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#which- because it must be said on this site- is perfectly fine
amethysttribble · 1 year
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I simply Do Not Understand people who don’t like Critical Role’s pacing. I mean, I do understand, on an intellectual level, but the rest of me simply doesn’t get it. Maybe it’s my love for and dedication to stupid long anime, but… the fun of CR is that it’s long and meandering and messy
I’m there to watch a live streamed dnd campaign. I don’t want the rules litigation and the mechanics questions and the side conversations cut. It’s a live dnd game, I want to watch people play dnd, which is like that, it makes it feel real. That’s the experience I came for, if I wanted all that cut, I wouldn’t be watching a live streamed dnd campaign, I’d go watch a tv show. A 12 episodes, no filler tv show at that, lol
It’s about understanding the medium and engaging with it that way. I got into CR knowing that the episodes were long and liable to be slow in places; my expectations were set accordingly. And when I see folks saying they wish CR was more streamlined, all I can think is… I’m not sure you actually like/want to watch Critical Role
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fredwkong · 11 months
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Sneakerhead
(inspired by a prompt from the incredibly welcoming @idesofrevolution​ )
It started because of some shoes.
Joel really wanted some classic Air Jordans, the 4s, black with red accents. He’d been having some trouble dating lately, passing out of his early 20s, when girls just wanted a guy who used deodorant. In their late 20s girls wanted shit like 401(k)s and moving in together. Joel’s solution? Date younger.
To do that, he needed some new style. He’d been grabbing streetwear for a while, but the Js would be the centrepiece, what he needed to perfectly set off distressed jeans and an oversized flannel. With his slender frame and boyish looks, with some new style Joel was sure his clean lifestyle would attract plenty of younger dates.
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The shoes remained elusive, however. Too expensive to buy new, impossible to thrift. Finally, a gay guy acquaintance of Joel’s mentioned Sneaker Swap, a trade/sale site. He offered to send Joel a special invite link, an unreadable look in his eyes. Apparently this link would fast track Joel’s account progress somehow, give him unique access to shoes. Some gay kink thing, probably, Joel thought.
When he got home from the bar where he and the guy had met up, Joel followed the link and downloaded the app. The app took a while to load, he noticed, but the loading spiral was pretty nice to look at, so it was fine. It was one of the Js in the middle of several swirling concentric circles with a rainbow pattern.
Finally, the app loaded, inviting Joel to make an account. He input his shoes size, blinking at the afterimage of the spiral in his vision. When the main page loaded, and sneakers started to populate across the screen, his dick jumped unexpectedly, probably a side effect of being so close to finally having his Js and getting a date.
The guy Joel finally ended up buying his Js from lived across town, so Joel drove to his house to make the trade. As soon as he pulled up, he noticed a rainbow flag in the front window. The guy had seemed pretty intelligent and straightforward while Joel negotiated, but when he opened the door the guy seemed totally out of it. He barely remembered agreeing to the trade, he tried to grope Joel’s ass, and worst of all, all he was wearing were some tight boxer briefs and his sneakers, which gave off kind of a funky smell.
The dumb guy left Joel standing next to his shoe rack while he went to go find the Jordans and their box. As he waited, a distinctive smell started to fill Joel’s nose, the rich, buttery aroma rising off of the pile of used shoes in the rack. This guy must not own any socks, Joel thought in disgust. If those Js were gonna smell this bad, he might need to look for a new pair. He started to load sneaker swap, watching the spiral turn for several seconds.
Maybe the smell wasn’t that bad, he realised, sniffing the air again. It wasn’t like he wanted his feet to smell like that, but it wasn’t so surprising for a guy to want to fill his shoes with his essence. Mark his territory. Show off his manliness.
Joel had drifted back toward the shoe rack by the time the guy came back with the shoes. He spotted the Sneaker Swap app, still loading on Joel’s phone.
“Huhu, what a great app,” the guy grunted, handing over the shoebox. “Totally changed my life, bro.”
“Uh, thanks, man,” Joel said, handing over cash for the Js and pocketing his phone. He wrinkled his nose at the smell coming off the guy’s hairy muscles. “Thanks for the shoes.”
“Totally,” the gay guy’s eyes zeroed in on the bulge in Joel’s pants. Joel hadn’t even noticed his erection. “Hey bruh, if you want to,” the guy paused and licked his lips, “trade sneakers again sometime, hit me up.”
Joel beat a hasty retreat back to his car.
As he drove home, he kept thinking about the smell of that guy’s shoes. It was almost like it was still in his head, fogging up his brain. In fact, it was getting stronger. Joel pulled over and grabbed the shoebox from his passenger seat. He hadn’t smelled it in the house, but his fancy new Js were impregnated with the smell of the guy’s feet. Joel groaned, now he would have to figure out how to clean the shoes without ruining them.
Joel kept the shoes in a box in the back of his front closet, not wanting to have to smell them while he figured out how to wash off the stench. By the time he had finished his dinner, though, a faint foot funk was permeating his kitchen like a haze. Those shoes were powerful. Joel loaded up Sneaker Swap. Maybe they had a forum that could help. At the very least, he wanted to comment on the guy’s profile so other people knew what they were getting into.
The loading spiral was so relaxing. Joel could just sit and watch it… Some time later, Joel found himself looking at the main page of the app. When had it gotten so dark? He’d been about to do something on the app. He was going to—he was going to look for more shoes, right. He was already planning more outfits with different pairs.
The next morning, Joel was leaving for work when he saw the Js he’d bought yesterday sitting out on his shoerack, their smell eye-watering at close range. Had he put them there? He must have. The smell seemed different today, more complex and deeper, there was almost an appeal to having it filling him up… Joel shook his head. He should have looked up how to clean them last night, his whole house was gonna smell if this kept up. He went to open the Sneaker Swap app, and watched the spiral load.
He was nearly late for work, he spent so long looking at shoes to buy. How was he getting so absentminded lately? He must have had a latent interest in cool shoes this whole time, he reasoned.
The pattern continued. Every time Joel passed through his entryway, he smelled the musky Jordan 4s on his shoerack. He thought about cleaning them or putting them away, and started to load up Sneaker Swap, then got distracted by looking at shoes. It was starting to affect other parts of his life, too. A girl at work commented on how spacey and airheaded Joel had been acting lately. He just shrugged, unable to think of an answer other than, “Sorry, head’s full of shoe stink.”
By the time his next paycheck came through, Joel had three different pairs on hold with local bros. He was jittery and excited all morning, then loaded up into his car for an afternoon driving around to make the trades.
It was… weird. Joel couldn’t put his finger on it, but all three of the guys he met were different than he’d expected. Maybe it was how slow and stupid their voices were, or their nudity, or the fact none of them had washed or put on deodorant. All three wore their sneakers in their houses, and all three had a pile of smelly shoes by the front door. But every time Joel tried to think about it, the smell of all the shoes seemed to overtake his mind. All three guys had such unique scents to them, Joel found himself fascinated.
On the drive home, Joel barely noticed the three pairs of shoes stinking up his car, too busy thinking about how all those shoes had smelled at the source, where the guys he’d bought his Js from kept all their dirty sneakers. In a daze, he carried the three smelly boxes into his house and absently set the three new pairs of shoes next to the first, which he still hadn’t tried on. He kept meaning to clean them, he should look up how on Sneaker Swap… The loading spiral was so captivating…
Later, Joel found himself sitting on the floor next to his shoerack, his phone open to Sneaker Swap in one hand and one of his new Js in the other. Another couple shoes were in his lap. He took in the complex, different scents of each of the guys he’d bought them from, some salty, some bitter, and one even an almost sweet scent. It was like a signature, their unique trace on the shoes, something he’d be honoured to add to now that he’d inherited the legacy from them.
The next morning, Joel sniffed himself and decided he probably didn’t have to shower this morning. He looked at the deodorant on his bathroom counter, puzzled, and then threw it in the trash. While he ate breakfast, Joel loaded up Sneaker Swap and, after watching the spiral for a while, started looking at shoes. When he got ready for work, he grabbed the first pair of Js he’d bought and shoved his socked feet into their musky interior without a second thought.
Joel had the style now, but he noticed that he was having even more trouble scoring dates now. Girls seemed put off by the manly smell that Joel was building up. He’d started going to the gym more, and showers just seemed so much less important than building up his personal brand of musk to fill in to his shoes. At one bar, a girl wrinkled her nose at him as soon as Joel came up to the bar and she fled. Meanwhile, a passing boy in some little sexy shorts paused walking past Joel, nostrils flaring. Joel watched as the guy’s little dick suddenly tented out his tiny package, and smirked when their eyes met.
He was noticing guys more and more lately. At first, it was just their shoes, like the spiral from Sneaker Swap appeared around the feet of any guy in Js. He kept wondering what it would be like to smell a guy’s feet for real, rather than just through getting his musky shoes. His collection was growing, and each time he went to get new shoes the guys he traded with got more fun. Their houses were full of such hot scents, and their hot, smelly bods looked and smelled so good. They kept pressing up against Joel as they passed him their shoes, passing on their musk to him to take care of. It was so hot.
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As much as he loved the thick, musky smell permeating his house now, Joel still hadn’t gone all the way and stuck his face in one of his Js. He didn’t know if he could take the smell that close to the source. The day he brought home his tenth pair of shoes, though, Joel decided that his little collection deserved to be commemorated on his Sneaker Swap profile. He opened up the app and watched the loading spiral.
He recollected himself as he hit “post” on his new profile pic. He looked at it. His Js were neatly laid out on the shoerack, but off to the side, there he was, in the picture, his face buried in one of the 4s, the first ones he’d bought with the red accents. As likes and comments started to pour in from the guys he’d bought the shoes from, a chorus of “bruh” and “noice” and “sniff that sneak, dude” Joel realised that he was still holding the shoe over his mouth and nose.
Right in the back of his mind, Joel had an instant of fear. Was this really him? This stinky sneakerhead? He’d been different before, clean-cut and even straight! He instinctively took a deep breath, and his negative feelings vanished as all his thoughts were overcome with the salty, musky tang of the shoe, so much stronger at close range that it was a physical sensation on his tongue. Joel’s growing foot stench had blended with the buttery scent of that first dumb himbo he’d bought the shoes from.
It felt like his whole mind was being filled up with musk, slowing his thoughts down like they were moving through molasses. Everything was perfectly fine. He had his shoes, he had his musk, and his big cheesy cock. Life was pretty much perfect for a dumb sneakerhead like him.
The next morning, Joel woke up in bed, cradling one of his Js against his face like when he’d fallen asleep. He didn’t bother putting on more than some boxers and a used pair of socks, sticking his feet into a pair of sneakers as he got out of bed. A new user on Sneaker Swap wanted to buy a pair of his 4s, and after that he’d invited the guy he’d bought his first pair from to come over and check out his collection. Hopefully Joel would be able to get his mouth on that guy’s hot, smelly feet this time.
He needed to message that guy who’s given him the link to this app. Maybe he could give him a reward, Joel thought, kneading his weeping cock through his boxers.
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queenshelby · 11 days
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Our Little Secret (Part 41)
Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Reader
Warning: Infidelity, Age-Gap,
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Once Cillian and Amanda settled down in the living room with a glass of wine each, Amanda asked what it was that made him upset. The fact that he had invited her in after all she did was surprising to her and she knew that there must have been something that was troubling him.  She watched him as he sat down on the couch, his shoulders slouched and his eyes distant as he took a long sip of his wine.
"Cillian, is everything okay?" Amanda asked tentatively, not wanting to intrude but still feeling concerned for him.
Cillian let out a deep sigh before finally speaking. "No, it's not. But, it doesn't matter, really,"  Cillian replied, his voice laced with a hint of sadness and disappointment.
"What happened?" Amanda asked, concerned and confused about the sadness in his eyes, which she hadn't seen before.
"I proposed to Y/N tonight, but she said no," Cillian admitted, his voice somber and tinged with disappointment. "Well, she didn't say yes, you know. She just said she needed time,"  Cillian added, trying to lighten the mood, but Amanda could tell that he was deeply hurt by your refusal.
"Why did she say no?" Amanda asked, genuinely curious about the situation and trying to understand why Y/N would refuse such a proposal.
"She said she wasn't ready for it yet. And I get that, I really do. But, I guess we are just on different wavelengths sometimes and I don't actually think that she wants to be with me as much as I want to be with her, which is really fucking difficult for me to deal with," Cillian  continued, looking down at his wine glass with a mixture of sadness and frustration.
"I'm sorry," Amanda said, her voice soft and sympathetic as she reached out to take his hand in hers.
Cillian looked up at her and gave a small smile before nodding. "Yeah, it is. But, what can you do, right? I love her, and I just have to keep going and hope that she comes around eventually."
"Cillian, this might sound harsh, but you do realize that she is very young still.  She probably just wants to experience life a little more before settling down, don't you think?" Amanda asked, squeezing Cillian's hand reassuringly.
"I know, I know. But the thing is, I'm not getting any younger. And I don't want to wait around for her to be ready. I want to start a life with her now," Cillian replied, his voice tinged with frustration.
"You can't force her to be with you though and I am not saying that this is what you are doing, but perhaps she feels a little overwhelmed by it all. She just a baby too and this can really be hard on a young woman like her," Amanda tried to reassure him, but it only made Cillian feel more frustrated.
"I'm not trying to force her. She just wants to take it slow and that's perfectly fine, I get that. I love her, and I want her to be happy. But at the same time, I just want her to show some kind of commitment," Cillian admitted, as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "She doesn't want to go to these fucking Award shows with me in a few weeks' time, making excuses and I honestly feel that it is because of the age difference between us. Maybe she is embarrassed or maybe she is reevaluating her life choices. I don't fucking know,"  Cillian said, his frustration mounting as he took a deep breath and downed the rest of his wine.
Amanda listened intently, feeling a strange sense of understanding towards you while, at the same time, seeing an opportunity here for herself, to get what she wanted. 
"She's a silly girl then, Cillian. Most women I know would give anything for an opportunity to be by your site," she thus said carefully and with a gentle voice while Cillian topped up his wineglass, filling to the brim. 
"Maybe you are right. Maybe she is simply too young," Cillian said, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "Or maybe she is just too afraid to tell me that she would much rather be with someone in their twenties, instead of someone who is pushing fifty. It would make fucking sense you know."
Amanda sighed nervously before responding. "I am sorry to say but, yes, it does make sense . I mean, I'm not saying that you are old or anything, Cillian, but she is much younger than you and she might fear the social stigma that comes with being in a relationship with an older man. It's not uncommon," Amanda explained, trying to soften the blow of her words.
"But then again, she is clearly blind if she  can't see what an amazing man you are," Amanda added, squeezing Cillian's hand reassuringly.
Cillian looked at her, a mixture of sadness and gratitude in his eyes. "Thanks, Am," he said softly.
"What are you thanking me for?" Amanda asked, genuinely puzzled.
"For listening to me rambling on about this," Cillian said, his voice barely above a whisper while Amanda caressed his hand and he did not pull away, his mind slightly hazy from how quickly he had consumed the wine. 
She smiled, before leaning closer to him and whispered in his ear: "I could do a lot more than that for you. In fact, I reckon I can make you forget all about her." 
Cillian looked at her, his eyes narrowing in confusion before Amanda reached up, taking his face in her hands.
Her lips then met his in a soft, slow kiss, a shock rippling through him as he let her continue. It felt wrong, and yet, for some reason, the kiss alone caused him to feel a stirring in his groin that he hadn't expected.
This was the woman who had spiked his drink, almost destroyed his relationship with you and still held feelings for him, but in that moment, none of it mattered. The taste of her lips pressing against his and the way her fingers were gently caressing his cheek, it was all just too much to ignore.
Cillian's breath hitched as he felt her tongue trace along the seam of his lips, asking for permission to enter.
He hesitated for a moment, his thoughts consumed by the guilt of what he was about to do. But when Amanda pulled back, looked at him with those big, pleading eyes and whispered his name again, he was lost.
Without a second thought, Cillian parted his lips and met her tongue with his own in a passionate, all-consuming kiss. He could feel the warmth of her body pressed against his, the softness of her breasts against his chest, and the way she moaned gently as he deepened the kiss.
"Am, we can't," Cillian whispered, his voice hoarse. He had never thought he would find himself in this situation, kissing his ex-girlfriend while in a relationship with someone else. 
Amanda pulled back from the kiss, her eyes sparkling with desire as she looked up at him. "Do you want me, Cillian?" she asked, her voice low and sultry.
Cillian hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Yes. Yes, I want you," he admitted, his voice laced with guilt and desire.
Amanda smiled, her eyes sparkling with pleasure as she stood up, pulling Cillian up with her.
"Come on then," she said, leading him upstairs to his bedroom .
As they walked, Cillian couldn't help but feel a sense of shame and guilt wash over him. He knew that what he was doing was wrong, but he couldn't resist the pull Amanda had on him in that moment. 
