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#also didn't tag enough people but I don't have that many I talk to regularly :
elumish · 2 months
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In the wake of what's going on in the world, I see a lot of rhetoric that basically boils down to the idea that everyone has a responsibility to watch every bad thing that's going on in the world all the time. That awareness itself is a responsibility that everyone has always.
I'm not going to say that people do or don't have a responsibility to be aware of things, but I want to talk about how to take care of yourself and others while doing so.
For some context, I spent close to a year and a half reading about every terrorist attack in the world as part of my work on the Global Terrorism Database. It was 2015/2016, so this was the height of ISIS/Daesh, it was a major time for Boko Haram, and it was when there was a lot of political violence that we weren't sure how to classify in places like Yemen, Crimea, and Libya (stuff the GTD didn't know how to classify had all of is information recorded, and then it went into purgatory until someone above my paygrade decided what to do with it). What this means is that I was spending 10-20 hours a week reading about hundreds or thousands of attacks a month and, in my case, recording infomation about the type of attack and the type of weapon. Much of my life was reading terrible things.
Limit what you do in isolation. One of the worst changes for me during that time, mental health-wise (even though it was great for my commute) was when I went from working in-person to working remotely. With other people, there are ways to diffuse the pain. A burden shared is a burden halved and all that. That may mean talking about it, or joking about it, or finding some other way to engage with it that isn't just reading about the most horrible things in the world and then stewing in your own thoughts about them.
Find something to do that's totally unrelated. I highly recommend finding something to do with your hands, if you can (knitting, Lego, cooking, whatever), but regardless of what it is, you should have some time when you entirely switch away to something different. During a fair amount of my time with the GTD, I was also doing my undergrad thesis about terrorism on TV, so a huge amount of my life was about terrorism in some way. The only other thing I watched was Great British Bake Off, and I would just rewatch the episodes, over and over.
Be compassionate about how you share information and with whom. Use trigger warnings, and consider using consistent tagging on places like Tumblr so people can blacklist it if they need to. Also consider whether it's appropriate or necessary to share photos of bodies or other results of horrible violence. What is it accomplishing, to show that? Can that goal be accomplished other ways that don't require the equivalent of jumpscares of unexpected photos of dead or brutalized people? Are you just showing it because you think that everyone should have to see it? If you are showing it, are there ways to mitigate against harm it may do?
Do what you can to avoid an echo chamber. Sometimes, when everyone around you is upset or angry about the same thing, it just amplifies itself, and you all get angrier and more upset in perpetuity without accomplishing anything.
Work towards action. Watching terrible things happen for the sake of saying that you haven't looked away isn't as meaningful as taking action in some way. Write to your Congressperson. Donate. Do whatever is appropriate for the thing you want to stop. But penance via watching terrible things happen doesn't accomplish anything.
Recognize compassion fatigue and do what you can to mitigate it. If you spend long enough doing this, you start to lose context, and you start to become less able to have compassion about things. If you're reading about attacks with dozens or hundreds of deaths regularly, five can start to not seem like that many. If you're reading only about the worst suffering in the world, "lesser" suffering of those around you can start to seem unimportant and petty. Do what you can to mitigate that.
Be kind to yourself. You do nobody any good if you burn out. Look away, if you need to. Take a break. Do things so you can enjoy life, because otherwise you are just another person suffering in the world. Other people's pain isn't a hair shirt for you to wear.
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bengiyo · 18 days
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Get to Know Me Tag :)
I was tagged by @telomeke and shaded by @lurkingshan.
do you make your bed?
Not usually, but I don't have a partner right now. I find that I'm actually really good at cleanliness when I have people in my space regularly. I am better about taking care of things when I'm doing them for the ease of others.
what's your favourite number?
14, but I couldn't tell you why. I think it has something to do with a girl named Ciara who I sat behind in elementary school.
what is your job?
I fix things for a government agency.
if you could go back to school, would you?
Probably. I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I went to college, and was far too much a mess at the time to study what I really should have. If I could do it and maintain my expenses, I'd retrain for my preferred profession.
can you parallel park?
Yes. I am the gay who drives.
a job you had that would surprise people?
I was paid for over two years to be really good at D&D.
do you think aliens are real?
So... I gotta be honest... I hate this question. This feels as loaded as the "Do you believe in God?" question. We are not aware of the existence of life on other planets, let alone sentient life. There is nothing for me to believe in. Do I hope that there are other intelligent beings out there? Yes. I think it would be really cool to engage in communication with a species that also crawled their way out of the muck and made it to space. I think there's much we could learn from each other about life and the universe itself. But belief is such a loaded term for me as a lapsed Catholic. I do not believe in aliens, but I hope that we'll get to meet some in the future.
can you drive a manual car?
Nope! Never needed to learn.
what's your guilty pleasure?
Hmm... Nothing really anymore?
tattoos?
Nah, I've always worked in the public sector in a way that hasn't made it an advisable choice, and I've rarely cared enough about something to mark my body with it.
favorite color?
Purple most of the time, but my wardrobe would say I'm in my green era.
favorite type of music?
I'm a soft rock 90s kid who embraced a lot of 2000s and later alternative. I've been on a huge synthwave kick lately. However, because I grew up in the 90s and remember the era of radio, I have a deep affection for Soul and R&B, classic rock, and pop.
do you like puzzles?
Yes? But not in a way that makes me yearn for them.
any phobias?
Probably falling, but that seems like a normal one for survival purposes.
favorite childhood sport?
Baseball! I was a shortstop.
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do you talk to yourself?
Not often. I don't actually have an internal monologue, so I don't need to talk to myself often to get through it.
what movies do you adore?
This is...so difficult. I'm just going to name a ton of films: Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin, Pacific Rim, Ghost Dog, Master and Commander, The Man From Earth, The Sum of Us, Big Eden, Kill Bill 1 and 2, Knives Out, Muppet Treasure Island, Gattaca, C.R.A.Z.Y., Weekend, First Blood, Robocop, Starship Troopers, Drive My Car, Nine Days, Really Love, Set it Off, Make the Yuletide Gay, Shelter, Pig, Kiki's Delivery Service, The Digimon Movie, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Star Wars IV and V, Isa Pa With Feelings, The Way He Looks... and probably many more.
coffee or tea?
Coffee. Tea does so little for me.
first thing you wanted to be growing up?
A train conductor or an astronaut! Trains are so cool, and space is the final frontier! We have to boldly go where no one has gone before!
I'll tag @shortpplfedup, @negrowhat, @chicademartinica, @so-much-yet-to-learn and @happypotato48
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"get me a damned matcha" | Chapter 13: June II
{{ Chapter 12: May I | Chapter 14: July II }} Chapter Directory
ayyyye we're halfway there folks, steamrolling into the second year
if you wanna get tagged for updates, fill out this form here!
✧ pairing ➼ levi ackerman x fem!reader, college x coffee shop x roommates!au ✧ summary ➼ After you find yourself plagued with misfortune due to struggles in your personal and family life, you find yourself needing to move last minute. As a junior in undergrad with little money and little social support, you considered yourself lucky when you found a sublease that was close to campus and was relatively cheap. Unfortunately, it seemed that your roommate did not seem to be so excited regarding your presence. ✧ content/warnings ➼ fluff, slowburn, mutual pining, idiots in love, negative self-talk ✧ word count ➼ ~5.1k
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You were looking for a new place to live back in April after your spat with Levi, but that intention was nowhere to be found now. You signed the lease renewal without hesitation. Part of you told yourself that it was because you just didn't have time to look for another apartment that was affordable.
A more realistic part of you was acutely aware that the decision (or lack thereof) was at least partially affected by the fact that you were growing much closer with your roommate. The idea of not being able to see him regularly gave you an odd discomforting feeling, especially after your chat on the Ferris Wheel. He really was the one major connection currently in your life and you couldn’t imagine throwing that away.
"Great," Levi grumbled as he filed the renewed lease away. "I'm stuck with you for another year?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," you mumbled with an eye roll. "You know Hange snitched to me about how you were saying that I'm much better at cleaning than Miche was?"
You glanced over at Levi as he scoffed.
"Miche was okay at cleaning, just not being organized."
You placed both your hands on your hips and gave Levi a cocky grin.
"And I'm good at both, right?!" 
"Certainly weren't at first," he grumbled, which prompted you to stick your tongue out at him again, which he immediately waved off. He watched as you walked to and from the bathroom, throwing towels amongst various items like a bathing suit and sunscreen into a gym bag.
You dug through the bag, taking a mental note of everything that was in there to check if you had forgotten anything.
"You're not bringing a swimming suit?" you asked, looking at Levi over your shoulder.
"And immerse myself in the filthy ocean water that's filled with who knows what? Fuck no."
You were much more excited for this beach trip than you were willing to admit. Unlike the amusement park, this wasn't an official outing that you had to be responsible for. Some of the freshmen (soon to be sophomores) in the Honors Society decided that they wanted to check out the beach and you elected to tag along. What you didn't expect was for Levi to also tag along.
"You know you don't have to come," you noted with a serious expression. "Even if you don't touch the water, the sand's also messy and will get into your shoes and clothes."
Levi knew that you had a point. His surroundings were going to be filthy regardless of if he swam or not. He would never willingly find himself at the beach. The water was gross, the sand was messy, and the public bathrooms were generally disgusting. There were too many people and parking was always a nightmare.
The reason he was going was because of you, although he'd never openly admit to it. Hanging out with you has been enjoyable and he found himself missing you whenever you were gone. The prime example was how he had reacted over spring break. You were gone for only a few days and he found himself feeling resentful and grumpy over it, to the point that he ended up being enough of a dick to you to drive you to somehow end up at your ex-boyfriend’s.
"It's monotonous and dull here," he rationalized. "Maybe being around you and the brats you hang out with will annoy me enough to want to come back home and be alone."
You raised an eyebrow at him.
"Are you saying you're enjoying hanging out with me, then?"
"Tch," Levi scoffed, avoiding eye contact with you. "Of course not."
You continued to give him a skeptical look, not believing a single word that was coming out of his mouth, but you otherwise didn't push it. 
"Well, if you change your mind, you don't have to come."
"I'm driving."
"I can catch a ride with someone else!"
When you looked back towards Levi, you saw that he was clearly scowling at you.
"...Just shut up and finish packing."
~~~~~
“Surprised you came along, Levi!” 
“Trust me, I didn’t want to at first,” Levi mumbled with a scoff, throwing a side glance over at Nicolo. He had just learned that Nicolo was the point of contact for setting up this trip. His connection with Sasha led to the connection with you, which is how you found yourself here primarily with the freshmen instead of with the other officers of the Honors Society that you usually found yourself hanging out around.
Levi kept his eyes on you, although he wasn’t entirely aware of that himself. He watched as you splashed around in the water, throwing a blow-up tube over you. You struggled to get onto it at first, which tugged at the corners of his lips into a small, amused smile. He wasn’t feeling malicious about watching you struggle, he actually found it quite cute.
That smile got quickly replaced with a frown as he had that disturbing thought again about you.
“_____ drag you here?”
Levi peeled his eyes away from you, trying to push down the feelings of unease and confusion that were becoming more prominent within him.
“Something like that.”
Nicolo got distracted as soon as Sasha came up to him and called his name, carrying a paper bag that was filled with groceries and grilling material. From what little Levi could see, it seemed the newly formed couple was planning on having a grill-out later in the day. At least it meant that he'd be able to get away from the beach eventually.
As the two walked off, Levi was left on his own to stew in his own thoughts. He would usually never find himself here. He even adamantly dodged answering Hange when they asked where he was going on his day off, being more willing to let them theorize about whatever it is that he was up to over letting them know that you had successfully dragged him to somewhere like the beach. He had been here for a few hours at this point and had yet to even step into the sand.
He was avoiding the beach itself, but it did end up being awkward for him to be hanging by himself when he purposefully came to a social event. His reasoning in February was because he only went to make sure you didn’t find yourself in trouble again. He had no such reason now.
Levi found himself annoyed because he really was questioning why he bothered with coming. You had jokingly accused him of enjoying spending time with you, but that couldn’t possibly be the case. It was purely because he needed to get away from the school and apartment, and your trip just happened to be at a convenient time for him.
Part of him knew that was a lie.
As he watched you floating around leisurely on that blow-up tube, he felt this strange pull to approach you. However, you were in the water and he was adamantly against going anywhere near the water. Even the thought of stepping into the water filled him with a sense of disgust.
Levi sighed and groaned to himself. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to stay here. He didn’t want to go towards you either.
Noticing a local pub and the fact that it was a little past noon, he elected to simply get something to eat.
It wasn’t much better there, either.
It was crowded, the music was too loud, and it was too small of a space. At this point, he was more than grumpy enough to seriously consider maybe leaving and hanging out by himself in his car for the rest of the day, although he knew that you would give him nonstop shit about it if you found out about it—and knowing his luck, you’d definitely find out about it.
After finally getting to order and eat something that wasn’t completely covered in grease, he wandered around the downtown area, noting an ice cream shop nearby. While he normally wouldn’t be bothered to check it out, seeing the dessert shop immediately reminded him of you. The past few times that you had been upset over something, his first thought was to get you food as soon as he found out that you were food motivated. You obviously weren’t particularly upset about anything currently, but getting you food (or making you Matchas) had become one of his ways of spending time with you.
He scowled at the ice cream shop. He had insisted that he had come to the beach for himself and that it had nothing to do with spending time with you, but he knew that wasn’t true. It was also incredibly annoying that something as simple as an ice cream shop immediately reminded him of you.
Despite how tilted he found himself, he still ended up making his way towards the shop, unable to fight off the instinct of obtaining the one thing that never failed to uplift your mood.
