Hey, you reblogged that AI post and I was surprised to see something so mean on your blog. "If you cant write unassisted, fuck you, youre a disgrace to the community." Is that really something you want on your blog?
Just in case this isn't a spam message:
Posting AI-generated content to a platform intended to be an archive for writers is not appropriate use of the platform. On a platform intended for human creation, it is rude and inappropriate to clog search results with AI-produced content which often plagiarizes the work of human authors.
Use of generative AI is also horrible for our environment, leading to massive waste of fossil fuel energy and water. We should not be doing damage to our planet for the sake of generating (robot-produced, often plagiarized) fiction, especially when the joy of fiction comes from the creation and emotion of real people.
Rather than giving a prompt to a generative AI, people should consider attempting to write their own work, or asking another writer from the fandom if they would be interested in writing it. Anyone who is capable of typing a prompt into ChatGPT is capable of writing a story. The first attempts may not be amazing, but that is true of any skill, and anyone can improve with time and practice - and while ChatGPT may give you big returns in your time, it doesn't give you practice, growth, or creativity, which is where the joy of writing should come from.
To add to this, generative AI isn't an assistant for disability. Something that assists you helps you complete a task. You do the task yourself, the thing assisting you just helps you manage parts that aren't possible for you. Assisted writing could be using dictation, using a screen reader, relying on a spellchecker, typing instead of writing by hand, etc.
You aren't doing the writing yourself if you use generative AI. You're offering up a single sentence and asking a machine to steal the hard work of others so you don't have to actually write anything. The hard work you steal may well belong to people who actually need assistance with writing, and absolutely will not appreciate seeing the struggles they overcame being turned into slop for others to claim as their own.
Enjoy the creative process. Be part of the creative process. Don't become reliant on AI to the point where you can't think, create or act for yourself. This is why AI isn't an assistant. It takes independence and from you, instead of helping you realise it. It convinces you that you can't do things, instead of helping you try. It tells you to just leave it all to the machines and don't bother yourself with the fun (and struggles) of creating.
Generative AI generates content. That means the person using it isn't doing the work themselves. And that means it isn't a tool, it's a bypass. And it's a bypass used by lazy, entitled people who are more interested in "content" than in telling a good story. People who want headpats for being "creative" when they're so unoriginal they can't even do the work themselves.
Spellcheck, voice-to-print, screen readers, etc. aren't "AI," they're tools. They are what writers use to help capture their stories that they wrote. The writer does all the real work of creating and then uses tools to assist them in getting it down properly. Folks who try to lump it all together with shit like chatgpt are deliberately arguing in bad faith so that they can their machine-generated bullshit behind real tools that actually help.
"Why should I bother reading something you didn't bother to write?"
AI isn't 'helping' you write. It isn't 'assisting' you. It isn't some tool for disabled people. You're telling it what you want, and it's stealing words from other sources to string together a story. All you're doing is slapping your name on it to post online for back pats and high fives.
Just as an art AI isn't 'creating' that picture for you, it's stealing bits and pieces from other artists to copy and paste it together in some semblance of a (kinda sorta) cohesive image.
I'm sick of this argument that AI 'helps' new writers or artists. It doesn't. It's actually stunting your ability to USE YOUR OWN BRAIN and come up with scenarios and stories on your own. And every fic or fanart that's posted using AI just clutters up the space for those of us who write and draw each line ourselves.
We're not being "ableist". Miss me with that bullshit. We--as in, those of us who actually write and draw with our own brains--are having a hard enough time getting eyeballs on our work, so having AI created slop filling our spaces makes us testy.
We work really hard on our craft. Don't demean it by claiming your computer generated content is in any way equal.
happy black history month! haymarket books is offering 40% off books on the struggle for black liberation, and you can get a free e-book bundled with your physical copy <3
hi ok I don’t usually do this lol but I need help 😭 (non COD oomfs and moots PLEASE LOOK AWAY LMAO)
I saved a captain price fanart on Pinterest only for Pinterest to immediately deactivate it… now it may have been spicy but IT WASN’T THAT BAD IMHO anyways if someone can help me find it I would appreciate it 😅
Unfortunately I didn’t save it before it got sniped by Pinterest ;-; so I’ll try to describe it as best as I can below the cut lol
Iirc; the background was black w/ price in the center and he was surrounded by speech bubbles (he was saying something spicy)? He might have been unzipping his pants… maybe. Help. Please lol.
hi ok I don’t usually do this lol but I need help 😭 (non COD oomfs and moots PLEASE LOOK AWAY LMAO)
I saved a captain price fanart on Pinterest only for Pinterest to immediately deactivate it… now it may have been spicy but IT WASN’T THAT BAD IMHO anyways if someone can help me find it I would appreciate it 😅
Unfortunately I didn’t save it before it got sniped by Pinterest ;-; so I’ll try to describe it as best as I can below the cut lol
Iirc; the background was black w/ price in the center and he was surrounded by speech bubbles (he was saying something spicy)? He might have been unzipping his pants… maybe. Help. Please lol.
chapter ten: maybe we're so meant to be
summary: worldwide fame and a political tie or two has you--one of the biggest pop stars around--in dire need of reliable protection.
thankfully you have four ex-military retirees to entrust your wellbeing to.
but what happens when that protection turns possessive?
rating: r
story pairing: f!reader/task force 141 | chapter pairing: f!reader/ghost
previous chapter | next chapter
last update of the 5-chapter run, everyone ; v ;
thank you and please enjoy !!!
