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nad-zeta · 3 years

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A Chance Encounter

Pairings: Vlad x Reader

Words: 1700+

Comments: Eeeeeek and so it continues hehehe! 🥺😳😳🌸//dances around! Cutie Appreciation weekend activates! hehe, hope ya enjoy love! Hehe thanks cutie for always indulging me with all my random spam and never failing to make me smile!😆❤❤❤🥺🥺 hehe sending alllll the sparkles! Hope you are taking care of yourself and taking it easy today! ✨🎉🎁🎂

.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’ .*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’･ﾟ｡.*:・’ﾟ: ｡.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’ .*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ

Amid the springtime season, your life was destined to change forever. To leave in a month but to stay an eternity. Something that you had never anticipated to happen when you had first arrived. Why you chose to remain persists to be a mystery. The door larch released after a month, yet standing before the grand oak door on the day of your supposed departure just felt off, felt wrong, felt almost as if you were going back to a word you did not truly belong in.

You never understood your own impulsive decision. Despite having befriended all the mansion’s residents and making a new home there, you felt lost, almost like a sense of searching, a longing type feeling, like you were still looking for a home—a place you belonged— a place where your heart would feel at peace.

With wistful eyes, you scanned the pages upon pages of poetry, looking for an answer, looking for comfort, but finding none. That is, until you first spotted him, striding past the bookstore window. Gaze catching sight of wisps of white hair dancing in the springtime breeze. Your heart latched forward, eyes following the figures until he was out of sight, yet the memory of him remained with you long after he had disappeared from view.

Eyes focusing back on the book of poems before you, you almost had to laugh at the poem emanating from the pages, it certainly had your hopeless romantic mind running away from you— giving hope for an answer soon to be solved. Regardless you smiled at the little poem leaving a flower bookmark in place to remember.

‘Well, from the moment I first saw you,

there was a spark of peace and mutual energy

that will forever rest inside my brain and in my thoughts.

It was so strong that I constantly think about it

and wonder if that is something

that could be permanent for me rather than a brief moment of interaction,

a brief exchange of hope and energy.

I couldn’t help myself but to be close to you,

someway- somehow.

I believe there are only a handful of people

that come across your path

that can make you feel more than simply human.

You, yes you, you make me feel alive, hopeful, and assured

that there is more out there.'

Weeks had gone by, and still, you had not come across the white-haired stranger again, the memory of him steadily fading from your mind as daily tasks occupied your time. The newest of the errands being to pick up a dozen fresh sunflowers to celebrate the resident angel’s birthday.

With a ring of the bell above the carved mahogany door you entered into the local flower shop—a quaint little shop in the middle of the busy Parisian streets. The storefront perfectly decorated with scatters of seasonal summer flowers, enticing any person passing by to visit the floral boutique. And the inside of the store was every bit as welcoming, with flowers littered on every corner of the store, drawing your eyes about.

“Welcome, can I help you with anything,” the quiet voice came blooming from the front of the shop, drawing your attention away from the delicate blue flowers and deeper into the workshop.

A tiny gasp left your lips when you finally realized that the source of the gentle voice was from the very man who had been plaguing your mind for weeks now.

You took a few clumsy steps towards the front counter, heart hammering in your chest. You felt silly for having a crush on a man you had never even uttered as much as two words to, yet here you were— Legs heavy as led, pulse racing, and sweat dripping down your back.

Your mind swam with a million thoughts, yet your mouth refused to speak. The delicate man raised a brow at you, head tilting curiously to the side as you slowly made your way closer. You trained your gaze down, fingertips nervously playing with the seams of your sleeves as you finally mustered up the courage to stutter out your request, “I-I uh, am here to pick up an o-order.”

Your eyes finally drifted up to catch sight of the slither of a smile ghosting across his lips, and you swore your heart melted then and there. Vlad’s eyes twinkled in amusement as he watched your face flush, ‘cute,’ he thought as he leaned down to grab hold of the order book.

“Ah, let me just find it for you.” He carefully placed the book down on the table before his gaze returned to yours, “your name?” he asked politely.

“Van Gogh,” you practically yelled out, eyes widening— appalled at yourself for the sudden outburst. You gripped your sleeves, knuckles white, wishing the ground would spare you the embarrassment and just swallow you whole.

“I-i mean, the order is under van Gogh, my name isn’t van Gogh” you awkwardly corrected, wanting nothing more than to bang your head against the table in mortification— but then it reached your ears—the sound of his soft melodious laughter slicing through the tension.

His laughter was light and airy, like the gentle summer breeze ringing like the garden chimes. It sparked the memory of a poem you had come across, bringing a whole new meaning into your life.

“Calm the winds as angels sing.

Lovers’ tune and flowers bring

little buds caressed by dew

sending pretty thoughts of you.”

“Sunflowers,” he stated between huffs of delicate laughter, closing the book and making his way to the backroom to retrieve your order.

The moment he was out of sight, your hands shot up to cover your warming cheeks; you felt like a schoolgirl being confronted by her crush. Keep it together, you hissed to yourself, eyes squeezing tightly together as you tried your best to focus your mind on the business at hand.

The sound of his tender voice broke the silence once more as he returned carrying a dozen bright yellow sunflowers in his arms, “adoration, loyalty and longevity.”

“What?” you questioned, eyes bright with curiously as fingers fidgeted with the strands of hair framing your face— in an attempt to calm your restless heart.

“The meaning of the flowers, adoration, loyalty and longevity,” he repeated happily, placing the flowers down on the counter. There was a beat of silence before you came back to your senses, realizing that you needed to pay the man. The soft smile never once left Vlad’s face as he watched you nervously scrabble around for the coins to pay for the order.

Finally, you found the pouch of money Sabastian had given you to pay for the flowers, and thrust it out towards the man, eyes meeting his crimson reds. They were beyond stunning, shining in childlike mischief yet holding an archaic air.

Warm hands gently wrapped their way around your delicate little ones, “It’s on the house,” he spoke, this time a spring-like smile dancing across his features.

Your breath caught in your throat as you struggled for words, “b-but I insist, I can’t just take these for nothing.” Again you pushed your hands forward, leaning closer to emphasize your intent.

“Then,” he paused, contemplating his following words carefully. It had been long since Vlad had opened his heart to another. Yes, he loved the human race, but he had never truly allowed himself to fall in love. However, there was something about you, in the way you talked, the way your every thought fluttered across your gorgeous features that captivated him, that drew him in, like a moth to a flame. “Then how’s about you spend the afternoon with me strolling the botanical garden, and we will call it even?"

The rest of the interaction was like a happy blur. You didn’t even remember how you had gotten home or even what you had done in the time that had passed; all you knew was that you were now excitedly strolling down the cobbles stone path amid the vibrant flowers in the large botanical gardens.

It had been weeks since your first interaction with the man and every day since, you had visited his flower shop, idly chatting away about anything and everything that popped into your mind. After the first date together, you knew you had fallen, hard.

“What are you thinking about?” his gentle smile played across his features, ruby eyes gazing down lovingly at you. You returned his smile with one of your own, giving his hand an affectionate squeeze as you made your way through the gardens to your favourite spot.

“It’s a secret”, came the words, eye twinkling with mischief.

“Oh? You won’t tell me?” The corners of his lips lifted to form an impish smile.

“Nope!”

“Well, then I have no other choice!” His eyes shone with affection as he gently lifted your hand and started to twirl you around.

Your laughter filled the serene area causing a few raised brows from all who passed by. Not that you had a care in the world, especially being beside the love of your life.

Just then, he stopped, pulling you closer to fall against his chest, only, he had lost his footing and went tumbling backwards with you to fall straight on top of him with an ‘oooof’.

With widened eyes, you gazed down at him, an apology on your tongue, stopped only by the boyish chuckle that escaped him.

His hand came up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear, and fingers tenderly brushed over your cheeks. Time stood still between the two of you, each gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes before you broke the silence, “a secret for a secret,” you blurted out.

Immediately following it up with a confession of your own to prompt the man to spill the beans. “I love you with all my heart,” the secret left your lips as you beamed down at the man, dusting of pink blooming across your face.

“And I, you,” Vlad returned in a soft hum.

He reached over and plucked a delicate blue flower from the nearby bush. He twirled it between his fingertips for a few moments before securing it between the strands of your soft hair.

“Forget me not,” he said, his face softened with pure love for you.

Your silly grin continued to widen, and with a brush of your nose against his, the response left your lips, “not even for a moment.”

Your eyes soon fluttered closed as the affected words were whispered against his lips before they were sealed in a feather-light promising kiss.

.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’ .*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’･ﾟ｡.*:・’ﾟ: ｡.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’ .*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ

poems: There you are, Painting Love With Words

#And with appreciation week continuing on #i continue to butcher our beloved cutie vlad #sorry cutie #not my fault cybird hasn't released your route in eng yet #hehehe although i could have asked mama to check these #gaaaaaah although i took a page outta neemos book and didn't proof read #just post hehehe #you can thank my thesis for that #lolol #anyways done rambling in the tags #Vald #ikemen vampire vlad #ikevamp vlad #ikevamp vlad x reader #vlad x reader #vlad

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laverna-fanfictions · 3 years

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Sebastian Stan One Shot

Okay, first of all, I’m sorry that I have been gone too long. I was burried under my midterms and papers, I lost my shit. Now that they are alllll over (thank god) I’m back!! So, thank you for your patience, and I’m so sorry for not writing all of the requests sooner. All of them will be on my blog this week, and that’s a promise!

This is a one shot for my beloved requester, Sorry for the grammatical mistakes, typos in advance because I didn’t re-read it... I hope it turned out to be the thing you wanted. I hope you’ll enjoy it! xx

Request: @prettysatan : Hello, I was wondering if I could request a Sebastian Stan x reader with a reader from the Czech Republic and they try and teach him the language? If not don’t worry about it (:

WARNINGS: Fluff, slight making out, and nothing else i guess.

Words Count: 901

You were laying on your shared bed with Sebastian, talking about your life and other stuff while a soft music was playing at the background. Everything was perfect, heavenly even. You loved being in his arms, it always made you feel calm and safe. And to be honest, you loved to feel his big arms around yourself. He smelt like cookies because he wanted you surprise you, because he had finished his shooting with a new movie. He was finally back.

“Okay okay tell me this. How can I say, ‘I love how tiny you look when I hug you.’?”

You giggled, you loved when he wanted you to translate things. You did the same thing with his Romanian, but he was much more into Czech. You licked your lips, gave him a small kiss, and whispered the things he had asked you to translate. “Miluji, jak maličký vypadáš, když tě objímám.” his smile widened. “I love how your voice changes when you speak your native.” you hid your face between the pillow and his neck, making him laugh even louder. “Well, stop making me blush.” he cocked an eyebrow, his beautiful blue eyes were shining when he looked at you.

“You are a weirdo Y/N. I’m not saying anything to embarrass you.” you hit him by the biceps as a joke. He caressed your hair, gave you another kiss on your lips. “Alright. How can I say, ‘you are amazing.”?” you rolled your eyes at him, you knew he was playing with you. But you didn’t know why. “jsi úžasný.” you replied, rolled him over and got on top of him. “You are the one who is a weirdo. Why do you keep fucking with me?”

He smirked, put his hands on your ass. “I’m not fucking with you right now. If I wanted to fuck with you, you would be naked.” he winked playfully, patted you. “Always a tease.” you rolled your eyes again at him, this time he saw. He made you fall back to his side and got up from the bed. “Alright. I came in bearing gifts, wanted to spend some time with my girl but all I get is sarcasm here.” you knew he was bluffing to leave you, you bought it on purpose anyways. You held his hand and pulled him back on top of you, losing yourself under the weight of his body. A small moan escaped from your lips.

“Okay, I’ll play your game. Shoot me another question.”

“How can I say, ‘I love you.’?”

“Miluji tě.”

He repeated the same way you did, with a slight accent. You smiled at him, brushed his hair with your fingers. “You are cute when you try to say things in my language.” he kissed your nose and murmured. “You are always cute no matter what.” “Now you are just straight up lying.” he kept kissing your face, trailing them to your neck. “And you are being an asshole.” he joked, making you giggle again. “You are too, but that’s nothing new.”

“Ouch.”

He put his hands on his heart, as if you broke it, and made a sad face. “See, you are an asshole.” you gestured his funny acting, this time he was the one who rolled his eyes. Then, he stopped for a moment. He was looking at you weirdly, in a way you only saw once. It was the same look he gave you at your sister’s wedding when you were walking down the aisle as her maid of honor. His eyes were locked on you, a little smile was on his face. He got up from the bed, walked to his backpack. You rose on your elbows to watch him. “I have one last translation request from you, Y/N.”

“Okay.”

You were still facing his back; you were trying to figure out what he was doing but you couldn’t tell. “How can I say, ‘will you marry me?’?” a huge shock wave filled your body, you didn’t know what to say or do. Your mouth got dry, and you could hear your heart pounding. “W-what?” he turned his body, with a box in which there was a big diamond ring. “Holy fuck Seb, are you serious?” you got up from the bed too, you were both standing still. “Well, I’m not fucking around with a diamond ring.” a slight mocking could be heard from this tone.

He got on one knee, with a genuine smile. “Y/N I’m not kidding. Will you, please, marry me?” you didn’t even realize you hugged him so hard that you made both of you fall to the ground. You kiss his whole face, like a maniac puppy. He was laughing so hard. “Is that a yes?” you were nodding crazily. “Fuck yeah. I’ll marry you. I’ll marry you however, whenever, wherever.” he was hugging you tightly, making it hard for you to breath but you were so happy you didn’t care.

You let him put the ring on your finger, giving your hand a cute kiss. You were so happy, losing your sense of time kind of crazy. You were under the covers, making love all night long. Even when you woke up, you went back to making love. It was as if you were doing it for the first time, those feelings were all there again.

“I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you too, Seb.”

#sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan smut #sebastian stan #winter soldier #bucky barnes x reader #sebastian stan fluff #sebastian stan one shot #request

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shhhlikeme · 4 years

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Hello, could I have a request? If it’s not too much of a bother, maybe about kenma having a crush on a foreigner who’s still new to speaking Japanese, so he teaches her how to speak better, gets to know her better and finds out she’s also a gamer? Sorry if it’s too specific, I love your writing!! 🥺

Thank you so much for reading my work! I adore Kenma he is everything so thank you for requesting him. I didn’t want to stop writing this! I hope you like it!

Kenma x Foreign Student Reader

——————————

You were the absolute ONLY thing that could take Kenma’s attention away from his Nintendo switch

When you trotted into class silently that day as a new student that just moved to Japan from [Your City] Kenma just scribbled in his notebook like he always does when the teacher is talking because he didn’t hear you come in

The teacher asked you to introduce yourself and you did, shyly and in less than accurate Japanese

This got catboy’s attention

When Kenma heard your angelic voice he lifted his head up from the paper for the first time that day

Baby boy is smart af. He doesn’t even need to listen in class and he gets straight A’s

His eyes widened when he saw you. You clearly weren’t from here and he didn’t know how he felt about that

He takes a mental note that you looked.....different.