~~~~~
It was hot enough that you were more than refreshed just hanging out in the water without a care in the world. You had just rolled into the water off of one of the blow-up tubes. You had originally elected to just sunbathe, but only lasted about ten minutes before you felt like the sun was frying you alive, prompting you to roll directly into the water.
You didn't particularly have a lot of stamina, so you were only able to swim without a floatie for about another ten minutes before you gave up and grabbed onto the blow-up tube and started wading towards land.
Once you finally got back to the shore, you tossed the tube to the side and began wringing out your hair before putting it up in a loose ponytail. You had left your bag near an umbrella for shade and dug out a towel to begin to dry yourself off, taking care to not get too much sand and water into the bag itself. 
You looked around and saw that Jean, Connie, and Sasha were still screwing around in the water. Eren and Mikasa had come along as well, but they were currently nowhere to be found. 
You didn't bring your usual group of friends with you. It's not that you wanted to intentionally leave them out, but you were starting to get sick of being the one inviting them to things. You were the one that was invited onto this trip, and for once, you weren't going to take the responsibility of who was coming or ensuring that everyone had a good time.
You couldn’t deny that you held some resentment towards them over what happened at the amusement park. You planned the whole thing, and got momentarily separated, and then they didn’t bother to check in with you for the rest of the day until they needed you for something logistical. You would be able to understand that it could have been a result of you also not reaching out, if this wasn’t a regular occurrence. It was excuse after excuse, and half the time it was you just making excuses for them. At this point, you didn’t even know if it was worth bringing it up or if you would just be met with defensiveness. You weren’t satisfied with being complacent, but you also didn’t want to put work into fixing a relationship if they weren’t also invested in repairing it.
By the time Levi had decided to actually step foot onto the beach, you had already set out a towel to sunbathe, propping up an umbrella behind you so that you had the option to take shelter in the shade in case it got too hot. Levi’s pacing slowed down once he got closer to you.
He could barely contain the discomfort radiating through his body when he saw you applying sunscreen onto your bare body. Your hands were currently roaming up and down your calves to your upper thigh, suddenly making your curves that much more obvious to him. It wasn't like he didn't see you in shorts (or even half-naked) before, but he suddenly felt the need to look away as if he was invading your private space. At the same time, he couldn't take his eyes off you.
Levi kinda awkwardly shuffled from side to side, unsure of what to do. He couldn't just stand there behind you without being a creep—plus, the ice cream would melt. 
He cleared his throat, prompting you to look up at him, your face lighting up once you saw the ice cream cone in his hand.
"Oh, thank you," you said as you took the ice cream cone from him, your cheeks heating up a bit. "Wanna sit?"
You scooted over to the side a bit to give him space to also sit on your towel. You pulled your knees up to your chest while quietly licking at the ice cream cone, the cold custard bringing a refreshing feeling to your mouth. It was perfect for a day as hot as today.
Levi tried his best to avoid looking down at you past your face. Your bikini didn’t seem overly revealing at the time, but now he felt like he couldn’t help but notice how it looked on you. Your hair was pulled up into a ponytail, which revealed the nape of your neck and the sunscreen made your skin shimmer. He felt heat rapidly rising to his face and he forced himself to look away and focus on the coldness of the ice cream instead to try to get himself out of that headspace, pissed that he found himself there in the first place.
You bit on your bottom lip, slightly anxious, as you looked at Levi, who was meticulously working through his ice cream cone, looking much more tense than usual. He wasn’t wearing a swimsuit, so he just had on a white t-shirt with some shorts on. His arms up to his upper bicep was exposed and it took every ounce of self-control within you to not continue staring at him. As usual, his hair fell perfectly over his forehead and his signature irritated scowl seemed oddly alluring. You slightly shook your head upon realizing the types of thoughts that you were having.
You shot a side glance at him, watching as he picked away at his ice cream. Upon closer inspection, you could see that he had elected for a waffle bowl instead of an ice cream cone and that he was using a spoon to scoop out the ice cream instead of shoving it in his face like you were.
When he finally looked over at you again, he immediately passed you a napkin. He had grabbed a more than generous bundle from the shop that he was just at.
"You're dripping."
"Oh, shit," you muttered as you took the napkin and wrapped it around the cone, checking to make sure the sugary liquid didn't get onto the towel. 
Your hand lingered on that spot on the towel for a bit, as if you were struggling to say something. Your finger gently rubbed the cloth back and forth for a while before your lips finally parted.
"Thank you for not being...weird after the other week," you mumbled.
"What are you talking about?" he asked in what almost sounded like a genuine tone as he finished his ice cream, but he knew what you were referring to—and you knew that he knew.
"...Nevermind," you said as you shook your head.
It seemed like neither of you really wanted to discuss what had happened—or rather, what had almost happened—on the Ferris Wheel.
You remembered the two of you chatting over your sudden grumpiness when you suddenly got the impulsive urge to kiss him. You had gotten so distracted that you could barely remember what it was that you were trying to say at the time: that Levi was the only really close and reliable connection that you had.
"...Just thank you for always being there to pick up the pieces, I guess," you mumbled. "I hope you're not too distressed about having to live with me for another year."
You looked up hesitantly at him. Your last statement was meant to be a joke, but there was a bit of actual anxiety present in your voice as well.
He glanced down at you.
"I think I'll find a way to cope with your annoying ass."
You shot him a half-hearted smile. You knew this banter was normal from him, but you couldn't help but doubt. You couldn't help but ponder on the fact that no one would reasonably want to live with you.
"Cut that out," Levi scolded with a groan.
You blinked at him.
"Cut what out?"
"You're pitying yourself again."
"What? No I'm not," you said defensively.
Levi shot you a skeptical look, not believing you in the slightest. 
"You're not as much of a pain in the ass as you think you are."
You scoffed at the irony of his comment.
"You still think that after you had to scout out the entire town for me that one night?"
"Yes."
He responded extraordinarily quickly, and with clear conviction in his voice.
You clenched your jaw and looked down and away from him.
"Do you not believe me?"
He never took his gaze off you.
"_____," he called out after you remained quiet for a while.
You let out an unsteady breath.
"I want to," you whispered. "I just feel like I'm always dragging you down or bothering you for something and there are so many times in which I regret texting you at night because I know you're busy and I don't want to be a burden. And-"
"You never shut up, do you?" Levi scolded, cutting you off. "You're not a fucking burden. Quit doing that to yourself."
He slightly shoved at you in an attempt to pull you out of your head.
You pulled away and looked at him, feeling your cheeks slightly warm up upon seeing that he was shooting you a subtle smile. You gave him a half-hearted smile in return.
"Maybe you're not as much of a dick as I thought you were."
He frowned at your comment.
"You thought I was a dick?"
"Mhm," you said with a nod. "When we first talked, remember?"
"Purged that memory," he said with a deadpan expression, implying that his first meeting with you was so terrible that he had to repress his memory of it.
"Ha, yeah right."
You hated the fact that your cheeks were warming up in his presence again. You hated the fact that you couldn't pull away from him even if you wanted to. 
And you absolutely hated the fact that you got this close to your aloof roommate that was insistent on being a dick to you right off the bat.
~~~~~
"You went out to get a sandwich?"
"Not touching that oil-soaked patty."
You looked over across the alley and saw that Nicolo was in the middle of teaching Sasha how to grill. He had brought his own patties that he had prepared earlier on in the day. Given the fact that everyone had been screwing around in the water all day, they were more than ready for burgers—except for Levi.
He was making a face of absolute disgust at the burgers. He was sure it tasted great—he knew of Nicolo's cooking abilities—but just the sight of the coat of grease over them made him scrunch up his nose in disgust.
Instead, he had walked over to a nearby restaurant to order a sandwich. You knew he had walked off to do that. What you didn't expect was that he was going to come back with one in hand for you too.
You didn't have a problem eating the burger, but the sandwich did admittedly look more appetizing than the burgers that everyone had begun digging through. 
"So?"
Levi raised an eyebrow at you as you spoke.
"So?"
"You regret coming yet?"
He looked at you without responding, unsure why you were randomly bringing up the question.
"I saw you smacking your shoes earlier to get the sand out."
Levi's breathing paused for a moment. He didn't expect you to notice that. He had made sure that you were out of sight when he went behind his car to get the sand out, not wanting to give you the satisfaction of an "I told you so". 
He grunted in response.
"Whatever. As long as it doesn't get in the car."
"Maybe I'll make you go swimming next," you mused.
"Don't you dare."
You chuckled at his reaction, taking a sip of your beer. You looked up towards both Nicolo and Sasha as you finished your sandwich and saw that Sasha had already picked up how to use the grill, despite having only been introduced to it around twenty minutes ago.
You knew all the way back in November that they were beginning to become a thing, so you weren't surprised when they arrived at the beach as an official couple. You watched them interact with each other and found your eyes flashing over towards Levi.
You mentally slapped yourself for doing so. The fact that you automatically looked at him when thinking about a "new couple" meant that those feelings that rose up at the amusement park were still there, and they didn't seem to be going away any time soon. Your housing situation would be made a hundred times more complicated if you ended up falling in love with your roommate. You continued trying to convince yourself that that wasn’t the case and that there was some other explanation for your feelings that didn’t involve a more intimate relationship with him.
It was Levi. He was supposed to piss you off and you were supposed to piss him off. Him being kind to you was a fluke. You just happened to have multiple flukes in a row. It couldn’t possibly mean anything.
You awkwardly shuffled around on the bench, trying to shake off the feeling. Levi immediately noticed that your body posture had changed.
"What?" he asked with a frown.
You looked at him with flushed cheeks. You weren't sure if it was from him or from the alcohol beginning to hit you. You'd prefer if it was just the alcohol.
"Nothing," you mumbled, shaking your head. "Just the alcohol settling in."
He blinked at you a few times with a raised eyebrow. He didn't believe you.
This had turned into a common theme between the two of you. Whether you were intending to or not, lying to him has become significantly more difficult as of late, and vice versa. The tension and mind games were killing you, but you weren’t willing to address anything, if you even knew what “anything” entailed of.
You grimaced as everyone began swarming the table now that the burgers were done and everyone had grabbed their food. The small table that you had been peacefully eating your sandwich at soon became chaotic and messy. Everyone chatting at once became incredibly noisy and it was wearing away at your nerves. You were soon no longer processing anything that was being said, your world simply turning into a haze that vaguely involved people running around and screaming something about summer break that you were too overwhelmed to fully tune in to.
Levi got up and placed a hand on your shoulder, sensing the tension.
"Come, talk a walk with me. It's-"
"-getting too rowdy?" you finished his sentence with a slight smirk. You shared the sentiment, however. It was much too noisy for either of you. Although Levi had pulled you out of your dissociative state, you felt it quickly returning.
He responded to your comment with an eye roll, but otherwise motioned for you to follow as he began to wander back towards the shoreline.
~~~~~
"Oh c'mon, at least dip a toe in!" you shouted back at Levi from the shoreline. 
"Fuck no."
You were barely in the water, just close enough for the waves to wash over your feet, but remaining dry otherwise.
The beach was starting to cool off now that the sun began to go down. The sky had a relaxing pink hue to it that was speckled with white clouds drifting about. It had gotten chilly enough that you had a thin, translucent pullover on so that you weren't wearing just a bikini. 
You tried to coax Levi to step into the water, but he adamantly refused. After seeing that he wasn't going to budge, you sighed and stepped out of the water, slightly bumping into him as you walked up next to him. 
He slightly pushed back against you with an annoyed look. He had invited you on a walk to get away from everyone else, not expecting you to try to drag him into the ocean. 
His frown lines softened as you looked up into his eyes and your cheeks heated up as he gave you "that" look again. It was the one you saw for the first time on that Ferris Wheel—a gentle, compassionate look that you rarely got to see from him. 
You broke eye contact, feeling your entire body begin to heat up just from being around him. You mumbled something under your breath.
"What?"
You shook off your nerves and spoke up.
"Thanks...for always being there to pick me up."
He sighed in irritation.
"Quit thanking me for it."
You had thanked him for the exact same thing repeatedly over the past day and while he wasn't necessarily sick of it, he knew how excessive it was. He was acutely aware that it had to do with a sense of shame or guilt, but he hoped that you'd eventually be able to just accept that it's okay to need or ask for help.
"I'm sorry if it ever seems like I'm not grateful," you mumbled. "I really don't know what I would've done without you this past year so..."
Your hand grabbed at your other arm in anxiety.
"...so I guess you're not as bad of a roommate as I thought you would be."
You had to end your comment with a joke. At this point it seemed to serve as a protective factor against whatever it was that was brewing within you whenever you were around him. You were hesitant to test the waters with him. It was why you didn't text him when you were on the bus ride back from the amusement park. 
You didn't want to screw up what you already had. You didn't want to mess up this delicate friendship that you had finally been able to forge.
When you finally gathered up the courage to look at him again, you saw that he never took his eyes off you the entire time.
He looked into your eyes for a bit before he spoke, as if he was also contemplating about the best way to word his thoughts.
"Did you mean it?"
"That you're not a shit roommate?"
He let out an annoyed tut.
"Not that, dumbass."
You tilted your head a bit at him, genuinely unsure of what he was referring to. 
"At the amusement park," he said quietly, and you felt your body freeze upon him bringing it up. "On the Ferris Wheel. Did you mean it?"
He was referring to what you had been saying about being close to him. You remembered musing about the fact that you didn't really have anyone that you could call family, or anyone that you could rely on to be there in case shit hit the fan—except for Levi.
Levi was always there for you, even if it seemed like he didn't want to be. Levi would drop everything to make sure you were okay. You could confidently rely on him. Whether you had wanted to or not, you had formed somewhat of a close bond with him, to the point that every minute that you spent with him involved you being incredibly confused over what your relationship actually was.
