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#it just improves your coffee drinking experience
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awesomecoffeeclub.com
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ibupr0fendolll · 3 months
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TIPS AND TRICKS FOR FASTING!!!
✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹
#1; low cal drinks
thirst is commonly mistaken for hunger during the fasting period, so here are some low/0kcal drinks that aren't just plain water to indulge in during your fast (guilt-free):
- black coffee (a good appetite suppressant. adding no calorie sweeteners will improve the taste)
- diet sodas/zero sugar sodas
- plain tea (opt for freshly brewed)
- ice cold glass of lemon & cucumber sparkling water
- electrolyte water (you can make these at home or purchase in-store, these will keep you energized and provide nutrients if you're doing a longer fast)
- flavoured mineral water
- black coffee & redbull (probably tastes disgusting, but gives you an excellent energy boost when desperate times call for desperate measures)
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✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹
#2; still bored?
if you're tired of these options in their liquid form, try using an ice cube/ice lolly mould to turn these into refreshing popsicles for hot summer days. it'll be a fun activity to get your mind off food, and a much more stimulating experience for your taste buds. freeze for 6-8 hours and they're ready!!!
✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹
#3; low intensity exercise
make sure you're partaking in frequent exercise to keep the hunger and fatigue at bay. here are some examples of what you can get up to that doesn't put so much strain on your body:
- walking
- yoga
- meditation
- gentle stretching
- pilates
working out before or after your fast is always better than during. if you get too ill/tired, you may be tempted to break it
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✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹
#4; keeping your mind off food
fasting might mean you have more free time on your hands than before. the key is to stay busy so your mind doesn't wander off and you stay focused on your goals! here are some ways to do that:
- picking up a new hobby or learning a new skill
- tell yourself "i'll eat it later", this tricks your brain into reducing the immediate urge you have to eat the food, and gives you time to think about the consequences of eating it. by the time "later" comes around, you won't want it anymore
- watch a movie with an actor/actress with your desired weight
- create a th1nsp1r@t!on board on pinterest
- make a reward list (obviously with no food) for when you lose a certain amount of weight/complete a certain no. of fasts
(credit; @bxbblegxmbxtch17)
- buy yourself a piece of clothing in your desired clothing size (whether it's for your 1st gw or ultimate gw) and hang it in full view when you're working out/fasting to remind yourself why you started in the first place
- journal!!!
- read a book
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✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹
#5; breaking your fast
DO NOT pig out after your fast is over. that is still binging whether you have it all in one go or not. opt for more nutritious and lighter meals so as not to undo your progress and to slowly build back your tolerance to foods after a particularly long fast, such as these:
- grilled chicken salad = ~290KCALS
- quinoa and roasted vegetables = ~275KCALS
- strawberry oat smoothie = ~280kcals
- mixed vegetable stir fry over rice = ~255kcals
- lentil and tomato soup = ~200kcals
(note; these are just approximates and completely depending on your serving size & what ingredients you use)
✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹 ⋆。°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚。𖦹
that's all i have today :) let me know what you think! i hope these helped, you got this doll ♡
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alexlwrites · 8 months
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𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕
✿𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: Jungkook x Reader
✿ 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚:  The one where everytime you get dumped you pretend that you never met the guy before to mess with their heads. To the point that if you run into them somewhere you reintroduce yourself and act like you’ve never seen each other before.
Enters fuckboy Jungkook who disappears after your night together, not knowing how much he was about to regret that choice.
✿ 𝑻𝒂𝒈𝒔:  Romance, Humor, Fluff, Angst, College AU
✿ 𝑨/𝑵: I’m truly sorry for this sad excuse of an update.
(Fanfic masterlist)
(support me on my ko-fi)
°•. ✿ .•°
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨 - 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲, 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
(<<< part one)
“I can’t believe you’re doing this again” Jane’s voice rang through the phone as you walked down the streets towards your desired coffee spot.
You also couldn’t believe you were doing that again. You tried your best to live your life with no regrets, but men made it very hard.
“Have you seen him since he fled the crime scene?”
“Stop calling it a crime scene” you snapped.
“Well, have you?”
Your silence was enough of an answer. No, you had not seen or heard from Jungkook since he ran away from your bedroom in the dead of night, leaving behind only the smell of cologne and, funnily enough, a single sock. When you woke up that day to an empty bed, sheets crumbled and a mattress indented on the side where he had slept, all you could muster was a tired sigh of disappointment. 
And to be completely honest, you were disappointed with yourself, not Jungkook. You expected nothing less than a quick escape of him. But you should’ve known better than to hope for anything. Despite everything, you were still an idealist at heart and you thought that maybe just this once…
You shook your head obstinately. You had learned early on that no good would come from moping around for men who would never once feel any regret for their thoughtless actions and if your pain were to be always one sided, then it was better not to feel any at all. Not to dwell on it, move on, learn from it and be better. Or be worse, sometimes, as self-improvement was not always your goal.
Sometimes, you chose to listen to the tiny revengeful angel on your shoulder - who kind of sounded like Taylor Swift - that screamed for violence and vindication.
As your failed relationships started to pile up, you did reach a point where you had to wonder if you were the problem, as it was the canonical event of all 20 something women. But observation, therapy, critical thinking and hereditary pettiness brought you to the decision that it was not, in fact, your fault. At least not all of it. 
With that in mind, you left only the smallest of time slots in your booked and busy schedule to ponder and grieve over the fickle nature of boys’ interests. You had better, more important things to do, such as mindlessly scroll through Minecraft/AITA videos and save pilates routines that you were never gonna do. 
Still, in an experience intrinsically feminine, you allowed yourself a little treat to cope with the slight burn of despondency in the back of your mind. 
And so you directed yourself to the bougie coffee house near campus, hoping to drown your sorrows with an aggressively sweet and overly caffeinated drink. 
“You should slash his tires”
“Jane, please, we have talked about this.”
“You should totally slash his fucking tires!"
"Saying it louder is not gonna make me agree with you! Jane…"
Suddenly your eyes found Jungkook's across the room filled to the brim with depressed, financially irresponsible students, making you pause and hold back the urge to curl your lips in distaste. It bothered you that even with scared eyes as big as saucers and hunched shoulders to appear smaller, Jungkook still managed to look good. 
But you knew better than to let him know how much his presence and pretty face annoyed you. Boys like Jungkook only cared about having an impact on people’s life, very rarely caring if it was good or bad. He wanted a reaction out of you and you learned better than to give those away so carelessly.
So you frowned and looked away, the words practiced on your lips as you said “Some guy is staring at me.”
Jane laughed loudly on the phone “You’re a psycho, you know that?”
“I don’t know who it is, Jane, some dude” you stole a quick glance at him, finding vengeful glee at his shocked expression.
“Send me a pic of his reaction, I’m posting it on TikTok.”
You continued playing your part, ignoring your sister’s interruptions as you usually did “Of course I’m carrying a taser, Jane, I’m not an animal…”
“I’ll give you 5 bucks to tase him.”
“You know what, this coffee is not even worth the visual harassment, God I hate men…”
You walked out of the coffee house, hand empty but with a fulfilled sick sense of accomplishment as you stepped out into the street with a shit-eating grin.
“I hope you know what you’re doing” Jane said and you could hear the smile in her voice. Out of your two sisters, Jane was never the one to tell you to not do something, preferring to let you make your own mistakes.
And boy, did you. 
You left your big, beautiful, tattooed mistake behind you, ready to move on to something less prone to disappointment, such as fictional men and your Stardew Valley husband “Dont worry” you told your sister “I don’t.”.
“What are you doing?” Jungkook asked, left eye twitching slightly at your unbothered expression.
After your confusing exit from the coffee shop and a good amount of jabs from his friends, Jungkook had to hunt you down across campus, finding you sitting under a tree with a book in your hands, looking way too peaceful for someone who just had humiliated him.
You looked down at your book with an arched eyebrow “Kegels, clearly. Why?”
“No, I mean…” Jungkook’s frustration was rising by the second, the vein on his neck jumping out “Why are you acting like you don’t know me?”
You frowned.
 “Do I know you?” you asked, face doubtful.
“We have classes together?”
You blinked, impassive.
“We went on a date?”
A head shake.
“We slept together!”
“Nope, can’t say it rings any bells.”
That’s it. Jungkook was actually convinced you were clinically insane. 
“How can you not remember?”
“How can I remember something that never happened?”
“But it did! You’re crazy! I chased you for weeks!”
You smiled, a trap.
“So, you're, like, in love with me?” you ask, tone condescending. 
Jungkook scoffed and you weren’t sure if it was at the idea of love or loving you. “No, of course not.”
“So in this dream scenario of yours, we had sex but we weren’t together?”
“Trust me, this” he gestured between the two of you “is no dream scenario.”
“Well, aren’t you a charmer” you crossed your arms in front you, defensive “Let me get this straight. You, allegedly, chased me for weeks, but don’t really like me. Then, we had casual, out-of-relationship sex and then what? You banged my head against the headboard so hard I completely forgot about it? Your story is full of holes, my dude.”
You had to fight back the urge to smirk, energy spiking from feeding off of Jungkook’s stupefied confusion.
Nail in the coffin, you shrugged, turning your eyes back to your book “Maybe you weren’t that memorable and my mind deleted you like a childhood trauma.”
A slight left eye spasm was all the reaction you got at first, evolving to the pursing of pouty lips and the clenching of fists.
“You are insane” he said at last after seconds of turning clogs in his barely filled mind.
“Finally you said something true.”
Jungkook was equally bewildered and furious. He didn’t know what your deal was or what you were getting out of this, but your refusal to admit you had sex pissed him off deeply considering how much time and effort he put into getting you together.
“Also, I have to ask” you continued, clearly not done with your pursuit of driving him up the wall “what was your goal with this conversation? Chasing me for weeks to then sleep with me and then come here and tell me you’re not actually interested in me, but being upset when I don’t remember something that didn’t happen… What’s the point?”
Jungkook paused. Truly, he didn’t have much of an end goal in mind, actions fueled only by a bruised ego and a childish, borderline pathological need to prove himself.
When he didn’t answer, you stood up and gathered your things, keeping your head down to hide your poorly concealed satisfaction “I’ll let you ponder on that” you said “Don’t worry about reaching out with an answer, though.”
Finally, you looked up at him, face masked with faux awkwardness. “Anyway. Nice to meet you, I guess? No, actually, not really, this was weird as shit. You seem to have some things to figure out. Get help and take care, my dude.”
And so you left, leaving behind only a cloud of your bergamot perfume and a perplexed Jungkook blinking owlishly. 
There was a sudden influx of thoughts rushing through his usually much less busy mind, the general tone of confusion ringing amongst humiliation and frustration.
When Jungkook first set his greedy eyes on you, he had an inkling that you’d be a handful and in the beginning, you truly were. You took pleasure in making everything much more difficult for him, running from his presence like the plague and approaching the whole subject of him like one would the subject of warts - reluctantly and with caution.
And if he were honest, he wasn’t too sure on why he insisted, but one would be surprised at how far Jungkook would escalate things out of spite and resentment.
It was that same sick combination of flavors that drove him insane for weeks, moving him to pester you until you gave him a chance. And he took it, lord, did he take it.
That night, he made every possible effort to please you, cloaked in his best, non-ranch stained clothes and best non-arrogant behavior.
And when morning came and he opened up his eyes before you did, tired out from the epitome of his bestest behavior, there was a moment of quiet as he watched you eyelids flutter delicately, soft arm draped lightly over his waist.
The night before had been… Fun, he thought, even before you had reached your bedroom. You were weird and used a bunch of words he didn’t know, but you also made him laugh and listened to him babbling about his interest without once looking bored, even going as far as asking questions about his farfetched MCU theories.
And despite your many (too many to count, insurmountable really) differences, you had… Chemistry, one could call it. Thick chemistry, palpable tension, pushing you towards each other despite your previous attempts to go the other way.
But no amount of chemistry could break Jungkook’s routine as inertia pushed him out of your bed, practiced steps light as feathers as he escaped your apartment with one last look to your sleeping form and somehow one less sock on his feet.
And as he left, there was an undiagnosed pounding in his heart he tried to chalk off as the result of his Dorito and monster drink based diet, but his eyes kept flashing back to where you rested even when he was miles away.
He tried to make sense of your persistent presence in the back of his mind. You were cool, he’d give you that. Hot too. But it didn’t matter how your body fit his like they were manufactured together or how your passive aggressive way of flirting (or insulting, he had a hard time telling them apart with you) never failed to steal a snort from his lips. And yeah, it was kind of nice when you called him cute everytime he didn’t understand something you said. It brought a blush to his cheeks and wild butterflies to his stomach, because… Well, no one had ever called him cute after middle school. Hot? Yes. Sexy? Once a week. Biggest dick ever? Yes, both meanings.
But not cute. And deep down, under layers of aggressively oversized shirts and muscles… Jungkook kind of liked being cute.
Jungkook shook that thought away. Despite all that, you were a point he had to make.
And he did! Point proven and undisputed, up until you looked at him like he was a silly little kid throwing a tantrum (which he kind of was) and questioned him and his sanity,
But Jungkook was obstinate and, even more, the sorest of losers. He had proven himself once and would again! He was a man on a mission, he decided, watching you walk away from him while mouthing the words “I’ll pray for you!”. And the mission was to either send you into a psychiatric hospital or get you back into his bed.
And if the butterflies in his stomach fluttered excitedly at that second prospect, he didn’t allow himself to ponder on it for a single second.
°•. ✿ .•°
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mysteryshoptls · 3 months
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SSR Divus Crewel - Rich Fur Coat Vignette
"A full course of disciplinary action"
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[Sage‘s Island – Foothill Town]
Sage’s Island Resident: Good morning, Divus-san. You're up pretty early again.
Crewel: Good morning, madam.
Crewel: Also… Good morning, Emma!
Crewel: Your cute spots look so good on you, as always. I am truly lucky to be able to meet with such a stunning beauty so early in the day.
Crewel: …Can I give you some pets, you sweet thing?
Emma: Bark, bark!
Sage’s Island Resident: Fufufu, you're always so doting on our Emma, thank you. Look, she's so happy she's showing her belly.
Crewel: No, I should be thanking you. These fleeting moments I get in the morning are my personal solace.
Crewel: I'm grateful that I am able to see and pet these beautiful little lads and lasses.
Crewel: Especially since I'm unable to see my precious ones until I return to the Queendom of Roses on the weekends.
Sage’s Island Resident: If I recall, you have two friends looking after your dogs back home during the week, right?
Crewel: That's right. They're old friends… Or rather, they've become more like hired hands.
Crewel: I would love nothing more than to bring my dogs to Sage's Island…
Crewel: But my apartment here in Foothill Town is much too small to keep them.
Crewel: Sometime in the future, it would be nice to rent a large home here in this town and live with them together every single day.
Crewel: I'd drive with them in my favorite car on the long road along the ocean… That's the dream.
Sage’s Island Resident: Well, how lovely. I'm looking forward to the day that I'll be able to meet your precious dogs, Divus-san.
Crewel: And I as well, madam. I hope you have another pleasant day today. Bye, Emma.
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Crewel: Good morning, my good sir. A strong cup of tea, as per my usual.
Shopkeep: Good morning, Crewel-kun. Would you like some food with that?
Crewel: No, thank you. I don't eat breakfast, as a rule.
Shopkeep: Yes, yes, I know. I thought I'd just ask.
Shopkeep: I can't believe you come to my little establishment so early in the morning just to drink tea instead of our signature coffee blend…
Shopkeep: You're still an odd one, even after becoming a professor at Night Raven College.
Crewel: Hah. Truth be told, I don't come here for the tea.
Crewel: Every Monday morning, if I sit in this seat here, I can watch the ships sail into port. The sight of the sails in a row is beautiful…
Crewel: This tea doesn't even compare to the stuff I can brew, but this view is something I can't replicate back home.
Shopkeep: Hahah! I always knew you were a sharp-tongued devil in your student years, but it seems you've just gotten even more cruel!
Crewel: I think it's more of a shock that you haven't improved your tea brewing skills in 15 years, sir.
Shopkeep: Well, luckily, we're still thriving! Do enjoy your time here.
Crewel: Thanks. …Hm. This respite is quiet and soothing.
Crewel: I should relax while I can. …Because I'm sure today will end up being yet another busy day.
Crewel: Today, I have homeroom plus three other classes. There's also preparations that need to be done for next month's event, a staff meeting, and last week's tests that need grading… Whew.
Crewel: Well. I'll just have to hope those pups won't cause me any issues, at a minimum.
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[Laboratory]
Crewel: STAY!!!
Students: EEK!
Crewel: I can't believe this… What have you done?
Crewel: Why are all the ingredients needed for today's experiment scattered all over the floor?
Crewel: Which one of you mangy mutts not only stepped on but also mixed together all those spilled ingredients?
Crewel: I am only asking a simple question, and yet all anyone can yelp is "It wasn't me," or "It was someone else's fault"...
Crewel: PUPS WHO CAN'T OWN UP TO THEIR MISTAKES ARE NO BETTER THAN A MUTT! THEY DON'T EVEN DESERVE TO BE CALLED DOGS!
Students: EEEEP!
Crewel: So tell me, who is the culprit? Tell me truthfully, and you'll only have to deal with a full course of disciplinary action and not a bit more.
Students: Th-That is…
Students: [everyone stares]
Grim: Hm?
Grim: …Wh-Wh-Wh-What? Don't all you be lookin' down on me!
1. I think it'd be better if you just apologize honestly… 2. You'll get a lighter punishment if you just confess now.
Grim: It wasn't me who did that! It's [Yuu], definitely [Yuu]!
