#the foraged ones are not as scary

[phoradendron]

Some results of my earlier adventures with natural dyes. These are dyed with blue elderberry; I had read how red and black elderberry are not very light- or colorfast, but I dyed these two or three months ago and they are doing well! Could be chance, but maybe blue elderberry is more colorfast?

I want to try changing the PH in the future for more colors. These are alum mordanted wool embroidery thread, one is undyed the other is white. In the first photo, the fibers that were originally white are on the top, undyed on the bottom, and the one weirdo off to the side was white and went in late when I decided there was more room in the jar.

No heat added to the dye bath to keep the colors brighter. I prepared it by crushing the berries, adding just enough water to cover the plant matter, leaving them overnight, crushing again and straining out the plant matter, then left the mordanted fibers in for three days; very simple. Washed thoroughly, dried in the window lol.

The white fibers became a sort of soft raspberry color, the undyed became a sort of rose gold. The weirdo is a sort of Pepto Bismal color? To be poetic

[dragons-and-yellow-roses]

RATS are NOT your friends at night while you're reading a scary book

[earl-grey-love]

I love survival horror games. Especially when they have companions for me to get attached to and overprotective of.

[weedexchange]

love the validation i get from having lots of replies to my discusion posts, especially when they hit me with the, i never thought about it like that

[rise-my-angel]

Confused Warmth

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Length: 12.3k

Warnings: angst/hurt comfort with happy ending, smut, p in v, oral (f receiving), romantically inexperienced reader, mutual pining

Note: it took me a few days to summom the courage to post this here, but i really hope you enjoy it! Prequel to Distracted Mistakes and Past Retribution

Softness and warmth surrounded you, and yet your mind felt anything but calm and comfortable. The blanket draped over you should be enough to lull you into a comfortable sleep, but the warmth emanating from the body next to you is a constant reminder of what you’ve done. The quiet breathing along with every rise and fall of their chest yells at you for not just doing what they’re doing and fall asleep. 

But you can’t. You replay in your mind what actions directly led you to right now, and even worse, how this will affect your relationship entirely. You never expected this in your life. Not in general, and especially not with the person sound asleep next to you. Afterall, you were told when you first arrived in Jackson that Joel Miller is a difficult man to know. 

Though, really thinking about it, you were given pretty conflicting opinions on the man right up until tonight. Once you had met Joel, everyone felt the need to tell you how to deal with him or how to handle him. It was nothing but confusing for you, and not just because you had only met him. 

Before arriving at Jackson, you were alone, and had been for a long time. You knew how to hide from danger, how to forage, and how to lay traps for hunting food. That was enough. You had to travel, nowhere for a long stretch of road was anything resembling civilization. You could find places to stay with no Clickers, but it was the depraved hostility of other survivors you didn’t want to stay and find. So you kept going. 

Eventually, you heard rumours of Wyoming. A real community, good people paying their dues to make it all work. While you didn’t hold that flicker of hope in your heart, you planned a path regardless. It took a while, but you found it. An awkward and slightly scary initial confrontation with a few men aside, it was obvious you were alone and simply looking for a place to breathe. So they brought you in, and showed you around. 

It was that first day, rain lightly misting in the evening air, that you met him. One of the men, learning earlier was named Tommy, led you into a building that you thought was originally some kind of restaurant, and introduced you to his wife Maria. It was there, talking to them about the time you spent alone and how you found this place, when he walked in. 

The door flew open, sprays of rain droplets flying around the entrance followed by a broad man with an angry disposition barreled in, paying no mind how his loudness disrupted the quiet conversation taking place. 

“Tommy, if this damn thing snaps one more time, I’m heading out to find a new one and I’m fixing it myself.” With a bang, he turns to drop what appeared to be some kind of metal piping onto the counter you sat at. The noise causing you to jump in your seat, hand letting go of the glass Maria had handed you, the bottom of it hitting the counter with a noticeable clank. 

“Well maybe if you give the man more than 5 minutes to fix it, you wouldn't keep having this problem,” Tommy began giving what sounded somewhat like a lecture, only it was toned in an amused familiarity, like this was a regular kind of occurrence. But the newcomer's gaze wasn’t on him. 

It was on you, a glare turned your way at your startled jump, later you’d learn it wasn’t really a glare. Joel’s resting face just looked like that naturally. Only a glare wasn’t enough to make you look away. In fact, you only just watched him back in return. Instinct told you to brace yourself for a fight, too used to the road with aggressive men looking to steal whatever you had that they didn’t. But he didn’t move, he just looked at you as Tommy said something about pipes behind you. 

“That work for you, Joel?” Tommy’s affirming tone pulling his attention away from you. His face turning just slightly to look up at him, his eyes clearly going from whatever apprehension towards your presence fading back to the annoyance he held when walking in. 

“Just tell him it’s his last chance.” The voice is harsh and gruff, but in a way that suggests he isn’t angry, he just has this angry demeanour. Joel’s arms slid over to the metal works  he placed on the counter, with a brief moment of his gaze following suit to once again look at you. It almost looked like he had a question to ask, but his eyes narrowed back to it’s usual look as he draped the material over his arm. “It’s my house he’s fixing, not some cheap hotel that pays him no matter the shit job.” 

And with that he hitches the thing in his arm higher and swings the door back open, his body fading into the mist of the rainfall until the door closes over the scene. 

It was then, when you first heard your first warning about him. Tommy chuckled to himself, before moving from his place at the counter to walk past you, a hand playfully grasping your shoulder as he goes by. “I know I said we have a bunch of different kinds of people, but I was hoping you’d have a nicer introduction to them than my brother.” 

Your eyebrows shoot up in question as you put it together. The similarly structured faces and both holding a clear southern accent that didn’t belong to the area matched each other but not the relatively calm presence Tommy gave you versus the fiery urgency his brother radiated. 

Maria laughed lowly to herself, before getting up from her own seat and coming to stand next to you. “Joel can come off as an asshole at first, but he’s less grumpy and more caring when he gets to know you, don’t let it bother you.” 

Tommy didn’t add anything about his brother, simply gestured for you to get up, and walked the two of you outside with him, going on about available places to live. 

From that point on, it felt as if you saw Joel everywhere. Jackson wasn’t big, sure, but more than one person on many occasions said that you likely wouldn’t encounter him often. That he works hard, but doesn't often interact with people a lot outside of Tommy, Maria, and the young teenager who lives with him who seems to be his daughter of sorts. 

Yet, you constantly saw Joel everywhere. At first anytime you ran into him, it was quiet but cordial. An answer to where a certain building is, pointing out that you were doing some small meaningless task wrong, he was gruff and intimidating but was never rude. Just pointing towards whatever you were doing with a, “You need to hold it this way, you’re just gonna hurt yourself doing it like that.” Sometimes just grabbing whatever you are holding and turning your hands to hold it properly, himself. It was always quite flustering, but by the time you would turn to look at him with a quiet ‘thank you’, Joel was always either back to minding his own business or has walked away totally. 

One evening, you were outside of your home, a small rundown place tucked away from the other houses for peace and quiet. Tommy had warned you it was in rough shape, and pretty ugly, but that it never had many people around, which after years of travelling all alone, is what you were most comfortable with. You were busy working away at sawing slabs of wood into specific lengths, so focused on making sure the measurements were right, that you didn’t notice your approaching visitor. 

“You planning on dragging all that around, yourself?” Looking up to see the source of the voice, Joel stood mere feet away, arms crossed over his chest as he looked down at your hunched form. The only response you gave was a raise of an eyebrow. 

Joel nodded his head to indicate at yourself, “No offence but you’re not exactly in prime shape to carry around lumber.” While he was right, it was also embarrassing and you didn’t like that he just said it out loud. 

You shrugged, looking back at the wood and eyes downcast to the side. Your plan was to just drag each piece to its destination and you’d figure it out from there. Without knowing what to say you merely muttered, “I’d manage.” 

There was a moment of silence, but before you could determine if it was awkward or not Joel spoke again. “What’re you even doing?” 

Looking up to him he seemed to be genuinely curious. Tommy was right, Joel’s face was always just a degree of grumpy no matter what it seemed. Standing up to face him properly, you gestured to your windows. “The back of my house faces the edge of town. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I don’t like how easily the windows open from the outside.”  

Joel still cross-armed, nodded, a thoughtful look in his face. “Life on the road does that to you. Makes you feel like you can’t trust anything too comfortable.” You knew from word of mouth that Joel hasn’t been here for that long. He and his daughter Ellie had only arrived less than a year before two men on patrol stumbled upon you. 

You don’t know why you felt the need to say anything, you assumed he was just curious and would walk away again, but you still spoke. “I still don’t really know anyone here.” 

Joel was just confused looking, but waited for you to finish your thought. 

“I didn’t know if I should ask anyone for help, since, uh, no one really knows me. So I just decided I’d do it myself.” You turned back to start just moving things anyway. “Nice seeing you, Joel.” 

You simply started to lift some of the larger slabs since you may as well get those over with first, when it suddenly lifted from your arms. Your hands hovered from where they held it, when you looked at Joel holding it up over his shoulder like the heavyweight meant nothing to him. “Gonna take you until midnight doing this alone.” As he began walking towards your backyard he just hollered, “Bring over those smaller ones, would you?” 

He worked with you to nail the slabs around your loose windows all evening. You didn’t share much conversation that night, but you two worked together pretty seamlessly. By the time the job was done, it was finally getting dark. 

Joel had one forearm resting against the wall, deep brown eyes looking at you, something clearly stirring around in his head behind them. You don’t know if intimidated is the right word for how you felt in that moment, but it’s the only one that came to mind. His large, broad frame standing over you, ever watchful of your moments, it made you squirm. 

You hated that feeling. Years on the road, surviving and defending yourself, it wasn’t natural for you to feel flustered. Like his gaze made you warm, and you didn’t understand the feeling at all. So you gave yourself an out. 

Picking up the tools left on the ground, you looked at Joel hoping it was a grateful expression not a hesitant one. “Thanks for the help, Joel. Least now I can hopefully sleep a little better.”

Joel’s mouth opened to respond but you were faster. “I should let you go, you’ve taken enough of your time helping me. I’ll let you head back home.” 

His head tilted as he clearly was trying to process your quick dismissal. “Anytime, really. Just gotta ask, alright?” 

You nodded, lips pursing slightly as you tried not to look at him. “Goodnight, Joel.” 

Right before you went inside, Joel yelled out  your name, just loud enough to get your attention. “Seriously. Just ask next time you need help, okay?” 

Again, you nodded, not sure what to say. He didn’t leave the moment open for long, Joel simply said, “Alright. You know where I live.” Turned, and left the way he came. Leaving you standing at your front door, looking into the darkness of the evening. Wondering why you always feel so strange around this man. 

The time in which he spends around you seems to increase with every encounter. It’s probably not enough time to consider the two of you friends, usually you either pull away busying yourself to escape this growing unknown feeling, or Joel is pulled away either by whatever job he had taken up, or usually, by Ellie.  

You’ve actually spoken to the girl enough times to feel fond of her. She's smart, but boy does she have a quick mouth on her. She gives you more sass than you’ve ever seen from one person, and anytime you see her with Joel it’s a constant back and forth. Bickering as if they can’t stand each other, but it’s filled to the brim with playfulness and affection. You don’t know what they’ve been through, but it’s clear that whatever it is it’s left the two of them with an inseparable bond. 

The group of people you’ve found yourself spending a consistent amount of time with have tried to mention it around you. Speculating on what the mouthy teenager and brooding father have been through before arriving in Jackson, but you never listen. It feels wrong. 

You don’t know why they would care to talk about it in such a way. If they wanted to know just ask, but you didn’t want to know. Every single person here has a story, one that hurts them to remember and no one deserves to have it brought out into the open without their permission. The most you’ve ever heard before leaving the conversation was enough to learn that Ellie isn’t Joel’s biological daughter. 

Though you don’t know why that’s even interesting. The two look nothing alike, not in skin tone or facial structure, but they clearly see each other as father and daughter, so you don’t care until the duo themselves feel the need to say otherwise. 

You do, however, pay attention to when one of the group members mentions that Joel seems to hover around you. Your head turns from watching your finger tracing the lid of your glass to whip around to face her. Brows furrowed and eyes screaming confusion, they laugh and say, “What like you’ve never noticed? He is always suddenly around when you’re around and when he is he watches you like a hawk.” 

That strange warm yet juggling feeling in your gut returns. You hate it. You don’t understand it. “He doesn’t.” It’s all you can say in your defence, before downing the remainder of your drink before getting up to pour yourself another. 

This time another person in the group speaks up, “No he definitely does. I don’t see Joel hovering around anyone else, and he definitely talks to you just as much as he does Tommy or Ellie.” That makes your stomach lurch even more. 

You don’t make a habit of watching Joel. Watching people’s movements comes naturally to you, being alone on the road, tracking people’s movements on a day to day basis becomes a necessity for survival, knowing how to avoid anything treading on too dangerous to handle alone. You have no reason to watch Joel, so you make a conscious effort not to, even though you don’t feel compelled to watch others like you do him. Not that you’d admit that. 

“He’s just nice to me, is all.” You drink maybe half of your new glass, trying very hard not to chug it down. 

“Sweetheart, Joel ain’t just nice like that to everyone.” You ignore the light laughter from the group. Your whole body feels warm and taut with tension, and you hate it. All you can do is roll your eyes and wait for the conversation to change topics. 

