#But I've been working on this for six months so I'd really appreciate it if you consider reblogging this!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

teatreeoilll · 4 months

Text

|| Crush (Gojo Satoru X Reader) ||

(Reposted from my old blog which I don't have access to anymore (thanks Tumblr), if you liked it reblogs or likes would be appreciated to get me back on track since I've lost all my followers and half my work :(

Short one shot, in which Gojo finds out reader has a crush on him. TW: mentions of Alcohol and smoking

"I mean, if you had to choose one of them?" Your hands slipped further on the table, your palm grazing the wood while you fixed your gaze on Shoko's uninterested eyes.

"No," She said calmly.

"But if you really, really had to?" Her eyes darted across the room, her mind in dire need of a change in conversation topic.

"If I really - really, had to," She sighs, "I guess I'd pick Satoru."

Your heart dropped at the mention of his name. I knew it!

"But really," She continued, "I think he makes a horrible team with anyone, it doesn't matter how strong you are if you can't do that, y'know? But those six-eyes are no joke, so if I had to, I guess -" Your confused expression stopped her from talking further.

"Shoko, I meant if you had to pick one to - uh, you know, "

All the confidence you mustered to bring up the topic in the first place had vanished, you slid back into the chair, watching Shoko's face shrink with disgust. "No."

The drink before you emptied quickly as silence took over the room, each time you wanted to say something you felt your throat tense as the drunk haze had begun to clear. Perhaps it really was a bad idea to talk about this.

"I have a feeling this isn't really about me, is it?" She reached to open another canned sake. "I would like to say that you can tell me anything, but I have a feeling I wouldn't want to hear this," She took a long sip, "But I'll play along. Who'd you choose?" She was far too familiar with your mannerisms, knowing you would never admit to it any other way.

For a few months now, she had been brushing off her suspicions as misinterpretations.

"I - I would, hm, maybe, Satoru?" Regret settled deeper in your throat, but you knew it was too late to make up some excuse to leave this conversation. "It's not like I'd do anything about it, you know?" Shoko's eyes widened as you spoke, she tried to utter a few protest words, her hands are signaling you to stop talking.

You felt your face turn red, "I mean, It's just a crush, nothing to be too flustered about, right? What do those last, like a few months at most? Just don't look at those beautiful blue eyes, and that snowy white hair… It'll go away on its own!" Aware that it's too late, Shoko had buried her face in her palms. That's it, the thought passed through your brain, She will never respect me again.

"It really is nothing to be flustered about. Quite understandable - really." A familiar voice came from behind, you could hear the grin in his tone. You desperately stared at Shoko, your eyes begging her to say anything - anything to rescue you from the embarrassment.

Shoko cleared her throat, "It is, very understandable! That you have a crush on this guy, who doesn't even attend Jujutsu High!" Ah, it could have been such a good save.

"Oh yes!" Gojo laughed, kneeling next to your chair with his hand placed firmly on your shoulder, "Such a shame, but it's not like you have to see his beautiful blue eyes and snowy white hair every day," He failed to hold back his laugh, "I'm sure it'll go away on its own."

You focused your eyes on the table - Twelve cans of sake, only seven open. Gojo's hand on your shoulder. Oh god. Ashtray, still smoking. Salty chip packets - 2,3 … no 4, one has fallen off the table. Gojo's hand makes its way to your lower back. How's Kyoto this time of year?

"There's nothing to be shy about." His whisper catches you off guard, his face so close to yours you were sure he could smell the alcohol coming off of each of your heavy breaths. You find the strength to stand up, your chair screeching on the floor. Gojo almost lost his balance.

"It's getting late, Shoko, thank you for the - actually, let's never drink again. I'll see you tomorrow."

You walked the dark corridor, unable to focus on anything other keeping yourself balanced after so many drinks, keeping the thoughts on solving your predicament for a more sober time.

A hand brushed your wrist before gripping it tightly and pulling you in its direction. Even in the dark, you could see the blue of his eyes.

"Listen, I really meant what I said." You uttered, watching his smirk widen. "No smart comebacks now!" You felt your chest heat up, the shame had turned to anger. People have feelings, why does it have to be a joke? His hand loosened its grip on yours.

"We're not children anymore Satoru, It's a crush. It'll be gone just as fast as it came. You don't have to joke about it, just forget it."

Never in his life had he let you finish so many sentences without a snarky remark. You tried to read his face, but the shadows covered his expression.

"Say it again." You felt his body come closer to yours, his lips almost touching yours, you didn't notice yourself stumbling backward until the wood boards on the nearest wall had pressed to your back.

"Say what again?"

"Say you have a crush on me," His voice lower than usual.

Fine, if it's going to be a joke, I guess it's better to go with it. "I have a crush on you, Satoru Gojo." As you tried to rid yourself of your compromising position his hand grabbed the back of your neck, entangling itself in your hair. Tension forms at the pit of your stomach.

"I have the biggest crush on you, Sa-" you mustered the huskiest voice you could find, but he wouldn't let you finish, his tongue already trying to find its place in your mouth.

He freed his hand from your hair just to grab your legs, lifting them up to wrap around him, his fingers digging deep into your thighs. He pauses to catch a breath, his face resting in the crook of your neck, just to huff a few words;

"Well, aren't I lucky?"

#jjk #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen #gojo X reader #gojo X you #gojo X y/n #gojo satoru #jjk x you #jjk gojo #gojo satoru X reader #satoru x reader

283 notes · View notes

am-i-the-asshole-official · 2 months

Note

WIBTA if I confronted my BF about not ordering from my store?

My bf (nb they) and I (m he) have been together 3 years, and have lived together half of that. I moved across states to be with them, and I am very happy being here with them.

Since moving here, I've worked at a fast food restaurant about a mile away from our house. It used to be one of my boyfriend's favorite places to eat, and they still order there sometimes. However, recently, the past year or so, they've been ordering from the location about three miles further away.

They DO still sometimes order from my location, but it is very rare. Usually when they have to pick me up from work. But outside of that, they order exclusively from locations that are further away and even more inconvenient to get to.

I think there's one main reason for this. Before I moved and began working here, they had a bad experience at my location, and this bad experience led to them (drunkenly, stupidly) leaving a couple of bad reviews. (Which was stupid of them.)

About six months into me working here, I sprained my knee, and my boyfriend met my boss and I at the urgent care. Turns out, my boss remembers those bad reviews, and she called them out on it! I think she's a total bitch, mostly for reasons unrelated to this, but her animosity towards my boyfriend explained a lot of her animosity towards me in the following months.

Anyway, my boyfriend was thoroughly embarrassed. I can't really say I blame them. But I was embarrassed too! Almost every time my boss acted like I was scum of the earth (when it couldn't be explained away by my own mistakes, which was often, because I'm actually really good at my job!) I found myself wondering if it was because of my boyfriend.

But I had to move past it, because this is my JOB. and I LOVE this job. I love the work I do, no matter what people think of it. I love everyone I work with, aside from my boss. I love learning new skills. I love the thrill of the lunch rush, and the thrill of working on a giant catering order and thinking "There's no way I'll ever finish this" until, all of a sudden, it's finished. I did office work before this, and this is so much more satisfying to me.

Anyway. All that to say, I moved past it. But my boyfriend, however, is still stuck in that stupid stage of embarrassment. No one who worked there while they made a fool of themself is still working there. No one knows or notices or cares, except for them. And I've told them this. And I'd really PREFER for them to order from my store, because it makes me feel valued and important to someone close to me. (Plus, any tip they leave is money directly back into our finances, which is good, IMO.)

I want to talk to them about it, but I know they'll just say how the embarrassment is too much for them. (Also, somewhat related, they've been trying to get me to apply for a new job further away, which is a pain because I can't drive and walking just a mile from the shop is too much for me, because I'm out of shape.)

I think they really don't want me to be here, but I WANT to be here. I think they don't like the work I do, but I LIKE the work I do. I would really appreciate it if they supported me by, at the very least, ordering from my store.

Would I be the asshole if I confronted them about this?

(Last couple details: my boyfriend always orders the club sub, which comes with bacon. They say our bacon is mid. I think they're full of shit, I've eaten so much of our bacon and think it is literally the best. I don't really see how another store could have better bacon. Also, when I first made sandwiches for them, I tended to show my favor by giving them extra meat and stuff. They said it messed with the "ratio" so I stopped doing that. Could that be why they don't order from me anymore? I don't see how that could be, since I took their feedback to heart and stopped doing it. Idk.)

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

64 notes · View notes

k-s-morgan · 2 months

Note

Hi Morgan,

Are you doing okay?

Haven't heard from you in a while, hoping you're safe.

