#if i had a comfortable budget i might do it once a week
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Every time i tell people i buy groceries every 14 days they seem shocked by this and tell me they buy groceries every day or several times a week.
That in turn blows my mind, as someone who couldn’t possibly hate buying groceries more than i do, i can’t imagine doing it that often.
Bonus if you tell me in the tags how you feel about shopping for groceries. Do you hate it with a passion like me? Feel indifferent to it, just another chore? Or do you somehow love it?
#poll#i do it every 14 days to save money tbh lmao#if i had a comfortable budget i might do it once a week#but honestly every 14 days works so well#it’s rare enough that i can enjoy 14 days of peace#but not so far between that the food goes bad before i manage to use it#it’s just the perfect amount
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yandere!ceo with villainess!reader scenario [part two]
warnings: implied infidelity, implication of obsessive thoughts or love, workplace toxicity, non consensual surveillance.
There might be potential triggers in this piece. If you do not feel comfortable with reading it, please hit the 'back' button on your phone or laptop and find something much more pleasant to read than a potential series of unfortunate events.
You are responsible for your Internet consumption.
Reblog to support content creators! ❤️
Hey guys, and welcome to part two of my new original yandere oc x series, featuring the good-looking prick and CEO of his family's conglomerate, Yeo Jung-Hwa.
This is a collaboration between me and the incredibly talented @deathmetalunicorn1. Special thanks to @pinkgoldweebgirl for their honest feedback on the earlier drafts of this project and @impeakcharacterdesign for being my beta-reader for the final draft.
I definitely was not expecting such positive feedback on the first part in less than a week, so thank you all for reblogging, liking, and commenting your thoughts on it, they really made some of my more stressful days in the medical field a little brighter :)
Also, if the lofi vibes nor are the clothes written in here aren’t your thing, feel free to insert whatever is your preferred interior theme and fashion/clothing style.
So with that being said, sit back, relax, and enjoy the drama being unfolded on the stage.
Part one
Yeo Jung-Hwa was unhappy with the series of events that had occurred at the office. Hyueng Mun-Hee had bursted into his office with tears streaming down her bright red face, sobbing about how she cannot stand being bullied by the team manager of her department any longer. Who was the team manager?
You. His fiancee. The woman he must marry. A promise between his father and yours that would be beneficial to everyone involved - everyone except him. Wasn’t he entitled to experience pure joy of being loved and in love? To be with someone who wasn’t tiresome and annoyed him all the time?
Meeting Hyeung Mun-Hee had felt like seeking the sky for the first time. She was a breath of fresh air to his stifling world. Hearing your most recent act of cruelty towards her had been the final straw. And like any self-respecting CEO, he texted the CFO to look into it before all hell had broken loose. He was receiving emails from the managers of all the other departments left and right, all with the same attachment. Botched up documents. And the one who had sent it was none other than Hyeung Mun-Hee.
But he didn’t believe it at first.
He truly thought it was another underhanded trick you had created to get Hyeung Mun-Hee fired because that’s exactly the sort of person you are to him; a dishonest, greedy, arrogant woman whose saving grace as a human being is an excellent work ethic. Once he had calmed his darling, drying her tears with his handkerchief, he marched into the Finance Department and demanded answers from you as soon as he got off of the phone with his panicked CFO. Instead of apologizing for what you did, you explained how Hyeung Mun-Hee made mistakes and you gave her a chance to fix them, but she did not correct them. She completed the required training. She knows how to calculate and make spreadsheets, so why is she pushing her work onto others?
More importantly, you fixed her mistakes and sent out the correct ones to the other departments. Everything has been resolved, but you wanted Hyeung Mun-Hee to attend the company’s financial seminars to ensure that this embarrassing incident does not happen again. As much as he despised you, every point you made was correct…especially after he retreated to his office and compared the budget allocations on his monitors; Hyeung Mun-Hee’s on the left and yours on the right. The numbers in his darling’s work were completely off, and they could have cost the company hundreds of thousands if the situation hadn’t been resolved.
He was certain that it was sheer dumb luck.
Just because you had prevented a major internal disaster from occurring doesn’t mean he would ever look at you as he looked at Hyeung Mun-Hee. In a cesspool filled with hypocrites and liars, his darling is a breath of fresh air. Pure, kind-hearted, committed. Loving. So many qualities you lacked. Yet is it all that it seems? He thought, sitting alone in his home office late at night. If Hyeung Mun-Hee made these mistakes, why didn’t she just admit it instead of coming to me?
He wanted to believe she was telling the truth, yet the proof is right there on his computer. Like his predecessors, he needed to take on the responsibility of a leader and make sure that the conglomerate’s integrity remained intact. However, he also desired to shelter his darling from the world’s cruelty. Remove her from the department and secretly marry her so that they could be together at last. He is selfish, but he has the right to bask in his own happiness. Unlike some people.
Well, if he can’t outright get the truth from you…then he’ll just have to call in a favor from a certain someone in the underworld. The person in question could set up cameras in your bedroom by slipping in and out of your estate as a groundskeeper or pest control and no one would be the wiser. He could do it for a price and make sure that nothing could be traced back to him. The last thing Yeo Jung-Hwa wanted is to be arrested for illegally filming someone without their consent.
Not when this is an opportunity to sever ties with you completely, once and for all.
Two days later, he received an email and an attachment. When he clicked on it, four camera angles appeared on his desktop. All of them were in your room. But is this really your room? He expected it to be clean with sleek, wooden floors covered by monochrome carpeting and a walk-in closet filled to the brim with extravagant clothes, shoes, purses that she wouldn’t wear twice in her life. The uninspiring minimalist bougie interior design that is being coveted amongst the upper classes. Your taste was much more comforting. It appeared cozy, with soft lighting and warm blankets.
Strings of fairy lights strung up across the ceiling. A full bookshelf was near the bed. The floor was decorated with knitted ottomans and candles. You lit them all back up as soon as you returned from the company, much later in the evening and when he was in his home office, cradling a cup of black coffee.
You disappeared into the back for a moment, returning in a two-piece fleece loungewear with mushrooms and plants on them. Something he had expected to see Hyeung Mun-Hee dressed in, but not you. Were you trying to copy his lover’s tastes so he would pay attention to you? How shameless!
When he flipped the audio on the cameras, he expected to hear snide remarks about Hyeung Mun-Hee or see you talking to someone on the phone about sabotaging the new project coming up soon so that you would take all the credit. Instead, you were…shopping on a furniture site?
“I don’t need another bookcase, or it’ll look too cluttered. I can’t get any more potted plants either. I’ve already done enough renovations here to make it cozy and relaxing. What about…a salt thingy? What’s it called?” You typed a few words in the search engine, [Eye Color] irises brightening in realization. “Oh right, Himalayan salt lamp! That’s not a terrible price for this one! And yarn. I need more yarn to complete that gift for Caretaker Lee’s birthday. Speaking of which, I could work on that tonight. Give my eyes a break from staring at screens all damned day.” You scooted over to the edge of the bed, pulling one drawer outward. You then reached inside, removing knitting needles, yarn and dark red clumps of something. You put on headphones and began to knit.
You, the proud and arrogant Park Seo-yun, was knitting.
You didn’t move from that spot at all, completely focused on your project when a knock came from the bedroom door. A fleeting, fearful look appeared on your face before you frantically shoved all of your materials back in the drawer, sputtering to wait one moment that you weren’t decent before putting on a bored expression, scrolling through your phone and reclining back like a lazy cat. You told them to come in, and an elderly woman in an apron walked in with a wooden tray filled with assorted foodstuff, carefully setting it down on one of the ottomans.
“Thank you for preparing my midnight snack, Caretaker Lee. I’m sorry it’s been such an inconvenience while I’m reviewing these documents for tomorrow.” You said with a smile. Caretaker Lee shook her head, walking over to your bed. You scooted over so she wouldn’t fall over the edge (presumably, because this entire situation is bizarre to Yeo Jung-Hwa), and she sat down. She smiled down at you, stroking the top of your head.
“This humble one is honored to serve the Park family, especially the hard-working young miss. It cannot be easy, with the current circumstances. Young miss…please forgive me for speaking outright…but are you certain about going through with this engagement? It seems that you have never spent any time with him outside of working at his conglomerate, and any time he has is spent with someone else.”
Yeo Jung-Hwa expected you to hit her, to punish Caretaker Lee for speaking out of turn and to mind her own business. Instead, you stared at her for a long moment, wide-eyed and mouth slightly parted…before your lips curled into a melancholy smile, eyes softening.
“I thank you for your concern, Caretaker Lee. But this is an engagement between my father and the conglomerate’s predecessor. It’s not something that can be broken off so easily with benefits for both parties.” You said. “This is the price to be part of the elite. To sacrifice your happiness for the sake of business.” You then leaned forward, pulling Caretaker Lee into a hug. “It’ll be okay, really. I’m Park Seo-yun. I can take care of myself. And you should be in bed. You’ve got a long drive to see your grandchildren tomorrow morning. Enjoy the weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday.”
“But-”
“I’ll bring the tray down the kitchen when I’m finished.”
“Miss-”
“Nope.”
You then shooed her out of the room, telling Caretaker Lee to send your mother a text as soon as she got to her destination. The old woman smiled sheepishly, wishing you good night and asked you to not stay up too late. Once she was out of the room and the door was closed, you walked back to the bed, shoulders sagging and suddenly looking incredibly tired before you fell face first onto the blankets, legs dangling from the edge. You remained like that for a moment, then picked yourself up and curled up your lower body, grabbing one of the blankets and putting it over your legs. You retrieved your hidden supplies, resuming your knitting, taking five minute breaks in between to eat from the tray. Three more hours passed until you decided to call it a night, blowing out the candles and switching the fairy lights to a lower setting before disappearing into the bathroom. You came back out, grabbed the tray, and vanished.
This isn’t real. It can’t be real. You are a haughty, greedy woman who could care less about commoners, much less servants. You love shopping at boutiques and only want the best of the best in anything. Even in an arranged marriage. He could never be happy with someone like you.
But is all of that true? A nasty little voice in the back of Yeo Jung-Hwa’s mind hissed. Those were rumors created by other women who weren’t pleased that they weren’t good enough to marry you. Park Seo-yun is a stranger to you. You never bothered to know nor care to. Why would you when you have someone you love, Hyeung Mun-Hee?
He didn’t need to, and the fact that he wanted to know the truth about you of all people terrified him. He’s not supposed to care, not to be curious or even concerned about your well-being. This was a strategic engagement, not one born out of mutual affection. He has a role to play in this world after all.
Three weeks had passed since he had the cameras installed, and all Yeo Jung-Hwa had discovered or even learned is that you were a completely different person in your home than at the office.
You work Monday through Fridays, always on time and never staying late unless it was necessary. You returned to your family estate late on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays because there was a spinning class at the company gym after your shift on those days. Friday evenings were spent in either your room, holed up and completely focused on knitting or doing something else that helped relax you. If you were staying up late, the servants would provide a midnight snack for you. The portions increased on the days you were at the gym, alluding that you possessed an enormous appetite due to a high metabolism instead of being a glutton as Hyeung Mun-Hee has told him time and time again. You talked to yourself when you were alone, or at least your thoughts before making a decision on something. When he remotely hacked into your laptop to see if he could find any evidence of foul play there, he saw your browsing history contained only decoration aesthetics ideas, healthier snacks to eat at night, local beginner yoga instructors, and shopping at small businesses on Crafty plus one or two high-end boutiques for business casual outfits. Nothing incriminating on any level whatsoever. But he was not going to let you off of the hook that easily.
