i love you sam here's a 24 pack of joja cola
part i, part ii, part iii
synopsis: the three times you friendzoned Alhaitham, and the one he made damn sure you didn't.
tags: alhaitham/reader ; school setting ; valentine's day special ; reader likes sewing ; miscommunication
Valentineâs day comes rolling around the next year, and you are sadly not present to witness Alhaitham lengthen his trail of broken hearts. A shame, really. This year, you were looking forward to bringing popcorn for the occasionâjust to see him squirm.
Youâve been cooped up in the homeroom lab for the better part of the week, sewing and snipping away at one of the costumes for the schoolâs fair. Unlike last year, you donât have your seniors to help you pin fabrics right or to assist in hand stitching plastic beads, as the newly appointed tailor's club head you have a lot more duties to take on.
Itâs exhausting, you feel the deep creases underneath your eyeâdreading to head to the bathroom and accidentally look into the mirror to face your own haggard appearanceâand the dull ache in your hands and back is blocking any sense you could have.
The club room is otherwise quiet if not for the lo-fi beat playing from your phoneâs speaker and the rhythmic snips of scissors gliding over fabric. You focus all your brain power on the taskâfabric is not cheap and you donât have enough mora in your wallet if you lose focus and mess upâand remain blissfully unaware of any potential distraction.
To be honest, it hadnât even registered in your head that you werenât alone in the room anymore, until the gentlest tap on your shoulder has you snapping your focus away from the brocade.
The sight of just who has you unconsciously gaping your mouth like a blubbering fish in shockâAlhaitham.
He stares at you blankly, his gaze is so intense itâs a little unnerving, you freeze up before him, and probably make yourself look like an idiot in the process.
Suddenly, the state of your appearance becomes a presiding worry. Having skipped lunch in favor of patterning tulle perfectly on the dummy mannequin. Your uniform is crumpled, creased with the lack of motion, stray threads and fabric fibers cover you head to toe similar to lint. Itâs almost humiliating to be seen so disheveled by Alhaithamâwhen he himself looks like the epitome of put-together flawlessness.
âHaitham,â you start, smoothing out the fabric laid out on the table, itâs soft and smooth under your fingertips. âNeed something?â
He spares a glance to whatever youâre fidgeting with behind you then to your face, which in turn makes you fist the work-in-progress fabric tighter in your hand.
Alhaitham seems to search for something in your expression, his gaze feels like itâs poking and prodding in your soul. Your hands itch to cover up whateverâs heâs fixated on, but you settle on the second best option; staring back just as hard and ten times more intensely.
âThe second button of my shirt,â he says, Alhaitham points at his stark white button up, right where a button lay missing. You arch a brow at that, heâs most definitely only here to ask you to mend his shirt. No other reason.
And you are definitely not disappointed right now too.
Swallowing hard, your eyes drift to his face. âDo you need a replacement button?â
A crease forms between his brows. âNo.â
Well.
âO-kay,â that stumps you, âWhat about it then?â you shoot him a puzzled look, folding your arms tightly across your chest.
That makes him pause. âI wanted to check if you wanted it.â
ââŠyour button?â
âYes, thatâs why I came over here.â
He must be kidding. The two of you are standing in the homeroom lab, thereâs a surplus of small white buttons, youâd rather pick from there than have him ruin a perfectly good shirt.
âUh no thanks,â you scratch at the back of your neck, extremely confused. âI have a lot more buttons in the drawer, thereâs no need to take one off your back.â
Once you said that and saw the expression on his face, you knew immediately that it was the wrong choiceâeven if it wasnât a test question. Alhaitham does not pout, but thatâs something he would say. If you were asked, the way his lips twitch downward slightly is pouting.
âI understand,â he says shortly and starts to turn back and reach for the door. You cannot hide your bewildered expression, pinching your brows in confusion.
âWaitâhold it right there,â you call, stepping a step or two following him. You, not wanting your conversation to end on such an unusually awkward note. âWhatâs up with you?â
âItâs nothing,â he says and you practically hear the sulky edge to his voiceâsomething you swore he left back in middle schoolâstill, he turns back to face you. âIf you donât want it, I wonât give it to you.â
Sighing, you step even closer to close some of the distance, holding your palm out impatiently to him. âCome over here, grumpy. Iâll take the button.â
He eases up slightly. âDonât force yourself.â
Why you ought to wring this man by the neck. You place your free hand to rest on your waist. âYouâre not forcing me, now hand it over.â
Alhaitham stands his ground, but eventually cracks, offering a compromise. â...Iâll leave it on the table.â
âOkay,â your eyes flutter shut in exhaustion and slight irritationâconfusion more than anything. âSee you, Haitham.â
He bids you goodbye, calling your name softly.
