#will i be able to concentrate?? who knows…

[berryz-writes]

Faking it

(part 1)

Mattheo x reader

Summary: You and Mattheo pretend to date because your parents won't stop pestering you and girls won't stop falling over themselves to get to Mattheo

note: ignore the title its not very.........smart

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Mattheo asked putting his quill down and kicking his legs up onto the desk. History of Magic was the perfect time to sit and chat with your friends and catch up on missed gossip.

I shrugged "It's the ball tomorrow so probably getting lectured by my dear mother" A tradition since I was 12. To nag ask me to bring a date with me to the ball. This year was especially important because I hadn't brought anyone with me last year and my mother was not impressed.

Mattheo rolled his eyes "Please. You've got it easy"

I raised an eyebrow. What was he complaining about? "And what's troubling you so much?"

He sighed dramatically "All I here is everywhere I go is do you have a date for the ball? A guy can't even eat breakfast in peace"

I scoffed. He was always so unnecessarily dramatic.

"Well. Do you?" It's not like I was wanting it to be me, I was just genuinely interested. Curious. Not at all wondering who the girl was and what Matheo's standards and type was.

"Of course I don't. All the girls that come up to me are sluts who want me to take them to my dorm after"

I shrug "At least they have the confidence to ask. You'll be left with no one soon enough"

Mattheo rolled his eyes as if what I was saying was utterly ridiculous "There's always someone. And anyways I could always go with you"

I paused. The voices in the classroom had become a background noise in my mind. I looked at Mattheo, trying to see if he was making a joke out of all this. I could usually tell because of how his lips would always pull into a small smirk but this time he was utterly serious.

"Us two?" I asked. I don't know why I said that. Maybe it was to make sure I had heard him right.

"Yeah. It would get those girls off my back and your parents will probably be happy you've found a good looking guy like me"

I rolled my eyes, trying to act like this wasn't something I was excited about or wanted to do "Someone thinks highly of themselves"

Matheo's eyes had glazed over as if he was in deep thought about something. His hand was tapping his knee in a constant rhythm and his eyebrows were scrunched in concentration. It was quiet cute to watch, honestly.

"Y'know. My idea wasn't so bad."

I raise an eyebrow "Your ideas are always bad. Which one are you talking about this time?"

He moved closer to me so I could hear his quiet voice "Me and you. We could go to the ball together. Pretend to date for a while and then act like it didn't work out between us."

My heart beat's pace increased. Why was it increasing? I'd love to tell you but I didn't know either. Maybe it was the fact that I wouldn't mind getting closer to Mattheo. Or maybe the fact that I knew if I accepted his idea I would be heartbroken by the end of it.

"But once we break up I'm just going to have to find another guy" I tried explaining. I did want to go along with his idea but I didn't want to seem too desperate. Also I don't think my parents saw Mattheo as a great influence.

He rolled his eyes acting as if I was the dumb one "Just pretend your going through an emotional...breakdown or something. And by then you'll be able to find someone you like.  It's not as if anyone would reject you" He said all this with a serious tone, as if he wasn't telling me to keep a lie going to my family but also probably break my heart in the process. I skipped over the last bit of what he said because if I thought of it for too long I would become obsessed with it and that probably wasn't a good idea.

"I'll think about it" I finally decided. I already knew what my answer was but I didn't need his ego to inflate even more...also because I had pride in myself and wasn't about to cave to on of his ideas so quickly.

*a few hours later*

"Why do you ask to play if you know your going to lose?" I asked Theo feeling slightly bad for him at this point. It was our fifth game of cards and he had lost all of them. He rolled his eyes "I'm helping pass time so you should be thanking me" It was just after our last lesson of the day and we were all in the common room or out in the gardens waiting for supper. Luckily exams weren't anywhere close so I could use this time however I wanted.

I smiled slightly at Theo's disgruntled expression "Right"

Handing out the cards again I picked up my pile and spread them out looking for a diamond. I picked out two debating on which one, choosing the nine of diamonds when I heard a slight noise behind me.

"I wouldn't go for that. I've seen Theo's cards and he's going to get you back if you put that nine down" It was Mattheo. He had taken a seat next to me on a stool having seemingly finished the shouting match he was having with Draco a few minutes ago.