At work he ignored you entirely, focusing his attention on Hyeung Mun-Hee and blocked your calls so that he didn’t have to talk to you outside of business hours. There was not a single text message or voicemail from you on his cellphone when he unblocked your number yesterday morning after coming into the office. Understandably frustrated and cranky from a lack of proper sleep, he decided to change the deadline for the quarterly income statements and the inspections of the company’s financial software, including reinforcing the firewalls and ensuring there was no fraudulent activity in the company’s transactions to Monday morning.
With this amount of work, he was absolutely certain that it would be your slip-up. That you’d push your assigned tasks to Hyeung Mun-Hee so you could keep working on your knitting projects. Today is Saturday, and you left your house at seven o’clock to go to the office. You stayed awake until midnight typing away on your company laptop, looking over spreadsheets while talking to the head of IT on speaker, arranging a test run on the firewalls on Sunday evening.
Instead of helping the team prepare for everything to be finished at the beginning of the week, Hyeung Mun-Hee was sitting across from him inside a coffee shop, beaming and utterly happy that they were finally out on a date after not being on one for so long, she was getting worried about him. Well…perhaps. Yeo Jung-Hwa glanced down at the shopping bags by their feet. They had gone to trendy high end streets and luxury department stores earlier this morning, with Hyeung Mun-Hee desiring…no, more like insisting that she had at least eight new work outfits so that she would represent his company properly as a team member of the Finance Department.
If that’s true, then why are you here using my black card to shop instead of working at the office? He thought behind a smile as his supposed lover’s words went from one ear and out the other. If you were here with him, he’d probably have been more accepting of indulging in your vices and insisting on paying for everything instead of you, even when you were just as wealthy as he is.
“I’m sure that you will find out why Park Seo-yun is acting so suspiciously!” Hyeung Mun-Hee said in a hushed voice. “I can’t believe you are even associated with such a vile person. She can’t get away with talking down to others like that! She may be rich, but she doesn’t know how to truly appreciate what she has right now!” She giggled. “It’s funny, isn’t it? She has everything, but she still clings to your engagement like a sad puppy! If she truly loves you, then she should have convinced her father to call everything off so that you can be happy. But the rich think differently I guess, right?”
His smile tightened. “Perhaps.” He said, languidly sipping the java chip mocha frappuccino that she bought for him even though he preferred to have his coffee black with no sugar and he’s told her this little tidbit many times. “She is extravagant, but you also have luxurious taste, Hyeung Mun-Hee.”
He watched her eyes widen in surprise and embarrassment, sputtering for a moment before she asked. “W-What are you saying, Yeo Jung-Hwa? You know me! If I had been given a choice to meet up, I would have chosen the downtown area so you could try the street vendors I’ve been talking about!”
And risk my health by getting food poison from reused cooking oil, poorly washed utensils, and ingesting noodles that are too greasy or salty? Absolutely not. He thought with slight irritation.
“Maybe, but we both know that we must be discreet in our interactions, as I’ve told you before.That’s why I suggested we come here, but instead of sampling delicious foods at the restaurants I recommended, you wanted to come here instead after shopping. If I remember correctly, your department is supposed to be presenting a big project on Monday. Why are you here, shopping to your hearts’ content instead of being at the office and helping out the team?”
“W-Why should I be there?” Hyeung Mun-Hee countered, bolting up from her seat as she stared at him in shock. “If I go there, Park Seo-yun will harass me! I can’t work in an environment like that! I did those seminars she told me to do and passed the tests! Can’t I enjoy a day off?!” Fat tears began to build up behind her hazel eyes. “I’ve been working hard enough!”
But you are the one who is putting in the overtime needed to finish the job. You are leading the team to do what needs to be done. Hyeung Mun-Hee is just enjoying the perks of being by his side. Have you eaten lunch yet? Perhaps he can stop by somewhere that allows take-out and bring some to your office under the excuse that he needs to get some work done as well. Dinner too, perhaps?
“ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME, YEO JUNG-HWA?!”
He glared at her. “Sit down, Hyeung Mun-Hee.” He hissed, displeased that her shrill voice had attracted unwanted attention from customers who were either sitting at tables or waiting on orders to finish up at the pick-up area. “Finish your drink, and take a taxi back to the city, to your home.”
“It’s still early in the day, we haven’t been out in a while!”
“And I’m tired from the shopping. I don’t need to see what you bought because I already have seen them all at the shops.” He replied tersely. “I need to stop by the office and take care of a few things at the office before I need to go home.”
Hyeung Mun-Hee’s face is a dark shade of purple. Consumed by anger, her mouth hung open, on the brink of another explosive tantrum, as the coffee shop door swung open, exposing its next patron. You.
You stepped up to the pick-up area, looking at the various drinks with a pensive expression before waving down a barista. “Excuse me.” You said. “I’m here to pick up a mobile order for several drinks under Park. When will they be ready? I need to hurry back to the office with caffeine for my employees or things are going to get ugly.” The handbag hung from your wrist as you fished out your phone, presumably showing the online order to the young man. He looked at you before smiling at you.
“We’ll have it done in just a moment, ma’am.”
Is it wrong for Yeo Jung-Hwa to desire the bright smile you gave to that insignificant commoner when you did not know he was here with Hyeung Mun-Hee?
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Congratulations, Congratulations, Congratulations!
Important things must be said three times.
The viewership score for Episode 52 has arrived!
Taglist: @cerisearan @julietdelamare @ghostdoodlen @mochinon-yah @queenofspades403 @alittletiredcry @burningaestheticsimp @proper-fox @neutralrobot @reallysparklychaos @tired-of-life-86 @nunezs-stuff @yandere-dark-cupid @imperfectbloodmoon @cassanderasblog @faux-ecrivain @abelheilonwife @ixchelhernandez4 @diannaflight @sweetbatherodonkey @strangepoppy @persephone-kore-law @swallowtail-lotus @tonightwrites @majestichugs @pinkynecktie
#forbidden-sunlight#yandere male#yandere x reader#yandere#ns.fw#yandere manhwa x reader#yandere oc x reader#yandere oc#yandere!ceo#cw obsessive behavior#tw obsessive behavior#cw noncon#tw noncon#cw cheating#tw cheating#cw work toxicity#tw work toxicity
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modern!batboys as (your) roommates - headcanons.
because let's be honest, we have all thought about that at some point.🦇
(this is the introduction of my new drabble universe!!! I can´t tell you how fucking excited I am.)
it would be wrong to say that your life was boring before you met the three idiots you now call your roommates
sure, it wasn't as exciting
but you had your tiny little apartment, went out with friends once in a while and mostly enjoyed having your own space and routines
but then
shit hits the fan
and by shit I mean your landlord
because of a loophole in the rental agreement, he's able to kick you out of your apartment with only a months notice
in other words
you're fucked
or, as your best friend Feyre, who you met the first week of orientation and became inseperable with, says -
"That bastard." Feyre's eyes are stormy.
"What the hell am I gonna to do?" You bury your face in your hands, your voice muffled when you mumble: "How am I supposed to find a new apartment in a few weeks? For this one, I looked over a year, and it's a glorified shoebox!" Your voice rises as you feel a wave of dread crash over you and your heart rising into your throat.
"Hey, it's okay. If worst comes to worst, you can crash at my place,", Feyre raises her brows, "even though we'd have to share my bed, but - I won't just let you sleep on a park bench if that's what you're worried about. Unless you find another glorified shoebox that's technically out of your budget, it's you and me, crashing on my bed, climbing over your stuff to get to the bathroom, finding out what married life would feel like."
even though you love her to death, that really does not sound like an option you want to explore
so you try everything
scouring every paper for apartment advertisments, posting on your uni's socials, going to all the viewings you can find -
nothing
but just when you're ready to just give up
a miracle happens
the miracle is 5'5, has impeccable style and hair, a love for deep red lipstick and drops by for lunch
Mor has been your friend for two years now, since you almost spilled your coffee over her laptop at the library
(she's still not letting you live that down)
she also likes to get you out of your comfort zone
"Are you serious?" Mor stares at you wide-eyed.
"Yep." You tiredly stir your coffee. "I've been turned away for twenty apartments in the past few days alone. I'm aready seeing myself bunking with Feyre. She offered, but her bed barely fits into her apartment as it is."
Mor breathes a giggle before hastily clearing her throat. "Sorry."
You grin weakly before rubbing your face. "I don't know what I'm gonna do. I know it could be even worse, but -"
"It already feels pretty shitty,", Mor ends. You sigh in confirmation and are about to change the topic, because you haven't seen the blonde in weeks and feel bad about ruining your lunch. But before you can open your mouth, Mor suddenly squints in thought. Then she looks at you.
"How much do you value your privacy?
Given the fact you'll be basically homeless on the street in about a week if you don't find a new place - not much.
Mor begins to grin, and there's a bright twinkle in her eyes.
"Well, then I might just have the solution."
the next day, Mor drags you downtown
she takes you to an old but sophisticated building you wouldn't even dream about living in
a single month's rent there would probably empty your whole bank account
but Mor just winks and pulls you up the stairs
on the third floor, a guy leans in an open door
and that
is how you meet Rhys.
Mor's cousin is annoyingly beautiful
tall, with perfectly tousled dark hair, a perfect grin that causes his cheeks to crease and, from the looks of it, the also perfect physique
he's also annoyingly charming
(if you'd met him somewhere without Mor, you would have probably gaped for a moment before catching onto the mischievous twinkle in his nearly violet eyes and promptly avoided him, because someone that pretty had to have some fault)
as it turns out, Rhys' fault is offering practical strangers to live with him without even batting an eye
"What?"
You blink at Mor from where you just sank onto the very comfortable couch, because she can't possibly -
"Okay, before you freak out, just listen, okay?" Mor is grinning giddily. "The guys have a free room they don't really use anyway and you really need a new place - so you could just move in here!" She beams. "The place is definitely big enough, and you'd fit in perfectly, I promise! They're just as chaotic as you, but also very responsible -"
"Mostly." Rhys' eyes are twinkling. He's looking completely and slightly concerningly unbothered by the prospect of you, a factual stranger, moving in with him and his friends.
"- they don't have any bad habits, they're fairly neat -"
"Mostly."
Mor widens her eyes at you. "It's perfect!"
You blink at her.
"I've already talked to my roommates." Rhys' deep voice is almost soothing - mostly because he sounds a lot calmer than Mor, steady and reassuring.
"If you want, this can be temporary, until you find a place just for yourself, but this way you don't have to stress about needing to find a place in a certain time, plus,", he cracks a grin, "I don't like the idea of you having to crash on somebody's couch in the foreseeable future, that's just bullshit if we got a free room here no one uses anway. And if this works,", one corner of his lips quirks even more until his grin is a lot closer to the wicked twinkle in his eyes, "none of us would mind another roommate."
"You don't have to decide right now." Mor smiles brightly. "But I think it would be great, and you'd make a bargain with the rent, because Rhys loves to play sugar daddy -", her cousin flips her off, "and I think this would be a really good idea." She grins, suddenly a little sheepish.
if you weren't so desperate, you would whip out about a dozen arguments about why this probably isn't a good idea
like the fact that rooming with three dudes sounds like a lot of testosteron, or that you don't even know them, and that they don't even know you -
but from the way Rhys lounges in his chair, smirking easily while Mor beams at you, he doesn't seem to see too much of a problem in that
also you are very, very desperate
but there´s still that one thing -
"About those roommates -"
When you hear the door, you raise your head, your heart doing a slightly concerning flip in your chest.
