#anxiety: but youre both so different! very much the same in some areas

[cordeliawhohung]

need mafia!simon and shy!reader pda stuff in the club and out in public

you know what anon, i need this too. in this little shot we're gonna pretend simon and reader have been together for a bit. also i went to extreme pda and made them almost fuck hope that was okay lmao

mafia!141 masterlist

warnings: HEAVY pda, a bit of sexual tension, but mostly fluff, a little smooch, Simon can't keep his hands off of you, reader is an anxious sweetheart

How you kept ending up in a place such as John Price's club was beyond you, and frankly a bit concerning. It was the last place in the entire world that you wanted to be due to how crowded, loud, and terrifying it was, yet be it because of your friend, or Simon Riley, you always made your way back there for one reason or another.

That night wasn't much different than any of the other times you had been there, and maybe you should have been grateful for the fact that the club was at least a little predictable. What wasn't predictable, though, was your boyfriend. Out of anyone you had ever met, he was a wildcard, which both intrigued and scared you at the same time. Always keeping things interesting, he was rather sporadic which was nice and yet the single greatest cause for your anxiety in most cases.

"A little more to the right," Simon prompted.

No matter where you were at, if there was a pool table, Simon was able to find it. You noticed that he always kept his hands moving like he was hardly ever able to sit still, be it checking something on his phone, or holding your hand. Pool seemed to be his drug of choice, though, which of course meant that you would always end up playing with him, where he would mercilessly beat you in every single round.

"Like this?" you asked.

"Tad too much. There, now shoot."

Despite his guidance, the tip of your cue grazed the side of the ball which sent it spinning too far to the left. Huffing, you straightened yourself up as you watched it clumsily bounce against the sides of the table before eventually coming to a stop.

"Yikes," you muttered.

"Thanks for lining up my shot for me, sweetheart," Simon teased.

Just like the last two rounds, Simon wrangled yet another triumphant win for himself as he knocked his last three balls into the pockets before slamming the last eight ball along with them. By that point you weren't even disappointed when you lost as you were very much used to it. Your boyfriend, however, never seemed to get used to how much he enjoyed gloating after each win.

"Another round?" he suggested.

"I think it'd be more efficient if you played by yourself at this point," you sighed as you rested your cue against the table.

Mirroring your actions, Simon rested his cue next to yours before he put his hands on your hips. You weren't prepared for how quickly your mouth would run dry, and you found your eyes blinking rapidly as you stared up at him. His touch was warm, it always was, or maybe you just thought it was because it always felt like your organs were boiling whenever he even so much as looked at you. But there were so many people around, too many people around.

"Bein' a sore loser, are we?" he teased.

It took a moment for the words to form in your mouth, like his touch had completely reset your brain. Eventually, your hands came up to rest on his chest as if attempting to keep some modest space between the two of you.

"Simon, there- there are people around," you said as you anxiously glanced around the area. The VIP bar had less people than any other area in the building, but there were still too many eyes for your comfort.

"What about it?" he asked. His thumbs began to glide along your hips, desperately trying to feel the softness of your skin through the fabric of your pants.

"Someone's gonna see," you defended.

Nothing you said seemed to deter Simon from his task. His hands continued to paw at your hips as his own pushed you against the pool table, trapping your legs as his head lowered into the crook of your neck. You could feel the embarrassment boil just underneath your skin, and your fingers gripped his shirt so tightly you worried it would rip.

"Let 'em see," he said, lips grazing against your neck. "They can mind their damn business if they care so much."

"Simon, seriou-!"

Your words were cut off with a squeak as he effortlessly lifted you up and sat you on the edge of the table. His hips nestled between your thighs and you were infinitely grateful that you hadn't worn a dress that time around. Still, no matter how grateful you were, it didn't change your precarious situation.

"Trust me, sweetheart," he assured you while his hands began to wander up towards your waist, "no one cares."

Every brush of his fingers and hands against you sent shivers throughout your body. It was the strangest feeling ever, enjoying his touch and yet feeling ashamed about it at the same time. Too many prying eyes, glances not actually meant for you but ones your brain convinced you were malicious. Maybe if you were stronger, more confident, more brave, you could have actually enjoyed the moment instead of worrying so much about it.

"I care," you blurted out.

Once those words left your mouth Simon's hands ceased in wandering over your waist. He slowly moved away from your neck and leaned back to look at you, where you found his expression was much softer than you had anticipated it to be. He was handsome all the time, but even more so when he looked at you like that; like you were the only person in the whole world.

With your hands still gripping the fabric of his shirt, you yanked hard on it and pulled him close enough until your lips crashed together. Everything in your brain screamed for you to stop, that people were around, that they'd think you were a freak, but it was as if something had possessed you. Surprised, but not at all upset, Simon returned his hands back to your waist as he moved his lips against yours.

To your surprise, it was actually Simon who pulled away first, and he was not at all trying to hide the slight smirk on his lips. You blinked a few times to clear your mind before you found one of your hands reaching out for your cue stick.

"A-Another round?" you asked.

Simon tilted his head to the side and you watched as a short chuckle rippled through his chest and shoulders. He reached for his own cue before taking a step back and allowing you to slide off of the table.

"I'll go easy on you this time," he claimed.

While he set the table up you stood watching him with a hand over your chest. Your heart pulsed so powerfully in your rib cage you were certain your pulse was visible in your throat. Still, you tried to shake off that trembling feeling of excitement that coursed through your body while you pretended your hands weren't struggling to hold your cue stick due to your sweaty palms.

i thought about having simon make a joke about bending you over and fucking you on the table and everyone else could just deal with it but i thought that might've been too much so i went for something a bit more fluffy instead lmao. also requests are open again so feel free to send in some if you have any ideas (:

#mafia!simon #mafia!ghost #mafia!141 #simon riley x reader #ghost x reader #simon ghost riley x reader

[amysubmits]

We signed up to attend a kink event months ago. Our first ever in-person kink event. It would include classes and "dungeon parties" for public play.

We both are turned on by the idea of public play but for ethical reasons, we've been very limited and cautious in what we've done, of course.

The idea of having the opportunity to do something publicly and ethically was really exciting. CD has teased me about it for months. At the same time, it was pretty scary. We had no real idea of what to expect at this event. With us both having social anxiety, we didn't know if we'd actually go through with trying anything or not. As it got closer, the feelings just amplified. The idea of submitting to him spanking me in public felt more real, and that certainly made it hotter at times. At other times, the reality of it made it scarier. Could I really go through with it? I really didn't know, and neither did he. We knew we'd just have to see how we felt once the time came.

We checked out the dungeon on the first day, as watching others is welcomed. Lots of people were being spanked with various implements on different kneeling tables. We didn't see anyone using their hands. We've never used a bench like this. This added to the anxiety.

At the same time, our anxiety had reduced some from the event overall. The vast majority of people seemed really comfortable to be doing what they were doing, to wear what they were wearing - to be visible with their kink or D/s dynamic. It was, of course, very different from anything we had experienced before, but it was really cool to experience a bunch of people doing what they wanted to do and not caring about fitting in with the social norms we've all grown accustomed to.

I still wasn't sure if I could really go through with it after walking around the dungeon that first day. On the second day though, I got thinking about how happy CD would be if I could do it. And how rare the opportunity was. And how hot it would be to be a little public with our kink. To let some strangers see how he dominates me, and how I submit to him.

So I told him I definitely wanted to do it. He started considering how to go about it. We hadn't seen empty benches at all when we had been through the other night, so we weren't sure how long we'd have to wait to find one. We assumed it might be busiest when the parties first start, but then slow down once it got late (the parties went past midnight). So we almost waited until later to even go look but then CD said we should go see just in case, and we'd probably go back later to try again. We took the stairs down to the area where the dungeon was, while most people take the elevator so we were alone in the stairway as we went down. Partway there CD said "Remember you can always change your mind." My pussy clenched. This sort of thing, the way he looks out for my needs and boundaries 24/7, even when his own pleasure is on the line, is so much of why I love submitting to him.

When we got down there, there was a bench available. CD said he thought we should just do it. So we did. He sat on the kneeling portion of the bench and took my bottoms off, and had me get onto the bench in my shirt and panties at first. My stomach was a mix of nerves and excitement.

He spanked me for a little bit and asked me to adjust. This thing was not made for 5'1" people, so when kneeling I wasn't all the way up on the bench. I climbed up higher as he asked. There were other benches perhaps 2-3 feet to each side of us. One of them was doing some sort of impact, but it sounded so much quieter than my own. I wondered if it only seemed that way to me or not. He used his fingers to trace over my ass and down my thighs every once in a while. Helping me to relax before going back to spanking me. He pulled my panties down and off. My mind buzzed with racing thoughts that basically equated to 'I'm naked...in public!'

I took off my glasses so I could lay more comfortably with my face against the bench. He kept slowly upping the intensity. For much of it, he was landing blows hard enough that my body was moving forward with each hit, but I was physically relaxed so I was just jostling back and forth on the bench as it absorbed the impact after it went through me. My ass burned, but the pain was muffled by my distraction. I couldn't see much from where I was, but all I could think about was that we were really doing this. We're really doing this thing that we do - in a room of 100+ other people. I saw people walk past a few times but couldn't really see if they looked or not. CD checked in with me to see how I was doing as it was running longer than usual. I told him I was fine to continue, so he did. He upped the intensity even more, hitting my thighs some. Shortly after a dungeon monitor walked by and stopped quite close to me. Some people came up to him to ask the dungeon monitor some questions. I closed my eyes. If I can't see them, that means they can't see me, right? Eventually CD told me I could get dressed. I did as quickly as I could. My ass was on fire and my brain was floaty. We tossed out the sheet that we had used to protect the bench, and then CD said we should walk through the dungeon to see what others were doing. As we made the round, I thought about how we were both looking at everyone we passed, at least briefly. This made me realize that in all likelihood, everyone who walked past probably saw us, too. CD said later that he had tried to stay focused on just me, but that he had noticed some people did stop to watch. I'm not sure if he meant the same people I saw or not. I wouldn't be surprised if this seems weird to those of you who follow me here because I tend to share a lot of private stuff on here. But, IRL we're both really reserved, private people. I'm still a little shocked that we really did this - but it was really fun. I'm not one to particularly enjoy bruises usually, but I did enjoy it when I realized my butt bruised pretty good. Mostly because I had felt like it was an intense spanking, but had wondered if my perception was skewed due to my nerves. It kinda felt like evidence that he really did give it to me good despite just using his hand. His hand felt slightly bruised after, too. We made a longtime fantasy come true, it was hot for us both, I was able to submit to CD in a somewhat new way that required a lot of trust and some embarrassment, and we let some other people see a part of us that we'd previously kept private. It's not all that often that you get the chance to make several things like that happen at once. I'm glad we took advantage of the opportunity while we had it.

#writing #d/s #sccwriting

[watatsumiis]

Reader With Anxiety (Part 1)

Reader is having anxiety. Characters comfort them in various in-character ways.

CW for general talk of anxiety and some of its symptoms. This is based on personal experience and can differ for others. Different techniques work for different people. This is a comfort fic, not an informational piece. A few mentions of certain characters having struggles of their own with anxiety.

Gender neutral reader, platonic relationships/fluff. 