You felt your cheeks continue to heat up and you turned to walk away, pausing as your hand brushed up against his.
Your hands lingered near each other for a bit as the both of you stopped moving. You even felt his fingers slightly grasp at yours, although you could easily convince yourself that this wasn't intentional, but it still sent chills throughout your body nonetheless.
"Uhm..y-yeah," you stammered, "I guess I did...Is that okay?"
Neither of you pulled your hands away. The desire to get closer to him was destroying you, but you held agonizingly still as you anxiously waited for his response.
"Sure."
You looked into each other's eyes and you felt that same tension, that same alluring feeling drawing you towards him, that same temptation to gently plant your lips against his. Your face only continued to heat up as you stood next to him, fingers crossed with his, the both of you unmoving, waiting to see what the other would do.
Levi cleared his throat before finally stepping back away from the shoreline.
"Should head back. It's getting dark."
It took you a minute to reorient yourself to reality. 
"Yeah," you said quietly as you let out an unsteady exhale. "We should."
You lingered behind him a bit, letting him walk forward. You watched him from behind, appreciating the way that the breeze was blowing through his hair. Your eyes dropped down to the bottom of his t-shirt, where it slightly rose up so that you could ever so slightly see the bottom of his bare back. It wasn’t anything special, but just simply seeing his shirt rise made your body heat up in ways that you weren’t willing to admit to yourself. Besides, you still weren't sure how he felt. Part of you wanted to think that whatever was building up in you was reciprocated, but you were much too scared to act on it without explicit confirmation that he wanted it too.
Even if it was reciprocated, you weren't even sure if you wanted to officially go there. Things were too chaotic and you had never planned to fall in love with your roommate that you had hated so much a year ago. 
You weren't sure—but you couldn't deny that a deep part of you left you longing for more.
they're so stupid skjdfksdf #: @levisbrat25 @gothgril69 @sckerman @berrijam @notgoodforlife @meowjaa @averysmolbear @roseofdarknessblog @bejewelledd @hhighkey @ayame236 @sad-darksoul @velouria17 @kamyru @l1zk4 @layenacreates @lamees004 @whoami-72 @highgoon69 @chaotic-on-main @levishotgf @nube55 @chosos-mascara @heichoucleanfreak @svftackerman @alexkibutsuji @moonchild-angel
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jtficprompt · 6 months
Text
A Young Outlaw's Guide to Hitching a Ride Home
Prompts for a series of fics I'll likely not get around to ever writing.
Feel free to adopt and adapt, using as little or as much as you like.
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Wonder Woman; Tim Drake; Ferdinand the Kithotaur (title ideas: "Tell an Adult" "Doing what needs to be done")
Batman is on a plane somewhere over the Atlantic. A slow civilian plane, that definitely isn't big enough to fit the BatPlane in the hold.
Which isn't kind of plane Batman takes when he knows Robin is being hunted by the Joker.
Superman looked half dead in the news footage. He was barely walking by the time parasite was arrested.
The Titans seem to be off world. Tim has no idea how to contact the Flash.
That means Wonder Woman. Which means Tim need to get to the Themiscarian Embassy in DC as fast as possible.
(Also featuring: Cooking lessons and discrete child neglect assessment questions with Ferdinand the Kithotaur.)
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Roy Harper (title ideas: "Friends in Low Places" "The Corn Pollen Path" "First Step")
You don't stop shooting up because heroin stops feeling like heroin. You stop shooting up because you find something more important than the next score.
Roy Harper finds that in a seedy bar in eastern Kasnia, when he hears two thugs he recognizes as Joker henchmen talking about "the boss" going bird hunting in Ethopia.
He may be an addict. He may be a has-been. But he was a Titan, and he will be damned if he scrounges for his next score while another Titan falls into that clown's trap.
Even if it kills him. (He tries not to hope too hard that it does).
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Veronica Vreeland; Roxy Rocket (title ideas: "Ronnie & Roxy's Rescue Service" "I'm the Cool Aunt")
"Roxie! Darling! I need a ride! I have to get to Ethopia so I can kill Harley's ex."
Roxie knew Veroinca Vreeland was crazy. She regularly encouraged Harley to kidnap her "for brunch." She dated the Penguin. Voluntarily. Before today, she just didn't know that "crazy" extended to HALO jumps from a rocket plane on a mission to kill the Joker. … Maybe Ozzie has good taste after all.
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Jordan Hill; Barbara Gordon (title ideas: "Someone who's been there before")
"I'm not an idiot, Babs. I've known you and every single member of the Wayne family since we were kids. We don't have time for this. I don't care what you all get up to at night: Jeckko is hunting Jason, and I'll be damned if I let that asshole hurt another kid."
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Garth of Shayaris (title ideas: "Tagging in" "The-Batman's-an-Asshole-Phone-Tree")
"You're telling me that Vic has a program running that goes through the entire internet to sort out if I'm doing 'something weird'."
"I mean, it used to track Dickie-bird. But yeah."
"Because if Dick was doing something weird, it means B was an asshole."
"Obviously. He's still an asshole, right?"
"Yes. And there is a phone tree for this. For when B is an asshole."
"Yes."
"Aren't you supposed to be King of Atlantis right now? Seems like you should have shit to do. Besides following my ass to Ethopia."
"Acting King. And if Arthur can be an asshole and dump all his work on me without asking, I can definitely take a personal day."
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Ra's Al Ghul (title ideas: "Ra's Al Ghul is many things")
"Sir, he has the boy."
"Where is the Detective?"
"He's on his way. But, sir, he won't make it there in time."
"I should never have allied myself with that madman."
Ra's paused and gazed out the window. Talia wondered how may people besides her would recognize regret in her father's face.
"Then I must go in the Detective's stead. Have the hangars ready our fastest plane, then fetch my armor and swords." Her father did not turn from the window as Ubu rushed out to see to his orders. He simply stared out the window until he spoke again.
"Talia. Prepare the pit while I am gone. His father will not thank me for it, but if my folly comes to its worst end I will not deprive my grandson of his brother."
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dummerjan · 12 days
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a get to know you better meme
tagged by @zozobruh - Thank you! <333
do you make your bed? No. I do turn turn up the blanket so it can air out but that's it.
what's your favourite number? There's 3, and then 9, then 12, then 16 (but only because that's the day of the month I was born), then 21 (for non-SKAM reasons actually), then 27. 3 is the dominant theme. I like to do things in a set of three, but not compulsively. There's a bit of a system to and a whole story behind the numbers. I could go on a whole spiel. It also goes back to me playing around with words and syllables when I was around 8. I used to collect words with 9 letters.
what is your job? Don't have one.
If you could go back to school would you? What school? Elementary? No thanks. Also not secondary. Or night school. Regular school does not work for me, too autistic and the system too... well, a system. People are assholes, teachers included. Most of my schooling was done via distance learning and I definitely don't want to go back to that either. But also, I am attending school right now (vocational school) and I intend to further my education afterwards. I'd really like to learn how to properly draft and construct patterns and/or acquire the master craftsmen certificate in tailoring (or however you say meinen Meister machen).
can you parallel park? I don't have a license and I hope to make it through life without having to learn how to drive.
a job you had that would surprise people? None.
do you think aliens are real? Earth being the only inhabited place seems unlikely. Though I highly doubt they are how we have pictured alien life forms.
can you drive a manual car? If I did have a license, I'd be able to since that is the norm in Germany.
what's your guilty pleasure? I don't know... really bad smut? I have horrendous taste in that, I really do.
tattoos? I love them on other people, from a single or a few to lots of skin being covered, and all kinds of styles. But I don't have any myself and I don't think I ever will. I just couldn't be bothered. Way too indecisive and uncertain to decide on a design, and then the work put into researching which artists are the best, nevermind that I am scared of needles. And then afterwards it won't look exactly how I pictured it, especially after a few years or even decades. Oh, and the price! I do admire them on other people but I just don't think it's for me, too much hassle and not enough passion for it. (But if I would get tattos, I suspect I would get an Against Me! quote tattooed. Something from True Trans Soul Rebel. And an AJJ one.)
favourite colour? Dark blue.
favourite type of music? *panicked screaming* I listen to way too many artists (or sometimes just a single song) from all over the world and from all kinds of genres. And while there are genres I really like, I rarely will listen to more than a few representatives. But I can say that right now I really enjoy late Soviet/90s Siberian punk (Yanka Dyagileva and Egor Letov).
do you like puzzles? Yep. I don't know who but someone on tumblr got me into online puzzles last summer. (They did a Jeff puzzle.) I like those.
any phobias? No proper phobias.
favourite childhood sport? I didn't really do sports. In fact I hated sports, still do. Worst of all was school sports class, I had a stomach ache every the evening before. But my family was active and we regularly went swimming, rock climbing, hiking. I did horseback riding for several years but it was therapeutic.
do you talk to yourself? In my mind yes, but rarely out loud.
what movie(s) do you adore? I adore Latin American movies though I can't say I have seen too many. (Quemar las naves, María, llena eres de gracia and El cielo dividido are my favourites.) I enjoy Nordic comedies, not just with Mads Mikkelsen but I really do like those. (The last one I watched was Riders of Justice though I really wouldn't classify it as comedy. It has comedic elements.) I like movies with open, ambiguous endings, ones that leave you a bit unsatisfied, ruminating, on edge. When they linger. I don't like it when movies make it easy for me. And above all else I adore Astrid Lindgren movies. I feel like so many conversations I have lead to me mentioning how much I love them but it's true. I really, really do.
coffee or tea? I don't (can't?) drink coffie and when I drink tea, then not black (or any other proper tea) but herbal and spiced tea.
first thing you wanted to be growing up? I think a teacher? I adored and really looked up to my elementary school teacher. I loved German and correcting texts so I wanted to be like her.
tagging @lady-guts @thestrangeillusion @toppingjeffsatur @scattered-stardust @sitron-sunni @die-schwanenkoenigin
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prismatoxic · 7 days
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i've told parts of this story before, but bare with me, i'm emotional.
so like, i've had this blog since 2021. my original tumblr blog (made in 2011 iirc) was nuked in 2018 for exactly the reason you think (nsfw ban) and i didn't return for a handful of years because it stung so bad. even when i did, i mostly used twitter.
i started posting to tumblr more regularly when musk's twitter takeover finally pissed me off enough to ditch it. (i have since gone back, sort of, but am not reliably present and mostly just rt art people send me.) i've been pretty consistently here since then, sans a very angry break when all the shit with automattic's CEO happened.
and like... looking through my archives... i only made a dedicated tag for asks last july, even though i've been using an organizational tag system since i made this blog. that's how infrequent they were. my art usually got between 0 and 3 notes. when i left briefly back in january, i deleted every post in my art tag because i didn't want to leave my work here, but also, like... the only things that went anywhere were some of my mgs fanarts. no one owes anyone's work attention, but it didn't feel worth it, you know? like why share it with the public when i can just show it to the like 3 friends i know who care?
i came back partially because i felt... isolated. i have friends on the fediverse and on discord, but tumblr gave me a sense of being in a community, even if i didn't feel like an important part of said community. i missed queuing funny posts to enjoy weeks later, i missed being kept sort of in-the-loop about fandom goings-on, i missed my friends who were still here. (and that last one is also part of why i check twitter more now.)
but that alone wasn't enough, because i was a nobody here and it probably wasn't worth it to try again. but then devot and i started watching dungeon meshi, and i got into chilaios just like i thought i would, and tumblr has the largest concentration of chilaios fanart and posts. not only that, but every post i saw in the tag had so much engagement! i didn't see a single one that went unnoticed, back in february. so i hesitantly came back. i started reblogging chilaios posts. i didn't intend to try and break into the space because i knew it'd just hurt if i went unnoticed again, like i did in other fandoms.
but i made friends, little by little. i started a fanfic. i cautiously began posting my art again. i started writing meta, and shitposts, and replying on other people's posts, and commenting on other people's fics, and now...
that ask tag i mentioned? there are 15 pages of posts with that tag on my blog. only 2 and a half of those pages are asks from before i got into dunmeshi. people talk to me--they care about my thoughts and my opinions, they compliment the things i make. i have a group of like, 30+ people i interact with regularly, many of which i now consider close friends. everything i post gets some attention, no matter what it is.
this isn't a humblebrag, it's just... a thank you. i can't really properly express the depths of the loneliness i've felt in the past. i was an outcast for a long time, and it was way worse pre-2019, but i don't think it's ever fully left me. i've been hurt very, very badly in the past, and i've been abandoned a lot, and i've been ostracized a lot. i've grown into who i am today both in spite of and because of all i've been through, and for that i wouldn't ever change it, but it was still hard.
so today, as i turn 29, seeing asks and gifts pour in to tell me happy birthday, and that i'm appreciated... just, thank you.
if there's one thing you can give me today, it's this: reblog someone's art or writing or meta with some enthusiastic tags. send someone a friendly ask. reply to someone's post to comment on something they've said. write comments on ao3 for the fics that move you, no matter how much or how little you can think of to say.
this is going to sound cheesy as hell, but i genuinely mean it: reach out, and spread joy, whenever and wherever you can. you never know who's in pain, who's lonely or who feels worthless. and if it's you who feels that way, do what you can anyway; a community that isn't afraid to reach out will reach back to you, too. and you're not alone. i care, i promise--and more people than you realize do too.
it's so easy to underestimate how much a kind word can do. they add up, though. so keep going.
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justsomekpopstuff · 24 days
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Get to know me!
Thank you for the tag @irlkpop !
Do you make your bed: Yeah, its part of my "I need routine to keep my sanity" Routine - I know I don't HAVE to but it feels weird if I don't now
What's your favourite number: 2, 3, and 5 are my lucky numbers, so I guess those?