It's a day later, and you just finished a tour of the apartment Rhys has given you. Even though it's huge and very grand with it's high ceilings decorated with stucco and the original hardwood floors, it feels warm and cozy. The room you'd be sleeping in is as big as your whole current apartment, light with two big window and a view of the trees on the street outside.
It kind of makes you wonder where the catch is.
Maybe it's about to walk through the door.
You hear a deep voice and heavy footsteps, then a dude appears in the door to the kitchen.
Your heart does a somersault, and you feel your lips part a bit. Because frankly, it's a miracle he makes it through the door without hitting his head.
The guy's huge. His shoulders and chest strain against his t-shirt; he looks like one of those dudes who basically have muscle in their DNA, all corded muscle under ridiculously huge shoulders and a solid middle, muscular long legs under black jeans -
And you're staring.
Big time.
The dude's looking over his shoulder, which means he thankfully doesn't notice you oggling him. The half of his hair that isn't pulled back in a bun brushes against his neck when he grins, his cheeks creasing. He's really good looking, in a rugged kinda way, with his roughly curved jaw and the scar on the side of his face, and when he looks back ahead, his eyes twinkle warmly.
Then, behind him, another guy appears in the doorway, and your breath catches.
Because if Rhys is annoyingly beautiful, the guy in the door is drop-dead gorgeous.
Just like the other two, he's tall and all lean muscle. His shoulders shift under his black t-shirt as he leans against the doorframe, his hands sliding into the pockets of his black jeans. His eyes look like amber in sunlight, his dark hair is tousled, a strand curving over his forehead. His face is all angles and soft lips, dark brows that look like he likes to crunch them in a scowl, but right now, he looks fairly relaxed, though his gaze is watchful.
And on yours.
Feeling warmth wash into your cheeks, you hastily look away while crap, crap, crap echoes through your head, because of course he caught you staring.
On to a really great start here.
Your gaze grazes his hands and the bit of uneven skin that merges into veiny, tan forearms before your eyes trail over the tattoos peaking out from his sleeves.
There's the sound of someone clearing their throat, and you feel the heat in your cheeks deepen when your eyes dart up and meet Rhys', a twinkle in his iris when he sends you a lazy grin.
"Boys, this is Y/N." He raises a brow. "Our new roommate."
and that is how you meet Cassian and Azriel
it almost makes you reconsider
because you're really not sure you're gonna survive rooming with three guys that pretty
but after thinking it over for a few days, you realize that you really don't have a choice
and so a week later, Rhys and Cassian come over to your apartment to help you move the first half of your stuff
neither blink an eye at the fact it's about the size of a broom closet in comparison to their home
Rhys does however scowl when he sees the condition of the bathroom
you're ready to sink into the floor when you hastily explain pretty much all the apartments in the building look like that
(a lil dingy and moldy)
but when he turns, Rhys just glowers and grumbles under his breath about how he'd like to rip your landlord a new one
it's the first time you realize that under all the aloofness and swagger and cheeky grins, Rhys cares
it's proven again when you move into your new room a week later and there's a new mattress on the also new bed bed
you haven't bought either of them, but when you try to protest, Rhys just huffs about your back probably being fucked up because of your old one and about how he'll add it to your rent
he never does
you get used to rooming with three guys surprisingly quickly
sure, it is pretty much a total 180 -
going from living alone in a tiny apartment
to sharing a huge flat with three dudes who make the place vibrate with laughter and bicker like they have been married for thirty years
but even tho you never thought you'd be the type to actually enjoy having roommates
you find that with them - you don't really mind
of course it is nice to have the place to yourself sometimes
and after about two weeks, you're comfortable enough to blast your music and dance through the kitchen when you're alone
(yes, at some point, they catch you - it takes you about a minute to realize there are three guys standing in the doorway, watching you dance with a broom. you get a mild heart attack and Cassian and Rhys start cackling while Azriel smirks)
but even if usually there's always someone around -
you find that all three of them are very good at both respecting your boundaries and leaving you be when you need to curl up in your room
but also seem to know when you need someone to drag your ass out into the world
and something about knowing at least one of them will probably be there when you get home makes you feel very warm and fuzzy
and even tho you weren't completely sure about this situation in the beginning
you get roped into living with the three guys instead of just rooming with them
it really starts with Cassian
probably gets used to you living there the quickest
after barely a week, he's treating you like you've lived with them since the beginning
like just sticking his head into your room and roping you into helping him with dinner
it surprises you a little that they all have dinner together
(from what you've heard from friends who have roommates, they usually all do their own thing most of the time)
but it makes you realise that these guys are more family than just roommates
Cassian is surprisingly easy to talk to
he's quick with the quips and the banter
also very flirtatious
constantly makes you laugh, his deep, boisterous chuckles infectous
also super affectionate
you're convinced that the man is actually just a huge teddybear
after just a few weeks, you're used to hugs that lift you off your feet, cheek kisses as greetings and being casually lifted out of the way like you don't weigh anything
not that you're the only one who gets that treatment
no, there are hugs in greeting that make Rhys groan dramatically like his air supply is cut off
pats on the shoulder and smacking forehead kisses that make Azriel crinkle his nose
Cassian quickly becomes the one you go to when you need advice.
he always listens attentively
doesn't sugarcoat things
stays objective while never making you feel bad or less about anything
and it quickly becomes pretty clear he'd put everything aside if any of you ever need help
gives you rides in his beat up truck to uni
always picks you up when studying at the library gets late bc he doesn't like the idea of you out alone after dark
with Cass, even mundane things like grocery shopping become fun
he's just casually funny and teases the shit out of you at every opportunity
has no understanding of the concept of personal space
and with most people, that would kinda put you off a little in the beginning
but Cassian just has something about him
something so inheritly good and warm and sunny
that he never once makes you feel uncomfortable
if anything, with him around, you feel a lot more at ease
and not just bc it's always nice to have a guy in your back that towers over you like a lighthouse
though the whole massive, tatted dude with the dark eyes thing kinda goes out of the window as soon as he grins at you
dimples and all
but don't be fooled
when the grin's gone and he's glaring, you know why people make way for him immediately
works at a gym to earn some money at the side
once, he takes you with him just for fun
then one time becomes another and before you know it, you tag along twice a week
it would be wrong to say it's not doing something to you when he crouches in front of you, his deep voice rumbling as he mumbles encouragements
"Alright, come on, sweetheart, gimme one more."
Trying not to make a very embarassing groaning sound, you crunch your face in concentration and slowly lower yourself into a squat, your muscles trembling slightly.
"There you go, that's it." You can feel Cassian in your back, spotting you, his deep voice rumbling through you, and it's just almost distracing enough for you to -
"No, no, come on, you can do it." Cassian's deep chuckle sets you at ease, and he lightly pats the side of your thigh. "You got this, c'mon."
With a soft groan, you push yourself up again, and you can hear the triumph and wide grin in Cassian's voice when he goes: "Yeeessss, good job, baby. C'mon, you can do one more."
Blowing out a heavy breath and glaring at nothing in particular, you ready yourself.
when one day, he makes you lose focus, you're gonna throw something at him
you're pretty sure he does it on purpose just to see how red you can get
but Cass is really good at pushing you without overdoing it, always teasing and encouraging
and if you manage to do something, in the gym or otherwise, he grins so widely you're almost sure he's more proud of you than you are yourself
Rhys is a flirt.
and after you get over the first initial blush that just won't leave you alone for the first few weeks
it actually becomes entertaining
now bantering back and forth is basically all you do
it gets so bad, Azriel constantly rolls his eyes at the two you
but just like you suspected, behind all the flirtiness and mischievous grins
Rhys cares
a lot
whenever you´re upset, he looks like he's contemplating ripping apart whatever or whoever made you upset
and whenever someone has a go at Cass or Azriel, Rhys picks them apart with lethal precision and a wicked smile
if Cassian is most affectionate, Rhys is close second
he's slightly more casual about it
pinching your nose, flicking your ear softly, offering his cheek for a kiss in greeting
always down for amazing hugs tho
whenever you get on your period, Rhys turns full mother hen
it's actually quite entertaining to see a 6-foot-something dude grumble because you don't want to take painkillers
"I just don't like to take them until it's really necessary, okay?" You glower at Rhys, curling up on the couch and trying to suppress a wince.
Rhys incredulously narrows his eyes.
"You're bleeding from your uterus and look like you want to curl into the couch. I'd say it is pretty necessary."
behind all the snark and arrogance, Rhys cares
also seems to have a rather unhealthy tendency to put everyone else first
you catch on pretty easily that even though his father is absolutely loaded, Rhys doesn't particularly cares about his money
in fact
he doesn't hesitate to spend whatever money his father pumps into his bank accounts for a second
when you ask Mor about it, she just smiles lopsidedly.
"I think it's his kind of protest?" She squints into the sun shining onto the balcony of the flat, the big glass of iced tea in her hand glittering in the light. "You know, spending all that money, preferably on his friends? Mostly because I don't think his father really likes them."
You wince.
"He knows he can't win against his father." Mor crunches her brows in thought. "I think he came to terms with having to take over the business one day, and he cares about the people who have their jobs there, so he won't let them down. It's just hard sometimes, if your whole life is already planned for you." She shrugs gently. "Doing this, living with Cassian and Azriel and now you, spending his fathers money on it and actually having a good time than just being bitter and stuck up - it's his way of not surrendering completely."
you have never met Rhys' father, but even tho he's powerful af
you really feel a strong desire to kick him in the balls
Rhys has a knack of knowing exactly when you need to talk and when you need to be distracted
it's not unusual that after a bad day, he just joins you on the couch, plopping down and pulling your feet onto his lap
it either leads to you venting and him listening
usually giving very appropriate responses of either huffs, scowls or downright glowering
or, if you don't want to talk
he either lets you use him as a human pillow, grumbling over your choice of movie while scratching your head
or he takes you out
to the cinema, a museum, the theater
you're pretty sure you've grown a lot more cultured in a few months than the whole of your life before that
it never gets boring tho
the whole thing kinda annoys the crap out of you in the beginning bc he never lets you pay for anything
but you get better at finding ways to pay him back in other ways
like taking over making dinner on days when he's exhausted
coaxing rants out of him when his father gets to him
dragging him out on nightly walks through the city when he can't sleep
and after a while
you understand that it's just one of Rhys' love languages
and it is fun to spend his father's money ;)
especially when it means museum saturdays with the two of you just sitting and staring at paintings
or going to the cinema and pigging out on popcorn and greasy stuff while whisper hissing facts at each other
even takes you to stuff like wine tastings
Rhys is a foodie
likes super fancy pickles, trying food you can't even pronounce and splurging on dinner
and if he decides the two of you need to get out of the apartment
one way or another
it usually ends in a restaurant
always orders like half the menu
also cooks the best out of all of you
like I'm talking freaking perfection
whips up the fanciest, most delicious far-too-many-courses meal for holidays
and goes all in even if he just makes dinner
you often get lured into the kitchen by the delicious smells
usually ends up with you on the couch at the table while Rhys moves around the kitchen
talking about everything and nothing
(also not above slapping anyone's hand away if they try to sneak a taste)
Azriel is quiet
not shy; you catch onto that pretty quickly
he's too quick and easy on any dry remark in response to his friends' boisterous teasing for that
and his gaze too firm and piercing
rarely shies away when you catch his gaze
in the beginning
that intimidated the shit out of you
the way he appears without a sound, towering over you, all dark and quiet and brooding
it's like he perfected the art of going unnoticed
tho you're not quite sure how
bc how could anyone not notice him?
