#and so then i felt like a terrible person for doing purchases and wanting things and not just sticking with my old hand me down red converse

[arthur-r]

my fire opal converse arrived i’m screaming

#/hyperbole but the color is so perfect #i spent around twenty seconds screaming in a bad way because of how friggin white they are it scares me #like i don’t want to ruin them. i have owned two pairs of not-hand-me-down sneakers in my life and this is one of them #and so then i felt like a terrible person for doing purchases and wanting things and not just sticking with my old hand me down red converse #which are too small for me now and literally stained with blood. and also mud but the blood is the problem part #anyway mal blum voice oh my god look at all the stuff you got does it make your loneliness more bearable #but genuinely it kind of does. they’re my exact color it’s ridiculous guys. like it’s the color of my walls exactly #and they will make me taller so i can actually see at concerts and in the school hallway. and i’ll keep them forever #(this was an early christmas present from me to myself i put a bunch of tip money on my debit card and bought myself the shoes i’ve wanted) #they are custom because the color doesn’t come in regular converse you have to get a custom fall colors pair so i did #and so they’re lift platforms with a gold star logo patch and stripey gold and white laces it’s really cool #anyway they were supposed to arrive in time for the happy fits concert and they didn’t. but the concert didnt even happen for me so whatever #good news!!!! daisy the great is coming back this april on their first headlining tour it’s gonna be so cool #no news on the happy fits and i really want to see them and also meet them but they did say something about how they can’t wait to be back #so i hope that comes sooner rather than later and that i’m still minneapolis-adjacent enough to go #or i guess i might have to go to a show in chicago!! we grow and change with the times #anyway i’m kind of disjointed cause i woke up recently and also have been in an anxious spiral for like a week but we’re managing great #playing sudoku and being parented by my dad which means: sitting alone in my room with the door closed for hours on end #so i’m here if anybody needs me!! usually dad parenting comes with caring for my sister but she has gymnastics today so i’m like. here #anyway yeah i have these bright red-orange converse with gold on them and i’m gonna cry #i’ll post a picture soon if i’m feeling up to it they’re really exciting like almost enough to fix me #like it’s literally my color. it’s the color that i am. i’m going slightly insane about this (is insane already) #and i painted my electric guitar with nail polish so now the tuning pegs are sparkly red and it’s just a good time for the arthur community #period-induced paranoia that i thought i was done with put aside. and general anxiety put aside. the arthur community is doing great #do y’all remember mononokay by sorority noise? the arthurcore song? it still is. i’m listening to it rn and it still is #anyway idk what to say. i’m here and things are weird but i’m going back to school on monday and it won’t be as weird anymore. i hope #and i cleaned my room like actually deep cleaned it and it’s fixed now. my room is actually good now. how did that happen #anyway i want to go home but i am home. i should also eat breakfast. yeah. so i will do that now. yep #me. my post. mine. #friends only

[oneofstarkskids]

"plus...he's adorable"

steven grant x reader, first meeting

warnings: slight age gap?

*not my gif*

finding your passion hadn't been a straight and narrow path. you had no idea how some people just woke up knowing exactly what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives.

in high school you played sports, but they were never something you wanted to do as a career. you recently learned that you love to paint, but it just felt like a hobby. you didn't feel experienced enough to make something of it.

you'd gone to four years of university, majoring in business because it's what your parents wanted. but you were tired. you were so tired and you weren't passionate about anything.

finally, you were sure you were ready to give up. you were in the school library, turning in some text books you'd used, when you just glanced over briefly. your eyes caught the title of a large book.

"If You Are to Love, Love the Moon"

curiosity took over and you picked it up to read the synopsis. by the time you were done, you'd picked out three more books on the subject and plopped them down in front of the librarian.

it took you less than twenty-four hours to finish all of them and you had this burning desire to know more.

which led you here, studying egyptology abroad in london, standing in the national gallery, staring at a poorly constructed pyramid of giza.

"oh bullocks!" you heard a man shout just as something crashed to the ground. you searched for where the noise came from.

your eyes landed on dark brown curls peeking out just above the counter at the gift shop.

nosily, you made your way over. as you placed your hands on the counter you cleared your throat. a man with steven printed on his name tag stood up quickly and gave you a nervous chuckle, "morning."

you suppressed your laughter, "hey there. you alright?"

"me? yeah, fine!" he said unconvincingly. "did you want to make a purchase? i personally recommend the horus figurines. you know, it's believed that he was a benevolent protector in ancient egyptian culture. plus..." he held one up, "he's adorable."

this time you couldn't help but laugh, and thought the same thing of steven himself.

"i'll take one," you said and watched as he rang it up.

he glanced up at you as he put it in a small gift bag, but quickly looked back down when he noticed you'd caught him.

you reached to grab the bag, but paused as your hand brushed his. steven was stunned by the feeling of your hand against his and didn't want you to go.

"do you live nearby?" he asked slowly. you stopped yourself from grinning at the idea of him asking you out.

"uh- because we can ship items in the future," he said instead.

you frowned, "okay. well, have a good day." you took the bag and walked off. the whole thing just made you want to go home.

just as you were stepping out into the street, you were knocked to the ground.

"oh! sorry! i'm terribly sorry, i didn't mean to do that," you heard stevens voice. you got up and dusted yourself off.

"what is wrong with you?" you asked in frustration.

he rambled, "well, many things but that's a topic for another time." you had this look of concern that made steven feel guilty. "okay i'm just going to come right out and say it."

you listened intently. "i would, would you like to- do you want to grab a bite sometime?" he finally got the words out and you giggled.

"i would love to."

steven beamed and nodded, "good. very good." he started to walk away but quickly turned back around, "actually, do you have a piece of paper?"

you searched your purse for a moment before pulling out a small sticky note and a pen. steven took it gratefully and wrote his name and number down.

he handed it to you and you noticed that it read, stev̲en with a v. the v being underlined for emphasis.

you grinned, "see you soon, steven with a v."

#marvel #mcu #fanfiction #avengers #marvel fluff #fluff #steven grant #moon knight #steven grant fluff #steven with a v #cutie #ancient egypt #london boy #steven grant x reader

[piratefishmama]

Finders Givers | Prompted by @aellafreya

Curiosity.

Some may call it a dangerous thing. Some may argue for its ability to lead you to the truth of things. Some may claim it leads you to temptation, to regret, to suffering.

Steve Harrington, was curious.

He’d found the source of his curiosity while visiting a bar he’d planned on purchasing. It wasn’t a huge establishment. Or a well known one. Not exactly big bucks in the making but it was sat in a prime location atop a cellar that led to miles of underground tunnels which frankly.

He wanted.

He wanted them and not for legal reasons either. The tunnels weren’t on any official city map, predating them, Robin and Nancy, his right hand, and his researcher, found them by pure chance while on a fun little jaunt through the local libraries.

Fun being a stretch for Robin, but she needed to hang out with another woman her own age. And so did Nancy.

But he wanted those tunnels, they stretched all over the damn city, with just a little bit of work they could pop up anywhere, perfect for many a less than legal activity.

So many by-chance happenings had led him to that ratty little bi-fold leather wallet. Wasn’t even quality leather either. It looked old too, black with an embossed devil head pattern that probably came from some truck stop somewhere.

He could have just handed it in to the owner he was trying to buy out, could have even thrown it away, but curiosity was a devil sometimes. So there he was, sat down at one of the many tables in that little bar while one of his people did the majority of his work for him (honestly what’s the point of having people if they cant do your work for you?) perusing the contents and feeling more and more depressed by the second.

First, there was a wad of coupons and a single quarter in there instead of bills, which was never a good sign.

Second, a single, solitary, sad, badly rolled little joint.

Third. A single bank card with Mr E J Munson on it. Not even a credit card, just. A debit. Which statistically didn’t mean great things about this person’s credit score. Could just mean the owner was trying to avoid debt, but… doubtful.

Fourth, a stick of gum.

Fifth, a guitar pick.

Sixth, a library card, oof couldn’t even afford to buy the books.

An expired driver’s license desperately in need of renewal registered to Edward Joseph Munson, the photo made him look like he’d just gotten out of jail or some shit, his hair a terrible buzzcut and eyes too big, too dark, and too haunted to be anything else, but then that was just sometimes how those photos turned out. He could have been a totally innocent man!

It had his address on it, a few descriptors, height half an inch shorter than Steve himself, brown hair, brown eyes, male, 140lbs at point of issue (he’d been seventeen), date of issue, issuing State, along with a date of birth, clocking him at a year older than Steve, twenty nine, and… that he was apparently a donor.

And finally, a month old pay stub from a local fast food joint. So minimum wage worker at best.

It was… kind of sad really. Steve actually looked up the address on his phone, just for curiosities sake, because he was already in deep enough to look through a guy’s wallet, might as well google the poor saps address, just in case he felt charitable enough to drop it off on the way back to the high rise.

Oh there was that deep sadness some people might yell ‘I told you so’ about.

It wasn’t bad. But it sure as shit wasn’t good either. Steve knew of at least six bottom dweller drug dealers that operated out of that block, which explained the joint.

And also made him sadder about the joint, the weed probably wasn’t even all that good.

“Hey Robbie?” His long time friend and platonic soulmate turned her bored gaze over to him, she’d been playing angry birds on her phone, he could hear the war cries of those birds every time she launched one. “We done any charity this quarter?”

“Mmmmmnmnnnnoooooo?” It always looked good to the public for a rich guy like him to do charity work. Wouldn’t look too deeply into him if he was seen publicly doing good. “Unless you count telling Dustin to go wild in that nerd shop last week as ‘charity’, your child nearly emptied the damn shop.”

“Nah that was his birthday present, can’t call that charity.” He wasn’t going to reiterate that Dustin wasn’t his child. He was basically mom at that point.

“Alright, so what’re you thinking?” She sat up, turning to face him properly, putting her phone screen down on the table “Sponsoring something? A drive? There’s this cute little animal shelter in Japan called HEART I read about last month, ran by just a woman and her husband working with volunteers, could be a good thing to donate to? Helping animals is always good for PR.”

“…Those sound way better than what I was thinking, this guy’s wallet is bumming me out.” The expression on her face could have probably put grumpy cat to shame. “Pick one of your choices and do something with it, whichever you want. Imma do something about this wallet.” It didn’t have to be a big PR stunt, the fact that he was doing it on the DL as well? It always came back around all sunshine and roses because people believed it was totally selfless.

Didn’t do it for PR, couldn’t be doing it for PR, he hadn’t announced it.

It was always for PR. Always. The reaction just took a little longer to circulate and people were suckers.

“Just give it back to him? That should be charity enough. It’s like nine bucks to replace a driver’s license, you’re saving him nine bucks. Charity.”

“For someone who started out poor, you’re awful, Robin Buckley. Deal with this bar thing for me would you? I’m going to go on an adventure.” Curiosity was a powerful thing!

“Alright but if you come home with another stray I’m suing!”

“That was—”

“Seven times Steve! Seven!!” It wasn’t his fault that he struggled to see teenagers down on their luck. And four of them were two sets of siblings so it technically counted as one time per set, and one came with Nancy so—!

“Fine!” –So, he wouldn’t argue.

Empires weren’t built with throw away people who held no loyalty to you although he did have many of those on staff. Empires like his were built on the foundation of family, and while the one he’d grown up with was a little bit lacklustre, the one he’d built was perfect.

So he wouldn’t argue, he knew she loved them just as much as he did, in her own way, and that any additions would be welcomed with open arms.

—

Steve didn’t take the car. Although he probably should have, he knew at least three of his people would be following him, keeping an eye on him for safety reasons. At a distance of course but they’d be tailing him for the sake of safety.

That neighbourhood wasn’t safe. No matter if he had a weapon on him or not, it wasn’t safe for people like him.

People with visible wealth.

The watch on his wrist alone was probably worth more than some of the buildings in that neighbourhood, and it wasn’t exactly early in the day either. The sun setting made for an excellent ‘rich person in the wrong goddamn neighbourhood’ future police report.

But he made it to his destination unscathed.

The fast food joint from that pay stub. He even double checked the address on it. The chances of this Edward Munson being there were low, but that was fine, he just wanted to check it out. The atmosphere in there, the management styles, he’d hang out in the corner, get a cheap coffee and people watch for a while. See how fun Edward's work life was so he could add it to his decision making tree.

Curiosity really was one depressing little bitch baby.

The manager on staff was loud. Rude. Sexist. And he was pretty sure he’d made one of the staff cry because she’d hurried out very quickly rubbing at her face and sniffling. The temptation to put out a hit on him? High. But no, that was a lot for one asshole… maybe he’d just send Jane out, let the kid take his knees out.

She deserved a little bastard ba—

Someone beat him to it. A commotion later started by someone with a lot of hair, hair that’d been put up in a net and half hidden beneath the uniform’s god awful mustard yellow cap. It’d been two hits, the guy hitting him, and the manager hitting the floor, blood pouring from a very broken nose, spectacular.

The rest of the staff looked on in wide eyed horror, one yelping “Eddie, holy shit!” as the man pulled his cap off to reveal all that hair. “You’re so fired!”

“Didn’t need this shit show anyway! Chris an I quit, peace out assholes!!” Eddie. Eddie. Steve rose to his feet. Godawful coffee forgotten in the face of the mystery Edward, who caught his eye once before continuing on his way, all big brown frankly beautiful Bambi eyes, less haunted but still so big, full, kissable lips, and god, so much hair, going in the same direction as the blonde who’d disappeared to probably go and cry.

Eddie did need that job. He really needed that job. Steve had seen the state of his wallet. He needed that job, or at least he needed the paycheque that came from that job. Couldn’t even afford to buy his own books! He rented them, he rented books.

Jesus.

God, Robin was gonna judge him so bad for the person he was about to become.

Part 2

#PirateWrites #FindersGiversFiclet #Steddie #Mob Boss Steve Harrington #No Upside Down AU #Shady!Steve #CW: Stalker Vibes #nothing nefarious it's all lighthearted non-threatening stuff #Sugar Baby Eddie who never agreed to be a sugar baby but isn’t complaining.

[calliesmemes]

EVEN MORE ABSOLUTELY UNHINGED COMEDIC RELIEF

ASSORTED SENTENCE STARTERS FROM AROUND THE INTERNET, including quotes from Tumblr, Pinterest, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter), for when a muse wants to lighten up the situation at hand.

CHANGE gendered words and in-universe phrases as needed.

SPECIFY muse for multimuses.