Scarabia Student: Don't try to blame [Yuu]. You really don't know how to give up, huh, Grim!
Octavinelle Student: Yeah, you were the one who flipped the table in the first place! There's no way I'm gonna let you take us down with you!
Grim: Heh! Do ya even got any proof that I did it?
Crewel: I see. It definitely won't do to accuse someone of the crime without proper evidence.
Crewel: …By the way, Grim.
Grim: Hm?
Crewel: The fur on your legs have turned black, but why is that? It looks just like that of a black cat.
Grim: Huh? My legs?
Grim: …Woah, you're right! My amazing grey fur's pitch black!
Grim: WH-WHAT'S WITH THIS!? GET RID OF IT FOR MEEE!
Crewel: There's no point in wiping it. The sap from the tree we were to use today turns black upon exposure to air.
Crewel: If it were to touch on your clothes or hair, it wouldn't matter how much you scrub or wash with water, it won't come off.
Crewel: incidentally, to return the blackened part to normal, the fastest method would be to cause another reaction to render it colorless.
Crewel: Look! Everyone see here.
Crewel: When I pour this concoction of herbs onto Grim's blackened legs…
Crewel: See, it returned back to its normal color. Make sure you remember this reaction.
Students: Oooooh.
Crewel: …Now, Grim. Do you have any idea why the ingredients we were to use for today's experiments got on your legs?
Grim: M-M… MYAAAH!
Grim: It ain't my fault! The desk shouldn't've been there!
Crewel: YOU MONGREL! YOU ARE TO STAY AFTER CLASS AND COPY LINES AS PUNISHMENT. UNDERSTAND!?
Crewel: And [Yuu], you're to also stay behind, as Grim's prefect. It would be troublesome if you cannot even look after your own pet!
1. But I have plans after class…
Crewel: Oho, you have plans that take priority over my prescribed discipline? [Yuu shakes their head] …No? A good response from a good boy.
2. I'm sorry…
Crewel: If you truly are sorry, then lets see that as a tangible result. If you can make Grim learn to sit and stay properly as his prefect, then I'll give you a treat.
Crewel: These pups truly are a handful… My beloved pet dogs are much more well behaved.
Crewel: Everyone, sit!
[Crewel magics the ingredients]
Grim: All the stuff I dropped are just floating back on top of the desk. So why's he gotta get on me when he can just fix everything…?
Crewel: The ingredients have been properly prepared once again. I will now explain the procedure for this experiment, so make sure you watch carefully.
Crewel: …I expect all of you to be on your best behavior.
Grim: Urp. He's just glaring at me, now…
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[Interior Hallway]
Crewel: Ah, classes are finally over. Today was another tiring day.
Crewel: None of the freshmen listen and the sophomores slack off now that they've gotten used to the classes. And the juniors are teeming with arrogance.
Crewel: If I were a student, I would absolutely have literally knocked some sense into them...
Crewel: However, because of my position, I cannot do that now. I never even thought that I would be more inconvenienced as a professor, than I was as a student.
Crewel: Tch! I knew what I was in for, but still, I hadn't expected being an instructor to be this difficult.
???: And why are you clicking your tongue like that, Crewel-sensei?
Trein: As a professor of this school, I would prefer if you were to carry yourself better, so as to be a good example towards the students.
Crewel: Ugh… And now on top of everything else, someone even fussier has shown up…
Trein: What is with that disgruntled look? Do you take some issue with me?
Crewel: Of course not, don't be absurd! I would never bite back at any commentary you have for me, Trein-sensei.
Trein: Good. We should start to head towards the staff meeting, then.
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Trein: Incidentally, you seemed to look rather exhausted a moment ago. Did something happen?
Crewel: No, I wouldn't say there was anything in particular…
Crewel: …I was only thinking of how I could effectively train the students. There are more than a fair share of unruly pups.
Trein: Do you of all people have any right to say that…? Especially since you were one of the rowdiest students during your time here.
Crewel: That was simply youthful ardor. Wasn't I just a charming little thing?
Trein: Don't write it off as simple "youthful ardor." Have a little shame.
Trein: …Well, I suppose it hasn't been too long since you've become a professor, in the end. This year makes… how long?
Crewel: Six years. Have you forgotten our joyous reunion already?
Trein: Hmph. Of course I remember your scowling little, "Oh, professor, were you still here?"
Trein: But only six years, I see… Well, why don't you pat yourself on the back for doing as well as you are for such a short tenure?
Crewel: I'm doing well? …Do you truly think so?
Trein: It is a fact that the rate of students pursuing the sciences have increased since you've arrived. There would be no purpose in denying that your instruction is showing good results.
Crewel: Heh… Heheh, is that right?! Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that coming from you.
Trein: And there you go getting carried away and speaking without any forethought. I do believe I've taught you countless times since your time here as a student to respect your elders, haven't I?
Trein: …Now then, if you're feeling better about yourself, we should get this staff meeting underway. I am keeping Lucius waiting.
[Trein walks off]
Crewel: …How insensitive of you, Trein-sensei.
Crewel: Here I am, patiently enduring everything until I can finally go see my dogs over the weekend, and you say that.
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[Alchemy Workshop]
Crewel: Now that the meeting is done with, I should try to finish grading the tests while I can.
Crewel: …The rate of students pursuing the sciences, hm. I suppose it's true that everyone's grades are improving, even if at a slow pace. …A truly slow pace.
Crewel: Heh. I do enjoy seeing these pups grow.
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[knock, knock, click]
Grim: Hey! I went 'n did that assignment for ya!
Crewel: What is it that you've done for me...?
1. I'll have him try that again. 2. He just misspoke!
Grim: I-I mean, I finished the assignment ya gave me. I'll put it here on the desk, 'kay?
Grim: …Hm? There's a book with a fancy cover mixed in with all these boring lookin' books. What's this?
Crewel: Oh, did that catch your eye? That book contains the collection of an apparel brand I worked for in the past.
Crewel: I keep telling them to not send anything to my office, but are some who just refuse to listen…
Crewel: Not only do I receive their catalogs, but also phone calls, all asking for my advice for the next fashion season.
Crewel: …It's just like your tests, don't you think? I'll have to fix their mistakes later to the best of my abilities.
Grim: Urgh, that sounds annoying. Why don'tcha just ignore 'em?
Crewel: Ignore them… Hahah, that's one idea. I can imagine their panicked and frantic faces.
Crewel: …But no, I do consider this somewhat of a hobby for me.
Crewel: Just because I've become a professor, that does not mean I can fall behind the current fashion. I want to constantly be checking the latest trends.
Crewel: I'm sure even you'd prefer a fashionably cool instructor over some decrepit, antiquated teacher, right?
1. I want a cool teacher.
Crewel: Right? You're quite a lucky one on that account, pup, because you have me as your homeroom teacher!
2. I want a nice teacher.
Crewel: You'll get bored if they're just nice all the time, you know. You might understand what I mean when you get a bit older.
Grim: I don't really get all that hard fashion stuff, but I totally wanna look cooler!
Crewel: Well, I'll consider that good enough for now. Don't you worry, I'll make sure to turn you into polished gems before graduation.
Crewel: You students here at Night Raven College may have a knack for magic, but your fashion senses are severely lacking.
Crewel: …And since I've taken on the duties of being your teacher, I won't allow that to continue.
Crewel: When I first started here, I vowed that I would craft every single one of you into the most fashionable and capable mages you can be.
Crewel: You have a first-class instructor, and first-rate instruction. …It would be impossible for you all to not become fantastic mages.
Grim: Heh. I'm totally gonna become a great mage even without your help!
Crewel: Hahah, you're a cheeky one. …Now then, if you've finished your task, go on. Looks like your friends have arrived to walk you out.
Crewel: Your time as a student may seem long, but it is deceptively short. I will do what I can to support all of you so that you can live your life here without any regrets.
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Requested by @revengeofreaper32.
413 notes · View notes
dollfaceksj · 1 year
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taste of a poison paradise | jjk (m) MASTERLIST
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➥ PAIRING: jungkook x fem!reader
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➥ SUMMARY: Jeon Jungkook is your junior and a great student, obsessed with anime and video games. To you, he’s a Grade A geek. However, you soon find out the reason why he’s so quiet around you is because your mutual friends have told him to stay away from you for your sake, not his. Why? You wish you weren’t so curious because now you’re determined to find out.
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➥ GENRE: slowburn ⋆ angst ⋆ fuckboy!jk ⋆ e2l
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➥ CATEGORY: crack drabble series (bullet-point format)
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➥ WARNINGS: explicit sexual content, (eventual smut), plot twist, improv, interactive, angst, love triangle cause theres a bit of yoongi x reader, reader is curious and nosy, arguing, jealousy, jk is TOXIC and so is READER, switch!jk & switch!reader, spit kink, spanking, hairpulling, slapping, protected sex, unprotected sex (wrap it up), sad childhoods, trauma, lots of trauma, sensitive topics, minors DNI
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➥ STATUS: completed
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⋆ TAGLIST ⋆
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
— i n d e x ↓
♢ #1 jungkook gets down like that
♢ #2 jungkook likes role-play
♢ #3 jungkook doesn’t like you
♢ #4 jungkook wants to apologize
♢ #5 jungkook doesn’t like being called a fuckboy
♢ #6 jungkook wants his expensive sneakers back
♢ #7 jungkook can only offer good dick and math notes
♢ #8 jungkook wants to talk
♢ #9 jungkook buys you a bar of kinder
♢ #10 jungkook wants you to take his bait
♢ #11 jungkook wants what’s best for you
♢ #12 jungkook doesn’t know what to do when he’s nervous
♢ #13 jungkook has some mud on his clothes
♢ #14 jungkook accepts your challenge
♢ #15 jungkook thinks you have a filthy mouth
♢ #16 jungkook can’t stop himself
♢ #17 jungkook has experience in being quiet
♢ #18 jungkook craves love and affection differently
♢ #19 jungkook wants your phone
♢ #20 jungkook doesn’t think he bares all the blame
♢ #21 jungkook thinks you have fallen for him
♢ #22 jungkook is up to date with your instagram stories
♢ #23 jungkook knows more about you than you think
♢ #24 jungkook doesn’t want to hear another word from you
♢ #25 jungkook hates everything about you
♢ #26 jungkook thinks you should end it
♢ #27 jungkook might as well admit defeat
♢ #28 jungkook wants just a little bit
♢ #29 jungkook is never drinking again
♢ #30 jungkook wants to be good to you
♢ #31 jungkook wants you to be sure
♢ #32 jungkook doesn’t want to leave
♢ #33 jungkook and mia
♢ #34 jungkook and the significance of the fallen angel
♢ #35 jungkook and his only friend
♢ #36 jungkook and his enemy
♢ the end.
— s i d e d r a b b l e s ↓
♢ #1 the one in the elevator
♢ pending…
— e x t r a s ↓
♢ playlist
♢ f.a.q.
♢ cross-posted on ao3
♢ pending…
➸ request here
➸ support me by buying me some coffee if you want ☕︎♡
1K notes · View notes
ohmyamor · 1 year
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oh my ***
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Pairing: ateez (ot8) x reader
Summary: Everyone supposedly has a guardian angel, one that’s tasked to always keep their human out of trouble and on the right path of life. But you don’t just have one, you have...eight?!
w.c. 10.2k
Warnings: fluff, angst, near death experiences, threatening someone wooyoung with a bat, cursing, comfort, reincarnation, i think that’s it?
You wouldn’t necessarily consider yourself a lucky person. 
You also wouldn’t really consider yourself an unlucky person either. 
You just kind of exist, with the occasional good and not-so-good things happening to you. 
Like when you somehow managed to score you and your friends front row seats to see your favorite group in concert. Or the time that you somehow managed to break your ankle and your phone all in the same day. 
So, yeah, you wouldn’t say you’re the luckiest person in the world, but you’re also not the unluckiest person, so you’re pretty fine with continuing your life as is. 
Today, however, has been going oddly perfect. 
You woke up for the first time in forever feeling incredibly well-rested, which has not happened since before you hit puberty. The weather was perfect, maybe a little too perfect, but you didn’t care. You could finally open your windows completely to let in the cool breeze from outside, listening as the birds sang outside of your apartment. 
Checking your phone, you also noticed that your paycheck came in a whole day early. Opening your bank account, you stared wide-eyed at the number that was deposited. It was certainly a much larger amount than your last paycheck. 
Feeling absolutely ecstatic over how well the morning was going, you decided to make a trip to your favorite coffee shop and treat yourself to some breakfast. 
Connecting your phone to your speaker, you selected your favorite playlist and allowed the music to flow through the apartment. Picking out some cute clothes, you began to get ready. As you finished washing your face, you also noticed that your skin seemed to be really nice today, with hardly any redness seeping through and the dark circles under you eyes had seemed to disappear over night. 
Smiling brightly at yourself in the mirror, you finished applying your skincare before moving to get dressed and apply some light makeup. Once you finished, you couldn’t help but check yourself out in the mirror. 
I look so cute today.
Giving yourself a wink, you let out a small laugh at your own antics before grabbing your purse from where it hung on the wall and stepping outside. Making sure the door was locked, you began the short walk to your favorite cafe. 
You couldn’t help but admire how nice the sun felt on your skin. For the past few weeks, the weather had been anything but nice, and it almost felt like the weather had been reflecting your mood. With the project you had been assigned at work, you had been feeling so overwhelmed and stressed out that you often contemplated just quitting in order to get rid of the stress. 
But thankfully, the project was finally done, you had received great feedback from your boss, and it finally seemed as though your little slump was beginning to improve.
Making your way inside the cafe, you walked up to the counter and ordered your usual drink as well as a small pastry. 
A little treat for myself.
Sitting down at a table that had the best view of the street, you made yourself comfortable with your drink as you waited for your pastry. Though, you were pleasantly surprised when the man who took your order came out with two pastries instead of one. 
“Um, I think you might’ve given me the wrong pastry,” you frowned slightly. “I only ordered this one,” you pointed at the pastry that you know for sure you had ordered. 
“Oh!” the man smiled brightly. “No, don’t worry, it’s on the house!” 
Before you could even respond, the man gently placed both pastries on your table, sending you a small wink and making his way back behind the counter. 
You could feel your cheeks warm slightly at the man’s actions. 
Damn, today really is a great day you thought, bringing the pastry up to your mouth and taking a bite out of it. 
Holy shit this is so good too you hummed appreciatively. 
After thoroughly enjoying your breakfast, you bid goodbye to the barista before making your way out of the store. 
Hmmmm, what should I do now?
Glancing around, you remembered that one of your favorite bookstores was about a block away, and quickly made up your mind to go there. 
Walking to the nearest stoplight, you pushed the button on the pole and waited patiently for the light to turn green. Fishing out your phone from your bag, you scrolled aimlessly through social media and responding to some texts your friends had sent. Glancing up, you noticed the light was now green. 
Placing your phone in your pocket, you began to cross the street. 
You were almost at the other side of the crosswalk when a loud screeching noise caused you to whip your head to the side. There was a car moving down the street in your direction incredibly fast, and you watched as people on the sidewalks jumped out of the way as the car swerved from side to side and hit things on the street. 
Your heart raced you watched the car come barreling towards you. It felt like your feet were stuck to the ground and you couldn’t find it in yourself to move. 
Right as the car came feet away from hitting you, you shut your eyes, bracing for the impact of the car hitting your body. 
You barely registered the feeling of someone grabbing your hand and yanking you forward. 
Landing roughly on your hands and knees on the sidewalk, you stared at the cement in front of you as the sound of the car slowly disappeared in the distance. There were people running up to you from both sides of the street, some yelling while others gently crouched next to you and asked if you were okay. 
The strangers helped turn you around and you sat on the sidewalk unable to calm your racing heart. 
“Th-thank you,” you breathed out, looking at the woman who was closest to you. 
Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked at you concerned. 
“For what?”
You swallowed. 
“For grabbing me and pulling me forward. I couldn’t move and I though for sure the car was going to hit me,” you explained. 
It was your turn to look confused when she opened her mouth. 
“Honey, there was no one around you. I certainly wasn’t going to reach you on time and neither was anyone else.”
-
After the lady explained to you that the other pedestrians on the street had just barely reached you after you were already on the sidewalk, you couldn’t shake the feeling of someone’s eyes on you. 
The strangers who had come up to check on you were incredibly nice, and after convincing them to not call an ambulance and that you could stand on your own, the crowd slowly dispersed. 
The woman who had helped you insisted on calling a cab for you, even though you reassured her that you didn’t live far and you could make it home safely. She was adamant, saying that she wouldn’t let you walk home alone after what just happened and said it would weigh heavy on her conscious if she did. 
Eventually, you relented, and waited with her patiently as she called a taxi. 
When the cab eventually pulled up, she gave you a hug and said that she was happy you were okay and to get home safely. 
Waving goodbye through the window, you watched as her figure slowly grew smaller. 
Leaning back against the leather seats, you finally allowed yourself to process what had just happened. 
Your day had been going so well and that car had quite literally come out of nowhere. Even though the lady who helped you said there was no one near you, you were 100% positive you had felt someone grab your hands and pull you forward onto the sidewalk.
Your mind wandered to your parents and the stories they had told you when you were younger of guardian angels. 
“Guardian angels? What’s that?” seven-year-old you has asked your mom.
She smiled, softly running her hand through your hair from where she sat on the edge of your bed. 
“They’re people who are assigned to watch over you and always protect you. They help you when you’re in trouble and make sure you always make good decisions.”
