used to have many of them in the summer.

Questions:

Discuss how the Out to Play Farm and Forest School program supports children's learning/connection to nature. Provide three (3) examples.

The Out to Play Farm and Forest School program supports children's learning/connection to nature by letting them be outside and explore their surroundings. Another way the program supports the children is that they have various materials outside for the children to engage with, for example, art canvases and web climbers. Lastly, the children spend time outside all day at the forest school, and the children will be curious, leading to questions that can expand their connection to nature as some of their questions may be about nature.

2. Identify two key learnings for you based on your experiences at Out to Play Farm and Forest School, and explain why?

I learned two key things during my experience at the Out to Play Farm and Forest School. The first thing is that they make up their own stories. Our guide mentioned that they don't tell indigenous stories without permission. Instead, they tell their own stories, which I found really cool as they not only tell the children a story they made up, but they also find a way to engage with the children through the stories (involving the children in the story). The second key thing I have learned is how to effectively run an outdoor program for children. Throughout the tour, we have learned how the program works, and they have a sound system at the program. The educators have created various outdoor art stations, mixed age groups, and various outdoor climbers made of rope and wood.

Out to Play Farm and Forest School Sign

Photo taken by Hanna Volk

Bon Fire at the School

Photo taken by Hanna Volk

Swing

Photo taken by Hanna Volk

Inside a Tent at the Forest School

Photo taken by Hanna Volk

[abalathia]

 LFRP                 ESJA FIALA ( eh - juh       fee - al - uh )

THE BASICS ––– –

Age: Unknown.

Birthday: 16th Sun of the 5th Umbral Moon.

Race: Veena Viera.

Gender: Female.

Sexuality: Bisexual.

Marital Status: Single.

Server: Balmung.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE ––– –

Hair: Light ash brown in the summer and cool brown in the winter months.

Eyes: Pale violet, almost blue.

Height: 6′3″.

Build: Lithe.

Distinguishing Marks: Face paint; various scars and tattoos.

Common Accessories: Horn/bone earrings and brass jewelry.

PERSONAL ––– –

Profession: Survivalist and bounty hunter.

Hobbies: Wood and leatherworking, exploration, hunting.

Languages: Common, Woodspeak.

Residence: Somewhere in the North Shroud.

Birthplace: Skatay Mountains.

Religion: One long forgotten; mostly nonpracticing.

Patron Deity: None.

Fears: ???

RELATIONSHIPS ––– -

Spouse: None.

Children: None.

Parents: Estranged.

Siblings: Many; estranged.

Other Relatives: Many; all estranged.

Pets: Various critters she’s amassed along her travels.

TRAITS ––– -

* BOLD - Definitive ; ITALIC - Situational

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between /  Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ––– –

Smoking Habit: Socially. Drugs: Spiritually (nonfrequent). Alcohol: Frequently.

RP HOOKS ––– –

Viera: It is not often to see a Viera beyond the Wood, and while not exactly rare, Esja is instantly drawn to others who have defied the Green Word. 

Tracking: Esja is a skilled hunter with an appetite for excitement and a knack for cornering her prey. While she mostly assists adventurers with hunts, she has been known to assist in locating trophies of a more exotic (human) nature. Of course, bounties require more coin than a common pest, and persuading the Viera to assist might take a bit more than a silver tongue.

Survival: Esja often acts as a guide for fledging adventurers, teaching them to manage on their own. She offers “courses” in scavenging, navigation, first aid, and much more. Be warned: she is as strict as she is savvy, and she will not hesitate to leave the weak-willed behind.

Tavern: Whether it’s a bustling hotspot or a hidden gem on the road, Esja can almost always be found where there is alcohol and a warm bed - especially if there is a hunt board to peruse.

CONTACT INFORMATION  ––– –

In Game: Esja Fiala @ Balmung Discord: Provided when asked for. Tumblr: I respond as soon as I can!

[dweetwise]

some fluffy adamkate for @neilusgrey because this ship is adorable <3 i used some prompts from this post while writing. it fit them too well!

word count: 3320

Adam X Kate: Turn your face to the sun

“So? What do you think?” Kate asked.

Adam looked around their surroundings. They were attending a folk concert held in Kate’s hometown, and even though it wasn’t Adam’s usual scene, he’d been quick to accept when Kate had invited him.

The sun was shining bright in the sky and nearly everyone was smiling, the sound of music getting louder but nowhere near unbearable as they approached the small stage in the middle of the park. There weren’t as many people as Adam had feared, only a small crowd forming in front of the stage.

“It looks nice,” Adam said. “I’m glad you asked me to come.”

“Of course!” Kate said. “It’s about time we—”

“Kate! Over here!” someone shouted from behind them, effectively interrupting their conversation.

Adam watched as Kate turned around to face a group of people, her face cracking into a brilliant smile once she seemed to recognize them.

“Hey, y’all!” Kate beamed, hugging one of the women. “Long time, no see.”

It was strange to see Kate so in her element. Just walking across the park and to the event area, they’d been stopped several times as people wanted to catch up with Kate and a few even asked for her autograph.

“It’s so good to see you! Where have you been?” one of Kate’s current admirers asked.

“Oh, I did a bit of soul-searching,” Kate explained. “Kinda needed to drop off the grid for a while.”

Adam could tell Kate was struggling with the lie. It had been a couple months since their escape from the Entity and they were only just now getting used to the normalcy of the real world. Standing here, being alive and well and surrounded by happy people with the sun shining down on them was almost too good to be true.

“This is my date, Adam!” Kate introduced him.

But the best thing about the situation was that Adam was here with the most incredible woman he’d ever had the pleasure of knowing.

“Nice to meet you,” Adam said, giving a polite nod to the group.

“Likewise!” one of Kate’s friends said. “We’ll leave you to it, but let’s catch up sometime, okay?”

“That sounds lovely!” Kate agreed, before turning to Adam. “Come on, let’s find a good spot!”

Adam followed Kate closer to the stage, almost transfixed on the way her long dress swayed in the gentle breeze. With her flowy sundress and the daisies in her hair, Kate looked like a personification of summer, and Adam was honored to be allowed to bask in her warmth.

It also reminded Adam how overdressed he was for the occasion. He’d chosen to wear a suffocating button-up and stiff chinos that already felt too warm for the weather. Hopefully he’d manage a few hours in the Pennsylvanian summer.

“You wanna stay farther away from the stage?” Kate asked.

“Yes, please,” Adam said with a grateful smile.

Kate knew how much of an introvert he was and she had never appeared to see it as a big deal. The concert was already out of Adam’s comfort zone, so getting some relative privacy would be very welcome.

They found a spot away from the commotion but with a relatively unobstructed view of the stage and Adam pulled out the picnic blanket he’d packed earlier and spread it over the soft grass. All the while Kate kept looking at him in intrigue, making Adam wonder whether he’d done something wrong.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“You have a really good smile, you know that?” Kate said, making Adam realize he’d been smiling the entire time.

“Oh. Thank you,” Adam said, scratching at his neck self-consciously. “I guess I don’t tend to smile that much. Especially after…”

He didn’t need to explain further. Kate nodded in understanding, knowing they all had their own demons to battle after their capture and subsequent escape from the creature that still haunted their nightmares.

“Let’s make some better memories together,” Kate said with an adorable, soft smile.

Adam felt his face heat up and he merely offered a stiff “yes” as they started unpacking their bags.

They’d never officially decided what this was between them. For what felt like years, they’d been closer than friends but not quite lovers. None of the other survivors had batted an eye when Kate sought comfort in Adam’s arms by the campfire every time the trials became too much. There were jokes about them being a couple, sure, but to this day nothing had actually happened between them. Adam had never wanted to push and regardless, a world of violence and death wasn’t exactly the best setting for romance.

But now they were free and Kate had wasted no time in asking him on a date. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but he was certain that it had to mean something.

“I brought snacks!” Kate's triumphant grin snapped Adam out of his thoughts.

Adam watched as she retrieved a small box of strawberries as well as a packet of cookies from her beach bag.

“I wanted to have a picnic but didn’t know what you liked, so…” Kate explained.

“That was very thoughtful of you,” Adam said. “I didn’t realize to bring anything…”

“And I didn’t expect you to!” Kate reassured. “Come on, have some!”

They sat down to enjoy the snacks together, catching up on the brief period of time they’d been apart. Adam had been busy with a pile of paperwork about his disappearance in Japan and Kate had temporarily moved in with her parents. It became clear that neither of them were certain what the future would bring.

“There’s so many opportunities!” Kate said. “We can do whatever we want. The freedom is amazing.”

“It is,” Adam agreed. “But also a little overwhelming.”

He had no idea what he would do or where he would even go. All he knew was that he wanted to be near Kate; she was his rock and no matter what happened, he was sure he’d be okay as long as they were together.

Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud. They weren’t a couple and it was a little too intense to place so much importance on their friendship.

“We’ll figure something out,” Kate said, and just her smile was almost enough to reassure Adam.

They sat together and finished the snacks while enjoying the music, until the crowd seemed to get even more invigorated as people got up to dance. Adam watched a small group form in front of the stage with people twirling, jumping and laughing as they danced to the upbeat music.

