#*puts one of the flocked bunnies in your hand* fuzzy :)

[nostalgicfun]

Inside the Caboodle 🌈

[joonspecs]

the princess, the guard & the voyeur

a ksj and jjk fic.

summary: You are a Princess. He is the nations’ Head of Guard. Both hold very highly estimable positions until they’re abandoned for the sake of love; but mostly for the sake of chasing a high, falsely revered to be the downfall of many – lust.

rating: m (smut)...

length: 2.8k

characters: Reader; Jungkook; Jin

warnings: pw/op... except there’s kind of a plot but not really lol; penetrative sex; unprotected sex (wrap your Willys before you do the sillys friends); cunnilingus; slight voyeurism; slight infidelity; slight possessiveness; JK is kind of dom-ish; dirty talk; both of them are Dom’s; degradation; slight humiliation; and others (I might have missed something’s)

a/n: it takes me a long ass time to muster enough courage to post my works; let alone RP fics... so please bear with me. i was gonna keep this in my word doc for further editing but i was just enabling my anxiety, so here’s hopefully the first of many fics ill be posting. comments make my day, feedback makes me improve but they’re equally appreciated. anyways, hope you enjoy. and stay safe friends x

a/n #2: There was an art/edit a fan made of JK with a metal hand inspired by the Winter Soldier, but I couldn’t find it anymore as it was a direct inspiration for this and I should’ve saved it! But alas! Yep just I guess try to imagine that lmao~

enjoy this very mild sin...

...

Nobody knows.

Nobody knows and you’d be consistently frugal to keep it that way.  It also didn’t help that you were Royalty- a princess, and he is, well, ultimately, he’s supposed to be in his own quarters. But that doesn’t stop you from finding any chance to see nor touch each other.

Round the corridors, in the hallways, on the stairs, in whatever vacant rooms, a simple scan around the premises proving bare of any other participants or onlookers and you’re locking lips and abandoning both your posts of being royalty and him, not.

Though you would both pull away achingly from each other despising the small moment interrupted at the merest indication of a sound or a murmur and discreetly, as if nothing had just happened before, continue their walk. Though there was nothing discreet about the smirks and knowing grins you both held without having to look at each other. Though the thrill of it would eventually catch up to you. This, you were sure, but nonetheless, you still chose to share his bed and he, well, yours. Always and undeniably.

On a cold, frolicsome morning, whilst laying on your side with your back facing him and Jungkook, with the back of his metal hand, tracing down your spine, sending currents of shivers through every follicle and cranny of your soul. You release a long sigh into the dawn, the latter part of your morning routine from your maids dismissed the night before. You wouldn’t be disturbed.

“Kook, you need to get to your chambers,” you mutter, while grinding your round bottom onto his hips and feel a streak of precum lather the crevice of your backside it makes you wonder how long he’d been awake to work himself up to such a charge that you were sure he was already red and leaking. The sensation alone unbridles your distaste for him leaving.

“One more doll,” he says as he wraps his metal hand around your middle and fits his warm, handsome face in between your neck and shoulder, “just in case I don’t see you at all today.”

You hum at the motion and scrunch your nose at the albeit delighting touch of his growing hair tickling your neck. They were always the grandest, softest thing, more than rubies or sheepskin that you’ve ever laid nor your eyes or your hands upon. You succeed in taking note of his grinding motions behind you, his growing hardness yoked between your cheeks while his hot breath at your ear takes hold of every string of your undoing.

“Jungkook,” you moan, the vapor of your sex from your previous coupling still heavy in the room and pressing heavy at your eyelids as your eyes roll in sinister need.

He moves from behind you, pulling your form at your hips to the end of the platformed, king bed, his palms anchored surely till your feet touch the fuzzy feel of the carpets tickling your toes. You feel his warm hands trace the length from your shoulder blades, down the curve of your arched back, over your upturned buttocks before grabbing a fistful of your ass, groaning at the lavish skin that pushed through the spaces between his fingers as he pulls your cheeks apart and an onset of cold air barely touches your dripping cavern, leaving you in shivers of anticipated pleasure, already brewing dangerously close to releasing.

“Let’s mess around just one more time sweetheart,” he whispers, pushing his girth in-between your butt cheeks and he moans at the touch of your softness surrounding his member. You whine as you feel a finger scoop at the pool of wetness from your dripping cunt and hearing a pop behind you. You take that moment to turn your head and find him sucking his forefinger, the other hand rubbing both your sopping slick all over his dick, the motion adding moisture as he continues to press his erect cock between your soft globes, the sight of it alone causing you to moan and drop your head to the mattress.

“Kookie please,” you whine, impatiently prying at loose ends of his teasing and hoping to every deity above he can cease his teasing for just a moment if only to impale your waiting cavern with his well-endowed length.

“Patience bunny,” he teases, this time grabbing a hold of your waist and hoisting you up onto your knees, parting your bent legs.

“You don’t have much time baby,” you plead, taking note of the time on the clock on the far side of your bedroom walls, as impatiently, you wiggle your bottom in the air, trying to stifle a giggle in hopes to tempt him.

“Trust me, sweetheart,” he growls, placing both fists on the bed beside your bent legs and licks a stripe of your wetness from your swollen clit to your puckered ring. The mere slide of his tongue on your clit causing you to roll your eyes into your lids as you whine and eagerly swivel your lower back in desperate need of his fucking.

“Kook- “ you groan as he delivers a hard enough smack to your bottom it stops his full nickname being uttered.