“   It’s sea shanty time once again my fellow bastards of the ocean! ”

“   Partner, I reckon that I ain’t been feeling very yeehaw lately. ”

“   I don’t study; I consult the lore. ”

“   Yeah, I understand women — they all want daggers and swords. It’s all quite simple, really. ”

“   Lord forgive me but I may have to make a nonessential purchase. ”

“   Those are bold words for someone in stabbing range. ”

“   Yes I’m a gatekeeper and a hater. I’m also God’s most favorite princess and the most interesting girl in the world. ”

“   My primary motivations are fear, spite, and aesthetic longing. ”

“   Man — if I had a sword, I wouldn’t be worried about shit. ”

“   It’s not blood that runs through these veins but glitter gel pen ink. ”

“   If I was in a Jane Austen novel, I would be the one sent to the seaside for my health. ”

“   Half of me is a hopeless romantic, and the other half of me is … well … an asshole. ”

“   I am the nicest, sweetest, most rage-filled person I know. ”

“   I hope I give off the vibe to all animals that I am their ally and their friend. ”

“   I see you’re paying attention to someone who is not me. Why is that? ”

“   Normalize letting me talk without making any sense. ”

“   Don’t care, didn’t ask, plus my psychic visions have predicted the outcome of this encounter. ”

“   I could be so much worse. For example, I could start acting like my father. ”

“   Sorry for acting so strange and irregular; It will happen again. ”

“   i love sitting in my room.....alone....a girl in her cave....scheming and plotting and drinking tea. ”

“   These man made horrors are beyond YOUR comprehension. I get it though. ”

“   I’m a goth girl on the inside. On the outside? A father figure. ”

“   I don’t need to face reality; I’m not just that type of girl. ”

“   DO I LOOK LIKE I GIVE A frickle-frackle? ”

“   I’m about to cha cha real smooth off a fucking cliff. ”

“   Sorry I told you about my trauma. Do you still think I’m hot? ”

“   My priorities aren’t straight and neither am I. ”

“   I have felt permanently guilty for no reason since I was like eight years old. ”

“   Of course I have a lot of pent up rage, you fool! I’ve been the same height since I was twelve years old! ”

“   I was born for shock value. ”

“   Good morning! God has let me live another day and I’m about to make it everyone’s problem. ”

“   Oh, I slept miserably because I was tormented by terrible visions all night. I hope none of them were prophetic! ”

“   Be the surreal nonsense that you want to see in the world. ”

“   Being smart has never stopped me from being a complete fucking idiot. ”

“   My hobbies include knowing things and being right. ”

“   This is good advice, but don’t tell me what to do. ”

“   I hate the idea of authority. What the fuck is someone being superior to me? Bitch I’m gonna take your kneecaps. ”

“   Stop forgiving my crimes! I worked so hard on those! ”

“   My hobbies? Uhhhh, symbolism mostly. Metaphors and implications and the like. ”

“   I may not have any braincells, but I make up for it by having many heart cells. ”

“   I can’t mansplain manipulate manwhore my way out of this one guys! ”

“   Not all your life decisions have to be smart. Some can be purely for cinematic value. ”

“   Sometimes I wish I looked more fragile and feminine like a dainty flower, but I do enjoy looking like I hate everyone. ”

“   Any dream can be a prophetic dream if you’re willing to do some really weird shit. ”

“   girl help there is not enough enrichment in my enclosure. ”

“   BRO, you NEED to stop SUMMONING DEMONS in the FRAT HOUSE. ”

“   I just gave your address to some spiders! ”

“   I disappoint my father as a hobby now. ”

“   I think that the dark circles under my eyes add to my aesthetic actually. ”

“   Good news! I’ve successfully replaced all of my emotions with jokes! ”

“   I have half a braincell left and I’m very scared to use it! ”

“   Listen, son — in this world, it’s either yeet or be yeeted. ”

“   I appreciate the advice, but I think that I’m old enough to make my own bad decisions. ”

“   I’m disappointed in me too. Y’all aren’t special. ”

“   Running from your demons is the best exercise! ”

“   Sorry; I can’t commit any crimes with you. My mom says that I have to study. ”

“   Time flies when you don’t know what the fuck is going on. ”

“   If I run out of tacos, I can no longer maintain my human form. ”

“   Bestie, I don’t think that I can girlboss under these conditions. ”

“   Yeah I’ve had combat training; I can do anxiety attacks! ”

“   Swag is earned, not learned. ”

“   Contrary to popular belief, violence solves a lot. ”

“   I CANNOT STAND YOU ALL so I will SIT DOWN. ”

“   Please God no … I don’t need any more character development right now! ”

“   If you can’t beat ‘em, yeet ‘em. ”

“   Do not put me in a situation. I’m at my limit and I am very tired. ”

“   I may be depressed, but at least I’m not basic. ”

“   It’s MY LIFE and I’ll sabotage it myself, thank you. ”

“   Think twice? Bold of you to assume that I think once. ”

“   At the next inconvenience, I will start biting people. ”

“   Oops I think that I just experienced an emotion. ”

“   Did you know that rats spelled backwards is star? ”

“   One day, I’ll be reincarnated as a pigeon, and I’ll shit on your head. ”

“   On the outside, I’m a baddie — but on the inside, I’m a saddie. ”

“   My grandma bullies me through the Ouija board. ”

“   I’m a cool person if you can just look past my personality. ”

“   Beetles don’t have to do taxes, and I think that is a beautiful way to live. ”

“   I hope that you get your character development arc soon. ”

“   Those are some nice kneecaps … It’d be a shame if someone stole them … ”

“   I’ve wanted to be a trophy wife ever since I was a little boy. ”

“   I’m done being baby; I want POWER ”

“   Wait, “Just Standing There Ominously” doesn’t count as socializing? ”

“   Yes I am smart, and yes, I am stupid. It’s called being flexible. ”

“   I am NOT delusional!!!!! I am OPTIMISTIC! ”

“   I deserve compensation for not being the menace to society that i could be, like i'm skipping out on a lot of fun here. ”

“   Do not ask me if you should or shouldn't do something !!! Before I am a friend I am an enabler !!! ”

“   i am the WORLDS PRETTYIST PINK PRINCESS and im gonna KILL YOU WITH MY HUGE FUCKING HAMMER ”

#askbox meme #askbox prompt #rp ask meme #ask box #roleplay sentence meme #sentence starters #roleplay prompts #roleplay sentence starters #* sentence meme #rpc help

[frostehburr]

Damsel Does What Disney Couldn't

I don't want to write about films or shows often because I'm not big on them. I also worried I might spill too much info while talking about it. However, I felt this one was too good to be silent about.

The premise is a princess fights a dragon.

Something.... I don't think has been done before. Maybe. Not sure if it's the first but it certainly feels like the first.

I'm going off everything that was from the trailer to avoid spoiling the movie since it just recently came out. Unsurprisingly, they put quite a bit in the trailer. That's the thing to do these days. Jam all the action bits in the trailer and hope the audience stays awake for the slow bits.

However, there's quite a bit of action left over after the trailer. Such as the princess exploring the caves and running from the dragon.

That's right, THE PRINCESS RUNS AWAY FROM THE DRAGON BECAUSE THAT IS THE OBVIOUS AND LOGICAL THING TO DO. Had she just picked up a sword and go head in for a fight, this would have been another Disney "empowered" strong woman sludge.

Thankfully, it's not and the princess uses her intelligence rather than magic deus ex machina and actually struggles while planning her escape from the dragon. Yes, ESCAPE, because that is what any normal person would do. Let's not forget this is a girl who expected to be married to a prince (for political reasons) and was tricked into being a dragon's dinner.

So yeah, Elodie (the princess, I'm done writing 'the princess' so often) manages to get her wedding dress torn up and hides in a cave with a map made by the previous princesses the dragon roasted over the century. Which help Elodie find a path to her escape.

A good chunk of this film is Elodie fumbling around the caves up and down, climbing chasms and running from dragon fire. It sounds like it would be boring but the film does it in a way that makes it all intense and fun to watch.

But after she escapes, OH NO, her sister gets set up to be sacrificed! So Elodie jumps back in the dragon's lair to get her sister out. This is where she does fight the dragon but she works with her strengths, which is her intelligence and strategizing skills. Never thought I'd see a modern movie give a girl a brain instead of a mcguffic to solve her problems.

Elodie is hands down the best female character we've been given in a long time and it's high time we got her. She's not physically strong like a man. She's emotionally and mentally strong, being able to confront terrible monsters, forgive bad decisions or mistakes, and having the courage to save her sister. THIS is what people have been begging for in female characters for years!

Hopefully, this is the start of better female character and not a jump into more stories of women fighting giant monsters ignoring the entire moral behind the story.

There's a megaton of stuff I left out for the sake of spoilers not being spilled.

The point I wanted to get across was that Damsel is a really good film that I highly recommend ... if you have Netflix already. Never going to condone purchasing streaming "service" just for a single show or film. I demand variety with that kind of thing!

#damsel netflix #damsel in distress #opinion not a review #damsel 2024 #princess elodie #netflix damsel #there's a dragon in it

[luna-writes-stuff]

Day 3: Hey Stephen, Steven Grant

Song link

Fanfic, gn!reader

Fluff

Word count: 3263

Tw: Steven being his own anxious self, mutual pining (I'm a slut for those), first date.

Summary: Steven has been fawning all over you since the day you met. And you have been dropping hints all over to confirm that you liked him too. But he was oblivious. And a raging ball of anxiety. At least, that was, until one car ride home.

"Hey Stephen, I know looks can be deceiving But I know I saw a light in you."

Wave, greet, smile, stutter, turn around so she can’t see your goofy smile.

Five steps Steven followed religiously when you would pass him in the halls. You had worked at the museum months before Steven had, switching from area to area, but regardless of your current line of duty, you would always walk past him. And even after all this time, he felt his entire face heat up when his eyes met yours.

Unbeknownst to him, you had picked this route on purpose; you could have walked ten other halls, but this was the one you would always visit. Steven had left an impression since his first working day. He had a lot to tell about the museum itself, and its attributes - regardless of working behind a register -, he had been twice as friendly as your usual museum staff, and he had this adorable habit of falling over his words when you would initiate a talk with him.

It was not difficult to like him.

And for him, you were not difficult to like either.

"And as we walked we would talk And I didn't say half the things I wanted to."

“Hey, Steven,” You greeted as you let your arm rest against the counter.

From below the register, you heard a rough thud, followed by a groan, and a disgruntled face.

“Hey-hey,” He stuttered, rubbing the back of his head as he rose from his spot. “How are you?”

You smiled at him, voicing a ‘good’, before grabbing a pen from the cup filled with writing utensils, and laying it on the counter. Steven merely stared at it, unsure of what you meant by it.

“Two forty, correct?” You pointed out, drawing your card from your pocket.

He could feel his ears heating up upon realizing that you wanted to purchase the pen. From a museum gift shop. Where he worked behind the register. Fumbling with the keys of the system, he scanned the pen, nodding at your earlier question.

You paid the pen, putting it in the pocket of your shirt, waving of Steven’s offer for the receipt.

“I don’t think I will return it,” You mused through another smile. “It was merely a reason to see you again.”

And with these words, you walked out of the shop, sending a wave over your shoulder. Steven simply stood there, unsure of what to say or do. He watched you leave, the ghost of a smile on his lips. And then his cheeks warmed up again. And he turned around, before you were to walk back at catch his stupid grin.

"Of all the girls tossing rocks at your window I'll be the one waiting there even when it's cold."

It wasn’t until the end of his shift that he would see you again. He was helping a customer with a notebook and a snow globe, you being the next person in line. But he hadn’t seen you yet.

The girl in front of him kept chatting about her terrible ex-boyfriend, and how she had so desperately hoped to find her new partner in a museum. Steven, bless his heart, had tried to comfort her by telling her that perhaps she would still meet that special person today, and she had taken it the wrong way. For now, she was fawning all over him, her arms both on the counter as she kept leaning forward, until Steven could swear she’d fall on his side if her arms were to give out.

You patiently waited behind them, silently laughing to yourself at Steven’s more than uncomfortable face. A tiny snicker escaped you whatsoever, drawing the attention of your friend behind the counter, who shot you a helpless look.

"Hey Stephen, boy, you might have me believing I don't always have to be alone."

“Can I pay for this book?” You spoke up, trying to wipe that grin from your face. 

One dirty look was received from the girl, which was returned with a mocking smile, immediately losing your patience with rude customers. But Steven had already called you forward, simultaneously dismissing the girl, who sauntered away.

“The museum’s index of our Egyptian exposition?” He questioned, raising his eyebrows in attempt to make you smile. A successful notion.

“A dear friend of mine told me it was worth the read,” You explained, to which Steven nodded, that foolish grin threatening to return to his face.

“Well, than that friend must have known it is not entirely accurate.”

“Yes, well,” You began, offering your card again. “I was rather hoping he’d read it with me, so I shall know which tales to believe, and which not to.”

"'Cause I can't help it if you look like an angel Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain, so Come feel this magic I've been feeling since I met you Can't help it if there's no one else I can't help myself."

At these words, Steven bent down to grab a bag under the counter. Not to hide that incredible blush on his face.

“Could I offer you a ride?” You continued after accepting the bag. “Before I’m being called awake at night because someone ended up on the other side of London again.”

Chuckling nervously, Steven stepped away from the register to let his co-worker take over his shift. “I did not mean to fall asleep on that tube.”

You shrugged, offering him his jacket, which you had already fetched from the break room, followed by a cup of warm coffee. A look of surprise crossed his face, but he tried not to make a big deal out of it, instead, putting his jacket on and accepting the coffee.

“God knows you need it.” You spoke, gesturing towards the cup, before walking towards the car.

"Hey Stephen, I've been holding back this feeling So I've got some things to say to you."

The drive to Steven’s apartment was not a long one. But it had been a while since you had eaten. And when you drove past the second McDonalds, you were not able to control yourself any longer.

“Do you mind if we go through the McDrive?” You asked, already taking the exit. Steven only hummed, lost in thought. He would not have admitted it, but his head had kept replaying the entire scenario from earlier that day; ‘It was merely a reason to see you again’, you had said. And those words have been on a loop in his head constantly

It wasn’t until the big, yellow M came into sight for him as well that he woke up from his daydream. Now, it wasn’t that Steven wasn’t hungry; quite the opposite, but he did not want to go to McDonalds. Well, he did. But he didn’t.

"I've seen it all, so I thought But I never seen nobody shine the way you do."

“Hey,” He spoke up, swallowing thickly, his hands already finding each other, toying with his fingers nervously. Your eyes flickered towards him briefly, before returning towards the road.

Nerves began to pierce through his stomach, his hands now shaking, even though they were laying on his lap. But you had not noticed yet.

“I heard there is this great new restaurant only five minutes from here.”

You smiled at his words, nodding in agreement. Yes, you had heard of it as well.

“I would love to go there, Steven,” You sighed, still driving towards the snackbar. “But I am afraid I am a little low on money right now.”

The man remained quiet in his seat, staring out of the window absentmindedly. Yet, his mind was spinning. You took his silence for a disappointed answer, and frowned slightly.

“With the mortgage from my new apartment, and rent and everything,” You mumbled, referring to the new home in central London you had finally managed to buy. “I am afraid I’ll have to wait for ten more days until I get paid. I don’t have the money now.”

“N-no,” He interrupted, now turning back to you. “I meant it as a question.” 

Now it was your turn to remain silent. And now Steven understood how a silence could be so deafening and uncomfortable. It did not make his proposition any easier.

“Would you allow me to take you there?”

"The way you walk, way you talk, way you say my name It's beautiful, wonderful, don't you ever change."

The stutter in his voice was adorable, and you could not help but show a tiny smile.

“As a date?” You prodded, a teasing edge to your voice, but you were sincere nonetheless.

“Well,” Steven chuckled nervously. “Only if you want it to be. It could be a fun little frien-“

“Steven,” You interrupted, showing him that kind look on your face that only made this moment so much harder for the poor man. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

Swallowing thickly again, he nodded, casting his eyes down to his lap.