Younger you wrinkled her nose. 
“They’re always watching me? That sounds creepy.”
Your mom laughed, tossing her head back. 
After what you had experienced today, maybe the stories your mom used to tell you weren’t that crazy. 
As the cab you were in slowly came to a stop in front of your building, you thanked the driver and rummaged through your bag looking for some cash to tip him. 
He waved his hand at you, telling you the lady who had flagged him down already paid and there was no need to tip. 
“I’m just glad I could get you home safely.” 
“Oh,” you blinked, kind of surprised he was saying no to being tipped. “Well, thank you, sir.” You said honestly. “I hope you have a great rest of your day,” you said, stepping out of the car. 
The driver bid you farewell and drove away from your building as soon as you walked through the front gates. 
Sighing heavily, you made your way to the elevator in the building and walked into the old machine, watching as the doors closed and the numbers for the floors slowly climbed up.
Honestly, you couldn’t wait to into your bed and knock out. Way too much has happened today that was out of your comfort zone, to say the least. 
Eventually, you reached your front door and reached into your bag to fish out your keys. 
Searching inside your bag with your hand, your eyebrows furrowed when you didn’t feel the familiar metal of your keys. 
I know I brought them with me, so where are they?
Taking your bag off your shoulder, you opened it up and began pulling out everything you had in there. You could feel the pit in your stomach get heavier with every item that was removed and no keys were found. 
You eventually emptied out your entire bag and still, you were unable to find your keys. Leaning your back against your door, you slowly allowed yourself to sink to the ground. 
They must’ve fallen out when I fell, you though bitterly. You could feel the familiar sting of tears in your eyes and you felt a lump in your throat. 
This was the last thing you needed today. 
You’re unsure how long you sat outside your apartment door, wallowing in your own misery. 
The sound of footsteps brought you of your thoughts. 
Glancing up, you noticed a tall man with short pink hair come to a stop in front of you. 
“Is everything okay miss?” 
Holy shit he has a deep voice
You sighed loudly. 
“Not really,” you admit. “I lost my keys at some point when I was out today and my friend who has my spare is out of town for the week.”
You’re not really sure what compelled you to tell all this to the strange man who you’ve never even seen in your apartment, but something about him gives off a very peaceful aura. 
You feel like you could tell him anything. 
The man furrows his eyebrows and a soft pout forms on his face. 
“Aw, I’m really sorry,” he sympathized. 
You shrugged, there wasn’t really anything he could do to help.
He glanced around nervously. Why? You’re not quite sure. 
“I’m, uh, actually one of the maintenance people and we’re here doing some routine check-ups,” he started. 
Check-ups? The building manager didn’t notify me of anything going on this week. 
“If you want,” the man continues. “I can go back down to the leasing office and grab the master key to unlock your door for you?”
You hesitate. 
On one hand, this man is literally offering to go out of his way to help you out and unlock your door for you. 
On the other hand, you have absolutely no way of proving he’s actually who he says he is. He could be a serial killer for all you know and you’ve basically just given him access to unlock your apartment and kill you in your sleep. 
Giving him a once over, you notice the bluish jumpsuit he’s wearing and the work boots he has on. Quite frankly, he does look like he’s been doing some manual labor, so maybe he’s telling the truth. 
“Okay,” you finally reply, albeit hesitantly. 
Honestly, if he does turn out to be a serial killer and comes back to murder you in your sleep, you’ll make sure to haunt him for the rest of his life. 
“Great!” he smiles widely, his eyes turning into the cutest crescent moons you’ve ever seen. 
At least he’ll be a cute serial killer, you think. 
“Oh!” he says, as though he just remembered something. “Also, my name’s Mingi! It’s really nice to meet you!” the man, Mingi, reaches his hand out. 
Pushing yourself off the floor, you quickly dust yourself off before reaching out as well to shake his hand. 
“I’m (Y/n),” you introduce yourself. 
Mingi hums. 
“That’s a really pretty name.”
You can feel your cheeks get warm. 
“O-oh, thank you.” 
It’s quiet for a few moments before Mingi speaks again. 
“Okay, well I’m gonna go downstairs to get the masterkey really quick. Don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone!” he jokes, beginning to walk back down the hallway. 
“I’ll try,” you laugh nervously, thinking about the day you’ve had. 
If anything else goes wrong today, you don’t think you’ll have the willpower to keep living. 
You’re only waiting for a few minutes before you can spot Mingi coming back down the hall. 
Damn he’s quick.
“Got it!” Mingi says cheerfully, waving a small key in the air. 
You smile back, feeling relieved that you can finally get inside your apartment. 
He stops in front of your door, pushing the key inside the lock and wriggling it around a few times before you can hear the familiar click of the lock. Letting out a small “aha”, Mingi twists the doorknob and sure enough, the door to your apartment opens. 
You might actually cry tears of happiness. 
“Ma’am,” Mingi says in a fake posh accent, gesturing with his hand for you to go inside. 
You let out a small laugh and walk inside. Mingi remains outside of your door. 
“Well, thank you so much Mingi,” you say earnestly. “I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t showed up at the right time. My knight in shining armor,” you joke. 
Mingi blushes furiously, bringing up a hand to rub the back of his head and looking off to the side. 
“It’s nothing,” he says. “I’m just glad everything worked out.” 
You nod, unsure of what to say next. 
Mingi’s head suddenly snaps to the side, looking at something down the hallway, almost as if he heard something. You frown. You didn’t hear anything. 
“Well, it looks like I have to get going,” he begins. 
You nod. 
“Better get back before the big boss gets mad at you for slacking off, huh?”
You say it as a joke, but Mingi only lets out a nervous laugh. 
“Yeah, something like that.” 
“Um,” you’re not quite sure what to say. “Okay, well thanks again Mingi, I really do appreciate it.” You slowly begin to shut the door.
“Anytime,” he sends you a small wave and bright smile, turning to walk down the hallway as you finally shut the door. 
You don’t spend too much time thinking about Mingi’s strange behavior at the end, chalking it up to him having a really strict boss. Plus, you honestly can’t wait to change into your pajamas and knock out. 
Dropping your purse on your couch, you make your way to your room and quickly change into your pj’s before flinging yourself onto your bed. 
You hug the stuffed bear on your bed closely, feeling the tension and stress from your body slowly begin to fade away as your body succumbs to sleep. 
-
You’re not sure what time it is when you wake up. 
The lack of light coming in from outside lets you know that it’s dark, leaving you to assume it’s either really late or really early. 
You roll back over, fully intending on returning to dreamland when the sound of hushed arguing catches your attention. 
You groan, assuming it’s your neighbors who are always going at it. Seriously, if they argue this much, they should just break up. Arguing that much can’t be healthy for anyone. 
You’ve just grabbed onto your pillow, intending on using it to block out the voices, when you suddenly realize that it’s only male voices you can hear. Sitting up, you strain your ears to try and catch more of what they’re saying. 
You feel yourself freeze when you realize that the voices are coming from your living room. 
You sit frozen on your bed for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. 
Did these people break into your apartment? What are they doing here? What are they going to do to you? 
Reaching out blindly, you attempt to locate your phone, hoping you can at least call the police before the robbers can reach you. Pressing the power button, your heart drops when it doesn’t turn on. In your excitement to knock out, you never put it to charge and now it’s dead. 
Taking a deep breath, you try to think of a course of action. 
Slowly getting out of bed, you reach under the bed to grab the metal bat that you keep in case of emergencies. Maybe, if the robbers don’t have any weapons, you can either scare them off or hurt them enough to grab the home phone sitting on your kitchen counter and call the police. 
You cautiously make your way to the door of your bedroom, letting out a shaky breath before slowly twisting the doorknob. You gently push the door open, thanking whatever gods are out there that it doesn’t make any noise. 
Now that the door is open, you can hear the voices more clearly. 
“Why would you show yourself to her?” 
“What did you want me to do? She was having the worst day, I wasn’t gonna sit back and watch her suffer.” The voice sounds oddly familiar.
Someone else hums. 
“Don’t even say anything,” the original voice whispers angrily. “You should have never interfered earlier.” 
“She was about to get hit by a car, hyung! What did you want me to do, let it happen? Then we would be back to square one all over again.” 
It’s a different voice this time, slightly higher in pitch. 
They’re talking about what happened to you earlier. 
Who the fuck are these people? 
You arrive at the corner of the hallway, gripping your bat impossibly tight and peeking around the corner. 
From what you can see, there’s a few men standing in your living room. One with dark blue hair sits on your couch facing the kitchen, another stands with his back to the hallway where you stand, and there seems to be someone standing in front of him.
You can’t help but let out a small gasp when you realize the man standing with his back facing you has short pink hair. 
Mingi.
All three men whip their heads around. 
They stare at you wide-eyed, including Mingi. 
You come out from behind the corner and point your bat at the men. 
“Who the fuck are you?” you demand. “And why the fuck are you in my apartment?”
Your eyes dart around, trying to keep an eye on every person in the room. Your heart pounds in your chest and your hands are sweaty, but you’ll be damned if you go out without a fight. 
Mingi takes a step forward, his hands raised slightly. 
“(Y/n),” he starts.
He stops when you take a step backward. 
“Mingi, if that’s even your goddam name,” you spit. You miss the way all three men flinch slightly. “What the fuck are you doing in my apartment?” 
“Was helping me earlier just a plot to figure out where I live? Are you gonna kill me?” you question.
A crestfallen look falls on Mingi’s face. A small part of you almost wants to feel bad. Almost. 
“No, not at all,” he defends. “Look, it’s kind of complicated, but I can explain. I just need you to put the bat down.” His eyes dart to the metal bat you have a death grip on.
You let out a harsh laugh. 
“No fucking way. I don’t care who the hell you are, I need you and your friends to get out right now before I call the cops.” You demand. 
“The cops aren’t going to help you sweetheart,” a voice comes from behind you. 
You let out a scream, turning around and blindly swinging your bat. It hits something hard.
“OW!” 
A man with long hair that’s black and silver hunches over in front of you, clutching his stomach. You stare wide-eyed. 
There’s more of them.
And where the fuck are they coming from?
“(Y/n),” someone else says your name. You whip back around, moving backward towards the wall and making sure the men don’t leave your sight. You keep the bat pointed at them. 
The man with dark blue hair siting on the couch is standing now, and he looks at you with wide eyes as well. 
“Please, just put the bat down and we can explain everything to you.”
You shake your head vehemently. 
“You guys broke into my fucking apartment and you want me to calm down?” You laugh incredulously. “Are you guys fucking insane?”
You miss the way the shorter male standing next to Mingi has disappeared. 
Mingi frowns, looking genuinely saddened. 
“I’m really sorry we have to do this.”
You furrow your eyebrows, now genuinely concerned he’s going to murder you. 
“What are you-”
You don’t get to finish your sentence when you feel fingers touch your temple and you black out. 
-
“What did you do?” 
“What we had to! She already managed to hit Wooyoung and she was obviously freaking out so we had to calm her down!”
Someone snickers. 
“Shut up Yeosang.”
“C’mon, you’re telling me it’s a bat that took you out?”
“She has a good swing! You should try getting a metal bat swung directly at your stomach and see how you feel.”
You let out a soft groan at the voices that surround you. They’re too loud.
You’re laying on something soft and it feels familiar as well. 
Am I dead?
“You’re not dead.” 
Your eyes shoot open. 
Sitting up, you groan at the light that shines harshly into your room and shut your eyes. Opening them softly, you glance around. You’re definitely in your room, which is a relief. 
But the eight bodies that surround you bring anything but relief. 
You tense up, your hands gripping at the sheets. 
You can feel tears beginning to blur your vision and you can hear your heartbeat in your ears.
“Please don’t hurt me,” you whimper. 
Someone lets out a sad noise. 
“We’re not going to hurt you,” a deep voice comes from your right side. 
You look over to see who said that. Familiar brown eyes stare deeply into your own, and the soft pink hair instantly allows you to recognize who just spoke. 
“How can I trust you Mingi?” 
A heartbroken expression falls over his face and he looks unsure of what to say. 
“He’s right sweetheart,” another voice speaks up. “We’re not going to hurt you.” This time it’s another tall man who speaks. He has peach colored hair. His eyes bore into yours, and you feel slightly unnerved at the raw honesty that comes across. 
You don’t say anything, opting to take a glance at all the men who are spread across your room. 
A shorter man who stands closest to your bed sighs and takes a step forward. 
“This isn’t how we wanted to meet, so please accept our deepest apologies for scaring you,” the man begins. 
“We’re your guardian angels.”
-
The man, Hongjoong, had explained to you that they were in fact your guardian angels. 
Typically, humans only had one guardian angel, he had explained, but you were assigned eight. 
Guardian angels were also never, under any circumstances, to reveal themselves to their humans, but some people, Hongjoong glared at the man sitting at your desk with dark blue hair as well as Mingi, had broken these rules. 
Which is why you were currently able to see all of them. 
“How do I even know you’re telling me the truth?” You questioned. This entire situation was absolutely insane and you could barely wrap your head around any of the information that was just given to you. 
“Well, we’ve been watching over you your whole life,” the blue haired male spoke up. “Ask us anything that no one else knows and we can answer it.”
You stayed quiet for a moment, thinking about different things throughout your life that no one knew about you. 
“When I was in middle school and I asked out that boy a year ahead of me, what did he say?”
There’s no way they could know the answer to this. This is literally something I’ve never told anyone and I intend on taking it with me to my grave. 
“He said no because you reminded him of his mom and that grossed him out.” 
You stare wide-eyed at the man with medium length blonde hair that sat in the middle of your floor. 
What the fuck?
“Don’t worry, you honestly dodged a bullet with that one,” another male with cherry red hair shook his head. “You know that guy ended up marrying his first cousin?” The man snorted. 
You had no words. 
You had never told anyone that secret because it embarrassed you so much, but clearly, the men in front of you knew it. 
Maybe they’re telling the truth.
“Of course we’re telling the truth, we’re angels.” 
The man with two-toned hair speaks up. 
You narrow your eyes at him. 
“Did you just read my thoughts?” 
He shrugs. 
“They’re very loud.”
You stare at him. 
“Do you want me to hit you with my bat again?”
The man shudders. 
“Please, don’t.”
Another voice speaks up. 
“You’re taking this surprisingly well,” the man with peach hair pipes in. 
You shrug. 
“I don’t really have any reason to doubt you, I guess.” You hesitate before saying your next words. “Plus, I don’t know what it is, but you guys have this vibe,” you gesture your hand vaguely. 
“It feels...safe?” You shrug, looking down at the spare thread you’ve been messing with since you woke up. “I felt it when I met Mingi earlier, but I didn’t know what to think about it.” 
You miss the way Mingi’s ears turn red. 
An awkward silence falls across the room. 
“Well,” another man, the one who stands next to Hongjoong, begins to speak. “Now that that’s done, we should introduce ourselves. I’m Seonghwa,” he sends you a beautiful smile. 
“I’m Hongjoong, as you already know,” Hongjoong says and you nod. 
“My name’s Yunho,” the man with peach hair speaks up. 
“I’m San,” the man with dark blue hair pipes up, sending you a bright, dimpled smile. You can’t help but send him a small smile back. 
“I’m Yeosang,” the blonde one on your floor gives you a small nod of acknowledgement.
“I’m Wooyoung!” Two-toned hair chirps loudly. You can’t help but side-eye him slightly. “What?” he cries. 
“Please don’t sneak up on me if you don’t want me to hit you again,” you warn. 
A few snickers sound throughout the room. 
“I’m Jongho,” the one with cherry hair tells you. 
Your eyes land on the last man who sits closest to you. 
“I’m Mingi,” he says. “But, you already know that.” 
You nod. He still seems a little bit sad. 
You hesitate, but reach out to softly grab his hand that rests on your bed. 
“Thank you for your help earlier,” you start. “And I’m sorry I didn’t believe you at first.” 
You glance around the room. 
“But, you guys have to understand that this whole situation is kind of crazy.” 
Seonghwa nods. 
“We understand, and we’re sorry for scaring you so much.” He nods his head toward Mingi and San. “But those two broke one of the most important rules that guardian angels must follow.” 
You nod, understanding what Seonghwa’s saying. 
“Wait,” your eyebrows furrow. “I know Mingi broke the rule when he helped me get back inside my apartment, but what did San do?” 
You look at him as he crosses his arms and pouts, reminding you of a scolded child. 
“He’s the one that pulled you out of the street yesterday before the car could hit you,” Wooyoung explains. 
Your eyes widen and you sit up even further. 
“So I was right!” you exclaim. 
Mingi raises a brow.
“I knew I felt someone grab my hands and pull me forward, but the lady who helped me said there was no one there!” You pout slightly. “I thought I was going crazy for a second.” 
You look over at San. 
“Thank you for saving my life,” you tell him sincerely.
San throws his hands up in the air. 
“See? At least she’s grateful for what I did!” 
Yeosang rolls his eyes. 
“Of course she is, you idiot, she would’ve been dead if you hadn’t.” 
This time, you don’t miss the way they all seem to wince at Yeosang’s words.
You frown. 
“Yeah, actually,” you begin. “If you guys are my guardian angels, how come I almost died yesterday?” You look at them expectantly. “Isn’t the whole point of you guys being here to like, keep me alive?”
They avoid your eyes.
“We were a little...preoccupied,” Hongjoong admits. 
You click your tongue. 
“Well, at least San was there for me.” 
You send a grateful smile to him, which he returns with slightly red cheeks. 
“Hey!” Mingi whines. “I helped you too!”
You roll your eyes. 