I glared at him in annoyance "You've just told Theo what card I have!" Was he being deliberately annoying or did he not know how card games worked?

A slight smirk on his expression told me he was being irritating on purpose "Don't be mad at me darling. It was a mistake" He had gotten closer to me now his proximity too much for me. Luckily Theo caused a commotion by throwing his cards onto the table, me and Mattheo both turning to look at him.

"I'm not playing anymore. I've had enough of losing y/n" He said dramatically, getting up and sticking up his middle finger at Mattheo before leaving. What was wrong with everyone today?

Mattheo let out a sigh "Finally. Have you decided then?" His voice had changed to being serious within seconds, his teasing smile gone.

I knew what he was talking about but all the same I furrowed my brows and acted confused "decided what?" It was his turn to frown as he moved even closer to me "The fake dating thing? Your memory needs fixing sweetheart" He said quietly waiting for my response.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I couldn't look him in the eyes when he said names like that. Would saying yes lead to me having a broken heart and in a lot of trouble if my parents found out? Yes. But was I doing it anyways? Yes.

"My memory doesn't need fixing" I rolled my eyes but continued on "And fine I'll do it"

Mattheo grinned "Fucking finally" He got up and pressed a kiss to my cheek "I'll see you later. If anyone asks tell them your taken" He walked away out of the common room and to who knows where. I lightly touched where he had kissed my cheek. Was this going to be normal now? Him just kissing me any time of day? Not that I minded.

I looked around the common room to see a few girls in my year already walking over to me, raising their eyebrows. They were probably going to ask what the kiss was about and I'd have to tell them I was dating..... realisation hit me.

Mattheo hadn't kissed me because he wanted to but so the others could see and would come and ask me. He was smart. I would give him that but it did hurt my feelings slightly.

After a lot of explaining how me and Mattheo got together and lying for three hours straight I slipped into my bed earlier than usual, staring at my dress for the next night. It was a dark green almost the exact shade of our Slytherin robes except in silk. I turned to my other side wishing I hadn't eaten so much dessert because it still didn't seem digested to me. I could hear hooting in the distance, guessing it was probably other students owls, coming back or going out to send letters.

I had sent a letter to my parents just after dinner, telling them not to worry and how I had a date for the ball this year. I had re written the letter so many times, worried the expression when they read my words would make it obvious I was lying. After the fire had eaten up 4 parchments I finally sent the letter off hoping for the best. Pansy had ended up reading over my shoulder before I could stop her and had found out I was "dating" Mattheo. At first she was upset I hadn't told her. Her arms had been crossed and a permanent frown had been etched onto her face.

I couldn't lie to her so I eventually told her the truth, her eyes widening as I explained everything.

"I'm sure it'll be fine" She had said eventually. I hoped she was right.

The next day rushed by extremely quickly. It felt like I had just had breakfast but here I was waiting for my mother to show up. She had said she wanted to "meet me before she left for something extremely important in a different country"

She just meant she was going on holiday without me but I didn't mind. The last time I had gone all she did was talk about my grades and the clothes I was wearing or something else that annoyed me. I turned to Pansy who was starting to look at her nails in boredom.

"You should go. Start getting ready" I said to her. She was waiting with me, just inside the school gates. Pansy shrugged "I don't mind. You need support when your dear mother comes because Salazar knows you can't lie"

I crossed my arms even though I knew she was kind of right "I can. Listen I'll be fine, trust me. Go get ready"

Pansy hummed in thought "It does take me a while to do my eyeliner.....fine. See you, don't crumble under pressure" She blew me a kiss and walked back in leaving me to crack my knuckles repeatedly even though they were already cracked.

I couldn't even wait in peace because as soon as Pansy left I heard gravel crunch behind me and when I turned to look who it was, Mattheo's grin made me want to stop time. God he was gorgeous and he didn't even try.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as he stood next to me, his body heat reaching me at his close proximity. He raised an eyebrow a knowing smile on his lips "You can't lie to me forget lying to your own mother"

I huffed in annoyance. Why did everyone underestimate me? I mean they were right but still. And how could I lie to Mattheo when his chocolate eyes would make me melt in mere seconds? And how did he know what I was waiting for? Pansy must have told him on her way in.