Against your best effort, you start to take note. Joel in fact, pops up where or around where you are whenever constantly. He approaches you just to chat some of these days. It’s never super chatty like other people. Joel isn’t a big talker, and neither are you. But the silence between the words is comfortable all the same. Just standing, backs slightly leaned against the wall, both your arms crossed as you talk. Small laughs or smiles gracing your faces the longer the conversation. 

You never associated the strange happenings in and around your place with him at all. But they bothered you.

It was Tommy who spilled the beans about what Joel’s been doing behind your back. You walked into the bar one afternoon, complaining that someone was messing around your house. He looked very surprised, and when you mention how things on your property seemed to be fixed by themselves, or firewood suddenly is precut for you on your outdoor pile, he has the audacity to laugh. 

“Those ain’t bad things, you know that right?” You didn’t let it slide, though, wishing he was taking it more seriously. 

“Tommy, someones on my property, touching my things, and I don’t like it. I get that this is a safe place, but I don’t feel safe when I come home and someone’s clearly been there without my permission. If I can’t feel safe here I may as well be back out there.” Your voice with each sentence raising in pitch and hysterics, Tommy realising that you didn’t like your privacy being invaded, and to you, your home itself was your privacy.  

He says your name low but gently, grabbing your attention. “Listen, sweetheart,,” He sighs as he contemplates how to say what he needs to say. “My brother’s not the best at letting people know he cares. I mean hell, he's closest to me and Ellie and he’s had more arguments and fights with the both of us then anyone else combined.”

“I don’t,” you shook your head in denial, “I don’t get what you’re saying.” 

Tommy leans in closer to you, his voice quiet, “He’s not good at saying he cares about you, he’s better at just doing things you need. He’s not going to just tell you what he’s doing, he just notices things you need fixing or more supplies of, and he just does it for you.”

That warm feeling has become the thing you dread the most. You’d rather be shoved into a room with Clickers than keep having this unknown feeling arise anytime Joel came up. 

“I never brought those up though,” Tommy shakes his head, hand raised to interrupt you. 

“You don’t need to, he pays attention to you.” Your head lowers, lost in thought, when he speaks again. “If it really makes you uncomfortable, I’ll tell him that. But he’d rather just do things to help you out, especially since he knows how little you try and rely on anyone else.”

Your fingers light start tapping against the wood of the bar, “I, I guess you’re right. Not like it’s bad things he’s doing.” You move to grab the bag that you had unceremoniously dropped when storming in, “You’re right, he’s just being nice, not a big deal.” 

Tommy had more to say, but clearly you didn’t, you just looked him in the eye, “Please uh, don’t- don’t tell him I said anything. Don’t want him mad that I complained about it.” 

Hands raised in the air, he swears, “Not a word.” as you leave the building. 

The next day, Joel shows up at your door, walking in like he was previously invited and makes his way into your kitchen. “I’m sick of walking by here at night, and seeing every light working and then just candles lighting your kitchen.” 

You genuinely can't tell if Tommy said anything to him, and Joel doesn't elaborate. 

He does, though, fix your kitchen lights that day, just needing a quick job that you didn’t know how to do. After it’s done, he stays for a while afterwards when you offer him a drink. The two of you just in your kitchen talking until it gets late enough that you joke, “You know if you don’t get home before the street lights turn on Ellie’s gonna be worried.” 

Instead of thanking you for the drink, Joel just asks you, “You wanna join us?” Him having to elaborate further at your widened eyes, “For dinner, it’s Ellie’s night to cook, and I know you ain’t got a huge stock of stuff here.” 

Both of your hands now holding the glass, grip tightening on it matching the tightening feeling in your gut, you answer anyways. “I’d like that.” 

Joel’s house is far nicer than yours, it feels lived in, full, no doubt a large part being Ellie’s young and more energetic influence at work there. You do spot a guitar as you make your way into the kitchen. It had been so long since you heard proper music, the old music player you carried with you for years had broken just a month  before arriving at Jackson. You had missed it greatly. Was it his or Ellie’s, and why did a part of you so badly want to see Joel play it? 

Your attention didn’t linger for long, Ellie acosts you as soon as you walk into the threshold of the kitchen. “Finally, I’ve been telling him to invite you forever.” 

“Ellie,” Joel’s tone is final in the abruptness which is comes out, making Ellie look drastically between the two of you. 

“What? It’s true, he never shuts up about you during dinner anywa-” 

Joel turns away from you completely to point at the stovetop, “Ellie, watch the damn burner.” His back to you hiding his wide eyed unimpressed look, though it did little to hide it in his tone. 

Turning back to you, his body tense in an uncomfortable awkwardness, his hands placed on his hips. “So uh,” his hesitation lingering in the air as he thinks, “Sit down, I’ll get you a drink.” 

Things do settle, Joel complimenting Ellie for getting better at cooking, and her trying to play it off like it’s no big deal. It’s heartwarming watching the two of them together. Their banter compliments each other, but their closeness doesn’t disclude you. Joel throws things your way all the time, trying to get you to speak up. 

It doesn’t come naturally to you, making casual conversation, but you get the sense that Joel knows that. It’s not like either of you are a chatterbox to anyone. It helps getting you through dinner, though. The night is cozy, you have a good time just being around them as they go about their evening. 

It also though, leaves you feeling confused and somewhat stupid. This sensation you get around Joel was so strong the entire night, you at some points worried you were going to be sick. It torments you the next few days, unable to stop thinking about how much you liked being so close to him, spending time with him. And you don’t know why. 

Honestly you are not used to sharing how you feel with people. You spent so much time watching how people sharing their feelings with each other ended up tearing the group apart, leaving you to go find a new group to travel with, until it became too much to bother with. There’s something foreign about this feeling though that makes you wonder if there’s something wrong. 

It’s Maria who gets it out of you. On more than one occasion you find yourself sitting at the bar counter, picking at whatever you brought out for lunch, staring at it like it’s the cause of your problems. Maria approaches you, “You wanna tell me what’s bothering you so much, or do you want me to leave it for the sandwich?” 

You’re not sure what it is about her, but she feels safe, like she’s not going to just use it against you. You dish it all out, how Joel makes you feel, the feeling in your stomach, how confused you feel about what people have said when it doesn’t make sense. By the end of explaining it all to her, it may be the most you’ve ever said in one go. 

Maria has to take a moment to take it all in, to think about why you’re feeling so bad about this when it dawns on her. She says your name quite calmly, “Have you never had a crush before?” 

No, no that’s what’s happening right? It couldn’t be, you didn’t even think of that. “I, no, never. Uh, it just, never, no one has ever,”  You start stammering, eyes looking around as if worrying someone else would hear you. “I mean before all this happened, like, I was still pretty young, it just never happened beforehand and then afterwards everything was just about surviving that it didn’t matter anymore.” 

Maria knew you were younger then Joel clearly, but you held yourself up in a quiet but put together way. You spent years out there alone, hardening your spirit, that it made her forget that you must have been younger then they were when the outbreak happened. She figured you may not have even been around anyone that would have given you a crush for a while anyways, having to go through a life in all this didn’t give most people the best understanding of these kinds of feelings. 

“It’s okay, it’s not a big deal. Actually, it makes sense really. You’re both a lot alike from what I can tell.” She watches you fidget in your seat, and all you can do is accept that she’s right. 

“What do I do? Fuck no, nevermind there’s nothing to do about it. It doesn’t matter.” You jump up from your seat and grab your bag to run out the door when Maria calls your name. 

“Listen, don’t shut it out okay? Don’t just push that all down, you never know-” You cut her off right then and there. 

“It’s okay Maria, I know who it is we’re talking about. Just uh, don’t, don’t say anything, please?” You look at her desperate, wishing that just by not talking about it will make it stop. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” She’s not entirely sure that’s true though, she’s probably going to talk about this with Tommy, but you didn’t need to know that right now. 

For a while, you could pretend like life was normal. You and Joel spent increasing amounts of time together, but none of it changed. He’s still grumpy, and brooding, he still is a degree of rough in how he speaks to you, but he speaks to everyone that way, so you don’t think anything of it. Joel is just a rough around the edges kind of guy. 

Joel still just does things for you without you bringing it up or even asking, he becomes increasingly protective over you, and you just assume he’s always like this. Part of you wonders about it, but you rationalise it. You tell yourself that reading into how he protects you is just going to drag you back into that hole. 

It all comes to a boiling point one day, when you are preparing to make a trip out. You know that Jackson provides you with as much food as you need, but a part of you will always feel the need to ensure you can still fend for yourself. Trapping is the one you rely on more often. It allows you to practise patience and a degree of stealth to track animals movements. 

Tommy already knows you’re headed out today, asking if you wanted one of them to come with you, but you declined. Going out alone is what you’re used to. 

What you didn’t count on, was before and just after you left. Joel had come up to talk to Tommy, when he notices you. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?” 

You were kneeling down on the ground, checking to make sure your pack had everything necessary when you heard the deep voice approaching you. Looking up to see Joel just in front of Tommy, you quickly closed your pack and moved to stand up. Joel reached out to give your arm a pull when he could see you stumble as you tried to stand and slip the bag onto your back at the same time. “Just going out to check my traps before it gets dark.” 

Joel’s eyes squinted and his brow furrowed as he moved his gaze from you to up in the sky, and back to you. “ Getting pretty dark, isn’t it? You should wait until tomorrow.” 

Shrugging you let the suggestion slip by, “I’d rather do it now, it’s been a little too long and I want to check them all before something else gets to whatever got caught.” 

“It’s still late, I’ll go with you.” Whatever Joel came over to talk with Tommy about, clearly involved other plans because Tommy immediately looked surprised if not a little put out at his brothers words. 

“No, no it’s fine. I prefer doing it by myself. Go uh, ahead with whatever you guys were gonna do.” As you started to secure the bags straps across your chest, Joel took another step forward into your personal space. 

“You shouldn’t go out there by yourself.” 

“I’ll be fine, Joel. Seriously.” 

“I’m going with you.” 

“Joel, I can do it on my own.” 

Both of you were starting to get annoyed, and Tommy took a step forward as Joel’s tone raised. 

“You’re not going out there when it looks like it could storm at any time.” 

Now you were looking him right in the eye, very frustrated. “I don’t need you to babysit me Joel, I know what I’m doing.” 

Another step forward towards the pair of you from Tommy as Joel almost growls your name in warning. 

Looking back on it, you know your frustration was your fault. You were struggling with realising you have feelings for him, and the subsequent problems that came with trying to ignore it. All mixed with Joel spending more time with you and the people around you commenting on how unusual they thought it was. Today's last straw was simply. Hating feeling like Joel was treating you like a child contrasted badly with having this crush on him. Tommy was fine with you going out now. Why couldn’t Joel just do the same? 

Joel makes a move to grab your arm when Tommy finally steps in between the two of you. A hand on his shoulder, Tommy pulled his brother back out of your face, “Let’s take it down, now.” 

You didn’t want to hear it. You wanted time alone, to check your traps, go home to use one of them for a quiet dinner, and this was getting in the way of that. “I’m heading out, I’ll see you later Tommy.” 

Just as you turned away, Joel calls out to you, calmer than he was just seconds before. You didn’t say anything, but you just looked at him apprehensively. The anger had faded into something softer that you couldn’t identify. Brown eyes shining wide, with a concern behind them, a concern for an unknown reason. 

“You come back if you get into trouble, alright? One of us’ll go out with you in the morning.” Tommy had let go of his brother at this point and watched him with a thought filled expression. 

All you did was nod. The annoyance drained from your face and body, you just accepted his offer before turning and leaving. You didn’t look back to see Joel again, you didn’t want to. You just wanted things to be normal between you two, you wanted this stupid crush to go away forever. It was getting in the way of how you talked to him. 

Not 5 minutes into your journey, you felt a drop of water splash onto your cheek. Thinking nothing of it at first you kept going. Water gets trapped in the tree leaves and any breeze can send it down towards you, and it feels just like rain. 

Just as you were approaching your first trap, the water droplets picked up and turned into steady rainfall. Seconds later, it poured down. Heavy rain drenched you beyond compare instantly. The sun setting down below the view of the horizon, and the heavy rain made it hard to see more than a few feet in front of you. 

You didn’t really mind. It felt nice after almost getting into a fight with Joel. You some days used to travel the most during the rain, Clickers were less likely to find a home out in the open when it rained hard, and other survivors typically took shelter until it was done, so you could cover more ground without anyone or anything getting in your way. 

Besides, whatever had been caught in this trap got snatched up by something else. The remains of something was apparent, but not enough to tell you what you missed out on. That was fine, you had 3 other traps to check anyways. 

You reset it, and got up, continuing on to the next one. By the time you made your rounds and were headed back in the direction of Jackson, you had scored 2 squirrels, and a rabbit. Not great, but better than 4 empty traps. Wandering into town, you were debating your meal. After dealing with the squirrels, you thought the rabbit would do for tonight. Rabbit meat was too lean to be worth keeping in storage so you may as well use it well, now. 

Well, at least that was your plan until you passed by a certain grumpy southerner’s house. You heard him before you saw him, Joel’s loud and angry call of your name. This time his voice was angry without a doubt. More angry than he was before. Looking at you from his front door he yelled your name again, angrily beckoning you over with his hand. 

You didn’t even get within 6 feet of him before the yelling continued. “What the hell did you think you were doing?” 

What was he so mad about? “I’m fine, what are you talking about?” 

Joel pulled you out of the rain, just under his front door when you got within reach. Well, yanked was more like it. Pulled was too gentle of a term. “It’s been storming for a good hour and a half and you just hung out there this whole damn time?”

You could sense another fight brewing and desperately tried to swallow it down. “This is nothing, what are you talking about?” 