Um, good different.

VERY good different. He realized, as he studied your features

Kenma thought you were beautiful and although your introduction had grammatical errors, he found your mistakes quite adorable

You sat in front and to the left of him which was ideal for Kenma because you couldn’t really see him staring

Since Kenma is a gifted student he is always abnormally bored in classes. His teachers always took away all of his electronics so he didn’t even try anymore. This current Modern Japanese class was no exception until you joined, and as the days went by he found himself not even missing his electronics for the first time in his life because he shared that class with you

He has you to look at now

You were so pretty and interesting to him.

He wished he could talk to you

Hiding behind his hair so that he wouldn’t get caught with red cheeks and all, he sighed admiringly as he watched you listen diligently to the teacher. The way you looked when you were concentrated made Kenma’s stomach hurt because you were just so cute. Watching you made him wish he had Kuroo’s confidence when it came to girls

Maybe he would ask Kuroo for advice, albeit a mortifying thought

Day after day in class Kenma watched as you read the teacher’s lips in hopes of slowing down the language in your head better. When everyone got a worksheet in class Kenma always did his work fast and just smirked to himself because you would quietly sound out everything you were reading and translate it to English.

So cute

Kenma knew his fair share of English because of his American gamer friends, so when he heard you translate a Japanese word incorrectly, which would have been detrimental for your grade on this paper, Kenma wanted so badly to jump in to help you

But he was anxious

In silent panic, he watched you whisper the wrong answers out loud because you had translated one early sentence incorrectly .

Oh no.

You were going to fail!

What would Kuroo do??? Kenma thought.

In his animated mind, he conjured up an air bubble version of Kuroo looking down at him and lecturing him, telling Kenma that: “you are like blood that should flow towards the blood that has the most attractive body covering it which is obviously a reference to the cute foreign girl you have a crush on so STOP BEING SUCH A WUSS AND HELP HER, KENMA!”

Kenma shook his head violently. The air bubble version of Kuroo disappeared.

God, even in his made up thoughts his best friend was obnoxious

Kenma’s volleyball team, Fukurõdani’s volleyball team and Hinata all knew Kenma’s true personality.

They knew that Kenma wasn’t a shy person like most people initially think when they see him alone in the corner. In fact, he wasn’t shy at all. He just didn’t like people. Learn the difference.

And when Kenma did like specific people he still wanted them to stay at an arms length

So why did he like you so much? He was convinced that he wouldn’t mind having you closer than an arms length because of how pretty you are. Kenma liked looking at aesthetically pleasing things, and in that respect you were much much better than his games or his volleyball friends.

But jumping in to save your assignment still wasn’t him. It just wasn’t Kenma. He didn’t chat to others in class and enjoy it like everyone else in this school. He liked chatting with Kuroo, Shōyō, and his gaming pals, sure. But everyone else was slightly annoying.

But not you.

He wasn’t annoyed by you despite the fact that he’s been watching your embarassing quirks for over a week now. He felt quite the opposite for you, actually...

Completely unaware of Kenma’s daily analysis of you like you always were, you smiled as you finished your work. Ready to leave, you collected your paper, preparing to hand in the open-book assignment worth 40% of your grade. But before you stood up you felt a delicate hand on your arm, halting you.

“Uhhhh.......” You look up to see the most gorgeous boy you’ve ever seen in all the countries you’ve been in. He had striking cat-like eyes that made your heart beat faster and his voice was soft and alluring.

With a serious face, he removed his hand from your arm and pointed to your sheet. In perfect English he said, “That means “theatre audition” actually. Not “movie theatre.”

You were shocked that his English sounded better than your Japanese

Kenma felt a burst of pride within because he could infer that he impressed you with his English

You blushed and quickly started erasing the subsequent answers. “Oh my gosh, thank you so much.”

You expected the gorgeous boy to walk away after that but you were even more taken back when he pulled up a chair next to you.

His sudden movement blew breeze in your direction which wafted the mango-scent of his shampoo toward you. You almost salivated. His hair was so shiny, he was so beautiful and to top it off he smelled to-die-for.

“You made minor translation errors in question 1, 4 and 5 too. Mind if I help you? My name’s Kenma.” He asked hopefully, still speaking to you in impeccable English.

You introduced yourself too while blushing some more and of course you accepted his help

Throughout the rest of class, Kenma, talkative as ever—asked you a bunch of questions in order to get to know you. You shared with him that your parents were divorced and that you decided to move from [Your City] where you lived all your life with your mom to move in with your dad in Japan for high school and University because you loved/missed him. You told him that your dad spoke Japanese to you as a baby but you lost a lot of it living so far away and having no one to practice with.

Kenma became more and more intrigued by you. He could listen to you talk all day which would probably give his best friend a heart attack since Kuroo was put on a strict talking time limit that kicked in after 3 hours.

The more the cat boy learned about you the more he wanted to learn. Especially when you mentioned that your favourite hobby included gaming.

Kenma, being fairly asexual but attracted to you, was unfamiliar with the way the concept of you gaming turned him alllll the way on.

He imagined you beside him during his gaming weekends wearing a baggy t-shirt & just your underwear underneath like he wears.

Damn

He flushed

Let’s just say Kenma had trouble shifting inconspicuously under the desk to adjust his tightened pants when he thought about you gaming.

He mentally prepared to get himself off on the thought as soon as he got home tonight

Yep. You officially had him wrapped around your finger, and you didn’t even know it.

You had no idea that that conversation would go on forever

You had no idea that Kenma had always denied tutoring others when the Modern Japanese teacher asked, and that is why the teacher gladly allowed you two to work together

You had no idea that the rest of the class was ASTONISHED by the quiet and stunning setter of Nekoma (who does everything in his power to not be approachable and avoid social situations) going out of his way to keep a conversation going with another student

You had no idea that all the Kenma admirers were soooooo jealous of you right now

You had no idea that Kenma would glare back at the girls who glared at you and try his best to become your friend in the coming weeks

You had no idea that you both would enjoy every moment of your close friendship. A bit too much

You had no idea that, weeks later, Kuroo would force Kenma into confessing to you, even if it was over your favourite game as avatars... and you would cry tears of joy

You had no idea that you would lose your voice cheering for your boyfriend at Nationals........twice.

You had no idea that upon graduation you two would adopt an adorable kitty and name her -cinema-

You had no idea that years later, Kenma would become the husband of your dreams and that shortly thereafter you would give birth to the most beautiful cat-eyed baby girl that was a splitting image of her stunning bearded father

Just imagine daddy Kenma all grown up with a beard omg

No.... as you sat there in class trying to repeat after him the Japanese sentence on the worksheet, you absolutely had no idea

But

When Kenma asked for your number at the bell and you blushed beautifully again, he felt butterflies in his stomach by the sight, and that’s when

He did have an idea that all of that would happen.

Because love-struck Kenma wouldn’t accept anything less.

#haikyuu!!#haikyu requests #haikyuu boys #haikyu #daily haiku #kenma x reader #kenma x you #kenma kozume #catboy #nekoma #karasuno #haikyuu suggestions #kenma fluff #kenma sfw

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jynzandtonic · 4 years

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Jyn, have you ever seen an ASMR video? I've watched them for years as they relax me a lot. Imagine opening a youtube channel and Clyde is your "guest", the one receiving scalp massages/scratch (and also shoulders, neck, back) *-* Oh what I'd give to put my hands in that long beautiful hair. This reminded me of your fic The Show Must Go On, but it's a kind of SFW version, lol. Anyway, many hugs to you :3

V, I LOVE THIS. I love this for so many reasons. I do watch ASMR (my favorite is itzblitzzz) and I’m really big on its neurological benefits—I’ll throw the science book at anyone who wants me to go all brain-nerd on ‘em about it.

I love this for Clyde in that he’s not too savvy with technology and the interwebs, and wouldn’t know the first dang thing about ASMR videos being a “thing.” I also love this for Clyde because he’d MELT over the special attention and physical touch once you talked him into it. Ugh. My HEART!

So congratulations. You’ve done the impossible without even trying. You convinced me to write my very first 1k zero-smut ficlet: Clyde gets ASMR.

He’s seen you playin’ the videos on your phone before—seen the wigglin’ hands and candles and fancy brushes and what not. Even if ya had headphones on, he could tell the folks in ‘em were whisperin’, thinkin’ it a strange thing not to talk in a normal speakin’ voice while recording.

The night he finally peeks over your shoulder to ask what the heck you’re watchin’, you tell him alllll about how relaxing the videos are, how they help you fall asleep, how they give you little tingles that flicker from the base of your skull down between your shoulder blades. He doesn’t quite ‘get’ that last bit, so you tell him about the camera and microphone setup you and Mellie just went half-and-half on: she’s gonna start making hairstyle tutorials and you’re trying your hand at some ASMR. He can be your very first guest—that way, he can see if he gets ‘the tingles’ firsthand.

Clyde agrees, bein’ amenable as always. Whenever he’s due for a trim, it does feel awful nice to have Mellie brush his hair out beforehand, and he just adores it when ya lather up the shampoo on his scalp in the shower… He supposes sittin’ down for your video wouldn’t be any sort of torture, even if he don’t quite get why folks’d want to watch him. You’re quite the treat to look at, so he guesses that’s more of an appeal than him an’ his unruly mop.

As the sun goes down the next day, you set up a cozy corner to record in: you hang strands of twinkle lights, line up your favorite candles, lay your favorite brush out, and brew a cup of herbal tea for Clyde.

When you lead him into the space—shuffling along in his fuzzy socks and camo shorts and butter-soft t-shirt, looking cuddly as can be—he sees the soft glow of candlelight and the velvet cushions you’ve placed on his chair.

“Well this looks pretty magical, darlin’.” He kisses your cheek. “Feel like I don’t deserve all this, whatever this is,” he chuckles quietly, voice unconsciously hushed from the calm atmosphere.

“Nonsense. Of course you do. Now sit,” you instruct, steering him to the chair and checking the camera as he settles in. It’s immediately clear you’ll need to adjust your initial placement; Clyde’s broad shoulders eclipse the frame, the top of the view cutting off at his slightly-pouted lips.

“Do I… Do I have to look at the camera the whole time, now?” he asks, concerned.

“No, not if you don’t want to—” you readjust the focus and tilt the mic, stopping to kiss his forehead as you take your place standing behind him, “—you can just close your eyes and relax. Are you ready?”

“‘Bout as ready as I can be,” he answers with a stoic nod.

You squeeze his shoulders, solid and warm under your hands, then press the record button on the remote tucked in your pocket. Your hands find the very ends of his hair, teasing the tumbling waves between your fingertips. Bourbon-smooth, honey-sweet, your voice is no more than a whisper when you begin to speak.

“Tonight, I’m going to be recording a session with my sweet love, Clyde…”

Oh, he likes that. That makes his heart swell up all big, makes the corners of his eyes crinkly. He feels the creases in his cheeks grow deep as you murmur all sorts of lovely, bewitchin’ things about him—sayin’ he has a warm, calming energy (he’s not too sure what that means, but it sure makes him feel good) and that you always feel safe when you’re with him. You whisper that his hair is so silky-soft and thick as you start to comb your fingers through it, tugging gentle handfuls that heat up his scalp.

The first sigh he puffs out is silent, but the second is accompanied by a happy little hum, betraying his enjoyment at your attention. Bringing your fingertips to his hairline, you graze your nails along his scalp in rippling, sinusoidal patterns—dragging all the way through the ends of his hair when you reach the nape of his neck and repeating the motion.

His head feels warm and fuzzy by the time you start to run the soft bristles of your brush from the roots to the tips of his mane, following its path with soothing strokes of your hand. And boy, whatever you just spritzed on him smells nice—sorta minty but a little more like a tree or somethin’? Smells like one of those fancy day spas in Charleston. Treatin’im like it’s a fancy day spa, too, kneading and massaging his shoulders…

But it’s not till you start tracing your fingertips over him that the swaths of goosebumps appear on his skin; your touch is feather-light, scrawling invisible lines and whorls down his neck, back, and biceps.

Oh lord, he’s tinglin’ all over, his eyelids are heavier’n stones in a streambed, he’s...

He’s out.

You hold his head up for as long as you can, the warm drag of his slow breaths rhythmic and deep—but eventually, your hand starts to go numb where you support him. Squeezing at his shoulder gently, you tug at his consciousness like a fish at the end of a line.

Maple-brown eyes blink open, soft and shiny, the glimmer of twinkle lights collected and reflected back in wide, dark pupils.

“How long I been out darlin’?”

“Well… long enough for the camera battery to die. I couldn’t wake you up; you just looked too sweet.”

A touch of pink warms his cheeks, and he nuzzles into your hand. “I… I reckon I know why this helps ya fall asleep now.”

You kiss all over the top of his head, inhaling the sweet, cedary smell that always lingers on him.

“Well, good—let’s get you tucked in, then,” you say, squeezing his shoulder. “You’ve gotta get your beauty rest for tomorrow’s video.”

“I get to do another one of these?” he asks dreamily.

“No, not another one of these,” you shake your head, smiling. “Mellie’s doing a French braid tutorial, and you’re the model.”

#ask #fuckyeahvirgybk #jynzandtonic writes #jyn z fics #FLUFF #clyde logan #it's not smut so I didn't engage the taglist but I can if y'all want idk?#floooooooof #ASMR #clyde logan x reader #clyde logan x you #clyde logan/reader #clyde logan/you #clyde logan imagine #clyde logan fanfic #lucky logan #lucky logan fanfic #gender neutral reader

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hermionesterrier · 6 years

Text

More Than Human: Chapter 9 Liveblog Pt. 2!

Something about it made her look very feminine, and Butch held his breath a little longer before exhaling. He stared at her awhile, then realized she had just asked him something.

He lets her playfully shove him. He's not even high but he's letting her think he is. He thinks it's the only way she'll open up to him. But he's watching her and observing her and he's focusing on every little move she makes. He's so painfully aware of her presence, of her proximity. He's thinking about how easy it would be to kiss her right then and there and he's careful enough not to blow the smoke he knows she doesn't like in her face. Oh Butch....he's so head over heels for her that it's just painfully obvious at this point.

Those quiet Green moments are part of the reason why I'm so in love with this ship. It doesn't need big love gestures to be epic. The text just lets them...be. The writing for them specifically is so unique that they make every scene they're in comforting yet electrifying. Kudos to SBJ 💚 PLEASE DON'T TAKE THEM AWAY FROM ME

BOOMER WANTS BUBBLES TO SING AND PLAY FOR THE BOTH OF THEM I'M C R Y I N G

Protective Brick, battling the creeps away, one glare at a time xD

AHAHAHAHAHAHA BLOSSOM WANTS TO LICK BRICK OMG

BRICK AND BLOSSOM KISSING. HE. KISSED. HER. KISSSING. I CAN'T. DEAD. SEND. HELP. I REPEAT. BRICK AND BLOSSOM K I S S I N G!!!!!!!!

