#thanks to the internet for keeping track of all the embarrassing stuff

[veinsfullofstars]

⭐ Welcome! ⭐

Henlo. Hope you’re doing well. Thanks for poppin’ by. I’m Veins, an art goblin on the internet with abnormal levels of anxiety and chronic video game brainrot, and this is my introduction post. Any updates or news on my end will be added here as well. I hope you’ll be patient with me and enjoy your visit!

(Last updated 04/14/24)

---

Who are you?

What an existentially upsetting question. Well, for the moment, I go by VeinsFullOfStars online, usually shortened to just Veins. I’m also toying around with Ivan or Yves, but Veins is the most preferable. Nice to meet you!

Wait, didn't you already have an account here? With the same username?

I did. I, uh, panic-deleted it in response to the data-scraping fiasco and regretted it almost immediately. As a result, you might see reblogs from the deactivated account still floating around. There is, unfortunately, nothing I can do about those unless the blogs that shared them take them down themselves (and, hey, if you happen to be one of those folks seeing this, I'd super appreciate it if you'd maybe remove the old reblog and replace it with the new one from here if you can). It's my mistake for overreacting, and now I just have to live with it. Sorry for any confusion.

What does your username mean? Where did it come from?

It’s an altered version of a pen name I used in my teen years. I’m too embarrassed to get into specifics, but just know that it comes from a place of very sincere cringe and leave it at that.

What are your preferred pronouns/gender?

Thanks for asking! I’m non-binary, and I use they/them pronouns.

How old are you?

Ancient (in my 30s).

What is your avatar supposed to be?

A goblin. Very smol, very nervous, very puntable.

What are you using this blog for?

Art, mostly. I like to draw digitally and sometimes make stuff with yarn. I've also been writing since I could hold a pencil (though I don’t have much finished, so art will be the main focus for now). Also, expect a lot of reblogs, shitposts, and/or silence between posts - I am a simple hobbyist with a lot of brain nonsense and IRL hurdles. I’ll do my best to post with some regularity, of course, but - again - I hope you’ll be patient with me if things go quiet from time to time.

What are your interests?

I love stories. I love characters. I love folks who can weave whole worlds with nothing but words on a page or color on a canvas. I grew up on fantasy novels, short horror stories, and late ‘90s/early ’00s animation. I learned to appreciate slice-of-life and slow-burn romance much later. Mythology and folklore also slaps, and I wonder sometimes if I should’ve majored in psychology instead of lib arts. My playlists are nothing but video game OSTs with a little heavy metal and j-rock sprinkled in for flavor. I sold my soul to Nintendo years ago, but sometimes I find indie darlings to fall in love with for a time. Dogs are adorable little menaces, and I love them all with my whole chest. Cats are okay, and I am allergic to them. (Does that answer the question? I think I lost track towards the end there…)

Any current hyperfixations?

Tons, but the biggest ones at the moment are Kirby, Hollow Knight, and Paper Mario. More nebulous interests include (in no particular order) Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, Rain World, Stardew Valley, most Soulsborne titles, Hades, Darkest Dungeon, Good Omens, The Legend of Zelda, Undertale/Deltarune, OFF, The Binding of Isaac, Ace Attorney, Animal Crossing, The Magnus Archives, Sonic the Hedgehog, and countless more. When I say “multifandom,” I mean it, homie.

Do you have any other social media?

Just this and an AO3 account. So, if you see my name anywhere but these two places, it’s probably not me. For now, Tumblr will be the best place to keep up-to-date with my stuff. If anything changes, I’ll let y’all know here.

Do you have a list of tags you use on your posts?

I tag things obsessively, but I’ll try to sort out the most relevant/unique ones I use here:

#veins art - for any art I’ve made (chrono link)

#veins old art - for reposts of older art I made before moving to Tumblr (Note: these posts are here for archival purposes and may not reflect my current style/interests.)

#veins sketches - for any of my unrendered doodles/sketch dumps

#veins ocs - for art I’ve made featuring my original characters/stories

#veins fanart - for art I’ve made featuring characters from other IPs

#veins writes - for any written works I’ve made

#veins ships - for any posts (reblogs included) featuring romantic pairings; I will also try to include specific pairings as “#(blank) x (blank)” and/or any ship names

#veins rambles - for random thoughts/text posts

#veins in dream land - for any rambles/headcanons about the Kirby series specifically

#veins answers - for any of my responses to asks sent in (chrono link)

#veins reblogs - for anything I reblog, obviously

#kirbtober 2023 - for my Kirbtober 2023 art specifically (chrono link)

#childhood friends au - for art from my Kirby AU where Dedede and Meta Knight first met as kids (chrono link)

#kintsugi au - for art from my Kirby AU centered around the Mirror World, the Wave 2 gang, and the Darkroach ship - warning: contains angst and some suggestive content (chrono link)

I’ll update this with new tags if/when they pop up. Anything else will have generic tags to fit the context of the post. I also mark trigger warnings with tags like “#(blank) tw” if necessary.

What do you use to make your art?

For digital art, I use Clip Studio Paint and a Wacom Intuos Pro S drawing tablet (that I'm pretty sure I've had since high school). I don’t draw traditionally as much anymore, but, when I do, it’s usually just quick sketches with pencil and paper. For writing, I use TextEdit or whatever generic rich text editing software I can find. For crafting, I use yarn and plastic canvas.

What brushes do you use?

For sketching and linework, I generally use the Wick Pencil from the 8 Particle Pencil catalog made by saturns_day. For flats and rendering, I use the default CSP hard round brush, airbrush, and G-pen. For effects and extras (clouds, textures, sparkles, etc.), I use default effects brushes or whatever I can find from the CSP Asset Shop.

Can I share your work through reblogs? And are tags okay?

Of course! Reblogs are absolutely fine and always encouraged. I’m also fine with tags as well (though I ask that you not mark anything as a ship unless I’ve marked it as such on the original post - look for the tag #veins ships if you’re ever unsure).

Can I repost/use your work for my own personal/commercial use?

Absolutely not. While I am always in support of creators inspiring each other with our works and endeavors, that does not mean anyone should engage in art theft (intentional or otherwise). Under no circumstances may you repost, reupload, reproduce, copy, trace, modify, sell, use, tokenize, scrape/integrate into A*I, and/or otherwise claim as your own any of my art/written works. Never assume a piece of art shared online in yours for the taking - that is someone else’s hard work and passion, and you need to respect that.

Can I dub one of your comics?

As flattering as that would be, I worry about lack of credit or my work being stolen for others’ content, so I sadly have to say no.

Why is there a big watermark on your art?

The state of the internet today has made me extremely paranoid about things like art theft, bad-faith reposts, nonconsensual integration, etc., so I make sure to sign and WM anything original I post. I know it’s not exactly fun to look at (maybe even distracting or bad for engagement), but I’d rather be safe than sorry, so I guess I’ll just have to take that hit.

Do you have an askbox? Can we send in questions/comments/etc.?

Yes, the ask box is currently open, and I'm more than happy to receive any questions, comments, etc. you guys might have (even if it makes me a bit nervous, haha)! I just ask that you read the rules first before you submit anything.

Do you take requests/commissions/suggestions/collabs/etc.?

Sadly, I do not take art requests or suggestions unless I put out a specific call for them. I'm also not really in a position to take commissions either. Collabs I'm on the fence about - maybe with mutuals or folks I know personally.

Is this an inclusive space?

Of course! This queer little goblin accepts everyone under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella, along with folks of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, disabilities, and colors. That said, there will be absolutely no tolerance for (inhale) racism, sexism, transphobia, queerphobia, xenophobia, misogyny/misandry, bigotry of any kind, ableism, p***philia, inc*st, selfc*st, z**philia, RPF, trolling behavior, self-promotion, the promotion of N*FTs or A*I art, or any otherwise harmful, toxic, or hurtful rhetoric. Anyone seen behaving as such will be blocked, reported, and forgotten. :)

Is this an all-ages space?

Hmm… I’m gonna have to say no. While I probably won’t be posting/sharing anything too lewd or graphic, I’m not opposed to things like swearing, angst, fluff bordering on suggestive, and discussions of mature subject matter (all of which I will make sure to tag with content warnings as necessary). Obviously, I can’t police everyone who wanders into this blog, especially since some people omit or lie about their ages online, so the best I can do is ask for good faith on your part. If you are under 18, interact at your own risk. The last thing I want is to make anyone (myself included) uncomfortable because there are kids in an adult-allocated space. Again, I hope you understand.

What is your stance on shipping?

The vernacular around pro- or anti-shipping confuses the hell out of me, so I’ll just try to explain my personal philosophy on it: I have ships I like, ones I’m indifferent to, and ones I won’t touch with a ten-foot pole. I only reblog (and tag) ship-related content I’m in support of, even if it’s not one of my personal favorites. Most importantly, I don’t bother others about their personal preferences. Anything I don’t like or don’t support, I simply do not engage with. Or, if it makes me too uncomfortable, I block outright. The same should apply to your experience as well - if you ever see ship stuff here that you don’t like, feel free to block the tags (look for specific pairings, ship names, and/or my personal tag #veins ships) or even the blog entirely. You are not obligated to like the things I like or engage with media you don’t enjoy. Respect for each other and curation of your personal online space is always key. Additionally, I 100% will not ship minors, blood relations, self x self, anything relating to b*stiality, or anything relating to RPF.

Are you okay?

No, not even a little bit... but fuck it, we keep going.

Why do you put a comma before the “and” in a sequence of three or more words?

You can take my Oxford comma away from me when I’m cold, dead, and rotting in the dirt.

Is there anything else?

Nah, I think we’re good for now. Thanks for taking the time to read all this. Hope it wasn’t too rambly or weird - just trying to cover all my bases. I hope you all have a lovely timezone out there, wherever you are. Be sure to wash your hands, wear your mask, and stay hydrated. Remember to be strong, be safe, and, for the love of dog, be kind. Peace!

-Veins (originally posted 08/07/23, reposted 02/29/24, updated as of 04/14/24)

#veins rambles #introduction post #FAQ #disclaimers #long post #check for updates #veinsfullofstars

[koqabear]

Your new soogyu fic has me on knees for you! Fuck woman! I say, start writing erotic novels! I'll be yo loyal reader! And also, what happens when we reblog?

HAHAHAHA thank you anon 😭😭 however i think my little corner of the internet dedicated to my favs is enough for me

well, with the way tumblr works, reblogs are essentially made to help circulate and boost a post! think of it as a retweet, in the way that it posts it onto your account but still shows the original poster (it can also help you keep track of your fav fics by adding little tags that you can use to categorize!) but on the author's end, it helps boost a post and allows it to be seen by more people-- and with authors,,, that's kinda the best thing you can do for them; likes really don't do anything in the long run, and it can get especially discouraging when you've worked on something for hours or more, only for it to get absolutely no feedback or responses in return. so, less reblogs = less reach. and with little to no people seeing or reacting the works you've put your all into, many authors end up leaving the site.

and not only is it important to reblog, but it's also nice to leave a comment along with it!! it can be in the tags or in the reblog itself; i've found that most people don't really mind either one. but it can be something as small as a reaction picture/gif or a few sentences-- any amount feedback is great feedback.

reblogs are the driving force of the community; which is why im sure you've probably encountered a handful of posts filled with people pleading their audience to interact and get involved. and if you think that you don't want the people who follow you to see the stuff you read because you think it's embarrassing, (which, ouch. but i get it.) i promise you can just make a separate blog; maybe you'll even garner the audience you're looking for, and actually be able to talk to others about the things you read and like!

i really got carried away there but... reblogs have been a very big issue on tumblr for the longest. i know every writer probably related to my post which probably inspired your question, so i hope this goes to show how much of a frustration it can be.

tl;dr: reblogs help boost posts!!!! pleaaase reblog and tell the author how much you enjoyed their stuff!!

#post doesn't match your aesthetic? #it's for a completely different fandom your current account is dedicated to? #you don't wanna clog the feed and annoy your followers? #make a separate account. #dedicated to you. to all your interests and guilty pleasures #tumblr will never be that serious #that it has you refraining from sharing your interests #it's literally the whole point of this site #rambles #koqabear asks

[lostloves]

*pops out of nowhere* so... hi? it's kayle. i'm not sure if anyone here remembers me. i mean, it's been what? two years? that doesn't seem like much, but a lot's changed since then. two years ago, i was planning to study art and design, but like everyone else, i got stuck in a proverbial limbo of waiting. the pandemic essentially rendered everything on hold — my graduation, my post-grad trip with friends, and eventually my long-awaited plans to move to another country for uni. that period of waiting, i spent here in the company of lovely internet friends who were so kind to me. they made my day every time i logged in (hi ami @aimlocked, lett @sunmayshine [what a cute user btw], a bunch of other people who i can't seem to find the usernames of). i also had so much fun editing gifs and graphics, even doing a little bit of theme coding every now and then (do people still do that here? is that still a thing?)

anyway, when it was clear to me that i was waiting for nothing and that none of what i had planned for so long was going to work out the way i hoped they would, i just felt so defeated that i shut down. what i thought was a two week break from social media ended up being two years. i wasn't active in anything. a few months back, i revived my goodreads to track the books i'm reading but that's about it. i just wasn't in the best headspace. eventually, going online slipped my mind. i even forgot the password at some point.

so yeah, that was two years ago. now, i'm currently in my old uni studying language, almost always buried deep in paperwork. i never would've imagined this is where i'd be, but like i said, a lot's changed. and it looks like a lot's changed with tumblr too because wow i barely recognize all these new fancy features.

i don't know if i'll post here on a regular basis. i don't edit stuff anymore. although i can try? i kinda miss editing stuff for fandoms instead of research presentations 💀 though i'm not sure if i have the time to do graphics or gifs like i used to. if i'm not reading journal articles, i'm usually writing papers about them. finals is just two weeks away too, and i'm pretty sure that's going to take up my already close-to-nonexistent vacant time. but who knows? now that i finally figured out the password, i might as well just lurk here again hahaha.

this ended up being longer (and so much more sentimental?) than i thought it would lol sorry for that. it was supposed to be just a "hi hello i'm back! if you remember me, here's what i've been up to. and if you don't, pls keep scrolling and save me from embarrassment!" post. but if you've read this far, thanks for being a cool and lovely human on the internet.

