#again i'm not trying to say anyone else is wrong!!! taste is subjective!!!

[wordsgood]

i don't know if this is a hot take or anything but i keep seeing in posts and reviews that "all pulley main characters are interchangeable," either as a criticism or as a "but i love them anyway" kind of thing, and respectfully i have to disagree?? well, not disagree, this isn't an argument, but like. i could never feel the same way. you can't tell me that the kingdoms with shenkov in place of kite would be the same. the bedlam stacks with valery instead of merrick would be a completely different story. i do agree that the DYNAMIC between the main characters tends to be similar, and there are absolutely broad similarities between POV characters and love interests, but still not to the point of being interchangeable, to me, anyway. or maybe those comments are hyperbolic and i'm just reading them too literally? but i see them so often and it always leaves me like "????? did we read the same batch of books?"

#pulleyverse #again i'm not trying to say anyone else is wrong!!! taste is subjective!!! #i'm just. i don't know. Expressing Myself(tm) or something #every time i express a Pulley Opinion i feel like i'm setting myself up to be exploded mentally by people smarter than me. #and yet i remain Expressing

[izvmimi]

cw: selfship content. married with named children. fluff.

Izuku has been pacing around the kitchen for the past five minutes, and you, devilish as you are, are pretending not to notice, content with your late night snack of hot chocolate and lightly buttered bread.

The kids are all asleep, or at the very least turned in for the night, and things have been overall peaceful in the Midoriya household for the past few days, so whatever has your husband in distress is unlikely to be that bad. Additionally, he has an expression he makes when the situation is more embarrassing than dire, and that's written all over his face at the moment.

You bite into a particularly crunchy part of the bread and the sound appears to echo - Izuku looks at you and you return his gaze with your mouth full, blinking innocently, then burst out laughing when he frowns.

"Fine, I'll bite. What's wrong, baby?" you ask.

Izuku stops pacing then stands still facing you, one arm crossed over his chest and his other hand balled into a fist under his chin.

"Did you know Izumi had a crush on..." his voice was already hushed, but now it falls into a barely audible whisper, "... Ami?"

You blink. That's all? you wonder.

"Well, yeah..." you reply. "He's uh... been like that since he was 8?"

"What?!"

Izuku looks betrayed for a moment, then moves over to you quickly, pulling out a chair to plop down on.

"Okay, but his sketchbook is literally filled with portraits of just her!"

You drink the last of your hot cocoa, then smile at him, resting your hand on his wrist posed on the table.

"Sounds like his dad."

Izuku turns pink at the ears, but then he shakes his head, trying to focus.

"It's not the same!"

You sigh. "Are they tasteful at least? They seemed fine when I saw them."

Izuku's mouth opens and closes quickly. "W-What do you mean tasteful?"

"I mean he is 15."

"___! They're okay, he's not a pervert!"

You tilt your head to the side. "Exactly, so what's the problem?"

Izuku looks at you with incredulity, shocked by your unbothered manner. "You know, perhaps the 10 year age difference??" Izuku starts. "What if he gets his heart broken? It's not like it can happen!"

You take another long look at him, then laugh again.

"Don't burst a blood vessel, it's just puppy love. He'll get over it."

"I didn't get over my first crush!"

"... Honey, how old do you think I am?" you ask. He sighs then sidesteps your statement, knowing he sounds ridiculous, then presses his head against the table. You push your plate and mug aside now, then take his fingers in yours, and he turns his head to the side to look up at you.

"You know, it's not weird for your teenage son to have a crush on a pretty girl, especially when she was his babysitter most of his life. It's harmless."

Izuku frowns.

"It's not weird I promise. Plus, it won't last." With that last part you lean just a bit closer to whisper, "I heard him on the phone with someone else, he has a crush on another person in his class right now, which I also know because he actually starts caring if I iron his shirts for school."

Izuku seems briefly relieved, then again bothered by this additional info.

"Why doesn't he tell me anything?" he asks.

"Teenagers don't tell anyone anything, don't worry about it." You say, squeezing his fingers. He gives you a half-smile, then you decide to change the subject.

"By the way, Atsuna needs to get stuff for cheerleading, so you can you take her tomorrow? I have some errands I need to run."

"Cheerleading? When did she start cheerleading?"

Izuku looks genuinely dumbfounded, following you as you get up to put your dish away.

"Two weeks ago." You snap your fingers. "I need you to keep up."

He pouts, and you actually feel a little bad.

"I'm kidding," you insist, but the damage is already done. You lead him back to a seat in the kitchen, and he frowns again, tapping his foot anxiously as he sits.

"I'm a shit father," he mumbles, and your heart aches for just a moment. You shake your head then cup his face in your hands. Izuku looks at you and you soften then kiss him.

"No way. You're just doing a ton at once right now. Let me take care of things for now, and then we'll catch up this weekend, okay?"

His hands circle around your wrists, and he's not completely convinced but he nods.

"You do such a great job, I wanna pull my weight," he murmurs and kisses you again. You let his kisses warm you more than the cocoa and press your forehead against his.

"You pull yours too, baby. We can't give 100% to everything all the time so I'll cover you and you cover me, okay?"

He nods.

"Thank you," he adds. You move out of your seat into his lap, and caress the side of his chin, feeling the roughness of his unshaven face, tired but still handsome.

"I'm taking more days off," he promises.

"You don't have to," you insist.

"I don't have to, but I want to."

You laugh but it's just a breath through your nose, and press yourself closer to him so that your face buries into his chest.

"#1 Pro Hero wants more days off so he can give his son the Talk? That will go over well with the Hero Commission."

Your sarcasm hits a little too close to home but he gently grips your fingers again and pulls them to his mouth, kissing the finger tips.

"Izuku, your husband and the father of your kids, wants to spend more time with the beautiful woman he married and the children he helped create," he states. You look into his eyes and he looks determined to make a change and you smile, accepting his resolve.

"Thank you."

---

Your phone rings in the late evening on Sunday, and you can't help but be amused as you pick up. The second you say hello, you can already hear screaming on the other end of the line.

"Is there a reason Deku is suddenly off the patrol schedule for an entire month?!"

You stifle a laugh.

"Why don't you ask him, Kacchan?" Calling his name like your husband does only serves to aggravate him more.

"Very funny. Tell him to pick up the fucking phone."

You glance over at your husband who is busy helping your youngest daughter, Ai, braid her hair down for bed in the living room. Ai holds a mirror and tells him where to part her curls, and Izuku's tongue sticks out as he tries the style on the video on the TV screen. Despite his slight confusion, he looks happy as Ai observes his work and gives him plentiful encouragement.

"When he's no longer busy. Bye! Hug the wife and kids for me!" you say cheerfully as you hang up.

#izuku x reader #izuku midoriya x reader #cw kids #cw families #mimidoriya #daydreams: bnha #mimi's notes

[zeesodacan]

"I have no clue"

Zee x Reader

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

this one's kinda cringe to be honest, i wrote it for my old td account but oh well!! it's still kinda sweet

i remember this being a request, but i've completely lost the ask, since it was on my old blog

☄. *. ⋆

fluff

word count: 1,575

proofread: yes but i'm tired so i might have skipped over something

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Ever since you got to the island, you'd been a confident and straight forward kind of gal. Whenever Ripper opened his mouth to say anything, you were able to combat his statement and shut him up for 5 minutes. Better than anyone else on the island could, at least.

Most of the other contestants enjoyed your attitude and your willingness to speak your mind. You helped lead your team to victory many times and worked hard.

There were moments when you 'lightly' berated a teammate for slacking off, but there was that one person that you just... let slip under your radar.

Zee.

You hadn't truly realized your feelings for the boy until Bowie said something about it. You two were walking in the forest alongside Emma, as you all had formed a little alliance due to hitting it off on the first day on the island.

"So," Bowie began. "Y/N. You and Zee?"

This caught you off guard, quickly looking over at Bowie. "Ex-Excuse me?" You felt your heartrate pick up and your face go red, your eyebrows furrowed trying to figure out what he meant. "Oh my god, it is true!" Bowie laughed, holding onto Emma. "You so totally like Zee."

"No, I don't!" You objected. Where did he get such a stupid idea from?

"You definitely do." Emma butted in, laughing alongside Bowie. "It's so obvious! You're harsh on everyone but Zee! Even though he's the easiest to be harsh on."

"I mean, just yesterday during the catapult challenge you literally cheered for the guy! We aren't even on the same team as him!" Bowie added on. "You do not do that to anyone else. There's some love goin' on and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it."

"No, you will not. And, if you do, so help me I will beat your ass tenfold." You threatened, staring straight into his eyes. "Ooh, feisty." Bowie snickered, waving you off. "Listen, girl, he totally likes you back. You just gotta, you know, push yourself out there! I know you can do that, at least."

You breathed in and sighed. Maybe… just maybe… Bowie was right.

"I'll... think more about it. Can we drop the subject? Thanks." You pinched the bridge of your nose in an attempt to release the tension building up in your face. “Alright." Bowie shrugged, sneaking a glance over at Emma and smiling.

A few more challenges passed and you'd slowly managed to grow closer with Zee, especially after the merge. It wasn't much, just a simple friendship. To say the others were shocked by this was an understatement. Someone as straightforward and determined as you, friends

with the chill, laid-back Zee? It was unheard of!

Today's challenge Chris said you all had to canoe across a river, walk through a field, climb a mountain, and ring a bell! Easy, right? Wrong. While the challenge had hardly started, you were already being plummeted with jumping salmon! Disgusting.

As the taste of salmon filled your mouth every time you were hit in the face, your canoe was being assaulted by said salmon even more. You hadn't even noticed you started sinking until you felt water on your ankles, causing you to look down and take notice of your canoe flooding.

You tried to keep a calm head, but there was no one in your alliance close by, so you slowly accepted your fate. You could try to swim to shore, but that would only end up in you drowning from the salmon and the extreme waves of the river.

You braced for impact with the water when the canoe flipped, and you desperately held onto what was floating as a last attempt.

Just as you were about to go under, you saw someone’s oar appear in front of you, signaling you to grab on. Immediately you grabbed it and watched as your canoe fell into the river, never to be seen again for hundreds of years...

You looked over to your savior and your eyes widened when you realized who it was. Zee! You smiled at him gratefully as you climbed onto his canoe, sighing.

"You looked like you were in trouble." Zee chuckled, looking over at you.

"Man, those stupid salmon destroyed my canoe. If it hadn't been for you I would have been fish food." You laughed along with him, the familiar feeling of fuzziness appearing in your stomach. “I can't thank you enough."

"Nah, it's nothing, man. Anything for a friend." He smiled at you. Friend. Right.

"Well... let's continue the challenge, alright?" You stated, looking towards the ever-looming fields Chris mentioned.

You both sat in an awkward silence before you made it to the field, noticing there were already a few other contestants ahead of you two. Not a moment later, the ground started shaking, and out poured water from the ground.

"It's a geyser! Sorry, geysers!" You exclaimed, looking all over at the small indentations with holes in the field. "How are we supposed to get through without being blown sky-high?"

"I have an idea,” Zee said nonchalantly before grabbing your wrist and running off into the field.

"Zee, what the hell are you doing?" You yelled, trying to be louder than the geysers exploding behind and in front of you.

"Trust me!" He yelled back. "Just gotta run fast so the water doesn't find you!"

You couldn't help but furrow your eyebrows in confusion. Why your heart chose this man, you had no idea.

After a few more seconds of blindly following Zee, you guys actually made it to the end of the field. You sighed in frustration, knowing this wasn't the end.

Emma had caught up to you two and exchanged glances at you both. She gave you a tiny wink and a grin, which you returned with a glare, before looking back at Zee.

"I gotta admit, Zee. You're way sneakier than I thought."

"I don't know what you mean?" Zee replied, clearly confused.

Emma just responded with a sarcastic "right" before being blown up by a geyser. Karma truly is real in the world.

You looked away for a couple seconds to take a look at the mountain and gaze at its beauty. Nature truly was magnificent when you tried to forget the fact that you were on an island for a few more weeks with a sadistic psychopath for a host.

And yet, you looked back to Zee stuck in a geyser, and you couldn't help but groan as he got flown into the air. At least he was enjoying himself, you thought.

After that, you two got separated for the rest of the challenge. Nothing truly eventful happened to you, other than some small bee stings that were mere minor inconveniences. You pretty much knew you weren't going to win after becoming so far behind with the little canoe incident.