Without warning my mother apparated in front of me before I could confirm what I was thinking. She was wearing smart wizarding robes. She had probably just come from work. Like usual she didn't hug me, just giving me a once over and then turning to Mattheo instead.

"So your dating my daughter?" She got straight to the point, tossing her blonde waves behind her, eyes narrowed. Mattheo nodded his expression serious

"Yes maam"

Her eyebrows raised slightly but she carried on quizzing him about his grades, plans and even what he thought about marriage. I wanted to die right about now. Luckily she only turned to me at the very end of her little interview "I expect you to have good grades by the end of the year. Your father sends his love" And with that she apparated away just as quickly as she had arrived.

I let out a sigh "Thanks. She's a handful sometimes" I told him, feeling bad that he had to take the brunt of her questioning. He shrugged wrapping an arm around my waist "It's fine, nothing I can't handle"

"You don't have to pretend like we're dating when no one's looking you know" I said to him quietly. It was getting dark now and no one would be out in the gardens anyways. Mattheo ignored me, carrying on walking toward the castle, his hand shifting to pull me closer

"Someone could be looking though the window, sweetheart. You can't be too careful" He whispered in my ear, his voice making my insides heat and my legs feel like jelly. I blinked at him as he straightened up acting as if he hadn't just made butterflies erupt in my stomach from a few simples words.

FUCK. FUCK. FUCK.

I couldn't survive one night next to him without my brain cells melting how would I survive a whole fucking week?

[captain039]

PART 5 Predator grounds (Cooper Howard)

Alpha!Cooper Howard (pre-war)x omega!reader

Alpha!Cooper Howard (The Ghoul) x omega!reader

Warnings: AOB dynamics, vault tech things, forced heats/ruts, eventual smut, age gap, angst? Experiments, needles, drugs, talks of pregnancy, first times, anxiety attacks, anxiety, forced claiming, mentions of rape

The lights are the only indication of a day beginning and ending. It’s been two weeks in here now, you and your alpha had mated about five times now, each time more than the last. Your heat isn’t dying down though like you thought it would, it’s exhausting your body and mind. Cooper feels it too, he’s been in an induced rut for two weeks as well without any breaks. It’s hard to focus each day and when you crawl into his lap to take care of yourself you feel like you’re using him.

It’s the beginning of week three, you hate everything especially yourself for what’s happened, the first time was so special, felt special and now you’re just using your alpha. You lay on the couch despite Coopers efforts to move you, he sits on the bed book in hand as he struggles to concentrate and read. You don’t know how they’re keeping you in an induced heat, but you feel like if it goes on any longer you will die. You cry yourself to sleep most nights hating yourself hating these feelings, when Cooper notices some nights he tried to comfort you and you snap at him. You hate it here, hate what they’re doing to you. You’ve stopped eating the meals being sent to you, glaring at the man who delivers them, cursing him out a few times too. Cooper try’s to get you to eat, he’s raised his voice a few times before he pretty much puts himself in the corner like a time out. You’re starving, but what you also notice is your heat dying down. Cooper still eats and isn’t coming down from his rut. The third day you put it together that it’s the food and just as Coopers about eat breakfast you slap the spoon out of his hands.

“The hell?!” He says.

“I’m sorry, sorry I- it’s in the food, the forcers!” you say and he frowns staring at the food, leaning down to sniff it.

“You won’t be able to sniff it or taste it” you add.

“We’ll just have to eat the crackers or snacks in the cupboard hopefully they aren’t affected, it’s all pre-packaged anyway, doesn’t look open” you get up and raid the cupboard, bringing it down to lay it on the table.

“I can’t do this anymore Coop if I continue this heat I’m going to die” you feel tears in your eyes.

“I’ve been so cruel to you, used you I’ve pretty much raped you” you take a shuddering breath and he stands arms going around your shoulders and tugging you to his chest.

“You haven’t sweetheart, you haven’t done anything I didn’t want, I’m just tired” he mutters against your head with a small sigh as you cry against his chest.