You hear the door slide open, then shut.
When you open your eyes, a singular translucent white button sits on your working tableâalong with a box of fine confectioners chocolate.
What a loser, you think. Though your smile betrays that thought.
You skip back to your work and suddenly, you arenât so exhausted anymore.
iâm not a regular blog, iâm a cool blog
i wrote something for the demon slayer fandom but i feel like its too random to share over here đ
One of the most effective self-editing techniques is to distance yourself from your writing before diving into the editing process. After completing your draft, give yourself some time away from the text â a few hours, a day, or even longer if possible. This break provides a fresh perspective, allowing you to approach your work with a more critical eye.
Engage your auditory senses by reading your work aloud. This not only helps identify grammatical errors and awkward phrasing but also allows you to assess the overall flow and rhythm of your writing. Awkward sentences are more apparent when heard.
To avoid feeling overwhelmed during the self-editing process, concentrate on specific elements in each round. Start by checking for grammatical errors and punctuation, then move on to sentence structure, coherence, and finally, style. This systematic approach ensures a thorough examination of your writing.
After you are finished with your first draft, flip to the beginning and start anew. As you write and edit more of your story, you may add different aspects to a character that might need to be mentioned in a section you already edited. You might add a part of the plot that should be alluded to earlier in your book.
Re-reading your first draft might reveal plot holes that will be addressed via revisions. It may expose logical inconsistencies that must be buttressed with enhanced detail. If you, as the author, know a lot of details about a characterâs backstory, make sure your reader does as well.
Audiences want engaging plots, but they also want detailed characters who undergo change during the events of a story. Use a second draft to make sure that your main character and key supporting characters follow consistent character arcs that take them on a journey over the course of the story. If your story is told through first person point of view (POV), this will be even more important as it will also affect the storyâs narration.
Find ways to space out your story points so that every section of your novel is equally compelling and nothing feels shoehorned in.
When some first time writers think of the editing process, they mainly think of corrections to grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation. These elements are certainly important but such edits tend to come toward the end of the process. Obviously no book will go out for hard copy publication without proofreading for typos and grammatical errors, but in the early rounds of revising, direct most of your energy toward story and character. If you consider yourself a good writer who simply isnât strong on elements like spelling, grammar, and punctuation, consider hiring an outside proofreader to help you with this part of the writing process.
The best novels and short stories contain ample variety, no matter how long or short the entire manuscript may be. Look for ways to inject variety into your sentence structure, your narrative events, your dialogue, and your descriptive language. You never want a reader to feel like s/heâs already read a carbon copy of a certain scene from a few chapters back.
Consistency is key to maintaining a professional and polished tone in your writing. Ensure that your language, formatting, and style choices remain consistent throughout your piece. Inconsistencies can distract the reader and diminish the overall impact of your work.
Effective communication is concise and to the point. During the self-editing phase, be vigilant in identifying and eliminating redundancies. Repetitive phrases and unnecessary words can dilute your message and hinder clarity.
If your writing incorporates facts, figures, or data, double-check the accuracy of your information. Providing accurate and up-to-date information enhances your credibility as a writer. Cross-referencing your sources during the self-editing process ensures the reliability of your content.
Keep your target audience in mind during the self-editing process. Ensure that your language, tone, and examples are tailored to resonate with your intended readership. This step is crucial for creating a connection with your audience and enhancing the overall impact of your writing.
Take advantage of the various editing tools available to writers. Spell and grammar checkers, and style guides can serve as valuable companions during the self-editing journey. However, remember that these tools are aids, not substitutes, for your critical evaluation.
Engage with others to gain fresh perspectives on your writing. Peer reviews or feedback from mentors can offer valuable insights that you might have overlooked. Embrace constructive criticism and use it to refine your work further.