When they reached his bedroom, Amanda turned to him, her eyes smoldering with desire as she stepped closer to him, pressing herself against him. She reached up, running her fingers through his hair as she kissed him deeply.
Her hand then moved straight to his crotch , and she could feel the hardness that begged to be released from the confines of his jeans.
"Fuck, Amanda," Cillian groaned as she squeezed him firmly, her touch sending ripples of pleasure straight through him.
With deft fingers, Amanda unbuckled his belt, undoing the buttons of his jeans before slowly pulling down the zipper.
She reached in, wrapping her hand around his cock, feeling him twitch and jerk in her hand.
"Bend over the bed ," Cillian growled, his voice low and husky as he pushed Amanda gently towards the bed.
Amanda obeyed, bending over the edge of the bed and looking back at him with a sultry look in her eyes.
Cillian didn't hesitate, pulling her pants down to her thighs and exposing her bare ass. He could see the glistening wetness between her legs and knew that she was ready for him.
He reached forward, running his hand over her ass before parting her thighs further.
" You're soaked," he groaned, his voice filled with lust as he pressed a finger against her opening, feeling her wetness coat his fingers.
Amanda moaned, pushing back against him as she felt his finger slip inside of her.
"Cillian, please," she begged, her voice low and needy. "I really need your cock inside of me right now."
Cillian didn't need to be told twice. He stepped forward, lining himself up with her wetness before thrusting into her with one deep, firm stroke. Amanda cried out, her body tensing as she took him inside her.
Cillian gripped her hips, pulling back before driving into her again and again, harder and faster. Amanda pushed back against him, meeting him stroke for stroke as she moaned and gasped, begging for more.
"Cillian, harder," she panted, her voice thick with desire. "Fuck me harder."
Cillian obliged, his hips pounding against her as he gripped her hips, holding her in place. He could feel every inch of her tight pussy wrapped around him, could feel the way it gripped him and pulsed around him, milking him for every inch.
He could feel the tension building inside of him, the tightness in his balls and the tingling heat at the base of his spine.
Amanda was moaning, her cries of pleasure getting louder as she begged for more.
"Fuck, Cillian, harder," she screamed, pushing back against him as he slammed his cock into her.
He could feel his orgasm building, the tightness in his balls getting stronger as he pounded into her. He could feel every inch of her pussy, gripping him so tightly that he could barely move.
"Come for me.
I want to feel you milk my cock," Cillian grunted, his thrusts getting more erratic and his pace quickening.
Amanda cried out, her body shaking as she felt her orgasm tearing through her, making her pussy clench around Cillian's cock. She could feel the warmth spreading through her, making her legs shake and her whole body tremble.
Cillian could feel it too. He could feel Amanda's pussy contracting around his cock, and it was almost too much.
With one final, powerful thrust, Cillian came hard, his seed spilling deep inside of her as he groaned loudly, his body shuddering with pleasure.
They stayed there for a moment, panting and gasping as they tried to catch their breath. Cillian's legs were trembling, and he slowly pulled out of Amanda, watching as his cum ran down her thighs.
"Fuck," Cillian managed to say, his voice low with instant regret.
He quickly pulled up his pants, while Amanda slowly turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, visibly shaken by the suddenness of the situation.
"I'm sorry," Cillian said, his voice filled with shame and guilt. "I shouldn't have done that."
Amanda looked away, her eyes avoiding his. "No, it's fine," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
But it clearly wasn't fine. There was an awkward tension between them now, a tension that hadn't been there before.
Cillian felt like a weight had settled on his chest, crushing him with the guilt and shame of what he had just done. He couldn't believe that he had cheated on you, the woman he loved. It had been a moment of weakness, a moment of pure sexual desire and lust, but that didn't make it any better.
Cillian looked over at Amanda, her eyes still avoid his as she sat there, a quiet but studdle smile playing on her face.
"It was just sex, Cillian," Amanda said quietly, looking up at him with a seductive smile. "Don't beat yourself up over it." Amanda's words were like a balm to Cillian's guilty conscience, but only for a moment. He knew that what he had done was wrong, and there was no sugar-coating it.
"Easy for you to say," Cillian said, snapping at her, before he turned away from her, trying to collect himself.
"Listen, I won't tell if you don't. She doesn't need to know about this," Amanda said before deciding that it was time for her to leave. "I should go,"  she added, standing up and pulling up her pants. "And I won't say a word about this to anyone."
Cillian nodded, still feeling the weight of guilt and shame crushing him. He watched as Amanda walked out of his bedroom, her hips swaying seductively as she left.
He let out a deep sigh and ran his hands through his hair, feeling a mix of emotions coursing through him. He loved you, but he couldn't deny the thrill he had just experienced with Amanda.
"You are so fucked," he muttered to himself, collapsing onto his bed.
He lay there for a long time, staring up at the ceiling, feeling the weight of his guilt pressing down on him.
Cillian knew that what he had done was wrong. Cheating on you was something he had never thought he would do, and yet, here he was, feeling like a complete and utter bastard for doing just that.
As the night wore on, Amanda's words continued to play on his mind. "It was just sex, Cillian. Don't beat yourself up over it.
Amanda's words echoed in Cillian's mind, taunting him. He wanted to believe that it was just a moment of weakness, a slip-up that didn't mean anything. But the guilt he felt told him otherwise.
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jmrothwell · 1 year
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 “i said i love you, you heard me.” “oh i know, i just want to hear you say it again.” for Sweet Tarts!
This sucked. This job was supposed to be Carrie’s retreat and chance to get away from everything. Enjoy the beauty of nature and all that.
Instead she was stuck keeping an eye on the cabin’s while everyone else went on the big celebratory end of summer camp hike and picnic because she’d gone and severely twisted her ankle. So here she sat in the bunk of her cabin. Foot elevated on a stack of pillows while she fiddled with the two-way radio Reggie left behind. 
Reggie had actually offered to stay with her. After he offered to carry her the whole 5 mile hike out to the picnic site and back again. Both of which she rejected. Her ankle didn’t need to also ruin his final few days. 
Didn’t mean she was any less bored all alone like she was. Or that she secretly wished she had accepted his offer to stay. He’d been the biggest surprise of this whole experience and it could have been nice to get some time together, just the two of them. 
She glared down at the radio in her hand, checking the volume settings probably for the fifteenth time in the past five minutes. And just like every other time before it was on and at a decent volume level. 
So why had it been silent ever since everyone left?
“Reggie? You there?” She asked through the radio and was met by silence. 
Reasonably Reggie could have his hands full. A few of those kids were energetic speed demons and daredevils with no sense of self preservation. 
It’d be better to let him work if that were the case. He’d get back to her when he was able. 
“Reggie?”
“Hey Carrie. You all good? Over.” Reggie said through the radio. His voice made the corners of her mouth twitch upward, though she could easily do without the worried tone. 
“I’m fine.” She said, adjusting herself so she was sitting, back propped against the wall and holding her pillow in her lap. “You don’t need to sound so worried.”
“Oh. Sorry, I guess. Why are you…calling? Is this calling? Yeah, calling. Why are you calling? Over.”
“Dork, you left the radio for me in the first place. I’ve been waiting for you to call me first.”
“Oh, sorry about that. I got a little caught up. Over.”
“Yeah I figured.” She rolled her eyes and bit back her smile as she pictured the blush that must be breaking out across his face. 
“Carrie, you need to say ‘over’ when you’re done talking or I won’t know if you’re done. Over.”
“You seemed to understand I was done perfectly fine.”
“Carrie.” Reggie whined, holding out the vowels in her name and causing her to giggle in spite of her foul mood when he followed it with a quick lighthearted. “Over.”
“Fine, fine. How’s the hike going?” She said, before adding her own exaggerated and purposefully over enunciated. “Over.”
“Well, Brydon is convinced he’s discovered a new kind of rock, Charlotte keeps needing to be reminded to not pick the flowers, and Max nearly joined you in the twisted ankles club. Over.”
“Sounds about right for them. If you need help let Chalotte know I still have some pink glitter cord we can make bracelets with later, but only if she leaves nature where it’s meant to stay. Over.”
Reggie laughed. “I’ll pass the message on. Over.”
“What about you? How are you holding up? Over.”
“There’s been a lot I’ve wanted to show you. Kind of wish I brought my camera with me. Maybe we can just come back together later, when your ankle is feeling better. Over.”
He wanted to spend time with her, just the two of them, as well. Carrie hugged the pillow tighter to her chest to counter the feeling of her heart pounding. “God, I love him.” She said out loud, a little shocked to hear herself say it. 
Although that shock was nothing compared to realizing that she’d also held down the button to speak on the radio when she had. A simple twitch of muscle since she’d gotten used to the movement during their short conversation. 
“The signal cut out, repeat last. Over.”
It was the perfect opportunity to pretend she hadn’t said it. But, well, just because she couldn’t enjoy the lake and woods like she wanted didn’t mean she had to completely deprive herself of things she enjoyed. To hell with ‘but isn’t that too fast?’ What was life without an occasional risk?
“I said I love you.” Carrie repeated over the radio, recognizing the smug tone of Reggie's request a beat too late. She groaned.  “You heard me. Over”
“Oh, I know.” he laughed back and she was glad no one else was in the room to have to hide her blush from. “I just wanted to hear you say it again. I love you, too.”
Carrie hid her face behind her hand in spite of herself. Her laugh bubbled out of her chest as he called back over the radio.
“Carrie? You still there?”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I was waiting for someone to say ‘over,’ over.” She laughed, maybe a little smug.
“Well played. I deserved that.” He laughed, before he let out an exhausted groan. “I gotta go. Parker is trying to scale an oak tree. We’ll talk more later? Over.”
“Can’t wait. Over.”
“Me neither. Over and out.”
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kimium · 10 months
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Choosing one character from each dorm (Housewarden, vice Housewarden, or regular student) describe how you think they would enjoy a museum date! 🥰💜
Hello friend! Thank you for the ask! Let's get started! I love museums and I think going through them is fun, but let's set some guidelines.
First, museums can hold a wide range of topics so I'm not going to base this on a specific type of museum. If I did then the subject matter alone would knock out some characters from considering them under "enjoying a museum date".
So, I'm going to base this on the general aspects of a museum: displays that give information, sometimes have some interactive elements, a few live shows in certain areas by performers/workers of the museum, a screening room for films on the museum's topic matter, a café/restaurant because all good museums need at least one, and a gift shop.
This is long, so it's under a cut.
My List of One (1) Twisted Wonderland character per dorm that I think would enjoy a museum date
Heartslaybul - Riddle
Museum dates have everything I think Riddle would love: information, multiple displays to look at, strict guidelines for behaviour, and a place to grab tea afterwards. Yes, Riddle would love to go on a museum date. For the topic, I think Riddle would be fine with anything as he strikes me as someone who loves learning and appreciates expanding his knowledge on any topic.
Pros:
-Willing to go to any kind of museum due to his love of learning
-Genuinely wants to look at the displays and see all the sites
-Genuinely wants to talk about the exhibits whoever he's with over tea once they're done looking at the exhibits.
Cons:
-When I said he wants to look at all the displays, I mean it. He will read EVERYTHING and you cannot move until he's done.
-You have to follow his schedule, meaning you cannot switch which exhibit you're going too. He's even mapped out any live events or films you want to see perfectly into the schedule. Good for seeing everything, bad for improvisation.
-Following the rules is also a MUST. If that sign says "No photos here" they MEAN it and you cannot break the rule. This also means no sneaking a kiss in the dark or something because public indecency is BAD. At least you convinced him holding hands isn't part of public indecency.
-There will be a quiz afterwards and you need to pass otherwise he'll feel the date wasn't successful.
-Tea is a must and if you aren't a tea person I'm sorry but you're wrong. (Sorry, my tea opinions. I'm joking.)
Savanaclaw: Jack
Look, in my heart Jack's the only one in Savanaclaw who would enjoy a museum date. He has the patience to look at the exhibits, likes reading the plaques with information, and finds the slightly overpriced gift shops charming. For the topic, Jack would love a horticulture museum or a conservatory with thousands of plants. Big bonus if there are cacti.
Pros:
-Jack will go through the exhibits and not rush you along! He likes looking around and learning about the topics too! Not afraid to switch things around and skip exhibits if you're not interested.
-He's filled with plant knowledge and will probably get into light conversation with other patrons/workers over displays.
-Not afraid to do the interactive elements! Even if it's a live show, he'll be willing to step up which makes the experience more memorable.
-Will buy you that oversized, slightly pricey stuffed cacti with a cartoon face because you batted your eyes and said "please".
Cons:
-If there are too many people, Jack's sensitive hearing and nose will overload and he may need to step outside or rush through an exhibit if it's super loud.
-Attracts too many curious kids who haven't learned personal boundaries and want to tug on his tail or pet his ears.
-Wants to take some of the cacti home and you have to remind him that they're part of the museum/conservatory.
Octavinelle: Azul
A museum you say? Information about a niche topic Azul is fascinated by? A chance to see what draws customers to an establishment? Potential business deal with the museum's restaurant to partner with Monstro Lounge? Say no more! He'd be delighted to go with you on this business ven— I mean date! I'm sorry, but Azul can't leave his capitalism behind for your date. As for museum, Azul would love one that's Geological based: talking about both the ocean and land.
Pros:
-Azul has all his ocean facts! You have a question or follow up thought about an exhibit? Say no more, Azul will happily tell you! He's also not a slouch with land based knowledge as, like Riddle, he's very studious.
-May have a small schedule made of places he's most interested in seeing, but has no problem adding your preferences in to maximize your time.
-Will pick a museum with an Excellent restaurant so you'll eat super well. Azul has STANDARDS and no date of his will eat subpar food.
Cons:
-Azul's knowledge is too good and he may accidentally attract a crowd who believe he works at the museum or is a guest speaker. This sometimes makes leaving a challenge.
-Will grumble if they have even the slightest mistake or nitpick about the information on the ocean. He will proceed to "correct" this "gross misconception" even though it's all a technicality. You just have to let this slide.
-He is taking notes, as I said above, about what draws patrons into the museum and restaurant. Will do data collecting on the menu at the restaurant and will nitpick anything. Ordering can take forever as he's quizzing the poor server. Also is trying to secure a deal with the restaurant to promote Monstro Lounge.
Scarabia: Jamil
I think between Kalim and Jamil, Jamil would like a museum date more. He's patient and knowledgeable while also enjoying learning. For the museum I think Jamil would love one centred around the history of a specific country or location, as he likes travel.
Pros:
-Jamil, like Riddle, is prepared on the date! You'll see all the exhibits and places! Also like Riddle, Jamil knows many things, though I feel this will be a learning experience for the both of you. This means you can share the experience of learning with Jamil and that's special.
-Jamil has no problem holding hands the entire time, gently guiding, but also willing to take time at each exhibit.
-He has no problem sharing food at the restaurant, which I think is a fun, classic date move!
-At the gift shop he will stop you from overspending. He can help enforce a hard limit should spending be an issue. He can also help choose between items too!
Cons:
-Anyone "suspicious" gets too close and it's game over for them. Jamil is too used to assassins and other ill intentions going after Kalim and he can't turn that off. I'm sorry. This may result in getting scolded by the staff or even kicked out...
-Will not participate in any interactive event unless he's looked EVERYTHING over and deemed there to be no traps or harmful elements.
-This same suspicion goes to the food at the restaurant so it might be best if Jamil packs a picnic lunch and do that separate from the museum.
-May accidentally get into an "information" battle with the staff when you're at the Scalding Sands exhibit because Jamil knows too much about his hometown. He's just a tad prideful.
Pomefiore: Rook
Please know in my heart Vil is included in this as I live by the rule "do not separate them" and "Everyone has two hands" and "OT3s rule my life". I'm so sorry... I have RookVil brain rot. Anyways, I picked Rook specifically to talk about because while I think Vil likes museums, he doesn't like obscuring himself in public. The chance of people recognizing him is too high. For the museum it has to be an art museum. There is simply no other way with Rook.
Pros:
-You want to learn about a specific piece or artist? Wow, Rook suddenly found a museum with that specific piece or artist's collection! Isn't that amazing? No, he did not spend hours searching for the perfect museum for you...
-Rook knows so much about art! Not just the piece and technique itself, but also about the artist. You need not join a single guided tour or ask a worker as Rook can do all the explaining.
-He loves holding hands the entire time and sneaking kisses. Rook is just so in love and wants to express it! It's sickeningly sweet. Though, if that's not your thing, he'll happily oblige.
-100% willing to take photos! Either of the art pieces, if allowed, or of you two to commemorate the date. All his photos are perfect and deserve to be in a photography magazine.
-Rook will pay for the meal. No, don't try to argue with him. He is the one arranging the date and so he wants to pay for everything. Next time he'll allow himself to be treated, but this time it's on him.
-See something you want at the gift shop? It's bought. See something you didn't know you wanted but as soon as Rook buys it you know it's perfect? Yeah, that happens.