What is your job: I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, working to be a licensed therapist! I work in private practice right now, and I have some cool specializations that I'm working towards!
If you could go back to school would you: I might end up doing that in the future to get my doctorate. Just one of the many options I'm considering once I have my license!
Can you parallel park: Definitely not. Not even a little.
A job you had that would surprise people?: I worked at the YMCA before going off to grad school?
Do you think aliens are real: Yeah I do! There's so much we don't know about space, so its definitely a possibility!
Can you drive a manual car: Absolutely not
What's your guilty pleasure: peanut butter M&Ms and Josh Groban's entire discography...does that count?
Tattoos: Yep! I have five total, but plan to get more. One on each ankle, a quote/saying on each arm, and then a heart with my grandparent's initials. I would talk about them more, but we do NOT have enough time.
Favorite color: I love teal, maroon (like a red wine color), and black
Favorite type of music: oh god I don't know if I can answer this, I listen to so much...anything from the 80s, kpop, musical theater, whatever the fuck Hozier makes...I listen to A LOT
Do you like puzzles: YES! I absolutely love them! I have a ton and I work on them regularly!
Any phobias: spiders for sure, heights is a close second
Favorite childhood sport: Baseball and soccer (specifically women's soccer, I really couldn't care less about the men's game...sue me). I didn't get into hockey until later!
Do you talk to yourself: sure do. Gotta talk myself through things sometimes, it happens.
What movie(s) do you adore: another hard question to answer...The Mummy (1999), Pride and Prejudice (2005), Inside Out, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and SO many more!
Coffee or tea: coffee, 1000%. I can do tea every now and again, but I gotta have my morning cup of coffee to feel like a functional human being
First thing you wanted to be growing up: ironically the first thing I remember wanting to be was also a veterinarian
I now tag (NO PRESSURE): @vcrnons @welcometomyoasis @daydreamingyuta and anyone else who wants to!
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chrysanthemumpink · 2 months
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You don't deserve this tag. But I found someone else & for some reason that makes me think of you. And all of the things that you represent. Things you don't deserve to represent.
We'll probably be intimate soon. And for some reason, that feels official. It feels like more than my body, if that makes sense?
I didn't love you. I loved the life I saw with you. I wanted to be an artist & a critic & an academic & so many things that seem so childish in retrospect. I thought we could be quirky professors and writers living off the produce of a quirky cottage. Before I met you, a life like that seemed so real.
Now it feels like the fantasy it always was. He's a financial advisor, he wants to be VP of something, doesn't matter what. He's counter culture in the way that dating a black person turns him on. Like you were. But not enough to do anything about it. Unlike you. That's all he'll ever do to counter any culture.
But, like you, he represents so much more. He's not special. But my choices around him reveal so much about me. Being with him means I've officially given up on my dreams. Yea, the pay is nice. Paying bills and having more than enough for any service I want is also very nice.
I give men foo much credit when really it's about me. My first job in tech & finance offered 102k. I choose that over grad school. And the kind of people I meet here?
I met him here. He's the brother of one of my coworkers. They're both directors whose fathers & uncles were presidents, VPs, etc of other financial firms. They both want to be VPs but not in the way that you & I used to study to be professors. They want it in the way that they do stupid things like shell for dinners & cruises with the right people
In a way that makes him special. If he wanted a 6 figure salary, he would just be given one. But if he wants 6 figures and have the power of a corporate ladder behind him, he has to put in effort. And he does. Effort is something you never put in anything.
Men like him, surprisingly, aren't that hard to find if you aren't picky. He's 40. And like? What am I doing with my life?
Having sex with a 40 year old seems so adult. Is that what I'll be doing? Trading my life as an advocate and academic for a capitalistic one. Either way, it's still a straight white man, isn't it.
Sorry. The truth is that I have to get it out while I can. If I'm gonna stay corporate, then opportunities to talk like that won't come as often. Do you see how much I've been forced to move on?
I've met his family. As you know, I can sense things about people. Or at the very least, make wild fantasies that turn out to be uncomfortably close to the truth. His parents are desperate for him to find anyone. He's 40 for crying aloud. But this is where growing up Pentecostal comes in handy. This happens with a lot of white people. It happened with your family too. If it's going to be someone black, might as well be one whose knows enough about the bible to not cause too much trouble
What am I talking about? I'm going to fuck him. And yea, I have a lot of feelings about doing that. I honestly wish I'd done it sooner. Doing after meeting the family makes it seem like it's getting serious. I can't afford to let myself believe that
But back to me...I hate how much I tie men to life stages. This new relationship feels like a lot. It will mean I've accepted the world I've always considered an antagonist to mind. It means I work in tech and finance. It'll mean I'm a business woman who goes on business trips.
But...is it all bad? I mean? It is a lot of money. I went from an 18k grad stipend to 102k. Between you & me? I still have to whisper it. Like I've committed a sin. And I hear stories from other women. Women in tech are very friendly. My MANAGER of all people confided in me. She said that she regularly cries from the way that SAHM treat her.
That 90% of mothers groups are SAHMs who make her feel inferior because of her choices. They suggest that her career means she doesn't lover her child. Her son means the world to her.
And yet, my manager spent the morning of her son's birthday talking about training initiatives 300 miles away on a business trip. I know because I was with her.
She says, all the women say, that women like us make hard decisions. We do what we have to do. When they say "we," it makes me feel like I belong. And the scary part is, I do belong
I am a girl boss, girl bossing, who has the potential to be the ultimate girl boss. Lol, not really. But I'm smart, 28, and have found myself with no husband or children. I think they're protective of me. Like they know I'm in an unfamiliar world.
Now that I'm with him, it's permanent. Or will be. I'll be taking my securities exam soon. I want to be central to this district learning technologies. That's the life I'll have once I've officially left this one behind. I've already left it behind
Grad school broke my heart. You broke my heart. Now I don't even recognize myself. And I actually like it
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lilgrdn · 1 year
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Born
Check tags before reading
My mother, Gracie, had also been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder at some point in her life. Her mother, Barbara, had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It definitely runs in the family, you could say.
My mother was a drug addict and pregnant at 17 or 18 years old, forgive me, my timeline is rough because I have had to piece together the truth after years of brainwashing by my grandmother Barbara.
She conceived me at a party out of state while temporarily living with her aunt that she was named after. I was the product of a one night stand.
After finding out she was pregnant, she told my dad, Brandon. Both coming from good old fashioned LDS Mormon households, they tried to make it work and be together, but my mom was just too young and "crazy" still. She can come back and haunt me for saying that if she pleases. She would run away frequently and skip states like they were concrete slabs of a sidewalk. I was often with her, she was terrified of me being taken from her.
My mom was raised in an abusive household, and she got it the worst because, as Barbara would put it, "Gracie just didn't care, no matter how much I punished her, she did what she was going to do"
When I was an infant and my mom didn't have the right support no matter where she turned, being hurt and abused by every side of the family she went to, she often neglected and abused me as an outlet, I'm to assume.
I remember the day my mom asked me for a pack of cigarettes out of her room and I told her no, so she beat me with a studded leather belt until I bled enough to need bandages.
I think the only reason I wasn't taken from her at this point is because of how much we were hidden from everyone.
My mom really enjoyed a good party, being a Sagittarius young woman. I met many different bad bad people. And I don't even think she knew. I hope she didn't know what happened to me at one of the parties. But my grandmother told me my mom made money in ways she didn't talk about, so I've spent my life being unsure about those happenings.
I remember making my own food as soon as I learned how to walk, and I obviously mean messy bowls of cereal, bags of bread left open, pickles from the cabinet jar, etc.
If she didnt have a boyfriend, we slept on the couch together, I was always laid on top of the side of her body, kind of resembling a sloth.
I know she wanted to love me right, and I don't believe she was evil. I believe she was young, willful, and didn't have a single right role model or a shred of ability to trust.
I don't remember her voice, but sometimes it feels like I do, and I feel her talking to me. I know I remember seeing her in the mirrors, hearing her talk to me while I dreamt. I have more memories of dreams about her than I have of memories spending time with her.
She passed away from a drug overdose of morphine when I was 4 1/2 years old. My grandmother swore up and down that I wasn't there when she died, but I remember. I remember the ambulance lights outside, I remember what the sky looked like, and I remember seeing the stretcher.
The next memory I have is of the funeral, being carried by my grandmother, and seeing my mom dead in the casket. I sobbed and wailed and begged to be put in her arms. I thought I could bring her back. Processing the emotions of my mom being torn from me uncontrollably wasn't something I was capable of doing. So I didn't, really. This began the "alternate world" I would visit regularly.
This is a start, not necessarily how I wanted my story to be told, but I at least need to get all the details down.
0 notes
papirouge · 2 years
Note
I think people with religious trauma do have a right to speak and bring up issues with religion that contributes to the oppression of woman, hatred of homosexuality, suppression of skepticism, perpetuation of concepts that harm one's relationship with themselves as a whole, etc. Religion does harm, we should talk about it, no matter how much we'd rather gloss-over and cherry pick.
I have yet to see where in my post did I ever argue that people shouldn't talk about the issue they faced in religious group. Read my post again: I'm talking about being authoritative about religion.
Ex Christians pretending to have a better knowledge about religion because they left it are a scam. When digging further into what made them leave the Church, it always boils down to individuals being rude to them or bad theology ("I realized Christianism hate women" while not a single verse in the Bible argues that women are inherently inferior to men). I personally met a bunch of awful Christians (who indeed were homophobe, misogynist or racist) but guess what? none of that was enough to change my mind about my faith because relies on JESUS, not people. That's why we're called CHRISTians.
You must be new here because I regularly expose Christian LARPers harming the message of Christ through their behavior (crazy gun trotting foul mouthed conservative American evangelicals, so called Christians throwing the n word/faggot" for fun, Catholic fanatics eager to make crusades back & kill Muslims, etc.). I've never been one to gloss over anything.
Such behavior are the results of toxicity personality, not Christians. I'm actual sure barely 15% of people pretending to be Christian on the internet actually are. They just like the culture, and think going to church replaced an actual relationship with God - but I digress.
I have a tag on my Christian side blog dedicated to debunk the common fallacies of unbelievers/ex Christians about Christianism. I also have another one to debunk the myths of Christianism being misogynist.
Remember anon: the actions of people don't assume the actual content of the Bible.
The apostles didn't stop believing in Jesus because of Judas.
All the toxicity you elaborated in your post doesn't magically materializes only by reading the Bible. Ill intended PEOPLE were manoeuvring to make those (now ex) Christians feeling this way. That's one of the reason I'm wary of this obsession of some Christians to push every believer to go to church. Some church goers/assemblies are fricking toxic, and many Christians would do much better by solely relying on Christ and walk their walk independently. As Christian we don't need nobody else but Christ - not a church building. And I'll never trust anyone trying to argue otherwise. More self reliance in our walk with Christ would avoid many case of spiritual abuse.
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emepe · 2 years
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Last line tag ✨
Rules: write the latest line from your WIP and tag as many people as there are words in the line.
Thank you @erenscherub for tagging me <3
Rushing out apologies as you looked up to face them, it took a few seconds for your brain to register the familiar face surrounding those intensely green eyes. “Eren,” you voiced, though his name came out more like a question.
tagging: @dreamyjaeger @httpjaeg @cafedanslanuit + anyone else who wants to join :D
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scuttle-buttle · 3 years
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Tumblr media
What's One More?
WC: 3204
Rated: M
Tags: brief mentions of crime/mental illness/child abuse and neglect/substance addiction/theft, fluff, family dynamics, mentions of aging, mentions of difficult pregnancy, softness, anxiety attack
🧠
The harsh vibrating of a phone on the nightstand breaks your slumber. Still half asleep you toss your arm back to thump against your sleeping husband's side. With a groan he answers. You try to settle back into your pillow and the warmth of the blanket. Whoever has the balls to call at this hour has another thing coming - but later because your priority is going back to sleep.
He can't have been on the call more than fifteen seconds before he sits up in bed suddenly, turning on the bedside lamp; his movements grab your attention. You roll over. The light blinds you and you rub at your eyes to adjust. You can't make out what's being said. Looking at the clock to see that it's barely 4 am you know something bad has happened. Quietly you slip out from the covers.
Making your way down the hall you peek into your daughter's room, grateful that she's still fast asleep. Her soft snores punctuate the calm. Your nerves abate knowing she’s safe. By the time you get back to the bedroom Laszlo is up and getting dressed. "What's going on?"
He doesn't answer at first. You wait until he's finished buttoning his shirt to ask again. "Sara was called to consult on a triple homicide case - she's asked for me to come down to the police station. I don't know much yet, but it's something involving a young boy and she wants me to speak with him."
“Did he…?”
“No. He was not directly involved, that much we know.”
You nod, leaning against the door frame. This wasn't the first time that Laszlo had been called in by law enforcement and social services to assist with children and teens that needed psychological help. He had become more active around the time you graduated with your doctorate. After Sophia was born Laszlo helped fund an after school program for kids that focused on support for mental health and behavioral issues. He was so passionate about being able to help these kids. But it was never at this ungodly hour. "You'll call or something when you know what's up?" you ask through a yawn.
"Of course, Bärchen." He gives you a chaste peck. Gently he guides you back towards your bed and sits you down. "Go back to sleep, there's no need to worry. I love you." With that he left.
Your sleep is fitful with him gone. You worry over things that you aren't even aware of, over who is hurt, over how severe a situation it could be to have been called in the middle of the night, over the poor boy that needs Laszlo’s help. When your daughter tiptoes into the room around 6 you welcome her into the bed with open arms.