“Yes you did, you big baby, but San literally saved my life,” you emphasize. 
“And I didn’t?” Mingi asks, offended. “What if I never showed up? You would’ve had to sleep on the streets and who knows what would’ve happened then?”
“Oh my god,” you groan, throwing yourself back on your bed. 
“I didn’t know angels were this dramatic!”
Jongho lets out a laugh. 
“The most,” he admits. 
The sound of your stomach rumbling has a warm flush spreading across your cheeks. 
“You haven’t eaten?” Yunho furrows his eyebrows.
“Mmmm, not since breakfast yesterday, I think,” you admit. 
Wooyoung jumps out of his chair. 
“Don’t worry sweetheart, I’ll make you the best meal you’ve ever had,” he sends you a small wink before heading out of your room towards the kitchen. 
“He’s not going to burn my apartment down right?” You ask worriedly.
Hongjoong shakes his head. 
“No, Wooyoung’s actually a really good cook,” he reassures you. 
“Plus,” San says. “You have seven angels here to protect you if anything!”
You’re not sure if that makes you feel any better. 
As it turns out, Hongjoong was right, and Wooyoung is an excellent cook. In a span of 20 minutes, he’s managed to make you an omelet that looks like it came straight out of a Studio Ghibli movie, along with some oatmeal, fresh fruit, and what looks like freshly squeezed orange juice. 
“Wow,” you gape at the food. 
Wooyoung motions for you to sit at the table. 
“It was meant for you to eat, not just stare at.”
You happily oblige, sitting down at the table and bringing up the fork to your mouth, only to pause when you realize no one else has food. 
“We don’t have to eat,” Seonghwa explains, reading your mind. “We can if we want to, but it’s not necessary for us to survive.”
You nod, feeling a little less guilty about eating in front of them. 
Letting out a satisfied hum at the taste of the food, you send Wooyoung a thumbs-up. He smiles brightly. 
“So,” you start, swallowing your food and taking a quick sip of your juice. “Now that I’ve met you guys and I know you exist, are you going to go back to being invisible to me?” 
Hongjoong and Seonghwa share a look. 
“Not exactly,” Hongjoong says. 
You raise an eyebrow, motioning for him to continue. 
“Now that you know we exist, we can’t exactly just disappear,” he elaborates. “It’s one of the reasons guardian angels aren’t meant to reveal themselves to their humans.” 
You nod slowly. 
“So, humans just never find out they have a guardian angel? Like, ever?”
Jongho mutters something under his breath. Yunho kicks his leg under the table.
“Sorry, what was that?” You ask, looking at him. 
He avoids your gaze. 
A tense silence falls over the table. 
You notice how Mingi shakes his leg anxiously. San taps his fingers on the table and Yunho avoids your gaze. 
You narrow your eyes at them. 
“There’s something you guys aren’t telling me.” It’s not a question. 
“I don’t think now is the best time to talk about this-” Hongjoong starts. 
“Humans only find out about their guardian angels when their time is near,” Wooyoung says calmly. 
Hongjoong glares at him. Wooyoung only shrugs. 
“What? She was bound to find out eventually.” 
“Their time?” You look around at the men that sit at your table. “Like, when they’re about to die?”
Yeosang nods. 
You let out a small “oh”, looking down at the unfinished food that stares at you.
It’s silent as you think about the information they’ve just given you. 
“The car,” you swallow. “The car that almost hit me yesterday. Was it,” you almost can’t get the words out. “Was it supposed to hit me?”
Your question comes out in a whisper. 
No one responds, but when you look up, they all fix you with a sad look.
You nod.
“Okay.” 
You push your plate away from you. 
You don’t have an appetite anymore. 
“I’m sorry,” Mingi whispers from your left side. 
His large hand gently encompasses yours. You nod, refusing to look him in the eyes. 
“But we’re not going to let you die.” 
You look up at San’s determined voice, barely able to see him through your misty eyes. 
“What?”
“We’re not letting you die,” he says firmly. “It’s not your time.” 
You shake your head. 
“I’m pretty sure if the universe decides it’s my time, then it’s my time,” you reply. You’re not sure if you’re saying it to convince them, or yourself. 
“I can’t just avoid fate.”
Hongjoong sighs. 
“San’s right.” 
You send him a questioning look. 
“We’re your guardian angels. We’re not going to let you die.” 
“Screw what the universe says,” Yeosang chimes in. 
You stare at them incredulously. 
“I’m sorry, what?” 
“Look,” Yunho starts. “We’ve been thinking about it, and we’re pretty sure the universe is wrong about it being your time. We’ve been around for centuries, usually we have a good sense of when it’s going to be someone’s time and when it’s not.”
“And we don’t get that feeling with you,” Jongho continues for him. “We never have.”
“So, we’re going to do our best to make sure you stay out of harms way,” Yeosang finishes.
Your throat feels constricted and you can barely see through all the tears that have welled up in your eyes. 
“You guys would do all that for me?” You choke out. 
Mingi squeezes your hand. 
“Of course. We’re not your guardian angels for nothing.”
You sniffle, looking down at your lap and bringing up your other hand to wipe at your eyes. 
“Thank you guys,” you tell them sincerely. 
“Anything for you,” Seonghwa smiles softly. 
-
After the conversation at breakfast, the nine of you come up with a vague plan Wooyoung affectionally dubbed “Keeping Our Human Alive”. Despite the look you had given him, you had to admit, it made you laugh.
You all agreed it would be best for at least one of them to accompany you every day, more if any of them felt like tagging along. 
“That way,” Hongjoong explained, “if anything unexpected happens, at least one of us will be able to protect you.” 
You agreed.
“What about when I go to work and stuff?” You had questioned. “Won’t it be weird if there’s a different guy following me around every day?”
Yunho shook his head. 
“Just because you can see us doesn’t mean everyone else can see us too. We can make ourselves visible to other people besides our assigned human if we want,” he explained. 
“Oh, okay. Well, that certainly makes this easier then.” 
“What would you prefer for us to do?” Questioned San. “Do you want us to remain invisible all the time or only at work?”
You think it over for a minute before shrugging.
“Honestly, whatever’s most comfortable for all of you. I would prefer if at work you guys are invisible, but while we’re in public and stuff, whatever you guys feel comfortable with is fine by me.”
At your answer, they all give you fond looks which makes your face feel slightly warm. Clearing your throat, you continue.
“Also, I was thinking about it and if you guys are going to be with me 24/7 now, we need some ground rules.”
Jongho chuckled.
“Technically, we’ve always been here, you’ve just barely found out.”
You realize he’s right, and the memories of every single embarrassing thing that you’ve ever done in the privacy of your own home comes rushing back to you.
“Well, yeah, now that I know you guys are here,” you stumble over your words slightly. “Privacy is really big for me. I don’t have many rules, but I just ask that you guys don’t show up unannounced or else that might really freak me out, and please, if you’re going to come into my room, just knock.”
Everyone nods their heads in agreement.
“And,” you continue, “no more reading my thoughts please.”
Only a few of them nod, which makes you grow slightly concerned.
“Is that a problem?” You ask, a slight edge to your voice.
“Not at all,” Seonghwa reassures.
“It’s just that we do get a little concerned for when you’re alone. Being aware of your thoughts helps us decide if you need our help at that moment or not,” Hongjoong explains.
You nod.
“I get that, but if at least one of you is going to be by my side every single day from now on, I really don’t think there’s any need for you to read my thoughts.”
You continue.
“Plus, it’s really just about privacy for me. I don’t really feel comfortable with you guys having access to every single thought in my head, no matter how big or small.”
Hongjoong and Seonghwa both nod.
“We understand. And we’ll do our best to respect your boundaries.”
“Thank you guys,” you send them a small smile.
“Plus, if I need any help or anything, I’ll just yell out ‘bat’ really loud,” you joke, referring to the bruise you might’ve left on Wooyoung’s stomach.
Everyone laughs except for him.
“Not funny,” he pouts.
You let out a small giggle, patting him lightly on the arm. 
“You did kind of deserve it, my friend.”
Clapping your hands together, you let out a deep exhale. 
“Now that that’s all settled, I need to go grocery shopping. All of you are more than welcome to come.” 
A few of them look very excited, which both excites you and makes you slightly nervous. 
“Thank you for the invitation,” Hongjoong starts. “But Seonghwa and I will have to pass this time.”
You pout slightly. 
“Aw man.” 
“Trust me,” Seonghwa starts. “We would love to go on our first official errand run with you, little one, but we have some business to deal with upstairs.” 
He uses his index finger to point up and you look up as well.
Upstairs? 
“Ohhhh, you mean, like, heaven and all that,” you laugh nervously at your lack of understanding. 
The two men nod. 
“But don’t worry, we should be back by the end of the day,” Hongjoong reassures you. 
“Don’t worry guys,” Mingi slings an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side. “We’ve got this.” 
Hongjoong and Seonghwa stare at the male by your side, slightly unamused. 
“That’s what we’re scared of.”
-
It’s officially been about a week since your near death experience and finding out about your guardian angels. 
While having all of them around had certainly been awkward at first, you’ve all slowly begun to fall into a routine. Sometimes, you feel as though you’ve known them your whole life. 
Which, to a certain extent, you kind of have. 
Something about having them around just makes you feel incredibly safe and warm inside. Not to mention the slight butterflies you’ve been experiencing around them, but you’re quick to try and cage them as soon as they appear. 
Wooyoung and Seonghwa have taken it upon themselves to cook most of the meals for the nine of you. Every day when you come home from work, you can always count on a warm, freshly cooked meal to be waiting on the table for you. 
“You’re kind of like my house husbands,” you joked to them one time. 
Seonghwa blushed, while Wooyoung had blown you a kiss. 
“Anything for you sweetheart.”
Yunho and Mingi are the two that typically accompany you to work, although sometimes Jongho will tag along if he doesn’t have anything else to do. Despite the tall men’s playful personalities, they were both incredibly smart and helped you with your work whenever you felt particularly stressed out. 
San was certainly one of the more playful angels, you had noticed. 
Although all of them were fun to be around, San was always the first to notice when your mood wasn’t the best, and he was the best at comforting you after a long day. A bad day at work usually ended with San waiting for you with open arms as soon as you walked through the door for some cuddles and quiet time. 
When Wooyoung and Mingi had found out about this little routine, they both immediately demanded to be allowed into the “cuddle time” as they called it.
Jongho and Yeosang were the two individuals who you enjoyed spending some quiet time with. The three of you would usually wind down together with some tea and some books or a show. Although they were a little more reserved than the others, you still genuinely enjoyed your time with both of them.
But they certainly had their moments where they could be just as chaotic as the others. 
Exhibit A was the day you walked into your apartment to see Yeosang and Yunho standing in your kitchen covered in flour. 
“What happened?” you had asked, absolutely astounded by the amount of flour that somehow managed to cover every inch of your kitchen. You didn’t even think you had that much flour to begin with. 
The two of them sheepishly admitted that they were trying to bake some cookies, but things had gotten out of hand. 
Clicking your tongue, you walked over to the roll of paper towels to begin cleaning up. 
“What am I going to do with you guys-”
You had just turned around when the feeling of something soft and powdery hit your face. You sputtered, staring wide-eyed at the two angels. Yunho looked at you and then turned to Yeosang, who avoided your eyes. 
What followed next was a flour fight that resulted in a very long clean-up shift.
There was also the time you found out Jongho literally had the voice of an angel. 
The two of you were headed to your local plant store to look for some new plants to decorate your apartment with when one of your favorite songs came on the radio. 
Turning the volume up, you began singing along softly as did Jongho. As the song continued, his voice grew louder, and when the two of you reached a red light, you were unable to do anything except stare at him slack-jawed at the voice that was coming out of him. Only the sound of the car behind you honking was able to shake you out of your stupor.
Now, you guys have little karaoke parties in your car when the two of you are alone.
The only angel you had yet to spend a lot of time with, however, was Hongjoong. 
The man always seemed to be busy, as he was hardly ever in your actual apartment. Most mornings when you woke up, he was gone and he wouldn’t show up until the evenings. 
You would be lying if you said the hushed arguments he would have with some of the others didn’t concern you. They always occurred at night, when they assumed you were fast asleep. And they always revolved around the same thing. 
“She’s not the exact same, and that’s okay, but you guys can’t keep expecting her to be the same as our (Y/n).” You heard Hongjoong say one night.
You had been unable to fall back asleep after that.
Today, though, you really needed to go to the post office, and Hongjoong was the only angel available to accompany you. 
You stood awkwardly at the end of your table where Hongjoong sat using your laptop to do something. 
“Uh,” you clear your throat. “Hongjoong?”
He looks up a little startled. 
“(Y/n),” he acknowledges. “Is everything okay?” He looks at you concerned. 
“Yeah everything’s fine!” You reassure him. 
“I just need to run a quick errand and the others are all busy so I was wondering if you could go with me,” you trail off.
God this is awkward. 
To your surprise, although you really shouldn’t be, he nods his head quickly.
“Yeah of course. We can go now, if you’re ready?”
“Cool, let me just grab my bag and we can get going!” You rush to your room to grab your bag before walking back to the front door where Hongjoong already waits for you. 
The two of you agree to make the short walk to the post office, commenting on how the nice weather is today. 
Exiting through the front gates of your apartment, you two begin walking down the sidewalk shoulder to shoulder in silence. 
“So is-”
“I wanted-”
The two of you start talking at the same time. 
You both let out a laugh and you can feel your shoulders relax a bit. 
“Go ahead,” you allow Hongjoong to speak first. 
He takes a deep breath.
“I just wanted to apologize for the way I’ve been acting lately,” he says as he stares into your eyes. 
You have to admit, that’s not what you were expecting him to say.
“Huh?”
“I’ve been really distant and pre-occupied lately,” Hongjoong continues. “And I know you’ve noticed, so I want to sincerely apologize. There’s been a lot of stuff I’ve been dealing with and I don’t want you to think I don’t like this,” he gestures between the two of you, “thing we have going on.”
You shake your head. 
“No, please don’t feel like you have to apologize Hongjoong. To be completely honest, I have no clue what it is you guys have to deal with in the first place, but I’m really grateful you’ve all gone out of your way to help me.” 
You let out a small, sad laugh. 
“If I’m being honest, I don’t really get why you guys are helping me in the first place. I’m sure you’ve all had hundreds of different assigned humans throughout your existence, so I’m nothing special.” 
Hongjoong stops abruptly and turns to face you. 
“That’s not true,” he says firmly. The serious expression on his face has you taken aback. 
“What?”
“You said you’re nothing special. That’s not true.”
Hongjoong sighs and grabs both of your hands. 
“Look, it’s complicated to explain, and I will tell you, but we agreed we all wanted to tell you together. So, if you’re okay with waiting, I can tell you everything that’s been going on as soon as we get back to your apartment.” 
You would be lying if you said his words don’t scare you a little bit. 
“It’s okay Hongjoong, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to,” you reassure him, softly running your fingers over his knuckles. 
He shakes his head. 
“I- We all want to tell you, and you deserve to know the truth.” 
You nod your head. 
“Okay. Back at my apartment it is then,” you send him a small smile, which he returns. 
“Before we head to the post office,” you start. “Do you want to visit my favorite cafe with me?” 
Hongjoong smiles softly at you. 
“I would love to.” 
You guys continue walking down the few blocks and after a few minutes, you both stand at the stoplight that sits across from the cafe. You and Hongjoong laugh at the stories you tell him about the antics Yunho and Mingi get up to when you’re at work. The light turns green, and you begin to cross the street. 
“I’m telling you, I just told them about this lady in my office who’s always getting on my nerves and they made it their mission to inconvenience her in every way possible!” You exclaim. 
Hongjoong lets out a hearty laugh and you smile widely at how relaxed he looks. 
Just as your about to continue your story, you notice the wind blowing your letter out of your purse. 
Cursing, you tell Hongjoong to wait on the sidewalk while you run quickly after the paper. The letter lands in the middle of crosswalk and you’ve just barely managed to pick it up when the sound of someone yelling your name makes you whip around. 
Coming towards you at a terrifying speed is a car. 
You stand frozen in the middle of street, unable to move your feet. 
You barely manage to catch a glimpse of Hongjoong’s terrified face when you feel your body get thrown back, and everything turns black. 
-
You stand in a green field. 
The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and you can feel the warm sun and cool breeze on your skin. 
Looking around, you notice a large, crystal blue lake in the distance. Your legs begin to take you in that direction on their own accord.
You reach the lake and crouch down, slightly dipping your hand in the cool water. Soft ripples make their way across the surface of the water and you can’t help but feel completely at ease in this place.
Whatever this place is.
As you continue staring down into the water, you notice your reflection seems to look different.
The you staring back has much longer hair than you currently have, and the clothes your reflection wears is older, looking like they come from an early Victorian age.
You tilt your head to the side and notice that your reflection’s head doesn’t move.
A voice sounds out through your mind.
“You need to go back.”
“Go back?” You whisper aloud.
Your reflection nods.
“They need you.”
Other you doesn’t specify who you two are talking about, but deep down, you think you already know the answer.
Your reflection sends you a gentle smile before disappearing. You watch as the water returns to its calm state before gently pushing yourself back up to your feet.
You take one last look around the field you’re in, before closing your eyes.
-
The first thing you notice is how dark it is.
You can hear the sounds of people talking and crying around you, and you can feel hands softly grabbing your body, but you’re unable to open your eyes or move.
“Please,” someone whispers over your body.
“Please don’t leave us again.”
You lose consciousness once again.
-
The next time you wake up, your entire body hurts.