Effective self-editing requires a degree of ruthlessness. Donât be afraid to cut or rewrite sections that do not contribute to the overall strength of your piece. Trim excess words, tighten sentences, and ensure that every element serves a purpose.
Sources: 1 2 3 4
pelican town's finest <3
i've been playing sdv nonstop the past week and the game has some nerve asking me to choose between these two smh
word count: 3.2k
summary: samâs ten heart event with a twist.
tags: winter, developing relationships, fluff, swearing, cuddling, hiding from his mother in his bed lol
a/n: this spiralled out of my control and into 3k words⊠enjoy!
itâs cold.
the fleece coat youâve bundled yourself in cannot protect goosebumps from forming from the biting chill of the valleyâs winter nights. your breaths come out in cloudy puffs of air, the heat slowly draining out of every exhale. itâs dark out, poorly spaced lampposts providing the bare minimum amount of light to navigate.
you got samâs letter earlier, a clumsily written note that was stuffed haphazardly into your farmâs mailboxâthe yellow lined paper he used, all crumpled and ripped.
meet me in front of my house! at 8 pm, iâll be waiting. thereâs something i want to tell you.
the ending sentence is somehow even more sloppily written compared to the ones before it. as if he was debating whether or not to add it in, but ultimately decided for itâitâs funny to imagine him hunched over his desk, stressing over what to write to you.
well, you wonât deny feeling excitement over the possibility of whatever sam has to say. if the subtle skip in your step is anything to go by.
you walk through the silent night of the town, it seems like everythingâs frozen in place during the colder times of the yearâeveryoneâs safe at home, toasty under their covers and youâd imagine thoroughly enjoying going to bed at 7 pm.
you do too, sometimes. thereâs less to do when the ground is too frozen to plant any crop.
thereâs a lot more free time out of the farm during the winter. youâve really started integrating yourself with the townspeopleâhelping haley find her bracelet, befriending samâs prickly coworker shane, and even discovering a shadowperson named Krobus in the town sewers. it really is starting to feel like home.
walking, you cut the corner passing by emily and haleyâs houseâand there he is.
he looks devastatingly handsome all dressed in winter clothing. his regular denim jacket switched out for a dark woolen coat, his pants are unripped and, surprisingly, not smeared with dirt.
though what you like most about his winter attire is his hair. those wild golden locks are laid flat under a woolen beanieâa stark difference from the spiked updo he usually does (though you like that one too). the tips of his hair are slightly curled upwards, revealing that family trait of curly hair.
you creep closer, just watching him wait for youâthe way he folds his arms in an attempt to warm up, and the little shuffle he does on his feet. you laugh softly, he mustâve been waiting a whileâjust like you have for him.
sam turns at the sound of your laugh, his body unconsciously tilting towards you, like a magnetâs uncontrollable attracting to metal. âyou made it,â he breathes, his nose, ears and cheeks pinkened by the cold.
you nod, unable to stop a bashful smile from forming on your lips. âi made it.â
a big grin splits his face, mimicking yours. underneath the lone lamplight he looks jaw-droppingly handsome. you feel yourself become warm just in proximity to him.
âi wanted to talk to you in private,â he says. samâs buzzing with energy, surveying the dark streets before meeting your gaze with his. âitâs kinda cold out here though⊠i, umâi can sneak you into my roomâŠâ
your heart skips a beat, like youâve skipped a step on a staircase. âwhat?â you croak.
your eyes catch onto him wringing his fingers, a nervous habit you canât help but always notice (not because his hands are nice and interesting to look at, not at all).
âyou donât wanna?â
âno!â you inhale, trying to alleviate the twisting sensation in your gut. âi do wanna, ahem, lead the way.â
sam smiles at you, dimples and all. he leads you towards the tiny bedroom window in front of his house. the window is already openâyou assume thatâs where he jumped out of to meet you.
he climbs through the window with minimal effort, landing on the flooring with a dull thump!
you raise a brow. âhave you done this before?â
sam stretches his hand out to you, waiting. his smile turnt sheepish. âi mean, i think we were all rebellious teenagers once.â
you resist the urge to snortâsamâs nervous, you can tell. he doesnât have his quips and jokes tonight. and heâs shy, but eager. like a puppy, excited and curious about the world.