Just as you said it, a flash of lighting hit the sky. You hadn’t even realized. Once it got too dark you pulled your flashlight out anyways, you must have missed it. “There's barely any, it doesn’t matter.” 

“You’re out there alone in a thunderstorm and you think it’s no big deal? It started pouring just after you left you should have just come back, I’d have gone with you in the morning.” 

“Joel, I told you it was fine, I don’t care about getting wet!” 

Something flashed in Joel’s eyes, something dark that set your nerves alight, something you didn’t understand. “You don’t care until you wake up tomorrow, sick from being soaked for so long.” His voice was low, akin to the growl he sounded like earlier. His head leaning down right into your personal space. 

“Who cares?” Your voice was raised now, and that did not help. 

“I care, so why the fuck don’t you?” 

You had nothing to say, you just wanted to get your stuff and have a quiet night but every step of the way today Joel had been right there trying to get in the way of that. You sighed deeply, a hand coming to press against your forehead. You just pressed harder hoping somehow that would make this headache go away. 

“Can you yell at me tomorrow, I just,” You sighed deeply again, “I just want to go home.” You didn’t want to yell, or to fight with him. You were so exhausted with this growing tension between you and him. 

Joel looked you up and down, something brewing within him. He took a step towards you, saying your name with a gentle hum, as your eyes met his, he nodded to the side where his front door remained open. “Come on in, let me at least get you something dry.” 

When you hesitated, Joel's posture almost seemed to slouch. As if trying to make himself less threatening. "No more yelling. I promise."

Exhausted and drenched like a rat, you muttered a tiny, “Okay.” before following him inside. His house was just as cozy and warm feeling as ever, after a night in the rain. 

In the corner of your eye, you see Ellie on the couch, something in her hands that she quickly goes back to when she notices you spotted her stare. Curiously she stayed completely silent. No doubt she heard you two at the door, but says nothing. 

You and Joel go down the hallway, following him to a room closed shut at the end. Joel opens the door and gently waves for you to follow him in. It was for a brief moment, you hesitated. 

It hit you out of nowhere that you’ve never been inside a man's room before, let alone while being alone with him. It makes you freeze and you don’t quite know why, but you suck it up and follow inside. 

Joel was rummaging through a drawer of his, he pulls out a few pieces and walks over to hand them to you. “I’ll let you change, and we’ll get on drying those for you.” With that he leaves the room, pulling the door closed behind him. 

Joel’s room was warm. A cozy orange light that wasn’t too bright, curtains pulled halfway closed to let the patter of the rain splash the visible window, a heavy blanket draped across his bed, and near the wall, his guitar gently sat against a bookcase. You look at the clothes in your hand, a T Shirt of his and what appeared to be sweatpants with a drawstring to adjust the waist. 

It felt like a daunting task, slowly peeling off your clothes in the middle of Joel’s room. Your eyes glancing to the side at the door as if it would fly open at any moment, but it doesn't. So all you do is quickly throw on the replacing clothing as soon as yours was off, like you shouldn’t spend too much time undressed in here. 

Once you rejoin Joel in the living room, wet clothes folded awkwardly in your hands, he’s talking quietly with Ellie, too low for your ears to catch. Joel looks up, and just stares. Neither of you move, your eyes feel snapped to his face, which is staring at you so hard it’s almost right through you. Breaking the silence, Joel leans down to his companion. 

“Ellie takes her clothes to dry them out, would you?” The teen nods, and takes the clothes from you and leaves into another room. 

Joel nods his head to some unheard thought of his, before shaking it off and moving to the table. Pulling out a chair he waves you over, “May as well feed you if I’m gonna spend all day arguing with you.” 

 Taking a seat, you finally smell cooking in the air. “What about my tra-”

“Ellie’s handling it, she needs the practice anyways.” Joel comes around with two plates, and places yours down as he takes his own seat at the small table. “Not so warm anymore, but it’s better than freezing.” 

You’re not sure how much you want to admit it, but you’re so cold that he could have told you the food was blazing hot and in comparison, you’d probably just believe it. Everything feels so precarious being alone with Joel right now. You don’t quite understand why he got so mad, but you don’t want to bring it up in case it makes him mad again. 

You’re not scared of him, but you are worried of ruining whatever peace you two seem to have found since you stepped into his house. Joel sits in the other chair, not having touched his own food yet, but holding his drink glass tightly. So tightly that you can see the tension in his knuckles, like as long as the glass doesn’t break he won’t either. So you just eat, and lose yourself in the silence. 

Turns out he couldn’t hold the silence for very long. Before he’s even moved to have a bite, Joel says your name. “Why didn’t you just come back? I told you I’d even go with you in the morning.” He’s calmer than before, but still tense. 

The fork in your hand taps the plate lightly as you try to figure out how to say it. “I’m just used to doing things during storms. No one else typically wants to travel during them, so I just got used to taking advantage of it.” 

“Yeah, except yo-” 

You cut Joel off almost right away, “I also maybe needed some time alone, and when you showed up, I just knew you were going to offer to come. But I needed time to myself, without you.” 

If the way you phrased that hurt him, Joel doesn’t show it in his face, but you back track regardless. “I don’t mean I didn’t want to be around you, at least, not in that way.” You take a long breath, chest visibly rising and lowering with it. “Being around you is confusing sometimes. A lot of times.” 

He doesn’t speak, but he shifts his body to face you more directly. His head moving to catch your downward gaze, dark eyes watching yours, narrowing just slightly to figure you out. So you continue. “One day we get along great, and then the next it’s like I’m walking a fine line around you trying to, trying to like, keep you from hating me.” 

It’s out, and now you can’t stop. “I can never figure out what I’m doing around you. Like tonight, I was out in a storm for what? Not even 2 hours, and I come back and you’re yelling at me like you think I’m a goddamn child who doesn’t know any better.” Finally you’re looking him in the eye, and like before, something flashes in his expression that you can’t quite figure out. 

“I know you're not a child.” Joel almost shakes his head in exasperation. “Trust me. I know.”

“Then what? You know I’m an adult but you just wish you could order me around like a kid? That it? Because you're kind of protectiveness lately always feels like you’re just lecturing a dumb kid who doesn’t know any better. I don’t know if you’ve noticed Joel, but I can take care of myself. I have for a very long time.” The eye contact is seething right now, you’re mad, but Joel is..something else. 

Moving his body to lean into your personal space, his voice comes out in a husky whisper. “Let’s get one thing clear, I’m not and have never tried or wanted to treat you like a child. Far from. If I saw you as a kid, I’d just treat you like I do when Ellie acts out, and teach you to know better.”  He breathes in through his nose deeply before he speaks again, “There are other ways to get to listen.” 

Lips parted slightly, your lungs suddenly feel shallow, and that warmth flows through your veins like fire. It’s not the same feeling like before, no this was a sensation you know you can put a name too. Like the combination of his words, the deep quiet tone of his voice you’ve come to adore, and his eyes boring into yours as if the answers to everything he wants are there. 

It’s a rush you feel fly through your whole body, leaving a shiver in its place as it passes, and finds a home directly between your legs. 

Joel though, means more to you then is worth jumping to conclusions. You have no real idea what he wants or meant, but that doesn’t stop your mouth from speaking before you could even hear yourself do so. “This is nothing. You want a brat?I could show you a brat.” 

What did you just say? What is wrong with you? What are you trying to do here? You take a long sip of the water before you, a desperate reprieve from the thick air surrounding you. It's a fruitless effort, because Joel's eyes are right there watching you once you look back. 

“There’s a line here sweetheart, and I’m damn close to just pulling you over it myself.” The flash in his eyes isn’t just a flash now, it’s a continuous bombardment towards you, and maybe it’s just a little too overwhelming. 

Not knowing if his slight shift towards your body had any intention other than to speak, you shoot up from your seat, turning away to face the main room  and miss the instant shift of concern in his eyes as he follows suit. You force the words out without the stammer, but it’s draped in an uncertainty that you wish you could hide. 

“I should get my stuff and go, I’ll just wear my wet clothes home. No reason to ruin your stuff you know? Not like I live too far away, anyways,” Quick and desperate voice trailing off into nothing as you see Joel approaching you, an arm outstretched towards you palms up, as if you’re a horse he’s afraid of spooking. 

“Hey, take a breath for me.” You nod as you do so, in and out, willing your nerves to settle. Joel finds himself right in front of you, looking down at you, his arms raise slowly, a firm hold on your arms as his head leans in to speak quietly. “Listen, I’m not here to push something you don’t want. If you want to head home, that’s okay, but-” 

“I don’t. I just…I’m not sure if you..” The words are in your head but not your mouth. Joel seems to know what they are nonetheless.

He trails his hands down your arms, one coming to his side gesturing to his room, and the other moving to find a gentle home on your back. “I think we should have a talk, sweetheart. In private.” 

His voice turns strangely commanding right as he stops speaking, but you follow his now distracted eyeline just in time to see a head of long hair disappear around a corner. It’s enough to make you smirk, Joel looks at you, and it’s enough for him too. 

Back in his bedroom, he nudges you in before him, so he can close the door behind him. You stand motionless in the middle of his room, eyes wide as you watch him bypass you and take a seat on the edge of his bed. 

Your name comes out firmly, “Before I say anything else, I need you to know that there’s things going on here that you don’t know about, but I want you to just stay here and listen.” 

You nod, arms crossed over your torso protectively.

“Tommy’s not one to just give away other people’s secrets. Neither is Maria, but they’re involved enough to pester me about certain things I’m not good at doing myself. So when he comes around spilling your secrets it’s not because he wanted to embarrass you.” 

Your eyes could pop out of your face at the realisation you were having. He knew. He fucking knew. “How did Tommy-” 

“Maria probably told him the same day you told her.” You almost got out asking why, before he shifts to lean a bit more over his thighs, hands splayed out on them in a way you suspect is as much a protective move as your arms wrapped around your torso. “They knew how I feel about you, and figured telling me may finally get my ass in gear to do something about it.” 

The look in your eyes soften, but remain wide open, and lips part in a disbelieving quiet gasp. “How you..feel?” 

“If you’re going to feel that way about me, I’m either the best or the worst option. I’m not exactly an expert at talking about how the people around me make me feel,” His hand pointing lazily at who you both knew was somewhere outside his door. “So I get how you feel, but it also means it takes months of my brother and his wife nagging to get me to do something.” 

You had so many thoughts, but only one you needed an answer to. “Why get so angry with me sometimes? If you are saying what I think you’re saying, why be so mad at me?"

A voice suddenly shouts through the door, “He doesn’t know how to show affection otherwise!” Joel stands up and opens the door at record speed.

You don’t hear what he tells her, but you see a variety of arm gestures being made just beyond your view of the door. Followed by what sounds like a very smug Ellie saying something about leaving him alone before what you presume is her bedroom door shutting. 

When closing the door again and turning to you, Joel finds you with a hand over your mouth. Doing a very poor job at hiding your laughter, Joel smiles slightly and his hands find a home on his hips. “I can’t say that she's wrong, actually. She would know that best.” 

A giggle threatens to spill over you, the tension finally coming to a simmer from its blazing heat. You shrug one shoulder, eyeing him with a playful but challenging smirk “Well if you just don’t know any better, maybe I should let you yell at me more often.” 

His voice hits you almost late, like you see him reach you in such a small amount of strides, his gruff tone hits you almost when he’s already right in front of you. “You want me to show you better?” 

He’s close now. So close you have to look up to meet his eyes. Whatever he searches for in your eyes, he seems to find it, and you suspect it’s a lot like what you keep seeing in his. A hand wraps its grip on your hip, while the other tilts your chin with a hold he controls. “Say no to me at any time. Okay? This isn’t just about me.” 

And your relationship takes a turn it can never return from. You feel Joel pull on your chin, while his own head leans in and finds your lips. 

Whatever you imagined kissing was like, kissing Joel kicked those thoughts out and found a new home in your heart. His kiss was soft, such an utterly soft feeling as his lips move against you, but also incredibly demanding. He moved you how he wanted to move you, deepening how hard he kissed you, and teased you just on the edge opening you up.

His grip on your hip tightens as he pulls your body against his, the hand on your chin drifting  all across your jaw to hold your neck. Hands so big they encompass the side of your face as well. The gasp you let out gives him his opening. His tongue finding yours, still teasing, as if he can’t decide between kissing you rougher and exploring your own tongue. So he switches between both. 

The scruff on his jaw and moustache burns against your skin. You’d never feel the same after feeling it against your smooth skin. 

You’re hands out of pure reaction, held lightly at his thick sides, but just as he moves from your hip to pull the other side of your face in a rough kiss, his nose pressed tightly against the side of yours, your own hands move. Refusing to even leave him, your hands move up against his chest and find a home grasping the back of his neck like it’s a lifeline. 

Your addicted to the feeling of his lips moulding against yours but you’re light headed. So lightheaded. Pulling back with a loud gasp of breath, Joel’s need rumbles against his chest, “Fuck.” He yanks you right back into him so harshly your teeth bash together. He doesn’t even seem to notice, he just turns you in the room. 

You couldn’t say where you were at all or where he was directing you, but right as both his hands leave you to grasp onto your hips, they just as soon push you into the plush bed. 

Joel’s hand rubs down his face before curling against his mouth, watching your chest heave to catch your breath. You lean up on your hands splayed behind you to whisper his name. The second it takes for him to join you feels like an eternity. Climbing up a knee at a time, finding its place on each side of your closed legs. 

At the same instant, you both lean into the other, Joel’s hands resting on your waist, you laying one hand in the middle of his collarbone, the other wrapping to grasp the back of his neck and pull his lips back onto yours. His teeth scrapes against your lips, biting down on them, only to follow with a smirk at the breathy whine you cry out. 

