Alright, let's do this (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR PRINCESS TUTU)
Guy falls in love with a duck #emotional: TRUE
This fucking freak, man. The main character of our show is Duck who's a duck in a human shaped magic trenchcoat. By the end of the show our deuteragonist Fakir is heavily implied to be in love with her (confirmed by extracanon sources like the official guidebook).
Lest you give him plausible deniability, he only developed his crush on her AFTER finding out she looks and quacks like a duck.
Area man hallucinates a whole bunch and turns into a tree: TRUE
Fakir touches magic rocks which let him talk to a dead tree but THAT turns him into a new magic tree and its like Fakir man just do regular drugs this isn't worth it
Woman dies onscreen by setting herself on fire: TRUE
Miss Edel is a living puppet who uses her own body as kindling to create a fire that guides our main characters out of the darkness. It's also a big fuck you to her creator who's trying to use her to get those same characters to murder each other.
The OG girlie who killed herself and changed the trajectory of our lives forever. every day I thank her for her sacrifice
Girl kins a fictional character so hard she dies when she reads their death: FALSE
The best lies have a grain of truth in them. Some characters in Tutu have in-universe fictional counterparts who die in their stories. Our main characters are doomed to repeat the tragedies of their fictional counterparts, BUT learning about your fictional kin's death isn't enough to kill you in the tutuverse. So no, the kinnies do not die by reading about their fav's death
Failed anthro furry romance inspires teenagers to try to kill each other: TRUE
Mr. Cat rejects Miss Goatette. Both Fakir and Rue overhear this rejection while walking by. Seeing Mr Cat eviscerate this poor woman while she wolfs down a newspaper through the tears convinces both young, impressionable teenagers that they need to double down and get MORE insane. This, of course, ends in the two trying to kill each other later on in the episode.
Man makes himself a puppet child out of the remains of a dead woman: TRUE
Remember Miss Edel, the living puppet who set herself on fire? Fakir's dad gathers up any remaining wood from her body and makes a puppet child that's her reincarnation. This occurs off screen and we never hear from him what compelled him to pinocchio himself a toddler
The main character fears her crush might want to eat her: TRUE
Duck is a literal fucking duck in a magic humansuit. She worries her crush has a taste for roast duck.
RPF warrior kills two with his self insert fanfiction: TRUE
OKAY some people can write stories that come true and alter reality. Fakir develops this gift as a young child, writes some silly stories that sometimes come true, tries to write a sillier story where he single-handedly saves the town from an alfred hitchcock's the birds situation. It goes badly. He makes all the birds attack him and his parents die shielding him with their own bodies.
There’s a cult that goes around chopping people’s hands off: TRUE
Remember that some people can make the stories they write about real people come true? Well, these guys are around to cut off any hands necessary to make sure the magic young fujos of the world don't make Misha Collins bisexual again
Tornado season has violently started in the u.s already so take it from a hardened Midwesterner who has been on the highways and interstate when the radio starts doing the RRRRRRRNGH. RRRRRRRNGH. RRRRRRRNGH. BEEEEEEEEEP thing:
DO NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER AN OVERPASS. EVEN IF YOU CLIMB UP THE HILL THING. CONGRATS YOU JUST ENTERED A WIND TUNNEL DURING A TORNADO. DON'T DO THAT
What to do if you are driving and there is a tornado:
If you can reach a building in which to shelter, do so.
If it is moving away from you/you can turn and drive away from it, do that.
If you can't do that, pull over and get to lower ground. A ditch, a ravine, any noticeably lower ground. Lay flat on your belly and cover your head.
If you can't do THAT, stop your car and pull over. Stay buckled up but get as low as possible, covering your head with your hands, and ideally your whole body with a coat or blanket in case windows break or debris is thrown into the car.
And as OP said, never, ever, EVER shelter under an overpass or in a tunnel.
Alright, because clearly some people need it, let's talk about writing blind characters (again).
So. You want to write a blind character for your story or AU, but you yourself are sighted and don't know any blind people irl. The media is not your best outlet for finding good or accurate portrayals of blind people, and you're a little stumped on doing your own research. Maybe I can help fill in a few gaps?
(Note: I AM a blind person but I am only one blind person with one blind experience. There will be others with different backgrounds, different acuity levels, different overall conditions, different points in their lives of when they lost their vision, all of these things that will color how their blindness impacts their lives. Please when doing any research into representing a minority group ALWAYS seek out multiple experiences to gain a better, fuller understanding. I will be offering a viewpoint as someone who was born blind (ocular albinism), uses a cane, grew up relying on old school screenreading and magnification tools (and mainly just uses magnification now), reads and writes Grade 1 Braille (but has begun Grade 2), and has participated in many blind programs and communities since I was a young teenager. There is no "correct" way to be a blind person, there are just "different" ways, and they are all equally true and valid.)
First things first, canes:
Give your blind characters a cane!!! Most blind people are very interested in being self-sufficient and independent, and one of the best ways for us to achieve this is the freedom to navigate our own surroundings. Your cane is your best tool for this!
A lot of blind folks will also want a guide animal and that does take place of a cane, but also there will be a lot of instances where you will not be using your guide animal! They will take breaks!! They will need to sleep or rest!! They will not be suitable for every outing or excursion! Blind folks, even with guide animals, will still own a cane for these instances.