Another ask: How are you doing lately? 💐💗

-----

Thank you both for worrying and caring! Unfortunately, this month started very, very badly for me - some problems I anticipated, others not so much.

The health of my pigeon (the one I saved from a cat) took a turn for the worse. She nearly died. The latest Russian missile attack caught me in a vulnerable building and it was terrifying, especially since it happened after we were told that the attack was probably over. First the lights began to flicker and then the explosions began.

And to top it all, that very day, before I recovered from the attack, I got news that the department at the company where I'm working is shutting down. Just like this. No warning, no time to prepare for anything - one second, and I'm out of job. I can't convey the degree of my shock and horror. Forgetting the fact that I've been working here for 6 years, that I dedicated a lot of my soul to it, to find myself without the means of survival so suddenly in the middle of the war sent me straight into the abyss.

For the first days, I couldn't do anything. I felt sick, I couldn't eat or read or write. It's tragic to be reminded once again of how enslaved I am by the system. Without my job, I can't support my family, I can't take care of my pets, I can't help pigeons recover, etc. I haven't felt this weak, scared, and vulnerable for a long, long time.

It was six days ago. Today, I finally felt a little better. My pigeon seems to be recovering tiny bit by tiny bit, and I have a job interview ahead. That said, if you can support me on Patreon or PayPal ([email protected]), I'd really appreciate it - and my huge thanks to those who are already helping me! Even if the interview is successful and I find the job quickly, I'm still obviously losing a chunk of my would-be salary because of the time lost in between. It's not downright catastrophic, my mother still has her job, so we'll survive, but it's tough. Much tougher than usual.

As for writing, I didn't touch anything for the past week, but since I saw some vague light at the end of the tunnel again, I'm gradually getting a grip on myself and diving back into my fics. I can't believe that Those Gentle Slopes final chapter is still ongoing, lol. This arc seems to be endless.

#personal #ukraine #russia is a terrorist state #my fics #job loss

54 notes · View notes

according2thelore · 1 month

Note

These ES/LS snippets are truly saving my need for more of your fics.

You very quickly became my favorite wincest author, hitting every one of my favorite tropes(hurt/comfort is my bread and butter too!) And I'm excitedly(and impatiently lol) waiting for your next fics to come out.

Your writing is SO GOOD and I find myself going back to your fics all the time. My first was your love potion fic and that's still one of my absolute favorite samdean fics out there.

This isn’t really an ask so much as it is an appreciation lol. Can't wait for your next fic!

(If this was an ask though, I'd love more thoughts on your ES/LS universe and even MORE hurt/comfort and jealousy lol)

BABE???? OH MY????

i don't even know what to say! this is the nicest compliment!!!!! you're so incredibly kind, and i'm so unbelievably honoured that my work is special to you!

EEP! i can't even express how much this ask means to me!!!! there are literally no words!!!! the love potion fic was meant as a fun little add-on to that month's challenge, but i've been blown away by how much folks have liked it--i live for a little melodrama and H/C, lol!

every writer dreams of getting asks like this one, and just ARGH! i'm kissing you on both cheeks!!!!!

as for upcoming things, my next fic will probably be my teen!chesters piece for the wayward sons zine (it will be HEFTY). charlotte and i were outlining this fic, and it ended up being about five pages of outline. so def a larger one!

because this ask was so incredible and lovely and kind (so kind?? holy shit?? my hand in marriage??) i wrote a little thing for you! i hope you like!

dean rubs his hands on the sides of his jeans, before he catches himself doing it. shit.

he crosses his arms, then realizes that he looks awkward and posed, so he uncrosses them again. he pushes his hair back from his face--but fuck, what if his hair looks weird now? dean checks frantically around for a reflective surface, but the only thing even close to him is a giant telescope, and--even though he briefly considers it--there's no way he'd be able to crawl back up it and down in time.

"what are you doing?" he mutters to himself, able to at least recognize that he's acting like a preteen about to meet one of the jonas brothers.

it's just sam.

just sam, kind of, dean's brain quietly corrects. it's just sam, but fucking huge.

it's just sam, but his ridiculous hair has grown and curls softly around his ears, brushes his jaw when he ducks his head. it's just sam, except his arms are bigger than dean's head. dean didn't miss the show the other day when sam came to look for something and lifted a fucking stuffed armchair with one arm.

(dean tried it later, and it took him both hands and two tries to get it off the ground. that thing must be reinforced with some crazy cold war steel or something. definitely.)

dean eyes the main room again. he should just sit at the big table. he eyes the big sword on one of the shelves. no--focus. sam went into "library annex 3" to find a book that he thought dean should absolutely take a look at, and left dean, dazzled, in his wake. so dean is going to sit here and wait, because he's been running out of excuses to see sammy lately.

dean slumps into one of the chairs, sighing. what is wrong with him?

he gets so...easily distracted whenever sammy--future-sam or whatever--starts talking to him. and most of it isn't even his fault, okay? sammy always puffs up whenever either 2006 winchester gets close, a dick-measuring if dean's ever seen one. as soon as sam got a single inch on dean in height, dean's never heard the end of it. but this sammy, older sammy, straightens up and his chest gets all big and--fuck--arms! big arms!!

dean keeps trying to find plausible excuses for sammy to take off his shirt because dean is convinced he has a six-pack under there, and it's his right to know!

"i found it!" a muffled voice from down the hallway, so deep that dean's brain goes a little sideways. and dean feels his whole body lock up, like he's just been thrown out of an airplane.

sam--sammy steps through the doorway, holding up a book triumphantly. his eyes are bright, and he's got little wrinkles at the corners, barely there. his grin is radiant, and dean feels absurdly like he's looking directly at one of those religious frescos with the yellow circles behind everyone's heads. sam would get a kick out of that.

dean whimpers. he straight up fucking whimpers, covering it quickly with a cleared throat.

"great!" he says, too bright. it's not his fault! it's not! dean barely resists the urge to bash his own head in.

so sue him! sam is suddenly huge and old and glad to see dean? he lights up whenever dean walks into a room, greeting him warmly. he seems to find dean adorable, which dean kind of resents, but it's hard to stay mad at sammy when he clearly finds so much delight in seeing him.

and 'sammy' isn't helping. 'sammy' had always been a dean word. it had been an 'us' word, a 'they don't know you like i know you, they can't understand you like i can' word. as soon as dean's own sam--2006 sam--had shrugged off the word, and older sam had donned it, dean knew he was screwed. wires crossed. you can only call so many men 'sammy' before you start to tease them and want to be around them and give them shit and look at their huge fucking tits--wait...no. shit. focus!

"so get this," sammy says, and he slides into the chair next to dean, smooth and graceful and so in touch with every muscle in his body that dean has to catch his breath a little. and his chest does something funny, because sam shows him the book and starts babbling.

he starts babbling. like a two year old sam and an eight year old sam and a twelve and a fifteen and an eighteen year old sam.

it seems impossible that this person--this man, all poise and purpose and focus, whose eyes can cut and soothe, whose stubble scratches when he rubs a hand across his jaw--is still dean's sam. dean's sammy.

and he knows it. and he likes it. this sammy brushes his shoulder and doesn't recoil like it burns. he looks to dean first when something is wrong. dean saw, the other day, how his older self comforted sam after a nightmare, how easily sam contorted himself to fit the shape of older dean's arms. sam likes being dean's. or at least this version of dean.

"anyways, i think that this is probably our most comprehensive record of vampires--their habits, their physiology, their weaknesses. if you wanted to give it a read, i think it'll really come in handy." sam says, still talking like dean cares at all for vampires and not the exact shape of sam's mouth.

dean aches. he feels inadequate. there is something clearly in this dean that is worthy, something that sam finds lovable. or necessary. dean wants to be necessary. dean needs to be necessary.

"yeah." dean says, suddenly, when he realizes that sammy's looking for a response. "that--uh--that sounds great."

"you didn't hear a thing i said, did you?" sammy asks, eyebrow raised, teasing and knowing and fuck--dean's chest collapses. sam knows him.

it's so strange to be known by this...this man. this man who blots out the sun with his shoulders, and has callused hands, and looks at dean like he's proud of him. this man knows him. this man is sammy, and that's all dean every really needs.

"naw." he says, scrubbing a hand in the close-shorn hair at the back of his head, abashed and feeling strange. "'m sorry."