"Let's join them!" Kate suggested almost immediately.

Adam shouldn’t have been surprised. Kate’s love for music knew no bounds, and even now she was nearly shaking with the boundless energy she always seemed to possess.

"We can't just leave our things," Adam tried to reason. "You go on, I'll stay here."

"Aw, you can’t get rid of me that easily! I wanna dance with you!” Kate said. “Nobody's gonna take anything.”

"I'm not much of a dancer," Adam protested, abruptly feeling the nervousness start to kick in.

"You'll be fine, hun—I promise!" Kate smiled at him and extended her bracelet-clad hand. 

Before the fog had swallowed him all those years ago, Adam would have declined in a heartbeat. But he wanted to believe he had changed. During the last few years, he’d learned he was much more capable than he could have ever imagined—a little dancing surely wouldn’t kill him.

So he grabbed Kate’s hand and let himself be briefly pulled into her world of sunshine and spontaneity.

While they approached the stage, Adam tried his best to learn the choreography by observing people dancing. To his mortification, there didn’t seem to be choreography, all of the dancers seemingly able to effortlessly improvise a professional-looking routine.

By the time they reached their destination, Adam’s hand was sweating where it was holding Kate’s. She didn’t seem to care, only turning to him with a bright smile before settling closer to him in a dance position.

"Don't worry hun, just follow my lead!" Kate said.

Kate started leading him into a dance and Adam followed the best he could. He stared at her feet to try to get the hang of her movements, focusing too hard and completely ignoring the beat—

It was only a matter of time before his foot landed on Kate’s much smaller sandal-covered one.

"Sorry!" Adam apologized, embarrassed over his mistake. “Did I hurt you?”

"Don't worry so much," Kate said. "Look at me and just go with the flow."

Adam lifted his gaze to Kate's face and some of his tension melted away under her familiar smile.

Gradually, he got the hang of it. The song changed but the rhythm of Kate's movements stayed the same, and eventually Adam's clumsy steps got more confident and mirrored the spring in Kate's. He learned to read her ques, changing directions when she did and twirling her around when she wanted to. Kate laughed and giggled while they danced, the smile never leaving her face, like this is what she was made to do.

Adam realized she might not have gotten the chance to dance with anyone before this, not since their escape. Kate was never meant for the dull grey world of the Entity; she was meant for this, sun and music and dancing without a care in the world. And Adam was honored to be able to give it to her.

He lost count of how many songs they danced to. Previously, he might have been embarrassed of letting Kate lead, but any worries about arbitrary gender roles had disappeared during the years where their lives were nothing but survival.

Worrying about the past was the last thing on Adam’s mind as he followed his ray of sunshine into another dance. He was sweating something fierce but he didn't care, absently popping a few buttons on his shirt and rolling up the sleeves to try to cool down. Kate seemingly didn’t tire of dancing, but Adam spotted the redness on her cheeks and the more pronounced breaths she took as they picked up the pace and the exertion started to kick in.

At some point, people started forming a ring in some sort of group dance, and Kate didn’t hesitate to guide them to join in. The choreography was easy to understand this time, Adam effortlessly keeping up as everyone danced in a ring, before partnering up and switching every so often. Even though he stumbled a few times, Adam had always prided himself on being a fast learner.

When Kate twirled herself into being his partner for the finale, Adam found himself laughing. He was having fun.

"See? I knew you'd like it!" Kate said.

“Only you could convince me to do something like this,” Adam said.

Kate laughed with him, the sound radiant and inviting. She was beautiful and so full of light, turning heads even on the makeshift dance floor. He didn’t think he’d ever quite understand what she saw in a nerd like him.

Once the song ended, Kate let out a sigh.

"Whew, I'm beat!" she said.

Adam couldn't agree more. No matter how much he enjoyed the dancing, he was starting to get winded and his shirt was now drenched in sweat.

"Let's go drink some water," Adam suggested.

They returned to their spot and, to Adam's surprise, everything seemed to be exactly the way they left it. He'd completely forgotten about his worries while they danced.

Adam got out his water bottle from his backpack, when Kate's voice interrupted him.

"Aww, no!" Kate said, clearly disappointed when she peered into her bag.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked.

"I didn't close my bottle properly," Kate said, pulling out her wet, empty water bottle. "It's leaked all over."

She showed her bag that contained some now-soaked cookie crumbs and her keys bathing in water.

"I'm so sorry," Adam said. "We should hang it to dry somewhere—"

"It's not a big deal," Kate said with a smile. "It's just gonna smell like soggy cookies for a bit. That's what I get for being a klutz."

Adam's full water bottle felt heavy in his hands.

"Here, have some of mine," he said, extending the item.

"Are you sure?" Kate asked.

"Absolutely," Adam said. "We need to stay hydrated in this weather."

"You're the sweetest," Kate said and Adam felt his face heat up from the compliment.

Kate accepted the bottle, and only took one prim, small sip before holding it out for him.

"Come on, take a proper drink," Adam encouraged. "We’ll split it in half."

Kate gave him a sheepish smile, before tipping her head back and taking big gulps of the beverage, drinking nearly half of the bottle.

"Whew, that was refreshing," Kate said with a happy sigh. "Thanks, doll."

"My pleasure," Adam said.

He followed Kate's lead and emptied the bottle with similar gusto. The water felt heavenly in his dry throat and overheated body.

Afterwards, Adam insisted on setting up Kate's bag to dry in the sun.

"It should dry in no time," Adam said. "It's really hot today. I wish I was dressed for the weather."

"But you look so snazzy," Kate smiled. "Feels like I'm with royalty."

"I don't know about that. You look incredible today. I mean—err, you always do, but..." Adam floundered. "Your dress is beautiful."

"Thank you," Kate said with a shy smile, doing a little twirl. "It's good for dancing."

"I still can't believe you got me to dance," Adam said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Admit it. You had fun back there!” Kate was positively beaming at him.

"I did," Adam admitted. "And I never would have tried it on my own. Thank you."

"Thank you for doing it for me," Kate said. “I know this ain’t your thing, and I didn’t wanna push too hard. But I knew you’d be great, and…”

Kate trailed off, and Adam followed her gaze to an ice cream booth at the foot of the hill.

"Do you want to get ice cream?" Adam asked.

"I was just about to ask!" Kate grinned.

They walked to the kiosk, only standing in a short line as most people were still busy dancing. Adam took some time to browse the list of available flavors while they waited.

"Do you know what you're getting?" Adam asked.

"Not yet—there's so many to choose from!" Kate said, almost as in awe.

Adam hummed in agreement and focused back on the list. He was a little disappointed to not find matcha flavor on the menu, as it was his favorite from his time in Japan. Most of the options looked sickly sweet, and Adam skimmed over the cookie and candy flavors until eventually settling onto pistachio.

He glanced over at Kate who was still staring at the menu. If Adam had to guess, she was choosing between some of the more strange flavors—maybe even thinking about mixing them into a daring combination.

"Okay, I'm done!" Kate said once it was their turn to order. "You go first."

"One pistachio, please," Adam said.

"And for the lady?" the vendor asked.

"Chocolate," Kate said.

Adam turned to look at Kate in surprise.

"I ain't that adventurous with food," Kate explained with a sheepish grin.

After Kate's usual spontaneity and boldness, it was incredibly endearing to find out that she was a picky eater. Adam was suddenly eager for an opportunity to introduce her to Japanese and Jamaican flavors in the future.

"You can't go wrong with the classics," Adam assured.

"Here you go," the vendor said, handing over their orders. "That’s $3 a piece."

Kate started fishing out her wallet, but Adam beat her to it.

"It's on me," Adam said, already paying for their orders. “I owe you for the snacks.”

"Well, ain't you a gentleman," Kate said with a mischievous smirk.

Rather than stay closer to the stage, they returned to their spot to enjoy their ice creams.

"How is it?" Adam asked.

"Love it!" Kate beamed. "Do you wanna try?"

Butterflies danced in Adam's gut when Kate extended the treat to him. He nodded and carefully took a bite out of the ice cream. The chocolate flavor was not as rich as he'd normally like, but the texture was creamy and it didn’t taste too sweet.

"It's really good," Adam said. "Do you want to try mine?"

Kate regarded his green ice cream skeptically.

"Sure!" she eventually decided.

Kate hesitantly tasted the ice cream with the very tip of her tongue, before her face twisted into a grimace and Adam found himself laughing.

"Not for you, huh?" he teased.

"No, sorry, it's…" Kate said. "It tastes weird. Why is it salty?"

"Different strokes, I suppose," Adam smiled, digging back into his strange-tasting dessert.

They ate in companionable silence, watching the music performance and the people dancing to it.

"Thanks for coming with me today," Kate broke the silence.

"Thank you for inviting me," Adam said. "It's not my usual type of event, so I hope I didn't make too much of a fool of myself."

"What are you talking about? If anything, you're too cool for a place like this," Kate said.

"That's definitely not true," Adam protested. "I am not ‘cool’ in the slightest."

"Yeah you are," Kate insisted with a smile. "You're always so calm and polite and know exactly what to do. It feels like I'm just a dumb country girl in the presence of a prince or something."