(There is also an instance where a blind person will want to use sighted guide. It's most comfortable doing this with people you are familiar with, but it works in a pinch with strangers too who are willing. However, a lot of folks don't know how sighted guide works. So to explain, essentially all it entails is the blind person will hold onto the space just above your elbow, and will walk about half a step in pace behind you. You do not need to do anything with your arm besides leave it relaxed (do not fold it up), and give out some verbal cues of changes in direction, warnings of upcoming steps up or down, or pauses for other passerbys or traffic. Reading out signs or keeping the blind person informed of what street you're on might also be helpful, but ask the individual what it is they desire from the sighted guide. Sometimes we don't need much, just someone to keep us from running into things if the sun is in our eyes.)
(Relatedly though do not do not DO NOT grab a blind person without their consent. DO NOT grab them, move them around, or any other nonsense like this. Do not TOUCH THEM without asking first, and if they say no, that means FUCKING NO.)
Now, how do canes work?
Most blind folks will use a white cane that is about to the height of reaching your chin standing up straight, so that when you extend it outwards it will reach far enough ahead of you to anticipate things at a distance (and you can also just as easily pull your cane in a little more to better reach things closer up).
Canes are most commonly made of metal or fiberglass, and these days a lot of them are folding canes (easy for stowing away while in transit on a car or bus or when seated anywhere).
The grip is soft with a cord hanging from its top that is used to loop around and hold in place the cane when folded, and when you are holding your cane outward in use your pointer finger will extend downward for best control over your tool.
The tip is made of hard plastic that can be slipped on and off because it will need to be regularly replaced as frequent use will wear it down, and these tips can come in a number of shapes, but the most popular you will see are a marshmallow tip (large and, well, shaped like a marshmallow), or a pencil tip (long and thin, this tip is my preference). People might switch out which tip they use depending on the terrain as well.
When in use, you hold your cane extended outward in front of you, and while you want the tip on the ground to be angled centered to your body, you are going to want the grip resting somewhere off to the side around your hip or just above (this way if you encounter a crack or something else in front of you that your cane will snag on, you will not wind up stabbing yourself in the gut with the grip. That shit hurts, avoid at all costs).
Depending on your specific needs, the terrain, and other factors such as lighting, crowds, or space available, there are a few different ways you'll actually use the cane. You can either have it running straight in front of you, tapping to the sides of you at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock, or shorelining (where you keep a regular tap at your center and then at whatever edge your are walking by, whether it be the edge of the sidewalk or a wall, etc). When at rest, your cane should be pulled to stand up straight and held close so that it does not become a tripping hazard for others.
Your cane is an extension of your arm, it is a part of you. Treat it kindly, and if you see a blind person with their cane, do not touch it!!!! Even when folded up, leave that cane alone!!!!!
While not all blind people will want to use a cane, especially those with higher visual acuity, it is HEAVILY ENCOURAGED that all at least own one just in case they ever find they need it. Your blind character SHOULD own a cane and know how to use it. The likelihood of your blind character being one of the few who do not use one/do not find a need for one is so unlikely that at this point if you choose to go that route it's uh. It's just kind of insulting, that us needing such a tool is seen as so unnecessary, by sighted people no less. Give your blind character a cane.
What about Braille?
Braille is a tactile way of reading and writing, and it is very useful for a lot of blind people! There are a couple of different ways to write Braille: with either a slate and stylus, or with a Brailler.
Slate and Stylus:
This (older, but still useful) method is simpler in that it is much less cumbersome than a Brailler, but it does take a bit of brainpower as it requires essentially writing upside-down. How it works is your slate is sort of like a long metal sleeve that opens for you to slide a piece of paper in between the two sides of the slate. On the slate itself is the shape of a Braille cell (two columns of three rows of dots), and with your stylus you poke holes into that cell to make up whatever shape constructs your letter/word/number/punctuation. Most slates will have several cells along a line, and several lines to work with so that you do not have to move your slate around the page too often.
Brailler:
A Brailler takes the job of the slate and stylus and makes it a bit more streamlined, but it is more cumbersome to transport as a Brailler is not too different from the size and shape of a typewriter (don't worry, it IS smaller, at least, and has much fewer keys). You roll your paper in and clamp it down just like on a typewriter, and you have six main keys that make up the six dots within a Braille cell. When typing, you will press down whichever of those six keys at a single time that makes up whatever letter/word/number/punctuation you are trying to write, and then move on to the next (there are also keys for entering down, a spacebar, and one other that, I will admit, I have never once used so I do not know what it does lol. I think it is some kind of backspace for if you miss something? Backspacing is very difficult to do in Braille, for obvious reasons, so there are more limited scenarios in which backspacing is going to be beneficial).
Braille, being what it is (a tactile form of written language that requires the reader to run their fingers over the words repeatedly, allowing for erosion of those shapes overtime) necessitates using paper of a thicker size and shape than normal 8.5x11 printer paper. And even with the use of contractions (you begin learning these in Grade 2 Braille, and it is A LOT) Braille takes up a lot of space to write, so Braille books themselves are often very large and weighty.
This often means that a lot of blind people will prefer audiobooks over Braille books, as that is simply more practical in this day and age, but Braille is still an incredibly important resource that we should not be quick to overlook. We can read and write our own Braille, and this freedom of accessibility should not be taken for granted. Though a lot of blind people who still have residual vision might not be taught Braille growing up (I myself was not put in Braille classes outside of the few things here and there that my vision teacher taught me — it was not until my teenage years of spending more time around other blind people that I started self-teaching), I think this is a massive disservice to the community, that EVERYONE (sighted people included) could benefit from learning Braille.