No other words were spoken, and the lack of answers were terrifying Steven. If you would say no, he’d have nowhere to run to. He’d be stuck in a car regardless, and pretend he was fine. He won’t ever let himself live that one down.

But if you were to reject him, would things change? Not only would this car-ride be absolutely horrible, he’d have to be forced to look at your face every day with a secret longing, even after you denied him. He could never bring himself to go to work if he had to live with that. 

Why did he ask? Silently, he was already punishing himself. He knew you deserved better, of course you did. But he always held hope you might have liked him back as he had. And this silence was the worst, especially for the consequences it would bring.

"Hey Stephen, why are people always leaving? I think you and I should stay the same."

“I just came back from work,” You finally uttered. “I look horrible.”

“You look beautiful,” Steven quickly countered, not even realizing the words he had just spoken. “You always do. And, and the good news is, you do not have to get dressed up. I already like you, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

Now it was your turn for heat to rise to your face. Perhaps you had begun to understand the reason Steven always turned from you after greeting you.

“You don’t either,” You spoke honestly. “I would be a fool to reject that offer.”

Beaming in his seat, Steven finally let go of his hands, resting them on the seat calmly, though inside, he was grinning from ear to ear. For years, he had pined over you from a distant, only striking up occasional conversations.

And now he sat there, with you beside him, on your way to your very first date. He was thankful he did not have to take the tube to the restaurant. He would have gotten some weird looks for that stupid smile.

"'Cause I can't help it if you look like an angel Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain, so Come feel this magic I've been feeling since I met you Can't help it if there's no one else I can't help myself."

The diner had gone surprisingly well. From the moment you had accepted his offer, Steven changed completely; he opened every door for you, would hold your seat, named your order to the waiters, and even insisted upon dessert, after you had told him you did not want him to spend that much money for a little cake.

He was even more endearing than he usually was. And the looks he gave you throughout the entire night made your heart swell with love. How you had never seen him looking at you like that before, you did not know. But now that you noticed, you did not think you could ever unsee it. His eyes were filled with so much adoration and patience, it was nearly too good to be true. 

But he was real. 

And he was sitting in front of you

"They're dimming the street lights You're perfect for me Why aren't you here tonight?"

When the two of you left the restaurant, the sun had already began to set, and the streetlights illuminated the roads. Your stomach was fuller than it had been in the last couple of weeks, but you had a blast.

Steven was still smiling, walking beside you as he observed you gently. This time, as you turned to look at him, he did not look away, as he usually did. Instead, he brightened his smile, his eyes crinkling as he did so.

“Something on my face?” You wondered, aware of his staring.

“No,” he denied, shaking his head. “Just looking.”

You hummed at his answer, content with the diner dip, as you had called it. Yet, you could not help but grow increasingly aware of his eyes on you. They were not uncomfortable, but it was new.

"I'm waiting alone now So come on and come out And pull me near And shine, shine, shine."

Trying to ignore it, you walked closer to him, your arm wrapping around his, matching his steps. Steven tensed at the notion shortly, his other hand clenching his fingers together. He felt his heart speed up, and he wondered if you had any idea what you were doing to him.

He’s had crushes through the years, but with you, it felt different. Not a crush, but he was in love. Completely and utterly head over heels. And he had known it since your first talk.

And now, your arm was around his.

And your head suddenly on his shoulder, your steps ceasing. For a short second, Steven wondered if he had done anything wrong. But when your eyes fell upon the sky, he realised that had not been the case.

Your eyes had landed on the sky above you, the stars hanging in the dark canvas above.

“A clear nightsky in Central London,” you mused. “I didn’t think I’d see the day.”

"Hey Stephen, I could give you 50 reasons Why I should be the one you choose."

Steven remained silent beside you, his eyes now rising to the stars as well. Your arm began to slip from his, settling for his hand instead.

It was extremely warm, perhaps because he had been nervous earlier. You had been too. But it was a pleasant feeling. And, without any poetic meaning to it, his hands simply felt as…his. What you had always imagined his hand to feel like, his fingers entangled with yours, it felt exactly like that. And there was something deeply enchanting to it.

For someone who worked in a museum gift shop, his hands had been surprisingly calloused, though. You had not expected that.

“Do you know anything about astrology?” Steven asked, trying to get his attention off of the incredibly soothing contact your hands made. It was almost overwhelming to him.

“No,” you answered honestly. “I just like to look at the stars.”

He ‘aww’ed in understanding, his mind trailing off to a book he owned about astrology and starsigns. He might let you borrow that one later.

For now, he stood there, enjoying the moment in the cold afternoon air.

"All those other girls, well, they're beautiful But would they write a song for you?"

The car-ride to Steven’s apartment was short. The restaurant had been walking distance from his flat, but you insisted upon driving him home. You even insisted on walking with him to his room.

“Will I see you again?” Steven asked meekly as he stuck his key in the door.

“Well,” you smiled. “I work tomorrow. You work tomorrow. If you show up.”

“Yes, sorry,” he sighed, understanding your underlying notion. “It’s just, I have this sleeping problem-“

“Steven, it’s okay.” You reassured, resting your hand on his shoulder. “You can’t help it.”

His eyes softened upon the words, his shoulders slumping. You frowned at the sudden change of his mood, cursing yourself for even uttering a word about his absence at work.

“And if you don't,” you tried to cheer him up. “I will cover for you to Donna. She likes us both too much to fire us.”

“I doubt that.” 

You retrieved your hand, holding it up to lay emphasis on your words. “Who else am I supposed to buy my pens from?”

"I can't help it if you look like an angel Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain, so Come feel this magic I've been feeling since I met you Can't help it if there's no one else I can't help myself."

Opening his door, he turned back to face you, his face set in sudden anxiety. He wanted to do this with you again. He didn’t want to see you during work hours only. And you had seemed to enjoy yourself. Why would you not want to?

“Hey,” he spoke up, changing the subject. “I know a great bookshop in a hidden alley in London. Maybe we can find some books about astrology there?”

You grinned, dropping your hands to your sides.

“Is that a second date?”

The teasing edge on your voice was now easily caught by Steven, who answered your question with a sudden boost of confidence.

“It is.”

You looked at him in surprising, nodding in admiration.

“Okay, handsome,” you agreed. “I’ll keep you to that.”

"If you look like an angel Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain, so Come feel this magic I've been feeling since I met you Can't help it if there's no one else I can't help myself."

And there it was again. That stupid rush of warmth running over his cheeks. He used to hate it as much as he loved it. But now, it had simply become endearing.

“Okay,” he whispered, his hands finding his pockets as he leaned on the balls of his feet.

Before the moment could get awkward, you walked up to him, leaning forward slightly to place a light kiss on his cheek. As you leaned back, you found Steven frozen to the ground, and it almost reminded you of a Looney Tunes moment. You kept that thought to yourself.

“I had a wonderful time tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow, Steven.”

With that, you turned around, offering a wave behind your shoulder as you always did. It wasn’t until you began descending down the stairs that Steven was ripped out of his thoughts.

“Y-yes!” He stuttered. “See you tomorrow…”

He heard your laugh echoing through the halls until your footsteps were no longer audible. His heart had only been speeding up since that talk, and he found his clothes sticking to him uncomfortably tight. A quiet ‘I love you’ slipped from his lips, before he stepped into his apartment.

The second his door closed, his back leaned against it, and the man let out a sigh of relief and satisfaction. He replayed everything that had happened in his mind, letting it all process properly.

And then he laughed, running a hand through his hair. A cheer erupted from his throat as he turned around, facing the door.

“A second date.”

The same words you had uttered as you reached the bottom floor, doing a little dance of victory.

"Can't help myself, I can't help myself."

#november writings 2022 #steven Grant #moon knight #mcu #Oscar Isaac #steven grant x reader

[meekmedea]

conversations over tea (III)

previous

~~~~~~~

Clemensia has a theory. 

Though she tells him of the most mundane, trivial things, he is paying attention – at least to some extent. 

Like how one Saturday, she had offhandedly mentioned that she had lost out on the chance to purchase chestnut tarts at Ambrosia – a cafe known for its exquisite pastries and how fast they sold out.  

On their following meet up the next week, the very same pastries were served during their tea. 

`

It was a similar thing with the cucumber sandwiches. Personally, they were too bland and he never partook in any either. 

So after a few weeks of them being served and left untouched, they no longer appeared as part of the refreshments available to them during tea. 

It’s been months and she still hasn’t figured out what he wants from this. 

Is it for the company? Because for all she knew, he wasn’t spotted out much with friends, much less family. In fact, he’s known to be quite devoted to serving Panem as President.

Because it certainly isn’t for her name. There are families whose names are considered far more prestigious than hers. Nor was it for her money. 

The only time she’s seen him socialize is when he goes to the parties that those in their social circles host. And even then, he only ever goes to a select few. 

~~~~~

And so their weekly teas continued, with Clemensia being no closer to her answers than she had previously. 

Her attendance is impeccable – by this point, he’d stopped sending her invitations, rather it was a mere, “I shall see you next week then?” from Coriolanus when their tea was concluded. Which would then be met with an agreement from her. 

~~~~~

The streak of perfect attendance falters one Saturday when she wakes in the morning. It’s off to a terrible start when the simple act of getting out of bed makes her head spin. Exhaustion seeps out of her bones and she wants nothing more than to lay back down in bed. 

Her throat felt parched, and though Clemensia wanted water, the trek to the kitchen suddenly seemed so far away. 

Short as the distance is, it feels like an eternity before she makes it to the kitchen. It’s a struggle in itself to pour a glass of water. 

The room was too warm, and she’d open up a window if she had the energy for it. Clemensia felt like she was overheating, and the kitchen floor tiles were looking more and more attractive with every passing second. Sliding down, she sat on the ground of her kitchen – the cool tiles offered a brief respite.

The phone rings obnoxiously as she sips at her water. 

Getting back onto her feet and making the trek out of the kitchen was out of the question in her current condition. So she let it ring uninterrupted – if it was truly important, they’d leave her a voicemail. 

Leaning against the bottom cabinets, Clemensia sighed when the phone began ringing seconds after it had stopped. 

Was it really that urgent? 

5 more minutes, she told herself. 5 more minutes of rest before she got up. Oh, and she’d probably have to call Coriolanus too to tell him she wouldn't be able to make it today. 

~~~~

But somewhere down the line, she must have dozed off because the next time she comes to, she’s laying in her bed. That itself causes a little bit of a panic as she sat up because Clemensia has no recollection of doing so. 

The sight of someone standing in her bedroom doorway doesn’t help either. Because why on earth is Coriolanus here? In her home? 

“You didn’t pick up.”

Was that worry that she detected? Her mouth opened to explain, but he beat her to it. 

“I know.” He came a bit closer to where she was laying. “It was rather obvious when I found you unconscious on the kitchen floor.” 

Clemensia had little opportunity to speak as she was badgered into laying back down. She would have put up more of a protest if he hadn’t pressed a cool, damp washcloth to her forehead. 

“Rest,” he tells her. 

She’s not sure why she listens. But she does, and the next time she does awaken, she hears his voice from outside her room. He’s talking to someone, likely on the phone because she couldn’t hear the other person’s voice. 

Still drowsy, her eyes close and she lets Morpheus lull her into his domain once more. 

~~~~

“You need to take better care of yourself,” Coriolanus says when she wakes. In his hands is a steaming cup of tea that he drinks from. 

“Says the man who adds far too much sugar to his tea,” she blurts out. Although her mind is no longer drowsy from the lack of sleep, it’s still clouded by the fever. Idiot! Why had she said that? 

He blinked owlishly at her – Clemensia swears there’s the briefest flash of amusement in his eyes. “Well I see you’re feeling better now. I suppose it’d be best to leave you to the care of your maid now. She has your medication and such.”

“Medication?” For what? 

“Your fever,” he says, bemused. 

“Oh.”

“Until next week then. Take care.” 

~~~~

All in all it’d been a confusing encounter. One that Clemensia might have chalked up as a fever dream had her maid not confirm the next morning that he’d really been present. 

She still wonders how he’d gotten in. 

President Snow is a curious man. An enigma at times. 

Luckily for Clemensia, she is fond of puzzles. Sooner or later, she’ll figure out his motive. 

first part

next part

#conversations over tea #clemensia dovecote #coriolanus snow #tbosas #blurbs

[come1nalone]

Adult children of neglect- this is how you should clean your bed.

This post is for adult people, who were not taught how to clean and maintain hygiene. This is only what I’ve learned and my personal experience so feel free to add things and correct any mistakes I’ve made.

When I was a teenager, I dealt with very bad mental health issues. I was very depressed, anxious, had eating disorders=low energy, abused substances and felt terrible all around. As a consequence, I would never clean my room. My parents scolded me a lot, but just closed the door to my room remarking it made them sad. I was forced to clean every now and then, but often I just slept in pretty bad conditions. I didn’t change the sheets for months on end, sometimes there was cat feces on the blankets and I just kinda flipped it to the other side. It was cold at night, my room was a fucking mess, and I just felt pretty bad in my bed. These are the things I learned as a semi-adult, that I believe are good information.

First and foremost; remove any objects that do not belong in the bed. Anything like food, notebooks, laptop, laundry, etc. you should have *only* your blankets, pillows, stuffed animals if you like them, things you need for your sleep. Really just take those things out. This is good, because some things might end up injuring you in your sleep, and secondly, it can distract you from noticing how clean your bed is. It could also prevent any Hygiene issues. I’m not sure why it’s good to do this, but I believe it’s good practice.

Secondly, you may want to clean things up. Anything that you’re uncertain of, Google. Google and YouTube are your best friends. Make sure you dust around the bed frame, clean the bed and the sheets of animal hair or your hairs before you put the dirty sheets in the laundry, because animal hair doesn’t come off in the laundry, you’ll just get more cat/dog hairs on other clothes that way. You can use tape or a special roller to clean those.

If you notice any stains- make sure you clean them up. Check the materials you have available, and purchase new ones if you need them. Things like period stains and whatnot, any organic-biological stains may need to be sanitized with special wipes. These are available for cheap at most supermarkets, so don’t worry. Just make sure things will be clean.

The sheets. Oh lord. I’ve learned that you must change sheets every 1-2 weeks. It’s hard keeping up, but it’s important to know the standard at the very least. So make sure you change those up.

Temperature. Are there enough blankets to keep you warm at night? You should have the bed be at a comfortable temperature. Alternatively, do you have too many blankets? You do not need to sleep wearing a coat at night. Even if you did as a kid. You deserve a warm comfortable bed, so add blankets, or remove some, if they make you uncomfortable.

If you sleep with fluffy pillows, or stuffed animals, I believe they need to be put in the laundry every now and then as well. Stuffed animals and fluffy pillows- I looked it up online and it said a month. As for actual pillows- twice a year, or every 3 month if you have pets. Remember that these are all assuming the pillow or stuffed animal did not get stained. In that case, you should wash it immediately. Check online on ways to clean things.

Remember to clean under the bed, remove any objects that do not belong under the bed, dust and then mop the floor with water every now and then.

This list isn’t exhaustive- but it’s what I know and I hope that can help you. If you’re a spoonie, there are way better posts out there that give you tips on how to do these things with greater ease.