"don't be." sammy rolls his eyes, but it's in good humour. sam--2006 sam, and it's weird that dean has already made that distinction--would genuinely be put out. he thinks dean doesn't take him seriously.

both sams are alien to dean. sam, because his burden is eating him alive. he's terrified of himself, of his powers. furious at what he's becoming and increasingly furious at dean for not taking his own safety seriously. like sam could ever hurt him.

and this sammy, of course, is different. he's physically very different, but also...softer? that's the wrong word. he's easier, maybe. his smiles are soft and he thinks through things before he says them. he doesn't hurt to hold in your hand like sam does, all spikes and hard edges like rock that resents you for holding it. sammy is a stone worn smooth by a river, and dean doesn't know if that makes him a bad brother.

he doesn't want to know, because he can't think about this being another way of failing sam. dean's been failing sam since that first over-long look in 1995.

this sam, at least, dean has a reason for not understanding completely. time has made a stranger of his brother, not circumstance, and time is easier to blame.

"what?" sammy asks, and dean snaps back to the present, abashed again. god. it's like his first fumbling date a fourteen all over again. but wait, no it's not--why did dean think that?

"nothing. sorry. you're just--" dean can't find the words. sammy seems delighted at this, eyes sparking with a challenge like they're both in on a joke.

"i'm..." he prompts, drawing it out. dean sputters. he and sam give each other shit all the time. it shouldn't feel different with this sam, but...it does.

"hi."

dean jerks away, sitting up straight in his chair. sam stands in the doorway. he looks pissed. his hands are balled into fists at his sides, his jaw is set, and he's...not looking at dean.

dean looks to sammy, whose eyes widen. he seems surprised by something. proud of something.

"dean wants to know if we're ready for dinner. what are you doing?" sam asks, words loaded. dean's about to jump in, feeling weirdly guilty. they're just talking about a book, it's not like they were--

"just talking with my little brother." sam says, jostling dean's shoulder with his elbow, like this is all a big joke but what the fuck?? dean's spine melts and drips down his ribs. oh my fucking god.

little brother little brother little brother sam could pin dean down if he wanted to, dean looks down at sam's huge fucking hands oh my god, little brother--

"you--" sam starts, and sammy sits up straighter, tilting his head forward like he's coaching sam through something, but sam's eyes are suddenly on dean, and dean freezes.

he doesn't know what to do under sam's critical gaze. the weight in his stomach is definitely guilt, but dean doesn't know why. dean looks away first.

"we're just talking shop, sam." dean says to his hands. a pause. dean hears sam leave, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

he better not be going to see that old geezer. dean doesn't like he way he looks at sam.

"we almost had him," sammy says, thoughtful. dean looks up, and sammy is looking down at him with an expression so fond that dean's throat closes. "next time."

dean's heart beats faster.

oh man. he is so fucked.

#ask box #lizzy answers #ES/LS verse #animangalover15

45 notes · View notes

letteredlettered · 29 days

Note

Hi!! Have you ever struggled with burnout, depression, or overwork? Currently in my first job post college and it’s been very intense as we are currently like 3 people doing the work of a team designed for 7 people (two roles they are working to fill and two people are out on leave -> one is out on vacation and the other on parental leave). Have spent many ours on overtime (around two days a week I usually sleep five or six hours and spend a few more hours working —> other days I work a bit less but still some overtime) for the last few months. It’s really hard to decompress and stop thinking about work as I work remotely. I need to get better at setting limits and advocating for myself but I think one issue I’ve been dealing with is getting caught in a cycle of having a lot so having not a lot of time to do an analysis of like what needs to change and this is my bandwidth. Also it’s hard to predict bandwidth sometimes because I’m still very new to this industry and department, so I’m still learning how much coordination is necessary to get something done. Another problem is that everyone is stretched to their limit and extremely busy, so I feel kind of bad rejecting projects. I think an issue is that I also have relatively low self-esteem and confidence but a deep desire to be “good” from like an academic perspective and a work perspective, and the main leader of my team is someone who I like a lot and appreciates what I do, so I keep trying to do more or at least meet expectations. I also receive assignments from different people (five people total, usually), so people generally don’t have visibility as to my bandwidth unless I speak up. One person in particular gave me a lot of assignments with a good deal of time pressure and was the person that I was working the closest with —> still trying to catch up to some of the more evergreen projects I had with him because the other projects I’ve had in the last two months have even way too intense to do anything else. I’m really grateful for this job and I like a lot of the people I work with, but I’m kind of struggling.

I mention all of this because I really respect the way you are able to commit to creative projects and create incredible works and really focus on making something. I’ve never really had an ability to stick to a creative project or hobby for an extended period of time —> frequently I disappoint myself in my lack of consistency or follow-through for a lot of my personal goals. I also really appreciate the way that you engage with certain themes in your work and value your perspective. So just kind of curious if you’ve been through this before or have any thoughts about this sort of thing

I've thought a lot about what to tell you here.

What anyone would recommend is that you set boundaries and take care of yourself. They'd say that your well-being is more important than your work. If they read your ask carefully they'd realize that maybe your performance in this job is connected to your well-being in your mind. If they're looking at the strings that control the system they're going to tell you capitalism has brainwashed us into thinking that we should sacrifice our health for the sake of production, and then they'll tell you you should do what you can to break out of the capitalist mentality. If they're not excited about seizing the means of production then their in-universe advice (in-the-capitalist-universe advice) is going to point out that you cannot produce more for the capitalist machine if you're burnt out (I'd call these people the neoliberals of tumblr but I'm not sure that exists; I haven't seen it).

But none of that is really addressing the problem here, because you already know all of that, or if you don't know it, knowing that isn't going to help you. You don't need to be told to set boundaries. You know you accept too many projects; you know that you haven't been clear with your colleagues about your bandwidth. You know you're trying too hard to please others and that part of the reason is you have a low self-esteem.

Something that people don't talk about enough is how bad it feels to set boundaries. When people advise others to "set boundaries" it's always as if it's never occurred to anyone else to stand up for themselves. The problem is that it usually has occurred to us, but it's hard to do and feels bad. Hearing "stand up for yourself!" repeatedly can sometimes help us feel like we did the right thing when we do manage to stand up for ourselves, but it can just as often make you feel even worse when you can't stand up for yourself. You're being overworked and you're not doing the thing that everyone tells you you should do.

And another thing that people do not talk about enough is that most workplaces do not like employees who set boundaries for themselves. They like people who say yes. You often won't get in trouble for setting reasonable limits for yourself, but you won't advance. The ones who work late and work on weekends and take on every project and say nothing about bandwidth are usually the ones who get promoted. I'm not saying this because it's right or okay. It's another flaw in the capitalist system. But it is very often true, and I've been a little frustrated that in all these glorious discussions about boundary-setting, this is not something that gets talked about more.

So what to do, when you know the answers, but it doesn't feel great, and might not get you where you want to go?

Spend time with your feelings. A lot of time with your feelings. Imagine ways to communicate your bandwidth. Imagine how you would feel in each scenario. Pick scenarios that feel more comfortable and less intimidating for you. Imagine saying no to a new project. Imagine how you would feel doing that. Pick a way of doing it that feels the most manageable.

Think about your colleagues, what you like about them and why. Imagine how they would feel if they knew that you were struggling. Imagine having an honest conversation with them about how hard this is for you. Would they listen open and compassionately? Would they try to make changes that could help you? Or would they say, "We're all going through it," and "there's nothing to be done?" Imagine saying to them, "I know we're all going through this, because of the staffing challenges we're facing," and "I know there's not much to be done about this, but this is how I'm feeling." Would they accept your vulnerability? Would it make you feel bad to be vulnerable in that way? Would it make you feel worse to be vulnerable in that way or to say nothing?

That's not a leading question. Saying nothing is okay. There have been many times where I am facing a problem and I realized that doing nothing was the thing that made me feel best. There were other times when I really didn't want to do something and I knew it would be incredibly hard, but I knew I would feel much better having done it.

Think about your self-esteem and confidence. Why don't you feel confident? When you imagine saying no, and it feels bad, what makes it feel so bad? Is it because other people don't say no? Are you measuring yourself against those other people? How can you stop doing that? Or is it because you feel like a good worker always says yes? Where did you get that idea? Was it an idea communicated to you by people who love you? By society? Are there people who haven't made you feel that your worth as a person was predicated on how much you were able to accomplish? When is the last time you spent time with them? What makes you feel good about yourself? When is the last time you did it? Are there things you can do outside of work to boost your confidence? What are they? Can you do them? Why not? If work is holding you back from doing them, is it worth it?

It's okay if work feels worth it. I'm not endorsing the capitalist machine when I say that it is okay to do something that is really difficult or unpleasant for a certain amount of time to get where you are going. But if that's what you're going to do, then develop a plan of escape. Ask yourself how long you're willing to put up with this. Ask yourself what the next step in your career or life journey is. Ask yourself what you will put up with to get there and what is unacceptable. Write it down if you have to, then try to abide by that, and if you are unable to bear your plan six months down the line, make a new one.