What else do blind people use to help them in their daily lives?
Your mileage may vary on what you as an individual might need, but I will try to break down a few other helpful bits of information that you might find useful in writing blind characters!
Magnifiers:
(Side note: Not every blind person is totally blind. In fact, most blind people do have some level of residual vision. This might only be some small perception of light and shadows, but sometimes it is a usable amount of vision. There is some relativity in what is considered "legal blindness" depending on where you live, but if you find yourself with vision even at its most corrected with glasses or contacts to still have an acuity that falls below a certain point (for example, in the US this point is 20/200), you would probably benefit from considering yourself blind and seeking out resources to help!!!)
But yes, magnifiers. Whether they be glass ones you hold, or digital software on your various devices, magnifiers can be useful for both looking at things up close, and even perceiving things far away! A magnifier with built-in lights for reading, a screen magnifier with various contrast options for browsing your computer, a stand magnifier you can jury rig with a shoelace to tie around your good eye for hands-free Lookin (shoutout to 13yo Awpie on this one lol), bioptics for watching live theatre or films or even reading a menu at a coffeeshop (designed as tools to help people with low vision drive, these binocular lenses mounted onto normal glasses lenses have countless uses beyond their original intent), or, yes, even your standard everyday binoculars if you wanna sight-see beyond your usual scope. Most blind people with some amount of residual vision will have an arsenal of preferred magnification tools to choose from, so you should put a fair amount of consideration into what your character might most enjoy!
Screenreaders:
Used by both blind folks with total vision loss and blind folks with some residual vision, screenreaders have been around probably a lot longer than you think, and are indispensable tools that almost every blind person has at least some experience with, even if they do not prefer to use it in their daily lives. Most magnification software comes with its own built-in screenreader, but there are plenty that have existed on their own without being part of a magnification software (shoutout JAWS), but even devices and operating systems now are being designed with screenreaders built in-house too. The quality does vary from program to program, and people who use these regularly are going to Have Opinions on what they prefer, but if your character has low enough vision that using magnifiers would be more tricky than helpful, then they are GOING to make a lot of use out of screenreaders. I recommend attempting to use the screenreader on your phone sometime, just to see what it's like. It's actually a lot of fun!
Large print, tactile tools, color-coding, etc.:
There are a lot of ways in which blind folks will help themselves navigate the world without/with limited sight. Whether it be large print/Braille labels put on all of their household appliances, everything in their bedroom or office organized by color/in specific orders/marked with something tactile (puff paint was a popular go-to when I was a kid), or otherwise, blind folks will make their spaces heavily curated to their needs, and if we've been doing it for a long time (years or even our whole lives) we're going to be very good at it. Don't move a blind person's things in their space around without their explicit consent — everything has a place and we for the most part are going to be very used to keeping together a carefully constructed mental map of our surroundings, DO NOT INTERRUPT THAT.
And on the subject of mental maps...
Orientation and Mobility!!!
Not every blind person has gone through some degree of O&M training, but if you grew up blind and had access to resources in education to accommodate your disability, you are probably familiar with this class. What this entails is essentially being taught the tools and tricks for navigating out in the world independently, and if you've already spent years of your life needing to do this, you likely already have learned plenty of things on your own without the instruction.
But what the instruction does often cover is using your cane, identifying landmarks around you (whether by sound, smell, keeping mental track of how many right and left turns you make from a specific location you can remember), how to navigate crossing streets, keeping track of what other pedestrians are doing to assist in your own understanding of the flow of traffic, and how to orient yourself in a situation when you find yourself lost.
Not every blind person is going to have the best memory or mental map, but it is something we do have to more heavily rely on than sighted people, so the likelihood of your blind character being pretty adept in navigating familiar stomping grounds or adjusting quickly to new terrain after going over it once or twice with assistance is, all things considered, going to be pretty high.
And while we're talking about what blind people are and are not likely good at...
Heightened senses???
Blind folks, and I cannot stress this enough, do NOT. HAVE. SUPER. SENSES. Our hearing is AVERAGE. Our taste buds are AVERAGE. Our sense of smell and touch is AVERAGE. What MIGHT be above average is the amount we rely on these things, and thus our proficiency in utilizing them is going to be HIGHER THAN PEOPLE WHO DO NOT. But even still blind people are not immune to comorbidity of disabilities. Sometimes blind people are Deaf as well!!!
Do not write your blind characters with super hearing. Do not write your blind characters with supernatural abilities to tell who a person is by smell across an entire fucking room (unless that person is particularly known for being...odorous (in a good or bad way!!!). Do not write your character able to feel a piece of cloth and know exactly what its weave and fiber is unless they HAVE REASON to be so familiar with textiles. DO NOT WRITE YOUR BLIND CHARACTERS TO MAGICALLY HAVE VISION (METAPHORICAL OR LITERAL) UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHEN THEY OTHERWISE DO NOT. Commit to your character Being Blind, or do not bother at all.
And on this note, if you want to supply your blind character with some magical ability that allows them to bypass some pretty average blind person needs like using a cane/sighted guide/guide animal, reading Braille (or otherwise utilizing magnification or audio tools), or taking the time to put in the effort to learn how to navigate, organize, plan ahead, or customize their space to be accessible to them to their specific needs, If Your Blind Character Can Essentially Pass For Sighted Except When Being Blind Will Look Cool, you need to rewrite your character. Full stop.
What else are bad stereotypes, inaccuracies, or otherwise offensive mischaracterizations that should be avoided when writing blind characters?