"Why are you up, baby bug?"
"Where's Papa?" She climbs up on his side of the bed and rubs his cold pillow. On her face is a deep frown.
"He had to go help some very important people early this morning. He'll be back to see you soon, I promise."
"I miss him. He always helps me with my shoes."
You can't help the smile that crosses your face. "I know, baby. But it's still early so let's take a nap before we have to get ready, hmm?" The two of you snuggle under the covers. With her curled into your side you do find rest, even for the short time before your alarm chimes.
The day moves sluggish as you wait for word from your husband. Little work was to be done today at the museum, so there wasn't much to keep your mind off the wondering. You considered calling. You considered texting. But you knew that when the time was right he would let you know. No news is good news, you think.
Finally the day came to a close. You picked up Sophia and stopped by the store on the way home to grab supplies for dinner. She insisted that she carry one of the bags inside - little miss independent that she was. “Careful not to drop it, okay? Use those muscles of yours to hold the bag tight.”
“Mama I know, I help Papa carry all the time,” she explains matter-of-factly.
The townhouse is quiet as you begin to unpack. You do a quick glance into the dining room and parlor to no avail. "Laz, honey? You home?" A few seconds later you hear movement from the stairs.
Your husband rounds the corner into the kitchen, swooping down to scoop your daughter into his left arm, peppering her face in exaggerated smooches. Her giggles light up the room from the dim atmosphere. He perches her on his hip. “How was your day my little dove?”
“So good Papa - I practiced my counting today at school. I can get the biggest in the class! Mommy said I must be the most smartest," she prattles on.
“Wunderbar!” he praises her before turning to you. “I didn't hear you come in." Laszlo kisses you.
Pinning him with a look you say "you also didn't call me today? You said you would and I've been worried all day."
Sophia crosses her arms and harrumphs from her father's hip; "me too Papa." He quirks an eyebrow at her before speaking.
"Yes… there is something I wished to speak with you on but didn't think it was suitable for the phone." You raise your own brows but continue to put away groceries. "I do not wish to discuss certain aspects of the case in present company-" he nods towards Sophia minutely "-but we do have a houseguest for the foreseeable future."
"Oh?" Your brows dip in confusion. This is not what you were expecting.
Laszlo peeks around the doorway and calls out "Stevie, would you come join us in the kitchen please."
Stevie? You don't know a Stevie...
A moment later a lanky boy with scruffy dark blond hair shuffles into the room. He can't be anymore than 15. His clothes are too big on him and his shoes are worn beyond belief; nevertheless he gives you a slight smile. “This is Stevie Taggert, he’s going to be staying here with us in the guest room for now.”
“Good evening Mrs. Kreizler,” the boy says nervously, his voice cracking.
You spare a look at your husband before turning to the teenager with a smile. “Ah, no need for that, kid. You can just call me by my name instead. And welcome to our home. You like spaghetti?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Awesome! And I’m certainly not old enough to be a ma’am,” you give him a wink. You set up a pot to boil the water for the pasta. Laszlo excused himself to spend some time with Sophia, leaving you and Stevie in the kitchen.
He clears his throat behind you. “Would um… is there anything I can do to help?”
"I would love that, thank you."
The two of you get to work on making dinner. Stevie doesn’t say too much, but he is very polite and does his best to be useful. Once the food is nearly finished your family has returned ready to eat. You send Stevie and Sophia to set the table.
“Should I be worried?” you ask Laszlo quietly, watching the doorway the two left through.
“I don’t think so. I just felt that I would rather he have a familiar face to adjust with instead of being placed in a group home like many end up.”
You study his face. “You’ve taken a liking to him haven’t you?”
“Well…" his face reddens at your question. "He reminds me a bit of myself when I was his age.” The conversation is cut short by the kids returning.
The rest of dinner and the evening goes smoothly. You make it a point to not bring up any questions that could trigger the teenager, especially before you’ve spoken with Laszlo about the situation at hand. When Stevie nearly eats his weight in pasta you say nothing, wondering how long it's been since he's had a good home cooked meal. He insists on helping clean up the dishes afterwards. Without even knowing what the boy has gone through your heart aches for him.
You set him up in the small renovated basement downstairs while Laszlo puts Sophia to bed. Handing him one of your husband’s old Harvard t-shirts to sleep in you tell him “I’m sorry you’ll be down here by yourself, but if you need us for anything don’t be afraid to come get us - no matter what time it is, okay? And if you get cold there’s an extra blanket right here for you. I know it's July but….” you shrug. “Tomorrow after I get home from work we can go to the store and get you some stuff to use, some more clothes, that kinda thing.”
“Yes ma’am.” At the teasing look you give him his ears burn red with his mumbled “right sorry.”
“Alright Stevie. We’ll see you in the morning, sleep well.”
Laszlo is in bed reading when you enter the room. Nothing is said as you ready yourself for bed. Slipping under the covers you face him. He sighs and closes his book.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call. I became caught up in the day and only arrived home with Stevie maybe half an hour before you did.” He sighs a second time. “Most of the case I cannot talk about, but what I can say is he was living with his mentally ill father, whom was also an addict. He missed the last few weeks of the school year and has been regularly stealing food to get by. He has no other family. I just… it didn’t feel right to let him process his experiences away from someone properly trained to deal with these sorts of things, in addition to how traumatic entering foster care at his age can be. I spoke with those in social services and was granted temporary custody until we find another more permanent solution.”
“Of course.”
He takes hold of your hand. “You aren’t upset with me?”
“I mean it would’ve been nice to have a bit more warning… but I get it. He can stay as long as he needs to. He’s a sweet kid,” you reassure him. “I told him that I would take him shopping after work tomorrow, so if you could pick up Soph from preschool that would be great.”
“Perhaps instead we can all go? I was thinking that I would bring him to the university with me so that he’s not alone all day. You could get her and then we could meet somewhere, get dinner afterwards?”
You lean closer to him to curl around his arm and rest your head on his shoulder. He always thought so much about others, especially children. Laszlo had such a heart of gold and it honestly left you in awe of just how much he was willing to give so that others could find peace and happiness. Like the older he got the more he had to give. The thought warms you. “How are you literally the best person I know? And to think you used to be so worried about being able to be a good father and now you’re the best of all of us.” He huffs a little as you nuzzle into his chest.
“I have you to thank for that, Bärchen.” He drops a kiss to your head. “But it’s getting late and I’ve been up all day. We should get some sleep.”
Soon after you're both dreaming.
___
Stevie had been with you for three weeks. It only took him a few days to start to settle in, and you discovered that he was quick with his wit and far smarter than he let on. He was a little bit of a sarcastic smart-ass at times, but all in good nature. He was endlessly entertaining. Laszlo sat down with him almost everyday to talk about what he was feeling, the things he experienced, and ways to deal with the loss of his family. Already you both saw improvement.
Even Sophia got on well with him. Most teenage boys wanted nothing to do with little kids, let alone a 4 year old that loved playing 'spaceship barbie'. But not Stevie. On his fifth day you'd found him sat on the floor playing with her and going along with her childlike imagination. When she insisted he play the barbie that needed saving he went along with it, high pitched voice and everything. He even encouraged her to pick up her toys before bed - a feat you and your husband struggled with at times. It struck you how much Stevie became a big brother of sorts to her.
Laszlo grew even more fond of the boy. He wasn't really one for TV, but every evening he sat and watched some show on Netflix about racing with the teen and didn't complain once. Laszlo had tried to explain the role of adrenaline in racing drivers as a psychological function, but Stevie just brushed it off and said it was the driving so fast that made it "cool".
The two did bond over an unlikely subject - punk rock. When you got home from work two weeks into his stay and heard the music blasting in the parlor you worried someone had broken in. Whipping into the room you saw Laszlo in his chair tapping his foot to the intense guitar and singing; Stevie nodded along to the music as he held an old album cover. It didn't take long for Sophia to start jumping along to the music too.
"What is this?" You yelled out over the bass - you couldn't recognize it and it clearly wasn't English.
"Die Toten Hosen, a band I listened to growing up in Germany. Stevie found the record and asked to listen."
"Listen? I think you mean blow out your eardrums!" Even with needing to shout to be heard you had to laugh at the situation. How your husband had a secret love for German punk you'll never know; yet you would never let him live it down.
And when Stevie came and woke you both up in tears three nights ago you made him hot chocolate while Laszlo sat down with him. He confessed that he had never been treated or cared for like he was in your home. How he wished he could stay because he felt wanted. Your heart broke for the boy. To be so young and so lost, craving someone to simply be there for him.
Yet everyday he grew more open. He broke out of his shell. He had goals and ambitions; he wanted to amount to something bigger than he had thought he ever could. It almost shocked you at how much fire was within him.
At how much he fit in with your little family.
At how it was like he was meant to be there.
___
Laszlo was oddly quiet when you got home. Sophia had run off to find Stevie, and you tracked your husband down to his office. He listened as you talked about your day for a good ten minutes; he said almost nothing the whole conversation.
You move closer to him. Placing the back of your hand to his forehead you check to see if he's feverish or sick. He didn't feel warm. "Laz, are you feeling okay?"
He gently pulls your hand down and leaves a kiss on your palm. "The department of social services called this morning to inquire about what we want to do with Stevie. This would be the third time they have asked."
He hadn't mentioned it to you at all that they were calling already. "Okay. What do you think we should do?" You pause for him to continue.
"I told them I would need to speak with you before any further decisions were made regarding him…" His fingers tap against the wood of his desk. "I'm not sure I have an answer for them. Nor for you." He swallows. "I'm afraid of what might become of him should he go into the system. Or that he will not get the support he needs given his past. Any option involving allowing him to stay for a bit longer is a commitment I won't make without your full support, of course. I could never ask that of you." As he speaks you can hear the frustration pouring from him, feel the irritation radiating through the room. "I refuse to give up on him- I- I just don't have the answers on what to do without them hounding me and he deserves better than this, dammit."
"He does… Do you remember on your 50th birthday, what you told me?" Laszlo looks up at you confused. "You said that you had wished you were ten years younger so you had the energy and time to do all of it again. That if you were younger we would've had a whole gaggle of kids - brothers and sisters for Sophia."
"Wishing I was younger doesn't make a difference in helping Stevie-"
"Laszlo - let's adopt him." Your words stop him in his tracks. You had decided not to have any more after your daughter was born. Laszlo was nearing 50 and the pregnancy had been hard on you. But regardless you knew that you both had the means and the love to give another child, probably five or ten more children if you really wanted to. So why not start with one that's already wormed his way in to the family? "I've seen how fond you are of him already. You've taken him under your wing as if he was your own. And how good he is with Sophia? Hell I couldn't ask for a better older sibling for her - and she loves him already. And honestly, Laz, I do too."
"You think we should adopt Stevie?"
"I think we should ask, yeah. He deserves a good home and a strong father figure that's going to put him first. He looks at you like you hung the stars, Laszlo. He needs us, and truthfully I think we need him. So yeah - what's one more added to this little shindig we've got going for us?"
"Have you-"
"-thought it through? Yes. Completely."
You can see the smile he fights to hold back. "We should call tomorrow and see what the protocol is for stating our intent to adopt and getting the paperwork."
"Um…" You shuffle your feet. Nose scrunched, you confess "I may have already called them. On the way from work I asked about what would need to be done if we wanted to pursue that route, but since they already know who we are from you working with them for years it can be fast tracked." You pull him out of his chair to stand before you. "All we have to do is say 'go'."
He has no hesitation.
"Go."
Laszlo doesn't hold back his smile or his laughter as he spins you around his office floor. You're certain your children downstairs can hear your giggles.
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gyucore · 3 years
Text
in the orb
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pairing: trapped soul! beomgyu x reader
tags: fluff, angst if you squint, reincarnation au, supernatural au
word count: 1.8k+
warnings: implications of death, light swearing
— you were cleaning your grandmother's attic when you stumble upon an old glass orb that just happened to talk on its own
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A cloud of dust scatters around the room after you drop the glass orb on a particularly dusty couch. You've lost it. You've definitely lost it. You're quick to cover your face with your sleeve, fighting back the urge to sneeze. The orb sits still on the couch as it should, a sheet of gray still masking its surface.
This was supposed to be an average weekend. Your grandmother had invited you to her house for some quality time together during your break, and you thought you'd offer to help her clean her mess of an attic, to which she was more than happy to accept. And right now, the sweet old lady was tending to her garden downstairs while you were up here, freaking out.
It's said that people often imagined hearing strange noises when frightened and alone. And you were in a dark and creepy attic at an old person's house. This could just be another case of the common I'm-so-lonely-I'm-starting-to-hear-voices scenario. It's simply wasn't possible for a dusty old orb to start talking when you pick it up. It's just not.
“Hello?” You call out, immediately finding yourself silly for even attempting to communicate with an inanimate object.
The dust in the room eventually settles, and yet still no response. “See, Y/N? You were just hearing things.” That conclusion seemed convincing enough. You felt the need to give yourself a good pat on the shoulder for going along with the sane route.
With that dilemma out of the way, your attention couldn't help but wander back to the large piles of junk occupying nearly every space in the vicinity. One could only hope for your grandmother to clean regularly. “Right, now back to work.”
“What work?”
“Oh, you know. Cleaning.” You answer its question from earlier.
You freeze, eyes wide, a chill running down your spine. There it was again. You weren't sure if you heard it right this time or was just hallucinating, but there was one way to find out.
Silence. You almost called it a day after considering that you were probably just tired and needed some rest.
Half a step outside the door and the voice spoke once more. “Are you still there?”
You pause, brows raised, and back still turned. Somehow, you didn't know if it was safe to face the big ball of dust just yet. “What do you mean? Of course I'm still here. This is my Grandma's house.”