Adam couldn't believe his ears. All this time, he’d thought Kate was too good for him, and she’d felt the exact same way about him?

"You are anything but dumb, Kate," Adam said. "To be honest, your charisma and talent sometimes overwhelms me. I often wonder what you see in me."

Kate laughed; not a mocking one, but a laugh that told Adam he was being absurd.

"Guess we're both kinda dumb, then," Kate smiled.

Adam returned the smile, feeling immense relief. He now knew that—for some crazy reason—Kate was just as fond of him as he was of her. Neither of them broke eye contact, and for a while they merely looked into each other’s eyes while their ice creams slowly melted.

"Can I kiss you?" Adam found himself asking.

It was barely above a whisper, finally having the courage to ask the words he hadn’t been able to during all these years.

"Thought you'd never ask," Kate said just as softly.

They both leaned into the kiss, and feelings of affection for this woman bloomed in Adam's chest when their lips met. Kate's lips were chilly from the ice cream but there was an underlying warmth in them that spread through Adam's body, like he was basking in the glow of the sun.

Their lips moved slowly against each other’s, hesitant at first and then finding a shared rhythm; just like when they danced together earlier.

When they pulled away, Adam was breathless, but it wasn’t not from a lack of air; it was from everything that was Kate.

"Hmm," Kate said conversationally.

"Hmm?” Adam repeated.

"Guess I don't mind pistachio flavor when it's mixed with Adam flavor," Kate smirked.

Adam threw his head back and laughed, and Kate did too.

They finished their half-melted ice creams while listening to the last songs of the concert. They talked about anything and everything, Adam no longer feeling like he had to hold back or keep up appearances. He placed his hand on Kate's and Kate insisted on trying some more ice cream from his lips.

It was the best date of Adam's life and he couldn't wait to see what their future might bring, knowing that Kate would be right by his side.

[iremelwrites]

sal fisher and jeff woods friendship headcanons

(these take place before they became killers. inspired by my most recent post)

- they met in the beginning of middle school

- after diane’s death, henry and sal moved around the country for a while before they settled in nockfell. one of the places where they lived was new orleans (yeah this doesn’t really fit into canon (or even my own fanon, for that matter) but bear with me for the sake of the au)

- they were starting sixth grade and entering middle school, which meant that it was a new environment for them both

- that was the summer when jeff discovered the emo subculture and decided to become an honorary member

- margaret was on his ass about it and constantly nagged him that he’d never find friends looking like that

- so jeff entered the middle school premises with the goal of befriending someone cool literally just to spite his mother

- people in his morning classes were okay, but still not what he was looking for

- when the time for lunch came, jeff looked for a place to sit in the crowded cafeteria and when his eyes landed on a blue haired kid in a mask and a metallica hoodie who was sitting alone, he was like

- bingo.

- he immediately sat down across from him, saying something along the lines of “awesome hoodie. i love metallica”

- sal looked at him with wide eyes for a second because he didn’t expect to be talked to during lunch, especially in a positive context. jeff was probably the first person sal had met who didn’t start their first conversation with a remark or question about the prosthetic

- they introduced themselves and talked about classic rock for a while. over the summer, jeff took the time to learn practically everything about the bands he listened to, so when sal could actually hold his ground on that topic jeff was ecstatic

- once they discovered that they both loved playing the guitar, they were like,, yeah dude we’re best friends now

- jeff didn’t ask anything about sal’s prosthetic until sal actually told him. having his own share of insecurities, jeff didn’t pry on whether it was a fashion statement or a necessary measure. besides, he didn’t care that much, since it looked cool anyway

- the two of them shared two afternoon classes and passed each other notes during them constantly bc middle school is boring you know

- they’d start hanging outside of school pretty quickly. most of the time they’d be at sal’s since margaret was always at home and insensitive as fuck, and jeff didn’t want sal to go through that

- henry is really happy that sal made a close friend. doesn’t even mind the loud ass music constantly blaring from sal’s room whenever he and jeff hang out

- they soon learn that they reeeeeally needed a friendship like one they formed. they balance each other out perfectly. sal guides jeff through his bitterness and angst with empathetic rationality. jeff encourages sal to stand up for himself and be more confident

- speaking of which, few people bothered sal in the new orleans school because jeff was always ready to throw hands. he has a lot of unprocessed anger from margaret’s narcissistic abuse and being bullied himself. he doesn’t always respond when the violence is directed at him, but when someone fucks with his best friend?? they better count their days

- one time some asshole tried removing sal’s prosthetic in the middle of a crowded hallway and jeff went literally batshit. he won, too, and even gloated about the detention he got afterwards

- sal doesn’t exactly enjoy the fact that jeff gets in fights because of him. he prefers to solve his people problems verbally, and if they get physical, oh well, he’s used to it. sal told this to jeff on multiple occasions. jeff doesn’t care.

- not only is fighting a way to let out his suppressed anger, but jeff also has a very strong moral compass, and, in his eyes, anyone who hurts someone as nice as sal definitely deserves to get their shit rocked. the fact that sal is used to being a target kind of makes jeff sick, he tries to not think about that

- jeff believes that deserves to be hated by the people around him (that’s an idea margaret put in his head isn’t it). he hates everyone anyway, and doesn’t try to hide his misanthropy. it’s not a big deal if people hate him back. sal though???? jeff thinks that sal is everything he himself isn’t. smart, empathetic, and incredibly strong. the fact that after everything he went through, sal still sees the best in everyone, even the people who bully him, is something jeff admires him for almost to a saint-like degree

- sal and liu get along really well too! liu also admires him for his strength and kindness. kind of adopts him as his second little brother

- since sal is from rural new jersey, moving to a city as big as new orleans was exciting. he wanted to explore the city, especially the historical center. this worked well because jeff takes pride in being a native to new orleans and knows his way around the city. the two of them would often just take walks around town and check out interesting places

- they share a love for the supernatural, and since it’s new orleans, they explore abandoned houses and visit voodoo sites. one time, when margaret and peter were out of town, jeff, sal, liu and some of liu’s friends got together at the woods residence and used a ouija board to try and summon an ancient deity. it didn’t go well, things got creepy pretty fast

- they’d have sleepovers often, and the topic of their conversations would turn existential and philosophical at night. they’d talk about their past, their dysfunctional families, about their nightmares of things beyond their understanding and their uncertainty of the future. this is when they really connected. their troubles were practically identical and the conversations they had about them were the most fulfilling discussions they’d ever had. they knew they could trust each other with the deepest parts of their introverted minds and not be judged or misunderstood. both of them would talk for hours until passing out with a thought like “i��m so glad you and i met”

- platonic soulmates

[jaybear1701]

March 29, 1970

Astronauts are a rare breed, and Pam is still amazed that she, of all people, has a front row seat to the American heroes. A rather unique one at that, where she bears witness to facets usually shrouded from the rest of the country, catching glimpses of what lies beneath the carefully curated air of confidence and capability.

For all the stoicism of the likes of an Ed Baldwin, or the laid-back charm of a Gordo Stevens, there’s a thread of vulnerability that ties them together, tense and taut. It emerges as the nights wear on, and the liquor flows freely. Pam has bent her ear long enough to recognize it for what it is–an unspoken acknowledgment that, despite hours upon hours of meticulous preparation that can stretch for months or even years, the precariousness of their jobs means it could all go belly up without a moment’s notice. 

She observes this uncertainty–this fear –even in the ASCANs, every time they walk into The Outpost with one less candidate in tow. Pam makes sure to give an extra generous pour of whiskey whenever she sees the exhaustion in Tracy Stevens’ eyes or the weariness in Danielle Poole’s polite smile. Tries to make the already taciturn Ellen Waverly laugh whenever she folds ever inward into quiet solitude.

Yes, Pam knows the weakness of these titans of space. They know she knows. And though she’s an ally, and not quite a friend, her discretion makes her an honorary member of their exclusive club. But sometimes that privilege can be a bit too much. Too overwhelming to play unofficial therapist as she fixes cocktails and cracks open beer bottles for hours on end.

And so, she welcomes the breaks, and doesn’t hesitate to accept when her boss tells her to clock out early on a slow Sunday afternoon. It’s Easter after all, and even the astronauts know better than to spend it away from their families.

Pam’s halfway out the door, already in her own little world, when she nearly bumps into someone while crossing the threshold.

“Pam, hi.” Ellen, startled, takes a step back as Pam exits and lets the door swing shut behind her.

“Hey,” Pam greets, stomach fluttering in pleasant surprise.

In jeans and a white blouse, Ellen’s the most casual Pam’s ever seen her. She takes in Pam’s denim jacket and the purse slung over her shoulder. “You, uh, heading out?”

“Yeah.” Pam nods. “Got a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card for the rest of the day.”

“Oh.” 

Pam’s not sure if the flash of disappointment in Ellen’s brown eyes is a figment of her imagination. “Didn’t expect to see you here on a holiday.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.” Ellen shrugs sheepishly. “Took a walk and just ended up here, I guess.” 

Pam gives an exaggerated grimace. “I don’t know whether that’s sweet or sad.”

Ellen laughs. “Definitely the latter, for sure.”