#also this new post editor is wild #and it seems i forgot the tags i use too #i feel like a boomer discovering the internet for the first time #on that note #i might go and play around with this new tumblr #and edit my theme while we're at it #i love those pastel colors but wow #my eyes can't take that level of pale anymore #that's all #thanks for coming to my ted talk #kayle.txt

[lawblevins56]

3 Best Android Phones To Consider Before Purchase One

Android is quickly becoming a alternative towards Blackberry for corporate computer users. The devices are well-suited for communication and organization with most great viral marketing. Most of the early Android phones are discrete and lacking any kind of embarrassing physical characteristics for example pink case or stars and moons. (Although, brand new T-Mobile myTouch is including both of such as an option). Tuaw's take: "I guess they've been asleep for your past month, because multitasking is undoubtedly the main features of iPhone OS 4.0, extremely probable due for public release sometime next few weeks." Review Of Google Nexus One Phone hasn't happened and. The fact that Android landed first means Apple basically playing get caught up now. Used. Cool Strategies To Thank Your Teachers In Web Design School is 2 . 5 inches big and the phone weighs below one hundred grams. As it is small, it is loaded automobiles stuff. The phones has a camera naturally five megapixels, along having a 3.5mm headphone jack appear to be possible to learn music already on your phone. I really shouldn't require to say considerably than can be the official ESPN iphone app. Heck, I'm not going to: ESPN is "The Worldwide Leader In Sports" after all! You are planning to to help wait for functions to come to Android. While Android is doing great as the mobile phone, there basically things are not on this platform for computer users yet. With Windows or other forms of Linux, these characteristics already are present. With your Android netbook, shortly still want to wait for things to be able to developed. >> Quick to set it up. Tracking apps are very simple install. Needs typing from a URL sold at the vendor, and the tracking software program is downloaded directly into the cellphone. Additional set up and configuration is required, but quite minimal. The HTC Tattoo can be a GPRS and Wi-Fi enabled handset, allowing the users to access the Internet. Through GPRS, you have to take the support of network companies in order to access the World-wide-web. On the other hand, Wi-Fi facilitates you to get unlimited access of Internet at the Wi-Fi covered places. Websites can be surfed on its browser that supports HTML vernacular. SMS, MMS, Email and IM the actual messaging associated with this nice device keep in touch with close relatives. Through Bluetooth connectivity you can transfer info to other compatible devices wirelessly. Moreover, this device can get in touch with other gadget through USB data cable via USB port. Now, almost all of these new Android 7.2 (Froyo) update, I am sure can will enjoy your Samsung Galaxy S even significantly more. It may quit as famous as the iPhone 3GS or the Nexus Ones or the Motorola Droid, but it is way much better all those 3 mobile phones combined. It is equipped with S5PC110 because its processor. Furthermore, it has mirror Graphics Processing Unit or GPU about 90 million triangles per second. These kinds of things and also the new Android 2.2 (Froyo) update, I am sure you just will adore love once with the Galaxy South.

#PES Crack

[k347]

"Incorrectly placed correct quotes by the cast"- (28) 😂🍌🍌😂

NSFW CONTENT

(Well,sometimes you just gotta stick it in

- Actually something said by Sebastian 'you know' Stan)

#😂😂😂 #Banana Split #evanstan #chris evans #sebastian stan #steve rogers #bucky barnes #stucky #marvel #mcu #rpf #incorrect quotes #incorrectly placed correct quotes #just for fun #not another teen movie #hot tub time machine #thanks to the internet for keeping track of all the embarrassing stuff

[urimaginespimp]

Boyfriend Material

Bucky x reader AU Trope: Mutual Pining (fluff)

--------

You were one of the newer members of the team, yet considered one of the most valuable. At the other end of the spectrum, Bucky personally feels he’s the least. But the fact that you always made it a personal mission to prove him wrong was one of the many reasons he likes you so much. But he knows you are just a really nice person.  

Giving him words of affirmation before and after missions in the Quinjet, helping him with clever comebacks towards Sam, and introducing him to modern stuff was no task for you. Not when you are stupid attracted to him.  

Maybe it was his eyes, his chivalry, or that you just love men who just know when to keep their mouth shut, but it was obvious to everyone else in the tower that you were crushing on the old guy. Only that you had no clue he feels the same way.  

“They’re both world class fighters. There is no freaking way they’re both this stupid.” Sam groaned on the table.  

You and Bucky just had left the table after breakfast. Not together of course, but what got Sam all riled up was that all the while, he was seated next to Bucky, and he had to endure minutes of a painfully awkward attempt of Bucky to keep conversing with you, while the rest of the team were trying to mind their own businesses.

Key word: trying. You’ve seen Nat and Wanda pursing their lips trying not to smile, Tony had to let out a cough or two to mask his chuckles, and you even caught Steve trying to discreetly take pics of you two. And you thought this was all directed to you alone.  

“We said we wouldn’t meddle.” Nat told everyone at the table.

“Can I at least subtly, SUBTLY, give that old man a few tips on how to talk without sounding like a robot?” Sam insisted, and he was met with a mis of sounds of approval and ‘fine’.

--------

“Hey, tin man, look at this list I found on the internet.” Sam approached Bucky while he was training in the gym.

“Sam if this is another one of those girls and a cup thing, I won’t hesitate to attack you this time.” Bucky glared at him while Sam laughed at the memory. He didn’t really show the guy that awful video, just narrated what had transpired.  

“No, it isn’t. It’s a self-help one.” his serious façade was enough to convince the ex-assassin into giving him attention.  

“Top 5 pick-up lines that are guaranteed to get the girl.” he read the test out loud before glaring at Sam. “What the hell is this, Wilson?”

“What? I actually tried some last week and now I have a date. I’m just showing you, man”. He feigned innocence.  

“Let me read that.” Bucky snatched the phone from his hands.  

“There must be something wrong with my eyes, I can’t take them off you. Can you take me to the doctor? Because I just broke my leg falling for you. Are you a parking ticket? Because you’ve got FINE written all over you.” He read one after another, each one getting cheesier and cheesier.  

“Did you read the top 1?” Sam snickered.

“Hold on.”  

He turned back to Sam who was sheepishly smiling at him. “Is that how people these days actually get dates? Because you guys are not moving forward at all.” He shook his head.

“Whatever man. Lecture me when you get a date.” He replied with a playfully challenging tone and left the super soldier in the middle of the gym with his own thoughts.  

--------

It was a lazy day at the tower, and Y/N, Nat, Wanda, and Sam just got back from hanging out at the mall. Sam went out of his way to go to Bucky’s room first.  

“What, you can’t even leave me in my room now?” Bucky groaned when he saw who was standing outside his room.

“Be nicer man, I’m just here to give you a new shirt I bought for you.” and he handed over a paper bag.  

“Thank you, Sam.” Bucky muttered and gratefully accepted the bag.

“Do us both a favor and try it on to show Nat and Wanda. They kept saying I don’t have taste.”

“So, I’m like your project now?” he knew it was all too good to be true.

“Come on, man. It’s a free expensive shirt. I’ll see you in 15 at the common area.”

--------

He hated to admit it, but the shirt actually is nice. The color somehow made his eyes even more blue.

“Wilson, I’m wearing it!” He called out loudly, walking to the common area, only to stop in his tracks when he saw that you were the only one in there.  

“Uh... hey Buck. Sam said he’d be back in 5 minutes.” you smiled sweetly at him.

“Oh. I’m sorry for being so loud.” he scratched the back of his nek awkwardly.

“Here, come take a seat with me first.” you pat at the space next to you on the couch, and he happily obliged.  

“So, I heard you just got back.” he started making small talk.

“Yeah, I was able to buy a few new tops.” You smiled at him.

looking at him, you couldn’t help but notice that the shirt he is wearing isn’t something you’ve seen him wear before. You know this because you’ve only seen him in about 8 different shirts.

“Is that a new shirt?” you asked, mindlessly reaching out to touch the material by the sleeve.  

His breathe hitched. “Uh yeah, Sam brought it for me.”

“It’s really nice material.”

“Yeah, it’s made out of boyfriend material.” He found himself blurting out. You both froze at what he just said. He had no idea what came over him. But then he suddenly remembered.

It was the top 1 pick-up line from the list Sam showed him yesterday.

And if it weren’t disastrous enough, a loud laugh rumbled out from a few feet away from you. It was Sam howling over in laughter.

Both you and Bucky were deep crimson.

“You like her enough to actually try that pick-up line. Oh my god I’m gonna pee myself!” Sam said in between laughter.

“Not if I get rid of your balls first.” Bucky growled and was about to lunge at him when you snapped out of embarrassment and pulled him back to face you.

“Is it true?” you asked him awkwardly with a small smile.  

He was contemplating whether to come clean or lie about, and he found himself whispering ‘oh what the hell.’  

“Yeah. I do like you, Doll.” he confessed, looking down at the floor. “I just didn’t want to make it all awkward between us, or have you be the subject of everyone else’s teasing and fuckery because you-”

“I like you too.” you cut him off with a big smile.

“So, will you um... go out with me perhaps tonight?” what you just told him would have eased his nerves, but it somehow made him feel like his heart was gonna burst.

“Only if you wear this very same shirt, Barnes.” you chucked at him.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Doll.”

--------

@lizzarooni

#mcu #avengers fanfiction #Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky x you #steve rogers #steve rogers imagine #sebastian stan #sebastian stan imagine #sam wilson #the winter solider imagine #the winter soldier #the falcon and the winter soldier

[goldenraeofsun]

Day 9: Body Mods

“Please tell me this isn’t a Memento situation happening,” Dean groans, stopping dead in his tracks. He stares at all the black text scrawled across Cas’s naked torso, vibrant against his pale skin under the bright lights of the bathroom. Cas still has his pants on, but his fly is unzipped.

Cas had just come back from a witch hunt - his first solo job. Dean was stuck manning the phones for the weekend, and Sam was off on a vacation (Christ, Dean still can’t wrap his head around the fact that they do things like that now) to Montreal with Eileen. Why Sam didn’t go somewhere with a beach and little umbrella drinks makes zero sense to Dean. It just proves that Sam is still capable of being a freak even after Chuck stopped pulling their strings.

Dean barely checked that Cas came home in one piece before the phone rang, and Dean had to talk some podunk sheriff out of throwing Krissy in jail for desecration of a dead body. By the time FBI Deputy Director Willis got Krissy out of that jam, Cas had disappeared into the bowels of the Bunker.

After checking the kitchen and Cas’s room, Dean finds him in the bathroom.

“I do not have amnesia,” Cas drawls, poking at a particularly large word, Witch, across his ribs. “Or else I would have forgotten my way back here. And who you are. And a hundred million other things.”

Dean leans against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest. “So you randomly decided to hit up a tattooist with our grocery list,” he says, eyebrows rising as he reads eggs, bacon, bananas, carrots, cream cheese down one shoulder blade.

“It’s a spell,” Cas says, transferring his attention to Laundry skating along his outer forearm.

“I got that one for myself, thanks,” Dean says, rolling his eyes. “There are more words on your back, did you know that?”

Cas sighs, twisting around in the mirror to see. “I had a feeling.”

“What do they mean?” Dean steps closer to trail a cautious finger down Cas’s bicep and the words, Claire’s birthday.

“I’m almost positive these are my thoughts since I got hit by the spell,” Cas says quietly. He points at his ribs - “Kill the witch.” His bicep - “buy a present for Claire’s birthday next week.” His left arm - “Do the laundry tonight because I am out of socks and shirts” He sighs. “Whatever the spell did, it doesn’t seem malicious - merely irritating and mildly embarrassing. I was going to research a way to break it in the morning.”

“Do they hurt?” Dean asks.

“No.”

“Good.”

Dean circles around Cas’s front, reading Cas’s thoughts inked into his skin. They’re surprisingly mundane for an angel turned human turned hunter. I’m thirsty. Get a flu shot. Why does the internet refer to racoons as ‘trash pandas’?

“Because of their bandit masks,” Dean says, pointing to the question circling Cas’s hip, “around their eyes.”

Cas frowns, leaning over to read the thought for himself. He straightens. “But they don’t look like pandas.”

“Red pandas,” Dean corrects.

Cas nods, his expression clearing with understanding. “How did you know that?”

“Everybody knows that.”

“The gas station attendant I asked earlier tonight had no idea.”

Dean shoves his hands in his jean’s pockets, shrugging. “You know I internet surf when I can’t sleep.”

“You look up common colloquialisms for procyonids during bouts of insomnia?”

Dean makes a face. “Not specifically. I look up a lot of stuff.”

“Did you know they’re called Waschbärs in German?”

Dean snorts. “Good for them…?”

“It translates to washer bears,” Cas says, “because they always try to wash their food before they eat it.”

Dean grins. “That’s fucking adorable.”

“I think so too.” Cas frowns at his reflection. “Do you mind if I keep getting undressed? I’d like to shower before going to bed.”

Dean leers at him unashamedly and grandly gestures to the nearest shower stall. “Don’t let me stop you.”

The corners of Cas’s mouth twitch, but, before Dean can see his smile, Cas turns around to push his pants the rest of the way down.

Dean whistles. “You’ve got more writing all the way down your legs, Charles Dickens.”

Cas lets out a sigh, shoulders slumping. “I don’t suppose you’d let me shower before you peruse?”

Dean steps closer and presses a kiss to Cas’s stubbly cheek. “Yeah, no problem. I know how it is after a hunt.”

“I’ll come find you immediately after I’m clean,” Cas promises as he twists around to turn on the shower. He sticks a hand into the spray, testing the water temperature. He grimaces at the cold - it usually takes a few seconds for the heat to kick in.

“You’d better,” Dean says, stepping back. “I’ve been talking to cops all day, and lemme tell you, they can’t take a joke at all-” He breaks off, his eyes going wide as his gaze fixates on a space below the small of Cas’s back.