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“Are you going home or are you going to use that hoodie of yours as a pillow again?”
With a sigh, Ghost poked his head into the dance studio. It was late at night and as he recalled, you were due to leave at least an hour ago.
Not that he ever minded waiting for you, of course. He was just more of the mind that you should be resting up as much as you could, not pushing yourself to the brink.
Hence why he had grabbed a Gatorade for you from the studio fridge, now holding it out for you to take.
Hearing him call out your name, you looked up at him sheepishly as you laughed,
“Sorry, Lt.”
The idea of him suplexing Johnny for his corruptive influence crossed his mind. “Oi.”
Upon accepting the bottle, your attention turned back to your phone before you went over some of the footage you took earlier of one of the recent practices from the day, your voice in a sigh.
“I feel bad because I feel I didn’t get this one part of the routine down, but I already sent the dancers home for the night.”
You pressed your hand against your cheek, your eyes closed in thought.
“It’s a work in progress if I decide to feel more comfortable with letting fans up on stage during the tour. Some fan service, you know?”
His mind thought back to that damn video compilation.
“...No I don’t.”
However, with the blank look on his eyes, you parted your mouth to speak, “Well, fan service is basically when I–”
“It’s fine,” he spoke, a slight rasp to his voice as he reached forward to rest a heavy hand on your shoulder. “I can look it up after you finally get to the hotel and get some sleep. If you’re late for your interview tomorrow morning, I’m not saving you from Pearl or Price.”
“Simon please–” As you whined, you gazed up at him with a pleading stare, a look that suddenly had an ache in his knee start acting up. However, it was as you looked up into his looming shadow that moment that your eyes suddenly glittered with inspiration, quickly scanning him up and down. “Actually, now that I think about it–”
Simon sighed, having a feeling as to where this was going. “It’s too bloody late to be this wired–”
You clasped your hands together, your eyes shining with a plea. “Just this one thing, Si! A couple times, please–at max 3! I’ll even skip ahead to the part I need to practice so you don’t have to sit through everything.”
He stared at you warily while his response betrayed him.
“...Fine.”
You smiled in deep appreciation as you then pointed to the chair behind you. “That said, I do need you to sit right here.”
“Very well.”
As he sat down, you inspected him, your look calculating while your lips smiled.
“You can keep your hands out to the sides–pretend that you’re being held by my dancers.”
That compilation ran through his head–every wink, kiss to the camera, roll of your hips.
“How about this?”
He brought his arms back, proceeding to clasp his hands behind the back of the chair.
You clapped your hands joyfully. “Ahh even better! More room to practice!”
The music was queued up and you quickly got into place. It was a sultry beat–the type that gets played at clubs with strangers suddenly crawling over one another in dire need of body heat while lovers dance the night away together in lascivious harmony.
Places one would never find him at.
Because why bother stepping foot in a club when he had the only dancer he would ever want to be with right in front of him and–
He felt your hands rest on his shoulders, slowly sliding down towards the front of his chest as you bent down from behind, nuzzling your face against his.
You weren’t in front of him anymore.
The two of you were closer than ever before.
In a matter of seconds, you were all over him as the track went from slow and seductive to pulsating and frantic with energy. Heat emanated from your body as you pressed your body against his while your hands found their way to his hair, your eyes locked with his.
By contrast.
Stone cold.
He remembered Johnny dizzily referring to him as such during their escape in Las Almas.
And that was how you probably saw him too–still and frigid like a statue.
Perhaps that was why he was granted this honor of having you dance on him, grinding down on his lap, shimmying around, running your hands all over his body.
You felt safe around him.
Unlike whichever sweaty and slobbering fanboy who would get to be plucked from the audience to take this seat.
Though, the mere idea of any other man getting to witness, bask in, feel the press of your hips bucking down, perceive your immediate presence, savor your scent–the tundra of his fortitude did its best to quell the scorching boil of his blood.
But again, such a dance was only if you felt ever comfortable enough to have fans on stage with you once more.
Something to ponder on, certainly.
However, it was when you stood behind him to drape your leg around his chest, your thigh pressed against his head, that he really started to feel his self-restraint snap.
He was cold-hearted but he was still a man regardless. Did you know how easily he could scoop you into his arms at this very moment, legs dangling off the ground with your sweatpants and panties being yanked down to your ankles before he–
“Simon, are you blushing–?”
With a blink, he was back to reality, facing ahead at the line of mirrors that encompassed the entire wall of the practice space. The reflection of your growing grin and your leg around his chest–he’d snap a picture if he could.
“No.”
Damn near launched the word out like a missile.
“I think not,” you giggled as you pointed right at the top of his cheeks. Pressing lightly at his skin, you were about to drag your manicured finger down to tug his face mask further to uncover the truth.
Were it not by your phone going off with a blare.
You scrambled, leg hoisting off of his chest as you hurried to the back wall of the practice space to pick up the call. By the particular groan you let as you glanced at the screen, he knew exactly whose name flashed on the screen.
“Where are you?!”
Even without the call being on speaker, he could hear Pearl screech from where he sat.
“Pearl! Sorry sorry! Had some last minute things to lock in for the studio–I’m being picked up by Simon right now!” Your head turned towards his way as he was already bringing the chair over to the back of the practice room. “Already walking over to the car!”