Cons:
-Rook will poetically explain a piece loudly with all the random French sprinkled in. I hope you've kept up with learning some French... Rook is too into his speech to translate.
-Will get into "passionate conversations" over pieces of art with anyone. Is also prone to dunking on people by displaying his knowledge of the arts.
-Casually mention off hand that you really like a piece? Rook is calling a worker over asking how much it is. Please, put that wallet down, Rook! All the art is super expensive!!!
-If anyone bothers you they'll be sorry :) Later, of course! Rook has to treat his date to The Perfect Date first.
Ignihyde: Idia
Okay, first know that under ANY normal circumstance you're not getting Idia out on a museum date. Nope! He's staying huddled at home where the Wi-Fi is, cuddled under blankets and pillows, playing his games. However, he will come out to the museum for two (2) exhibits: space and an anime exhibit. That's right, anime sometimes do exhibits of costumes and facts about the series too! Twisted Wonderland did it as a matter of fact! So, pick either one of those and Idia has a high chance of coming out, especially the anime one if it's limited time.
Pros:
-Tickets? Maps? Any information about the exhibit? Idia has it. He has it a week before the exhibit and purchase was released to the public. Do not ask how.
-Strategies. Idia has an entire game plan to optimize your time and see the parts you're both interested in. He also has the "correct" time to go to the exhibit AKA when there are as few people as possible.
-Knows so much about the exhibit. He's practically a walking, talking, breathing encyclopedia. If there is anything you don't know he'll either tell you on the spot or look it up with ease. I will note this is only for an anime exhibit. For space he only cares about the parts he's interested in, discarding the rest.
-Any limited edition merch is already ordered and bought. Anything else you want at the gift store? He'll buy it. Idia has a ridiculous amount of money so it's easy for him.
Cons:
-Idia gets into rage debates with people over aspects of any anime/game. Does not have to be part of the exhibit. Someone could off-handed say something wrong and Idia is there to correct. Please, Idia, step back... you'll get kicked out.
-Hides his hair and generally doesn't want to be noticed. This means any interactive display is a no-go. Frets a little too much over people recognizing him as "a Shroud".
-Will only eat at the restaurant if they have a cool theme to their food, like when anime cafes open up. (Which are super fun by the way, I loved going to those.)
-Will try (and succeed) in buying out the entire gift shop if he isn't stopped.
Diasomnia: Malleus
Personally, I think all of Diasomnia would like museums, but I'm picking Malleus to talk about because I think he'd enjoy them the most. For the topic I think Malleus, like Riddle, would like any museum as he's always willing to learn. Though, if I had to pick a topic for Malleus it would be architecture.
Pros:
-Malleus is willing to go to any museum and learn along side you. Unlike some of the others, he genuinely has little base for the topics, so he's not spitting facts, but simply absorbing the information.
-Completely fascinated by everything in the museums! He's essentially an overpowered dragon child looking in awe and wonder at the displays and exhibits. Super cute and that means nothing will be boring to him. Also means he'll create fun memories with you because he's so into trying it all.
-Hold his hand and he's over the moon. He'll treat it like he's holding a treasure and won't want to let go. Also feel free to drag him around because so few people have the courage to just tug at him and it's refreshing.
-You want something at the restaurant or gift shop and it's yours. No questions, no comment on price. Also, Malleus is paying because Lilia told him that it's the courteous thing to do. Please let Malleus have it this time and then pay for the next date as equality in spending money on dates is important!
Cons:
-People are terrified of Malleus. Like, here is the heir to Briar Valley and one of the strongest mages just casually strolling the museum. At least unlike Vil most aren't brave enough to try snapping a photo.
-Like with Rook if anyone bothers you or gives you a hard time they're in so much trouble. This may include "minor" infractions that aren't really worth it.
-Malleus may not have a good sense of strength and accidentally break something. He is willing pay for it, despite all the museum staff terrified of demanding money from The Malleus Draconia.
-I'm sorry but there is a high chance that Sebek WILL trail the date because he "has to protect Malleus-sama". If you're lucky Lilia has averted this. If you're unlucky Lilia is right there beside Sebek as an agent of chaos.
And there we have it! Here is my list of museum dates and thoughts about them. It's long, but I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think, friend and your choices! I'm always eager to read your thoughts!
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fluffytriceratops · 2 years
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R U L E S + N A V I G A T I O N
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【 ❝i've always like tomorrow. you haven't made any mistakes yet in tomorrow..❞】
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Thank you. <3
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:)
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【 ❝sometimes i grow tired of life, and long, for the next great adventure.❞】
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skewbforty · 1 year
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Story time
2020, although not the worst year of my life, definitely ranks at least top 5. But it didn't suck harder for me than it did in July, when at my most vulnerable, someone who ran the community that I at the time called my family, had everyone gang up on me and made me feel as betrayed as possible. I won't go into the details, but long story short, I eventually got better. Slightly.
But 3 things became my beacon of hope in those times. 1 was my own server which I had established soon afterwards, which turned out to be a huge success, 1 was my now girlfriend who stuck with me and gave me support, but 1 was a slightly less likely source.
It was an Animal Crossing parody account on Twitter which back then, as a site, wasn't 180% pure anger and hatred. There was still salvageable material on the website at that point in its life.
That's not to say there weren't angry people tho, and boy did they fuck that account over.
I'm not gonna say the account's name to protect my own ass, but what happened one day not long after I had found it, was the account had said something slightly stupid, either knowingly or unknowingly, that could be seen as slightly racially insensitive. All of a sudden, they got absolutely lynched by people for that tweet, wave after wave after wave of hatred, threats and toxicity which broke them to the point where they deleted that account.
Now, I am NOT saying what the parody account did was right. I do think they should maybe have thought a bit more about what they said, especially in an age like this. But it's not like they said any slurs, or direct attacks, or anything any government would consider hate speech. And yet they got absolutely flooded with hate with whatever they said (which btw, I don't even remember what it was, go figure)
I've been victim of this too. On one of my old accounts on this website I talked briefly about why I thought Sasha (which funnily enough is also an Animal Crossing character) was not transmasculine. I tried to remain as inclusive as I possibly could about trans people, and I even went out of my way to say "I could be wrong, if you disagree, that's perfectly fine, and you could be right". In the end, it's all a game and it was just a ramble in good fun in the spirit of the game. Didn't work. That post got so much hate. Not nearly as much as the parody Twitter account got, but I was called "cis scum" left and right. (I find it painfully fortuitous that people in defence of trans people called a trans person who wasn't 100% perfect in their wording "cis scum" >.>) but that's the kind of place we live in atm. Yes, the haters out there are just trying to do the right thing, but some are trying too hard. And ultimately doing the opposite of what they sought out to do in their extremity.
I will miss that parody account. Not for their one dumb tweet they made, but for their other thousands of delightfully funny tweets. And it's not like the only one. I just found another account that's similar in style only on this site, and for Minecraft instead of Animal crossing. So I’m glad I was able to find some humour in this chaotic world again. Because the show must go on.
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florenceisfalling · 2 years
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is this ordeal with dream making you reassess rpf fandoms in general or anything?
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edit i realize i went on a mostly irrelevant tangent bc of my posts where i said ive always disliked the dsmp fandom, but if you were wondering Solely because of the allegations, no. stanning a real person always comes at a risk and while it sucks when things go awry i do think i'm normal Enough about my parasocial behaviors that i'll be fine mentally regardless of the outcome and will leave if i must. ok now onto the rest of the post
oh i'm ok discussing the community, just not like. the details of the allegations.
and the answer is: not particularly. the dsmp fandom is a pretty unique case, not in terms of content (i dont wanna sound like the kinda person who thinks minecraft rp is new) but in terms of community.
this is not to say that other fandoms surrounding real people are better, much less perfect, but they're definitely a more comfortable thing for me.
for one, i've seen a lot of people having the dsmp as a "baby's first fandom" sort of moment. i think this is because its something really popular that is harder to enjoy passively - while you can watch stranger things with your family and get the whole experience just by watching the show, with the dsmp you need to keep up with cc twitter pages and stuff to be fully in-the-loop, and this leads into fandom pretty easily. this means you have a lot of people going around getting into their very first discourse All At Once. and people who get Really attached to one thing and feel lost when suddenly the fandom they literally learned to draw/write/etc for goes quiet.
for two, the dsmp is a category that is broad as hell. its not like i watch all the ccs. i think that would probably make my brain melt from my ears. but when you have a category that is Broad As Johnny Bravo's Shoulders, its more like a million little fandoms than one big one, and they all overlap but don't really Share A Space. u can like someone's tubbo fanart and then see in their bio that they like, have a really strong vendetta against quackity or something. or vice versa. you also have a lot of shit to keep up with, which is simply too much for me. i will continue just having like. three dudes to think abt from now on rather than 30
thirdly, the thing Above about there being so many ccs does make the fandom more Baffling for everybody, and the community seemed to repeatedly add to that. i am not going to be like "hari and every popular blogger is evil! what about people who ARENT popular >:(" bc that is downright ridiculous, but think abt stuff like duo names, oddly specific tags, referring to ppl solely by nicknames, spreading conversation back and forth between multiple social media sites rather than just tumblr, etc - all of those things had a purpose and were perfectly fine (anyone who tells you that you must refer to your friends by username only just to make Their online experience more accessible is an idiot) but they did make things tricky for newcomers. friend groups aren't inherently cliques, but some of the ppl ive seen claiming that its "super easy to pop in and join no problem!" are the Exact folks ive seen unintentionally exclude others. again, not a moral failing, just a consequence of What Its Like in the fandom, especially to people who havent been around forever. and if you don't like a popular blogger youre kinda fucked bc they're everywhere- like can u imagine if there were Multiple clones of isa in the jse fandom, and they were like. your Only window into updates and shit etc etc? not to compare isa to anybody else. sorry to anybody who feels like theyre being compared to isa even if u dont know who that is. sorry
there's also an age difference in the fanbase And in the content creators. some of my favorite fic writers in the jse fandom are young, but some are also literally in their 30s with children and jobs. meanwhile a significant number of ppl in the dsmp fanbase making art n posting hot takes n stuff are under 17. particularly with tommy, ranboo, etc. and when so many of the streamers themselves are young, it can cause Problems - a lot of the adult ccs are at my college level, peak time for stupid behavior. not to mention,,, when you look at the jse/markiplier fandoms and see a fan being really sexual, its just like, "oh, maybe this is a little weird, but relatively harmless as long as they aren't being invasive about it." when you look into the fandom of a youtuber who isn't even old enough to vote yet, and see a fan being really sexual, it's more of a "holy shit that is predatory and fucking disgusting" moment.
^ continuing off of that, or at least the cc ages, their fame skyrocketed after a much shorter time than a lot of other creators. they did not have a normal adjustment period to being fucking everywhere. i'm not even one of them, and i didn't have a normal adjustment period to seeing them everywhere. older ccs with more professional stuff going on don't make the same mistakes as the newer folks. they know when to step away, too - as much as i wish jack was back on tumblr due to the theory content here, i also get why he's gone and understand that the environment would be Shaken tf up by his return.
having them be such a trend also meant that while the fandom is big, the anti-fandom is just as prevalent. in the jse fandom we have blue and their pals (yikes!), as well as a group of people that have generally negative feelings towards sean but are normal about it. we do not have entire communities dedicated to stalking him for "crit" and the amount of people speculating on his personal relationships have pretty much dwindled. we don't have people casually dropping his address and information about his family every time they meme about him. i can talk about watching jack and mark around ppl ive never met without starting off with a disclaimer! in fact, i frequently have to do the opposite with jack and mark, because their discourse is so Out Of Sight from the majority these days that some people just fucking ignore their friendship with pdp or past transmisogynistic jokes or etc etc etc. literally see ppl calling them "unproblematic kings!" every 2 seconds and gotta be like what the Fuck are you talking about
u also have the fact that the dsmp fandom became Such an ordeal during a really shitty time of fandom discourse in general. while people arent like going batshit insane over steven universe or whatever so much anymore, the moral arguments about fiction right now are hell on earth. it is pedophilia to watch cartoons and abuse apologism to think a character who was mean one time is interesting and if you are personally attached to a character then your feelings can just override canon in theory discussions. literally the worst time for anyone to be in a fandom regarding very morally/politically funky roleplay. as evidence i present whomever the fuck thought up the idea of posting proship discourse on r/dwt2
lastly i am far more invested in the egos as far as hyperfixating goes rather than the actual creators (as much as i love them) and would have zero problem just taking anti and making him My Own Guy (considering ive already basically done that) in the case that jack. idk. killed someone and was promptly cancelled on twitter for murder.
so yeah no. my deepseated hatred of the fandom in general (despite my love for much of the art and the wonderful people ive met) does not extend to all real person fandoms
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bilbobagginshome · 1 year
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A Deadbeat’s Journal 14
A Jotaro Kujo x blackfemreader fic.
Jotaro’s Thoughts.
I should have known my mom’s nonchalance to my illness was a gateway to something even more harrowing.Why does she text me, confirming that she’s arriving today? Alongside that old man . Luckily they aren’t staying with us because I cannot have her clueing in on the romantic tension between us especially since she loves y/n as much as a daughter.Their flight lands at 7pm . It’s now four and if I know anything about Kenyan traffic , I should be headed to the airport anytime soon . But it's a Sunday and our unconventional serial watching is currently happening and y/n was really excited for us to watch the last episodes of the Tom and Jerry series so I just had to comply.
“Hold on, you said mom Holly and gramps is coming? You should have told me sooner! What will we even be having for dinner ? Not to mention where will they sleep? “ she exclaimed, already rising up from her position much to Samosa’s annoyance.
“They’re staying at the whitesands so everything is fine. Also I wasn’t even aware of their arrival till this morning.” I cooly respond.
“Why are you acting so calm then, you know after five the rush hour begins so let's go get them” She quickly responds , already changing to a blue crop top and brown wide legged satin trousers with white flip flops.Already aware that I won’t be able to finish this episode without /n yapping about how late we are going to get I decide to switch to a white vest and grey bermuda short with some sandals. As I look into my closet , I’m beginning to realise a lack of diversity in my shorts collection.
“Can we go with Samosa?” She asked , though it seemed more like an afterthought considering she was already leashing the unamused cat. I felt Samosa’s pain. I too ,just wanted to quietly watch a nostalgic TV series during the peaceful Sunday afternoon.Simply nodding as y/n looked up to me, I took the keys.
“Btw , I’ve been thinking about getting a job” She vaguely states. I mean , considering how she’s been progressing , getting to the workforce would either significantly amplify her new persona or completely diminish it and considering she does law, the latter is most likely and I inform her of this.
“I know it's a bit daunting but I won’t take a prosecutor job that would have me in the court 24/7, I was thinking more casual ,like  a consulting job.” she cordially responds. I mean that is less mentally draining and I ask her if she had any jobs lined up.
“Not really , I mean mom has good connections but we both know I’m not talking to her so I was searching up work from home . They pay a bit less than on site but I don't really care.” I grunt. I know that the job search was kickstarted by mom Faith’s harsh remarks but that seems like a sore subject she still doesn’t want to bring up and I know assuring her that she isn't a burden will only amplify her mom’s words further so I say ensuring my tone is kind enough;
“I’ll help you in every step of the way.”
I must have said the right thing cause she’s smiling from ear to ear.The golden rays from the windscreen perfectly capture the glow of her complexion . She pets Samosa whilst grinning in response and I swear to Buddha her voice was sweeter than honey when she thanked me. I literally felt like the butterflies in my stomach were struggling to break free.I quickly attempted to compose myself.If mom notices how strung I am then I’m  never going to hear the end of it.
We luckily missed the dreadful traffic and I quickly drove past the high, unrailed Changamwe bridge that y/n is frightened off .She admonishes by slapping my arm after we are a few miles away from it. Soon I could see the Moi International airport and after traversing through the parking lot , we found a shaded one which I hastily packed in . Samosa, who is jumpy by the new surroundings attempts to hide underneath the car and I gently coo for her to come out and after sensing that danger is not nearby , hesitantly comes out .
The general area is packed. Despite it being the low tourism season ,there seems to be multiple foreigners surrounding the area and after confirming from the overhead boards that Mom’s flight is arriving soon , we sit next to other tourists who are seemingly waiting for transport.  Samosa seems to have gained their attention and quickly looked away at anyone who attempted to coo at her . It seemed a while before y/n suddenly says
“I’m hungry.”
“Wait for dinner.”
“Can we buy snacks?”she pleads.
“Have you seen the prices here? Daylight robbery.” I retort.
“Says the guy who bought all those toys for Samosa.”She grumbles.
“She uses them everyday, it's justified.” I advocate in a less convincing tone. She slightly chuckles at that, aware that I won’t budge which is true since she tends to get full easily when she eats snacks before a meal.