I am fortunate in that these kinds of questions come really naturally to me, and I think they must not come so naturally for a lot of other people. Definitely, there are blocks in my mind; I'm not always able to understand myself or my own feelings; I don't know what's best for myself or how to make myself do things I want. But this kind of thinking is not going to give you immediate answers. Instead, it's going to build the skill of getting to know yourself.

The ultimate question you should be asking is "What will make me happy?" It sounds like a simple question, but it is in fact the most difficult of all. It is the question we struggle with every day, and every book that was ever written, every song that was ever sung, every painting that was ever painted is about that, in the end. The answer to that question is the meaning of life. Most people never find it, but the search is worth it.

It's definitely worth it.

#work #jobs #capitalism #life

36 notes · View notes

youregonnagofaar · 9 months

Text

happy ending myth; a steve harrington story summary: steve never thought someone he had once ignored would come back into his life to fight the upside down. when you are 19 how can you even think of a future? but what if it didn’t matter what the future held if you were in it? and yet he couldn’t help but think maybe this was the one who would be his partner on that cross-country family trip with six nuggets. pairings: best friend!eddie munson, close friend!max mayfield, slowburn!steve harrington notes: this is a slowburn that i plan on expanding with a 6 month follow up after what takes place in season 4. this involves spoilers for stranger things. there is mention of parental abuse, anxiety, depression, all chapters have been marked for what is included. the reader has she/her pronouns, i've tried my best to not really describe her too much. smut will be included in this at some point so minors do not interact.

♫︎no refunds, no rewinding don't lose sleep over the truth we can't find it their happy-ending myth i'd settle for religion some champagne-popping bliss to remember♫︎

chapter 1: off the sidelines chapter 2: pancakes & death chapter 3: vecna's curse chapter 4: our saviour, kate bush chapter 5: just a little bit of tenderness chapter 6: riding in cars with steve chapter 7: eddie at skull rock chapter 8: snippet posted as of 10.13, full chapter soon! chapter 9: coming soon! will be in two parts. chapter 10: coming soon! chapter 11: coming soon!

updates; i am attempting to post a story every other monday however work can get busy randomly so all updates will be posted under the tag #happyendingmythupdates. if you wanted to be added to the tag list just send me a message.

taglist: @midnghtprentiss @tagakalat @livsters

as always thank you for reading this. feedback is always appreciated and reblogs are such a lovely way to show support.

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x you #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #steve harrington imagine #happy ending myth series #happy ending myth masterlist

73 notes · View notes

nicoline1998enilocin · 7 months

Note

I've been admiring your work for a while, you'revery very good, and I'd like to make a request for you

Picnic date with tony 🥰

Perfect picnic

PAIRING | Boyfriend!Tony Stark x Civilian!Girlfriend!Female!Reader

WORD COUNT | 3.2K

SUMMARY | You've been seeing the one and only Tony Stark for the last few months, and you're not ready for the world to know that, so you're enjoying every minute of peace and quiet you two have together. When he invites you for a picnic to discuss something important, you can't help but think about your future together.

WARNING(S) | None.

A/N | This GIF nearly killed me when I saw it, so I naturally had to use it! I hope you enjoy the route I took for this one, it was very fun to write, so thank you very much for the request 🖤

Likes, comments, and reblogs will be very much appreciated 💚

Divider is made by @firefly-graphics | 18+ banner is made by yours truly

Main Masterlist | Tony Stark Masterlist

It's promising to be a lovely summer day as you're looking out the window of your penthouse, overlooking the New York skyline. You just stepped out of the shower, and your hair is wrapped in a towel, and your body is loosely wrapped in a big one.

As you sigh, your mind wanders to the man you've been seeing for nearly six months, and your phone rings like a miracle. You're getting a call from the man you were thinking of, Tony Stark.

''Hi, Muffin,'' you say as you pick up the FaceTime call from Tony, and you can see he's in his lab now.

''Hello, Gorgeous,'' he says with a big smile, and your heart melts a little bit at the sight of him wearing his clear-framed glasses. They fit him perfectly, making him look even more handsome than he already is.

''What can I do for you on this beautiful morning?'' you say as you walk into your office and sit down behind your desk, propping your phone up against your penholder as you sit down.

''I don't think there is anything more beautiful than you are this morning. But I was hoping to take you out on a lovely picnic this afternoon if you're free,'' he says, and you gasp softly.

''Really? I'd love to go on a picnic! Do you want me to bring anything special, or am I special enough for your exquisite taste?'' you tease, and Tony laughs, which warms your heart.

''You're all I need, Gorgeous. Just make sure you're ready by 2 PM, and I will do the rest,'' he says, and you agree. After a few more minutes of talking, you must hang up to prepare for a business meeting. Owning your own company is all fun and games, but you still have to do some work before your date with Tony.

You opted to wear a dark green midi dress that's nice enough for your business meeting but also cute for your picnic with Tony in the afternoon. Your hair is hanging in loose curls around your head, and you're wearing black Louboutins to finish the look, ready to make breakfast.

You're grabbing some yogurt, raspberries, blueberries, and granola to make your breakfast and take it to your office, ready to go through your endless stream of e-mails while eating breakfast.

You're working from home today, and you've let your assistant know you wouldn't be available after lunch, so your entire agenda is empty this afternoon, ready for your picnic with Tony.

At 11:30 AM, your business partner Camille arrived for your meeting, but you needed to be more focused to hear anything.

''Is everything alright?'' she asks, and you let out a defeated sigh.

''Can I confess something? I need this to stay between us because it's sensitive,'' you start, and she nods.

''So, I've been seeing someone for the past five months, and we're getting pretty serious. But he's even higher profile than I am, and that's saying a lot,'' you say with a chuckle, and Camille's eyes turn to the size of saucers.

''Are you kidding me? So all those times you were late to our meetings, you were-''

''Yes.''

''Who is it?!'' she asks as she leans forward in her chair, hanging onto your every word as you tell her about Tony. He is sweet, romantic, and sensitive, caring about you and your business.

''Please tell me you won't tell anyone, okay? We're still getting ready for everyone to know. But, uh, yeah, I've been seeing Tony Stark for the last five months, and he invited me on a picnic this afternoon,'' you say with a big smile.

''Oh my god, please tell me that's not a joke?! You and Tony are perfect for each other!'' she screams out as she gets out of her chair and envelops you in a big hug. She's just as excited as you are because she's been by your side through your hell of a divorce almost a decade ago.

''Thanks, Cam. He's a true gentleman, and not how everyone portrays him in the media,'' you sigh, and she sits down again, but now that you've admitted to seeing Tony, all the two of you will talk about for the rest of your meeting.

''How did the two of you meet?'' she asks, and you immediately smile as you think back to the moment you and Tony first laid eyes on one another.

''Hi, could I get an iced caramel macchiato, please?'' you ask, and the lady behind the counter nods, so you get your credit card out to pay. You hear the bell ding behind you, but you don't pay it any attention, though you immediately recognize the voice of one of the men walking in.

After you've paid, you walk to the other side of the counter and straighten out your striped maxi dress while waiting for your coffee. It doesn't take long for it to be done, and just when you're about to put a lid on your cup, Tony accidentally bumps into you, spilling your coffee all over the front of your dress.

''Oh, shit, I'm so sorry,'' Tony says as he immediately grabs a few napkins to clean your dress, but to no avail. The stain only gets worse, but you can't help but laugh at his clumsiness.

''It's okay, it's just a dress. I can get it drycleaned and-'' you say as you look up and into the eyes of Tony Stark, the man you've admired for years.

''No, no, please let me make this up to you. I will pay for dry cleaning and take you out for dinner to say sorry. How does Saturday evening, 8 PM sound to you?'' he asks, and you can't say no to an offer like that.

''Perfect. Here's my business card so you know where to pick me up,'' you say as you hand him your card and the woman behind the counter gives you another coffee as an apology, and you thank her with an extra tip on top of the earlier one for her inconvenience.

''I can't wait to see you on Saturday,'' you say to Tony before walking out of the coffee shop and on your way to your office to put on a clean pair of clothes.

Tony kept his promise and paid for your dress to be drycleaned, and he took you out to dinner in one of New York's most fancy restaurants. Afterward, he brought you back to your apartment, and the goodbye was more challenging than you ever imagined.

''Thank you for this amazing evening, Tony. I really hope we can do it again sometime, but shall we go to one of my restaurants next time?'' you say, and he happily agrees.

You look at him for a few seconds before stepping closer to him and placing your hand on his chest, your long nails softly scratching over the soft fabric of his shirt as your lips fit perfectly with his.

The kiss seems to last for an eternity, but you both know it has to end at some point, already dreading the moment it's here.

