#to learn is to live (but make it stressful)

[d3adly-d4rl1ng]

On one hand, I agree, because my own university experience has legitimately made me suicidal on more than one occasion because it was too hard I felt that I just couldn't take it. The stress got to me so much that it has affected MY LITERAL B O N E S.

On the other hand, I'm not sure how a university could go about making things easier for the students. A university is a place of scientific achievement, and you only have a few years to cram this immense amount of knowledge into your head. If you try to stretch this out in time, for example, you'll end up with students who need to already join the work force to feed themselves while still having to study years and years for their degree. If you try to cut the contents of the program, you'll end up with underqualified professionals.

And even if a university does manage to optimize the learning process somehow, there's always people like me. Uni was this hard for me in particular, because I'm mentally and physically ill and also because my uni is the oldest one in the country and therefore extremely prestigious and demanding. In a way, it was a me problem: I never had a chance to get this degree and keep my health intact at the same time. Even before, as a kid, school contributed to ruining my health, and it wasn't anything fancy either. In cases like mine, it feels like life is just difficult no matter what, and any achievement at all requires great sacrifice. That, or maybe I just don't know better because I've never lived in a world that would accommodate me and meet me at my level.

In the end, I can't blame students who use ai for their works. I don't know their situation; maybe they, too, feel so overwhelmed that another deadline turns into a choice between ai and a psych ward.

i completely understand & agree with the backlash against students using chatgpt to get degrees but some of you are out here saying "getting a degree in xyz means pulling multiple consecutive all-nighters and writing essays through debilitating migraines and having severe back pain from constantly studying at your desk and chugging energy drinks until you get a kidney stone and waking up wishing you were dead every day, and that's just part of the natural process of learning!!!" and like. umm. i don't think that any of us should have had to endure that either. like maybe the solution for stopping students from using anti-learning software depends on college institutions making the process of learning actually sustainable on the human body & mind rather than a grueling health-destroying soul-crushing endeavor

[gingerhastoomanyobsessions]

Things that actually happen in hunchback of notre dame, in no particular order

The book mostly is told from the POV of Pierre, a self-insert who is failed author and, I cannot stress this enough, utterly pathetic 

Quasimodo damaged his hearing as a teenager from years of bell ringing and now uses sign language whenever he can

There is a scene where Quasimodo and a fellow deaf guy have to have a conversation without using sign language because they’re in a courtroom and the jury doesn’t know sign. It goes about as well as you’d expect 

Frollo has a little brother, Jehan, who he raised after their parents died. Jehan is now a frat bro in college whose hobbies consist of getting drunk and being mean to Quasimodo. In his first scene Jehan complains about college DEI because an Italian guy got a scholarship he wanted. 

Esmeralda is accused of witchcraft because she taught her pet goat Djali how to do math

Djali may or may not be sapient. He can and does imitate human mannerisms to make fun of people on purpose. He does this while on trial. 

Yes. They tried the goat for witchcraft, too. 

Pierre writes a whole play riding on the pun of dolphin/Dauphin. Nobody likes it. 

Frollo is an alchemist and has a secret mad science lab where he writes on the walls

Jehan literally pulls a “buy my silence” and frollo gives him money to make him shut up

There’s a trio of catty girls who bully Esmeralda like it’s Mean Girls

Quasimodo and Frollo literally have Cryptid Status— Parisians circulate rumors that Quasimodo is either a familiar, a homunculus, or the result of demonic mpreg, and that Frollo is a wizard with wizard powers and/or a ghost

There is a little old woman who lives in a hole and shouts slurs at people. She has a tragic backstory. 

There is a homicidal con man/king of thieves named Clopin Troillefou (surname translation: The Fool of Fear) who deserves tumblr sexymanhood.

Pierre learns how to carry chairs with his teeth 

There’s an entire chapter dedicated to the layout of the streets of Paris in painstaking detail

There’s another chapter that is a rant about interior design 

Esmeralda and Pierre get platonically married due to Clopin’s murderous shenanigans. Pierre tries to make a move in her but ends up being more emotionally attached to Djali the goat than to her. I think that should be grounds for divorce

There is a scene where Pierre has to choose between helping Esmeralda escape or helping Djali. He picks Djali. 

Frollo hides from his own brother by laying face down in mud and playing dead. Somehow this works 

There is a Plot Significant Tiny Shoe. A Tiny Shoe Chekhov’s Gun. And Victor Hugo will not stop telling you just how Tiny this shoe is. 

There’s a soap opera style plot twist that involves a false accusation of cannibalism and the woman in the hole who shouts slurs

Quasimodo makes up a stupid little song that doesn’t even rhyme to confess his love to Esmeralda, who remains oblivious

He then attempts to demonstrate his affection via convoluted metaphors that involve props. She doesn’t get it. Boy please say what you mean

Frollo pulls the classic discord groomer tactic of threatening self-harm if Esmeralda doesn’t give in. 

Jehan rolls up to a party/rescue mission scheming session in Clopin’s secret hideout in full plate armor (how did he get that???), drunk off his ass, and acts like he owns the place. Everyone finds this so ridiculous that they just let him

Hugo goes on and on about how innocent and naive Esmeralda is but then casually reveals that Esmeralda carries a dagger on her person at all times to fend off assault. When Frollo attacks her and Quasi intervenes, she takes Quasi’s knife and almost kills Frollo (fair!) but he flees. She contains multitudes?

Frollo has a psychotic breakdown in the middle of a field surrounded by chickens and hallucinates skeletons everywhere 

For the first half of the book Esmeralda is like 70% sure Frollo is a ghost, not helped by his aforementioned Cryptid Status

Jehan eats a moldy piece of cheese off the ground 

Frollo tries to send Pierre on a suicide mission in drag. Pierre objects to the suicide part but not the drag part  

Clopin’s preferred weapon is a scythe, he’s very good at using it, and he sings when he fights. Again: sexyman potential. 

Victor Hugo has a foot fetish. I initially dismissed it as Frollo having a foot fetish until Victor Hugo included a foot fetish torture scene without any Frollo in it. So I can only conclude that the foot fetish is authorial in nature. Unfortunately the foot scenes are important to the plot. 

Frollo is canonically 36, he just aged like shit and is bald. The narrator will not stop telling you just how bald he is.

Despite being in full plate armor, Jehan gets splatted like a bug

Almost every named character dies. Djali the goat lives. 

[bloomzone]

2025 : #24 the mental diet : How , what u consume Is secretly sabotaging ur growth

You wouldn't eat garbage all day and expect to feel energetic and healthy right ? yet most of us are doing exactly that with our minds ! . We're gorging ourselves on information junk food while wondering why we feel anxious, depressed, stuck, and constantly comparing ourselves to others. because ur information diet is probably destroying your potential and you don't even realize it's happening .

The hidden addiction that's rewiring ur brain

Every piece of content you consume is literally rewiring your neural pathways. When you scroll through social media seeing everyone's highlight reels, your brain starts believing that everyone else has it figured out while you're falling behind. When you binge-watch videos about toxic relationships, narcissistic abuse, or trauma content, you're training your mind to see problems and threats everywhere you look. When u consume news that's designed to make you outraged and afraid, you're programming yourself to live in a state of chronic stress and helplessness. ur brain doesn't distinguish between what you're experiencing directly and what you're consuming through screens. If you're constantly feeding it content about why life is hard, why people can't be trusted, why the world is falling apart, or why you're a victim of circumstances, that becomes your reality. Not because it's true, but because that's what you've trained your brain to focus on and expect.

Think about the last week of your information consumption. How much of it made you feel empowered, inspired, capable, and optimistic about your future? How much of it made you feel anxious, inadequate, angry, or hopeless? If you're honest, the ratio is probably pretty disturbing. Most people are consuming 80% mental junk food and wondering why they can't seem to create the life they want and they keep saying. "Look how x is pretty and I'm not" (bruh 💀)

The victim content trap that keeps you stuck

There's a particularly insidious type of content that people get addicted to without realizing it's keeping them trapped:

victim content. This includes anything that reinforces the idea that you're powerless, that other people are the problem, that the world is against you, or that your past determines your future. It feels validating in the moment because it explains why your life isn't what you want it to be without requiring you to take responsibility for changing it.

Trauma content, relationship advice focused on identifying toxic people, political content that makes you angry about things you can't control, self-help content about why you can't help yourself allllll of this creates a feedback loop where you become addicted to feeling like a victim because it's become your identity. You start seeking out content that confirms this worldview because it feels familiar and comfortable, even though it's slowly poisoning your ability to see opportunities, solutions, and your own power....

The algorithm feeds into this perfectly. Social media platforms make money by keeping you engaged, and negative emotions like anger, fear, and outrage are incredibly engaging. So the more victim content you consume, the more the algorithm serves you, creating an echo chamber that reinforces learned helplessness. u end up in a bubble where everyone agrees that life is hard, people can't be trusted, and there's nothing you can do about your circumstances.

The comparison trap that destroys Self-worth

Social media has turned comparison into a full-time job. You wake up and immediately start your day by looking at carefully curated highlight reels of other people's lives. Their vacations, their relationships, their achievements, their bodies, their homes ... all presented without context, struggle, or the messy reality behind the scenes. ur brain takes in this information and creates a story that everyone else has something you don't that you're falling behind, that you're not enough.

But hear me out you're comparing your behind-the-scenes reality to everyone else's highlight reel performance. For example It's like watching a movie and comparing your life to the finished product, forgetting that what you're seeing took months to create, involved dozens of people, multiple takes, professional editing, and perfect lighting. The comparison is literally impossible to win because it's not even real.

The people who seem to have it all together online are often struggling with the same things you are. The difference is they're not posting about their anxiety, their relationship problems, their financial stress, or their moments of self-doubt. They're posting the 2% of their life that looks Instagram-worthy and you're comparing it to the 98% of your life that's just regular human existence.

The self-help paradox

Even positive content can become problematic when consumed in the wrong way. There's a type of self-help consumption addiction where people become perpetual students instead of practitioners. They watch endless videos about mindset, read countless books about success, follow dozens of coaches and experts, but never actually implement what they're learning because they're too busy consuming the next piece of advice.... (No hate towards any self help youtuber ⚠️)

This creates an illusion of progress. You feel like you're working on yourself because you're learning so much, but you're actually avoiding the uncomfortable work of actually changing. Consuming content about transformation becomes a substitute for the actual discomfort of transforming. You become an expert on the theory of change while remaining stuck in the same patterns.

The strategic information diet

A real information diet overhaul requires being ruthless about what you eliminate. This is about being strategic with your mental resources and protecting your ability to see opportunities, solutions, and your own power.

ıllı Immediate cuts:

- Social media first thing in the morning and last thing at night

- News consumption beyond what's directly relevant to your decisions

- Content creators who make you feel worse about yourself or your situation

- Trauma content that reinforces victim identity rather than promoting healing

- Comparison-inducing content (lifestyle, success, relationship highlight reels)

- Political content that makes you angry about things you can't control

- True crime and disaster content that feeds anxiety without serving any purpose

- Endless self-help consumption without implementation

The 24-Hour Rule:

Before consuming any content, ask yourself: "Will knowing this information make me a better person, help me make better decisions, or improve my life in some concrete way in the next 24 hours?" If the answer is no, skip that shi . Your mental bandwidth is limited and precious protect it like you would protect ur parents or money or whatever..

The Strategic Information Diet: What to add

Once you've cleared out the mental junk food, you need to deliberately choose content that serves the person you're becoming. This requires being intentional about seeking out information that expands your possibilities rather than limiting them.

High-Value content:

- Success stories from people who have overcome what you're dealing with

- Educational content that teaches you actual skills you can implement

- Content from people living the kind of life you want to create

- Biographies and case studies of people who have built what you want to build

- Philosophy and wisdom that helps you think more clearly about life

- Content that challenges you to grow rather than confirming your existing beliefs

- Art, music, and creative content that inspires and elevates your mood ect ect ..

The aspiration test:

Choose content creators and sources based on this question: "If I consumed this person's content for a year, would I become more like the person I want to be?" If someone's content consistently leaves you feeling empowered, capable, and focused on solutions, they earn a place in your information diet. If they leave you feeling victimized, anxious, or focused on problems, they need to go.

Creating Information boundaries

Just like you wouldn't eat every meal at a buffet you need structure around your information consumption. This means creating specific times, places, and purposes for different types of content rather than grazing mindlessly all day long.

Morning protocol:

Never start your day with social media, news, or any content that puts you in a reactive state. Instead, begin with content that puts you in a creative, proactive mindset something educational, inspirational, or strategic for ur goals. The first hour of your day sets the tone for everything that follows.

Evening boundaries:

STOP consuming stimulating content at least an hour before bed pleassse . This includes news too, social media, work-related information, or anything that might trigger stress or comparison. Your brain needs time to process and wind down, and ur sleep quality directly impacts your ability to handle challenges the next day.

Purpose-driven consumption:

Before opening any app or clicking any link, pause and ask yourself what you're trying to accomplish. Are you looking for specific information to help with a decision? Are you trying to learn a particular skill? Are you seeking inspiration for a project? Or are you just bored and looking for distraction? Only consume content when you have a clear purpose this prevents mindless scrolling that usually leads to feeling worse. (We are here to protect ur mind btw)

The 30-Day information detox challenge

Real change requires a complete reset of your information consumption patterns. This means going cold turkey on the mental junk food long enough for your brain to recalibrate and remember what it feels like to not be constantly stimulated, outraged, or comparing yourself to others.

Week 1: Complete Social Media Elimination

Delete social media apps from your phone entirely. If you need them for work, access them only from your computer during designated work hours. Notice what comes up when you reach for your phone out of habit. What emotions are you trying to avoid? What gaps in your life are you trying to fill with distraction?

Week 2: News Fast

Stop consuming news entirely unless it directly impacts a decision you need to make. This includes news websites, news podcasts, news videos, and news discussions. Notice how much mental space this frees up and how your stress levels change.

Week 3: Positive Input only

Only consume content that educates, inspires, or helps you grow. This might be books, educational videos, music that u love and make u happy , inspiring vloggers , podcasts with people you admire, or content related to skills you want to develop. Pay attention to how different types of content affect your mood and energy levels.

Week 4: Mindful reintegration

Gradually reintroduce some information sources, but with strict boundaries and intentionality. Notice which sources serve you and which immediately pull you back into old patterns of comparison, anxiety, or victimization.

Measuring the impact

The real test of your information diet overhaul isn't what you're consuming , it's who you're becoming as a result. After 30 days of strategic information consumption, you should notice significant changes in ur mental state, energy levels, and outlook on ur life.