I am commenting from the grave kbye

Brick's gonna be very upset the guys ate his cereal

Despite the length, her hair still curled in circular, wavy patterns against the carpet, like black ink on a blank canvas. Butch is very artisty when it comes to his Buttercup thoughts isn't he xD

This scene KILLS ME I AM TALKING FROM THE GRAVE RN OKAY I CAN'T WITH THIS DAMN CHAPTER

Butch completely fascinated with Buttercup like wow too fucking cute

Mitch had said that they'd never done anything worth mentioning, which sounded stupid to Butch. He didn't understand how any guy could stand to keep his hands off her when Buttercup looked like this. Except him. But Butch was different. He didn't know how, but he was different. Uh huh sure Butch. It's definitely not you who can't stop staring at her and you're tooootally not attracted to her that you actually have to force yourself to stop looking nopppe not at alllll

Reds are a mess...more so Brick tho hehehehe

Fuck it begins...watch as I curl into a ball and wrench my own heart out...

SHE IS SO HAPPY SO FUCKING HAPPY I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS NOPE SORRY NO

Buttercup, after a horrified moment's contemplation, reached for Blossom's glass of milk and sniffed it. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Smooth Bubbles lol xD

"No part of my brain is in that girl's body, I swear." The suspicion is real tho hahahahahaha

Awww @ the boys showing genuine concern over Brick ❤

Yea sure Brick because hormonal kissing totally normally shifts the earth like something heavenly and puts puzzle pieces into place like duh ofc....fucking idiot gives me headaches why are boys so stupid?

Boomer & Butch barged into Brick's room to keep him company and cheer him up with some weed even though they don't know what's wrong with him SINCERE BROTHERLY MOMENTS ARE MY BREAD AND BUTTER OKAY

Oh my god Blossom is so hopeful and waiting and making excuses for him and it's breaking my fucking heart

This part is so triggering for me ngl I fucking hate it

FUCK YOU BRICK FUCK YOU AND YOUR STUPID PLAN HOW DARE YOU GIVE HER HOPE JUST TO CRUSH IT LIKE THAT YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE

SOMEONE HOLD BLOSSOM PLEASE THIS IS TOO PAINFUL I'M NOT OKAY

Crying does help

How could he ask her to just forget a moment in her life that was one of the happiest she'd ever experienced? I thought, she started, and then tried to stop, but it finished itself. I thought he liked me. FUCK MY LIFE I AM BAWLING

Oh man Buttercup's so concerned and Blossom's trying to get herself together and fuck I can't handle this

Stop stop STOP THIS FUCKING HURTS PLEASE STOP

Is it wrong that I feel just as betrayed and excluded as Buttercup? I feel so much for Blossom but that's her sister! And it's really unfair to exclude her like that especially since she knows she went through her own emotional breakdown after Mitch so she would understand....she IS her sister too :/ i'm very protective shhh

"...Okay. Is she okay?" Both of his brothers looked up at him. "Who?" Butch said sharply. "Is who okay?" Brick stared at Boomer, wide-eyed, one hand still on the doorknob. Can we just take a moment to deduce that Butch was definitely asking if Buttercup's okay? He got worried about Buttercup and no one can convince me otherwise nope na uh....AND BRICK YOU FUCK YOU BETTER BE WORRIED ABOUT BLOSSOM

And the first person Buttercup chooses to go vent to is....? #besties

Butch's "Whoa, whoa, whoa" totally reminded me of Noah Centineo, that's like his catchphrase! Anyone else think he'd make an awesome Butch? I already casted him in my head sorry not sorry xD

Buttercupppp :'(

Brick suddenly hated himself, more than anything. GOOD YOU SHOULD

IT'S THE ASTEROID SCENES I AM CHOKING GREENS WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME I SWEAR I LOVE THEM AND THESE SCENES SO FUCKING MUCHHHHH

Oh he's pissing her off real good oh god

A+ to Butch for instinctively knowing exactly what she needed 💚

"No boys are smart when it comes to girls." Truer words have never been spoken

"Why doesn't he like me?" Blossom mumbled, her tone childlike, plaintive. / Instead she kissed her sister on the forehead and whispered, "To Hell with him. I like you." I AM FUCKING C R Y I N G this is one of my absolute F A V O R I T E sister moments it is FUCKING PAINFUL AND BEAUTIFUL AND BUBBLES LET ME LOVE YOU FOREVER AND EVER ❤❤❤

Buttercup panted for breath, her muscles aching and joints sore. Butch was draped on top of her, his elbows shaking as he propped himself up; he, too, was panting. Her fist opened against his stomach, skimming along the tense muscle before gliding over that chest of his, rising and falling in an incessant, almost calming pattern of movement. She bumped her forehead against his shoulder as she pressed her cheek to his sweaty neck and whispered, "Thanks. I needed that." I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE SBJ I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE :D this totally threw me off the first time I read it ahahahahahaha panting sweaty touching muscle aching greeeeens *_*

I love how after they beat the shit out of each other they still have to make sure the other's okay xD

A small, slow smile worked its way onto his face. She watched it form, almost mesmerized at the gradualness with which it appeared. Like how Butch stared at her smile in those photos and videos? Is this his head over heels in love smile? :D

"Don't see your bra showing." "I like to let it all hang out there, you know." That cracked me up hehehehe

Butch actually apologizing for staring at a pretty girl's boobs? That's a first xD

SHE SAW THE STARS REFLECTED IN HIS DEEP GREEN EYES LIKE WHO THINKS THAT ABOUT SOMEONE THEY CONSIDER "ONLY A FRIEND" HUH???

Butch reeeeeally doesn't like her hair long...and what it represents to him.

This whole scene is everything okay like they're just (ironically considering what they'd just finished doing) so fucking gentle with each other and so quietly comfortably touchy and total comfort zone like I LOVE EVERY LITTLE THING ABOUT THIS SCENE E V E R Y T H I N G greeeeeens 💚💚💚

Yup Buttercup knows, Blossom. She gets it. She understands

I'm better than that, she thought again, jaw set and face hard. I'm stronger. DAMN STRAIGHT LEADER GIRL!

Oh my god Brick fuck off and grow up! You chose to reject the best thing that's ever happened to you so deal with the consequences....idiot.

I still feel bad for him even though I harp on him so much ngl xD BUT WTF IS WRONG WITH HIM LIKE HE'S ACTUALLY UPSET THAT SHE DOESN'T LOOK MORE UPSET WHAT DO YOU EXPECT YOU EGOTISTICAL MORON WTFFFF

Only Blossom would use the 3 day rule to force her sisters into doing their homework hehehehe

Brick you grinch, leave the Blues alone not everyone has to be as miserable as you are.

Brick almost went after him, ready to beat some God damn sense into him, because fuck, what did Boomer know? What did he know about anything? He didn't get that this was all his stupid teenage emotions getting in the way of rational thought, that he was blinded by affection for her, and she had no idea, she wasn't looking at him, she wasn't talking to him, no matter if she was only doing exactly what Brick had suggested they do— STOP PROJECTING YOUR ISSUES ONTO THE BLUES YOU ASSHOLE YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF AND BROKE MY BABY'S HEART....this was so well done and human though kudos sbj :D

Wait is that the first time Boomer's said the L word seriously? B A B I E S

"Something tells me Brick's not going to get a lot of things," Bubbles said cheerfully. Like a girlfriend. Shots fired :D

Oh my god Boomer is KILLING MEEEEEE LITTLE BOY BLUE LET ME HUG YOU

He's so insecure and he feels like not even Bubbles trusts him to be strong enough to handle shit. I see where he's coming from and him being so upset is making me so upset :'(

She hadn't realized how much of a little boy Boomer was, how much he bought into this idea that he was the dumb one who couldn't do anything, to the point where he assumed everyone thought that of him and resented them for it. :'(((

He is a little boy who actually doesn't know any better. Man the boys' upbringing was so messed up and they're still teenagers.

BUT SHE DIDN'T TELL HIM TO GO HOME AND HE FOLLOWED HER ANYWAY AWWWW BUTCH YOU BIG SOFTIE 💚

Aaaand Boomer told Bubbles. Now the only one who doesn't know about JS Inc. is the one who probably shouldn't know....I feel like this is gonna blow up when she finally finds out.

SAY BYE TO YOUR MULLET BRICK AHAHAHAHAHAHA

All the haircuts though...symbol for the boys' character evolution or a big change coming up?

ROBIN WEARING MIKE'S JACKET!!! I love these little throwaways for them. THOSE TWOOO ❤

Sidenote: 3 guesses who Mike was looking for in the prom chapter :D

Watch as Brick turns into a big baby craving attention *rolls eyes*

"I'd rather kiss Brick than you," Butch sniped at Boomer. "Holy crap, I'd pay twice as much to see that happen!" Buttercup shouted, raising both hands, and the rest of the girls whooped and hollered. HOLY SHIT YESSSS PLEEEEASE GIMME *_*

I would also pay to see Butch and Buttercup kiss just putting that out there...

Buttercup's inner panic at the possibility that Butch might kiss her tho xD

HER SHOULDERS GOT TENSE WHEN BUTCH KISSED ANOTHER GIRL TELL ME THAT ISN'T A SIGN OF JEALOUSY I FUCKING DARE YOU

Butch licked his lips thoughtfully. "Cherry soda." He winked at Julie as he sat down, and as Buttercup stared furtively at him it seemed to her that he was avoiding meeting her eyes. Hmmm am I overthinking or is Butch feeling kind of...guilty or ashamed that he kissed someone else?

Coincidence or use of powers that Butch's spin landed squarely on Buttercup?

SHE'S DOING IT! SHE'S ACTUALLY FUCKING DOING IT OH MY GODDDD THAT'S SO LIT HOLY SHIT

A few of the other guys voiced their hearty thanks to him. Butch, meanwhile, stared at the full bowl, the image of Buttercup's jaw, open wide and with her cheeks slightly sucked in, playing over and over again in his memory. He suddenly felt a strong, strong craving for cherries. SCREAMS INCOHERENTLY!!!!!!!

Buttercup kisses Brick. Was talking about Brick contemplating the kiss with my best friend (shoutout! 💚). She was saying she's hoping it doesn't turn into a cheesy love triangle or some shit like that but I really don't think SBJ will travel down that road....hopefully xD

Butch is pisssssed af hehehe...wonder if this will come back later.

Let Him come, Bubbles thought, her face hardening for a second, for one brief moment where she forgot to keep it inside, to herself. He can bring it. Let Him try. She focused on Boomer's bright expression, on that happy smile, and summoned up a cheer. Let Him come, she thought again. Her hands tensed, gripping the cushion of the couch. He won't take Boomer from me. I won't let Him. I swear to God, I swear, if He lays a hand on Boomer, if He so much as touches a single hair on his head, I swear I will make Him regret it. I am very much looking forward to that point in the future where Bubbles goes all ~haaardcooore on Him's ass to protect Boomer :D

TEENAGERS HAVING FUN YAYYY

That ended on a pretty depressing note though :(

AND NOW COMES THE NEWEST CHAPTER THAT I HAVEN'T READ YET

God help me when I'm done with it because I will probably be a m e s s

Time for you to join the dark side!

#sbj more than human #jess reads mth

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gutterflower-dreams · 6 years

Text

So I think I have Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder, but I can’t say for certain, because some of my circumstances are different from what I’ve read.

I pace to music pretty frequently; it started out with my sister doing it when we were little, and I kind of just copied her (because that’s what younger siblings do), until it became my own thing. I usually do it after watching a movie or show I really like/that I fantasize about, but I don’t have a playlist. It’s usually more of a “this character is singing this” or “this character is listening to this,” etc., but it’s always tied into the song I’m listening to. I usually can’t focus enough if it’s instrumental and without words.

I also have to have my room a certain way before I pace; it has to be clean, tidy, and can’t have distracting stuff nearby (paper on the ground, even specks of dirt, dresser drawers have to be closed, lights on...). I don’t pace outside of my room, unless I’m desperate. I don’t do it in public, either--I’m pretty sure people would notice.

So, I’m able to control it. Kinda. I can keep from being “triggered” by music and stuff, and can listen to music without daydreaming...but if I’m walking and listening to music, it’s usually not my typical daydream that I’d have in my room, so much as a “I’m-picturing-my-crush-or-favorite-character-watching-me” for whatever illogical reason I can come up with.

I have one main character that I use for all my scenarios. She changes a little bit depending on the fandom/show/movie I’m daydreaming about, but is mostly the same. She also fits whatever image I need (ie: A real person/celebrity for her as a real person, a cartoon character for cartoons, an anime character for anime, etc. I even insert her into fanfictions that I like). She’s got a dark and tortured past that’s really detailed and elaborate, and totally mary-sue.

But the thing is...I usually use my fantasies solely on a romantic level, and usually only with pre-existing worlds (tv shows and such). It’s rare that I myself am in my fantasy, and not my “other self” (character that I use for everything). I don’t have very high self-esteem, so it’s hard to picture myself in my daydreams (unless I look slightly different or something). So, I usually use my character and pair them in my head with whatever guy I’m falling hard for (very rarely a real person--usually it’s a character).

Additionally, my daydreams are always...unsatisfactory. I only ever get as far as like...where the show is? What season it’s gotten to? I try to not stray from canon as much as humanly possible in my fantasies. And! On top of that, the fantasies almost NEVER get to the actual point of my character actually being with the guy I like. It’s almost always me just picturing scenarios in which the canon guy character is watching my character, and seeing them with other guys and stuff, in situations where they might be jealous.

I think it’s because I’m too literal, and can’t think beyond what the author would have wanted their character to be like. Which is why I enjoy roleplaying sometimes, because then I can take my daydreams beyond just them...existing (except in roleplay, I have to play as a more reasonable character, unlike my totally-unrealistic-OP-mary-sue persona)? I can’t actually make my brain figure out what the canon male character would *do* if faced with my character, and never actually fantasize about them being together.

Is that weird? It frustrates me to think about it--always fantasizing about the canon character being present or overhearing something my main character says, or somehow seeing their memories or something from their past--but never actually being able to play as that character myself. It’s why fanfiction writing is also hard for me, because I feel like I could never actually write how the character would react under these circumstances.

So...it’s normally just me picturing my character in (insert whatever canon universe), maybe being in the presence of the guy canon character...but they rarely even so much as interact, or even speak to each other in my world. It’s more of them seeing something without my character knowing, or overhearing my character talking to another one of my characters that I’ve built.