We do not, have never, WILL never, want to touch your face. Cut that shit out right now.
Barring very specific conditions, a lot of blind people do not have white/cloudy eyes. For a lot of us our eyes look not too different from how a sighted person's eyes will look. But please please PLEASE actually research what condition your blind character has that caused their blindness so you can accurately portray what that would look like (for example, my albinism doesn't really effect the color of my eyes beyond they do SOMETIMES look red under certain lighting due to how easily light passes through to reflect off the blood vessels in the back, but this is under specific conditions and is not ALWAYS. Also people with albinism often have nystagmus, a condition that causes the eyes to constantly shake in a specific direction (mine shake from side to side). Knowing these details will allow you to most accurately describe/draw your character's features).
Also barring specific conditions/light sensitivities/personal self-consciousness in how the eyes might look (again, depending on very specific conditions), blind people typically do not walk around in sunglasses outside of any same reason a sighted person would have them on. A blind person with total vision loss will, quite frankly, probably not a give a fuck about ever paying for a pair of sunglasses that they do not need. It is so uncommon for blind people to needlessly rock a pair of sunglasses that at this point it's just a weird trope that y'all need to slow the fuck down on. We have pretty eyes that we will want to show off too!!!
Characterizing blind people as not having opinions on looks and appearances or even being above racism/colorism (????) is uh. Not true. Just not true. There is a degree to which blind people will not care about theirs or others appearances, especially to the point of really small details that a blind person might not even be remotely aware of if it does not come up in regular conversation (your clothes being wrinkled in a certain way being very easy to miss on a social level vs. something like, fatphobia), but we are just as capable of bigotry and prejudice. We do not have to see a person to have biases about them, and we are not immune to sucking in this way.
Characterizing blind people as being "wiser" or more open-minded about others and the world around them, having an "inner vision" of beauty or some shit... also Big Fucking No. Being disabled does not make you a more patient and understanding person. It does not make you smarter or more kind-hearted. It does not make you gentle. Cease this. We are all Just Some Guy like any other non-disabled person.
This is a lot of information, but I really do hope more people take the time to get to know what real blind people in real life are like. I hope that more sighted people take the time to care about viewing blind people as people, and not an interesting commodity to put in their stories for angst or spice or whatever the fuck. I hope that sighted people start pointing out ableism and bigotry in their communities so that we are not always left to do it ourselves, where other sighted people are less likely to listen to us, anyways. I hope that more people think about inclusion of blind folks in their spaces, of accounting for translating visual mediums into something we can engage with too, of acknowledging that we are just as likely to exist on the web and irl as sighted people are. I hope that including us is seen as less of a burden, less as something to complain about, less as something that sighted people feel the need to get our sympathy over when we simply ask to be given just as much of a chance to participate as anyone else.
I hope that you see us, and you treat us as one of your own. Not as something other. We are far more alike than we are different. So wise up and start acting like it.
Okay, American immigrant to the UK here to explain all the mistakes from Paul Hollywood happening here: there is one fundamentally American ingredient required to make a s'more correctly but which is basically not available anywhere at all in the UK, and that is graham crackers. A plain digestive biscuit close-ish, but still a very different beast.
From Wikipedia: A graham cracker is a sweet flavored cracker made with graham flour.
The next ingredient (which is also extremely traditionally American but slightly more variable) is typically Hershey's chocolate, but you could probably swap this out in the UK with any plain chocolate bar.
Last ingredient is big marshmallows, the kind you do the chubby bunny challenge with, like the size of your thumb and twice as thick.
A proper s'more, the most traditional possible variety, involves to graham cracker squares, two slab segments of Hershey's chocolate, and one to two marshmallows depending on your preference for filling and gooeyness. You put a slab of chocolate on one of the graham cracker squares. Your marshmallows should be toasted, usually over a campfire but if you're doing them at home over a gas stove burner is fine, but the fire part is critical. You can toast them to whatever degree you like, some people like them nice and golden brown but still kind of firm in the middle, me personally? I want that bitch to CATCH ON FIRE, I want it gooey and sticky as hell in the middle, crispy and burnt on the outside. Slap that motherfucker on your graham cracker and chocolate square, top with the other one so your marshmallow and chocolate are sandwiched together by graham cracker on the outside. You do this with your freshly toasted marshmallow because ideally it will be hot enough to start to melt the chocolate so it sticks to the marshmallow and the graham cracker and, combined with the gooey marshmallow, it keeps the whole thing together, and for that reason some people will let them sit for a hot second to let the melting process happen (especially if like me you have chocolate on BOTH graham cracker squares, not just one, because you're a sugar fiend), but if you are a young child you do not have that degree of patience and you eat that shit immediately, unmelted chocolate and all. Consume your summer camp delight like a tiny club sandwich, get gooey sticky marshmallow and chocolate all over your hands, and enjoy.
Important note: this is a kids treat. It is a traditional summer camping trip dessert. It should be something any ten year old with adult supervision and access to the ingredients can make (and make a mess of). They're called s'mores because kids always "want s'more". If you are using a blowtorch, chocolate biscuits, and merengue, you are so far beyond the bounds of s'more-hood that you have thoroughly lost the plot. If you offered Paul Hollywood's concoction to an American child and called it a s'more, they'd tell you flat out that not only is it not a s'more, it looks dumb and you didn't do it right because it's not gooey.
the point is the mess. the point is getting to make a food, at age seven, whose two basic food groups are 'sugar' and 'fire'. the other point is that this food item is so crumbly, chaotic, sticky, on fire, and prone to being dropped (outside, in the dark, while you are surrounded by other children who are also sticky and on fire) that your supervisors cannot accurately monitor how many smores you personally have consumed. the point is also that you may get away with a smore that is five blocks of chocolate and two marshmallows if you move fast and let nothing stop you.
if you haven't accidentally yet unrepentantly eaten a chunk of twigs or dirt or a bug that got enmeshed in the creative process around smore number 3st, you are too old to have any legitimate input into what makes a smore.