Positive indicators:

- Waking up with energy and optimism rather than dread

- Feeling more focused on your own goals rather than distracted by others' lives

- Having more mental space for creative thinking and problem-solving

- Feeling more capable and empowered rather than victimized by circumstances

- Sleeping better because your mind isn't overstimulated

- Having more meaningful conversations because you're not constantly consuming surface-level content

- Making faster progress on your actual goals because you're not mentally scattered

Warnings signs u need to adjust:

- Feeling out of touch with reality or important developments

-Becoming preachy about information consumption

- Using the information diet as another form of perfectionism or control

- Feeling isolated from friends who are still consuming the content you've eliminated

- Swinging too far into toxic positivity and avoiding all challenging information

Making It sustainable :

Like any diet, the information diet overhaul only works if you can maintain it long-term. This means finding a sustainable balance rather than trying to maintain perfectionist standards that will eventually lead to a binge .

The 80/20 Rule:

Aim for 80% high-value information consumption and allow yourself 20% flexibility for entertainment, social connection, or keeping up with current events. This prevents the all-or-nothing mentality that leads to failure.

Regular Audits:

Every month, review what you've been consuming and how it's affecting you. Information sources that served you six months ago might not serve the person you're becoming now. Stay willing to evolve your information diet as you evolve.

Community standards:

Find people who are also intentional about their information consumption. This might mean joining groups focused on personal development, finding accountability partners for your goals, or having honest conversations with friends about how certain types of content affect your relationships.

The compound effect of clean Information

The impact of changing your information diet compounds over time in ways that are hard to imagine when you're stuck in the old patterns. When you stop feeding ur brain a steady diet of problems, comparison, and victimization, it naturally starts looking for opportunities, solutions, and possibilities. You begin to see the world through the lens of what's possible rather than what's wrong.

Your relationships improve because you're not constantly triggered, anxious, or focused on drama. Your productivity increases because your mental energy isn't scattered across a dozen different sources of artificial urgency. Your confidence grows because you're not constantly comparing yourself to carefully curated highlight reels. Your creativity expands because your mind has space to think original thoughts rather than just reacting to other people's content.

Most importantly, u start to trust yourself again. When you're not constantly consuming other people's opinions, problems, and perspectives, you remember that you have your own wisdom, your own judgment, and your own ability to navigate life. You stop looking for external validation or permission because you're not constantly reminded of how everyone else is supposedly doing it better.

The person you become through a strategic information diet overhaul isn't someone who's avoiding reality they're someone who's choosing to focus their limited mental resources on what they can actually influence and improve. They're not less informed they're more discerning. They're not living in a bubble n they're living intentionally.

laaaast note :

Your information diet is one of the most powerful tools you have for shaping who you become. I’m not saying you need to delete social media forever or become some monk who never scrolls again 💀This isn’t about demonizing the internet or pretending that all content is bad. Social media isn’t inherently toxic but unconscious consumption is. The goal isn’t to eliminate connection, inspiration, or entertainment. The goal is to choose what you consume instead of being controlled by it.

@bloomzone ⌨️

[astrosamara]

Jupiter Transits Through the Houses

Jupiter expands and blesses the house it transits through. Be cautious of overindulgence in these areas though, since too much of a good thing can have negative consequences as well. As always, these observations are very general and for greater accuracy in interpretation, the full birth chart must be involved.

🩷Jupiter transiting the 1st house: Life just seems to flow smoothly and work out for you with little hassle. You might feel as if the universe is truly on your side during this time with blessings appearing as if from nowhere. People notice an aura of positivity and abundance surrounding you. You might even appear glowing physically. There's a strong drive and desire to live large and abundantly. You might experience many moments of feeling vibrationally high. I interpret this time as one where you fully blossom and grow into your individuality.

🩷Jupiter transiting the 2nd house: The most obvious interpretation of this transit is receiving a lot of luck with money. You can earn a lot more money as well as making more money than you ever have before. This can also be a time where you develop a stronger sense of self-worth and security. You can feel very comfortable in life. Also, with an increase in money can also come an increase in spending. Be careful not too spend too recklessly during this transit, especially on material comforts.

🩷Jupiter transiting the 3rd house: If you have siblings, this can be a time where you notice your siblings receiving a lot of blessings. This is also a great time to embrace learning new skills and trying new things. Speaking, writing, and communication specifically will be great skills to expand on and you can receive a lot of opportunities in these areas. You can feel especially positive while going on short trips and spending time in your community. A stronger desire to socialize and connect with people.

🩷Jupiter transiting the 4th house: Moving, expanding, and positivity within your home and family life is all prevalent here. A stronger desire to go inward and spend more time at home as well. You could receive blessings and opportunities from your family. You might just feel a stronger desire to renovate or redecorate your home. I've noticed that this is a time where perhaps your external world quiets down a bit, and a lot of your positivity comes from your inner world. You can discover a lot about yourself and what provides you true comfort and peace.

🩷Jupiter transiting the 5th house: This is a fantastic time for romance, love, and dating. Time and time again I've noticed so many people in my life benefit positively in their love life during this transit. A huge boost in creativity as well. There's a lot of joy and happiness during this period overall. You feel a boost in confidence and ability to take on new and exciting opportunities. There's also an emphasis on children during this transit. Perhaps you can have children or children can play a significant and positive role in your life. If you're interested in trying new hobbies, this is a great time to do it.

🩷Jupiter transiting the 6th house: Daily life and health become abundant in this period. You can have positive daily habits and a routine that is beneficial for your overall health and wellbeing. You can also start a new job that you enjoy. Perhaps you get along nicely with your coworkers, the pay is great, the working conditions are positive, etc. There's a strong possibility that you just feel less daily stress than usual during this time. Getting a new pet is also likely.

🩷Jupiter transiting the 7th house: Similar to the 5th house transit, this is a great time for love and romance, although this house is more symbolic of committed love and long term partnerships. This is a very common marriage transit. This is also a great time to start a new business venture or partnership if it's something you're interested in, as it's likely to be received well during this time. Other people become significant in some way. Life in general felt very busy, active, and social in my experience. Meeting new and important people in my life as well. 🩷Jupiter transiting the 8th house: A very transformative period. There's an increase in desire for deep growth and personal development. This is a transit where you end it as a brand new person. I have an 8th house stellium, so it's likely this transit affected me greater for this reason. If you're someone who shies away from the darker aspects of life or your shadow self, this is likely to be a rough period for you. Although, it's a blessing in disguise when you realize how important it was to allow yourself to go deep and shed away all that was holding you back from stepping into a better and more powerful version of yourself. It's also common to experience an increase in sexuality during this time. 🩷Jupiter transiting the 9th house: A very busy, busy time. I was moving and traveling constantly the year I experienced this transit. I also started university and began my interest in spirituality. I met many different unique people and expanded my knowledge in many subjects. You may notice yourself tackling life's obstacles with optimism and an open mind. Wherever you travel during this period can be a very spiritual and optimistic experience for you. I visited a new city during this time that I fell in love with and developed a strong connection to. Pursuing a more spiritual life is very common.

🩷Jupiter transiting the 10th house: This was an interesting transit for me. I began a job that I absolutely hated before eventually leaving soon after, just for a better opportunity to be waiting for me around the corner. I moved into my first apartment and life became more peaceful and aligned with what I wanted and needed. It made me realize that Jupiter can often bless these different areas of your life by first removing what isn't meant for you and allowing new and greater opportunities to enter your life afterwards. This was a time I really craved and valued freedom and abundance in my career and life overall. 🩷Jupiter transiting the 11th house: Similar to the 10th house transit, I left a lot of toxic people in my life, including a long-term friendship that hadn't been working out for years. I also abandoned previous dreams and developed new ones that felt more fitting to me. My dreams and desires were very strong during this time. This was more of a quiet period in my life where I was really building a vision for what I wanted my life to look and feel like. I experienced a lot of positivity through online communities and groups, specifically when it came to astrology and spirituality. Meeting new people, joining new social groups, and focusing on long-term goals are all likely to occur during this transit. 🩷Jupiter transiting the 12th house: Such an incredible and unique time. My dreams became very rich, vivid, and intuitive. I was quite isolated during this time, but the isolation was something I needed. My inner world became very abundant and dreamlike. Life just felt like a dream this entire time. Pay attention to your intuition and your subconscious strongly during this time, because it can reveal a lot. I began therapy as well and began to notice very positive changes in my life the more I took care of my mental health. I spent a lot of time working on myself and clearing out mental garbage, which I noticed benefiting me positively by the time my 1st house Jupiter transit started.

[wlwnovak]

Dating Casey Novak Headcanons

(And living with her)

She talks in her sleep.

-Once you heard her mumble “inadmissible” and roll over with a smile. You recorded it. She denies it happened. You now use it as blackmail for forehead kisses.

Super competitive about board games.

-You thought game night would be chill until Casey started making closing arguments about why she definitely didn’t cheat in Scrabble.

She blushes so easily but tries to act unfazed.

-Call her “baby” or whisper something suggestive and she’ll raise an eyebrow like she’s unaffected, but her ears go bright pink every time.

Terrible at leaving work at the office.

- Casey says she’ll be home by 7, but shows up at 10 with a tense jaw, an overstuffed bag, and a muttered apology. You learned to text “Don’t forget to eat” around 6 p.m. every day.

So, you made a deal: no case talk after 9 p.m. Casey always breaks it. And you just roll your eyes, pouring her another glass of wine.

Casey is emotionally guarded, even in love.

-It took months for her to admit when she was overwhelmed or scared, especially after tough trials or when justice didn’t feel like enough.

She’s physically affectionate in quiet, protective ways.

-A hand on your back in public. Sitting just a little too close on the couch. Wrapping her arms around you while she sleeps like she’s anchoring herself.

She HAS to write everything down or she'll forget.

-Being the busy restless person she is, she just has to have a huge color-coded calendar on your bedroom's wall. And you have fun teasing her about it.

Casey acts annoyed but secretly loves the attention, letting you write silly things in it like “Make out session at 3:00.”

She folds laundry like it’s a legal obligation.

-Perfect corners. Precise stacks. You mess with her by tossing a sock into the wrong pile and she deadpans, “You’re trying to destabilize the system, aren’t you?”. But you always end up helping her organize her clothes. She never knows when Liv or Stabler are gonna call her asking for a court order ASAP.

She does that “silent lean” when she wants affection.

-Won’t ask for a cuddle. Just sits next to you with her shoulder touching yours, arms crossed, pretending she’s watching the tv show, but if you open your arms, she melts into you immediately. Adorable.

She’s weirdly obsessed with keeping the fridge organized.

-Everything is in labeled containers. God forbid you put the strawberries in the wrong drawer. “That’s for herbs, babe. We’ve talked about this.”

She wakes up early even on weekends (and brings you coffee).

-You wake up to the smell, blurry-eyed, and there’s Casey in a robe, hair a mess, mug in hand. "Morning sleepyhead.” (it's only 8am).

She has a very serious toothbrush stance.

-One hand on hip, the other brushing furiously, glaring at the mirror like it owes her money. If you catch her and imitate it, she tries not to laugh—tries.

She pretends not to like sweets ( but stress turns her into a sugar gremlin).

-When she’s really stressed about a case, she doesn’t ask for help or reasurance. She just appears at midnight, wrapped in a blanket, searching the pantry for something sweet, pretending not to know you keep an emergency chocolate bar stash just or her (she knows).

[halfadiamond]

You Think It’s Love- Part Two

Masterlist

You think it’s love where you feel at peace with the men. While you’ve lived life as stress free as possible, it feels more peaceful being with the men than being by yourself. The way they treat you makes you feel as though as you’ve been with them since the start of their relationship rather than joining in later.

You spend most of your day with your boyfriends when you’re not working. Your place most definitely has dust as you can’t remember the last time you’ve been home. The men grew so accustomed to having you at their place that when your lease on your apartment ends, John hands you a copy of their keys and invite you to move into their house. You don’t object at all and move right in. Somehow your stuff is able to blend right in with your boyfriends.

If love had a picture example in the dictionary, this would’ve been it. Anyone who was able to peer into your relationship can tell that there is love here.

Love is present when:

You always wake to Johnny lazily kissing your forehead, and him always being the one that wants to cuddle you at night.

Kyle always buys stuff that you guys can do together. He’s brought home self care kits, puzzles, board games, just about anything that’ll let him pass by the time with you.

John always plans a date night with you. He always treats it as if it’s your first date with the way he goes all out.

Simon always goes out for a walk with you before going to sleep. Sometimes you’re talking about what’s on your mind (with Simon always providing a listening ear and small quips) and then other times you two are walking quietly enjoying each other’s presence.

Love is definitely here when you guys have private time in the bedroom where sometimes it’s you with certain men, you with one of the men, you with all of the men, or even the men with the other men. It’s always nice and sweet, with the end goal being that everyone present is able to feel good and loved. Never once left behind.

You learn that all of them are in the military and typically deploy together. While it brings you relief that they’re always together; you can’t help but worry about the day that they might come back injured or worse dead. But luckily for you, they always come relatively unscathed or if they are injured it’s something minor. They always reassure that they’ll come back home to you; no matter how exhausted or hurt they may be.

You think it’s love when that fear you have is never present. You’re always included into their life and they the same. You learn all the inside secrets between the men, and they learn about all your inside secrets. They always take in mind your schedule and work around it, they always try to include you in all their dates and in those times where work holds you up then one of the men always stays behind until you come home and spends that time with you.

Love is present here because nobody is left behind.

You think it’s love until it’s not.

sorry if it seems short but I think the angst should be a chapter on its own rather than conjoined

Edit: Changed the dividers so it’ll match with masterlist for this series.

[bewitched-hours]

Hi, I saw your posts and blogs! Congrats, they are great, so i was wondering if you can make a request out of my most fav character in forsaken that i mained them.

Modern Au (where the spectre and forsaken never happened, everyone just living out their lives)

A Two Time x Detective! Faithless! Reader? Angst and Fluff in the end

Where the reader is stressed finding evidence and leads about the cult since their were missing people nowadays, but in one of their walks, they encounter Two Time in a abandoned church and confronts while they offered a chance to join their cult but refuses and retreats after their defeat.

but the reader gets kidnapped by the cult and is forced to join and erase all evidences discovered by the police or government.

and therefore, you have it they joined and sacrifice someone and gets comforted by two time?

Ty

OOOO I love it! Drama, romance AND angst with fluff? My friend, you have excellent tastes and I'll be happy to provide you with a delicious little story (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) Tbf, I got a little confused what you meant with "refuses and retreats after their defeat" so I hope I got the right idea...