Gathering your bag and the unopened Gatorade bottle, you made a face at Simon as Pearl continued to whinge on about your schedule.
Though there was not much he could do, as the both of you made your way out of the studio down to the parking garage, he only brought his arm around your shoulders, squeezing gently.
A pillow for sleep, practice for dance, protection for safety–whatever you needed of him, he would oblige.
For you were his goddess and he would serve you the world.
-----------------
2nd gen k-pop stans rise up !!! lots of inspo for this chapter was drawn from 2ne1's ero dance segment for "i love you" from their japan tour !!!
i also think it would've been fun to set ghost (and the rest of the guys) up to heart monitors to see how affected they'd be from the reader winding and grinding all over them >:)
but with this !!! that concludes the 5-chapter update run i've prepared for this past holiday season !!! i hope both the holidays and 2025 treat you all well !!!
thank you so much everyone !!! after a marathon of updates, alas i think this piece will need to take a break for the meantime 🙇♀️🙇♀️ rest assured, i will see this piece through to the end !!! just need some time to recuperate and get back to work on the remaining chapters 🫡🫡
when i return, here's what we'll be diving into next time 🥳🥳
- chapter title: pull it to the side and get all up in it- chapter focus: price
tysm again and i'll catch you around !!! feel free to come by on tumblr if you need to yell about british ikemen !!!
for those who know me, you know that I am a big fan of greek mythology, so when the epic saga by Jorege Rivera-Herrans came out I couldn't help but fall madly in love with it, his music accompanied and inspired me while I was working, and now that this long journey is about to end I couldn't help but leave a tribute to thank him for all the work he has done. he couldn't have left us a better christmas present under the tree! thanks again for everything.
ps: I already know that with the last song I will cry like a fountain!!
Knowing that trans women of color started the movement in the united states and were literally immediately erased and excluded from what they started is the most deeply jading knowledge.
It is the original sin of the so-called queer community and it damns it from the cradle.
Without Stonewall, without the efforts of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, the LGBTQ Community wouldn’t be where it is today. Don’t forget the roots, don’t forget the catalyst.
and then TERFs wanna be like, “hmm well the LGBT community existed before Stonewall!”
but like…Becky, of course LGBTQ+ people existed before Stonewall. We’ve all existed since the beginning of time. But the movement got a shock to its senses, a jump-start, a rocket-into-space when that glass shattered via Marsha P. Johnson, and when Sylvia Rivera was up on-stage protesting guess who was on the sidelines heckling her?
The same fuckers who won’t ever reblog or acknowledge this
My apologies to the original poster as I photo captured this post to add to the thread-I reposted this last year for pride and expect to repost it every year I have left-it’s our history people.
Marsha P. Johnson allegedly died of suicide in 1992, and her death was never investigated. Even I, a mere prole, could catch the “she was murdered” vibes from the circumstances surrounding the discovery of her body.
Without a trans black woman, LGBT+ rights would not exist. Never forget. Never “pay it no mind”.
So you agree? You’re as bad as a war criminal who wouldn’t have faced 9/11 had the United States not interfered in Middle Eastern affairs for decades? You agree that without your years of instigation and escalation, you could have saved your own people and that resistance movements against you were simply reacting to the overwhelming state violence against non-govt groups that you put them through?
Yesterday, 04/04/24, I became homeless; I don’t have a home anymore.
I only have my car, luckly, so that’s where I’m staying with my cat.
I’m currently in my first year of university but I’m going to drop out soon as I can’t afford to pay the fees. I’m looking for a new job, of course, but as of right now I don’t have enough money to do anything about my situation.
I will not share my exact location for safety reasons but I will tell you that I'm living in my car near a gym so as not to be isolated. Physically I am fine, emotionally not really but it doesn't matter.
I’m asking for your help because I don’t know what else to do. I have some links in my bio, if you can donate anything, even just one euro is going to make the difference.
And if you can't donate, please at least share this post or my links. Thank you so much, I appreciate every single one of you.
(Please forgive me for using the tags improperly but I'm trying to reach as many of you as possible, as well as my mutuals).
“Does this fanfic writer have adequate enrichment to engage in writing behaviours?”
Fanfiction writers (Scriptor fictus) are intelligent animals who need plenty of enrichment as well as encouragement! If they’re stuck in poor conditions (e.g. have studies, work, have to actually write to have something written) then they require the proper enrichment to engage in more healthy behaviours, like writing. Remember, due to poor breeding and socialisation, over half of all fanfic writers suffer from low self confidence and executive dysfunction so take care of them!
Give your fanfic writers proper care. Fanfiction writers are a life long commitment.
❝ ... it's been a while since I last fell in love.❝
All chapters | AO3
Pairing : fem reader / Gojo Satoru / Geto Suguru
Synopsis : a kiss before your flight home.
Summer with you felt fuller and brighter than any other.
Waving sparklers in the humid night air. Sore feet after walking for hours. Mesmerized by the feeling of life whirling around you. Winning a squish mallow from a claw machine and watching Satoru and Suguru rock-paper-scissor fight over who got to keep it. Listening to Satoru and Suguru’s murmured conversations, and feeling giddy when you got the gist of something they said. Feeling your heart throb and ears perk up when they mentioned your name. Laughing embarrassedly into a pillow when you tried to speak Japanese and got everything wrong — Satoru's enamored smile.