The attendant announces that their flight is approaching and y/n begins to glance at the gate that they should be approaching . I’m kind of excited too ,my mom and I were quite close and it would have been very difficult to move to an entirely different continent had I not had mom Faith and y/n.
Soon I see the old man’s bulging figure carrying their luggages and before I can even wave, y/n jumps up and runs to them . Mom equates the excitement and rushes to give her a warm hug.
“How are you sweetheart! Everytime I see you, you end up looking more beautiful than the last time. You must have all the men fawning over you! “ She teases as she lightly pinches y/n cheeks .Y/n simply looks away, embarrassed with a timid smile. Mom hugs me and says.
“I didn’t think you were a cat person Jojo.” she shockingly states . I responded that y/n brought her home and I quickly grew fond of her .She gleams as she softly pets Samosa. Meanwhile y/n is currently in a rib crushing hug that leaves her airborne because of an overexcited old man .
“Wow , look at you , you’ve grown so tall, you can now reach my shoulders.” He jokingly booms while placing y/n and her potentially broken bones down. 
“Gramps , you are so mean . I’ll have you know that 170cm is above average height for a Kenyan woman.” She huffs back scornfully . I chuckle at that .
“Jojo , is that how you help welcoming guests. You should have already helped me with some of my luggage. That is the Kenyan way after all.” He greets . I should have known the know-it-all would start with his childish antics  and just to spite him , I responded;
“You still seem in shape so I’ll let you bear the burden.”
“Holly! Look at your child.”He points out aloud and she  chuckles. After hugging him and helping out with the luggage, we head out .Samosa seems to really like mom as she stuck to her from the moment they met but is a bit annoyed at Gramps and refuses to let him touch her much to his disbelief and disappointment .
“Oh, it's fine mom , I can sit at the back with gramps.”Y/n says.
“So I wasn’t going to sit at the front at all?” He sorrowfully questions.
“Nonsense y/n , what difference does it make, that’s practically your seat.” Mom responds as she moves a reluctant y/n to sit shotgun. 
“Yeah, it's practically your seat.” I tease as she chides with a weak arm slap.
Mom ,now seated with a  grumpy gramps at the back , notices the playful nature and states.
“Since you guys moved in together , you’re a lot closer now huh?” She gleefully says to which gramps adds;
“I think they are, y/n attempted to help me with a bag and Jotaro was quick to stop her. Before he wouldn’t even have cared as much.”
From the rear mirror , I notice the slight smile that graces her features. Mom at first, may seem like an airhead but she is just as observant and calculating as a detective and that is a sweat inducing thought.
Y/n excitedly shows the developments the city has had and the ooh and aahs begin. She points to the newly built roads, the almost completed, new Changamwe bridge , the former landfill that was turned to a park and the new blue -white colours all the buildings in town lawfully oblige by.
“Mombasa has changed in the last three years I was last here than in the last 10 years before these developments.”Mom approvingly says
“And there is still more to come, at least based on the manifestos so that's a 50% chance of actually happening.” Y/n responds.
“It's a good thing I decided to buy a hotel here then. Tourism seems to be picking up too.” Gramps said.
“You’re buying a hotel here?” I question . I hadn’t even thought about why they were abruptly coming . I ask if it's to do with securing the deal on the hotel he’s planning to purchase and he agrees to my deduction. Mom just came here for a vacation and to visit us and mom Faith.
“Actually y/n , I needed a real estate law consultant and the first guy has been trying to rip me off. I was thinking of putting you on board and if all goes well, you can help manage it too.”He earnestly says .
“Really? But you do realise I haven’t had much training in anything outside commercial law right?” She meekly asked .
“A longtime lawyer of Joestar Estates will be helping you out .Don't be so soft, You would have already demanded a job from me not a while back .” He pleads.
“Okay fine, I’ll do it. I expect a good amount of zeros every month.” She animatedly responds and Joestar loudly laughs in appreciation 
I was very worried that the online jobs she’d pursue were going to be far underwhelming for her skills.Considering that her degree was what put her in a therapist’s chair, she should have at least gained the benefit of earning a good amount of money that the degree holds.
We talk through the hour-long journey, entertained by light hearted banter .Mom and gramps excitedly talk about the places they want to visit and Y/n puts herself in guide duty. 
“I’ll even take you to Jotaro’s workplace, mom , he’s doing great work out there. He’s already cleaned up a quarter of the beaches around the most affected beaches in Mombasa.” She says in the most approving tone. I could feel my cheeks reddening . I didn't even know she kept up with the work I do. Honestly , I thought she never listened whenever I told her about my day . It’s comforting to know that she sees my work as worthwhile as she makes it sound.
Mom now gives me a mischievous glance from the mirror and says;
“Who would have thought I’d get to see the day y/n would give jojo a compliment huh? I wonder what has happened between you two.”
“Jotaro is more than his large, blunt exterior .” Y/n unknowingly replied to which gramps laughed at . We arrived at the restaurant and much to our annoyance , Samosa was not allowed within the premises. We promised to visit first thing in the morning and after hugs , we were well along our way to find some shawarma and fries for dinner. 
“Jojo, was I very mean to you?” Y/n slowly asks as we alight .Whilst caring our food I reply honestly ;
“Yeah , I mean you crushed little Jotaro’s heart when you said you didn’t like playing with me cause I’m ‘disgustan’ according to you.” I say as y/n widens her eyes .
“I don’t remember saying that!” y/n exclaims.
“The perpetrator is always unaware of the victim’s pain.And to think I found you the prettiest girl on earth.” I respond whilst maintaining eye contact. She looked away . When I thought I had bested her she says;
“I only remember hating you cause you were older and smarter than me . I always thought I was two steps behind you .” She responds and makes eye contact . Well that was news , so that animosity stemmed from her complex.She slowly adds;
“I also thought you were handsome, even in high school, but you hated the attention so I always suppressed that emotion.”She says and quickly walks to the apartment stairs ,Samosa cradled to her chest.I’m grateful she went up first , my mouth was heavy and I felt as though I was in anti gravity. We ate supper, refusing to acknowledge the quiet admission of our old flames and instead attempt to finish the Tom and Jerry episode .
I slept lightly and woke up at 6 , quickly getting through my workout routine and encouraging y/n to wake up for our breakfast outside . She begrudgingly agrees , always so cranky when it's morning time and by 8 we leave Samosa with enough food . Y/n goes over with a swimsuit ,to make use of the larger hotel pool and a slight peek at her bag reveals an infuriatingly revealing bikini .
“You’re wearing this bikini?”
“It’s cute right ? and it's hot pink too, which matches perfectly with my coverup.”she says as she removes the bikini and coverup to show me.
“Don't you think it's too revealing ?” I chastise.
She looks at me from over her almost opaque dark sunglasses , mouth pressed thin.
“It's currently 33℃. They should be glad I’m not skinny dipping .” She nonchalantly responds and places back her pieces in the tote. I look at the rear mirror and refuse to think of the visual her words had.
When we arrive , we are escorted to the dining area . The breakfast buffet is mouthwatering and based on how y/n perks up , she agrees . She greets Mom and gramps who are already seated and heads out to try the breakfast she is less likely to eat on the daily and I just decide on eating a Japanese breakfast since it's been a while. When we seat, Y/n asks ;
“Since you guys are jetlagged , we can start touring tomorrow , where do you want to go?”
“I’ve never been to the South Coast, we can go there.”
I’m lowkey mad that I can’t be able to join them during the better part of the week.Work has me completely shackled. I’m definitely requesting a paid leave after I finish the research bulk and dropping my phone on the deepest parts of the ocean just in case an ‘emergency’ pops up.Like what emergency could pop up? they found a new starfish species? Been there done that.After breakfast , Y/n heads to change and live her enviously free day in a pool being gorgeous whilst sipping mimosas and I’m forced back to scuba dive to look for water creatures that are not as visually appealing.
I head to the pool to inform her that I’m headed out and the jaw dropping sight that is y/n in her bikini is branded on my brain . She gives me a small wink . Who told her she could look that good? With an audience? It's maddening . I almost felt like gorging the eyes of the pool attendant who was staring her down. I should have carried her away from the leering men and jealous wives.
“I’m leaving .” I hoarsely say.
“Have a lovely day Jojo .Don’t forget we are having dinner here.”She says as she gradually dips into the cold water.
She gives me a heartwarming smile once she’s in , water covering everything aside from her face and neck.
Her duality makes me shiver. Maybe she does deserve a day at the hotel .Why should she, a stunning girl, bother working when I can provide her days of bliss?
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cosmicdreamgrl · 1 month
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oh! the pinned post 🥺💗 it really suits with your theme huh?! haha but anyway... HI STEPH! i'm here because i've read it a post of yours that really messed up with my own feelings and decided to came here to easy that impostor feeling you're having about yourself and your creations. so i'm going to tell a little thing about my own experience: when i first started this 14 years ago i constanly compared my things with another ones, when tumblr got really viral in 2010/11 with all the harry potter's content i was in the middle of it feeling mediocre because i couldn't make a proper coloring and didn't even know how to put sharpen and etc. like the great ccs alreayd was doing at that time. i saw every big network birth and huge other creators receiving that great attention after me and constanly made the same questions that you made on your post. the worst one was: i will never be as talented or creative as this person will i? and that is the WORST feeling to have as a creator. because you started to doubt yourself, your talent, your colors... and we shouldn't do it because every person has his own colors, his own style. we shouldn't doubt about the encouraging comments people left on our posts or our work in general. every single one of us has his own way to see beauty, so we must believe in that. i took so long to make my bangtan blog because i was so afraid!!! afraid of the people but mostly afraid of myself. i talked about it not long ago on my blog. anyway, honey please don't let this feeling be more than you are! you're talented, there's no "oh you like that person's posts more because she/he is more talented than me" it's your brain trying to confused you. tumblr creators has often this feeling as my personal experience can tell 😖 i particularly am very glad that you started giffing, i really am. because you make things that you like, with your own personal way to make it, your comps are majestic, the choreo gifs, everything and would never be able to do that and it's all fine... i love to see the improvement on your things... but you don't have to be so HARD to yourself. let things be as they are. if you wanna make diff things, so make it, if you wanna keep as you are, so keep it. everything is fine as long as you're comfortable with it. i hope i could make sense, i hate english, but it's the only language i can talk with my friends so... 😔 sorry if i interpreted your vent post differently tho. wishing nothing but the best, sweet. if you need anything, i'm on a message away 🌷
before i begin answering this, thank you for checking in in general pat, it means a lot to know that at least one person cared enough to. also yes, i pinned your post (which i'm very much in love with wbk) and realized it matches my theme perfectly. go figure lol.
as for said vent post? i wish i could say it was a byproduct of the time of the month but as someone who works in a creative field for a living & is now a part time content creator for this site, i think the imposter syndrome is an unfortunate but inevitable side effect. am i aware that it's my own brain playing tricks on me? yes. does it stop it from happening? no. deep down, i know i'm good at what i do; in fact, there's so much i've gotten better at and i'm proud of myself for it but when you see other creators getting more attention and love for their work? yeah, it can be easy to spiral and doubt not only your abilities but your worth and what you actually contribute to this site.
i'm doing my best to undo this mentality, it's a work in progress to be sure. i know you and so many others appreciate my creations, that's what keeps me going on some days because if not, i think i would've quit ages ago. truth be told, sometimes i still feel like it but i do enjoy the process of making gifs and trying out new things, so don't worry i'm not going anywhere in that sense. but i was serious about taking a break from posting for a bit, i'm feeling the emotional drainage and i need some time to recover before i get back into the swing of things.
i digress, thank you for taking the time to reassure me and honestly just being one of the sweetest & most supportive people here. i couldn't be more grateful to have you in my life, i hope you take care and i hope you get better soon (i saw your post about having an infection, ooft). all my love as always 💞💗
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websitesdepotla · 9 months
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Law Firm Seo Marketing Tips For 2024 And Beyond
Have you been looking for law firm SEO marketing advice that goes beyond the “same old same old?” If you’ve been searching for ways to improve your law firm’s SEO, our guess is that you’ve seen literally thousands of blogs about “fundamentals” and “how to start.” That’s not what this is. You can find that anyway. Sure, we can and have handled all of that for our clients. That said, we also like to highlight the advice that maybe you haven’t encountered as much.
Of course, we always stress starting with the fundamentals. The thing about law firm SEO (and really all digital marketing) is that there’s always something you can do right now. Maybe you can do some more keyword research to find which keywords you should rank for. Perhaps you should be brainstorming more content or even more ways to produce content. Regardless, you should have a responsive website, be optimized on-site and off, have your social media going strong, and more. If you’re not up to speed with all of that yet, we can help.
Voice Search: Only Getting More Popular It’s entirely possible that you found this article through a voice search. As people get busier and busier, voice search becomes more and more popular. This can be an opportunity but you have to meet it in a certain way. Writing the same content for the same keywords as before may not necessarily be as effective when it comes to voice search. Why? Because people don’t speak in abbreviations. When they speak, they, well, speak. They tend to talk more conversationally, just as they would if they were talking to a human being. So, when you’re doing your keyword research for your content, consider going after a few keywords just for voice search. These tend to be a bit longer, a bit more spelled out. The trick then, is fitting them organically into your content. These keywords often have a location involved somewhere: “in Los Angeles,” “in Orange County,” and so forth. You probably aren’t going to want to divert your entire content strategy towards voice search keywords. But, it’s one more thing you can do to connect to more potential clients.
The Hidden Goals of Content We find that, when we do an initial audit of our law firm clients, they tend to look at content operationally. That’s fine. That’s perfectly understandable. You’re creating this content for a reason, you want something from it. However, being so focused on the technical aspects of the content can, perhaps paradoxically, keep you from creating great content.
Yes, you want your content to use the keyword organically in the first paragraph, sporadically throughout, and mentioned in at least one heading, all of that. But, remember, your content has more goals than just that, too. Your content has to show your authority. It must emphatically demonstrate that you can provide solutions for those who consume it.
What helps tremendously with that? Accessibility. If you’re reading this, you know to make your website ADA-compliant. You know that you have to do that for a multitude of valid reasons. However, there’s more to accessibility than just ADA compliance. How is your content written? Do you use a lot of legal jargon? Are your paragraphs dense and long? How does it read?
For the most part (as you’ve probably guessed at this point) some of the best-performing content conveys important points in an easy to read format. We try to keep our paragraphs short (rarely over four lines) and the sentences short as well. That way, (and through the use of transitions) it makes for a better reading experience.
Prospective clients think (rightly) that an attorney who makes everything simple and easy to understand will be able to sway a jury, the other side, and so forth. Most folks in America read at a 7th to 8th-grade level. You remember those years. Making your content as accessible as possible is something that far too many law firms overlook.
Perhaps The Most Important Virtue at the Beginning You know not to sign with an SEO for attorneys agency who says they can promise results “overnight.” Those are the people just looking to take your money and offer nothing in the way of results. That said, you also don’t want to just keep giving an agency money without seeing any results whatsoever, either. Perhaps the best virtue you can have, at least at the beginning, is patience. Every law firm and situation is different. For example, with our company, depending on where our lawyer clients are starting from, we tend to get them results in just a few months’ time. You’ll note that we used the vague “a few” because, frankly, the results are all over the place. Some see results quickly whereas others do have to wait some months. But, organic SEO, when done right, leads to lasting results.
When conducted in conjunction with a paid ads campaign, you can see lead generation results that build on themselves.  
Law Firm SEO Marketing Experts
The above are just some of the tactics that we can help our clients with. No matter where you are with your SEO, whether you’re just starting out or you’re looking to build on what you’ve got, we can help. Our team has helped so many law firms who practice many different kinds of law to go to the next level.
Indeed, we have packages for all different kinds of law firms: bankruptcy law firms, personal injury, immigration, and more. We can put together a package for you, too. For a free consultation with our law firm SEO marketing experts, you can call us at (888) 477-9540.
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windsorhelmets · 1 year
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Have you ever used Windsor’s fashionable bicycle helmets?
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Yes! A two-wheeler should wear a helmet since it lowers the accident rate. In most cases, no helmet is worn. Windsor offers fashionable helmets in a variety of price points.
Why are helmets required to be worn?
Bike helmets may be an essential component of passenger and rider safety. Unfortunately, people frequently forget to wear these protective headgears, which leads to risky incidents.
You ought to use a bike helmet because:
Keep your mind and body safe.
One of the leading causes of fatalities and some brain injuries for bikers among site visitors are head injuries. According to the national dual carriageway visitors protection management, bicycle helmets can reduce head and brain injuries by up to 88 percent. Due to this fact, wearing a helmet is the only practical way to reduce your risk of suffering a fatal or serious brain damage.
Block the wind
We quickly feel the wind on our faces after getting on our bikes. Under these circumstances, helmets are said to have a two-wheeler accent that keeps the wind from rushing into our faces while we are moving quickly. As a result, we become conscious of the filth, mud, and dust that are coming towards us.