In the end, Julia ended up winning, to your alliance's dismay. That girl really needed to be gone and put in her place. But alas, not today...

In the short time between the end of the challenge and nightfall, signaling the beginning of the elimination ceremony, you decided to talk to Zee.

"Hey, Zee." You caught up to him, apparently today he decided to take a stroll across the beach. He had his signature soda in hand, taking a few sips here and there.

"Oh, Y/N! What's up?" Zee's face brightened when he saw you, smiling.

“I... had something I need to talk to you about." You muttered, taking deep breaths. You fiddled with the hem of your shirt, closing your eyes for a moment. The worst he can say is no.

Suddenly overcome with a wave of confidence, you look him in the eyes and confess these feelings that have left you sick for the past weeks. 

"Zee, I've really been wanting to tell you that... I like you. Like, like like you. It's weird, I don't normally do relationships, y’know? But like, you're the only person that doesn't constantly frustrate me and that I don't have to put in their place like, ever." You took one big deep breath before finishing, "What I'm trying to say is, will you go out with me? Once the show is over?"

You looked back at Zee awaiting an answer, but he just looked at you absolutely dumbstruck. "Zee? Please say something..."

After you said that, a grin appeared on Zee's face, causing you to release some of the tension in your body. "Sure, I mean, yeah!" Zee nodded. "You're super cool and awesome. I'll be honest, I've kinda like you for a while. I didn't realize until Chase told me how obvious it was. Was it obvious?"

"If it was obvious, it wasn't to me. Probably to everyone else, though. I mean, Bowie and Emma figured it out before even myself." You laughed. "It's so weird, being able to just relax around a person. I like it."

"Me too." Zee smiled. "I'll be honest I... don't know much about relationships. Never been in one myself."

"Me neither..." You admitted. "But I suppose we could figure it out together." You smiled up at him, taking his hand in yours.

"Cool." Zee grinned, taking a sip of his soda.

"I've always wondered... What flavor is your soda?

“Like what kind?"

Zee pondered the question for a moment, staring at the can, before looking back at you.

"I have no clue."

#total drama #td zee x reader #zee x reader #x reader #td x reader #total drama x reader #total drama 2023 x reader #total drama 2023 #total drama zee #td zee #zee

[sardonic-the-writer]

hi,, i sent the ask earlier but i'm off anon this time because i'm less shy when i come bearing a gift :] hope u like it bc i haven't written logan before

You hardly even flinch as you hear a key turning in the lock of your apartment. The door opens and slams shut behind Logan, who doesn’t do much more than nod at you before heading straight to your kitchen. You sigh. You’ve been working on commissions for a while, and you should probably take a break, but abandoning something in the middle like this was hard.

“Stealing your beer.” Logan’s words are soon followed by the hiss-crack of the can opening.

“You think my beer tastes like shit,” you accuse. It had been the subject of quite a few silly, drunk arguments. Logan shrugs, but you can tell he’s hiding a grin as he takes a sip. You turn back to your work, scrolling through what you had already done in an effort to make yourself feel at least a little accomplished. Your hand cramps up slightly and you try to shake it out.

“You working on anything interesting?” Looking over to Logan, he seems to be assessing you a little more than normal. He sets his beer down on the counter. He’s in a pair of grey sweatpants and a white shirt, just as casual as you’d expect from your friend, despite his preference to pretend he wasn’t an absolute disaster most of the time. His fingers snap and your vision focuses as you startle. Right, he asked a question. “Still with me, bub?”

“Sorry, man. Got some commissions so I’ve been working on those. What about you? Seen ‘Pool recently?” You try not to smile as your friend’s lips press into a thin, exasperated line at the mention of Wade Wilson. He clearly deems that question irrelevant as he flops onto the couch next to you. Scritch. Blunt nails drag along his beard. He looks over at your computer and you see him wince at the word count. You huff. It wasn’t that much more than what your usual process churned out.

“How long have you been working again?”

“I never told you the first time.” If he wanted to know, he could at least admit he was curious and not try to pass it off as absentminded forgetfulness. Giving you a flat look, he holds his hand out. You stare at him in confusion. What did he want you to do? “...I don’t know what you wa-”

Bam! With you sufficiently distracted, he closes your computer with his other hand and holds it out of your reach. You scrunch your nose in annoyance. Trying to get it away from him now would only prove embarrassing for the both of you. Still, his immaturity kind of shocked you.

“Really?” Even the flattest tone you can muster doesn’t quite match the best of Logan’s snark, but you can get pretty darn close.

“When was the last time you took a break?” You cross your arms and stare, ignoring the fondness that rises at the fact that your gruff friend is showing this much care. It’s not like you’re the one running around with metal sticking out your hands and fighting people. Logan breaks first, even though he’d never admit it to anyone else. “Where’s your remote?” You shove him up against the arm of the couch with your foot and dig out the remote from in between cushions. He trades your computer for the remote in your hands, and though you open up the device, prepared to keep working, Logan suddenly hovers over a very specific movie.

“Oh, fuck you, man.” You set your computer on the table again, knowing it would otherwise just sit in your lap, forgotten.

“Something wrong, bub?” You roll your eyes, punching his shoulder.

“Just put it on.”

“Darry’s kind of growing on me. But we could always watch something else.” Biting your tongue to stop yourself from saying something embarrassing, you wrench the remote from him and start the movie, shoving at his side when he starts to laugh.

okay, so. going out of character here. i know crazy right. but i think this might be the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a while. and i'm unsure how to process it without looking like or acting like a fool. so i'm going to try and calm down as i analyze it

this is very well written for starters. you establish the characters' dynamics almost immediately, and the dialog is oh so on point. i don't know if you've seen the x-men movies or read the comics, but if you haven't, you have no idea how impressive it is that you managed to write this and get it extremely accurate. logan is so in character it makes me smile.

the setting is also vague while still managing to be comfortable and cozy. descriptions don't take away from the characters, and rather add to the situation that they're in, which is something i struggle with myself in my writing and are very impressed by here. it's brilliant.

also???? fuck you??? outsiders mention???? way to drive me crazy i'm going to jeff the kill myself now. you know what you've done.

#so. here me out. what if i walked into the woods with this fic and never came back. #grins grins grins #save for later #oh boy oh howdy oh gee. i'm normal about this

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Okay, here's a collection of three short clips from an episode of the Elis James/John Robins radio show I heard recently, episode 115 from April 2016. The first clip is from the podcast intro at the beginning, then one from near-ish to the end of the live radio show. Then one from the podcast outro, which is their Keep It Sessions Sessions, where John and Elis take turns picking a band that they love but can't play on the radio because it's not on the Radio X playlist, so they play a bit of one of their songs for the podcast.

So... is everyone reading this the same way as I am? I feel like I might be missing something, and I hope I am. Because it looks like what happened is John Robins was booked on a charity gig, but then Stewart Lee said he'd do that gig only if John Robins was kicked off the bill, and then they did kick John off because obviously Stewart Lee is going to bring in a lot more people than him. And fair enough if that's what happened, if the gig is for charity then the organizer (who in this case was Elis James) should be booking comedians based on who will sell the most tickets.

Fair enough on the organizer's part, I mean, I don't blame them. But what the fuck, Stewart? I'm really hoping I read that wrong, because that would be a really fucked up thing for Stewart Lee to have done.

The context, if anyone's wondering, is this routine from John Robins' 2014 stand-up show:

Obviously that was not a nice thing to say about Stewart Lee. But as John points out, Lee is the one who has claimed repeatedly that a comedian talking shit about another comedian on stage isn't personal, it's something he does in character and doesn't really mean any of it so no one should read anything into his actual personality about it. If Stewart Lee turned around and starting trying to retaliate in actual real life against the first person who did it back to him, that's not just being a colossal dick in one situation, that's invalidating his entire argument that what's said on stage can stay on stage and should be taken as just a joke and/or character. If Stewart Lee wants to start saying that actually that stuff does count in real life and should be taken personally, that opens a lot of other stuff.

I still think I must be missing something here, because that seems like too ridiculous a thing for everyone to have just been fine with. John Robins is being way too chill about it for that to be what happened. When Elis James got a Twitter verification checkmark before John did, John spent the entire episode and several minutes of several subsequent episodes constantly bringing that up. It is really weird that Elis James could kick him off a bill at the insistence of Stewart Lee, and John Robins would keep his on-air complaints to just a couple of little comments following the plugs for it and then one dig at Stewart Lee's music taste at the end (the clips I cut out for that audio file are the only references to it in the episode). So there are two options there, I guess. Either I've misread this and that's not what happened, or it turns out that John Robins does actually have a line past which a tension-causing subject is so tense that he'll refrain from constantly going on about it on air, and this is past that line. Because I can't imagine he's genuinely that chill about it, given that no normal person would be, and he is much less chill than a normal person.

One point in favour of the idea that I am reading the situation correctly: I do actually remember once having read, on some message board at some point last year while trying to look up something else, that Stewart Lee refused to appear at gigs with John Robins because he didn't like what John Robins had said about him in his stand-up. I tried to find that thing again today, but I couldn't find it. I just remember reading it, but I thought that just meant Stewart Lee avoided wherever John was. Not that he actually went around seeking gigs where John was already signing up and getting him kicked off of them.

You know, this does make that Tweet John Robins wrote about him more recently seem slightly more justified. John Robins wrote some Tweet a couple of years ago comparing Stewart Lee to Joseph McCarthy, and obviously Stewart Lee is not Joseph McCarthy, that was a stupid thing to say. But I can't blame John as much for thinking that way, if Stewart Lee has been going around using his considerable influence to get someone kicked off bills for talking badly about him. Specifically for doing the same thing that Stewart Lee does all the time and justifies by saying you can't hold stuff against him if he does it in character on stage. Fucking hell.

About 18 months ago I made a bunch of posts weighing in on the feud between Mark Watson and Frankie Boyle, giving my opinions as though that were a current issue and not something that happened in 2011, because I'd only just learned about it so it seemed current to me. Well, at least I'm getting slightly more recent with the comedian feuds on which I weigh in, moving from 2011 to 2015.

I'm quite annoyed about this, so as a slight lift to the mood, here's a clip of the next time they brought up that charity gig, in the following episode when it was still coming up so Elis plugged it again, just because it's a fairly adorable exchange:

[funkymbtifiction]

Hello Charity,

I have something that always bothered me and as it came up again yesterday I decided to write to you because I'm curious as to whether this is just a human thing, or tied to typology. I frequently see bloggers or "typologists" on Youtube trying to define the functions in only a keyword and in my opinion it hardly ever works, as no function has monopoly over values, and at times they are clearly very biased: C.S. Joseph claims Ti is logic in itself, that Ti users are the only ones who care about the truth, because Te/Fi users only care about beliefs and make things up etc. obviously that's false, but he has managed to convince many people of this.

That's the beauty of the internet. Anyone can make stuff up and find people who will believe them. ;) He is over-simplifying. Fi only cares about staying true to their individual values, but Te cares about facts. The facts sometimes ARE the truth, whereas subjective logical take on the situation (Ti) may not be the truth. Remember when Sherlock had a meltdown because the facts (what he saw) did not align with his personal logic (Ti) about the Hound of the Baskervilles?

There's also this Eric guy who insists Ti is objective because is detached from feelings, while Te is subjective since it's tied to Fi.

Again, wrong. Te is facts. Ti is "pure" subjective logic. If it makes sense to me, it's the truth.

Again obviously false as both of their ideas contradict Jung's definition of the functions. So you can see why I'm skeptical when it comes to attributing certain traits to functions. But I've seen meritocracy being attributed to high Te many times, and I like your opinion on the rationale behind it.

I have a channel on pop culture so I check out what other popular uploaders have to say on issues pertaining my interests so I can give my own takes later. Last morning there was an award show and a popular group who had a huge hit walked away empty handed. I soon saw a couple popular Youtubers posting about how the show was clearly rigged and unfair to that group, and disrespected then. The thing is, it wasn't: the criteria for each award is made public months prior, so you can accurately predict most of the winners beforehand because it's mostly based on sales and streaming numbers. Everybody knew the two artist who would bag most of the categories because they had superior numbers. And they did win. The "robbed" group in question had a huge hit yes, but couldn't compete in terms of chart longevity and album sales. Hence, they didn't get any major award.