Characters: Al Haitham, Ayato, Childe, Diluc, Itto, Zhongli

Al Haitham’s approach borders on clinical. Though he’s experienced anxiety in the past (both his own and his roommate’s), he struggles to empathise with your struggles and doesn’t really know how to approach you. He takes a little while to pick up on your tenseness, then even longer to act on it - he may come off as brash or dismissive at first when you try to explain what’s ailing you, but in reality he’s working through it in his brain, approaching it from every possible angle as he works to try and solve the intricate equation in the most efficient way. He tends to quash down his own worries instead of facing them, but he doesn’t want that for you - he also figures that pulling all-nighters and drinking wine like his roommate might not be very healthy, either, so he does his own research and pulls up a list of grounding techniques for you to try, and will calmly walk you through each one and take careful note of which ones make the most significant differences for you. He’s very calm and level headed throughout the whole ordeal, even if you are not, so his unshakeable attitude can do wonders to help soothe you as well. Once all is said and done, he may (almost meekly) approach you and ask how he did, how he can do better in future, what worked and what didn’t. It’s almost like he’s collecting results from an experiment. 

Ayato will basically try to find and eliminate whatever he thinks is the source of your worry. He’s a very straightforward man in that respect - he sees a problem, that problem requires a solution. Half of his job is making solutions, he figures it’s not exactly hard. He always thought he was quite good at talking Ayaka down when she was younger and fretted even more than she does now. So, in some cases, you may find that certain problems of yours seem to just… quietly fade into the background. Mora woes? He’ll just throw piles of money at the issue until it’s gone. You hate your job? Huh, it seems that one of your superiors has been fired and you’re first in line for a promotion. Funny, that. If, for whatever reasons, that doesn’t (or can’t) work, he’ll sit you down and try to talk you through it. He encourages you to talk about your anxieties, what you think is causing them, what has helped in the past, all those sorts of things. He turns almost uncharacteristically quiet and genuine during these conversations, sitting across from you and listening carefully as you talk. He still tries to do things to fix these problems unless you directly ask him not to though.

Childe gets ‘zoomies’ when he’s anxious, he gets jittery and jumpy and all over the place, so he expects you to be the exact same. He may take some time, but eventually he will notice that you’re acting fidgety or quiet, and his solution is to pretty much pull you into a large, open area and walk you through various fighting techniques or exercises. It can be really overwhelming, and he will back off if it seems like you aren’t coping with it, but sometimes working out that anxious energy is the perfect way to help. He acts so bright and cheery that it helps distract you. Sometimes, if he’s feeling particularly soft, he might allow you to get a few extra hits in or even knock him over just to see the way you brighten up and begin to regain your confidence. Failing that, he’ll cook you a really nice hearty meal and tell you about how his mother taught him that it’s “basically impossible to be anxious while eating.”

Diluc will essentially evacuate you from the situation - his decorum goes out the window when he notices you’re acting distressed. The way he sweeps you out of the room as he drapes his heavy jacket over your shoulders is almost like he’s shielding you from attackers. He’s had his fair share of anxiety attacks in the past and just does for you what he wishes someone would’ve done for him in his adolescence. He’ll find somewhere quiet for you to sit, make you a warm drink and stay nearby as you cool off. He won’t address it directly or ask you any questions, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on your preferences, but he’s still open to talking about it if it seems like that’s what you need. If you’re up for it, he may also assign you some meaningless busywork around the winery, something to keep your hands and mind busy so you don’t have time to dwell on whatever it is that’s ailing you. It’s always something extremely low pressure, such as watering houseplants or sorting papers. 

Itto is as lighthearted about this as he is with many things. It takes him quite a long time to notice that you’re feeling off - it’s not that he ignores the people around him, sometimes he’s just a bit of an airhead who struggles to perceive anything out of the scope of his own boisterous, joyous aura. Even once he’s noticed and started to address it, you suspect that it may have been Shinobu’s prompting that caused him to finally pick up on it. He acts sort of clumsy around you at first, uncharacteristically worried that you might be upset at him for whatever reason, or that he’s just making things worse, but that clears up pretty quickly as he convinces himself that you absolutely need him to swoop in and save you as soon as possible. He won’t directly confront you, but instead he turns the silly metre up to full blast, pulling all the goofs and gaffs that he knows have cheered you up in the past. He’s acting like a complete and utter fool, just in an attempt to try and distract you from whatever thoughts have you all wrapped up inside your own head. 

Zhongli realises practically the same moment you start acting off. He can be block-headed sometimes, but distress is something he’s taught himself to notice over the years. He’ll calmly pull you aside, being careful not to raise any suspicion or draw any attention, and will take both your shaking hands in his to steady them and ask you what’s wrong, what he can do to help. If you’re not sure, he’ll run you through various grounding techniques. His favourites are getting you to describe various things around you, or passing you some kind of trinket to look over to distract you while he tells you about it (oftentimes it's a piece of his jewellery or an interesting rock). Another one is that he gets you to talk about five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch/feel, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste. He’s got a whole arsenal of soothing techniques up his sleeve and is great at keeping track of which ones work best for you. Sometimes, just hearing his calm, deep voice droning on about whatever subject he feels like sharing is more than enough to help distract and calm you down. 

Please don't repost, steal, copy or otherwise plagiarise my writing! I do not consent for my works to be translated and posted elsewhere, or used to teach bots!

#genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin imagines #genshin self insert #my writing #genshin headcanons #genshin fluff #platonic genshin x reader #zhongli #genshin zhongli #zhongli x reader #zhongli x you #itto #itto x reader #arataki itto #arataki itto x reader #genshin itto #diluc #diluc x reader #genshin diluc #diluc genshin #childe #childe x reader #ajax #ajax x reader #ayato #genshin ayato #ayato x reader #al haitham #al haitham x reader

[thanotaphobia]

STAR-CROSSED LOVER BOYS.

purgatory is going to destroy me

crossposted to ao3

⋆

“There you are.”

Missa yelps, his whole body flinching– the ax in his hand drops to the ground with a thud. For a second he thinks about running, but then the words register, and the voice, and he whirls around.

“Philza,” he says, a mixture of delight and anxiety thrumming through him. “How did you–”

“Your guys’ base is not hard to find,” Phil says, hands in his pockets as he surveys the area around them with a critical eye. Missa wonders if he's trying to hide the blood underneath his nails. “You should probably move underground.”

“Maybe,” Missa says. “What’s up? Need something?” He’s a little wary– people have been killing, he knows that very well. He trusts Phil, but still. He’s seen the chat messages. 

“Not really,” Phil says. “Most of my team is out and around I got bored. Wanna walk?”

“Walk where?” Missa looks around the wasteland they’re calling home for now.

“I dunno. Somewhere?” Phil smiles at him and Missa smiles back, unsure.

“This feels like a trap,” he says.

Missa kicks his ax to the side where it will be safe and taking Phil’s hand when it’s offered. “Are you going to kill me?”

“I would never,” Phil promises, and they start walking together. “Ye of little faith, man.”

“Everything’s just gone crazy,” Missa says with a laugh, swinging their hands between them. The camp turns to beach turns to forest, both of them relishing in the shade of the trees as they amble along. “I hope we get to go home soon. I miss it.”

“I hope they leave our houses alone,” Phil nods. “Something weird is going on, and I don’t trust it. Yesterday was nuts but I feel clearer today. My head. Less tired.”

“Same,” Missa nods. “I kept getting killed and the respawn was awful.” He’s not exaggerating– something about the respawn on this island is different, lingering in his limbs and sending pins and needles up his body every time he wakes up. The pain echoes, and he knows he’s not the only one because Phil just nods, mouth set in a firm line.

“It’s probably on purpose,” he says. “To mess with us. I think a lot of things are. It’s definitely getting to some of the others.”

“Not you?” Missa asks, pausing mid step to look at Phil. “Are you alright?” He reaches out, takes Phil’s other hand. Phil smiles at him and gives his fingers a warm squeeze, and Missa giggles softly.

“No dreams, at least,” Phil tells him. 

“I’m glad,” Missa says earnestly. He’s glad to hear Phil’s doing okay– as okay as he can be, but like he said, purgatory is getting to some of the others. Missa knows what he means. He’s seen the looks in some of their eyes, the way people are quicker to snap. With Phil, it seems impossible that it could happen, but he’s heard shouting across the hills and felt the blade of a sword too many times now to deny it. 

“I think they want an excuse to go a little crazy,” Phil tells him and Missa laughs again. “Like, this is some fucked up social experiment and we all just went yeah, sure, why not?”

“You guys were so weird,” Missa says and Phil laughs with him now, both of them giggling. “Like, man, we were just trying to do stuff and failing and you guys were shouting in the distance–”

Both of them are laughing together now, and Missa basks in it. He missed Phil, so fucking much. He’s nervous here, but happy too, happy Phil is with him and smiling. Phil looks at him and opens his mouth as if he’s going to say something back, then pauses. Lets go of one of Missa’s hands and turns slightly, peering out into the trees. Missa makes a face at him, looking out in the same direction, but then Phil is nudging him backward and behind one of the bigger trees with wide eyes and a small smile still on his face.

“What?” Missa asks, dropping his voice into a whisper. “Philza, what–”

“Shh.” Phil presses him up against the tree and Missa lets him, lets the hand clamp over his mouth as Phil looks over his shoulder. This is ridiculous, Missa thinks to himself, and he can’t help the giggling bubbling up within him. His laughter is stifled thanks to Phil’s hand, and Phil is also still grinning, biting his lip as they stand there in the shade. It takes a second for Missa to register what Phil heard– footsteps in the leaves, voices. Fit, by the sound of it, and Etoiles. Now Missa gets it; those two have been on more than a few killing sprees, and who knows what’d they say if they came upon Phil and Missa out here. Missa holds his breath, staring hard in the direction of the sound, and while Phil seems insistent they stay quiet he doesn’t seem too frightened. After a few moments the sounds of their footsteps fade, and Missa is left staring down at Phil instead, who slowly pulls his hand away from Missa’s mouth.

Once he thinks it’s safe, Missa whispers, “So are you and– you know. Are you?”

“Etoiles?” Phil asks, and Missa blinks, then shakes his head. “Oh, Fit? Nah, it’s just fun. He’s gone fucking bonkers since we’ve gotten here, though.”

“I think we all have,” Missa says, giggling nervously. 

“Did it make you jealous? Before?” 

“No,” Missa says, and he’s honest about it. He also… kinda gets it. You just have to look at Fit to understand, honestly. “You come back to me anyway.”

Phil looks at him then, the smile dropping from his lips. He stares, something open and honest and brutal on his face at Missa, as though he’s just had a realization. Missa’s about to open his mouth and ask what it is, what’s the matter– but before he can, Phil surges up onto his feet and pushes his mask away from his face, kissing him harshly on the mouth as he slings an arm around Missa’s shoulders.

They’ve kissed before, but never like this. It’s always been on hands and shoulders and foreheads, soft intimate presses of closed mouths as reassurance and comfort. This is more. This is open lips, warm mouth, noses pressed uncomfortably together. This feels like desperation mixed with anguish, and Phil presses Missa harder against the trunk of the tree and Missa grabs at his waist with both hands and kisses back.

“I wish we were on the same team,” Phil tells him, pulling back a half inch and leaving Missa gasping for air. He feels like he’s on fire, all of Phil’s wild nature igniting him at once, leaving him to boil over. Red and blue– Missa feels the distance now more than anything. 

“We could make our own team,” Missa says, dragging him closer, trying to drown himself in Phil. “Maybe.”

Phil doesn’t bother responding to him; just kisses him again. Missa is going crazy, he thinks. Maybe it’s the place– purgatory sending them all spiraling into their own little wells of madness. There’s something about Philza here that makes this feel dangerous, like at any moment someone might pop around the corner of a tree and yell GOTCHA at the two of them. It’s– well, they’re husbands, everyone had pretty much assumed they were doing this anyway, but something about that thought makes Missa squirm a little, which makes Phil press him harder into the tree, which makes Missa duck his head and kiss him back even more. 