''I can't wait to see you again,'' he says before placing one last soft kiss on your lips and letting you enter your apartment, waiting until the door is closed before heading back to his apartment.

Tony is highly punctual and right at 2 PM, he rings your doorbell, and you open the door for him, immediately greeted by a bouquet of red roses.

Camille went out the door right before Tony arrived because you couldn't stop gossiping like a couple of teenagers, but you enjoyed every second of it.

''Hi, Gorgeous,'' he says as he pulls you in for a sweet kiss, his soft lips molding perfectly with yours as you wrap your arms around his neck to pull him closer.

''Hey, Muffin,'' you tell him as you guide him into your apartment, and he hands you the roses, followed by another kiss.

''These are beautiful, Tony! They will look perfect on my dining room table,'' you say as you get out a vase to fill with water and put the roses in.

''How was your morning so far?'' he asks, and you nearly cut your finger at the question because now you have to tell him what you said to Camille about the two of you.

''Uh, I- Please don't get mad at me when I tell you this, okay?'' you say as you continue to look at your roses, embarrassed that you broke one of your promises to Tony.

''What is it, Gorgeous? You know I couldn't ever get mad at you, right?'' Tony says, and the worry is immediately visible in his voice.

''My business partner and best friend Camille had an appointment here before you came over, and I told her I'm seeing you because I've been distracted the entire time. And after we talked a little more about how we met and all that stuff,'' you say, the embarrassment is visible on your cheeks now.

''Is that everything, Gorgeous?'' he says as he gets up, and you've put down your scissors and the flowers to look at Tony as he wraps you in his arms and pulls you close.

''Well, I can't be mad at that. Because I've told my assistant, Pepper, that I've been seeing you ever since she paid your drycleaning bill for me all those months ago,'' Tony says, and you let your head fall against his chest with a big smile.

''I'm sorry for getting worried about nothing,'' you say, and Tony kisses your forehead softly.

''It's okay, I think it's adorable,'' he says, and you finish getting your flowers ready to go into the vase and go away for your picnic.

The drive was pretty long, and suddenly, you understand why Tony asked you to take the entire afternoon off because he's taking you to a pretty secluded spot, but it's worth it entirely for the view alone.

You're looking out over a beautiful lake, and there isn't a person in sight for miles when Tony parks the car and prepares everything for your picnic. He even brought a few pillows to sit on since the ground wasn't too comfortable.

''Here you go, m'lady,'' he says as he guides you onto a few pillows, and he sits down across from you, a picnic basket in between the two of you. It holds a variety of sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, and chocolate-covered strawberries, your favorite dessert.

''Oh, I forgot one more thing!'' he says, and he walks back to his car and pulls out a bottle of champagne and two glasses, which doesn't surprise you in the slightest.

The smile on your face is filled with nothing but pure love for this man, and you can't believe you've hit the jackpot with him. He's more thoughtful, romantic, and caring than you ever thought you'd deserve, but now that you have it, you never want it any other way.

After he poured two glasses of champagne, he hands you one, and you cheer to a perfect picnic, and you put the glass against your lips, letting the bubbly liquid glide down your throat like velvet.

You let out a soft moan at the taste, and Tony can't help but smile at the sound and the sight in front of him. The sun is shining down on both of you, making you look like an angel sent straight from heaven, and Tony can't help but think about how lucky he is to have run into you that faithful day.

''I still thank my lucky stars every night that I have found you, Gorgeous. You've made my life so much better ever since that day in the coffee shop, and I can't wait to see where this road will lead us,'' Tony says, and you agree.

The conversation during the picnic is light, but that's precisely what you need. Whenever you're with Tony, you only talk about business if necessary and prefer it that way.

''Gorgeous?'' Tony asks as he feeds you another chocolate-covered strawberry, and you have moved into his lap about a half hour ago.

''What's up, Buttercup?'' you joke, and you can't help the fit of laughter that takes over you, pulling Tony with you until you both can't breathe from laughter.

''I was thinking I'd like to introduce you to the Avengers, seeing how you're my girlfriend and all,'' he says. You two have not discussed any next steps since your relationship is still relatively new.

''Are you sure you want to do that? I would be honored, but being in the presence of Iron Man all the time is already amazing,'' you say, and Tony can't help but feel proud at your comment.

''I'd love to introduce my girl to them because she's nothing but perfect, and I would love to show you off to them. Just to them, not the rest of the world, yet. There'll be a place and time for that,'' he says, and you nod.

''I couldn't agree more,'' you say, and that's when you're making plans to have you introduced to the other Avengers.

Today's the day of your six-month anniversary with Tony, and it is the perfect time to introduce you to all of the other Avengers. They're all invited for dinner at one of your restaurants, and you have your chefs make a special menu for them.

''I will arrive later, but you can all start without me; I should arrive at the same time as the entree, I believe,'' you tell Tony, and even though he's a little disappointed you won't be there from the start, he also understands that business also needs to be done.

Your appointment ended earlier than expected, so you have a little time to make yourself decent. You admire your new plaid pantsuit in the mirror before fixing your lipstick and hair.

You text Tony that you're on your way, and you walk to your car, ready to meet the other Avengers. The restaurant is pretty close to your office, but traffic is horrible, so what was supposed to be a twenty-minute drive turned into nearly an hour, and just like you predicted, you arrived right before the entrees arrived at the table.

You walk into the door of your restaurant and perch your sunglasses on the top of your head before greeting Heather, your hostess for tonight. The restaurant is still open, and as usual, it is completely booked since this is one of your most successful restaurants.

''Welcome, Ms. Y/L/N. What can we help you with today?'' she asks, and you tell her you're here to have dinner with the Avengers, so she leads you to the table they've placed everyone at.

''Enjoy your meal, Ms.,'' Heather says, and you thank her before walking up to everyone. Tony gets up immediately when he spots you walking over.

''Hi Gorgeous,'' he says, giving a small peck on your lips as a greeting, and the Avengers immediately stop eating as they see what Tony just did.

''Everyone, I want to introduce you to my beautiful girlfriend - and the owner of this restaurant -, Y/N Y/L/N,'' Tony says, and you wave and say hi to everyone.

''Here we have Steve, Bucky, Natasha, Wanda, Clint, Thor, Loki, Scott, Bruce, and Sam,'' he says as he introduces everyone, and they all wave or nod in acknowledgment.

''It's nice to meet you all; it's a real honor to be in your presence. And I would like to apologize to all of you for being late; I had a business meeting before this that I unfortunately could not reschedule,'' you say, but they let you know they understand.

''So, what is it that you do? Tony mentioned you own this restaurant, but I have a feeling this isn't the only one,'' Natasha asks, and you already like her being so straightforward.

''You're right, Natasha. I am a restaurateur, and I own about seven restaurants in the state of New York and five more in the rest of the United States, including the one we're sitting in right now,'' you say proudly, and Tony can't help but have a proud look on his face as well.

''Oh wow, that's amazing!'' Steve says, and the rest of the night is spent getting to know you, but you also get to know all of them a little better, and you immediately feel at home between all of them.

When you're about to get served some dessert, Heather walks over to you because of a customer problem at the front desk.

''I'm so sorry, Ms. Y/L/N, but I need your help. A man at the front desk refuses to pay, threatening to leave if we don't get a manager there soon,'' she says, and you excuse yourself for a few minutes.

''She's amazing, Tony. You're fortunate with a woman like her; she's very driven and passionate, but also very loving, and it shows,'' Loki says, and all of the other Avengers agree.

Not long after you've been pulled away from the table, you're back, and you continue your dinner with everyone.

''I'm so sorry for that,'' you say, but Tony grabs your hand reassuringly and smiles at you with a love-filled smile.

The rest of the dinner goes smoothly, and you return with them to the Avengers Compound for some drinks, staying with Tony in his apartment that night.

''Thank you for everything tonight; I could not have wished for a more perfect evening,'' you say as you lay on your stomach, your legs lifted and swinging in the air as your hand runs through Tony's hair. He's lying on his side, giving you small kisses all over your jaw and neck.

''Thank you for making it unforgettable,'' Tony says, pulling you in for a deep, passionate kiss. You cuddle up to him when you pull away and fall into a deep sleep, thankful you won't have any appointments in the morning.

The following day, you wake up in Tony's arms, and you let out a small sigh at the warmth of his chest against your back.

''Mornin' Gorgeous,'' he says as he places a trail of kisses from your neck to your shoulder before rolling you over and continuing that trail until he's reached your mouth.

The rest of the morning is spent eating breakfast in bed and cuddling until you have to get out and go back home because you have an important meeting that afternoon.

''I can't wait to see you again, Gorgeous,'' he says as you say goodbye to him.