Remember that it is ok to fuck up, and it’s ok to not know. Cleaning your bed will not make your life magically better. You will not wake up to be this new person who is delighted with joy. But it’s something you need to take care of.

For me personally, it was hard to understand why I need to “fix” bad living conditions if I’m doing “ok”. Because I’m still in survival mode, yk. But I think it’s a good habit to make sure you’re taking care of these things. You deserve a clean bed, and a warm bed, and to feel safe and comfortable, not just to have a bed. Not just to have a room. But for it to be clean and well, so you could enjoy it and be safe in it.

Wishing y’all the best in recovery and feel free to add your own prompts ❤️

#neglect #child neglect #survivor #child abuse #abuse #parental abuse #informatic #important #blogpost #neglectful parents #cleaning #cleaning tips

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

Soulmate scene with Alistair. Everything they see before they find each other is dull, even physical touch doesn't feel vibrant. He could meet her at a "ball" where she's being sold labeled as "pure and untouched" their eyes meet and the rest is history for him. For her she's worried because her soulmate is a buyer

one word: OOF

loved this tho, aaaaaaaa

the rest of the world was black and white but we were in screaming color. ―“Out of the Woods”, Taylor Swift

The fact that every single thing in life feels muted, (Name) thinks, might be her saving grace.

It’s keeping her from fighting back; keeping her alive, at least for the time being. Every touch on her skin is dull, like she can feel she’s being touched but sensation itself is missing. Her captors have bathed her, dressed her, bound and caged her, and she can’t describe their touches as positive or negative. They just are.

It means she doesn’t retaliate to stop them, because nothing about this is causing her pain, is it? On the other side of the coin, however, it also means that in her whole life, she’s never felt anything good. Everything seems grey at best. She’s gone through life feeling absolutely nothing, no spark of joy nor weight of sadness. Although she’s felt the hint of those things, or what they should be, nothing has come close to the way she sees other people live once they’ve found their soulmates.

The chattering of the crowd, clinking of wine glasses, and the auctioneer selling off the other ladies might as well be a low hum.

Her attention is only pulled when the footsteps of low-heeled boots approach her cage, followed by the auctioneer addressing whoever is interested. “I see this one has caught your fancy, my lord! Inspect her closer, please, if you wish. She is the best of the quality we can promise you ― pure as the driven snow, beautiful and untainted, a true pinnacle of our offerings this evening.”

“May I?” The other voice is low and smooth, with an undertone of something playful beneath the darkness of anyone who would intend to purchase another human being.

“Why, yes, of course, of course. Please. Make sure she’s to your liking.”

The man who’s interested in her doesn’t hesitate. (Name) can feel his hands behind her head, untying the black lace cloth which blinded her for the auction. When it falls down, she’s staring into the violet eyes of a man who threatens to take her breath away by his very appearance alone. She’s never seen anyone so gorgeous, dressed all in elegant white with soft blonde hair that gathers around his shoulders like a crown of feathers.

What startles her more is that when he puts his hand on her face, she can feel it. It isn’t the dull pressure of knowing that someone is touching her. It’s the texture of his glove, the gentle way he cradles her cheek, the snap of someone being suddenly awaken after walking around dead.

It’s him. The one her heart has been looking for is right here, breathing life into her world with a single touch of his hand.

Who is he? Why is her intended here? What is he doing in a seedy place like this, seeking to buy a person? If he pays the auctioneer for her, if he leads her out of here, what will the next cage he leads her into be like?

For the first time in her life, her emotions are clawing at her chest to get out, a wonderful and terrible mix of fear and adoration.

Those eyes of his stand out more than anything. They sparkle at her like precious jewels, reflecting the same desire that she can feel. The sensations of her, of the rest of the world, are finally taking form for him too. Incredible and overwhelming and threatening to swallow him whole, just as is happening with her.

He seems to fall for her in a single instant. She thinks she could drag him to his knees right now and he would have no complaint. That makes her feel powerful and wanted, but it also frightens her.

Someone so devoted to her after knowing her for just a moment ― what is a man like that capable of? What will he do with her? What will he do?

His touch travels to her neck, tracing delicate lines. He doesn’t appear to want to hurt her, does he? That doesn’t mean he’s harmless. She arches her head back anyway, exposing her throat for him as if he can be trusted with it.

At last, he utters three words that seal her fate: “I’ll take her.”

In the blur that follows, the auctioneer is paid, (Name)’s new owner finishes his wine, and he holds her delicately as he leads her down the stairs. Even though she’s out of her cage, she doesn’t think she’s actually free.

“Come along, lovebird,” he murmurs into her ear. “I can’t wait to get to know the one who lit up my world.”

She isn’t sure what to think; too many new, fully blossomed emotions make her feel like they’re going to burst her open at the seams.

She leans against him regardless, somehow content in his embrace.

He doesn’t seem cruel, at least toward her.

Maybe that’s enough for her heart to settle.

#human trafficking tw #twilightlover2007 #Black Butler #Kuroshitsuji #Aleister #Aleister Chamber #scenario #romantic #soulmate AU #drama #horror #OOF OOF OOF BUT I LOVE IT #one hell of a queue

[joomju]

Okay so the stuff under the cut needed to get out there, get off my chest, but you don't have to read it.

The tl:dr; MY LIFE IS GREAT NOW OMG

I woke up cold repeatedly last night. Partly because I do not live in a building with modern climate control. Partly because the sheets/bedding I own were purchased for me, not by me. The person who purchased them wanted to buy me a status symbol, and to their credit tried to strike a compromise between what I like and what they wanted for me, but honestly?

They bought me the type of thing that an American would say "yea that's totally winterproof" and meanwhile it only works to -3. You know, the kind of thing that says "four seasons" on it, but that's only true if the four seasons are south of the border. This would have been fine if I lived in a modern home with modern HVAC.

So I wake up tired and cranky and having an imaginary argument with someone who isn't in my life anymore. I was never allowed to say no to them. I was trained to beg them for a better solution, instead of buying my own. It was a terrible start to the day - I felt young and powerless and stupid.

Duvet shopping at 3 am was fun. Down is fluffy, wool is heavy. I wanted wool. I found one manufacturer selling a winter weight wool blanket (not four seasons!) and it was $400. My finances are... I mean I'm fine, but I can't just go do that right now. After Christmas maybe. I put the laptop away and distracted myself with Stardew Valley and hot tea until it was time for work.

My friend bought the duvet for me. As a Christmas gift. I am so blessed.

I have a lot of plans for the new year, plans that will help me buy the solutions I need to my own problems. Therapy is going well. I had a rough start today, but that's not the end of the story, that's not who I am as a person. It was just a rough night. I'm finally in a good enough spot to say that.

To all the people who I hope clicked right past this and didn't read, and to those few who chose to open this and read it all: I hope you get to where you're going. I know the building blocks of a life are hard to find, and hard to keep, and hard to nurture, especially for those of us who grew up with dysfunction as the norm. I have help now. Getting myself to a place where help was possible, where I could accept a gift without some kind of codependence being part of the contract - that took a lot of work. It was worth it.

You are worth it.

#abuse recovery #unlearning the learned helplessness

[the1simp]

new pawssibilities

another day in your routine. going home from your new job, but this time you take a small “gift” home. you are working in a toy store, like any other day of the week it is common for karens and confused old ladies to visit who, want to offer a gift to their grandchildren or in the case of karens , try to use out of date coupons or discounts or even trying to trick shop workers into not having to pay ,or making a scene in general if there is something they think there is demon sent in the shop .

and when you get home and get dressed comfortably, you take your backpack and take out your little gift. As already mentioned an elderly lady rudely entered the store pushing everything and everyone in line to the cash register where you were working. Coincidentally, she threw the small toy on top of the cash register and demanded a refund…

clearly your last two hours of work were spent trying to make the lady understand that, 1 she had to bring proof of purchase, 2 the store had not had this item in stock for 25 years and the remaining products of the same company were completely different, and 3 she was rude and that's why you delayed to do anything on purpose because she was being rude, luckily your colleague was in the other register and rung up  the other customers who were already in your line .

The lady unfortunately had to be taken out of the store by the security , and when you  asked if she wanted the returned  item, she shouted that you could stick it in a place she knew well … great. and since no one else wanted it you kept it, not only because you still had a whole collection of them and you only lacked the  one color that this one had, but also because it was a very cute object with a special aura.

The toy was a digital pet, it could be identified by its shape and the little research you did in the system of your work, the plastic was blue with yellow buttons and had a chain to be able to put it in a backpack or maybe make a necklace or even put it on in a belt. when you picked up the toy again it vibrated softly and started to turn on. and you hear a male voice

you could quickly see that he was a bit of a mix of boy and dog, he was blond and had a blue collar with a heart shaped accessory with an on/off symbol he was very cute, or would he be very cute if the first thing that you heard him say was the following

-Oh shoot. Sorry,I didn't see you there . warn a guy next time, hm? I'd hate for you to catch me in an unseemly state .

holy sponge cake with marmalade ... you almost dropped him because of the fright, you quickly grab him, again looking closer at him trying to understand what kind of toy is made with this kind of lines ... and that's when he sees you again and very excitedly began to say

-I'm so glad you found me, my last master was honestly terrible,you don't even want to know how lonely I felt...            

                                                                  Well ... even so he was very cute and so you decided that he would be the best gift that the universe will have given you, because what is more loyal than the unconditional love of man's best friend, the loyal dog.

-oh ... hello honey, my name is (y/n) and I'm glad you think that way, sorry for what happened to you. What's your name honey ?

smiling upon hearing the affectionate nickname you gave him he with an excited and happy tone of voice says

-my name is dachabo but you can call it whatever you want pup

The nickname pup wasn't very normal, but considering that he was literally the dog boy you didn't care to correct him, putting your hand on your chin you started to think of a name to give him, because the current one was a little strange and not very personal .after a few seconds of thinking, feeling his gaze on you, saying without fear-

your name will be bo , so it's short but it's still a part of you,is that okay?

-yes I love my new name pup , you are really so handsome and kind, I couldn't ask to have a better master than you !!!! 

After you ate dinner and talked to Bo to get to know him better, you decided for once in your life, to go to bed early and hate yourself less in the morning. placing the bo on the pillow next to yours (as his request) you closed your eyes and finally decided to sleep.

-good night bo

-good night pup

                                             🐶t̳o̳ ̳b̳e̳ ̳c̳o̳n̳t̳i̳n̳u̳e̳d̳ 🐶                                                   

#dachabo #x reader #pet names

[jupote]

Chapter Two: Legend Creates A Time Paradox In The Name Of Arson

<- Chapter 1 Archive

It had been almost a week since being in Legends world. They were now in Skys Hyrule, in the Faron Woods to be exact. Sky said they were somewhere in the Deep Woods, which he thought was a very accurate name for where they were. The trees were tightly packed together and if it weren’t for Skys weirdly intimate understanding of the woods, they would’ve been ambushed a dozen times by now. 

Even though it had been some time since their fight, he and Wild were still on tense terms with each other, the lingering resentment from the argument carrying over even a week later. Legend felt terrible now that he's had time to calm down. They hadn't been particularly close to begin with but Legend knew he didn't want to leave the two of them on bad terms, especially not when Wild was their cook. Legend knew what he had to do to make it up to Wild and he knew how to execute it. Would he get in so much trouble for it? Oh absolutely; he would be surprised if Time or Twilight didn’t kill him on the spot for it. But would it be worth it to not be on Wild’s bad side? Of course.

“Hey Sky!” Legend called out to the skyward hero who was leading their group. Said hero slowed down, giving Legend a sleepy smile. Legend only felt slightly bad as he bothered him. He had been rudely woken up by the world switch, they all had been, but Sky needed the most sleep of the group. Along with being woken up, he was immediately forced to lead the group to a safer area, given that this land was his Hyrule. Luckily, the area they were in wasn’t too dangerous, just a hassle to navigate. Sky threw his arm over Legends shoulder, pulling the slightly shorter hero to his right side in a hug. That was something Legend would never get used to, how casually Sky was willing to give others affection. It was completely alien to most of them, aside from Wind and Time, who reveled in the free affection. 

It was no use trying to fight the affection, Sky was like a blob. Once he got his hands on you, it was impossible to get him off. Everyone has been a victim of Skys night time cuddles a handful of times, some even needing to be saved from the evil clutches of his warm hugs. Legend didn’t even try fighting to get out, knowing he’d need to use every act of camaraderie to get Sky to agree to what he wanted to do. “So Sky, this forest is pretty… forest-y, right? There’s trees and… and grass. And that’s some forest-y stuff if I’ve ever seen some.” He started.

Sky, the ever patient and calm person he is, nodded along. “Yeah, the deep woods are some of the best forests you’ll ever see. There’s a dragon in the Ancient Cistern, her name’s Faron, and she watches over Faron woods. Since the deep woods are close to her cistern she makes sure to keep the forest very foresty to keep it hidden. The first time I came down here I was overwhelmed by how green and lively everything was, nothing like Skyloft." He rambled, starting to lean on Legend as he started getting more fatigued. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, since this forest is so plant-y and so tree-y and there's a bushy-ness everywhere, why don't I help you make it less… green. Make it a little less dense?"

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

"Well, you see. In my world, we do this thing to help the forest. When it gets too dense and younger plants have trouble growing properly or monsters get too out of hand, we do a special… uh- ceremony to help lessen the planty-ness and tree-y-ness for the health of the forest."

"Oh? Does it really work?"

"It does! Apparently we've been doing it for centuries and the forests are completely healthy and new seedlings can easily find purchase anywhere!"

"You have to tell me what the ceremony is! I'm sure Faron would love to see the forest thriving and monster free!"

"Well, the ceremony is kind of dangerous. You have to make sure all animals get to a safe spot and set up safety precautions so the… ceremony doesn't get out of hand." Legend doesn't think he's fibbed this hard since his third adventure. Even then, you could hardly call what he did fibbing. Sky seemed to buy it though, he was completely immersed in this ceremony that Legend was offering.

"That should be easy. There's not a lot of animals down here aside from the Kikwi, but they'll happily move somewhere safe if we ask nicely. And for safety precautions then we could ask the others to-"

"No! I mean- we can't ask them to help! It's uh, it's customary for the- for the um…" Legend fumbled. Crap, I didn't think this far ahead!

Luckily he was saved when a voice popped up on Sky's left. "It's customary for the owner of the forest to entrust one or two people to the task. They have to meet every requirement and make sure the forest doesn't get destroyed. Isn't that right, Legend?"

Legend almost choked on his own spit as the voice of Four scared him pantless. (He never wore pants, but that's besides the point.) When did Four get there?! How long had Four been there?! He'd been there long enough to know what Legend was doing based on the look on his face. Legend would look into that later, he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth when the gift horse was three feet tall and giving him a mischievous glare. "Yes! How did you know Four? The owners' not even allowed to help, they have to trust the individuals to do a thorough job."

"I didn't know you knew about this ceremony Four! Is it really as effective as Legend says?"

"Incredibly so. The King let my grandfather do it once when he was younger and it was definitely interesting to watch."

"Really? Now you have to tell me Legend, I'll pass this information over to Faron and let her know that I'll gladly help."