You let out a soft groan, slowly opening your eyes and allowing them to adjust to the soft light of your lamp.
Something heavy rests near your right hand, and turning your head slightly, you can see a head of familiar pink hear laying down next to you.
Using what little strength you have in your body, you raise your hand and gently rest it on Mingi’s head. Softly, you run your fingers through the short strands on his head.
He makes an inaudible noise and turns his head over so that you can now see his face. As you continue stroking his head, his eyes flutter open. He looks a little bit confused for a few seconds before his body is shooting up and he stares at you shocked.
“(Y/n),” he whispers softly.
“Hi Mingi,” you reply.
You watch as tears well up in his eyes and he throws himself on top of you, mindful to not rest his entire body weight on you. You can hear footsteps rushing towards your room before your bedroom door is being slammed open.
You can barely see over Mingi’s broad back that covers your frame, but you already know who it is.
As Mingi releases you, you attempt to sit up, only to stop and hiss in pain when jolts of pain shoot up your back.
“Be careful, little one,” Seonghwa says, moving forward to help adjust some pillows behind you.
You thank him and take a moment to look around at each of the men that surrounds your bed. You notice the dark circles under their eyes and the way their skin seems to lack it’s normal glow.
“You guys look worse than I feel,” you joke, trying to lighten the mood.
Yeosang frowns.
“You’ve been out for 4 days, sunflower.”
You blink harshly.
“Four days?”
Jongho nods.
“The worst four days of our entire existence,” he says.
You look down at the blanket that rests on your lap.
“I’m sorry.”
You’re not quite sure what you’re apologizing for.
“No I’m sorry.”
It’s Hongjoong who speaks.
He comes to your side, falling onto his knees beside your bed and taking your hand into his. He leans down to rest his forehead against your hand.
“I’m so sorry, my love,” he cries.
“I should’ve known. I should’ve seen the car coming, I should’ve moved faster, I should’ve gotten you out of the way-” he sobs.
“No, Hongjoong,” you shake your head. “There’s nothing you could’ve done, the car came out of nowhere and it was too fast.”
“I don’t think you understand,” Yunho whispers.
“We swore to never let you pass before your time again.”
You can’t help the confused look you give them, but then, you remember the reflection you saw in the lake.
How the person looked just like you, but from a different era.
The arguments you heard Hongjoong have with the others.
Softly resting your palm on Hongjoong’s tear stained face, you speak.
“I need you guys to explain everything to me.”
-
All nine of you sit in your living room.
The boys helped you get settled on the couch, where you sit with San and Wooyoung flanking both of your sides. Hongjoong and Seonghwa sit across from you three while Mingi sits on the floor next to your legs. Yunho sits to the right of San and Yeosang and Jongho remain standing, but still close.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve met you,” Hongjoong begins.
“We’ve been very lucky to have met you almost every single time you’ve been reborn.”
Yeosang continues.
“The first time we met you was an accident. You happened to stumble upon me when I was helping a wounded human at the time. Soon after, I introduced you to the others.”
“But I thought the only time humans could see a guardian angel was when they were close to death?” You questioned.
Jongho nods sadly.
“You passed away shortly after meeting the rest of us.”
“In almost every single life where you’ve been reborn,” Wooyoung explains.
“We’ve managed to find you, but we’ve never been granted the luxury of time.”
You softly run your fingers through his hair, hearing the tremble of his voice as he speaks.
“The last two times that you’ve been born, we’ve been fortunate enough to be your guardian angels,” Seonghwa smiles.
“But in your last life, you passed away prematurely,” San says.
You turn your head towards him.
“A freak accident that we weren’t able to save you from.”
Mingi turns around to look up at you from where he rests by your legs.
“We failed you,” he whispers sadly.
You shake your head.
“You guys didn’t fail me. Not then, and not now. Just because you guys are angels doesn’t mean you can control everything that happens.”
“Sometimes,” you take a deep breath. “Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can’t always protect the ones you love.”
“But we have to,” Hongjoong says, looking you in the eye. “Not only is that our job, but for selfish reasons too.”
He looks down at his hands.
“We couldn’t take watching you die another time.”
It’s silent for a moment.
“How am I still here then?”
Hongjoong looks back up at you.
“We made a deal.”
You send him a questioning look.
“A deal?”
All the men surrounding you nod.
“What kind of deal?” You prod, noticing how they seem to hesitate to give you more details.
“Our life in exchange for yours.”
You inhale sharply, the sudden movement causing pain to shoot up your back. Wooyoung and San attempt to soothe your pain, but your mind is only focused on the information they just gave you.
“What?”
“We made a deal with God,” Yunho starts. “Our status in heaven as guardian angels, in exchange for the guarantee that you would live a full life.”
“What?” you say breathlessly. “Why, why would you guys do that?”
“Because we’re selfish,” Jongho says, looking at you with such tenderness you’re unsure of what to do with yourself.
“And we don’t care about being angels or having those powers and helping others if it means we have to live in a world without you in it,” Mingi finishes.
Tears begin to well up and spill out of your eyes before you can stop them. San and Wooyoung cuddle impossibly closer to you, hugging you tightly while the others watch on with misty eyes.
“Thank you,” you sob into your hands. “Thank you.”
They all smile.
-
It’s been about a month since you almost (should’ve) died.
In that month, the ex-angels did their best to help you recover from your injuries, although they certainly complained about no longer having healing powers to help stop you from being pain.
“Welcome to the life of being a human,” you rolled your eyes.
“This is lame, maybe we should’ve stayed as angels,” Wooyoung muttered.
You smacked him on the chest, ignoring his yelp and complaints.
“Don’t make me bring out the bat again,” you warned.
After you were fully recovered, you focused on helping the boys adjust to their new lives as humans.
“Why do we have to walk everywhere?” Mingi groaned, dragging his feet behind you.
You rolled your eyes.
He’s just like a little kid.
“Because my car can only fit four of you, but all eight of you decided to accompany me to the store,” you remind him.
He says nothing, but you could still hear his grumbling.
As they’ve slowly adjusted to human life, the nine of you have fallen into a smooth routine that’s oddly domestic.
Wooyoung and Seonghwa continue to cook the meals for you guys, and you all make an effort to eat at least one meal together a day.
Seeing as most of them aren’t morning people, you typically opt to eat dinner together instead.
You’ve also decided to introduce them to your favorite bookstore.
“How ironic,” you muse, walking hand in hand with San and Yunho as you all approach the quaint shop.
“What is, sunflower?” Yeosang questions.
“This bookstore is the whole reason I met you guys in the first place,” you give San’s hand a small squeeze.
He squeezes it back three times.
Later that night, when you’ve all returned home, you guys decide to have a small movie night.
After arguing over what movie to watch, Jongho insisted on watching a horror movie, which Mingi complained about loudly.
Not that it mattered, most everyone ended up falling asleep by the time the film was halfway over, including yourself.
You could hear the sound of someone moving around quietly in the living room and turned your head to the side, burying your face deeper into Mingi’s chest. The feeling of a blanket being laid over the two of you was welcomed.
You felt someone leave a soft kiss on the side of your head.
“Goodnight my love,” Hongjoong whispered softly. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
You hummed in reply, falling back asleep perfectly content and safe in the presence of your lovers.
                                        ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
a/n: my fic to celebrate hitting 50 followers, you guys are insane, i love you all so much and i hope you enjoyed this as much as i enjoyed writing it :)
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silverynight · 2 months
Text
Welcome home
Chapter 1 (of 5)
It's been a year since Izuku reconnected with his childhood friend, now pro hero, Bakugo Katsuki.
He has changed a lot... in a good way. When he found out Izuku got a job at the same agency he works for, he went straight to the analytics department to see him and talk to him.
Izuku had to ask for a break and meet Katsuki outside; he was nervous then, but he realized quickly he didn't have to. All the pro hero wanted was to apologize for his past behavior.
They started over after that and now they're really good friends and Izuku is very happy because of it.
There's a lot of things in his life that have improved since he got that job, actually.
He gets to meet a lot of pro heroes, yes, most of them are kind enough to go to his department and see him in person rather than only communicate with him via text or earpiece.
Aizawa promoted him after a couple of months and now Izuku handles most to the mission and investigations; he chooses quickly which pro hero (based on their quirk, availability and experience) is the best to deal with the situation at hand.
He really likes his job because even though he doesn't do the hero work directly, he gets to help the pro heroes in a way.
He also hangs out with Katsuki a lot; he met his friends the first week after the apology and went to his apartment for the first time fifteen days after that.
Ashido says that it's weird for "Blasty" (as she calls Katsuki) to spend so much time with him right after meeting him again, although she has this smirk on her face whenever she says it that makes Izuku flustered for some reason.
However, Izuku thinks it's perfectly normal; whenever they're together, it feels right, like they never stopped seeing each other and have been good friends for years, ever since they were kids.
"It's still weird," Kaminari says when Katsuki goes to the cafeteria counter to get Izuku a coffee and a bagel. "It took us a year to get invited to his apartment."
The way his friends (because Izuku considers them his friends now) look at him make him feel flustered, but he doesn't do anything to hide the blush on his cheeks like he used to do in high-school whenever he was embarrassed.
Now he just hopes it goes away quickly.
"Well, that was years ago," Izuku says, trying to dismiss it. Katsuki told him he bought his fancy apartment two years after he started working as a professional hero. "Kacchan has changed."
Izuku got really shocked when he found out he owned that apartment, but he knows the pro heroes get very well paid, especially when they get brand deals. It also helps that Katsuki is the number one hero currently, although pro hero Shoto is right behind him.
"He doesn't trust most people," Kirishima points out, like he's trying to tell him something. Then his expression turns into an amused one as he sees Katsuki approaching them again. "And he's certainly not the type to bring anyone food."
"Kacchan's just being nice!" Izuku says as the three pro heroes look back at him like he's crazy. Yes, Katsuki is not that nice on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean he hasn't improved. "I told him my ankle hurts a bit because I rescued a cat and fell right after I managed to get him down from a tree."
Fortunately, the mention of the cat makes them focus on that instead, and suddenly Izuku finds himself showing them pictures of it.
Katsuki sits right next to him, and Izuku sighs in delight after taking the first bite of his bagel.
"How much?" He asks after a while.
"I don't know," Katsuki makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. "I paid for your stuff and mine together."
"But surely they gave you a receipt–"
"No. Just drink your damn coffee, nerd!"
"Thank you, Kacchan," Izuku says, trying not to roll his eyes; sometimes Katsuki does stuff like that, he seems determined to pay for every little thing Izuku wants when they go out together.
"Also, I'm going to drive you to your apartment..."
"There's no need–"
"You're hurt," Katsuki argues and the green haired man knows that expression really well; there's nothing that can change his mind now, no matter what Izuku says, the pro hero will take him home no matter what.
Izuku realizes right then that it's the first time Katsuki sees the place where he lives; they always go to Dynamight's apartment or to a coffee shop, a restaurant or somewhere else when they hang out.
"Please, tell me you're joking," Katsuki hisses as he parks his expensive car right outside Izuku's building, the one that looks like it's been sitting there for hundreds of years and is about to collapse under its own weight.
Or maybe that's not why the pro hero is frowning that much; his red eyes are scanning the area like the worst kind of villain is about to pop up from the dark alley next to Izuku's building.
"It's not that bad," he assures his friend. They have tried to rob him only once, maybe twice... but he survived!
Well, maybe he shouldn't say that out loud.
"Shit!" Katsuki hisses. "I thought they paid you well! What the hell?"
"They do!" Izuku assures him. "But, uhh... you see... I'm kinda tired of paying rent so I've been saving some money to buy my own place somewhere else. However, if I want it to happen soon, I need to stay here for a while."
"I'll buy you a new apartment."
Izuku chuckles, but his smile falls when he realizes Katsuki is not joking at all.
"I appreciate the offer, but there's no need, Kacchan," he smiles.
Katsuki is still grabbing the steering wheel like he's very tempted to drive away from there. His knuckles are slightly white, perhaps because the grip of the wheel has tightened considerably.
"Izuku, this is not a safe place." He's deadly serious, and by the tone in his voice, it seems like he's about to snap, but he's trying to control himself.
"I can take care of myself," he hears himself saying, slightly irritated. Katsuki is not the only stubborn person in that car.
"Alright..." Katsuki doesn't deny it, but Izuku can tell that he doesn't like the situation at all. "If you want to save for your new apartment, perhaps you can live with me in the meantime. You'll save even more money because you won't have to pay rent anymore."
Izuku's face turns slightly pink at the thought of living with Katsuki. A memory returns to him in that moment; when they were kids, they had promised each other they would live together and work in the same agency as a hero duo.
But that was before Izuku found out he was quirkless.
A long time ago.
"Kacchan, I really appreciate what you're trying to do, but I can't accept–"
"Please."
He's sure the pro hero has seen a lot of awful things during all those years working as Dynamight; Izuku has access to a lot of cases, and even though the information is sometimes haunting, he knows there's nothing compared to seeing it happening or arriving at the crime scene.
However, this time Katsuki is overreacting. Sure, the place is not the safest one, but it's not like there's a murder every single day.
Besides, his neighbors are very good people.
"I'll think about it," he finally says, mostly to reassure him.
However, it doesn't work. Katsuki keeps looking around, growing tense.
"You should stay with me tonight. I'll make katsudon if you do."
The offer is really tempting, but Izuku knows it's because Katsuki is imagining horrible things happening to him in that place. Things that are not real.
"I'll be fine."
"Then I'll stay with you."
The fact that he's almost begging makes Izuku's heart beat in a funny way inside his chest. Surely, they are friends now, but it seems Izuku really had no idea how much Katsuki cared about him.
Until now.
"My apartment is tiny and I don't have an extra futon–"
"I can sleep on the floor."
"Kacchan..." Izuku leans closer, placing a hand on his broad shoulder. "Listen, take a deep breath. Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise. I have lived here for over two years now. I know this place, and I know how to take care of myself."
Katsuki nods as he relaxes... a bit.
"Alright, but I won't go until you enter that building... no, I won't leave until you text me you're inside your apartment."
Fine. He can agree to that.
"Okay, Kacchan."
***
Two days. It's been two days since Katsuki found out where Izuku lived and whenever he's not with him, he calls him. A couple of times a day.
It's okay, at least he hasn't "kidnapped" Izuku and taken him to his apartment, even though he clearly wants to.
"Hi, Kacchan. Yes, I'm in the office and nothing has happened to me," he mumbles joyfully as he keeps filling a couple of reports for Endeavor's agency.
"I call because I somehow got used to your nerdy voice, and now I miss it constantly," Katsuki grumbles. There's a weird noise coming from his side that makes Izuku frown for a moment.
"Sure, Kacchan," he rolls his eyes because he knows the pro hero can't see him. Maybe he just imagined it. "I suppose you're on patrol so before you–what was that?"
"Shit!"
There's an explosion on his side. This time Izuku is sure of it.
At first, he gets worried as he immediately goes to the database, and then the status section until he finds Dynamight's profile.
"Are you okay?"
"I got everything under control," Katsuki assures him and even though he's clearly using his quirk, Izuku can tell he's being honest.
Then, he gets irritated. Especially when he reads the status and remembers the important mission Izuku assigned to him started today.
"Did you call me during a mission?"
"Izuku, I'm clearly busy here..."
"Alright, I'll end the call."
"No, wait! Is Hatsume there yet?"
Just as Katsuki says it, the head of the support department rushes into Izuku's cubicle.
"Hello, pretty!"
"Hi, Hatsume!" Izuku perks up, smiling at her; she's always a mess, but it suits her somehow.
"Great," Katsuki sounds relived.
"Wait, how did you know–"
"I'm sorry, Izuku, I have to go. I'll pick you up in a couple of hours, alright? Don't get out of the office!"
Katsuki ends the call before Izuku has the opportunity to say anything at all.
He's so distracted arranging everything for the pro hero from Endeavor's agency who'll be coming to work on a case with them and, at the same time, thinking about what he's going to say to Katsuki when he sees him again that he doesn't realize Hatsume is in his personal space until he hears a click.
Suddenly, there's a very beautiful golden chain around his neck, it's not exactly tight, but not as loose as other necklaces he's seen.
It's honestly beautiful, especially with that black X in the middle covered in orange and green gemstones.
Izuku is sure Hatsume made a mistake; if he had to guess, he'd say it looks like a fancy necklace that's probably part of Dynamight's new merch collection or something.
"Uhh... Hatsume?"
She has a tablet in her hands and is typing something so fast it makes Izuku feel a little envious; his job would be slightly easier if he could type that fast.
"I sent an email," she says, without looking up.
A little bit confused, but intrigued nonetheless, Izuku takes out his phone again and opens his mailbox.
It has the agency logo, so Izuku supposes that's something official and relaxes a bit.
He starts reading and then...
"A tracker?"
She chuckles.
"Don't worry, it doesn't activate unless you're in danger. This is for your safety. The standard ones send an alarm to the agency so one of our pro heroes can go and rescue you or help you in case you need it."
Izuku has read about these in a couple of files, although he doesn't know much about them. The ones he looked at seemed completely different from his.
Besides, they were just for very important people... politicians, idols, all kinds of celebrities and scientists if their lives were considered to be in imminent danger.
Also, for obvious reasons, pro heroes' families.
But Izuku was neither of those. He decides to ask Hatsume, but something else makes him worry.
"This looks really expensive."
"You bet!"
"But–"
"It's already paid for, obviously," she says, typing something before the necklace makes a noise and a green light appears in the middle of the X, although it vanishes quickly.