Protects from the sun
Workers at construction sites are constantly exposed to the sun’s rays, endangering their health. Wide brim safety helmets are therefore seen to be the best option since they may offer sufficient protection from UV radiation. This makes it possible for people to work for a longer amount of time without experiencing weariness or health issues.
To ensure that your staff are completely safe, make sure the safety helmets are in good shape. Make sure they must fit perfectly. Even if hearing protection is required at work, employees should always wear safety helmets. You may also get helmets with incorporated hearing protection.
Observing the Law
Ordinarily, laws are made to protect large numbers of people from danger. The safety of the populace is given first priority. The law is tight in many nations; if you don’t wear a helmet, you lose your license. Its social control, nevertheless, happens later.
Providing a Model
It’s not just important for your own safety and the protection of your friends, family, and children that you wear a helmet. You raise awareness by introducing the use of helmets among your friend’s group, which is subsequently picked up on by those around.
Additionally, most group rides make it necessary to wear a helmet to ride with them. Group rides are a great opportunity to meet other cyclists in your area, discover new routes, and just hang out with like-minded people.
 Where can I get the greatest bicycle helmets?
In India, Windsor is the top producer of driving helmets and safety gear. They take pleasure in offering accessories and helmets in different sizes to suit the needs of every consumer.
1. The quiet strap lock found on the Windsor Helmet works nicely with the helmet. It contains high-quality helmets and a button that may be used as an open-face helmet.
2. While operating the motorcycle, its shell provides you with fantastic amenities. It is thin and has been inside softened with foam so that it will no longer give you a neck ache.
3. If the government decides to enact legislative guidelines on helmet standardisation, properly authorized motorcycle helmets also shield riders from paying any fines or suffering any other penalties.
4. The Windsor helmet’s liner absorbs moisture, so you may wear it for extended periods of time without it being hot or unpleasant.
5. The bike helmets are comfortable and lightweight, making them ideal for long journeys.
In conclusion, wearing a bike helmet lowers your chance of suffering a serious head injury and passing away in the event of a fall or accident since the helmet absorbs most of the impact energy rather than your head and brain. Carrying the right helmet is just as important as wearing a helmet, though. Get stylish bike helmets online from Windsor.
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whumptober · 4 years
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Whumptober 2020 - Updated
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Welcome to Whumptober 2020! We’re doing things a little differently this year so please make sure to read the Event Info carefully. We are also excited to announce the addition of an AO3 Collection, which can be found here.
We hope you’re as excited as us to watch the Whump Community come together once again for a month of bone-crunching creativity and collaboration!
(All 31 Themes + Prompts, Event Information, and FAQs are posted below the cut!)
No 1. LET'S HANG OUT SOMETIME Waking Up Restrained | Shackled | Hanging
No 2. IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY  "Pick Who Dies" | Collars | Kidnapped
No 3. MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY Manhandled | Forced to their Knees | Held at Gunpoint
No 4. RUNNING OUT OF TIME Caged | Buried Alive | Collapsed Building
No 5. WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING? On the Run | Failed Escape | Rescue
No 6. PLEASE.... "Get it Out" | No More | "Stop, please"
No 7. I'VE GOT YOU Support | Carrying | Enemy to Caretaker
No 8. WHERE DID EVERYBODY GO? "Don't Say Goodbye" | Abandoned | Isolation
No 9. FOR THE GREATER GOOD "Take Me Instead" | "Run!” | Ritual Sacrifice
No 10. THEY LOOK SO PRETTY WHEN THEY BLEED Blood Loss | Internal Bleeding | Trail of Blood
No 11. PSYCH 101 Defiance | Struggling | Crying
No 12. I THINK I'VE BROKEN SOMETHING Broken Down | Broken Bones | Broken Trust
No 13. BREATHE IN BREATHE OUT Delayed Drowning | Chemical Pneumonia | Oxygen Mask
No 14. IS SOMETHING BURNING? Branding | Heat Exhaustion | Fire
No 15. INTO THE UNKNOWN Possession | Magical Healing | Science Gone Wrong
No 16. A TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY Forced to Beg | Hallucinations | Shoot the Hostage
No 17. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING Blackmail | Dirty Secret | Wrongfully Accused
No 18. PANIC! AT THE DISCO Panic Attacks | Phobias | Paranoia
No 19. BROKEN HEARTS Grief | Mourning Loved One | Survivor's Guilt
No 20. TOTO, I HAVE A FEELING WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE Lost | Field Medicine | Medieval
No 21. I DON'T FEEL SO WELL Chronic Pain | Hypothermia | Infection
No 22. DO THESE TACOS TASTE FUNNY TO YOU? Poisoned | Drugged | Withdrawal
No 23. WHAT’S A WHUMPEE GOTTA DO TO GET SOME SLEEP AROUND HERE? Exhaustion | Narcolepsy | Sleep Deprivation
No 24. YOU’RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE Forced Mutism | Blindfolded | Sensory Deprivation
No 25. I THINK I’LL JUST COLLAPSE RIGHT HERE, THANKS Disorientation | Blurred Vision | Ringing Ears
No 26. IF YOU THOUGHT THE HEAD TRAUMA WAS BAD... Migraine | Concussion | Blindness
No 27. OK, WHO HAD NATURAL DISASTERS ON THEIR 2020 BINGO CARD? Earthquake | Extreme Weather | Power Outage
No 28. SUCH WOW. MANY NORMAL. VERY OOPS. Accidents | Hunting Season | Mugged
No 29. I THINK I NEED A DOCTOR Intubation | Emergency Room | Reluctant Bedrest
No 30. NOW WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? Wound Reveal | Ignoring an Injury | Internal Organ Injury
No 31. TODAY’S SPECIAL: TORTURE Experiment | Whipped | Left for Dead
Alternate Prompt List
Alt 1. Punctured
Alt 2. Falling
Alt 3. Comfort
Alt 4. Stitches
Alt 5. Stoic Whumpees
Alt 6. Altered States
Alt 7. Found Family
Alt 8. Adverse Reactions
Alt 9. Memory Loss
Alt 10. Nightmares
Alt 11. Presumed Dead
Alt. 12. Water
Alt. 13 Accidents
Alt. 14 Shot
Alt. 15 Carry/Support
Event Info
WHUMPTOBER is a month-long, prompt-based creation challenge (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are 31 Official themes this year - one for each day of the month - which can be used, skipped, or combined in any way you’d like. They are meant to serve as inspiration without being taken literally (e.g. you don't have to include the exact wording into your work). Additionally, there are 3 prompts for each theme.  These are optional suggestions and can be used in conjunction with the theme, or as options/alternatives.  We want to give everyone as much creative freedom as possible, as well as increase event accessibility for folks with triggers and squicks.
Creators can PRODUCE work in any media they choose, including but not limited to: writing, visual artwork, and photo/video/audio edits. Creators can PARTICIPATE as much or as little as they want (i.e. you don’t have to do ALL the prompts if you don’t want to) and prompts can be used in any order. They are also free to use even after the event ends.
When uploading Whumptober content to your blog, be sure to tag the with:
#whumptober2020 …..(the event tag)
#no.1, #no.2, #no.3, …..(theme number)
#bruised, #stabbed,  …..(the theme or specific prompt you chose)
#fandom or #OC
#medium …..(gifs, fic, podcast, art, etc.)
#teeth, #etc …..(trigger warnings & any additional tags. Keep in mind not to add “tw” in front but only use the word/trigger itself, because tumblr sucks)
#nsfw, #nsfwhump …..(only for nsfw content)
PLEASE BE DILIGENT WITH YOUR TAGGING. Only properly tagged posts are considered for archiving on the official @whumptober2020​ blog. They must be tagged in the order above.
Unfortunately, due to the sheer number of participants in recent years, we cannot guarantee your work will be archived. A random selection of properly tagged posts from all genres will be reblogged each day.
Whumpers who produce content for 31 total theme days are considered event completionists and will be tagged in a masterpost at the end of the month.
Questions not addressed below can be directed to this blog as well.
Thanks for reading, and happy whumping!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What kind of content can I make? Can it be NSFW?
This is a MIXED MEDIA event! You can write fic, post meta, doodle or paint, create a gif set or photo edit, link a song, or get crafty with video - anything goes. As for NSFW, make what you like, we just hope that you’ll tag your work accordingly so that others participating in the event can stay safe :)
Q. Do I have to do all 31 Days? Can I post early/late?
Participate as much or little as you like, and post whenever! Just be sure to tag your posts properly (ex. #no.11, #psych101). Combining prompts into one piece of work is okay, and posting late is as well so as long as it’s in October.
Q. What if I don’t understand a theme?
Send us an ask! We’re happy to help clarify. That said, the themes are entirely up for interpretation :)
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soobmint · 3 years
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paper hearts | choi soobin [f] ; [c] 80s! au, 9.6k words
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s u m m a r y ; if there was one thing you wanted to avoid on valentine’s day, it was running into your ex best friend, choi soobin. but when a series of unfortunate events involving too much purple eyeshadow, drunken punches, and one stolen bicycle leads you right back to his side, you begin to realize that maybe you truly belonged with him all along.
c o n t e n t s ; soobin x fem!reader, 80s! au, valentine’s day, ex best friend! soobin, rich boy! soobin, but he’s a major dweeb and the biggest softie, yeonjun is a major prick (i’m so sorry junnie), reader is a part time worker, soobin is best friends with lee felix of stray kids, some themes of social classes, roughly inspired by the 80s movie “pretty in pink,” mentions drugs, alcohol, and single parent households, mostly just fluff, fluff, and more fluff, with a hint of crack/humor
n o t e ; hello friends! this was a very quickly planned, last minute valentine’s day idea, and it’s actually a collab with one of my dearest friends, @chanluster ! she posted her piece of the collab as well, you can check it out by going to the collab masterlist here! this was so much fun to write and i think that 80s! soobin was just too good of a concept to pass up! anyways, happy valentine’s day, i hope you enjoy this oneshot! do leave a like, reblog, or comment if you could, it really helps so much <3
[back to my masterlist] [oneshot playlist]
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IF ONE MORE CUT-OUT, CRAFT-PAPER HEART HIT YOU IN THE FACE, YOU WERE GOING TO QUIT YOUR JOB.
Of course you would never actually quit. With your mother out of the picture and your father working nonstop overtime just to barely have enough cash to put food on the table for the both of you, you had come to rely on your minimum wage part-time hours more than you liked to admit. However, the handmade strings of paper hearts that hung from wall to wall throughout the entirety of the record shop you were employed at was enough to make you consider it; not to mention the Phil Collins record that had been spinning all day, filling your ears with melodies embodying the very air of romance, and the embarrassing pink sweater your boss had forced you to wear. You mumbled curses beneath your breath as you pulled at the collar, itching away at your neck.
When you made a step towards a crate full of records, ready to tidy it up after a customer had rummaged through it leaving it a mess, you were met with another face full of cheap red construction paper. With a large growl of exasperation, you swatted at the hearts and accidentally caused the entire string of them to fall to the ground. You cleared your throat, glad that no customers were present to see your little outburst.
Your boss, Jen, still saw it all.
“That’s not very festive of you, kid,” She said, taking a drag on her cigarette. “It’s Valentine’s Day! Lighten up.”
“Ah, my bad. I forgot that I was supposed to be overjoyed on the day honoring the execution of St. Valentine,” You said as you gave her a sarcastic smile. “I’ll make sure to smile at the next couple that walks in and ask them how they plan to contribute to the commercialization of a martyr’s death.”
“You must be real fun at parties,” Jen mumbled. She shook her cigarette at you from behind the counter. “You’re just bitter because you don’t have a valentine. I can’t blame anyone for giving you the cold shoulder with that attitude of yours.”
You scowled, picking up the string of hearts that you had sent crashing to the floor. “I’m not bitter, and I don’t want a date. Also, I told you to stop smoking inside! It smells awful.”
“Last I checked, this was my shop, not yours.” You rolled your eyes as you approached the counter, handing the discarded string to Jen so she could throw it in the trash. “Now you’re making me do chores for you too? You’ve got some nerve, I’ll give you that.”
“Jen, please, I’m really not in the mood for this today.”
Jen shrugged, bending towards the trash can to throw away the string of hearts when she paused and pulled something from the bin. You glanced over your shoulder and gasped when you saw what she held in her hand—a small red envelope with your name scrawled across the front and a pink heart-shaped sticker stuck on the back.
“What’s this?” Jen asked, opening the envelope and shaking out the contents. A single slip of paper fell out, landing atop the counter. You rushed to grab it, but Jen snatched it up just before your fingers reached the countertop.
“Give me that,” You insisted, face growing warm. “I threw it away for a reason!”
“It’s an invitation to a party?” She seemed beyond surprised, glancing back and forth between you and the paper several times. “You got invited to a Valentine’s Day party, and instead of going, you asked me to give you extra hours? Why?”
You looked down at your feet, digging the toe of your sneaker into the blue carpet. There were, in fact, many reasons why you did not want to go to that party. They were as follows:
One: Choi Yeonjun was the one who had invited you. After you had rejected his offer when he asked to take you to a basketball game a month before, you could barely make eye contact with him in the school hallway without feeling guilty. That and the fact that he was one of the richest preps in the school, you knew he had just been asking you out for some sort of prank or dare that you preferred to not potentially fall victim to.
Two: you needed to work as much as you could. Money, as always, was tight for you and your father. There was no way you would sacrifice precious hours to go to a party full of rich kids where nothing but humiliation was sure to await you.
Three: your old childhood friend and the one person you couldn’t bear to see was probably going to be there—Choi Soobin.
You had barely spoken to Soobin in the four years you had been in high school. Crossing paths with him in the cafeteria, turning down the same aisle of books as him in the library, all those tiny stolen glances and accidental encounters were the only bits of interaction you had kept throughout all that time. The worst part was, he hadn’t done anything wrong.
It was nothing but your own cowardice that had driven the two of you apart, and you were still too afraid to own up to it.
Instead of explaining all of this to Jen, you simply shrugged and said, “I dunno. It just sounds lame.”
Your boss sighed, holding the invitation out towards you. “Okay, I’m letting you off early. Go to the party.”
With wide eyes, you shook your head immediately. “Absolutely not. Why in the world would I go?”
“Well, first of all, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. Who knows when your next chance to go to a party will be.”
You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at that.
“Second, it’s a holiday! The only reason I even opened today was because you were begging me for hours. I thought it was because you were bummed about having no plans, but clearly it’s because you wanted an excuse to be a recluse.”
“Hey, I’m not a recluse.”
“Clearly.” She shook the invitation at you once more, brows raised. “If you go, I’ll raise your pay by fifty cents for the next month.”
Your ears perked up at that.
“Well?” She asked, well aware that she had hit the jackpot. “What'd ya say?”
Weighing the risks against the benefits, you bit the inside of your cheek.
“Make it a dollar and you’ve got a deal.” 
-
“HAPPY VALENTINE’S, CHOI.”
When Soobin heard the sarcastic remark coming from his best friend, Felix, he had to fight back the urge to burst into tears then and there. He still wasn’t quite sure how Felix had convinced him to come, but he was already regretting it. The last thing he wanted to do to celebrate the day dedicated to love was spend it at a house party—or, as Soobin preferred to call them, any outcast high school kid’s version of hell on earth.
With a quick peek between his fingers, which he had used to cover his eyes immediately upon arriving at the site of the Valentine’s party, Soobin caught another eye-full of couples getting all too familiar with one another out in the open. He gulped, letting his hands grip the handles of the bike as he averted his gaze, choosing to cast his best glare at Felix, who was busy adjusting his ever-present beanie.
“Shut up,” he murmured, slowly sliding off the seat of his bike. He dusted off the worn, tearing cushion, glancing around the area. “Now quick, we gotta put our stuff somewhere safe.”
Felix looked aghast, making no moves to help Soobin in his search for a hiding spot. “What are you doing?”
“Tryna find a safe place for my bike?” He thought the answer to be somewhat obvious, but clearly Felix wasn’t on the same track of thinking. “You don’t know today’s world! Anyone is willing to steal nowadays.”
“Soobin, your bike is coughing up oil from its chains. It should be in its own care home at this rate.”
“I don’t wanna hear your slander, skater boy,” Soobin retorted, eyeing Felix’s ebony skateboard that he refused to be seen without. As if on cue, when he pushed his bike forward, the chains squealed, drawing the attention of a pair of particularly passionate individuals who had been wrapped up with one another moments before. Soobin ignored their annoyed stares, feeling his ears burn from embarrassment. He glanced back to Felix. “Help me find a hiding spot.”
Felix was anything but enthusiastic, but he began to help Soobin search nonetheless.
“Slide it in here, Soobs,” Felix called a few moments later. He was pointed to an empty space between the home’s perfectly trimmed bushes. Soobin pursed his lips together, pushing his large glasses further up the bridge of his nose—a nervous tick of his. Felix groaned, rolling his eyes. “Or you can leave it out in the open so it’ll spit more oil on the passersby? Is that what you want?”