“Dean?” Cas turns back around, concerned. “Is something wrong?”

Dean doubles over with laughter.

“Dean?”

“When the hell did you think, I am Dean Winchester’s?” he manages to get out between guffaws.

Cas scowls.

“It’s on your fucking ass, man.” Dean wipes at his eyes. “So much better than a tramp stamp, ho boy.”

As he stands there, Dean watches still beautiful coalesce above Cas’s heart.

Face flaming, Dean touches the new thought, trailing a light fingertip over the second word. “Can you feel them appear?”

Cas shakes his head. “It definitely makes the spell more inconvenient.”

Mine forms above Cas’s collarbone, so small Dean almost misses it.

“Hey,” Dean says, grinning, “d’you think I could turn you into a walking porno?”

“I’m not sure,” Cas says dryly, stepping under the spray. He snaps the curtain closed, adding in a slightly raised voice, “But I don’t think I could attempt to stop you from finding out.”

Dean strips in record time and hops in the shower after him. They might as well get started now - Cas has a lot of skin left to cover.

#suptober21 #destiel #fanfic #destiel fanfic #canon divergence #human castiel #post series #established relationship #rae writes fic

[meteorrogers]

the secret charm of forbidden things | a. b.

summary: you piss off your professor 

pairing: professor!andy barber x reader

warnings: professor/student relationship, student humiliation (nothing serious), fluff, smut (+18 pls), daddy kink, spanking, oral (f receiving), unprotected sex (and like the most unoriginal plot); let me know if i missed something!

word count: 3,478 (approx)

a/n: i really tried to avoid writing this shit but my brain just wouldn’t let it go, so i’m really sorry for this. also, i’m not a smut writer so this couldn’t be more poorly written. sorry for that too *nervous laughter* i hope there are some readers out there who enjoy cliché stories lol. oh and i know nothing about criminal law so i just skimmed through the Mass. laws and picked the easiest thing i could create a question of. anyway, if you do read this, i hope you’ll enjoy it and let me know what you think! every kind of feedback is appreciated!! 

You’re browsing the internet, looking for some quality e-shop that would offer lingerie you’d like. Or more importantly, he would like. And since your focus is completely on the phone that is hidden from the professor’s eyes (or so you think), you miss the call of your name.

“Miss (Y/L/N)!” the stern and this time louder sound of a male voice brings your attention to the man that it belongs to, standing only a few feet from your seat, thanks to its place in the front row. His expression is hard, a clear sign that you’ve been caught and you shrink into your chair, your cheeks becoming warm. “If you want to pass my class, I suggest you turn off the phone and focus on the lecture.”

You do as you’re asked and put the phone away but you don’t expect him to address you again.

“So since you seem to have enough knowledge that you don’t even need to listen to me,” he pauses and comes closer to you, crossing his arms. “Tell me what the punishments for organ trafficking are.”

You hold your breath, not even realizing it as you’re trying to think of the correct answer, however, that’s a little difficult with him towering over you, and your eyes can’t help but flicker to his crotch that is aligned with your vision. When you look up again, there is an amusement painted over his face which you almost miss to notice. 

“Um, imprisonment?”

The professor keeps looking at you expectantly and when you don‘t say anything more, his chest heaves in a deep sigh, and his eyebrows rise as he looks at the floor in disappointment. “You’ll be having a hard time getting clients, Miss (Y/L/N),” he tells you and goes back to his desk to lean his backside on it.

Okay, you weren’t paying attention but you also thought that the times when professors publicly humiliated students had been left behind. So, now you are not only embarrassed but also pissed.

You just roll your eyeballs and slightly shake your head, taking a pen and doodling in the open notebook laying on your desk in order to calm yourself down and trying not to think about the judgemental stares being sent your way.

“Does anyone here want to remind Miss (Y/L/N) the consequences of organ trafficking?” he asks, before fucking Amelia raises her hand with her all too sugary may I, professor Barber? and you nearly lose it. You watch him as he sweetly smiles at her and prompts her to answer. She does, correctly so, and while she’s going into details, he lets his eyes wander and rest them on you from time to time. You never avert your eyes, glaring at him, hoping he takes notice of the annoyance written all over your face, but he just smirks when she finishes talking and he looks back at her.

“You’re a brilliant student, Amelia. I think you deserve a reward for the hard work.” When he stresses the word reward, he gives you a glance, and you can’t keep your eyes from rolling, again.

“Alright, class, that’s it for today. Don’t forget to send in the paper that’s due Sunday. Enjoy your weekend.”

You pack your things, shoving them into your bag before storming towards the exit, but you don’t make it too far when the professor’s voice stops you in your tracks.

“Miss (Y/L/N), a moment, please,” he says as he gathers his things. You sigh, closing your eyes as you mentally prepare yourself for what’s to come. Turning around, you make your way towards him. 

“I believe we need to discuss your work ethic.” when you remain silent, he continues. “Great, since you don’t have any objections, you can follow me into my office.”

You do as you’re told and while you wait for him to unlock the door in the corner of the auditorium, you catch a glimpse of Amelia giving you a smug smirk. Mr. Barber finally opens the door and extends his arm, letting you in before him. You enter and stop in the middle of the office, nervously fiddling with the hem of your pleated black skirt as you hear a soft click signaling that the door is now closed, followed by the snap of the lock.

You gulp, your heart beating faster as you continue to stand there and try not to give away your nervousness. The only sound that follows is the echo of his footsteps as he walks past you and to his desk, putting his stuff on the wooden surface. He doesn’t say anything, unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling the sleeves of his moss green dress shirt up to his elbows and the veins of his forearm are left on full display.

“Mr. Barber, I—“ you finally speak up but he cuts you off, making his way towards the comfy-looking couch sitting alongside the wall opposite of you. 

“You wanna tell me what that was about? You know I have a no-phone policy in my class, right?” he sits down and spreads his arms on the back of the sofa.

“I’m sorry, I was just—“

“You were just what? Looking for some skimpy underwear to tease me with during the lectures?” the blood rushes to your cheeks and you look to your left, not able to hold his gaze anymore. “As much as I’d enjoy that sight, I’m still a little disappointed in you. The question wasn’t that hard.” He’s closely watching your every reaction as your body squirms, your thighs discreetly rubbing against each other. “You know, Amelia truly is a great student. She’s slowly becoming better than you since you seem distracted for most of my classes. What reward do you think I should give her?”

And that is what causes you to run out of patience and your head to snap to where he is sitting. Bingo, Andy thinks.

“Are you fucking serious, Andy?” you say with a raised voice. If you blinked, you wouldn’t even catch the smirk that formed on his lips for like a millisecond.

“Hey!” he scolds “Watch your tone.“

You ignore him.

“Since when do you humiliate your students in front of the whole class, huh?” you confront him angrily “It was a dick move, Andy, you know that! And then the bullshit with Amelia? If you want her to wet your dick, just ask her, I’m sure she’ll be up for it.”

“Come here,” he says calmly which unsettles you because you expected him to be furious given the way you’d lashed out at him, but you roll your eyes anyway and turn to leave, however, the sound of your name coming from his lips stops you. “(Y/N).” you inhale deeply and turn back to him. “I said, come here.”

You come up to him, still keeping your distance so you don‘t stand between his spread-out legs. “What?” you bite.

He huffs out a laugh. “You’re walking on very thin ice, sweetheart.” He says and you feel your belly doing flips at the nickname. “How about you lose the attitude and come here like I instructed you to.” You cross your arms over your chest.

“How about you go fuck yourself.”

And that’s the last straw. Andy Barber is a very patient guy but when it comes to a bratty behavior like yours right now, he tends to lose his temper pretty quickly.

He swiftly leans forward and grabs your wrist, yanking you between his thighs. You have to catch yourself on his broad shoulders as you stumble from the firm tug, your stomach flush against his chest. His hand grabs the strap of your bag, putting it on the floor before his fingers fall to the back of your thighs, sliding up and up until they rest just below the cheeks of your ass, holding you against him.

“You wanna be a bad girl today, huh?”

You frown and click your tongue. “Jesus, Andy, I’m not in the mood for this.” You start pushing against his shoulders to put a distance between you, failing miserably.

“Sweetheart, you’re not even trying. You think I’m stupid or what?”

“I’m serious, let me go,” you say, but you don’t even sound convincing to yourself.

“You’re not in the mood, you say?” he asks and you nod your head. “Then why do I smell you all the way here, hm?” his fingers creep higher, playing with the lacy hem of your panties. He snorts. “You’re desperate to get fucked, aren’t you?”

By now, your panties are drenched. After what he did to you in the class, you tried so hard not to be turned on by him, but it’s impossible. Andy is a very attractive man, very intelligent and in combination with his sinful mouth, you just can’t bring yourself to not want to be fucked by him.

He doesn’t break eye contact when he hooks his fingers into your underwear and slides them down your legs, until he leans forward, his cheek brushing your hip so he can pull them all the way down himself. You step out of them and his back straightens up, putting the piece of ruined fabric into his pants pocket.

“Get over my knee.”

“Andy, come on. We’re in school. Can’t you just fuck me now and spank me later?”

“Oh, so suddenly you are in the mood?” he raises his brows “Get over my knee. Now. You don’t wanna piss me off more than I already am.” He says sternly.

You unhurriedly move from in between his legs but you’re too slow for his liking. Before you can react, he’s once again yanking you by your wrist, twisting your body in a way that makes you fall over his thick thighs. One hand gently settles on your throat, holding your head up, and the other starts tickling the back of your knee before slowly creeping up your thigh, tucking up your skirt, until you feel the cool air of the room brush against your wet pussy.

You clutch his pants in your hands, and when his palm leaves your skin you prepare yourself for the first blow. Instead, he gently sets it down on your butt again just to caress it, but even that unexpected touch has you jerking forward. He laughs and before you know it, the hand lifts itself up and strikes your right cheek. This time your body jerks rightfully but the fingers around your neck tighten, preventing you from moving too much.

“Not so tough now, huh?” he strokes the sore skin. “How many do you think you deserve?” you shrug as best as the restraint allows you to. “If I remember correctly” he pauses, just to brush his fingers against your pussy lips, smiling to himself when he feels the arousal leaking out of you “You weren’t paying attention in the class.” He spanks your other cheek. “You were using your phone even though it’s forbidden.” For that, the next hit lands on your right cheek again and you don’t think before you dare to open your mouth.

“Really? You are gonna lecture me about what is and isn‘t forbidden? You’re fucking your student for God’s sake.”

“Just for that, I’m adding 5 more to the ones for raising your voice at me, lying to me, and disobeying me.”

He spanks you for everything he listed, caressing your sore butt in between each hit and you are on the verge of crying, the tears in your eyes about to fall down your cheeks. When you think he’s finished, you release a relieved breath, but suddenly, he strikes you three more times, without any break and you cry out, squeezing your eyes shut, the tears finally rolling down.

“That was for the eye rolls I received throughout the day.” He says angrily before leaning down, brushing his lips against your ear as he whispers. “Now, what do you call me when we’re alone?” You just need a minute to catch your breath to reply but he’s not having it. “Answer me right now, or I’ll spank your ass raw, you won’t even be able to sit right. What do you call me?” he asks again.

“Daddy.” You whimper quietly and he smiles.

“Good girl.” He forces your body up with the hand on your throat and throws you on the couch, but before you can make yourself comfortable, he flips you on your stomach and grabs your hips, pulling you up so your ass is in the air.

His touch disappears for a moment and when you adjust your head to be able to get at least a little peek at him, your cheek pressed into the couch, you see him loosening his tie. He grabs your arms and crosses them at your wrist on the small of your back, tying them together with the piece of fabric.

He kisses each palm and then continues up your bare arm, licking, sucking, and biting, until his lips reach your shoulder covered by the short sleeve of your white t-shirt. “You okay, sweetheart?” He knows you are, but just to be sure.

“Yes, daddy.” You smile and he tugs the neckline of your shirt away for a second just to kiss your skin.

Then, he kneels on the floor behind you, coming face to face with your weeping cunt and he needs to adjust himself at the sight. He curls his fingers around your thighs and starts kissing them, getting closer to your core and his eyes close on their own accord when he inhales your smell. His lips finally make contact with your lower ones, his tongue licking a stripe from your clit to your entrance before he pulls away and hums, leaving you trembling. 

“Andy!” You whine from the loss as your frustration grows, and he bites the tender skin of your ass.

“Baby, call me Andy one more time and you won’t be coming for a very long time.”

Your breath shudders when you exhale. “I’m sorry, daddy.”

If it was any other time and any other place, he would take his time to properly punish you, but someone could knock on the door any second and he’s honestly been dying to devour you all day.

He spreads your cheeks and leans forward, finally burying his face into your cunt, his tongue finding the little bundle of nerves and you moan, your eyes rolling in your head from the feeling of his soft tongue relieving the ache combined with the feeling of his rough beard scratching your inner thighs.

Andy takes the bud between his lips, sucking harshly and you buck your hips, causing him to grunt and the vibrations go straight into your clit, more slick dripping from your hole. He doesn‘t let a single drop go to waste as he licks up to your entrance, slurping the juices along the way before he starts plunging his tongue in and out of you. You bite your lip, trying not to make too loud sounds.

“That feel good?” he pulls away to ask, replacing his tongue with his thumb as he waits for your answer, rubbing your clit in quick circles.

“So good, daddy. Let me cum, please,” you whimper and he smirks.

“You’re lucky we’re in my office right now, otherwise I’d take my sweet time to take this sweet pussy apart,” to emphasize it, he thrusts his thumb into you and pinches your sensitive clit between two fingers, another moan escaping your lips. “I wouldn’t let you cum until you were crying and screaming out apologies.”

He slides his thumb back down to your clit, quickly circling it as he dives into you again, massaging your walls with the soft muscle until the knot in your belly starts tightening and you bite on the cushion to prevent yourself from screaming as the dam finally breaks and you’re cumming, Andy drinking up everything your pussy has to offer and he needs to force himself to pull away, your taste almost too addictive.