Joel moves his hand from your neck downwards, to feel the softness of your skin, pushing, grasping, and pulling at the plushness. Rougher and rougher with every shift of his hands, his patience serms to find a limit. He pulls from your lips just enough to coax your eyes to look at his. “You still want this? Cus I can’t promise you I’ll remember to be gentle if this goes any further.” 

Your eyes drift back to his mouth, so pouty and slightly flushed from the force. You can barely pull away from the sight long enough to look up and answer. “So don’t be, Joel.” 

For a moment, Joel just leans his forehead against yours, your arms all holding still against each other. He kisses you with a force that pushes your body back, and he pulls away just as quick to lift your shirt up and off you. The uninteresting sports bra beneath it does little for Joel's patience just getting in the way of his need to feel your soft bare skin. Before you can even think about moving your arms back around him, Joel yanks the sports bra up and over your head, chucking it to whatever direction his arm manages to find. 

He doesn’t ogle. His patience has no time for that right now. He pushes your body the rest of the way down into his bed, as he holds the hair at the back of your head in a tight grasp, with the other coming between your bodies to grasp your tits just as tightly. Each gasp and whine you give him, just allows his tongue to find yours again. 

It took nothing but simply being exposed to harden your nipples, but Joel isn’t satisfied with just that. His thumbs caress over them for mere moments before finding a hold and pulling them. The sting so shockingly good feeling, you cry out a moan that sounds awfully like a very high pitched “Oh God,” 

His other hand leaves your hair to grip and pull at your other breast, each nipple feeling a tight pull over and over. Joel leaves your mouth and trails itself down your neck and joins his hands. His facial hair scraping against your skin with the same addictive burn. 

A man possessed, Joel wastes no time in replacing the fingers pulling your nipples with his mouth. Your chest betrays you and lifts up to meet him even closer, It’s a sweet suck of lips and mouth, only to bite down. He bites and he bites while the other hand caresses your other breast, reaching up to tease your unattended to nipple in much the same fashion. 

His legs encompass yours, but your thighs desperate to feel more try and open up for him. Your outer thighs brushing against the inside of his, he lifts up from your entirely to take one leg and shoving it outside of his hold. He doesn’t return to you, he just looks at your heaving body, one hand holding your upper thigh when it moved you, the other dragged itself down to the very top of your pants, gripping the very top seams in its own desperate question. 

The second he spots your own hands moving to get them off yourself, Joel gathers a hold and yanks them off of you. Just one small fabric keeping you from showing him what he desires the most, he lets your legs move to find a home against his sides and hips, finding your mouth with a hold on your jaw, the other gripping the sides of your underwear like it offends him. 

The sound of your kiss is only interrupted by a growling breath and whining need as he pulls them tight up between your legs from the stretch only to threaten to come off from the push and pull. He’s had enough. He’s tearing them down your legs and leaving your legs out and spreading to bare all of you to him. Before the insecurity can  have a hold on you for even a second, he rubs against your thighs soothingly. “Don’t even think about it, sweetheart. Don’t you hide any of this gorgeous fucking sight from me.”

Joel moves in, only for your body to shoot up with a hand on his chest. You gaze at each other for a moment as he feels you go for the buttons. Before unfastening the first one just at the bit of chest he always seems to show, you hesitate. Looking up at him with a sweet, “Please?” 

Joel leans in to capture your lips in a much more sensual kiss before nodding. “Go ahead, sweet girl.” He just watches you undo each button. Your eyes glued to the sight of his torso with each little exposed skin until you reach the bottom button. Undoing it your hands push the fabric aside to hold the exposed stomach at your reach when Joel holds your chin in his hand gently once more. 

Fingers sliding along as he moves and stands up on the floor before you. Not a word is spoken as he watches you, his brown eyes barely blinking as he stares at your body as if he’d forget what it looks like if he looked away. Joel pulls the rest of his shirt open and lets it fall to the ground, his hands finding his belt. 

There it was, what he was looking for. As Joel pulls his belt open, and unzips himself, he sees you clench. Legs still wide open, Joel watches your pussy clench around nothing like it's desperate to fit him. 

In mere moments Joel is just as naked as you are, and you were not ready. His body broad and thick, strong muscles give way to a softer stomach that sits deliciously and unapologetically without flexing abs to show off. But it’s beneath that, that you cannot look away from. His cock sits hard and thick between his legs, a length that makes your mouth ache just looking at, and a thick girth that has your fingers holding the sheets below you tightly. 

Joel doesn’t return to you just yet, his eyes impossibly dark, nostrils flared in an audible breathing, Joel fists the base of his cock tightly for a moment before he’s suddenly right over your legs, face level with your stomach. 

His cock pressed up against the sheets, one hand reaching to grasp your ass and pull your hips to him, with the other pushing a thigh out to make room for his broad size. Joel pulls your hips up closer as he presses his nose up against your mound, taking in your scent when he calls you, “Look at me, sweet girl. You gonna let me taste you? The way I’ve always fucking wanted?” 

A thought passes through your head, but it gets pushed down right away. It’s not the time for that line of thinking. You’ll deal with it later, all that matters right now is the furious nodding of your head, “Anything,” You try to open up more for him, “Fuck Joel anything you want.” 

Anything? He takes the anything he wants. Joel licks you up to your clit in one slide of his tongue, taking your clit into his mouth to suck and tongue at. The feeling is like fire, its burning white hot and your arms give you, your back  flat against the bed. 

Joel licks and drinks at every slick drop you have for him, and finally he devours your cunt just the way he wants. He’s everywhere, his tongue is inside you too much yet not far enough, and you need his mouth on you more but it’s so much that you writhe desperately. He works you over with his mouth for a while, building you up for an unknown amount of time. 

It could have been minutes or hours, you lost all senses that aren’t him. One hand above your head grips the pillow it finds, while the other hand tries to simulate his push and pull of your tits. The pull of your nipple both isn’t enough without him and yet it seems to even match every tug of your clit his mouth gives you. 

Joel doesn’t let his mouth leave any part of your cunt out of his actions, it’s so overwhelming you don’t realise what’s built up until it’s at your door. Suddenly it’s there, this burning tension alights right where Joel devours you, it warms and tightens so fast your cry out is almost followed by tears. 

His hands hold your hips firm right up against his mouth, “Fuck, come on, give me it,” You can’t hear him well, but you feel him speak against you. He takes and takes and doesn’t stop until he knows you can’t give him anymore. 

He doesn’t wipe his mouth, doesn’t clean you off, Joel just drapes his body over you and forces you to taste yourself from his own mouth. You hold his shoulders and neck like you can’t afford to let go, and he uses the chance to slide his fingers down. 

You only realise his intentions when they brush against your sensitive clit. They don’t linger though, your pussy is soaking wet from your own doing and his mouth, giving his fingers a home without issue. 

Two of Joel's thick fingers pump in and out of your soaking hot center, letting you cry into his mouth as he kisses you just as demanding as his fingers fuck you. They shift slightly as he rubs his nose against yours muttering, “There you are,” And suddenly his two fingers brush against a part of you that makes your cunt weep for him. He doesn’t let up either, he’s found your sweet spot and his fingers fuck up against it with little mercy. 

You moan and gasp against his mouth, his name the only word he can even make out. Joel separates from your lips and nudges his nose against your cheek, “One more, sweetheart. I need one more, then I’ll let you have me, come on, I need you to cum one more time before I make it cum around my cock.” Joel just keeps talking and talking and you can’t stop him. “Give me one more, and I’ll fuck you so full of me, give you every fucking inch and you’re going to take it, aren't you?” 

You’re almost there, your orgasm rushing into you faster then you could ever imagine, “Yes, yes please. Please Joel, I’ll take it.” 

The palm of his hands rub right up against your clit to push you over, “Gonna cum for me, sweet girl?” 

You can’t even answer him, you just hold any part of his body you can find as your head takes refuge in his chest. Riding your orgasm struggling to catch your breath. Slowly Joel slips his fingers out of you, soaked and sticky with you, lips brushing yours with small kisses, “Good girl.”  

Joel wraps his soaked hand around his cock, spreading it all over him, stroking up and down with rough strokes. He gives you one more bruising kiss, before he kneels up, wrapping your legs properly at his hips, stroking his cock right up until it’s pressed against your entrance. 

If Joel sees any hesitation in your eyes, he doesn’t let it take over you. One hand holds his cock right up against you, the other grabs your hand. Bringing it up to his mouth, he gives it a gentle kiss before holding it against his heart. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” 

He places your hand down to join the other one of yours around holding his sides, and with a push of his hips, it’s all over for you. 

Every inch of his cock pushes into you like there’s only just enough room to fit him, but you feel it hitting every single part of you in a hot overwhelming pleasure. Only halfway in, Joel grapes your hips ready to move them, “You gonna take all of me, sweetheart? Gonna let my cock feel every part of this,” Joel teeth grit together with a hiss, “this sweet cunt?” 

You can only beg him, and that’s all he needs. Joel holds your hips up at his, and thrusts the rest of his cock into you. It’s a brutal pounding pace that's set. Joel slams his cock into you while pulling you hips back onto him like he can’t settle for just one thing.

He groans and gives such deep low moans to match your high pitched crying ones. The only other sound being the harsh slap of his skin against yours with each rough thrust. It’s not fast but it’s certainly not slow, each pull of his cock gives you only enough time to gasp in a breath before it’s forced back out when he shoves his cock back into you. 

“I’m, Joel- fuck,” There’s no comprehensible thoughts, it’s him, it’s his cock hitting every right part of your cunt, it’s the obscene slapping skin as he slams into you, and the mixing moans from both of you, and nothing else. 

Suddenly Joel yanks your hips to follow hips, your legs wrap around his body, finding a home around him, one at his waist, the other wrapped around his leg that you can reach like you’ll fly away without it. His hands push at your thighs, opening them wide, stinging in pain  to give him the most he can offer. 

Part of him wants to watch your tits bounce with every slam of his cock, he can fuck you so much faster like this, but he cant help but constantly watch how well your take him. Giving neither of you any reprieve from the overwhelming burning pleasure. You grasp the sides of his face, leaning up just enough to feel his forehead against yours, and a brush of your lips against his. 

He’s gritted and tight in his jaw, eyes shutting from the feeling, brow furrowed in intense sensations, but he opens his eyes when he feels your cunt clench tightly against his cock, just as they did his fingers. “That's it,”

Joel loses his steady pace as his hips simply start pounding in a desperate search for your end. He captures your lips again and spits out your name in need, “You can do it, sweet girl, you can give me one last one.” 

Your nails dig into his skin as you feel yourself coiling, knowing it’ll break you when it releases. “You- you need, I want your,” Whines and cries stops your sentence but Joel knows. 

Joel wraps his hand around to grasp your ass in a painful hold, the other gripping the back of your head, tight and commanding, “You first, cum one more time for me, then I’ll give it all to you.” His cock pounds into you without any purpose but fast and urgent need. 

It's so blinding when your final orgasm hits you, it’s too much, he’s too much and you can’t hold on anymore. You choke out Joel’s name as you hold onto his neck as he hits his own peak. 

Joel pulls his cock from your tight cunt just as he moans out your own name, face burying itself in your neck with panting breath. His cum shoots out just as he slips from you, and paints your cunt and stomach as he strokes every last bit of it out. 

You both stay there for a while, how long you can’t be sure. But when Joel comes up from his home in your neck, his hands gently find your waist and cheek with his hands, gentle caressing as he pulls you into another kiss. This one much calmer than the rest, this one soft but full of a matching emotion you both pour into the other. 

Joel warns you before he moves from your hold, a kiss to your forehead, “Stay right here, I’ll be right back.”

Your arm reaches out before he leaves your touch totally, and he leans back in, “Hey, I’m just gonna clean you up, I’ve got you, I told you.”  You nod, eyes not fully open, exhausted your fingers graze his entire arm as he gets up. 

Joel returns just as fast with a soft touch of cloth to your skin, damp with warm water he is careful not to press too much on the sensitive skin between your legs as he cleans you of his cum.

For a moment, your body leans up on your elbows as you look at him, walking back to you, before stopping just before the bed and grabbing his shirt he pulled off of your body. You freeze in your spot. Does he want you to leave now? Is this it? 

He doesn't let it linger for long, he sits on the bed facing you, “Come here, sweetheart.” You realise he only has the t-shirt to put on you. He helps it over your exhausted head and down back to cover you up a bit. He moves your legs to slip underneath the blanket before slipping on the soft pants he had previous given you.  

Turning the only light off, Joel slips into the bed right beside you. Whatever moonlight that peaks through the storm clouds gives just enough light to see the other. You turn your own body to touch at his chest and his cheek, your thumb stroking back and forth against the scruff. 

His hand finds your own face in return, bringing his face down to kiss you once more, and maneuvering you into laying right up into his chest, both of you facing the other, held tenderly in eachothers arms. 

You slip into sleep before him, you think maybe you heard him say your name, saying something soft into your hair, but at the feeling of lips against the top of your head you finally slip into a slumber.

You wake up briefly only a few hours later, a crack of thunder just loud enough to pull you awake. The blanket gives you a soft, heavy weight it should be enough to lull you back to sleep, but the warmth of Joel’s body wrapping you up in his sleeping arms keeps you awake longer then you should be.  

The soreness between your legs brings back the thought you pushed away from your mind so quickly earlier. You think to yourself in that moment, wrapped up in Joel’s safe embrace. You should have told him. 