One could argue sales should not have such a big weight in the decision but I disagree, numbers don't lie and are objective, if the judges had the most say they would base their choices on personal taste, and that is by nature super subjective.

Facts do not lie, it is true. But numbers can be manipulated if you know how to play the system. Let's say that a book needs to be a best-seller on the NY Times best seller list to qualify for a certain award, and the baseline limit is 10,000 copies. The book is written by a rich celebrity or politician, who has their lawyer or friend purchase 10,000 copies. Boom, they are on the best-seller list. (Some publishers even do this to get a book ON the best-seller list, which generates more sales because everyone assumes that book must be good if "everyone else is reading it." Most people don't know that the baseline for best-sellers is so low.) <- here's some Te thinking for you. Cause and effect. How do I change the numbers to benefit me?

Just something to think about as you reflect on this awards program.

My favorite group also left almost empty handed even though they are successful, and I didn't get mad or upset, because I know they lost fair and square. This is where the meritocracy plays in: if Te is concerned with it then wouldn't all Te users accept results when legitimate? Or has it no connection to Te or typolgy at all?

It depends on whether the Te users are being objective, or if their feelings are involved. Someone objective (like me in this instance, because I know nothing about it and don't care who wins -- I don't have a horse in this race) can assess something objectively, but if feelings are involved (this is my band, I love them so much, so clearly this isn't fair!), the game changes. TJs are more objective than FPs. Confronted by the facts, TJs tend to accept them -- or even at times, be over-reliant on them (without considering that they can be manipulated to fit an agenda), but the facts don't change how an FP feels about the situation.

I don't wanna be one of those people who create and feed prejudices against certain types or functions, so I wanted to get an outside opinion on whether it's a coincidence that at least when it comes to Youtubers, the ones who share this opinion are all xNFPs. This makes me wonder if they weren't joking when they said they wouldn't take any arguments against a view they stated as fact, or that if people didn't like something they did then they were stupid.

"You are stupid!" is a common low Te response. If you can't understand me or my argument or agree with it, you're an idiot! As to whether or not they were joking, I cannot say. If they are truly "all about this band" that lost and devastated by it for some reason, they are not going to be rational or detached enough to listen to a facts-based argument. What they feel, in their mind, is a fact TO THEM, and it takes priority over everything else.

Perhaps just like Ti can be super arrogant by claiming their theories as objective truth (like the 2 typology guys I talked about who are ENTPs), Fi can see their feelings as legitimate truth too ("I feel like this is unfair so it is")?

Yep. That's exactly correct.

I should also say that "I don't like how this turned out, they must have cheated!" is a rather 6y way to respond to a situation. It's very much how a 6 brain would work -- something is off about this, so I will leap to a suspicious conclusion (a conspiracy theory) and park there!

#question #mbti

[kimium]

For the ask game: 7, 17, 21, 25!

(From this ask HERE)

Thank you so much for this ask, friend! I'm so excited to answer this!

Remember everyone: this is all subjective and just my opinion. You can disagree with me; that's fine.

7. What character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because of how the fandom acts about them?

I cannot stand how fandom views Camilla from Fire Emblem Fates.

Before I get into this however, I want to clarify that I do NOT hate Camilla at all. In fact, I quite like her. With that out of the way, let's get to my thoughts.

Camilla loves her family with all her heart and soul. They're the most important people to Camilla and she'll do anything to protect them. Many of Camilla's fears are rooted in the fear of those she loves leaving her behind. In Birthright and Revelations, Camilla is devastated by Corrin's "defection" and that soul-crushing weight of her fear becoming reality makes me feel so much for Camilla.

This fear is also shown in Camilla's supports with Selena, where she explicitly tells Selena to "not leave her". I'm certain there are other supports.

Yes, I am aware that Camilla in turn to having her fears become reality does suggest or actually act violently, but cut the woman some slack, especially in Birthright where her family is literally being torn apart from the inside out. Also, her country is going to war.

However, I've found that some of fandom has distilled Camilla's personality into my least favourite mature female trope of "Ara, ara you poor thing. Let me hug you to my Very Well Endowed Bosom so fans can fantasize about being pushed up to my chest too. If you try to escape me you're being naughty and need to be punished, tee-hee-hee".

Which, brings me to another point: Camilla is more than just her very well endowed chest. I know the series shoves it into our faces in both Fates and Heroes, but she has more depth than just being there for fanservice.

17. There should be more of this type of fic/art.

Uh, I'm not too sure what to say for this one. In general I like all types of fanart and fanfiction for series. I don't think there is a specific type I want to see in particular.

However, if we want a series I want to see more fanart/fic/attention for I will keep singing my praises for To Your Eternity. It's a fantastic series with such depth to the characters and story telling and I want more to watch and appreciate it.

21. Part of canon you think is overhyped.

Again, not too sure what this question means, so I'm reading it as "a particular part of a series that's overhyped either by the narrative or the fanbase".

-I found Chainsaw Man a bit overhyped for my tastes. Don't get me wrong: I think the art is beautiful, the animation breath-taking, and the character designs fun. That, however, is where my enjoyment of the series sort of fades. I enjoyed the anime and I'm decently caught up in the manga, but the series never hit me emotionally the way other shonen series in the past have. Sorry, everyone. I wish this wasn't the case but I just enjoy it generally.

-Sometimes I think tournament arcs in anime can be overhyped by series. Please do NOT get me wrong. My favourite tournament arc is the Dark Tournament in Yu Yu Hakusho and that series was one of the first pioneers of the trope.

However, over the years some series try to change it up by having an "interruption" to the tournament and sometimes I feel that invalidates the entire build up to the arc in the first place. I also think that allows the writers to chicken out of showing who would actually win.

25. Common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing.

I am so sick of reading about people arguing over ships. Look, people can ship who they want. They're all fictional characters anyways. Even if it's a ship that you REALLY dislike, there is no reason to attach anyone over it. If you don't like a ship and you see someone else like it, ignore them and move on.

#personal #replies #feel free to ask more if you want

[kyokyo866]

Will you ever publish the story in Hetacaptivity? It was super intriguing and I loved the game so much!

I'm surprised that anyone's actually into it! Pleasantly! I'm more than happy to talk about it!

It's funny, this is actually a pic for a plot point in it

Originally the game was called 532, or 5.32, but thats not very catchy so we went with HetaCaptivity, and by we, i mostly mean me. I'm sure one day I'll make a video about it but for now I hope you can enjoy this text post

So as you know in the story, Germany is trapped in this pleasent facility and drugged to keep sleeping. The calender keeps marking down to something but its a mystery to what, and depending on the stuff he does, his fingers start to go missing. Thats as far as we get to establish in the demo.

From there we try to still explore more, it turns out that zombie thing was one hell of a hallucinations by a blow dart of drugs to keep you from escaping, and your finger was surgically removed, as a warning. I mean your a nation, it'll grow back. You need to be even more sneaky to find the mysterys of this place, finding more notes.

After a while, you start to find Italy around the facility, but the moment you leave and come back or turn your back hes gone, making it seem like he's just a mass hallucination as well (hence the picture) or that hes another subject trapped here.

Also you begin to find out, this isnt your first time here, you've been here several times. Each note you find with hints left behind has been a previous time that you've spent in this place, written strangely because he barely had any fingers to hold a pen with in. The thing you find out youre counting down to is 'harvesting day', which... you guessed it! harvests your innards, and then when you recover enough from it you have your memory wiped and turned loose back on the world until next year

You want and need to stop this cycle, and through again, the puzzles and drug trips, you find the main office and whose there but Italy, because... dundundun this was all his idea

this is where it gets a little shaky with character motivations but follow me here. Italys inital goal was about cooking with the flesh and innards, because it provides a taste that very little else can replicate that his gourmet senses can notice. Back in the way way day, he'd use human death sentance prisoners to get his fix but Germany found out and intervened, saying thats super wrong to use humans like that. Italy seemed at his wits end about his addiction issue, and Germany offered himself since he can grow back. Italy kept to the promise, but he wasnt able to act on the promise until a decade later, by then Germany had forgotten about it and he just thought Italy kicked the habit. hahhaha he didnt. Italy assumes Germany knows about the arrangement so he doesnt bother to bring it up, until... you know, this point where Germany confronts him about it. Italy and Germany have a 'yearly camping trip' where they go off the grid for a few weeks and everyone knows it, thats when this takes place.

There's three endings depending on your path of rebellion or going along with it. Ending one, nothing changes and you go through the cycle with a wiped memory again. Ending two, Germany is set free, but now Japan is the one going on the 'yearly camping trip'. Ending three, the hardest of the endings, is to finally convince Italy how fucking insane this is and he has a problem, and get him to a rehabilitation facility, the game ends with them going on an actual camping trip when Italys released.

So with these theming you may have realized why the original title was 532, or 5.32... it was meant as a reverse situation of episode 23.5. Dig and I thought of a horror game, cuz I wanted to make one, and someone who was not usually in a antagonist limelight was Italy. With those two it was REALLY hard to think of a plot, then I was like "... well germany ate him once, how do we get italy to eat germany" and this was born!

Well, thats about all of it. If you have any questions or comments please hit me up! It was fun to talk about this wacky thing again!

[tellywoodtrash]

Hi TT.

I recently came to terms with the fact that I am queer. I use that word because I haven't exactly figured out what label I fit into. All I know for sure is that I'm not straight. And I'm terrified. Being desi and queer doesn't even seem like something that's possible. I mean openly. I can't tell my family. I tried telling my friends but before I could actually get there it became pretty evident that they were uncomfortable with the topic altogether. I don't have anyone to confide in and even now as I'm writing to you anonymously I'm still terrified someone will somehow trace this back to me and I'll get in trouble. I feel suffocated and I feel terrified that I can never be myself because everyone will just hate me. Do you have any advice for me or any comforting words? And even if you don't I just really really needed to share my truth with someone and your blog seems like a very accepting space.

Dearest anon,

First of all, I am so honoured that you chose to share this part of yourself with me. Thank you so much for trusting me, and you can be assured this is a safe space for you. I am giving you the biggest and tightesttttttttttt hug you've ever had!!!!!

There's lots of noise and conversation on "coming out", but please know that it's in no way a mandatory thing. You don't need to reveal this side of yourself to anyone if you don't want to, until you are ready. Anyway in desi society, talking about one's sex life is taboo; so game the system back: your preferences are none of anyone's business. Your safety is paramount. Only come out if and when you feel utterly comfortable and safe with a person. My biggest advice for you would probably be that you should make sure that you are working towards being financially independent from your family. Even if they are unsupportive (or in worst case scenario, the situation becomes unsafe) you should have the freedom to leave and make your own way in the world. Emotional freedom is more tricky, and that will take more time and effort, but that's for a professional therapist to guide you with.

I am sorry that your friends seemed unsupportive and uncomfortable with the topic. It's saddening and frankly, absurd; because you're still the very same person, you just learnt something new about yourself. Discovering new sides to yourself is all a vital part of growing up, and your friends should embrace this part of you just like they do any other growth you go through! It's possible that perhaps some of them are actually supportive but reluctant to speak in a larger group setting? So maybe you could try talking to those who you think might be open to the idea on a one-on-one basis. If someone is openly queerphobic though, it's time to reconsider your friendship with them. You don't need that kind of energy in your life. Either way, you don't need anyone's approval or permission on this matter any more than you do on your favourite colour or taste in music. And sometimes, you grow out of your friend circles. This doesn't mean you/they did anything wrong; it's just a relationship that has run its course and isn't adding value to your life anymore. You can still have goodwill for them as you part, but you deserve friends who accept and embrace this part of you. So be open to expanding your circle and making new friends!!!!

And oh, please remember to love and accept yourself! As I always say, the longest relationship you will have in your life is with YOURSELF, and you need to make sure that is a happy one. Read more on the subject(s), educate yourself, and surround yourself with media that shows you the joyful side of being queer, rather than just the challenges. (Again, please remember to be safe, use incognito mode and VPNS and alternative accounts rather than the main ones you have all your friends and family on.)