The reader's pronouns will be She/They this time around!

If someone told you to join their cult, what would you tell them?

Obviously that they're crazy...

But what about when you no longer have an option?

You've been on the case of a special cult now for months. You just couldn't figure them out like most of your cases and apparently you were the last detective open for the job. Most either quit or backed out of it after a while and some even disappeared during their investigations.

To say it had you on edge was an understatement.

Sometimes you caught yourself having nightmares of what the others before you could've encountered. What the ones who quit or backed out possibly saw to make them leave the case for the next and what could've happened to those that disappeared.

All in the name of an entity they worshipped whose name you spoke with slight fear ever since you learned about it.

The Spawn.

You knew little about it in depth but you knew the cult was most likely sacrificing people and the alike in its name.

Maybe even sacrificing each other... You didn't dare imagine how crazed they might be...

You weren't exactly religious, finding it ridiculous to belief in a higher being controlling the world or whatever. But you still took the concept of them serious. Especially when you had to deal with cults and religions that believed in them so strongly.

Your boss already told you that you had to be careful as to not get too close on your own, fearing you would be another victim to join the pile of missing people reports. But you were determined to stop whatever madness was going on to make sure the countless families waiting out there could find clarity in what happened to their loved ones and you were prepared to attend all the funerals in respect of the victims that certainly died. It wasn't easy but knowing first-hand how lonely a funeral could make someone no matter the circumstances, you wanted to offer young and old alike support in coming to terms with their loved ones succumbing to the apparent will of a higher being.

It even sickened you a bit, thinking about an entity supposedly higher than mortality itself who apparently would command its followers to take innocent lives including their own. It made a pit form in your stomach.

Both from the mental image of seeing blood and your desire to bring justice to the foreground. You still needed to get ahold of your brain not being able to handle the sight of blood but luckily you already worked through it enough that you didn't have to faint at the sight anymore, you were just left extremely nauseas afterwards.

Stupidly enough, tonight you had fallen asleep at your work desk while trying to get a lead on this mysterious cult and had to be woken up by a co-worker who was worried.

You weren't panicked or rushing, you had no one really waiting for you at home. You weren't even in the mental state to keep a pet alive so most you did was pet-sit for your friends. Most of your family already cut contact with you after you began going to therapy.

You know now it was likely because they were treating you like a doormat until that point and likely bailed to avoid being confronted.

But you didn't bother chasing them. Having them out of your life was enough no matter how much your inner child was screaming to know why you had to suffer mentally from them.

So, you just packed up and began making your way home. You rarely drove, considering there was a small sandwich job you liked to visit on your route to and from home and you really didn't mind walking for it. It was closed by now though so you sighed, knowing this meant you had to cook for once.

You weren't that good at it, considering how much of a workaholic you tended to be so you usually just ordered something or made something quick at most to avoid taking too many breaks.

You wanted to live healthy, you really tried-

Your train of thought was suddenly interrupted. In the distance you could see that old abandoned church with its lights on.

Were some kids trying to start their own cult again to be 'cool'? Oh well, best you at least try to reason with them so you can go home telling yourself you tried.

Sighing, you soon opened the church doors to a rather surprising display. There was just a hooded individual, praying in the middle of the church. But the closer you got, the quicker you realized your situation. Although it was too late now.

You recognized them as a member of that 'Spawn' cult you were investigating and they already heard you entering. Not a shock with the fact the church doors don't get any oil anymore since it wasn't being maintained anyways.

"Greetings, detective." They spoke calmly, getting up after they had finished praying and giving you an eerie smile. You could feel a shiver run up your spine but you couldn't pass up a potential opportunity like this.

You hesitated with your words, aware that the cultist would likely be aware of what you were planning. You had to act strategically and keep on the lookout in case this was some sort of ambush. "Good... Good evening..."

You honestly weren't entirely sure how to go about this, and they could tell.

"You seem much too tense, have you eaten yet?" It was a little weird that they asked that but it was reasonable to question someone's saturation when you were probably coming off as paranoid.

You just shook your head, figuring there was no point lying about such meaningless matters and not seeing why this even mattered.

"Then maybe you'd like something quick? The Spawn told us you would be next." There was that shiver again and your gut practically screamed for you to run from this mad individual. "Th-there's no need... All I wanted to ask something and be on my way." You tried to calm yourself, having to decide between risking your livelihood for this insanity or simply going home and hope the cultist was alone.

Either way, not a good situation for you to be in.

"Yes, the Spawn warned me you would try to ask about our cause. But worry not, the Spawn is willing to offer that information... For a price." You hesitated, grabbing the bookbag you were using to carry the documents from this case as you weighed your options.

Eventually though, you stupidly chose the case over your own livelihood. "Very well, what would that price be?" You stared them down with distrust, something they obviously expected as they let out a satisfied hum. "You won't need to worry about that for now. How about we begin while the Spawn is still watching over us so kindly?" Their voice was as gentle as a flower, luring you in like you were a bee.

And again, you made a stupid decision under the pressure of time. Like they would disappear if you hesitated for too long.

Clicking open your bookbag to grab a notebook and pen, you began your questioning and writing up their answers. You could bring this information back to work tomorrow and tell your boss you finally had a lead.

This was the opportunity of a lifetime!

... If it wasn't for the price you were told...

"The Spawn only allows such details to be known by its followers, so you will need to join us and be amongst the lucky ones to stand in the Spawn's glorious vision." Those words made a pit form in your stomach and you quickly stepped away from them, ignoring their gentle warnings as you turned on your heel and practically dashed out of the church, clutching your notebook like it held the secrets of the universe.

You really thought you were smart when you first stopped at a local park to check for anyone following you before heading home. But even that was stupid on your part.

You sighed, slumped against your door as the lock clicked behind you. You were glad to have an actually nice landlord who kept everything in working condition.

You shortly hid the bookbag under your bed, opening the window just a little because the air felt stuffy in your room. But- You made sure to stack some books in front of it so you'd wake up if anyone tried to sneak in.

Turns out, you were right. More cultists came to take you but you failed to account for the fact they'd have a weapon on them.

So, everything went faster than you could've thought ahead for. The books fell, you woke up, screamed to alert your neighbours and grabbing the bookbag so they couldn't get their hands on your evidence and before you could even open the door of your bedroom to rush to the kitchen, you got knocked out cold.

When you awoke again, you were met with hell.

You were now inside of the cult's... Base?

It certainly wasn't a church or anything but you had no idea how to describe it with that throbbing headache they left you with.

"Good morning, detective." A familiar voice came into the sleeping corners you were placed in. It made you finally open your eyes and notice you were clothed in the same robes as the cultists. It obviously startled you but Two Time was quick to shush you, although gentle.

"You have taken from the Spawn, the price was not optional." Was all they said before sitting on the edge of the bed to seemingly comfort you.

Assuming there were other cultists nearby, you figured you should keep quiet. "Where are we...?" You practically hissed, earning no reaction aside from a slight frown which honestly creeped you out more.

"The holy grounds blessed by the Spawn." Was the only answer you were given and you just groaned, assuming you were probably trapped. And you stupidly walked right into it like a moth to a flame.

You could already tell you'd have no way out. If there was nothing you could've found on the cult's location in the first place, you sure as hell wouldn't be finding your way back home. You could be in a completely different country for all you knew by now...

"The Spawn demands you join us for your introduction." They took your hand. Not forcibly, you knew you could easily slip out. But you figured you could at least play pretend until you figured out where you were and how to get home...

Then again, no one before you ever made it back so why would you?

Maybe there really was no hope. But you would hold onto that little sliver of it anyhow, letting Two Time lead you to a small sacrificial area. You could already guess what was expected of you as another cultist was strapped down and gagged. Your face paled at the realization of what was happening as you were handed a dagger and told to announce your name to the Spawn as you sacrificed another cultist.

You were obviously hesitant, not wanting blood on your hands. But Two Time even offered that you two could go away right after it was over, seeming to remember when you told them you couldn't handle the sight of blood well.

Looking back, you had mentioned it on accident but now you were kinda glad that they told you this.

You made sure to be quick, screaming out your name as you plunged the dagger into the cultist's heart a couple times to make sure they got a swift death. It was the least you could do as Two Time shortly brought you back out and began praising you for putting in some extra work.

But you couldn't bear listening to them, your stomach twisting and turning whenever you looked at your blood-stained hands or remembered the cultist after what you did. You wanted to throw up and Two Time practically hurried you to the toilets to let you do exactly that.

It was oddly comforting, feeling as though you had a form of comfort and care even in this hellhole. Even if you were distrustful of it at first.

You just wanted to go home or better yet, wake up and find out it was all just a nightmare. At least the latter would allow you to have a better consciousness about it all.

"Sadly, there is one more thing we will need to return for." Their voice sounded slightly sharp, and you knew what they meant.

Back at the sacrificial grounds, another cultist was holding your bookbag above the corpse, demanding you burn both to prove you know your place.

You wanted to protest, almost snapping at them.

But Two Time held you back, reminding you silently that you had no other options. You took a deal you weren't prepared for and were now carrying out the consequences.

You were given a lighter and Two Time generously helped you over to the body as your legs almost turned to jelly the closer you got.

And... You set fire to it all.

The other cultists were surprisingly cheerful all of a sudden, walking around like they were celebrating while Two Time took your current state to know you needed a break.

Strangely though, they held you close, whispering praises and sweet nothings to you as they took you back to the sleeping quarters.

"You're lucky we're bunk-mates." They spoke lightly to cheer you up. "You'll learn to love and trust the Spawn, don't worry. You're safe here. And I'll make sure of that."

Were they using your weakened state against you as they held your curled up body in their arms? Were you being manipulated? It was hard to think on an empty stomach but you were sure your heart was confused too.

Warm with affection but cold with hatred... What a conflicting mess you found yourself in.

You were probably being reduced to nothing more than a good little follower... And part of you didn't even mind that...

No... Not with Two Time around.

You would be find with them by your side...

And you were taken out of your train of thought by a gentle kiss on your forehead as you felt your face flush and almost instinctively pushed yourself further into Two Time as a result.

They only let out a hum of contentment, going through your hair gently as your mind would get fuzzy.

"The Spawn has truly blessed me with your presence..." Was the last thing you heard before you fell asleep...

This was honestly amazing to type up-

Anything you'd like to request/ask? Check out my pinned post first and I'll be happy to write up whatever you want!

[sergioguymanproust]

Some habits and hobbies are hard to forget like ,brushing your teeth after each meal, and making paper planes with any piece of paper you find ,to keep your inner child happy.Life is what you make of it ,and the sooner you learn to do the right thing for you and your temporary existence. We are animals of habit so the sooner you realize that your habits can make you or break you,the sooner you will be doing the things that make you happy.Our culture is constantly changing,evolving and pushing us to think of others ,but who pleases us,we must first take care of ourselves in order to get our priorities straight, and then when we can fulfill our needs ,then and only then ,we can make room for others,in our lives ,but if living alone works for you so be it.If making paper planes makes you ground yourself,a bit like meditation and helps you to release stress and think clearly ,do it.Never mind what others think of you ,that is their problem,not yours. Humans spend too much time talking and worrying about others ,when they should focus more on themselves.So make paper planes,drink coffee, watch clouds,do what makes you happy.Words by Sergio Guyman Proust.

[solecize]

°⛧  ‧  ₊   　 　⠀mnemonic 　⠀⠀⠀　 　⠀⠀　 　⠀⠀ [5]

　 　⠀　 　⠀⠀　 　⠀　 　⠀⠀　 　⠀　 　⠀　 　⠀　 　⠀　 *ੈ  ✩  ‧  ₊  ˚  .ೃ

⇢ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: swimmer!jk x female reader, college au, slow burn friends to lovers to ??, fluff, angst, slice of life, coming of age

⇢ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: smut, substance use, college party and hookup culture, mentions of greek life hazing, characters experiencing just about every feeling a lost college student goes through, depictions of and discussions surrounding mental health (depression, anxiety, substance abuse), slow burn ish, disgusting amounts of yearning and clueless pining, yes he's her tutor at one point, yes they're in denial, also features other third gen idols, dare i say found family, there is a beach episode and a fireworks festival too lol

in which a little box of memories tells the story of how you and jeon jungkook slowly, but surely, fell in love against the backdrop of the growing pains of your college years. jungkook presents this box to you as a final gift at graduation and each item in the box is a snapshot frozen in time, capturing the forces that brought the two of you from strangers to friends to more. 

⇢ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐱: masterlist. / prologue. / the loyalty points card from the campus coffee shop. / ticket to the haunted horrors house (admission for two). / a worn out deck of cards. / handwritten no-bake cheesecake recipe. / cd soundtrack for stand by me (1986). / travel brochure to derry beach. / a clipping from the school newspaper. / pieces of confetti. / one empty tequila shooter. / epilogue & the final item.

⇢ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: if it wasn't clear in the last chapter, the characters go to college in a place where the legal drinking age is 18! anyway i am so sorry for what happens in this chapter i swear

handwritten no-bake cheesecake recipe

 everyone had an achilles heel and yours was the inability to allow yourself to feel negative emotions, rather than suppress and forget. there were a number of ways this manifested itself, such as your need to take on piles of work until you were numb. by spring of your first year in college, specifically around exam season, there was an abundance of things on your plate, including the daily struggles of a young adult learning how to be far from home. 

 getting sick and not having your mom around to make soup for you. failing an assignment for the first time. looking around and wondering why everyone around you seemed to have their lives together, while yours was falling apart. 

 the first year of college was pounds of stress, far heavier than you could have anticipated. you wanted to muster a tight smile and submit your assignments at 11:59, pretending that the weight of the world wasn’t crushing your shoulders. your friends were there to lean on, but you still felt so alone. 

 despite having an exam in two days and a final paper due that same week, you were set on helping out with the ceramics club - yes, the same one yeri was in and subsequently pulled you into - and their end-of-the-year bake sale. yeri insisted that you could pass on the initiative to focus on finals, but you took it on, hoping it would distract you from everything else going on in your life. 

 instead, you were crying on the floor of your dorm’s communal kitchen at two in the morning, with no dessert in sight.