He made sure more than once you were okay with him, and he made it clear his intentions to be rough. But he also didn’t know when he said that. It’s not that you’ve just never had a crush before. You don’t necessarily need feelings for the physical part. 

You're not naive. You understand clearly how this all works, nothing came as a surprise when it got physical. You've explored your own body on safe quiet nights.

You’ve just never done any of it with another person. Not a kiss, never being touched like he did, never had sex. You know he wouldn’t have been so rough, so demanding, if he knew, but you treasured every second of it. 

This isn’t how you imagined any relationship you would ever have to go. You didn’t know what it would be, but that day? That day you first arrived in Jackson, and this large brooding man with a demanding presence that barreled into the building wasn’t what you expected. 

Joel wasn’t in your survival plans, a normal pursued relationship not being accounted for at any time in your planning. But he was here, and you were here. He was right, you know it. He has you now, but you also have him. And that’s all you decide matters right now. 

One of his arms around you, moves to stoke at the top of your head and pull you closer into his warm chest. Voice so gruff and muffled with sleep you can only hear him because he is in your ear. He catches your name, “Stop thinking so loud, come here and just sleep, sweetheart.” 

So you do. You snuggle in closer to Joel, and fall back asleep in the only place you’ve ever truly belonged. 

[snailsagere]

Please read my dni in my bio before interacting

Since everyone wanted a post like this! Here you go! :3

Computer games to play when regressed!

I'll say the name, price and I'll do a brief description and content warning for each game (if you think I should add a CW for any that I didn't put one for feel free to tell me and I'll add it)! I'll also be making another post like this for phone games! :3

🌸=personal favourites

You can get all of these games off steam!

100 hidden frogs

Description- this is a short game where you look for 100 frogs in an image!

Price- free!

CW- none! :3

🌸Alba a wildlife adventure

Description- in this game you explore and take photos of animal, there is also a main storyline where you restore an animal reserve!

Price- £13.49

CW- wild fire

Baba is you

Description- a puzzle game where you change words around to create new rules to win the levels, the puzzles can be quite tricky!

Price- £11.39

CW- none! :3

🌸Birth

Description- a puzzle game where you collect organs and bones to build a partner for yourself, I recommend this game for if you like spookier games but don't wanna play something too scary!

Price- £8.29

CW- bones and organs (not realistic ones), bugs, brief appearance of m*d!c*l equipment

Calico

Description- a game where you own a cat cafe, explore the world, complete quests and find more animals for your cafe, I recommend only playing this game if you can use a controller because it's difficult to play on keyboard!

Price- £9.29

CW- none! :3

🌸Cat cafe manager

Description- you run a cat cafe and are able to collect new cats, decorate and upgrade the cafe, this game can be a bit tricky since it is a management game!

Price- £16.75

CW- capitalism?

The cat games

Description- a game where you play different cat themed games, I'd recommend this game for if you regress to older ages since it can be a bit tricky!

Price- £1.59

CW- none! :3

Cat goes fishing

Description- you catch fish and upgrade your boat with the money you get from them, it can be a bit tricky to catch the bigger fish!

Price- £4.99

CW- deep water

Catlateral damage 1 and 2

Description- you play as a cat and have to knock things of tables and shelves to earn points, I recommend this game for if you regress to younger ages!

Price- £8.50

CW- bones, one of the levels is a mad scientist lab and has some creepy stuff

Cattails

Description- you play as a cat in a cat colony, there's a main storyline and you can have kittens, make your own colony, fight other cats, forage etc!

Price- £10.99

CW- fighting, hunting of small animals

Cloud gardens

Description- this is a post apocalyptic game where you grow plants and build apocalyptic scenes, it's quite relaxing a good game for any regressors who don't wanna play a stereotypically 'cute' game but still wanna play a relaxing and fairly simple game!

Price- £13.99

CW- post apocalyptic

Cozy grove

Description- a game where you play as a scout and help bears on an island!

Price- £11.39

CW- swearing, dark backstorys? (I haven't finished the game yet so I'm not 100% certain!)

Dorfromantik

Description- in this game you put tiles together to make a landscape, this game is a really relaxing and calm game!

Price- £10.99

CW- none! :3

Flower

Description- you play as the wind collecting flower petals, the game is quite relaxing but can be a lite it tricky!

Price- £5.89

CW- pollution is a key theme in the game

Fossil corner

Description- you make/find fossils! That's it really but it's a relaxing game!

Price- £7.19

CW- none! :3

The game of life 2

Description- it's based off the game of life boardgame! You play through the life of someone! You can play the game with AI or with friends, personally I also like playing it with my stuffies!

Price- £10.49

CW- none! :3

Haunt the house terror town

Description- you play as a little ghost and you have to haunt different locations to make all the people leave!

Price- £4.29

CW- non-graphic death

Koi farm

Description- you make different types of koi fish by breeding them to get different colours and patterns!

Price- £2.09

CW- none! :3

Kynseed

Description- you live in a medieval village and can explore, have a job, family etc, the game can be a lil creepy so I recommend this game more if you regress to older ages!

Price-£19.99

CW- can be a bit creepy

🌸Lil gator game

Description- this games adorable, you play as an alligator who's playing games with their friends! It's a bit tricky to describe the game but you're basically playing a game in a game, it's very cute!

Price- £16.75

CW- none! :3

Littlewood

Description- a game where you rebuild a town! You can get married, explore, decorate houses etc, keep in mind the game is incomplete and has been abandoned!

Price- £11.39

CW- none! :3

Mail time

Description- you play as a mail scout and hace to deliver letters to different characters!

Price- £16.75

CW- none! :3

🌸My fluffy life

Description- there are different little activities to play in the game and they change season to season, you can also buy clothes and furniture for your character! The mini games are quite easy so I recommend this if you regress to younger ages!

Price- £3.99

CW- none! :3

Paradise marsh

Description- a relaxing game where you explore a variety of weather and seasons and overall environments while collecting bugs and talking to the stars!

Price- £12.79

CW- bugs, the game is a bit ominous

Pupperazzi

Description- super cute game where you take pictures of dogs!

Price- £15.49

CW- none! :3

🌸A short hike

Description- really similar vibes to lil gator game (this game came out first) you explore a forest, make friends and climb to reach the top of a mountain!

Price- £5.79

CW- I don't really remember the contents of the phone call but once you reach the top of the mountain you have a phone call and I believe it might be upsetting

🌸Slime rancher 1 and 2

Description- a sandbox game where you collect little slimes and explore the world, you can also disable dangerous slimes to make the game easier!

Price- £14.99/£23.79

CW- none! :3

🌸Stardew valley

Description- you inherit your grandfathers farm and move to a town in stardew valley, you can farm, forage, mine, fish and form relationships with the villagers!

Price- £10.99

CW- substance abuse, mental health, family issues

🌸Sticky business

Description- you own a sticker shop and you make new stickers and ship them to customers!

Price- £8.50

CW- none! :3

Teacup

Description- you help a shy frog find everything she needs to host a tea party for her friends!

Price- £7.19

CW- none! :3

🌸Undertale

Description- you're a child who falls through a mountain where monsters have been trapped, you have to help the child leave the caverns! There are multiple endings depending on if you kill or don't kill any monsters!

Price- £6.99

CW- death of characters (it can be quite sad), most of the more upsetting content is in the route where you kill all the monsters

🌸Wobbledogs

Description- a game where you evolve dogs and look after them

Price- £15.99

CW- they do eventually die but you can turn off their deaths in the settings, the game can be a bit uncomfy and 'strange' so keep that in mind

🌸World of zoo

Description- a game where you look after animals in a zoo!

Price- £11.90

CW- zoo

[theblackdahliaemporium]

Dealing In Death: A Quick Guide To Death Magick

On the surface that might sound kind of scary, even downright evil, but I assure you it’s the farthest thing from. In this blog I will attempt to give you an in-site into the basics of death work. Please know that every witch does things their own unique way, so for the purposes of this work I will be trying to explain things in as unified a fashion as I can. This is intended to essentially be a starting point to bounce off of.

«~ • ~»

• Death Energy •

Death energy, simply put is energy called from death and death symbols. It’s about stillness, endings, and the deconstructing and reconstructing processes. It’s about using what’s in the past to fertilize what’s new and grow something that has purpose in the next step of your life. It’s about the acceptance of inevitability and what we can’t change to bring about what we can. Many practitioners call on death energy in everyday spell work the same way you would any other energy. In that sense it’s not to different from life energy.

«~ • ~»

• Cemetery Work •

For a lot of death witches, doing work in a cemetery or graveyard is a must, although there are those that don’t, a great deal more either do or will do when they get the chance. Lots goes into this type of work though and a thorough study on the subject should be done before pursuing this type of magick. However, some key points to remember are to always be respectful, obey the laws and rules of your land regarding the resting places, and listen to what the dead tell you.

It’s very important to recognize that there are always going to be practitioners that have their own unique rules on this subject, but the best way to know if the dead favor something or not is to ask them. What rules you inevitably believe should revolve around what the dead are comfortable with. That said, some of these rules are shared amongst practitioners. I have compiled a list below with some of them. Remember, this is very basic and what a practitioner adds or changes is up to them.

Typically these are the oldest spirits in the cemetery and are in charge of maintaining order. Most offerings include things like coins, drink, bread, or apples.

It’s important to let the spirits know what your intentions are. Will you be doing magick at the crossroads, magick at a grave, or foraging? The gatekeeper should let you know through energy what is acceptable. Remember each Cemetery is different and has different rules over all.

Gifts on a grave belong to the spirit dwelling there. It’s okay to pick up things like trash, or moldy flowers in still water but, rocks, dried or fresh flowers, feathers, etc should be left alone.

Try not to walk near the headstone of a grave (you’re walking on their body. Try to stay near the feet and always say excuse me politely if you have to step on it), always ask for a spirits help never demand it, and always bring them an offering as a thank you.

If you’re gathering dirt, sticks, or plants from a cemetery, even if it’s not on a grave, and you get a feeling like you shouldn’t touch it, then don’t. Spirits will always let you know what they want to keep. Obey that or it’s theft.

Being polite and thanking your hosts is always a must in general and can bring good energies between you and the dead. Especially if you intend on going back to work at that Cemetery.

«~ • ~»

• Necromancy •

Another common staple amongst death workers and arguably one of the most misunderstood practices. Simply put, this practice is divination with the dead. It’s all about connecting to and asking the dead for answers from the beyond. Lots of that used to be done in the cemetery and as a result many wild and fantastic rumors about zombie creation were formed, but that’s far from the truth. There were indeed many radical understandings within the practices history however but as science matured so did the knowledge on what this practice actually was.

While necromancy is still done in cemeteries even today, it’s not a must. Calling fourth a spirit can be done a number of ways and will definitely alter and change based on the witch. Some working maybe more cultural than others, and some may be more complex. The uniqueness of these practices can number well into the double digits and is always interesting to learn. Some of the most common spirit summoning techniques (aside from going directly to someone’s grave) are the spirit board, a mirror, and the pendulum. As for how these spirits are called, that too can differ from witch to witch. Most often though, it can involve candles or crystals as an energy source, a personal item or favored item like food, and/or the spirits name. It can be as simple as physically calling out to the abyss, beckoning the spirit forward or as elaborate a ritual as calling in the four directional guardians or a guide to lead them to you.

Regardless of how it’s done, it’s always a good rule of thumb to be respectful to them. Don’t demand from them, ask instead, and offer gratitude and an offering when you end the session.

«~ • ~»

• Deity and Spirit Guides •

Lots of death workers may worship deity just like any other practitioner. However the deity they are generally more drawn to are often either associated with the underworld or a psychopomp, like Osiris, Hades, Anubis, or Hecate. However they may also be a deity tide in some way to the personification of death, much like Thanatos.

Even if the witch chooses not to utilize deity they can still conjure up spiritual guides of some sort. These guides can be something as common as ancestral spirits or even animal spirits. Most common animal guides often have some death association and symbolism to them. So animals like Black cats, bats, vultures, owls, crows and ravens are quite popular.

«~ • ~»

• Bones & Body Parts •

Its not uncommon to see bones on the altars of death witches. Many beliefs around these tools and what they represent circulate within the community. For some specific animal bones it’s believed you can use that animal spirit and energy. Other beliefs revolve not around the animal itself but rather the type of bone, as each one has its own unique symbolism attached to it. The possibilities are near limitless and for most death practitioners they are a very necessary tool within the craft. Some practitioners even collect additional things like insect exoskeletons, animal skins, and preserved body parts like a rabbits foot.

DISCLAIMER! People should be made aware that it’s always encouraged for all materials to be ethnically sourced. Any form of unlawful collection or cruelty is frowned upon and not condoned within the community.

«~ • ~»

• Conclusion •

As started above, these are just some of the basics of death work within the pagan community and serves as a starting point to bounce off of. It’s very important to do your own research and come to your own conclusions regarding this craft and always remember to obey your local laws. Death work can be very fulfilling but not when it’s done under illegal circumstances.

[dani-says-stuff]

You Belong With Me

❥ Back to the Control Center

━─━────༺✧༻────━─━

Steve Harrington x reader

Summary: it's a Taylor Swift You Belong With Me songfic... i think that's pretty self explanatory

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: language (use of words like "slut" and "whore"), slight abusive relationship between steve and a made up character, slight cringe, angst, fluff, miscommunication, the standard grammar warning~

━─━────༺✧༻────━─━

You had known Steve "The Hair" Harrington all your life.

Before he was a single mother, the King of Hawkins High, and long before the various girlfriends over the years, there was you.