after a while tho
you realise that even tho Azriel is dark and glowering and brooding
there's something gentle about him
it surfaces in the smallest things
like how his lips curve the softest bit when you grin up at him
how light and careful his touch is
how he is always respectful, putting himself between you and the street, holding doors open without ever seeming to think twice about it
and how everything about him seems to darken when he witnesses anyone being treated poorly
but even if anger rages within him like a rising tide, quiet and dangerous
you still always feel safe with him
maybe it's bc, even in those moments, you just know it will never be directed at you
and that even tho there's always that darkness within him, it's never something that feels unsettling or dangerous
and instead soft and welcoming
like something about him and that steady, dark gaze just calms you
maybe because he's so quiet, Azriel seems to see and hear everything
in record time, he begins to catch onto every little detail about you
mundane things
like how you like your favorite drink or what your favorite ice cream is
the only reason you know he notices is because he begins to hand you cups in the morning that are exactly right and the freezer starts to always hold a big container of your favorite ice cream
but also seems to know exactly what your tell is when you're nervous
uncomfortable
or tired
what makes you upset
happy
nervous
what causes you to giggle uncontrollably
and so on
it should probably unsettle you, how easily he sees through you
but it doesn't
sure, it's a bit weird at first
but you quickly realise it's strangely comforting - that someone pays enough attention to know even the smallest thing about you
is your favorite person to be around when you just need a break
it's like something about him is grounding, steady to you
like being around him makes your thoughts calm down
makes it easier for you to sort the chaos your mind sometimes becomes
beneath all of the quiet watchfulness lies a wicked, dry sense of humor
his mumbled remarks make you snort laughter or beam widely up at him
always makes his lips curve
reads a ton
when you first see his room, you almost gape
because the guy has books
they fill the shelves
balance in towers on the floor
sit on the window sill and next to his bed
most of the books in the shelves in the living room are his as well
has a great dislike for movie adaptions
sits there with that scowl of his, glaring at you until it's over when you make him watch one
says it destroys the pictures in his head
(to be fair
you don't think he's entirely wrong about that)
always has a camera in reach
got a few, all older ones; no fancy digital ones, but all on film
just like he seems to catch onto everything
so does his camera
it's like the manifestation of his quiet perception of things
to fix things onto film
captures everything
most of the time, you don't even notice
only sometimes you raise your head to find the camera in his hands, a slight curve to his lips
develops all pictures himself, in a dark room on campus students can book
spends hours in there, just working in silence
there's usually a lot of bugging involved before he shows the developed pictures to anyone
usually ends in all of you leaning over them eagerly, trying to figure out when he took them
Rhys standing in the kitchen, grinning over his shoulder like Cassian just made a bad joke
you and Feyre, laughing so hard you lean into each other
Mor, lying upside down on the couch while focusing on the cards in her hand while you're next to her, mid-motion, a focused expression on your face
Cassian napping on the couch, twisted in a very uncomfortable position to fit all six feet something of him onto the cushions
there seems to be an endless number, and they're all carefully stored away in his shelves
some, he refuses to show to anyone
it takes you so little time to feel at home in the huge flat, the prospect of looking for an apartment for yourself is off the table before you can actually start
and it doesn't take long until you're part of the routines like you'd been there since the beginning
Saturday and Sunday evenings are for movie nights
sometimes, Mor joins you
you sit with Azriel on the couch, sharing a big bowl of popcorn while staring at Rhys and Cassian argue about which Star Wars movie to start with
in the summer, you take trips to the lake for swims
have game nights
and evenings sitting on the balcony, squinting into the setting sun
barbecues
afternoons in the park, one joining in after the other
in winter, you go to the ice rink
bake together
and spend whole weekends on the couch, watching movies
you go to the gym with Cassian or accompany him on his runs
(well, he's running - you're on your bicycle, because there's no way you can keep up with that dude´s long legs)
get dragged out onto hikes by Rhys
in the evenings, you usually all end up in the kitchen for dinner, banter thrown over the dinner table
Azriel and you mostly take care of the grocery shopping together
it usually entails you trying to reach something on a high shelf and Azriel huffing, moving to grab it without even having to stretch
sometimes Cassian joins in, and you both make it your mission to annoy Azriel until he laughs
both Az and Rhys regularly give you rides on their motorcycles
while Cassian likes to stick to his old, beat up truck, Rhys has a car as well, but alternates between it and the motorcycle
more often than not, he uses it as opportunity to flirt
small cleaning duties in the apartment are rotated between the four of you
but big-once-a-month-deep-cleans are something you make a day of
blasting music, you divide the flat and get to work
(bathroom duty is rotated)
in the (very rare) case of an argument, it usually ends in one of you being mediator
which means after a cooling off period
the arguing parties are locked in the pantry until they've talked things out
works surprisingly well
sometimes, the boys bring someone home
it usually comes with a text
or the very oldschool sock on the door
tho you ban that one after Cassian forgets it
and you walk into the flat unsuspectingly only to be flashed
Cassian apologizes profoundly
after he's done laughing
there are also a few awkward encounters in the hall in the morning that leave you contemplating not running around in just big t-shirts
Feyre still gives you rides to campus and back
but sometimes, it's Azriel waiting in the parking lot instead, leaned against his motorcycle, two helmets next to him
it does not help with the way your heart seems to speed up whenever you find his amber eyes on you.
but you're very adamant on pushing that away
it's probably not that serious anyway.
so
it would be wrong to say your life was boring before you met the three idiots you now call your roomates
but it sure as hell is a lot better now that you have
even if they do drive you a little nuts sometimes
@azrielshadows1nger @waytoomanyteenagefeels
#azriel#rhys#rhysand#cassian#acotar x reader#acotar#acowar#acomaf#az x reader#az imagine#az/reader#azriel imagine#azriel x female!reader#azriel x reader#acotar headcanon#rhysand imagine#rhys imagine#cassian imagine#modern!roommate batboys series#modern au#lalacliffthorne
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Heir
Pairing: Nikolai Lantsov x reader
Summary: The heir to the throne...
A/N: I got a bit carried away with this 😂 (and I might do a part 2 tomorrow)
It was impossible not to get your hopes up, but you tried to do so desperately as you waited for the Healer. Your period was late–a week and a half late, to be exact, and you knew what that meant. Or, what it could mean. You and Nikolai had been married for three years, and for the better part of one of them, you’d been trying for a baby. Your husband needed an heir, yes, but you were ready for children, you wanted to have a baby with Nikolai.
But it hadn’t been as easy as some women made it look. After the two of you had decided it was time for a child, Nikolai had taken you to be nearly every night. Even so, your periods arrived like clockwork every month, and every time you woke to find the sheets stained crimson, you found yourself sobbing in your husband’s arms:
It shattered his heart to see you so distraught. Nikolai held you tightly against his chest, pressing kisses to the crown of your head. “I’m here, my love,” he said, not bothering to tell you it would be alright. “Right here.” He was heartbroken too, he was every month, both for your pain, but also that he was not yet a father. It would happen, Nikolai had hope, but until it did, he would stay strong and comfort you, however he could.
You were pulled from your thoughts by the Healer knocking on the door, curtseying as she entered. “Moya tsaritsa,” she greeted. “You sent for me?” “Yes,” you replied, smoothing your hands over your skirts, trying to calm your nerves. “My period is more than a week late.” The Healer nodded, gesturing for you to lie down. Neither of you were new to this song and dance, but you prayed to every Saint that today would be different.
You watched as the Healer folded her hands, moving them over your belly. For several moments, she was silent before smiling softly. “Congratulations, Your Majesty.” You sat up, a bewildered look on your face. “Are you serious?” “I am, Queen Y/N. You are pregnant.” Tears sprang to your eyes, and you felt joy bubbling in your chest. “Oh Saints! Thank you!” The Healer was taken aback when you hugged her, but accepted your embrace.
“You are most welcome, moya tsaritsa,” she said, gracefully exiting the room. Your mind was spinning, overwhelmed, but one through prevailed. “I need to tell Nikolai,” you said aloud, and an instant later, you were hurrying through the halls towards the Fabrikator workshops.
***
A knock at the door tore Nikolai’s focus from the report he was pouring over, and he rolled his eyes. “All Saints, I swear, if this is about the–Y/N!” You had entered the King’s study, your hands clasped behind your back. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you, my beauty.” Nikolai stretched before he stood, coming to stand before you. “I’m afraid to know what might have happened if it wasn’t me coming in.”
Nikolai laughed. “Soklov has been pestering me about the budget report. But that’s not important.” He looked at you, seeing your hands held behind your back, your nervous posture, and your hesitant-yet-excited smile. “What I would like to know, however, is what my precious girl has behind her back…”
You smiled and held your hands out before you. In them was a miniature version of Sturmhond’s teal frock coat, and your husband cocked his head. “This, my darling, is far too small for me,” Nikolai teased, and you shook your head. “No, but I thought our little one might want to match their Daddy.” At once, his face went slack.
“Our….?” You nodded. “Our little one?” Another nod. “Y/N, please tell me this isn’t a joke.” “It isn’t.” “You’re pregnant?” Tears pricked at your eyes. “I am.” “I’m going to be a father?” “You are.” “I….You’re pregnant?!” “Yes, Nikolai, I’m pregnant, you’re going to be a father!” Your husband’s face lit up, and he cried out with elation, lifting you into his arms. “Oh, my love! I’m going to be a father!”
“Yes!” you said, tears streaming down your face. Nikolai set you down and kissed you, his tears mixing with yours. “You have made me the happiest man alive! My sweetest love, you are a goddess.” Then he dropped to his knees and pressed his lips to your belly, his hands on your hips. “Little one, can you hear me? I’m your Daddy, and I love you so much.” It was far too soon for the baby to be able to hear him, but you didn’t correct him. The two of you were drowning in happiness and bliss, and you were content to sink in it forever
***
Your pregnancy passed without any complications, Nikolai made sure of it. You had the best Healers waiting on you hand and foot, ensuring both you and your baby were perfectly healthy. Nikolai was already taking to fatherhood well; decorating the nursery, amassing a collection of children’s books and toys, pouring over books on newborns and childhood development. And while you didn’t know whether the child was boy or a girl, you had enough clothes for either gender to keep an entire generation of Ravkan babies dressed.
The people were overjoyed at the coming of the heir to the throne, sending well wishes and gifts to the palace every single day. Most of it was deemed not fit for the Queen, but you ensured that any food that arrived at the palace was sent to the poor, that any baby clothes were distributed to mothers who needed them. You hadn’t seen the country so jubilant since your wedding, and you knew that the birth of your child would send the nation into a frenzy.
Of course, you went into labor when Nikolai was away from the Palace. He had been called to Balakirev for a summit, one that he’d been extremely hesitant to attend. With the birth of your child so close, Nikolai was hesitant to leave you in a different room than him. But you’d convinced him, and he went. Of course, a messenger had been sent when your water broke, but that didn’t lessen the fear you felt when the contractions started and the midwives and Healers flooded the room.