Legend barely kept himself from tensing up as Sky volunteered to do it. Legend almost felt guilty for lying to their first ascendant but oh well. It couldn't be helped. "Oh uh, since you're friends with the owner of the forest then you can give permission for the ceremony! No need to bother such an important dragon for such a small ceremony!" 

Sky was deeply interested in the ceremony, no longer looking like he was about to fall over from exhaustion. He opened his mouth again, maybe to ask more questions but Legend beat him to it. "I'll tell you about the ceremony when we get to somewhere safe to camp, yeah? That way you can immediately assign someone or two to do it." And I don't have to worry that someone might eavesdrop and stop me. He wouldn't say that last part out loud as he looked at Four.

Four had the smuggest look Legend has ever seen on his tiny face. Sky nodded along, seemingly going along with the idea. He looked around for a few seconds before taking a sharp left turn, almost choking Legend as he turned with no warning. Legend let out an ugly squeak as he was ragdolled around against his will. "There's a little clearing over this way that the Kikwi Elder, Bucha, protects. We should be safe enough there for a camp."

"A little warning would've been nice, Sky," Legend growled and wrested his way out from under Sky's arm. The skyward hero laughed and loosened his hold, allowing his prisoner to escape.

"Sorry Legend, forgot I had you there. You're so comfortable to hold and didn't try getting out that I mistook you for a stuffed loftwing," he teased. Legend felt himself go red from embarrassment, looking away from Sky and he slowed his walking speed to be near Warrior. 

Warrior, the ever present thorn in his side, was quick to make fun of the shorter Link’s redness. "Did someone enjoy their cuddle time with Sky? If you wanted some cuddles you could've come to me, I've been told by the ladies that I'm extremely cuddly," the war hero teased. 

Legend choked on air and glared at him. “I am going to throttle you!” Despite his anger, Warrior only threw his head back with a hearty laugh, clearly unbothered by the threat.

It took until they were inside a hollowed out tree that they set up camp. A giant lump of grass and dirt sat outside the hole to the tree, which Sky started talking to. Legend didn’t want to question it. If Time could talk to a tree, Wild could talk to flowers and Four could talk to grass, Legend was willing to overlook Sky’s dirt friend. 

Even though it was still bright outside, Sky said he wanted to set up camp early and to give him some time to figure out where everything was. Legend was impressed by how fluidly the first of them lied.

As soon as he could, Sky dragged Legend to the outskirts of the camp, giving the shorter Link his attention. Four had seen them and ended up following them, the same smug look on his face as he noticed the predicament Legend had gotten himself into. 

“So about this ceremony you were telling me about earlier,” Sky started as soon as they were out of earshot from the others. 

“I see, i see…” sky hummed along thoughtfully. Legend could see the gears turning in his head, almost like he was trying to figure out what kind of ceremony it was. 

“Oh, right! The ceremony!”  With a grunt, Legend forcefully broke out of the near-chokehold Sky was slowly trapping him into. “Well, you have to be very careful with how you do it and how you go about doing this. The people you set for the job have to take extreme caution not to damage new parts of the forest or parts that are meant to be cleared up.”

“They also have to be vigilant and make sure the ceremony doesn't get out of hand,” Four helpfully added, adding fuel to both the metaphorical and physical fire. Legend nodded.

Legend and Four bounced off of each other as they elaborated, glorifying the ceremony and what it entailed. Just before Legend finally revealed what the ‘ceremony’ actually was, Sky cut him off. 

“You’re going to ask Wild to commit arson, aren’t you.” he didn't even ask. He stated it as if he knew what Legened wanted this whole time!

Legend stalled, caught in the line of fire as sky figured out his grand master plan. “Uh- no why- I wouldn't-! Where would- why would I ever-?!” He stuttered. He swallowed hard, trying to compose himself. The look from Sky- and Four’s uncontrollable laughter - were hardly helping his composure.

“Holy shit Legend! He figured it out faster than I thought he would!” Four howled, doubled over from the pure force of his laughter.

“H-hey! Shut up!” Legend hissed, cheeks red in embarrassment. He knew his plan wasn't the most thought out, but to think Sky was able figure out everything down to who he wanted to do it?! “Was it really that obvious?” Legend sulked, looking away from the sky and glaring at Four. 

“Not at first. When Four joined in and started backing you up is when I got a little suspicious,” sky did his stupidly patient smile at Legend. “Were you really going to ask me to let you burn an ancient forest, my ancient forest, and expect me not to say anything? Why would I ever agree to that, especially in front of everyone else?”

Legend looked around them, pointedly looking at how far away the rest of their group was. “But we’re not around everyone else?” he pointed out the obvious.

“Exactly. We’re not around everyone else. I'll buy you three hours, be quick. Im not getting caught in the crossfire and Im not taking the blame. I also expect half of every bet you win today.” Sky quickly and efficiently laid out his conditions. Four didn't even have time to calm himself down, the shortest link laughing so hard that sound wasnt coming out of him anymore. If Legend wasn't so shocked about everything he would've been worried that the smallest wasn't breathing. “Hey, Wild! Come over here!” Sky shouted, drawing over thee wildest hero. 

Wild perked up and seemed to automatically start moving before he noticed who was in the party. He grimaced but headed over anyway, shooting Legend a displeased look. “You need something, Sky?” He asked, standing as far away from Legend as possible. From the campsite, Legend noticed Hyrule peer over at their forming group. Thinking quickly, he waved Hyrule over before he could draw any extra unwanted attention their way.

“Oh no, I don't need anything,” Sky chirped cheerfully. “Legend and Four here do, though! Have fun you three!” And with that he was off, heading back to the main party. “Four,” he corrected, as Hyrule passed him at a jogging pace.

Legend and Wild awkwardly looked at each other, the tense air not being helped by Four’s desperate pants to catch his breath. “Dear Hylia, oh my Hylia, that was not real. I know that was not real,” he wheezed out. “Oh that- I needed that laugh, dear Hylia. Thank you for that Legend.”

“Shut up, Four!” Legend pleaded, embarrassment once again coating his face. 

Legend huffed and stood up from his place on the floor, cupping his hands to make his voice louder. “Sky! We’re going to get firewood! We’ll be back!” He yelled, motioning for Wild, Four and Hyrule to follow him. 

Wild looked on in uncomfortable confusion, gaze switching between the two links. “So uh, did you guys need anything, or…?” He asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“What’s going on?” Hyrule asked, slowing to a stop. “What’d you call me over for?”

“Don't wander too far!” He faintly heard Sky yell back. 

“Hey wait-! We didn't agree to this!” Wild glared at Legend, stubbornly staying rooted in his spot. 

“Legend, at least tell us what you're doing,” Hyrule said with a frown and hesitantly followed his predecessor.

At Four’s insistence, Wild seemed to relax. At least if he and Legend broke into another fight, there'd be witnesses to prove he didn't start it. “Fine, but you better be quick. I want to make lunch before it gets too late in the day.”

“I'll tell you when we get there, don't worry. Quick, we’re losing time. We only have three hours.”

“Don't worry you two, you'll love it. Legend might get killed by Time and Twilight, but you'll love it.”

It was a short walk to the treeline of the forest, the thick greenery providing shade and cover from the rest of the party. That's where Wild stopped, stubbornly refusing to go any deeper. “This is as far as I'll go until you tell me what you're planning.” he glared at Legend. 

Four looked at Legend, looked at Wild, and seemed to burst as he put his fist to his mouth. Giggles could be heard around his hand, shoulders shaking with the suppressed laughter. 

“Is he ok?” Legend heard Hyrule whisper to Wild. 

“I’m- I’m ok, don’t-” a laugh snort spilled out from him. “Don’t worry-”

“Hyrule, do you have enough magic to cast spells now?” Legend interrupted.

Hyrule, while confused, nodded and cast a small flame spell. The flame flickered and danced at the end of his index finger. “I've had enough rest and potions, I’m fully recharged. Why?”

“Wild, you have your Slate on you, right?” Legend asked, ignoring Hyrule's question as he eyed the forest around them. They were not deep enough, the others would be able to quickly stop them if they started here.

“Yeah… I always do..” Wild shifted his body so the hip holding the Sheikah Slate was angled away from Legend.

“Do you have a flame weapon in there?”

Legend could see the moment their plan dawned on Hyrule. “Oh,,. Oh Legend don’t- Are we really going to…?” He asked, panic and disappointment in his voice. “Four, you know what he's planning right?!” He asked the smith, brows pinched in confusion. Four nodded in confirmation, a massive grin on his face. “Legend! How did you get Four to agree to this?! No, better question, how did you get Sky of all people to agree to this?!” 

“Hyrule, shush! Keep your voice down or they’ll hear us!” Legend hissed, looking over to see if the group had heard them. While they were far away, Legend wouldn't be surprised if the rancher had freakish hearing even in his Hylian form.

Wild, sick of being left out of the conversation, exploded. “Can someone please��tell me what you're planning?! Legend drug us out to this forest with no explanation and I'm the only person here worried he's going to kill me!”

Four burst out laughing, unable to contain the sound any longer. 

“You’re worried that he’s going to what ?!” He howled.

“You’re worried that I’m going to what ?!” Hyrule and Legend both shouted at the same time.

Wild looked between the both of them, arms crossed in frustration. "First we had that fight a week ago then a week later he's dragging me into the woods with no explanation. I don't claim to be the smartest of the group, but I'm also not the dumbest."

"I'm not going to kill you," Legend sighed in exasperation. "I'm apologizing for starting that fight, not killing you. I got permission from Sky so don't worry about getting in trouble with him. And yes, I'll take the blame and the punishment Time and Twilight plan to dish out." 

The area was tensely quiet as he said that, Four gaining control of himself once the atmosphere turned serious. "You're… apologizing? By letting me burn Sky's forest?" Wild asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. You don't have to, just thought you'd like to safely let out those pyromaniac urges. But if you don't want to, you can head back…"

"No!" Wild shouted, eyes wide with glee at the thought of causing fire damage. "I mean, I'll do it."

Legend nodded, glad he was at least willing to try and repair their relationship. "We have to go deeper in so we don't accidentally burn down this clearing but once we're far enough in you can go crazy. Sky said there weren't many animals living in this forest and monsters should be everywhere."

Wild started bouncing in glee, hand hovering over his slate to grab any fire weapon he could get his hands on. Hyrule awkwardly raised his hand, bringing attention to himself. "If you're apologizing to Wild, why are Four and I here?"

"He wouldn't leave me alone,” Legend shrugged, pointing a thumb over to Four.

"I needed to see how this shitshow went down,” Four grinned. “You should have seen him convincing Sky earlier, it was a complete mess. Plus it's not everyday you can help burn down a forest.”

“I thought you said you helped your grandfather when you were younger?” Legend asked, remembering what Four said earlier.

Four shot him a look. “I lied. Hello! I lied, you lied, we were lying ! You can just say you didn’t appreciate my help! I can take criticism. How would you rate my lying abilities on a scale of Wind to Time?”

Legend rolled his eyes at the smith, choosing not to comment on that. "And you're here,” he directed to Hyrule, “Because I thought you would want a hand in the damage. But just as I told Wild, you don't have to stay."

Hyrule similarly shot down that idea. "No! If Sky said you could then I'm more than willing to join in! I'm just confused on why you didn't ask Wind to join instead of me."

Legend looked at him as if the answer was obvious. "Winds a good kid but he would've ratted us out immediately. You at least would let us have fun before telling on us." As he explained he started walking deeper into the forest, waiting for the others to get the memo. 

The three of them followed Legend, Wild and Hyrule excitedly chattering about the best way to light a tree on fire. Legend looked around the area they were in, deciding they were deep enough. He turned around, opening his arms in a wide gesture. "We're here. Go wild, have fun.” 

“Hyrule! Come grab some kindling with me! No good fire starts without good kindling.” Four urged the traveling hero, grabbing his wrist and marching off to a random patch of trees. Just before he left, he turned to give Legend a look. A look that he could only assume meant that he needed to make a proper apology.

Legend internally sighed, knowing what he had to do. He turned around to look at Wild, finding that the Link was already looking at him. "I know this isn't the best apology, and nothing can take back what I said and did,” he started after a moment, when he was sure the other two wouldn’t overhear him. “I said some hurtful things I really should not have said, and that was wrong of me. I hope this can at least show that I'm sorry and that I want to try and fix our relationship, even if it's so we don't hate each other. We don't have to be buddy-buddy with each other, but I don't want us to act like strangers." He faintly heard the other two arguing over what was better, tree bark or dried leaves. He wasn't going to touch that argument: they were both wrong. Pine needles were obviously the best type of kindling. 

“Not going to join us? What, are you too old to participate in arson?”

Wild was quiet as Legend spoke, soaking the words in. “You’re right, you did say some shitty things. Things I would’ve never expected a teammate to use against one another,” he paused. “But I did do something stupid. You had every right to get mad at me and I should have accepted that.” He awkwardly kicked his foot, looking away from Legend. It was an awkward apology but at least they were talking about it. “I don’t forgive you yet, but please give me a few days. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fully trust you but I think I can trust you enough.”

“That’s more than I expected. Thank you for being willing to try.” Legend smiled, glad they were able to reconcile, even if just a little bit. “Now, don’t you have a fire to start?” He teased, watching as Four and Hyrule made a pile of leaves, branches and what looked like bark.

Legend smirked, grabbing his firerod from his gear pouch. (A pouch that he hasn’t taken off for more than a few minutes at a time.) “Who said I wasn’t participating?”

–

Legend, Four, Wild, and Hyrule sat, covered in fresh soot and smelling of ash, in front of an enraged Time and Twilight. Sky, the mediator he was, was trying to calm the enraged adults while also keeping an eye on the pair keeping the fire at bay. The air reeked of burning wood, the smell so much more intense than an average campfire. Though that does make sense, given how much of the forest was still ablaze.

“Do you four have anything to say for yourselves?” Time asked, the harshest glare any of them have ever seen on his face.

Immediately three voices said, “It was Legends' idea!”

Time honed in on Legend, who was wearing a smug grin on his face. “Do you have anything to say for yourself, Hero of Legends?”

“Oh shit, he said the full name,” Wild murmured.

“Maybe we should just say sorry?” Hyrule asked Wild, who shook his head rapidly.

"Nope," Legend replied flatly, smugly refusing to say anything.

“You’ll be missed, Legend,” Four snickered with a sarcastic salute. Legend looked at Time and shrugged, setting his hands behind him and leaning against them. 

"'Nope'?! Legend, explain why half of the Deep Woods is burnt to a crisp! Why is Wild naked!? And Four, I thought you were supposed to be responsible!" Time's face was pinched in frustration as he scolded them all.

As Time was yelling, Legend leaned over to say something to the small group. "Ten rupees says I can get him to let us go," he whispered under the scolding they were given.

"Twenty says you can't," Four whispered back. The other two Links watched the conversation happen, both wondering who they should put their bets on. 

“Actually Time, I do have a reason,” Legend interrupted. “You remember a week or so ago when me and Wild got in that fight? Yeah, I wanted to make up for it.” Legend casually shrugged as if it didn’t admit to ruining an ancient forest for fun.