You both stop eating the food, throwing it out as soon as it comes but it takes the vault two days to notice. You survive on whatever snacks are provided in the cupboard and they don’t seem to have any forcers in them. Cooper seems more himself, he isn’t as tired anymore and your energy is coming back. By the sixth day though your room is breached in the middle of the night. You’re grabbed from the bed and before Cooper can even throw a punch he’s tranquillised and on the floor. You scream and struggle against the guards hold as they carry you through the vault and into a medical area. They strap you down to the bed with force, they all have masks on, covering their faces with reflective visors.

“You’re not completing your role anymore” the man in the white suit says needle in hand.

“Neither are you pregnant” he adds as he comes over and injects something into your arm.

You feel tears in your eyes as you struggle and wiggle till you feel your body going limp and your eyes slipping shut.

There’s a blaring alarm, red flashes behind your eyelids and a horrid chill in your bones. You gasp and open your eyes, falling out of whatever you were in as the doors open and onto the floor. You cough and suck in deep mouthfuls of air. You shiver at the coldness in your body and glance back to what you came out of. A cyro-pod, still with some cold fog in it rolling out.

“Hey!” You glance to the call seeing a woman rushing towards you also in a blue vault suit.

“You ok? Gosh I didn’t think anyone else was alive” she smiles helping you up as you just frown.

“Our pods have failed, the whole vault is in critical failure were the only survivors so far” she checks the other pods hearing ‘Crypgentic failure” for each one over the PA system.

“My names Nora” she goes back to you offering a kind smile again. You shudder a bit rubbing your hands over your arms as you introduce yourself.

“Where are we? I don’t-“ your mind reels back, getting taken in the middle of the night, then tranquillising Cooper. Cooper…

You check the pods in a rush ignoring the woman, none of them are Cooper and you breathe in relief.

“How many more pods are there? Please I need to see if they’re holding my mate” you beg and her eyes sadden and she nods leading you through the vault. You look at her number Vault 111 and you frown slightly, you were from Vault 18 how did they move you?

As you go through three rooms of pods you don’t see any Cooper Howard, in fact you don’t know any of these people.

“Not him” you mutter as you check the last pod.

“I’m sorry I know how it is to loose a mate” she says her voice saddened.

“Mine was across from me, with my baby” she whispers and your heart breaks. You hardly know the woman but you bring her in for a hug and she accepts, easily hugging back.

“I’m not from this vault” you tell her as you pull apart.

“I was from Vault 18” you explain seeing her frown.

“How did they get you here?” She questions and you shrug.

“I don’t know, me and my mate figured out they were putting Heat and Rut enforcers in our food so we stopped eating and they took me away one night and tranquillised him” you shiver at the thought arms crossing over yourself.

“How long has it been?” You ask.

“Let’s check the vault there might be answers” she says and you nod.

you follow Nora through the vault, trying to process everything that’s happened. Nobody’s alive in the vault, they’re all skeletons, everything is rusted and broken. You finally find the entrance, more death and worn out equipment. She goes over to the console, picks up something from the dead skeleton and hooks it up to the console. Alarms blare again as the PA voice speaks.

“Please stand back, vault doors opening” it says as you watch the machinery open the door and the rails move.

“Is it safe?” You ask her.

“Guess we will find out” she mutters as you stare at the small bridge. You cross with her and into the elevator.

“Enjoy your return to the surface and thank you for choosing vault-tec!” The PA calls as the elevator shakes and rises.

Surprise xD

[baeshijima]

okay this is like,,, off topic,,,, but can we just stop and admire the banner :((

[throttlegainwell]

Btw I know this is, like, Film 101 and so very obvious, so it's probably been pointed out lots of times, but when Mark showed up with his hair slicked back instead of flopping into his face, I was like, oh no, something has changed. It struck me so hard. And it was because he was trying to be something he wasn't--or, rather, reaching for something that wasn't what he wanted because he couldn't have what he really wanted.

(And I have so many feelings about Sarah and how difficult this must have all been for her. In a way, Mark was using her, and I can't decide how much she saw and overlooked and how much she just wasn't aware of. I want her side of all of this so bad. Also, because I think Mark genuinely liked her and could have been happy with her--boy was so very bi--but it just wasn't the same.)