All in all, please know, if no one else got you, you have me (and my friends who follow this blog) in this little corner of the internet, super duper proud of you and always wishing you all the love and happiness and success! 🤗🤗🤗🥹🥹🥹 I hope you live your best authentic life!!!!!!!!!!!!! ❤️♥️❣️💖💗🌺🌷🪷🌸💮🏵️🌻🌼☀️⚡🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

#happy pride 🌈 #big sister tt gives life advice #tt answers

[siempre-bucky]

Run

Dympna Devers x Reader

Summary: Dympna left you, wanting you to have a better life away from him. Then the question was asked...where did his loyalty lie

A/n: I watched it again and wanted to rewrite a scene? I'm a simp for him. enjoy.

wc: 833

warnings: blood, guns, violence

tagging the unimind: @mothdruid @waspswidows

Dympna felt the numbing sensation on his forehead first. Then he smelled the foul smell of the spilled blood. Then he tasted the iron of his blood on his tongue. Everything rushed back to him too quickly; Arm's betrayal, Flannigan's lifeless body still above him, the pup that just needed a trip to the vet...you. The angered look on your face that morning hurt worse than the butt of his uncle's gun.

When Dympna finally managed to open his eyes, his vision was still a blur, but he could make out the shape of his lanky uncle standing in front of him with his rifle over his shoulder, "Welcome back to the living, nephew....not that yer deservin' of it," he grumbled bitterly.

The blond struggled to sit up, his hands anchored to the floor so he could slide up against the tin walls of the shed. His wrist connected with the barrel of his fallen pistol. In a smooth motion, he hid the gun behind his back.

Paudi stepped closer, Dympna's scared blue eyes locked onto his. The stench of torture and off-brand cologne cut through the smell of the iron. "Still wanna take care of it, you little cunt?" he spat as he kneeled to Dympna's level. His dirty hand gripped the thick chain around the younger's neck. The old man's eyes glance down, landing on a silver necklace that fit in between the two he was familiar with. He'd never seen the pendant with an engraved sun before.

His blood ran ice cold in the younger man's body as he watched Paudi's eyes. His dirt-ridden finger tapped the pendant lightly, "Paudi," he managed, "I-I'll call Arm. We'll find him."

"Where does your loyalty lie, Dympna?" he cut in, changing the subject.

"My family," he grunted but his tongue felt like lead, the weight of one singular pointer finger felt like a dozen trucks. Paudi's eyes went back to Dympna's, once again taking hold of the thick chain and pulling his chest towards him.

"Ya sure about that, boy? Ya, let him go. And we don't want to hurt anyone else, do we?" The blond knew exactly who Paudi was referring to in his condescending tone of voice.

His hearing was muffled after that. The sweet tones of joyful laughter and kind words surrounded his mind. He set you free. Or at least he thought when he showed up at your house, telling you that he was trying to protect you from his family. You didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve this. If Arm had an ounce of morality left, who's to say he didn't.

Run. His last words to you, his last words to Arm...the last words to himself. He slowly reached for the gum behind him, taking it in his hand, pointer finger on the trigger. "What say ya, boy?"

There was a bang, followed by a blood-curdling scream. Dympna hobbled to his feet, the smoking gun still in hand. Paudi fell to the floor, his shaky hands clinging to his thigh as blood surrounded it, soaking his pants.

His actions were all a blur. He could barely remember sprinting to the office, collecting the duffle bag of money and the keys to Paudi's blue pickup. He shouted your name as the truck came to a screeching halt on the pavement in front of your home.

There was no response, your bedroom window remained dark. He shouted again and threw a rock at the glass. "Please," he whispered to himself as he threw another stone. The rickety front door finally opened cautiously.

"What do you want? Haven't you broken my heart enough, D?" You huff as you slammed the door behind you. His eyes pinned to your neckline, you still wore the necklace that complimented his.

"I was wrong! We need to fuckin' leave. Now!" he hurried.

You shook your head. Here's the man who hours prior broke your heart saying he wasn't good enough for you, and he's only trying to protect you. He looked so broken, you noticed as your eyes panned downward. Was that blood? His acid wash jeans splattered with the dried blood, his knuckles bruised. Maybe this was what Dympna meant? "What the hell is happening?" you question angrily as you trot over to him.

"A-all te' plans we made to get outta here... I want 'em. We don't have much time. Let's run. Please, love, I was wrong." Dympna was grabbing at your arms, his blue eyes teary and remorseful. His loyalty was with you, it always was.

You placed your warm hands on the sides of his cold face, "Ok," you whispered to calm him. "We'll go, we'll go." The shaken man nodded and fell into your embrace, his fingers gripping your back. His sweat-ridden forehead placed on your shoulder, breathing in the smell of your perfume and laundry detergent. The touch of your hands on his back silenced his mind and most of the fears. "Let's get you out of here, yeah?"

#dympna devers #dympna devers smut #dympna devers x you #dympna devers imagine #calm with horses #the shadow of violence #barry keoghan

[moustacheshe]

Yandere! Aoi Todo x Reader

(Click for better quality)

Warnings: drugging, kidnapping

"Todo look... I know you are concerned about me but you really have to go now. Don't you need to go to school or something?" You are trying to get your best friend out of your apartment. He was invading your home for the last two days. "Come on y/n just one night. I promise I'll leave tomorrow." You sight as you sit at the table with him. "You promised me the exact same thing yesterday...and the day before." He's acting weird lately. Always warning you about the outside world or the world in general. How you could get hurt by going out or staying alone. "I know but I need to-" You let out a loud groan. "Yeah, yeah you need to protect me. I really appreciate your concern but I'm fine on my own. I always was. I always am. And I always will be. What happened to you? Why are you acting like this? Is it because of this Yuji guy?" Now your annoyance slowly turns into concern. "What? No! Yuji's nothing to do with this. It's more like the things I see everyday and..." He shakes his head. You don't need to know about curses and what they are. You already have enough to worry about.

"I actually wanted to ask you if you want to move into my apartment." He quickly changes the subject and smiles at you. You look at him confused. He's lying to you and you know it. "Todo..." You lean across the table and take his hand. "...if there is something wrong you can tell me. We always talk about our problems. Please just...tell me." He sights and stands up from the table. Todo crosses his arms as he seems to think about something. He sights and walks beside you. You turn around to face him as he kneels down to your level. He takes your hands in his huge ones. "Y/n I know we're just friends but... I was hoping that maybe we could be more." You look at him lost for words. "Besides if we are together you can move into my place and we can do all sorts of things together. I'll do everything for you: cooking,-"

"Todo..."

"shopping,-"

"Todo!"

"cleaning-"

"TODO!" You scream at him to stop his speach. He looks a little bit shocked and he clenches your hands. "I... I don't know what to say about that." You look down at your hands resting in his. Everything to avoid eye contact. "I always saw you as my best friend... I never wanted this to happen. I always thought you like tall women with a big ass." Your lips move into a little smile as you remember the time he told you about his taste in women. "No... I mean yes but that was just to...you know... Say something when somebody is asking for your type. It doesn't matter now! I want you to be with me." He takes your face in his hands and forces you to look at him. You can see his eyes are glassy. He's about to cry. "Listen Todo..." You grab his hands and put them down again. "...I really appreciate that you want to protect me but... I can and I want to live on my own. I can handle myself you know. And you are my best friend I... I don't want to lose you as a friend because of some relationship." Now tears start streaming down his cheeks. The sight of this big chunk of a man crying is really to much for you. You can barely hold back your own tears. He never cried in front of you...well except the one time he couldn't meet his Takada-chan and you had to comfort him.

He now clenches your hands even tighter. "Ah, Todo you're hurting me!" You let out a surprised yell. He never hurt you before. He snaps out of his trance and looked at you with widened eyes. "So..." His grip gets weak. "...you don't want to live with me and let me protect you." Now a few tears stream down your face too. "No I'm sorry..." You always were afraid that this would happen.

"Okay y/n I'll leave..." He wipes away his tears and stands up. "...but let me get us some water first. Crying dehydrates your body." You just sit there and give him a little nod. He finally understands it. But something still seems odd.

He comes back with two glasses of water. Todo puts both of them on the table and sits down on his chair again. You take your glass and start drinking. "You know y/n, I really didn't want it to go this way." He takes a gulp from his glass avoiding eye contact. "Yeah me neither. I really hope you understand my point. I don't want to depent on someone else." You ask yourself if it was wrong to say it like this. "You really have no idea don't you?" He sounds bitter. "What do you mean?" You say getting a little frustrated. He just won't stop. You're getting dizzy. "The curses they're everywhere. They are strong and they only bring destruction and death." You have trouble to concentrate on his words. "Wh-What are you talking about?" You don't know what he meant by curses. Your vision gets blurry and you shut your eyes tight. "I'm talking about the constant danger you're living in. That's why I've decided to take you home with me." You hold your head to stop the feeling of the world spinning around you. His words are nothing more than a faint voice far away from you. "What's wrong y/n? Are you okay?" He asks you. The concern in his voice obviously faked. "Wh-What did you do?" You hiss trying to get up. Todo stands up from his seat and walks over to you. "GET...away..." You stand up from your seat to get away but your legs give in. Todo catches you in his arms pressing your body to his chest. "You didn't listen to me. It's okay y/n I'll protect you and take care of everything you need." He strokes your head to calm you down. His embrace is tight as if you could run away any second. "N-No...I don't..." Your voice slowly fades together with your consciousness. "Everything will be fine. Just let it happen. Once you are with me, I'll be the happiest man in the world." Your heavy eyelids fall shut and you completely give in to the drug he gave you. You fall in to a heavy sleep.

As you slowly wake up you are laying on something soft. You let out a loud groan and try to move your arms. You notice that you can't move your arms because there're hold together by something. Then it hit you. 'He kidnapped me!' You quickly open your eyes and look around. The room is dark. It's night outside. You still feel weak and a little dizzy nevertheless you try to struggle against your restraints. Your wrists and ankles are tied to the bed you're laying in. "HELP! PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" You scream, hoping that someone would hear you. You're confused and scared. The person you trusted the most just drugged and kidnapped you. Tears begin to stream down your cheeks. "PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP!"

Suddenly the door to the room opens and some light illuminates the darkness of the room. You can tell it's Todo entering. He presses a light switch and a lamp next to your bed turns on. The sudden light makes you squint and turn your head away. Todo closes the door and walks in your direction. He is holding a tray with a cup and a bowl. "Oh! You're awake, darling. I made you something to eat and your favorite tea." He says smiling at you like nothing ever happened. "Todo, what's gotten into you?! What is wrong with you?! Let me go, now!" You say trying to get your wrists and ankles free. "Nothing is wrong sweetheart. On the contrary I'm the happiest man in the world. But I'm glad that you ask." He sets the tray on the beside table and sits down on the bed. "Todo listen! You need to let me go! NOW! TODO PLEASE!" You begin to cry and struggle again. Todo doesn't look at you he just stares at the tray. He seems to be lost in his thoughts. "Todo listen, if you let me go now I'll pretend like nothing happened. Everything will be back to normal and I won't tell anyone. Please we can-" "HUSH!" You feel like his voice makes the earth shake underneath you. You look at him frightened for what he's capable of. He sees the fear in your eyes and his expression changes back to a worried face. "Oh I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just..." He sights and lays down beside you. You try to push yourself away from him but he pulls you back into his arms. "Remember that one time we kissed for the first time." That never happened. "Or that day we had our first date." Never happened. "Todo what are you talking about? That never happened. Please you need to let me go!" He doesn't pay you much attention he's busy drawing circles on your belly with his finger. "It's okay that you don't remember. The most important thing is that we are together. Here and now." He is completely delusional. He images scenarios that never happened. But you don't need to worry about not remembering any of it. You have him and he has you. That's all that matters.~

#jujutsu kaisen #aoi todo #aoi toudou #yandere #yandere aoi todo #yandere aoi todo x Reader #art #drawing #artists #jujutsu kaisen aoi todo

[sylvies-chen]

You Make Me Feel So Young

Summary: Tim shows up at Lucy's apartment after struggling with some guilt, and finally gets that dance she'd saved for him.

Warnings: none

Words: 2.6K

A/N: For day 1 of the Chenford Fanfic Week 2021 organized by @therookiebook!! I'm so excited to participate, I hope you guys like this oneshot <3

AO3 link

++++++++

He feels guilty.

Lucy knows he does, even before he tells her. After everything at Angela’s wedding went down, after she and Jackson had been taken and nearly died, after the dust had settled from that entire stressful day, Lucy can feel the guilt oozing out of him.

Only Tim Bradford shows up at her door to talk about it, and it’s about the last thing she expects to happen.