When Nikolai received the message, he mounted his horse and rode hard for Os Alta. He didn’t say goodbye to his hosts, didn’t gather his things, his only focus was on getting to you. It only took three hours to return to the Palace, but it felt like an eternity. The King dismounted and was immediately running, ignoring the servants and nobles he passed along the way.
The corridor that led to your bedroom was packed: the entirety of the Ravkan court, your ladies in waiting, the Apparat, and all of them bowed or curtsied as Nikolai approached. “Am I too late?” he asked, completely breathless. “No, moi tsar,” the Apparat responded. “Her Majesty has not delivered yet.” You moaned in pain, and Nikolai’s blood ran cold. “Saints, Y/N,” he whispered as he made to enter the room, but the Apparat stepped between him and the door.
“You cannot go in there, Your Majesty,” he said, and Nikolai frowned. “Excuse me?” “There is womanly work occurring, Majesty. We remain out here.” Other men would nod, agree, step back. Nikolai would not. “Do you enjoy being head of the Church?” “Pardon?” “Would you like to remain head of the Church?” “I–Your Majesty, surely th–” “Do you think you can remain in your position as head of the Church by defying the King of Ravka?”
The Apparat remained silent, and Nikolai stepped closer. “Get out of my way, or I will see that you never set foot in a church again.” He remained still, but when you moaned in pain once more, Nikolai shoved the priest aside and entered the room. You were propped up in bed, nurses, midwives, and Healers fluttering around you, a sheen of sweat covering your face.
Nikolai was at your side in an instant, taking your hand and kissing it. “Y/N,” he breathed. “Saints, I–” “You’re here,” you said, a soft smile appearing on your face. “Stay, please.” “I’m not going anywhere, my love,” he replied, settling himself at your side on the bed. “I’m right by your side. Always, Y/N.” Another contraction hit, and you gripped Nikolai’s hand hard, squeezing your eyes shut.
“Nikolai,” you moaned. “I don’t think I can do this.” “Nonsense, my love,” he replied, desperately trying to remain calm for you. “You are strong, you can do this. You’ve carried our little angel for nine months, and you’ve done so well. You’re almost done, Y/N, now let’s meet our little one.” You nodded, and when the Healer told you it was time, you started pushing. Nikolai’s heart cracked when you cried out from the pain, but he remained at your side, holding your hand and kissing your forehead.
After nearly an hour of pushing, you and Nikolai were greeted with the most beautiful sound you’d ever heard. A sharp, shrill cry; your child was here. “A girl, Your Majesties!” the Healer announced, cutting the cord and assessing the newborn. A sob tore from your mouth, and Nikolai kissed your forehead, wrapping his arms around you. “We have a daughter!” he cried, tears streaking down his cheeks. “A little girl!”
“Is she alright?” you asked, craning your neck. The midwives were between your legs, ensuring the placenta was delivered and that you were alright, but your focus was on your newborn daughter. “Perfectly healthy, moya tsaritsa,” the Healer said. “Just cleaning her up a bit. Here we are!” The Healer came to your side and laid a pink, squirming, screaming bundle on your chest. And it was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen.
“Oh Saints,” Nikolai said, covering his mouth. “She’s perfect, she’s beautiful!” “She is,” you agreed, tracing a finger over your daughter’s cheek. A nurse helped you shift your nightdress to the side and showed you how to help your baby latch so she could nurse, and everyone filtered out of the room, leaving you and your little family in peace.
“I didn’t think I could love someone this much,” you said, watching your child in absolute awe. “Neither did I,” Nikolai said. “Then I met you. And then you gave birth to this little miracle. Oh Y/N, You are absolutely everything to me. You and this little angel.” “We need a name,” you said sleepily, and your husband nodded. “Any ideas, beautiful?” “Hmm. It has to be something regal. She’ll be Queen someday.”
Nikolai nodded, having completely forgotten that his daughter was more than his daughter: she was the heir to the throne, a Princess, the future Queen. For several minutes, you and your husband went back and forth on names, but you finally settled on one. “Rosala,” you said. “Princess Rosala Tatiana Lantsov.” Nikolai nodded. “It’s perfect. Just like her. And like her mother.” Rosala had finished nursing, and you’d shifted her into her father’s arms, who looked at her like she was the sun and the moon.
“I suppose I should present her, shouldn’t I?” It was Ravkan law that the heir must be presented to the court after birth. It used to be done immediately after the birth, before the Healers could clean the baby up, but Nikolai refused to allow his court to be part of such an intimate moment. “You should. And the sooner you do that, the sooner we get her back.” The presentation could take time: every member was required to kneel and swear fealty to their future monarch.
Nikolai pressed a kiss to your forehead, adjusting Rosala in his arms. “Get some rest, my love,” he said. “You have certainly earned it.” You were already snuggling into the covers as he said it. “I love you,” you said. “And I love you, Rosala” Nikolai beamed, and he knew his face would be sore tomorrow from how much he’d been smiling, and he nodded to the guard at the door, who opened it.
The court was still gathered in the corridor, and they fell silent when the King stepped out. “Princess Rosala Tatiana Lantsov,” he announced. “Heir to the Double Eagle throne, future Queen of Ravka” At once, the court bowed and curtsied, some whispering prayers for the Princess. Nikolai carried his daughter up and down the corridor, allowing his court to kneel and pledge their loyalty. When that was done, he re-entered the bedroom, finding you sound asleep.
He sat in the rocker beside the bassinet, Rosala cradled in his arms. “My little love,” he whispered. “I’m your Daddy, and I love you so much. I’m going to tell you your first bedtime story now, little one, and I hope that someday, you’ll have a story just like it.” Your daughter yawned, her little eyes closed, and Nikolai continued. “Once upon a time, there was a Prince who loved the sea. He thought he would never love anything more, but then, he met the most beautiful woman…”
#nikolai lantsov x reader#shadow and bone fanfiction#nikolai lantsov x you#shadow and bone reader insert
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🤩 with Jonathan for the ask game
Hi! Thanks for the ask.
So here's where my "Karen cares about Jonathan" agenda comes out. This is from the pdwm-'verse, shortly after Lonnie left. (It's way too long for a snippet, but it's part of a longer WIP, so I'm counting it, lol.)
“You sure know your way around a kitchen,” Karen observed.
“I cook a lot," he said. "At home.”
“Do you like to cook?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I like it okay.”
“It’s so nice, the way you help your mom out with that.”
She bit back a wince at the tactlessness of it even as it was passing her lips. He wasn’t cooking to be nice, or even to ease Joyce’s burden. At the moment, he was cooking so that everyone could eat.
He nodded, smiling vaguely enough that she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
The knife moved slowly in his hand, clutched a little awkwardly.
“Like this,” she said, reaching for another knife to show him how to hold it, the motions to aim for. Her movements were slow, but her demonstration was brief. When she looked up, he was drinking it in, eyes trained on her hands like there was going to be a test. He’d already adjusted his hold on the knife and was chopping a little more confidently.
She rewarded him with a wide smile, then turned back to the onions sweating on the stove.
“What do you like to make?”
“I only know how to make a few things.”
She glanced over at his cutting board. He had the motions down, but his fingers still weren’t curled just right on the knife, a little too close to the path of the blade for her comfort.
She reached out, a little halting. “May I?”
His eyes had widened the moment she’d reached for him, shoulders drawing in, head jerking back an inch—something like a flinch that didn’t quite finish. One she’d have overlooked, maybe, if not for the wariness that jumped to his face, deep lines of suspicion that aged him in seconds. Made an accusing young man out of a tired boy.
She waited with her hand still outstretched, hovering over his.
He nodded.
She was careful as she adjusted the curl of his fingers, moved his thumb to a safer position. Careful, but efficient, not lingering longer than she had to.
“I could give you some of my recipes, if you’d like,” she said. Her voice was as light and easy as she could make it, firmly refusing to make anything of the last minute. “If you want to branch out.”
She kept it to herself that they were all budget meals, mostly pantry staple ingredients and easy ways to stretch a buck. They kept okay in the fridge for a few days, mostly froze well, and were hearty. But she was sure he’d notice that. So would Joyce. Ted was easy enough to please, but the kids complained sometimes about them, so they only made an appearance once a week or so. Still, she’d kept the recipes. She was glad that her kids could complain about the starch-laden staples that she’d grown up on.
“Oh, you don’t have to,” he said, a nervous kind of laugh in his voice, like he really thought it would be some kind of imposition for her to write out a few recipes for him.
“It’s no trouble,” she assured. “We’ll just get dinner in the oven, and you can come pick out a few that you think the three of you might like. Or maybe just something you’d like to try.”
He bit his lip, eyes narrowed in something she might call suspicion on an older face. Something more like an anxious wariness. But it broke, the tension sliding away, and she even got a little smile—confused as it was—before he looked down at his feet. “That’d be really nice of you.”
“Really, it’s no trouble. And once you have a few staples and you get comfortable with them, I bet you’ll get comfortable improvising with whatever you’ve got in the house. Maybe even get really creative.”
“There’s always food in the house,” he said quietly.
She set down her paring knife to look at him, eyes wide and soft. “Oh, I know, honey. Of course there is. I just meant the day or so before grocery shopping days, or when Joyce is busy and can’t get to the store right away. It’s nice to be able to whip up something reliable and substantial. Always made me feel more secure.”
“Did you…” He cleared his throat, blinking up at her. “Did you, uh, do a lot of cooking, growing up?”
“Well, you have to, don’t you, when you’re the oldest?”
“You’re the oldest?”
“Mhmm. And when there are younger siblings, you learn how to feed them. Or I did, anyway—everyone took care of something. My thing was the kitchen.” She paused to reach for the pile of carrots he’d chopped and tipped them into the pan. “My mother was a wonderful cook. Not a lot to work with, in those days, but she worked miracles.”
She glanced up at him, from the corner of her eye. His shoulders were finally starting to relax, hands stilled on the board while his face shifted in thought.
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Comfort in Girl’s Day
Summary - Part 49 in the Comfort series
Pairing - Dean Winchester x Reader, Reader x Sam (platonic), Reader x Bobby (father-figure), Andre (OG Character) x Reader (best friends), Garth x Bess
Series Masterlist | Masterlist
A/N: Sorry guys, it’s another short one this week. Been busy with my family for the holidays. I hope you all had a great Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate).
In town, you and Destiny visit a few stores shopping for clothes, toys and beauty products for a relaxing girl’s weekend in the Bunker. She tries on various outfits for pyjamas, day clothes and even a few nice dresses for the occasion that you may be able to celebrate her addition to your little family properly. You even buy a few new outfits for yourself; it’s been so long since you went clothes shopping without a set event or intention in mind.
After a few hours, both your and Destiny’s stomachs begin to growl. You know you won’t be able to get her a raw cow’s heart to eat in public but you hope she might be able to tolerate a rare steak until you can get home. You go to a diner down the street that you know serves decent meals. You order a rare steak and chips for Destiny and a medium rare for yourself with veggies, knowing you’ll get her chips. You also ask for a pitcher of water and two glasses. On your way to the table, you notice a stack of newspapers; on habit, you pick one up. Dean always gets them to look for cases, despite the internet being much better for that now, but you want it for a different reason. While you wait for your meals to arrive you flick through to the real estate listings and open houses. As you scan through crossing off houses that are totally out of your budget or style your eyes settle on a secluded property in the mountains. You know Dean would never want to live in the town with neighbours crowding him and invading his privacy, so the location is perfect. The house also looks in quite good condition, from the photos anyway. You type the address into your GPS and decide to drive by it before going back to the Bunker after lunch.