[impulsivedecisionsat3am]

my brain: hey here’s an idea for an oc who can have multiple outfits and props that you can make :)

me, screaming and thrashing due to the brainrot that has consumed me and also the intense urge to finish the gerard dress: AAAAAAAAAAAAA (<— screams of agony)

[aletheialed]

why am i making so many headcanons for barok despite having seen so little of his actual dialogue.................. i have a PROBLEM gamers ;~;

[austerulous]

Good morning gang! I’m still sick, and still isolating with the kids. My plan for today is to carry on with the web weavings and visit inboxes like a li’l positivity fairy. I’m also going to clean out my followers again. Might purge the dustiest asks from my inbox too.

[yellobb]

Working from home is very nice because I can wake up at 7am and clock in at 7am instead of 8:30

[poptartmochi]

the maggie gioia thoughts strike yet Again 🤏🏻🕶️🤨

[katya-goncharov]

i wonder if it's an adhd thing that even though i read a massive amount of books, definitely more than the average person, i absolutely can't handle books with small font

[smol-tired-binch-blog]

Babe I was anything BUT calm what are you talking about

[gilfrespecter]

Doodle page from the last few days ft Emerson in that one Orville Peck outfit bc it's funny and so so much of the other cowboy and a concept for a thing I need to do a shitton of research to write that I don't want to so it will float in my head till I eventually cave and do it

[sixthousandbees]

I was doing some world building for a fantasy story I daydreamed and wanted more of. I *need* to have some internal logic when I’m making things, and the focus of this world building session was magic.

I liked the idea of mana crystals, specifically as an organ one uses to manipulate magic that hardens when one dies - some of the mana one has literally crystallizes as its no longer used, like blood coagulating. Fantasy media I’ve seen tends to just have demonic/magic monsters having magic crystals, and thats one way to differentiate between monster and beast, but I wanted every living thing to have one! I wanted humans to have them, as the core of spells and skills. Plus if everything had one it would make it easier to code later down the line if I was to adapt this into a game.

But... where is the line drawn? I liked the idea of trees and mushrooms having them too, as magic trees give rise to ents and dryads, and magic mushrooms are drugs but also glowy underground, and thats a staple. but... how far back does one have to go in the evolution to have trees AND mushrooms AND animals having the same thing? are we saying BACTERIA gets magic crystals?? what kinda spells are germs gonna cast?

...What about viruses? If I say “all living things have magic”, and I give viruses magic, I’m making a statement I’m uncomfortable making.

I talked with a friend, and he said viruses steal mana from other things in order to duplicate. I loved that. “procreate” is a spell everything knows, even if they’re not conscious of it.

OH DANG! This also is the answer for “surely everyone would get stronger and stronger magic as time goes by?”. The more magic one has, the more susecptible one would be to disease. The viruses and bacteria would duplicate more rapidly in a magic rich environment.

I was also linking magic to consciousness, with hints of who a person/thing was stored in the mana crystal. (oh! I may put resurrection in the setting, with one needing only the mana crystal. in emergencies, adventurers cutting out the magic core of their friends in order to revive them later. easier to take a friends rock than the whole friend)

With the link to consciousness, and the link to procreation, this is an explanation for exhaustion during pregnancy, as “create babe” is a continuous spell and the parent gets dry on magic. Having it as a separate spell rather than an act of biology allows for same gender and mixed species parents, AND removes unwanted/unexpected pregnancies, mostly.

ANYWAY. having “procreation needs mana” as an idea brought the thought that, in this setting, “wizards are the most sexual motherfuckers out there”. And I STILL find that amusing. Enjoy.

[astrxealis]

i will watch the trailer in english soon :))

[scientia-rex]

When I was in ninth grade I wanted to challenge what I saw as a very stupid dress code policy (not being allowed to wear spikes regardless of the size or sharpness of the spikes). My dad said to me, “What is your objective?”

He said it over and over. I contemplated that. I wanted to change an unfair dress code. What did I stand to gain? What did I stand to lose? If what I really wanted was to change the dress code, what would be my most effective potential approach? (He also gave me Discourses on the Fall of Rome by Titus Livius, Machiavelli’s magnum opus. Of course he’d already given me The Prince, Five Rings, and The Art of War.)