Times face softened slightly before hardening back into a glare. Everyone remembered that fight, it was one of the worst spats their team has experienced. “That doesn’t explain how you managed to rope Sky and Four into helping you!”

“Legend forced me to help him,” Four snitched instantly with a sidelong smirk at Legend.

Twilight let out an exhausted sigh, dragging a hand down his face as if that would get rid of the stress of the situation. “Awright, one of y’all best explain how this happened.”

“He promised the forest would be healthier.” Sky answered solemnly. Legend really had to applaud him, he was a flawless liar.

#four lu #lu #legend linked universe #hyrule linked universe #linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu four #lu legend #lu hyrule

[murswrites]

A Little Sampler ⎯ Eddie Munson One-Shot

Pairings: Eddie Munson x Reader Fandom: Stranger Things MASTERLIST Word Count: 2.3k Warnings: Drug use (it’s eddie), cursing, pining, a bit of awkwardness, terrible open ass (literally) ending SUMMARY: Eddie’s had a crush on you for years, it takes you going to him for some weed for you to admit you might have a crush on him too.

A/N This was supposed to go in a completely different direction but... I kind of like the sort of... alluding??? There may be a (smutty) part 2 lmao

Eddie Munson was good at pretty much everything–save for school–and having any kind of dating experience. He’d had crushes and kissed people here and there, but nothing ever stuck. The only thing that did stick was the embarrassingly large crush he had on Y/N. Probably the most popular person to have ever attended Hawkins High.

You graduated the year prior, while he stayed back. It sucked not having the ability to pine after you in person. But Gareth said it was better if Eddie got weaned off of you. Eddie smacked him for talking about you like you were some kinda drug. Eddie Munson wasn’t addicted to you–that’d be crazy.

It was also crazy that you were back at the school. Waiting… beside Eddie’s van. He almost shat himself when he saw you leaning against the beat-up vehicle.

“Hey, Munson, was wondering if you had anything?” It struck him as odd that you came to Eddie for weed, there were plenty of dealers in Hawkins. Part of him hoped you chose him on purpose.

—

He may have been a nervous wreck beneath his jean vest but you couldn’t see that. You sat across from him on that rickety picnic table, your knees just nearly touched his. Eddie forced himself to make eye contact with you–that was almost as hard as just… being around you.

“So, how much do you usually charge anyway?” You wondered, leaning on your palm toward him.

Eddie gulped discreetly, opening his tin lunchbox, “Depends what you’re looking for–and how much, of course.”

You nodded, “Of course,” He hated that you kept agreeing with him. When he said it’d be better to meet in the woods, you sat a hand on his chest and said (in your stupid sweet voice), “Yea, it’s much more discreet.”

“But, flattery works with me so–”

That’s when a wicked grin grew on your face, “Really? Wish I’d known that last year, Munson. I’d have been all over you.” There was a teasing quality to your voice but Eddie found himself wishing for it to be true. “I want something to make me feel light and airy–most weed just makes me horny.” You said that casually and it made him literally choke.

The sound that left his throat made you glance up with worry, “You okay?”

He raised his eyebrows and nodded frantically, still riffling around that lunch box of his, “Oh, I’m great…” Eddie presented you with a baggie stuffed to the brim with buds. “This should be your kind of good time.”

You took the baggie gently, turning it over in your hands before opening it and taking a smell of its contents. “Oh, my fucking–” You coughed at the strength of it and closed the bag back up. “That is… wow.”

Talking about his product was easy for Eddie, he had a light smile on his face. “Yea, that’s the good stuff. Hence why it’s not even ground up.”

“I don’t know how to grind the–”

Eddie brushed you off with a shrug, “I can do it, how much are you thinking?”

You felt heat rise in your cheeks, “I’ve never actually purchased weed myself, I’ve always had friends do it for me.”

He gave you a peculiar look but nodded, “That’s alright, I can roll a few joints for you and charge based on that?”

“That works! I’m terrible at measuring ounces and whatnot. And this is just for me so I’d greatly appreciate it.” You placed your hand on his forearm gently and Eddie stared at where your skin met his for a moment.

He shook his head and closed the box back up, “If you want… I could give you a sampler later.”

“...Sampler?” You wondered.

“Free try for your first time buying from me–a free joint. The only bad part is that all my shit’s at my house, I only carry stuff I’m selling on me so…”

You shrugged with a nod, “That’s fair, I can do that. Where do you live?”

The surprise on his face made a knowing smile grow on yours, he didn’t expect that to work… like… at all. “Uh, Forest Hills…”

“That’s perfect, right on the way home. What time should I come over?”

“Uh–when can you?” He scratched the back of his neck.

You considered it for a moment, “Right after work’s fine, I get out at seven.” Eddie nodded at you, “It’s a date.” You pretended not to see the blush that covered his cheeks and ears. It was kind of cute.

—

The whole thing about the trailer park being on your way home had been one fat lie. If anything it was on the complete opposite of town–but hey–free weed is free weed. You saw Eddie’s van outside of a tan trailer and knew instantly that must’ve been it. Your car settled to a slow stop as something flashed within the trailer.

There was a dark spot flying past each window as if someone was running back and forth inside. You watched for a moment with a grin–he was so nervous.

You were well aware that Munson had a crush on you. He made it hard to not notice, the way he’d stare at you dreamily used to creep you out but then he grew into himself and… Eddie Munson turned out to be super pretty. But you graduated a year too early to explore anything with him–plus you were like Hawkins High’s golden child.

If anyone was outwardly Eddie Munson’s complete opposite–it’d be you.

You only knocked twice before the door was yanked open and you were met with the sight of Eddie. He smiled nervously, “Hey, Munson. You okay?”

“Me? Oh, I’m great, how are you…?”

He pulls the door open nice and wide and you take in the peculiar-looking living room. “You have a lot of… mugs…”

“Yea… we really do. Uh, my room’s back here–if that’s okay.” He suddenly blurted and it made you pause.

“That’s fine. I don’t like the idea of stinking your entire house up.” You said with a laugh, turning around to look at all of the decorations. Eddie leads you down the carpeted hallway–apologizing for the mess but all of the art on the walls takes your attention. “Woah.” You don’t recognize half of the references but then you see his guitar. “Holy–”

Eddie had on a genuinely confident smile now, “That’s my baby.” He leaned against the doorframe for a second, “Is it alright if I close the door?”

You nod absentmindedly, looking at his walls with curiosity. “What’s… Iron Maiden? Some kind of Marvel reference?”

“Oh god no–not that there’s anything wrong with Marvel. It’s just–they’re a band.”

“I see… are all of these posters band posters?” Your eyes settled onto a Playboy poster that was half hidden behind the curtain. “Maybe not this one.” You say with a laugh, pushing the curtain to the side to take the woman in. “Good choice.”

Eddie’s face is bright red when you look over your shoulder. That is before he bounces to the closet and begins rifling through it. “I’ve got my shit… somewhere.”

“My room’s a mess too. Since I moved out it’s been hard to make myself clean it.”

“I live here with my uncle, he let me have the room which was really nice of him, to be honest.” Eddie said thoughtfully, holding a tin of Altoids in his hand, “Got the party sticks.” He shook the tin lightly as if to emphasize his point.

You look for somewhere to sit and he pushes his chair toward you, “Thanks.” Eddie busies himself with lighting the joint as you patiently wait. It’s a bit awkward with no talking or anything… “Do you got any music we could listen to?”

“Yea, my tapes are all on the desk there.”

The big speaker system makes a smile grow on your face, “I just know everyone hates it when you listen to music.” Eddie’s laugh makes you glance back at him–he’s licking the paper shut and you can’t help but stare at the simple action. You suddenly turn when he looks up at you (and catches you staring). “Uh… what would you recommend?”

“You ever hear of Ozzy Osbourne?”

“A few times, you got some of his music?” He was right behind you and the sudden closeness had your throat drying up.

Eddie nodded and reached forward, his chest pressing into your arm. You thought he had a crush on you–not the other way around. “Black Sabbath, it’s really good.” He grabbed the tape carefully and handed it to you.

“Okay…” You said with a nod, getting the music started at a lower volume. “Will this stuff make me sleepy or–”

“Shouldn’t make you sleepy. Doesn’t make me sleepy.”

That made you laugh, you raised your eyebrows, “Hm, we’ll see. I tend to get sleepy or like I said earlier…”

Eddie tilted his head, “I hear you, if you don’t like it we can stop.” We. That part stuck out to you, a weed dealer would stop smoking his own product just because you didn’t like it? That’s odd.

—

The joint was nearing the end of its lifespan and you began feeling the back of your head become light.

It was like marshmallows inflated inside your skull in place of your brain. You knew what would come next–the part where time began to jump and slow down. The same song felt like it had been on forever, “Hey, how’s longs it been since this song came on?”

“It’s only been like a minute.”

You groaned, “Fucking hell. I hate this part.”

“What’s wrong?” You looked up at him, holding your head up carefully with your hands. Not only were you fucking baked–you were lowkey a little paranoid because you did not know this man. “Oh–I get it. Time’s all trippy isn’t it?” You nodded sluggishly. “Want something to drink?”

You could cry, he tried offering you a drink when you coughed so hard it sounded like a smoker’s cough but you declined. Now you were wishing you’d stolen all the drinks in the trailer. “Please,”

Eddie held on to the joint as he left his room, you laid back in the chair–it was so uncomfortable. His floor was a mess, but his bed looked freshly made. You stole a glance at his door before deciding he wouldn’t mind. You needed to be flat on your back. Everything was waving and swaying and you swore you were falling but you just landed on the bed.

The door opened and Eddie’s eyes landed on you–you on his bed. And he choked. “Hey, you okay?”

“Hm? Oh, yea… just need to get everything… to… slow down.” Even your rate of speech was fucked.

He sat on the end of his bed, you bent your knees so he could get more room, “No it’s alright,” You slowly put your feet on his leg. “Here’s that drink you wanted.” A water bottle. You thought about that as you listened to the crack seal. He was obviously trying to make you more comfortable. “This thing is dead.”

“Awe, rest in peace, little guy.” You were so goddamn out of it, “How the hell are you like… okay… right now?”

One of Eddie’s hands settled on your shin, “I am very far from okay right now, dude.” You cringed at his use of dude. “I looked in the mirror and my eyes are so red.”

“Bullshit. Mine are redder.” You argued up toward the ceiling, your eyes drifting close. “Lemme see.” You wiggle your fingers at him, Eddie seems apprehensive in helping you up, “I don’t wanna fall.”

“Shit–sorry,” He’s grabbing your hands and pulling–way too fast. Your head knocks into his shoulder as your body folds due to the sudden change in position. “I am so sorry–” Your laughter is what shuts him up, your face pressed into his arm.

“You sounded so worried. Oh… my god.” You draw back, holding onto his shoulder for support. “Open your eyeballs, Eddie.” You blink at him slowly then widen your eyes.

Eddie is met with a rather unsettling sight–you staring at him with that high look on your face. “Holy shit, you’re like–in another galaxy.” That makes you giggle before you’re glaring at him, demanding he shows his eyes. “Fine,” Eddie leans so your faces are mere inches apart.

You grab his chin to hold his swaying head steady, “Hm… your eyes are pretty… pretty red.” He gulps and your eyes fall to his neck.  He’s wearing a chain and a necklace with a guitar pick on it. “That’s cool.”

“...Thanks.” His adam’s apple bobs again.

“You’re super pretty up close, Eddie. Like–freakishly pretty.”

His ears are dusted with red again and it makes you smirk through the high, “Freakishly, huh?”

“Oh! Not like that!” You groan, pushing the crown of your head against his arm again. Your hands fist in his jacket as you shake your head, “No I mean like–you’re so pretty it’s unnatural. Are you a vampire, Munson?”

Eddie laughs out loud at that, “You’re so different than I expected.”

“You’re lucky I’m high. I’m an asshole when I’m sober.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Oh, believe it. I am like–the biggest, gaping, asshole ever.”

Eddie cringes at your vivid description, “That sounds so gross.” You laugh at his disgusted expression.

#murswrites #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #stranger things #stranger things x reader #stranger things imagine #eddie munson oneshot #stranger things oneshot

[kaylinelizabeth4004]

Sky Full of Song

Summary: Aziraphale and Crowley listen to some music. Then Crowley decides to make something special for Aziraphale.

Title from a Florence + the Machine song, I don’t know why but Florence and Good Omens are connected in my mind.

When they had first settled upon the idea of Crowley living inside the bookshop, along with Aziraphale, they had a few small technicalities to work out. Where Crowley would sleep was easily sorted out with a quick snort by Aziraphale, who called it their bedroom, as though it were the most obvious thing, which only shut Crowley up and make him cover his face with his hand to hide the blush across his cheeks.

And of course, there was the matter of Crowley's plants. There were 23 of them to date, all named and specialized with their own personal stories - of which we will dive into a different day. Aziraphale didn't hesitate to set aside some books, miracle some new end tables, and create space for the plants. They were Crowley's version of books, he argued, and deserved their place in their world. So there they stay, Orion up near the front to stare at anyone who dared to actually purchase a book.

Naturally, Crowley assumed that his moving in would eliminate the need for a flat at all. That flat was cold, damp, and terribly inconvenient to get to, quite like the rest of London. He saw no reason to cling onto a place that never felt like his home. However Aziraphale had a different approach.

"Well, dearest, it's not that I wish to be away from you, of course. It's rather that you, err, you might wish to be away from me," Aziraphale had explained over some delightful wine from the '20s.

"Wot?" Crowley asked, furrowing his brows in genuine confusion.

"It's just, I worry you feel as though you have to stay here all the time. I want you to have an, err, an out. An out from me. If you wish to do something without my presence."

Crowley thought for a moment then scoffed, "if you didn't want me around all the time you could have just said so."

"No!" Aziraphale stiffened in his seat, reaching out to place an eager hand on Crowley's arm. He looked so warm and inviting to Crowley, as though his very existence was one large hug you didn't deserve. "Dear, I adore having you here. I want you here as often as possible. I just don't want you to feel as though you have to, for my sake. You are more than my... person. You shouldn't have to sacrifice your life for mine."

What Crowley wanted to say was, 'I'd sacrifice my life for yours any day. I want to be with you every moment of every day, even if it means I stare into space while you pour over the same book you've been pouring over for two centuries. You aren't a sacrifice, you're a gift in my life.'

What he actually said was, "s'alright then. I can store... things there."

Aziraphale smiled that proud and yet shy smile, patting Crowley's arm. He rose from his seat, placing a soft kiss on Crowley's temple as he went towards the record player. He lifted a record from his collection with a flourish as he said, "Wonderful, my dear."

"S'bloody brilliant," Crowley mumbled before swallowing a large mouthful of the truly delicious wine. Aziraphale had such a wicked taste in wine, it was unmatched.

"Oh I think you'll quite enjoy this one," Aziraphale said with a giddy smile, sitting down as the record played that dull hum before the music actually started. Crowley tried to contain his smile as he watched Aziraphale wiggle from excitement, shake his body like he couldn't contain it.

It was jazz, that much Crowley could tell. He took extra care to pay attention to the song being played, and when he realized what it was his brows lifted. "Angel, is that Nature Boy?"

"It is!" Aziraphale giggled. "I know you just adored Nat King Cole's music and I found this record, I just knew we had to have it."