“Fine, fine!” Soobin huffed, wheeling his bike over to the shrubbery, chains squeaking all the way. He carefully laid it beneath the brush and moved a few branches to cover it up nicely. He stood up straight, dusting his hands on the front of his loose blue jeans. “What about your skateboard?”
Felix gave the board a pat, awarding his most prized possession a dazzling smile one would expect to see a proud father giving his beloved son. But in reality, it was the school’s stoner grinning ear to ear at his old, dusty skateboard. “Nightrider stays with me.”
Soobin scrunched his nose, cringing on instinct. He still calls that thing by that stupid name?
Felix clapped him on the shoulder before he could make a remark, catching him off guard when he said, “Right. Let’s go and get your girl.”
There was nothing Soobin could do to stop the flush that rushed to his cheeks right away. Images of you, his ex-best friend and the only reason he had even come to this party in the first place, flashed through his mind. Had he not overheard Yeonjun invite you earlier that morning and then casually mention the encounter to Felix, there was no way he would have even stepped foot out of his house that night. Part of him was peeved, wishing he had never uttered a single word about you to his overbearing friend. Yet, deep down, there was hope within him—the tiniest sliver.
If there was even the slightest chance that he could talk to you that night, he would do anything. Even if it meant dealing with a stupid party, and the never-ceasing teasing he was bound to continue receiving from Felix.
“Don’t even say that,” He said, emphasizing each word as they walked up the front steps. Soobin had to glance down at his much shorter friend to see the devious grin on his freckled face.
“Say what? That she’s your girl, your woman, your one and only?”
The blush must have been creeping to his neck by that point. He could feel it. “I. . .” There were many things Soobin wished to say; angry words that would hopefully shut the blonde skater boy up real quick. But he couldn’t bring himself to say a single harsh word, so he sighed in defeat. “I can’t even say it.”
“That you hate me?” Felix only grinned even bigger, and Soobin couldn’t help the tiny defeated smile that slipped over his features. “Oh, I know. It’s because I’m too good of a best friend.”
They stepped into the house then, instantly being overwhelmed by loud music, boisterous laughter, and drunken yells echoing throughout the halls. Soobin latched onto Felix right away, gripping his friend’s sleeve as someone stumbled into him, a bit of beer spilling from their cup. He pushed his glasses up, only for them to slide right back down as he began to sweat.
“Maybe we should go home, Lix!” Soobin shouted to be heard over the noise as they travelled further into the house. “We can always try next year!”
“Stop being a scaredy-cat!” Felix shouted back, and Soobin thought he might actually begin to cry as they squeezed their way into the living room. Soobin nearly gagged at the strong smell of alcohol as it burned in his nose. The scene was nothing short of a nightmare to Soobin—loud voices, smoke rising in the air, vodka assaulting his nose and sweat beading on the back of his neck. He had never been one to drink, and he didn’t plan on starting that night; but he was beginning to understand what Felix meant when he had once told him it was nearly impossible to get through one of these parties sober.
He was about to make another complaint and beg to leave when someone from the crowd hollered his name, causing him to wince when he recognized that voice as the one that belonged to none other than Choi Yeonjun.
“Soobin! Where you been?”
Soobin smiled nervously at the school’s heartthrob—and textbook snobby rich kid—before he turned back to Felix. He didn’t want to leave his friend, but he knew that he would never hear the end of it if he ignored Yeonjun’s persistent calls. “I’ll be right back,” He promised Felix, still holding onto his sleeve.
“No, no,” Felix assured. “You go. You’ll probably find her around that place anyway.”
Soobin wasn’t so sure of that. You were definitely not of the right social standing to be caught amongst the circle of the school’s rich boys—which was why it had surprised Soobin that Yeonjun had invited you to the party in the first place. Your high school had its own caste system, and you were near the bottom of it.
And, as much as it pained him to admit it, Soobin was stuck at the very top with all the other rich snobs who cared about nothing more than their daily allowances that came straight from their daddy’s bank account.
“What about you, buddy?” He asked Felix, desperate for any excuse to remain by his friend’s side. He would have tried to bring Felix with him, but his friend was in an even worse social standing than you were—he was poor, and he was most known for being the school’s pothead. There was no way Soobin would willingly drag him into a situation where nothing but slander and torment awaited him.
“Me?” Felix shrugged, gripping his board tighter. “I’ll just smoke away the night.”
Soobin pouted, glancing back at the group of preps as they called for him once again. He sighed, clapping Felix on the shoulder. “Just make sure you won’t smell too much of it when I come back.”
Submitting himself to his doom then, he turned on his heel and slowly made his way to where the group of  boys sat near the sofa, giving them a half-hearted wave.
“Why were you hanging around that Felix guy?” Yeonjun asked once Soobin had reached their circle. “Did he blackmail you or something?”
Soobin frowned, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “He’s my friend.”
Yeonjun rolled his eyes, brushing a hand through his perfectly-straightened ebony locks. “Sure he is. Tell me, do you see every kid you find on the streets as some sort of personal charity project? Or is it just Felix and—what was her name—” He snapped his fingers then before he said, “Y/N, right?”
Soobin didn’t respond—well, it was more like he couldn’t respond. By nature he was a very passive being, but nothing drew him closer to bouts of anger than when the people he cared about were being insulted right before him.
Especially when it came to you.
Yet, as much as he wanted to tell Yeonjun off or give him a nice shove into the smoke-stained walls, words failed him. They always did. Perhaps this was why you had abandoned him all those years ago. Nobody knew him better than you did, so of course you were able to see what he truly was beneath all the expensive clothes and nervous laughter—a coward.
He figured that he’d probably have left himself too.
“Drink up, buttercup.” The chipper voice that belonged to the other Choi in the small gathering of socialites, Choi Beomgyu, thrust a plastic red cup towards Soobin’s chest. 
He shook his head, throwing another wavering smile in his direction. “No thanks. I don’t drink.”
Yeonjun rolled his eyes. “Of course you don’t. Why are you even here then?”
Once again, Soobin chose silence as his only response. He swallowed, patting the front pocket of his denim jacket. As the group of boys began conversing once more, he couldn’t help but let his eyes wander around the room, searching every drunken face for the features that belonged to you, trying to hear your name in every conversation, desperate for your voice to break through the blasting music and shouting voices.
“Who ya looking for there, Big Choi?” Soobin grimaced at the nickname. He was skinny, but incredibly tall, and nobody would let him forget that. “Big Choi” was one of his most common nicknames among the elitists. He despised it, but of course, he would never voice that aloud.
He glanced at Beomgyu and smiled nervously again, shaking his head. “Nobody.”
His eyes met Yeonjun’s and he gulped yet again as the latter eyed him with suspicion. It wasn’t as though he had anything to hide, but something about Yeonjun’s calculating gaze made his skin crawl.
He needed to escape. Just for a moment, at least.
“I’ll be right back. Going to find some water.”
He slipped out of the living room then, apologizing profusely to each couple he accidentally bumped into, bowing in remorse to each person’s toes his big feet happened to stumble over. He ached to be by Felix’s side—the stoned skateboarder had become somewhat of a security blanket to the taller of the duo—but his blonde friend was nowhere to be seen.
After snagging a bottle of water from the kitchen, Soobin managed to slip into an empty bathroom. He slammed the door shut and wasted no time in locking it. Letting out the biggest sigh of relief, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the door, taking a big gulp of the ice cold water.
He set the bottle on the counter and carefully reached into the front pocket of his jacket, his fingers finding the piece of paper he had been storing there all evening. He pulled it out and let his eyes wander over his middle school creation. It was a big heart, cut out from a scrap piece of red construction paper. Scrawled across it in his eight-grade handwriting were the words, Be mine this Valentine’s! His name was etched at the bottom, and at the very top, delicately printed in hot pink glitter glue, your name was written as well.
He had planned to give this to you four years ago on Valentine’s day. Everything had been planned out perfectly; he was to pick you up on his old, trusty bike. It wasn’t really made for two people, but the two of you had fashioned a makeshift extra seat for you to sit upon whenever you went places together. 
He wanted to take you to the Dairy Shack, which was the local ice cream shop where the two of you spent the most time together. You always got a large chocolate shake to share, playing a quick game of rock, paper, scissors to decide who got to eat the cherry on top. He was going to order a shake and specially ask for two cherries that time, and planned to give both of them to you before he would bravely present you with the handmade card he had spent all day working on.
However, when he waited for you outside your house that day, the red dusk turned to pitch black night, and you never stepped foot out your door.
He had even gone up to your door a few times and knocked, but there was no answer. Eventually he pedalled off into the night, back to his house. He was disappointed, of course, but more worried than anything else. He had hoped you weren’t sick.
But when he saw you at school the next day, he knew that hadn’t been the case.
And when you ignored him calling your name as you passed by him in the hallways, he knew that something had drastically changed.
For weeks, Soobin was in great turmoil as he replayed your last few encounters together before you had stood him up. Perhaps you were angry that he had won the last few games of rock, paper, scissors? If he had known, he would have given you all the cherries for the rest of time if it meant you would still talk to him. He didn’t care about them—he cared about you.
He missed you.
And as weeks turned to months, and months turned to years, you still barely spoke to him, and he missed you more and more. The best friend he had wanted to take a step closer to had taken a thousand steps back from him, and he still had no idea why.
But that night, he was determined to find out.
Well, if he could muster up the courage to get a single word out, of course.
He folded the heart back up and stuck it back in his pocket, taking a deep breath as he observed himself in the fogged-up mirror. He fixed his bright blue hair that Felix had helped him bleach and dye, making sure the pieces fell over the corners of his eyes just right. He straightened his white turtleneck and cuffed the sleeves of his denim jacket until he was at least somewhat content with his appearance.
“You can do this, Soobs,” He told himself, adjusting his big round glasses further up the bridge of his nose. “That’s what Felix would say.”
“Hey, rich boy!” A loud scream came from outside the bathroom door, accompanied by harsh knocking that sent Soobin stumbling backwards until he fell in the shower, pulling the curtains down with him.
“Hurry up in there! I’m about to piss myself!”
Soobin let out a shaky sigh, scrambling to his feet as he rushed to fix the curtain he had torn down with his clumsiness. “Sorry,” he mumbled, though he doubted the person on the other side of the door could hear him.
He realized then with an ever growing dread that it would be a miracle if he survived the night long enough to even find you, but it would take the work of God himself for him to actually speak to you.
He figured it was time for him to start praying.
YOU KNEW IT WAS A MISTAKE TO LET JEN DO YOUR MAKEUP.
When she had stopped you on your way out the door with a compact of bright purple eyeshadow, you had turned her down right away. No way in all of creation were you walking in a party with such an atrocious color caked up to your brow bone.
“How can you say it’s gonna look bad if you haven’t even let me try?” Jen had asked.
You had given her a once-over, your lips pressed into a thin line. “If it’s gonna look anything like the way you do your own makeup, I’m gonna have to pass.”
After that snide remark, she had threatened to fire you if you didn’t let her apply the makeup. And so you obliged, though you didn’t have much of a choice.
The booming sounds of the party hit your ears before you had even reached the lawn. Screaming teens—well, there were probably some adults thrown in there as well—and the sound of music spilled through the open windows of the home. Couples and singles alike were scattered throughout the perfectly kept lawn that was now littered with empty cups and other assortments of garbage.
You looked down at your patchwork jeans and pink sweater, certain that you would be underdressed compared to the rest of the partygoers. But from the looks of things, as you carefully squeezed your way through the front door and into the home, everyone was probably too wasted to even notice your arrival, let alone care about your looks.
You caught a glimpse of your face in the hallway mirror, cringing at the sight of your eyeshadow. You had tried to wipe some of it away before arriving, but it simply smudged, giving you quite the shocking smoky, purple eye look. For someone who didn’t even know the difference between a paintbrush and a makeup brush, it was a bold look, to say the least.
If Soobin saw you looking like this, he’d probably have a heart attack.
Soobin.
In the midst of all your frantic preparation, you had nearly forgotten about the main reason why you had planned to avoid this party at all costs. With a quick glance around the room, you realized that he was nowhere to be seen. You wouldn’t have been surprised if he hadn’t shown up at all. He was never a fan of parties, anyway.
You crossed your arms over your chest and slowly slipped past the couples crowding the hallway with their limbs intertwined, mouths practically swallowing one another whole, until you reached the living room. Surprisingly, it was less crowded in here than you thought it might be. A few minglers were scattered about the room’s perimeter, but they all kept away from the center of the room, which was occupied by none other than Choi Yeonjun and all his brainless, rich-boy worshippers. You quickly scanned the group, not able to make out Soobin among them. When you realized he wasn’t there, you were partly relieved and partly disappointed. If was to be anywhere at this party, it would probably be with these guys.
With a quick turn on your heel, you planned to make your way out of the living room before Yeonjun could see you. The last thing you wanted was for the boy with a bruised ego to see you, regardless of whether or not he had been the one to invite you.
“Y/N? You came?”
Too late.
Plastering a forced grin to your face, you slowly turned to face Yeonjun, who had just called your name. He was eyeing you with slight surprise, but soon, a smirk slipped across his lips as he motioned for you to come over. You had to hold back your sigh, wishing there was some way for you to get out of this situation. It was all Jen’s fault that you had to show up in the first place. You decided you were going to demand an extra ten cents be added to your raise the next time you saw your pushy boss.
“Hey Yeonjun,” you said once you had walked over to him. “I figured I’d stop by for a minute or two, since you were kind enough to invite me.”
He smirked, glancing at a few of his friends. They shared a knowing laugh with one another, but the meaning of it was lost to you. You wanted nothing more than to get away from them, but that wasn’t an option.
“You’re too busy to go out with me to a basketball game but free enough to come to a party, huh?” He asked.
You blinked, digging your nails into your arms. “I’m sorry?”
“It’s fine, really,” He drawled, swirling his plastic cup of beer in his hand. “You didn’t think I’d be upset or anything did you? I only asked you out because I was dared to shack up with you. But I’m guessing you already knew that, since you’re so smart and all.”
Your eyes went wide, but you managed to control the rest of your expression. It was just like you had guessed—Yeonjun had invited you to the party with the sole purpose of making a scene.
If you survived the night, Jen was never going to hear the end of it.
“You’re not gonna say anything?” He asked, pushing himself to his feet. You could tell by the slight stumble in his step and his hooded eyes that he had quite a bit to drink. He took a step towards you, causing you to back up immediately. Your back hit the wall, and you placed your palms against it as Yeonjun towered over you. 
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I know why you’re here anyways.” He leaned forward, his lips hovering near your ear. “You’re here to see Soobin, aren’t you? Since he’s the only one here willing to waste his time on filth like you.”
Your blood boiled, and you had to clench your fists at your sides to control your anger.
“Don’t,” You seethed, “Call me that.”
“Call you what? Filth? Or sweetheart? Why, is that something good old Binnie used to call you—”
He never got to finish that sentence, because with one big burst of anger, you stomped on his toe as hard as you could with your worn-out platform sneaker.
“What the hell!” He screeched, drawing the attention of several others in the room. His outburst even caused a few of the couples to pull away from each other’s faces long enough to eavesdrop.
Before you could even say anything back, lukewarm liquid was splashed up in your face, burning your eyes and nose. You gasped, running your hands over your eyes to see Yeonjun with his now empty cup of beer pointed towards you.
“Think twice before you act out against me next time, sweetheart. Never forget your place.”
Tears of anger burned in your eyes, and you scanned the room to see several people exchanging whispers and giggles as they glanced in your direction. You pushed past Yeonjun and quickly made your way out the back door of the house, unable to stand the humiliation for a moment longer.
Soobin arrived in the living room just in time to see you leave.
He wasted no time in rushing towards Yeonjun, grabbing hold of his arm. “Yeonjun, was that Y/N?” He asked, eyes quickly taking in the puddle of alcohol on the floor and the empty cup in Yeonjun’s hand. “What happened?”
“Nothing you need to worry your pretty blue head about, Big Choi. I just put her in her place is all.”
Soobin’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you ‘put her in her place?’”
Yeonjun laughed, giving Soobin a nonchalant pat on the back. “Just drop it, would you? It has nothing to do with you.”
“What did you say, Yeonjun?”
Yeonjun was growing irritated now. He huffed out a breath, crossing his arms over his chest. “I said it has nothing to do with you, Soobin. I know you like to hang around people like that pothead Felix, but the rest of us live in the real world, where we’d rather not waste our time with those who have no future anyways. I bet he’s the one that got you to dye your hair that god awful blue, isn’t he?”
Soobin bit the inside of his cheek. He so badly wished to rip Yeonjun to shreds then and there. If he had Felix’s courage, the cocky bastard would have been knocked to the ground ages ago. But if there was one thing Soobin was sure he could never be, it was brave. And so, despite his rage, he remained silent, his eyes practically burning a hole through Yeonjun’s chest from how intently he was glaring.