I ultimately printed out that phrase, coated it in Mod Podge, and clipped it to my bathroom mirror so I would look at it and think about it every day.

What is your objective?

Forget about how you feel. Ask yourself, what do you want to see happen? And then ask, how can you make it happen? Who needs to agree with you? Who has the power to implement this change? What are the points where you have leverage over them? If you use that leverage now, will you impair your ability to use it in the future? Getting what you want is about effectiveness. It is not about being an alpha or a sigma or whatever other bullshit the men’s right whiners are on about now. You won’t find any MRA talking points in Musashi, because they are not relevant.

I had no clear leverage on the dress code issue. My parents were not on the PTA; neither were any of my friend’s parents who liked me. The teachers did not care about this. Ultimately I just wore what I wanted, my patent leather collar from Hot Topic with large but flattened spikes, and I had guessed correctly—the teachers also did not care enough to discipline me.

I often see people on tumblr, mostly the very young, flail around in discourse. They don’t have an objective. They don’t know what they want to achieve, and they have never thought about strategizing and interpersonal effectiveness. No one can get everything they want by being an asshole. You must be able to work with other people, and that includes smiling when you hate them.

Read Machiavelli. Start with The Prince, but then move on to Discourses. Read Musashi’s Five Rings. Read The Art of War. They’re classics for a reason. They can’t cover all situations, but they can do more for how you think about strategizing than anything you’re getting in middle school and high school curricula.

Don’t vote third party unless you can tell me not only what your objective is but also why this action stands a meaningful chance of accomplishing it. Otherwise, back up and approach your strategy from a new angle. I don’t care how angry you are with Biden right now. He knows about it, and he is both trying to do something and not doing enough. I care about what will happen to millions of people if we have another Trump presidency. Look up Ross Perot, and learn from our past. Find your objective. If it is to stop the genocide in Palestine now, call your elected representatives now. They don’t care about emails; they care about phone calls, because they live in the past. I know this because I shadowed a lobbyist, because knowing how power works is critical to using it.

How do you think I have gotten two clinics to start including gender care in their planning?

Start small. Chip away. Keep working. Find your leverage; figure out how and when to effectively use it. Choose your battles, so that you can concentrate on the battle at hand instead of wasting your resources in many directions. Learn from the accumulated wisdom of people who spent their lives learning by doing, by making mistakes, by watching the mistakes of their enemies.

Don’t be a dickhead. Be smarter than I was at 14. Ask yourself: what is your objective?

[aviolettrose]

A fanfic idea:

Bruce was able to rescue Jason before he died, and after this experience, Jason stopped being Robin.

He became afterwards the golden child, he goes to college (with a scholarship), helps out in the city library, teaches children (helps with their homeworks and helps them to study), works part time in a car garage in crime alley, and is a supportive brother.

And it pisses his siblings off.

Because there has to be something fishy because no one, really no one, is that perfect.

And there is something fishy.

He is also Red Hood.

No one knows, and the vigilantes never talk to Jason about "the family business" because he needs to concentrate on his studies and other stuff.

So imagine, Batmans suprise when the JL was able to catch Red Hood.

Someone takes Jasons helmet off in front of Batman, Nightwing, and other members

And Jason, who wears also a domino mask, doesn't look Batman in the face even as he says :

"Hey Dad. I can explain."

And Dick loses his shit, he laughs so hard because, Jason, The golden child, the one who gave up on being a vigilante, who reads to children in the library, is a goddamn crimelord.

Bruce just stands there frozen because wtf Jason?!

And Dick takes selfies with Jason being tied up and calles the other Batkids in because they should definitely not be left out of it.

(Edit: As someone who doesn't really write (or can write good stories), I want to say, feel free to use this prompt for a fanfiction. Just please give credits to me (because I don't know if someone else had also this idea and posted it) and please inform me if you publish something (because I want to read a fanfiction like this too))

(Edit: people we got a link, pls leave some love there for @radioactivepigeons, https://archiveofourown.org/works/55499164

And for those who have struggles with the link, the fanfiction is called Prodigal by Carbon65, and you only have access to it with an ao3 account, BUT I pinned the tumblr version)