âo-kay,â you say, one hand in his hand the other set firmly on the windowsill. âmake sure i donât fall please.â
sam nods, eagerly. the curled ends of his hair shake along with the motion as he does.
how endearing.
you tighten your grip on his hand, hauling yourself through the small window, trying your damn best to not make any sudden noise. which is successful for the most part, only a tiny huff of exertion escapes you.
annoying, yes. but the chill of winter burns through any energy you have faster than other seasons.
your feet connect with the wood of his floor, hand still clasped in his and the chill merely at your back. itâs warm inside, with him.
his room is the same as itâs always been when youâd visit beforeâshelves, band equipment, postersâbut the ambiance is different. a little more charged with tension so thick you could cut through it with a knife.
sam does not bother turning on his light, you donât mind it all that much. but it takes some effort to avoid tumbling over stray objects that clutter his bedroom floor.
âlook, I know Iâve been about nothing but the band for a while nowâŠâ he starts. âbut I donât want you to think thatâs all iâm interested in.â
you chuckle, clasping your fingers behind your back. âit certainly takes up a big chunk of your interests.â
he pouts, literally pouts. it must be the love bug you caught because you think itâs just plain adorable. âiâm really trying over here!â
âsorry!â you grin, âokay, continue.â
âwell, um⊠shoot, this is kinda hard, huh?â he forces an awkward chuckle. âand nerve-wrecking⊠but what iâm trying to say isâŠâ
âiâm really happy that weâve grown this close, and wellâŠâ sam looks at you, heâs stupidly redâthe color spreading all over his face. âiâiâm just wondering, do you think of me as⊠just a friend?â
your breath stutters, and you feel yourself blushing before you can do anything to stop it. you stare at him as he does with you. the two of you locking eyes for a second, it feels like itâs just you and him in the world.
you feel your shy admittance at the tip of your tongue. no, youâd say, youâre more than that for me, if you want to be.
sam smiles at you, shy but so, so overwhelmingly brightâitâs blinding. your head is running a mile a minute when you finally get the courageâ
âsam!â you hear jodiâs groggy voice from outside the door. your stomach drops with dread. âsomebodyâs at the door! go and check please?â
you lock eyes once again, this time for entirely different reasons, and with entirely different feelings.
âoh my god, sam,â you whisper hurriedly, panic gripping you. âyour mom doesnât know iâm hereâwhat do we doââ
âhold onââ he replies, with the same sense of urgency as you. âokay, okayâi have a plan, just trust me, âkay?â
you think you might break out into a cold sweat. you look at him quizzically, âwhat?â
sam gives you an apologetic smile with that stupid beautiful face of his, he moves forward, grabbing you by your wrists, and moving you with himâtowards his bed.
âsam!â you hiss, alarms are blaring in every corner of your mind as sam all but drags you under the toasty covers of his bed. he lifts the blanket and stations you by the edge, covering you in the blanketâwhich is now a lumpy mess.
this is his childhood bed youâre in, where his mother and brother are just by the door.
and his mother is calling him.
âiâll get this over with quick,â he says to you, already heading towards the door of his room. âhang on tight, âkay?â
you breathe a sound of agreement, way too jittery to formulate any proper response as you quieten under the covers.
though the sheets do feel nice, and smells overwhelmingly of that specific cologne he uses (stolen from joja inventory, he told you once). you will yourself not to relax and melt into the sheets so fast. instead, you listen for each and every sound that may give hint to whatever the hell is happening.
thereâs a commotion that you can hear happening, the door swings open, the hinges creaking along with itâthis whole surreal experience feels a little like the confrontation part of a horror movie, the helpless victim hiding and the heavy footfalls of the killer.
though in your case, itâs not one set of footsteps, but two.
âwhat are you two doing here?â
âyouâre the one who called us over, remember?â you can recognize the bandâs shut-in pianistâs voice from anywhere. âyou were all like, stop skipping practice, seb.â
samâs voice is oddly pitchy when he responds. ââŠwell, tonightâs no good!â
you hear the other person huff, you strain your ears harder to listen. the huffing person clearly fed up with the strange behavior samâs putting out right now.
âmy mom and vincent are asleep,â he adds hurriedly. âtheyâd wake upââ
you resist the urge to groan, stifling your mouth under a sweaty palm. jodie was just speaking to him minutes ago, thereâs no way theyâd buy that. he cannot be a more obvious liar.
thankfully they gloss over the fact. âsam, why are you acting so damn weird?â sebastian asks, straightforward as ever.