I would LOVE to be able to fantasize about *actual* stuff happening, and my character getting romantic and sexual with the guy I like...but it just ends up weirding me out when I try, because it feels so...forced? Or like the guy is OOC? Again, that’s why I prefer roleplay, because I can play as my character and get the rp partner to play the guy.

So why are these daydreams so appealing to me, when I get basically nothing out of them and am left usually feeling kind of depressed? No clue.

I go through periods of depression from them, because I know in my heart that they will *never* be real, and that real life is kind of...disenchanting to me. In comparison, my daily life seems so dull and out of my control. So while my daydreams leave me feeling empty afterward, I still love them and use them.

I usually daydream before bed--that’s my most frequent time. Despite other people saying it keeps them up, it actually usually helps me sleep. I never get very far into them, and usually repeat a scene over and over again to death, and by the time I fall asleep, I haven’t gotten anywhere, and end up starting from the beginning the next night.

So, I can control when I daydream, but I still don’t *feel* like I have much control--if that makes any sense. I don’t hallucinate or actually appear physically in another world in my head, but I do drift off and indulge in them a lot, and look forward to being able to climb into bed and play them out in my head. I don’t daydream in public, half because I don’t want anyone to notice, and half because I just...can’t? I get distracted easily, and need a lot of focus for my daydreams.

I used to daydream A LOT as a kid, which I figured was normal, but looking back...it was constant. It’s a wonder I ever passed my classes, because I would zone out alllll the time. I mastered the art of looking at the teacher/looking like I was listening, but would be in my head. Except in school, it was usually me picturing characters or animals or something in the room with me, instead of playing out a fantasy dream in my head.

I also had imaginary friends, and pictured them often in class. I see a lot of people with this disorder saying they don’t have many friends, but that hasn’t been a problem for me (minus wanting people to leave so that I can go pace in my room to music, or take a nap and daydream). Otherwise, it’s not a big issue for me, minus the depression it often brings.

I also usually can’t read a book or watch a movie without inserting my own characters into the plot. Even with fanfictions, and reader-insert fanfictions, I have a strong need to put my own character in them. This is also probably why I don’t like the canon guy characters that I like to be gay or bisexual in fanfics and fan stuff, because it would then mean that my character wouldn’t work with them (and sure, I could *pretend* they were straight--but again, my brain doesn’t like it when I stray away from canon, so I can’t get myself to change the guy, even in my own damn daydream).

My daydreams tend to follow whatever show or fandom I’m currently obsessed with. And my characters are never something I think up on my own (their appearance, I mean). I always have to have some kind of “faceclaim” that I can picture in my head for my characters, and they have to fit whatever art style the show is, or age of the canon characters in live-action.

I rarely make up my own world--and when I do, it’s for the sake of a book I’m writing. But those aren’t as much fun, because I have to make my characters more realistic, I don’t have any structure to go by, and I don’t have a canon character I’m crushing on. So, I don’t do that a whole lot.

Does any of this sound familiar to you guys, or am I just the odd man out? And is this really maladaptive dreaming, if it’s almost all based on existing fictional worlds?

#maladaptive dreaming #maladaptive daydreaming #daydreaming #dreaming #maladaptive daydreaming disorder #madd #help

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mikotyzini · 6 years

Text

What Defines Us - Ch. 28

Link to ff.net. I’ll work on setting up AO3 eventually...not really feeling the writing/posting vibe at the moment.

It was showtime!

Well, not yet, but it would be showtime in just a few days! Crunch time! Whatever time!

The Beacon Invite was right around the corner! Training hours and practice times would be cranked up by a factor of ten. All non-essential hobbies were now non-essential! Sleeping in? Non-essential. Watching TV? Non-essential. Walking? Non-essential!!

Especially that last one. Walking sucked.

To avoid making a fool of herself in front of a huge crowd of strangers (and the television audience), Ruby needed to buckle down and focus on getting as good as possible in the next couple days. Sure, it was only a couple of days, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t improve by leaps and bounds if she tried hard enough. She realized people said ‘Vale wasn’t built in a day’ or whatever, but she wasn’t trying to build all of Vale - just a tiny portion of it!

With her current level of determination through the roof, she was back to the grind of early mornings and late nights stuffed with training. Waking up earlier, going to bed later, and spending every moment in between figuring out how to make herself better. There was going to be pain - and lots of it - but it’d be pain that came from a hard day’s work - not the lingering pain from nearly severed hands. And one of those things was clearly better than the other.

Her new schedule was to wake up, train, train, train, train, and then temporarily get distracted whenever Weiss sent a message. Not that there was any problem with that. Weiss had already been deemed a very essential part of the day. The most essential, in fact!

But the second most essential was training, which Ruby started bright and early this morning. Well, technically it wasn’t bright at all since she was already outside with Thorn and Crescent Rose by the time the sun woke up.

Her morning training went well, but she had lots of time to regret the missed opportunities she’d had at dinner to ask if Weiss liked anyone. Seriously, she’d chickened out big time - more than once, too! There’d been so many chances to bring it up, but each time she ended up sputtering like a tugboat before asking a different question instead. It was horrible! It was like...knowing exactly what question you wanted to ask, but asking a different one instead.

Ok, maybe Ruby hadn’t asked what she wanted to ask...and she hadn’t brought up anything remotely close to the topic...but she had asked Weiss to come to the Beacon Invite! And Weiss said yes!

As an extra-added, cherry-on-top bonus, she was also coming over soon to help Ruby practice.

Essential + essential = essential squared!

Essential x essential = …she was a huntress, not a mathematician!

Either way, there were a lot of essential things happening at once. Ruby was going to train hard, and she was going to ask Weiss today. She was definitely going to. That was her daily goal, and she hated not reaching her goals. If she chickened out again...then she would voluntarily ask Yang to explain the plot of whatever show she currently loved watching. That was like five hours of punishment, minimum.

Wait, did Ruby really want to enforce a punishment that could potentially be everlasting?

Yes, she would because there was no way she wanted to listen to that! So she had to ask Weiss today. It would be easy! ‘Hey, do you happen to like anyone?’ It was only like...six words. Six little words that would reveal so much information. Like, most importantly, whether or not Ruby even had a shot.

But if Weiss replied with ‘oh yeah, this guy at my office…’ or something like that, Ruby was going to knock her head against the nearest wall to put herself back into the hospital.

Just kidding. Kind of...

‘Hey, do you happen to like anyone?’

The answer would either lead to very happy Ruby or really bummed Ruby.

Oh, it’s seven words. Well, whatever - it wasn’t many! She’d used more than that to greet her toothbrush this morning. Because who didn’t greet their toothbrush in the morning? It was only the thing that kept her teeth nice and white and clean. Wasn’t that deserving of a ‘good morning?’

Oral hygiene was very essential, which meant that Timmy-Too was a big part of her day! And he was extra special because Yang had driven around town to find him after his twin brother, Timmy, had grown a bit too old and frazzled. That had been a sad day...but now Timmy-Too was here, and there were six more Timmy’s in the closet waiting to be opened!

Humming a tune to herself, Ruby dashed into the kitchen to fill up a bottle of water for training (fairly essential - dehydration was no joke). Hearing a buzz from her pocket, she set down the partially-filled bottle and pulled out her scroll to find a message...from Weiss!

Wait, why was that surprising? Weiss was the only one who messaged her besides Yang and sometimes Blake.

Anyway, the message said...‘Is now be a good time to come over? I can leave the office in a few minutes.’

Yes! The best part of the day had finally arrived. Ruby had only waited alllll day for this very moment. Typing a happy response filled with exclamation points, she sent it off and stared down at the scroll for a second. When she saw that the message had been received, she slipped the device back into her pocket and continued her humming, adding in a few whistles to boot.

Weiss was comin’ over, yeah, yeah, yeah! Weiss was comin’ over toni-i-iight.

Reaching over the sink to fill her water bottle all the way up - whistling all the while - she glanced over her shoulder when she felt eyes watching her - and found both Yang and Blake staring at her. Blake was impossible to read, as usual, but Yang had this smile that said she was pleased to see something.

“What?” Ruby asked, shutting off the faucet and screwing the cap back on her bottle. The question made Yang’s smile turn into an outright grin.

“What’s got you in such a good mood?”

“I’m always in a good mood!”

“Uh huh…” Yang replied in a teasing tone. “So it wouldn’t be a certain short-tempered heiress that’s got you all chipper?”

“Weiss?” Ruby asked, her cheeks warming just from just the mention of Weiss’ name. “She’s not short-tempered.”

“Not with you,” Blake remarked before grinning. “And you dodged the question.”

Ruby grimaced at the accurate observation. Nothing slipped by Blake. Once, Ruby had seen the girl grab a fish right out of the water! Like...if that little bugger couldn’t slip past on its own turf, nothing ever would.

Of course, Ruby was far more cunning than a fish!

“I’m just having a good day,” she stated as nonchalantly as possible, throwing in a high-level shoulder shrug to boot. “Isn’t that allowed?”

It absolutely was allowed. It was! But the question clearly didn’t work. Instead, Yang and Blake exchanged big smiles before turning back to her.

“Ruby’s got a crushhhhhh.”

Ruby’s cheeks instantly heated up when Yang said the word in a sing-song voice and reached out to try to tickle her in the ribs.

“Come on, Yang,” Ruby said while wiggling away. “We’re just friends. It’s nice to have a friend.”

Yang nodded understandingly. “You’re right; it’s great to have friends - especially ones you can crush on.”

“We’re friends!” Ruby reiterated. Technically, she was telling the truth. She and Weiss were just friends, but that little technicality didn’t keep her cheeks from turning as red as her name.

“Are you feeling ok?” Yang asked, her eyes teasing while she faked concern. Stepping closer, she tried to press the back of her hand to Ruby’s forehead, but Ruby backed away. “Because you’re looking a little warm there.”

“It’s really hot in here!” Lifting her hands to her cheeks, Ruby could feel the heat radiating from them. It only got worse when Yang laughed and tried to reach out again, only for Ruby to knock her hand away.

“Give her a break, Yang,” Blake finally said, tapping Yang on the shoulder before walking over to the refrigerator. “Ruby, I made some lemonade this afternoon - your favorite. Want some?”

“Thank you, Blake,” Ruby replied before sticking her tongue out at her sister. “And yeah, that’d be awesome! I didn’t know you made any!”

“Sure did,” Blake replied while pulling a glass from the cupboard. “Oh, but how would you like your ice? Cubed or crushed?”

As soon as the word left Blake’s lips, Yang doubled over in laughter.

“Oh man,” she managed to say between laughs, holding up a fist for Blake to tap. “You really crushed that one.”

They were super pleased with themselves, but Ruby rolled her eyes.

“You guys are dorks.”

“Come on, Ruby!” Yang said between giggles that made Blake beam with pride. “Admit it - I know you think she’s cute!”

Pursing her lips together, Ruby refused to respond. But that didn’t stop her cheeks from burning even hotter in embarrassment. Weiss was one of the most beautiful girls Ruby had ever seen. It was like she’d stepped right out of a fairytale - a princess who was born to be pretty.

But Weiss wasn’t just a princess, and she wasn’t just pretty. She was super smart with a great sense of humor. She was generous and thoughtful and whenever she smiled, Ruby’s heart cartwheeled in her chest.

No way Ruby was ever telling Yang that though!

“I mean, I guess she’s pretty.” Ruby shrugged one shoulder and felt her blush darken. “Anyone would think that though.”

“Anyone?” Yang repeated with a grin while Ruby nodded.

“Yeah, anyone! So no need to make a huge deal about it, gosh…”

“You should know, Ruby, that your blush might as well be a signed confession,” Blake commented as she put the empty glass back into the cupboard.

“You didn’t even make lemonade??” Ruby gasped in shock. “You lied so that you could make a crappy joke?”

Blake returned Ruby’s consternation with what was probably supposed to be an innocent expression, but it was anything but.

“Hey now,” Yang cut in as she predictably came to Blake’s aid. “I’m the master of crappy jokes around here and that was not a bad one. A bad one would be something like - Ruby, your cheeks are as red as crushed tomatoes right now.”

While both of them laughed, Ruby raised her hands to feel her warm cheeks. Yup, they were definitely redder than red.

“So you think she’s cute! That’s adorable,” Yang said, wrapping an arm around Ruby’s shoulders and giving her a little shake. “I guess that means you’re finally old enough to have the talk.”

Blake let out a small snort of laughter before waving at Yang to continue. Turning her head, Ruby looked at her sister curiously.

“What talk?”

“You know...the birds and the bees.”

“Aw Yang!” she immediately whined, pushing Yang off of her.

“I believe it would be the birds and birds?” Blake asked, the question causing Yang’s brow to crease in thought before she grinned.

“Either way, I gotta give you the talk. It’s a rite of passage!”

“That’s not a thing!” Ruby protested.

“Yeah, it is! Everyone has to go through it!”

“Who gave you the talk then?” Ruby demanded. The smile dropped right off of Yang’s face as she glanced a Blake then shivered in fake horror.

“Dad did...and believe me - you’d much rather I did this than him.”

The idea of their dad giving any kind of serious talk made Ruby laugh, especially seeing Yang’s expression. Dad sucked with that type of stuff! He always used the worst things for comparison. Once, he tried to explain how rainbows worked using a teaspoon. Ruby had listened to the entire made-up spiel before Yang interrupted with the much more understandable version she’d just learned in school.

So yes - if Ruby actually wanted to learn something, Yang was the better option. But not in this case!

“I don't need any talk!” Ruby insisted instead. “I’m old enough to figure this out on my own!”

“Oh really? Ok, Miss Independent, then tell the truth - do you wanna kiss her?”

“Yang!” she shouted, her cheeks growing about a hundred times warmer in under a second.

“Oh she does,” Blake said with a grin.

“You’re blushingggg!” Yang added, gleefully poking at Ruby’s cheek.

“No, I’m - that’s not - this conversation is non-essential!” Ruby finally yelled, only succeeding in making both of her dumb housemates burst into more laughter before she rushed off to her room to find her boots. Weiss would be here any minute, and Ruby didn’t want to be stuck with those two dumb-dumbs any longer.

If blushing was an admission of how she felt...then she’d just admitted a whole heck of a lot. Curse her cheeks for giving away her feelings! And curse Yang for seeing right through her! Was it that obvious? Sure, she might have an itty, bitty, little crush. And yeah, maybe that also meant that sometimes she wanted to - yeah, Yang was just right about everything.

“But she’s a big stupid-head,” Ruby muttered to herself while pulling on one of her boots and tightening the laces.

“Ohhh guess who’s here!” Yang’s voice called out a few seconds later.

“Yang!” Ruby shouted out of her room while hastily stomping a foot into her second boot and stumbling into the hall. By the time she made it to the living room, Yang was pulling open the front door to let Weiss inside.

“Hey Weiss!” Yang said - way too cheerfully.

“Hello Yang,” Weiss replied, eyeing the girl suspiciously.

“We were just talking about you!”