Thank the heavens for modern technology and the invention of smartphones. Speaking of which, you fish for yours in the depths of your pants’ pockets. The voice recorder app should come in handy during times like this. You know, to confirm you're not crazy. With the app on, all you needed to do was have the orb talk again.
“Grandma? Oh! Then you're her grandchild?!”
“Uh, yeah?” The orb apparently knew your grandmother. Strangely enough, that was the least odd tidbit of information you obtained today.
“Her grandchild.. Wow, to think I'm finally meeting you! Or at least your voice?” The orb lets out a giggle and the more you heard it talk, the more human it sounded.
“Sorry, can you excuse me for a minute?”
Never in your life had you thought the day would come where you'd be excusing yourself from a conversation with some sort of decorative object but life has its ways. You were never a stranger to off days anyway.
“Oh, sure, uh, go ahead? I can wait.” The orb swiftly replies. For a second, you could swear something was moving from inside the orb after the light outside the window had hit a clear spot in the crystal.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the room as you dash downstairs, taking your phone out and bringing it closer to your ear, replaying the recording. Sure enough, the voice was caught in the audio loud and clear.
“Holy shit. I'm not crazy.” An exasperated sigh leaves you as you slump back on the wall in disbelief. For a moment, you considered running away and warning your grandma about the cursed object, but part of you was curious enough to disregard the warning signs, and possibly risk your life by going back up there and approaching the thing. You decided to go with the latter.
“Are you back?” The orb asks once you've gotten close enough for it to hear your footsteps.
“Yeah. Just had to do something real quick.”
“I see.”
You wait for the orb to continue but it doesn't. It continues to lie on the couch lifelessly as if it hadn't been speaking to you in the past few minutes.
“Um..” You clear your throat, hoping to get another response
“Oh!" The voice from the orb seemed startled after hearing you talk. “How are you're still there?”
You frown. “Why wouldn't I be?”
“Well for starters, a talking glass orb isn't quite the public friendly concept you'd think it'd be.” It answers. Only now have you noticed that the orb had a particularly low masculine voice. “People don't usually stick around long enough to find out why I can talk in the first place.”
You blink. “Fair point. Though, I don't see the need for you to ask over and over again when I already said I was back.”
The orb chuckles. “You'd be surprised how many times people have reassured me of their presence only to leave halfway. Plus, I can't really see you right now to actually know you're there.”
“You can't see me?”
“The dust.”
“OH.” Not knowing what came over you, you immediately lunged forward and started wiping the orb with one of the dust rags you had lying around. It didn't take long for the thing to clear up and look like its old glorious self again. “How about now?” You ask, inspecting the orb as you hold it up.
“Better.”
It takes everything in you to resist dropping the orb on the floor when a glowing face of a man appears from the inside, smiling brightly at you. “I think I'm gonna pass out.”
The man visibly panics, pressing his face closer to the glass. “Wait no! If you pass out now, I won't have anyone to talk to! I haven't spoken to a single person in decades!”
“But you mentioned my grandma earlier, I thought you—”
“She could never hear me, but I could see and hear her.” The man explains, his voice a little quieter than before.
You bring the orb down, still cupping it in your hands. “How is this possible? Are you a ghost or something? How did you get in there?”
“Wouldn't you like to find out?” He winks, resting his head on his hand. “Take a seat and place me down somewhere soft.”
This seemed ridiculous by all means, but you oblige. The couch should be soft enough, and so you place him down gently while you take a seat on the floor, making yourself comfortable. “You were saying?”
“I—” The man accidentally bumps his head onto the glass as he leans forward, chuckling as he rubs his head gently. “Ow. Sorry. I'm just so happy to finally have someone to talk to. You can't imagine how long it's been. How the world survived without a single soul hearing my heavenly voice for all those years is beyond me.” He cracks a joke and you couldn't help but laugh.
“It's okay.” You say, shifting in your spot. “Go ahead.”
The man nods, the smile slowly fading from his face. “My name is Choi Beomgyu. You can call me whatever you like. I had a friend once, and she was a witch. Oh— not the kind that you hear from stories, no. She was really nice and cared a lot about nature, her friends, and her family. That type of person, you know?”
You nod along, assuring him that you were listening, and he smiles again.
There's just something about his smile that just seemed so happy and endearing. Perhaps it had truly been so long.
“She was this ball of sunshine. And back then I was a pretty different guy. Our personalities might've clashed and we butted heads a few times but somehow we ended up becoming close friends.” A faint smile graces his lips before disappearing as quickly as it came. “But then I got involved with the wrong crowd.”
The statement piques your interest and you draw closer. Beomgyu notices this and tries to talk louder.
“Remember how I said she was a witch unlike the ones in the fairy tales? Well, there were also people who were exactly like those witches. The ones that used their knowledge and abilities for their own nefarious purposes.” Beomgyu continues, his hair slightly covering his face as he looked down. “Let's just say that I got myself in a situation where they ended up hunting me down for my soul.”
“What?”
He frowns. “My friend saw me being chased down the streets one night and helped. We both knew that even when together, we were too weak to go against all of them. They had us cornered in her home, and that's when we knew it was the end for us.”
Beomgyu's voice started to waver as he spoke and you were about to ask him if he was alright, and tell him that it was okay if he didn't continue but the look on his face when your eyes met was enough to tell you that he needed to do this. He must've wanted to talk about this matter for so long, you think.
“She.. pushed me towards her workroom, telling me that she'll keep me safe no matter what. I didn't know what she meant until she cast a spell on me and I passed out. The last thing I heard were her screams. I never found out what happened to her after that, and I can only assume the worst.” He shakes his head, trying to getting himself together in front of his new friend. “Next thing I knew, I was inside her old glass orb. I've been trapped in this thing for years with no escape. No one to talk to— forever regretting how I didn't stop her that time, and regretting getting in the way of those witches in the first place.”
His story nearly brings you to tears, and before you knew it, your hands were reaching out for the orb. “Beomgyu, I..”
“It's alright.” Beomgyu smiles. “In the end, the orb ended up in her younger sister's possessions.”
Your eyes widen. “You mean.. Grandma?”
“That's right.” Beomgyu chuckles. “Though she had never able to see or hear me, unlike you.”
“Oh. That's uh, too bad.” You smile awkwardly, releasing the orb. The two of you sit in silence for a while, both needing a little mental break after that.
Shortly, your attention was brought forth back onto the orb when you hear Beomgyu laugh. You find yourself chuckling along. “Entertained are we, Gyu?”
The laughter stops and his eyes shoot up at you. You hear him mumbling something incoherent before hesitating to speak. “No, no.” Beomgyu shakes his head. “It's just.. It's kinda funny. I'm trapped here repenting for my whole life because of what I've done to her, or thinking about what I could've done.. but you know what? To be completely honest, I was starting to forget what she even looked like. But looking at you now, and hearing your voice..”
The idea popped up in your head and you weren't sure if it was even possible to begin with. But then again, you were talking to a soul inside an orb.
“You were easily granted access to the true nature of the orb, and are the first person to have ever done that without running away.” He kids. “Could it be?”
“I wouldn't count on it.” You tell it to him straight, getting up from your spot on the floor and dusting off your jeans. You knew what he was implying and there was no way that you were even considering yourself to be your great aunt's reincarnation no matter how ridiculous the situation already was. “I'll get back to cleaning. Feel free to talk while I do that.” You tell him before rushing to the other side of the attic, avoiding his gaze as much as possible. You'll figure out what to do with him later.
Beomgyu watches you fondly. You had told him to not even count on the thought of you being the one he's been hoping for all these years but it was too late for that now. 
“Entertained are we, Gyu?” Her voice rings in his mind, and he shakes it off.
“How do you always manage to do such amazing things? I'd appreciate it if you'd stop stirring my heart.” Beomgyu's gaze rests upon your busy silhouette, and he smiles in content.
“It's nice meeting you again, Y/N.”
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infernwetrust · 3 years
Text
f**k, i luv my friends [Fem Reader x Michael Langdon x Jim Mason x AHS 1984]
BRIEF INTRO: This takes place in alternate universe, combining Cody’s characters Michael, Jim, Duncan (supporting), and Xavier. The 1984 gang is included as well. The Michael for this series is a cross between Sojourn and F&R.
Summary: You and your best friends gather around the beach for some fun. The beginning of this series.
Warnings: A WHOLE LOTTA CUTE SHIT.
WC: 3.0k
A/N: Holy fucking shit I’m so excited to share this massive series I’m working on with you guys. I don’t know what to call it yet so for now under my master list it’ll be called “THE BESTFRIENDS UNIVERSE”. This was inspired by the artist renforshort and her song “f**k, i luv my friends”. There will be PLENTY of smut, angst, fluff, and MORE across this series. I am so unbelievably excited. If you would like to be in my tag list for this series please let me know! My ask box is open, so if you have any ideas or requests for this series, please, please, please ASK ME. There is no plot to this, therefore there are no limitations. Thank you so much for reading! -Juno
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You smiled as you took a sip of the drink your boyfriend, Michael had made you. As you sat in the sand between his legs, him laid out on his beach towel, arms behind his head, eyes closed as he breathed in the ocean air. Your smile grew even wider as you scanned the rest of the beach, spotting the rest of your friend group. There was Xavier and his girlfriend Montana, who stood barely in the water, arms wrapped around each other as they kissed slowly under the sunset. Then there was Jim and his girlfriend Brooke who lay on their surfboards lazily, letting the waves carry them away, being careful not to get too far away. And then Chet and Ray, each with a bottle of Jack in their hand, taking sips as they took selfies and laugh at what you were sure were their usual stupid jokes.
You curled your toes as you took another sip, loving the feeling of the sand between them. How did you get this lucky to have this many people in your life that loved you and you loved them too? What had started as a small friendship with Montana, turned into something so huge. She introduced you to her boyfriend, Xavier, who then introduced you to the rest of their group, including Brooke's boyfriend, Jim. All of you met in freshman year  of college and have been friends since. Michael was the last to enter the picture, but how everything changed when he did.
While you had finally found a stable friend group that you quickly grew to love, you were longing for something a little bit more. And that's when Michael came in and swept you away. He had come in as a transfer student from another college, sophomore year, and what a coincidence that you had him in all of classes first semester. He was a face you saw regularly around campus and you couldn't help but be drawn to his quiet nature. Slowly you began talking to him and you noticed how timid and reserved he was. He didn't really go out of his way to speak to anyone, besides when you would speak to him. He would give half smiles, and either one word or half sentences.
Soon you began walking with him to all your classes, the two of you never leaving each other's side. You'd help him with his homework for a class he didn't understand all too well and in return he would do the same. Lunch and dinner together became a regular thing. Your friends noticed your interest, often glancing at the two of you from another table afar, giving smiles and making stupid faces. When it came down to exams, you two met up every night 2 weeks prior, in the library, studying diligently, learning from each other's notes. He opened up to you rather quickly after that and when you were sure that he was comfortable enough you introduced him to everyone else, who immediately took a liking to the blonde boy with the soft, but vibrant blue eyes.
It was the small and subtle acts between the both of you, that drew you closer together. When you could sense that Michael was getting overwhelmed in a social setting, your hand found it's way into his, giving him a reassuring smile before the conversation continued. Or how when he spoke to you, you tuned everyone else out in the room to let him know that it was about him and no one else. It was you rubbing his back when he got frustrated, throwing his textbooks to the floor because he simply did not understand or when he would get into a spat with his older brother, Duncan over the phone.
It was him, picking up your favorite snack and coffee from the grand cafe before your 8AM. It was him, walking you back to your residence hall in the middle of the night to ensure that you made it safely. It was the way his blonde hair moved with the wind, the endless laughter, the stressful nights. Before you knew it, you had fallen in love with Michael. 9 months of an unbreakable bond.
You still remember the first time he kissed you. Both of you stood drunkenly in the middle of a frat party, not really wanting to be surrounded by the crowd of sweaty bodies and other screaming young adults. You screamed in Montana's ear over the loud music that you and Michael were going to step outside for some fresh air. She drunkenly gave you a thumbs up, not be able to remove her lips from Xavier's who roughly grabbed at her ass, pulling her closer into him. You finally felt like you could breathe once the cool air hit your skin.
As you stared out into the distance, you couldn't help but feel like a set of eyes were burning into your skin. When you turned your head, you met Michael's gaze and before you could even ask him what was wrong his lips were on yours. He quickly pulled back, shocked by what he did and he moved his lips to say sorry, but you grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him back towards you. A fire danced inside the both of you as he wrapped his arms around you, you doing the same. You could feel yourself melting away at his touch, his soft lips against yours, the occasional brushing of noses. For the first time, this was a kiss that felt right. You felt safe in his hands and knew you wanted to be his.
"Y/N!" Xavier called out to you, immediately snapping you out of your thoughts. The air had gotten a little bit cooler, which you welcomed. You looked over in his direction. He motioned the action taking a picture with a camera, and bringing his fingers to his lips like he was smoking. This signaled to you that he wanted you to come over with your Polaroid camera and that he going to light another joint. You enthusiastically gave him a double thumbs up, letting him know that you'd be over there soon.
You turned around to look behind you, down at Michael who looked so peaceful as he became one with the beach. His mouth hung open slightly and you knew that he was falling asleep, which caused you to giggle, moving a strand of his hair behind his ear.
"Hey..." you said softly, running your hands down his chest, watching as his eyes quickly fluttered open in a daze. He groaned sleepily, a smile forming on his face when he looked into your eyes. He grabbed onto your hands, holding them in place and running his thumbs along them. "Don't tell me that you're falling asleep already. Our night hasn't even really begun."
"I was resting my eyes." he said, chuckling a little bit at his obvious lie.