Of all the ASCANs, Ellen’s the one Pam knows the least about. Not that she hasn’t been curious to know more about the introverted trainee. She knows better than to push, preferring to let people open up at their own pace. But when an opening presents itself…

“Won’t your family wonder where you are?” Pam ventures.

“Ah, family’s back in Connecticut.” Ellen slips her hands in her back pockets. “So…” 

She’s alone , Pam realizes with a swell of sympathy, and before she can think better of it, she blurts out, “You should come with me.”

Ellen’s eyebrows shoot up. “W-where?”

“Anywhere’s gotta be better than here.” Pam doesn’t know what she’s doing or why she’s doing it. But it just feels right . “I mean, unless you want to spend the rest of your holiday in this shithole. No judgment.”

To Pam’s relief, the corners of Ellen’s lips curl up. “Lead the way.”

It’s a beautiful spring day in Houston, still pleasantly cool as the days creep toward the heat of summer. Pam brings Ellen to her favorite park, where budding trees line the banks of a small pond in bright pastels of pink and green and white. The sun glints off the rippling water and, judging by the way Ellen’s eyes light up, Pam knows she made the right decision.

“So, how’s training going?” Pam asks as they walk side-by-side along a paved path that winds around the pond, taking their time.

“It’s…” Ellen squints into the distance before glancing sidelong at Pam. “Don’t you get tired of us unloading on you?”

The question catches Pam off-guard, and she doesn’t answer right away. “No one’s, um, ever asked me that.”

“Probably because a lot of us are narcissistic assholes,” Ellen says the expletive so matter-of-factly that Pam can’t help but laugh. “It’s true! You know it.”

“Not all of you.” Pam nudges Ellen’s shoulder with her own. “Listening’s part of the job.”

“Doesn’t mean you don’t get tired of it,” Ellen points out, prompting a noncommittal hum from Pam. “I could go on and on about how it’s tough and stressful, but I’m guessing you’ve heard it all before. I’d rather know more about you.”

“I’m really not that interesting,” Pam deflects even as warmth prickles up the back of her neck.

“Try me.” Ellen looks at her with such open, genuine interest that Pam caves. She’s not quite sure what it is about Ellen that makes her want to open up, but she does and she goes with the flow.

She leads them to a row of empty benches situated beneath pergolas covered in plants that twist up and around wooden posts to create a tangled rooftop of sweet-scented blooms. 

“Let’s see.” Pam takes a seat and angles herself toward Ellen, who mirrors her. Their knees are almost close enough to touch. “Grew up in a small town outside of Austin. Got my bachelor’s in English from UT, to my parents’ deep and never-ending chagrin.”

“Which part didn’t they like, if you don’t mind me asking?” Ellen tilts her head to the side, curiosity etched across her pretty features.

“Take your pick. It was bad enough their only daughter wanted to go to college–because a woman’s place is always in the home, of course,” Pam rolls her eyes, “But she also had to go and pick a quote-unquote ‘useless’ degree.”

“It’s not useless,” Ellen says sincerely, once again surprising Pam. 

“Thanks, but I know it’s not exactly practical. I mean, not like an engineering degree or anything.”

“Engineering’s overrated.” 

Pam wrinkles her nose, incredulous. “Says the woman who’ll be up in space mapping out the universe in a few years.” 

“I’m serious,” Ellen insists. “Outer space is exciting, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes I think people get too caught up in the external, when there’s still so much left unexplored within humanity’s…” Her hands grasp at the air as if the right words hang invisibly around them. “I don’t know… innerspace? And the arts navigate it.”

Lips parted, Pam is left speechless and, if she’s honest, a bit flattered.

“God, that’s cheesy, isn’t it?” Ellen winces.

“No, that’s…” Without thinking, Pam reaches out and brushes her fingers against Ellen’s knee. “That’s really sweet. Thank you.”

Gaze drifting down toward the brief touch, Ellen clears her throat and looks out toward the water, seemingly fascinated by a family of ducks floating along the surface. “You’re welcome.” A light shade of pink dusts her cheeks. “And so you ended up in Houston because?”

“Isn’t it every little girl’s dream to sling drinks in a NASA watering hole?”

Ellen chuckles. “Definitely was mine. Except I wanted to do it on the moon.”

Pam shakes her head, amused, very much enjoying this playful side of the normally staid astronaut candidate. Truthfully, Pam’s not even sure herself anymore why she’s remained in Houston. What had seemed like a good idea after college has slowly faded in the wake of her ongoing indecision about what exactly she wanted in life. 

“I figured Houston’s not too far from home,” she finally says. “But far enough away that I can figure out my shit without my parents’ constant disappointment.”

Ellen ducks her head, dark hair partly obscuring the wistful expression on her face. “I get that.”

Pam stifles a sudden and unexpected urge to smooth Ellen’s hair back behind her ear. She leans back and crosses her arms, to prevent herself from doing something monumentally stupid. “Are you saying your parents aren’t thrilled their daughter could be the first American woman in space?”

“Yes,” Ellen answers candidly. “And no. My parents are definitely proud. Supportive, even. But I also know they wouldn’t complain if I just settled down, got married, and helped with the family business.” Her voice is soft in its resignation, and Pam can’t help but empathize. 

“Expectations are a bitch, aren’t they?”

Ellen laughs, the sound musical, and Pam’s heart throbs without warning. “Yes,” she turns her head to capture Pam’s gaze. “Yes, they are.”

Ellen’s always been pretty–Pam’s not blind. But in the sunlight filtering through the canopy above them, she’s particularly radiant, and Pam quickly forces herself to tamp down on the warmth spreading through her chest. This isn’t the right time or place, and most definitely isn’t the right person, for those sort of feelings. 

“I, um, I’m glad I bumped into you today,” Pam says to fill the silence stretching slowly between them, self-consciously brushing her bangs to the side.

“Me too.” Ellen looks out over the water once again, wistful. “I had no idea this was even here.”  

“It’s not like you all have a lot of time to sightsee,” Pam points out. “But if you ever need a tour guide, you know where to find me.”

“Not sure about a tour guide,” Ellen glances at her, almost shyly, out of the corner of her eye, “but I wouldn’t say no to a friend.” 

Pam pretends to mull it over. “Yeah, I guess I could put up with you. Until you move to space, that is.”

“Oh, well, thanks for doing me that favor.”

“Don’t mention it, but don’t think this means you’ll get free drinks or anything.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Ellen says with a gentle smile. 

Pam returns it, trying but failing to ignore just how light her heart feels. 

[arbysfightcam]

Update to the tag!

Anyone can do this if they want!

I’ve tagged this so here’s the stuff if you don’t want to read it all;

1. What color is your hair? Is it long or short? 2. Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert? 3. Whats your favorite color? 4. Whats your eye color? 5. Favorite food? 6. Who is your closest friend? 7. If you have one, love interest? If not, name another friend you have! 8. Any pets? 9. If you're in a reality with superpowers, what's your power(s)? 10. What is your theme song, or just a song that reminds you of yourself? 11. Did you keep your CR name, or use a different one? 12. "Strangest" place you've wanted to shift to? 13. Favorite subliminal you've used? 14. Do you use guided meditations? 15. When was the last time you decided to shift? 16. Do you know anyone personally who knows about and/or supports shifting? 17. Why are you shifting? If you feel comfortable sharing, that is. 18. Would you ever try group shifting? 19. If you have yet to shift, what are you most looking forwards to? 20. If you have shifted already, what's been the best part?

1. What color is your hair? Is it long or short?

Originally it was long blue hair because I know I look good with long hair (like mid back long) but recently I’ve decided to cut my hair like Ranboo’s but longer! So it’s Ranboo’s hair style but longer and blue!

2. Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?

Introverted extrovert! Guess you could say ambivert but I am more introverted around new people and then extroverted around friends!

3. Whats your favorite color?

Royal Blue or Lilac.

4. Whats your eye color?

I say Hazel because there is green on the outer part but it’s very brownish. So Hazel-brown.

5. Favorite food?

Goulash! It’s my all time comfort food and also happens to be my favorite. Really easy to make too.

6. Who is your closest friend?

My shifter friend Lee! Her name isn’t obviously Lee but that’s what I will refer to her as now.

7. If you have one, love interest? If not, name another friend you have!

Genshin: Harem because I can’t choose

Bungou Stray Dogs: Chuuya Nakahara and Osamu Dazai

Streamer: No one! My closest friends are Karl, Wilbur, Quackity, and Charlie

8. Any pets?

I post about this orange haired bitch all the time his name is Jack. A fluffy orange haired cat I’ve had since the summer of 2017

9. If you're in a reality with superpowers, what's your power(s)?

Genshin: Cryo Claymore

Bungou Stray Dogs: uh. Think Resident Evil 7 except less murdery

10. What is your theme song, or just a song that reminds you of yourself?

Paris Decapitates Homophobes - RevengeOfParis

11. Did you keep your CR name, or use a different one?

CR name! My name Kamski comes from Elijah Kamski from Detroit: Become Human so I liked the name I gave myself here!

12. "Strangest" place you've wanted to shift to?

Hm. Nothing comes to mind really.

13. Favorite subliminal you've used?

I dont listen to subliminals, if I do it’s very rare and I end up not liking them.