They do that for a while, kissing back and forth until Missa’s lips feel swollen and tender. At some point his knees go out, and they both sink to the forest floor. Phil’s in his lap, Missa can’t feel his toes or his lips, and yet he still wants more, somehow.

“Man,” Phil says between kisses, words punctuated by his face against Missa’s. “What the fuck did they put in the water?”

“I like it,” Missa says. He feels loopy, out of it. Maybe there was something in the water. Nothing feels real. He never wants it to end.

Phil laughs at him, pulling back from the kissing to grin at Missa lazily, nonchalant, like they do this every damn day. If Missa wasn’t already on the ground, he thinks he’d collapse. Phil tucks his warm nose into the crook of his neck and they sit there. The sticks and leaves press uncomfortably into Missa’s back and ass, but he doesn’t care. Phil is heavy on his lap, arms tight around his shoulders, and Missa holds him like he wants to every day. 

Selfishly, Missa thinks maybe purgatory is a good thing. Ignoring the death, and the dehydration, and the sun and the apples and the betrayals– he at least gets this out of it. He’s a selfish man. He’ll admit that much.

“Do you think we’ll get the eggs back?” Phil asks quietly. Missa plays with the loose strands of his hand, twirling them in between his fingers, alternating between that and running his hand down the long line of Phil’s spine. Tracing the bumps of his bound wings beneath his jacket.

“I don’t know,” Missa says honestly. 

“It feels like a trick,” Phil says, turning his head. Missa can’t see his face, but Phil’s gaze is directed outwards, towards where Missa knows the sea is. “All of this.”

“Yeah.” Missa can at least agree with that. It does feel like a trick. It makes him uncomfortable. “I’m still useless here, though.”

“Are you kidding me?” Phil turns his head to look up at Missa now, eyebrows furrowed. “Dude, you and your team have been doing better than us. That’s crazy.”

“Still,” Missa says. “It’s mostly Bad Boy Halo.”

“Bruh, BBH is just cracked. Don’t base your worth off of him.” Phil snuggles closer into Missa’s chest, and on impulse Missa leans down. Phil tips his head up and kisses him back with gentle care, and Missa’s heart rate soars. 

“I love you,” Missa says into the kiss.

“I know,” Phil murmurs back into his lips. Missa snorts.

“You nerdy motherfuck,” he says, and Phil laughs, kissing Missa again, and again. “Star Wars?”

“Would you rather me just say it back?” Phil asks, and Missa stops, lips hovering a breath above Phil’s. For a moment neither of them move, and then Missa draws away, inhaling slightly.

“Would it be hard for you to?” he asks. Phil looks at him, eyes suddenly guarded, and then away. The uncomfortable shift makes Missa feel as though a bucket of cold water has been doused on him, trickling down his spine.

“If I say it, it makes shit real,” Phil says.

“And?” Missa demands. “Is me being real a bad thing?”

“No, no, I just–” Phil’s face contorts. “Missa, if it’s real, it means losing you becomes real too.”

“So you just avoid it,” Missa says, and slowly, things click into place. And it doesn’t make sense even then, it just makes him feel… angry. He hasn’t ever felt angry at Phil before, but here they are. His hands tighten around Phil, fingers catching in the rough cloth of his jacket. “Don’t you ever think it’s real for me?”

“I know it’s real for you,” Phil says, and he sounds more cautious now, like he’s seen Missa’s anger. “Missa–”

“No, no no no, Philza,” Missa says, and now he draws his hands back and away, staring at Phil’s conflicted face. “You can’t handle it, sure that’s fine, yeah. But that’s just not fair.”

Phil’s eyes flash. “You can’t force me to say shit.”

“And I’m not!” Missa scowls a little. “I’m just thinking, if I’m such a coward and I’m able to face the fact I love you and you can’t, what does that say about you–”

“Wow.” Phil pushes up and off him, untangling their limbs messily and staggering back onto his feet. Missa hurries to stand up, brushing off his knees as he does and leaning against the tree for support. “Wow, low fucking blow.”

“Says the one who won’t even say he loves me back,” Missa says, and it’s weird how the affection he’d been feeling only seconds ago can fade into animosity so quickly. Maybe Phil was right. Maybe it’s this place. “We split on to teams and yet you only come find me when you, what? Want comfort? Want a kiss?”

“Maybe I just like hanging out with you,” Phil says.

“I wouldn’t know, you never fucking say it,” Missa snaps.

Phil glares at him, raising a hand and wiping the back of it against his lips. Missa drags his skeleton mask back over his face. “Maybe it’s a good thing we’re on separate teams,” Phil says, voice cold. “You always needed your space.”

“Now who’s throwing low blows?” Missa says. The mask serves a few purposes– to match Phil’s energy for one, and two, to hide the way his eyes start to well up with tears. He’s always been a crybaby, but this hurts. It really, truly hurts. At least when they start to stream down his cheeks, they’re hidden behind the comfort of his mask. “Maybe you don’t love me. Maybe that’s why you won’t say it. Just break my heart already, get it over with.”

“Break your heart?” Phil laughs, shifting his stance to something more solid, feet spread apart in the leaves and hands balled into fists at his sides. Missa catches the warning before the actual fire gets spit– the words like venom lashing out across the forest. “Like you broke Chayanne’s?”

Missa can barely see when his hands hit Phil’s shoulders, shoving him backwards on uneven footsteps. “Get away,” he says, then he’s shouting, “Get away, get away, get away from me!”

The heartbreak, it turns out, is very much real in this place. Purgatory, the place between worlds, an eternal waiting room. There’s no going forward here, not unless you play the right cards. Missa’s face feels red and hot and he says nothing as Phil turns on his heel and walks away, not even bothering to look back. He waits until he’s sure Phil’s gone before he crumples to the ground and cries, whimpering into his hands like a baby because he’s gone and ruined everything now, hasn’t he?

But there is an itch at the back of his brain.

Maybe you did the right thing, the itch tells him, gentle hands on his shoulders and fingers petting through his hair. Maybe it’s for the best. You’re on separate teams, after all, and it couldn’t work. Stay away for the next few weeks, give each other space. Run away and let it all smooth over– he’ll forgive you, after all. He always has.

Missa wipes his eyes dry. Gets to his feet again, and looks in the direction Phil left. Maybe his subconscious is right. Maybe it’s just a waiting game. They can be angry at each other here, fight here, kill here, and when they get back to the island it can all go back to normal.

It’s just the stress, Missa tells himself, thinking of their son as he turns back towards the blue team base camp. There are things to do now, fights to be won, challenges to work on. He can think about Phil later. A small fight between couples never killed anyone.

…Right?

#qsmp #qsmp shipping #pissa #q!philza #q!missa #they kiss guys #wee oo wee oo #my writing

[escapism-writer]

The Best Gift - Pedri x reader.

A/n: Thank you so much for all of the love & support on my last upload, “But You’re Mine”. Requests are now open on my account!

Summary: Yours & Pedris’ anniversary dinner gets cancelled due to a change in date of a match.

Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, mild panic attacks, anxiety, slight cringe, might have some slight spelling, grammatical & translation errors.

Pedri already felt very guilty. First, he dragged you out to Qatar to support him during the world cup. Now he might not even make it to his own anniversary dinner. The two of you had started dating three years ago this Saturday. You remembered the day he asked you to be by his side forever, as if it was yesterday. Therefore you made it very painfully obvious how much anniversaries meant to you.

For the past two years, you've made a big deal of your shared anniversary, either taking Pedri out to dinner or staying home together and making his favourite food as a celebration. However, this year was different, this year he decided to take it upon himself to plan your anniversary evening. Before the both of you flew to Qatar, he had, with the help of Gavi, planned an evening out that ended in a fancy dinner. Yet, that couldn't even go well for him, as he stared at his phone, his eyes flickered with worry, constantly re-reading the same message for over ten minutes.

'Hola equipo, ha habido un cambio de plan. El partido de esta semana se ha cambiado al Sábado.' <‘Hello team, there has been a change of plan. This weeks match has been moved to Saturday.’>

Pedri's heart shattered at the thought of your reaction. Despite knowing you supported him wholeheartedly; he also knew how frustrated you got at his career ruining your times together, whether it's the paparazzi or constant training to the point you would barely see each other. He felt his breath quicken as he heard a knock at the door of the hotel room you shared. Ignoring his loss of breath, he rushed to the door expecting his eyes to meet with yours.

"Tarde!" <"Afternoon!">

Pedri's head jerked at the sound of a familiar yet unexpected voice. Gavi welcomed himself inside, oblivious to his friends uncomfortable figure.

“I was wondering if you had any better signal here in your room, because honestly, it’s…”

Finally lifting his eyes above his phone screen, Gavi’s words faded out once he noticed the state of Predi. In slight panic, he walked over to Pedri’s side and patted him on the back. Attempting to comfort his nervous friend.

“What happened? You look terrified.”

“Our match date has been moved.”

Confused, Gavi led Pedri towards the lone bed that sat perfectly in front of the large TV. That was when a notification appeared on his phone from the Spanish FC Group Chat.

'Hola equipo, ha habido un cambio de plan. El partido de esta semana se ha cambiado al Sábado.' <‘Hello team, there has been a change of plan. This weeks match has been moved to Saturday.’>

“Ah, I see the problem.”

The boy sat in silence, thinking of what to suggest to his friend. Before he could, his thoughts were cut short getting disrupted by the sound of the hotel room door opening and then slamming closed.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to slam that.”

You called out sliding your shoes off. You lifted the shopping bag over towards the kitchen area before peaking into the bedroom.

“Oh Gavi, Hi, I wasn’t expecting to see you here today.”

“Yeah, Hi.”

Gavi nervously laughed, not sure what to do when stood face to face with his anxious friends’ girlfriend. You quickly caught on to Gavi’s sudden change in body language, causing you to look at your boyfriend. He seemed worried about something, maybe his upcoming match?

“Are you alright?”

You asked walking over to Pedri, forgetting Gavi. Taking this as his sign to leave, Gavi shot a quick goodbye before exiting the hotel room.

“I’m sorry, hermosa.” <“beautiful”>

Pedri sighed showing you the message about the match date change. Once your expression was replaced with a disappointed look, Pedri pulled his phone away from your face repeating his sigh.

“I can’t just not go. I have to play for my country.”

He felt his palms go sweaty as he tried to explain himself. Although you were heartbroken that your anniversary plans will have to be changed, you still hated seeing the anxiety filled look upon your boyfriends face.

“It’s okay, Bebè. Being here with you and supporting you will always be The Best Gift I could have ever received.”

Pedri looked up at you, surprised by your words. His usual smile formed back onto his face joined with a hint of relief. Seeing Pedri’s reaction to your words also spreads a smile onto your face.

“We can spend the night eating popcorn and watching a movie.”

Pedri nodded as he turned on the TV picking a movie for the both of you. You stood up walking to the kitchen, opening one of the popcorn bags before placing it in the microwave. By the time you placed the second bag in the microwave, Pedri’s head rested on your right shoulder, watching as the popcorn popped.

“Thank you, for everything Hermosa.”

#pedri imagine #pedri x reader #Pedri #icons pedri #Pedri one shot #footballer imagine #footballer x yn #footballer x reader #Pedri x yn #hurt/comfort #sad pedri #barcelona #fc barca #fc barcelona #Barcelona x readers

[fruit3milk]

--> Dilf! Zhongli x TransMale Reader PT. ONE!! "You were always my favorite..."

Content Warning for THIS SERIES ! : 18+, NSFW, drinking, bottom male reader, Age Gap (reader is over 18!!!), very slight afab anatomy descriptions, clit referred as cock, being wet is described as being hard, post top surgery just not bottom, T-dick!