It seemed as though Yeonjun was about to say something, but his eyes landed on the bit of red that peeked through the front pocket of Soobin’s denim jacket. Before Soobin had time to defend himself, Yeonjun had reached forward and snatched it from his pocket, revealing the large paper heart—his valentine for you.
“So this is why you care so much,” Yeonjun said, laughing as his eyes scanned the glittery words that decorated the page. “You want her to be your valentine.”
“Give that back,” Soobin said quietly, his hands beginning to shake.
Yeonjun instead lifted his eyes to Soobin, gave him a sickly sweet grin, and ripped the heart straight down the middle. He let the two pieces fall from his hands to the ground, and with them Soobin’s heart went also.
“You’re really willing to try and go against me, and for what? For the sake of a girl who can’t even afford a new pair of jeans and a boy that smokes his life away in the bathroom stalls?” Yeonjun took a slow step towards Soobin, his eyes glinting with a sinister determination. “You may be rich, Soobin, but if you choose to lower yourself to their standards, you may as well be dirt poor just like they are.”
With his hands clenched into tight fists, his glasses sliding down his nose, and his heart quite literally in two pieces on the floor below him, Soobin decided that he had had enough.
“I’d much rather be associated with people who are kind and have actual depth to their character than be lumped together with a bunch of pricks like you with no real personality—because that’s something you can’t buy with daddy’s paycheck.”
He had to physically restrain himself from slapping his hand across his own mouth in shock. It was as if the spirit of Felix himself had possessed him to say such harsh things. He wondered where Felix was then, wishing more than ever before to have his best friend by his side as he began to tremble from either the rush of adrenaline that coursed through his veins, or from fear. Or perhaps it was both.
He didn’t have time to ponder it any longer before Yeonjun’s fist collided with his nose, resulting in a sickening crack as pain echoed throughout his face in tidal waves.
He stumbled backward as people began to shout, raising his hand to his nose and gasping when he saw that his palm was covered in blood. 
Beomgyu had his arms wrapped around Yeonjun, who was desperately trying to lunge towards Soobin once again.
“Knock it off, Yeonjun!” Beomgyu shouted, pushing the elder back. “His dad is on the school board! Are you trying to get expelled?”
Beomgyu looked over his shoulder at the still stunned Soobin, who was gaping at the blood that now stained his once white turtleneck. 
“Get lost, Soobin,” Beomgyu said, to which Soobin only blinked in reply, his ears ringing.
“Now!”
Head spinning, Soobin picked up the two halves of his paper heart, stuffed them into his jeans, and stumbled out the same door he had seen you go through just minutes before. After checking to make sure his glasses were still intact—they were, thankfully—he shook his head in an effort to clear his mind of the static, eyes scanning the front lawn looking for any trace of you.
It didn’t take long for his eyes to spot you among the now dwindling crowd of partygoers. Your bright pink sweater stood out against the darkness, so he was able to recognize you even with your back towards him. He sniffed, wiping the back of his hand against his dripping nose as he slowly made his way to where you sat on the curb, your feet planted on the asphalt street. He wished that he looked a bit more presentable—when he played this scene out in his head over the years in which he would finally reunite with you, he never imagined himself dazed and covered in blood.
Desperate times called for desperate measures, he supposed.
When he reached you, he simply stood beside you in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say. He could tell that you sensed his presence, but you refused to look up at him as you kept your face buried in your hands. He could have sworn he heard a few muffled sobs slip through your fingers, but of course, he wasn’t going to bring that up.
Eventually he decided to slip his jacket off of his shoulders, leaning down to drape it over you. You still kept your head down as he sat beside you on the curb, but he watched you grip the jacket and pull it tighter around your body. He smiled a bit, holding the collar of his turtleneck against his throbbing nose.
“Thank you,” you muttered, wiping your hand across your eyes. You finally looked over at him, and when you did, you couldn’t hold back your gasp. “My God Soobin, what happened to your face?”
“Oh, well, I might have gotten punched,” He said quickly, trying to wave off your concern. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Punched? By who?”
He looked down at the ground, sniffing as a drop of blood hit the pavement. “Yeonjun,” he muttered under his breath.
“I’m sorry, did you just say Yeonjun? Are you insane? Why on earth would you butt heads with the Choi Yeonjun?”
Soobin didn’t say anything in response, he simply stared at you, eyes wide with beer dripping off the ends of your hair, makeup smeared across your face, your sweater stained down the front. It didn’t seem to take long for you to put the pieces together, as the shock left your face and was replaced with something akin to guilt.
“Oh,” You said, looking back down at your shoes.
“So she knows that I did it all for her,” Soobin thought.
For some reason, the idea of that both terrified and excited him.
A second later, he glanced over to see you ripping one of the hand-sewed patches of fabric off your jeans, leaving a square of your skin exposed to the chilly night air. You leaned towards him, pushing his hand away from his nose so you could use the patch to clean up some of the blood on and around his puffy red nose.
“Y/N, your pants!” He exclaimed, trying to push your hand away. “They’re ruined!”
“I’m not worried about my pants, you idiot,” You said, swatting his hand away as you continued to press the cloth against his skin. “You got punched in the face because of me, this is the least I could do.”
“That was my choice though,” He muttered, although he stopped trying to resist your touch. He ignored the way his heart thrummed harder in his chest, hoping that you couldn’t hear.
“Well, this is my choice too.” Your eyes flicked to his for a brief moment, your bottom lip pulled between your teeth. “Why did you do it, by the way?”
“Do what?”
“Stand up to Yeonjun for me and get a nasty nosebleed as a result.”
“Oh.” He blinked slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on yours. “Just ‘cause.”
“Because . . . ?”
“Because of you.” He blurted, causing your hand to go still against him. He swallowed his fear, braving the best smile that he could. “Just you. That was my only reason.”
You didn’t say anything as your hand fell from his face, the cloth clutched between your fingers. The anxiety he had tried his best to suppress came rushing up all at once, and he was surprised that his ears didn’t begin to squeal like a tea kettle from all the pressure. 
“Y/N,” He said, gently placing his hand over yours despite how his fingers trembled. “Why did you pull away from me?”
“What?”
“Four years ago. Why did you stop talking to me?”
You were quiet for a moment, digging into the ground with the toe of your sneaker. Soobin held his breath until you finally replied with, “I was afraid.”
“Afraid? Of what?”
“We were getting older, Binnie,” You said, and his heart skipped at the use of your old nickname for him. “You and I, we’re from very different walks of life. You get to hang out with people like Yeonjun, whereas I get a cup of beer poured all over my face just for existing, and you get a fist to the nose for trying to stand up for me. We’re from different sides of the track, one might say.”
“So?” Soobin asked, his hand tightening around yours. “Did you really think that would affect us that much, Y/N?”
You frowned, glancing down at his hand over yours.
“I thought you’d be embarrassed of me,” You said, your voice barely above a whisper.
“Embarrassed?” Soobin’s eyes went wide as he gripped your hand tighter still, pulling it into his lap. “Y/N, I would never, ever be embarrassed of you. Besides, have you seen my best friend? He’s on a first name basis with the principal because of how often he gets written up for smoking behind the school. If I’m not embarrassed of him, why would I ever be embarrassed of you?”
You laughed, wiping the back of your hand across your eyes once more. “I guess I was worried about nothing, huh?” You sniffed, giving his hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry, Soobin.”
He shook his head, squeezing your hand right back. “Don’t apologize. You’re here now, that’s what matters. Do think we could—you know—”
“Pick up where we left off?” You smiled, nodding vigorously. “I’d like that very much, Binnie.”
He beamed then, almost pinching himself to be sure that he was not dreaming, but the pain in his nose was real enough to remind him of that on its own. He jumped to his feet, pulling you right up with him.
“In that case, how about we finally go on that Valentine’s date I had planned all the way back then?”
“Date?” You asked, a brow raised. “Is it really considered a date if two friends are just hanging out?”
He didn’t respond as he pulled you along behind him towards the bushes where he and Felix had hidden his bike. He crouched down and moved the branches aside, feeling his heart drop to his stomach when he realized that his bike was, in fact, no longer there.
He shot up, turning to face you with eyes wide. “Felix—that bastard took my bike!”
You were quiet for a moment, but then, you burst into boisterous laughter, leaving Soobin utterly confused.
“It’s not funny, Y/N!” He whined, shoving your shoulder lightly. “I was supposed to take you to the Dairy Shack on my bike!”
“It is funny,” You said between bursts of laughter. “Only you would get such a rusty old piece of metal stolen from you.”
He pushed his lips out in a pout, sliding his glasses up his sore nose. “It’s a good bike, don’t make fun of it.”
You grinned, interlocking his fingers with yours, which was enough to instantly wipe the pout right off his face. 
“Let’s just walk, Binnie. The Dairy Shack isn’t that far anyways.”
You were right; the walk to your favorite milkshake place was very close to the house where the party had occurred. Although Felix stealing his bike had thrown an obvious wrench in his plans, it was a minor hiccup, and one he could most definitely handle. Besides, he wouldn’t have to see Felix until the next day anyways. He could deal with his frustration then.
At least, that’s what he thought anyways, until the two of you spotted Felix at the skatepark on your way to the dairy shack.
Soobin’s eyes took in the deplorable sight before him—from where he stood on the dimly lit sidewalk, he could see Felix and a girl he had never seen before, their faces nearly pressed together, and most importantly, with his bike discarded a few yards away from them.
“Soobin,” You said, tugging on his arm. “They look like they’re busy, let’s just go—”
But Soobin, who had little patience when it came to Felix messing up his plans, didn’t let you finish before he screamed, “Give me back my freaking bike!”
You had to hold back your snort of laughter at his choice of words. Even when he was trying to sound angry, he was undeniably adorable.
Soobin watched as Felix startled, clutching his spliff between his fingers as he glared daggers back at his friend. Soobin gulped, trying not to let his fear show on his face. What did he have to be afraid of, anyways? He was the victim of thievery, and his best friend was the offender.
Felix took a big step towards him, but he paused, his eyes landing on your interlocked hands. Soobin glanced down as well, his face growing furiously warm as he realized the situation he had gotten himself into. 
He decided to divert the subject before it could even be brought up by saying, “I can’t believe you stole my bike! All this time I was trying to hide it from strangers, but you, my best friend! I should’ve been hiding it from you!”
Soobin noticed Felix’s female companion step off the skateboard and walk over in his direction, and for a second he felt bad for possibly ruining her night with his best friend. However, his frustration was more prominent in the moment as he fixed his gaze back on his best friend, who had fixed a mischievous smirk upon his face that made warning sirens blare in Soobin’s head right away.
“Now, now, buddy,” Felix said, his voice calm and carefree as ever. It probably had something to do with what he had just smoked, but Soobin didn’t care all that much. “You’re just gonna have to let me borrow it for a little longer.”
Soobin nearly laughed at the audacity of such a statement. “You are gonna give me the bike, or—”
“How about this, Soobs?” Soobin’s lips clamped shut at his friend’s interruption, as the thief in question gestured with his joint to where Soobin’s fingers were locked with yours. “You let me keep your bike for the night, and I don’t tell your dad about you hanging out with the opposite gender.”
Unable to control yourself, you let out a big laugh. Soobin would have felt betrayed, but he was more terrified than anything else at the idea of his father finding out that he was taking a girl out without his permission. He would be grounded for weeks—no, months.
“You wouldn’t.”
Felix’s lips curled up even more into a twisted grin that Soobin wished he had the guts to slap off his face. “God, just imagine the look on Mr. Choi’s face. Imagine him finding out about your premarital hand holding.”
No. Not the hand holding.
Soobin almost felt faint, but he steeled himself to the best of his abilities as he cleared his throat. “One night, Lix,” he warned. “If I don’t see it on my porch in the morning, you’ll be sorry!”
“Oh, I’m so scared,” Felix teased. His expression changed a moment later though, when he finally noticed Soobin’s swollen nose and blood-stained turtleneck. “Wait, Soobs, the hell happened to you?”
Soobin, however, had already taken his first steps away from the skatepark, pulling you along behind him. “I’ll tell you later, bud. Enjoy your spliff with that kind girl who you probably don’t deserve!”
“Hey!”
Soobin couldn’t help but laugh as he swung your interlocked hands together, grinning as you let out a laugh as well. The anger that had seeped through him seemed to melt away in an instant as the two of you continued your journey to the Dairy Shack.
“Would your dad really be that upset if he found out about this?” You asked.
Soobin grimaced. “We should probably wait til next year to tell him about this outing. Or maybe the year after that.”
When the two of you had finally reached the Dairy Shack, you waited outside for him while he went in to order your drink. A large chocolate milkshake, with two straws, just like you used to get every time before.
When he had the drink in hand, he walked back outside and sat down beside you on the curb, smiling as you wrapped his jacket tighter around your shoulders. You smiled back up at him, your eyes creasing from the expression. Your smile had always struck him right to his core; he had missed seeing it every day.
He hoped he could see it every morning and every night from that day onward. There was no way he would let you go this time.
He just had to muster up the courage to grab hold of you first.
“You know what, Binnie, you turned out to be a lot taller than I thought you ever would be,” you said as you took one of the straws from his hands. “You’re actually enormous. It’s shocking.”
“Should I find that offensive? It sounds kinda like an insult.”
“Take it however you will,” You teased, leaning over as he popped the plastic lid off the milkshake. He grabbed the cherry by the stem and held it towards you.
“What are you doing?” You asked, holding out your fist. “We have to rock, paper, scissors for it. Remember?”
Soobin laughed as he shook his head. “I’m giving it to you this time. It’s what I planned to do all those years ago, when I asked you to hang out on Valentine’s.”
You seemed to be taken aback, but you simply shrugged as you plucked the cherry from his hand and pulled it from the stem with your teeth, glancing back over at him. It was silent for a moment, but then your eyes landed on the pocket of his jeans, where you could see a bit of red paper poking out. You leaned over even further, reaching your hand out to snatch the paper.
“What are you—hey! Give that back!”
Soobin desperately tried to take his Valentine back from you, but it was too late. You held both halves of what used to be a whole in your hands, your eyes scanning the words as you pieced them together.
“Soobin . . .”
He held his breath. Had his act of young love left you completely speechless? Were you so touched that you would burst into tears?
“This looks like a middle schooler made it.”
He let out the breath in the form of a long, long sigh.
“That’s because it was made by a middle schooler,” He said as he set the milkshake down beside him. “I made it back in the eighth grade. I planned to give it to you that Valentine’s.”
“Oh.” You ran your finger along the card’s surface, the smallest smile creeping across your lips. “Well in that case, it’s not half bad. Why’s it ripped though?”
“Ah—well, Yeonjun . . .”
You nodded, taking another glance at his swollen nose. “No need to elaborate. It seems you had a lot planned for our Valentine’s Day back then. Is there anything else you wanted to do?”
His mouth went dry at that, and he wished that you couldn’t see his face because he was sure that his expression was quite comical. All the way back then, four years prior, he had in fact planned the perfect, ideal day in his head. Picking you up on his bike, giving you the cherry from his milkshake, and presenting you with his hand made card.
There was only one thing left on his list.
He didn’t move at first, willing himself to have enough courage to even look back in your direction. But when he finally did allow his eyes to meet yours, he felt his shoulders relax and his heart rate became more manageable.
He took a deep breath, leaned forward, and pressed his lips against your cheek.
He lingered there for only a moment before he pulled back, daring to pry one of his eyes open to take in the look on your face.
The disappointment was palpable—from the way your brows furrowed together and the way you pursed your lips. His stomach dropped, and he scooted the tiniest bit away from you.
“I’m sorry,” He blurt out, his face growing warmer by the second. “I shouldn’t have done that, I just—”
“Is that all?”
Your question stopped him mid-ramble, his eyes growing wide. “Huh?”
“Is that all?” You repeated, closing the distance between you that he had created. “It’s Valentine’s Day, Soobin. I think we can do better than a peck on the cheek.”
The implications of what you were saying didn’t register with him right away, but when it finally did, he could have sworn his heart began to beat loud enough for the entire town to hear. His hand curled into a fist as he gripped the denim of his jeans. He leaned forward, keeping his eyes open just enough to watch you as he brought his lips closer to yours. He could feel your eyes on him all the while, causing his heart to pound fiercer still within him.
When he was just a breath away, he whispered, “Can you close your eyes?”
“Hm?”
He lifted his hand, gently placing it over your eyes. He leaned closer then, filling the space between you both as his lips met yours. You tasted vaguely of cherry and strawberry slice soda, and he found it quite nice the way his lips seemed to fit perfectly against your own. As the seconds drew on, your hands slipped around his neck, pulling him closer. He slowly let his hand fall from your eyes, tracing lines with the tips of his fingers down your cheek before he cradled your jaw, letting his lips part just enough to taste the sweet sugar on your lips once more.