Before you know it, the sound of his belt clanking reaches your ears and a moment later, you feel his hand on your hip while the other gets a hold of his cock, positioning the tip at your entrance before pushing himself slowly into your heat. He groans while you mewl, filling you to the hilt and giving you some time to adjust to his size.

He starts with slow thrusts once he feels you constrict around him and the hand that isn’t bruising your hip grips the knot that holds your wrists together, giving himself leverage when he begins to quicken his pace.

“Fuck, you feel so good, baby. So tight.”

And he feels amazing, too, his cock reaching all the right places, the familiar tingling reappearing again as your thighs start to quiver. He leans over you, his chest to your back as his hand on your hip slides down and starts rubbing your clit.

“You gonna cum, sweetheart?” his warm breath hits the shell of your ear. “You’re close, aren’t you? I can feel your pussy squeezing around me. God.”

“Please, daddy.” You mewl and he growls at your innocent voice, picking up his pace even more so, his thrusts becoming harder and your tied hands grasp his wrist. 

“Cum for me, baby. Cum for daddy.” He nips at your ear and with a few more thrusts, you’re cumming again, not able to hold in the moans anymore. He rides you through it, chasing his own orgasm and when you feel his hot cum filling you up, he stills, his breath brushing your cheek as he pants.

Once he comes down from his high, he kisses your jaw and stands up, pulling himself from your heat and you hiss at the feeling. He puts his cock into his boxers and zips his pants before he unties your hands, revealing the light red marks on your wrists. You stretch your hands a little before you bring them under yourself to lift yourself up, your skirt falling back down around your thighs and covering your now-glistening intimate parts.

Turning around, you stay kneeling on the couch, looking up at Andy with those big eyes that make him weak in the knees. The corner of his mouth lifts at the sight of your fucked out state, your hair is messy, there are imprints from the cushion on the cheek you were lying on, and the wet trails from your tears are almost dried.

He leans down and kisses you slowly and deeply as his fingers tangle themselves in your hair, his other hand gently cupping your cheek. Jesus, he doesn’t know how you do it but his dick is already twitching in his pants so he breaks the kiss because otherwise, he’d have to fuck you again. He pulls you up on your feet and bends down to pick up your bag, slinging it over your shoulder before his hands fall to your hips. You smile and adjust the strap.

“So, when will I see you in the new number?” he smirks.

“Well, I didn’t even get to pick any,” you reply with a smile and a raised eyebrow. “And I have Mrs. Harper next and I wouldn’t dare to use my phone during her class since her punishments are actual punishments.”

“Are you saying my punishments are ineffective?” he feigns shock.

“I’m just saying if you fucked every student for using their phone, they’d be doing it on purpose, professor.”

He laughs and pulls you closer. “That would be exhausting. But those kinds of punishments are reserved for my favorite student only.” 

“Should I be worried? You seemed pretty delighted with Amelia.” you joke, but half of you is a bit insecure because Amelia is a pretty girl with glowing skin and a brain big enough to impress him. And like the amazing person Andy is, he sees right through you and gives you an adoring smile before his lips touch your forehead, your eyes fluttering close. 

“You are my favorite student. Nobody else,” he assures you once he pulls away. 

Your smile widens and your belly twists at his sappiness, but you wrinkle your nose when you suddenly become aware of the slickness between your legs.

“I need my panties back.”

He snorts and shakes his head.

“I’m gonna keep them.” Your jaw drops. You have two more classes today, you can’t go that long with Andy’s cum leaking out of you! “Oh, you thought your punishment was over? I want you to come over to my place right after school. And don’t even think about going home to change.” His stern voice is back and he takes your chin between his fingers.

“I hope you finished your paper. We have a long weekend in front of us.”

the end.

a/n2: thank you for reading!!!!!❤️❤️my other works can be find under #writer luci !☺️

#andy barber #chris evans #andy barber x reader #andy barber smut #andy barber fluff #andy barber oneshot #andy barber imagine #andy barber fanfiction #chris evans imagine #defending jacob imagine #defending jacob #professor!andy barber #writer luci

[lilydalexf]

Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic  during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with Dreamshaper

Dreamshaper has 54 stories at Gossamer. Her stories often feature Mulder and Scully exploring their feelings in ways you really, really wish you could’ve seen on the show. I’ve recced some of my favorites of her stories here before, including Found in Memory, Just By Existing, Purpose, and Promise. Big thanks to Dreamshaper for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

I'm not at all surprised people are still reading X-Files fanfic! There's a deep catalogue of good and interesting fiction there, and the X-Files still has cultural significance. And of course there were the recent seasons to bring it back to mind. I think if you had asked me in 2000, I might not have supposed that it had this kind of staying power. So now I'm thinking of this interview as a time capsule--what will my answer be in 2040?

My own fic was not designed to have staying power. If anyone is reading it now, bless them, they are kind and patient. I would only recommend probably reading the first and last things I posted just to see what kind of growth is possible. The first time I ever posted fic, someone told me to never write again. I was a teenager. I was crushed but I went on writing anyway, and I worked hard to improve.

What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

I think of two things. As for the show itself, I still think of Mulder/Scully as the ultimate in romance. I can still picture certain moments from the episodes, from the movie. I look for pairings with tension that reminds me of theirs--an almost-regency level of UST, but with a modern element of danger.

As for the fandom itself, I grew up in it. My entire online life and the core of how I participate in fandom was formed here. I was 17 or so when I started writing and posting MSR. I was 18 or 19 when I started meeting fans in real life. I was fortunate enough to fall in with people who were equal parts gracious and nerdy, and while my own nerdiness is innate, I remember and emulate the kindness which was shown to me.

I have an entire side post to this question about how strongly I disagree with the current age stratification in fandom--this idea of not interacting across artificial age divides is tragic to me.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)?

ATXC, and mailing lists. I don't actually remember the names of all the mailing lists! I can picture myself sitting in my kitchen on my computer, and what the emails looked like--the font, the signature lines--but not the names. I can even remember specific conversations we had! One of them must have been Scullyfic, because I remember the first meetup being planned. Is that right? Was it the Scullyfic meetup? [Lilydale note: Probably was Scullyfic. There was a big email flurry when the first Scullyfic mailing list meetup was being planned.] My mind was absolutely blown by the idea of a fan con. Now I've led panels at a dozen of them.

I remember some of the arguments, too. It's funny that some of them are the same arguments I still see here and there, like whether or not criticism of a fanwork is valid. Real Person Fic being this unbelievably shameful thing you had to ask to be shown, and the doyennes of the fandom would have given you the cut direct at Almack's if they'd found out, you know?

This was also the era of AIM and ICQ. mIRC too, right? I spent a lot of time in channels. I absolutely loved when people started to be more open about themselves in chats. I was always so interested in how fandom fit into people's lives. Some people I talked to were moms, college students, people who had interesting careers, and they all just found ways to make fandom work for them. They had a need and were meeting it, despite the pressures of their offline life.

I don't know how to explain the impression that made on me, but--it normalized fandom. That seems obvious, maybe, but I hadn't known this was something you could integrate into your everyday life.

It also normalized the idea of women taking their own needs as primary, in a way that went beyond what I was exposed to in my home life, or through the feminism of the 1990s. There was this wild intersection of the--the domestic and intellectual life of women, and the playful life of women, just making itself known to me in a way I'd never seen before. That was enormous. Absolutely a foundational experience for me.

My experience was that ATXC and email lists were like, these surface-level interactions where people figured out, roughly, if your mind ran on a similar track to theirs, and then you were invited to make deeper relationships in more private corners of the internet. Social media filled both functions at once, I think, for a while. But the privacy was missing. I'm not surprised that Slack and Discord are starting to fill that private corner gap--everything old becomes new, etc.

What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show?

UST and monsters. This is still an unbeatable combination for me!

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

I loved romance novels--I read so many of them. Somehow, before we even had a computer at home, I started to tell myself romance novel stories with Mulder and Scully as the lead characters. This was how I talked myself to sleep--I wasn't a good sleeper. Then when I got online and did whatever search led me to ATXC, I was just shocked. Shocked! Can't do the surprise justice, in this era where fanfic is relatively mainstream. Other people had also independently invented this thing I loved! But they wrote their ideas down! I jumped on the bandwagon immediately.

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

It's like my relationship to my childhood, frankly. Foundational, but I don't think about it all that much on a daily basis, right? I smile and reblog gif sets. I get nostalgic. I get embarrassed by social mistakes I made. I feel the way many of us do about memories from our teenage years. I wouldn't be who I was without it, but I'm not still in it.

Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

I was. I've spent 20 years in fandom! I did some beta work for someone who'd started writing slash--The Sentinel. The actual Sentinel, not just an endless loop of Sentinel AUs based on Sentinel AUs based on etc. I had some idea at the time that I was queer, but this was my first real exposure to romances that weren't straight. So I tore my way through the early 2000s slash fandoms as they developed: The Sentinel, Due South, Stargate Atlantis. Popslash, where a mix of good writing and absurdity ruled. Bandom, where I met my wife. Since then, many smaller fandoms.

It's hard to compare any of these things to each other, let alone to the X-Files. In each one, I was lucky enough to find a circle of women who were strong beta readers and good friends. I never wrote as much or for as long as I did in the X-Files.

Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully?

I watched the new episodes. I've shown friends important episodes--I remember that a few years ago, another friend and I tried to hook a third friend on the show by binging some favorites--mostly shippy MOTW, so it was like, Arcadia, Triangle, Bad Blood. Fun stuff!

We finish watching and I'm like, well? And? And she says, that was fine, but I'm more of a man-pain, secret babies kind of person? I'll never forget it. She had no idea but she'd hit the nail on the head! We were wheezing with laughter. We went back and watched mytharc episodes, which was much less fun for me, but much more interesting to her.

Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

I don't read X-Files fic often. I look at new things sometimes, and I've reread a few old classics, but my reading taste has changed so much. I still love straight romance, but it needs to be fast and sharp in a way that is hard to find.

I read fic in other fandoms when I have time. In the past few years, I've finished a degree, had a daughter, renovated a small Victorian and then sold it and bought another one during this pandemic--so time has been short. Currently I read some Untamed fic, some Good Omens fic, Magicians, Schitt's Creek...a sampler. Whatever friends are writing, whatever they recommend.

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

I never have a favorite of my own fics. I'm never satisfied. The second I post something, I'm always full of regrets. I've written fics that did very well and still hated them a month later. People have asked me over the years to move more of my stuff off Livejournal and onto ao3, but I do it really reluctantly and only by specific request. Everything's ephemeral! Let the old works diminish, and go into the West!

Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story? Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online?

I have no oldies to dust off. I do periodically think of X-Files stories I would tell, but I don't have enough time for current interests--and so it goes.

Do you still write fic now? Or other creative work?

I do. I was most recently writing in The Magicians fandom. I posted a couple new stories in an old fandom last year--I'd written Good Omens fic fifteen years ago, and then again for the Amazon adaptation. I have a pile of original novels in various stages of completion, but I'm never happy with them. One day I'll figure myself out, perhaps, or I'll just keep writing myself this and that and leaving it all in a drawer.

What's the story behind your pen name?

So AOL had a character limit for user names--I think it was 10. I was a teenager at the time I was coming up with the one I'd use for fandom, so I went with Dreamshaper. It was kind of literal, in the sense that I was going to share the stories I'd been telling myself to help me sleep. But the character limit meant I went with Dreamshpr, which I later liked because of the alternate reading of Dream*shipper*. A reminder to the younger fans that we were the original shippers!

I would also come up with new pen names when I wanted to experiment with a fic that didn't fit my usual style. I don't remember any of them. I probably did that a dozen times, so, sorry to those poor completely abandoned stories.

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now?

Giddygeek on tumblr and ao3. I'm most active on twitter, but largely about my domestic life with dips into fandoms or original writing; message me on tumblr if you're an old friend who'd like to reconnect elsewhere.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with fans of X-Files fic?

Just gratitude--I'm so glad that I found people to share an obsession with, and that they were good people, at a time in my life where that made a significant difference to me. I don't know where I'd be now without my time and my growth in this fandom!

(Posted by Lilydale on December 22, 2020)

#new post #old school x #xfiles fanfic #xf fanfic #xf fanfic author interviews #dreamshaper

[stinkrascal]

Hey jaiden! This might be a weird question, but I recently started living by myself, and one of my biggest struggles lately has been figuring out what to eat everyday, cause I have to find cheap and easy stuff since I’ve never been a really good cook lol. For some reason I thought you might know of some recipes that might work for me? You don’t have to answer this, but thank you so much if you do ❤️ hugs

i'm not a very good cook tbh, and my taste in food is especially bland, but i can share the few things i do know! i'll put it under the cut bc ik i'll ramble lol

i stock up on sandwich ingredients since it's cheap and easy to make and u can make a bunch of them!!! if u have money for a frying pan u can make sandwiches soooo good. i make a lot of grilled cheese in the frying pan!!! i just put 4 slices of turkey w a slice of american cheese in the middle and top it with white bread, then coat the pan in butter and fry the grilled cheese on either side for about 1-2 mins on low temp, until the bread turns golden brown, n that's it!!! u can add other stuff im just rlly bland w my food yk. i also make a lot of tuna fish sandwiches lol, i just mix tuna with mustard and mayonnaise (you can guess how much you need of either tbh) and put that between two pieces of toasted white bread, u can add seasonings to it but again im bland lol

SALAD STUFF is a huge one for me, i always try to have salad ingredients at the house bc its such a good snack!!!! the way i make salads is really easy, i get spinach and spring mix salad, cut up 2-3 strawberries depending on their size, then throw in blueberries, purple and/or green grapes, a can of mandarin oranges, and top it off with a FUCK TON of feta cheese, and that's it!!! u can top it off whatever dressings u like, idrk what dressings would go good w this so use your own discretion ig but yeah its super easy to make, this is one of my go-to meals!!!!

if you have a frying pan, tilapia is really easy to make and it's cheap too!!! you literally just brush the top of the tilapia with olive oil, season it with whatever seasonings you like (i usually only put a little salt, pepper, and a light dusting of tony's chachere's) then fry it on both sides and then you're done!!

i make a lottttttttttt of smoothies, which you do need a blender for, but if you do have one they're really filling for meals!! my favorites are strawberry banana and peanut butter banana smoothies. i just put a cup full of crushed ice, a single banana, 3-5 strawberries depending on their size, a tablespoon of sugar, guess the amount of milk needed, then blend that all together!!!!! the peanut butter banana recipe is the same, except instead of 3-5 strawberries i put in a tablespoon of peanut butter!! theyre both soooooo good and filling and easy to make, definitely would recommend!!

generally a lot of small grocery stores will have weekly sales papers at the front of their store that are free for customers to take, it's good to get in the habit of getting those papers and basing ur meal preps off that!!! some stores will have better deals than others for the same thing, the sales papers helps to keep track of it all :') maybe that's basic info to some of u but i literally didn't know this until i met my bf's mom and it has changed my life lol

otherwise most of the food i eat is canned/refrigerated meals or store bought pizza tbh it's embarrassing how little i know how to cook lmao, but there are tons of recipes on the internet! i find a lot of helpful tutorials on youtube, instagram, and tiktok!!