14. Do you use guided meditations?

Guided meditations work so well for me even if I haven’t shifted to my dr yet. I use this one mainly! The quote in this one that reassures the fact that no one needs you at the moment and that you are free to rest as really helped me too. I swear it makes sense once you watch it.

15. When was the last time you decided to shift?

With college it’s on and off. At least every other day. I’m starting to get back into the groove of things of actively trying.

16. Do you know anyone personally who knows about and/or supports shifting?

My friend Lee! I don’t know how the conversation started but we started talking about it one day and boom! Thats outside of the group chat I’m in that supports shifting.

17. Why are you shifting? If you feel comfortable sharing, that is.

I originally started shifting because of my religion. I’m an omnist pagan who believes that everything is real until it’s not. So this went well with the astral projection I had been trying to achieve as well. I guess I’m also like others that say it’ll be cool to shift to another universe that has all my comfort people in it.

18. Would you ever try group shifting?

Yes yes yes! My friend Lee and I started to plan that out but then plans fell short. Im I’m a group chat where we have two shared DR’s; coffeehouse and mineshift!

19. If you have yet to shift, what are you most looking forwards to?

The part of actually being there. Feeling how real it is and the breath of fresh air once I shift.

20. If you have shifted already, what's been the best part?

N/A

[self-proclaimed-chaotic-good]

Crush | Brad Davis x Filipina!Reader (Oneshot)

Prompt: Summer Vacation

Fandom: Spider-man (MCU)

Words: 2285

A/N: Look, I just like Remy Hii, alright? Anyways, I’ve had a draft of this for a while now, but I didn’t have the motivation until now to finish it. Reader is Ned’s younger sister, but was not affected by the snap/blip, so they’re in the same grade now.

-

Everything was different when the Blip happened, the event that caused half of the planet’s population, including your older brother, to disappear. Everyone that survived were forced to keep going without them, not knowing whether or not they’d ever come back. You entered Midtown without your brother to guide you in high school life, having birthdays without some of your friends and your brother to embarrass you in karaoke. Then suddenly, during a pep rally, everyone came back.

To accommodate those that had disappeared during the Blip, school had to start again, which meant that you were now in the same grade as your brother. He was surprised to see how much you’ve matured and became even more protective as before when he saw one or two classmates so much as look at you a certain way.

On the way to the airport, Ned was nagging at you to stick to his side and triple check that you had packed everything. You rolled your eyes and knew that while you had missed him during the five year Blip, you also knew that it was a matter of time before you would get tired of it again.

“Ay sus, kuya,” you groaned as Ned shifted his rant to your classmates that had survived the Blip with you and were suddenly an upperclassman like him.

As the two of you neared the group at the airport, you spotted Peter and gave him a pleading look to stop your brother. He looked a bit distracted but gave you a sympathetic smile. You slipped away from your brother as he turned to Peter, talking with the teachers before going through the usual international travelling process.

After going through the TSA, you met up with your classmates and discussed the locations that the class will be going to. You excitedly added that you managed to save enough money to get a film camera.

“What kind?” you heard a voice that made your heart skip.

You look up to see Brad Davis smiling at you. Your cheeks heat up. “What?”

“What kind of film camera?” Brad repeated.

“Oh, um, Olympus. OM-ten.”

He nodded in approval. “I love those. Very easy to use. Can I see?”

You blinked. You looked over at the teachers, then at the clock. There was still some time until the group had to head to the terminal. “Oh, yeah, sure. Lemme just…” You shifted your backpack around so you could pull your camera out.

His smile widened as he reached out for it. “In good condition, too,” he said, flipping it around to pop the lens cover off.

Your hand twitched as the cover hung from the string that was tied to the camera, swinging as Brad looked through the viewfinder and adjusting the focus. Just because you have had a crush on him since middle school, doesn’t mean he’s safe from your wrath if he breaks it. You didn’t even tell your parents that you bought it, as they would have told you to buy the cheaper digital cameras or borrow Ned’s camera.

Just as you reached out to grab the camera back, Brad turned around, winding the film and shot a picture of Michelle as she walked by. She paused and frowned.

“Did you just take a picture of me?” she asked.

“Well, yeah-”

“Ask for my permission next time. Don’t be one of those male photographers that take pictures of people through a hidden camera and make profit out of them. That’s all kinds of bad,” she said, grabbing the camera from him and handing it back to you. “What was that podcast you were talking about again?”

“Serial Killers by the Parcast Network?” you said.

She smiled. “Yeah, I think I’m gonna listen to that for the rest of the flight.”

“Sorry about that!” Brad called after her, before turning to you. “You listen to podcasts about serial killers?”

You shrugged, forcing yourself to walk away and find your brother. Of course, he liked Michelle. You almost forgot about that.

-

“Doesn’t it, you know, upset you seeing them like that?” Peter asked as you sat next to him in the plane.

He jerked his head towards the other aisle where Michelle and Brad were sitting together watching a movie. There was a twinge of jealousy and as soon as you found out they were sitting together, you hoped that she would just immerse herself in the Serial Killers podcast instead of interacting with him. You couldn’t be mad at her, though. Michelle was cool and she had always been friendly with you. You also knew that Peter had a crush on her, too.

“Why would it upset me?” you asked, feigning indifference.

Peter gave you a knowing look. “Because I see how you look at him-”

“Yeah, the same way you look at Michelle, right?” you countered.

“She’s got you there,” Ned piped up.

He groaned, hitting the back of his head on his seat. “I just… I had plans and now it might not even work out. When the hell did Brad Davis become like… like that.”

You shook your head. “You guys were gone for five years, Pete. A lot can change in five years.”

 “And you still liked him all this time. Why?”

You looked down at your lap where you had kept one of the snacks handed out by the flight attendant. You picked up and started to play with it. Why did you still like Brad Davis? You always thought he was cute, but there were a lot of classmates that you thought were cute. That doesn’t mean you had a crush on all of them. He was smart and funny and he had the same interests as you. That's still not enough of a reason. You had many friends that fit those characteristics.

Then you remembered how he would always be paired with you in labs, how happy he would be because, according to him, being paired together would guarantee an easy A. Whenever you were studying alone at the library, he would pass by and drop a spam musubi that he always bought off of one of your classmates next to your textbook. Sometimes, he would join you at the table and study in silence together. He knew you were an introvert and he always made sure that you felt included while also making sure you were comfortable. It may sound so simple, but in a society where people tailor to extroverts and push introverts to become extroverts, it meant a lot to you.

“It’s not a big deal,” you said with a shrug, “I’m sure I’ll get over it during the trip. Not like we’ll be hanging around together anyways.”

Ned snorted. You smacked his arm hard, making him whine. Peter sighed, glancing back at Brad and Michelle, an idea forming in his mind.

“Ned, make it so I have to switch seats with Brad,” Peter said to your brother.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“What about our plan? American bachelors in Europe.” You raised an eyebrow at this and snorted. Ned smacked your arm.

“That's your plan! That's a solo plan. Come on, this is my plan.”

Peter pleaded desperately to him. Ned rolled his eyes and sighed, coming up with a story that Peter was having a perfume allergy so he could move seats. You looked between them, his plan clicking in your mind. You narrowed your eyes at Peter.

“It’s not going to work,” you said.

“It will!” Peter said, looking back at Ned who gave him a hopeless look. Peter’s face fell.

-

After the long flight and the journey to the cheap dingy hotel, you joined your brother and Peter in their room. You sat cross legged on Ned’s bed while eating your airplane snacks, eyes following Peter as he paced back and forth.

“Dude, just talk to her,” Ned said.

“Tell that to (Y/n) with Brad!” Peter said, waving a hand at you.

“Whoa, stop bringing me into this,” you said, throwing a cashew at him, hitting him on his forehead. You winced. “Tita May told me your Peter tingle wasn’t working.”

“Stop calling it Peter tingle, it’s not… anyways, I’ve got a plan,” he said, standing in front of you and Ned. “I like Michelle. You like Brad. Brad likes Michelle, and Michelle… might like Brad. What I propose is to work in separating them.”

You raised your hand. “Right, but that would require me taking the initiative and confronting him,” you said, “This is me we’re talking about.”

Ned also raised his hand. “That would also require me to approve of Brad Davis being in proximity of (Y/n).”

“You’re spending the day with Betty, so why would it matter to you?”

“Well, I’m a man now, ading, and I can’t always be there to protect you.”

You rolled your eyes at his ridiculousness. “I was fine for five years without you, remember?”

Ned sighed, shaking his head at you. He looked at Peter. “They grow up so fast.”

Peter growled in frustration. “Enough! We’re leaving for Saint Marco Polo’s Square soon. Just… (Y/n), please.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll see what I can do. Remember, this is me we’re talking about. Don’t expect much.”

-

You went around Saint Marco Polo’s Square with Michelle while Peter had gone to buy the Black Dahlia necklace for her. Brad had been trailing behind the two of you while you snapped pictures of Michelle every time she posed. She went to get food for the pigeons so she could take a picture with them. You checked the exposure on your camera finding the right focus to use. When you looked up, Brad was staring at you.

“What?” you asked, trying to look busy with your camera to avoid looking at him.