âyeah,â the other voice adds. feminine but strong. which you now identify as abigailâs, you hear a pinch of impatience in her voice. âand why are you red? did you sit outside in the snow or somethingââ
sam chokes, which he tries to conceal as an odd sounding cough. abigail pauses mid-sentence. the shift in the atmosphere is palpable. you screw your eyes shut, hearing the rapid rate of your heartbeat. itâs so loud youâre almost convinced the trio can hear the thumping from your hiding spot under the sheets. this is it, theyâre going to discover you.
âoh, oh i see,â abigail grins. âon second thought, i wouldn't risk catching all those germs. iâm feeling starved, letâs hit the saloon, seb.â
the aforementioned man grumbles, seemingly puzzled by the sudden switch in abigailâs attitude. âhuh⊠why?â abigail must have whispered something to himâyou can barely hear over the muffle of samâs blanket comforters. âugh, alright. fine. you owe us one, sam.â
âoh, of course! mhm, yup,â you cringe at the immense awkwardness of samâs response, feeling the overwhelming urge to pull out your own hair. âiâll see you guys tomorrow, yeah? now shoo! wouldnât wanna get you both sick or somethinââŠâ
âhuh?â sebastian replies, rightfully puzzled as theyâre forcefully pushed out of the room. âwhy would we see you tomorrow if youâre sickââ
âwell seb,â abigail says smugly. âletâs just say sammy here is taking care of some important businessââ
âokay, bye!â you hear the door click shut. to your utter bewilderment, sam shut the door in their faces.
the room is deathly quiet, the air is stagnant and stuffy. once you feel it safe enough, you crane your neck out of the blankets to check over him. to trace any lingering feeling the sudden visit mightâve given him. samâs got his back rested against the wood of his door, his back slumped.
âiâi wasnât expecting that,â you say quietly from your hiding spot on his bed. peeking the top half of your face, watching the door carefully. âkinda nerve-wracking.â
and embarrassing.
âi knowâiâm sorry,â he sighs, rubbing his temples. âi didnât expect them coming over.â
âsebastian said you invited them for practice, though.â you point out.
âmaybe i did,â he admits, creeping closer to you on the bed, even if heâs guilty and embarrassed. âi totally forgotâi mean, i was really nervous! my mind blanks when i get nervousâŠâ
sam stops right by the side of the bed, as if heâs waiting for your permission to get in with youâin his own bed. and to be perfectly honest, you really want him to.
âkinda ruined the atmosphere too,â he looks away from you, eyes downcast and melancholy. âi had this whole thing planned too, and i, just⊠ughâŠâ
your eyes soften. âsam, itâs really fine. okay, maybe a little shocking but you know itâs not enough to scare me away.â
he looks down at you, worried. his eyebrows are ever so slightly pinchedâyou wish you could run your fingers over it, and smooth it out yourself.
âplus,â you murmur, reaching over the small amount of space between the two of you to clasp his wrist. âiâm not just gonna leave⊠just tell me what you were going to sayâbefore the⊠interruption.â
that gives you the final push to gather your courage to tug him into bed with you. sam follows, flopping onto the empty bedding next to you without a fight. for a moment, itâs just the two of you, side by side, slowly huddling closer and closer for warmth.
and sam is warm. heâs practically radiating comfy heat you wish to burrow intoâor wrap yourself around. the perfect bed-partner for winter nights like these.
you find yourself becoming addicted to the feeling.
sam angles his body towards you. you on your back and him on his side, it feels intimate and special. and for some reason, it feels familiarâlike youâve always belonged by his side.
âi think you know already,â he tells you, his eyes are not clear in the dim light but you know, there are practically hearts in them. âthat i like you.â
you giggle softly. âand i think you know the same about me.â
sam tentatively grasps your hand, the freezing fingertips thawing under his careful touch. the caress of his hand on yours sends tingling electricity down your spine, your whole body feels alertâalive.
he speaks again, but this time his tone is a whisper of what it usually is. âstay awhile?â
âyeah,â you swallow, squeezing his hand in your grip. a small smile on your lips. âyes, i want to.â
âgood,â he smiles, his eyes crinkle at the edges so softly and the dimples on his cheeks deepen. there really is no one else who can compare for you. âhey, youâre really cold⊠let me warm you up?â
you turn to your side, facing him. at this angle, your faces are mere inches apart. you can trace every dip, line and curve of his face, and he yours. your hand tingles with the overwhelming urge to reach for him and squeeze.