Like, ever.

“Hey,” he blurts out as soon as she opens the door.

“Hi.” Lucy doesn’t know what to say but she knows the hand that’s holding onto the edge of her door feels numb all of a sudden and her breath gets caught in her throat.

“Can I come in?” Tim asks, trying to seem nonchalant. Lucy sees right through it, knows that him coming here alone, out of the blue, must mean something’s wrong. But she doesn’t say anything because she knows Tim takes a while sometimes to be able to open up. So instead, she nods.

“Yeah, of course.” Jackson’s out, so she lets Tim in without hesitation. Not that it’d matter if he were here, really, but she sees that broken, guilt-ridden look in Tim’s eyes and knows it’s best that they’re alone.

He plays it cool at first— out of self-preservation, she thinks— and looks around the apartment as she lets him in.

“This place looks a lot nicer than the last time I saw it,” he starts out.

“Yeah, well Cujo’s not around to tear up pillows anymore so I’d say it’s a big improvement,” she jokes meekly.

His hands are shoved in his pockets stiffly as he walks around her living room, glancing over to Jackson’s bedroom.

“Jackson’s not here?”

“No, he went to check up on Angela. I’m surprised you aren’t there too,” she adds.

“Why’s that?”

“Because it’s where you’ve been for the past week,” Lucy explains simply, glancing at him expectantly and waiting for him to talk. Not this kind of talk, not small talk or dancing around what he really needs to get off his chest, but for him to actually, really talk.

All does is stand by her couch, less than ten feet away from her, and avoid her gaze. She swears she can see his fists tensing up in the pockets of his jeans. “I didn’t realize you were keeping track.”

“I wasn’t.” She was . “I just know how worried you were about her when she was taken. I don’t blame you for not wanting to leave her side.”

“Just making up for what I didn’t do the first time, I guess,” he grumbles under his breath.

Lucy sighs, cutting their small talk short and getting to the point. “Why are you really here, Tim?”

Her bluntness surprises him, she thinks, because he blinks at her. “What?”

“Why are you here?” She repeats. “You’ve never shown up at my place randomly while off shift. Hell, I didn’t even think you’d remembered I live here. I know this past week has been intense but clearly you need something or else you wouldn’t have come here. So would you just tell me whatever it is you want to say so that I can help you?”

He exhales quietly, his chest shaking as it falls. “It’s my fault. Angela and Jackson nearly died, she nearly lost her baby, they were put in danger at her own damn wedding, and it’s… it’s my fault.”

“No, no,” she replies sympathetically, shaking her head. “It’s not. What happened to them happened because of La Fiera, not you.”

“I was her man of honour,” he explains with a dry and slightly sarcastic chuckle. “Where’s the honour in failing to protect the bride?”

“If you really felt that, you wouldn’t have come here. You knew,” she tells him, her voice determined and fierce. “You knew I wouldn’t let you sit here and feel sorry for yourself. If you wanted to sit around feeling sorry for yourself you would have gone to a bar, alone. But you came here, which means somewhere deep down you know you couldn’t have done anything to stop it.”

For one of the only times since Lucy’s known him, Tim Bradford is speechless. He looks for words but finds none, huffs, and sits down on her couch, fiddling nervously with his thumbs. Her heart sinks at the sight of it. This guilt of his isn’t going away with anything she says, she knows that now. Healing takes time, so all she can really do is just be there for him.

She sits down next to him on the couch, leaving only an inch of space. “You don’t have to carry the weight of everything, you know,” she continues gently. “You take on so much, you don’t always have to feel so responsible for every bad thing that happens. That’s no way to live.”

“I’m a cop,” he shrugs painfully. “I became a cop because I wanted to keep helping people, protecting them. So sure, it might make me a more serious person, but I do it because it’s supposed to be what I do best.”

“I get that. But no one’s perfect. I’m not perfect, even with all of your Tim tests,” she teases meekly. “That doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. You fought hard to get both of them back and you did. You did that. Angela’s home now, she and the baby are safe and alright. That’s what matters.”

He looks at her, stunned but greatly appreciative. “Thanks,” he offers, slightly begrudgingly, after a moment. “I just... thanks .”

“I think I have something of yours,” she tells him gently, changing the subject to lighten the mood. Because if she can’t assuage his guilt then at the very least, she can make him feel better; feel happy again.

Tim’s brows scrunch up, sending a confused look her way. Lucy wordlessly moves to pull out her phone, connecting it to the small wireless speaker on the coffee table. The buttons crisply click as she turns up the volume, pressing play on the first ballad she finds in her list of varied songs. (But her taste in music isn’t actually as diverse as she’d like and is really just filled with K-pop tracks).

The music streams through the speaker and throughout the apartment, audible but still quiet so as not to disturb the other tenants. Tim stays seated as Lucy stands up, still confused but shifting to the edge of his seat as if being drawn to her by an unnamed force.

Lucy finally extends her open palm, giving him a shy but cheeky grin. “Your dance, Officer Bradford?”

Realization hits and Tim’s shoulders relax a little. “I don’t know, I’m not in the mood for dancing right now.”

“Come on,” she pleads. “It’ll make you feel better, I promise. Or, at the very least, it’ll give you something to tease me about at work.”

Tim gives a hearty chuckle, smiling widely as he accepts her hand. It makes Lucy smile too. Why shouldn’t it? He’s always so surly and serious, making him laugh would make anyone proud and giddy. Right?

“Alright. After you, Officer Chen,” he replies as she pulls him off the couch and onto the rug in her living room. His hand is warm. They’re calloused, and bigger than hers to the point where her fingers get swallowed up in his as he gives her hand a squeeze. But god, they’re so warm and safe . Her mind can’t stop coming back to that observation, no matter how much she knows she shouldn’t.

Tim’s other hand finds her waist, his grip gentle. Her hand flies to his chest, pulling him in until her chin is inches away from resting on his shoulder.

Up until now, space hasn’t really been an issue for them. The only time there’d been this much physical contact between them was last year when Caleb had buried her alive. Even then, the situation had allowed for a special exception. She’d needed all the physical and emotional support she could get at that moment, and Tim had provided it for her.

Now though, there's no exception, no special circumstance, no excuse. They’re dancing while wrapped up in each other solely because they want to be, and that change is enough to terrify Lucy. She doesn’t move though, only keeps swaying to the music and letting out small, shaky breaths.

What can she say? She never was one to back down from something that scared her.

“You’re a good dancer,” Lucy points out quietly.

“You’re not half bad yourself,” he replies, his breath catching onto her neck and sending a delightful shiver down her spine.

“Is it safe to say you’re enjoying yourself? You feel more relaxed, I daresay you’re having fun,” she tries teasing.

“I’m just surprised,” he counters. “I was prepared for my toes to endure some serious stomping.”

“Oh please, like my tiny toes could ever harm you.” Her nose scrunches playfully as she feigns a threatening look, which makes Tim smile again. What is it with that smile of his killing her softly?

“I don’t know, you’re a lot tougher than you look.”

“Was that a compliment?” She asks teasingly.

“Don’t tell Nova, she’ll get jealous,” he jokes back, continuing to sway to the music.

“Yeah but I bet she’d love this,” Lucy remarks. In her head, she adds that the line between herself and Nova is getting blurred but it goes unspoken and, eventually, ignored.

“Nova’s not the only one,” he risks replying. “You’re right. This is… nice .”

Tim leans back a little to meet her eye, the swaying decelerating until they’re standing in her living room. Alone. With an intense and inviting gaze piercing into her eyes.

“It is,” Lucy agrees. Her voice is barely audible and before she can think twice, she blurts out probably the worst thing she could ever think of: the thing she means with every fiber of her being. “I wish we could stay like this forever.”

She really does mean it. She wants to stay there forever, where everything feels good and safe and right . Only she hadn’t meant to say that out loud, per se. To her surprise though, he doesn’t react poorly to it. Instead, he flashes the smallest smile and nods in agreement, swallowing hard. "Me too."

He looks so young like that, something juvenile and exciting radiating off of him like a breath of fresh air. For a second, she almost thinks he’s the same age as her.

And oh fuck , something just clicks after that.

His lips part only slightly, his eyes glimmering with something intense and hopeful. Her skin is on fire, her heart is racing, and every neuron in her brain is telling her to look away but she can’t. She can’t escape his eyes. Lucy doesn’t know what this thing between them is, only that one minute, they’re dancing and the next, they’re… doing something else. The swaying stops and everything comes to a glaring halt as the song starts to come to a gradual end. They’re left with nothing to do but stand there and look at each other. It’s almost like he’s listened to her and that somehow, he’s made them become completely frozen in time so that maybe, just maybe, they really could stay here forever.

Admittedly, terrifyingly, Lucy would have no complaints about that.

They’re holding each other too— god , she almost forgot about his hands on her wait, on her back. They’re strong and massive and yet so gentle. And before she knows it, they’re pulling her in closer and closer.

His face is inches apart from her, their lips so close. She shouldn’t be thinking about his lips, about any of the things she’s feeling right now, but she can feel his breath and it makes it impossible to think of anything else. Her chest is almost pressed against his and she wonders if Tim can feel the shaky rise and fall of her chest against his.

They get closer again, and closer, and closer…

Then, the door clicks and swings open, sending her and Tim jumping apart.

The moment ends before it ever has a chance to start.

“Hey, I’m back,” Jackson calls out as he walks in, checking his phone. “So fire up the next episode of Love Island and put in the popcorn because I am ready to g—”

Jackson stops mid-sentence once he looks up from his phone and finds Lucy, standing next to Tim as they both look away from each other with flushed cheeks and awkward coughs from their throats. The music on her phone has stopped now, thankfully, but the light from the speaker still flashes to indicate it’s on and Jackson soaks in the whole scene. He meets it with confusion though, his brows furrowing.

“Uhh… What’s going on here?”

“I was just about to leave,” Tim announces, looking down at the floor as he makes a beeline for his coat.

“Right, yeah,” Lucy nods. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, I guess?”

“Yeah, of course. Uh, bye,” he replies awkwardly, his eyes meeting Lucy’s one last time with something that she daresay looks like disappointment— like yearning. Jackson’s still there though, and so the moment is short-lived. Tim’s hands fly back into his pockets, just as stiff as they were when he first came over, and he leaves. The door shuts behind him abruptly.

Lucy stares at the door where Tim used to be, her shoulders sagging in a disappointment of her own, but she turns to see Jackson staring at her and knows she has no way to explain… well, to explain whatever the hell just happened.

“You want to tell me why Tim was here?”

“He felt guilty about what happened with you and Angela,” she explains, a little defensively. “I was just talking it out with him.”

“Sure, yeah,” Jackson nods with an unconvinced laugh, “that’s why you two jumped apart like frogs as soon as I came in.”

“We did not jump apart ,” she protests.

“Ok, if you say so,” he concedes, his hands up in surrender. “Besides, whatever you two were doing here, I just—… don’t want to know.” He lets out a small chuckle after that, shaking his head as he moves to grab a pack of unpopped popcorn out of the cupboard and put it in the microwave.

“It was nothing,” she mumbles quietly. “Nothing happened.”

It’s the first real lie she’s told that night. Jackson drops it after that though, and she sighs to herself as she sits back down on the couch.

She closes her eyes as the microwave buzzes and Jackson starts to ramble about his visit with Angela, slowly transporting herself back to that dance with Tim.

Maybe she’s wrong for this, maybe she’s completely insane and unprofessional. But as she plays it over in her head, her own words ring through her head and she realizes that maybe she really did want to stay like that with Tim forever.

Oh, screw it . She knows she did. It’s not a fact she can necessarily scream out to the world, but she did.

To Lucy, there are much worse things to want to be.

#Chenford Fanfic Week 2021 #chenford fic week 2021 #CFW 2021 #chenford #the rookie #lucy chen #tim bradford

[lunabonita]

My Webtoon Recommendations

These are webtoons that are all 10/10 for me. Of course it doesn’t have to be a 10/10 for you, so just a reminder, do not attack me for liking a webtoon that you do not. These are my opinions and we are not going to have the exact same taste. Please be respectful.

Your Throne

Genre: Fantasy

Chapters: 75

Status: Ongoing

-

“Tensions are brewing under the seemingly calm surface of the Vasilios Empire, a kingdom ruled by the Imperial Family and the Temple. Lady Medea Solon has lost her place next to Crown Prince Eros, but resolves to win back whats rightfully hers. Will she reclaim her throne?”