Rushing over, Ruby used both hands to shove Yang out of the doorway. Not at all annoyed, Yang walked away chuckling with Weiss looked after her.

“Don’t listen to her,” Ruby said, sending a glare towards her sister. “She’s just upset because Blake didn’t make her any lemonade today.”

“Oh don’t worry, Ruby. Blake makes me lemonade every day,” Yang replied with a wink and grin that didn’t even fade from the look of disbelief Blake gave her.

“How did you manage to make that dirty?”

“I have no idea,” Yang answered with a shrug. “It’s all in the tone, I guess!”

“Come on, Weiss,” Ruby said, taking Weiss’ hand and heading towards the garage. “Those two are being super weird right now.”

“Let me know when you wanna have that talk, Ruby!” Yang called after them, her joyful laughter filtering through the garage door even after Ruby closed it with a disgruntled huff.

“They’re teasing you again?” Weiss asked.

“What else is new!”

When Ruby tried to throw her hands up in defeat, she realized that Weiss’ fingers were still intertwined with her own. Her mind also chose that moment to remind her of all the thoughts and feelings that had been rushing through her head for what felt like forever now. And that one other word that began with the letter ‘c’ - a capital one, at that.

If Yang could read Ruby’s mind right now, there’d be no end to the teasing. It didn’t help that Weiss was so pretty. Somehow she was even prettier today than when they’d gone out to dinner. Was Weiss getting prettier? Because that’d be really unfair to the rest of the world. And bad for Ruby.

When she realized she was staring, she blushed and released Weiss’ hand before moving to the other side of the workbench as if she was searching for something. Which she was! Where was Thorn? He was always a good distraction.

“Uh, so...how have you been?” she asked while opening a few drawers and closing them without looking inside.

Great. Now she was awkward Ruby. Well, technically she was always awkward Ruby, but sometimes she hid it better than others. This was not one of those times...

“I’ve been doing well - how have you been?”

Erg. Weiss had the most put together answers ever! How did she talk like that? Ruby couldn’t even convince her mind to think like that, let alone get her lips to cooperate stringing the words together.

“I’ve been busy!” she answered quickly, a rush of pent-up energy making her words tumble out faster than normal. “I got up super early this morning and ran like a bazillion miles, then ate breakfast, then trained with Thorn, then ate lunch, then read through a strategy guide on Beowolves, then fiddled with Thorn - and that’s basically it until you showed up!”

While Ruby spoke, she shoved several odds and ends around on the workbench so that Thorn could lay in the middle without anything crowding his space. Quickly pressing a couple of metal plates back in place on the back of the glove and screwing them in, she pulled it on to show Weiss.

“I added some new features!”

“Did you? Such as..?” Weiss asked, her eyes trained on the glove as if searching for whatever changes had been made. And her interest in Thorn was genuine, which made her the most perfect person ever.

“Uh, like...a tracking device!” Ruby answered while pointing to nothing more than a pinprick in one of the knuckles of the glove. “Cuz ya never know when you might need to be found, right?”

“That would be very useful if you were separated from your scroll.”

“Or if I got kidnapped!” Ruby joked, drawing a horrified expression onto Weiss’ face.

“I...I don’t even know what I’d do if that happened…”

“You’d come to my rescue, of course!”

“Well, I’d try…”

“On a unicorn!” Ruby added, grinning when the word succeeded in making Weiss look less serious about the matter. Except she still tried to look serious while dutifully nodding and hiding a smile.

“It has been a while since I’ve taken Ignacio out of the stables…”

The answer made Ruby burst into giggles.

“The unicorn stables?” she asked.

“Oh yes. We breed them, you know.”

“For racing?”

“No, they’re just nice to look at.”

Imagining a field of unicorns whose only purpose was to be looked at, Ruby laughed so hard that Weiss finally broke her serious expression and chuckled too.

“I’d love to see those!” Ruby quipped before turning her hand over and flexing her fingers. Satisfied with Thorn’s immediate response, she nodded. It was crazy to think that it hadn’t been too long ago that Thorn had felt like some alien attached to her hand. Now it was just...Thorn being Thorn!

“It sounds like you’ve had a busy day,” Weiss commented, casually resting her hands on top of the workbench.

Glancing over, Ruby grinned when the painted thorns began to glow from their proximity. That was so freaking cool. It was like she and Weiss were connected by these little lines of paint. Or...uh...Thorn and Weiss’ ring were connected by the paint, but that was essentially the same thing, right?

Subtly moving her gloved hand closer so the lines glowed even brighter, Ruby smiled up at Weiss. The smile she received in return was warm and friendly - such a big contrast to when they’d first met! There was still a hint of guardedness, but Weiss had changed a lot.

A lot of things had been changing recently, and they all seemed for the better!

“I, yeah, I was busy,” Ruby answered when she realized staring wasn’t going to advance their conversation. “But, uh, what’d you do today?”

Apparently, it was a sucky question to ask because it made Weiss’ smile disappear. Note to self...don’t ask that again!

“I worked all day. There’s a never-ending stream of approvals that I’m somehow needed for.” Glancing down at Ruby’s hand, Weiss sighed, her shoulders rising and falling from the weight of it. “I miss the days when I wasn’t involved in the family business…”

“What did you do before?” Ruby asked curiously, the question drawing Weiss’ eyes back to her.

After studying Ruby for a few seconds, Weiss shrugged and glanced away. The gesture was so weird! It was something Ruby did all the time, but for someone so proper it looked strange!

“When I was younger, I wasn’t expected to be involved due to school,” Weiss answered casually. “Those were the days.”

“I miss being a kid too. All play, no work!” Pausing for a second, Ruby wrinkled her brow before chuckling. “Although I guess that’s kinda what I do now…”

“I wouldn’t call training all day ‘play.’ Especially not how you do it.”

“Eh...I guess…” Ruby wasn’t entirely convinced, but it was nice of Weiss to try to make her feel better about not doing any sort of work. Her ‘job’ was to get healthy - that’s what Yang always said. “But soon I can go on hunts again! Yang said after the Beacon Invite we’d go on another one. My choice this time!”

Smiling, Weiss remained uncharacteristically silent after Ruby’s words. And after a few seconds, she glanced down at their hands resting on the workbench, appearing almost uncomfortable with what had just been said.

“You’re totally invited to come, if you want!” Ruby quickly added. To her, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Weiss could come with them on any hunt, but maybe it wasn’t as clear to Weiss. That’s why Ruby had asked Weiss to join their team! Then there wouldn’t be any confusion or uncertainty.

But it made sense that Weiss was a very important person at work and wouldn’t be able to make that type of commitment as easily as someone like Ruby could. Maybe one day though...that’d be super cool.

“I’d love to come with you, if you still want me to...at that time,” Weiss finally answered with a hopeful smile that made Ruby let out a scoff of disbelief.

“Are you kidding me? Of course I’ll want you there! Nothing’s ever gonna change that!”

When Ruby beamed, Weiss only met her eyes for a split second before turning away.

Weiss was talking like a crazy person though! They hadn’t known each other that long, but they were already so close. So close that Ruby was feeling things for Weiss that she’d never felt for another person before.

Coughing lightly into one hand, Ruby’s cheeks decided to preemptively heat up when she realized that now might be a good time to ask the question. It was an ok time, right? She could ask - she would ask. It was only six little words. No, seven. How was she going to ask again??

“Hey, so I’ve been kinda wondering…” she managed to say, gaining Weiss’ attention only for crystal blue eyes to make her even more nervous. But she could do this - she could ask right now. Right now.

Seriously, ask now.

“Uh, you know, I’ve been wondering...do you happen to...like anyone?”

Ok, that was way more than seven words. But yay, she’d done it! Although from the look on Weiss’ face, that wasn’t at all the question she’d been expecting Ruby to ask. Not in the slightest. Unless Weiss’ ‘pure shock’ expression was the same as her ‘was totally expecting that’ one.

“I-I mean, it just seems like, you know, you’d have a ton of options - i-if you were interested.”

Ruby sputtering like a fish out of water did little to wipe the shock from Weiss’ gaze. Maybe Ruby should’ve thought of something to say after she’d asked the question. Or she should’ve talked to Yang about this first because she had absolutely no idea what she was doing.

“Well,” Weiss finally responded, pausing for a second to clear her throat before continuing. “I...like you…”

“Yeah! Of course.” Ruby chuckled nervously while her cheeks blushed even harder. “I mean, I know that cuz we’re friends n’ all. I was more wondering like...uh, like more than that?”

With each second that passed with Weiss stared in open surprise, Ruby grew more and more embarrassed.

“You totally don’t have to answer that!” she finally said when she realized that she shouldn’t pry into Weiss’ personal life. “It’s really none of my business.”

“No, I...Ruby -”

“Ruby!”

At the sound of Ruby’s name, both of them turned towards the house - where Yang poked her head through the garage door a second later.

“Hey Ruby,” Yang said with a smile. “Can you help me with something real quick?”

Glancing at Weiss, who gave a half smile and nod, Ruby turned back to her sister.

“Uh, yeah! Sure!”

Meeting Yang at the door, Ruby looked over her shoulder before they left the garage behind, but Weiss was staring down at the workbench.

“Sorry, Blake - what did you need?” Yang asked as soon as they walked inside. Sitting on the sofa with one hand covering her eyes, Blake lowered it slowly and looked at them with a blank expression.

“Oh, nothing...was just trying to get your attention before you went out there…” she muttered before burying her nose in her book.

“As soon as Ruby helps me with this, my attention is all yours - promise!” Yang replied happily, taking Ruby’s shoulder in one hand and guiding her down the hallway towards the backyard.

The two of them navigated down the narrow hallway before Yang pushed open the back door and held it for Ruby to walk through.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Yang said as she hopped off the porch step and grabbed Ember Celica from the ground. “I’m having a little problem clearing a cartridge and thought I should ask you for help before I blew my good hand off.”

Chuckling, Ruby took one of the gauntlets from her sister and looked it over. Of course it was the right one having issues again. The right one had been the problem child for the longest time now...it didn’t make any sense either! Ruby fixed it all the time, but then it miraculously broke itself again.

“How did this even happen??” she asked, poking at a severely jammed rotating cylinder.

“I was...ya know...trying out those DEBs Weiss gave us. Blake told me not to put the red ones right after the blue, but I did anyway and mucked it up.” Running a hand through her hair, Yang let out a big sigh. “I guess I should’ve learned by now to always listen to her…”

“Probably should,” Ruby mumbled in the midst of her analysis. “You’d get in trouble less.”

“Yeah...but you know why I can’t? Because doing that would be admitting that all the years of school we dragged ourselves to was for nothing! Why did we go through all that torture if we were just gonna let the women in our lives tell us what to do anyway?? If I listen to Blake all the time, I’m admitting I wasted my life!”

“I would listen to Weiss,” Ruby replied. “She’s way smarter than me!”

“She’s not. She just thinks she is.”

When Ruby rolled her eyes, Yang continued.

“Ok, ok. So I’d say that Weiss is right a lot, but Blake is always right.”

“For your safety, I won’t tell either of them you said that,” Ruby joked, making Yang laugh. Tugging one more time at the gauntlet she was holding, Ruby dropped her arms and sighed.

“I’m gonna need some tools to get this out,” she concluded. “Won’t take long, but I don’t want to blow my hand off either.”

“Cool. Thank you!” When Ruby turned towards the house, Yang’s hand reached out to stop her. “But hey, before you go...how’s it going in there?” Nodding in the general direction of the house, Yang grinned.

“With Weiss?” Ruby asked after following her sister’s nod.

“Yeah - you two having fun?”

The question sounded innocent, but Yang’s expression was a dead giveaway that she wanted to tease Ruby again. Maybe. Sometimes it was so hard to tell! Maybe Yang wanted to tease, or maybe she was curious because she’d sensed the extreme wave of awkwardness wash over the house when Ruby attempted to find out if Weiss was already interested in someone.

“It’s fun! I like when Weiss comes over!” Ruby responded truthfully. “And I’m glad you two aren’t mad at each other anymore.”

“Me too, kiddo, me too,” Yang replied with a genuine smile, patting Ruby’s shoulder before turning to head inside.

Apparently, that hadn’t been meant as an opportunity to tease, but now this might be Ruby’s only chance to ask Yang for some advice.

“Uh, Yang?” Ruby asked, the question causing her sister to turn back to her.

Did she really want to ask Yang about this? Her sister might use the knowledge to tease her until the end of time, but Yang was also really good with people, so…

“I was wondering…” Ruby began slowly, her cheeks blushing from merely thinking about the topic. “If you, like, do you happen to know - or maybe have an idea - or something, uh…”

Yang’s expression grew more amused the longer Ruby stuttered. But how did she want to ask? And why were these questions so dang hard to get out??

“How do you know,” she tried again. “Or how do you guess, or, ya know, have some sort idea if - if another person -”

Groaning, she put her head in her hands. This was so embarrassing!

“I hope the ends of these questions are good,” Yang finally said with a light chuckle. “What’s up, Ruby? What’s got your tongue tied in knots?”

The friendly reaction immediately put Ruby at ease. Yang always had that way about her - if she sensed that something was difficult for another person to get through, she found a way to make it easier with nothing more than a few short words or a little laugh. People skills...Yang had gotten all of them.

“Ok,” Ruby attempted a third time, now feeling far more assured in her decision to seek Yang’s advice. “How do you know if someone...uh...likes you?”

Blinking once in surprise, Yang tried to stop a growing smile - failing miserably, by the way.

“Are you talking about -?” Pausing, Yang nodded towards the house, and Ruby felt her cheeks grow redder.

“Um...yes?”

Laughing, Yang pulled Ruby in for a big hug.

“Of course Blake likes you!” Yang said while ruffling Ruby’s hair. “You’re practically her sister!”

“Yangggg!” Ruby whined, shoving her sister away and straightening out her hair. “You know I mean - you know…” Looking around as if someone might be watching them, she ducked her head and lowered her voice. “I mean Weiss.”

“I know. Just wanted to hear you say it,” Yang replied with a grin. “Because you like her, don’t you?”

“Maybe…” Ruby muttered, making Yang reach out and tickle at her ribs, forcing her to laugh.

“You do, don’t ya? Come on, spill, Ruby! You gotta tell me!”

“Yangggg!” Ruby squealed while wiggling in her sister’s grasp. “Ok - ok, yes! I do!”

Letting go, Yang beamed in satisfaction while Ruby straightened her shirt and huffed in indignation.

“There - are you happy now?”

“Yup!” Yang replied, not at all perturbed by Ruby’s pretend agitation. “Ok, how to tell if someone likes you...well, normally if someone doesn’t like you, they’ll try to punch you. At least that’s always been the case for me.”

When Ruby rolled her eyes, Yang dropped her grin and kept talking - finally taking on a more serious and thoughtful expression.