It felt like you were in a rush to enjoy everything sometimes, because your return flight date loomed in the back of your mind. Suguru was nervous to show you Japan in a light that you'd never forget, and Satoru was just oblivious to all the sight-seeing and festivals because you were far more captivating.
On the train ride deeper into the city, Satoru sat thigh-against-thigh with you. The both of you were very consciously aware of contact, the press and the warmth. At your left, Suguru leaned close, the fabric of his t-shirt grazing your arm giving you butterflies.
Heads together, all three of you took turns in Satoru's diary; writing your names, scribbling, doodling, until the page was filled from corner to corner.
They talked about Nanami, who was going to meet you for the first time.
Suguru giggled at something Satoru said, so you asked what he was laughing at.
"Satoru's scared that Nanami is going to show off his English to you." he said.
“Oh?” you smiled.
("... and!") Satoru added dramatically, interrupting Suguru, ("He better not flirt with her.”)
Suguru went completely red in the face and laughed.
("Satoru, You're acting very boyfriend-like.")
("... oh, am I?")
("Yes.")
Satoru stopped talking, went redder than Suguru, and sat back in his seat like he was contemplating himself.
"What?" you asked, looking between them.
"Nothing." Suguru feathered, covering his face to hide his smile, "Nothing at all."
*****
Even you were taken aback by Nanami's English, because he spoke more elegantly than you did — so you can just imagine what expression Suguru had when he watched the two of you interact for the first time at the festival.
"Satoru's my senior at work, even if he doesn't act like it." he said. Satoru looked at him suspiciously as he spoke.
"Ohhh, I see." you nodded, "Then, you two met at work or...?"
"No, we went to high school together.” Nanami said.
You nodded again, "Ah."
"... he talks a lot about you." Nanami said, "Talks my ear off at the water cooler about this girl who lives on the other side of the world — with the biggest stars in his eyes. It's nice that you two could finally meet."
You smiled, "Yeah... this summer has been amazing."
"Have you ticked everything off your bucket list yet?" Nanami asked.
"Yes — though, I missed Tanabata." you said. “Maybe next year.”
The two of you kept talking. When you laughed at something Nanami said, Satoru threw a jealous look at him. Then he and Suguru talked under their breaths.
(“Are they flirting?”) Satoru asked suspiciously.
(“They are not.”)
(“It feels like they are.”)
(“… you really are acting like a boyfriend, Satoru…”)
*****
A blue night sky deepened as you three walked across the street crossing, closer to where residents were gathered and some dancing around a raised stage.
"I wish I could experience December here, too." you sighed dreamily.
"Why don't you?" Nanami asked.
"... the flights are too expensive." you replied.
"... what a shame. A romantic like Satoru would be over the moon to spend December with you." Nanami said. "Maybe next year, you two can go as a couple."
You acted shyer after realizing Nanami assumed you and Satoru were dating, and it was incredibly funny because Satoru misinterpreted your shyness to be a response to Nanami's flirting — so he interrupted the conversation right there.
Suguru stifled a laugh. He didn't say anything, just watched you three like it was a sitcom.
("Nanami, you look a bit taller. Did you grow?") Satoru teased, physically comparing heights with him — which he only ever did when they were kids.
"..." Nanami stared at him. ("Why are you like this?")
Suguru was trying so hard to contain his laughter.
While Nanami and Satoru went back and forth with each other, Suguru grabbed the chance to have his own moment with you.
He talked a bit louder over the singing and drumming, right into your ear, as you watched, captivatedly, at people performing bon odori around the stage.
All you remember was feeling like Suguru’s voice was in your chest, truthfully you can't remember what he was explaining to you about the festival.
Then he went quiet and stared at you softly.
A weird, familiar feeling took residency inside his chest, and he thought;
(Oh... It's been a while since I last fell in love.)
But even if you had paid attention to him in that moment, would you have noticed the tenderness in his eyes?
Suguru got startled out of his love-struck daze by Nanami, who was leaving early.
("Satoru finally got on your nerves, huh?")
("Yes… no, not actually. I've just got sore feet.")
Satoru teased playfully, ("You just want to go home and take a bubble bath and listen to jazz like the old man you are.")
("Satoru, you're annoying. That's absolutely what I'm going to do, though.")
Nanami said goodbye for the night.
The sky blackened and the crowd thickened with more people, so Satoru took your hand in his and kept you close.
After an hour, the three of you headed out of the festival and went in search of a quieter place. Suguru observed you and Satoru holding hands. He stared and stared, then forced himself to snap out of it.
Satoru was quietly thinking, then said dramatically;
(“He was totally flirting with her!”)
And to this Suguru burst out laughing so hard, like all the laughter he held back earlier came out. A man with a laugh like that was definitely popular with boys and girls in high school, you’re certain.
(“How do you know?”)
(“… it sounded like it!”)
(“I can’t believe you’re such a jealous guy.”) Suguru shook his head, bearing a big smile, (“You even got jealous at me for flirting with her.”)
Satoru shrugged guiltlessly. 「僕は僕!」
“What is going on?” you asked laughingly.
Suguru could hardly translate or speak as he had a laughing fit on the street.