“I can take pictures of you, if you want,” he offered.

You hurriedly shook your head. “No. No, no. I’m… I prefer to be behind the camera. I’m not the type to be in front of it. I’m not suited for it.”

He frowned, opening his mouth to question your choice of words. Michelle bounded over with the bird feed and waited until they perched on her outstretched arms. You turned away from Brad to take her picture, shooting it as soon as she smiled widely.

“Okay, that’s enough picture taking for me today. Now, boh!” Michelle said, giving you a grateful pat on the head before heading off on her own.

Which meant that you were now alone with Brad. Until, of course, he decides to follow her. You cleared your throat, looking around the wide square for something to do. You couldn’t help but notice that Brad hadn’t left his spot since Michelle left. Slowly, you turned your head towards him just as he raised his own camera up.

“Can I take a picture of you, at least? Just one?” Brad asked, giving you a small smile.

Damn it. Your heart skipped a beat at how soft he looked. You lowered your camera, drawing out your answer as you looked at what the other students were doing. Some were vlogging, or taking pictures, or, like your brother, were getting their face drawn into a caricature or riding in a boat. You finally had alone time with him without any effort on your part and you honestly never thought you’d make it this far in the plan.

“What… what do I have to do?” you asked nervously, your cheeks heating up.

“You can just be casual, nothing too fancy. We can go get some ice cream and walk around, if that makes you comfortable.”

You nodded. “Okay.”

The two of you walked towards the shops, looking for an ice cream parlor, talking about cameras and the history of Venice. You didn’t know why you were always nervous at every beginning of your conversation with him, but you knew that over time, you were a lot more relaxed.

You were scooping the sides of your ice cream so it wouldn’t drip out of the cup when you heard a shutter. Your eyes widened as you looked over at Brad who was smiling with a camera in hand.

“Don’t worry, you look great,” he said, showing you your picture.

Your head was tilted, the corner of your lips turned up as you scooped your ice cream. You looked happy and content. It was honestly one of the few pictures of yourself that you were fine with.

“It’s… not bad,” you relented.

“You can take all the pictures you want of me, if you want,” he said, striking a heroic pose next to one of the bridges.

You laughed, quickly adjusting the exposure and focus of your camera with one hand before winding the film. He flashed a smile as you looked through the viewfinder. You were about to take the picture, when you saw the water churning behind him. You quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the canal as the water came crashing down.

Your brother, Betty, and Michelle, ran over. “Run!” Ned shouted, grabbing you and pushing you in front of him to start moving. Once you joined the other students and the teachers at a safe distance from the canal, all of you took a moment to catch your breath.

“Well, that was an exciting first date,” Brad joked.

You huffed out a laugh, not missing the dangerous look that Ned shot at him. At the sound of a loud crashing, you all looked up to see the water creature smashing a bell tower, a figure swinging around to save it while a costumed man shot green energy beams at the creature.

You sighed. So much for a relaxing vacation.

[flora3fauna]

Mark:

RATED R

Mark is my boyfriend Ishma’s  best friend and his longest friend too. They met in elementary school when Mark’s mom died of a heart attack in second grade. Ishma's had been there for him, supporting him and guiding him through his lost, and ever since they have form a brotherhood, watching each others back and never betraying each other. Mark, Ishma's and there group of friends go by life and there friendship by the saying of NFL which stands for “never leave family”. If you haven't gotten the idea yet, these groups of boys move like they are in a fraternity or something, I mean the bond that they have is a few of the true genuine friendship bonds I’ve seen from Generation Z. Men are like dogs truly, not necessarily because of their savage and sexist behavior sometimes , but for the simple allegiance they hold with each other, after all they call each other “brothers”. Although it may have seen that there couldn't possibly be something that could break the friendship Ishma and Mark had been flourishing for more than a decade, the simple seduction and desires of a single woman  devastated their entire bond. 

Me and Ishma hadn't been together for  the majority of the summer because he was in California quarantining with his family and I has here in the city. We had a streak of breaking up for weeks and weeks and getting back together for a shorter amount of time. This was very exhausting to me and it felt like I was marching at the drum of Ishma’s music. Ishma was very cruel to me during quarantine, he cheated on me, he lied to me, he would ghost me, I mean really what didn't Ishma do to me. All because of an incident in school. me and Mark have never had much communication other than topics about Ishma and maybe school if we were partners in a project or something. Mark has always been so fascinating to me maybe because of how much I related to him, we had the same birth month, the same astrology sign, we were both pretty funny people and we were both connected to Ishma. But there was something more to Mark, things I didn't know but was dying to like for example his favorite ice cream flavor You can learn so much from a person but just knowing their favorite Ice cream flavor, for example people who like fruity flavors such as strawberry or coconut tend to live through life observing and overanalyzing compare to those who simply prefer vanilla or chocolate like Ishma. Okay maybe the ice cream theory is a stretch, but I believed this was the type of guy mark was. Sometimes when me and Ishma would talk on the phone he would bring up memories or adventures he and Mark lived together and this moments were the single moments were I had the opportunity to know Mark. From Ishma’s stories, Mark was the fucking boss, girls loved and chased him , guys always wanted to be cool with him, and most importantly Mark was a down ass dude not in the sense of being reckless and doing stupid shit, more in the sense that if you need him to do something or he is wants to do something and he is able to, he will do it period. 

Mark was also the only friend from the group that had a car or could drive so he was something like the emergency chauffer. Also the car wasn't really his its his dad’s car which is still a plus compared to most guys in the city. He had a younger sister named Alissa who was just 1 year younger than us. Alissa was an introvert and didn't really like to be around a lot of people. She was one of those people that only spoke to you if they trusted you. Even though she was very reserved with me at first, both of us shared similar friends so we bonded over that. Soon me and her got cool enough to something like friends, and through her I got some more bits and pieces of who Mark was. I called this extra details “The Mark Treats” because Alissa’s sibling-version of Mark was very different from Ishma’s friend-version of Mark. Ishma would gloat and praise about him in such ways that even I could tell Mark wasn't really like that, but Alissa would tell it how it is straight up.

“bro, that man don’t even know how to put the seat up when his using the bathroom” she whispered to me 

We both laughed and that's when I suddenly realize that I was getting information about who someone is from two people that know two separate versions of the same person, but if I wanted to see mark for who he really was, I needed to be alone with him , get him comfortable and vulnerable enough where he can open up to me too. I don't know why I am so intrigued by Mark, and I don't understand this emotions I feel towards him but all I am sure about is that I wanted to know more , the more I knew the closer I got . But the question was how was I going to get more information about someone who is so close to someone I should be more interested in.

~Angel~

[therainroguefanfiction]

♆ Yandere (America/Alfred Jones) Lonely

@karenusia​

📑 Table of Contents

Genre: Angst, Slice of Life ☁

Word Count: 2,079 ☁

Pairing: Reader x Alfred ☁

World: Axis Powers Hetalia ☁

Prompt: #20: “Don’t say you’re lonely, you have me!” ☁

Author’s Note: This was requested for the Yandere Set! If you’d like to request your own, please see my post [here] to check and see which are available~ At this point, I don’t even know if I’m writing Yandere or crazy lol

━━━━━━༻♆༺━━━━━━

You were never really the popular kid, finding yourself with only a few good friends throughout your childhood. Quality over quantity, right? But as you got older, you didn’t really change your introverted ways, leaving you with the same few friends from school. This didn’t really bother you until they started to move on with their lives. Friend one moved to the big city to chase her dream of becoming a star, cutting off all of her friends in the process. Friend two ended having twins, so he was unable to go out as he had to stay home with his family. Friend three was still around, but quickly tiring of your introverted nature.

Kiyoko huffed in annoyance when you tuned her out to collect the daily bonus for some mobile game you wasted far too much time on. “Y/N, are you even listening to me?”

You offered her a sheepish smile, putting away your phone. “Sorry, what were you saying?”

She shifted her weight to lean forward on the kitchen island you sat at. “I want to try out that new club. You know, the one that opened up last week. What was it called again? Hetya? Hellium?”

Your eyes widened a fraction as she turned her brown eyes to you. Did she really expect you to know the name? You had no interest in partying or doing anything really that involved large groups of people.

Her eyes narrowed in concentration before lighting up as she snapped her fingers. “Hetalia! That’s it. It’s supposed to be the best hot spot right now.”

You nodded half-heartedly, not at all interested in the subject matter at hand, but when several moments of silence passed by, you glanced up to find her looking at you expectantly and you knew what she wanted. That didn’t mean you were going to give it to her, though. “You should go check it out. You deserve to have some fun.”

“I know you’re not that dense, Y/N.”

You weren’t, but you kind of wished she thought so. “I don’t like clubs…”

“Oh, come on.” She groaned. “Won’t you do it for me? A young girl can’t go out alone these days, it’s too dangerous! I need you there to watch my back.”

The thought that you could offer any semblance of protection was preposterous. In your lifetime, you had been in only one fight and that was staged for a play the teacher forced you into participating in. Kiyoko, on the other hand, was constantly fighting off a number of potential suitors, unafraid to get in their face and tell them off. Meanwhile, you hated confrontation and the attention it drew.