So it's from the agency? Maybe. Although Izuku knows he's not that important to be given something like that. Sure, he handles a lot of information, but it stays in the computer he uses to work on in the office. Besides, neither he nor his coworkers wear uniforms... they aren't given anything that can be linked to the agency for the same reason.
They're not usually the villains' targets. Izuku has never seen a report that mentions an office worker being in danger.
But he admits he's not an expert in that area, perhaps they give something like this to everyone who works there.
"Why Dynamight's logo?"
Hatsume looks at him before chuckling.
"You're funny, Midoriya."
Getting slightly frustrated, Izuku tries again with another question.
"How can I take it off?"
Even though she's the one with crooked goggles on her head and stains of grease all over her face, she looks at him like he's crazy.
"You're not supposed to take it off, ever. It'd defeat its purpose."
"I mean... to take a shower?"
"Oh! Don't worry, it's waterproof!"
At least he finally got a little bit more information about the necklace.
"Uhh..."
"Sorry, I'd love to stay and chat with you, but I have a lot of work to do and I'm sure you do too!" Hatsume says, already waving him goodbye, and looking down at her tablet at the same time.
Izuku sighs and looks down at the device around his neck. He likes the Dynamight symbol, even though he has no idea why she picked that one specifically.
He knows these have to be a secret; the general public can't know about them, so perhaps making it look like expensive merch was her goal?
Yeah, that's probably it.
And she chose Katsuki because it's not a secret Izuku is good friends with him so him wearing his merch makes sense.
He nods to himself, mostly because he doesn't have time to look for more information on that.
He still has to tell Aizawa that Endeavor's office hasn't sent the name of the pro hero who's coming in a few days.
They have to work with them in that particular case because even though they started the investigation, the villain has moved to the zone assigned to the pro heroes who work at Endeavor's.
It'll probably be fine.
***
Next--->
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narcissarina · 6 months
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Darkened Desires
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Prologue and Chapter 1: The sun || Chapter 2: The moon || Chapter 3: The moon || Chapter 4: The sun || Chapter 5: The sun || Chapter 6: The moon || Chapter 7: The moon || Chapter 8: The sun || Chapter 9: The sun || Chapter 10: The outsider || Chapter 11: The moon || Chapter 12: The sun || Chapter 13: The sun || Chapter 14: The moon || Chapter 15: The sun
Pairings: Mafia!Scaramouche × Barista!Reader
Word count: 579
Thank you for making it this far!
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EPILOGUE
I got back at working on my usual, had to company and assure my mother that everything’s under control and that I am fine (haven’t recovered from that experience but I’m making progress) my friends scolded me and got worried, I’m actually fine right now since I know a man who would go lengths just to come to my aid and rescue.
The same man who stalked me, kidnap me even then gave me a tour of his own home. Sharing his stories and experiences as I take in that we live in different worlds—yet he choses to be with me. Opposite attracts, right?
He lives in the dark, and I’m in the light.
Like how the moon loves the sun, that’s why every once in a while there’s an eclipse.
Funny how he was the obsessed one, I won’t be lying that he isn’t good in bed.
It’s been a few months, I still go to therapy because Scara refuse to stop paying for my sessions, he still believes that I still need it. “what do you mean that I don’t have to pay for your therapy?” he said and give me a judgmental look.
I even ask Ajax about it and he said he can’t do anything about it, and that Scara gets snappy when Ajax talk to him on my behalf.
The Tsaritsa has been doing good and her health was improving when I’m around (she thinks I’m her daughter but I really don’t mind) she would give me gifts on many occasions, I still remember she almost bought me a car, since my old one is shit.
The more I know them like friends, the more I forget that they’re wanted criminals. My mind drifting off that they’re old friends when they’re literally a dangerous and powerful mafia.
Behind the café counter, I take orders for my customers and work on the usual routine that I normally had. But this time, something different—after taking the last order, I move my neck as it cracks some of my stiffen muscles.
I go over and clean the counter top, then made a bitter black coffee, just how he likes it.
Ding—
The sound of the bell of the door opening. I greet that customer with a smile and present him his usual.
“Welcome, here’s your usual.” I greet and hand him his bitter black coffee, “did you make sure you made it with extra love?” Scara teases, as his hand brushes over mine as he takes his coffee from my hand.
I could only chuckle at his remark, he leans in the counter—coffee in hand as he took my hand with his free one, “date at three?” he kissed my knuckles, I roll my eyes and nodded.
He smirks and got to his table to drink his coffee and wait for my shift to end.
My friend pops out of nowhere and gave me a scare, “jesus!” I yelp, she cock a brow and look at me up and down, “y’all better behave.” I chuckle at her and wink.
I watch the man who sat beside the door, drinking his coffee and reading—the same man who has dangerous connections, who is morally grey. The same man who saved me, obsessed with me.
I smile, knowing that my safety will be in his hands.
Assured that he’ll give me the future that he and I vision.
The same man I didn’t knew I fell in love with.
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A/n: Hello! This series has finally comee to an end, thank you for reading and for sticking around 😭😭🙏 I appreciate you reading my works, comments were really appreciated and motivates me to write more stories!
Started writing this at March 1, 2024
Finished writing this day, March 22, 2024.
Thank you for sticking with me!
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ember-owlet · 6 months
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Hi! Can I request cg! Nanami hcs with little reader?
a/c : of course you can! i apologize in advance for using this image but he looks so peaceful here,, let's just pretend our baby boy is fine and we're all going to the beach with nanami, alright? ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
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dynamic: cg! nanami kento
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a pretty straightforward caregiver, he would work best with regressors that prefer consistent routines.
just to get this out of the way- nanami is instincitvely super protective of those younger than him, whether physically or mentally. a tame example would be walking together and as he listens to you ramble he'd silently brings his hand out to stop you from stepping in a puddle. on the more extreme situations he will always put himself between you and danger, turning into an impenetrable fortress of strength and might.
he is extremely blunt when critiquing things that you present him as it can be hard for him to turn off the "mentor" switch. you'd be proudly showing off your skills in the hopes of receiving compliemnts and he'd lecture you on the ways your form could improve.
he prefers to be followed without much question or hassle. i would think that his caregiving style is very similar to his teaching (despite not being a teacher), and that he calls the shots but only to ensure your safety and well-being.
would understand regression from a logical standpoint rather than how it would feel to experience it personally. he'd do his best to provide everything you need to have a safe and comfortable experience, but lack the warmth of cooing you with soft words or bundling you in his arms.
a man of very few words, the majority of his caregiving would be in his own head. the two of you would be somewhere and he'd nod along while planning a thousand different bullet points to your schedules, from the outfits that the two of you would be wearing to the next formal to tomorrow's breakfast and whether he'll pick it up or have it made in the morning.
his main form of affection is including you into his routines. in the morning he'd let you help him fix his tie while he adjusts your outfit to perfection, or leaving you notes in your lunch to have a good day with a cute drawing of your favorite animal.
his second form of affection is noticing. he may not verbalize it but you bet your favorite snacks and drinks will always be restocked, your favorite show will always be favorited on your shared streaming sites and your preferred regression items always cleaned and ready for use.
when you have a particularly hard day he'll be waiting at the door with a soft grunt to your presence, carrying armfuls of flowers and plush toys.
if it could be summarized in a form of love language nanami is the ultimate caregiver for acts of service. making sure to make an extra cup of coffee/tea/warm drink next to his in the morning to silently putting on your favorite music to play throughout the house to make chores go by a little easier, it comes as second nature to him and you'd often wonder how he's able to perform such thoughtful feats mindlessly without ever asking or mentioning it to him.
because you'd never have to ask, once he undestood what it meant to be your caregiver you've become another meaningful addition to his secure and comfortable life and he wouldn't have it any other way.
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max1461 · 5 days
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I think the nootropics thing is like, faux-legibility, which is what bothers me. I said I agree with that anon who claimed Western society ("Western society") overvalues legibility, but I think it's more like... Western society ("Western society") loves faux-legibility, metrizability that doesn't correspond to what we actually care about. Because I do like legibility. One of the reasons I don't mind caffeine is that its effects on me feel very legible, phenomenologically. I drink a cup of coffee and instantly I feel a noticeably more awake, maybe a little anxious if I have too much, this and that. The effect is not too strong, like being drunk, which I generally don't like, because it changes too much and is a confusing, illegible experience.
But see, this is all feelings-based, internal. People talk about nootropics and they're like "I take such and such milligrams of lsd every day and I can't really feel anything but I think it's been making me more open-minded overall, I've noticed XYZ improve in my life since I started doing this". And this is like, this is like awful to me. I mean you do you but like. This is faux-legible, you know some dosage numbers but it's not phenomenologically obvious what's happening to you, you're suggesting that this shit is changing your behavior in some diffuse way that you can't pinpoint? Terrifying, baffling that you would do this to yourself. At least if I drink a bunch of coffee and then find myself sitting around worrying about something stupid, I can be like "oh, obviously this is because of all that coffee I just drank, I can tell I am too-many-cups-of-coffee anxious". Like I'm sure drinking coffee has illegible effects too, literally everything you do has illegible effects, but trying to incur that shit on purpose through some kind of complicated scheme where you microdose this and that just seems disquieting.
It's like... studies, right. Studies say that this and that is true, because we did a controlled trial and it was statistically significant. To me this is the worst type of science. Because like, I don't doubt that if you do your experiments and stats well, the results are meaningful. Sure. But why? Why does the thing happen? What is actually going on. No idea, you just did a study. Whereas with physics it's like, ok there's still a philosophical "why" in the most abstract sense but at a more particular level it's like "this magnetic field pushes on this thing and then makes that happen, blah blah", it's like, it's describing this comprehensible sequence of events, that you can understand the workings of. That's what science is for. To me. No wonder then that nootropics is loved by studies guys, by guys who read this and that study and are impressed by it. No wonder that nootropics is loved by such guys, according to me based on my gut right now.
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pastel-charm-14 · 7 months
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how to romanticize your life - a series - post 2 - romanticizing school
soo many people see school as something to avoid, as a chore. but we as individuals have the power to change the way we view school. it's an opportunity for growth, discovery, and personal development. so without further ado: here are a couple tips to help you romanticize school!!
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have a positive mindset. in order to study effectively, you need to put aside the negative connotations you have with school and studying and replace them with positive connotations. write out a cons list and then counteract each negative with a positive. for example: con - school is very time consuming | pro - it teaches you time management skills.
create a peaceful and cozy school morning routine. drink some water, watch something funny, use the bathroom, brush your teeth, do your makeup, listen to some nice music, pick out a cute outfit, do your hair, have some matcha.
i also like to say affirmations in the mornings like "i love school" or "i'm amazing at school" to help get me into that positive mindset i was talking about earlier.
make a to-do list. part of romanticizing is not stressing. if you prepare for your day in advance, you can worry less and enjoy more.
really explore your school campus. find all the little nooks and crannys, and don't miss out on anything your school has to offer. for example, i found a little covered picnic table over by the greenhouses at my school that i love to sit at. cute places to study and hang out make school so much more enjoyable.
appreciate being a student. there is so much community and everyone is working toward to common goal to really figure out who they want to be and what they're going to do. it sounds dramatic, but it's true. so i advise you to embrace student life. attend events, plays, games, join clubs, and study with your friends. so go to that football game, participate in spirit days, and enjoy being a student to its fullest potential!
materials are also a huge part of school. you don't have to spend big bucks, but these are some basic things that have helped me:
-cute planners/notebooks, sticky notes -> for goals/organization, writing down something quick, although take physical notes as well!
-books -> gives you something to do, i like romance and educational books
-ipad -> helps with notes/studying, customize it to make it cute, add widgets, and keep in mind that it's all about the vibes
dress to impress. wear cute outfits. treat school as a fashion show. i know dressing up and feeling confident has really enhanced my school experience. some of my favorite things to wear are preppy cardigans, nice jeans, skirts, high knee boots, long sleeve turtlenecks, and just tons of cute tops. layering is very important to me as well. you can also add jewelry to help elevate your style a lil bit.
have a space that you dedicate to only studying. i have a desk in my room that i use, and it has improved my study habits, my grades, and my discipline. it makes studying/schoolwork so much more enjoyable. it always good to keep in mind that your environment impacts tons of other aspects of your life too. make your space your own and personalize it. some potential spots could also be coffee shops or the library, whatever works for you.
make a pinterest board to motivate yourself. this could include study-with-me's, study tips, just general inspiration, or things to do with your main area of study or your major if you're a uni student. this helps you think about "huh, that could be me".
bonus tips:
absorb study content/vlogs
have a good-vibes playlist
in case ya missed the intro post:
stay tuned…
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accio-victuuri · 7 months
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Cotti Coffee has already posted a statement on their weibo account:
Dear fans, thank you for your continued love and support for the spokesperson and the brand.
Cotti Coffee always regards spokespersons as its most precious brand partners and is committed to working with spokespersons to create the best brand and product experience. We regret that there are deficiencies in daily operations, which have caused trouble to everyone and occupied public resources. We deeply apologize for this.
Thank you very much for the suggestions given to us by our fans. We will work more rigorously, conduct more refined management and improvements, better maintain the image of our spokesperson, and bring you a pleasant experience.
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( i’m just adding a photo of the collab drink below cause it’s pretty! )
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adrealucia · 2 months
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New Beginnings
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tags: post Blood Brothers ending, Sean Diaz x Reader, might contain smut in future chapters, lots of fluff, romantic fluff, overall just fucking wholesome, obviously mentions Daniel quite often, sfw in the beginning, maybe nsfw in the future idk, definitely slow burn
chapter summary: more business plans, street food, and a fiesta
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Chapter six
The next morning, you wake up with a renewed sense of purpose and excitement. After getting ready and gathering your notes and plans for the garage, you drive back to the Diaz house. The sun shines brightly, a stark contrast to the stormy night from two days ago. The drive feels shorter this time, your mind buzzing with ideas.
When you arrive, Sean is already in the garage, tinkering with a car engine. He looks up and smiles as you approach. “Morning! Ready to get started?”
You return his smile, holding up your notes. “Absolutely. I’ve got some great ideas to discuss.”
Sean nods enthusiastically. “Great! Let’s set up in the kitchen. We can grab some breakfast and go over everything.”
Inside the house, the aroma of fresh coffee fills the air. Daniel is sitting at the kitchen table, munching on a bowl of cereal. He looks up with a grin. “Morning! Ready to make some magic happen?”
You laugh, sitting down across from him. “You bet. I’m excited to get started.”
Sean brings over a pot of coffee and pours you a cup. “So, what’s the plan?”
You spread out your notes, detailing your ideas for improving the garage’s business. “First, I think we should focus on marketing. We need to get the word out more, maybe with some local ads and social media. And I was thinking we could offer a discount for first-time customers to attract more people.”
Sean listens intently, nodding. “That sounds like a solid plan. We’ve mostly relied on word-of-mouth so far, but I think it’s time to step it up.”
Daniel chimes in, “And we could make some flyers and hand them out in town. I can help with that after school.”
You smile at his enthusiasm. “That’s a great idea, Daniel. And I was also thinking we could update the garage’s website, make it more user-friendly and show off some of the work we’ve done.”
Sean grins. “I like it. You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into this.”
You shrug modestly. “I just want to help you guys succeed. Plus, I love a good challenge.”
Sean’s eyes twinkle with admiration. “Well, we’re lucky to have you on board.”
You and Sean spend the morning discussing various ideas and strategies, making detailed plans for the next steps. The atmosphere is filled with a sense of teamwork and shared excitement. Daniel, having finished his breakfast, listens in, occasionally chiming in with his own ideas.
“Maybe we could also host some community events at the garage,” Daniel suggests. “Like a car wash fundraiser or something. It would get people to come by and see the place.”
Sean nods, clearly impressed. “That’s a great idea, Daniel. We could raise some money and get more people familiar with what we do here.”
You add, “We could partner with local businesses for these events too. Maybe get some sponsorships and cross-promotions going. It would help build a network.”
As the morning progresses, you delve deeper into the logistics of your plans. Sean shows you around the garage, pointing out areas that could use improvement. You take notes, brainstorming ways to optimize the space and improve workflow.
“We could create a more inviting waiting area for customers,” you suggest. “Maybe add some comfortable seating, magazines, and free Wi-Fi. Make it a place where people don’t mind waiting.”
Sean nods thoughtfully. “I’ve been meaning to do something about that. It’s a great idea.”
Daniel grins. “And we could have a little corner with snacks and drinks. Everyone loves free snacks.”
You laugh. “Absolutely. It’s all about making the customer experience as pleasant as possible.”
By lunchtime, you’ve covered a lot of ground. Sean looks at you with appreciation. “I’m really impressed with all your ideas. This is going to make a huge difference.”
You feel a warm glow at his words. “I’m glad to be able to help. I really believe in what you’re doing here.”
Sean’s gaze lingers on you for a moment, his eyes full of unspoken thoughts. “I’m starting to believe in it even more now, thanks to you.”
The shared moment is interrupted by Daniel’s stomach growling loudly. He laughs, rubbing his belly. “Okay, I think it’s officially lunchtime. How about we hit up the local street food market? We can grab some tacos there and hand out flyers while we’re at it.”
You nod, grateful for the break. “Sounds perfect. I’ve been wanting to explore more of the town.”
Sean grabs a stack of freshly printed flyers. “Alright, let’s do this.”
The three of you pile into Sean’s old truck and drive to the bustling street food market in the heart of town. The vibrant colors and tantalizing smells greet you as you step out of the truck. Stalls line the streets, offering everything from sizzling tacos to sweet churros.