 “y/n?” a voice echoed and you nearly jumped out of your skin, not expecting another soul around.

 jungkook emerged from the hallway, a crease in between his brows as he stumbled upon your frail figure on the ground. he was clad in plaid pajamas and a grey t-shirt, a plastic bag in his hand. you figured he was picking up a late-night food delivery order. it took you a second to realize it was him, as it’d been a few days since you hung out.

 this didn’t seem like much to anyone, but the fact of the matter was that you and jungkook became inseparable over these past few months. yes, your other friends were also present more often than not, but you didn’t have to keep track to know that you saw jungkook the most. living two floors apart helped. thinking about it further, you remembered the last time the two of you were together was at some dodgy nightclub on the weekend. 

 you shuddered at the memory - or lack thereof. he convinced you to go shot for shot with him that night and you ended up being hauled into bed by doyeon and jaehyun at the end of it all. flashes of smoke and strobe lights swam in your mind, as well as the pounding headache you felt the next morning. you figured that jungkook also suffered greatly that night and stayed home for the days following, as you did, and that was why you didn’t see him.

 bet you won’t do it, was what jungkook exclaimed that night, when he proposed the game.

 meanwhile, you don’t even remember how you ended up on the floor in the first place, a sad sight to behold. the only thing you knew was that you were exhausted, likely running on just three hours of sleep from the past two days alone. 

 you squeezed your eyes shut, cursing that he crossed your path when you were in such a vulnerable state. you elected to swallow a response, hoping your silence would trick him into moving forward with his walk, but it only attracted his presence to step in front of you. it was a hesitant step and he tried to not meet you right in the eye.

 you offered a weak smile, as if your cheeks weren’t stained with tears. “hi koo.”

 his gaze softened and you were prepared to take a deep breath, telling him you were okay and that you didn’t need help with anything. instead, he slid down the wall you leaned against. he sat next to you.

 “is that cheesecake?”

 the question made you blink slowly, not expecting such a casual tone - especially when it was obvious that you were just muffling your sobs on the cold floor. you saw that he was, in fact, gesturing to the half-forgotten bowl of liquid ingredients on the countertop ahead of you. 

 “mhmm,” was all you could let out. “ceramics club bake sale.”

 partaking in the ceramics club seemed out of the ordinary for you. you weren’t much of a physically creative person, but attending one introductory workshop at the beginning of the year was all it took for you to be enamoured with ceramics and pottery. the club had open access to wheels and kilns and you took most opportunities to attend open studio hours, eventually spending so much time with the club that you took on a role as one of the club officers. this led you to being roped into fundraising initiatives, thus the cheesecake. 

 “your cheesecake must be really good for them to be demanding it in the middle of finals,” he joked, setting his bag on the floor. “i’m surprised you have time, after we were just cooped up in the library.”

 this semester, you, jungkook and jaehyun signed up for the same philosophy elective that held its final exam last week. the three of you studied in the library for the entire day before, which took up the majority of your sunday. you’d actually been the one who requested the study session, as you’d been falling behind on lectures and missed several quizzes. truth be told, your other courses were simply getting too overwhelming for you and like a ripple effect, your grades suffered altogether because of one another. unfortunately for you, the exam didn’t go as you hoped and you were certain you fell short of a passing grade. 

 “i find time,” you shrugged.

 “hey, are you still bummed about the exam?” he asked, frowning. “i’m sure you’ll be fine! you worked really hard.” his tone was convincing, encouraging even, but the weight in your chest remained. 

 at the end of the day, philosophy wasn’t even the biggest of your problems. your grades were slipping as a whole across the board, as you didn’t realize the workload college would bring to your plate and it hit you like a car. the feelings of inadequacy were nothing but new to you, as you felt as though you were getting left behind. you were falling and failing. 

 you mumbled, “how was your hangover?” the last thing you wanted to talk about was that exam.

 jungkook looked at you strangely, seemingly stunned at your question. “huh?”

 sure, it had been a few days since the two of you saw each other, but you shared his look of confusion. you had even checked up on him the day after and he forgot to reply to you, so you assumed he suffered pretty bad. 

 “from saturday. when we went out?”

 an unreadable expression eroded across jungkook’s features - just for a split second. no one else would have caught it but you. from all the time the two of you spent together, it was transparent to you. however, it dispersed as fast as it appeared and he plastered on a smile. you caught onto its artificial corners, but kept silent.

 “god, it was awful,” jungkook shook his head with the same smile. “definitely not drinking for a while after that.”

 “same. all i remember is doyeon force feeding me gravol the next morning.”

 you nodded slowly and tried to ignore the way his eyes bore into yours, as if trying to read you. he gave up after a moment, looking back onto the tile of the floor. 

 jungkook then spoke after a beat. “that’s all you remember? how’s your head?”

 your eyebrows furrowed. instinctively, you touched your head, wondering what he was talking about. his eyes picked up on your confusion and he blinked slowly. 

 “my head? is something wrong with my head?” you questioned, patting your hair.

 jungkook laughed, but it was a dry one of disbelief. “your head. you hit it when we were out on saturday.”

 you hummed in realization. jaehyun mentioned that you banged your head into the bathroom door at the club, which you did not remember at all. probably because you fucking banged your head. it ached the next morning and you vaguely recall pressing a bag of frozen peas to your head.

 “oh yeah. way better,” you dismissed with a wave of your hand. “it was pretty bad, wasn’t it?”

 “so, you really don’t remember?” he raised his eyebrows. 

 you shook your head. “no. honestly, i don’t remember anything from saturday,” you said. “i guess that was the point of drinking so much.”

 jungkook laughed dryly once more, even though you didn’t find it that funny. you didn’t have much else to say. were you going to delve into how awful the past two weeks had been? it was probably glaringly obvious to him. 

 then, he asked the question that sat on the tip of his tongue since running into you. forgetting the previous topic at hand, jungkook eyed you with concern. 

 “y/n, what’s going on?”

 “this is really tiring, jungkook,” you whispered and he knew it had nothing to do with cheesecake. 

 after a moment, like jungkook was taking it all in, he sat up straighter and placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. he decided that you needed his friendship more than anything else right now. 

 in spite of everything.  

 you looked up at him through your eyelashes, trying your best to ignore the stab of pain in your heart, as you mulled over your troubles. jungkook saw it and smiled at you, a real one this time. 

 “slow down. you can only control so much,” he murmured. 

 the words were just as heavy as your exhaustion, but instead of weighing you down, they embraced you. it didn’t bury your yearning for success that seemed to be so far from your grasp. you weren’t sure until that moment what exactly was suffocating you - it was the weight of expectations. the expectations you had for yourself, the ones placed on you, the ones you had for your ideal college life.

 it burned to know that college wasn’t just parties and sex and cutting class. it came with realizing you’d gone days at a time without giving your mom a call. the feeling of loss in the moment you noticed that your high school friends - the ones who you never missed a single lunch with and watched you through all of your highs and lows - were just faces on your social media feed. you gave up so much and all for what?

 you let out a small snort. “you know, that’s what they told me during my first workshop with the ceramics club.”

 as usual, jungkook listened with an open heart. his touch was encouraging and he meant it. 

 “tell me more.”

 “well,” you shifted slightly, trying to steady your voice. “wet clay is extremely impressionable and can be molded so easily, but that also means you can make mistakes as easily.”

 jungkook encouraged, in a soft tone, “go on.”

 “and mistakes can be fixed without a problem, but it’s best to go slowly and understand that you’re working with the wheel, not against it,” you continued, staring up at the ceiling. “so, yeah. go slow because you can’t control everything.”

 as you explained, you made a shape with your hands in mid-air, as if feeling the pottery wheel around your fingers. jungkook watched intently, nodding and watching your delicate movements, just as though you were carving out vases and bowls right in front of you.

 he said, “i guess life and ceramics go together pretty well, huh?” he smiled. “maybe we’re all just wet clay.”

 this made you let out a genuine laugh at the comparison. “you make it sound bad.”

 “nah. i actually think it totally makes sense,” he replied. “wanna know why?”

 you raised an eyebrow. “do tell.”

 “clay only becomes ceramic through fire.”

 in that moment, you did feel a little bit like wet clay. grey and sad, practically melting on the floor of the communal kitchen. you weren’t sure how you even got to this point, the exhaustion creeping up behind you in the shadows and underneath nights of partying.

 you sighed. “fire still burns.”

 at that, jungkook just chuckled. “that’s the point, stupid.” he playfully flicked your arm, as if the two of you were bantering about the weather and not the weight of the world on your shoulders. 

 jungkook had an uncanny ability to do that, to make everything seem lighter than it actually was. he scooted slightly so that his legs were now straight in front of him, lounging on the kitchen floor with you like it was nothing. 

 “i didn’t know you were a ceramics expert,” you joked.

 “hey, i’m multi-talented,” he remarked.

 a beat of silence enveloped the two of you. while jungkook’s words certainly comforted you, it didn’t expel the fact that you were obviously not okay and that your eyes weren’t raw and red. you awkwardly tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, not knowing what to say because all you could think of were your grades and cheesecake. of being the perfect everything - student, daughter, friend, whatever - which you were far from.

 jungkook cleared his throat. “hey, it’s gonna be alright. it’s just freshman year grades, you can always get your gpa up later.”

 “i think i failed statistics, too,” you confessed, burying your face in your hands. “if i did, i’ll have to retake it next year.”

 “i can tutor you,” he offered without hesitation. 

 though the burden of knowing that you likely flunked stats ached in your chest, you knew you just had to admit defeat. a crack of a smile appeared on your lips at jungkook’s words. in all honesty, you were too prideful to even seek out your own tutor, but jungkook made the idea seem so casual, like he was offering to just walk you home or take notes for you in class.

 “really?”

 “really,” jungkook chuckled, ruffling your hair. “we can take it on together.”

 starting college was supposed to be a magic wand that waved everything bad that ever happened to you goodbye. it was naive to think that all of your problems would vanish because you chose to take on new challenges and make new friends, as if carving out a new identity would take away your flaws and shine your best qualities at the same time. 

 “i just feel stupid, koo. it’s self-centered, but i always thought i was smart. i was the only person in my high school to make it out of that town,” you said and the tears began stinging your eyes. “i’m supposed to go far.”

 instead, you ended up realizing that you were a small fish in a big pond. an ocean, even. everybody was a scholar, everybody had your unique qualities tenfold, everybody had your big dreams. you were just another number in a lecture hall full of hundreds of faceless visionaries. 

 “am i just. . .not as smart as i thought i was? special, talented?”

 “you are. your grades don’t define you,” jungkook asserted, shaking his head. “it’s our first year here. you have so much time and you don’t need to prove yourself to anyone.” 

 “but. .  .” you trailed off, not finding words. you could argue back and forth about how important grades were, but it only felt empty.

 jungkook said, “i get it. your parents are probably counting on your back home. all your teachers told you about how gifted you were growing up. everyone has all these expectations on you and you don’t want to fall short,” he sighed. “mine are the same. if i don’t become a doctor or a lawyer, i’m scared my parents will see me as wasted potential.”

 he began telling the story of his overbearing parents, who ignored jungkook in favour of his older, successful brother. although jungkook was raised miles away from you and under a completely different roof with his own story, you were surprised to find your reflection in him. 

 “he’s always gotten their attention and has always been their priority. i love my parents and they love me back. they provide for me and support me,” jungkook closed his eyes. “but i feel like they don’t even know me.” 

 you bit the inside of your cheek. “it’s not fair,” you said. “how could that feel that way about you? you’re. . . “

 in that moment, you had to stop yourself. who knows what you would have said? that he’s kind and courageous? one of the most hard-working people you knew? funny and beautiful? but, jungkook smiled weakly at your words and didn’t press further. 

 “i know. it tears me up inside, sometimes,” he admitted. “but, i try. that’s all we can do, right?”

 at this point, stray teardrops trailed down your face and you hastily swiped them away until your cheeks were raw. “ugh, i’m so fucking sorry,” you bitterly chuckled. “you wanted to just get your food and go back to your room, i’m sorry for dumping all this on you.”

 to your surprise, jungkook pulled you into a hug. you didn’t realize it until that moment, but you’d already memorized his scent. you shared hugs now and then, often when you greeted one another and bade goodbye - but, it was an odd feeling that you anticipated the smell of sandalwood and mandarin. you froze, as his embrace stopped time even just for a little bit. 

 “you’re not dumping,” he replied, not yet letting go.

 in a small voice, you spoke up. “jungkook?”

 “mhm?” he responded, buried in your shoulder.

 “you know. .  .you’re,  like, my best friend.”

 your cheeks felt hot when you said this. it felt kind of silly, declaring a best friend, and you didn’t think you’ve done such a thing since elementary school. jungkook stiffened in surprise, but didn’t let go. you felt a second, immediate wave of embarrassment for catching him off guard. but, then, he replied.

 “you’re my best friend, too. and our friendship comes before anything.”

 and he meant it. you could feel it. despite all of the crazy thoughts and worries running through your head about school and life, everything became quiet in the moment. even if it were for just a second, you felt calm. jungkook rubbed your back. 

 “i’m sorry for making you stay up like this.” you sniffled. “you have your own shit to worry about.”

 “exactly - everyone goes through it, so don’t apologize. it’s the whole becoming thing.”

 did becoming mean growing backwards? once a child with their head raised up high, demanding to be treated like an adult - only to bring your knees to your face and cry into your sleeves as a grown-up? you only ever wanted to get older and figure out who you were, but you were shocked to find that you were all but weak. all but human. 

 when jungkook held you, though, you didn’t feel weak. you didn’t feel judged. it was a certain safety that you struggled to accept in yourself. he held you as long as you needed it, until you finally mumbled something about cheesecake against his chest.

 you felt the rumble of his low chuckle, as he let go and glanced at the countertop. the microwave situated below the cupboards indicated that it was nearly three in the morning. 

 jungkook suddenly rose to his feet, as he uncrumpled an abandoned piece of paper that you scribbled instructions on, right next to the mixing bowl. he turned back to you with a raised eyebrow.