*****
When you walked out of an alleyway into a busier street and saw the neon glow of lights of a 7-Eleven, and a cyclist going by, and inhaled the night air, and heard all the city noises, and felt all the city feelings, this feeling whirled around you.
"Life feels different here." you commented, looking around you.
"... oh really?" Suguru hummed sarcastically.
You nudged his arm. "Don't be sarcastic. You know what I mean, don't you?"
"Yeah, of course. That feeling... like a spark...?" he teased, just to see the look in your eyes.
He spoke to Satoru, and Satoru said something and Suguru chuckled and translated for you, " 'You'll miss that feeling when you leave for home.' "
"... I'll miss you two more."
Hearing sentence made his heart fluttery. When Suguru translated it, it just didn't feel the same as hearing it in your voice. It made him wonder just how much he was missing out on by not knowing your language. What feelings were being lost in translation?
*****
The three of you headed out further, getting a bit lost in the city for fun.
The hot night called for ice cream, so Satoru and Suguru rock-paper-scissor fought for who would go to buy some.
"... 最初ぐう... じゃん拳ぽん... あいこでしょ... あいこでしょ... !"
Satoru pulled a funny face after losing that made you and Suguru laugh. He went on his way to the convenience store, navigating through a detour, stopping to pet a cat on his way back, and meanwhile... you and Suguru were left alone together, with that spark clearly fizzing between your chests.
*****
At the park, the two of you lazed in the grass, side by side, while waiting for Satoru to return from the convenience store with ice creams.
Eyes directed up at the sky, propped on his elbows, hair messy after a long evening. Suguru momentarily closed his eyes in bliss at the soft breeze fanning by.
Next to you, Suguru stretched out his long legs and stared deeply at the moon. It was blazing. The longer he stared at it in silence the more this feeling struck him.
He took a sideways glance at you, and you were obliviously enjoying the cool night breeze.
(Does she have a clue about how I feel right now?) Suguru thought softly.
"月が綺麗ですね..." he murmured romantically.
"Hm? What does that mean...?"
He turned his head to look at you, totally smitten.
"... the moon is beautiful, isn't it?"
"Oh. Yeah, it is." you agreed. "I haven't seen a moon so bright in a while."
Suguru chuckled dreamily.
(She's a clueless angel.)
No thoughts passed through either of your heads as you leaned into each other.
His features were too fuzzy to make out in this lighting, but you saw a hint of a tender expression on his face.
He inhaled deeply and got so high on the sweet, humid night air that he leaned into a kiss without thinking his action through — but it's alright, he only grazed his still lips over yours. He only hovered. It was just a sweet, shared breath if anything. Just a ticklishly light touch of lips grazing lips.
No thoughts. Just that spark in the air and heartbeats thumping quickly in your fingertips.
Then immediate realization hit him. He pulled away and apologized like he was shocked at himself.
"I'm so sorry." Suguru stressed, "I didn't mean to — I —I wasn't thinking."
"It's okay, don't apologize." you replied softly, unable to say more.
(What does she mean, "Don't apologize"? What does she mean…?)
Suguru began to ramble, and you watched his lips move as he spoke each syllable. His lips felt tingly, wanting— desperately — for a kiss.
He wanted to kiss you, but he couldn't.
"It's just — I haven't — you know, it's been years since... um, anyways. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore." He became out of breath, talking too fast.
Suguru drew in a breath like he was going to say something more, but then stopped speaking altogether because Satoru returned — with a plastic bag of convenience store ice creams swishing at his side.
“Hey hey.” he greeted the two of you, and sat down on the grass.
Satoru didn't sit between you and Suguru, rather, he sat in front of both of you, stretching his legs out onto the soft grass like a cat.
「顔赤いよ・・・」 Satoru wiggled his brows at Suguru.
You watched Suguru as he patted his hands against his hot cheeks to cool them.
Satoru giggled naughtily.
You looked between them and watched them have a small exchange, never learning what they said to each other in that moment. But you could gather Suguru's embarrassment and Satoru's teasing and mild jealousy.
Suguru grumbled to himself on the way home.
(We could have shared a movie kiss...)
*****
You fell asleep before Satoru — almost as soon as your head hit the pillow. He looked down at you for a moment, his gaze catching onto your parted lips, his ears picking up on your soft breathing.
(I hope you're dreaming of me.) he thought hopefully.
He stared for a bit, daydreaming.
The longer he stared, the more his face reddened and his heartbeat quickened. Eventually he crawled into bed next to you, keeping a distance but wishing so badly that he could cuddle you.
He was thinking about how unfair it was to be himself; to have to contain himself when he was such a romantic and emotional man, and not just that; a man in need of touching, kissing, cuddling. He felt a need for all of that more that night than at any other point in his life.
Satoru timidly inched closer and lifted his face to plant a kiss on your cheek. Just a tiny kiss. His lips hovered over you cheek, then over your lips. But he held back.
He pulled away slowly and smiled shyly to himself.
That satisfied his heart enough, he could calm down and sleep.
But in the other room, Suguru moved around sleeplessly in his bed like a hopeless insomniac.
*****
Curled into his pillow, cheeks warm, fist to lip and knees hugged, Suguru was daydreaming of how that moment could have gone differently if he had just kissed you.
And his daydream played out like a film, one full of scripted kisses, shot from every angle, replayed over and over to satisfy his little heart — the poor thing was beating in panic at his growing feelings.