Sean hands you a stack of flyers. “Here, let’s spread out and see who we can talk to. Meet back at the taco stand in half an hour?”
You nod, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. As you wander through the market, you hand out flyers and strike up conversations with locals, telling them about the garage’s services and the upcoming community events. The warm reception you receive boosts your confidence.
After half an hour, you make your way to the taco stand where Sean and Daniel are already waiting. Sean hands you a taco with a grin. “I got you the special. Trust me, it’s amazing.”
You take a bite and moan with delight. “Oh wow, this is incredible.”
Daniel laughs. “Told you, the street food here is the best.”
As you eat, the three of you chat about the people you met and the responses you got. Sean seems particularly pleased. “I think this is really going to work. People are interested and excited.”
You smile, feeling a sense of accomplishment. “I’m glad. This market is amazing, too. Thanks for bringing me here.”
Sean looks at you, his eyes warm. “Anytime. I’m really glad you’re part of this.”
Daniel nudges Sean playfully. “Yeah, we’re glad to have you around. Plus, it’s fun watching you two flirt.”
You feel your cheeks heat up, and Sean chuckles. “Oh, really? And here I thought we were being subtle.”
You laugh, enjoying the easy camaraderie. “Well, I’m glad to be here too.”
After lunch, you continue to explore the market, taking in the sights and sounds. Sean and Daniel introduce you to some of their favorite vendors, and you pick up a few treats to take home. The bustling market, with its vibrant stalls and lively atmosphere, is infectious, and you find yourself thoroughly enjoying the experience.
"Hey, there's this one store I think you'll love," Sean says, leading the way down a narrow alley. "They sell the most random and quirky stuff."
You follow Sean and Daniel to a small, cluttered shop that's packed to the brim with odd trinkets and peculiar items. The shop owner, an elderly man with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, greets you warmly.
"Welcome! Feel free to browse and have fun," he says, motioning to the chaotic array of items.
Daniel is the first to dive in, picking up a rubber chicken and squeezing it to make it squawk. "This place is amazing! Look at this stuff."
Sean chuckles, picking up a pair of oversized sunglasses and putting them on. "How do I look?"
You laugh, grabbing a feathered hat and placing it on your head. "Very stylish. I think we’ve found our new look."
The three of you spend the next hour rummaging through the store, trying on silly hats, testing out bizarre gadgets, and laughing at the strange and wonderful items you find. Sean finds an old Polaroid camera and starts taking candid pictures of you and Daniel, capturing the playful moments.
"Say cheese!" Sean calls out as he snaps a picture of you holding a giant stuffed banana.
Daniel grins, holding up a fake mustache. "This is the best day ever."
You nod, feeling a sense of camaraderie and joy. "I have to agree. This is so much fun."
Sean hands you one of the Polaroids, a picture of the three of you making funny faces. "A keepsake from our random adventure."
You take the photo, touched by the gesture. "Thanks, Sean. I’ll treasure this."
After purchasing a few of the more amusing items, including the rubber chicken for Daniel and the Polaroid camera for Sean, you leave the shop and continue to explore the market. The rest of the afternoon is filled with lighthearted moments, laughter, and a growing sense of connection between you, Sean, and Daniel.
As the sun begins to set, you head back to the Diaz house, your bags full of quirky treasures and your hearts full of happiness. The day has been perfect, but Sean has one more surprise in store.
After dropping off your bags and freshening up, Sean pulls you aside. “Hey, I was thinking... Daniel can stay home for a few hours, and there’s this little fiesta in town tonight. It’s something we do every weekend—lots of pretty lights, good music, dancing, and drinks. Would you like to go?”
Your heart skips a beat at the thought of spending more time with Sean. “That sounds amazing. I’d love to.”
Sean smiles, looking relieved and excited. He turns to Daniel. “Hey, bud, you okay staying home for a bit? We won’t be gone too long.”
Daniel nods, giving Sean a knowing look. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just don’t embarrass yourself too much, big brother.”
Sean chuckles, ruffling Daniel’s hair. “Thanks, buddy. We’ll be back before you know it.”
As you and Sean head out, the night air is cool and filled with the sounds of the town winding down for the evening. The streets are lit with twinkling lights, and there’s a buzz of excitement in the air. You feel a sense of anticipation and a bit of nervousness, but also a thrill of adventure.
The fiesta is in full swing by the time you arrive. Colorful lights are strung across the plaza, and the sound of lively music fills the air. People are dancing, laughing, and enjoying the festive atmosphere.
Sean takes your hand, leading you through the crowd. “I hope you like it. It’s one of my favorite parts of living here.”
You squeeze his hand, feeling a rush of warmth. “It’s beautiful, Sean. Thank you for bringing me.”
He leads you to a small bar where he orders drinks. “Two margaritas, please,” he says to the bartender. Turning to you, he adds with a grin, “These are the best in town. You have to try one.”
You take the drink, clinking glasses with him. “To new adventures.”
“To new adventures,” he echoes, his eyes twinkling in the festive lights.
As the evening progresses, the two of you wander around the fiesta, enjoying the music and the vibrant atmosphere. Sean seems to know everyone, stopping to chat and introduce you to his friends. You feel a sense of belonging, like you’re becoming part of this close-knit community.
After a while, the music shifts to a slower, more romantic tune. Sean turns to you, a playful glint in his eye. “Care to dance?”
You laugh, feeling a bit tipsy from the margaritas. “I’d love to.”
He takes your hand and leads you to the dance floor. As you dance, the world around you seems to fade away. It’s just you and Sean, moving in sync to the rhythm of the music. His hand on your back feels warm and steady, and you can’t help but feel a flutter of excitement.
“You’re a pretty good dancer,” you say, looking up at him.
He chuckles. “I have my moments. But you’re making me look even better.”
You roll your eyes playfully. “Oh, please. You’re just saying that.”
He grins, his eyes locking with yours. “No, I mean it. You’re amazing.”
The flirty banter continues, each compliment and playful tease making your heart race a little faster. The chemistry between you is undeniable, and the festive atmosphere only heightens the connection.
As the night goes on, you and Sean enjoy more drinks, each one making you both a bit more tipsy and carefree. Sean starts showing off his dance moves, and you can’t help but laugh at his playful antics.
You remember when Daniel told you about Sean trying to impress someone with his dancing at a party some time ago. “Oh, so are that the moves Daniel told me all about?” 
Sean, slightly unsteady but grinning widely, gives you a mock offended look. “Hey, I’m just having fun. I thought you’d be impressed.”
You join in the fun, playfully adding, “Yeah, Sean, I’m definitely impressed. You’re giving me some serious moves to aspire to.”
The banter continues, and the two of you laugh and dance together, the evening growing more lively and carefree. The combination of drinks and good company makes everything feel even more enjoyable.
By the time the fiesta starts winding down, you realize that you’re quite tipsy and Sean isn’t much better off. You stumble slightly as you make your way back to the Diaz house, leaning on Sean for support.
“Wow, I didn’t realize how much I’d had,” you giggle, leaning into Sean.
He chuckles, his arm around your shoulders for support. “Yeah, I guess we went a bit overboard. But hey, it was a blast.”
When you arrive at the Diaz house, Sean looks at you with a slightly concerned expression. “I don’t think you should drive home tonight. Maybe you can crash on the couch again?”
You nod, feeling a bit wobbly but content. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.”
Sean helps you settle onto the couch, his touch gentle and comforting. “Let me just... find a blanket,” he says, fumbling through the closet.
You watch him with a grin. “Need any help there, or should I just use my jacket?”
Sean looks at you, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I think I can manage. But thanks for the offer.”
Eventually, Sean manages to get the blankets sorted out, and you settle in. The combination of alcohol and exhaustion starts to take its toll, and soon, you’re all sprawled out on the couch, trying to get some rest. For a moment Sean just sits besides you, making sure you are comfortable and not about to throw up. 
Just as you’re starting to drift off, Daniel, who had been in his room, comes out and sees you all on the couch. “Can’t believe you two are passed out already,” he says with a grin. “Guess it was a pretty wild night.”
You chuckle, feeling a bit self-conscious. “Yeah, we may have had a bit too much fun.”
Daniel teases Sean, “Careful, Sean. If you keep this up, people might start thinking you’re a lightweight.”
Sean playfully nudges Daniel. “Oh, just wait until you’re older. Then you can join us in the ‘lightweight’ club.”
As the three of you laugh and chat quietly, the warmth of the night, the camaraderie, and the effects of the drinks make it hard to stay awake. Eventually, the conversation fades into comfortable silence, and you drift off to sleep on the couch, wrapped in the warmth of friendship and the lingering buzz of a perfect night out.
After a while, Sean and Daniel quietly rise from their spots on the couch. Sean looks down at you, a soft smile playing on his lips. “She’s out cold,” he whispers to Daniel.
Daniel, still half-asleep, nods. “Yeah, looks like it. I’ll head to bed now.”
Sean leads the way to their bedrooms, and Daniel follows. The house is quiet, the only sounds being the faint rustle of your breathing and the occasional creak of the floorboards.
As they enter Sean’s room, Daniel glances at his brother, curiosity evident in his eyes. “So, Sean...”
Sean raises an eyebrow. “What’s up, Danny?”
Daniel hesitates, then asks, “Do you think you and her might, you know, become more than friends?”
Sean chuckles softly, shaking his head. “It’s only been a few weeks. I really like her, but it’s way too soon to think about stuff like that.”
Daniel looks thoughtful. “But you do like her, right?”
“Yeah,” Sean admits, his voice warm. “I do like her. She’s great.”
Daniel ponders this for a moment, then asks, “What if she likes you back? Do you think she might want something more?”
Sean leans back against the wall, considering. “I think she enjoys spending time with me, but we’re both still figuring things out. It’s better to take things slow and see where it goes.”
Daniel nods, accepting his brother’s answer. “I guess that makes sense. You don’t want to rush into anything.”
Sean smiles at Daniel’s thoughtful expression. “Exactly. It’s important to build a solid foundation first.”
Daniel then asks, with a hint of teasing in his voice, “So, what if she’s your girlfriend and I become her little brother?”
Sean laughs, nudging Daniel playfully. “We’d all get along just fine. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Daniel grins, clearly amused. “Just wanted to know. It’s not every day I see my big brother with someone who makes him smile like that.”
Sean’s expression softens. “I know. And I’m happy she’s here. We’ll see where things go.”
With that, the two brothers bid each other goodnight. Sean heads to his room, while Daniel retreats to his own. The house settles into a quiet stillness, with only the faint hum of the air conditioning and the soft rustle of the breeze outside breaking the silence.
As Sean lies in bed, he thinks about the night’s events and your growing connection. He’s glad to have you in his life, but he knows it’s important to let things develop naturally. He drifts off to sleep, a contented smile on his face, hopeful for what the future might hold.
authors note: this has been one of my favorite chapters to write so far!!! I hope you like this as well <33
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s1cklyb0nes · 1 month
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Tea Benefits!!
None of these benefits are guaranteed since everyone's body is different, these are based off research and experience.
I'll add more as I do more research :3
>Peppermint tea
Peppermint tea helps with digestion and is one of my favorites because of that! The peppermint acts as an antispasmodic that helps relax muscles in your stomach aiding digestion and helping break down f4t. Antioxidants in peppermint tea also help with cardiovascular and metabolic health. I have also experienced appetite suppression from drinking this tea!
>Green tea
A VERY popular tea for many reasons. Green tea has lots of antioxidants including polyphenols, which help with gut health, cardiovascular health, bone health, strengthening your immune system, improving your skin, and more. Drinking this tea also helps improve blood sugar levels. Green tea can also help suppress your appetite.
>Chamomile tea
Another one of my favorites, its main use is to aid sleep but it helps with much more than just that! Along with relaxing the body, chamomile tea may also help ease anxiety and stress. Chamomile tea can also help indigestion, constipation, and more. This tea may also act as an appetite suppressant and boost your metabolism.
>Black tea
May help indigestion and constipation. Improves metabolism. Also a good alternative to coffee as it provides energy without crashing later in the day. Black tea can act as a detox, the antioxidants in it helping remove toxins from the body.
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anteroom-of-death · 8 months
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Teacher's Pet part 8
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Synopsis: Truths are revealed, jeopardizing what lies between these two lovers. Why? And how?
A/n: Angst! Angst! And in this chapter, I personally will relinquish a grudge, Sophia I forgive you now, sorta. I swear things may improve! Also, Petronella is a girl's girl and alive. Fuck what the Canon says.
You never expected the tables to turn that quickly. You never wanted to have an affair. You just subconsciously wanted him. Maybe more than subconsciously.
How dumb.
You left his office and went off to your tutoring. Your chest still ringing from beating too hard. Your ears were tingling.
You figured one would have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not notice your obvious puppy dog. (Or how did he put it just now? “A fawn separated from it’s mother too early”…?) Crush you were developing on him.
Was it desperation and he was merely scratching an itch? Something to warm his bones after a dry-spell since his wife died? If not, why not just go see an escort? (You shuddered at an accidental outing.)
You doubted it was a crush, like you held. Do men in their upper fifties (Your best guess at his age…) get crushes? You also doubted that.
And why did it seem like he had twice the amount of pulse in his body. If you didn’t know anatomy, you would swear he had two hearts in his chest.
You shook your head and left silly thoughts and trying to define this experience.
Whatever it was, it began to happen fast. You would meet up between classes in his office for a quick fuck. Or if he saw you on campus he’d guide you to somewhere secluded for a kiss on your cheek and a remark about your latest diatribe in class.
You still met up every Monday for some actual tutoring on his class.
Once he took you out to park at the edge of town for a little coffee date.
He respected your work schedule and always never asked questions.
You were dearly grateful.
The term was coming to an end, and you were in the library. It was late and you covered in highlighter ink and were approaching clinical insanity. You felt a now-familiar set of hands on your shoulders.
“Burning the candle at both ends? I see.”
“Hey.” You broke out of your reverie and statistics-essay informed stupor. It might have been a tad bit louder than you intended.
“Play hooky from work this weekend. I’ve got to go to London for my other job.” First time he ever mentioned a second job. Did the university really pay it’s professors that little? You heard a few, more junior ones kvetching once. But him? He was definitely tenured.
“Another job?” You questioned.
“Yeah, I made a bad choice in the 70’s. It’s followed me around since then. Do come. I’ll do us somewhere special.” So your calculations on his age were wrong. He was maybe just a tad bit older than upper fifties…
Probably lower sixties.
“Sounds fine by me. It’s been slowing up.” You remarked.
He leaned down and kissed your cheek.
“Do ditch the energy drink. They’re ever so bad on human’s guts.”
A weird quirk. He’d always say humans or apes. As if he was above or different. Maybe it was the fact he was an old white guy.
Yeah, that was it. Old white guy brain rot.
“Meet me at that park… Friday, around three PM.” He instructed.
“Okay…”
“I’ll let you go back to your studies. I know how much you value them.” A final kiss and he faded out as quickly as he appeared.
You texted your manager and explained that you weren’t able to do the weekend shift, but definitely Thursday night. If you were to go to London, you’d proceed some mad money to spend on your own if his second job left you hostage for too long to your own devices.
And you canceled on a few regulars.
“Family issues.” Always a surefire way to get out of these things. Vague enough to not garner questions and would gain some sympathy. You hoped some other girl wouldn’t nab them, but you knew how people were. That one girl, Sophia, once stole your biggest tipper who saw you on both Friday nights and Sunday evenings because she’d do oral without a condom.
Damn that stomach flu you had that weekend.
You worked that night, slow but a big tip had materialized. Perfect.
By the time you had gotten home and napped for a few hours, you had a dilemma. Obviously you didn’t want your work knickers and robes mixing in with your real life clothes. Taint the divide you had.
You stared at your open suitcase. It was a little carry-on one. Yet the empty inside could swallow you whole. You threw in the most fancy of your basics in. It seemed the best idea. You pressed your hand to your mouth and let out a nervous scream.
Why was picking out what clothes you’d wear to probably just stay in a hotel all weekend stressful?
And were you entering kept whore territory?
Your situationship was dreadfully unlabeled.
You definitely knew he wasn’t your boyfriend. That word was horribly trite and evoked images of teens and young adults running about to dinner dates and cuddling each other on the bus. Or feeling each other up behind the seats in a cinema.
Not that you had particularly a detailed actual history with long-term or healthy relationships.
That’s life.
Did he even drive? How were you two getting to London? You just sat there on the bench after going to the park. It was nearly three.
You scratched at your eyelid, fighting the urge to tear off your lower lip with your fingernails.
Checking your phone, you didn’t see the big black Range Rover pulling up in front of you. The back passenger side door popped open, startling you a bit. “Hey you, get in. Apparently I’m very late.” You saw him in the back, a few soldiers in it with him. (They looked like soldiers. You decided they were.)
You grabbed your little carry-on suitcase and went in. An anxiety attack was bubbling up. What was his other job? You slid in and clenched your suitcase and purse between your legs.
You were going to London, so you chose a classy, sleek, small black number. You made the right choice. It was positively crowded in here.
There was a cute, disgruntled looking girl with an oversized knit scarf and some hipster glasses on in the front passenger seat.
“Hi! I’m Osgood!” She stretched back and offered you her hand. “You’re his...assistant?” She seemed confused by your general existence, but pleased you were another girl in this car of men. You couldn’t blame her! You took it and shook.
“She’s my companion.” The bastard finally labeled your situationship. Companion, very old timey. He let out of beaming smile, and continued on, “Petronella Osgood, (y/n's full name). (Y/n’s full name), Petronella Osgood. The new lead scientific advisor and assistant to the Head of UNIT!” His hand nearly swiped one of the soldier’s faces. “You’re both clever and don’t think like a normal human. You’ll be friends by Sunday night…”
If you could have balled yourself up and rolled away like a pill bug of you could.