Destiny eats the steak reluctantly to quench her hunger for now; it doesn’t provide the same nutrients that she requires as the heart would, but she doesn’t complain. She’s always so grateful for everything you do. You pick at her chips along with eating your own meal; your appetite is nowhere near as big as your husband’s and it’s even smaller now that you’re not over-exerting yourself on hunts. But you manage to make a decent dent in both meals and then take what’s left of your massive steak home for dinner.
“You mind if we make a detour on the way back to the Bunker?” you ask Destiny once you’re both finished eating.
She shakes her head. “Where we going?”
“There’s just something I want to check out. It’s a house. Maybe a new home for us and Dean, of course, if he agrees.”
“What about Sam?”
“If there’s enough space he’s welcome, but I think if we leave the Bunker he’ll go back to college or something. I don’t know. Sam will do whatever he wants. I thought the giant scared you?”
“He does…But he’s nice.”
“He is. You ready to go?” You ask and she nods.
You follow the GPS directions up into the mountains until you find the house from the photos. It has the exterior look and feel of a peaceful cabin in the woods, but it’s bigger than the average cabin. It’s large, but not too large, according to the ad, it’s four bedrooms and three bathrooms, with a full-size kitchen, lounge, study, games room, and a double garage. It also has a shed out the back and a pool. It’s a large block, but that just adds to the appeal as there’s no one else around. It will be like your own private sanctuary. Like the bunker, but without the lair-like feel. You truly believe you could make this a home. Of course, you still need to look inside and convince Dean, but you have high hopes.
After having a decent look at the property, you head back to the Bunker to unpack your shopping haul. Both a little tired from all the events that have already occurred today, after unpacking, you decide that it’s the perfect time to watch a movie and just relax. You bring blankets and pillows into the Dean Cave and set it up for an afternoon slumber party. While you set up the room, you let Destiny scroll through Netflix to find something to watch. Once everything is set up, you both snuggle up in the cushions and blankets. You send a quick selfie and text to Dean letting him know everything is good and reminding him to be safe. Destiny then presses play on her pick of movie: My Neighbor Tororo. You’re not surprised she picked an anime, considering it’s what Dean has been putting on at bedtime most nights (thankfully he’s been choosing G and PG-rated ones while she’s around).
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
Tag list: (Leave a like or comment on this post or let me know below if you want to be added to the tag list for this series)
@bitchwitch1981, @muhahaha303, @justrealizedimmascifygurl, @mcdowell-123, @leigh70, @marvelsmarauder, @losa12308, @tapedeck-hearts, @luvjaida, @peachtxa, @ambearsstuff, @shadow-of-a-cloud, @slut-for-buck, @iprobablyshipit91, @sassy-pelican, @fallenlilangel99, @heavenlyhopeful0, @nelachu2423, @ladysparkles78, @canyouimaginethatstory, @mrlonelycat
#dean winchester x reader#dean x you#dean winchester#supernatural#spn#dean winchester fanfiction#dean winchester imagine#dean winchester fic#dean winchester fluff
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this mf long so don't tell me i didn't warn u
been in a rut for over a year
something something autistic burnout
idk the cause or the solution
just trying to survive each day as best i can
easier said than done when everything that brings me joy (ha) is behind a pay wall
that's capitalism baby~
found out fauna is going to the only anime convention i can attend on a reasonable budget.... but im already so broke....
I'd shell out the cash (debt) if it meant guaranteeing a spot at the meet and greet but they might not release info until too late when plane tickets are unaffordable ;_;
i wanna look forward to something because sustaining my sanity on retail therapy and getting high definitely is losing its effectiveness
brain always returns to the loneliness. i know its crippling but how much of my struggle is from that and how much is from my disability... they're both invisible which makes it hard to tell
would having a partner help that much? my gut tells me yes since ill have motivation to live if i have someone to share existence with but that feels like putting all my eggs in one basket and setting myself up for an unhealthy relationship
i like to think i won't fall down that path of toxic codependency like i have in the past tho im not crazy confident based on my track record
Which reminds me I've realized how appealing polyamory sounds to me but I'm terrible in groups I feel like I'd be overwhelmed with more than 3 (including myself) tho who knows what can happen
REGARDLESS i guess i gotta talk to people and make friends since i am incapable of socializing with the intention of dating (trust issues yippee)
i wish i had a crush at the very least. i bring this up often but i fucking miss the feeling of legitimate interest and attraction towards someone
How do I meet someone, become comfortable enough with them, and ultimately find a partnership that satisfies my insane desires???? maybe I'm putting the cart before the horse? Tackling too much at once? Something like that...
Imma be real the only reason I'm active on here is another mechanism to cope with this loneliness (akin to listening to asmr for instant happy brain juice + with the added benefit of "putting myself out there")
My strange fantasy that I'll meet people on here like I did years ago and magically hit it off
AAAAAAUGGHHHHH how did I do it back then it seemed so easy what happened to my social skills (trauma, probably)
How is it I work 2 days a week and am still drained constantly? when will I be free from sleepy bitch syndrome? it's like I've been running on fumes for the past year WHEN WILL I HAVE THE WILL TO LIVE AGAIN
i miss having someone to talk to frequently about everything
i have my besties but unfortunately knowing there's no sexual or romantic attraction there makes it hard for me to get past these barriers?? Is that weird? I wanna be able to be intimate with someone and close but for me that's intrinsically tied to sex and romance. I'm overflowing with platonic friendships to the point where I had to cut off a bunch and leave many people I care about hanging because I simply have no energy to exist anymore
I've been doing my best each day but it only gets harder
The only thing I have energy for is getting high and living inside the fantasies my brain can muster as a means to cope with how lonely I am
I dream of being hugged, of someone touching me, of being accepted for all my flaws and reassured that my existence isn't shameful. I live for the day these might become reality
Since as long far back as highschool I've yearned for intimacy
Physical intimacy specifically since the most I've done is hold hands and lil cute things like that I CRAVE SKINSHIP UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE
Anyway if anybody made it this far hi feel free to confess ur undying love 2 me
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I want to get a cat, and am massively overplanning...how did you prep for Ru? Do you have recs for getting cat toys/towers/fancy water fountains...
Hey :) Excellent news!! I was in a slightly odd position with Ru because he was abandoned with his three siblings as a kitten and it was my mum who found him, nursed him, and asked if I wanted him. So we were constantly talking, she was sending me pictures, I could ask her questions. I'd say that the biggest thing to remember about cats generally is they don't love change and they are incredibly particular about what they like and don't like but it seems to have no logical consistency to anyone other than them. My advice:
I'd start by asking whoever has the cat before what the cat is like and what they like. With my mum she was able to put his favourite fleecy blanket in with him when he travelled - which I still have and he still nuzzles every night - and some of the food he'd been eating in Spain so I could transition him to a similar British food. It was basically just to ease him in by making sure he had familiar things around him while he was adjusting. Even if they're at a shelter they might have a particular toy they like or they can tell you the brand of food the cat prefers. Gather as much intelligence as you can!
Don't invest in anything expensive before you get the cat. Go cheap and broad. Cats really do have their own personalities and they are notorious for ignoring expensive items but then becoming obsessive about a piece of rubbish you accidentally dropped. So you can use the information you gather in point 1 but otherwise just go to a budget place near you or even go to Amazon. Buy those sets with a bunch of different types of toys in them to try out. Obviously you don't want anything too poor quality, especially if it's for something like food - for example plastic bowls can irritate the skin under their chin - but I wouldn't splash out straight away. And then spend a few weeks watching the cat. Do they like to be in high places? They might like a cat tower. Do they seem fascinated by running water when you turn the tap on? They might like one of the fancy water fountain things. Do they keep taking their food out of the bowl and eating it on the ground? They might need a bowl that's a different shape, wider perhaps. Once you know they like a certain type of toy etc. you can invest in a more expensive, higher quality version - just be prepared they may hate it!!
If you can, take some time off after they arrive. I took the week off I think. I honestly don't know if this helps the cat at all but I get massive separation anxiety when I'm away from him for more than a few hours. I think even for people who are more chill, it is a change for you as much as it is for the cat so it's good for both of you to have time to adjust!
Identify a vet and get registered fairly quickly after they arrive. Being a pet owner is just living in perpetual fear something is going to happen to them and it is so comforting to know who you could call in an emergency. Things might work differently where you are but where I am you can just register your pet for free, you don't need to go in for a check up first or pay a membership or anything.
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i got two really nice emails from faculty on the hiring committee this morning (the hiring manager just told them that i’d accepted) which made me so happy. aaaaaaaa i think i’m starting to finally transition out of the residual stress/anxiety stage behind and fully into the giddy happy butterflies stage. i feel like i could burst into tears of joy!! and i am gently hushing both my ‘there MUST be some catch’ and my ‘if a good thing happens, a BAD THING must be about to happen to balance it!’ inner voices, because sometimes a thing can just be good. i worked really hard and i got a really good outcome and i feel really grateful/happy/fortunate.
i’ve been thinking about that anxious ruminating a lot over the past few days, just trying to notice it as it’s happening. i feel like i’ve always had an tendency towards rumination but i do think it’s gotten markedly worse over the past nine months. as you might have gathered lol i’ve been pretty lowkey (and sometimes highkey) miserable and despairing about work, and i know i tend to get more depressed/anxious when i don’t have a clear sense of purpose or meaning in my life. i also think the social isolation of being fully remote in a job where i don’t have any work friends and in a new city where i don’t have an extended social circle has kinda fucked with my baseline mood. i’ve written a lot over the past nine months about not feeling like myself, and i think that’s just like, partly feeling like i’d lost my professional identity, but also partly just noticing that i feel a lot more fretful and discontent and prone to extended funks than i usually do. but i DO think it’s situational and i DO believe that i can/will bounce back to a self that feels more familiar once i change the big and small things in my environment that are fueling my unhappiness.
here are some things that are going to be REALLY good for me.
it’s going to be REALLY good for me to pursue values-aligned work that energizes and excites me. blah blah your work shouldn’t be your hobby or whatever but work kind of IS one of my hobbies and when i’m in a job i really love i spend every day thinking I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY PAY ME TO DO STUFF I WOULD JUST DO FOR FUN
it’s going to be REALLY good for me to get up, get ready right away, and go into campus most or all days a week. give me ROUTINE. give me a WORKPLACE that is separate from my home place. give me CAMPUS TIME!!!!!
it’s going to be REALLY good for me to talk to multiple people every single day. i need lots of alone time but i also NEED meaningful facetime with people and this job has just been brutal on that front
it’s going to be REALLY good (on a related note) for me to work with students again. i love working with students. it is so meaningful and good and energizing for me to work with students. i have missed it so so much.
it’s going to be REALLY good for me to be in a role that pushes me out of my comfort zone and forces me to stretch a bit. i haven’t even been coasting in this job... i’ve been totally stagnant. no growth, no challenge, no opportunities to stretch or learn. i’m gonna LEARN NEW THINGS again!!!!!!! i’m gonna feel so so so so so so so so so so much better!
it’s going to be REALLY good for me to have to budget! haha this seems silly and counterintuitive but honestly i think that making too much money is kind of bad for me! it makes it easier for me to live wastefully and be more thoughtless in my my choices/spending habits. i also feel like it was just so important to me to not get so used to being at this income level that i could never take a step back if i wanted to/needed to. i want to have enough money to live comfortably and to be able to afford thoughtfully chosen indulgences. but i don’t want to make obscene amounts of money for doing the most pointless work ever to the point where money is no object for me. idk dude! i want to value the money i make because i value the work did to earn it. and i want to value and appreciate the opportunity to make thoughtful choices about how/where to spend it.
it’s going to be REALLY good for me to be out of this job. god! i hope that three months from now my relationship with my lead seems like a weird disturbing fever dream i had lol. i cannot fucking WAIT to be out from under this woman’s thumb. and i can’t wait to apply everything i learned to NOT being like her in any of my managing roles in the future. phew!!!