Yes, he knew he liked you, but not like that. Not until now. Now that feeling was nearly in full throttle.
*****
Suguru's daydream of kissing you went on until it got light outside.
He thought, thought, thought. But a daydream wasn't enough to satisfy his need to kiss you. With a suppressed sigh, he rolled onto his side, hugged his ribs, and blinked his stinging eyes at the room as it lit up a dawn blue.
The room became lighter and lighter.
He leaned up in bed, blinked, then reached for his phone and opened yours and his chat. And he scrolled up into the texts that gave him butterflies. He stared at the blinking cursor, then typed out;
I wanted to kiss you.
Then he stared at your profile picture, and promptly erased what he had typed.
Instead, he wrote it in his notes app, as if it was his most guilty secret.
Then he cuddled back into his fortress of pillows, begged his mind for a dream of you, and fell asleep at 7 AM, sleeping a weak 3 hours before waking up again.
*****
You and Suguru were awake earlier than Satoru, who was still softly sleeping. The roar of early morning traffic reached the 7th floor, and the sunrise teased its appearance through the buildings.
Suguru watered the balcony plants in his flip flops.
And he did it lazily, in his baggy pants, with unbrushed hair. It was quite a sight to see, so you stared. He could feel your eyes on him and his heartbeat quickened.
He watered each plant with a cup of water, complaining that he keeps forgetting to buy a watering can for his ‘lil guys’.
Names were assigned to each plant, written on paper on toothpicks.
“… you named a plant… Dave?” you questioned.
“… what? It’s funny.”
He watered ‘Dave’ and looked closer, nearly nosing into the plant.
"Oh my god... he’s wilting." he genuinely panicked. "I swear I'm doing everything I can to keep him alive, it's like he just wants to die… keep it together, Dave."
You laughed and hovered over the plants with him. Suguru was frowning at his other plants as they looked unhappier than usual.
"Suguru, you're such a plant dad." you said.
His frown lifted, he looked at you and then his sweet smile lines showed up on his cheeks.
"Thanks."
When he made eye contact, and that something sparked in the air between you two. It sparked bigger than it ever had before.
"You look tired..."
I can't believe she notices that. How sweet.
He shrugged in response.
"I was thinking about you..." he trailed off.
You widened your eyes and went silent.
"— your flight." he lied and you knew it.
"... yeah, it's gonna be a long flight home." you swallowed hard, looking so deeply into his eyes that you got dizzy.
"You know what's weird? Right now, in this moment, it feels like you'll never leave." he said softly.
The following silence heightened the tension between you and him. He felt the urge to kiss you again. He felt it bad. His self-restraint was slipping, he couldn't discipline himself.
(A kiss is just a kiss, right?)
When you licked your lips, that’s when Suguru started to lean his face in. As his gaze flitted between your lips and your eyes, his heart panged.
He hesitated, you hesitated, he stuttered, you stuttered. He kissed you like a nervous mouse.
You were shocked even though you knew it was coming.
Even if the kiss lasted just a split second, that was long enough to catch a glimpse of heaven.
Suguru pulled back and looked at you unsurely.
"えーと" his lips twitched. "I — I'm — I — uh." he forgot how to speak completely, so stunned that his mother tongue and English tongue got tangled together.
You stared into his eyes and that's what got him, he went in for another kiss, this time harder – lips smacking together like you just needed each other. And as he exhaled against your face, you could feel all his passion.
His heart fluttered when you kissed him back with almost the same intensity. The heat and softness of someone else's lips was exactly what he needed at this time in his life, just to kiss someone who he really liked.
Gasping into the kiss, Suguru held onto your cheeks like you were his baby. When he ran out of breath, he pulled away and breathed a little heavier.
"I'm so sorry, I — " he said breathlessly.
" — no, it's o—o-okay." you stammered, feeling a bit out of it.
Both of you were digesting the moment when suddenly a bleary-eyed, sleepy Satoru came out onto the balcony, holding Mint against his chest. He was squinting and blinking at the morning sun.
Suguru immediately switched to nonchalance and acting as if nothing just happened. But his shoulders were stiff.
("Mint looks especially evil this morning.") his voice quivered a little.
("... you mean fluffy?") Satoru replied, petting Mint between her fuzzy ears.
("No, evil.") Suguru joked, ("She's a devil in dis—guise.") he choked on his words.
Satoru looked at him strangely and thought;
(Huh, Suguru doesn't usually choke on his words.)
Satoru stared at Suguru, looked at you, then looked back and forth between you and Suguru.
The air was thick.
"What?"
"What...?"
("What happened?") Satoru asked.
Satoru's sixth sense was insane. Like it was some scene in a comedy movie, he forwardly asked;
("Why do I feel like I interrupted something?") he said.
Suguru raised his brows and made a funny guilty face. You looked between them with wide eyes.
"I'm gonna go make some coffee..." you said, and scrambled to your feet like you were desperate to escape this awkward tension.
"... I'm gonna tell him." Suguru said.
"You're bluffing..."
"Nah, I'm an honest guy."
You groaned funnily, "Then I'm gonna go hide behind the coffee pot..."
Satoru looked confused. Once you headed inside, it was just him and Suguru there on the balcony.
The traffic was roaring louder by now. For a while it was the only sound between them, besides your distant clanking in the kitchen.