"You can do that for the rest of the night when we get back. Xavier wants to take pictures."
"Why is he so obsessed with taking pictures?" Michael questioned, propping himself up on his elbows as you rose to your feet, dusting the excess sand off you. He couldn't help but bite his lip as your bikini top fit you perfectly, combined with the booty shorts you wore that was snug to your figure. He ran his hand through his messy hair, sighing.
"We're making memories Michael." you answered. "I don't want to hear anything when you literally have all the Polaroid pictures I took of us and everyone else scattered around your dorm room and on your car dashboard. You love taking pictures as much as he does. You're just feeling lazy."
"You enjoy reading me to filth, don't you?"
"Only sometimes." You walked over to your belongings, grabbing your camera and your tripod. Michael soon got up, also dusting the sand off of himself, shaking his hair in the process before following you down to where everyone else was.
"We were hoping you two would join us soon." Montana said, smiling at you and Michael. She wrapped her arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug that you gladly returned.
"Well don't you look more alive than ever, Mike." Xavier said to his friend. "Enjoy your nap? I mean we've been here for like what, an hour?"
"Fuck you, Xavier." Michael said, shoving him playfully in his shoulder earning a smirk from him. "It could have been a longer nap. It should have been."
"You don't want to miss out on this do you?" Xavier questioned, waving the joint in front of Michael's face. "It's your favorite strain, wedding cake."
"I suppose you have a valid claim." Michael answered, reaching for the joint, but couldn't grab it because someone else did.
"Don't mind if I do." Jim said, grabbing the joint out of Xavier's hand, immediately putting it between his lips and lightning it.
"Eager are we?" you asked Jim as you set the camera up, earning a smile from him as he stuck his tongue out at you, walking back over to Brooke who now stood only a few feet away, conversing with Chet and Ray.
"That's why I rolled two." Xavier said, taking another one from behind his ear and handing it to Michael. "Too many of us for just one, right?"
"More like Jim will inhale half of it before passing it to anyone else." Montana chimed in, rolling her eyes as she rested her elbow on Michael's shoulder, letting the smell of the freshly lit joint consume her.
"That sounds more like it." Michael said as he exhaled, passing it to Xavier.
"I strive to be a stoner like him though." she continued. "Detached from reality for most of the day, but still functional? That sounds like heaven."
"No it sounds like Jim's tolerance is through the roof." you said, to which Xavier nodded in agreement.
"He's been smoking since he was like 12. I'm jealous." Xavier said, handing the joint off to Montana who took a few hits before passing it to you. As you inhaled, you felt your body relax tremendously. A few more hits and the joint was back in Michael's hand.
"Okay everyone!" you yelled, getting everyone's attention. "Camera is all good to go!" You took a couple pictures of Montana and Xavier, your heart too warm at their various poses. He would wrap his arms around her from behind or she would climb on his back, wrapping her arms around his chest. A couple of off guards of the two were taken as well. You told them to act natural, just to converse with each other as you snapped pictures. Pictures of you and Michael followed. He made sure to always make a statement in the pictures that he took with you. He stood behind you, a hand wrapped gently around your throat as he snapped your head back to make you look at him, blissful smiles on both of your faces.
"Hey!" he yelled towards Jim who had his phone in his hand, taking Snapchats of everyone and posting them to his story. "Take a picture of Y/N and I like this. I want to post it to my Instagram." Jim gladly did as Michael asked, immediately sending the photo to him after so that he would have it to post later. The next picture was simple. You and Michael stood next to each other, his arm wrapped around your shoulder and yours wrapped around his waist, the both of you giving a soft smile. The final picture was of him holding you in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist as you pressed your lips against his, the both of you smiling in the kiss.
Jim and Brooke were wild and spontaneous and you loved it. Taking pictures of them were by far your favorite. Brooke held Jim in a headlock, a wild smile across his face and gripped onto her arm as you took the picture. Then she got on his shoulders, Jim holding her securely in place as her hands laid in his hair. Their last picture was of them, backs to the camera as they held hands, staring off into the sunset. You quickly turned the tripod around, taking an off guard of everyone who sat to the side around the fire. Xavier held the joint in his hand, mid sentence in conversation with Chet. Ray, Montana, and Michael were laughing their asses off at God knows what. All the emotions you were feeling inside, you swear you could cry at the sight. You fucking LOVED your friends.
You gathered all the boys up for their group photo. Xavier stood next to Jim, arm around his shoulder, hand slightly over his chest. Next to Jim was Ray, with a tooth pick in his mouth as he leaned into Jim's shoulder, his arms crossed over his chest. Michael stood next to Ray, his hand place on Ray's head as if he were holding a basketball, his other arm wrapped around Chet's shoulder, hand perfectly displaying a middle finger in the middle of Chet's chest.
"God, I fucking love y'all." Brooke said as she stood behind you, watching you take the picture.
"They're cute, aren't they?" you asked, putting on your best focused face as you snapped the picture. You told them to hold their pose as you snapped a couple more, wanting everyone to have a copy of that picture.
"Too cute for their own good." Montana said. "A bunch of shit heads."
"Our shit heads." you said. "Okay guys! Just two more. One of us girls and then all of us together and then we can figure out plans for dinner!" You bit your lip, holding hands with Brooke and Montana as the 3 of you stepped in front of the camera. Montana stood in the middle of you and Brooke, throwing her arms tightly around your shoulders, bringing the two of you closer to her. She stuck her tongue out for the photo, while you held up a peace sign with your hand, a wide, closed eyed smile on your face. Brooke held onto Montana's arm, her own wide, but opened eyed smiled, forming across her face. You can tell that Michael had taken a few extras for everyone else, consider how many time the cameras flashed behind your closed eyes.
Finally, the moment you, and you're sure everyone else was waiting for. The big, family, photo. Xavier and Chet took the ends. And in this order everyone stood: Xavier, Montana, You, Michael, Brooke, Jim, Ray, and Chet. You set the timer on the camera, all 9 of you trying to come up with different poses quickly for the camera. Your favorite one as you went through them had to be the one where you and Michael sat in the sand in front of Brooke and Jim who now stood between Xavier and Ray. He let you wrap your arms around his torso, your nose nestled perfectly into his cheek as you gave him a small kiss. 
"Okay." Xavier sighed as he hopped into the drivers seat of Jim's midnight blue Tahoe. Jim himself in the passenger seat. Brooke and Montana took the second row. You and Michael snuggled together comfortably in the very back row, your feet sprawled out in Chet and Ray's laps as they both got lost in their phones scrolling through Facebook and sharing memes with each other, which reminded Michael to post the picture of the two of you Jim had sent to him. "Anyone have any dinner ideas before we leave? Anyone in the mood for anything particular?"
"Honestly could just keep it classic and go for a burger and a shake right now." Ray said from the back.
"Ooo, from where though?" Jim asked, turning around to look at him. "That shake sounds really fucking good. Chocolate shake. I want a chocolate shake."
"Tommy's!" Montana, Brooke, Ray, and Chet said in unison.
"Michael? Y/N?" Xavier questioned, pushing his sun glasses down so he could look at the both of you.
"A cookies and cream milkshake is calling my name right now." Michael said as his hand lazily brushed through your hair.
"You had me at burger." you agreed.
"Tommy's it is." Xavier said, finally starting Jim's car, his blue LED strips, dimly illuminating the car, the last song on his phone beginning to play as Xavier single-handedly backed out of the parking space.
Despite how tired everyone was, the car ride was far from silent. For the first 30 minutes anyways. It would take over an hour and a half before you all got back into downtown LA. You finally sat up in your seat, Michael throwing his arm around your shoulder to keep you close to him. So needy , you thought, but you loved that about him. He always wanted to be close to you. He always wanted to touch you. He made sure you felt loved and secured. You watched at the front as Jim and Xavier currently sang and half danced to the song that played. You glanced at Brooke and Montana who had fallen asleep rather quickly, heads leaned against the car window. Chet and Ray had resorted to playing Among Us to pass the drive time, Michael soon joining them.
"Okay, fucking seriously." Michael said as he furrowed his eyebrows, pissed that he was killed by the imposter yet again. And the imposter just happened to be Chet, but of course he kept silent, not wanting to alert Ray. You giggled to yourself, tears forming at the corners of your eyes. You wiped them anyway, inhaling deeply before exhaling.
"Everything alright?" Michael asked, noticing your change of mood. "Why are you crying?" He made sure to whisper, not wanting to draw attention to the both of you.
"Michael." you said. "I love you."
"I love you too, Y/N." he smiled.
"And all of our crazy friends."
"I love them too." he laughed.
Fuck, I love my friends
Without them, I'd be dead
I know they're the only ones who'll love me till the end
We're all such a mess, lonely and depressed
Been so long and I can't wait to see them again
Fuck, I love my friends
Taglist: @jimmason @angelicmichael @whatcodysaid​ @theneverendinghunger​ @fernfiction
Again, let me know if you would like to included in the tag list for this series!
72 notes · View notes
imo-chan-imagines · 4 years
Text
『 Random acts of kindness | Haikyuu!! Headcanons 』
The everyday acts of kindness our boys do and think nothing of, but are actually incredibly sweet.
Characters: Sawamura Daichi, Kuroo Tetsurou, Ushijima Wakatoshi, Iwaizumi Hajime, Sugawara Koushi, Bokuto Koutarou, Azumane Asahi, Oikawa Tooru, Akaashi Keiji, Nishinoya Yuu, Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Kozume Kenma, Miya Astumu, Miya Osamu, Sakusa Kiyoomi, Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei, Yamaguchi Tadashi, Haiba Lev
Tags/warnings: Haikyuu!! (anime), no warnings, fluff, lots of characters I didn't realise how many I'd done until I came to type up the list 😳, a lot of cats and dogs, cuteness, headcanons
A/N: I've had an exhausting and busy week, and just felt like writing some comforting fluff. Thanks for reading! Please enjoy! ♡
And please consider voting in this poll (ends this Sunday 18/10/20) to help me celebrate reaching 100 followers! Thank you to everyone who's already voted! ♡
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☆ Sawamura Daichi ☆
Helps lost people find their way and regularly gives directions
We're talking off-duty, here Daichi puts the 'hot' in 'Hot Fuzz' 🥵
Hahaha, fuck 🙃
He's very approachable and warm, and gives excellent directions
He'll also walk them there if they don't understand or don't feel confident, even if it disrupts his day 🥺
And he's really good at helping lost kids and calming them down he feels so proud when he gets them back to their parents, safe and sound 🤗
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☆ Kuroo Testurou ☆
Helps elderly people with their shopping bags and getting across roads
It goes against his nature to stand by and let an old person struggle, and even if they're not struggling, he always offers his services anyway
He has a soft spot for old people, 'kay? 🥺
He makes a point of getting the traffic to stop so it's safe, and letting them hold his arm as they slowly make their way across the street
They often tell him that he's 'a very sweet and handsome young man,' and 'nothing like the other young people you meet these days' and he blushes
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☆ Ushijima Wakatoshi ☆
Gets things from the top shelves for people that they can't reach at the supermarket
It's a pretty normal thing to do, right? So he's chill about it
Except he will 100% walk down the entire length of the isle just to help if he sees you stuggling it's super cute 😩😍
But he won't smile or make idle conversation, or anything. He'll just nod courteously
It can be a little ominous, with his looming height and serious face, but most people take the gesture well 😊
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☆ Iwaizumi Hajime ☆
Pays for the shopping of the person in front of him when their card gets declined or they don't have the right cash
He manages to offer in a way that isn't offensive or patronising he's honestly a life saver 🥺
He's very humble and casual about it
It's what he hopes someone would do for him, if he were in that awkward situation
And you never know what struggles people are facing, so his philosophy is to always be kind what goes around, comes around, my dudes 😌✌
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☆ Sugawara Koushi ☆
Leaves snacks and a cute thank you note on the porch for the mailman
Or mailwoman! Or mailperson!
He hopes that the little gesture will brighten their tough day of work so precious, I can't 🥺🥰
There's usually a good selection, too no skimping here, no sirree 😌
If he's home, he'll give them a cheery wave through the window as well
Especially in this COVID-19 environment. Suga would really appreciate the services they're providing
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☆ Bokuto Koutarou ☆
Spends time every week playing with the cats and dogs at the local shelters
This man is hoenstly a blessing, I physically can't 🤧
He loves seeing their little faces light up when he walks in, scruffling their ears and playing fetch, etc. and just generally showing them that they're still loved 🥺😭
And he helps take the dogs for walks too, so they get their exercise, and brushes them down, and rubs their tummies–
He wants to adopt, but he's not settled enough, so he knows he can't 😭 but it's his goal
One day 😖
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☆ Azumane Asahi ☆
Always holds doors open for other people
We're not just talking the occasional, feebly held door
Asahi will ALWAYS hold a door open for anyone else
Men, women, children, old people, people with prams, whole families– literally everyone
He is TALL and STRONG, and he will be USEFUL
He will hold it open even if you're really far away, like the giant dork that he is 😂😂 you cannot escape
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☆ Oikawa Tooru ☆
Often pays for the next customer's coffee in advance
Sure, it makes him feel good about himself. But, I mean, why not? What's so wrong with that?