You know whats amazing about this webtoon? The summary leads you to think that what shes winning back is the prince. Wrong. Shes trying to win back the throne. I love how this webtoon doesn’t try to make it a girl focusing her goals on a man, but on power. Medea is such a strong and well written character that you can’t help but love her.

The second protagonist Pschye, who of which is the person who took Medeas place as Crown Princess, is the complete opposite of Medea. At the beginning you hate her, but as the webtoon goes on and Medea and her get a better understanding of eachother due to them switching bodies as a wish from God, you begin to root for them as they team up to take over the throne from the Crown Prince.

The art is so beautiful and I constantly found myself at awe from the amount of detail put into it.

-

The Makeup Remover

Genre: Romace

Chapters: 78

Status: Ongoing

-

“After years of being told to focus on studying, Yeseul feels lost when she starts college and is suddenly expected to pay attention to makeup. When a chance encounter with brilliant makeup artist Yuseong leads to her taking part in a televised makeup competition, Yeseul begins to question the role that makeup and appearance play in society.”

This was created by one of my favorite webtoon creators Lee Yone. Their art is just so amazing and their stories always include such good topics.

For instance, The Makeup Remover’s theme is loving yourself for who you are. It shows how people treat you based on your looks and as someone whos struggled with that kind of thing for a while, this webtoon really touched me. The main character Yeseul is such a relatable character, even when trying to reject beauty standards, she still came subject to the pressures of living up to the people around her. She struggles with trying to love her own appearance and I really like that this webtoon didn’t try to be like, ‘fuck the beauty standard im better than that screw pretty people!!!’ it actually showed realistically how people struggle with self-image. I also love the main love interest because oh my god, we need more men like him please. He doesn’t care about Yeseul’s appearance and genuinely loves her for her personality.

Also, art is amazing. The author is so talented and you should support them by reading and liking the chapters.

-

Surviving Romance

Genre: Horror

Chapters: 14

Status: Ongoing

-

“When Chaerin Eun becomes the protagonist of the romance novel she is reading, she expects a fairytale ending with the novel’s love interest, Jeha. But when a bizarre twist makes her realize the story is not playing out as it does in the book, she’ll need the help of an unlikely character from her class to defy the new storyline and find her happy ending - if only she can figure out who this ‘Unknown Extra’ is first!”

Hands down one of my favorite webtoons by a long shot. You ever see a webtoon and think, ‘oh yeah, thats going to be a good webtoon’? Thats how this webtoon was for me. It was so good that I spent hours searching for other chapters that hadn’t been uploaded to webtoon yet on other manhua websites. I discovered it because it was also by the author of ‘The Makeup Remover’.

If there is one thing you need to know about me, its that I am a huge horror fan. So when I saw that my favorite author on webtoon had a horror themed webtoon out? You bet your behind that I binged it. Let me tell you, best choice ever.

Think of it as if ‘Ino’s Law’ and ‘Quarantine’ were combined with amazing art and a badass MC.

The Remarried Empress

I love how it is set up to the point where she cannot ‘quit’ until she completes the novel. Creating scenarios where she must survive while meeting the standards in the book. It is such an amazingly written webtoon and I cannot wait for more chapters to be released.

-

Genre: Fantasy

Chapters: 82

Status: Ongoing

-

“Navier Ellie Trovi was an empress perfect in every way - intelligent, courageous, and socially adept. She was kind to her subjects and devoted to her husband. Navier was perfectly content to live the rest of her days as the wise empress of the Eastern Empire. That is, until her husband brought hone a mistress and demanded a divorce. ‘I accept this divorce… And i request an approval of my remarriage.’ In a shoking twist Navier remaarries another emperor and retains her title and childhood dream as empress. But just how did everything unfold? “

Am I in love with Navier? Yes.

I absolutely adore how this story was set up. The first chapter begins with the big divorce scene, followed by Navier saying that she was going to be remarrying someone else since he wants to divorce her. This sets up a picture that gets completely shattered as you read the chapters. How everything falls into place with the reason behind the divorce and the remarriage is just so well written. The art is so good and and everything is just so insanely well done.

I absolutely love Naviers character, from her regalness and devoted loyalty to her role as empress, all the way to her petty moments and times of sadness. She is truly a character that you want the best for, and I cannot image anyone not liking her. Also the story is just so capable of making you feel emotions. I’ve laughed, cried, and got angry during the course of reading this webtoon. I love how betrayed I felt when the emperor brought home his mistress. It felt like I was in Navier’s shoes!

This is such a well done webtoon and I'm so excited for Navier to get all of the good things she deserves in her new Kingdom and with her new husband.

-

Witch Creek Road

Genre: Horror

Chapters: 74

Status: Ongoing

-

“A survival horror about love, acceptance, death, and revenge. And sexy flesh-eating demons. Yeah, it has those, too.”

This series seriously mind fucked me. The way that this story is set up, you don’t see the full picture until the later chapters. Season two literally blew my mind. It is also very gorey so keep that in mind if you don’t like that kind of stuff, but for me that makes it all the better. It is just so wild and crass that you can feel your heart pumping in anticipation.

They even have their own website that goes further into the lore because it’s just so wild. Also the art style is just so amazing, because it complements the story and horror theme so much. You hate most of the characters because they suck, and it is so satisfying when they are killed. Also it has it’s sad moments but I think it is a nice break from the horror so it isn’t so overwhelmingly scary.

I binged this series and I recommend reading only a few chapters a day so you don’t overload your brain.

Other then that, an amazing webtoon. Seriously, go read it, support the author, so much work goes into the story and art that it’s insane.

-

Dating With A Tail

Genre: Romance

Chapters: 36

Status: Ongoing

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“On the dawn of her 29th birthday, unlucky-in-love Yunha discovers a shocking family secret: she’s started growing a fox tail, the mark of an ancestral curse. She must find her fated love before her 30th birthday or she is destined to become a fox forever! Even with her new-found enchanting power to attract men using her scent, will one year be enough to break the curse before it’s too late?”

Oh my gosh this is just such a good webtoon. It has amazing art, story telling, and characters. The true love interest was there the whole time, the villain isn’t who you’d expect it to be, and the spirit who cursed her is just! Im not going to spoil it but go read this webtoon!! It is so good and deserves more love.

Also Yunha is just so relatable?? Like she put off finding the woodcutter (her fated love) for 29 years and waited last minute to find him. Homegirl is me trying to do a project for school. Also to get rid of the scent that makes men attracted to her, she just starts eating a ton of garlic and that is just so funny to me.

Also I would go to church for the priest anytime if you know what i mean ;)

-

Omniscient Reader

Genre: Action

Chapters: 53

Status: Ongoing

-

“Dokja was an average office worker whose sole interest was reading his favorite web novel ‘Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse.’ But when the novel suddenly becomes reality, he is the only person who knows how the world will end. Armed with this realization, Dokja uses his understanding to change the course of the story, and the world, as he knows it.”

I cannot get over how high quality this story is. The world building is phenomenal, the art is fantastic, and the characters are very fleshed out. This deserved all the hype it has gotten so far and more.

I love the ‘mc thrown into a different reality’ trope so much. Just like with surviving romance, Dokja’s world became the story he was reading. Also a very cool aspect of the story is the level up and the fact that its like a game. Earth has turned into this show for god like creatures to watch and it follows Dokja trying to survive. I also really like that TWSA has a protagonist, but Omniscient Reader’s protagonist is not the protagonist that was in TWSA. There is just so much lore and I’ll say it again, the world building is just phenomenal.

The Ddokkaebi’s and Dokja’s interactions are also just some of my favorite moments from the story so far. And oh my goodness I would die for Lee Gilyoung. Thats it, thats the tweet. That little boy could probably kill me with his giant praying mantis and I would let him if it would make him happy.

-

Not So Shoujo Love Story

Genre: Comedy

Chapters: 45

Status: Ongoing

-

“Romance super-fan Rei Chan is ready for her first boyfriend and she knows just who it’ll be: the most handsome boy in school, Hansum Ochinchin. But her plans for the perfect story are derailed when the most popular girl in class declares herself a rival… for Rei’s heart?! This is the year her not so shoujo love story begins!”

This is just such a cute webtoon. The style is very appealing and while the humor can be childish and weird sometimes, it still has made me laugh a lot. I know the humors not for everyone but just keep in mind that it does get better as the story progresses and gets more serious.

Also its a gl! I’m really unable to find good gls these days that don’t fetishize wlw relationships. Rei being painted as a mean trouble maker whos just misunderstood and Hana being the ‘perfect girl’ who only wants Rei’s attention is such a cute dynamic. They balance each other out and better each other. Also stan Rei for constantly sticking up for Hana even if she doesn’t necessarily like her in the beginning, she has very good morals and sticks to them.

Also the defying stereotypes in this webtoon? Just god-tier. Really makes you think twice when you judge someone just on first impressions alone.

-

Odd Girl Out

Genre: Drama

Chapters: 264

Status: Ongoing

-

“After a successful winter break makeover, Nari is finally ready for her high school debut. But somehow, she ends up friends with the three prettiest girls in school! Follow Nari as she tries to navigate her brand new high school life surrounded by beauties.”

This story has made me cry multiple times. A lot, even. It is just such a beautiful tale of friendship and finding support in people who are unlike those around theme. It also tells a great story about how anybody can be the ‘odd girl out’. Be it the fat girl, the beautiful girl, the rich girl, or the laid back girl.

It goes so deep into its characters that you even feel bad for the minor antagonists. It really makes you feel for the characters and the reasons behind their actions. Also I know its long, believe me I binged all 260 chapters in the span of three days, but oh my god it is worth it. Also I know the art is kind of off-putting, in fact that’s kind of why I put off reading the story, but I’ve honestly grown to love it and the writing is so good that the art could be literal stick figures and it wouldn’t matter.

The story is amazing and also I just love Nari. She’s just the best.

-

Gremoryland

Genre: Horror

Chapters: 67

Status: Completed

-

“Six old school friends are invited to be the first visitors of GremoryLand, a new horror theme park that promises an experience as unique as it is spooky. But once this experience starts there is no turning back, and they find themselves tested beyond what they imagines, facing their most desperate fears in order to survive.”

This is definitely one of those stories were you kind of need to turn of your brain and choose to ignore ‘plot holes’ while reading the early chapters because this story definitely gets crazy if you don’t know the ending. Believe me if you stick with it it will all make sense and the satisfaction you get from finding the ending is just so worth it.

The story is so good, and who Gremory is you would literally never suspect. When it was revealed who Gremory was and how he was able to create Gremoryland is so fucking mind boggling that you would never guess. I had to do a double take. It wasn’t like one of those random characters with a vendetta type of twists, but like one you can pick out from clues throughout the story.

Its so good and twisted and just so worth at least giving it a chance.

-

These were some of my favorite webtoons on the app! Of course it’s not all of them because unfortunately there is a 10 image limit. I also made this because I’ve run out of new webtoons to read and would love if you guys commented some of your own recs. I can also do a part two with other ones I liked if y’all want more recommendations. You guys can even request specific categories like Drama or Sci-Fi and I can tell you my favorite ones from that genre.

Also a reminder - if you disagree with any of my praise of these webtoons be respectful about it. At the end of the day it’s my opinion and you don’t need to be rude when disagreeing with that opinion.

#webtoon #Your Throne #the makeup remover #surviving romance #the remarried empress #witch creek road #dating with a tail #omniscient reader's viewpoint #omniscient reader #not so shoujo love story #odd girl out #gremory land #webtoon recommendation #webtoon review #comics #web novel #romance #horror #action #comedy

[honeysidesarchived]

cheap + john/elliot

i love you both so much thank you liz and thank you @shallow-gravy for always enabling me to terrorize john seed in the best way i know how (with elliot's mother)

cheap & accost + john/elliot (feat. scarlet) from this list! no warnings really, just john waxing poetic about scarlet will never love him. no cult au!