 “you should probably go to bed n - “

 “where’s your graham crackers?” he interrupted, eyes scanning the kitchen. “i can get started on the crust, you finish the filling?”

 knowing yourself, that was likely the only thing that would pick you off the floor that night. jungkook grinned wide when you reluctantly stood up. even though you’d fixed a permanent frown on your face that entire night, you couldn’t help but mirror his smile. it was inevitable and so was he. 

 several nights prior

 it was just you and the boys tonight, mostly against your will. doyeon cancelled after moaning about her period cramps and yeri was awarded with a dreaded saturday morning exam. while you never said no to a night out, especially since you were under so much stress, you had never been out with just them. 

 it turned out exactly how you thought it was going to go.

 seokmin ended up flirting with every pretty thing with legs, while jaehyun was surrounded by the friends of those girls. he was the perfect wingman, especially since his shy, boyish charm contrasted greatly with seokmin’s vibrant personality. they were currently at the bar, chatting up two girls in matching denim mini skirts. 

 you cursed doyeon out for leaving you here. the best part of going out to the club was dancing with the girls, giving fake names to guys who tried to hit on you, yelling at the dj. instead, for the first time ever, you were bored under the pink laser lights. 

 to be fair, it had only been about ten minutes since your arrival - which, honestly, made it more impressive that seokmin and jaehyun were able to get the ball rolling so fast. the four of you entered with a decent buzz already going and went straight to the bar. meanwhile, as this was all happening, jungkook offered to buy some drinks and the poor guy waited on the bartender for what seemed like forever.

 the nightclub was spacious, far more spacious than your group’s other usual choices, where you would be bumping into another body practically every step. it was your first time here and you breathed in your surroundings, as much as you could in your dizziness. the modern interior was accentuated by led chandeliers and had two floors, teeming with people. you could feel every single beat through your chest with the boom of the speakers, as it physically rumbled and spread throughout your entire body. it was like each song rang through the air, thick and heavy and forceful. if you let yourself stand still for more than one second, the atmosphere would you sway you in another direction.

 “here! it’s rum!” jungkook whipped around, relieved to finally have two shot glasses in hand.

 doyeon and yeri would have loved this place. the strobe lights captured and faded one’s features all at once and you noticed this upon looking over at jungkook. the way his tattoos adorned his arms were dreamlike. it was like you could see every speck of brown in his eyes, while also somehow blurring over him like a painting glaze. or, maybe you were just tipsy.

 you grinned. he knew your favourite. the two of you clinked glasses as gently as you could, since you always ended up spilling the liquid, and knocked the liquor back. a small drop still ended up falling on your chest, but you wore a lacy black tube top that was forgiving. 

 jungkook suddenly jerked away, his eyes shooting elsewhere across the room. you opened your mouth to make a remark on his fidgeting, but he already began chattering away about your friends.

 “aw man, look at them!” he yelled over the music, nervously laughing. “sorry! this is probably gonna be not as fun without doyeon and yeri!” 

 he pointed over to seokmin and jaehyun, who were still talking to girls. usually, the six of you would arrive to the club or bar together, only for the girls to split up to go to the dancefloor and leave the guys to their own devices. you grumbled under your breath, realizing your predicament.

 “sorry, am i gonna be cockblocking you all night?” you spoke into jungkook’s ear with a smirk.

 he cackled. “nah, sweetheart. we can have some fun.”

 jungkook knew just how stressed you were. your eyes made it obvious, but he’d also been helping you study and complete final papers all month. he knew you needed tonight.

“oh yeah?”

 “yeah. bet you can’t outdrink me,” jungkook declared, as he took away your empty shot glass from your grasp and slid it back onto the bar counter.

 he could have easily gone off and joined the other two to find their fun of the night. instead, jungkook stuck right by you and it didn’t even seem like he was forcing it, trying to be a good friend and not leave you hanging. his grin was inviting and he didn’t care that there were several girls eying him up from all directions, only focused on you. you didn’t want to ruin his fun, though.

 you raised an eyebrow. “are you sure you’re not just trying to babysit me?” you asked anyway.

 “sounds like you’re pussying out.”

 “ugh, shut up,” you retorted. “fine. order the fucking shots.”

 jungkook obliged without hesitation, turning around and managing to actually call the bartender over in seconds this time. you figured the night had just begun and it was too early to write it off, especially when he was still willing to make the best out of it for you. besides, if there was one person who you felt safe enough to have a drink-off with it, was jungkook.

 two shots turned into four, all drained with precision and speed. in between each shot, the two of you people watched and giggled about your observations. from here, the drinks continued flowing.

 “ew, that guy has to be, like, fifty and hitting on that poor girl. should we help her?” you gasped, now leaning slightly into jungkook as you handed him his nth drink.

 if possible, the music heightened even louder in your ears. the lights were now flashing a brilliant blue and purple, yet the two of you could see each other clear as day. the bar grew more crowded since your arrival, but jungkook ensured that you were tucked into a corner where people wouldn’t bump into you - in fact, he was mostly shielding you from the moving bodies. 

 jungkook shook his head. “nah, she’s into it. he looks rich, don’t get in her way.”

 upon closer look, you saw the girl’s subtle body language and the way her eyes smoldered - jungkook was definitely right. you laughed, as you took the shot glass from jungkook.

 “damn, you’re right. go her, honestly,” you responded and clinked glasses with jungkook again. “cheers - ohmygod.”

 he paused and looked at you quizzically, head cocked ever so slightly. you squealed and then stopped promptly when you realized that neither doyeon and yeri were here. 

 “what?”

 “it’s my favourite song,” you explained, shoulders now drooping. normally, the three of you, if you weren’t already on it, would practically sprint to the dancefloor. 

 jungkook chuckled. “your favourite song is a pitbull song?”

 “my favourite club song,” you corrected with a pout.

 he considered this for a moment, looking over at the crowd jumping excitedly to the beat. then, jungkook knocked his shot back and slammed it back onto the bar counter.

 “what are you waiting for?” he remarked. “drink your shit and let’s go!”

 you thought he was joking for a moment, but he then gently tugged your wrist. jungkook wanted to dance. in your drunken state, it sounded like the best idea in the world. even seokmin and jaehyun had long abandoned the bar for the dancefloor. you guys were in a club, the whole point of you going out was to get wasted and lose yourself in the music. 

 with a laugh, you took your shot and discarded your glass. everything felt so warm in that moment - the alcohol, the dancefloor, the feeling of jungkook’s hand on your wrist.

 it seemed like the club wasn’t as spacious as you originally thought. jungkook ended up leading you to the middle of the floor, where nearly everyone was shoulder to shoulder. 

 the two of you started off jumping around and you giggled the entire time, until you realized that, because of the crowd, your bodies were getting closer and closer. there was no room to leave space between you, especially since you were both drunk and barely had any awareness of, well, anything.

 “ow - sorry!” you squeaked when someone jabbed at your back by accident, causing to you lurch forward and grab onto jungkook’s broad shoulders for balance.

 his eyes widened, but he grabbed onto you and put his hands above yours. “don’t worry, i got you!” he shook his head, screaming over the music.

 your hands slid down to his chest, feeling the softness of the plain black t-shirt that he wore. the song was another upbeat pop song, but the rhythm no longer boomed happily in your chest. everything slowed down and your heart closed up on itself, clawing to maintain steadiness. meanwhile, the dancing continued - albeit, you were hyperaware of how close the two of you were and how jungkook didn’t move away.

 the lights were now red and the only thing more intense was your proximity. you swayed back and forth from the alcohol and jungkook’s hands flew to your hips.

 “whoa, easy there,” he said, laughing. he was just as gone as you were.

 you managed to flip him off and still not move away, the hand returning to his chest. 

 somehow, the two of you drew closer and closer to one another. like magnets and without even thinking about it. by the next song, your arms were flung around jungkook’s shoulders and you danced flush against him. 

 there was a surge of fortitude and boldness in your blood that would not have existed in a sober state, but you were too dazed by the intensifying grip on your hips. the more the gap between you shrunk, the firmer jungkook’s hand became.

 then, before you knew it, your faces were inches away.

 “hey,” jungkook said, voice low and the same alluring smile on his face.

 if you weren’t drunk, you could probably count the number of eyelashes on his face. you grinned back, enchanted by how good it felt to be so close to him. there was electricity buzzing about, in your ears and in the air. yet, the rest of the room faded until only he existed.

 you giggled. “hi there.”

 neither of you moved. not when the song changed and those around you changed the rhythm of their dance moves. not when you realized that you were actually completely frozen. a greater force grazed around the two of you, a bewitching ardor that you don’t think you’ve ever felt with another person. you’d been with men before, but nothing captured you like this. 

 you’re not sure who made the move. jungkook’s lips were warm and soft, kissing you like he meant it. your hands were tangled in his hair, groaning when his teeth grazed your bottom lip. if it was even possible for the two of you to press against each other any closer, you did. 

 “fuck, y/n -” jungkook moaned into your mouth, deepening the kiss and the words punctuated sharply, like he was using all his strength to not lose it with you in his arms. 

 you gasped and melted even further into the kiss, your hands moving from his hair to his biceps. you held on and his arms wrapped around your waist. if you could savour the taste of rum and strawberry lip balm forever, packaging it up and tying it with a ribbon, it would be because of this kiss and how it made you feel. his lips messily dancing with yours was like floating and everything was on fire, from his tongue to his fingers pressing into your ass.

 you’re not sure who made the move, but you did say the final words.

 bet you won’t do it, you had taunted, just a moment ago when your lips were inches away from jungkook’s. 

⇢ 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: @fancypeacepersona @petiteparler @lanie97 @httpjeonlicious @bleumornings @rpwprpwprpwprw @kikiflwr @kissyfacekoo @knivesdoingcartwheels @joyjunk @jksusawife @haru-jiminn @fancypeacepersona @softhaes @whoa-jo @kooloveys @mar-lo-pap @seokjinthescientist (reply to be tagged and if i forgot to tag you!)

[razorblade180]

9 Days of Lancaster Day 8: Dealer’s Choice

[Based off Home Warfare]

It is often said that there’s no place like home. In a way, Jaune found that absolutely true. A certain level of stress was achievable each time he came home; it’s why Saph rarely did. It’s also said home is where the heart is. Now he wasn’t sure if Beacon was a place he’d call home just yet, but the friends he was making there were never far from his mind.

Never could he imagine bot sayings would mix, or rather, face off. To say sitting at the dinner table with his parents and Ruby was surreal would be a massive understatement.

Persephone:How’s the steak treating ya?

Ruby:It’s pretty good! The sauce here is a little more sweet than what I’m used to. Patch likes it smoky flavors.

Harold:Nothing wrong with that. As long as it’s medium, ya can’t go wrong! Though the blood always made a few people skittish.

Jaune:Some people prefer their food actually cooked.

Harold:It’s cooked enough! You and your well done nonsense. Although I guess it served you well. Chewing through leather must make taking a blow to the chin light work.

Ruby:Jaune doesn’t get it often actually. Even in sparring I find it pretty rough to get through a shield that size.

Harold:It’s worth its weight in gold.

Persephone:It got dear old through the war. Protecting my boy is well within its means. Haha, as long as he can raise it. I still remember the way you stumbled out the door when you left.

Jaune:*red* It was awkward to hold.

Harold:Tori and Aqua seemed to carry it just fine when they tuned it.

Ruby:Those are the twins, right? I was going to mention how quiet this place was. I was expecting seven different voices name calling by now.

Jaune:Saph, the oldest, doesn’t live here. As for the twins, they’re still at the apprenticeships?

Persephone:Yep! Blacksmithing is no easy task but it runs in our veins. Our youngest teaches at a combat school while the other two moved out a while ago. You can find them in town easy enough if they aren’t knee deep in paperwork.

Jaune:They help process official missions.

Ruby:The entire family really does have heroism in it. That’s pretty cool, but…didn’t they know you were coming home?

Harold:He hasn’t exactly been gone long. If the stories pile high they’ll come flocking in. Until then it’s almost like he’s never left. Except for the obvious company. They definitely would’ve showed up if they knew a girl would show up.

Persephone:Speaking of which…

Jaune: Oh boy…

Persephone:So you two are both leaders and have rooms next to each other. You must spend a lot of time together? More than normal.

Ruby:I guess you could say that? Though still not as much as with his team obviously.

Persephone:Of course! Wouldn’t be very leader like otherwise. He’s also told us the Pyrrha Nikos helps to train him. Honestly after hearing that I got far less worried about his safety.

Jaune:That’s fair honestly.

Harold:If anyone can whip you into shape it’s a champion. Be sure not to slack off.

Persephone:I don’t he would in the presence of such company. Much like you at his age, he’ll try to perform to hard in front of women. I mean look how straight he’s sitting right now.

Jaune:Ma!

Persephone:I’m only teasing! Although it can’t be stressed enough. You always crack a bit under pressure. Between learning to be a huntsman and any unforeseen yet healthy distractions, I’d hate to hear that you were messing up like when it came to smithing.

Harold:I’m sure Ms. Nikos can cover whatever mistakes appear. Although too many of them and they just might rearrange your team letters and put her in the front, haha! Better stay on your toes.

The two parents shared a mutual laugh while Jaune let out a much smaller one as he barely touched his food. The last thing Ruby expected was for her own face getting hot. Parents might not always say or do the right thing but to go this far in front of guest? It just felt…cruel. She decided to look at her food instead of any of their expressions. Each one would only give her another reason to potentially say something she shouldn’t.

Ruby:One of my teammates actually tried taking my spots. It was a whole mess. Though I guess egos run high when you’re a Schnee.

Harold:You’re partners with a Schnee?

Ruby:Yep. It’s a lifestyle. Heh, kidding. I think she’s pretty cool now but we did not gel. Not surprised though. I accidentally almost blew us both up on the first day. Not my finest moment.

Persephone:You were dealing with explosives on the first day?

Ruby:I wish I could say yes to that but no. I- point is mistakes were made! Lots of them. Still, it’s a learning curve and now even she thinks I’m capable of greatness. Pyrrha is much nicer than my partner, and Jaune hasn’t made half the mistakes I have. She wouldn’t want his spot. Most of the new years look up to his leadership skills. Even me.

Jaune:Pfft, you’re way better.

Ruby:As a fighter, but you’re easily more level headed. You want to prove yourself just as badly as I do but I’m the one who gets antsy. Did he tell you about the DeathStalker and Nevermore?!

Harold:He’s mentioned it, yes.

Ruby:Gotta admit, that’s pretty impressive! Brand new team and working out a plan so easily. There’s a chance my team would be in the shape it is now if his wasn’t there. Your kid is pretty awesome.

Harold:Hmm, he is, isn’t he? I didn’t realize how chaotic the situation actually was.

Ruby:I really can’t speak on your son cracking under pressure in the past, but I haven’t seen it since I’ve known him. Unless it’s a test.

Jaune:Anatomy is hard…

Ruby:In a serious situation, Jaune always steps up. *smiles* It’s what makes him so cool!

For the first time since he’s been here, Jaune didn’t blush out of embarrassment. Without knowing it, he even cracked a smile.

The rest of dinner felt a tad bit lighter. Only a tad, but it meant everything to actually take a comfortable breath. Ruby graciously volunteered to help with dishes but Persephone refused, dragging her husband into the kitchen to help while Jaune helped Ruby bring her things to his room. It would be rude to take the twins unprepared beds and Ruby quickly learned that officially moving out turned old rooms into hobby spaces. Now she feared for her room back home. Regardless, after they persuaded her to sleep here, she was already set on bunking with Jaune. It’ll be no different than their missions so his parents didn’t make an uproar.