Summary ! : THIS IS ONLY PART 1 SO THERE IS ONLY SUGGESTIVE CONTENT HERE. HOWEVER IN THE NEXT FEW PARTS THERE WILL HEAVY SMUT!! You're a student studying Law, zhongli asks you over to help him with some legal advice and help for a divorce he's going through. You both end up drinking a little too much and you help him out more than he expected...

This can be read as a modern AU liyue or original genshin liyue time.

It had been a while since you'd seen zhongli, the last time had been your friends graduation party. Now that you and your friend were studying in different areas of the world, you two were barely able to keep up with each other. It did sadden you, seeing your friend go but your happiness for them overrode that. You were proud of your friend, happy to see them accomplishing all the goals they had. You stayed in the area though, studying law as you always aspired to do. You were an excellent student and highly remarked in liyue. This of course garnered the attention of your old friend's father. You came home from classes one day to see a gift basket filled with glaze lillies, fruits, and chocolates outside your door. It had a note attached to it, a rather long looking one at that. You grabbed the gift basket with a little bit of trouble due to its size. You managed in though, dropping your bag on the floor and heading to your couch to see what the gift was about. You sat down, taking the note and unfolding it carefully. The note went as this

"Dear Y/n, I don't know if you remember me but I'm F/n's father Zhongli. I've heard well about your accomplishments in your pursuit of law. You're quite the talk in Liyue. I know you're only a student, but I would greatly appreciate any help you can offer. I'm currently working through a divorce and need help settling some..issues. Usually I'm good at solving problems like these but, I don't see anything wrong with a helping hand every now and then. You never know, maybe some more hands on experience will help you advance even further in your studies. I still reside at the same place. If a case like this interests you, you'll know where to find me. P.s I hope you enjoy the special treats. -Yours truly Zhongli"

You were quite shocked to hear about all this, slowly placing the letter down and taking a deep breath. You wondered if F/n knew.. you got up and gently placed the glaze lillies in a vase, using them as a center piece for your living room table. You snacked on some of the chocolates, pacing back and forth. Should you be helping your own friends dad through a divorce if they don't know? Well..maybe they did know? And you could benefit from this too academically. These were the thoughts racing your mind. You couldn't deny, you did kind of..miss Zhongli in a way. You've been so busy all the time you barely gave thought to him. You expected the same out of him since he had a grown man with a family. The more you looked at the flowers and the gift basket, your heart somehow sunk and fluttered at the same time. Maybe you should go see zhongli, it was only going to be about business anyway.

You quickly bathed and put on more work attire. A casual black suit. You grabbed a different suitcase, one you didn't use for school and headed out the door. You didn't know why, but you were almost nervous to see him. Not because of the anxiety of working a case but..what would you even say to him? How would conversation even go with him? You pulled yourself together and continued on your way to zhongli's place.

As you approached closer and closer to his home, your heart beat faster. You mentally cursed at yourself for being so anxious. Why were so nervous in the first place? You've known him since forever. So what's the deal now? Your hand raised hesitantly to knock on the door. You did so, taking a deep breath. You waited for the door to open, fiddling with your fingers. Soon, the door opened revealing a very casually clothed zhongli and who happened to look actually stressed for the first time. He wore a loose black longsleeve, black pants, no shoes, and a black apron that was dusted with some sort of Ingredient.

You waved awkwardly and smiled a little. "I uh, got your note. I'm sorry to hear about this whole situation but I'm more than happy to help so, I came over as soon as I could." Zhongli looked stunned to see you here, as if he didn't know what you were talking about. "You..did send me a gift basket with a note right?" Zhongli snapped out of it, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers and forcing a smile and chuckle out. "Y-yes yes, it was me it's just- I sent that basket this morning. I didn't expect to see you here today." You felt a bolt of embarrassment run through you. Should you not have come? Should you have just waited? "Oh! I'm sorry I can go if you need- I just- well you know I just figured it'd be best to come just to at least check up on you. It's ok if you-" He cut your sentence off with a gentle wave of his hand. "No no, you're ok dear. I have dinner cooking anyway so it seems like you've made perfect timing. Come in will you?" Your heart stuttered for some reason. 'Dear?' You thought to yourself. Why did that small nickname make you feel so..floaty and smitten? You entered in, taking your shoes off at the door and looking around the place as you followed zhongli to the kitchen. "It's..almost exactly like I remember." You softly commented. "Is it? I know it's been a long time since you've been over. I mean- I expected that once F/n left for their studies you'd be just as busy with your own but..I don't know I guess I've missed having you little rascals running around my house." He chuckled softly as he pulled out a chair for you at the dinner table. He went back to cooking, glancing at you from time to time. "So, how's your classes been? I mean- I know you're doing quite well in your academics from the news and papers but.. you know are the people there nice? You know..open-minded?" He asked with a truly concerned look. You didn't know what he meant at first but then it clicked. "Oh- Yeah yeah, of course. They all respect me and you know, who I am as a man so.." He smiled contently, happy to hear. "That's good, I'm proud of you. I know it's not easy sometimes..with people's bigoted views, but you've become such a gentleman as you've grown up. You're quite the charmer now too." He said with a soft smirk. You chuckled softly with a "thank you sir". He put a lid over a pot and brought two glasses to the table and red bottle. He took his apron off, folding it and setting aside before taking a seat across from you. You watched as he opened the bottle. "Is that- alcohol?" He laughed at your innocent tone, pouring the glass in front of you full before pouring his. "Yes dear it is, I figured talking about a subject like this requires some extra pep don't you think? If you don't drink you don't have to-" You shook your head with a smile and took a hesitant and slow sip. It was a little bitter at first but overall didn't taste that bad. "I usually never get to drink. I'm so busy with my studies heh." He listened to you as he sipped from his drink. "Well, we'll just have to make sure you get all the wine you want tonight now won't we?" He said before getting up to plate dinner.

You had such an amazing time talking and bonding with him. The food he made was absolutely amazing to. You had been so used to eating things that would barely count as meals due to how much time your class work took up. Zhongli was happy to see you so warmed and cheered up just from his food. After dinner you two went over his case, drinking glass after glass together. Around this time you both had finished 2 bottles and it was around 12 a.m.

You gave him a sturdy and foolproof plan for dividing assets and such. While you were talking you noticed zhongli looking intently at you as he bit his lip. When he noticed you noticing him he quickly brought his glass to his lip and sipped his wine. "-..so that's what's honestly the best plan in this situation. If you ever need me again don't hesitate to reach out." You started standing up from your seat, placing some papers zhongli gave you in your suitcase. He furrowed his brows at you. "You're not leaving already are you?" You chuckled and brushed your hair with your fingers. "Sir, I've been here since 5:30 this evening it's getting really late and I- you know I really should be going home. Especially with how hard that wine hit me-.." Zhongli quickly stood up and walked to you. He gently grabbed the suitcase from you gently and set it back on the table. He let his hands softly rub the sides of your arms. "Exactly dear, it's late and you're inebriated. Two perfectly good reasons for you to..stay the night." He said lowly to you. The way he talked to you..maybe it was just because you were drunk but, everything he did just seemed to turn you on in a way. You were entranced by him and his words, nodding your head and trying to find anywhere else to look but zhongli. "You're right I-. It really isn't safe for me to be out there trying to get home this late at night.." Zhongli seemed very satisfied with your response. "Good, here-, take these wine glasses to living room. I will go get us another bottle." Zhongli quickly scurried off with a wide smile and you grabbed the wine glasses and headed to the couch. You set the glasses on the coffee table and sat there, buzzed and nervous. Were you reading into things too much or- was Zhongli flirting with you the whole night? You started feeling flushed and hot and unbuttoned your blazer, sliding it off and placing it on the back of the couch. Zhongli had come back and sat awfully close to you as he opened the bottle. He poured you both your glasses and began to sip on his. You took your time drinking this glass, scared if you kept drinking at his pace that you'd forget this night. "So, Y/n, I just want to make sure this doesn't feel weird for you. Hanging out with your friends dad, I don't want you feel uncomfortable around me. We're all adults know and it's time I treated you like one." You felt your cheeks some how get hotter. "Oh, no it's ok I don't mind this at all. I've just never drank before so- I don't know I feel really weird like- I don't know. It's not bad I just-" Zhongli chuckled loudly, looking at you with such an amused look. "You're drunk dear, but don't worry you'll be fine. It feels good, doesn't it Y/n." The way he said things, dear archons, the way he said things. You slowly nodded your head, looking at your wine glass in contemplation before downing the whole thing in one go. Just in case things got heavy with zhongli, at least you'll be able to blame the alcohol. Zhongli looked at you quite stunned, taking the glass away from you and setting it aside. "Alright sweet boy I think it's time we cut you off" That was it. That was the last straw. That nickname. "S..sweet boy?" You asked, your speech slurred slightly. Zhongli seemed happy you finally seemed to be catching on after hours of hitting on you all night. "Yes, you are a sweet boy aren't you? Or.." Zhongli let his thumb and pointer finger grab your chin gently, looking into your eyes with mischievous and suggesting one's of his own. "Have you been a bad boy? Mh?~"

♡A/N♡ : I hoped you all enjoyed Part One!! The next part will honestly just be pure smut but I want to expand my abilities in writing plot little by little. Sorry this left on a cliffhanger!! But I feel it will help set up the next part really nicely♡

#bottom male reader #male reader smut #x male reader #genshin x male reader #zhongli x male reader #genshin smut #x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x y/n #trans male reader

[a-crumb-of-whump]

ANB Drabble: Warmth

ANB Masterlist | Comfortember 2023 Masterlist | @comfortember

~ Comfortember | Day 4: Warmth ~

Content: Vampire whumpee, [mentioned] burns, recovery, blood (for the sake of feeding).

-

It was too warm for comfort today. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the constant looming anxiety that had him checking every window in his bedroom to ensure that they were secure and wrapping a thick blanket around his shoulders despite the fact that it caused him to sweat nearly instantly. 

And it only got worse when he realised that both his humans were at work by the time he woke up. Everything was completely silent apart from Murphy’s footsteps on the floor as he came to greet him. He was tentative in every footstep, hiding his face as he stepped around corners in case someone forgot to close the curtains. 

In the kitchen sat his morning glass of blood and a messily-written note that clearly resembled Ryker’s handwriting. 

Good morning! I left this morning’s breakfast lukewarm instead of heating it up in the microwave, though you’re welcome to heat it up yourself. The entire house has been double checked, so I promise no sun is getting in. When you’re finished with your food, put the glass in the dishwasher and check the living room for a little surprise if you haven’t already. 

Ryker. 

Carlos smiled, his shoulders relaxing a little as he slowly worked his way through the note. It was comforting to know they’d thought about him before leaving, enough to make sure he would be safe to wander. 

After downing the entire drink in a matter of seconds, he swiped the remaining drops out with his finger as he did every day and set it upside down in the already-opened dishwasher before tilting his gaze towards the other room. He’d never been big on surprises. Things he didn’t know scared him, even if they turned out to be good. 

Nonetheless, Ryker had requested that he at least take a look, and his trust in him had grown enough by now that he was fairly confident that it would be okay. 

So, he tucked Ryker’s note into his back pocket and tiptoed his way into the living area, his blanket still held protectively around his shoulders as a few beads of sweat fell down his forehead. If he were smarter, he might have opted for something lighter. Like a long-sleeved shirt or a thinner blanket. However, the mere thought of getting burnt for even a second was enough to eliminate those as options, and he held onto the fabric even tighter to stop it from slipping. 

Much to his surprise, there was a fort of some kind waiting for him in the left corner of the room, made out of different comforters and pillows that he assumed were spares from the closet at the very end of the hallway. It was all held together by the bookshelf on one side and the communal computer desk on the other, lightly trapping the fabric against the wall. 