Back when he was just a nervous little boy in baggy button-down polo shirts and half-brushed bangs hanging down over his brows. Back when he was certain the world was a large, scary place he wasn't quite ready for. Back when his nervous twitchy hands would play with the hemlines of his shorts as he gathered the courage to speak. Back when he was a proud hopeless romantic years away from his first heartbreak, there was you, Y/N, his best friend.

You'd known him for as long as you could remember- in fact, longer than even that. You couldn't quite pinpoint when your friendship began. For all you knew, Steve simply appeared out of thin air one day and the rest was history. 

But he knew. 

He could vividly remember the day, no matter how many years had passed by, Steve would always remember the day he met you.

It was a sunny day on the kindergarten playground, and he was sitting all by himself on the swings, passing time as he kicked the mulch below his feet with his shoes. He was a shy kid and chose to let himself enjoy the quiet when he could.

That was back when his parents were around more often, carting him around to their business meetings and crowded dinner parties. Steve would learn to love the attention later in his life, but at a young age, the noise was terrifying and intimidating. Of course, his self-isolation was a bit lonely at times, but it was worth it. It's not like a child really knew what loneliness was at that age anyway. 

His peace was disturbed when some kid from his class found him in his swing-set sanctuary and decided to drag him into their game of tag. He reluctantly joined the game and found it to be not as bad as he thought. He was a relatively fast and lean kid, which proved to be a huge advantage that allowed him to win the first few rounds.

Steve was being chased by the tagger for the eleventh or twelfth time, when everything went downhill. The lead he'd gained closed rapidly when his shoe clipped the edge of the wood beam separating the mulch area from the grass. He tripped, stumbling over and skidding across the rough, hot pieces of mulch.

The kid behind him didn't seem to care that his target had fallen and had begun to cry as his jeans slowly stained red, the kid only cared that this meant he could win. The boy ran up to little Steve, slapped the back of his shoulder, and was off again. 

At the time, you were playing with a different group of friends over by the tree roots.

It was a strange sort of 'house' game where you 'slept' amongst the trees and went to forage for 'food' or 'magical ingredients' throughout the day. You were bent down, ripping up clumps of onion grass and little dandelion flowers to bring back home when you saw the boy fall. You didn't know who he was, just that he needed help. You dropped the various plants you had collected and ran over to help him. 

By the time Steve had rolled over, off his now-skinned hands and knees, he found you hovering over him. He couldn't speak, he didn't know what to say or what to do, but he knew he was crying. 

You wiped your dirty hands on your pants before you gently took his elbow, helping the boy up to his feet. You guided him inside, spoke to the teachers on his behalf, and walked him down to the nurse's office. You stayed by his side as the woman cleaned his cuts and let him squeeze your hand as she removed the splinters gained from the mulch scraps. 

You didn't remember, but he would never forget how you helped him, stayed with him, and comforted him more as a stranger than those he was close to ever had.  ━─━────༺✧༻────━─━

You didn't know for certain, but if you had to guess, you'd say your feelings began shifting somewhere around freshman year. That's when you found yourself praying that maybe he would choose you as the next try at love, not the girl who always waved with a soft giggle from across the hallway. 

But he chose her, every single time. 

It didn't matter who this mysterious 'her' was, because it was never you.

If only you knew, the only reason 'she' was even there to begin with, was because you always seemed just too unattainable in his eyes. 

He only had 'her' because he was so certain he couldn't have you.

You were too good for him, you always had been. You were always the pretty princess he had imagined throughout childhood, far away in the kingdom living up in the castle. Meanwhile, he was only the stable boy or coachman who was lucky to get a glimpse of you.

If only you knew he'd felt that way for years. Years of him hoping you'd change the way you looked at him from friends to something more. Years that slowly began to grate on him, until eventually, he gave up altogether.

Maybe then, you wouldn't be finding yourself struggling through high school by his side, feeling every bit the opposite of the vision he saw for you. 

In high school, he was the king and you were the lowly servant he somehow dragged up to his ranks. You waited, walking eternally by his side destined to be the second choice. The first choice always tended to be the girlfriend- what else would you expect from a boy who just wanted to find his love- who in turn would choose to go hang out with Tommy, Carol, and the rest of the Hawkins's High royalty.

You would then be left all alone in your room whenever the group went to hang out or go to parties. It wasn't that Steve didn't invite you, in fact, he never failed to extend an invitation to you, you just declined.

Tommy and Carol would make sly comments behind your back, and the girl Steve would date usually had some sort of issue with you as well, claiming you were trying to steal Steve away from her... it was easier, in the end, to just not go than to subject yourself to a night of torture that would inevitably end with Steve feeling responsible for your discomfort. 

Things got a little better when Nancy came along. 

She was far more secure in herself than Steve's other girlfriends over the years had been, meaning you were finally able to be around your best friend again without her screaming at you out of jealousy. Nancy was also able to break him away from the absolute assholes he didn't have the heart to separate himself from. 

But then they broke up. Nancy quickly moved on to Jonathan Byers and Steve was left heartbroken once more. 

However, you would've taken Nancy- who was currently on your blacklist for how she treated Steve at the end of their relationship- over Veronica in a heartbeat. 

Veronica, was Steve's newest distraction from his leftover feelings for the Wheeler girl, and your worst nightmare. 

He met her when he was working at Scoops, somehow out of everyone he flirted with over that stupid ice cream counter, she just had to be the one that the words stuck with. 

Imagine the worst bitch you can, and then multiply that by a thousand. Multiple Heather Chandlers bundled up into one absolute demon of a person- that was Veronica Mayer. 

Crimson Lipstick, tight shirts, and skin-tight pants. Long hair she whipped over her shoulder as she struts away. Mini skirts and sleek high heels. She could say or do whatever the hell she wished, she could violently insult others and not bat an eye, but god forbid you said anything mildly mean around her- suddenly she'd become a saint.

Steve had invited you to go see a movie one day, when she decided to tag along last minute. She said the most vile things about the girl working at the ticket stand. As soon as Steve left you two alone so he could use the bathroom, Veronica had leaned down, whispering into your ear as she called the girl an attention whore and a slut just because of her shirt, which scooped the smallest bit when she leaned over to grab the tickets. 

All it took was you snapping back that it was "rich coming from you" for Veronica to bust out in tears. Streaks of mascara making their way down her cheeks. She threw herself into Steve's arms the moment he reappeared, claiming you were attacking and chastising her for how she looked. 

Steve didn't really know what to do, he looked confused as his eyes connected with yours over Veronica's head. It was clear, in his expression at least, that he didn't really believe that you would've said anything like his girlfriend was describing unprovoked. But, rather than say anything, he chose to simply rub her back and console her instead.  

She would do this over and over until you decided, just like with Tommy and Carol, it just wasn't worth it anymore.

You tried to explain to Steve that she wasn't good for him, you tried to get him to see it, but she was never her worst when he was watching... and the boy was forever an optimist. He remained wary of the issues he was told of, but she couldn't really be that bad... right?

Veronica was using that to her advantage, staying in his good graces while she pushed everyone else away from him. At one point, she even claimed that Robin was trying to "get with her" and that she didn't feel comfortable hanging out with the younger girl anymore because of "her obsession with her". 

But, when Veronica had no one left to be snarky with when Steve was around, it was only natural for her to turn it on him. 

━─━────༺✧༻────━─━

You were in your room reading a few chapters of a book Robin had recommended to you before bed, when you heard a quick tapping against your window. 

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, you would've blamed it on the wind moving the branches of the large tree in your backyard to tap against the glass, but the noise was too consistent for that. You crept out of your sheets, cringing at the cool air, and made your way over to your window. 

When pulling back your curtains, you were met with the somber expression of your best friend crouched on the outside windowsill. You quickly unlocked the window and pushed up the glass, letting him in. 

As he clambered in and fell onto your plush carpet flooring, you were hit with a large sense of deja vu. Steve transformed into his twelve-year-old self before your eyes, sprawled out across the floor huffing and puffing about how that was much harder than he expected. You had mentioned he could've used the door back then, and were met with the very same statement all these years later. 

He turned his head, face screwed up as if his choice were obvious and you were the crazy one, "That would've been too easy. This was more fun..." he trailed off, "And quieter."

You put your hands on your hips, raising an eyebrow as you looked down at him, "Steve, we're not teenagers anymore, you can use the front door. I'm an adult, I don't think my parents would care-"

He shook his head quickly, "Absolutely not. Your Dad is terrifying, I'm not risking that." 

You laughed softly, moving to sit on the end of your bed, stopping him the moment he moved to follow you, "Nope." you pushed him back, "Absolutely not, you have dirt all over you from climbing up that tree. You can stay on the floor." 

The boy pouted, looking at you with wide puppy dog eyes, "Oh come on Y/N," he whined, "You used to let me."

You shook your head, standing your ground as you pointed to your bottom drawer, "No dirt in my bed. You can look in there, see if anything still fits if you want to sit on my bed that much."

His eyes widened in horror, "But- but those are from like five years ago." 

━─━────༺✧༻────━─━

Soon he was sitting beside you in a pair of borderline too-tight sweatpants that ended right above his ankles and an old bright green Hawkins Middle School Swim Team T-shirt that might as well have been a crop top. 

He slumped over almost immediately, collapsing into your side with his head resting against your shoulder in exhaustion. 

You moved your hand up, messing with his soft brown hair, "What's wrong Steve."

He sighed heavily, closing his eyes at your touch, "You were right."

"I usually am." you smirked, "but humor me, what was it this time?" 

"Veronica was a jerk."

You noticed he was talking in past tense... which could only mean...

"She broke up with me." 

You quickly wrapped your arms around him, "Oh, Steve, I'm so sorry."

"Nah, it's fine." he replied almost immediately, "it was a long time coming. Honestly, I should've broken up with her a lot sooner."

You pulled back, looking him in the eyes and scanning over his face, "What happened?"

"To be honest" he laughed breathlessly, shaking his head, "I don't really know."

You both laughed briefly before he tried to explain further, "Like we were at this stupid party right? For some reason, I guess someone drunkenly suggested Karaoke was a good idea - and you remember Tammy? Tammy Thompson from high school?" he continued when you nodded, "Well, you remember how she was. So I mentioned - how we always did - that she sounded like a muppet... and for some reason that set her off. There was a whole argument that was mostly one-sided..." he trailed off, brows furrowed and staring at the ceiling as if it would tell him what happened. 

Steve shook his head and shrugged, reconnecting his hand with your own, "Yeah, no, I have no clue." he brushed it off, "I probably did something though that started it" he mumbled, "I usually do."

"What do you mean?" 

He sighed, dragging a hand over his face, "Well you know," he trailed off somberly, "That's the only thing that really makes sense right?" 

"I still don't-"

"That it's me." he whispered miserably, "Nothing ever works out no matter how hard I try and the only common thread is, well, me. I don't even know what I did, and that's probably part of the issue."

"Steve Harrington, you stop that right now."

His eyebrows furrowed, looking up at you in confusion, "Huh?"

"You are not the issue," you spoke assertively, pulling up from where he lounged against you so he could look you straight in the eyes. You grabbed his cheeks, making sure he was looking at you before you spoke, "I don't know what she said that got to you so bad, but you are not the issue, ok? Nothing is wrong with you. You are perfect, you hear me?" 

He simply scoffed, pulling away from your grasp, "It's not just her." He stood up and began pacing about the room, "It's not just Veronica, ok Y/N? I mess everything up. That's just a plain fact."

"No, it's not-"

"-Yes it is!" he interrupted, trying his best not to yell. "I-I just don't get it. I'm just such a screw up I can't get anything to work out! I mean I've been trying for years and everything just turns out a failure!"

He yanked at his hair as he paced before he sudenly stopped. His hands dropped miserably to his sides as he turned to you, "Why can't anybody love me?" he whispered brokenly, "Is it really that hard for someone to love me?"

"What are you talking about? Plenty of people love you-"

"But not the way I want." he groaned, frustrated struggling to find the words to explain how he felt, "My parents love me because I'm their kid, not because I'm their kid. Nancy loved me at the time, but that didn't last obviously. Veronica loved me because of what I could give her, not for anything real. Tommy and Carol loved me because I was popular, not because of who I was. You..." he trailed off, choosing to simply stare at you rather than feel the embarassment from finishing his sentence.

Your face fell, and your heart dropped. "What? Steve, I love you, what do you mean-"

He looked down, half embarrassed and half shameful. "As a friend." he spoke so quietly you could barely hear him. 

"Exactly." you stood, trying to approach him even as he dodged your advances, "Your my best friend, I will always-"

"See?" he laughed sadly, and spoke in a breaking voice, "You love me, but not the way I want." 

"I don't understand" 

He avoided your gaze, looking instead to your wall covered in Polaroid photos, cataloging the years you both had spent together rather than meeting your eyes. 

His face flushed, he felt, once again, like the shy and skittish boy he met you as years ago. 

"I-" he breathed heavily shaking his head, "I love you. but not the way you love me." he finally looked at you, his brown eyes reflecting every bit of sadness and heartbreak he felt in every part of his soul, "I love you, but not as a friend." he whispered, grabbing your hands, "I love-love you. I'm in love with you." 

You looked up at him and your heart shattered. "Steve-"

He squeezed his eyes shut, dropping his head in rejection, "I knew it."

"No, no, no" you rushed, holding onto his hands tightly as they fought to slip out of your own, "It just- you've just broken up with Veronica. I want to be with you, but I don't want to be a distraction." 

At that, Steve let out a soft but genuine laugh. The kind of laugh that you felt like you hadn't heard in forever. "Y/N, if anything they were a distraction from you." 