'Adore' might have been a stretch in Crowley's mind, he'd never been outright obsessed but he did enjoy listening to him. Nat King Cole's voice did something to Crowley that few other artists could do. Sure Elvis Presley made him nostalgic, Queen made him feel alive, The Smiths were all he wanted to be, KISS was all he wanted to dress like, and somewhere in there Nat King Cole's voice floated around. Nothing specific, but nothing unspecific either. An emotional blob that just existed.

He wished he could explain it, tried to reason that maybe he loved the way his voice seemed to slide through the room like butter. It was smooth, calm, deep. The lyrics to Nature Boy didn't help that ache in his soul, their story echoing in a room full of stories. It was beautiful and simple, but it seemed to reach a part of him he didn't quite understand. But he felt his heart tighten, threatening to burst as the sweet Angel across from him closed his eyes and listened to it all. He bought this for him, knowing he loved it.

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved, in return," Crowley murmured along with the record. Aziraphale looked up suddenly at Crowley's voice, and took a small, selfish smile. This was everything.

There they were, one late evening in a quaint, unassuming little bookshop, on an unassuming street, in an unassuming city, a demon and an angel sat in the music. They didn't say a word, letting the chords glide through them as one. It was always something that united them. Even when good and evil seems blurred and the world might actually fall apart because of a preteen, the music never faltered.

———

Sometimes ideas seem a lot better in words than in action. While Crowley had agreed that he could 'store stuff' in his now empty flat, he stared at it like it was a beast. Apart from Aziraphale, huh? Bah, it would never happen. Crowley scoffed as he left, locking up quickly as he sauntered out of there. He didn't see any reason he needed to abandon his Angel.

On the walk home, - yes walk. Unfortunately Aziraphale had decided the 'our' in 'our home, our bookshop, our hot chocolate', now applied to Crowley's Bentley. His sweet, precious Bentley. Now turned as yellow as piss while Aziraphale went to collect a package an hour outside of town. No, Crowley supposed it didn't really look like piss. But anything other than her true, dark beauty seemed deceiving. She did belong to a demon of all things, not Miss Frizzle. Whatever, he blew a breath and continued down the road.

Crowley chuckled to himself for a moment, Aziraphale was one strange dress and some box dye away from becoming Miss Frizzle. Though he didn't suppose Aziraphale would appreciate the reference as much as Crowley liked it.

He stopped for a moment outside one of the shops, catching a glimpse of his hair looking positively on fire. It wouldn't be the first time he was literally on fire, and he worried he'd been smoking without realizing. Pissed off some good people last time he let that get out of hand.

As Crowley turned to leave, he noticed what sat on a little stand in the window. A knitting kit. Along with various shades of blue and yellow yarn, laying on a sweet basket that seemed to have all one would need to knit. Needles and what not, Crowley wasn't actually sure what was required to knit but some of the ladies back in the 1790s loved to do it while the aristocracy lost their heads. One lady made him a love scarf, he still has it somewhere. Bloody good wine, then.

He didn't really know why, but against his better judgment Crowley strolled right in and purchased the kit. Then he went and stood on the street corner for a full two minutes, trying to decide what to do with his 30 quid worth of knitting supplies. He very well couldn't bring it back to the bookshop.

Not only does Aziraphale know how to knit, he's good at it. And Crowley doesn't necessarily feel like having him linger around, breathing softly down his neck and completely unaware he was doing it. Then he would sit down, away from Crowley, nose shoved in a book with wide eyes over the edge. And each time Crowley would do something wrong, Aziraphale would whisper a little "oh dear" before avoiding Crowley's gaze. This was part of the reason Crowley gave up on sewing. That and the needle was too damn small for his eyes. It was sweet and infuriating all at the same time. Aziraphale meant well, Crowley knew that, the Angel never meant poorly. But it wasn't worth the trouble.

So that was why Crowley ended up make in a cold, damp, inconvenient flat with a basket full of knitting supplies sitting on the empty floor.

"You s'can't be worth at the trouble," Crowley mumbled to it, poking it with his foot.

They stared at one another in awkward silence for about a minute before Crowley broke, sauntering through the different dark rooms of the flat. He loitered in his office, remembering fondly when Ligur melted into a puddle at the entrance. His desk still had the scratch from his vintage message machine. Crowley let out a breath.

Then he found himself back where he started, staring at a basket full of knitting supplies as though it were going to bite him. He wishes it would, it would be better than the mocking stare it presented instead.

"Ngk, fine, you stupid bloody thing," Crowley said in an agitated voice, sitting on the empty floor beside it. "You s'better be the best damn kit money coulda bought."

He dumped the supplies in a heap, going straight for the needles and the blue yarn. This should be easy. People been doing it for hundreds of years. Easy. Easy peasy, tickety-boo as his Angel says.

20 minutes later and it was most certainly not tickety-boo. Crowley had pin pricks along his fingers, fraying yarn on the cuffs of his jacket, and one massive knot he couldn't comprehend how it had happened. His phone buzzed in his pocket, giving him a chance to escape this nightmare. He could feel the steam coming from his ears and he threw the offending material down to stand and answer it.

"Ah, Angel, was wondering when you'd bother to call. I've been left alone for days."

"Oh don't be dramatic," Aziraphale said, but Crowley could hear the smile on his face. "It should be I who is upset with you. Where are you? I returned home to find an empty bookshop and some very rude individual trying to open the door to buy books!"

"Bloody idiot."

"That's what I said, in less offensive terms, of course. Dearest, you didn't answer my question. Where are you?"

"I'm..." he debated the different possible answers he could be giving Aziraphale. Admitting he was at the flat would excite him, but it could also prompt questions about the purpose. Saying he was anywhere else would be lying, and that didn't feel quite right. Not anymore, though he supposed it never did. So he sighed and just said, "I'm at the old flat. Checking in."

He could hear Aziraphale's giddy voice, "oh wonderful. I'm so glad you have that space."

"M'yeah, it's, uh, it's nice."

"Goody!"

There was a moment of silence on the phone. Aziraphale was moving some items around to accommodate the rare Walt Whitman he had just spent 2 1/2 hours of his day acquiring. Crowley was staring at the blue heap of yarn on the floor.

After a few moments of companionable silence Aziraphale sighed and said, "Well I'll be the first to say it. I'd like you here, to spend time with me. I miss you."

Crowley fought the smile on his face as he teased Aziraphale, "wot? Wot'd you say? I missed it, signal totally blew."

"I said I missed you!"

"Wot? Say it again, Angel, totally lagging over 'ere."

Aziraphale puffed out in a whined voice, "oh you wily serpent, come home! I missed you today!"

"Ahhh, you missed me. And here I was thinking you said I pissed me, and that doesn't make bloody sense does it," Crowley said with a sarcastic tone, walking outside and towards the bookshop faster than he intended to.

"Oh just hurry on home, my love."

Crowley was stunned for a moment. 'My love' was a new nickname, and one he had always considered cheesy with other pairs. But instead, with Aziraphale it just made him blush and walk faster than he meant to.

"On it, Angel."

———

A week and a half later, Aziraphale was off at Maggie's little record shop helping her organize and try to market to the current generation. She wasn't getting much busy, which Aziraphale thought to be the most disappointing. Records were his favorite form of music.

As Aziraphale tucked every Nat King Cole into their proper place, Crowley was across London in a damp, cold, inconvenient flat hunched over and trying to knit. He'd bought a book full of patterns and instructions, and was now on his third iteration of the same scarf. The two previous attempts were in burned heaps in the corner, neither even close to completion. They had started to go horribly wrong and Crowley got so angry he accidentally set them on fire.

This time around, Crowley was taking his time with each action. He was terrified of mucking it all up. This was important to him, even if it was just a bunch of fibres looped together.

"If you s'don't do exactly as I tells you I will make your life hell," Crowley muttered to the yarn. "And's I can actually do that. Think hard on your decision."

Whether it was the slowness, the patience, or the fear of Crowley installed in the bundles of pale yellow and blue yarn, it was actually started to turn out his way.

———

Aziraphale hummed to himself a song he'd heard for the first time over at Maggie's shop. 'Unforgettable' by Nat King Cole. He realized he might have started to develop a real love for that man's music, all because of how much he knew Crowley enjoyed him. He never imagined himself a jazz fan, far too eccentric for his tastes, but the smooth notes got stuck in Crowley's head as he made the pair hot chocolates.

He was still humming softly as he returned to the main area of the bookshop, eyebrows raised as he saw a small white box with a yellow ribbon on his desk.

"Crowley, what's this?" Aziraphale asked, setting his mug down beside the box and walking over to where Crowley was sprawled across a chair.

"Wot?"

"The box, what is it?"

Crowley shrugged, sipping the hot chocolate Aziraphale gave him and looking out the window, "I dunno."

"You don't know? What do you mean you don't know?" Aziraphale scoffed as though it was completely impossible.

"I said I don't know, Angel. Might as well open it and find out."

Aziraphale narrowed his eyes and looked at Crowley with confusion. Crowley didn't always love to communicate well, though neither did he - a sin they both unfortunately share - but this was entirely new. Despite all this, Aziraphale did go to the box. He gently undid the pale yellow ribbon, it was so beautiful he took extra pains to not rip it, and lifted the the lid.

He gasped slightly at what he saw, "oh Crowley."

Crowley cringed, expecting Aziraphale to hate it. But that was quite the opposite. Inside the box sat a scarf, blue and yellow and hand knit, with a small card sitting on top of it saying 'Happy Creation Day.' Aziraphale glanced up and was surprised to find that it was, indeed, October 21st. Creation Day, the Earth was now 6,027 years old, and Crowley remembered.

Aziraphale lifted the scarf from the box, seeing it for what it was. It wasn't perfect in the slightest. The yellow and blue made an awkward, uneven contrast at some parts. Knots made lumps throughout the entire scarf, and one color was at least an inch and a half longer than the other. But all the same, it made Aziraphale tear up, "oh Crowley it's beautiful."

"You really think so?" Crowley asked timidly, now standing stiffly near where he was sitting. His eyes were looking anywhere but Aziraphale, scared if he looked at him he'd be humiliated. His cheeks were pink as Aziraphale looked at his work.

"Oh dearest, this is amazing. How long did it take you?"

"Oh, just, you know normal knitting times..."

"Crowley?"

"2 months," he mumbled.

Aziraphale dropped the scarf into the box, walking over to Crowley and gently placing his hands on his cheeks. Though he closed his eyes, he leaned his head into the touch. "You spent 2 months making this for me?"

"S'course, Angel. Woulda spent longer, got rushed."

"My darling, it is absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for this gift. You have outdone yourself."

It was these words that made Crowley open his bright, yellow eyes and look at Aziraphale. He wasn't lying, he wasn't lying in the slightest. All he saw in Aziraphale's eyes was admiration, love, and the glassy look of someone trying to hold back tears. Crowley whispered softly, "why are you crying?"

Aziraphale laughed softly, letting a tear fall at this, "Oh my sweet, it's good tears. I'm just so overwhelmed. It's so beautiful and you made it for me."

"S'course."

Aziraphale let his forehead fall against Crowley's. There they stood in their little bookshop, two angels holding each other. After a few moments of this, Aziraphale broke away, kissed Crowley forehead and wiped away his tears.

"Well, shall I treat you to a spot of lunch?"

"I think a table at the Ritz just opened up," Crowley smiled, hiding the mist in his own eyes.

"Oh, what a miracle!" Aziraphale giggled. "You go on and warm up the car dearest. I'll only be a moment."

"M'kay, Angel." Crowley walked out and greeted his lovely Bentley with an appreciative whistle. "Such a beautiful girl, can't wait to ride you."

A woman walking puffed up and said, "shut it, you creepy bloke."

Crowley, offended, scoffed, "I- I was talking to my car. Not you!"

She rolled eyes, "sure, mate, I believe ya."

Crowley took on a taunting tone, "You're not even my type, you- you- you box dye brunette!" He couldn't think of a better insult and she just flipped him off and stalked off.

"Oh bugger," Crowley murmured, going to open the driver's door. Then he stopped, looking up at Aziraphale who was now on the steps of the bookshop. He was wearing the scarf he made him.

He was wearing the scarf he made him.

And proudly too. Despite it's lumps, it's unevenness, and it's wonky patterns, Aziraphale wore the scarf like a badge of honor. He was showing off to the world that Crowley was his, and Crowley was talented, sweet, and anyone would be lucky to have him. But they couldn't have him, because Crowley was Aziraphale's, as Aziraphale was Crowley's.

"Ngk-wow, Angel."

"Don't you like it?" Aziraphale asked, preening like a peacock. "I had it handmade by the most talented man. I shall give you his number if you like."

"N-nah. I'm not a knit type of guy."

"Oh shame, he really is quite good. And he looks fantastic is those leather jackets," Aziraphale says with a wide grin.

"Just get in, Angel." Crowley was now blushing violently, and got in the car to avoid turning into a hot pink mess out there. Aziraphale slid in beside him, sitting pin straight as he does but with a little proud wiggle in his seat. He was so fucking cute it hurt sometimes, so Crowley turned on the radio.

In the silence of the car ride, Nat King Cole's mesmerizing voice called out, "the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved, in return."

#good omens #good omens season 2 #fluff #so much fluff #fluff so sweet you’re teeth will rot #slice of life #like seinfield episodes but less funny and more sentimental #Crowley is trying #no beta we die like crowley’s heart in s2 e6 ouch neil gaiman #asexual relationship #Nat King Cole reference that is actually a Moulin Rouge reference in my little heart #Crowley is a simp #Aziraphale is proud #I’m actually so proud of this please enjoy it #neil gaiman notice me #david tennant #michael sheen

[nihiladditaenihilperdidi]

Insomnia || Nachim + Rhys || July, 2018

 Rhys: This was exactly why Rhys had made such a sizeable purchase. Sprawled on his stomach on the right side of the bed, staring out at the assortment of various intricate symbols of brass, copper, silver, gold, and wood.

The sheets were cool and soft against bare skin, but still, he could not sleep.

Too long since he'd laid eyes on Nachim, all he could do was wait for the pirate to wake.

Nachim: Very little about Nachim had changed since they were last together. His ship was larger, his crew fiercer. More piercings; now collarbones, nipples, tongue, all with decorative metal. His hair had been dyed, split half white and half black down the middle. Aside from this, it would be like not a single day has passed since they last saw one another, Rhys would probably find him devastatingly predictable.

He made a soft noise, turning his head against the pillow. Grey eyes remained shut but he was starting to wake up. A hand rose blindly and managed to find the back of Rhys' head to pat and stroke.

Rhys: His dear captain had always been colorful, but in 1822 color had come from his personality. The outside merely reflected the interior, now. With every new piercing, he'd become hesitant to touch. Concerned for tugging something he shouldn't and making a mess of Nachim's flawless skin.

But that wasn't on his mind. Nothing was on his mind. A blank slate, staring at his religious wall.

Until he felt cool fingertips through his hair. Fumbling, as he always had. Instinctively, he reached back with seven fingers, tugging Nachim's arm around his chest.

Nachim: Little did Rhys know the tugging was partly why Nachim had wanted piercings in such places in the first place.