There was a second note waiting for him when he poked his head inside, sitting in the middle of a handmade nest of pillows. Carlos was already smiling as he picked it up. 

I know you must be feeling insecure today with the weather being as hot as it is. So Adam and I also thought you might appreciate a dark space to hide in while we’re gone. You used to make them for me sometimes and they always made me feel a bit safer. I hope this can do the same for you. 

Also if the fort hasn’t fallen apart by the time I get home, I will be joining you.

Ryker 

It was perfect. Everything Carlos needed to make it through the day was right here. A dark space with no windows, a soft surface to sleep on, two animals to keep him company. He couldn’t figure out what he’d done to get so lucky but accepted it nonetheless. 

Despite it still being a little too warm for his liking, he was calm. Content. More than he’d ever been on a hot day like this, especially after Murphy curled up by his side in a way that at least blocked his face from the exit. The only place where light would ever be able to get in. 

Safe, safe, safe.

-

Comfortember 2023 masterlist: @topsheepstudent

ANB Taglist: @choppedflowermuffinchild @dismemberment-on-a-tuesday-night @emcscared-whumps @espresso-depresso-system @inkkswhumpandstuff @lumariane @pigeonwhumps @pumpkin-spice-whump @roblingoblin285 @sacredwrath @some-thrilling-heroics @stabby-nunchucks @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @trans-writes @whump-blog @whumpsday @whumpshaped @paniatheweirdone @whumpycries @why-not-ask-me-a-better-question @thekittyburger @whumpdreamz

#whump #whump stuff #whump things #whump thoughts #whump tropes #whumpee #vampire whumpee

[the-everqueen]

Definitely curious about the genderflip Sandman fic 👀

SAME. as in, this is only a concept on the back burner of my brain because i haven't really worked out a satisfying answer to the central q of the thing which is: what does a gender flip DO to these characters?

because here's the thing. i think 99.9% of the time a genderswap au is unnecessary and boring. (not to mention essentialist as hell.) boys have pussies, girls have dicks, people of all genders are intersex, etc. some of us notgirls and failguys just want to vicariously experience our fave getting his clit sucked or her prostate massaged. i personally hate fics that go "but what if these [cis] dudes were [cis] GIRLS" and then proceed to strip the characters of everything that makes them compelling, that makes THEM, because at that point you might as well just flesh out your OCs and maybe interrogate your internalized misogyny and transphobia while you're at it.

anyways.

in the case of sandman, i am (transparently, obviously) curious about what happens if the Corinthian is not designed to be (read as) a man. in the comix, he very much embodies the fears and risks associated with gayness in the 90s (the AIDS epidemic, the dual violence of the closet and/or being outed, the culture around cruising, intersections of race and class with queerness in U.S. urban areas, etc). in the show that's subtly shifted to be a broader umbrella of queerness as well as a very 21st century anxiety around surveillance/public vs private that also taps into a cultural fascination with serial killers. in both cases, him reading as white, middle-aged U.S. man is a CRUCIAL part of what he signifies. he looks like (and takes advantage of being) someone with a lot of social privilege, across multiple categories. no one is going to question why he's in a fancy hotel, a conference room, a seedy bar, a suburb. OBVIOUSLY that changes if any one of these categories changes. i'm thinking about how and also what that means.

(the dreaming spinoff comix tried to do a Thing with a female Corinthian: while Coco spends a year as a real boy, a trans woman named Echo takes his place in the Dreaming. the spinoff handles Echo...really poorly. [i wrote a whole paragraph here trying to distill her arc but it's tangential to this post so suffice to say: it was Bad.] Echo is posed as this "femme fatale" type because i guess if the Corinthian is a woman, she'd also have to be sexy and alluring to the (heterosexist) male gaze. imho this was a cop-out, but then again...what about that spinoff wasn't.)

on some level i'm not sure the Corinthian could ever be anything besides the Corinthian, if that makes sense. as in, if you change anything about him, maybe then he ceases to be the Corinthian and becomes something else entirely. Dream can take different forms (and Overture has a femme!Dream) because stories can take different forms across cultures and times and species. but the Corinthian is intrinsically tied up in humanity and its biomythic nature. and what we think of as Human, as Sylvia Wynter reminds us, is very much tied up in narratives around identity including race, gender, and class.

at the same time my id absolutely wants a butch lesbian Corinthian who uses he/him pronouns. mostly because lesbian and wlw sex STILL gets dismissed or sanitized or erased or pathologized, even though queer women remain subject to state, police, and domestic violence at higher rates than their straight and/or cis counterparts. (also yes i'm counting my trans hermanas y primas, t*rfs can fuck right off.) but also because i'm a fagdyke with religious trauma who relates very hard to god's failed masterpiece.

#ask box #genderflip au #violetoftheendless #like i am also 100% here for a corinthian who was not created as a man but who makes himself #i'm here for a coco who has gender questions #CLEARLY the endless aren't thinking of gender from a binary pov so dream's creations aren't necessarily either #but like. coming to terms with what gender and sexuality mean TO YOU as a person who isn't supposed to be a person... #themes i am interested in! #um. mutuals feel free to ask me to tag this for any cw or tw as needed. #this is me word-vomiting while i'm jittery on too much caffeine and not enough food so like. #sandman #the corinthian

[myriadium]

Hi hello I am obsessed with your Bakugan AU omg. Love the new spins you’ve taken on the characters, grounding them more in reality! :D (and the wide diversity in gender identities and orientation is wonderful.) It’s also super interesting to see them aged up so they have jobs/higher education to be worrying about and such, it adds an interesting element imo.

Could we hear more about Alice? What’s her life like outside of Bakugan - did she work with Mikhail or have a job/education of her own? Does her whole deal with Masquerade differ at all to canon? (I always hated the way they just kind of write him off soon after the reveal instead of exploring how Alice deals with it more. One episode is not enough to fix the trauma, lmao, c’mon guys.)

YOOO THANK YOU SO MUCH I'm so happy you like it!!!!! These characters basically grew up with me so I love projecting aspects of my life onto them!

I'm also so glad you asked about Alice cus the show did her dirty in both the first and subsequent seasons. To be revealed as such a menacing threat and one of the big bads, only to be demoted to a side character and then a picture on a screen is simply insulting for the best character ever in Bakugan.

So basically my Alice grew up with her grandfather, who's field of physics requires him to study in remote and distant areas with no phones, no wifi, no outside signals (I think some places that communicate with satellites out in space are built in the middle of bumfuck nowhere because you really can't have electronic interference). As such, Alice grew up extremely sheltered, passing her days by playing with imaginary friends and reading books (favorite was alice in wonderland, wouldn't you know it).

In Russia, she didn't get a job nor did she go to university; she was a quick study and with the books (and harassing Mikhail) she kind of became a physics prodigy. She was a homebody with anxiety and agoraphobia, only comfortable with the familiar and the safety of her bed. That is, until Mikhail disappears. Somehow she finds the courage to leave her home and go to a whole new country to find where he ended up. She sees and meets more people than she ever thought possible, and grows to like it.

She gets a job at Runo's family's cafe, where she meets all sorts of people, and gets introduced to the Brawlers. I'd like to think that she takes a couple uni classes before Vestroia destroys the fabric of reality. Between S1 and S2 she actually goes to school and speedruns getting a PhD. When we see her after a timeskip she has short hair and is going into a program for dimensional physics (not yet a real program). She works in tandem with Marucho and Mikhail to monitor and maintain the dimensional rifts required to sustain Bakugan's existence in their universe.

As for her connection with Masq I like the idea that Masq was the manifestation of her negative emotions (Silent Core n allat). In this case, her being so drawn to the battlefield clashes with her belief that the game is dangerous; it's the cause of her grandfathers disappearance after all. Her general shyness and fear of the unknown prevents her from reaching her true potential. The Silent Core separates her desires from the ones she embraces and the ones she wants to reject. Enter Masqerade, the embodiment of her desire to battle! Stripped of everything except bloodlust, this form answers to the Silent Core and fucking wrecks the leaderboards because guess what, Alice is actually a very good brawler!

While Masq is fucking shit up, Alice is left in the dark. Her different aspects remember different things, have different abilities, but are fundamentally the same person. As the leaderboards settle and people start losing their Bakugan, Alice's fear of battling increases until Masq is nigh unstoppable. It's until a little scuffle with Exedra where his image flickers...just a little bit...to reveal a very scared woman...

Anyway basically Alice has to embrace her desire to kick ass and becomes one with Masq. Sounds corny and probably is but you can have her accept this part of herself slowly, like picking up battling, which weakens the Silent Core's hold on her, until the final fight where Masq collapses afterwards to reveal that it was her all along! Hydronoid recognizes her as his true master and a new player - Alice Gehabich replaces Masquerade as the number one player! She's still pretty shy (I don't like how people treat introversion as something they need a character arc to get over, some people are just like that smh) so her media appearances are few and far between. However, you can reliably catch her on the battlefield maintaining her number one spot.

Also in New Vestroia Alice replaces Marucho because I cannot fathom for the life of me why he was taken on the trip of a lifetime while my girl, who used to be the NUMBER ONE PLAYER IN THE WORLD, MIGHT I ADD, stays inside the house and babysits some alien.

#bakugan #alice gehabich #bakugan worldbuilding

[crisiscutie]

Hello Hello! owo

Thank you for your amazing work and please keep going with it! You're doing an incredible job ! ❤

I was wondering... If you feel comfortable to answer this question: How well would Sephiroth (may I ask for the domestic Sephiroth you wrote in your pre-Nibelheim AU? I need some fluff please ;^; ) deal with a darling that struggles a lot with their Anxiety/Panic disorder?

Thank you so much in advance!

Hey hon, thanks for your kind words and the ask! ❤️ And no problem! Writing content that dives into the psychology of our favorite characters and how it shapes their relationships is a joy of mine, so please, ask away! That's a great question!

To begin, the darling and Sephiroth would definitely be each other's comfort person. For him, the darling knows that he is still exploring very different sides of himself. Being in a relationship, a life away from Shinra, healing from past trauma and his inevitable fatherhood. That is a lot for him to process. The darling themselves are processing a lot of events. They're on Shinra's hitlist, pregnant with their top (deserted) operative's children, forced to leave other loved ones behind, and their inevitable parenthood... On top of struggling with their anxiety/panic disorder.

It's a daunting period for both individuals... As we already know about Sephiroth, he finds comfort and familiarity in those who he feels are similar to him and those who are in similar predicaments like him, so he'd be perceptive and even more protective of a darling suffering from an anxiety/panic disorder. How? Well...

Sephiroth will often include them in his meditation exercises. He'll stray away from the ones he uses specifically for warfare, since those are obviously not geared toward a pregnant civilian.

He would also give his darling plenty of reassurance, letting them know they are capable of anything they set out to do. He wants them to treat themselves with the same warmth and compassion they give to him.

He'd wrap an arm around them and pull them close, like a shield whenever they start to feel unsafe and need that physical affirmation.

I'd imagine he and his darling love to go to the outskirts of the village, just as the sun is rising and spend time in the wooded clearing. They'll feel the cool morning air brush against their skin and listen to the sounds of nature. They'll be in peaceful silence, embraced in each other's arms.

Sephiroth is a straightforward man. He'll tell his darling what needs to be done or if something needs to happen. He will hide nothing from them (except his own darkness, initially) and will always be frank with them in the face of any problem.

It's great when they both find new ways to manage their anxieties as parents. Since they don't get a lot of chances to travel due to their lives on the run, staycations are the best way to get away. Sephiroth puts in effort to make these experiences peaceful and memorable. Expect stuff like him taking his darling and their adventurous children to explore the woods during the day and watch the twinkling stars in the night's sky at dusk.