With that, he leaned down, decreasing the distance between your faces. "Y/N?" he spoke softly on an exhale, staring into your eyes, "Can I-"

You didn't give him any time to respond, you smiled wide as you reached up clasping your hands around his neck, "Yes."

You dragged him down, matching giddy smiles adorning both of your faces as your lips connected for the first, and far from the last, time.

[llamagoddessofficial]

Hi! So, this is a question for the Siren AU. How would the boys react to a siren mc (on the predator spectrum) who already has a baby? Not newborn, but certainly still child age. And with her species of siren, oftentimes the males don't stick around and would part away from the female.

It's always important, anywhere in nature, to be incredibly careful of mothers with babies. A mother defending her child is immensely dangerous, she'll fight to the death without question, and even if she were a prey mermaid they'd avoid getting too close to her baby. All the boys would be very careful to give Mc (and her child) space.

Sans: Despite the dangerous reputation that comes with being an orca, Sans would actually be the one that she'd be quickest to accept. This is one of the few occasions where being an orca is to his advantage socially. Orca sirens live in family units, right? And he's all alone. She immediately knows that's odd. And when he starts following them, defending them, bringing them food... it wouldn't take long for her to realise he's bonded with them and considers them his family. There's no other reason for him to act the way he's acting. Her baby likes his funny whistle-click noises, too.

... Her sympathy for his situation only goes so far, though. He still has to prove himself. And prove himself he does; he rarely leaves their side, assisting in hunting and foraging, delighting in teaching her baby. He can let out a few loud calls, and the area clears of almost every predator, nobody willing to fuck with an orca.

He's dedicated, and built for a family. She likes that.

Red: Red's dead charming. He's got that going for him. A handsome, charming shark covered with the marks of his past victories, he screams 'potential mate' and can flirt with her pretty brazenly before her patience at his closeness runs out. His knack for entertaining children also comes in handy... she's much more tolerant with someone that can make her baby giggle like that. That's probably the way he sidles his way into their family unit- making both mother & child laugh while serving as a visual deterrent to any hunters who get the wrong idea. She's naturally cautious about letting a SHARK near her baby considering one bite would be all it took, but he's happy to wait for her to relax.

... He's also very sturdy. Don't forget, he's built for his partner to be an aggressive female shark much larger than him. He can get roughed around by his potential mate (and he'd probably enjoy it) so he's a lot more confident approaching her than the others are. His confidence gives him a casual air that she really likes... it's clear he's not got anything suspicious in mind.

Skull: Unfortunately for our big boy, Skull would have the hardest time convincing Mc that he doesn't want to hurt them. It comes with the territory of being a massive scary deep sea monster. There would be numerous occasions where his attempts to interact with either mother or child would result in Mc charging and attacking him- and though her attempts at causing any damage are totally ineffectual to this giant, it definitely hurts his feelings.

... His one upside... is that he's a ferocious predator. Talk about a provider- he's constantly bringing her and her baby meals, at a rate that almost alarms her. If he thinks Mc isn't eating enough because she's too busy guarding her baby, he brings her meals big enough to sustain her for days. And even if her baby doesn't look hungry he brings meals for them anyway. He's very adept at catching the little prey that her child relies on, his massive dexterous tentacles capable of snatching up anything moving... and though Mc doesn't like him at first, she'll never turn down food.

They'll probably grow close because Mc doesn't let him near her child. He's always bringing food, and she accepts it on her baby's behalf. With the amount of prey he brings them, there's a lot of time for bonding.

[khaire-traveler]

🌲 Subtle Pan Worship 🌿

Take a walk/hike in nature

Take regular breaks from screens; get some fresh air

Go camping out in nature; focus on the wildlife around you; look at the constellations at night

Learn how to safely forage

Get a candle that reminds you of him (no altar needed)

Keep a picture of him in your wallet

Wear jewelry that reminds you of him

Pick wild flowers; press or dry them

Start a garden; tend to a plant

Decorate your space with vines, leaves, and the like; maybe fairy lights with bugs, flowers, or mushrooms on them

Have imagery of fauns, goats, forests, meadows, pan flutes, sheep, wildflowers, or mountains around

Have a stuffed sheep or goat animal; have a stuffed animal of any forest, meadow, or mountain creatures

When you're anxious or afraid, go to the forest or to nature; spend time outside, and breathe; you will be ok

Learn about local fauna and flora

Collect animal bones from nature (please thank the animal's spirit beforehand); make sure to safely handle them; link to some safety tips when handling fleshy remains

Cook with homegrown herbs or produce

Drink a natural herbal or produce beverage; fruit juice works but has high sugar content, so just be aware in case that's an issue for you

Fall asleep/meditate to the sounds of a forest or general wilderness

Pick up trash in your environment

Support environmental preservation organizations, animal sanctuaries, or animal shelters/rescues

Feed neighborhood dogs, cats, birds, etc.

Volunteer at an animal sanctuary or animal shelter

Go outside of your comfort zone; if you're afraid of doing something, do it scared; it could work out far more beautifully than you ever imagined

Learn how to play panpipes; own panpipes in general

Light a bonfire with friends in the wilderness (SAFELY!!!!); share scary stories, especially those y'all have directly experienced

Plant seeds, especially the fruit of vegetables you've eaten; give it new life

Research coping skills for stress, fear, or anxiety; try some for yourself

Keep a dream journal specifically dedicated to nightmares; try to interpret them; what are they trying to tell you?

Explore the areas nearby you, be it nature or otherwise; acquaint yourself with the unfamiliar

Get comfortable with the concept of the unknown and uncertainty; remind yourself that you need not know everything in order for it to work out in your favor

Address the uncertainties in your life that cause you the most stress; find your own answers; topics like death, the afterlife, the long-term future, etc.

Play with your pets; spend time with them

Keep your pet healthy; feed them good food, take them on regular walks/exercise them, keep them up to date on vaccines, etc.

Do something fun and new with your partner (or alone); try something exciting or scary that you've always wanted to try

Use natural herbs and remedies to address minor health issues, such as stomaches or sore throat

Try urban exploring - the practice of visiting abandoned places, especially those that have been reclaimed by nature

Face your fears; learn to work through them

Recycle; reuse things that don't need to be immediately disposed of; use compost for your garden or nearby plants

Take time to be alone and decompress, especially after a long day

Cook a good meal for someone in need

Cook a good meal for you or your loved ones

-

This list still feels pretty short to me, so I'll likely add more in the future. For now, this is my list of discreet ways to worship Pan. I hope this is helpful to someone, and take care! 💚

Link to Subtle Worship Master list

[thebearme]

Speaking of old and new cast relations, thoughts on Scary Girl and Dawn being sisters? I personally totally buy into it, they have similar body type, skintone, and eye color, plus Scary Girl said that Priya "Smells nervous" or smth, so I like to think she has the same aura powers, but exclusively uses it for evil purposes.

I had to think about their dynamic and I thought of something.

What if they are like Lilo and Nani like- Lauren (Scary girl) lives with Dawn. Dawn is teaching Scary girl about spirituality and auras while Scary girl learns it an COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY. Like smelling people.

They would both do foraging, which witches spells and be one with nature. but one is more violent o-o

They live in a cottage near a gravesite forest, they are unworldly and the townsfolk probably tryed kicking them out before but fail.

Dawn can tell that Scary girl is just lonely and wants a playdate buuuut to no avail. Maybe she'll gets some friends in Total Drama or enemies, doesn't matter to her. As long they're fun.

[clangenrising]

Month 3 - Newleaf

Yarrowshade came to Scorch in the morning with an offer. “Hey, Goldenstar and I are going hunting, I was thinking maybe you might want to come along, yeah?” 

Scorch considered it for as long as she dared - her head was feeling much better now and Sagetooth had recommended she try getting some more activity, and tooth and claw she was itching to get out of this camp and stretch her legs, but she also wasn’t sure about going out with Goldenstar. If it had just been Yarrowshade, she might have considered it, he seemed pretty harmless, but Goldenstar she still couldn’t get a read on. Yarrowshade was looking at her expectantly though and she had to make a snap decision. 

“I’d be happy to accompany you,” she said, “but are you sure your Goldenstar would be alright with it? I don’t want to impose.” 

“Oh, she’d be fine with it,” Yarrowshade waved his tail with a carefree grin. “She’s really not as scary as you think.” Scorch wasn’t sure but regardless, a little while later she and Yarrowshade joined Goldenstar at the top of the hill and headed out into the grassy fields to see what they could catch. Yarrowshade was clearly a skilled hunter and caught two birds before Scorch and Goldenstar even tried to make a kill. Scorch was impressed, although she rolled her eyes when he smirked at her around a mouthful of robin. 

“What a show off,” Goldenstar laughed, sharing a grin with Scorch. Scorch felt herself smiling back despite the nerves twisting in her stomach. 

They cached the birds and moved on. Yarrowshade explained that their Clan’s law required them to feed the others, especially elders and kittens, before they ate anything themselves. The sun was warm and pleasant and Scorch’s belly was begging her to eat and take a nap, but she didn’t protest. 

“Of course,” she said, “a noble policy.”

“We try to look out for each other,” Goldenstar said, “It can be a pain when you’re hunting, but it's worth it when you’re stuck at camp and someone brings you a fresh meal.” 

“Exactly!” Yarrowshade purred, “I use it as extra motivation to make a few more catches.” He turned and trotted ahead, mouth open to scent for more prey, but Goldenstar stayed for a moment, smiling at Scorch with a look that made her pelt crawl like there were ants in it. Like a coward, Scorch ducked her head away and slunk after Yarrowshade, but Goldenstar’s eyes burned into her back as she went. 

Shortly, they came across some scuttling mice foraging among the grass. Yarrowshade whispered, “I’ll let one of you take them, I’ll sneak around the other side and catch whatever escapes.” Before either of the others could say a word, he was disappearing into the waving grass, swaying with its movement to hide more effectively. Goldenstar gestured for Scorch to go ahead.

“Be my guest,” she said. Scorch saw the offer for what it was; a test. Fine, she thought. You want a show, you’ll get one. She gave a very confident smile and a somewhat flirtatious flick of her tail before turning her attention to the mice. She wasn’t as used to hunting in such tall grass, but the cover was appreciated. She focused on the closer of the two mice, creeping up with a wiggle of her haunches, before she sprang. The mice squealed and tried to scramble, but Scorch managed to hit one of them hard enough to stun it, then descended with claws and teeth to kill it with a quick bite. She licked her lips and the taste of blood sent her stomach rumbling, but she focused on sitting up and casting a haughty gaze over her shoulder at Goldenstar.

“Nice catch,” grinned the tabby, eyes sparkling with some kind of emotion. “You’ve got style, that's for sure.” 

“Glad you think so, your excellence,” she purred with a knowing smirk. Goldenstar laughed and Scorch felt pride surge through her. With a flourish of her tail and a cheeky trill, she grabbed the mouse as Yarrowshade slipped out of the grass with the other mouse in his teeth. 

“Let’s cache these and keep going,” he said, and Scorch nodded. 

“Sound’s good.” 

The three of them pressed on and caught a few more birds and mice. Goldenstar turned out to be a decent hunter herself, although neither she or Scorch were able to out hunt Yarrowshade. Scorch was surprised to find that she was enjoying herself. Yarrowshade was an enjoyable spectacle who seemed to delight in entertaining her as much as she liked trading barbs with him, and Goldenstar was shockingly pleasant too. Yarrowshade definitely respected her but Scorch never detected fear from him and Goldenstar joked around with them as if she were the same as they were. It was interesting, Scorch almost felt like she was with… friends.

They were about to turn back and start retrieving their caches when the air changed. They could all sense it, the sudden drop in pressure, and Scorch frowned, looking up at the clouds starting to gather. 

“Rain,” she groaned. 

Goldenstar sighed. “Oh, great. Well, I guess I ought to be more careful what I wish for. Let’s find somewhere dry to hole up, we won’t make it back to camp before the storm hits.”

“This way,” Yarrowshade said, “We passed a pretty thick bush a while back.” They turned and made their way quickly to the thick mallow bush and crept underneath it while the first drops were starting to fall. Scorch bristled and curled her tail tight around her as the others huddled in. 

Yarrowshade gave a full body shake and said, “Well, it looks like we’re gonna have some time to kill.” The rain pattered on the leaves above them in a noisy rhythm. It wasn't a heavy downpour but it was definitely more than a sprinkling and not something a cat would want to get caught in.

“That’s alright,” Goldenstar said, settling down. “I don’t mind hanging out with you guys.” 

Scorch shuffled and cast a sideways glance at the others. Now that they were in a tight space and the air was cold, the confidence that roving under the sun in the fresh air had imparted was draining out of her. Her eyes wandered over Goldenstar’s pelt, saw the muscle bunched beneath it, and knew immediately this was a cat trained to fight from birth. She wondered what would happen if they both turned on her in this moment, what chance she would have at escaping. 

Neither of the warriors seemed to be having the same trail of thought. 

Yarrowshade smiled and stretched out, his eyes falling on her. She could have sworn she saw a flash of sympathy there. “I hope you had a good time, Scorch. You’re a pretty good hunter!” 

She laughed politely. “Oh, you flatter me. I’m nowhere near your skill.” 

“You’re too modest,” Goldenstar said, curling her paws underneath her as she settled next to Yarowshade. “You’re better than lots of cats I know.” 

Scorch shrugged, fur still ruffled. “I know enough to get by. Let’s just hope this rain lets up so we can enjoy the rewards of our labor.” 