She entered the room that was covered with posters of comic heroes, blades, and unfolded laundry that remained in a chair. They really were similar. Jaune took a moment to fall backwards on dark blue sheets and sigh loudly.

Jaune:Uuuuuggggghhhh…..

Ruby:Yeah that’s fair. Can I say something honest? You okay?

Jaune:I will be. Thanks.

Ruby:Can I tell you something I learned today?

Jaune:*sits up* Hmm?

Ruby:I don’t like your parents.

Jaune:I noticed. It’s okay.

Ruby:I’m surprised you really came to visit. Kinda ticked off at your sister’s too. No message or quick hello. I don’t know how you do it.

Jaune:I still love them. We all have our hang ups…

Ruby:Speaking of which, so blacksmithing was a career choice?

Jaune:Not really. I don’t want to talk about it.

Ruby:We don’t have to. But if you ever want to practice the craft, I’d be more than happy to teach you. Tuition is singing my praises.

Jaune:Hehehe, thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.

He looked down at his hands for a moment, recalling the unpleasant past experience. By the time he looked back up, Ruby was right in front of him. The young woman didn’t think twice about straddling the knight, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting her forward gently press against his. A sense of ease washed over him as he took another breath. Jaune held her waist and shut his eyes, enjoying Ruby’s presence.

Jaune:Thank you for being here. I’m glad.

Ruby:Don’t mention it. Now then, I should probably get off ya before anyone opens that door and has reason to start another conversation. *gets off* Plus I need a shower.

Jaune:I don’t want to think about that. As for the bath, it’s third door in the right.

Ruby:By the way, you have anything comfy to wear? Spare pajamas or a shirt?

Jaune:You didn’t pack sleeping clothes?

Ruby:Hey, I was gonna sleep in a hotel alone! Why would I pack pajama pants when I could experience true freedom?

Jaune:Is that why you were skirts and tights so often? I’m actually shocked to see you in shorts.

Ruby:Yeah I don’t know how you wear jeans in all kinds of weather. I’d be miserable.

He got up and went to his dresser to pull out red basketball shorts he tossed her way.

Ruby:Shirt?

Jaune:You were seriously gonna sleep naked in a hotel.

Ruby:Try it sometime! It’s peaceful.

He rummaged around till he pulled out a one of his hold gray shirts and gave it to her.

Ruby:*smirking* Did you avoid pulling out Pumpkin Pete shirts?

Jaune:Don’t do this to me…

She put her hands up and slowly left in peace, snickering the entire time. Jaune returned to falling on his bed. Yeah, he definitely missed Beacon.

[thebisexualdogdad]

Dating Kafka Hibino - Kaiju no. 8 (GN!reader)

● you've been dating Kafka for five years, living together for three

● when he was working for monster sweeper Inc it was awful whenever he came home smelling like kaiju guts

● you would make him take multiple showers before he could eat dinner while you opened the window to air out your small apartment 

● “can I have dinner now?” 

● “nope you still reek go shower again” 

● he groans but not so sneakily grabs a bite of the food you cooked and runs back to the bathroom making you laugh

● one night you get a call that there was an incident and Kafka was in the hospital after being attacked by a kaiju 

● but when you get there he's nowhere to be found and the defense is flying in to fight a kaiju in the area 

● once you're told it's safe to leave the hospital you go back home to find Kafka asleep on the couch 

● “Kafka what the hell! You scared the crap out of me!” 

● “huh?” 

● “I got a call you were in the hospital and then you weren't there!”

● “oh yeah… I felt fine so I left” 

● you realize he's tense and sit down next to him, “are you okay?” 

● “well besides the whole getting attacked by a kaiju thing there's this new kid at work, Reno and he said they raised the age restriction on the defense force entrance exam… he wants me to take it with him…” 

● “wait really? you should do it.” 

● “you really think so?”

● “of course I do! Kafka the day I met you you told me how you dreamed about being on the defense force, you have to go for it.” 

● “but what if I fail again?” 

● “but what if you don't?” 

● the next couple of months Kafka seems different 

● not good different like he's excited yet overwhelmed about going out for his dream job, different like he's hiding something 

● you try to get him to open up but he always finds a way to change the subject 

● and anytime they bring up the kaiju no 8 on the news he immediately changes the channel 

● you even tried talking to Reno about it who you've become friends with and regularly have over to hang out

● “is Kafka doing okay at work? He's been acting a little odd lately even for him” 

● “oh yes Kafka is fine, nothing to worry about,” he just smiles awkwardly 

● you know how hard he has has been working to prepare for the exam so you decide to write it off as stress 

● much to your relief Kafka actually does pass the exam this time

● and you celebrate by ordering so much take out you both go into food comas 

● on his first day at the defense force you wake up to him pacing around the room 

● you get up and put your arms around his shoulders and pull him in for a kiss to help him relax, “Hey, you got this.” 

● Kafka still seems like there is something he isn't telling you but again you let it go, he'll tell you when he is ready 

● everyday Kafka comes home and tells you all he's learned at work 

● and also complains about his peers calling him ‘old man’ 

● “aw it's okay babe you're still very handsome for an old man” 

● “who are you calling old we're the same age!” 

● after a few weeks on the job they get the alert that a kaiju is attacking the neighborhood you live in and Kafka freaks out 

● “holy shit we gotta go save Y/N” 

● you're trying to evacuate when you come face to face with a kaiju 

● but suddenly another Kaiju, the Kaiju no 8 is saving you

● “baby are you okay?” 

● there's something so familiar about the creature standing in front of you

● “....Kafka?” 

[0798f]

🎇 — Vacation.

RELATIONSHIP: Levi Ackerman x Reader (Modern AU)

SUMMARY: You are committed to giving Levi a stress-free vacation. Even if it puts all the stress on you, instead!

A/N: Day 3 of the Natsumeku event! Of all the fics for this event, I think I am the most proud of this one. I hope it's enjoyable!

Levi didn’t know the meaning of the word vacation.

The confusing part was that it wasn’t solely because he was too integral of an employee, nor was it because he was too dedicated to his work. Erwin and Hange had offered (the latter on their knees begging) to take on some of his responsibilities so he could take a few days off, but Levi always refused. Then he would bitch about work to their faces the next day as if he didn’t create a problem for himself.

Levi just never saw a point before. He did his job best and didn’t really have anything else he would want to do with his free time. 

“Sleeping? Eating? Enjoying a nice walk in nature?” Hange had pointed these out the last time they tried begging Levi to take a break.

Levi rolled his eyes back then. “Don’t be stupid,” was all he said.

But things changed when he entered a relationship with someone who lived life a bit more normally than him. Someone who maintained their human needs a bit better than Levi.

“Four hours of sleep at most?! That’s insane! You can’t live like that!” (Name) was horrified to learn the information Levi so casually dropped in conversation as they ate a dinner together. 

He didn’t think it was such a big deal. But he had to start considering that when (Name) started sleeping in his bed. Levi finally had a reason to be in bed by a reasonable time, and an even more reliable sleep aid than the melatonin gummies that he had grown immune to a thousand years ago. It was easier to fall asleep with (Name) in his bed and he didn’t know why— they didn’t even cuddle most of the time. Their simple presence next to him was more than enough, apparently.

So Levi started reeling in his more inhumane habits so (Name) could comfortably fit into his life. Hange immediately pointed out how much brighter (whatever that meant) he looked once he started getting more sleep and eating more regular meals, all at the behest of (Name) keeping him in check. Meanwhile, (Name)’s own work started to be completed with a new level of organization and efficiency with Levi’s help.

In the spirit of bettering each other’s lives, (Name) had one goal in mind as the weather warmed with the arrival of summer: get Levi to go on a vacation where he could relax to the fullest.

It wasn’t enough to just go on a vacation. It had to be a trip free of any worry or hassle, (Name) decided— and that meant keeping Levi out of the planning as much as possible.

Not entirely, of course; (Name) wanted to make a vacation he would enjoy first and foremost, and that required his opinions and choices.

“… What do you think about visiting Marley or Hizuru for a vacation?” (Name) shyly put the idea out there as Levi finished brushing his teeth. They sat against the headboard of Levi’s bed, their legs under the blanket only as far as their knees. He wiped his face off and looked at (Name) with a raised brow.

After dating for over two years, (Name) would like to think that they knew Levi as well as anyone could. But his initial silence permeated the room as they awaited an answer, and (Name) found themself growing nervous.

Levi shrugged, “sounds nice.”

Their barely concealed excitement at the positive response did not go unnoticed by Levi. (Name) grinned, “do you have a preference? I’ve heard they’re both beautiful in summer.”

They had actually been to Marley a few times on business, but those business trips always went to shit because The Warriors inc. had an irrational hatred for The Scouts. Any sightseeing was interrupted by the reveal that a few of their underlings had been feeding The Warriors insider secrets for the last few years.

For some reason, Levi had to be part of the excruciating conversations and meetings that happened afterwards. He sneered at the memory. “Hizuru.”

(Name)’s eyes sparkled. “Good choice. It just so happens that Erwin is giving us a week of PTO after we complete this project! And, Petra just expedited some of the progress, so we should definitely be done by the weekend.”

Levi had the feeling something was up when (Name) had left Erwin’s office in the morning with a smile they refused to explain to Levi. “Don’t worry about it,” (Name) said.

He had never taken a vacation (willingly) in his life, and if he was going to do it for the first time, Levi was glad that it would be with (Name). He climbed into bed next to them, leaning forwards to bump foreheads.

“‘It just so happens,’ huh?” Levi repeated, breath warm and minty against (Name)’s lips. “You’re claiming no influence?”

“I’m hardly the only person in the office who wants to see you take a break. I’m just the only person who can get you to do it!”

When (Name) started at the company, they were a shy intern who couldn’t look anyone in the eye. Now, they were smirking in Levi’s face over a silly trick made possible by all their connections. Levi was happy to see them come so far.

“When did you get so smug?” Levi guided them to lay down so that he could hover over them.

(Name) reached up to hold Levi’s face with both hands. “When I realized how much it made you smile.”

Levi smiled into the kiss.

(Name) took over the rest of the planning by that point— with some input from Hange (professional tourist) and underling Mikasa (Hizuran person who knows the local spots). As the planning progressed, it became quite an elaborate itinerary that covered all the vacation staples of sightseeing, activities, and relaxation. 

Their plans were down to the minute, which, in the moment, felt like a proud success of all their hard work spent researching so Levi could relax. It also proved to be their downfall.

The first of many tragedies in their comedy of errors was their flight being delayed for two hours due to poor weather. The second was their luggage getting lost and having to spend over an hour arguing with unhelpful airport staff to get it found. The third was their taxi driver borderline kidnapping them by taking the longest possible route to their hotel to rack up the meter. At least that one was partially solved by Levi threatening to gut the driver like a fish if he took one more wrong turn.

Their hotel room had a beautiful view of the ocean, but instead of admiring it, (Name) was glued to their laminated (courtesy of improper use of company tools) itinerary, trying to make sense of it.

“Ok, we missed lunch reservations at the sushi place Hange recommended… and they’re fully booked. Fuck!” The paper trembled in (Name)’s frustrated hands as they lamented their loss. There had been more openings just a week ago— how could they all disappear?!

Levi put a hand on their back. “It’s not the end of the world.”

“I know…” But it really felt like it. Especially with how much Hange hyped it up. “It’s fine! We can go to a more local place that Mikasa recommended! … Shit, but we’re gonna miss the fireworks show if we eat now! Maybe we can do it tomorrow night instead… but, we run into the same issue with dinner reservations! If I keep pushing things back, they’ll keep causing problems!”

(Name) felt their brain fill with fog as they tried to fix the perfectly manicured plan that was quickly falling apart at the seams. It was supposed to be the perfect plan to let Levi relax, but now (Name) couldn’t even figure out what they were supposed to do next!

A firm hand grasped their chin and forced them to look up. (Name) startled at the sudden contact, meeting Levi’s resting serious expression. “Oi.”

He must have been annoyed that (Name) ruined everything by not preparing a plan B. Apologies left their lips in an instant, but Levi lifted their head higher to interrupt them. “This is a vacation and you’re losing your damn mind right now.“

“Because my plans are falling apart… I had everything figured out, but now I don’t even know what to do right now—“ 

Again, Levi interrupted them before they could spiral further. “Hotel’s on the beach. Let’s go.”

(Name) blinked. “Huh..?”

“Change your clothes since it’s hot out. Let’s go.”

They sniffled, reluctantly letting the itinerary fall to the wayside so they could change into a more an outfit more suited to Hizuru’s summer weather. Levi did the same, and even while (Name) was still mourning the loss of a meticulously planned vacation, they were amused to see Levi in shorts and a T-shirt. If they took a picture, the office would never let him live it down.

By the time they made it down to the beach in front of their hotel, it was late into a sunset and well after most of the crowds left. The beach was quiet outside of the crashing waves and ambient noise from the nearby bar. Levi had guided (Name) all the way to the white sands with his hand on their lower back, occasionally pulling them closer to his side when strangers passed by.

(Name) looked at the last glimmer of the sunset for the first time that day as it disappeared behind the horizon, leaving an dark orange to fade into purples and blues. They let out a deep sigh, closing their eyes and focusing on the sounds of the beach.

“First time today you don’t look so tense. The flight delay sent you on a downward spiral.” Levi’s words sounded a bit harsh, but that was just how he talked. His hand rubbing (Name)’s back let them know he was saying it out of care and affection.

Their shoulders slumped. “Can you blame me? I was trying to make a worry free vacation for you.”

“Worry free,” Levi scoffed. “You think I’m worry free when you’re on the brink of an anxiety attack every two seconds?”

(Name) whined, “see, I really messed things up! If I had just been more prepared…”

They weren’t getting his point. Levi grabbed their shoulders, forcing them to focus on him rather than their worries. “My idea of a worry free vacation, or whatever, is spending time with you, idiot. So, if you stop fixating on your itinerary for right now, then we can both relax.”

It was like a light switched on in (Name)’s head, finally understanding that they missed the forest for the trees. They cracked a weary smile. “… Are you sure? That’s really sweet…”

“It’s not sweet, it’s just the truth.”

Contrary to his word, the kiss they shared in that moment was sweet, saccharine, and full of a love and affection between them that only they understood. While (Name) occasionally referred back to the dreaded itinerary for ideas, the vacation became a lot more relaxing once they slowed down and started playing it by ear.