“Do you like Costa? I’m trying to convince these people to stop by on our way home! Usually he just shows up, you know how he is with that TARDIS of his. But the Doctor said this would be best for him to do today…” She battered you with information and words.
You’d discuss this all with him further in private. Right now, you had to play a role.
“Yeah, I could go for…a Cortado.” You choked out. Coffee would help this all be absorbed a lot quicker.
She began fiddling with the vehicle’s GPS.
They all began talking about whatever techno-babble and such. It was over your head. You felt yourself getting heart burn and a migraine.
Petronella asked you something. And like a baby with dribble on it’s shirt, you said sluggishly: “What?”
“Do you think that we should do a frontal advance?”
“Maybe not?” You just started making things up on the fly. Filling it in ad-lib style!
You wanted to kill yourself.
“I mean, if… you go… from the front…all in. They’ll be…able to see you?” You heaved. “If you go from the…sides…and like, guerilla style…whatever is happening will…be a surprise …you remember like, the Germans against Rome or Boudicca, also against Rome…yeah.” You ended. You deserved a little chewing on the inside of your cheek, as a treat.
Soon enough, you pulled up to a Costa, Petronella seemed very eager to order in-shop. And to drag you in.
You collected the soldier’s and Professor Smith (Oh! Yeah, they called him Doctor…you’d demand the truth later.) Orders.
You were so eager to leave the car for a breath of fresh air.
“Hey, mind if I smoke real quick?” You had quit, but there was a lose one in the purses pocket, and the situation called for one. If ever there was a time to start smoking, it’d be now.
“I have asthma! But sure! I can wait.” She went into the weird little room that’s neither inside nor outside that commercial spaces tend to have. She got a phone call.
You could use this as an opportunity to get information about the man who you had been fucking. She’d be more helpful here. She clearly knew him better. Sure you had seen him naked. But she knew him on a more intimate level it seemed.
You finished up your cigarette and crushed it under the heel of your shoe. You got a bottle of perfume out and began dusting it on a heavy layer. You took one big inhale and rolled your neck around. It cracked and you relaxed a bit.
Entering the Costa, she hung up her phone and smiled.
You both ordered. You got yourself one of their fruit biscuits and went to get out your cash.
“Oh no! I got it! All of it.” She whipped out a black card and tapped it to the reader. “Perks of the job.”
You nodded your head. You had heard of UNIT, but couldn’t be arsed to care.
“So, the Doctor.” The name sounded foreign coming out of your mouth. “How long have you worked with him?”
“Oh! Five years now!”
You placed a hand on your throat and rested your jaw on it.
“What’s his deal?”
“Wish I knew, but we should all be glad he exists, he’s the best we got.”
Oh!
You let out a little “mmhmm.”
Before you could get your next question, the drinks and your snack came.
She grabbed her milk babyccino and handed you your Cortado as you left the Costa. You didn’t want to get back in the Range Rover. This all seemed like a very bad idea. You should have never agreed to this.
But here you were, so you had to deal with it.
You got back in the back, the solider driving said they’d have to speed along, no stops.
You shrunk in the seat. You felt his one hand stroke your upper arm. He was trying to comfort you. You wish you could recoil, but you had grown too addicted to his touch. Against all instinct, you leaned into him and sipped your coffee. Just sat an observed, chiming in when people would outright ask you for your input. More sipping your coffee and staring glumly out the front windshield. You felt like a caged beast.
Soon enough you were in London and you could get out of the car. Sadly, it pulled into an underground military-style bunker.
You were very proud of yourself for keeping your cool and now having a major breakdown in there.
You entered a lift, still carrying your suitcase.
It went all the way to the top.
Some woman in a very impressive suit and a silk scarf met you all there.
More introductions.
The Doctor – Professor Smith- whatever his real title or honorific was, took your suitcase and told someone to take it to a place. You didn’t retain or hear. You were positively swimming. You hated how good this artificial, florescent lighting made the hollows of his face looked. He was a bit more formal in his dress than he ever was at the university. In this moment you hated how you were reacting to him. Obviously he had to confess things to you.
Obviously, there was a bit of a double standard, but this outweighed your little evasions and white lies.
There was a meeting and grand plans were drawn. Choices were made.
And you had to make choices for yourself.
It was close to midnight when you finally got out of the meeting. Tomorrow apparently they’d denote a device, after it was programmed and set up during the night. Apparently that’d save the Earth.
He was swanning along like he owned the place. Everyone was reverent. His word was law and his advice was the loudest.
Maybe you shouldn’t have smoked that cigarette beforehand. Maybe you needed several shots of vodka. Maybe you just were way out of your depth.
Soon enough you had an escort of two soldiers for him and you to a suite with the bare essentials of comfort. Your stupid suitcase was there. Like a fancy barracks.
The door locked and you were alone with him.
“It’s time I tell you some truths.” He said, sitting in a chair at the desk.
You threw your hands up, “You fucking think so?” It came out as a screech. You clapped your hand to your mouth.
“What the fuck?” You clapped your hands together as you leaned over and down to face him. “What the fuck was all that?” You crouched into a squat.
“Let me tell you.” His tone was silencing. Like you were in the wrong for this reaction.
“Fine!”
“Firstly, this changes nothing about the past months. But I am an alien from a planet far away and long since gone. I am over two-thousand years old. My name, my title, is the Doctor. Well the closest translation to any Earthling's language.”
You leaned back, gesturing with your hands in the “okay” position.
“I may be a little fucking slow, I may have a few learning disabilities, but I’m not fucking stupid. Are you…aware…of how incredibly far-fetched that sounds?” Your body swaying with the position of your hands. The hands quickly moved to press into the center of your forehead.
He undid a few buttons on his shirt.
You groaned.
He grabbed at your hands and you tried to escape. He flattened the palm of one and pressed it against his chest. You felt two hearts pumping. Your little observation after the first time you hooked up on how it seemed like he had two pulses wasn’t so stupid suddenly...
“Two hearts, fawn.” He said, using his pet name for you. “I’m alien.”
Your lower lip quivered.
No wonder he felt different than any other man you’d fucked previously. His body was different. He was.
Hot tears burned at the corners of your eyes, starting to splash out. You pulled yourself free and slunk onto the closest wall.
Figures that your first big infatuation that actually seemed to value your life was a fucking ancient alien. You felt like a total freak, were you really that screwed up that the only way you’d get anything resembling a healthy relationship was with an alien!
Your head found its way between your thighs.
“Nothing changes.” He repeated.
“How many others have you done this to?” You spat out. Pure venom.
“Rarely like you.”
“Oh, so I’m just the latest and greatest girl you’ve lured into submission! How kind! I was chosen! I feel special!” You raged out. Giving a little sarcastic bow from your sat position.
He joined you against the wall. You skittered yourself away from him.
“You’re special. Trust me. I had stopped. You met me in a different way. No danger, no trauma-bonding. No Nothing. If not for duties I neglected here for too long, I would have keep you safe. Continued to be your Professor John Smith. Existed…but I couldn’t bear not seeing you for as long as this will take here. Separate. Not my traveling assistant, not anything. Just my little fawn and our perfect microcosm of the universe.” He slid forward and looked you dead in the eye.
He cocked his head, “Remember when I was talking about what the universe owed us? I figured this was my long-awaited, pleaded for reward. To have you, for as long as this little life of yours could allow this fling to last.”
He was very good with words and you could feel them echoing pure and true in your head. Something made you relax and let your guard down.
You hoped it wasn’t some alien superpower he had.
You began openly weeping. Loud, a total cacophony. You started choking on your tears and having a hard time breathing.
He wiped the tears.
You let our a hiccup. He started rubbing small circles on the middle of your back.
“I planned on seeing a West End play with you, a proper date, like a human man would take a human woman to. If you don’t want to, I can order a car and you can go back to Bristol.” He offered.
You started crying even harder.
“Can I shower first? Before I can make a choice. On anything. Even you...” You admitted, needing to revise on your end if you even wanted to be with him in any capacity anymore.
“Understandable, (y/n).” The Doctor helped you up, and gave you your suitcase. You found your toiletries bag and shuffled in. You swore you heard him mutter, “Well, don’t overthink.” But you left that be. You had enough to think about, just add that to the list.
After getting undressed, you turned the water on the hottest it could go.
You began to wash away the day…
So much to think about…so little time to do so.
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cosmos-dot-semicolon · 3 months
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(⭐fanfic writers' commentary)
@plutosoda hi
Ooh, time to reread my old writing, huh? Always a fun trip, especially given I'd totally forgotten like half of it including that repetition trick you'd mentioned…
fair warning, i only got like 3 asks for this thing so I'm gonna commentate on pretty much the entire fic here. This post never ends.
Here's an entire director's commentary on All-Nighter! Enjoy!
"The covers were warm… But at least it'd get something done before passing out again."
I'm still fond of this intro. I'm terrible with being succinct, but this is somewhere where my rambling writing style really works; this section is written from experience of many a 'stayed up too anxious now you can't sleep' nights, and someone who has read a lot of the techniques to fix that problem, then didn't (ADHD lol). That is in fact what my internal monologue tends to be like at night - a mix between recalling every single way you've ever learnt to pass out, worrying about what happens tomorrow, 'why is life like that. what did i do,' and just a pinch of 3am self loathing.
I never really thought of it until an AO3 commenter pointed it out, but it was a fairly natural way of worldbuilding/expositing/characterisation all in one go. Establish the premise of the fic, Robot only bothering to process things when it's on the brink of exhaustion, the way it's kinda obsessed with productivity and efficiency and self-improvement.
I'm proud of it!
Also I like to think Lady Luck only does the weird scheduling thing for Robot. She'd be the type of person to try and make the Dungeons a personalised hell for everybody.
“Hey, could I get a coffee, do you think? …I’ve been sleeping so badly down here.”
I'm quite happy with the intro to the next bit too. My goal going into most fanworks (still) is to emulate what drew me to the original story. In this case, that's Dicey's tone and dialogue, with a bit more direct focus on the characterisation of everyone. So this is sort of a meta plot device that signals all that to the reader. I love how efficient that is. also I just like throwbacks and references okay
"The canteen was a dense jumble of kichen counters…"
I could've been a little faster with this scene and Robot subsequently making the coffee. One of my weaknesses as a writer is that I hallucinate some of the scenes in my head, and try to write down everything in that instead of just drawing a comic (cough that one unpublished Ninjago fic). I'm a sucker for describing scenery for days on end.
That said, I'm really glad I got the vibe of 'light-blue-grey' morning over to you in your fanart. It was exactly what I was imagining as I was writing this.
"Pre-ground. …But this was just evil."
I think I'm funny. Anxiety cube can put up with a lot, but terrible coffee isn't it.
"They taste horrible compared to freshly ground beans. It’s not worth the convenience."
haha. because you see. that's its heart's desire *gets turned into a dice*
"Pouring a generous portion for its new friend, Robot masked its complaints with a long sigh." "…But thanks to the innovations of modern day life-” An overhead swig downed half the mug."
A commenter pointed out that some of my lines have really good flow in them between actions and characterisation. I didn't notice that until then, but I'm inclined to agree. Some of these drive in the point really well.
"At least its fellow patron was enjoying themselves – not even flinching at the concoction and savouring the coffee raw. It was tempted to start a commentary on how dark roasts were overrated, but soon became a little more concerned about them drinking through the 100 centigrade burns. This place had quite the collection of creatures, it seemed."
I like to think Robot's a little snobby about the things it enjoys. I like to think Lady Luck tries to throw people off as much as possible.
"So, how’s the self-improvement going?" they started. "I only want top quality minions in my dungeons."
Very fun fact is that I was worried about spoiling the twist in this fic because of this line being so blatant, but I wanted to put it in anyway because it's a good character-establishing moment, and a good… re-interpretation of the line in another context? I love recontextualising canon in a slightly different way that still works for the characters in question. it's so fun
Anyways. Turns out I didn't need to worry about that because at least one reader totally missed this too so got hit with the full twist anyways. Isn't writing great?
"So, what’s keeping you up this late?” they asked. “Nightmares? A looming sense of regret and existential dread? Unfinished essays due tomorrow morning?"
essays due tomorrow morning. haha so true. i'm glad I don't take much coursework nowadays.
"You know, as useless as it looks, sleep’s rather important for you folks. It’s how you deal with all the terrible things that happen during the day, since your brain can just wipe the slate clean and try again. But funnily enough, it’s always the first thing that’s left behind whenever someone wants to better themself." "Life’s painful enough as it is. Why not change things up if your current routines aren’t working?" "Nobody ever plays the cards they’re dealt perfectly, dear… Time always slips you by when you’re not paying attention. And nobody ever knows what’s coming next. You’ve just got to learn when to raise and fold them." "Well, part of being human is never being a hundred-and-one percent efficient. If you folks still count yourself as that. I’d apologise but I remember you were quite nonchalant about your little transformation anyways."
One of the main points of this fic was that while Lady Luck is blatantly on the offensive and absolutely insulting Robot to its core, she's not technically… wrong?
It's not bad advice. Lady Luck, in-game, seems very perceptive of the various insecurities mortals go through. And I like to think she does start this conversation just for genuine fun, to pick someone apart. See if they bounce back against it or just crumble. It's just a bonus that the recipient finds it harder to refute her offers afterwards.
"It might!" it snapped back, getting them to at least try and contain their mockery under a silent, wavering smirk. "You know what? I think it will be, I can feel it!"
Robot sort of does both. It's definitely very very anxious. But it's stubborn. I really like that about its character: how there's a contrast between its organised and disorganised sides? How robots are usually associated with hard numbers and calculations, but Robot's mechanic is blackjack. also it's SO autism/adhd coded. listen. in this
I don't know if there's a trope to call either of these, but they're my favourite things about both characters, and they're surprisingly introspective for a game so short on story. (I will write more about that in another post. lol).
It's a bit indulgent in how long it goes on in some areas, but eh. It works for the fic's pacing.
"The figure leaned forward to highlight its obvious obliviousness…" "I thought you were supposed to be the overly organisational optimist."
I love alliteration. yippee!
"A gentle chuckle filled the air, restrained from its usual projecting echo. "You wound me, Robot. Games are always more fun when your players at least get the chance to try and fight back."
I like to think Lady Luck's main motivation is entertainment. Which mostly involves watching people suffer. But I think it's in the spirit of luck to have it so that someone's downfall was their choice. Determinism versus free will and whatever.
The chance that somebody could escape makes things spicier. And makes it sting all the more for all those that didn't. Hooray!!
Also given Lady Luck's usual loud persona, I planned (plan) on giving her quite a few more subtle but equally threatening moments in this series. It's a thing that wouldn't really work well in the actual game, but it does in a slower medium like writing, and I fucking love that trope.
"Statistically unlikely, but I’ll humour it," she commented to an invisible aside."
You should picture this scene as her directly staring at you through the fourth wall. Like in a sitcom.
"But it’s not so bad, being a minion… I’ve heard that’s about as stable as a job as you can get these days." "…though surprisingly she was not the worst boss it had had to deal with."
I always thought this line, used on Thief in-game, would've been an absolute killer on Robot. The job market is pretty fucking shit these days under capitalism and you would be lying if you said there aren't at least some parts of the Dungeons that seem better work-wise. Inclusivity, stable employment, accommodation.
Yeah, you have no freedom, but that's also the goal of capitalism up here as well. At least in Dicey it's ridculous and ironic. And you'd get to use your degree in maths/statistics/acounting etc to its full extent! Can you fucking imagine the paperwork for a game-show/dungeon hybrid business.
"But then again, I think you’re plenty used to the grind."
I believe this was an unintentional-turned-intentional coffee pun. Boooooo
"Funny how they think that’ll discourage anybody. …Folks hear that the house always wins and immediately think they’ll be the exception."
She would be the one to know that. This was intended as a followup to Robot's entire argument before. I'm very happy that at least one person picked up on that :D
"So whatever you pick, it'll be a decision from Robot alone, no matter what your mind or body drags you into afterward.”
I believe this was also supposed to be a callback, but the wording got changed slightly. I think it was the "It feels like my mind and body won’t stop working against me" bit.
"Normally, Robot would’ve stayed to socialise and make new friends, and in all likelihood, skipping breakfast would leave it starving later on in the day. But right now, it needed some time to itself: to think and recover and remember where it was going with this."
This was another callback (that actually made it into the story). Robot immediately making another bad decision after the first, with the exact same words echoing it coming.
"Just another day in the dungeons. It could handle this."
I wanted the ending to be very short and open-ended, in that it was up to you to interpret whether Robot took the offer or not, and when. But regardless I wanted it to be like a regular intro to an episode, but with the hint something definitely fucking changed that the audience can only speculate on.
…oof. 80 minutes on this essay. My poor neck. I think that's it for now, though.
Overall I'm really happy with this piece - hence why it's one of the few things I actually put online. It's three years old, and I could've fixed the flow in some bits (there's one part where I think Robot answers a different question than was asked).
But I achieved pretty much everything I wanted to say in this piece of fanwork, it pushed me to think about characterisation a lot and my writing and editing techniques. There's a lot of neat little things I put into it, and it really got me to grips with what I liked about my inspiration in the first place.
I think that's an exercise worth trying for every fan-work creator. Stretches you brain. Almost lets you re-experience what you loved about a thing years later. Points you towards your possible future diagnoses. It's a fun time!
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