A long silence dragged out and then Suguru's words abruptly popped into existence.
"(YN)にキスした・・・"
"は?!"
Suguru made a guilty grimace and scratched the back of his head.
("What do you mean you kissed her? When was this?") Satoru's voice got higher.
("Uh, like right now.")
They went back and forth for a while. You heard them and had no idea what was being said.
("Thief.") Satoru said, calming down after a while.
("How am I a thief?") Suguru got defensive.
("You stole her kiss from me!") Satoru pouted childishly.
("... I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself.") Suguru lowered his head, ("Are you mad at me...?") he asked worriedly.
("... No, I'm not mad at you... well, a little bit.") Satoru mumbled, ("I'm more jealous than mad.")
(“So…”) Suguru looked at his best friend wearily. How could he not be furious? (“This is fine with you?”)
(“You can get away with it. If it were Nanami, I’d be throwing hands.”) he joked.
Suguru still felt like he was a puppy that did something wrong, but Satoru just didn’t seem to be taking it as seriously.
("... I've got a plan, okay.") Satoru said suddenly, ignoring Mint's silent begging for cuddles. ("I'm gonna kiss her at the airport, right before she leaves — ")
Suguru laughed, ("Are you procrastinating — ?")
Satoru cut him off and said 「やる よ!!!」 with such intensity and conviction that it made Suguru burst out laughing.
Hearing Suguru's laughter from the kitchen reassured you that everything went over fine.
*****
He stood in front of you.
(できる よ・・・)
I can do it...
Satoru swallowed hard. Discretely wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. Nibbled his lip. Tried to act natural in the airport, looking to Suguru for inspiration on being nonchalant.
You were testing the clock by waiting until the very last minute to get onboard.
Just like you were procrastinating to board your flight, Satoru was procrastinating to kiss you. The three of you exchanged a look.
"Oh.” Suguru realized, “Go ahead. I’m not looking. I'm a plant." Suguru joked, covering his eyes.
He gave you and Satoru space, he thought it was fair. If he had his moment with you on the balcony, then Satoru deserved to have a moment with you. Now he understood how all-consuming the desire to kiss someone was.
(It has to be now, when else? I don't know when she'll be back for her next visit, I could be waiting a whole year. The universe knows how impatient I am. I've got to have her lips right now.) Satoru thought anxiously.
His body stuttered.
You were thinking to yourself, is this the wrong moment to kiss him? Is there ever a right moment anyways?
"Satoru." you said in a tone of goodbye, and outstretched your arms to him.
He leaned down into your embrace like the awkwardly tall man he was.
You clung to each other's bodies for a while. Such a clingy hug already spoke volumes. But still, Satoru just wanted to go that bit further — to spell his love on your lips.
He wanted you to board that plane knowing what his love tasted like, to sit in your seat with lips freshly tingling.
Yes, he knew nothing in life ever played out like in movies or daydreams, so he was hoping just once it would.
Last-minute doubt filled him and he felt his mood drop.
(… maybe I shouldn’t.)
Just as he pulled out of the hug, you reached up, cupped his cheeks with conviction, and gave him the biggest kiss that he'd ever received in his life right smack there on his lips.
"...?" His knees buckled, and redness grew on his cheeks very quickly.
He blanked so hard, but only for a second or two, because he dreamily tilted his head off to the side and deepened the kiss.
(yeah, 恋している。)
You pulled back. He stammered, stuttered, totally stumbled. He was all over the place now. He couldn't form a thought now.
Even if someone would have told him that he was on planet earth, he wouldn't have believed them, because your kiss definitely sent him to heaven.
"は、はずかしいな・・・embarrassed, I'm embarrassed." He chuckled nervously.
Suguru watched as you two broke down into giggles, then he came over to you two again.
"You know, that was very cute and all," he said, spooking the life out of Satoru who was just totally in his feelings. "But even the last-minute procrastinators have boarded the flight by now."
"Oh my god!" you panicked, "Um, yeah! Okay, okay I'm gonna go... I love you two. I'll come back soon, I promise. I promise."
Hugging goodbye for the last time hurt, and seeing you get teary-eyed made it hard for them not to cry too.
You went through the gates.
Satoru felt like you tore a piece of him and took it with you, and his whole body wanted to chase after you.
You waved and gave heart hands to them as much as you could until you disappeared out of sight.
Boarding the plane felt like a dream. After stowing away your bag in the overhead cabinet, you took your seat and stared blankly, lips feeling tingly and alive with Satoru’s lingering feelings on them.
*****
It was all over too quickly. Satoru licked his lips.
Idling to the window to watch your plane take off, both of them felt like they were on the verge of crying, Satoru a little more than Suguru.
(まだ いかないで。) Satoru frowned.
*****
At home, Satoru walked into his room and when he inhaled your lingering scent, god, he burst into tears so loudly that Mint got startled. Suguru came to comfortingly rub his back as he wept like a dog.
"悟、 泣かないで。"
He didn't cry as hard ever again as he did that day, and he never even told you.
*****
It's hard to imagine that summer could have ever ended, but it faded away like a sweet taste fading on his tongue.
Satoru woke up the morning without you, and it took him a few seconds to realize that — he felt his fingers over the pillow and slowly opened his eyes.
(ああ、もう会いたい。)
Puffy eyes, dry lips, he reached for his phone.