“I guess it’s more of a feeling...or a hunch. It’s kinda hard to describe, but I guess the easiest way to find out is to see if they treat you differently than other people.”

“Differently how?”

“Like...maybe they make eye contact with you more, or they laugh at more of your jokes, or when they’re around you, you can just feel that they like being there.”

“Like how Blake laughs at your jokes even when they’re not funny,” Ruby teased.

“Ha ha - very funny,” Yang replied cheekily. “I’ll have you know that Blake thinks I’m hilarious.”

“Uh huh…”

“That’s only one part though!” Yang added, quickly changing the subject. “You can compare how they act with you versus other people. That’ll tell you most of the story, right? But honestly, Ruby, the easiest thing is just to tell her how you feel.”

“Just...flat out tell her that I like her??” Ruby asked in surprise. It had been nearly impossible for her to ask if Weiss liked anyone - how could she ever spill all these feelings out into the open??

“That’s the fastest way. And then hopefully she’ll tell you how she feels in return.”

Thinking about Yang’s words, which were not as wisdomous as she might’ve hoped, Ruby could already feel her nerves growing second and third cousins. Yang was wrong - the easiest route was to secretly and slyly figure out if Weiss liked anyone, then figure out who that person might be. Scratch that. The easiest route was actually to do nothing, and maybe Weiss would eventually ask Ruby who she liked. What Yang was suggesting was the opposite of easy.

“But that sounds impossible!” Ruby wailed.

“Yeah, I know,” Yang replied with a reassuring smile and nod of understanding. “But that’s the best way to know for sure. Like with Blake...I thought she might like me, but I wasn’t sure until I bit the bullet and asked her out.”

“But you at least had an idea that she might like you first!” Ruby pointed out, which made Yang nod again.

“Sure, there were hints. Like how she seemed like a loner, but then she stuck to my side like glue. She refused to stop reading in the middle of a chapter for anyone, except for me. Like seriously, if you interrupted her before she got to the end of a page, she could kill you with a glare. But, for some reason, I got special treatment. And then the more we got to know each other, the more she opened up about her past - her hopes and dreams and failures and fears...things she’d never told anyone before, she told me.”

Briefly pausing, Yang looked towards the house - where Blake was probably still sitting on the sofa with a book in hand.

“I kept her secrets,” Yang continued in a soft tone. “I protected them. Treasured them, even. That was what made me special - and that was a feeling unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. For this guarded, mysterious girl to trust her darkest secrets with me, of all people…”

Finally turning back to Ruby, there wasn’t a drop of humor left in Yang’s eyes.

“Do you feel like Weiss treats you differently?”

“I’ve only ever seen her around you and Blake…”

“Yeah, but does she treat you differently than us? Does she kinda gravitate more towards you?”

Furrowing her brow, Ruby tried to decide if that was true. Weiss did seem to stay closer to Ruby than Blake or Yang, but that could have more to do with them than with Ruby. Especially when Yang hadn’t been very welcoming for a while.

“I guess…” Ruby replied, even though she wasn’t entirely convinced.

“Does she trust you with things she hasn’t told anyone else?”

“I think so? Or she’s tried…” Ruby mumbled, remembering the conversation they’d had in the garage when she’d first looked over Myrtenaster. Weiss had been guarded, but it seemed like she’d made an effort to open up. It hadn’t been entirely descriptive or detailed, but she’d allowed Ruby to see a bit of the pain she almost always hid from view.

“And when she turns those pretty blue eyes on you, do shivers go up and down your spine?”

“Yang!” she whined at the unexpected tease. Still, she couldn’t help but smile when Yang chuckled.

“You know what I see, Ruby? I see a girl who goes out of her way to make sure you’re happy. Even if it makes her uncomfortable or if it’s something she doesn’t think she can do, she does it for you. Everything she does seems to have you in mind.”

“Do you really think so?” Ruby asked, earning a nod in reply.

“You can tell her,” Yang said, setting one hand on Ruby’s shoulder and smiling down at her. “She’d be crazy not to like you too.”

Yang might be the master of bad jokes, but she was also the queen of pep talks.

“Thanks, Yang,” Ruby replied, relief beginning to swirl through her. “And, uh, you don’t think it’s weird or anything? Since she’s your friend?”

“Do you think it’s weird to be friends with Blake?” Yang asked in return, causing Ruby to pause for a second before shaking her head.

“No, I guess not...”

“And you know I’m even less likely to be weirded out by that type of thing, so don’t worry! But...if she says she doesn’t like you or makes you sad, I’m going to beat up on her a bit.”

“Yangggg.”

“Ok, ok, I won’t! But if you’re crying, no promises.”

After sharing a grin, Ruby leaned into her sister’s shoulder for a firm sideways hug and kiss on the head.

“So when ya gonna tell her?” Yang teased, making Ruby let out a big sigh as they walked back into the house together.

“I have no idea…”

It had taken her an entire day to work up the courage to ask a somewhat related question. How long would it take her to come right out and tell Weiss how she felt?

‘Hey Weiss, I kinda, sorta, maybe like you. Like you, like you.’

When they walked into the living room, Ruby saw that Weiss had come in from the garage and was talking to Blake about something. Maybe it was the sound of footsteps, but something caused both of them to turn towards Ruby and Yang at the same moment. Leaving Ruby behind, Yang walked right over to Blake and pulled her into a loving hug, burying her face in the crook of Blake’s neck.

“Oh, hey there,” Blake murmured in surprise before lifting a hand to gently run through Yang’s hair.

Weiss didn’t seem to notice the two. Instead, her attention was solely for Ruby as she stared with clear blue eyes that seemed to finish the incomplete smile resting on her lips. Chills ran up and down Ruby’s arms, and her skin tingled with happiness for no other reason than that Weiss was right there - within reach. The best part was that Weiss looked just as happy to see Ruby too - as if they’d been apart for a really long time even though it was only a few minutes.

And suddenly...Ruby understood what Yang had been trying to explain.

Holy Grimm...Weiss might like her.

“I need to fix this! I’ll be right back!” Ruby said quickly while holding up Ember. Weiss barely managed to nod in response before Ruby raced into the garage and closed the door behind her. Taking deep breaths, she braced her back against the door like she might blow away in the nonexistent wind, while her heart threatened the beat out of her chest and run a few marathons unsupervised.

Weiss might like her though! Her! Ruby - the awkward one? Yeah, her. How had that happened? Who cared! If it was true…

If it was true, then Weiss liked her - and Ruby already knew that she liked Weiss - so they liked each other! Ok, so what was supposed to happen next?

Ruby needed to tell Weiss how she felt. Ah, shoot. Did that mean she should start thinking of some elaborate plan to ask Weiss out - like what Yang had done with Blake?

Did this mean that Weiss wanted to...kiss Ruby too?

Someone must’ve glued wings to Ruby’s feet because she nearly flew over to the workbench to fix Ember Celica. Tossing Yang’s weapon down, she found the proper tools to pry it open and started unscrewing some of the parts to fix the jam. By now, she’d taken the gauntlets apart and put them back together so many times she could probably do it with her eyes closed. Which was good because her mind was reeling at the moment.

Ok, one thing at a time. Just one thing at a time. First, she’d train as hard as possible for the Beacon Invite. Then, after the Invite was over, she could plan a way to ask Weiss out. Or to just confess all of these butterfly-y feelings fluttering through her chest.

What if Weiss asked her first???

Focus, Ruby! Beacon Invite first, then Weiss. Maybe she could invite Weiss to the Invite.

Lame. She should keep thinking. And maybe stop smiling like an idiot.

Or just keep thinking.

#RWBY #White Rose #Weiss Schnee #Ruby Rose #What Defines Us

79 notes · View notes

kingdenbro · 6 years

Note

Stanlon,, they have a picnic in the summer & stanny brings his bird books and teaches mike alllll about birds

I absolutely love stanlon and would Die for Two (2) Soft Boyfriends (apologies for this being so late; life was being…., Life &&. i apologize for going off on another fuckin’ tangent)

Everyone knew. Every single one of the Losers knew that Mike and Stan were made to coexist, circling each other like one heart that was split into two chests. They fit perfectly; the subtle chaotic yet obsessively-structured soul contrasted perfectly with the patient and firm one.

But this… This, no one else knew about. This was something that was purely for Stan and Mike, a side of them that no one else deserved to see. This was their little thing, caught between the flutter of closing eyes for the late night thinkers and the waking yawn of early morning risers.

“You ready?” Mike whispered, sliding on a plaid winter jacket. The early morning August air was always harsh and nipped at exposed skin aggressively. He was leaning against his stair railing, looking towards at the top at Stan. Stan looked down at his hands, nodding frantically as a soft blush grew across his cheeks. He moved down the stairs quietly, wincing in fear of waking Mike’s parents every time the wood creaked beneath his bare feet. Mike always reassured him that they wouldn’t bother them but the fear was still there.

“Yeah,” Stan breathed, the word getting caught on the end of his tongue. He quickly slipped on his sneakers before looking up at Mike. Mike gave a gentle smile back, tightening his grip on the small basket and blanket in his hands before opening the front door. He was thankful that his parents understood that he and Stan sometimes slipped out into the dead of the night and he was even more grateful that no one ever really called it out for what it truly was. When he climbed into the driver’s side of his truck, he waited for the soft ‘twenty-three’ from Stan and the last click of the lock. He reached over to grab Stan’s hand and gave a loving grin at the sight of Stan’s sympathetic eyes.

The night drive was one of the most peaceful things that Mike grew to love. The pair of them always chose to leave the radio off, the reminder of their friends’ loud voices and off-tune singing fading to the backseat. Stan would drum his thumb against Mike’s palm and Mike would always press a gentle kiss to Stan’s cheek at every stop sign and red light. The soft blushes that grew across both of their cheeks were sights that both of them etched onto their minds, basking in the secrecy of their innocent yet powerful love.

Stan always led the way when they finally got to their destination. It was a place outside of Derry, further than Mike’s farm and even further from the chaotic lives they both lived. He would grab Mike’s free hand and lead him into the dark, letting the familiarization of the forest lead him into the forest. And Mike would always follow without a heartbeat.

Truth be told, Mike would follow Stan anywhere. The boy felt like home in a place so unwelcoming and foreign, bringing light into something so dark. He could never find himself angry at all the things that Stan once worried would anger him; they were just another part of his boy, another piece of the puzzle that completed Stanley Uris.

“Are you listening, Mike?” Stan asked impatiently without any malice in his tone. He stared up at Mike with expectant eyes and his lips curled down in a frown that mirrored a stifled grin. Mike snapped out of his trance, heat floating across his cheeks as he shook his head. He slid his arm to rest behind Stan, kicking his legs out in front of him.

“No but if you repeat it once again, I’ll promise to make sure to listen extra-hard.” Stan rolled his eyes and shifted closer to the other boy, dropping his bird book in his lap. He leaned forward and slightly to the side, his shoulder grazing along Mike’s chest. His legs were crossed with his knee resting slightly on Mike’s thigh, scrunching the blanket beneath them. Their basket - picnic basket, Stan once corrected - sat beside Mike’s other hand and a jelly sandwich rested on a plate by his other hand but it was long-forgotten due to the sight of Stan.

Stan was wrapped up in one of Mike’s older sweaters, thumbs sticking out between worn holes in the cuffs. The faded ‘Mathletes’ across Stan’s chest made Mike chuckle at the thought of Stan competing in the Baptist Church’s Mathletes competitions with him. He was wearing blue plaid pyjama bottoms, the bottom of them reaching just to the bottom of his heels. His hair was wild, the often orderly curls now astray from the early-morning winds. And his soft, quiet voice–

Oh, his voice.

“This is a Nightjar. Well, it’s a Common Poorwill but it’s apart of the nightjar family,” Stan murmured, subconsciously leaning closer to Mike. His finger grazed along the page, lip tucked between his teeth as he quickly read over the pages. Mike’s eyes flickered down to the page, wincing at the sight of the bird. “It’ll probably be one of the ones quieting down soon but it is nocturnal. Its calls are soft and like.. I don’t know how to describe it but it reminds me of your personality as a sound.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Soft but melodic? I would hope so.” Mike let out huff that sounded like a stifled chuckle, rolling his eyes as a soft blush made itself stretch across his cheeks. He leaned back towards Stan, pressing his head against Stan’s as he listened to the boy ramble about the different types of Nightjar birds habituating North America. He drummed his thumb against the blanket, feeling it catch against Stan’s sweatshirt every now and then but he couldn’t be bothered to move even in the slightest. He hummed in confirmation every time Stan asked if he was still listening.

As the sun began to rise, both of the boys were nibbling on jelly sandwiches and downing coca-cola by the bottles. Mike had his jacket situated behind him, using it as a pillow to lean his elbows back onto once he finished his food. He stared at Stan lovingly, noting how the boy always chewed seven times before swallowing and took a sip after every three bites. Mike tilted his head before opening his mouth just to clamp it back shut.

“What?”

“Why.. This place?” Mike looked around them, noting the chirp of the morning-rising birds. They were faint yet frequent in numbers, coming from the highest places in the trees. They were quite literally surrounded by tall trees, the shadows casted by the rising sun covering them.

“Because it’s where my dad and I used to come. Before he got busy and I got busy, too.” Stan looked upwards at the sky, a reminiscencing smile flickering on his face. He looked back down at Mike before reaching forward, letting his hand gently press against the side of Mike’s neck. He slowly slid his hand up until his thumb was caught below Mike’s jaw and his fingers stretched out to just beneath his ear. “And because I can do this.”

Mike let his eyes flutter shut as he felt Stan’s lips against his own. The kiss was soft and sweet, like vanilla milkshakes and first crushes. Mike smiled into the kiss as old memories flooded back upwards and he moved to wrap an arm around Stan and pull him closer. Stan yelped against Mike’s lips as he collided with the other boy’s chest, pushing him to the ground. Their lips moved against each other for what felt like forever, never making a move towards pulling away or towards getting deepened. Stan finally pulled away to draw in a deep breath, lips slightly swollen and his cheeks flushed. He pulled his hand away from Mike’s neck to rest on his chest, jutting his lip out when Mike reached forward to catch Stan’s lower lip with his thumb.

“I still need to learn more, babe. Can we come back soon?”

#GOD TIER SHIP #stanlon #stan uris #mike hanlon #short drabble #danny boy writes out a request #Anonymous

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leagueofawesomedudes · 4 years

Text

2020 LOAD Week 7 Preview

Alright boys, we’re friggen back. I sat at my computer watching a rant-filled groupme conversation as I flipped back and forth between the 37 tabs of the historical data LOAD spreadsheet when I came to the decision 6 weeks is long enough. No longer will you be deprived of my majestic, dare I say, God-like pen to paper fantasy football previews. That’s right, pucker up your buttholes and be ready to masturbate with your tears of joy, laughter, and distraught as I destroy each and every one of you. No Browns talk, no putting it lightly, no bullshit.