“Agreed,” Yarrowshade purred, laying his head over Goldenstar’s back. “I’m starving.” Scorch looked curiously at the casual intimacy between the two of them. They both seemed so relaxed with each other. 

Feeling a bit emboldened by the rapport they had built over the morning, she ventured, “If you don’t mind my asking, are you two a… pair?” It would explain how relaxed Yarrowshade was with her. There was no need to fear the leader of the cult when you were sleeping in her nest at night. Unexpectedly, both of their ears perked forward and they laughed a bit. 

“What, like, mates?” snorted Yarrowshade.

“No, no,” Goldenstar shook her head with a grin. “Just old friends.” 

“Really?” Scorch tilted her head. “You just seem so… close.” The two warriors exchanged glances and Goldenstar’s smile widened fondly as she looked back at Scorch.

“We grew up together,” she said, “and the Clan is like one big family. Being close is just the way we were raised.” 

Scorch hummed thoughtfully. “So you’re like littermates then.” 

“Oh, no,” Yarrowshade shook his head immediately. “No, just good friends.” 

Goldenstar rolled her eyes. “Wow, you’re that disgusted by the thought of being my brother?” 

“Yes!” he insisted, shifting his weight to look her in the eyes. “You should take that as a compliment, Goldie! It means I like you.” He bounced his brows suggestively and Goldenstar lifted a paw to push his face into the leaves of the bush they were under. He sputtered with laughter and batted at her until she eased up. 

“Yeah, right,” she chuckled, “Everyone knows you’re courting Nightfrost.” 

“Is it that obvious?” he said, ducking his head a bit bashfully.

“You’re a lot of things, Yare,” said Goldenstar, “but subtle isn’t one of them.” 

“Nightfrost,” Scorch said, “that’s the large queen with the dark blue fur, right?” 

“Yeah,” Yarrowshade’s grin turned lopsided and toothy. “Isn’t she pretty?” What a dork, Scorch thought. Still he wasn’t wrong, Nightfrost was a stunning beauty. Back home she would have commanded a lot of power with her looks alone, not to mention her size and presumed battle prowess. 

“Agreed,” she said, “She’s quite attractive. You have very good taste.” 

Goldenstar’s eyes glittered again with that strange look. Scorch shifted a bit, uncomfortable again. She still didn’t know how to interpret that look. Something about it felt dangerous, but after today it was also somehow… exciting. Things had changed, somehow. 

“Looks like the rain is letting up,” Yarrowshade said, peeking out at the grassland. “You guys ready?” 

Goldenstar glanced at him but didn’t respond, looking to Scorch instead. It seemed she was waiting for Scorch to answer. Scorch hesitated for a moment before lifting her chin definitively. 

“Yeah,” she said, “I’m ready.”

[cross-crye]

𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔬𝔱𝔶𝔭𝔦𝔠𝔞𝔩 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢

twst & genshin x (gn) reader fluff

w.c. 0.7k

Cliche dates they take you on! (somewhat modern au)

~ lets pretend i didnt forget about dinner dates and picnic dates. shhhh. also there's some charas that fit more of the date types so choosing was a bit of a struggle.

ꜱᴛᴀʀɢᴀᴢɪɴɢ

Lounging with your head laid onto his lap he slowly strokes your hair as you share stories underneath the night sky. You’re comfortable on the blanket he’d laid out on the ground, listening intently as he points out all the constellations to you. The occasional forehead kiss as he leans down towards you, whispered confession of love that will be forever lost into the night along with the occasional gentle caress. 

malleus; zhongli; kazuha; xiao

'ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀɪɴɢ'

Exploring the forests may seem bothersome to most, but not you two. It’s a truly special moment, breathing the fresh air while holding hands with your boyfriend, his gentle voice relaxing you further as you discuss the beauty of nature. Regardless of the original point of your visit, either it be a quick stroll, or something like foraging it’s no doubt that a bit of alone time with your significant other and nature was all you needed.

jade; rook; tighnari; ayato; gorou

ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱᴛᴏʀᴇ/ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ ᴅᴀᴛᴇꜱ

Not only are there many possible conversation topics in a bookstore, but the atmosphere of small libraries is always comforting, and the quiet air makes you whisper to your partner. It feels like it’s just the two of you in the whole world. It’s certainly an unforgettable experience since the workers kept on shushing you after you laughed too hard at a comment he made. 

al haitham; riddle; jamil

ᴀʀᴄᴀᴅᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇꜱ

Playing air hockey against each other, groaning in frustration while he laughs when you score in your own goal by accident. Him trying one of those ‘test your strength’ games to show off only to get a stupidly low result and for you to laugh at his disappointment. After trying every game in the arcade (and also having made a few competitions to see who was the better gamer) exchanging all your tickets for the silliest prizes (a pair of course) to keep as a memento.

 itto; floyd; venti; deuce; scaramouche; idia (if the place were empty)

ᴍᴜꜱᴇᴜᴍ ᴅᴀᴛᴇꜱ

Holding hands in the somewhat crowded corridors and taking way too long to read the explanations of every exhibit. Giggling at the automated voice of the interactive exhibits and taking silly photos of each other. Reluctantly asking a friendly-looking stranger to take a photo of you two in order to have a cute couple photo as a memento. Then finding something for each other in the souvenir shop (bonus points if it based on each others’ favourite exhibit)

azul; albedo; cyno; lilia (point at dinosaur skeletons and then make jokes about his age pls)

ʙᴀᴋᴇʀʏ/ᴄᴀꜰᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇꜱ

Choosing the corner booth so nothing distracts you from each other. Chatting over drinks and snacks when there's a nice atmosphere surrounding you. Leaning over the table and kissing his nose because there was some cream there. Looking away while blushing so much that your face is red because at the end of the day both of you are fools in love who still struggle to act on their feelings.

trey; ruggie; thoma; silver; kalim; sebek

ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇꜱ

‘Playing it safe’ by taking you to the movies. Only one bowl of popcorn so your hands brush against each other’s when reaching into the bowl. The classic yawning and stretch move in order to lay his hands around your shoulder. The movie being of the horror genre so he can have an excuse to hug you whenever there's a jumpscare because verbally admitting to desiring affection is unacceptable.

ace; kaeya; childe; jack; epel (wants to seem manly and protect u from the scary stuff)

ᴍᴀʟʟ ᴅᴀᴛᴇꜱ

It’s not his fault he wants to spoil you, he swears it! But regardless of how crowded the mall is, walking hand in hand from place to place and talking is still a nice bonding moment. Even if you don’t actually buy anything and just enjoy spending time with each other and eat some shitty mall food at the surprisingly clean tables in the food court it’d be a nice date. The fact that he got to show you off, and effectively prove that he has the best significant other is an added bonus.

leona; cater; heizou; diluc; vil (if his fans wouldn’t bother him)

[pointy-spiral]

Hello! I hope you still take requests, if not I'm so sorry to brother you!!!

Anyways! I would love to see more of your yuusona, I think they are so cute 🥰.

And please tell us more about them :D

JKDLSJIIOAUEIOWUIOJKFLDJKFDL THANK YOUU!! :') not a bother at all!! This is such cute and sweet request!! u lil cutiee!!

i haven't really thought out much about her yet, and shes not really based on any specific Disney character, but i have some fun facts about her-

Her shirt is the same style as Epel's, because its a spare pomefiore shirt that Rook gave her during her first week at school. She's really scared of him though. Her first encounter with him was him commenting on her messy uniform, (since i doubt that Crowley would do much more than just grab whatever's in the lost and found basket for Yuu and call it a day) Rook basically drags her to Pomefiore to play dress up while she tries desperately to find some excuse to leave jkhfdfdshhsd

She wishes she could have just kept the job as a janitor instead of being a student at first (but she comes to like school starting the second year) since she enjoys cleaning and tidying and just going for walks, so being an errand runner for Crowley didnt seem too bad to her.

Because of this i wanted to make Floyds nickname for her "Vampire squiddy", since they feed on marine snow and are generally one of the "cleaners" of the deep sea. They live really deep in the sea, matching her gloominess and dislike for crowds and bright light. BUT THEN I REALIZE THAT LILLA CALLED DIBS ON BEING VAMPIRE SQUID so now i don't know anymore... i guess shrimpy still works..

Ever since accidentally stepping on Leonas tail she's been avoiding him like the plague. She thinks he's still mad at her, and nearly cries anytime she sees him dshdhdhdfhj she thinks he's super scary

The skirt she actually sewed by hand herself , using a spare curtain from Ramshackle as fabric.

Back in her "home world" she used to collect and make her own jewelry, the one she wears is one of them. She makes friendship bracelets for her friends of course.

She's good friends with Ortho, and they are desk neighbors. He's tried multiple times to invite her over for game night but she's too scared to hang out with Idia around. But her an Ortho hang out and study together a lot :) he's the designated extrovert friend

She became friends with Jade by being forced to wanting to join the Mountain lovers club. Its actually pretty good, since its a long walk and she can forage for stuff to eat so she can save more money (Crowley pays us in a handfull of pebbles and a pat on the back i swear to god) He's the social anxiety shield and talks for her sometimes.

She still kind of works as a janitor, and she stays after school hours to clean. And uses her job as an excuse to stay away from people, too much to clean!! so many floors to mop!! no i cannot come to ur party Kalim i am so so sorry!! would love too but i have to deep clean the school, by myself, all alone!! tomorrow as well! and the day after!! fdhdfshdshj

Has absolutely bonked Ace in the head with her broom!! he deserves it

Azul tries at some point to get her to be a janitor at Mostro lounge but she runs away from him mid conversation

Secretly very insecure about her height, thinking shes too tall for a lady, plus it just makes her stick out more as well

(actually as im writing this i realize she could be based on Cinderella in a way!!! with the whole evil stepmom (crowley) making you do a bunch of shitty work. im getting ideas.. >:) teehee gonna redraw the ball dance and glass slipper scene with her and someone maybe mwehehehehe)

[lindagoesmushrooming]

hi you seem to know about funguses would you perchance wish to comment on the veracity of my post rambling a little about fungi in star wars (no star wars knowledge necessary, only fungi)

it is here if yes.

thank either way, why does this feel like writing a cover letter

Firstly, honored you come to me for answers. 😁

Secondly, noooo, a cover letter, what?! I'm not that scary. Aside from the fact that approx. 1/3 of a year I wander around the woods with a knife in my hand. (Foraging, obviously. 😆)

I'm not sure, though, I can tell you much more than you've already learned from the Internet. Yes, fungi have been around a lot longer than us (could have been around even 2.4 billion years ago), and, I guess, it's more than safe to assume they developed symbiotic relationships with plants right after plants came to be (450-500 million years ago). In fact, fungi were the ones that turned rocks into soil, and essentially there would be no plants without fungi. Fungi were the ones providing essential minerals for the land plants and it let plants spread across the planet away from the water's edge (I won't be able to comment on aquatic fungi, though, and their relationship with aquatic plants). So we get endophytic fungi and parasitic fungi (before plants had roots) and mycorrhizal fungi (around mid-Devonian period with the first plants that had roots). There's also another important relationship - saprotrophic relationship - fungi eating dead plants and aiding in decomposition.

The last thing, yes, fungi definitely prefer to be mysterious and they reveal the secrets of the Universe only to a few chosen ones. 😉

[starrydixon]

If you’re curious about the type of content I write, or are interested in submitting a request, please take a look at my request guidelines! ❤️💗 *Updated 12/1/2023*

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Dedicating a day out behind the walls of Alexandria, Daryl takes you for a ride on his bike as he leads you towards a special place in the woods. There, he intends to ask you a very important question.

Home | fluff | 3.1k

When Daryl finally comes home after a week long supply run, you cant help yourself from doting on him...and Daryl doesn’t stop you.

Lost & Found | comfort-fluff | anxiety | grief | 3.6k

After losing the last remaining picture of your mother in a horde of walkers, Daryl takes it upon himself get it back for you.

Needles and Pins | descriptions of violence (fist fight) | pre-apocalypse | 2.4k

When you and Daryl’s laid-back night out takes a turn, you both aren’t afraid to show off the damage that your strong personalities can cause.

Rainstorm | minor angst | fluff | 1.9k

After a week full of turmoil, the last thing you needed was a torrential rainstorm passing through Alexandria to worsen your already somber mood. When an unexpected guest appears at your door, you're surprised at just how fast your mood changes for the better.

Reality Check | comfort-fluff | scary situation | mild description of blood and injuries | 3.3k

When you experience a close call with a walker while on a supply run with Daryl, the archer tries his best to comfort you.

Restless | comfort-fluff | 2.2k

After another nightmare startles you awake in the middle of the night, you find it hard to fall back to sleep. Your boyfriend Daryl comes to the rescue when he senses your spot beside him in bed is empty.

Together | comfort-fluff | 4k

Daryl knew something wasn’t right when it takes you longer than normal to return from foraging in the woods. When he finds you injured, it's a race against a herd of walkers to return home in one piece.

Wildflower | fluff | 3.6k

After confessing that you had never been given flowers before, Daryl finds himself becoming determined to be the first one to do so.

Winter Serenity | comfort-fluff | mild angst | 2k

After the farm fell and you had lost your sibling during the fallout, Daryl helps you through your grief one winter morning by a creek in the woods.

Series

Daryl Dixon:

Despair - Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 | angst | completed | 14.7k total 

When Daryl confesses to cheating on you during his isolation in the woods after Rick’s sudden disappearance, it takes years for your relationship with the archer to mend.

Drabbles

Daryl Dixon:

Skipping Stones | fluff | 597 words

Sweet Melody | fluff | 1,104 words