#jade answers #anonymous #i wish i knew how to cook more tbh #im startin slow yk #one day i'll cook so good #for now i will make my salads and grilled cheese w glee #anyways i hope this helped anon!! good luck!! if anyone has any simple recipes they wanna share that would be awesome!!!!

[roguish-gallery]

Rogues + Internet/Social Media HCs!

Hello!!! this was requested by @geniusbee I struggled a bit with the initial prompt, so I kinda broadened the question, I hope you don’t mind! Once I got the ball rolling with this one, it was super fun to work on! Thank you again for your request!

If anyone wants to, feel free to send me send me more requests! I’d love to do more of these!

Everything is under the Read More bc this got LONG AS FUCK. (Slight TW for sexual references!)

Bane:

Doesn’t use social media. point blank

He’ll surf the web mostly for research or for communication purposes, but that’s mostly it... That being said sometimes he DOES look up stuff for fun because he’s a naturally curious guy who had limited access to education for the first 20-ish years of his life. It sends him down a rabbit hole of researching weird shit and sometimes you’ll catch him up at 4:00 am looking up how bread was made in Ancient Rome or what Cock and Ball Torture is bc he heard Joker say it once and he’s never EVER fucking heard of those words strung together like that before

Also… his fingers are simply too beefy for most keyboards. Dude tryna sit down and send Scandal Savage some fun cookie recipes she could try with her GF like

 Catwoman:

Not a lot to say here but tbh she probably has the most normal internet habits of everyone. Helps to promote cat shelter’s web pages, and will use some light hacking to find the locations of fur factories and animal abusers but that’s mostly it?

If she isn’t already an influencer, she has definitely considered it. Will sometimes post selfies of her wearing stolen jewelry just to flex. Has a legion of simps.

Clayface

Unknowingly gets into kin drama without trying to

He has... so many theather blogs, musical blogs, and obscure film blogs... someone help him... somehow he regularly adds shit to ALL OF THEM. 

He’s that one bitch who hoards all the canon URLs and there’s nothing you can fucking do to stop him.

Harley Quinn:

Her computer is slow and buggy as shit because she’s got so many viruses from trying to download flash games. Edward refuses to fix her computers at this point because he knows it’s a lost cause.

She vlogs sometimes, actually! And she’ll drag her hyenas or any of the rogues/batfam/GCPD she’s hanging out with atm into it.

She likes to go onto anxiety or depression forums and anonymously leave nice, helpful advice :)

Joker:

Mostly on the dark web, doing… things that you do on the dark web...

If he’s ever on the clean web I promise it’s only to start kin drama or to dm fucked up shit to random people he finds.

Has been known to catfish when the mood strikes him

Also? He jumps onto RP forums and either plays the SHITTIEST Batman, or an eerily accurate Batman.

Killer Croc:

He likes looking up funny videos online!!! Also! Art tutorials!!

He likes to post his artwork online under a pseudonym. He doesn’t expect anyone to really pay attention to his work, but it’s always a very pleasant surprise when someone likes or leaves a nice comment on his art.

 He genuinely cherishes all of his followers and the kind interactions he shares with them.

Mad Hatter:

It’s just hat porn and hentai. I’m sorry.

Mr. Freeze:

Normal internet habits tbh. Doesn’t really go on the internet that often because he doesn’t particularly care about keeping up to date with what’s happening.

He used to have a Facebook where he’d post pictures of himself and Nora, but he can’t really do that anymore due to obvious reasons.

Penguin:

Lightly dabbles in dark web shit (for business purposes) but otherwise he’s like an old man on the internet. Checks the stock market and shit. Responds to his emails in a timely manner. He keeps track of everyone’s internet presence but that’s mostly because he enjoys drama and he doesn’t want to be out of the loop in case Eddie starts something again and he needs to know WHY Jervis and Pamela can’t be in the Iceberg at the same time without trying to kill each other.

He REFUSES to make a social media account for the Iceberg Lounge!!!! It is too classy for that!!!

Other than that, though… don’t tell anyone… but he keeps some tabs open on some 🥺🥺🥺 some bird forums and uh 🥺🥺🥺 m🥺🥺🥺 maybe some blogs he has that are all about Jane Austen and Star Trek: The Next Generation 🥺🥺🥺🥺 n-not like he LIKES Star Trek, though!!

Also in Batman #448 it shows that him and Batman canonically play chess with each other online and you know what? That’s cute as hell so I’m gonna say that they still do that.

Poison Ivy:

Surprising no one… she mostly blogs about botany

Will ONLY go onto other parts of the internet to like and share Harley, Selina, or Waylon’s posts and THAT'S IT!!!!

She is not above getting petty in the comment section!! If she finds a video of some clown over-watering their ferns she will absolutely let them know and she will not be polite about it.

Riddler:

Canonically has the best hookup and 100% is the most active online. Like yeah he does a lot of hacking shit but he uses the internet for legit stuff too.

PURPOSEFULLY looks himself up and will argue with anyone who talks smack about him on literally any of the search results. He WILL remember your username and he WILL publicly mock you for it when he freezes your laptop or when he takes over the broadcasting waves in Gotham again.

You KNOW he has a social media account for everything. He WILL talk about how smart and sexy he is and he WILL get around any attempts made to get him blocked, suspended, or banned. 

“You fool… I have 70  A L T E R N A T I V E  A C C O U N T S”

He is the self-proclaimed tech-guru of the Rogues. He WILL harass you if you are using the wrong web browser or if you have TOO MANY FUCKING TABS OPEN FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU.

He calms down somewhat once he becomes a P.I. He’ll take selfies at crime scenes and livestream himself when he’s finding clues or chasing someone down! He’s absolutely obsessed with it and he gets super popular. He knows that he shouldn’t broadcast himself solving crimes... but... the clicks... the views... his stans...

Enjoys gaming and modding whenever he has free time.

Scarecrow:

He hasn’t been in a classroom in years but if you looked at his internet habits you would think he’s still teaching psychology at Gotham U. Responds to emails responsibly (but NOT on weekends or after 10 pm!!)

Probably wouldn’t blog these days, but when he was younger he had a page where he would discuss his psychology work.

He mostly uses the internet for research or to order chemicals but he’ll often get swept up in some inane message chain with Harley and Eddie and he HATES IT.

He has like two dozen tabs open on his computer because he forgets about them and even though some of the tabs have been there for so long that he GENUINELY can’t remember why they were there, he keeps them because it makes Edward break into hives every time he tries to watch what he’s doing online. Giving Edward Nygma anxiety sweats is easy and free and should be done often.

Two-Face:

He uses incognito mode… whenever he needs to google embarrassing questions…

He likes to peruse the dark web but sometimes he enjoys hopping onto r/legaladvice and r/relationships and reads that shit like it's the Sunday paper.

If he’s bored or is having a bad mental day, he likes to look up all the Google doodle games that Google keeps archived. they’re all really cute and are a lot of fun to goof around with whenever he’s wanting to play something light and quick!

#headcanons #rogue gallery #Edward Nygma #Harley Quinn #Jonathan Crane #Oswald Cobblepot #Bane #Selina Kyle #Basil Karlo #Harvey Dent #Waylon Jones #Pamela Isley #Victor Fries #Jervis Tetch #the joker #dc comics #dc headcanon

[mattzerella-sticks]

Supernatural Crack🩹tober

Day 17: Catstiel

           Dean hears its purr before he sees it. The rumble far different than what he’s experienced with, softer and higher pitched. He steps back, fingers sliding off Baby’s handle. Scans the surrounding area for sight of a fuzzy tail or rounded ear. It’s not obvious at first. But its purring continues, louder. Better able for him to track it.

           He finds the damned cat wedged between his tire and Baby’s frame. A shadow with blue eyes that watched him from its perch. “Seriously,” he grouses, “you lookin’ to become roadkill?” It hisses, a midnight paw reaching out and swatting at him. “Not doing a good job, convincing me to not just get in and drive.” Dean slowly draws his hand forward, fingers twitching. The cat hit again, scratching his hand. “Dammit.”

           It’s a threat he should follow through on, but he doesn’t. Dean sets his purchases on the ground, kneeling, while he struggled freeing the cat. There was more clawing, and curses tumbled out of both their mouths. A spectacle for any passerby. Soon, though, Dean freed he little kitty. Its blue eyes unnervingly staring up at him as he held him in his arms. He clears his throat, dander already affecting him.

           “Okay,” he drops the cat. It lands gracefully. “Shoo, now. Find a better bed for the night – I’ve heard good things about this motel by the highway…” Defiantly, it struts back towards his car. “No!” he says. It won’t stop. “I said – no!” Dean catches it mid-jump, eyes watering. He sneezes, glaring at this stray cat. “You’re not gonna leave me alone, are you?”

           “Meow.”

           “Figures…” Dean shifts his bag, still keeping a tight grip on the cat with one arm. It barely struggles. He wished it would, instead of staring at him. Planning, biding its time. Dean scooped the bag onto his wrist, then opened the car door. Entering, he placed his purchases on the passenger side footwell. The unwanted guest slunk over to the other side. “Keep your paw prints to a minimal, capisce?” It blinks, and then places one paw on the tape deck. If Dean weren’t midway through dial tone, he’d have strangled the cat. He swallows the annoyance, switching for some false cheer as Cas answers his phone.

           “Cas, hey!” Dean says, fiddling with his keys, “yeah… no, yeah I got the stuff. M’just on my way back, have to make a pitstop before I… why? Um…” Dean glances at the cat, now leaning on his dashboard. Standing, using its hind legs. “A little hiccup, s’all. I –“ Dean sneezes, startling the cat and Cas. “I – sorry, I… thanks Cas.” He pauses, an unfiltered, genuine expression staining his face. “That’s… thanks for being concerned but no, I’m not – it’s not sick. Allergies – I, no you don’t have to… really, just wait in the Dean Cave and I’ll be there when I get there… kick Sam out if you have to! Okay, bye…”

           Dean ends his call, staring at the phone screen. Smile widening as he catches his reflection. That doesn’t last long, cat parading into view. Crawling onto his lap, nudging at his hand. “Hey,” he growls, “ease up will you? Or I’m not driving you to a shelter.”

           It turns, blinking up at him. Blue eyes wide and… familiar. The cat continues until fully settled on Dean’s lap.

           “Someone’s got personal space issues…” Dean bites his lip, unsure how he should act. His hand draws near, afraid of more attacks that’ll leave him marked and bloody. When the cat remains calm, he pets it. Featherlight, barely brushing its fur. He does a better job with his next try, the cat mewling from his touch. “You like that?” he says, repeating his actions, “You like that… cat?”

           It hisses, Dean frozen with his hand on its haunches.

           “Not cat,” he mumbles. Dean moves to tickle behind its ear, wondering. “That’s what you are, right? S'no name. Unless you used to belong to three-year old…” Looking at the phone in his other hand, Dean subtly turns it on. Searches for the nearest animal hospital, scrolling with watery eyes. He sneezes again, except the cat won’t move.

           “Okay,” Dean says, route in mind, “we’ll get you to the right people, and you’ll find a loving home soon.”

           The cat responds with a gentle lift of its furry head, and another slow blink.

           Dean sighs, “Dammit.”

🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹

           Cas glances between Dean and the small bundle in his arms. “When I sent you to get snacks,” he says, “this wasn’t what I had in mind.”

           “Hey!” Dean yelps, tucking the cat closer to his chest. Glaring, “He’s not a snack. He’s our son.” Jack protests now, him and Sam watching from the sidelines of the kitchen. Seated there once Dean texted for a family meeting in there, spoiling their date night. “Sorry, our other son.”

           “Dean…” Cas pinches his brow, inhaling like he’s learned from his meditation podcasts. Except the irritation lingers despite being breathed out. “Why would you bring home a cat?”

           “Because I just couldn’t leave him on the side of the road!”

           “And what was wrong with an animal shelter?”

           “We…” He blushes, whether from embarrassment or the hives finally spreading past his shirt collar. “We already bonded.”

           “For fuck’s sake Dean,” Cas says, “we can’t have a cat roaming around the Bunker!”

           “He’ll be fine, promise.” Dean advances, holding his cat in a way that the lower half swings with each step. “Catstiel will be on his best behavior at all times, he promises.”

           “I doubt that – hold on,” Cas’s eyes widen, brows angling downwards, “Catstiel?”

           “Yeah, Catstiel.”

           “You – you named him after me?”

           Dean shrugs, “He reminded me of you, sweetheart.”

           Cas scoffs, “I doubt he could’ve remind –“ He stops, the cat’s paw batting at his nose. Lingering there while blue meets blue, lightning striking between the two. Silent communication that lasts only a few seconds. Retreating, Cas mumbles to himself. Then, “You will be taking care of… Catstiel. I hope you understand that.”

           “Of course,” Dean nods, “I’m gonna make an appointment with a doctor tomorrow for an allergy shot. And then we can hit up some pet stores and…” He rambles, Catstiel climbing free from his hold and up his arm. Relaxing on his shoulders like a living scarf. Cas chuckles, soft and under his breath, while Dean animatedly rambles about their new future of being dads to a cat.