''Neither can I, Muffin, but it'll be soon,'' you say, and with one last kiss, he sees you out. You greet the Avengers, who are either in the kitchen or the living room, and they happily greet you as well.

They would see you a lot, and eventually, you moved in with Tony, and he moved in with you in your penthouse, so the two of you divided your time between those two apartments.

It didn't come as a surprise to anyone when you announced you're getting married less than a year after meeting them because you two are head over heels in love.

''I love you, Mr. Stark,'' you say during your first dance with Tony—the first of many more.

''I love you too, Mrs. Stark,'' Tony says before capturing your lips in a sweet kiss, and you feel happier than you ever have in your entire life. This is precisely what you've always dreamt of, and to do it with Tony by your side is the cherry on top.

#tony stark #tony stark fanfiction #tony stark fanfic #tony stark one shot #tony stark request #tony stark imagine #tony stark x female reader #tony stark x reader #tony stark x y/n #tony stark fluff

51 notes · View notes

outeremissary · 4 months

Text

2023 Wrapped!

This is my first ever time doing a year end art summary (using this template)- I always wanted to when I was younger, but never felt I was creating enough work or that it was "serious" enough or good looking enough to be worth compiling. It's been interesting to reflect on a year that included so many creative ups and downs (and life ups and downs in general). If you'll permit me I want to do the little reflection ramble too, even if it's an inadvisable 5 (or now 6) in the morning where I live.

Some of you who followed me on Twitter probably know that I only "learned to color"- or rather found a way that worked for me enough to finish things consistently- in 2022, and rather late in 2022 at that. This is pretty much the first year where work I considered "finished" or "polished" included things that weren't greyscale, and it's absolutely the first year where I had attempted to do something in color almost every single month. When I look at this and see the range of hues it has, I really feel an incredible sense of achievement. I would not have imagined 14 months ago that I could stitch something that looked like this together, and 12 months ago I can't say I'd have felt confident either.

Despite having a huge artistic slump in the back half of the year (along with a sharp downturn in my mental health in general) I was astounded to find that for the first six months I had so much work that I loved and was proud of that it was hard to put this together because I constantly felt like I was leaving favorites out- works that I thought were iconic or were huge milestones or I just really loved. That was unbelievable. And that was only sifting through the "nice" stuff- I didn't even consider a mountain of sketches and doodles that I adored! Even in my busiest months and the months I was recovering from a major medical procedure (I got top surgery!!!) I had something to show, and May being a WIP is less because there was nothing in that month than because Aurien and Vio were the only ones who were fitting in the damn frame (side note: I'd be more thoughtful with template than aesthetic if I ever did this again).

Even in the five months I was convinced I had done absolutely nothing, I found again and again that I had more than I thought for every month (except November, where it turned out everything I thought I'd done was early December. you've been spared DUrgetash). I was creating even when I was convinced that I was never going to be able to draw again. And I was creating enough that I got to be picky filling this thing out and choose Tristian for October just for a laugh when other options were out there, and enough that I had options when I was struggling to fit something I wanted into the template frame.

Side note: Miss Leonelle, you were tragically robbed by the damn frames.

In making this I also saw again and again the connections that I made throughout the year. I have had the incredible fortune to make wonderful friends this year and to build on bonds that I already had- even some where I perhaps didn't deserve the chances I was given. @mountainashfae is all over this summary- in April, May, June, August, and November- and I've often felt I spent as much time on Vio as Balthazar this year, but there were at least seven other baronesses, KCs, and other incredible OCs I had the privilege of drawing this year who I desperately wanted to fit onto this and was not able to for one reason or another. I'm so happy to know so many creative, passionate people and to be allowed so close to the things they hold so dear. To everyone who has shared their creations this year- not just with me, but with anyone on the internet or in real life or quietly in DMs or in a Discord or wherever- you're incredible, and I hope you're proud of what you've done. And if you struggle with that, I hope you can be proud of the way you're growing even now.

If you've stuck with me this far, thank you. Sincerely. I really appreciate that there are people who enjoy looking at my silly little drawings and reading my occasional rambles, even if I'm a little erratic on putting things up and usually a bit distant by choice from fan communities. And if you continue to stick around, I hope that you continue to have a good time.

I don't know what to expect from 2024 when I've got a laundry list of projects from 2023 I haven't finished, but I'm hopeful about what it'll contain. There's a lot I want to do- more full illustrations, working on other media, trying more ambitious projects- but for now it's enough to just think about picking up the things I've left off and continuing to tie up those loose ends.

Here's hoping we all can find something we want in 2024, as terrible and unknowable as the new chapter is.

#really obsessed with the single non PF/D&D thing on this being fucking Library of Ruina. huh!! I still haven't played more than two hours #my carmen didn't make the cut but maybe another carmen counts too.#I think in total there are 2.5 things on here that were never posted on tumblr. june made it here as a sketch but I don't think color?#if I have drawn something for you this year I love your character and had fun. :')#if I ever did this again I would maybe just do something with normal squares that didn't look cool. for practicality #emiway time for me to pass the fuck out. everyone outside of the US truly I am posting for you with the times I choose to not sleep #love you all have a good whatever time it is #emi art

18 notes · View notes

ghostlyshellofapuppet · 10 months

Text

Howl Pendragon x gn baker reader

I've never wrote for Howl before so sorry if he's occ and I'm writing for movie Howl not book Howl. I realize my writing is probably dry and I'm trying to work on that and constructive criticism is always appreciated. I think I kept it gn if not I'm sorry. I will probably make a part two

You've been running a small bakery for about six months and it's been doing really well for how long it's been open, and it's been a really nice part of your life. There's just something about seeing people enjoy what you make that makes waking up at 6 am to make sweets worth it. But today day started slow, maybe because of that rumor going around, something about a wizard and a castle. Anyway not that it didn't give you time to relax after baking all morning, until the door opened.

In stepped a tall man with blonde hair, a big jacket and a poofy white shirt, and you've never seen him before which is kind of odd. It's a small town and normally if it's a slow day your regulars are the main ones that come, but a customer is still a customer. He walks up to the counter with a type of stride that's oddly charming. He looks around for a second before speaking. " I need to chocolate cupcakes and a loaf of bread, please." After he makes his request you tally down what he asks and he pays, you move to start gathering the order. Deciding to make small talk you ask, " So I don't think I've seen you before, are you new?". He looks at you and smiles, " No, I'm not, I just don't get out much. It takes a special occasion for me to come out normally."

As you seal the box for the cupcakes and begin to wrap the bread in cloth you speak " Well I'm glad to meet you, I'm y/n . So what's the special occasion?" While handing him the baked goods, he replies, " My name is Howl and it's my apprentice's birthday so I thought I'd get him something, goodbye for now." You watch as he waves and walks out the exit while you now have to wait around for the next person.

It was five days later when he walked through your door again, this time with a red headed child who ran to the display case, looking at everything very excitedly. Howl, whose name you remembered which surprised you, walked up next to him. "Hi, nice to see you again, thought you didn't come out much." you greeted, while Howl greets back " Markel here", who glaces up at the sound of his name," was bugging me to buy more sweet stuff since I don't keep it on hand." Markel speaks up looking annoyed," All he keeps in the house is eggs, bacon and bread. "What's that?", he points to a cinnamon roll. Once you realize what he's pointing too, you tell him while Howl looks at you too with a smile, and the two start ordering what they want, pay and leave while you wave them off. The small talking with them is nice and doesn't seem as forced as it does with some people who come to your bakery, it's nice you realize, it comes naturally and kind of look forward to when he comes again, that is if he does come again.

It's been two weeks since you saw Howl and Markel until one morning you see Markel walk through the door and jog to the counter. " Hey" you greet," come back for more sweets?". Markel looks around in the display case and responds without looking at you, " Howl has been kinda distracted lately, lost in thought and I wanted to get him something to make him feel better and I know he likes the stuff you make but I don't know what to get him". At that you have to think for a moment about what makes people feel better, probably nothing fruity or citrusy, maybe something with cinnamon or chocolate. "What type of sweets does Howl like?", you ask Markel, but he shrugs and says, " He liked the chocolate cupcakes you made so maybe something chocolate, but I know he also really likes carrot cake." So to help Markel out you start to box carrot cake, chocolate cake and a cinnamon roll for Markel, while he watches slightly confused. You turn around and give him the box telling him not to worry about cost and Markel looks surprised but also joyful. He starts to run off to the door while thanking you but stops " Thank you ..... I don't think I ever learned your name." You smile " y/n" you say with a small laugh. " Thank you y/n" Markel calls as he runs off.