âit is cold,â you agree. âiâd very much like that.â
âphew,â he softly sighs. sam drags his fingers up your arm, stopping at your elbow. wherever he touches, a whisper of him lingers on your skinâa bone deep imprint you yearn for him to spread all across your skin.
you roll into him with little to no effort at all. sam drags you to his chest, your ear perched right above his heart, you can hear the steady thump! of his heartbeat from underneath. sam winds his arms around you, intensifying the heat you feel by tenfoldâitâs not uncomfortable at all, though. you like it.
your bodies fit perfectly together, just like puzzle pieces. a mess of limbs tangling together. the warmth of him making you shudder in honey-like delight. it feels syrupy and soft and warm wrapped in his arms.
his hand at your back travels downwards, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake you feel even through the thickness of the fabric separating the skin of your back and his fingertips. his hands feel rough and calloused at the small of your backâfrom playing guitar and his skateboarding incidentsâbut you enjoy the feeling.
you trail your fingers under the thick fabric of his jacket and shirt, feeling the smooth skin underneathâthe action has no deeper meaning than you wanting to feel.
samâs uncharacteristically quiet. his breaths are slow and long, like heâs on the verge of sleep. yet his arms are wound tight around youâlike he never wants to let go of you. your nerves make you feel like a slow simmering soup. warm and slowly cooking over the fire.
you two stay entangled for a while, in comfortable silence. sometime during the night youâve matched your breathing to his, and he pulled you somehow even closer to his body.
but, a thump comes from his window, a light tapping sound. soft but persistent. the two of you opt to ignore it, in favor of snuggling closer to each other. yet the taps continue, and become louder and faster.
disrupted by the noise, sam mournfully throws the covers from over him to check, untangling himself from your grip. leaving a very him-shaped indent on the bed left in his wake. you groan, sticking your bottom lip out, you miss the warmth of him already.
âoh shit.â
the expletive makes you sit up in his bed, the comforter draping off your middle. you can make out the shape of him even with the dimness of the lightâsamâs back is towards you, and if your eyes dare deceive you, he looks like heâs shrinking into himself a tiny bit.
âwhat is it?â you whisper-shout to him.
he slowly turns to you, wide eyed, his shoulders stiff. sort of resembling a kicked-dog. sam bows down his headâwith what you think is shame, for what reason, you canât tell. rubbing your eyes of sleep, you furrow your brow, craning your neck to look out the window behind him.
abigail and sebastian are there, waving wildly at you. your eyes widen. abigail and sebastian are waving at you with smug smiles plastered on their faces.
your stomach drops for the umpteenth time that night. you honestly feel too horrified to speak.
you bury yourself under the sheets, a feeble attempt to conceal your mortification. so thatâs why abigail was playing along with samâs urgent ramblingsâshe knew (not that sam was any good at keeping a cool facade, he is totally incapable of lying smoothly). you groan, you feel like a rebellious teenager again, only the part where you get caught and utterly humiliated.
outside, you can hear the loud roaring laughter of the duo through the glass, alongside the awkward, embarrassed chatter of your newly-minted boyfriend. (not technically official, but the title succeeds to relieve your horror by the tiniest bit)
still, you stay put. through the mortification and embarrassment you still stick yourself to samâs side, or more literally, on his bedâbecause you know, thereâs no other place youâd rather be.
you spare another glance out of the covers at the trioâto your surprise, samâs beat you to it. looking at you with heart eyes and the most lovesick expression (youâre pretty sure yours looks the same).
you know thereâs going to be a lot more explaining to do in the morning. but it doesnât matter to you, not right now when youâre in samâs bed on the verge of sleep.
not when you feel so warm.
a/n: shoutout to the ass trio for making an appearance in the fic! i love you abby and seb.
i bet stardew valley green rain tastes like the vegetable smoothies fitness influencers make
favorite character from any media BUT it has to be a woman. in the tags now go (pls talk to me about your favorite fictional women pls pls pls pls)