"so," scarlet says, casting a scathing gaze downward, "this is it?"

based on her words alone, someone would think she was referring to a particularly tasteless display, something so utterly disappointing that she couldn't help but voice her opinion about it (and the fact is, scarlet really doesn't voice her opinion very often--there is too much dancing around the subject and making passive-aggressive jabs for her true thoughts to come out very often). perhaps a display of public inebriation, of someone making a fool of themselves at a setting that is meant to celebrate.

actually, in fact, it's regarding elliot's engagement ring.

john tries not to take it too personally. how can he? scarlet has never liked anything he's done--despite the knowledge that he is handsome, intelligent, accomplished, more than capable of providing for her daughter (a thing which scarlet insists upon despite the fact that elliot has a job and would hate being a housewife)--and instead prefers to try and tear him to shreds at every opportunity.

he is working on letting it go. he is working on not letting scarlet's visceral dislike of him affect him. and yet, still, sometimes, he wonders--what's so wrong with me, hm?

"yes, mother," elliot says, very visibly restraining her tone, "this is the ring."

"it's not--a temporary one?" scarlet presses. "you know, something to tide over until you can find the perfect one?"

"no," the blonde sighs.

"hm."

"she could have another one, if she wanted," john ventures.

elliot says, "john."

"hm," scarlet says, again. she lifts elliot's hand to inspect the engagement ring. it is exactly what elliot wanted, which unfortunately is probably not what scarlet envisioned for her daughter--simple, clean. nothing too ostentatious. "but the blue, bunny?"

"i picked it out," ell snaps.

"and elliot knows she could have any ring she wanted," john adds, drawing scarlet's eyes to him. the feeling is not unlike drawing the unwanted attention of a jungle cat. or a gun. "i'm sure you know she has a very specific taste."

"well, you'll have to spend a lot of time explaining that," is what scarlet says finally. "the blue stone makes it look...well, you know. like a toy ring. people will think you got it out of one of those quarter machines at the bowling alley." she grimaces, lip curling. "cheap."

"we're leaving now," elliot announces loudly, irritably, grabbing john's hand. "we're leaving to the other side of the room. over there. goodbye, mother."

scarlet hms again, but lets them go; the crowd at the engagement party is easy to sift through, and by the time they get to the other side of the room where elliot can pour herself another glass of champagne, john has mostly recovered from the repeated realization that his mother in law will never, ever like him despite his many, many, many (many) winning qualities.

"holy shit," elliot hisses, "she is unbearable until she gets at least five vodka martinis in her."

"admittedly, was not expecting your mother to accost me about the price of your engagement ring," john replies, watching her shoot him a dry glance over her shoulder. in amendment, he adds, "but maybe i should have expected."

"yes," elliot agrees, "you should have." she pauses, and then reaches up, resting her hand on the crook between his neck and shoulder. "and i'm still sorry. you know she'd never be happy with any engagement ring from anyone."

"well," john says, and does not elaborate, because she knows he means she might have if i were literally anyone else.

the blonde sighs, leaning up and kissing him quickly--just enough for him to briefly feel the synapses firing off delightedly, wiping his brain of present mommy-trauma--and says, "anyway, let's go explain our cheap engagement ring to the rest of my mom's friends."

"goody," john mutters against her mouth, "can't wait."

#micro prompts #x: death keep off; i am your enemy #no cult au #c: elliot honeysett #c: john seed #meowthvevo #shallow-gravy #thank u babies i LOVE u

[nakachuchu]

Love is in the Air or Not | Kuroo Tetsuro + Yaku Morisuke

SYNOPSIS: Harry Potter AU - Two boys are pining for you.

READER: female

WORDS: 2093

WRITTEN: 03/17/2021

NOTES: I rewrote this a lot of times and I read it so many times that I started hating it, so I'm not sure if anyone will actually enjoy it but I spent too much time on it.

You were one of the rare girls who didn't give into Kuroo. He was known at Hogwarts for being a player and being absolutely wicked at sex. It was why girls always crawled to him—but not you.

He wanted to know why it was so easy for you to resist his charms. He thought he was quite attractive, and for you to not agree was an insult.

Kuroo approached you while you were talking to a friend. You slowly turned around and looked up at the tall man as your friend shuffled away.

He grinned at you. "Go out with me."

You laughed with a smile as you reached up to fix his tie. "You're crazy."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Is that a no?"

"It's a big no."

"Why not? I'm a catch," he said.

"Because it's obvious you just want to fuck me," you retorted.

"Aren't you even a bit curious?" he asked.

"No, but I am hungry," you said as you walked away from him to grab a muffin.

You didn't care for relationships or boys, so Kuroo was a no-go for you. You cared more about your friends and getting good grades.

The next day, Kuroo approached you once more in the common room. It was times like this where you wished you were sorted into a different House.

"Go out with me?" Kuroo asked with a flower bouquet in his hand.

The flowers looked as if he pulled them out of the dirt from the courtyard, and you wouldn't be surprised if he did.

You shook your head. "I'm not taking these."

Kuroo's arm swung back to his side. "Why not? Girls like flowers."

You fought back the urge to snatch those flowers and smack him on the head with it. "Not all girls like flowers and not all of them want to have sex with you," you retorted.

You left the common room without taking the flowers. Yaku walked in the room with a muffin in his hand and a book wedged in his armpit.

"Feels bad, doesn't it?" Yaku asked.

Kuroo's eye twitched. "Mouthy already, huh?"

"You tell me."

"Smartass," Kuroo commented with a snort.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask my ass? Here, it's been really calm today."

Yaku turned around and stuck his butt out. Kuroo rolled his eyes and shoved his back before smacking him with the flowers. Yaku turned back and whacked him in the face with his book.

"Dick," Kuroo muttered.

"Asshole," Yaku retorted. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe Y/N doesn't like you?"

"Every girl likes me. They just want to be fucked."

Yaku rolled his eyes. "I'm going to the library. You're annoying the fuck out of me."

"Please do, midget."

Yaku ignored him and walked toward the library with his school bag. He didn't expect to see you there, standing by a bookcase though. He approached you hesitantly and you smiled faintly once you saw him.

"Hey, Yaku," you greeted.

"Hey, Y/N. How's your day so far?" he asked.

"Kuroo hasn't stopped bothering me. It's a miracle he's not here right now. You didn't shrink him and hide him in your robes, did you?"

Yaku smiled as he stuck his hand in his robes and patted his body.

"I don't think he's in there, but if he is, then I probably squished him by then."

You chuckled. "With that ego of his, there's no way we'll be able to shrink him."

He snorted. "You can say that again. I could power a whole town with that ego."

"Try the whole world," you retorted.

The two of you paused before bursting out in laughter. Students nearby curiously looked at you and the librarian shushed you. The two of you zipped your mouths and did your best to not laugh.

You never failed to make him laugh. It was why he liked spending time with you.

The two of you met in your first year and it wasn't difficult to become friends with him. He was a bit shy at first, but eventually came out of his shell when you started smiling and telling jokes to him during class.

"What are you studying for?" you asked.

"Charms," he answered. "You?"

"Potions."

Yaku nodded. "My best subject is Potions."

"And my best subject is Charms," you replied.

"Wanna be study partners?" he asked as he nervously scratched the back of his neck.

"It would be an honor."

The librarian shushed you again.

The two of you looked at each other before forcing down your laughter.

You enjoyed spending time with Yaku. He was humble, smart, and had a wicked sense of humor.

"Y/N, another Outstanding for you!" the professor said as he passed back your test.

You smiled gratefully. Charms always came naturally to you.

"Kuroo, Poor. Was this lesson too difficult for you? You usually do so well."

"Ah, well, I've been a bit under the weather. Maybe Y/N could tutor me since she's so smart," said Kuroo lazily.

"That sounds wonderful!" the professor exclaimed.

You froze and dropped the book you were holding onto the desk. "Please repeat that, Professor. I'm afraid my hearing is a bit wonky these days."

"You should tutor Kuroo!" he repeated. "Lunch is about to start, so everyone may leave. Y/N, I expect you to help Kuroo raise his grades."

You and Kuroo left the room, side-by-side.

"There's no way you purposely failed that test to get me to tutor you, did you?" you asked.

"Who knows?" he questioned with a smirk.

Truth was, he did fail on purpose to get time with you. But it wasn't because he had a crush on you.

He didn't do crushes. It was difficult for him to get attached to someone because no one was worth his time.

"Your technique is all wrong," you critiqued. "Why do you move your arm around like a dead worm?"

After class, you immediately dragged him to a corner of the library to coach him.

Kuroo rolled his eyes. "You're meaner than you look," he said. "Everyone thinks you're this saint, but you're really not."

You raised an eyebrow. "I think I'm pretty nice."

"If you're nice, then go out with me," he countered.

"I'm not that nice."

"Are you sure? I'm pretty cute," he said.

"That's a good joke," you retorted.

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, but I actually do have a good joke. Why did the ketchup blush?"

"I don't know. I don't like ketchup."

"He saw the salad dressing."

You blinked. "That's...horrible. Are you a dad? You're making dad jokes!"

"Hey, they're good! Look, look, I have another one, okay? What's the difference between a G-spot and a golf ball? A man will actually search for a golf ball."

You snorted. "Okay, that's actually—" You started laughing. "That's actually pretty funny."

Kuroo never noticed how cute your laugh and snort was. He liked it when you loosened up around him, so he continued to tell bad jokes.

"Stop making me laugh!" you scolded. "I'm supposed to be tutoring you!"

Kuroo laughed in return. "Think of this as a break!"

"We've had a ten-minute break with me laughing and you telling jokes!"

Other students in the library were starting to get annoyed with the two. At first, they were intrigued by you spending time with Kuroo, but they started to get annoyed with how loud you were.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Kuroo responded.

"Maybe. Unless you're actually failing Charms."

"I'm not. I'm actually smart, you know."

You hummed. "No, I don't think I know."

"Will you go out with me?" he asked again.

It was so sudden, that you didn't know what to say. And when you looked at how serious he was, you nearly agreed.

But you had never dated someone before, and Kuroo was known for being a player.

"No," you said softly. "But for good reason. Maybe you should ask out someone else? Like you said, you're a catch."

He nodded. His mouth felt a bit dry and there was a bad taste in his mouth. He felt a bit uncomfortable but understood what you meant.

The two of you met in your first year, but you only knew him through Yaku. Their families knew each other, so they grew up together.

You and Kuroo weren't close to each other, but if you were around Yaku, Kuroo would normally appear to tease him.

Along the way, he got intrigued by how you never gave him the time of day.

The Winter Ball was coming up. Students were asking each other out left and a right. Everywhere you turned, a student would be asking another student to attend the ball with them.

"Are you going to ask anyone to the ball, Yaku?" you asked as you sat down next to him in the library.

He suddenly seemed frigid. "No!" he exclaimed.

"Shh!" the librarian angrily shushed.

"You seem very eager about that. It's all right. You don't have to tell me anything."

He fidgeted with the ends of his robes. "Y/N, do you want to go to the ball with me?"

Yaku liked you. It wasn't hard to tell, and while you could picture a relationship with him, you weren't ready for one.

You froze, the book in your hand balancing on the spine. "I wasn't planning on going to the dance. I don't like loud, crowded places," you explained. "Sorry. It's definitely not you. Um—let's just study, okay?"

He felt dejected, but it was better than you rejecting him for another person. He nodded and opened his book.

Kuroo looked up from the couch in the common room once he heard the door open. You casually walked in, waving to others with a book wedged into your armpit.

He got up from the couch and walked over to you. You paused as he stood in front of you with his signature smirk.

"Do you want to go to the Winter Ball with me?" he asked.

"Yaku didn't put you up to this, right?" you asked.

"No. Did he do something?"

"He asked me to the dance, like, an hour ago. I'm going to tell you what I told him. I'm not planning on going," you said. "Dances aren't my thing. I'll just be in the common room."

You turned around and headed up to your dorm.

Dances weren't Kuroo's scene, either, but he asked because he wanted to get to know you better. But, he didn't mind the idea of spending time with you alone while the others were at a dance.

Kuroo left the common room to find Yaku to get some answers. Because Kuroo wasn't stupid—regardless of how people thought—he knew Yaku would be in the library.

"Do you like Y/N?" Kuroo asked as he approached him.

Yaku nodded, looking up from his seated position. "Yeah, I do. Do you?"

Kuroo scoffed. "I don't know. She's pretty cool though."

"Who knows? Maybe she'll actually end up liking you—when pigs fly," Yaku added.

Kuroo scoffed. "She'd definitely pick me."

The boys stared each other down silently.

On the day of the dance, you were left alone in the common room. The fire was going and you had a book on your lap.