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oh man I don't have holiday plans this year and I know why (it's because I basically haven't hung out with any of my friends for the past 8 months) but it still Sucks especially because I know the past couple months I have just been all over the place mentally and emotionally so I wouldn't but up for it anyways but mrehmreghrhehgugh
it is the first time since *checks watch* 2019 where I genuinely didn't have anyone to spend time with to distract me from the Everything so I dunno I'm really feeling it this year I guess. Doing this without a therapist is really hard. I can tell I'm rapid cycling but it's hard to climb out of it :/ plus the group meeting social thing I go to felt unsatisfying for a number of reasons like I was hoping it wouldn't be. I just feel. Bad.
So like, all of these are the problems, which means once I understand them I can start planning out a way to reframe it and even potentially think of solutions . . . . so okay there's a lot of reasons why this is different from last time. I do have plans just not the day of. It's not that people don't want to hang out with me, most of them are just on the east coast. The last time I had a really good experience but also it was a lot of physical and mental strain and I might react to it more poorly this year. The past couple weeks I've been ruminating, participating in a lot of negative self talk, sleeping poorly, and my routines are still all thrown off. I haven't been talking the breaks I need. This is even a good opportunity to sort out my priorities on how I want to spend my time and strike a balance between online hobbies (which tend to trigger mania) and physical in person meetups (which tend to give me more psychological stability).
It's not even online vs in person, because these negative emotions are affecting me even when I'm talking to friends online. Plus I can use this as a good opportunity to catch up on things, like editing photos from flower piano and other trips and that link collection I promised. This gives me time to work on gifts and black friday too- I want to get the most bang for buck on things I typically can't afford, and having some time available to do that is nice. And for the rest of the time pre-holidays, I can finish updating my bullet journal like I haven't done in forever and go over all the good things/important things that have happened to build a more accurate perception of my progress with my mental health over the past year. Frankly I feel like most of my progress stalled in feburary and it's been awhile of just putting my coping skills to the test. But I do know that even if it feels that way, I have really made progress in some areas, and I should continue to do the habits that I found to be the most helpful in maintaining the best conditions for me to communicate successfully with others and make people feel comfortable. I can send cards again and stuff too as a treat because I find that relaxing.
Other than that this is making me think I should make plans in my budget to get a light therapy lamp because this aligns too perfectly with daylight savings (some symptoms, the particularly concerning ones like anxiety and panic attacks as well as overwhelming dread over social interactions). I don't need to get a new bullet journal, but I should probably consider getting copic refills at some point since I'll be picking it up again and that's a big part of my journaling . . . process? technique? it's what I do when I have some extra energy to devote to it.
List of things to do:
light therapy lamp
catch up on bullet journaling
edit photos
shop for presents, make presents, and send cards
calendar the different events I want to go to (maybe big day holidays in person, smaller less celebrated holidays online, etc)
sleep before 2 a.m.
wake up before 10 a.m.
take my multivitamin (and frankly the rest of my "extra" medications like benedryl) consistently
stay hydrated and fed
make plans for copic budgeting
I also need to be reasonable with myself with what I can actually afford and what I actually need. I've felt an increasing pressure financially because of a bunch of *waves hand* debt stuff but ultimately I can't live my life waiting for that to resolve. So I can sort of make the assumption that I will have money going forward and should start using my savings account properly now that I'm planning on doing that.
#personal#mental illness#another long post about mental health#it's been awhile it's good I'm doing these again especially since I'm still in search of a therapist
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Who's afraid of 1080p?
Last semester we walked away from the test shoot with two technical concerns - is my Canon C100's 1080p enough or should we opt for a 4k camera and how do we get a sturdier slider, that will still be just as easy to transport.
The 1080p resolution and a bad slider are in a symbiotic relationship - if the slider is janky and unreliable, the footage will have to be stabilised in post, resulting in cropping which reduces the quality. So really only one of the variables needs changed - either we get a 4k camera or a better slider.
Paul suggested testing out the Sony FX6, which I used previously and am pretty comfortable with. Not to be that YouTube bro though, when compared to the colours Canon gives straight out of the camera, Sony is just oversaturated and too high contrast for me. And in theory, this shouldn't be a concern because, hey, colour grading is a thing, but in my case, being the project's DoP and editor I know I won't have the energy to spend countless hours grading the footage to get the look that my Canon delivers. I'm expecting to spend 3-4 weeks editing the film on top of the two weeks that I will be shooting it in Poland. I'm aware I won't get much, if any time to step back from looking at the images I captured if grading requires just that - a rest for the eyes. Nonetheless, there is no harm in giving Sony a go and trying some of the push ins in the edit. Katie wanted to try the camera out herself for Saint Catherines so we joined forces and I had the pleasure of working with the best cinematographer model in the game :))
Colours aside, I think this test really solidified the fact that the slider was the culprit all along - not the camera resolution. The push-ins in post really aren't what we're going for, as they merely work as zooms. Sliding the camera on a tripod means that the background, foreground and middle-ground are moving silmoutaneously, and there is a potential for panning too. On top of that, the kit store only has one E mount zoom lens for the FX6 and I would prefer to work with primes, as I would have more F stop range. Between myself and Natalia we have all the lenses we could possibly need and given the film's more abstract style, I know we will need lenses that can open up more than F4.0.
So having diagnosed the real issue, the question remains - how do we go about the slider? The kit store slider was definitely not going across the border. I spoke to Andrew and he offered his old slider for me to test out, but sadly couldn't find it in the end. Back at square one I started toying with the idea of making my own slider.
Down the YouTube rabbit hole I went, choosing between the pvc pipes, dolly wheels and many, manyyyy screws. Hours later I thought. - might just be easiest to buy a second hand slider, so down the Facebook marketplace/ebay rabbit hole I went. After having compared the prices I concluded the best way to move forward is to find a healthy medium.
On my morning stroll across Bruntsfield, a piece of metal perfect for the slider found me - it was meant to be! I'm pretty sure it was once part of a clothes drying rack, but in its broken state it only had two metal pipes connected on either side by metal rectangles I could drill into and mount onto a tripod.
I knew I couldn't build a ball head for the tripod so might as well order one off Amazon and return if it's not adequate. Whilst scrolling I came across Neewer's skater dolly and upon inspecting it I noticed its width was perfect for the width of my makeshift slider. And given I opted for my camera which is much lighter than any other cinema camera, the dolly head could support it. Sometimes the universe just looks after you... If the budget allows, I'd also like to order this bad boi (yes, the YouTube bro got to me):
youtube
My prediction is that I will be changing set-ups on the go, during takes, and having a dolly which is just an extension of the tripod would mean I could easily slide from one corner of the room to the other, without causing too much disturbance. Based on the photos of Natalia's grandparents' home, it seems like all the floors are wooden and this tripod dolly could glide smoothly across the rooms, allowing me more fluid movement than the slider. While the slider can only go left-right, forward-backward, with this dolly I could go in semicircles if necessary. And just like that - my Amazon search was complete and order placed. I will burn in hell like the filthy capitalist that I am.
Once the evil goods have turned up on my doorstep it was time to turn to a man for help. My boyfriend studies sculpture at ECA and has access to metal work so he offered to create walls for the slider that could further stabilise the dolly head. He added pieces of felt to make it more smooth sailing too (and a smiley face because what's a slider without a smiley face). He was also able to drill the holes on either side so I can mount the cheese plates on the slider and secure it between two sliders.
Here's Adam, myself and our baby Janusz (yes we named the slider after Natalia's grandpa). Definitely sturdier than what we used for the test shoot, much longer and equally as transportable, I feel confident in saying Janusz is built for the task ahead. I only wish I had more hands to help me assemble him when we're there...
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Tough task ahead
With nine games to go it looks a tough task for North End to reach the top six even though we have a game in hand. Norwich sit five points above us in sixth place going into this international break and with West Brom ten points ahead of us it seems realistic to say that only sixth spot is open. Hull and Coventry sit two points and one point above us, respectively and with Middlesbrough two points behind us and played a game more it looks like Hull, Coventry, Norwich and ourselves in the fight for the play off place. Having said all of that if we had beaten Stoke the Saturday before last we might well be having a different conversation so it shows how quick things can change in the Championship. We will look a bit more at North Ends Easter programme next week but with Rotherham, Birmingham, Watford and Huddersfield as our next four games it seems pretty clear that the next three weeks or so will give us an idea of where we are ahead of what could be a massive game at Home to Norwich on April 13th. Much debate goes on as to whether we are punching above our weight but I actually dont think we are. The table never lies and we are where we are on merit in spite of the bigger budgets that other clubs have squandered.
Last Saturday we made the longest journey of the season to play Plymouth Argyle with the 600 mile round trip being made worthwhile as Liam Millar`s goal secured all three points. It was great to see over 1,000 North End fans inside Home Park and the travelling faithful gave North End fabulous support from the first whistle to the last. In all honest it was a game North End should have won much much more comfortably than they did. It was a drizzly damp day but North End always had that little bit extra whether it be quality on the ball or the tenacity in the middle of the park typified by my man of the match, Ryan Ledson. Plymouth should have been down to ten after an horrendous tackle by Miller but once again a referee in the Championship got a major decision wrong. It appear it is something we expect and are getting used to but I have to that the general standard of refereeing in the second tier this season is as bad as I have ever seen it.
With it being the International break this weekend my thoughts turn to England and a couple of high profile friendlies over the break against Brazil and Belgium both at Wembley. I think it is fair to say that both our visitors are going through a transition period and England should be mindful of this whatever the results are. The pressure is certainly building towards the 2024 Euros and Gareth Southgate will be expected to reach the final, probably against France if we miss each other on the way. If we are being honest we should have won the Euros in 2021 but we gave an aging Italian side far too much respect in the final. I do think it is a measure of how far we have come that we no expect to be in there at the death and I think history will look kindly on the current England manager once he has passed the baton on.
And finally this week:- what a great FA Cup quarter final the game was on Sunday between Manchester United and Liverpool. The FA Cup is, without doubt, the greatest cup competition in the world but the greedy FA have once again sold out meaning that from the 2025/26 season the Cup will only be shown on TNT. The FA Cup looks like going the way that test match cricket went as the TV rights were sold off to the highest bidder. The are some sporting events that are for the people and should be free to air no matter what. The Football Association Cup stands very high up in that list of sporting events.