A relaxed Levi was much more affectionate. (Name) would have to ask for more frequent breaks.

natsumeku event masterlist | masterlists

[butmakeitgayblog]

Oh yeah!!!! I have few words, mostly not very censured, to describe my feelings about the comments. Now I understand why ADS does not publish anything about his personal life. This comment exactly summed up my thoughts

Well, not to catch strays on my own blog here but I agree with about... eh, 85% of that 😅

It is weird that people keep bombarding her with "I thought you were gay 😩" type comments just because she played a lesbian once. Like, the girl has said she's straight, her friends have said she's straight, and most importantly: man, people really have GOT to learn to separate fiction from reality. Actors are not their characters. It's concerning the amount of people who can't seem to make that distinction, and not just with her. It's reoccurring theme in celebrity comments sections, and it's disturbing.

The part about Eliza. Pfft. Lol. Lmao even, absolutely the worst example to use in this situation. Like, I can't stress that enough. Bob sucks and has always sucked AND he's abusive, and Eliza not only was implicated in those allegations, but she also started acting like an ass toward her LGBTQ fans after getting with him. So yeah no. They've recieved trolling and hate, but for deserved reasons. Anyone who was mad about it due to character/fandom shit, again, needs to get a grip on reality. Beyond that, they were criticized for legitimate reasons.

I know some people have issues with her and the ugly frog man for different reasons that I'm not getting into here because none of it is actually known as fact nor based on any allegations other than made up ones by "fans", just rumors and guesses, but again I think that really crosses a line of appropriateness just as much as harassing someone for not being gay. We don't know these people. We don't actually know what goes on in their lives and we do not know their day-to-day actions. Assuming you know personal things based off of vague timelines and heavily curated IG posts is at best immature and naive, at worst delusional. Stop it. It's not healthy.

And lastly, all of those comments pale in comparison to the ones that literally post as though they know her personally. Like stalker type comments. Comments that fully show these deranged people have made up an entire relationship with her in their heads, and now feel slighted as though she's somehow betrayed their "relationship together". These people need to be on a fucking watchlist, and I'm very serious about that. Someone on her team should be watching her comments and doing strategic blocks instead of letting that shit run rampant because there's several of them, and shocking, they're all cis men who talk about being violent to him and sexually violent to her. Like, someone on her team? Lock that shit up, what is she paying you for.

Anyway long story short, she does deserve to be happy and even if you feel whatever way about her having a boyfriend (one she's had for 2 fucking years like omg this is not new they haven't exactly been hiding idk why this is such a sudden Thing now), acting like a fuckhead in her comments section isn't going to do anything other than make you look crazy. Just be normal my goodness

[pseudoquiddity]

Everyone is always talking about Pathologic in terms of cruelty and I think it's interesting that the game has to balance it. In both games, the placement of plague clouds is often cruel; in P1, walking all around Isidor's house to find his front door is cruel — obviously this is petty, but it contributes to the atmosphere. The P2 Abattoir is cruel, cutting off half your day and then sending you four letters as the Bachelor in P1 is cruel. However, of the letters you're sent, three are related and they're really just one, not-too-hard quest. The Abattoir is a combination of all the things you've learned over the time you've spent playing.

So, in reference to the devlog screenshot, it's doubly interesting that P3 hardly has to strike that balance. A lot of game design, for all games, comes down to "how hard do we make this on the player." The text here and in other promotional material frames it as "you can make errors" and Alphyna has implied in interviews that this game might be less "difficult" — in respects to P2's reputation and need for adjustable sliders. So, sure, it may be easier to save lives or get an ending you prefer. But "difficulty" isn't equatable to "cruelty." To me, it sounds like P3 has given IPL the chance to be as unabashedly cruel as they want. Because you can change it. You can change everything. You'll just have the embarassing/stressful memories of all the terrible shit you had to do along the way. Really fascinating from the perspective of game design. No need to have NPCs really heavily emphasizing that you're about to make a major decision — fuck around and find out.

(New devlog:) https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/3199650/view/515211349279641622

[crazycat010]

What am I even doing?!

Of Shadows and Stardust MASTERLIST

GOJO SATORU X READER part 2

Warnings: mentions of death, fatal car accident, alcohol abuse, slight child abuse, hitting, solitude and loneliness, reader being basically split in half between their normal version and sorcerer version, running away from home, (mostly from memories or brief references).

Word count= 3K+ words

Once again, you were woken up at the first lights by her grumbling. What was the matter with her? Ever since you’d encountered the Second-grade curses a few days ago she had been restless, muttering and blabbering mindlessly in your own mind, making it impossible to concentrate on anything and causing you the worst migraines ever.

“What the heck?! Just Shut up! I’m trying to get all the sleep I lost because of you!” You thought, yelling at her in her mind, frustrated.

“I know what we must do. I figured out a way to solve this problem!” She muttered.

“What problem? What are you talking about?” You started getting out of your bed and preparing a nice warm shower. Perhaps that would ease your senses and bring a little comfort in these painful days.

“You know what I’m referring to, ungrateful child!” She scoffed loudly. “The curses started arriving in masses at the Tokyo Central Elementary School just as you became a teacher there and started going there regularly. It’s a pattern that has been following you  ever since we came in contact…”

“What’s your point?” You asked, utterly confused and completely stressed out by the whole situation. Realization however, was starting to kick in, and soon sadness followed, filling your soul like water in an empty glass.

“You and I both know it’s not a coincidence. You can try to fake it as much as you want, but we’re the problem. We always have been. Wherever we go, we attract curses, like light attracts moths. We both have known for the longest time, but you’ve decided to ignore it. Now that we’ve gotten stronger, we need to take action and do something about it!” She explained. It made sense.

Besides, you’d always known, deep down, you just had never actually acknowledged it.

“WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?!” You screamed out loud. You already knew the answer, it was just to painful to admit. How were you supposed to live like that?

“We need to escape, find somewhere quiet and without any people around. We’re threats to all living life.”

“Talk for yourself.” You said, getting under the boiling hot jet of water, trying to suppress all the emotions that were hitting you all at once.

You thought about how you’d gotten to know her.

Turbato pacis, that’s how you referred to her. It meant ‘disturber of the peace’ in Latin, the Ancient language your mother had forced you to learn during high school.

You’d never given your mother enough credit for keeping your family together while working three jobs and taking care of both you and your father for god knows how long, not until it was too late and didn’t matter anymore, anyways.

Something about you had always been different. You remember how you used to win every single street fight you got your stinky ass into with the big mouth of yours. You always wanted to help the defenseless, those whom people chose to tear the eyes away from.That’s how your mother had raised you: a brave warrior that helped the poor, wether it was with food, sweet words, hugs, or punches. You felt kind of like Robin Hood, the main character of your favorite tale. Ever since you’d been first read the story to, you’d been amazed and greatly impressed by the grand gestures of such noble-hearted and gentle man, a kind soul who stole what others didn’t need and, instead of keeping the bounties for his own poor self, he gave them away to those in need, aiding his people in any way possible.

That’s what you dreamt of becoming, a beacon of light in the surrounding darkness, justice in a pool of misery and mischiefs. However, life had many surprises prepared for you, leading you through one bad situation after the other.

Even though you never lost, you always ended up patched up by your furious mother, mad at you for your reckless behavior. You couldn’t help but pick fights with people bigger and stronger than you, which did indeed mean their downfall, but also a broken nose for you, if not worse.

You’d always fought injustice, like your mother had wanted, until the most unjust event happened to the two of you.

You were chatting mindlessly, probably about school, an ice cream in one hand and the other holding your mother, who was skillfully managing to eat her own creamy delight while balancing in her arms three shopping bags and that small black full of scratches leathery backpack of hers, where she kept her most useful belongings, alongside some money and tissues for her daughter. Your father was right behind you, busy checking business stuff on his phone. You waited patiently at the crossroad before the traffic light became green, and then you started crossing the road, as you would normally do.

Nonetheless, it was no normal or ordinary day that one, on which your mother ad been able to convince you to go shopping with her, bribing you with food.

A drunk man had decided he wanted to go outside too that random Thursday evening, and thought, why not have a ride on his new car as well?

Too much liquor in his body, he hadn’t even noticed his pants were missing, so how could he have seen the traffic light turn red at the crossroad? The last thing he saw before ascending to the skies to his long-lost mother were two women, or at least one woman and one woman-to-be, crossing the same road as the one his was driving one, before all went down.

You didn’t have the time to realize it as your mother threw herself on your small figure in a useless attempt to keep you out of harm’s way. You should have died as well, that day, but fate seemed to have other things planned for you.

The car crash was chaotically, to say the least, and it ended with the new red car crashed on a nearby secular tree, two unrecognizable bodies shattered in the middle.

Nevertheless, one of them was the driver’s, as you’d somehow and jumped your way out of the crash.The aftermath was a mix of sorrow, grief and anger driven actions, compelled mostly by your father, who had watched the whole scene unfold right under his very nose, unable to think or react.

You didn’t understand how you’d saved yourself, too shocked from all the events to even try to think hat maybe, there was a connection behind all the mysterious stunts you always pulled whenever danger came your way.

That was until she actually came out, Y/n 2.0, another way you called her.

Out of everyone, understandably, your father was the most stressed out one. He moved frantically, spending his days pacing the living room with a never-ending bottle of beer in his left hand and a picture of your mother in his right one. He couldn’t rest, eat or drink, just like you. However, being the innocent child you were, you didn’t understand what was happening, simply wanting your dada back from crazy-land.

You tried to tell him to calm down, tried to get him to sit down and have dinner with you, but before you knew it, he had dropped the picture of your mother, taken a big gulp of that golden liquid, a small amount of which fell in small droplets on his chin, and swung his big calloused hand aimed for your cheek.

You closed your eyes, preparing yourself for the hit, but it never came. Trembling, you opened your eyes to see your father’s eyes wide open in a mix of surprise and alcohol-driven rage and madness. While you covered your face with one hand, the other firmly gripped your father’s forearm, preventing a rather harsh hit.

Panicking, you quickly let go of him and ran upstairs to your bedroom, locking yourself inside and heading to the little sink to wash your face.

As you rinsed it thoroughly and then proceeded to dry it with a dirty cloth. As you did that, you couldn’t help but notice the reflection in the mirror. It was you, as usual, but the ‘other Y/n’ had black eyes, the darkest bag under her eyes and black and green tattoos, that resembled strange figures and terrorizing snakes. Her black hair had stripes of a flashy bright green in it and she wore a black long robe with green and silver accessories, very different from your worn out beige school uniform and plain black hair.

As if it couldn’t get any weirder, the reflection started talking to you.

“Hello Y/n.” It said, with the calmest tone.

You screeched in surprise, not knowing what to do, but still kept your eyes on the mirror, as you tried to learn more about her.

As you were about to discover, she’d always been a part of you, ever since you were born. However, until then, you’d always had control over her, or as she’d say, she kept quiet and didn’t interfere with your life. Nevertheless, she was still a part of your life, helping you during fights for example, but never completely taking over your body. When the incident with your mother had happened, she’s sensed your turmoil and knew something was about happen and she’d have to help you. That’s why she intervened during your fight with your father, and had now completely detached herself from you in order to protect you, leading to the creation of two Y/ns, as one could call it. She tried to reason with you that you couldn’t stay there anymore, and being the sweet and pure kid you were, you agreed, not taking the risk of hurting anybody.

That was the night you escaped, with a small backpack and a picture of your family in hand.

You didn’t know what you were to do, but perhaps that’s what made it so exciting, the thrill of a new adventure.

In time, you learned to co-exist with Enchantress, the name you usually used for her because of the power she held. She taught you all you knew about curses, and you tried to teach her about life in the real human world, whenever you could get her to listen. You became each other’s best friend, unable to rely on anybody else or trust the mere strangers that popped into your life.

After you’d gotten into a good university and found a way to live freely without the need of your father’s or any other tutor’s presence, Enchantress stepped aside, letting you live your life at its fullest. She still talked to you and entertained you with her snarky comments, but she’d actually intervened, until a few days ago…

You felt the water becoming cold and knew you had to get out of here, not only of the shower obviously, but you had to leave your job and go somewhere isolated and safe, for everybody’s sake.

That day, after spending some time in school and enjoying your last hours with your students, you resigned from your job without explanations, and started packing your bags as soon as you came back home.

What you didn’t expect that day, was a visitor, much less Gojo Satoru himself knocking at your door and seven p.m. in the evening.

“Helloooo…” He cheered, but frowned and gave you a confused look upon noticing the scattered bags all around your apartment.

“Are you moving out?” 

“Hello to you too Satoru.” You said calmly, going back to stack the brown boxes one on top of the other.

He kept his frown, urging you to answer his question.

“And yes, I am moving. I should be gone by tomorrow afternoon.”

He gave you a saddened look, and only after a while you understood its meaning.

“Oh gosh, I forgot to tell you! Sorry Gojo, ehm-I mean Satoru. I really wanted to call you but I didn’t have the time. It was a pretty fast decision, if you know what I mean.” You tried to explain to the white-haired man.

“Don’t worry, I figured you must’ve been busy. But why are you moving out? And where would you be going anyways? I thought you really liked it here…” He said, looking around your apartment.

He’d visited you a couple of days after you’d first met and you’d told him about how you’d just moved in a couple of months ago and really enjoyed your new home and job.

“I did, it’s just…” You stopped yourself before you could say anything else. You couldn’t lie to a sorcerer! He’d detect it right away and then you would be in big trouble. You had to avoid talking about the reason for which you were leaving. “It’s complicated, really. And besides, there is no real matter. It just feels like I don’t belong here…” That part was true. Ever since you’d run away from your home, you felt like  you didn’t fit in anywhere, and all the dangers you’d faced had only made you stronger and perhaps gave you some trust issues, and now you constantly felt alone and unwanted, though it was a minor thing, considering your real issues- Cough-cough-Enchantress-.

“What if you come teach at Jujutsu High?” He asked.

What?! He wasn’t possibly proposing to…huh?

“I mean, the kids already have teachers for sorcery stuff and everything, but there’s a lack of more…How can I say?…normal subjects? Like, they don’t know anything about Maths, History, literature, science or any of that stuff, but I know it could be really important if they don’t become actual Sorcerers or even if…I mean, they could really use a teacher like you.” He said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

Surprisingly enough, you thought about it. You knew you had to get out of the city, but wherever you went, you had to get a job to survive, or you’d have to go back to the way you were as a runaway teenager, which were years you only wanted to forget about.