Still… she was your best friend and you knew she was quickly losing her patience with you since you always reject her plans every single time she makes them. The only reason she was currently standing in your kitchen was because you had messaged her complaining about feeling lonely. In your defense, you didn’t expect her to drop what she was going and come over, offering to spend time with you. Still, you always rejected her ideas and she had to do what you wanted each time, which usually consisted of staying home and binge-watching a show or a set of movies.

“Alright,”

“You’re such a buzzkill, Y/N. It won’t hurt you to -” she suddenly froze as your response registered in her brain, eyes growing wide as she slapped her hands on the counter. “Wait, what?”

“I’ll go,” you responded quickly before you had time to reconsider.

She squealed happily, throwing her arms around your neck. “This is gonna be so fun!”

You highly doubted that, but you returned the hug anyway.

━━━━━━༻♆༺━━━━━━

The club was packed with people, making it impossible to walk without bumping into someone on both sides. Despite being the height of summer, the club clearly did not believe in air conditioning, so it was ungodly hot inside with the colorful lights beaming down on sweaty bodies as they bumped and grinded on each other. Kiyoko had run into a group of old co-workers and they started catching up, but you felt like you were hearing something you shouldn’t so you left them alone. You needed some serious air, but just as you were getting close to the door, your way was blocked.

A woman with wavy blonde hair smirked at you, eyes the shade of rubies scanning your body up and down despite your obvious unease. “Hey, hun. You’re quite gorgeous, ain’t ya~”

The man at her side licked his chapped lips, hand running through his black, greasy hair. His eyes, black as night, were staring at you with a predatory glint. “You’re the perfect third for us, ain’t they doll?”

“Oh, yes~” Her hand shot forward like a snake, fake nails digging into the skin of your wrist. “Why don’t you join us for some fun?”

“N-No thank you,” you mumbled, trying to pull yourself free but her grasp only tightened. “Please let me go,”

“Che, don’t be such a buzzkill. It’ll be fun, don’t worry.” The man made a move to grab your other wrist but suddenly stopped, hand hovering in mid-air as his eyes focused on something behind you.

Your breath hitched when a strong hand landed on your hip, a body pressing against your back. Warm breath fanned across your neck as a cheerful voice invaded your ears. “Hey, darlin’. Is everything alright?”

The man narrowed his eyes, puffing his chest out to appear intimidating. “Who the hell are you?”

The blonde tilted his head to the side and, even though he was smiling brightly, the malice within his voice was unmistakable. “Alfred, and you’re messing with my partner.” His hand gripped the woman’s wrist, squeezing tight enough to make her yelp and release you. “You’d well to remember to keep your hands to yourself.”

“You threatenin’ us, pal?!”

“Let’s just go, hun, they’re not worth it.” The woman gulped, eyes flickering to the blonde. She didn’t know why, but looking at him filled her with dread and she did not want to interact with him a moment longer. Without another word, she grabbed her boyfriend’s arm and forced him away from you.

Alfred took a step back, allowing you some room to finally breathe. You turned around so you could see the face of your savior, meeting ocean blue eyes shimmering behind half-rectangle glasses. He smiled and it seemed to light up the dark room. “Are you okay?”

Your cheeks lit up and you hoped he couldn’t see it through the low lighting. ‘He’s so attractive, holy crap…’

He tilted his head curiously, a strand of blonde hair falling across his eyes as he brought his hand up to rest against your cheek. “Ah, you’re burning up! Here, come with me!” His hand slid into yours and he began to tug you through the crowd.

You glanced over your shoulder, seeing the exit get farther and farther away. Where was he taking you? And why didn’t you seem at all concerned by the stranger practically dragging you to the other side of the room?

Alfred led you to the right of the DJ booth, through a thick wooden door. As soon as it was closed behind you, the music died, allowing silence to settle. The sudden loss of booming music and screaming people made your ears ring, but you felt a bit calmer.

‘These walls must be soundproof,’ you thought. “Um, I don’t think we’re allowed back here…”

He sent you a grin as he pulled you into the first door on the right – a small, private lounge with a sofa, a coffee table, and a mini-fridge. A blast of cold air hit your body when you stepped through the door and you sighed in content, not noticing that the door clicked as it was locked.

“Don’t worry, my best friend owns the place.” Alfred guided you over to the grey sofa, cold leather seeping through your clothes and helping to cool you off. “You can relax here until your friend is ready to leave.”

“Thank you,” you mumbled, playing with your hands nervously. It was rare to find someone so kind and thoughtful, and you weren’t really sure how to react to him. Not to mention how attractive he was. It was seriously throwing you off, making you miss all of the red flags he was presenting to you.

“Sorry, what was that?”

You cleared your throat, raising your voice so he could better understand you. “Thank you… for helping me.”

“Of course!” He grinned, pointing at himself proudly with his thumb. “I’m the hero, after all!”

You blinked at the declaration before laughing, covering your mouth to try and stifle the sound. His grin dropped a bit and your laughter died abruptly. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just… people don’t usually go around claiming to be heroes.”

He hummed. “Guess I’m not like most people~”

You could agree with that. He seemed like a whole new breed of man to you, unlike anyone you had ever met before. There was something… familiar about him, but you just couldn’t put your finger on why. You smiled gratefully, “Well, thank you for being my hero.”

Alfred’s eyes suddenly darkened, but you didn’t notice because you were too busy staring at the ground. He took a shaky breath to try and control himself, “Can you repeat that please?”

Your cheeks darkened again as you thought about repeating something so embarrassing. You hadn’t even meant to say it in the first place, it just slipped out! “I-It was nothing,”

He advanced on you like a cheetah pouncing on its prey, his body forcing yours down across the sofa. His lips met your ear, voice husky as he growled out an order. “Repeat yourself, Y/N.”

You swallowed hard, pressing your hand into his shoulder to try and get him off you, but he didn’t budge, his body acting as a barrier ontop of you. Fear gripped you tightly, the sound of your speeding heart echoing in your ears. Your voice was shaky, barely above a whisper. “H-How do you know my name?”

He chuckled, bringing his hand up to grip your chin as his lips left butterfly kisses on the skin of your neck. “I’ve been watching you for so long, waiting for the right time to you mine. I couldn’t believe it when you stepped through the door tonight.” He pulled back to stare down into your eyes. “I knew it was the sign I had been waiting for. The universe delivered you right into my arms.”

You could only stare up into his crazed eyes with pure fear chilling your veins. Now you remembered why he seemed so familiar – he was the creep that had been following you around the store a few months back! “W-What do you want from me? Why are you doing this?”

“Why?” Alfred frowned, his eyes softening as his hand shifted to rest against your cheek. “Because I love you, of course. We’re destined to be with one another and I’ll destroy anything that tries to take you from me. I’m the hero and you’re my sidekick!”

“You’re crazy!” You cried, struggling against his hold, but his body was like iron and didn’t budge. “Let go of me, you freak!”

The words hurt him deeply and he dropped his weight onto you, his lips at your ear again. “I tapped your phone, you know? Do you know how badly it hurt to see you texting that girl, claiming to be lonely? How could you say such a thing, Y/N? Why are you trying to hurt me?”

“Please,” you begged him, tears stinging your eyes. “Just let me go. I promise I… I won’t tell anyone!”

His chest rumbled as he hummed, nuzzling the side of your neck with his face. He didn’t seem to even hear what you were saying. “Don’t say you’re lonely, you have me! We’ll be together forever and day. I love you so much, Y/N.”

You choked back a sob, tears sliding down your cold cheeks. You couldn’t even scream because of the soundproof walls. You couldn’t run because of his body pinning you down. What were you supposed to do? How were you supposed to get out of this?

“Don’t cry, love.” Alfred carefully kissed your tears and smiled down at you lovingly. “You’re mine and I won’t ever let you go.”

━━━━━━༻♆༺━━━━━━

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[ellaintrigue]

I appear toxic for craving simple boundaries...

Summer of 2018 I got sick of being stuck at home while fighting heart trouble so I made the decision to go to the bay on a weekend, which I never do. After working in Ocean City for years I totally hate crowds, on top of already being an introvert. With no one to watch my bag, I kept an eye on it while it sat on the dock as I floated around. I'm sure it would float at first if it fell into the water but God forbid a kid or dog try to grab it! I have had that happen before and honestly prefer to go swimming with a friend.

But, it wasn't too bad there that day, there were about 4 families crabbing off the dock with 5 kids in the water away from me. There were little boys and a little girl about 8 years old. Then she started screaming her head off. She had tried the slide for the first time but stopped herself at the base with only her legs dangling in the bay. She was screaming in terror and her leg was bleeding from hitting barnacles at the pier supporting the ancient slide.

Well, that was no good. Her parents were drinking beer and yelling for her to stop causing a ruckus so I made eye contact with her mother and smiled, gaining an unspoken trust to approach the girl. "What's wrong, baby?" I asked. The tearful child said she had never been in the deep part of the bay before so she was scared. I stood up and told her it wasn't that deep, look at me! She stopped crying but remained stuck on the slide. So I asked her, "would you like me to carry you back to the dock so you won't be scared?" She nodded and I guided her to the steps and helped her up, warning her to watch her footing on the algae.