There's 2 other points that I think are important.
The first is that you don't pull the marshmallow off the roasting stick and somehow put it on the chocolate. Your staging area will look something like this, with the graham crackers and chocolate already set out (though not usually on the fire like this, for us it was always someone's lap or a picnic table or something)
And when your marshmallow has reached appropriate roasting perfection, you use the graham crackers to slide it off the stick.
and ideally, as a CHILD you are using a literal stick. Like you walked around and spent time looking for The Perfect Stick off the ground while the adults set up the fire. It has to be thin enough the marshmallow will fit, sturdy enough that it won't bow, long enough that you won't burn yourself roasting your marshmallow. And preferably doesn't have a lot of bark that's sloughing off, OR so much bar sloughing off you can peel it all back and get to the clean stick under it. If you're smart, you might stick the tip into the fire first to "wash" it/burn off anything that was still lingering, but. well, most kids don't.
When you bite in, the marshmallow and chocolate SHOULD ooze out all over you. If you don't kinda look like this eating it, you've probably done it wrong:
Self-indulgent. Wrote this in the middle of finals season cuz i'm really going through it.
Synopsis:
They were friends at first. In fact, that's all she thought they were going to be, that is-- until they ended up in the same bed.
“How are you feeling?“
Concern was etched on Silver’s normally stoic expression as he sat next to her on the side of the inn’s bed. He was shirtless, dressed in only his black pants and bed head, a clear indication that it hadn’t been long since he woke up. Yuu, on the other hand, was dressed in his shirt, one big enough to reach below her thighs like a short dress.
It had barely registered to her at that moment just what kind of situation they were in.
“I’m fine,” she muttered in response, mustering a weak smile.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so rough…” His voice suddenly softened, as though he were trying to hide his own embarrassment.
“I-It’s okay, really,” she tried to reassure him, but the flush on her face did nothing to help her embarrassment.
Silver, for all his gentleness, was such a beast in bed.
She had no idea he had it in him to be that way, given that he was always mild-mannered and polite, but never intrusive with other people.
And yet… he just kept going through the night—of course, with consideration for how she’s doing— and his stamina was incredibly insane that she…
Oh, she couldn’t help but melt into him!
His hands, calloused from holding a sword for years, felt like heaven on her skin. Every kiss and bite was like a blessing, and his sweet whispers sounded like holy ballads. Honestly! Just— how could someone make all those sinful acts feel like gifts from heaven?!
She stared at her feet, the warmth on her cheeks getting worse as she remembered the details of their night together.
“Yuu…” his voice snapped her out of her reverie as his shadow fell over her. She looked up at him, this beast with an angel’s face, as he leaned closer to her. His large, warm hand held her cheek as his brows furrowed.
“Your face is red…” he looked so worried.
“Sorry, I was still thinking about last night,” she said honestly, a decision she quite regretted as it not only made the red on her cheeks worse—
—but spread to Silver’s face as well.
“O-Oh…” he murmured, his eyes widening slightly as he averted his gaze.
His reaction pleased her somehow. Had she always had this effect on her?
Yuu bit her lip before nuzzling her cheek into the palm of his hand, a gesture that made Silver’s heart pound. When he looked at her again, his aurora-colored eyes met hers, narrowed and inviting.
It took everything in him not to pull her into him. Oh, his patience was barely hanging on…
She covered his hand with hers and continued to nuzzle into him, a small smile growing on her lovely lips.
Without another thought, Silver quickly closed the distance between them, his lips clashing with hers.
They devoured each other’s lips with the hunger of madmen. She crawled onto his lap like she belonged there, and Silver welcomed it as his hands worked to remove his shirt from her body. He could feel her skin on his again, bare and warm and so, so… perfect.
When their lips parted, Silver hungrily kissed her skin, kissing over every mark he had left on her the night before.
As a breathy moan escaped her lips, Yuu thanked the heavens that it was the weekend as they tumbled back into the bed, Silver hovering over her as he lifted her legs over his shoulder…
. . . .
. . .
. .
Neither of them didn’t expected last night to happen. They both got lost in the moment, tangled in a web of emotions that they didn’t know they had for each other.
After Malleus’ overblot, Yuu and Silver had gotten relatively closer, and everyone noticed it. Of course, it wasn’t that unusual. The prefect was known to be rather unique and friendly; she had friends in every dorm. Most people just assumed that she had simply befriended Silver just as she had everyone else.
However, there had always been a certain atmosphere between the two that no one really bothered to bring up, not even her closest companions. It felt…awkward, somehow. Not to the two people in question, but rather, to the third parties.
The atmosphere between the two of them would border between friendly and…strangely intimate. Like a secret between two people who… share something special.
Silver, on the other hand, had always felt drawn to the prefect. Even before the whole ordeal with his housewarden’s overblot, he simply allowed himself to act on what he felt despite not knowing what it was.
The prefect, like a moth to flame, went with it like it was nothing. She had her thoughts, but she swatted them away as she convinced herself that Silver was simply friendly.