Markel arrives back at his house to find Howl staring off into space, sitting in front of Calsifer. "Howl, look what I brought you" Markel says as he runs up to him, causing Howl to tilt his head to him and perks up slightly seeing the box Markel is holding. Calsifer notices and starts speaking, " You got more from that bakery, can I have some this time, I never even got a cupcake the first time and you keep bringing back with nothing for me. I do keep this castle running but don't even get a bakery item." Howl ignores Calsifer and stands up, taking the box from Markel and makes his way over to the table and pushes away clutter to make a spot. " Thank you Markel, what is this for?" Howl questions while Markel grabs his cinnamon roll, " I noticed you've been off recently and I wanted to make you feel better. I think you like y/n baking a lot, don't you, I mean isn't that why you took me there that one time? So you would have an excuse to go again." Howl doesn't respond to his question and looks away slightly, listening to Calsifer in the background complaining while Howl takes the carrot cake for himself and takes the chocolate piece to Calsifer. While the fire demon eats it in one go Howl sits in peace eating while Markel tries to figure out what's been bothering him, deciding to ask him later, Markel goes back to eating.

If you read to the bottom thank you and if you have any constructive criticism to help my writing be better it is appreciated. I will more then likely be making more parts to this

#howl pendragon #x reader #howl pendragon x reader #howl's moving castle #fanfiction #Howl Pendragon x reader #Howl Jenkins Pendragon

43 notes · View notes

petitmonde · 1 year

Text

Meet ugly

A set of dialogue prompts and scenarios for meet ugly, because who doesn't need chaos in their lives? Send in a prompt and/or scenario + a ship. Feel free to share and use.

I'd like to thank @missjanjie and @sweetlikesunflowersandhoney for their help.

Dialogue prompts

1. "Is that my car?"

2. "Oh, so that was you?"

3. "Please never contact me again"

4. "You shouldn't be in here"

5. "Who the hell are you?"

6. "So listen, I met the worst bitch ever on my way to work"

7. "Can you shut up? At least for ten minutes"

8. "You could say sorry"

9. "Just don't puke on my carpet"

10. "I don't even know you"

11. "I didn't ask for your life story"

12. "I didn't sign up for this"

13. "Okay, rule number one, don't talk to me"

14. "That fucking hurt"

15. "Did your parents hate you when they named you that?"

16. "That is the ugliest dress I've ever seen"

17. "I think I just spilled coffee all over our new boss"

18. "I'm pretty sure my date is hitting on your date"

19. "Wait, this isn't my apartment?"

20. "If you kick my seat one more time, I'm cutting off your legs."

21. "Get out"

22. "Well here's the thing, I don't care"

23. "I'm going to call the cops"

24. "It's loaded"

25. "Shit, I thought you weren't home"

26. "It's been six months and you still don't know their name?"

27. "I think you got the wrong number"

28. "Put your clothes back on"

29. "What the hell is wrong with you? Don't answer that, I already know"

30. "When I see that bitch again"

31. "I don't have a death wish"

32. "I am not getting in that car with you"

33. "Why does this kind of thing always happen to me?"

34. "Okay, for the last fucking time"

35. "Didn't you hear me?"

36. "Get a grip, get a life and get over it"

37. "I am not going to entertain drama, chaos, confusion and madness"

38. "I'm not bothered, not at all"

39. "I knew she was a clown from the jump"

40. "I'm not finished talking to you"

41. "I pity you for the face that you have"

42. "Here, let me buy you a new one"

43. "I don't want it anymore"

44. "You're getting blood all over me"

45. "You will be hearing from my lawyer"

46. "Well, you can go fuck yourself"

47. "Did you ever work in porn?"

48. "Who invited you?"

49. "This sounds like a scam"

50. "$800? I don't have that kind of money"

Scenarios

A. A and B have an appointment at the same clinic after their partner cheated on them, without knowing the other person is their side piece.

B. A server spills a milkshake on a customer's fancy new shirt, and is entirely unapologetic about it.

C. A and B match on Tinder and they quickly realise the other person is insane and unmatch. They then meet again on a blind date.

D. They've waged a passive aggressive war against eachother for years for being 'that annoying neighbour' by leaving notes in the laundry room without actually having met.

E. They're both hospitalised in the same room, and absolutely everything their new roommate does is annoying. And their family and friends are even worse.

F. It's the worst day ever already, and in comes an idiot who thinks it's cute to be overly friendly.

G. A is gleefully eating something B had been looking forward to all week – and it was the last one!

H. A stole B's cat accidentally, but now it's been over a year, so whose cat is it really.

I. A suddenly having to become a babysitter for a very drunk B, a complete stranger.

J. A and B have been tricked into babysitting the same pair of chaotic twins.

K. A finds B wildly attractive, and has had a crush on them for a good while, however during their first conversation, A blanks and insults B.

L. Just your ordinary everyday traffic accident between a car and a bike.

M. A drunkenly texts B, thinking they're A's ex, and now B won't stop teasing them about it.

N. On a skiing trip, A walks into what they think is their own lodge, only to find that the bed they're sleeping in belongs to B, who very much doesn't appreciate waking up to being spooned by a stranger.

O. A is the sole reason they're desperately trying to survive an avalanche.

P. A's dog messes up B's date, but is refusing to pay for a new pair of pants.

Q. A's sibling fucks over B, and when B comes over to slap some sense into them, they end up slapping A.

R. A gets an angry phone call from B, cussing out someone with a name that's similar to theirs. At first they wanted to hang up, but now A just really wants to hear how that person fucked up.

S. A is a stand-in for B's partner in a reality TV show, and is doing their damnedest at messing them up since B was dismissive of them when they met. Revenge isn't always cold, bitch.

T. They're sharing an Uber from a club, and holy shit, A is bleeding all over the place, so B has no option but to help to avoid paying a cleaning fee.

U. A works at an amusement park as a mascot in a suit. B lives to torment the mascots, and now that there aren't kids around, A is ready to let them have it.

V. A is running late, and only notices their shirt is inside out in the elevator. They try to put it on right but they get stuck with their shirt half off. B is the shocked neighbour who finds A like that.

W. A has brought in flowers to work to welcome the new hire, who happens to be extremely allergic to said flowers.

X. Someone keeps stealing A's food from the fridge, and having had enough, A poisons their food with an inordinate amount of chili peppers. Now to wait for the screams of B come lunchtime.

Y. If A doesn't shut up about their ex anytime soon, B is going to blow a gasket and tell them to get a life. They're in public for fucks sake, have your mental breakdown somewhere else.

Z. A has talked mad shit about B at length, not realising they'd be their next opponent in their next match. Now it's personal.

#prompt list #writing #meet ugly #writerblr #dialogue prompts

120 notes · View notes

veliseraptor · 1 year

Text

April Reading Recap

so apparently I read a fuckton in April. I put that on the week off for Passover and also a number of very fast reads last month. here goes

The Spite House by Johnny Compton. Might be the best horror book I'd read in a while, and I did not see the twist coming for a long while. Good and very spooky on the whole, but the "creepy kids as ghosts" thing took some of the luster off it. Still, some good and original ideas here and I'll be watching for more books by this author.

The Nine Eyes of Lucien by Madeleine Roux. Not very good writing and a good third of the book was rehashing the events of the end of Campaign 2, which I just watched. It was fine, I guess? But I didn't find it added much.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. I've had this one on my list for literal years - it's a retelling of the Biblical story of Dinah, Jacob's one daughter. I kind of wish I'd read it sooner, when (a) I was less burned out on retellings/reinterpretations of familiar stories, and (b) when I would've been less bothered by the flavor of gender essentialism of the text and could have appreciated other things about it without getting stuck in feeling iffy about that. I am trying to work out why it bothers me so much that Diamant chose to change the reading of the text from (an implied) rape to a consensual love affair, and I'm not quite sure I can explain that.

It's an interesting book and I'm glad I read it but I don't think I'd recommend it without disclaimers; I think in some ways it's more interesting as an artifact of the cultural movement it comes out of than anything else. Would analyze in a class about Jewish feminist responses to stories in Tanakh (or Talmud, tbh).

Six Myths of Our Time: Little Angels, Little Monsters, Beautiful Beasts and More by Marina Warner. Fascinating collection of short essays originally given as lectures on the BBC, apparently - the one essay about the way the West conceptualizes the simultaneous purity/monstrosity of children was particularly interesting to me. Interesting piece of work I picked up totally by happenstance because it was short and looked interesting and it lived up to both qualities.

Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates. Good spooky horror recommended by @cigaretteburnslikefairylights and actually legit scared me in places, which doesn't happen all that often to me anymore when I'm reading horror. (I'm still a weenie watching it.) I actually...liked this one start to resolution and am going to be looking up more of Darcy Coates' writing, because if it's not, you know, doing something super ~innovative~ it is good spooky reading and that's really what I've been craving.