           Maybe the Internet didn’t ruin him for all cats.

(Day 16 - Hair Swap)

#supernatural #spn #cracktober #profoundnet #dean winchester #castiel #destiel #deancas #supernatural fanfic #destiel fanfic #deancas fanfic

[yikesharringrove]

the fic you wrote for my last prompt was amazing, ty 😭 can you do 50 + 56 this time please? and if you want to work in dyslexic!steve too that would be awesome! 🥰

You are speaking my fuckin’ language, dyslexic Steve is my ABSOLUTE jam. Honestly, whenever I write Steve, he’s dyslexic, although sometimes it’s not mentioned because it’s not important to Harry’s journey @ jk rowling

Thank you for your request! I’m really glad you liked the other one I wrote! You’re anonymous so I don’t know which one that is but I really enjoyed writing them all! Sorry for my manic energy rn.

Something a little different, it’s modern au! This is probably nothing like what you were thinking so I’m sorry, but I kinda love it ngl.

50: Secret Admirer

56: “I don’t know if I should be flattered or offended.”

Prompt list!

Billy spent three and a half hours reading through every single tweet on the account.

There were so fucking many of them. The earliest one was timestamped from four days ago, so obviously, this person had no life outside of tweeting.

Tweeting about Billy.

He had a few personal favorites. He had retweeted them to his account, figuring may as well play it up, make a joke outta everything.

@ImHardForHargrove: sorry WHOMST gave you the RIGHT to have eyes that fuckin blue im YELLING

@ImHardForHargrove: watchin u play basketball is a religious experience y are ur arms so BIG hhnnnng

And Billy’s absolute favorite, which he pinned right at the top of his account

@ImHardForHargrove: ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass

Billy knew he looked good. Knew he turned heads wherever he went. He did that on purpose. But realizing someone at Hawkins High had set up a thirst account for him, well.

“I don’t know if I should be flattered or offended.” Billy had explained the situation to Robin, letting her go through the account on his phone. “Like, It’s kinda nice, whoever this guy is, he’s got a crush. But also like, It’s kinda creepy. Plus he’s objectifying me,” Billy was talking through his sandwich.

Robin made a face of disgust. “Why do you keep saying ‘he’? All of the girls in this fucking school are practically drooling for you.”

“Hard for Hargrove, Robin. I know you’re like, revolted by the peen and whatever but that does not excuse a lack of basic sexual education and anatomy.” She gagged at him. Honest to God, gagged. He thought she was gonna spew all over the table.

“If I ever hear you call it a peen ever again, it’s on sight Hargrove.” Heather plopped herself down next to Robin, kissing her cheek before zeroing in on Billy’s phone, still in Robin’s hand.

“Have you guys worked out who it could be yet?” Her eyes were wide at Billy.

“Billy says he thinks its a guy even though people with penises aren’t necessarily men.” Robin gave him a pointed look.

“Yeah Robin, I know that, but, I don’t know I just think it’s a guy penis-having person.”

Heather narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you actually think that, or are you just hoping in that goblin little brain of yours that this account is Steve Harrington’s.” Billy could feel the heat spread down his neck.

“Billy, I know Steve is like, the only out guy in this whole fucking town, but you can do way better than him.  PLUS, I feel like it makes more sense if the person running this account wasn’t out and had to channel their gay yearning through social media.”

“First of all Robin, you have this vendetta against Steve that I don’t get. He’s a nice guy. He’s kinda dopey, kinda dumb, but he’s like, sweet and shit. Second, I’m not out, so it still could be him because he doesn’t think I would, like, accept his advances or whatever. Hence, gay internet yearning.” The chime of the bell sent them packing their lunches, Billy’s phone vibrated in Robin’s hand. She rolled her eyes when he realized he turned on notifications for the account

“Get a fucking life you loser.” She slapped the phone into his hand. He opened the new tweet with embarrassing zeal.

@ImHardForHargrove: i saw u talking with ur mouth full and it was yucky but i was still  🥺🥺

His head shot up, trying to see who would have been facing him during lunch, but the cafeteria was almost empty.

The rest of the week Billy took deliberate care of every interaction he had with anyone. Observing who was in his surroundings, and making note of everything he did and said. He took extra caution around Steve, wanting to spot any minute detail that could give away who ran the account.

The account started blowing up. People were retweeting like fucking crazy. Everywhere he went, he was being asked if he’s seen it, like he doesn’t regularly retweet the good ones. The search for the owner of the account had spread throughout the whole school. A few girls even tried to claim the account was theirs, but every time that happened the account would tweet out something to discredit whoever made the claim, proving them a liar.

Billy was starting to lose hope it was Harrington. The tweets were coming at all different times, posted whenever the person thought about it, so Billy was losing track of who was near when he said or did something. And the tweets were always about stupid stuff Billy didn’t register doing. On Wednesday night the account said

@ImHardForHargrove: hi when you chew on your pencil and it makes me 🥴 that is all thx for comin to my ted talk

Friday afternoon gave them all:

@ImHardForHargrove: walked past ur classroom and u were asleep ive never wanted to CUDDLE someone so bad in my LIFE

But Saturday, Saturday renewed all hope for Harrington Billy could possibly have. Lauren Kranz was throwing a party. It was the first real rager in a while, so everyone was there, and everyone was sloshed. Everyone but Billy, who’d agreed to be designated driver for Robin and Heather like some kinda idiot.

He was brooding on the back porch when his phone went off. The account was active, and the owner was drunk.

@ImHardForHargrove: I can seeeeee u oyt the windw I wan u 2 FUC ME. RAW DOG.

@ImHardForHargrove: srry ur so beauitiful nd THICCC

@ImHardForHargrove: I wana shoot my shot but idk if u lik bois

@ImHardForHargrove: (ys i am boi)

@ImHardForHargrove: nd i dont wana get my heart broken agin 😥

He was right about it being a guy. He was right about him being too nervous to approach him outright. His brain was screaming stevestevesteve at him. Hawkins was shook when Steve came out as bisexual in his sophomore year. He was the golden boy, a real jock. He was NOT the kind of guy people would assume queer in a small midwestern town.

He was kind of a douchebag, dumping one girl for another, sleeping with her and never calling again. But then he settled down with this guy from the University of Indianapolis for a few months until Steve caught him cheating. Apparently, he had slashed the guy’s tires. Billy was impressed.

The next year came Wheeler, who only stuck around long enough to make sure Steve was nice and whipped before she fucked off on him too. So Steve retreated. Spent more time with middle schoolers than anybody else. Didn’t want to put his heart on the line anymore until he knew it wouldn’t be stomped on.  Billy could respect that.

Billy couldn’t risk being out in a town like Hawkins. Word always had a way of getting right back to his dad, and in a tiny hick town with nothing better to do than gossip, it was usually only a matter of hours before Neil heard something he didn’t like.

@ImHardForHargrove: srry 4 bad typing rn. drunk nd dysl exic ren’t a happy combo

Billy’s heart stopped. The drunken idiot was giving himself away. Maybe if he sat here staring at the account long enough, enough would be revealed he could figure it all out like a shitty drunk episode of Blue’s Clues.

He was so focused on Twitter, refreshing his feed, again and again, he didn’t notice a very drunk, and very unsteady Steve Harrington stumbling out the back door towards him. Until he crashed into his back.

“Sorry, Bill!” Billy had Steve by the shoulders trying to keep him upright. “Heyy I have a question for you.” Steve grabbed one of Billy’s hands and veered over to the table and chairs arranged neatly on the small patio. When they were sitting, Steve kept ahold of Billy’s hand.

“Hi.” Steve was smiling like a little kid. Billy was in fucking love.

“hey, Harrington. What was your question.”

“So-oo. I have this friend. A very good friend. Super close. And he has a big ol’ crush on you but he’s too scared to ask you himself because he keeps getting his heart fuckin’ broken so he wanted me to ask. Are you into guys?” It’s a miracle Billy understood any of that, every word blending into the next.

“That depends.” Billy leaned in, running his tongue along his bottom lip. He saw Steve take in a sharp breath, following the movement with his glazed eyes. He knew Steve was talking about himself, he just wanted to rile him up a little. Make him blush first. “This friend you’re talkin’ about. He’s our age? Like you’re not trying to set me up with one a’ your kids, right?” Steve physically recoiled.

“NO, you fuckin’ pedo. I’m NOT trying to set you up with a fuckin’, fuckin’ middle schooler. My friend is, uh eighteen. He’s a senior.” Unless Tommy fuckin’ H. suddenly had a penchant for dick Billy didn’t know about, Steve was 100% talking about himself.

“Well, if he’s as pretty as you are, I’d love to go out with him sometime.” Billy winked. Steve went red.

“Okay, but like, does that mean you’d go out with me? Like I’m as pretty as me, right? Because I was talking about me. Not ‘a friend’ I was talking about me. Steve.”

“Yeah, I kinda figured that out. You know, I was hoping it was you running that Twitter. Any time you’d tweet out something you wanted to do with me, I was always picturin’ doing it with you, Baby.” Billy was practically purring. “Especially all the shit you wanted me to do TO you.” Steve gave something between a whine and a groan and flopped himself onto Billy’s lap, straddling him with very little grace.

“Thank God. ‘Cause you’re so fucking hot I’d let you do anything to me. Anything, Bill.” Billy smiled softly at him.

“Then let me take you home. Let me put you in bed to sleep off all this. And let me take you to breakfast tomorrow. Something nice and greasy for your hangover tummy.” Steve was a puddle in Billy’s lap. “C’mon, Drunky, git your ass up.” Steve just giggled and muttered Drunky Skunky under his breath.

Billy sighed and stood up, hefting Steve up with him.

“Bil-ly,” Steve whined. “You’re so strong, this is so fucking hot. I gotta tweet about this.”

“Tweet it later, Sweet Thing.”

It took Billy for-fucking-ever to find Robin and Heather (they were making out in the basement with the stoners). But Steve chirped and cooed into his ear, so happy Billy could lift him and hold him like it was nothing.

The last tweet from the account was timestamped from Sunday evening.

@ImHardForHargrove: Hi this is Steve. Billy’s my boyfriend now 🥰#ThirstWorks

#I'm gonna reblog this in the morning too #Im v proud of it I want people to SEE IT #harringrove #steve harrington #steve harrington x billy hargrove #billy hargrove x steve harrington #billy hargorve #modern au #modern harringrove #yikes writes #harringrove prompts #Harringrove Prompts list #harringrove prompt fill #prompt fill #prompt fic

[ikeservant]

Hehe back again!! Can I get hc for Kenshin, Ieyasu, and Mitsunari, being introduced to smartphones? lol let's say MC had those solar portable battery charger so her phone is still alive in Sengoku era (lmao things I come up with). I guess phone can only do so much without internet tho like playing music and taking photos, idk lol. TYSM I love your stuff!!

OH MY GOODNESS I WAS ABOUT TO DO A PROMPT JUST LIKE THIS! What a great coincidence holy smokes!  Thank u \^u^/. This was fun to write!

Setup: Sasuke found a way to charge smartphones by generating power from acidic fruit and a magnetic/metal conductive device (Apparently oranges can do this. Ya learn something new every day) and made this for MC to charge her phone.

Kenshin: “Is this advanced weaponry from the future?” “You could bonk someone on the head with it but no, it’s used for many things. In the future if you had a device like this you could instantly message and talk to others.” Wishes cellphones were invented 500 years ago for 2 reasons: 1) Easy contact of battle updates and keeping track of where different army troops are 2) so he could keep tabs on MC and hear her lovely voice when he was apart from her. Although a lot of features couldn’t be used, she showed and taught him the three most notable things the smartphone could do: take/save pictures and videos and play music. MC showed him photos of her and her friends and her family, letting Kenshin get to know her more and her life in her future and feel closer. Liked the hard rock music, most definitely has AC/DC playing in his head when he’s cutting down opponents. MC lets him borrow the phone whenever he wants and he promises to NOT kill it, no matter how many times it buffers or shuts off. MC noticed one day that there was a private photo album that she didn’t remember that had recent photos. The first five photos were horribly blurry or a thumb covering the lens so she figured Kenshin was just trying to figure out how to take pictures, but the next photos was of her petting the bunnies, one of her smiling and waving , and one of her passed out on the futon in the morning. “Hey Kenshin, are you trying to take candid pics of me?” she asked, slightly embarrassed. “You told me the reason people take photos are to commemorate things and let you see and remember things precious to you. There’s nothing more I want to recall and look at than you.” Cue MC taking a picture of Kenshin for that same reason.