A soft groan more like a sigh came behind sealed lips. He settled in comfortably in the new position Rhys had pulled him into. With a teasing smirk he didn't bother to hide, some ice poured from his palm to Rhys' ribs.

Rhys: The vampire suddenly hissed. Snatching the reaper's wrist in one swift movement, he turned to straddle his lap, set on pinning his hands above his head.

"Years, capitán. Too many to count, and it's still... not... funny." And still, he kissed between his eyes.

Nachim: The captain was limp, submissive under Rhys' will. Finally eyes opened to take the other in. His gaze shamelessly wandered over the other in this terribly interesting position.

Not funny? He begged to digger! Nachim laughed. See? Funny! "Maybe not funny, but if it encourages you to get on top of me... Did you sleep well, hermoso?"

Rhys: Hermoso. Capitán. Some things were eternal, and in that infinity, they were a comfort. A feeling like home.

"I haven't slept," he confessed, kissing the bridge of his nose. "You know I don't." Not the first night of his return. No. He would linger in consciousness, watching over the reaper, as though closing his eyes he would disappear. It had become his tradition.

Nachim: "Still?" He had thought his body would succumb to sleep by now... Perhaps blood gave him all the energy he needed. He smiled softly. "You are so affectionate this morning." Not really limited to this morning, just a tease.

Rhys: "Find me tomorrow made of stone." He would not kiss those lips just yet. Only his nose.

The room was chilly. Enough for Rhys to wriggle himself beneath the covers once more, resting his weight over his old friend, chin comfortable against his chest.

Nachim: Silly vampire. He scrunched up his nose playfully. "Ai, dios mio." Fingers found Rhys' hair again and started to braid strands without much thought.

"So? What else has mi jefe been doing?"

Rhys: Hands slid down Nachim's chest, mindful of his piercings, and came to rest under his chin. Settled and comfortable. He didn't mind the braiding and just let it happen.

"I've found a fledgling. Online. Trying to navigate and understand his situation from the other side of a screen."

Nachim: "Hm?" The back of his fingers brushed over Rhys' cheek. "You are acting as someone's therapist?"

Rhys: "No. Just another voice. He's not mine or anyone's childer. I think he's been abandoned."

Nachim: "Another vampire? Would he like to become a pirate?" He smiled playfully despite meaning it genuinely.

Rhys: Rhys' smile was soft. By now, Nachim might be able to notice the light in his sea green eyes.

"He's clinging to his humanity. Doubtful."

Nachim: Boo. Nachim pouted. It only lasted a second before he smiled again. Speaking of new recruits... "Are you proud of me, mi amor? Don't you think I am closer to my goal than the last time we saw one another?"

Rhys: "You are closer with every visit, tesoro. Already there, in my eyes. Do you not see it?"

Nachim: "I am not finished yet." Stopped braiding to smooth palms down Rhys' back, "I will build an empire beyond imagination for you to enjoy, too."

Rhys: "I believed that, a hundred years ago." The past tense was spoken cautiously. Eyes closed to enjoy Nachim's affection.

"The world has changed around us. Technology, I fear, will hinder your dream."

Nachim: Hmph. Could Nachim reach to spank Rhys' ass? He'll try!

"I will overcome anything. I can adapt to use technology, too, if I have to."

Rhys: Rhys would even duck his head for the reprimand, chuckling silently. Just barely reached.

"We shall see. I trust your ambition."

Nachim: "Good." Back to toying with his hair. "Do you need breakfast, mi vida?"

Rhys: "Are you trying to feed me, or feed yourself." His mouth curled in a teasing smile.

Nachim: The captain laughed, "Both! Why? Can your hunger not keep up with my greed?"

Rhys: "You know I'll kill you and kill you again."

Nachim: Nachim practically purred. "Don't tease me, mi amor. You know I live to die by your hand."

Rhys: His life was about moderation in all things, but Nachim was his indulgence. Had been his teacher, his lover, and his willing victim. If not for the reaper's own greed, he might have shown a modicum of restraint.

"Is that what you want? To die tonight?"

Nachim: Done braiding he went to scoop fingers beneath Rhys' chin, wanting to lift him so his face was above his own.

"I am your ragdoll to do as you please. I only know how to beg for more."

Rhys: Without question, Rhys raised on his elbows, staring down with calm adoration.

"Will you never tell me to stop?"

Nachim: "Well, if you keep at it for weeks on end I might have to ask for a break." He teased, one hand trailing down to feel over Rhys' throat. "For tonight you may have your way, my insatiable vampire."

Rhys: His smile, soft as ever, revealed nothing of the promise behind his lips. The look behind those eyes was as it always had been, reverence and devotion. More than a mortal sense of loyalty. He saw himself as a lighthouse, waiting patiently every decade for Nachim's sails in the mist.

Without another word, he sank into the reaper's arms, bore slender fangs into his throat, and sighed. All at once, he found himself washed in a sense of warmth. The tension between his legs coaxed movement from his hips, pressed down into the mattress for relief. A little more than a memory. It was a reflection of his yearning.

Nachim: Nachim's smile remained on his face. An arm looped around the back of Rhys' shoulders, holding him in place as his chin tilted up. He smiled even still as he let out a struggled moan. Eyes closed instinctively. The pleasure came so instantly like a Tsunami. He hardened for Rhys as he so often did.

Nachim licked his lips, tasting the metal from the piercing looped around his lower lip, tongue piercing brushing against the top one. Like every time, he was so instantly dizzy. It was the most glorious bite he had ever experienced. He truly felt himself the most lucky man.

Rhys: He could have as much as he wanted. More than he could indulge in the world above ground. Free to take and take and wait for that final heartbeat, cleaning the wound with lips and tongue as it closed, waiting next for the first breath of rejuvenation. A life had been taken, willingly, knowing as certain as the sunrise he would see those eyes upon him again. And he would smile, and he would offer his lips in greeting.

Nachim: His body tried to rejuvenate the blood, but it could not keep up with Rhys' pace. Soon enough, he felt things become dim, he felt his limbs grow weak. It was an uplifting feeling, exciting, dangerous. It made his heart beat erratically. He had to battle against every instinct in him to remain in place and not fight for his life. Everything inside of him raged a war. Everything faded.

But not for long.

Mere seconds and his eyes were lazily fluttering open again. Also not for long. They shut as he took those lips readily. His tongue requested entrance, and the life brought back to his body was made evident with how he tightly held his murderer.

Rhys: What other way could he say I love you, without words? He held and was held in return. He allowed his victim to taste the lingering iron on his tongue and toyed with the curious muscle between teeth and fangs.

And again he rocked. Not so assuming as to believe Nachim wanted anything more than this.

Nachim: The pirate didn't hesitate to slide a hand between them. No rocking necessary, Rhys, Nachim was ready to be at your disposal. Fingers curled around his lover, a few circled by rings. His heart still hadn't calmed, and given the way he was so intoxicated by the other it was doubtful it would anytime soon.

"Does mi vida want to release?" He whispered between increasingly desperate kisses.

Rhys: All this time, all these years, and the sight of blood still hadn't deterred Nachim from offering. And yet, after all this time, Rhys still felt compelled to ask, "Is that what you want?"

Nachim: "I want us both to stain each other with our lujuria." His hand hadn't started to pump yet, but he continued to hold his lover until instructed otherwise. He craned to kiss along Rhys' cheek, his jaw, his ear. "Then we can shower together and do it again."

Rhys: "Then let me taste you." As much torment as it was desire. He began to slip from Nachim's grasp, kissing his way down at his leisure. Lips trailing from jaw to throat to chest, lingering over his heart.

Nachim: Nachim's body was saying yes while his mind was saying no.

"You will get sick, mi amor." And yet he released Rhys, arched his back, sighed in pleasure...

Rhys: Nachim might feel a subtle smile against his skin, and then a mindful swipe of his tongue against a piercing.

"Not tonight. Tonight, you'll be painted."

Nachim: Oh... tasted in /those/ ways? Nachim grinned. Fingers pushed into Rhys' hair as he hummed at how good it felt. He certainly won't say no to being worshipped by Rhys' mouth.

Rhys: Moments like this, it was easy to forget how unlikely a pair they were. Someone as colorful and flamboyant as Nachim deserved an equally confidant lover, someone loud and capable. Not this quiet, shadowed creature between his legs. He had gained so much under his wing, and what had he given in return?

For now, at least, he would give pleasure. Kisses continued south, nipping at skin along the way, until sinking his teeth into Nachim's thigh.

Nachim: It was unfathomable how good that felt. Nachim sharply inhaled, gasping with a moan, squeezing at his hair. His cock twitched with excitement, throbbed with unbearable need.

This was all Nachim asked for. He did not need anything in return. He wanted only Rhys' honesty and will, only his time and attention. It was more than enough to be like this with him.

Rhys: After a moment of writhing, Rhys reached to fondle and squeeze from base to tip. Few things were as enjoyable as feeling Nachim's pleasure in the palm of his hand.

He would not drain entirely, but neither would he clean the wound with his tongue. Only a quick, gentle swipe of his thumb as he nestled his face into his scrotum.

Nachim: The nuzzling made him laugh. What's this? So silly. It felt more ticklish than anything else... and he was hyperaware of his balls against Rhys' head.

"Why do you put yourself so beneath me?"

Rhys: "A place for a sailor with his captain," he smiled. Kissed against the base of his shaft.

Nachim: The captain made a soft noise of approval. "Be careful of my ego, mi amor..." Could it be inflated any further??

Rhys: "Will it run away and create an entirely new entity?" He would suck the tip of Nachim's cock before he could answer, just to see what would happen.

Nachim: A sharp inhale, a tug at Rhys' hair, a curl of the toes. "It will punish you for teasing me..."

Rhys: "No such thing." Rhys closed his eyes, engrossed in his little beloved hobby.

Nachim: A breathless laugh came, "More, more..." So impatient!

Rhys: Then he would take everything, and bury his nose in Nachim's hair. He could linger, swallowing his possession with gusto. His only reason for retreating replaced the reaper's cock, lubricating his middle finger with the same leisurely pace.

"Spread your legs."

Nachim: "Si, mi amor," sighed longingly as he did as instructed. Fingers remained deep in his lover's hair every moment it was within reach. He watched with curiosity and excitement, ready for the thrilling journey they were about to embark on together.

Rhys: Lips returned between his legs. Slow kisses to his shaft traveled south, transitioning into gentle sucking of his scrotum. Just distractions as he teased his finger. Only as he returned to the tip of his cock did he push within.

#insomnia #nachim #mournus #discord rp #closed

[hopeymchope]

From Michael Jackson to J.K. Rowling and Activision: Handling shitty creators and companies

This is going to be a long-winded bit of text considering how/whether I choose to stand up against problematic creators/content, how other people say it should be done, and basically providing warning that these issues aren’t so black and white as you might think. 

So, y’know. You can probably skip this if you’re just here to think about or see Danganronpa art and theories and fanfic and all that. :P 

Since Michael Jackson wound up inspiring this post, I’ll open with him.

I was hearing his music in my parents’ rotation long before I ever knew he was accused of some despicable shit, y’know? So I got hooked on that stuff before I had a reason to be (potentially?) disgusted. And when I got old enough to be aware of those accusations, I couldn’t get a good personal gauge on whether I believed him guilty of what he was accused. Pre-2019, I felt there were reasons to both believe and disbelieve the whole thing, so I just chose not to have any opinion on the matter. Which I guess is easier to do once you’ve already gotten attached to the music, right? Nobody wants to abandon something they’ve long enjoyed.

I specified “pre-2019″ because 2019 is when Leaving Neverland came around. I’ve admittedly never watched that documentary — the one that convinced many people of his guilt posthumously. And that’s probably chickenshit of me. It probably sounds like I’m just wimping out and burying my head in the sand. But shit, life is so full of despair and misery, and like I said: It’s hard to WANT to abandon something you’ve always taken pleasure from. I got old enough to where I decided to just... stop following every detail of every negative development around the things I enjoy. I’d rather hold onto some modicum of escapist pleasure than constantly have those works make me think about shitty, shitty people and their poor, forever-tormented victims. Is that selfish of me? ......... Uh, probably! If I’m going to keep on consuming that music, do I then owe it to society to fully immerse myself in every terrible thing that may be linked to it so I can be 100% informed of any implicit undercurrents? .... I’d say “obviously not,” but there are definitely those who’ve argued the opposite. 

In truth, so many people involved in so many creative works turn out to be sketch-ass fucks. I suppose that’s a natural consequence of how many people it takes to get a book published (tens), or to make an album (hundreds), or to complete a movie/video game (thousands). At a certain point, if you’re going to consume all your media responsibly so that you never watch or hear or see anything that was made by anybody problematic and so you never financially support bad behavior... well, fuck, you might as well give up the entire video game industry, then. And all movies. Because look at those corporations and their bullshit! Look at those thousands of people involved, which almost definitely includes some very bad individuals!

But I can still defy these things in small ways. If I know for a fact that there’s accusations/hard evidence out there against someone or something, I can at least avoid giving them my money directly. I no longer see movies at Cinemark theaters ever since the head of the company decided to start putting money towards supporting Trumpist and QAnon conspiracy theories. I haven’t given any money to Michael Jackson’s estate in a very long time; I can get that music through plenty of other channels than directly buying it. 

And if I know a game company is definitely being awful to its workers or has a culture of sexism and harassment? The bare minimum I can do is refuse to give them any direct money and just buy physical copies used so that they don’t get a cent of my cash trickled back to them. So, y’know — no direct purchases of anything published by UbiSoft or Activision. Clearly. 

All of the above applies to Harry Potter media at this point — I’m going to do what it takes to avoid giving it any more direct cash, but I’m not going to totally abandon the whole universe either. And to many people, that means I’m a bad member of the LGBTQ+ or a bad ally for trans rights or WHATEVER. But let’s not forget that virtually every talent involved with the series beyond Rowling has spoken out AGAINST her and FOR trans rights — all the actors from the films, the developers of the Hogwart’s Legacy game, and so on. So... do we boycott something that might give money to Rowling if it’ll ALSO give money to all these evident allies, then? Am I wrong to avoid giving money to this franchise if that means I’m denying money to all of THOSE people? For that matter: Is it bad that I’m going out of my way to NOT financially supporting the dev teams at Activision who are getting victimized by management? And... I don’t know. It’s tough.

Besides, You-Know-Who created a story that....... well, let’s just put this right here.

YEAH. The message is right there. It’s baked in. For fuck’s sake, Harry was even forced to live in a CLOSET. It’s too bad the author can’t even fucking see how perfectly her own stories apply to the trans experience. Fuck you, JKR. *sigh*

As I already referenced, LOADS of people would argue (and have argued) that all of the above people and companies should be 100% boycotted, and anything less makes you a person who is failing at promoting equality — a bad person. I don’t think it’s so black-and-white as all that, though. As I said: Who wants to give up things we enjoy in this miserable world? And for that matter, who wants to abandon all the innocent people in a company pipeline who are being diminished and/or abused by the powerful few? Ultimately, what’s the best way to deal with these kind of issues? Fuck if I know. 

We can all only do what’s right for us, and what feels like it’s the best/kindest thing overall.

#controversial #long post #j.k. rowling #michael jackson #ubisoft #activision #problematic #harry potter #oof