Ella the child hater! That is what people call me because I am pro-choice and never wanted kids. But it's just a negative stigma of women. I don't hate anyone and have nothing to prove. It just took me two years to write this small story, lol. We are just humans trying to get by, I don't need to use anyone.

Sites like FaceBook use other pages you browse to get data for their ads, and while you can shut it off, this particular bias cannot be ignored.

I see vodka ads, okay, I drink. Home Depot ads: huh?? Candles, cool. Pretty retro dresses, omg I want that one! But the most prominent ones? Diapers, breast pumps, child care tips, and information on childbirth. None of my searches, posts, or browsing have anything to do with babies or children. When I click "why this ad?" it says it's for people in my age range/demographic.

Somehow I doubt males get diapers ads on FB but correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm wrong it would be a comfort because to me, because I find it to be just more stereotyping and oppression of females. In my 11 years in retail I had so many female coworkers randomly saying that I'd be a good mom, when am I going to have kids, that I looked a little bigger, am I pregnant? One day I was fighting a small kidney stone and ran to the restroom to get sick. "YOU'RE PREGNAAAAAAAAAAAAANT" my gun-collecting, cat-shooting, pro-life boss roared. The rest of the time she would just needle me about my then-boyfriend, "when are you and him gonna have kids? You know you want them!"

Like I mentioned in the blog before this one, it's a society thing, still laying down age-old stigmas against career women and those without kids. Perhaps one day the world will realize that women are more than just baby factories. People tell me, "IF EVERYONE THOUGHT LIKE YOU THEN HUMANITY WOULD DIE OFF, YOU ARE SELFISH." But people would never all think the same, that's impossible. Isn't variety the point of life?

Fuck conformity, just be you. Do no harm but take no shit. 💯

[drybonesawaken]

Oh man, it’s been awhile since I’ve had time to really pause, take a breath, and reflect...

It feels like I haven’t truly been able to sit down and organize my thoughts for upwards of two or three months now, so this will be my time for that. It’s either gonna be a super long post - or I’ll split things up, we’ll see...

I came into this semester thinking that it would be really easy. All the classes I took were supposedly easy A’s, I had already taken the hard EECS courses, so this was supposed to be an easy semester where I could focus more on other things. I really couldn’t have been more wrong. 

This semester has been hell, but it’s also been such a big learning point for me that God really is the provider of all things, good and bad. I got through my semesters with ‘relative’ ease last year not by my own strength, but really by God’s. I do remember so often praying these words of ‘God, give me the strength to continue’ and so on last year, but because this year I felt like I didn’t need it given the lighter workload, those prayers disappeared. And with them, I realize now in hindsight, so did my source of strength. I’m truly humbled by how obvious my insufficiency is from this semester alone - that I thought I could do it without God, when in reality it was Him carrying me on His shoulders all along before. 

That being said, it’s still been a process to try to rely on God’s strength. It’s sort of a snowball effect: relying on myself and failing at what I do leads to less open time and more anxiety, which leads to less time spent with God and less trust in Him and so on and so forth... I’m really hoping that with break just around the corner, I’m going to be able to re-establish a routine of daily time alone with God. This semester isn’t over yet, but it’s about time the tides turned on this battle.

I’ve been praying a lot about my future. Why do I put so much of my hope in knowing and being sure of my future? It’s hard to trust God and hard to believe that He’s for me. Even though I know it. But I guess I don’t. Gah

But yeah, I feel like so much of my uneasiness in everyday struggles comes with not knowing what I’m going to be doing in the summer, or not knowing what next year holds for me after I graduate. Not much to think about here - just that I need to let go and trust lol. 

LIFE group this year has been...hard. It’s honestly so shocking to me that I haven’t even blogged about it thus far, because it’s been such a big issue in my life for the past couple of months. 

Well, as a disclaimer, I do enjoy a lot of the times that I get to spend with LIFE group. I think they’re a fun group of people, and although I don’t really click with most of the people, I still enjoy the fun that people have. A lot of them have already gotten pretty close (especially some of the freshmen), and it’s cool to observe those things and see God working in those ways. 

But personally, oh man. (Okay this is supposed to be a reflection but I’m just gonna rant for a bit.) It sucks. There’s three guys older than me, two are leaders and the other is someone who is leaving next semester. There are no other guys the year above me or my year, and the two the year below me are both people that I would be investing in (as opposed to having more peer-like relationships with), not to mention that they rarely show up. It’s hard to muster up the energy to go to LIFE group because I know that sometimes, I’ll have to be the one to guide the bible study conversation in my small group. It’s hard to find the will to go to a group of 15 girls and a few freshmen. It’s hard to want to talk to people and not just sit somewhere and stare into nothingness. I haven’t mentioned this before, but I committed to not looking tired, even if I am, while I’m at LIFE group this year. It’s hard to have back to back to back classes, and then to find the energy to passionately teach a class full of grad students who don’t want to be there, and then to go straight to LIFE group and put on an excited and energetic face for people who don’t talk to you unless you approach them first. Okay this was definitely more dramatic and exaggerated than the truth and what I feel 99% of the time. But it also feels good to just let off some steam. Good thing nobody in my LIFE group has this blog... :^) k yeah I’m really pessimistic today

All in all, it’s just been hard to find the time to get to know people, and hard to find the energy to socialize with people I don’t already know well during fellowship times, which is the majority of LIFE group, including all my leaders lol...

Anyways. Enough complaining. Sure, it’s been hard, but it hasn’t been that hard. I’ve still been trying to invest in different capacities, but I also realized that the way I invest in LG this year is drastically different from the ways in which I invested last year. So yeah, I ended up spending a lot of time praying about how to invest in LG this year. Surprisingly, a lot of my convictions turned out to not be about LIFE group at all. But more about that later...

I realized that the biggest way I’ll be investing in the different relationships in LIFE group this year are going to be in my LCGs - I may not have the time to get to know everyone in LIFE group, but at least for my two LCGs, I can commit to really investing in them and growing with them. I’ll be honest, this has been hard too.... They’re both young freshmen, and let’s just leave it at: they don’t get along. I think both have a pretty strong church background, but both also have pretty warped understandings of the Gospel and what it means in their lives. Not to say that that’s bad at all - this is probably more common than not - but it means I have to be pretty careful about what I say during my meetups so as not to cause everything to come crashing down at once: we’ll tackle each problem one at a time lol. And uh, also. One of them is very hard to be patient with. I really thought that I was a pretty patient person. My limits are already being exposed, and I’ve only met with this dude like two or three times. Oof, God is really gonna grow me in patience this year LOL

I was invited to LG Core again this year, but I honestly debated about it for so long before accepting. I didn’t think I had the time, and it felt like I was soaking up the leaders’ resources that belonged elsewhere...anyways, that’s a topic for another day. I think I’m going to be treating Core as a good way for me to build relationships with some of the other sisters in LIFE group, since I’m the only guy doing it. Will definitely help me with being more comfortable during regular LIFE group times as well. And, I also just actually really enjoy spending the time with them, so Core sounds like it will be pretty chill!

So uh. In September I was praying about LIFE group. Then God was like hey you should go on missions. I was like ???????

But I’m going on missions now. 

I was really struggling to understand why God placed this sort of calling in my heart - looking back on freshman missions, sure it was something I enjoyed and a memory I really cherished, but it wasn’t really something I was planning on doing again. Kids are really not my thing. And as I prayed through this decision, I realized that God is planting seeds of investing in the next generation in me. Freshman missions doesn’t have to be about working with kids in Chicago for me, but rather the focus is going to be the relationships I build with all the freshmen during training and afterwards. So yeah, I’m not looking forward to Chicago. But I’m looking forward to all the time spent with the freshmen. And also the time with other people I’ve heard (through the grapevine) that are going to be helping/leading this year... heh

With this commitment, I’ve also circled around and prayed a lot about what classes to take next semester to make sure that I can 1) graduate, and still 2) have a lot of time to invest in meeting up with people and investing. It’s gonna be a lot of fun!

(mini disclaimer because idk who reads this blog now that it’s public: if you go to my church please keep this private for now, missions stuff is still not yet public knowledge...thanks!)

I realized this semester that I actually react really really really really poorly to stress. Did I mention REALLY poorly? yeah. The only reason I didn’t think so before is because I don’t get stressed very easily, if at all. But this semester, I was stressed. And then I was super cranky and emotional and introverted and irritable and I had a lot of negative thoughts and it wasn’t good. I don’t know how to grow in this. Practice by being stressed more?

??? No? 

So how do I grow in this lol. Other than praying...

Okay there’s more that I’ve been thinking/reflecting about but it’s bedtime. This was sort of just a huge garble of thoughts but I think it was really good for me to write things out and I can feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. Don’t really expect people to read through, but if you somehow happened to, here’s another small thing that I’ve been thinking about, I’m sharing just for you:

Have I ever mentioned on this blog that this past summer/semester I have been thinking about dating? Well, good thing I am too busy right now given all this other stuff ^^^. Clearly my heart still has so many issues, I’m not ready anyways LOL...

okay there will probably be more on that in the future months/years but definitely after missions lol (I don't have time before) thanks for reading!