And it's really beautiful how the darling still gives Sephiroth the same support, despite the difficulties they face with their anxiety disorder! That resilience, patience and devotion are exactly what Sephiroth needs in a darling. Two hurt persons finding solace in each other and motivating each other to be the best they can be is absolutely amazing! Together they have endured so much, and they will continue to do so, no matter what comes their way. There are, however, areas of improvement for Sephiroth to work on.

Even though Sephiroth has a high level of empathy (despite the emotional isolation and trauma he faced in his formative years and early adulthood, which is bloody amazing and warrants a discussion of its own), Sephiroth may do and say things at times that may trigger the darling, but by no means, he will never do it to hurt them. It's actually good that he's an observant man. He'll pick up on cues when the darling is upset with him and/or his actions and he will do what he can to rectify his wrongs. I can't see him being a common offender since his empathy and shrewdness would make him aware of the darling's triggers. But sometimes, I can see him lacking tact when being honest and like I mentioned above, accidentally trigger them.

Also, he's going to be quite protective of his darling and may snap at others for triggering them, plus it's really just bad for expectant persons to have induced anxiety on top of what they already experience. And that's just if it's accidental. He'll learn that his darling doesn't like things getting heated, even if it's in their defense, so he'll uncover other subtle methods of getting someone to stop triggering them, like flashing that signature Crisis Cutie frown or positioning himself in front of them (thus directing the attention toward him) to make the other parties stop.

If someone were to deliberately provoke his darling and not stop, they would soon feel the depths of despair. It would be so hard for him to control his intense anger in front of his darling. If he can just barely manage his anger, he'll take the darling to a secure area, and turn the antagonizer into a human kabob later.

With his constant words of encouragement, he may unintentionally overwhelm the darling. He'll tone it down if he can catch himself.

Overall, I would say Sephiroth would deal with it very well because of his empathetic and analytical nature. The Crisis Cutie earns an A-!

Also, I need a nickname for that domestic AU.

#sephiroth x reader #ff7 sephiroth #domestic reader #domestic headcanons #sephiroth #sephiroth headcanons #final fantasy 7 x reader #ff7 x reader #final fantasy 7 #final fantasy x reader #pregnant reader

[ardent-fox]

✨ Weekly Tag Wednesday ✨

Got tagged by my beloveds, @deedala and @metalheadmickey to complete these two tag games, thank you and hair ruffles to both of you 🥰💙

Name: Lyds

Where in the world are you? Somewhere in Europe

Do you have a favorite towel? I have two sets of the same ones in different colors, I prefer the teal ones

Can you skip rocks? Not that I know

Tell me about a weird slang term from your area: We have very creative curse words in my native language and use "dick" instead of fuck for most things, like "what the dick is going on", "that's dicked up" and so on. We also send people into genitals as curse phrases, my favorite being "go into your mother's cunt" or even better, "go into three mothers' cunts", and all of this is a socially acceptable way of speaking from puberty onward

Favorite toast topping: I'm a savory type of gal and usually butter it and make it into a ham and cheese sandwich, or put pâté on it and some fancy cheese

Thoughts on bread pudding: I don't believe I've ever tried it, but I'm down for pretty much anything when it comes to food

City or country living? Somewhere in the middle, I live in a town with a 15 min walk to the center and am happy with that

How do you cheer yourself up after a bad day? Put on a comfort show or funny clips on youtube

Are you a pessimist or an optimist? I'm one of those annoying bitches that considers herself a realist. It's hard to tell due to my tendency to catastrophize things because of anxiety, though I generally know in my bones that things will work out

Can I tag you in random stuff? Anyone can tag me in anything that makes them think of me, I know my activity fluctuates but I love getting tagged by all of you 💖

----

🔤 Name: Lyds

🎶 Last song you listened to: My Love Mine All Mine by Mitski

🎵 Artist on Spotify giving you the feels right now: Still in my Hozier feels

👯‍♂️ Fave Blorbo Moment: "I definitely love one", euphoria galore 💙

🍟 Your guilty pleasure snack: Potato chips, I'm a whore for a pack of Lays

🌮 What food are you craving today: More of my mom's chocolate raspberry pie

📖 Last fanfic tab you opened: The Menagerie by @crossmydna, haven't dug into the last chapter yet but will never shut up about how much I adore and recommend this masterpiece of a fic. I haven't read any Kinktober things yet, but plan to correct that soon

🖌️ Favorite fic project you've created: My one and only competed fic so far, Everything

👩🏼‍🎤 Next tattoo you want (or would consider if you're not a tattoo person): I've never been brave enough to get a permanent tattoo, but I've been feeling zodiac constellations with your zodiac flower instead of stars lately, which would be a formation of (blue) lilies in my case. Definitely in the flowers, pixie/fairy and celestial art camp

🧐🆓 What's living in your head rent free this week: Same as the last four weeks, Our Flag Means Death, with a dash of Con O'Neill side obsession. My love of season 2 continues to consume every part of my brain and I fight the urge to rewatch it all (yet again) on a daily basis, it was glorious and gave me everything 💖

Tagging @look-i-love-u, @vintagelacerosette, @sickness-health-all-that-shit, @gallawitchxx, @rereadanon, @sleepyfacetoughguy, @deathclassic, @thisdivorce, @crossmydna, @heymrspatel, @stocious, @lupeloto, @scurvgirl, @tanktopgallavich, @howlinchickhowl, @squidyyy23 in case you haven't done and would like to do either or both of these, as well as anyone who sees this and would like to play! ✨

#tag game #fandom friends #about me

[medievalcellphone]

If u are still in the mood to analyze signs ….Taurus sun, aquarius moon, virgo rising …& venus in aries :} 💐

ohmygod this is such an interesting one.... I'm very intrigued by both your sun and moon being fixed signs in earth and air respectively. and with venus in aries... you have strong convictions and aesthetic sensibilities for sure. i feel like if you are not an artist of some sort, you should look into that.

So Taurus suns are resistant to change. first and foremost lol. this can be super apparent or not apparent at all. like even if you have an 8th or 12th house placement or whatever, a sense of resistance (not stubbornness necessarily) is still there. like i was saying, i would be really surprised if you aren't a super visual person with your own curated and distinct taste. Virgo risings are discerning and articulate, Taurus suns are warm people, super welcoming caring and genuinely need to connect with others on a much deeper level. So do Aquarius moons. You are knowledgeable about a wide variety of things and love to connect with people about shared interests. When you make a real friend, they are there to stay. If something doesn't feel genuine, you end up stifled and overwhelmed.

i feel like having a virgo rising will make anyone prone to anxiety and also prone to having a hard time saying no. at the same time, you probably have a hard time losing an argument.

venus in aries and the moon in aqua are at odds with each other... this could be represented in a lot of different areas. with relationships especially you could feel paralyzed by attention and intensity very easily, but at the same time struggle with possessiveness and jealousy. like, you confuse yourself at times. and like, an 11th house venus and a 4th house venus would display it very differently. its a tricky one. maybe you have a hard time individuating from your relationships, or have past experiences where you felt stuck in a relationship that didn't allow you to be yourself.

here is a song and another song for u

#very cool chart

[cooki3face]

abundance reading: money, career, academics, goals, etc.

Pile one 💰:

Affirmation: “I trust the person I am.”

There could be some disappointment in your life at the moment pile one. Regarding your career, how much money you’re making, your success in school, or something of the material world. I see you potentially turning to coping mechanisms to try and deal with your stress as well. Something here about disappointment and withdrawal is coming through. You may even be shutting your friends out or cutting communication off so that you can lock in and focus or because you’re obsessively stressing over work and trying to push yourself to succeed. I see a lot of anxiety and worry regarding these areas of your life. There could be a fear of failure or a fear of something not panning out on time for you or how you foresaw it in your mind. The law of attraction works in a very different way pile one, you may be trying to manifest something as well which is why I say that and the more you stress over it and treat this thing like you need it and you’ll be nothing without it the further away it will want to be from you.

You could be someone who was raised to try and safe money or try to hold onto it. There are a lot of people in this world who allow money and finances to stress them out. Someone close to you could be the same, a romantic partner or a fiancé. But money is scared of people who are scared of it. By that I mean, scared of spending it, scared of losing it, scared of not having it and you need to practice a mindset of abundance. Get used to the expectation that money will always be there and money will come to you and so it will. A lot of your financial or material manifestations or desires may be delayed or being held from you by the universe to try and give you time to overcome a habit of negative self talk, negative thinking, or a lack of optimism or gratitude.

You and someone close to you could both need to learn a lesson on this and if there is nobody close to you at the moment as I described who shares this same issue. It’s just you who may need to go out and speak to people and learn from people or learn a lesson on the way that you live your life currently and how that affects you. I’m hearing work with spirit or work with the universe and do the inner work so you can live a better life and live an abundant life. “Help me help you.” You could be an over thinker or maybe even suffer with anxiety. You could be someone who doesn’t believe they deserve positive things in life and by doing that you push more abundance away from you by believing things are too good to be true or like you do not deserve it when you’re given something or granted an opportunity to flourish.

These types of thoughts or ideas could be responsible for a lot of emotional and mental turmoil within you and that further agitates the situation on a deeper level. Because not only is your mental state involved but your emotions will be too. Be careful what you say and be careful what types of thoughts you entertain or allow to sway you in any direction. Spirit asks that you use your ambition, your natural passions or talents or things you’ve been interested in to guide you, motivate you and propel you forward. You could be needing to choose a career, you could be starting something new, starting college soon, etc. but there is a need here to turn inwards and really think about what it is that makes you happy and apply it to your material life and your career.

People who do things they aren’t passionate about for work usually grow to hate those things and that keeps them from performing their best all the way around. Practice getting in the habit of doing things you enjoy, prioritizing your enjoyment rather than prioritizing hustle culture or working or doing things because you “have to” or “need to survive” and practice doing things or working because you want, because you enjoy the very thing you’re doing or out of love. The trick to self discipline is doing things because you love yourself and you want good things for yourself and you want a good life for yourself. For example, not working out because you’re trying to keep up with a certain standard or maintain a body image but working out because you lose yourself and you feel wholeheartedly that you should take care of your body because you want the best for yourself.

Lower your expectations and the habit of allowing people, the internet or other outside influences within your life or that you’re seeing rush you. You could be watching your friends be decided on things they want to do or flourishing within their material lives or succeeding in the things they put their energy into but all good things take time and I think you need to be easier on yourself and release this burdensome feeling that you’re carrying if you want to do well as others are. Sit with yourself, try and find some inner clarity or rethink your thoughts and ideas on your career, on what you want for yourself, about money and about what abundance means. Success will follow after you get this right.

Release your perfectionism, stop fixating on this feeling of stagnancy or feeling stuck and practice self discipline out of love and not out of urgency or fear or lack. Rid yourself of all the self doubt you have, find some gratitude, be patient, trust the person you are and your own inner compass. You could be tired or very low energy, socially or even physically. Rest and rejuvenate and prioritize your mental health and self care. It’s okay to feel as you feel as long as it doesn’t completely obliterate you and leave you feeling horrible and shaken for longer than necessary. Don’t let anything paralyze you or prevent you from doing what you should for yourself or putting your needs and desires first. Self-love, self-care and valuing your inner feelings and desires is the key to success and happiness no matter how long it takes or where you take it.

You are changing, your life is shifting and entering a new era or a new chapter and the feeling of being undecided or a fear of change is a normal thing that lots of people experience. Your anxiety is an illusion and it is an entrapment of the mind but trust your intuition, trust your inner compass, trust who you are and trust that your higher self will guide you the right way.