You hadn't replied yet — still on your flight home, high up in the air. Probably staring out the window. Hopefully thinking of him.
He checked your live flight status, and laid on the pillow as he watched it, forearm concealing his frown, and he just stayed like that for half an hour. Watching that tiny plane move on the screen, over so many countries.
He zoomed out, and felt stricken, as if he just realized how far you actually were from him. And you weren't even home yet, home was still hours away.
"Wake up, princess." Suguru knocked on Satoru's door, then barged in after Satoru let out an I’m awake noise. "I could sense your damp mood through the door." He said.
Satoru groaned, "She's still in the sky..."
Suguru dove into Satoru's unmade bed. "Don't frown so much, you'll get ugly frown wrinkles when you're old."
"Mhm."
They were watching your live flight for a few minutes in silence.
"Let’s look through photos."
So, they both laid there, looking through photos, mumbling amongst themselves about little things and missing you like they've never missed someone before.
Then Satoru let out a long breath, rolled onto his back, and hummed happily to himself.
"I kissed her. I actually kissed her.” He said, thinking of you.
"... oh really? That's crazy. Me too." Suguru teased sarcastically.
"Shut up, you."
Suguru just teased further, "The only way you'll get me to shut up is if you book her a flight back to Tokyo and let her use her lips to silence me."
"She'll kiss me before she kisses you next time she visits." Satoru said confidently.
"... bet?"
"Okay, bet!" Satoru flared up, "I bet all my savings, because I know she loves me more."
"Then say goodbye to your savings."
They go back and forth, getting competitive.
"... I'll kiss her harder." Suguru said.
"No, I'll kiss her harder." Satoru said.
"I'll kiss her dumb." Suguru said.
"I'll kiss her dumber!" Satoru said.
Mint fluffed her tail and stared at her noisy, bickering owners. Then she leaped off and went on her way to the washing machine.
today the first person in the united states will be executed using a gas mask containing 100% nitrogen gas, meaning he will suffer and die of sudden hypoxia. although the state of alabama claims to predict that the nitrogen gas will "cause unconsciousness within seconds, and cause death within minutes,” medical experts have pointed out that there are risks that a person subjected to this form of execution could suffer from seizures, choking on their own vomit, and prolonged suffering, and claim that “alabama has refused to be forthcoming with the fine details of execution by forced nitrogen gas inhalation” affecting the defendant’s ability to “adequately make a legal defence.”
the UN has warned that this plan could constitute torture. the American Veterinary Association has advised again the use of nitrogen hypoxia for euthanasia of almost all mammals. experts also warn that safety issues for those in the vicinity of the execution could block prisoners right to have a spiritual advisor in the execution chamber as established by the supreme court in 2022, as well as the right to healthcare as established by the supreme court in 1976 should they not die immediately.
Kenneth Smith, who will be the the guinea pig for this inhumane punishment, could not be sentenced with the death penalty if his case was tried today as this sentence was imposed by a judge overruling the decision of a jury, which is no longer permitted.
the use of nitrogen hypoxia to kill prisoners has been approved in alabama, mississippi, and oklahoma, and is a risk in arizona, oklahoma, and nebraska.
you can sign this petition to several of these states’ governors and legislators here. if you’re a jewish community leader wanting to join the jewish community statement opposing the gas chamber you can sign here. you can also reach out directly to your reps, especially alabama governor Kay Ivey, who has the authority to stop this execution (although time is running very short) and other executions of this type in the future.
if you’re in “canada” like me, the canadian company walter surface companies, owned by a canadian private equity firm called onex corp is complicit in this execution as one of its subsidiaries is producing the gas masks that will be used in these executions. you can sign a petition here and do anything else you can to put pressure on these groups.
i’m horrified that any country still uses the death penalty. i’m horrified at the precedent that this particular execution sets. nobody should be okay with this.
i was hoping to god id never have to make a post like this again but, since my life is falling apart here goes..
im a interracial gnc lesbian who is so broke right now despite trying to find a job since sept, i just haven’t been able to :/ my mom is my only financial support really and can’t do much as she’s dealing with legal stuff and in the process of moving. between rising living expenses, owning a pet, trying to start the bpd diagnosis process, being in uni, and getting threatened with eviction at the start of every month (on top of other issues with my current home)….im beyond worn and i need help.
my p@ypal is linked here
im open to take commissions for my writing, fiction or not, and can discuss details over message or email. it’s the most i can offer in return, and i stg i’ll throw most of my writing morals out for these commissions to stop going hungry.
any amount helps and please share/boost if u can!! thank u so so much!!! <333
the ghoulishness that Palestine has revealed under the West’s facade of civility is truly insane, thousands dead and celebrities wave around stickers encouraging genocide in a nice restaurant, SNL makes jokes at their expense, every media apparatus falls over themselves in their haste to call all pro-Palestinian movement terrorism, I mean it’s all rotten. Meanwhile, the IDF go completely mask off and begin bombing Lebanon bc with white phosphorus as their colonialist campaign expands more into the Middle East.
You need to be paying attention this, even if only out of self interest, because Israel’s ties go beyond the initial colonial perspective. The IDF already been proven to be training police in the US, and with current protests against Cop City in Georgia resulting in the threatened arrest of journalists, you have to be worried. Turning way and allowing Israel to carry out a genocide unimpeded spells out a future of fascism for the whole world.