Ieyasu: Is like an old man fumbling around with the smartphone. He drops the “I don’t care” attitude because he’s genuinely fascinated and wants to learn more about these futuristic, seemingly fantasy-sounding powers the phone has. MC shows him how to take pictures and shows him her photos of life in the future. Almost chokes and turns red when photos of MC with shorts or short sleeve shirts appear and would probably blank out if there’s any beach/pool photos of MC(Too scandalous for the 1500s >///<). Would be an internal softie and sentimental of MC’s memories and stories of the past, happy to learn more about her and putting faces to the names of people MC held dear to her that she told him about. Would play jazz music or something with good beats to play in the background as he’s working on grinding herbs or organizing his medicine cabinet and might tap his foot or finger to it without noticing (it’s adorable but don’t tell him that). When he finally figured out how to take videos his first video was of Mitsunari tripping and falling flat on his face (he watches it every once in a while on a bad day to cheer himself up). When MC had to leave for a couple nights with Nobunga and Hideyoshi pretending to be an Oda princess in order to help form an alliance, she left her phone for him to entertain himself with while she was gone. When it was nighttime he already missed her warmth and her goofy smile. He hesitantly pulled the phone into bed with him and pulled up some pictures he took of her smiling at him and making funny faces as well as a short video of her laughing to tears, making him feel better but also missing her even more. MC came home early the second night and was going to surprise Ieyasu but as she was creeping up behind him she saw a glimpse of his longing face looking at a picture of her, “I can make that face right now if you want.” *cue Ieyasu jumping up before hugging MC to hide his blushing face*

Mitsunari: Would be soaking up all the information like a sponge. Would be asking MC all sorts of questions over how smartphones work and the technology as a whole (slow down, sweetie. MC didn’t invent the smartphone). Would be looking through everything and asking what everything meant, even all of the settings and the terms and agreements section (prayers for MC). Would learn all there is to know about the smartphone and although boy can’t even make tea he sure can work a smartphone. Just make sure he’s using it sitting down on a stable surface or else accidents may happen. Loves learning about MC’s life through her pictures, ingraining them into his memory like he does with his books. Would be asking so many questions about the clothing and the architecture and everything in the picture that is not like his time period. He wouldn’t want to forget a thing when it comes to the love of his life and her lifestyle in her time. He’s a total nerd with the smartphone, testing taking pictures and videos. Would use it to record messages to go back to when he’s formulating battle strategies. Would be putting on some smooth jazz when doing tasks because it gets him in the zone to read and strategize. When MC had to leave for a small political trip with Nobunga and Hideyoshi without him, she told him the phone was his while she was gone and could do whatever he wanted with it. When she asked for it back she immediately realized her lock screen and homescreen were of her petting Kitty and of her excitedly talking. “When did you take these pictures of me?” “I’m sorry you just looked so cute I just had to take a picture. When you told me I could customize the phone while you were gone I wanted to make the wallpaper something I could look at as much as my books. It let me admire you even if you physically weren’t in front of me.” he’d answer with an angelic smile. “But now that you’re here I can admire you in more ways a mere picture.” he added, with a blush and a deep gaze. (MC almost choked and spit all over the smartphone)

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen #ikesen headcanon #ikesen hc #ikesen kenshin #ikesen ieyasu #ikesen mitsunari

[joy-world]

Master Social Engagement to Master Success in 21st Century!

Social Engagement as a Business trend!

In the past, only few businesses utilize social media as part of their business operations. Few businesses use it as a marketing tool, others use it as a two-way communication tool or seldom both.

Due to this Covid-19, we are unable to connect with our customers physically and this impacted not just in the business industry but also the rest of the world and the 21st century is demanding the entrepreneurs to adapt in the new normal.

21st Century

As rapid changes occurs and the demand of social media in business industry arise. Social media plays a vital role in business, because almost everyone and everything happens is in this particular platform.

Nowadays, focusing only on offering a high-quality product or service is no longer enough to stay competitive in this 21st century, you also need to keep your customers interacting with your brand to create a loyal relationship. As a entrepreneur, your priority should not only focus on gaining profit but also in creating a great customer relationship.

This might sound overwhelming for other business and fails to adapt the sudden change but this is an opportunity for other business to master success. One of the biggest factors that separate successful companies this 21st century from those that fail is an excellent social engagement strategy.

To master Social Engagement, you must figure out what it is and how it works!

What is it?

Social engagement is the involvement of a business to their customers in an online setting. Platforms such as social media, blogs, forums and your own website that connects you to your online community.

How it works?

You need to actively work to build a relationship. Social engagement is a long-term relationship with your customer and just like any relationship it takes patience and commitment to make it work.

How does Social Engagement impact your business?

Why businesses do it?

Social engagement plays an important role in stabilizing a business profile online. Based on Sprout Social’s Q2 2016 Index, they said that social media was considered to be the most preferred channel for a customer to engage with a brand. It does not guarantee that you'll have a 100% return in sales when you increase Social media engagement. A study that I found in the internet said that companies that engaged with customers increase in sales by 40% upwards. Furthermore, the Increase in Social Media Engagement will also result to an Increase in Brand Loyalty.

Reasons why you should master Social Engagement.

why should you do it?

Have an abreast of the market trends (Collect consumer data).

Acts as a Competitive Advantage (Flexible and approachable)

Acts as a Marketing tool (You reach large audiences)

In order to master it, AGAIN! it requires commitment and patience. Once you effectively done it, you will reap what you sow and more!

Speaking of effectivity, in order for you to Master Social engagement you can create a specialized team.

Collaborate!

why should I form a specialized team?

This might sound too much but trust me it works. Having a team who focuses on different angles is a way to make sure you’re doing everything right. As the saying goes, "two heads are better than one". You should build a team that consist:

A person who focuses on making contents.

A person who focuses on increasing sales

A person who handles negative feedbacks and hostile customers.

A person who focuses on increasing your audience.

Remember! You can personalize your own team. You should be creative in planning well how to maximize and utilize the use of your people and machines.

Tips on how to do it well

Start conversations or reach out

Be true. Share your story with your customers to give them a glimpse of your life and journey. be your own brand ambassador. Make sure to post things that are relevant to your audience. . Ask questions or give industry knowledge related and relevant to your business.

Engross

Participate in the latest topics and happenings, Jump on relevant topics and join their conversations. This will give your brand the view that you care about the current happenings. Engage with your customers for example, whenever they mention you, or message you make sure to have a feedback as soon as possible.

Adapt to current trends

Throw contests and create a giveaway. Make sure you are aware of the trends and adapt it.

Be consistent

Commit yourself to a scheduled routine to make sure you are doing everything on time. Remember to reply, whenever a customer messages you, always make sure to reply even if it is a good or bad message.

Invest in knowledge towards Social Engagement

Train your man power to master this business trend by attending webinars, Team Meeting, etc., and other programs that are related to social engagement. This will definitely help you monitor and protect your brand.

Those are the starting key points you should remember when starting social engagement. eventually, if you keep doing it creatively and consistently, there's no doubt you'll master it in no time.

Now, Let's move on to the advantage and disadvantages of doing Social Engagement.

Advantage

These are some advantages that you will gain when you do social engagement.

Opportunities in Paid advertisements offer

Builds brand Recognition

You drive traffic to your website - this is an opportunity to your business to be widely known by a larger audience.

Ability to assess your performance - easy for you to track your progress if you're making profitable returns.

You can create viral content - your followers can share with their followers which gives you a wider reach (with lower cost) than a traditional marketing campaign.

Disadvantage

There are also disadvantages in doing this, what's important is you'll know how to cope up with it.

Negative feedbacks are inevitable - People use social media to share their experiences either good or bad. If someone had a poor experience with your business, or just hate your business it opens a door of opportunity for them to share their poor experience with others. No matter how bad the review is addressing the issues can speak volumes about your company and its values so always reply..

You can embarrass your company - Using wrong hashtags, making unnecessary post and many more will always reflect in your business. Think before you click. Always do your research before posting content on social media.

Social Media Engagement isn’t something done overnight - Social engagement is a day to day task that needs patience and dedication. Just do your best to maximize your resources to expect great returns.

You must constantly create contents and interact with your customers. As mention above this is a daily task, which means you need to look for content everyday and keep searching for relevant knowledge towards your business. You can find for a company t5hat offer social media engagement service.

You don’t see immediate results. You must be patient and wait a few weeks to see results before you can adjust your campaign. Be patient

To wrap up our discussion you should know how to measure your social engagement activity. This will not only help you keep in track of your strategies but also help you derive new ways to do it effectively and efficiently.

How to measure social engagement

this will help you know if you're doing enough for your business

Data that is the results of your social engagement can help to highlight whether your social engagement strategy is working and if you have to create new strategies. This will make you create a deeper understanding with your customers. This is also useful in making the right business strategies and decisions. you need to set goals in your team to measure achievement. Always keep in mind that your goals should be relevant and realistic to your business strategy.

This is a way to measure it!

Facebook – Likes/reactions, comments, shares, messages, clicks, and followers

Twitter – Retweets, favorites, Tweet replies, direct messages, clicks, and followers

Instagram – Likes, comments, messages, clicks, views (Stories and Live), and followers

LinkedIn – Likes, comments, shares, messages, clicks, and followers

YouTube – Views, likes, comments, shares, clicks, and subscribers

Over all, If you manage to utilize your resources such as time, money, man power and machines effectively and efficiently in social engagement, you can expect to increase your brand name, customer relationship, much better strategies, and achieve the objectives of the organization and beyond. Even if you encounter some hurdles along your way, make sure to adapt and be flexible. The facts mentioned above shows you no reason to not do social engagement. This will highly benefit your business and brings you closer in mastering success. So are you ready to master success this 21st century? what are you waiting for?

Thank you for reading! I hope i helped you gained knowledge in this topic.

Credits to the owner of the photos:

Photo 1: (Republic world, Forbes, vector Stock, Lime survey, Time Magazine, The James G. Martin academic Renewal)

Photo 2: (Faith on campus)

Photo 3: (Financial Times, INSEAD Knowledge, and EVR Advertising)

Photo 4: (Social Pro, InTouch CRM, Marketing91, Business, Real Estate, Life and Stuff Amongst Other Things)

Photo 5: (Ballantine, Science how stuff works, Robert Harding, Entrepreneur resources, Impact Branding Design, The free dictionary)

Sources:

https://www.business2community.com/social-media/4-ways-you-can-boost-social-engagement-for-your-business-02173864#:~:text=Social%20engagement%20involves%20communicating%20with,connected%20to%20your%20online%20community.

https://www.laneterralever.com/blog/social-engagement-key-social-media-success#gref

https://www.webfx.com/internet-marketing/social-media-marketing-advantages-and-disadvantages.html

https://cs-agents.com/blog/social-media-engagement/

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/330344

#business trends #social media #business #social engagement #21st century #customer relationship management #customer loyalty #brand recognition #marketingsuccess #marketingstrategy

[horansqueen]

You & Me : chapter 9

A Niall Horan fanfiction ; rated MA

Sequel to AM CONVERSATIONS

CHAPTER 1 || CHAPTER 2 || CHAPTER 3 || CHAPTER 4 || CHAPTER 5 || CHAPTER 6 || CHAPTER 7 || CHAPTER 8

NOTES:

-one chapter is her pov, the next is his. -4.3k -im sorry, i never proofread, i hate it. -there WILL be smut. but not only smut. -this is a romance, comedy, smut story. -for the summary, check my MASTERLIST.

- notes: so im a bit insecure and i would like to know what you think of Niall and Liv’s relationship. is it bad? would they be better off without each other, just as friends, or do you think theyre meant to be? do you still emjoy this story? anything that bothers you or makes you want to stop reading? if you message me about this, ily! thank you!

requests! : i guess once again if you read them, youll spoil the chapter for yourself. but here are the requests i added in this chapter! :)

Chapter 9 : His chapter

NIALL

I woke up with her still in my arms the way she used to be every single morning and I would lie if I pretended it didn't feel just right. There was something comforting in watching her sleep peacefully while wearing my shirt and I held my head with my hand just staring at her as my other arm was still wrapped around her waist. She was laying on her back though and I couldn't stop looking at her parted lips. I wanted to kiss her but i'd never have the guts to. Besides, she made it clear that she was not ready for that but when she confessed that she knew it would happen, it made something twist in my chest. I don't know if it was the goal, but it gave me enough fuel and hope to never want to give up.

She let out a short whimper in her sleep and I held my breath, trying not move. I didn't want her to wake up just yet. I wanted to keep looking at her, sleeping in my bed with my shirt on. I wanted to engrave this image in my head, just in case it would never happen again.

"Mm..."

I licked my lips but remained motionless. I couldn't pretend I didn't enjoy the little sounds she made when she slept but it's really what she said right after that took my breath away.

"Niall..."

My jaw dropped and my eyes got bigger. Did I hear that right? As if she had heard my mental question, she repeated my name slightly louder but still very softly. It was more of a mumble than anything else but it was enough to make me reach for a lock of her hair. I pushed it away and she whimpered again as the tip of my finger brushed on her skin.

It was bad enough to admit to myself that I wouldn't feel an ounce of guilt if she came back to me and we broke a few hearts as long as I was with her, but it was on an other level of arsehole to pretend I didn't know that it would make her feel like shit, because it probably would. I sighed low and licked my lips, letting my fingertip run on her jaw and neck very slowly. I didn't want to hurt anyone, of course, it was not my intention. After all, it was a mistake I had made and no one else was responsible for it. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I knew Liv and I were supposed to be together. Somehow, I felt like she knew it too, but clearly, she was scared, and I couldn't blame her.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly and they met mine as my lips curled again. For a few seconds, I was thrown back a few years ago and I had to stop myself from bending down and kissing her lips. Lazy morning sex was never her favorite but it was one of mine. What's better than a good love making right before a good cup of coffee? Nothing. Nothing else started the day better than that.

"Hey petal." I whispered with a soft smile.

She brought her hand to her mouth but her eyes became smaller and I knew she was smiling.

"Hey Nee."

"I don't care about your bad breath, you should know that by now."

She blinked a few times and finally moved her hand away as we kept staring at each other. I wanted to stay there for hours and just lay in bed but I knew it was impossible and I just sighed.

"Coffee?"

She smiled even more and nodded before I quickly got up. I glanced at her as she yawned and stretched, chuckling low before doing the same. When I looked back at her again, she quickly moved her eyes away from me and cleared her throat.

"Were you checking me out?"

She frowned with a small smile but she looked embarrassed and it made me laugh a bit.

"No, of course not."

My lips curled into a smirk and I raised my eyebrows. "Hey it's not my fault you forgot a shirt and I had to give you mine but if it makes you feel better, i'll go get dressed so you can stop drooling."

It only took half a second for her to throw one of the pillows at me and I dodged it by moving my elbow up, making it land on the floor. I laughed even more and winked at her before leaving the room to get in the kitchen. I made coffee and went back to my room to dress up with a shirt and shorts before going back. She was there, now dressed too and sitting on the counter. I wanted to move between her legs and pull her waist closer but I just walked up to her and poured coffee in two mugs, adding sugar and cream and handing one to her.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay here." she expressed in a low tone, licking her lips and staring at her mug. "It was important for me and you were there for me. That... that means a lot."

"Hey, I promised I'd always be there for you."

She spread both her palms on the mug, probably for the warmth of the coffee and sighed before finally looking up in my eyes.