Things only changed that day when Silver invited the Prefect to hang out with him in town. They lost track of the time and got caught in a downpour that was slated to end the next morning, so they were forced to stay at a nearby inn where they had to share a room due to the influx of visitors that got caught in the storm as well.
Although the room had two beds, that somehow didn’t stop both of them from sharing only one— especially after Silver found himself kissing her in the dim light, devouring her lips as he carried her to his bed.
. . . . .
. . .
. .
They didn’t say much about it after. Even when they went on the whole night, and even continued a couple more times when they woke up the next morning. Somehow, they both managed to fix each other up and go back to campus without saying anything about it.
Of course, that didn’t mean it didn’t matter, nor did it mean nothing changed between them.
In fact, before they parted ways, Silver left a soft kiss on her forehead. Yuu made sure to keep that gesture deep in her heart as she went about her day. She entered Ramshackle, was greeted by Grim, Ace, and Deuce, who had been concerned about her since she didn’t get to return last night. When they asked about what happened, she smiled and told them they had no choice but to stay at an inn— of course, she left out the real highlight of her night.
When Monday rolled around, Yuu thought about him again. Since they didn’t talk about what happened at the inn, she wondered how he would start treating her.
As she ate with her friends, her eyes gazed around the cafeteria, only to land on a set of familiar aurora-colored eyes. Eyes that looked at her with such desire not too long ago.
He happened to be with his usual group— Lilia, Sebek, and Malleus— and they were somehow struggling to find seats. When he met her gaze, he lit up and said something to his group before they made their way towards her table.
“Yuu, hello. Do you mind if we sit here?” Silver asked with a soft smile that she was somehow seeing more often than before.
“Of course,” she replied as she and her friends moved to give them space.
Silver said that after Malleus’s overblot, people no longer avoided him like the plague, which also meant that they now struggled to find a table to sit in during lunch.
“Thank you,” he said as he took the spot next to her, “We were in a bit of a bind there.”
“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said you guys are having trouble finding seats now,” She said.
“It has been quite an experience,” Malleus told her, “Not unwelcome, of course.”
“How are you feeling, Hornton?” She asked, her eyes landing on his broken horn for only a moment.
“I am feeling well,” he said, “The recovery process is going smoothly, and I have regained most of my energy.”
“That’s good,” She smiled with relief.
“Silver told me you have been worried.”
“Did he?” She glanced at the silver-haired boy.
“Yes. I wish to thank you for your concern, but you truly have nothing to worry about,” Malleus reassured her before remembering something, “Ah, come to think of it, what about you?”
She froze in the middle of taking another bite of her food, “Huh?”
“There was quite a terrible storm the other day while you and Silver were out,” He explained.
“That’s right,” Sebek piped up, “You were stranded in town because of it, weren’t you?“
She bit her lip, “What about it?”
“You haven’t gotten sick at all, have you?” Lilia followed, “Silver’s quite a strong boy, so I’m not too worried about him getting sick since he’s built up some immunity over the years. You, however…”
“I’m fine,” she said almost hurriedly, “Besides, Silver got more wet than I did. He was practically my umbrella… I feel kind of bad.”
That wasn’t far from the truth. When they were rushing towards the nearest inn, Silver practically covered her with his jacket and sprinted with her in his arms.
“Don’t be,” Silver spoke up, “you’re quite sensitive to the cold, and I didn’t want you to get sick.”
“You didn’t get sick either, did you?” Her brows furrowed in concern as she looked up at him.
“Of course not. Like what father said, I’ve built up quite an immunity to minor sicknesses over the years,” he reassured her, “I’m fine, I promise.”
“I still can’t believe both of you ended up getting stranded in town,” Grim suddenly spoke up, “The rain didn’t even let up until late at night! Why didn’t you guys come home until then?”
Ace snickered, “Grim was worried shitless, you shoulda seen him! He fussed around like a father waiting for his daughter to return.”
“Like you’re one to talk,” Deuce raised a brow at him, “You complained about Yuu being late too.”
“It was almost 10 PM! It was literally written in the weather report that it was expected to rain a lot by that time,” He complained and—being seated right across the prefect— reached out to flick her forehead.
“Ugh! Okay, fine, sorry!” She rolled her eyes and rubbed her forehead.
“We lost track of time, okay?” She huffed.
“Must have been a fun date if you two were so occupied with each other for so long,” Lilia clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them as he gazed at Yuu and Silver.
Silver, who had mostly been observing them the whole time, refused to meet his father’s eyes.
“So how was your first sleepover, Silver?” He asked.
“Pardon?” He tilted his head without looking at him. The risotto on his plate suddenly seemed more interesting.
“You two shared a room, didn’t you? That was technically a sleepover,” he grinned.
“I already told you we didn’t do much,” he said, “We were tired after going around town the whole day, so we mostly rested and fell asleep.”
Yuu looked up at him as he explained. So he didn’t tell Lilia and the others anything about it…
Lilia’s gaze turned to Yuu, “What about you?”
She shrugged, “I was too tired, so I conked out after showering. My phone was out of battery too, and none of us had a charger, so I didn’t get to contact Ace or Deuce in advance.”
“You should carry a power bank around next time,” Deuce suggested.
“Ugh, so nothing happened? What a letdown,” Ace groaned. “You could have at least gotten some other dirty secret out of him or something. Who knows what else he’s hiding?”
“Silver’s an open book, you can just ask him yourself,” She said.