Besides, at the High School you’d be protected from curses and evil sorcerers and you wouldn’t bring more danger or trouble than the ones all of the students would ordinarily face.

“Don’t you dare!” Enchantress, ever the party crusher seethed. “We’ve already made this decision! We’re heading to a small village in the country where we won’t bring danger to ourselves or anybody else. Besides, you’d be living with sorcerer, which means they would find out about us sooner or later, whether you like it or not, and I’m 100% sure they won’t like us. I heard stories about people killed for this! For being like you! You can’t do this, the risk is too great, as you would put it, the cons are way more than the pros.” She tried to reason with you, though you tried to keep your mind open to every possibility.

You hadn’t made a final decision yet, so why not try?

Besides, Gojo seemed like a pretty chill guy, so after getting on friendly terms, you could tell him about your situation and you were sure that, with his kind nature, he’d help you (he did say he liked you, and you didn’t want to use his feelings against him, but, they sure would help!).

“I…have to think about it…” You told him, not giving a definite answer.

“I understand. I don’t want to put too much pressure on you, but I think you’d be a great fit for the kids and everyone there will love you. Besides, it’s a very friendly and chill environment, so you’d get used to it pretty quickly. In addition, you wouldn’t have to worry about food or a place to stay, since all of us teachers and students live in buildings on the High School grounds.”

You nodded in thought, but he began speaking once again: “Anyways, I got the feeling you’ll move out regardless, so why don’t you let me help you gather all these boxes and then we can go eat something?”

“Yeah sure, thanks.” You answered. A new feeling entered your heart, a feeling of fondness, happiness mixed with something else you couldn’t quite put your finger on. You had finally found a friend you could trust, so why not? Why not try to be part of something bigger, be part…of a family again.

You felt your eyes begin to tear up and, without any warning, you threw yourself in Gojo’s arms. He didn’t ask you anything or question your motives, keeping you latched onto him as tight as possible.

As soon as you felt better, you muttered with a cracked voice, in between soft sobs and hiccups: “Thank you, for everything.”

With a hopeful gleam in his eyes, he said, making circles on your back with his long fingers to soothe you and ease your nerves: “Does this mean you’ll come teach at my school?”

You simply nodded, your mind (mostly Enchantress though) screaming at you to not do it, but for once, you didn’t listen to her. For the first time in a very long time, you followed your heart, that pleaded you for a chance to be part of a family that truly loved you, regardless of who you were or what you did. You were finally free, and it felt like a weight was lifted from your shoulders as you detached yourself from Gojo, who stood in front of you with that recognizable beam of joy in his eyes. It reminded you that you weren’t in this alone, and even thought you’d just met him, he would help you throughout every step of your journey, your trustworthy friend. On this journey, you’d probably make mistakes and things would probably go wrong many times, but that didn’t matter. For the first time, you thought about what you wanted, without over caring about the consequences of your choices on other people: it was your life dammit!

Heart full of hope and joy, you felt ready ready to start this new unexpected chapter of your life!

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it. You're welcome to come check out my account and my other posts and/or make requests :) (MASTERLIST) Do NOT plagiarize this or any of my content.

Love you guys! See you soon!😘

Written by crazycat010 © 2025 crazycat010

[23fallencomets]

tagged by the wonderful @quigzahhutt mwah thank you because i was able to find this pretty gem in my drafts again

this is a landoscar fic that i was working on way back last year and im posting both versions because why not (also lando is not even mentioned in the first version sorry but it is a landoscar fic i swear)

[tagging: @dozyisdead, @ashzerog19, @alex-writes-stuff and @sargepilled (all their writing is phenomenal pls check them out!!)

Media Naranja

There is a saying in Spanish culture, a half of an orange. The story, as most stories do, came from Greek myths. The basis is that no oranges are the same, so an orange being split in half can only match up with the other. In other words, a soulmate, your other half that makes you whole.

Alternatively,

Oscar Piastri and how he met Lando Norris and fell in love.

—

“Do you know Jared?” Logan asks one day, randomly over dinner—which they didn’t even make because Logan just got off a twelve-hour shift and Oscar is still recovering from a deathly cold. Oscar stares at him through half-lidded eyes, his nose feeling like he stuffed them with paper towels and his head pounding. The soup was not hitting unfortunately.

“From accounting?” Oscar asked slowly. Jared was the typical daddy-paid-for-this guy who flaunts his dad’s wealth while simultaneously being the biggest disappointment of their family. Oscar has had the displeasure of meeting him a few times whenever Logan’s department had events that overlapped with the accounting department.

Logan nods, looking a bit nervous which sets off alarms in Oscar’s mind. Logan usually only gets nervous around stupidly attractive people, being put in situations he hasn’t mentally prepared for or doing something that has Oscar stare at him like if all his brain cells have disappeared.

“What did you do?”

“In my defense, he was getting on everyone’s nerves.” Logan argues, “We were at the luncheon thing between Aston and Renault, and he was talking mad shit about some race thing he participated.” Oscar sighs, dropping his spoon, “So he was betting anyone like a million dollars in beating him.”

“You didn’t.” Oscar says almost hopefully, “You haven’t been behind a wheel in a year.”

Logan pushes on, “So then Lance called out his bullshit and set a date for a legal race.” He starts looking a bit nervous, “And well, Lance is basically the heir to Aston Martin, so he couldn’t race, and you know how Esteban and Lance get when they get an idea.”

Oscar stares at Logan. Esteban and Logan, while not the best of friends, had formed some type of camaraderie as being the only two competent IT guys. And the shitty part is Oscar knows how the two get, having been at the end of one of their ideas that ended with Oscar still hiding a flash card sized tattoo from his parents whenever he went home for the summer.

“Anyway, they put down a 3.4 million dollar bet.” There’s a beat of silence before Logan says: “On me.”

“I’m going to kill then.”

So that brings them to a weirdly chilly night in Miami, at the Miami International Autodrome. How Lance and Esteban managed this, Oscar doesn’t want to know. He’s learned to never question what their friends can get up to with the near unlimited money Lance seems to come into.

Logan had been half-stressing about the whole situation, realizing he would have to depend purely off on memory. He had done a few years of street racing, completely illegal and on the way to live out his own version of Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift had it not been for Lance.

Logan was buckled into his car, hands trialing over the steering wheel. He looked relaxed, since after all, this was what he was born for. Oscar shakes his head; he would have an introverted friend as an adrenaline junkie.

“Don’t die on me please,” Oscar says, “Or I will kill my self.”

Logan snorts, “I’ll win, and we’ll become like, four million dollars richer.”

“It went up,” Oscar says, looking away to where Lance and Esteban where leaning against the barrier, watching them. If he hadn’t known Lance since they were teenagers, he would have looked like something out of a movie, but he’s seen Lance slip on the stairs of his apartment complex and completely fumble a conversation with older men, “There’s a lot of people betting on the American hero.”

His slightly foolish American friend rolls his eyes, “You’re being dramatic.”

Oscar reaches through the protective netting and socks him on the shoulder. The turnout was pretty big for an event taking place at midnight. But then again, most of them where people who could have a thousand dollars missing from their bank account and think nothing of it.

If Logan won this, they would be set for a handful of years before they had to worry about money.

They would race for twenty laps, ten more than what Jared had raced. The rules were pretty simple, keep it clean and don’t kill each other, but the way Jared was eyeing Logan, it could all go to shit.

“Don’t die and leave me in debt.” Oscar said, pulling away from the car. Logan winks at him before pulling off to the starting line as Oscar makes his way over to Lance and Esteban.

“Giving your favor to lover boy,” Esteban teases, “I didn’t think they did that anymore.”

“If he dies, Estie, your head is on a platter.” Oscar says, using the same tone Esteban had. Zhou, who is is an intern designer for one of the fashion companies and another friend of Logan and Lance, snorts. Oscar only looks at him, a little displeased at the lack of worry.

“Stop worrying about, Piastri.” Lance said, looking comfortable between Esteban and Zhou, “I promise we know what we’re doing, just breathe and enjoy the race.”

“They won’t find your body if he dies.” Oscar says and he enjoys the slight fear that crosses Lance’s eyes. He does join them on the benches though, taking the one behind Lance. He grins a little on the inside when Lance tenses as Oscar passes by.

Logan loses the lead three times before he stays in front of Jared for the remainder of the race. The go-pro cameras that they had strapped into the car and the drone following them kept them updated. Jared only tried to push Logan off two times and only once did Oscar visibly react.

In the end, Logan stayed ahead of Jared by two seconds and had done celebratory donuts. Oscar had held his breath for most of it; he had seen Logan race growing up, sitting in the drivers seat ready to take off the moment the cops show up. They never got busted because they were always looking for Logan’s flashy car rather than Oscar’s beat up 2012 Honda Civic.

He misses that car.

“Good fortune in entertaining a bunch of rich kids.” Lance said when they gathered at his apartment. He had the money spread out in front of him and Oscar once again feels like he just stepped into a movie with the amount of bills stacked up on the coffee table. All that was missing was the various weapons and piles of white powder.

The money rounded out to just above 10 million dollars which was crazy in and of itself. Lance didn’t want a cut since his family makes that amount by the middle of the year and technically it was an illegal-legal race so technically none of this money exists.

“We can transfer it to one of my accounts and you guys can have full access of it,” Lance says, “It’ll be under my name and everything but it’s all yours.”

Somehow that brings them to where they are currently.

Texas is cold, the temperature barely hovering above 65 degrees. Logan is wearing a vintage Ferrari jacket while Oscar is in a McLaren one. They had spent the weekend fucking around the paddock, taking in the moment they usually only see on their tv in their apartment.

Now they were waiting for the race to start after an exhilarating qualifying that had Max and Charles racing for pole. Oscar has been more observant on McLaren, entranced by the way the drivers of the MCL38 danced to secure P3 and P4. Lando had

[Version 2]

Oscar was never going to forgive Logan and Zhou for this.

It was one thing agreeing to COTA, it was another thing entirely to be left alone while the two traipse to Williams and Aston. Zhou had seen Alonso and had managed to be invited to the Aston Martin hospitality. It’s the smile, Logan has said, grinning before he too managed to catch the attention of Alex Albon and with a secretive smile, had gone along with the Brit-Thai driver.

If left Oscar to wander slightly awkwardly around McLaren, the original area they were invited to due to Logan and Zhou’s sponsorship. The two were in charge of a pretty big youtube channel. Zhou and Lolo where Zhou designed and made outfits and Logan modeled them. It had been a small thing they did half-heartedly in university when Zhou was in fashion and designing and Logan was trying to get through his business course.

Oscar was in charge of fielding emails, sponsors, marketing and every once in a while, editing if their editor couldn’t rush a job. He had to put his admin degree to work somehow.

The orange of the papaya was a little daunting as he collapsed into a chair. Besides being invited to COTA by McLaren after they had seen Zhou’s collection of clothes themed after said team, and part of his other F1 team clothing collection, they had been invited to Mexico and Vegas. It had been something of an ordeal planning everything as they had planned a few hours to spend with the drivers.

They were lined up for a lunch, interviews, a few media games and dinner sometime after Qualifying tomorrow and Oscar wasn’t really looking forward to it. He wasn’t going to be on screen, much to the displeasure of their fanbase who enjoy the snippets they get of Oscar but is equally stressed about the whole thing.

Oscar tilts his head back, eyes fluttering close. Realistically they could have done this without sponsors. Logan had a knack for illegal street racing and having grown up in Miami, Logan had made a name for himself under his middle name, Hunter. Hunter is hungry and hunting had been a well known phrase whenever Logan speeds down avenues and boulevards. He’s good, winning races after races, but once Zhou and Lolo took off, he had to stop.

It had worried the fuck out of Oscar when he found out.

They had been in junior year of high school when Logan dragged him out to see the race, at least that’s what Oscar thought they were doing until Lance Stroll sauntered over.

Lance is as intimidating as a kitten with cream smeared across its face. Despite his very high social standing, he usually hung out with them because he had somehow befriended Logan and Zhou. Later on, they would be joined by Esteban, a family friend of Lance that usually joined in whatever Lance seemed to be caught up in.

Still, the jolt of fear Oscar had felt when Logan had been steered towards a pretty ocean blue car followed him to every race he went to. Oscar had flipped on Logan afterwards, absolutely terrified of possibly losing his best friend in an accident or being jailed over this.

Logan had been more careful afterwards, still as aggressive and competitive, but safe. When Logan inevitably got kicked out of his house for other reasons, he had enough money to rent an apartment willing to rent to an eighteen year old. Now, he stays safe in their apartment and occasionally sees a few races.

He’s half sure he fell asleep until his foot is rudely knocked against. He jerks up, seeing Logan’s confused expression and Zhou’s amused but flushed expression. Logan hand him a bottle of water and a bag of cookies.

“Did you fall asleep?” He asks, collapsing next to him. Oscar shrugs, draining half the bottle and demolishing the bag of cookies. He was pretty tired but FP2 is supposed to start in thirty minutes.

Oscar listens to their chattering about the other hospitalities, grinning at the enamored look on Zhou’s face when he shows them the signed Aston Martin hat. Logan looked a little too smug for Oscar’s liking, but he had grown used to ignoring when Logan got all chest puffed and borderline cocky.

FP2 went by in a flash, the Redbulls showed why they were at the top and with Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren finally catching up, it was a show of dominance between the eight drivers. At the end they dominated the top eight, with Max and Sergio out in the front again.

The three were leaned against the wall, watching as the grid around them buzzed with life as they simultaneously started packing and preparing for FP3 and Qualifying tomorrow. The chatter grew when Oscar realized the drivers were trying to get through.

It takes a moment for Oscar to catch up, seeing the drivers filter through. They were all flushed and mussed up, balaclava lines still pressed into their skin. Oscar feels his mouth go dry when he makes eye contact with the Lando Norris.

“I-that was Lando, like Lando Norris.” Oscar says, a little awed at the drivers who are still currently trying to get by. He doesn’t know why the second-long eye contact flustered him so much, his cheeks feeling like they’re on fire. He had spent a few hours meticulously picking inspiration photos for Zhou to base his designs off of clothes Lando wears.

Logan makes a strangled noise besides him, “Carlos Sainz just walked by in the black fireproof suits, and you think I’m going to look at Lando Norris?” Logan asked, a little too loud and embarrassingly, he can recognize the barking laughter of said Ferrari driver.

Oscar was never going to let Logan live this down.

Zhou suddenly laughs, “Oh my god. The dinner tomorrow is with Ferrari, too.”

Logan flushed, “What if I just killed myself.”