Oikawa calls it SAOK-ing people (pronounced 'soaking') meaning: Secret Acts of Kindness Iwa-chan has told him to change the name, but he won't 🙄
Oikawa would love the touching joy of a stranger paying for his coffee in advance, so he gets a warm, tingly feeling when he thinks about it happening to someone else because if him he's literally beaming for the rest of the day 🥰
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☆ Akaashi Keiji ☆
Buys food and drinks for homeless people when he passes them
He sometimes stops to have a chat with them, too 😔🤧
He's the least condescending person you could meet if you're in trouble he's so genuine, I can't
Except for maybe Iwa-chan and Daichi. They're also very down-to-earth
He'll also give them all his food vouchers that he's been collecting in his wallet to help spread their costs
Akaashi finds it hard to watch other people struggling and suffering, and so always makes the time for it when he can afford to
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☆ Nishinoya Yuu ☆
Helps make up the numbers for the kids playing games in the park
Be it soccer, dodgeball, basketball, volleyball, tag, or something else entirely, Noya loves to see the kids running around in the park, playing games and enjoying themselves
So he's only too happy to join in when they need more players he'll sometimes recruit Tanaka to help as well
Yuu fits right in with them, both in height and mentality 😂😭😂😭
He may or may not get them to call him 'senpai' 🙄😂
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☆ Tanaka Ryuunosuke ☆
Helps fix people's cars on the road
Tanaka's one of those people that knows how to change a flat, and so can't drive past someone having car trouble without stopping and helping
He's also a pretty good handy-man in general, and is always willing to help out his friends and neighbours with their jobs that need doing
Like plumbing problems, putting up shelves, building furniture, etc. He's good with his hands!
Kiyoko: 👁👄👁
And he'll never charge a penny! He's all too happy to do it out of friendship and the kindness of his heart 😇
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☆ Kozume Kenma ☆
Hosts gaming charity livestreams for various causes on a regualr basis
All the donations go directly to the charity of choice for the stream, not through him, so everyone knows it's legit 😇
He also donates gaming consoles etc. to charities and organisations that help kids who are in hospital
He's a huge advocate for charities and organisations that focus on helping people through gaming, like AbleGamers and St Jude PLAY LIVE, and regularly donates to them
Honestly, Kenma is an angel 🥺 👉👈
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☆ Miya Atsumu ☆
Gives up his seat on public transport for old/pregnant/disabled etc. people
Look, Tsumu can be a little selfish and grouchy at times, but he's not a complete asshole 👉👈
There's a line, and hogging seats on public transport when someone else clearly needs it more than him is, indeed, the line 😌
He'll do it without a second thought or a fuss, and with a smile on his face but will be low-key proud of himself, ngl
He will also get offended if someone else doesn't give up their seat when they should, and may confront them about it 😳 like, what makes you so special that you can't do that simple courtesy that even he does??
×
☆ Miya Osamu ☆
Donates food to charities and shelters
Both store-bought food and from his own shop
Literally gets so depressed at the thought of people not getting to eat 🥺
This man LOVES FOOD. And people are out there not able to?!
He also has a scheme set up where homeless and stuggling people can come into his shop for some free onigiri
This man 🥺🤧 can I please marry him already?!
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☆ Sakusa Kiyoomi ☆
Donates sanitary supplies like soap, toothpaste, antibacterial gel, pads, tampons, etc. to shelters on a regualr basis
Literally cannot abide the idea that people are forced to live without these basic necessities, simply because they can't afford them
It's almost for his own peace of mind rather than theirs? 😅😂 almost. He does actually care on their behalf, too
But he doesn't like to make a big deal out of it, and so donates anonymously
His donations are literally a godsend to those people, though 🥺😭
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☆ Hinata Shouyou ☆
Reads books to kids at the library when he's there with Natsu
And he's really good at it! He reads very animatedly, and really gets the kids engaged with the stories you can just imagine it
The kids all love him and bring him their favourite books to read!
And the parents all watch and compliment him on how good he is with kids
And this goofball just blushes and grins like a doof 😚 so freaking sweet
×
☆ Kageyama Tobio ☆
Always carries a spare umbrella with him to give to someone
He hates getting caught in the rain himself, so he keeps a spare just in case this precious baby 🥺
He's had to use it quite a few times, sometimes giving it to people he doesn't even know, so he ends up not getting it back and has to buy a new spare
But it makes him smile, if a bit awkwardly, to know that he's helped someone out, even just a little Tobio!! 😭🤧🥺
×
☆ Tsukishima Kei ☆
Steps into the road to allow room for people with pushchairs and prams
I know it might not seem like much, but this is Tsukki, guys 🙄
*Narrator voice* this is one small step for man, one giant leap for Tsukishima!
And this just goes to show that he's not as tough of a cookie as he looks
He doesn't like the idea of parents etc. and young children having to walk in the road he gets worried for them...🤭
And he does it consciously, which is important
×
☆ Yamaguchi Tadashi ☆
Spends time each week looking for the animals on the 'lost' and 'missing' posters around town
He hates to think of them out there, cold, alone, frightened–
It makes him feel nauseous just thinking about it 😣
My poor, precious baby!! He's too pure for this world!! 😭
It's not often, but sometimes he actually manages to find one and bring it back to its owner safely, which is a huge boost for his mood and confidence
He feels so valued and appreciated, and just happy that the little guy is SAFE 😇🤧
×
☆ Haiba Lev ☆
Helps strangers get their cats out of trees and other high places
What else is a tall, handsome, goofball-of-a stranger to do? 😌
Legit, he doesn't think twice. Tall people should use their height to help people, shouldn't they?
Sure, it doesn't always go to plan, and his arms sometimes end up looking like well-used scratching poles, but he's just glad to help 😇
It's good to see the cats safe and with their owners
♡°☆•♡°☆•♡
If you enjoyed, please consider voting in this poll (ends this Sunday 18/10/20) to help me celebrate reaching 100 followers! Thank you to everyone who's already voted!
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© imo-chan-imagines 2020
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82 notes · View notes
turbulentt · 4 years
Text
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her heart tastes bitter. chapter one.
warnings: mentions of parental figure's death. 
author’s note: if you wish to be tagged on the following chapters to keep up with the fanfic please let me know. i haven’t decided how regularly i will post. hope you guys enjoy :)
_
"oh, looks who's here." yunho happily runs to congratulate you "i heard it was a tough job. are you okay?"
"yeah, i'm fine." you answer and quickly move to your desk "i have to write the report to hand to the boss."
"oh, good luck with that. also, wooyoung was talking shit about you earlier, nothing new, when are you going to deal with that?" yunho sits on your desk and you shrug your shoulders unbothered. you're more than used having jung wooyoung as your personal hater, him and a couple of his mates who, unfortunately, you are obliged to call coworkers. "i can't do anything if he's an idiot. it's been what? two or three years? he's just throwing a tantrum at this point."
"i know, but he has tried to sabotage you more than once. why don't you tell the boss?" yunho is always this worried about you, apart from your boss he is one of the few people who respect you at work. "i don't want to bother mister kim with these childish matters. besides, wooyoung is his right arm. who do you think he will trust?"
"you're partially right. but bear in mind that he chose to trust you when no one else did. not even me. he has your back, you know that."
"i know." you smile "don't you have a job soon?"
"i do. i need to get going. wish me luck!" yunho pops up happily and walks away as he waves back at you. "don't get eaten!" you say jokingly and he gives you the middle finger.
as you keep writing the report your mind keeps drifting away to yunho's words. it's true what he said, you couldn't deny that it was mister kim who supported you when no one else believed in your dream. kim hoongjoong was and is your savior, and for that, you own him your life. and it's funny, now it feels like you both have a father-daughter like relationship, and that's one of the reasons most for your coworkers to not be very fond of you, but you have proven your worth more than once.
your phone rings unexpectedly startling you.
"what do you want, yeosang? i'm at work." you pout and lean back on your chair.
"ok sorry, rude. i just needed to tell you that you're supposed to have dinner at my place tonight," he explains, leaving you confused.
"why am i having dinner at your place?"
"my mom is in town, she wants to see you. please, i already told her you'd come." yeosang pleas cutely.
"okay, fine. but i'm doing this for your mom." you scoff.
"good! at my apartment, at eight o'clock, don't be late."
"i won't."
"oh also, try not to talk about your demon-slaying job to her." he mocks you.
"bye, yeosang." you chuckle and hang up the call.
yeosang is your best friend for as long as you can remember. he's been with you through a lot, and he was the one who held your hand when you received the news that your father had passed away. he's like your pillar, there's nothing he won't do for you, and vice-versa.
yet, with that comes that you can not possibly keep secrets from each other. not even if you try. the guilt will only consume you enough to make you confess.
the first time you told yeosang about your job he didn't believe you. obviously, like any other regular human would. yeosang does not believe in demons, or he didn't at least. as a demon slayer, you aren't supposed to reveal your identity to outsiders, only not to go through the danger of that outsider being a demon.
but at that time ou didn’t think it through, you just had to make yeosang believe.
...two years ago...
"so you mean that you've been working as a demon slayer for approximately one year now?" yeosang repeats almost perfectly what you had just explained to him. "exactly. but you don't believe just yet, am I right?" you look at him unamused. "how exactly do you expect me to believe shit like this, y/n? this sounds like a movie."
"i know it does, but would i lie to you?"
"well, no. bu-" you cut him off and drag him across the cafe and outside. "wait a damn minute. you're really a pain in the ass."
you get your phone to call someone and yeosang just stares at you expectantly.
"yes? yunho I need a favor."
after a few minutes of conversation, you convince yunho to give you the location of a low-class demon.
your plans weren't the best, you admit that. but you always had this irresponsible side, reckless and empty-headed self. you just wanted to show him you were telling the truth.
and so you did. you drove to the location along with yeosang and you could very clearly feel his uneasiness. by now he knew he should've taken you more seriously.
arriving there you just told him to stay inside the car and watch quietly as you slew the demon mercilessly with your sword. he watched as you penetrated its heart and trapped his soul back to the underworld.
as you get back on the car, clothes stained from demon blood and sweat dripping from your forehead, you look at him once again.
"do you believe me now?"
"you said your boss’s name is kim hoongjoong? tell me more."
instead of being scared, yeosang was actually very much excited, as he now believes in demons and demon slayers.
"kim hoongjoong, or mister kim as everyone refers to him, is the best of the best. he is the leader of the demon slayers and the most powerful too. he has been given the power to see demons and any kind of spirit at his birth and with that gift, he is the one who assigns each demon to a certain slayer. there are many layers of demon slayers, arranged by power, to keep the balance in the underworld." you start to explain as you drive away through the city. "just like the old hierarchy? with kings, queens, clergy, and such?"
"exactly. mister kim is who we call the higher entity which makes him the most powerful yet vulnerable slayer for the magnitude of power he holds. all demons see him as a threat, not enough to attack him, but we have to make sure he is protected nevertheless. for that are the knights, those who stay by the boss' side and protect him from possible attacks. they also assist other slayers on their jobs if there is requested any help." you keep on explaining and yeosang seems utterly absorbed by your words.
"are you a knight?" he asks curiously. "no, not yet at least. i’m who they call the warriors. we deal with middle or low-class demons and cleanse locations and souls."
"oh! that seems interesting. so, you basically prevent places from being haunted?" yeosang sounded like a curious child discovering a new hobby, is very amusing to you. "you could say that. but instead of haunted, we refer it as being possessed. either people, animals, plants, places, or inanimate objects." you point out.
yeosang suddenly goes quiet, you glance at him only to see him tremble in his seat.
"so does that mean that spiders can be possessed?" his hands shake and you laugh at him. "yeah, but they can't hurt you. demons usually only use animals as a form of transport until they find a fitted human to be their host. a few demons though, connected to animals, can indeed possess animals in order to create the chaos but they are rare so don't sweat it."
"yeah... yeah i won't." he chuckles nervously.
...present...
"the boss is calling for you."
sighing you stand from your desk and make your way up to your boss' office. as you walk through the place heavy unpleasant stares are held on you, as if you were some kind of demon to them. knocking at the metal door you hear a sweet voice giving you permission to enter.
"did you call for me, sir?" you close the door behind you, standing still where you are waiting for a response. "you can quit the act. it doesn't fit you." he laughs lowly and turns his chair to you with a smile "there's no one here, make yourself comfortable."
"good." you chant jokingly and sit on the chair in front of his desk "but why did you call?"
"i felt like talking." he smiles looking at you and you give him a stare of confusion "tea?"
"yes, please." you watch as he pours the tea for both of you and takes a sip "you can also quit the act, boss. you didn't just feel like talking out of nowhere."
he laughs again, this time a bit louder and sighs.
"perceptive as always. you're right." he stares at his tea blankly seeming to look for the right words "i was talking to your father just now."
"oh. how's he?" you take another sip, not minding the tension building around the room. "he's doing good. hasn't found his path yet. i'm sorry if this bothers you."
"you know it doesn't. my dad died a while ago, long enough for me to get over it." you smile weakly "i'm worried that he hasn't found the path to the beyond yet thought. does he know what's keeping him here?"
"no. i have no clue either. do you have any ideas of what it might be?"
"i don't know. my dad had a lot of unfinished businesses. maybe it is a relationship. there are numberless possibilities." you cross your arms and shrug, there is not much you can do, humans should not interfere on spirits journeys to the beyond. "i hope he finds his peace soon. meanwhile, i have something for you."
"a new job?" your eyes shine in expectation and your boss looks at you fondly. "yes. this one will determine whether or not you will ascend on the chain." he hands you a white envelope, holding all the information on the demon and its host.
excitedly your fiddle your fingers through the envelope to open it, it's such an important job, finally, one of the many to come where you will have to give your all to prove to mister kim that you are the suited one to follow his footsteps and inherit his powers.
as you pull the stack of papers out you feel a cold shiver run down your spine. something's not right. skipping the first page you get to what matters, the face and name of the demon you will be slaying next is all that you care about.
and then you see his face.
stamped on that paper are his name and his face.
your next target is him.
you look up at mister kim wordlessly. he stares back at you smiling, fully aware of all that is running through your head at that moment.
"c-choi san…?"
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