“Open book, my ass. We didn’t even know that Lilia was literally his DAD until we got stuck in those dreams,” he retaliated.
“Oh please, even if he said it before, no one would believe it,” she countered, “They were right to hide it, given that it would have only caused confusion.”
“You act so natural about it.”
“I mean, it was shocking news at first, but is it so hard to believe that Lilia and Malleus are that much older?”
“Uh, yeah? Duh?” Ace’s brows furrowed, “Why’re you acting like it’s normal?”
“Oh please, I’m a girl from another world, and I’ve experienced seven overblots and a bunch of other magical riffraff— it’ll take more than that to shock me.”
“…fair,” he murmured.
She grinned.
Silver then cleared his throat rather loudly, enough to catch the attention of the others, “Yuu, do you have time later?”
“I do, yeah,” she replied, “why?”
“Shall we continue our horseback riding lessons?”
Excitement bubbled in her heart at the idea of being alone with him again.
“Of course,” a smile bloomed on her face.
As their friends chatted around them, Yuu felt Silver’s hand caress hers under the table.
They didn’t even stay that long at the book fair…
“Silver! S-Slow— Ah! Slow down!” Her hands curled over the sheets, tears glazing over her eyes as she peered up at her lover.
“H-How could I?” He said breathlessly, “You’re making such beautiful sounds beneath me..!”
They were once again at the same inn, but in a different room.
Yuu thought she knew him better than before, but the way he had deliberately set things up for this moment caught her completely off guard.
Silver managed to get a better suite than last time, one with a single, king-sized bed large enough for them to share. He had water and snacks ordered beforehand, and even boxes of protection.
Perhaps there was still more she had yet to learn about him.
Her bare chest rose and fell from her heavy breathing as she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, her lips curling into a lovesick smile.
Silver kissed and sucked on a spot on her neck right beneath her ears as he fervently thrusted into her, his own breath tickling her ears.
“Yes! Oh god, YES!!” She cried out, her arms tightening around him.
“S-Sevens…” he groaned, picking up his pace.
“C-Close…” she moaned, throwing her head back at the blissful sensation she was feeling at her core. “S-Silver, I’m so~ AH! So close!”
“Hold on, sweetheart,” he threw one of her legs over her shoulder, forcing her further open as he continued with his rapid pace.
“I can feel it,” he whispered to her.
“Please! More! Augh… m-more!” She begged, mind growing hazy at his movements.
Silver kept thrusting into her with the carnal intensity of a man who hasn’t seen his lover in ages. Sweat trickled down their bodies as his hips collided with hers over and over, her voice, strained but beautiful, kept moaning and calling out his name like the sweet notes of a passionate love song.
“Ahhhh~!”
“Augh—!!”
After another rough snap against her hips, they both came undone.
“Hah…” Yuu panted heavily as she blinked, wiping her tear-filled eyes to look at the man above her, only for her heart to stop at what she saw:
Silver, skin gleaming with sweat, gazing down at her with half-lidded eyes that held insatiable hunger and unwavering affection.
Yuu never bothered to ask what she was to him for the fear of hearing an answer she didn’t like. However, at that moment, seeing the look he gave her made her feel like the most loved woman in all of Twisted Wonderland…
“Are you alright?” He asked sweetly, his brows knitting with concern. His hand slipped from its place on her thighs to caress her cheek.
“I’m…” she caught her breath, “I’m fine. Thank you.”
He placed a kiss on her lips as he smiled tenderly— quite a far cry from his intense, passionate gaze from earlier.
She held the hand that had touched her cheek earlier and pulled it to her bare chest as she looked up at him.
“You’re amazing, Silver…”
His eyes widened a fraction before furrowing his brows and pursing his lips.
Startled by the sudden shift in his expression, she called out his name, “Silver…? Are you okay?”
Without a warning, his lips clashed hungrily against hers, kissing her fervently before taking one of the discarded pillows…
And slipping it under her hips, elevating her lower body.
“S-Silver?!” Her eyes widened at the shameful position she was suddenly in.
“I’m sorry, please bear with me.”
“H-Huh—? AH~!!”
She threw her head back as she cried out, feeling him slip inside her— hard and wanting— once again.
. . . . .
. . .
. .
The intensity of their lovemaking finally died down when Silver found himself gazing at the lovely girl in his arms, sleeping soundly as she nuzzled into his bare chest. He had been planning on going to sleep himself, if it weren’t for the thoughts that lingered in his head.
Truth be told, Silver felt rather shellshocked by the whole situation. He had no idea he had it in him to be so forward with his feelings. He always adored Yuu, but he didn’t know that holding back his affections for her would result in him…ending up in bed with her.
He meant to keep his heart at bay. The more time he spent with her, the more he fell in love, but she was already in the process of finding a way back home, and he didn’t want to ruin things with her by confessing his growing affection. Staying friends was always the plan, and when the time came that she had to leave, he would send her off with a tender embrace.
What happened in the inn was spontaneous; in fact, it was a decision that his heart had already made for him before he could even think of the consequences that could follow.
But… even after he found himself thinking logically again, he realized that he didn’t regret that night at all.
It was a shameful self-realization, but if he were to go back to that point in time, he wouldn’t change a single thing. Being able to hold her in his arms, kissing her, touching every crevice of her body until nothing of her was left untouched by him…it was heaven in its purest form… and he didn’t regret anything.
His only regret, however, was that he did things the wrong way.