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded by Simon Winchester. Reading this book was a weird experience. I went into it just thinking "ooh, book about an interesting natural disaster, I love volcanoes" and came out of it going "whoa, surprise Islamophobia," checked the publication date, and learned it was 2003, whereupon I was miserably unsurprised. I don't know why the author felt like he needed to make colonial apologetics and blame the post-eruption upheaval on Islamic fundamentalists manipulating the natives into uprising against their Dutch masters but apparently he did. (I'm exaggerating. But not that much.)

The geology stuff was interesting. Mr. Winchester should've stuck with that and the reportage of the eruption itself and left politics out of it.

Violent Phenomena: 21 Essays on Translation ed. by Kavita Bhanot & Jeremy Tiang. This might be my favorite book I read in April, honestly. It's a really good collection of essays about the concept of decolonizing translation, and what that means, and whether it's possible, and the uneasy and uncomfortable relationship between translation and imperialism. I didn't agree with all the essays in here, and they didn't necessarily all agree with each other, but all of them at least had something interesting to say. I would recommend this one to people who can find it - it's by a small press - who are interested in translation or who frequently read in translation. The writers have a lot to say that I think is worth thinking about.

She Is a Haunting by Trang Thahn Tran. I think I just need to give up reading YA books with the realization they're generally not for me, though this one almost had me. It's something about the...I know there's a range of styles, I can't generalize style across the genre, but there is a texture to YA writing that doesn't quite work for me.

I love the concept - diaspora horror, colonialist horror, some really fucked up body horror stuff that got surprisingly gruesome - and would love to read a slightly different book about it, but alas, that book wasn't this one.

American Midnight: Democracy's Forgotten Crisis, 1917-1921 by Adam Hochschild. Another contender for favorite book I read this month though I think this one loses out to Violent Phenomena and possibly Gallows Hill, though comparing horror fiction to historical nonfiction feels kind of unfair. Anyway, I knew some of what this book was digging into - the Sedition Act and the intensely violent repression that was going on in the United States during World War I - but I learned a lot more here.

The depressing thing about reading this, though, was watching (so to speak) the brutal crushing of a once fairly robust American Socialist Party such that it never recovered. Not to mention the grinding down of the labor movement, which I think was at its most powerful during this period of time and hasn't been as strong since.

Just looking at that and wondering what might've been if Woodrow Wilson wasn't such a fucking dick.

Elektra by Jennifer Saint. I feel so funny about this book. I read another mythology retelling even though I swore not to because a Tumblr user I respect mentioned it being good; my experience was that it wasn't bad and it didn't actively bother me like some other retellings I could name, but I don't know that I'd actually call it good. Mostly I'd say I wasn't annoyed, just uninspired.

Of the three narrators, Elektra was definitely the best, and I really did like the construction of her relationship with Clytemnestra, which really felt like the meat of the book. (Perhaps, considering the House of Atreus, that's a bad turn of phrase to use.) The Cassandra sections felt like a distraction, mostly a way to keep the reader up with what was going on across the sea and provide some action in between the familial drama. Ultimately I just felt like those sections took away from the Elektra/Clytemnestra dynamic, leaving insufficient meat.

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach. I went through a period of time where I was reading all of Mary Roach's books, and was kind of obsessed with them, so this was sort of returning to an old and familiar friend. I found I wasn't quite as enamored with this one as I remembered being of some of her others (I think I remember Stiff being my favorite), but it was an interesting look at the intersections between human and animal - which is really more what this is about than law, per se. It's about what we do when animals cause problems for humans, from monkeys to bears, and the questions that are raised about the best way to handle those issues.

Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt & Roddy Ashworth. I'm so confused by this book. From the insistence on referring to Nero as "princeps" throughout the book, to the random dropping of French in places it really didn't need to be, to the frankly credulous approach to the sources, particularly when it comes to sex, even when the author mentioned how sex is often a proxy for politics in Roman historical writing, the weird sideways digression into "did Rome have gay marriage?", the weird "maybe she got what she deserved" aside about Messalina's death...

I learned a fair amount, I can say that, I'm not as knowledgeable about this period's Julio-Claudians. Frankly I think Agrippina (the Younger) was the real star of this book, despite Anthony Everitt's heroic efforts to make Nero the protagonist. Buddy, I see your point, but you're pushing a little too hard here.

Anyway. Weird reading experience, I'm tempted to recommend it just so someone else can either validate it or go "what are you talking about, this was a perfectly normal history book."

---

woof long post, but hey it was a lot of books. currently reading A Fever in the Heartland for more American racism in the early 20th century. I have a stack of library books that are waiting for me and I think the next one is probably going to be The Social Lives of Animals, which will either be really enjoyable or annoy the hell out of me, possibly both.

#reading recaps #sometimes i read things #long post for ts

33 notes · View notes

sitp-recs · 1 year

Note

Hi Liv! I know you're still on a fandom break, but your rec lists are the best and I really need some Harry pov fics—think Away Childish Things, Nice Things, and Here's the Pencil Make it Work all of which which I've already reread too many times in the past six months for me to describe accurately myself as "okay" so if you know of any other similar fics I'd much appreciate it!

Tysm and hope ur having a lovely evening 💜

Hello friend, happy to help! I haven’t read a lot recently so I apologize for not reccing any new fics here. I’m assuming you already know Turn by SG which has an iconic Harry POV, so I have listed other titles with a focus on pining!Harry. I hope you find some exciting new reads here!

Still Life, orphaned (M, 3k)

in a rambling way by @fw00shy (T, 7.5k)

Ron knocked Hermione up, and now Harry's got to figure out how to clone himself so that his friends don't split up fighting over him. Falling for Draco again was never part of the plan.

Clear As Mud by scoradh (M, 9k)

Set post-war and post-Harry's-conscience...

Poppiholla by @moonflower-rose (M, 12k)

Harry had accepted that he would pine silently for Malfoy forever, but one, humid summer might change that.

Take These Lies by @pennygalleon (E, 20k)

There’s a portrait of his godfather in Draco Malfoy’s potions shop and Harry needs to know why. But that’s not why he keeps coming back.

Faint Indirections by ignatiustrout (2019, T, 29k)

Draco Malfoy is the last person Harry expects to turn up in Boston, Massachussetts. But now he's here, and he won't stop requesting books from the library where Harry works.

On Your Shore by @xanthippe74 (M, 35k)

Clearing out a remote house full of cursed collectibles in the Outer Hebrides? Not a problem for an experienced curse breaker like Harry Potter. Spending a week with the straight, happily-married man that he’s starting to have feelings for? And sharing a bed with him at night? Surely Harry can handle that, too.

Rush (For A Gap That Exists) by @sleepstxtic-drarry (M, 42k) - F1 AU

A story of love and loss that grew amidst the most infamous rivalry in Formula One history: the story of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter.

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic (E, 61k)

Harry Potter, of all people, knows that life isn’t always fair. And no one gets to be happy all of the time. But surely there’s something more—something better—than a rubbish Ministry job, and a lonely old house, and that feeling that everyone out there is doing a better job of living than Harry is.

The Beauty of Thestrals and Other Unseen Things by @writcraft (E, 63k)

Harry has terrific friends, an amazing girlfriend and his job as Head Auror enables him to work on challenging cases and Ministry reform. He just wishes he could work out why he’s been so out of sorts.

The Promise of Summer by Omi_Ohmy (M, 66k)

How was Harry supposed to know that coming back for eighth year would be so confusing? Everything is the same, and yet not the same. And nowhere is this more obvious than with Draco Malfoy. Harry finds himself once more watching and following Malfoy, trying to work him out.

Home Truths by @skeptiquewrites, art by @fantalfart (E, 67k)

In the off-season Harry decided to fix up Grimmauld Place and found that Draco Malfoy was the only person who could help him. A demanding career and unrelenting press scrutiny were enough to deal with before Harry added a house with a mind of its own, family history, and a tense, flirty, complicated relationship with his childhood nemesis to the mix.

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them (or Draco Malfoy's Guide to Stop Dying and Start Living Instead) by nerakrose and dustmouth (T, 96k)

Malfoy is way too interested in coroner reports for somebody who's definitely not looking for ways to die, Harry wants to be friends with him, and Ginny wants to break up with Harry.

Grounds for Divorce by Tepre (E, 122k)

Malfoy finds a coin. Harry finds a letter.

By the Grace by lettered (T, 140k)

Harry is an Auror instructor. Malfoy wants to be an Auror.

#asks #drarry reclist #Harry pov

71 notes · View notes