It was quiet and peaceful, and you liked it. Until two bumbling idiots ran down the stairs while arguing with each other.

You looked up from your book. "Really, boys? You couldn't have gone to the dance like the others?"

"Well, the girl we asked didn't want to go," Kuroo retorted as he jumped over the couch and sat next to you.

Yaku quietly sat on your other side. You closed your book and placed it on the table in front of you.

"Fair point," you said as you waved your wand to turn on the radio.

You leaned your head back and closed your eyes.

"What are you doing?" Yaku asked.

"Taking a nap. We're not going anywhere," you retorted.

The two boys looked at each other as you drifted off to sleep. You didn't mind their company as long as neither of them bothered you—mainly Kuroo.

"She'll never date you," Yaku said.

"How do you know that? I'm a catch. I bet she'll date me."

"I doubt that. I have a better chance than you," Yaku retorted.

Kuroo rolled his eyes. "A midget like you would never win."

The two began to quietly bicker with each other. They were rivals, after all, and this was only the beginning.

#haikyu x reader #kuroo tetsuro x reader #yaku morisuke x reader #sfw

[comelylust]

Workmates

That's right I deliver what I promise, Request through my discord, Anon asked for some Miguel with plot so I made a plot attempt haha. if you find spelling or grammatical errors sorry I do this from a tablet 👀read the warnings 👀.  

Warnings: Smut content, +18, street fights, mentions of alcoholic beverages.

 "Ugh I really can't stand it" You mention this to your boss with an irritation in your voice, pacing back and forth with both hands on your head "how the hell are you two friends?! it's so... agh"  

Seeing how frustrated you were all your boss did was scoff at it, he continues to clean the glasses and arrange them on the shelves in the back, he looked like he really didn't care that two of his workers don't get along as well as he would like.  

"You're just stressed, go take a break" Your boss laughed, gesturing towards the employee door where you already knew who was there, Miguel, chances are he was listening to everything, instead instead of embarrassing you your anger continued to rise.

"He's a nice guy, you're just not used to his temperament."  

He's right, you still don't know him well enough just a couple of months ago you moved to Spain for personal reasons, but let's say things were getting difficult and you decided to venture to a new destination in search of opportunities, at first you didn't know where you were going, you were coming and going without a previously planned route, this didn't bother you at all you felt better about yourself above all you felt free for the first time in your life.  

On one of your countless trips you heard a group of strangers talking about a certain wrestling tournament which caught your interest. You decided to join that event after they finished their talk, grabbed your stuff and headed to a new country.  

When you finally arrived in Spain the first thing you did was to look for a temporary job, difficult at first you didn't have the necessary documentation to back up your identity, yeah shit, it wasn't the best idea to leave with nothing but your passport.

You continued your search now in the slums of that country, hoping that someone would offer you help, instead the only thing they offered you was endless fights showing the wimps not to mess with you, earning you a little respect from the locals.  

"Strange" You thought "People usually loathe people like me".

It didn't take you long to figure out the reason why the inhabitants were so used to subjects of your ilk. Miguel Caballero Rojo, a subject without a shred of compassion when it came to street fights, was brutal and violent making his opponents regret it on the spot.

Going to where he always made his appearances you found on the way an old cantina: on the outside it was crumbling, but the old letters of the place were still visible. Entering with your best hard face you asked about that mysterious man, without receiving a clear answer, again you let out a disappointed sigh and a pout formed on your lips.

"Hey, don't be so sad" A middle aged man catches your attention offering you a drink which you cheerfully accept "You're not from here are you, cutie?" Your eyes widen like saucers when he found out you're just an outsider, without taking the drink away from your lips you nodded.  

"Well, I need a bartender so why don't you stay for a while while you wait for him" He offers the old rag along with the apron, you were in doubt, but you really needed this job, the opportunity to work and hit on a guy sounded exquisite without hesitating a second longer you made your decision.  

"Okay I accept, just for a while".  

"I'm Daniel by the way" The old man who is now your boss mentions it.

You worked in that bar for the next few weeks, you didn't do much, just make drinks and take out old creeps trying to be smart. Now the main issue, if you met Miguel, yes, he really looked violent, and yes he had hated you.

When he first walked into the bar he was fuming, his nostrils flared, his muscles tensed and the fingers on his hands were crusted with dried blood, in short he's pissed, to add more to the mix you lunged at him with incredible speed that even Miguel himself was taken by surprise.

"What the fuck" He exclaims as his head face down is resting on the dirty floor, you crossed his wrists and paralyzed him with a knee on his back "Get the fuck down, what's wrong with you".  

"It's nothing personal just that I liked the idea of defeating the best fighter in this neighborhood" You licked your lips forming a fuzzy smile of joy. Miguel tries to move, but you strengthen your grip, raising your hand now in the shape of a fist ready to punch him in the Spaniard's face, until someone interrupts you.

 🌒🌕🌘

 "Sorry Daniel" You fiddle with your fingers as the pout returns to your face along with a blush forming on your cheeks. "B-but you already knew what my plan was!"

"Plan?! What's going on Daniel, are you conspiring with this Chiquilla?" Miguel points at both of you accusingly, scratching the back of his neck furiously.

"Eeh, who are you calling a chiquilla, brat?"

"The only person who is behaving like a brat is you" The two begin a verbal sparring match with overly childish insults. Daniel for his part lets out a loud sigh catching both of their attention.

"You both are behaving like brats, Now Miguel she is the new Bartender she will work here for a while be nice" The last sentence was thrown remarking that she will behave "Same goes for you, Be nice he is your co-worker"

"Coworkers!? That if ever!" Both mention at the same time throwing each other murderous looks.

And here we are back where we left off at the beginning. Working with Miguel was annoying, he is always drunk, when he is lucid he gets in a bad mood and even starts fights for stupid reasons, the problem is when you have to interfere when things get too intense, this didn't bother you, you were annoyed by the idea of saving his ass.

Instead of thanking you he starts a useless fight questioning why you helped him and all the crap you decided for your and Daniel's mental health more than anything else for your boss it's better to ignore him.

But what happened?  

You were not a sports fan, much less a soccer fan, however since you arrived to this place the only thing that the bar TV broadcasts was soccer, getting used to it, you noticed that Miguel on special occasions wears a jersey of his favorite team, your lips curved into a cheshire smile at the prank you were going to do, your plan is only to support the opposing team for no apparent reason, this would annoy Miguel as a "revenge" for what he had put you through.

Tonight you put your new plan into practice, you borrowed a t-shirt from the opposing team that is playing tonight, you put it on by buttoning every button, oddly enough this shirt highlights your beautiful figure, accentuating your breasts and molding to your abdomen/torso, you hope no one notices this, but who the fuck cares, you look great.  

The bar is more crowded than it normally is, you complained about the smell it smelled too much like Cologne, alcohol and sweat hopefully your brain will adapt to it. You headed to your work station serving the drinks to their respective buyers. Until you saw him come in of course with his charming outfit, fuck, you have to admit the man is hot, his manly appearance and his well toned and thick muscles soaked with a light layer of sweat would make anyone drool, unfortunately this was his only virtue.

He gave you a small smile and of course foolishly you returned it, you shook your head forcibly bringing yourself back to reality and remembering the reason why you had decided to do this in the first place.  

"Are you kidding me?" he approaches you intimidating as always, the difference is this time his voice framed mockery as if he knew what you were trying to do.

"What are you talking about, I'm just working" you bite your inner cheek avoiding emitting a laugh, You poured him a pitcher of beer waiting for him to forget the topic of conversation.  

"Yeah right, I know what you're planning, cutie" He takes a long swig of the drink wiping the rest of it off with his arm "And it's not going to work" He winks at you you roll your eyes so much you're able to see your brain, it really is unbearable.

As the night continues, Miguel continues to make fun of you and how your "shitty" team is losing, the strange thing is that you ended up joining him, drinking the whole keg of beer answering his comments with sarcastic remarks.  

You were wrong to think that his only quality is being a handsome man when you noticed that his resistance to alcohol is quite high happened exactly with you, your resistance to alcohol was the best, however, the drinks were doing in you a kind of aphrodisiac turning you hotter as you kept talking to Miguel.

"How about...if we go to the back" your voice comes out smaller than you would have liked you play again with your fingers waiting for an answer, instead he didn't give you one he just grabbed your bicep with his hand and dragged you to the employee only room.  

Before partially closing the door, his free hand wrapped around your jaw pulling you closer to him in a hot kiss, intertwining their tongues licking every part he could, he pushed you into the room closing the door behind you. He connected his lips this time on your neck leaving you with purple and bite marks.

 He held your wrists guiding you to the lounge chair obediently sitting there, still kissing you enjoying your taste despite the bad beer you had chosen.  

"Apparently you're not a rough girl anymore" Separating slightly so he could speak.  

"H-hush don't ruin the moment" You turned into a red, stuttering mess, all Miguel did is smile at you and get up from the seat, your mind raced hoping he wouldn't leave.

"On your knees" His hoarser than normal voice made you shudder and let out a low moan, he had never been so dominant and you would be lying if you didn't say you didn't like it. You quickly went down on your knees looking up at him with eyes clouded in lust.

"Fuck" Solo said unbuttoning his pants, you helped by pulling them down along with his boxers "I'm going to punish you for being a spoiled brat."

 You finally released his cock from its confines, you gasped at the sight previously you could picture it, but your mind didn't do it justice, it's big with veins that framed its outline the red tip was already dripping pre-semen, you licked your lips and included its head between your lips, giving kitten licks.

 "Stop teasing" He growled, you opened your mouth wider with your tongue hanging out, shoving his cock in your mouth touching your throat, you looked up as you gagged which made him let out a guttural gasp.

You pulled back pulling his cock partially out before thrusting harder into your throat, you moan and the vibrations you throw are so delicious he can't take it. Getting rid of his remaining clothes he continued to pound your throat rapidly as he watched your face fill with tears and you try to breathe through your nose so you don't choke.  

"Will you stop teasing?" your eyebrows flex in anger, but this action doesn't last that long, still gagging on his cock you nod energetically. "Good girl."

Thick, hot ropes sprouted from his cock covering your mouth, trying to swallow as much as possible. Inhaling and exhaling heavily catching your breath, you struggled to stand up before Miguel lifted you up placing you face down on the couch climbing behind you, your instinct was to raise your ass and spreading your legs apart, giving him a perfect view of your already slippery pussy.

 Miguel looked at you with carnal hunger re licking his lips as he looked at your innocent form, his palm slapping against your ass in a thud, you squealed as you felt another series of spanks follow leaving your buttocks red.  

 "Remember it's your punishment pretty girl."  

He rubs his fingers over your wet folds and plunges a finger inside you, you yelp at the sudden action pulling away, Miguel firmly holds your hips so as not to go any further and continues to plunge his fingers stretching your tight walls.  

"Easy I'm getting you ready" Miguel works on your sex pulling his fingers in and out "She's too tight".  

Your legs trembled with excitement and your moans echoed in the room loudly, before you could come he pulled away from you collecting your essence smearing it on his long shaft lubricating it.  

The tip of his cock rubbed between your folds teasing your entrance, you moaned needy moving close to him.

"Don't tease" you pout and he teases you, he pushes his member slowly into your pussy. The sensation of your walls squeezing his cock made him throw his head back as you rolled your eyes at the bliss of being filled.  

Miguel pulled your hair back into a ponytail using it as leverage to go faster and deeper, the lewd noises you make are music to his ears instigating him to move.

You could feel every part of his thick cock and how it exquisitely hits that rubbery spot inside you, through your mouth overflowing saliva and your eyes still rolling back. Your walls tremble giving hints of your come.

"Cum on my cock pretty girl" his voice a few octaves lower brings you to the edge, a lewd moan escapes your sweet lips and he quickens his pace chanting your name between curses, his load shoots inside your sex painting them white.

He pulls out of you and you both catch your breath. When you realize what has just happened your face turns red and you try to hide it between the cushions of the couch. Miguel notices this and pats your head.

 "So..." You say shyly.

"Then I'll ask you out, mi amor."  

"W-what?!"  

"Ha, I really love your temper."  

"Idiota" this wasn't the plan nor much less the expected result but you're happy.

I must improve on the fast way it ended haha I hope you liked it.  

#Tw: smut #tw: alcohol #miguel caballero rojo x reader #tekken miguel x reader #tekken #tekken miguel #miguel caballero rojo