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MATCH PREDICTION -
BRAZIL (H) Friendly International - Home win
BELGIUM (H) Friendly International - Score Draw
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JR`s HIGH FIVES
Harry Kane to score at any time against Brazil 7/5
A £5 Stake returns £12.00 on bet365
SEASONS STATS
Returns £96.00 Stake £160.00
Percentage profit+/-loss - 40.00%
Predictions 33 won 9 lost 24
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Hey fellow diaper lovers , so I don’t know how many people have seen my posts here and know what I’m trying to do. So I’ll give ya the run down really quick, I’m trying to get my doctor or another doctor to put in in my medical charts that I am diaper dependent which then will get insurance to cover it. I’ve been becoming more and more brave about my diapered life and am working up the courage to start talking to my doctor about having accidents and becoming a bed wetter. I fully intend to tell her that I’ve been back in diaper full time bed use for 8 years now and if I go without a diaper I will wet the bed. My doctor is pretty understanding and will most likely just put it in my chart and not get to crazy about trying to run tests and what not. Anyway so I know that doctor which makes it a little uncomfortable (and I actually to leak daily and think I have the begging of urge incontinence and stress incontinence as well. That being said I thought I would start being open about it with total strangers and I was also curious if somehow I could find an adult diaper bank but wasn’t able to locate one near me or anywhere in this area at all, so I thought maybe call a hospital cause they might know better than I do and a lot of the time people donate left over diapers from someone who passed or for what ever reason. So I spoke with This lady over the phone (young probably around my age or younger I’m 38) and explained to her that I have been back in diapers full time at night for 8 years and that I’m not a rich man as I support my family in my check alone we are able to do and buy what ever we want or need but we are on a budget and diapers are part of that budget , I have an order of my typical diapers tranquility ATN which are the best by far my favorite that should have been here already but they have not yet arrived and it could be 2-3 more days without my diapers , that’s a whole lot of laundry and bedding changes instead of just throwing out my diaper which normally lasts all night and I’m not waking up in a soaking wet bed . I told her all of that asked her if she know what I could do and she said to hang on a minute and quickly came back asking me my size and if just a couple would get me through . I then asked her if maybe 4 or 5 would be possible but I would take what ever , I also told her I prefer tap style diapers rather than pull-ups thinking the hospital is bound to have real diapers . Anyway she came back on the line and told me that all they had was pull-ups but they would be more than willing to give me some to hold me over. I thought that was really nice of them. It wasn’t really about getting the diapers it was more about being brave enough to tell my story to someone in the medical field so that I feel more comfortable talking to me doctor and convincing her I am diaper dependent at night and some times during the day too. I am well on my way to being able to get my diapers through my insurance and having it down on paper so there is never a question about it again. Can’t wait til Wednesday when I see my doctor again. I see her once a month normally for my medication but she is also my primary care doctor and easy to convince , so fingers crossed that on Wednesday next week as far as anyone else is concerned I will be incontinent/diaper dependent and hopefully I’ll be able to get my diapers on an automatic delivery and the ones I want and need , free would be nice too. The best part though would be it being a medical thing which means no one should be saying anything g at all about it . I’ve been looking for a discrete pull-up for work cause I already know if I’m in a diaper of some kind I will end up using it completely by accident . I’m sure I would soon ditch the pull-ups in favor of diapers at work too, but baby steps . I’m actually proud of myself , putting myself into an embarrassing situation and it being no big deal, I even went into the hospital to get my pull-ups personally . Was actually fun . Pretty soon it’ll be a perm at 24/7 thing and I cannot wait . It’s more authentic for sure.
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June 8 - Last Day in Tokyo
I can’t believe it has already been two weeks since I’ve arrived in Japan. Tokyo has been a pretty great time and there have been so many cool things to do. One thing I keep talking with people about is that it doesn’t feel like we’re in Japan, then every once in a while we remember that fact. That’s how comfortable it is. The language barrier is honestly very navigable, and many things have English text as well. The metro is honestly so impressive as well. The trains are always on time and they can get you just about anywhere faster than by car and much cheaper as well. I’ve been thinking that I might want more time here as well, and may end up staying longer in Japan! Between temples, shrines, museums, parks, themed cafes, shopping, arcades, hiking, and more, there has been so much to do here and still so much I haven’t done.
So, the day started out with packing. One thing that was cool is that we were presented the option to ship luggage to Kyoto instead of having to take it on the train. There ended up being enough room in the budget for this, as the exchange rates are very beneficial for USD to yen at the moment. I ended up shipping two bags: my big suitcase and my duffel bag, which was mostly filled with Lauren’s stuff. She didn’t have enough room for everything so I offered it to her to use. Leina was kind enough to show up an hour earlier than planned so that people going to the studio ghibli museum could more easily turn in their bags to be shipped. She is such a W tour guide and everyone on the trip loves her. I’m happy she’s coming to Kyoto with us (because Riki as always abandoned us :( how rude of him).
I unfortunately did not have tickets for the ghibli museum, as they sell out fast and I wasn’t sure about going. However, I did get dragged along with guy Sam to go to a maid cafe. It was him, Bryan, Xander, Julie, and I. I can say with full confidence that it was definitely one of the meals I’ve had on this trip and that it was certainly an experience I had in Japan. It was honestly fairly uncomfortable, and the food wasn’t all that great, but I respect their commitment and the effort that goes into making the vibe of the place. It just wasn’t for me though, but at least I can say I went to one I guess. I do really appreciate the invite from Sam though, he’s a cool guy.
(Also, this photo of Sam actually goes so hard)
Later, Lauren, Bianca, Ana, and I went to the Cinnamaroll cafe. They were headed there from the ghibli museum and I was headed there from the hotel. We managed to get there roughly at the same time, but unfortunately I was late due to google maps lying to me. Once I got to the first station, it showed that the route I was going on no longer was an option, and that it would be an extra 18 mins to get there. I ended up rushing, and was only 10 or so minutes late to the cafe though. The cafe was cutely decorated and everything, but it was quite the let down that one they only had 5 food options, and two that only 2 of those options were actually available (the rest were sold out). I got a chocolate parfait and it was pretty decent. I just feel bad for Lauren because now that’s the second time that something she had been looking forward to and wanting to do didn’t exactly work out. First, Bar Lupin (a bar where famous authors used to hang out) didn’t have seating and turned us down, then Cinnamaroll cafe which had like no food. She apologized for dragging us around to these things, but it’s not like it’s her fault or anything, and I just feel bad that things she wanted to do didn’t work out.
Her and I then went and got food from and food court and it was alright. A couple interesting things happened there though. One is that they MADE ME order four toppings on the pizza I got. Like it said a pizza came with four toppings, and I only wanted two. But when I asked if I could only do two, the guy told me that I had to order four toppings. Also, the “bacon” was just straight up ham, which was a disappointment. The other interesting thing is that when I paid with a 2000¥ note, the cashier looked surprised/confused. One thing that I had heard people mention before on the trip, and that I had looked up, is that apparently 2000¥ notes are rare, having only been printed in the year 2000. Apparently they are mostly only available at currency exchange places. It was kinda funny to me that the cashier then picked up the coin tray in the register and placed the note under it, as there was no slot in the machine for those notes, and it was the only one in there.
(L-Breath lol, why isn’t this a breath mint brand??)
After that, I headed back to the hotel and finished packing (for the most part) to leave in the morning. I’m gonna miss Tokyo, but I look forward to Kyoto!
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Bit of a physical and emotional purgatory again.
Still waiting for the heat to die down. It could've been worse - the fan helps, and I think I’ve made the right call by not opening the windows during the day. But it still gets uncomfortable for at least part of the day. And then there’s the pesky spike in the male gaze and the people everywhere and the summery concerns about how to dress to feel comfortable and good - and a sudden surge in summer clothes shopping. Oh, I’m not ready for this at all.
I try to enjoy the outdoors a bit. Yesterday I had a random craving for Century Park in Vernon Hills, a place I only went once before on a loud and crowded summer weekend. So I went, and I had a walk, and enjoyed some hills and sparkling water, and it was quieter than last time, but all in all, with the lack of foliage, it didn’t compel me to stay long. Then I craved sushi, and I got that even though I already had it less than a week ago, and I really should watch my budget more.
Today was my first really solid workday in a while, but I don’t know if this is an outlier or a sign of better things to come.
Mentally and physically, things have been a little fucked at times for reasons I'm unclear about. Weak and fragile states again, and some mental spirals, though I’m trying so hard not to waste too much time on those. Earlier in the week, I though I might be getting sick, but I didn’t. Don’t know if that had anything to do with it. I want to be So Strong and Resilient Forever.
I’m getting some things done, and I’m making bits of progress each day, and that’s the thing to focus on in times like these.
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Gifts for women in the UK: 5 essential tips you must before buying one
In the UK, women are known to be very beautiful, especially when wearing a wedding dress. However, there are many gifts that the women in your life will love to receive. Whether it is your mother, sister or wife, you must make sure you have plenty of gift ideas for them. There are so many options for gifts for women in the UK but these 5 essential tips you must before buying one.
Know the age
When buying a gift for your mother, grandmother or even for a friend who is older than you, it is crucial that you know her age. The age of the woman you will buy a gift for will help you know what kind of things she likes and dislikes. If she is older than 35 years, then it means that she already has everything she wanted from childhood till now. So if something special on your mind falls under this category, then choose something according to their expectations rather than yours.
Know their taste and lifestyle.
When shopping for a gift, it is important to know your friend's taste and lifestyle. You should also find out what she likes to do in her free time. What are her hobbies? What are her interests? How old is she? This information will help you choose the right gift for them.
For example, if you know that your friend loves hiking but hates shopping, then don't get her any clothes or accessories related to this sport; instead, buy something that has nothing to do with hiking but can make her feel comfortable when she goes out on walks with other people (like earphones).
Give them something useful.
A useful gift is something that you can use daily. It’s not just a nice bauble or something pretty to look at. If your girlfriend loves her coffee, buy her some really good coffee beans and grind them up! Don’t forget to add some milk and sugar if you know she likes it sweet.
A useful gift will be used and appreciated for many years; an item may have been forgotten until one day when its usefulness arises again (for example: “I forgot that I had this stuff in my kitchen cupboard”).
Gift them related to their interests.
Regarding gifts for women in the UK, you must remember that each woman has her preferences. So if you don't know what your lady loves and dislikes, this might not be the best place to start shopping.
For example: if she loves reading books, then you could get her an e-book reader or a Kindle Fire; if she likes cooking, then there are plenty of kitchen tools available on the market today; if she likes travelling, then go ahead with those travel accessories; if she loves fashion clothes then check out our website where we offer some amazing deals on designer shoes and handbags etcetera.
Keep in mind the budget constraint.
Don't get carried away with the budget. When buying gifts for your loved ones, the budget is very important. It should be reasonable and realistic so that you don't spend more than what is needed or leave something out of the list altogether. If you are planning a big party, then it is better to collect some ideas from other people who have done this before and consult them regarding their experience in terms of choosing gifts for different occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries etc., so as not to repeat any mistakes which might lead up towards making wrong choices while buying presents for loved ones!
The main point here is: do not go overboard on spending money because if there's anything we all know about budgets, then they're never enough! Remember that even though we may have plenty of time available today (or tomorrow), tomorrow won't wait until next week arrives - which means we need our plans on track all along rather than rushing through tasks just once at night before going back home again.
For that matter, you can gift the women in your life with something interesting and useful. A cookbook or a book on baking can be a great choice for women who love to bake their bread and cakes. You can also give them a new gadget like an electronic thermometer for cooking or a gift voucher for getting their hair done at salons in town. If you're looking for something more personal, why not get her an expensive perfume? There are many online and offline stores available where these things are sold at reasonable prices too!
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