Yuu was sweet and wonderful. She was always such a delight to talk to, and every time he was with her, he kept wanting more. She was kind…understanding…wise and…
Oh heavens, she deserved better than this!
He should have done this properly. Rather than letting his fears and worries seize him, he should have been honest from the beginning. He should have told her about his feelings, and if she accepted them, then he should have courted her properly— he should have taken her on dates, given her a proper first kiss, given her flowers and gifts… all the wonderful things love had to offer before bedding her.
Silver was so ashamed of ruining it for her.
He had to make it up to her somehow, to let her know that his feelings for her ran deep, and that whatever they did then and now wasn’t out of shallow carnal urges.
That was what today was supposed to be for…
And yet somehow, he didn’t even last much. She looked so lovely when they met up; her cheeks were rosy with happiness and excitement, as if simply being with him made her so happy that she bloomed like a flower. He even noticed that she styled her hair differently, and the dress she wore— adorned with butterfly and flower embroidery— looked so darling on her that he…
Ugh…he…
…took her somewhere private and embraced her before kissing her passionately.
The final nail in the coffin was the adorable look she had on her face when he pulled away. Red cheeks, giddy smile— hands that wrapped themselves around his neck, beckoning him closer— like an enchanting siren luring him, an unsuspecting sailor, deep into the depths of the cold ocean.
But her arms were anything but cold. They were warm, soft, and welcoming… and…
…and the next thing he knew, he was taking her to the inn he had reserved a room at before today. And he made love to her until the sun set, and even after that.
Silver sighed to himself. He must be so hopeless.
“Silver…”
Her sweet voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he looked down at her. She forced her heavy eyelids open, vision hazy as she looked up at him.
“Is everything alright?” She asked, voice hoarse from…
He suddenly recalled the noises she had made earlier and blushed.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, his voice quiet as though he were trying to atone for some kind of sin.
“You’ve been apologizing since earlier. What’s wrong?”
He felt her hand brush against his cheek, gently coaxing him for an answer. Silver held that very hand and nestled into it.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen…”
Her brows knit together, eyes widening slightly in alarm. Yuu shuffled from her spot and pushed her body up to look at him.
“What do you mean?” She asked, looking somewhat frantic.
“It wasn’t supposed to go like this.”
“What is, Silver?” She pressed.
The blanket slipped from her torso, revealing the marks he planted on her skin. Silver ran a finger against one of the marks on her collarbone.
“I wanted to give you a romantic date before this,” He solemnly replied, “After last weekend, I realized that I did things the wrong way and wanted to confess to you properly, give you a proper courtship, but…”
He turned away, covering half his face with his other hand.
“…I couldn’t keep myself away from you.”
She stared at him, stunned and speechless.
“You were so lovely— and you still are,” he said quietly. “I’m ashamed I couldn’t control myself.” He turned to her again, facing her properly this time.
Even with her stunned expression, Silver could only look at her bright, beautiful eyes. Full of life, full of affection— full of love…
“I truly am sorry, Yuu. I’ll try my best again next—“
Before he could continue, he found himself engulfed in her embrace, their chests pressed against each other, heartbeats beating rapidly against one another.
“Oh, Silver!” She cried out, “You silly, silly boy!”
Relief laced her voice as she let out a breathy laugh; it was as if she had finally relieved herself of some sort of burden. Silver, who was quite confused, wrapped an arm around her anyway as she moved slightly away to look at him.
And oh… the smile on her face was like sunshine.
“You are the single most precious person ever,” she grinned as she kissed his lips, “you have no idea how grateful I am to be liked by you.”
Silver blinked, “You’re… not mad?”
She smiled softly, tilting her head slightly, “How could I be? You were thinking of me this whole time! And… you’ve shown me your love in more ways than one…”
A blush bloomed on her cheeks as she traced a finger on the base of his neck, sending shivers on Silver’s spine.
“It’s true, we probably did things the other way around, but… all that matters is that we feel the same way, right?”
Silver smiled softly, curling a lock of her hair around his finger, “…Yes, you’re right,”
“We’ll have plenty of time to plan dates, we can do anything we want to,” she continued, “So don’t worry about making things perfect for me. The fact that you love me this much is already more than perfect.”
His heart raced at the sight of her radiant smile and rosy cheeks, a sign of her unconditional affection for him.
I’m so fortunate to be loved by such a wonderful girl, he thought to himself. However, despite her understanding, Silver still wanted to verbalize his desire to make her his.
“…Yuu?” He said.
“Yes, Silver?”
He took her hand and kissed the back of it with reverence, “Will you please be my girlfriend?”
She let out a blissful little laugh, her lips spreading wide to show the teeth that had nibbled kisses on his skin, as well as the wet red promise of her tongue that had not too long ago danced with his.
“Yes,” She replied, her eyes crinkling with bright joy, “You don’t even have to ask.”
He leaned in and kissed her again, a kiss sweetened by the smiles and affection they shared.
[Unedited.]
Started writing this as stress relief cuz of thesis. Ended up only finishing it now lol. Hope u like it tho :P
(through gritted teeth) sometimes what's good for your mental health isn't another do nothing day or a little treat sometimes what's good for you is putting in some of the work. Not all of it at once but sometimes you have to finish that essay or at least take the next step or you have to clean your room or at least dust the shelves or you gotta do the laundry or at least put it all in the hamper and it's not fun and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks and it sucks but you have to because i read a post on the internet that told me that's what being nice to yourself is sometimes
Barely Contained Chaos @justahufflepufftoday - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