Before I start, TJ we appreciate your commissioning efforts in the 2020 season. This is not in spite, I just really missed the preview articles and is my push to somehow keep them around.

And now back to your regularly scheduled cheek spreading unadulterated fun.

“Jared, wait for this sick drop” The Injured Reserve (1-5) vs.

“Burg, I think these guys actually want to fuck me” Can’t Guard Mike (3-3)

If Jon’s not ferociously defeating the CoCo (Covid19) or nervously giggling as the Squad guys make questionable sexual advances on him, he’s putting together a solid team. I mean you can’t knock a guy with a 3-3 record when you’ve scored the most points in the LOAD. Buuut I’m going to anyway. Suck it Jon. Casey’s still recovering from drafting Joe Mixon in the first-round last year but I will say has elevated his strive for the playoffs. He even did a trade! Good job man someone had to respond to Dom eventually. Your participation in the Groupme on game days (mostly Monday nights) is welcomed and if you ever schedule a tee time at 7am that doesn’t also require a 2 hour commute I’m totally down. Unless Doug’s there I’m all set on my 401k. Unfortunately for Casey, Jon is returning Michael Thomas after his teammate altercation (HideYoWifeInNawlins?) and looks to earn a playoff spot the old-fashioned way with his record.

Jon > Cholly

“The Snowman” SheDiggsMyCobb (0-6) vs.

“Why’s the Snowman doing all my coke” Pelting Coopers (4-2)

Bennett as much as I appreciate you on my side of the Kicker argument your record is almost making me want you on the other side. We’ve all seen the “historical” data showing where you stand but you do realize you have to get W’s or you fall behind right? This is what you get for recklessly abandoning your strong stance on a roster full of white players only housing 4 on the roster? And to think we all depended on you. Dom I have to say we all enjoy you a lot more without the bullshit time advantage our previous waiver wire system afforded you. The FAAB system has given us all new found time and sleep on our hands but unfortunately for you has also opened the door to the testing facility every other Wednesday. No one blames you with the LA puh and that hair of yours. Speaking of trade rapes, no one talks enough about the Hunt for Edelman straight up during a tough Browns opener and an extremely intoxicated Chad. Well done sir, whether ethical or not, well done. Bennett stays as defeated as his meat on page 113 of XNXX and counting, and takes the L.

Salami > Benito

“What’d you say you use to slow balding? My friend was wondering” Dj Play Moore Drake (2-4) vs.

“Bro check it it’s River, like Rocky River, where I live, get it?!?!” jared donovan’s team

Man, I’ve seen few people more confident than Paul heading into the season. He had the mock drafts, the magazines, the insiders, hell even Reddit! And yet here we are. You all thought I was trade raped but yet here. we. are. Our loving Paul with the closest thing to an unbreakable spirit, almost broken. I do think there’s potential for a rebound this year, but Jared is totally trying now and never was before last year so it won’t happen this week. New house, new puppy, same Jared. Guy throws a moving party on my birthday weekend of all weekends. Just when you think Jared can’t surprise you any more, he gives me an entire day to show off how fucking big I am in front of all my friends. No ladies, your boyfriend is still not bigger than me. Thanks again dude it was the highlight of my 2020. Jared somehow gets one of the top QB’s in the league AND Darius Slayton for a rookie QB potentially on the rise and he’s in a spot to continue to do some damage in the LOAD. Paul, you’re going to need one of Jared’s 3 hour long showers to recover from this beatdown.

Jerry > Pav

“I’m not triggered but CEH’s game was undisputedly the 1st game of the year” 2 Younghoes 1 Kupp (4-2) vs.

“Wait I don’t have Wentz anymore?” Under the Influwentz (2-4)

A Mr. Douglas Yeckley is the latest to join the fiancé gang and I personally can’t wait until I hit my annual quota of 1 face to face hang out at the Secret Santa to congratulate him in person. I’m still trying to figure out if he checks his email more than the groupme and actually knows he’s the second-best fantasy manager in the LOAD. Yahoo favors the autodraft, can’t wait to see how he does without it next year :) Sam, Sam, Sam. Trying to determine how I feel about writing this on your birthday. I can hate on your dedication to Fantasy as much as I want, but gosh darnit do I have to respect it. Especially with Ashley calling all of your shots this year. We all know she’s been the brains behind this operation this year. Just wait bud, that spreads into all decisions you make real soon. The old “well her lease is up so it makes sense” is how it alllll starts my friend. Won’t be long until that hair of yours starts to look like mine and Pauls. And just because I always root against you, I’m sticking to my guns.

Fur > Sammy

“You said she’s 18? Nah too old for me” Street Charks (3-3) vs.

Dad (6-0)

Battle of the daddys. Chad out on the streets, and Shawn in the burb life. I’ve been sitting here trying to determine which one of their kids has a better chance of coming out with a bomber on. History repeats itself so I think we have the answer. It’s not often I’m called a trend setter, but this may be the start. Shawn needs to watch out as Chad’s newly shaved arms not only make him look more jacked, aerodynamic when he fights, but it also packs an extra punch in fantasy. Shawn’s the only remaining undefeated team left, but I feel the walls are closing in on him with some injuries to the roster. Even as he’s reading this Chad’s defending Shawn in his head, and giggling as he hears “Right Shawn?” “No, left Shawn”. Just hoping I can get one random, witty comment from Shawn in the groupme from this and I’ll feel accomplished. You’re upset of the week boys, you heard it here first.

Wardog > Carothers

***Game of Ze Week***

“It’s actually classified as hair-thinning, that’s all” Kickers & Defense (4-2) vs.

“Oh yeah? Well my friends all tell me I’m the best commish they’ve ever had” Tony Time (3-3)

If you thought I was going through all of this trouble to write this and not putting myself as the game of the week you’re dumber than Malik. And with that, I’ll lead into a fan favorite, story time:

It’s a brisk Fall morning amidst a global pandemic but more importantly, fantasy season. The squad members have begun to wake and start their days. It’s Friday, so Solden has already been trying to get the troops going as Chad frantically thinks of things to talk about. A small tickle from his mustache causes Tony to slowly open his eyes, taking in a deep breath as Petey licks his face. It’s a calm 8:45, so he still has time to drink his coffee outside before starting his day. As he scrolls among the 37 groupme notifications he figures, why not download the Yahoo app and see what’s going on. Notifications? Hmm I wonder what that could be. His eyes widen. Mouth drops. Sweat begins to pour as The Darth Vader coffee mug slips from his grasp. *Justin Herbert – Questionable (ribs)* *Dionte Johnson – Out (back)*

*Clyde Edwards-Helaire – Questionable (Ankle)*. This can’t be he says. I rallied them all yesterday it mustn’t be! These trades were fool proof! He frantically sprints over to the computer as Petey sits next to his empty food bowl. “At a time like this?!? Not now Petey!!!” He repeats in his head chant-like “The spreadsheet will have the answers, the spreadsheet will have the answers” as he frantically logs in. No… No it can’t be…. He had it saved to the desktop he’d just edited it the night before for 9 hours! Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!

“Tj wake up” He jumps. He checks his mustache to make sure it’s still there. It was just a dream. And all is right in the world again.

Solden > Tj

What’s that Jon? I can’t hear you with Trumps dick in your mouth. Boom Roasted.

Tj is your full-time job as a Commissioner or at Park Place? Boom Roasted.

Dom a 3 is still a 3 in LA we all see the snaps. Boom Roasted.

Shawn locked yourself out of your house lately? Boom Roasted.

Sam when’s the coronavirus peak coming? Boom Roasted.

Jared it’s going away right after the election, right? Boom Roasted.

Doug I’m not talking about work at Secret Santa. Boom Roasted.

Chad a 3 is still a 3 in Lakewood we all see the snaps. Boom Roasted.

Casey I miss driving you to O’Bleness. Boom Roasted.

Paul I’m writing this while I’m working from home at home. Boom Roasted.

Bennett I’m writing this while I’m working from home at home. Boom Roasted.

Malik you’re an idiot and can’t read this. Boom Roasted.

Damn that felt good. Until next time boys. Solden out.

0 notes

wordcreatr · 5 years

Text

Like a lot of people, I’m never satisfied with my weight. Whether I’m gaining it or losing it, I never end up completely satisfied with the result. I think that dissatisfaction stems from the fact that I don’t magically transform into some young, good-looking buff dude.

As many of you know, I went to the UK in May to attend my cousin Liam’s wedding. Months before I left, I decided I didn’t want a repeat of my last visit — this time I would show up in somewhat reasonable shape. Okay, that’s kind of a misstatement because I don’t work out at all, so “in shape” is a wistful dream rather than a goal. While showing up sculpted like Chris Hemsworth would have been ideal, showing up and not looking like 190 pounds (86 kg) of chewed bubblegum seemed slightly more attainable.

Thar She Blows!

Last time I went to the UK in 2017 to kick off The Year of Sean, I arrived in Blighty the heaviest I’d ever been. (A slowing metabolism, no willpower, and two years of working in a corporate office with a serious snacking culture will do that to a person.) While in the UK, I didn’t help matters by pigging out like a hunter-gatherer trying to build up a layer of fat for the lean times. I eventually tipped the scales at a somewhat portly 196 pounds, well above my ideal fighting weight. (This might not seem like a lot, but remember, I was the kid nicknamed Stick Man. And while I did go on numerous 5-mile walks in the English countryside during my month-long stay, I also ate and drank everything in sight. I’d like to say it was a wash, but it wasn’t.

My face was looking a wee bit round in 2017.

Slimming Down

After I returned home to the States in 2017, my weight gain bummed me out, but I did nothing about it. Until one day, as I was minding my own business, the Houseguest observed I looked pregnant. (By the way, God help me if I ever made the same comment to her — just saying). Now, it’s one thing to think you’re fat but a whole different ballgame to have someone confirm it for you. I’d seen the photographic evidence from my vacation snaps, but that was easy to rationalize: “Oh, it’s a bad angle” or “I’m just not photogenic.” But the sad truth was I was overweight (and unphotogenic).

So, in a rare moment of determination, I lost weight and ended up dropping 27 lbs in a couple of months. It happened so fast, it surprised some people. So, what was my secret?

So if I join, I get my ideal weight and unlimited power, right? I don’t have to do anything weird, do I?

Still waiting on the unlimited power.

No, no, I didn’t actually join a cult or make a deal with the devil (believe it or not, I was a groomsman in a Halloween wedding).

To lose weight, I just had to get motivated. And my top motivator was never hearing the Houseguest refer to me as being-with-child again. I also relied on intermittent fasting (or laziness-induced starvation as it’s more accurately known). Working from home as a freelancer and part-time Uber driver, I just didn’t eat often during the day. Also, my income fluctuated wildly, so I cut expenses by eliminating fast food. And though I like to socialize, I also avoided going out to dinner with my friends because they like to eat out. A lot.

Another change was to follow the Houseguest’s dietary suggestions (more protein and fiber; fewer carbs). Veggies are cheap, so I made a lot of salads and threw cheese and pepperoni on them and had the occasional naan bread. Instead of cookies and potato chips, I snacked on crackers, cheese, pepperoni, and apples. I substituted a spoonful of peanut butter drizzled with honey for sweet stuff. Oh, and I became a reluctant walker in the desert evenings. What can I say? It all worked and I quickly dropped to 169 lbs (76.6 kg), which turned out to be a bit too thin. Getting skinny when you get older just makes you look gaunt.

Maintaining my weight gets harder

During the year after I slimmed down, my weight fluctuated by a few pounds but remained fairly stable around 175 lbs.

When I abandoned freelancing and joined an agency, I faced the common hurdles of an office environment like Bagle Monday; Donut Thursday; free pizza; copious snacks. The caloric assault was nonstop and my weight started to creep up.

When I got the invite to my cousin Liam’s wedding, I was up to 181 lbs. Originally, I wanted to defy time by losing weight and getting in shape so I looked younger. Instead, I compromised with myself and settled on a more attainable goal — fitting into my wedding clothes without the button on my pants screaming for help as it held on for dear life.

Trying to go on a diet; Houston, we have a problem

So, I did all right maintaining my weight — until about a month before my departure when my efforts started to go off the rails. It’s ridiculous, I know; I was almost to the finish line. I have no excuse other than moderation and willpower are alien concepts I am unable to truly embrace.

A delicious calorie bomb at the Cornish Pasty, one of our group’s go-to places.

The slip-ups kept piling up. Going out for too many high-calorie dinners with my buddies or going out for lunch at work and ignoring the sensible salad I’d brought from home. Even worse, the special events started to pile up as invitations came in for BBQs and birthday parties and celebrations with family friends, etc, etc. And despite my conviction to show restraint, every one of them turned into a gluttonous Roman feast where I gorged myself — the only thing missing was a slave feeding me bonbons while I reclined on a couch.

Eating like a big leaguer

The low point in my gluttony occurred when Fox Sports Arizona invited our agency to watch a Diamondbacks’s game in a corporate suite with an all-you-can-eat buffet spread. In an effort to avoid traffic (which turned out to be nonexistent), I arrived forty minutes before everyone else. With time to kill and no witnesses to bolster my accountability, I attacked the unattended buffet of unhealthy ballpark food with all the gusto of a vampire on the loose at a hemophiliac convention.

Mine! It’s alllll minnnnnne!

After everyone else arrived, I played it cool and pretended I hadn’t eaten, then gobbled my way through seconds and thirds, drank beer, had some (several) dessert(s) and topped it all off with a healthy serving of self-loathing. I spent the rest of the game making small talk and feeling uncomfortable because I’d eaten too much.

The closer my departure date got, the more demoralized I became. It reached a point where I was afraid to get on my scale. It had become an unwelcome prophet of doom, reading out its digital prediction that my fatass wasn’t going to fit into my wedding attire. Then I had a moment of panic when right before I departed, I discovered that a ravenous moth had infiltrated my closet and eaten holes into my backup plan — a pair of out-of-fashion trousers with cuffs and an expandable waistline (basically, a dressier version of fat pants). Shit.

I’m a weak, weak man

No, I didn’t eat them all — just the big one.

During my month of pre-vacation weakness, one thing I kept craving was a Dairy Queen Blizzard. For my international readers, a Blizzard is a type of tasty soft ice cream treat that is available with multiple ingredients and is roughly about a million calories. Against all odds, I managed to avoid giving in — for a while. Numerous times, I was about to head over to DQ when I’d miraculously regain self-control. Then about a week before my flight, I finally succumbed. My thinking went along the lines of ‘What if the plane crashes? Skipping that Blizzard won’t have mattered.’ I couldn’t beat that logic.