Lucky Girl Syndrome: Self-Concept Affirmations 🍀

#tarot reading #tarot readings #self love #self care #self improvement #dream girl #self discovery #self expression #healingjourney #self healing #manifestation #abundantmindset

[soracities]

Helloooo I'd love some advice please. So I went out on a couple of very lowkey dates with this guy I've known for about 13 years. We went to school together and I kind of befriended his friend group when we were around 13-14 (he was a grade below me) and then kept in contact with only him throughout the years, but that mostly included periods of us chatting online and never hanging out irl (we were honestly only school friends even in the beginning). He kind of told me he loved me out of nowhere when we were maybe 16-17 and I freaked out, and we never really talked about it and I'm not sure if he was serious about it. Due to some personal stuff I have a very hard time dealing with people (mostly guys') interest in me, at least when they straight up ask me out etc. Anyway, flash forward and we lost contact not for any particular reason, but he moved back to the area a couple of years ago and we randomly saw each other on walks and would walk together a bit. We've been talking a little throughout the past two years and he suddenly asked me out in the spring. I of course freaked out, but am trying to get over this weird fear I have and just give it a shot and see where it might lead. The problem is that he's shown that he's interested for over 10 years while I myself am not, really, so I reckon I wonder if it's "ethical" to agree to the dates even if I don't see him like that (yet)? On one hand it's just two dates where nothing happened. That's what dates are, right? Getting to know people to see if you'd work out. But on the other I wonder if it's mean to "waste" his time if it might not lead to anything? Gah, I don't know. I've also been trying to date women (no luck there) this spring and summer, and now I feel like I have to put that on pause because I feel weird about dating several people even if nothing's been said. I decided at the beginning of the year to try out the whole dating thing, being nearly 28 and never been with anyone, but I'm afraid of hurting him while also not wanting to really get into the whole "what are we" thing because right now we're not really anything to me but a curiosity. Is that bad?

Your feelings aren't "bad" necessarily—feelings just are, and there are reasons underlying them that relate to your own particular constellation of circumstances. But I do think it is unfair to keep seeing him without being clear on where you stand with him, especially if he has consistently shown you he's interested, and especially if he has very deep feelings for you; I know it was ten years ago, but I think it may help for you to talk to him about his confession when you were teenagers and find out exactly where he stands now, because I think this could be necessary for both of you.

Dating is about getting to know someone, absolutely, yes—but I do think there's a difference between dating someone to find out if you're both on the same page, and dating someone where you know one of you definitely isn't. I also think it can put a lot of pressure on yourself to try and date someone, for the first time in your life, whom you already have some kind of pre-established "history" with—it's daunting enough to try and date for the first time, to get used to the idea of being able to accept someone's interests in you, let alone to learn how to open yourself up and be vulnerable enough to let them care for you, let alone, again, the prospect of someone offering very real romantic intentions that you don't know whether or not you can reciprocate—it creates a whole new confused medley of obligations, expectations and anxieties that may just feed into the fears and difficulties you already have when it comes to people being openly interested in you, and all this in turn can make it difficult for you to discern what it is that YOU truly want and need.

Again, I don't believe much in marking feelings as "bad" ( or "good" for that matter); I try to see them as indicators more than anything, and I think its important to try and understand those indicators and what they're trying to tell you about particular situations so that you can be mindful of your intentions in them; in this, I think it's very important for you to ask yourself if you're curiosity is in fact informed by some level of genuine interest (I don't want to make presumptions so I can only go by your ask, but based on what you've described this seems unlikely to me), or if it is just that you wanted to try dating and that he happens to be interested and happens to be close at hand (because I think it can be's very easy sometimes, especially if you're conscious of never having been with someone and are trying to change this, to confuse the two).

More than anything I think the best thing you can do for yourself is be honest with him (you may not want to hurt him, but not being honest with either of you about how you feel will cause more hurt than being upfront) and clarify where his feelings for you stand. If they haven't changed in all these years then it definitely isn't a good idea to continue seeing him, for either of you—you both deserve the freedom to explore potential relationships with people who are better suited to where you are in your lives right now. I don't know if any of this helps, but I hope you can take something from it, anon 🤍

#ask #anonymous #notes from elsewhere

[sharksa-shivers]

Snowy Swinging Friendos (story below)

It was a snowy August morning as they both walked together. And Kristy had to admit; she was still very much not used to this weather at this time of year. Then again, she still kindaaaa wasn't 100% used to being in Shellside yet either. She'd only been here a few months, those months feeling like years and years. Sure, she had gotten more used to things, having been here in Shellside since the end of January but even then, it still wasn't something she could just...Brush aside, the entire being kidnapped thing. And even moreso, she also wasn't used to having to travel around Shellside Island to do missions and having to demon fight and literally learn how to save the world. Kristy really just constantly felt like the entire world was on her shoulders and it was something that still would suffocate her in anxiety if she dwelled on it too long or too hard. Easier said then done though. Especially considering now that she WAS thinking on it, she felt her entire body flood with dread, anxiety filling her chest.

"Eyo, you aite there Kris Kris or...?" Kristy looked over to see Max giving her an odd look, his sky blue eyes studying her closely. Kristy looked at him a moment before awkwardly looking down at her feet as she walked, grabbing her arm anxiously. "Yeah, i uh......I'm fine..." The floppy earred blue shoodle snickered some, that classic sharptoothed grin pointed at her. "You say that but your face and voice very much say otherwise heheheh. You maybe wanna come clean and really tell me what's up?" Kristy internally facepalmed, of course Max of all people wasn't gonna let that go so easily. Max was a master at both reading other people’s emotions and hiding his own to a degree. Kristy honestly knew she should have known that by this point and yet...

Kristy contemplated sharing some of her anxious feelings with her teammate but also wondered if it would be better to just tell Max upfront that she didn't want to discuss any of this with him at the moment. On one hand, she'd just be repeating the same old same old stuff again but on the other, she knew Max would understand if she didn't want to discuss it and...Quite frankly, she kind of didn't want to. She knew these anxious feelings weren't gonna go away anytime soon anyway, she knew it was a thing she'd have to get used to. Maybe if she just let those thoughts be, they'd turn more numb over time and not bother her so much.

Kristy thought for a moment before giving her answer to Max. "It's just anxiety again, i...Don't really wanna talk about it." She looked over to see Max just shrug, his hands in his hoodie pockets, smirking still. "Alrightyyyy then...Don't say i didn't offer ya an outlet then. And uhhhh, if you change your mind, you know i'm here for ya friendo." Kristy let out a small breath, that breath being visible in the cold. She was glad Max let it go so easy. She knew it'd be better if she dealt with it on her own with time.

Currently, her and Max were walking through the streets of Greyston, a city they were stopping the night at on their route to a different city on Shellside for a mission. Since they were at a stop and therefore were just passing through, they kinda had a bit of a free day to just do whatever. Max and Kristy had decided to take a look around the area whilst their other teammate, Sharky, had decided to lounge and rest some in their hotel room until Max and Kristy returned. Sharky had been driving quite a bit lately, Kristy definitely thought he deserved some nice alone relaxing time and along with Max encouraging him to self care, Sharky couldn't really refuse or say no.

Thus it was just Kristy and Max together for a bit which was fine by her. They hadn't really done too much other then go by a few electronic and game stores, Kristy had gone into a bookstore to see if there was any manga she'd be interested in, Max had insisted on getting a coffee he quickly polished off. It was kinda boring but it was kinda nice also. It beat Kristy's stress of the upcoming mission away somewhat, at least. Now at the moment, she and Max were just wandering, taking a scenic route back to their hotel room. And while she was enjoying it and they had moved on from the topic, Kristy's anxiety still continued to eat away at her.                                                    ~~~~~~~

And Max very much could tell. He wasn't about to just drag Kristy's emotions out of her. He hated when other people would do that to him and he wasn't going to dare do it to his bestie. But at the same time, Max knew Kristy still was very bothered with life at the moment. Which wasn't new. Kristy'd been an anxious wreck since day 1 when they first met. It kinda made Max wonder if the shitty kidnapping stunt Orange Hair pulled on Kristy singlehandedly gave her the anxiety orrrrr if Kristy had anxiety before and OH's crap just made it that much worse. It kinda didn't matter either way though he figured. Kristy had so much going on it honestly wasn't surprising at all that she was so anxious constantly but that didn't mean Max had to like that. He hated seeing his friends being in ruts like that. With his depression, Max definitely knew the sheer torture of your brain being against you like that.

The cold wind blew through his midnight blue fur, his punk-ish boots crunching in the snow as they both continued walking, Kristy anxious and obviously not too happy while Max was deep in thought, trying to think of something maybe they could do to get her mind off of her troubles. From dealing with this on and off again, Max knew distractions were honestly a pretty good way to keep your mind more at ease from the world's chaos. It wasn't a cure but it definitely helped keep you from self destruction, kept your mind clearer.

Max pondered if there were any stores around maybe they could go into for a bit as a distraction. Maybe they could get some food? Food always was a great idea. Max more then anybody knew that it was pretty hard to be down with a full stomach, despite him being constantly hungry and never seeming to be satisfied for some reason but hey! Food was food and it helped alot with his depression so who was he to complain? Max kept thinking. There had to be something around that'd make for a good distraction to help his comrade out.

And that's when Max looked up and saw it. Bingo. Looking up ahead, Max noticed an empty playground, devoid of anybody and coated in snow. And he knew he could use this as a jumpoff point to get Kristy to relax more. This was exactly the kinda thing he was hoping for. And he also knew exactly how to get Kristy to get onboard also. With a very quick smirk, Max elbowed Kristy and got her attention. "Hey, i bet i could get over to those swings before you could!"

And of course, Kristy being the competitive spirit she was, took it hook, line and sinker, smirking back at Max and chasing after him. "Not if i get there first!!!"

                                                   ~~~~~~~

Kristy ran after Max as fast as she could but Max was still faster. Part because he had a headstart but also because Max did have being a dog on his side. Out of The Trio, Kristy was the slowest due to her being human but she never let that stop her. She had tricks up her sleeves and she knew how to use em. Like her teleportation skills, which speaking of...

Kristy's leaf amulet lit up in a bright green hue as she proceeded to teleport, getting there a few steps before Max did as she materialized back into existence in front of him. "Hey, no fair!! I ain't got no magic to use Kris!!" Kristy just smirked and scooped some of the snow off the swing chair, throwing it directly at Max who was laughing until the snow hit him in the chest. "You snooze, you lose!! Skill issue!!" Max let out a huff, glaring playfully at her as he brushed some of the snow off his chest and jacket. "Yeah yeah, whatever i guess. Enjoy that win, not gonna let you win so easy next time..."

Kristy sat down on her swing as Max approached the other swing, Kristy not noticing Max grabbing the snow off his swing as she spoke. "The only way you'd ever win Max is if i let YOU win yknow? I do still have magic on my si- HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOIN?? COLD, COLD!!!" Kristy was taken very off guard by Max moving her jacket and shirt and proceeding to drop snow down the back of her shirt, Max letting out a big laugh as he then slinkered back to his swing. "There we go, now we're even!! That was for chunking snow at me hehehehe!!"

Kristy glared at Max for a moment, thinking about throwing more snow at him but instead she just groaned after a second, annoyed but faltering. "You're lucky i just wanna sit now...Been up all day walking around..." Max started swinging, snickering some as he began to get higher as he looked over at Kristy. "Yeah, walking around and looking at cool stuff all day hehehe...Tis a pretty nice change of pace in my opinion." Kristy crossed her arms, scoffing a bit, her tone somewhat amused. "Beats having to do the mission honestly..."