"You promised many things, Niall." she explained blatantly. "You didn't keep many of your promises. That's why it's so tough for me to jump into this relationship, whatever it is."

I remained silent but looked down after a while. Like I said, I couldn't blame her but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Look, i'm sorry-"

"No." I cut her, looking back up in her eyes. "No, I deserve it. I mean, I know I've hurt you. I know I disappointed you. It's the biggest mistake of my whole fucking life Olivia and I'll never apologize enough. I'm sorry."

She stared down at me and I enjoyed her eyes traveling on me. It was like a soft touch, I could almost feel it on my skin.

"Okay." she breathed out before licking her lips, her tongue moving slowly on her upper one before reaching her bottom one and making my heartbeats accelerate. I've never wanted a mouth so bad. I've never wanted a kiss so deeply. "I forgive you."

Those words did something to me, something emotional of course but also something physical like my whole body was more alive after hearing them. She was forgiving me for breaking her heart, she was forgiving me for all the pain I put her through, for all the nights crying, for all the time she lost yearning our love and hating on me. Those three simple words meant an ocean of feelings. It was an incredibly big step. It was an immense favor. It was way more than I deserved and I couldn't explain how thankful I was for it.

I waited as one of her hands reached slowly for my face and I kept staring at her, anticipating the feeling of her skin against mine. Her fingertips reached my cheek and I saw her push the air out of her lungs as she seemed to relax a bit, like it had taken her a huge amount of courage to do it.

"Don't ever leave again, okay?" she asked in a murmur, making me nod quickly.

"No I promise i'm not leaving ever again." I whispered back. "I know you don't trust me but I swear on me life."

She nodded too but slowly and her lips parted. I felt her breath on my mouth and inhaled it like it could make me reconnect with her, like it could make her trust me again, like it would pull her to me just so I could feel her lips against mine. She moved closer and I didn't even dare blinking. Her lips were close and I wanted this so much but at the same time, I didn't want to rush it.

"Babe! I'm back!"

Olivia and I both jumped but she's the only one who moved back and I just closed my eyes, waiting for Heidi to enter the room. I had almost forgotten about her. In fact, I had forgotten about everything in the past 5 minutes. Now, I was back in reality and I knew Olivia had been very close to kiss me.

Heidi stopped dead in her track when she saw me, leaning against the fridge, and my ex girlfriend sitting on the counter. Her gaze moved from me to Liv and then back at me before finally frowning.

"What's happening here?" she asked rudely. "There are glasses of wine, an old pizza box and her... stuff laying around the whole fucking place."

Olivia moved down from the counter and put her mug in the sink quickly.

"There was no power at my place and I had urgent work to finish so I came here."

"Yea, because you have no other friend of family member around? Why here?"

I sighed and was ready to step in when my ex girlfriend just shrugged.

"My family's in France, my friends were either not answering, without power, or out of town." she explained with a shrug. "I really had no other option."

"You've never heard of internet cafes?" Heidi replied meanly, putting her hands on her hips.

"Okayyyy, enough." I just said, taking a few steps closer and sending her a comforting smile. "Hey, Liv only needed a place to work and crash okay? That's it."

"Wait she spent the night here?" Heidi almost yelled, her eyebrows raised. "You two fucking slept together didn't you!?"

Her question took me by surprise and I let out an awkward chuckle.

"I slept in the guest room." Olivia let out casually just as I opened my mouth to reply.

It was not a lie, she did sleep in the guest room, but I slept with her there, too so technically, we had slept together. Not in the sense Heidi was asking, but still. I was not going to mention that though, I really was not in the mood for a fight. Silence came between us for a few seconds and I decided to talk about something else.

"How was your trip, babe?"

I walked up to her and cupped her face before kissing her lips. It seemed to calm her a bit and I smiled at her, wondering how Olivia was feeling about all of this. I felt like shit for dragging her in that but at the same time, could I be held responsible for the tantrums my girlfriend threw? If I wanted to be honest, maybe I could, yea, if only for the fact that I was just about to kiss someone else than her, and I really shouldn't.

"It was okay, I'm super tired." she complained before pulling on my neck to kiss me harder. "Mm I missed you so much, we should lock ourselves in our room right now."

I felt my whole body tense at her words, especially that I knew she said it a bit louder to make sure Olivia would hear. I also knew that the only way to calm her was to play the game, even if I hated it.

"You know i'd love to, but I've got a few errands to run." I let out, feeling her hand slip from my back to my butt. "Anyway you're tired, so you get a rest and i'll bring back some food, how's that?"

She sighed exaggeratedly and finally nodded.

"Okay, but we eat in bed."

I felt my face contract but I stopped the grimace that threatened to show. I hated to eat in bed because then it meant i'd have to wash the sheets immediately after. I just nodded, hoping to make her change her mind a bit later, and kissed her lips again.

"I'll be back soon."

I noticed Olivia walk past us as I was pulling back and I glanced at her before smiling at Heidi and go grab my stuff. I watched Heidi yawn and disappear in the hall and a few seconds later, Olivia walked back with her stuff, making my lips curl. I waited until she was standing right in front of me to send her a smile.

"D'you wanna go out for breakfast?"

She stared at me for a few seconds before looking back behind her, probably searching for my girlfriend. I put my hands in my pockets and raised my eyebrows only to let my lips curl more when she looked back at me.

"Yea, that'd be nice."

I nodded and helped her with her stuff, bringing everything to her car and putting it in the trunk. We decided to go in separate cars and I kept glancing in my mirror to make sure she was following me. We got out of our cars and I moved my arms to let her walk in front of me, giving me a perfect view on her back. It made my heart skip a beat when I remembered going back to the guest room to ask her if she needed anything else the night before. I had seen her naked from the back and the sight had brought special feelings inside me. A mix of lust and a craving I couldn't explain had invaded me. I had felt extremely guilty if only for the fact that I had just stood there, motionless, looking at her take her bra off, her fingers playing skillfully with the staples even from behind. I had watched it fall on the floor but my eyes had quickly moved back up only to see her bend down to take off her panties. She had just been there, completely naked, and I couldn't remember that last time I had the chance to see that. That too, I literally took for granted.

She turned to smile at me as she opened the door but I was almost scared she could see my thoughts and realize I was literally thinking about her naked. It had made me horny in an instant and I had rushed to the bathroom, jumping quickly in the shower to jerk off thinking about her again. I wanted more, but it would have to do for a while. I knew I had to be patient but fuck, I missed touching her.

I had noticed her tattoo, too. Of course, I knew she had my name tattooed on her lower back but I thought that after everything that happened, she would have it covered. Surprisingly, it was still there and even better, it was now surrounded with a red heart that seemed to have been scribbled on her back. I had no idea when she had done that and why, but it was making me extremely curious. If she had gotten it when we were dating, I would have noticed, but I couldn't find a good reason for her to do it after we broke up. The truth was, I liked it. I liked my name in my own hand writing tattooed on her body. I liked that people could see it like she belonged to me. It gave me a sensation I couldn't explain, some sort of mix of victory and hope. It almost made me want to tattoo her name on my body too. Almost.

The restaurant was small and we found a table at the back, sitting in front of each other. I stared at her as her eyes scanned the menu and we ordered quickly. I don't know how long we remained silent but it never really bothered me. Moments of silence were never awkward with her.

"I'm sorry about Heidi." she explained with a grimace. "If I had known she was coming back today, I would have left earlier."

"Nah no worries, I didn't know she'd come to my place instead to go at hers." I pointed out with a shrug. "I mean it could have been worse. She could have found us in bed together while you were wearing my shirt."

I laughed and she chuckled, looking down in embarrassment. I didn't know why she felt so shy about it but I didn't insist. It was the second time Heidi could have caught us, dare I say, cheating, and it was bad. I was scared that at some point, she just would because like Olivia said, we both knew it would happen at some point, and I liked to believe it was true.

"Are we going too far, Niall?" she finally wondered after a few seconds, looking up in my eyes and shaking her head slightly. "I mean, if it's something we both wouldn't tell Dylan and Heidi, it's probably cheating, or at least wrong, isn't it?"

I sighed and licked my lips, not really sure how I was supposed to answer this question. The obvious answer was yes, it was wrong. It was wrong because of everything it implied and it was wrong because of the feelings burning inside my chest. The actions, however, were only borderline. It wouldn't take much to cross the line it was true but at that exact moment, we were only stepping on it.

"I don't know, Liv. Do you think we should tell them?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "I mean, they probably have a tiny doubt that we were really close, don't you think?"

"Let's just say Dylan knew, but he didn't expect it to be that intense." she admitted, looking down at her plate.

"Why do you say that?"

"He told me."

I held my breath as this new information made its way in my head. Perhaps it was more obvious that I thought. Perhaps the connection we had was so flagrant and present that we couldn't even hide it. Perhaps we just had no power over it at all.

"Wow, i'm.. i'm sorry Liv."

I didn't know what else to say. I was sorry because she looked sad and vulnerable at that specific moment, in front of me. I was sorry because the last thing I wanted was to hurt her. I was sorry because we both knew it was affecting her relationship with her boyfriend and even if I knew it was part of the process to get her back, it was still not something I enjoyed.

"How does Heidi react to us being friends again?"

I almost laughed when she said 'friends' but I knew that was all we were for now, or at least that's the word that seemed to fit the most. Of course, we used to do all of this together a few years ago, but were we ever only friends? I used to think we were but I seriously doubted it now. I knew I had mentioned to her that we just did the same thing we used to do without dating and that it was no different but when she explained why it was different, I couldn't do anything but agree with her. We fell in love and now we were trying to get back to being simply friends and we were failing miserably.

"She says it can never be the same between us, that our friendship died when our couple died."

I didn't put much credit into Heidi's words simply because I was pretty sure our couple never really died but perhaps I was the only one thinking that. I still kept hoping Olivia felt the same and I would ask her at some point, but it just didn't feel like the right time.

"You think it's true?"

"No." I firmly and quickly replied. "You and I are the only one who can judge on that. No one else knows what the relationship we had was like. No one ever really understood and that's okay, but all that matters is your opinion and mine."

She looked up in my eyes and raised her eyebrows at me. I leaned against the table to be closer to her and smiled at her softly. I had made the biggest mistake of my life when I broke up with her, that was a fact, but I hadn't stopped loving her, not even a second. Not when I was shagging other girls, not when I was traveling around the world, not when I was getting drunk with my friends. Never.

"You know this is really messy, right?" she asked gently, raising her eyebrows again. "That friendship we're trying to save or get back.. it's hurting the people we love, it's hurting the people we've decided to date. You chose Heidi, remember? I've let Dylan into my life and my heart. Is it all worth hurting them?"

I blinked a few times, astonished and speechless at what she told me. I was not sure if it made me mad or in pain that she would think all of this was not worth it but I swallowed a lump in my throat and licked my lips before sighing.

"I'll go pay the bill. And no, we don't split." I just said before getting up and walking to the counter on the other side of the room. It took longer than I thought but when I came back, I noticed a guy with her. He had one of his hands on the table, leaning close to her and I started walking quicker.

"Come on, can I just get your number?"

"No, not interested."

"Please? Come on, don't play hard to get."

I grimaced as I stood behind him and I quickly looked at Olivia's face to notice she felt not only annoyed but also uncomfortable. Without thinking, I tapped his back and he turned to me, sending me a frown. He seemed a bit younger than me but was definitely taller and I raised my eyebrows at him, shaking my head a bit.

"Pretty sure the lady said no."

"No one asked you." he replied quickly, turning back to her.

I bypassed him, hitting him lightly with my shoulder as I walked, and extended my hand to Liv, sending her a small smile.

"Come on my love, let's go."

She didn't even hesitate. She just got up, slid her hand in mine and followed me outside. I squeezed her fingers in mine and she did too, neither of us even tried to let go.

"Thank you." she said as we stood next to her car, still hold hands. "That was annoying, I think I told him 'no' 8 times. I'm not really used to have people flirt with me. At least, not men."

"That kind of prick? Dangerous." I explained, shaking my head. "I was about to hit him."

She started laughing, throwing her head back, and my lips curled more. I loved making her laugh and I just stared at her until she looked back in my eyes.

"Fist fight for me uh?" she joked with an amused grin. "Who would have thought?"

I didn't tell her but I would fight for her. I felt like I already was fighting for her. I probably always would. We got a bit serious again and I smiled, looking down and putting my hands in my pockets, playing with the fabric inside of them.

"I didn't have time to tell you earlier but thank you for your forgiveness. I'm well aware it doesn't mean you're ready to trust me again, but the fact that you forgave me when you clearly didn't have to because you don't owe me anything.. it means a lot. I wanted you to know that I can only guess how tough it was for you when I broke up with you and... i'm not even sure I deserve your forgiveness. Thank you, Olivia."

Her traits softened and her head tilted. She kept looking at me and licked her lips before nibbling gently on her bottom one. It made my heart accelerate but I remained motionless, just waiting for something but I was not sure what. I held my breath until she moved again, getting slightly closer to me.

"You're welcome."

I sighed with a smile and nodded once before shrugging.

"So hey, text me later?" I proposed, raising my eyebrows. "We could go for a movie sometimes this week?"

"Oh uhm yea, sure, why not!"

She seemed enthusiast and I sent her a bigger smile. I opened the door of her car to let her get behind the wheel and closed it, waiting for her to pull the window down. I leaned against it to look at her, wondering if i should kiss her cheeks or not. I didn't dare to go for a hug, slightly scared of how it would make me feel after we spent the night cuddling, and decided not to ask for kisses either.

"To answer your question from earlier? Yes, it's worth it. It's worth everything."

I saw her face change to confusion and quickly, she remembered and her lips parted as her eyebrows raised. I wanted to kiss them but I just curled mine instead and took a step back before turning around and reaching my car. I meant it. It was totally worth it to me. They say 'all if fair in love and war' well here I was, fighting for her love. I was not going to start a war, though. I was not looking for a revolution. I just needed to tell her how I felt and I had no idea when was the right time and the right place but eventually, i'd find out and on that day, i was going to give her the chance to break my heart... and hope that she won't.

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