He thought in a haze that it was a good thing he didn’t drink anything at the party, as kissing you was proving to be intoxicating enough on its own.
When you finally pulled away, leaving your forehead resting against his, he let his eyes flutter open enough to see the euphoric smile that adorned your features. He grinned as well, gently running his thumb against your cheek.
“I think that back then, I had planned to ask you this before kissing you,” He whispered, “But Y/N, will you be my Valentine?”
Instead of a spoken answer, you laughed, leaning forward to capture his lips with yours once again, and that was the only answer Choi Soobin would ever need.
-
WHEN SOOBIN ARRIVED HOME THAT NIGHT, HE WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE TELEPHONE.
It was kept upstairs at night right outside his parent’s door, to keep himself and his brother from using it in the late hours. Of course, this never stopped Soobin from sneaking it downstairs to his room in the basement to make late night calls to Felix.
And that particular evening, he really needed to give Felix an update.
He grabbed the phone from the small table in the hallway, carefully tiptoeing towards the basement stairs. Before he had even taken the first step down, the bathroom door creaked open. Soobin whipped his head around to see his brother Kai standing there, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he raised a brow at his older brother.
Soobin froze, blinking slowly as he realized the incriminating situation he found himself in.
“Please don’t tell mom,” He whispered, his eyes pleading with his younger brother.
Kai nodded, although Soobin wasn’t quite convinced that the boy was even coherent enough to understand what was going on. Soobin offered a rushed thank you, and ventured his first step down the stairs.
Well, he tried, anyways, and ended up missing the first step. He tumbled down the rest of the stairs, landing on his butt at the very end.
He winced in pain, glad to see that the phone was still intact in his hands. He glanced over his shoulders to see Kai staring down the stairway with wide eyes, his lips parted in shock. Soobin quickly put a finger to his lips, begging his brother for silence.
Kai simply shook his head and walked away, allowing Soobin the freedom to breathe out a sigh of relief.
He quickly ran to his bedroom and shut the door, collapsing onto his bed with the phone as his breaths came in ragged gasps as an aftereffect from his tumble down the stairs. He figured he should have dialed Felix’s number right away, but he couldn’t help but brush his fingers against his lips, remembering the feeling and taste of having yours pressed against them.
He was so caught up in his daze that he didn’t notice Felix calling until the third ring.
He picked it up, breathing heavily into the speaker as he rubbed a sore spot on his lower back. 
“Please tell me that panting is from running a marathon, and not what I think you’ve successfully tried.”
Soobin nearly gagged, holding the phone away from his face as he coughed, flustered by his friend's crude words. He brought the phone back to his face and said, “No, you sicko, I just fell down the stairs.”
“How the hell did you manage that with those long legs?”
“That’s not important, Lix!” He laid back onto his pillows then, twirling the phone cord in his hands as he stared up at his ceiling, the memories of his adventure with you that night flooding his mind once more. He couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear as he said, “Look, I need to tell you something important.”
If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought that he could hear the smile in Felix’s voice too as his friend replied.
“Well buddy, I got something to tell you too.”
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luckyasfuck · 3 years
Text
maybe i just wanna be yours [k. bakugou]
A CAMBOY AU SERIES - PARTS 1, 2, [3], 4, 5
pairing // katsuki x female reader
tw // cussing, smut
warnings for this part // (kinda?) mutual masturbation
theme // enemies to lovers au, camboy!katsu au, college student!katsu and reader au, no quirk au
keys // y/n, l/n, h/c
words // 1.8k
a/n // pt. 4 will be written at 100 likes and posted at 5-10 reblogs :). i’m glad ya’ll are enjoying it, send criticism and/or ideas in my inbox.
previous part I masterlist
y/n’s head was no longer cloudy.
it scared her at first,  her twitter username and bio must have gave it all away. part of her hoped that katsuki wouldn’t notice the notification, and if he did, well she hopes he’d be too dumb or oblivious to know it was her. but of course, bakugou fucking katsuki wasn’t like that. y/n would know, especially when she woke up him following her back.
fucking son of a bitch.
it was very obvious that it was katsuki. from his voice during lives to his demeanor with his posts: reserved. it was a bitch to think about, no matter what y/n did it was all that occupied her mind. she was aware of the comments she had left on his last live, her other hand too busy pumping her fingers in and out of her pussy to make more than two. that’s what bothered her. not only did she get off to her rival of all people, she did it twice. twice!
she thought about it the whole morning as she reached UA. a person came from behind and bumped her shoulder, rushing to the group of people crowding the main gate. y/n knotted her eyebrows, her mind was too all over the place to know what they could have been fussing about.
the crowd completely blocked the gate and she sighed, opting to take another route until someone grabbed her arm. thinking it was a teacher or a student, she turned around with a smile.
what the fuck.
katsuki stood there gripping her arm and her heart dropped. she yanks his hand away and glared at him, goddamn if looks could kill katsuki would’ve made it to heaven right about now. she stared at him with so much intensity, it almost looked like she was gonna go crazy over the fact that he stopped her, let alone even touch her.
fuck, that’s hot. katsuki gulped and mentally slapped himself after the thought. “don’t let the teachers see you-” he whispered, looking around. y/n sighed, “too late.” she looked behind him where their Biology professor stood with a smile.
“good morning, kids! i’m glad i found you two together, which is um... quite new, don’t you think?” the old woman greeted. katsuki rolled his eyes before facing her, standing beside y/n.
the h/c-haired girl didn’t like being near him at all, he had this weird aura and she didn’t know what his intentions were at all. and him approaching her for the first time without being forced by a professor after the shenanigans of last night? way too timed to be a coincidence, though she wishes it was. 
“if you don’t know yet, our school’s competing with others schools with this little competition our school made.” the old woman got straight to the point. “the competition is that weekly for this month, a duo would take a quiz on a specific subject together. the subject changes every week and the questions get harder and harder! the 5 duos with the lowest scores are eliminated. it’s said on the board right there!” she pointed to where the students crowded.
“um, okay...? why are you telling us this then?” y/n questioned, adjusting her grip on her bag as the professor smiled again whilst katsuki breathed out a loud sigh. 
“i want you both to be the duo that represents our school!”
“miss-” katsuki started, but got cut off. “don’t you think we’re the worst duo for this? i mean,” y/n laughed sarcastically. “you know we hate each other, everyone fucking knows tha-”
“language, miss l/n.” the professor’s sternly scolded and y/n flinches a bit at the change of mood. “yes, ma’am.” the younger girl looked down on her shoes. “i think it’s a good opportunity for the two of you,” the old woman pointed to the two students. “to get along. you two are really gifted, and i don’t want our school to lose this or get humiliated just because you two have beef with each other for reasons unknown.”
y/n was sweating under her jacket and she gulped as the woman walked away, letting them know her decision was final. katsuki breathed out a deep sigh, face-palming. “what are we gonna do now? knowing that bitch, she’ll tell everyone we said yes.”
y/n didn’t bother to argue with the blonde, she knew he was right. the crowd near the gate starts to disappear and she leaves without responding to katsuki. she doesn’t know where the fuck he got the confidence to talk to her so casually. more like she wished she didn’t know.
she knew that he knew.
and he knew that she knew too. 
so simple yet so complicated.
class dragged out and y/n hasn’t spared a single glance at katsuki. she’s done this almost everyday since she met him, so it was easy to do. if only he’d stop staring into her soul, knowing she can see him in the corner of her eye. 
katsuki’s always liked to stare, though he had nothing to stare at. and now he does, even he doesn’t like how much he’s staring. he’d snap out of it, curse himself and y/n too while he’s at it, then get caught in a daze while staring at her again.��
multiple teachers approached them and individually asked them about the competition, their answers were the same the whole time, a bland “yeah, we’re competing as the duo.”
the students sat in their last class, blabbering around and not caring anymore. it was the last class, after all. they were tired and wanted to go home, but of course, they can’t. at least not yet. y/n didn’t feel like listening, she was tired too. doodling in her notebook, her heart drops when the professor calls her name. fuck, i don’t know the answe-
“oh. and mister bakugou too. i think it’s for the competition, the principal wants you two.” the old male lets out an intrigued hum. “don’t you guys hate each other?” y/n and katsuki walked out the room silently, filling the room with embarrassment on the professors side. 
the female walked on the other end of the corridor, she didn’t like katsuki at all. his mere presence makes her gag, and she knows it’s the same for him too. that’s why they opted to stay as far away from each other as possible.
the ash blonde walks into the principal’s office with y/n hot on his trail. “take a seat.” the principal said, not looking up from his paperwork. “listen, you two. i heard a lot from teachers about how you compete with each other, but the both of you are the smartest duo here. all i want is for you two to study together and pass the quizzes as best as you can. you don’t even have to get along! and your grades will be perfect A+’s for the whole month, and if you win, maybe i’ll extend to a month more.”
y/n and katsuki’s eyes widened at the offer, it was so tempting. and education always came first before pride anyway. “fine, i’ll do it.” y/n was the first to speak while katsuki just nodded his head.
“it’s settled then.”
[ timeskip ]
y/n plopped down on her bed. the two of them got sent home early and were forced to share socials with each other. they were also granted permission to use the library whenever they wanted, and were given the schedule to study together from their last two classes until whenever they liked. and before going their separate ways, she told katsuki to text her a plan if he had one.
her phone dings and she automatically assumed it was him. and it was. just... a little more lewd. definitely not what she was expecting.
y/n cussed, “since when the fuck did i let this stupid fucking site give me notifications?” katsuki’s heavy breathing and occasional grunts boomed through her speaker and she hurried to click off it, until her eyes landed on his cock.
from what seemed like it, he had already cum once, the white liquid dripping from his slit down his lenght. y/n can’t seem to tear her eyes from the way he stroked his cock, so gentle yet so rushed, so... satisfying.
she shakes her head and kicks herself out of her absurd train of thoughts, thumb hovering over the ‘X’ on the top left of the site. “have you joined the live, pretty face?” she flinches when she heard his raspy voice, thighs unconciously rubbing together and panties already soaked. 
“i hope you have, fuck. been thinking about you all day, mhmm~ why don’t you drop your little comments for me?” she could practically hear the smirk in his words, and it irritated her. but fuck, if he wasn’t so attractive. his perfectly sculpted body, his voice, and that pretty cock. it was that fucking cock.
“are you touching yourself, pretty face? you better. this live’s all for you.” katsuki moaned out, stroking himself faster. y/n watched as the chat went crazy, all of them confessing their sins to him like he was some sort of God.
and maybe he was, cause she found herself running a finger through her wet folds as she watched the camboy play with his tip. she shoves a finger inside, moaning with him before moving in and out parallel to his strokes. 
katsuki comes again, his strokes coming to a half. he pants before smirking, “pretty face, lookie here.” he shows a fleshlight to the camera, his tip prodding at the toys entrance. y/n slowly adds another finger as he sunk the toy down onto his cock, both of them moaning.
they both fuck themselves into oblivion while thinking of each other, katsuki’s hips violently fucking into the toy as he hissed, “fuck, i bet your pussy feels a lot better.” y/n felt her cunt clench around her finger at the statement as she started to rub her clit as well. 
she orgasms a little bit before katsuki shot his load into the toy, both their movements halting as they tried to catch their breath. she types in a comment before finally exiting the site, feeling slightly disgusted of what she just did. she shudders and opts on taking a shower before napping.
“you dirty little thing.”
katsuki felt his cock twitch at y/n’s comment. he ended the live right after, knowing she probably left already. the notifications for money he hoarded sat heavy on his account and he smiled, cleaning himself up after. the image of her with her legs open, her fingers buried deep in her cunt and her moaning uncontrollably was all that filled katsuki’s brain.
and he fucking hates it. he hates how much power the desires of his cock had over him when he was horny.
and the only desire his cock had was her.
next part I masterlist
taglist:
@princesspeach-00 @tamakisropebunny @bakugous-mamas @ll379333 @j1-914 @gazelle-des-pres @trashpandainahat @dickinson-67 @victoriaestein @amelie-chan @your-worst-obsession [ cannot tag last two ]
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the-resurrection-3d · 2 years
Text
(@maskwasii​ wanted me to post this despite, ironically, it all being shit I’ve told him before. Regardless.)
Something that I’ve been thinking about for awhile and might as well post while I’m waiting for the sleeping pills to kick in:
It really feels like the great irony of shipping drama is that it pushes out the people who would take this shit seriously. By “this” I mean darkfic topics like rape, incest, pedophilia, and so on. Because let’s be real with ourselves: regardless of your opinion on “dead dove” content, the majority of people who make that content don’t fucking care what you have to say. Nothing you can say is new to them, most of them are perfectly comfortable with remaking twice, thrice, even 5+ times after being mass-reported, and as far as ao3 goes, that site’s rules are intentionally designed to make removing someone else’s work as hard as possible.
A lot of people say they’re just against “romanticizing”/ “fetishizing” that type of content, which is fine on its surface, but there really isn’t any consistent metric for what “romanticizing” actually means outside of just pointing at shameless porn and going “don’t do that.” I remember once scrolling through an anti’s blog, seeing a typical post about how they’re only against romanticization, and then ~two posts down was a callout for someone for having edgy OCs. No context whatsoever into the actual story’s lore or how the author seems to want said OCs to be viewed-- the OCs themselves are bad people/have bad kinks, therefore this blogger must be shunned and publicly shamed. Again: hate stuff like rape/non-con kink all you want, but let’s imagine, for a moment, that Alberto had a genuine rape kink in “the grammar of violence” series instead of intrusive thoughts -- that type of presentation, where we’re meant to feel sorry for Alberto due to his urges (”””urges”””), is in a completely different universe from how I handle the same urges in Nick. 
When a work does not have an obvious sexual element, they stumble. The best example of this is how they’ll insist that murder can’t be romanticized, even though many books, shows, and films not only justify but aestheticize their protagonists' murders, fully intending for us as consumers to derive some amount of pleasure from watching the protagonists kill people (often in very drawn-out, spectacular ways).
It’s thus undeniable that many antis, knowingly or not, conflate “having X in your content” with “romanticizing X” -- take that one popular post that’s just a bunch of screenshots of the number of works tagged with “underage” on ao3 and decrying all of it as “child porn.” If you’ve ever earnestly written about csa trauma and tagged your fic with “underage” and/or “explicit” to try and keep your readers safe, no you didn’t, you’ve written CP. 
Why would anyone bother trying to write a serious story under these conditions? 
I know I joke a lot about how trying to put actual effort into your fanfics is a waste of time (except it’s not a joke because it’s true and I’m only here because I’m Asterion trapped in the labyrinth of my own autism), but seriously. Even showing support for these creators leaves many people feeling at risk, which removes pretty much the only thing fanfic is good for, aka that community element. 
I’ve mentioned this before here and there, but I’ve had multiple people come to me asking for help on their stories because they wanted to avoid “romanticizing” something fucked up, and every time, they have only a vague idea of what that would actually mean. I’m not trying to shit on them for this, because it’s not their fault, but these are the writers I’m talking about -- they have anxiety over the hypothetical backlash they could receive before the act of writing has even begun. 
Anxiety in art can be productive, such as when it motivates a creator to research experiences or cultures they don’t have firsthand experience with, but how can someone do that research when the guidelines don’t exist? “Don’t write porn.” Okay.... but I’ve seen fan-art of Luca doing stretches called “horny.” (Yet also somehow cartoon Beetlejuice calling a 13-year-old girl “babes” and getting jealous when she pays attention to other guys is just him “acting like an uncle.”) Furthermore, sometimes the only way to handle your trauma is to write through it, in all the gorey details. Sometimes that means writing a graphic rape scene, writing an unhappy ending, or writing “trauma porn” (keeping in mind, of course, that I’ve seen people’s fucking memoirs called trauma porn solely because they didn’t bend over backwards to make the reader feel comfortable).
Fandoms are just so fucking vile not only to survivors, but to people who want to earnestly and respectfully explore topics relevant to those survivors. The kinksters don’t care, as we’ve already established, and the people who don’t do any research or put in any thought at all will also continue just spewing their bullshit, because they lack the self-awareness to even realize that they’re doing so. I know a lot of dead dove creators are also survivors and are using their shit to cope, so don’t get me wrong, I don’t think their content is an issue in and of itself-- but again, let’s be real, most of them know that their content isn’t saying anything meaningful about trauma or the systems that enable it, nor are they trying to. The coping, that exploration, is within the process and not the product.
But some survivors need it to be in the product. Some survivors are unable to make art, or are not yet ready to make art about their trauma, but would benefit from consuming others’. So, while I don’t think having kinky dead dove art is an inherent issue, it's an issue when that type of content ends up dominating the creative marketplace, because as much as the creators themselves are soothed by it, a lot of other survivors are alienated. Both of these responses are valid. But I just think it’s a meme and half how, given everything I’ve seen, antis seem to be doing the most damage towards the kinds of content they always say they’ve made an exception for. 
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