Kristy immediately stopped, her face falling. She HADDDDD to bring it up again, didn't she? She immediately felt a sense of dread flood throughout her body. The anxiety gave her a sense of cold that the snow never could. She figured she must have been very obvious with her mood shift because Max quickly picked up on it, kicking his feet into the snow below him to stop, a very concerned look on his face. "Hey, you alright or...?"

Kristy sighed, squeezing her arm tightly, her nervous habit. Kristy knew she'd probably be better off just telling Max now instead of just continuing to repeat her 'It's fine' shtick. So she decided to try and muster up some form of an explanation for her friend. "It's just...I'm really anxious about the mission. I know it's like super routine at this point but to an extent it still isn't for me. I just...I'm not used to this stuff still and i'm worried i never will be...I know it's our job but at the same time, this isn't a job or position i asked for and just...UGHHHH, my brain is a clustered cluttered up mess, i'm feeling so much stuff at once and i just...I don't know what to do really i guess..."

                                                   ~~~~~~~

"I'm really sorry Kris...I guess i can't really imagine what you're going through with that exactly..." Max found himself saying after a moment. Kristy kind of slumped down a bit more, an annoyed look on her face as Max continued, a bit unknowingly on his part of Kristy's feelings. "Like for me, being a demon fighter is something that i've always wanted to do. Like i didn't really want the 'save the entire world' part thrown in there with it but like...I mean, i'll take it haha!!" Max finally looked back over at Kristy, realizing he sortaaaa wasn't helping. "I just...I dunno. I guess it's a disconnect me and you have. My point is, i guess i can't put myself in that mindset of not wanting the job but uhhhhhh, then again, i don't really think there's alot of people that...Can relate to all the stuff you've gone through heh..."

Kristy was not very enthusiastic about Max's rambles, her face kind of said it all and Max mentally slapped himself while on the outside he just had a very forced, nervousy smirk on his face. "Yeahhhhhh that's kind of part of the problem. Glad you were able to piece that out..." She looked away and Max immediately felt bad. That was not his intention like at all. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, looking over at Kristy and speaking again after a moment. "I'm sorry Kris...I guess i made stuff worse huh?"

Kristy let out a breath, responding back to him after another moment. "No, not exactly. I know you're just trying to help. I think my problem is just the fear of not getting used to things ever...Like all of this is just...So much still and i just...I don't know if i am ever gonna get used to it. And if i don't ever get used to it, how the hell am i supposed to save the world? How am i supposed to get us as a team to the point where we can save the world? It's so...Much..." Max listened to Kristy, staring as she spoke and he slowly changed his expression some, his expression getting softer, obviously thinking a bit himself. "........I actually do kinda know THAT feeling...That you're never gonna get used to certain stuff..."

Kristy paused, seemingly not expecting Max to say anything like that. She looked over at him, seeing the neutral-ish but serious softened look on his face. "Wait, really?" She questioned. Max nodded. Max normally tried not to talk about some of this sort of stuff. Alot of his earlier years in life had been pretty damn heavy and Max internally had enough issues dealing with it himself...So bringing his friends into those horrors wasn't something he enjoyed doing by any means...But he figured if it'd help Kristy's nerves some, he could deal with it. He was a strong guy, the streets had made him strong. He had to be to get by and to survive...Max took a breath and begun to speak more, explaining himself a bit.

"Yeah, actually...That uhhhhh...Kinda was me whenever i got to The Campsite at first. I'd been so used to being on the streets and adjusting to living in a house, having everything i need at an easy reach, being able to actually take better care of myself and not have to fight for everything...Well uh, that defs took a bit of trust and learning and reassurance and a wholeeeee spectrum of stuff altogether but i did get there eventually...And as hard as it was, i'm really glad i did get there in the end...Sorta, i still have certain issues heh...Yknow what i'm talking about..."

                                                   ~~~~~~~

Kristy hung on Max's words as he confined in her. Max usually was much more lighthearted and derpy so whenever he did dip more into these sorts of deep topics, Kristy always did her best to be respectful and to hear him out. As much of a derpass as he could be sometimes, Max was a person too and Max had been through his fair share of crap. He knew his shit a good bit of the time. The least Kristy could do was listen and take that trust and keep it close to her chest. She never wanted Max to feel unsafe sharing those sorts of things with her.

Whenever Max had finished speaking, the cold air was quite around them both for a moment. Kristy had her hands clasped in her lap, her fingers intertwined. She found the right words after a moment. ".........I see...I didn't know about all that......I can defs imagine that being pretty hard..." Max smirked lightly after a second, trying to be lighthearted and seemingly happy he found an angle to maybe help his friendo from.

Max kicked his feet in the snow some, his hands grabbing on the swings plastic ropes, moving very subtlety back and forth. Shrugging some, he spoke again. "Yeah, that's an understatement heh. Stuff was BEYONDDDD hard for me when i was a kid..." Max paused for a minute before looking over at Kristy, his tone very genuine and somewhat more lighthearted. "Actually...When i was a kid on the streets still, playgrounds were kinda like...Just the one place i could go to for a bit and just for a few moments, i could feel normal and just be a kid. It was kinda nice...Heh, i guess that's probably part of what made me think going over here'd make you feel better-ish. Old instincts never fully go away i guess..."

Kristy felt herself snicker a smidge at that. Her experience was veryyyyy different..."When i was a kid, i was pretty much...Like completely opposite of that. Whenever i was in school and recess came around, i'd always take books out and read on the playground instead of playing anything. At a point, the teachers got really pissy with me because i'd do that and they'd take up some of my books to try and get me to be 'social' and whatever...so i'd sneak books out and find a hideaway spot or two so i could read still. Reading used to be my sorta special interest so they couldn't stop me from doing it that easy! That and uhhhh the kids were assholes alot of the time. Every time i ever did try and join in, i'd usually get some form of crap for it. Just always have been that weird autistic kid so uhhhh yeah uh, i guess i can't relate to that specifically...But i'm glad it was that happy place for you dude."

Kristy felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over to see Max looking her in the eyes, smirking and determined. "Welp, never too late to rewrite old memories with newer better ones...Like the ones we're making here where you're with a comrade who's 'ride or die' with ya haha!" Kristy felt a large weight seemingly fall off her shoulders some whenever Max said that...And she couldn't help but smile back some genuinely. "It sucks ass i'm in this whole situation but at least i got some amazing friends by my side to help me. It helps to know i'm not in this alone and the people I'm with actually care about me..."

Max spoke cheerfully as Kristy suddenly felt a buzz from her phone in her pocket and she proceeded to get it out and check her texts as Max went on. "Hell yeah!!! That's the spirit!!! We gotcho back all the way Kris Kris, never forget it haha!!!" Kristy stood up from her swing and turned to Max, reading the text. "Speaking of never being alone, we probably should get going back to the hotel room. Sharky's wondering where we're at and we do have to do a bit of planning for tomorrow still."

Max stood up also, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets, rolling his eyes some amused. "Yeah yeah, don't remind me...But fair honestly. I'm kinda tired of being cold so going back to the hotel sounds pretty damn good right now. I wanna keep relaxing but i wanna relax in bed if ya get me." Kristy shoved him some with her shoulder, walking beside Max as they started leaving. "You slept like foreverrrr earlier, you're fine for a bit ya derp!!" Max just smirked back amused still. "Kris, you underestimate the hell outta me, yknow that? Ya really do!! I could sleep so much longer, you have no clue!!! Ooooooo, speaking of, i think ima defs get some chow before we go back up to the room. And alottttt of it too, neither you or Sharky are gonna stop me!! And i also-"

Kristy let Max keep rambling as she started zoning out a bit. Looking over and seeing Max's energy and knowing their other teammate was back waiting for em and was wondering about em made her feel really nice for a change...Sure, this wasn't exactly what she had ever planned in any single sense, this entire life she had now...But Kristy knew it was necessary and she knew she'd get better with stuff as time did continue on hopefully. If Max could build himself a new life from the ground up for better, then surely she could too...And with both Sharky and Max on her side for all of it, the anxiety felt less strong. The mission tomorrow might suck, it might go flying off the rails real bad in fact...But if she had her new best friends by her side, then she felt much more confident and comfortable. And that was more then good enough for her... 

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I wrote this story and drew this pic a while ago but i still quite like it all sooooooooooooooooooooooo here lol, you may have it again and on here as well :3

#KidnappedSeries #OC's #max bone #Max #Kristy Miller #Kristy #short story #Friendship

[ethertheaether]

So I got to experience the totally fun thing known as bloodwork today! (Would not recommend- it sucks :( ) But because not everyone does, and in my opinion we need more of that in writing because blood samples are very important in different circumstances, I thought: Hey, what if I just- share some of the different medical experiences I've had, plus what others have told me, to save some of the effort! So introducing: A List of Medical procedures and different injuries + what they feel like!

Blood samples:

Usually done either at a hospital or a clinic/lab for it (like where I went)

You can either sit or lay down, depending on which will make you more comfortable

If you might faint, mention it (it was on a sign :) )

There are different types of needles for it: bigger ones or smaller ones, depending on vein size

They have a little table thing to put your arm on, and you put your arm with the inside of your elbow facing up

They'll tie a band above your elbow tightly enough to stop you from feeling it too much

The needle part! They'll wash off the part where the needle will go, then insert the needle into your vein (I did not watch this part)

They untie the band, take the blood needed (not a lot) and take out the needle (it made a small click when they did) and tie a cotton ball on the puncture

And then, as long as you're not too dizzy, you can leave!

It feels like a small prick, stings a bit, but not too too bad

Then it just feels kinda cold numb, or sore

And if you get anxiety around needles, you can actually get worried to the point of a panic attack!

You can also get someone to hold your arm still, or someone as emotional support, or both

Broken bones:

In my experience, it's not really noticeable at first of it's not breaking through the skin

You just notice it when you try to move it and it hurts

Anything below the break is impossible to move (and can be swollen)

Hurts when moving, though for me there was one way to hold it so it didn't hurt

GETTING X-RAYS WILL SUCK. You'll be moving it and it will hurt while you do so

Usually if it's not bad (So not really mine) they'll just shoot a numbing thing up your nose (a spray; can become moisture in your throat and that sucks) and then wrap it up, throw it is a sling, and send you on your way

Otherwise they'll do the same, except either get you ready for whatever you need in the hospital, or send you to another hospital for that (which happened to me)

If you need surgery, they'll keep you overnight, and you can't eat anything before the surgery for about 12 hours I think

Surgery is performed, they will probably keep you another night (except this time you can eat) and probably send you off the next day, after another x-ray

If you get too hungry before surgery they'll probably give you Gravol through the iv, which will stop that hunger pain

And now a few minor things :)

Small burns:

Just spray with an antibacterial spray or run under cold water for a few minutes, then keep an ice pack for when it hurts

Depending on the burn, it'll either stop hurting or keep burning for awhile

Not a fun time, but you'll be okay :)

Bigger scratches:

Burn, a lot

It'll feel like fire

And the whole area will feel warm

Rinse it off and wrap it preferably

Regular needles (Because some of you probably haven't had those in awhile):

Done in a school (if you're still in school), a clinic, or pharmacy, usually, or a vaccine station (like during the middle of Covid)

the area is cleaned, then it's done

Very quick

Depending on the vaccine, it'll either barely hurt, or sting a lot

Like Menengitis hurts more initially, but less later, whereas Tetnis hurts less initially, and more later

The needle itself isn't too bad

Again, the anxiety from it sucks

Random note: Some classes purposely hype it up to scare people

Not fun

I feel bad for the one kid in my class who was getting scared cause of it

And that's all for now! Gotta love some personal experiences to throw in there :)

#writing #writing tips #injuries