As I drove over to DQ, I told myself I’d only get a mini Blizzard or maybe a small one; definitely not a medium. But I’d been denying myself so long, I caved while ordering at the drive-thru and got the largest Blizzard that DQ offered. On the way home, I told myself I’d only eat part of it and then finish the rest up over the next two days. But after eating a sensible amount, that delicious, icy siren kept calling me back to the fridge for another spoonful. Forty minutes later, I had vanquished the Blizzard. That was 1400+ calories on top of everything else I had eaten that day. My lack of control left me ashamed. (But that Blizzard was so worth it.)

The league of chubby fellows

By the time I arrived in England, I weighed six pounds heavier than I wanted to be. Luckily, I still fit into my wedding clothes (barely) but I didn’t have much wiggle room left in my waistband. Problem was, I had six days to get through until the wedding. The last two visits I stayed with my Aunt Bernadette, where healthy eating and portion control are the norm, which counterbalanced all the excess I experienced hanging out with my cousins, the Dillons. This time, however, I would be staying at 22 Kings Lane (Dillon Central) where food is abundant and self-control is in short supply. I knew I was in trouble.

22 Kings Lane

Now, my uncle, Daddy Bernard, eats sensibly. However, his five sons can put the food and beer away. However, some of them still play sports weekly to maintain their physiques. Only my cousin Bernie (aka Little Bernard, Young Bernard or Big Bern) lives at 22 Kings Lane, but the rest would be around regularly to see me. Bernie moved in temporarily after surgery for a badly broken leg and hasn’t left yet. He can eat with the best of them and is also a connoisseur of lagers. Always a solidly built fellow, he used to play rugby, but isn’t quite as active after the broken leg and has put on a few stone.

Brief aside: I don’t know why the Brits still use stone to denote weight — seems even more quaint than Americans using pounds. For those of you unfamiliar with this unit of weight, a stone is 14 pounds. Any time someone mentions their weight in stone, smoke starts coming out of my ears as I try to do the conversion in my head. Okay, back to our regularly scheduled post.

I had one week to go before the wedding. Basically, I was screwed.

Let the contest of wills begin!

Sure enough, the first day there, Bernie, Daddy Bernard, and I ate out at a rock and roll pub owned by this guy named Mick. (Mick may or may not be a gangster; he is the only British guy I know who’s been shot). The Turkish cook made me a giant chicken burrito. (Yes, as an Arizonan, I felt compelled to try it and it was good but different.) And when I say a giant chicken burrito, I’m not joking. It was a brick that would not have been out of place at Chipotle.

Next morning, I went downstairs and Bernie had made sausage sandwiches, and I scarfed down at least three days worth of saturated fat. Then Daddy Bernard and I stopped at McDonald’s at lunch. That night, Bernie cooked up a large pot of chicken thighs. He gave me a bowl piled high with chicken, far more than I needed, but I figured I’d be polite and eat some of it. Holy Mother of God, it was delicious! So succulent and flavorful. (My mouth is watering as I type this). Bernie asked me if I wanted more. No! I mean hell yeah, I wanted more. Then we polished off a few cans of beer. At least the lingering aroma of savory chicken covered up the burning smell of my diet plan spiraling down in flames.

However, I did have to start declining the massive breakfasts and began eating Daddy Bernard’s Shredded Wheat. (So hard to turn down bacon sandwiches.)

Shredded Wheat — Depression in physical form

Hungry in Scotland

On the Wednesday before the wedding, I rode up to Scotland with Bernie in his work van. He had to deliver some building materials and thought I’d like to come along for the scenic drive. After he made his deliveries, we headed to Glasgow to spend the night. Bernie told me we’d go for a couple of pints and then eat at the World Buffet. The idea of a buffet alarmed me, but he had his heart set on it — he’d even had the company book rooms at a Travel Lodge right by it. The plan was to arrive in about an hour.

Big Bern behind the wheel on our way to the best buffet in Scotland.

Suddenly, he spotted a grocery store and pulled in.

“I’m getting a chicken to eat,” said Bernie. “You want something?”

“I thought we’re eating in Glasgow?”

“When you eat like I do, I’ll collapse before then.”

Starving, I abstained from buying anything. Bernie bought a whole rotisserie-style chicken. He told me he was going to only eat the drum sticks and would eat the rest tomorrow with some wraps. That poor chicken didn’t stand a chance as he devoured it in the van.

Eventually, we made it to the pub, drank a couple of pints while Bernie had a conversation with an incomprehensible old Glaswegian, and then we feasted like kings at the World Buffet.

The Final Countdown

Back in England, my battle against calories continued. My sister, Bridget, showed up from Florida. Surprised, I noticed she looked heavier than usual. She mentioned that she too had put on weight. Hurricane Michael had blown down all the old, majestic trees in her town. There was no shade for her to run in now only blazing sunlight. She mentioned she wanted to lose some weight. I suggested we could try to be good influences on each other while in the UK.

“Screw that. I’m on vacation,” Bridget said as she ordered ice cream. Clearly, I was going to have to be my own moral support.

The day of the wedding, thank God I still fit into my clothes (barely!) without popping a button. After the ceremony, the attendees enjoyed a veritable feast at a swanky place called Crabwall Manor (someone gave me an extra slice of cheesecake and I ate it). Then they had another buffet dinner a couple hours later for those not invited to the service and reception. (Naturally, the Dillons and I were first in line). And then they served wedding cake. (Yes, yes, I ate that too.)

How I wanted to look…

…the sad reality

Winding down

So, once the wedding was over and there was no need to watch what I ate, I still tried to keep things in check, with mixed results. We ate out and celebrated a lot. Going out for Indian, lunching at a tapas restaurant, having a rich dinner at my cousin Matthew’s. (His partner, Véronique, is French, a people not known for cooking light — it was delicious.)

Another Dillon getting stuck into his grub (Raphael and his mum Véronique)

My lovely sis, Bridget

Eating tapas with my cousin Martin

The night before I left for home, I went and stayed in Manchester with my cousin Martin’s family. He had to work late and we got our wires crossed. I didn’t eat before I arrived thinking he and I were going out to grab food, but he’d eaten when he arrived, so we walked down to a kebab place. That late at night, I thought I should just skip it, but again my willpower failed me. So I ordered the small kebab. (The Brits have adopted American sized portions; you see a lot more overweight people these days.)

Yes, this is the “small” one.

Next steps

Back in Arizona, I wasn’t making any headway on the weight loss. Then I walked to lunch with three of the guys from the office and on the way back someone mentioned something about Christmas and out of the blue, my coworker Cbass says to me, “You know you could play Santa.”

WTF?

I gave him a few choice words and he tried to explain it was because of my friendly face and whitish beard, not because I’m a fat ass.

So I sat around for a few hours thinking bad thoughts about Cbass until I eventually decided I had to make a real effort.

Cbass hangs his head in shame. He knows he did wrong.

Okay, maybe Cbass has a point. (Plus, no more scruffy beards for me).

Anyway, I’m back to intermittent fasting and I’ve lost three pounds this week (no fast food, no snacks in the house, no eating out, etc). And the Houseguest has volunteered to put me through a modified boot camp workout she does with a friend (I’m not so sure about that, but we’ll see).

Anyway, check back and see how I fare.

Trying to Go On a Diet Like a lot of people, I'm never satisfied with my weight. Whether I'm gaining it or losing it, I never end up completely satisfied with the result.

#eating #traveling #UK

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consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis · 7 years

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About Me: Blog Award Nominations and 13 Fun Facts

New blog post! Today, we're doing something a little different: we're talking about me, blog award edition! I was recently nominated for The Real Neat Blogger Award by the Anxious Canadian and The Blue Sky Tag Blogging Challenge by The Savvy Dreamer. Both challenges involve answering a few given questions and nominating your own set of bloggers to answer a few questions of your own.

Being, well, me, I smudged the rules a bit and combined the nominations (and their questions) into one post. I'll also nominate eight bloggers (because it's my lucky number!) to jump on Blogging Award train.

So what inspired this celiac to blog in the first place? What's my favorite book? And what's the most important piece of advice I've ever received? Find out that and more in this about me, blog award edition...

1. Why did you start blogging?

As I've shared in other posts, my celiac diagnosis was my biggest motivation to start blogging. I was diagnosed with celiac disease only a few months before starting college. So, of course, I immediately began Googling how gluten free celiacs were surviving college...but I only found one blog and a few other resources.

My solution? I'd blog about it myself...even though I had no idea where to even begin! I've always loved writing (and I ended up majoring in it during college...and am now going to grad school for an MFA in Creative Nonfiction). So, I picked a random blogging platform that seemed easy to set up (hello Blogger!) and started publishing my thoughts online. Fun fact: my blog was originally called Casey the Celiac Sealion because of my college's mascot...but I (thankfully) changed that early on.

2. What is your passion in life?

Honestly? I'm not totally sure. I love writing (hence my impending grad school adventure). I love connecting with others (hello blogging). I also love fitness, reading, editing and cooking. I'm not sure where these interests will take me, but I hope I'll be able to help people with what I do.

3. What's the most important piece of advice you've ever received?

The first piece of advice that popped into my mind are the words of my sixth-grade school counselor. (Who was also my "foster dad" when my dad was deployed). When I moved away, he gave me a glass dolphin with a card that said, "Keep searching for your porpoise."

His words remind me that there is more to life than being productive or making money. I also want to make sure I'm setting myself up for a job that I can enjoy and (hopefully) use to make a difference in the world. At the same time, though, the pun reminds me to laugh and not take life too seriously. I'm a weird combination of Type-A perfectionist and goofball, but following my heart (while rockin' a sense of humor) has worked pretty well so far!

4. If you could travel anywhere in the word where would it be?

If someone gave me a ticket to anywhere outside the U.S. (that was safe and had some gluten free options), I'd take it and go. I've only left the U.S. when I lived in Cuba as a toddler. And thanks to a combination of celiac disease and financial aid clauses, I wasn't able to study abroad in college. So, I'm really game to travel anywhere! Some top contenders, though, include Australia, London, Scotland, Ireland, Italy and Spain (all of which, I've heard, are awesome for celiacs by the way!).

5. What's the most used app on your phone/tablet?

I spend way too much time on Instagram, but I also regularly use VSCO to edit my photos and Canva to make blog graphics. And I'm typing this blog post up using my phone's Blogger app (while riding the stationary bike, wink wink). Non-blogging related, I use Find Me Gluten Free all the time!

6. What do you like to do when not blogging?

I love working out, whether it's on my own, in a hot yoga class with my dad or on a family hike. This past eight months, I've also been really into long afternoon walks. When I'm not working out, working on the blog or just plain working, I'm usually baking or reading. I've also been known to love thrift shopping!

7. Summer or Winter?

Fall. The weather is just right!

8. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done or you would like to do?

The craziest thing? Probably going to grad school in a state that I've never even visited! I'm a little terrified about Minnesota's mosquitos and reportedly "bipolar" weather, but I'm also super excited for a fresh start. I'm moving out to Minnesota for teaching training (the other craziest thing is definitely teaching my first college class at 21 years old!) at the end of July. I'm just grateful that spending the winter in Colorado Springs has conditioned me somewhat for Minnesota's winters...

Needless to say, you'll be hearing a lot about Mankato, Minnesota for the next three years!

9. If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things you would bring with you?

A water purifier. (A dehydrated Casey is a dangerous thing). A Kindle for reading (as long as I can get a signal...otherwise, some realllllly long book like Ana Karenina!). And, of course, a raft for me to ride back to the mainland once my granola cravings became overwhelming!

10. If you could meet anyone in the world who would it be?

I would love to meet Dorothy Parker. (For those who don't know, she's a super sassy feminist writer from the 1920s). I have a feeling that she'd scare me (she is the queen of sarcasm and burns!). However, I really admire Parker's wit and her ability to make it in the writing world at a time when women's occupational options were limited.

11. What’s your favorite dessert?

Homemade granola + So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Yogurt + berries + sunbutter. I have some version of this every night for a snack.

12. What’s the best book you’ve read?

One of my favorite books is The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. For those who don't know, I minored in Women's Studies and am very intrigued by beauty standards (hence blog posts like this one). The Bluest Eye explores beauty standards and racial stereotypes, and Morrison's writing style is exquisite. I recommend most books from Toni Morrison.

When I'm reading "lighter," though, I prefer psychological thrillers. One of my favorites recently is The Girl on the Train. I haven't seen the movie, but I bet the book is better! I also love The Woman in Cabin 10. (Watch out for a full list of my favorite summer reads in the near future).

13. If you had all the money in the world what would be your biggest indulgence?

If you read this blog, you probably know the answer already: alllll the gluten free goodies! I'm a self-professed foodie, and I would definitely spend some major bank at Whole Foods if I had unlimited funds. And, of course, I'd load up on my favorite treats like Health Warrior chia bars (who I'm now an ambassador for), Snackin' Freely paleo bagels, Enjoy Life cookies and lots of Sunbutter!

Like this post? Show me by tweeting! Just click here: "Learn more about this #glutenfree gal + meet the #bloggers I nominated for a #blogging award! via @collegeceliackc http://bit.ly/2sRamFr"

The Nominees

Now, the fun part! I get to spread the blogging love to another eight bloggers. The only rules (of both the Real Neat Bloggers Award and the Blue Sky Tag Blogging Challenge)?

Tag the person who nominates you in the post (if you choose to accept the challenge!)

Answer the eight (or however many) questions they've given you

Nominate another eight (or however many) bloggers to do the same!

So who are some of my favorite bloggers lately?

My Uncommon Everyday: if you love reading about chronically awesome college students like me, you'll love Ellen!

My Little Tablespoon: she may live in Canada, but I feel like this girl and I are foodie twins. She posts tons of tasty food, plus posts about everyday life and mental health.

Rice and Repeat: I just discovered this girl a few weeks ago, but I'm already in love. Gorgeous photos and lots of healthy living advice!

Claire Bear Blogs: lots of fabulous food, travel and lifestyle posts!

Fit as a Mama Bear: healthy food, fun workouts and family stories.

Katalyst Health: if you haven't already been reading this gluten free blogger, DO IT! Her recipes are INSANE...and everything else she writes is pretty rad too! ;)

Donuts and Down Dog: how awesome is this blog name? And although I just found Lizzie's blog, I love her approach to wellness and healthy living.

The Urben Life: Jenna is another new blogger crush of mine. She also specializes in allergy-friendly recipes!

My questions:

1. What inspired you to start blogging - and keep blogging?

2. If you could only have sweet or savory snacks for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

3. Early bird, night owl or perpetually tired penguin?

4. Sum up your blog in three words.

5. If you have to recommend one Netflix show to everyone you meet, what would it be?

6. If you could travel anywhere in the world for free, where would you go?

7. What's one recipe or meal that never lets you down?

8. Name one book you think everyone should read at least once.

And that's a wrap!

Did you learn anything new in this about me, blog edition? And how would you answer some of these questions? Tell me in the comments!

via Blogger http://ift.tt/2rcGMso

#Blogger #college #celiac #gluten free #coeliac #celiacs #paleo #primal #foodporn #foodart

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