“What did I say?” he asks as he tongues at your clenching asshole as his metal hand reaches forward to flick your clit. You fail to give him a reply and only opt to moan into the mattress before he reaches back and spanks your reddening ass again. Turning to look behind you and catching his devilish grin as you whine.

“To trust you.”

He pulls back and sinks a metal finger slowly into your dripping cunt; the coolness a stifling contrast to the heat you feel steeping to drop from the high of feeling your pussy being filled by his finger alone, and this time, he chooses to pop another smack to your other cheek, your noises of pleasure, mumbling the feeling, barely articulate and wholly incoherent as his lone metal finger began stroke within your walls and your moans double in volume before he growls. Something deep and guttural from hearing your cries at the mercy of his finger alone before gritting through his teeth, “Trust me what?”

“To trust you sir!”

“That’s what I wanna hear dollface,” he moans, withdrawing his soaked finger you’re your tightness and moaning at the dropping line of your slick onto the bed.

“Wish you could see how fucking gorgeous you look right now babydoll, here- turn to me and see how hard you’ve made me,” he says as he grips his cock in his metal hand, the coldness making him twitch. You quickly turn to see him stroking his dick, covered in black and gold metal and the sight alone makes your mouth water much more similar to how your dripping wetness as your lips open in abandon, your desire tangible when you bite your lip and peering up to meet his lust-heavy gaze.

You stalk toward him on hands and knees and lean forward to suck at his hanging balls as you hear him release a pleasure-filled grunt. You release and pull back to look up to see his head bent back with sinful moans releasing at his neck as he continues to jerk his dick. You place your mouth lavishly bound to the head of his cock, sucking at the velvety, slick skin there and before you lose any other part of your sanity, the one part of your brain that still soldiers to function tells you that you are running out of time. He has to get to his chambers really soon, but God no, not before he makes you cum one last time. So you release him with a loud ‘pop’ and he follows the sound as he reaches forward with his other hand to caress the sides of your face.

“My love, please hurry,” you plead, turning back around to present your waiting, ever dripping snatch. You feel his metal hand push at the tops of your shoulders, gesturing for you to lay your head down, the sheets, a feathers touch from your tight-budded breasts sending flocks of eye-rolling pleasure as you press flat on the bed. He grabs a handful of your locs, pulling hard enough the gasp that escapes your mouth catches tight at the bottom of your stretched throat. You moan and dare to arch your back any further, you might just break from the lingering release that lurks inches from when he would finally take you.

“You don’t tell me what to do,” he growls by your ear, the warmth of his breath a stark contrast to his speech, and your body shivers with anticipation before he lowly chuckles and says, “I will do with you as I see fit, whore.”

There it is.

The very thing you search for in your suitors and discovering their shortcomings in the one thing you needed most. You crave to be put in your place. You yearn to be manhandled like a needy vixen, like a pathetic slut that if you had it your way, you’d wait hand and foot to be used like the damningly sex deprived whore that you fantastically implore of being.

And he gives you exactly that. Exactly what you need. The very thing that puts you so far from the spectrum of the elegant princess you poise deceivingly to be. No, you were far from that, and he had been the only one to notice it.

You moan strings of ‘yes’s as he fixes the head of his member at your opening and without mercy pummels his hardness into you with a stuttered grunt and begins to slam your buttocks to his middle with a loud smack, roughly pulling your wet cunt over and over and over and over and over and over his girth. Your assassin turned royal guard ever gloriously dominating in his pursuit to find both your release as every stroke of his impressive cock slides past your vagina walls and like a buzz in the pit of your stomach, one sheer thrust touches your sweet spot and oh do you truly scream.

“There! Oh, fuck! Right there please- oh God! Right there,” you groan and growl and grunt and moan and whine and every little sound you make in hopes to urge him further, as you suppress to coax more of him into your pussy with every push of your hips back onto his cock, your orgasm just merely dancing in circles above you.

“Right here baby?” he teases with a grunt, hearing your sweet, wicked noises knowing full well in all his cockiness the sins he can rupture within you. Biting and growling at your neck he whispers, “Right here doll? Look at you, so fucking primal, can’t get enough of this dick can’t you? Pushing back on my cock like the needy whore you are – hnnggh.”

“Mine,” you whine, his sweet, filthy nothings behind you making you roll your eyes as he reaches a hand back and delivers a slap to your ass. Waves of nirvana pour over you at the onslaught of pain-filled pleasure from the reddening touch and every tug at your hair as he pulls and pushes into you, every breath stolen from your lungs, every bruising stroke inside of you, every stinging pleasure brought upon your supple ass, has you reaching heights till you’re sure they’re reaching the very tips of your fingers and your toes.

“My doll, taking me so damn well in that tight pussy-Fuck!” he grunts, his breath racing over the shell of your ear as he slows his pace.

“Yes,” you whimper, every stroke against your greedy walls lewdly singing in sloppy, wet sounds as you bunch up the bed sheets in your hands, a tight coil starting to brew at the bottom of your spine.

“You love sneaking around when nobody knows what we’re really doing, and it excites you doesn’t it?” he whispers, all broken and raspy as he laughs darkly in your ear while pulling out to the head of his cock before slowly delving deep into you till he bottoms out, his heavy balls a breath’s touch from your clit.

You cry out and slam a hand onto the bed, your body quivering with tremor, the bare weight of his shaft fleetingly tangling you into a crashing high as he starts to pump faster but more shallow inside of you, pummelling deep until it ghostly reaches your throat. The sounds of your sex swishing and licking at each other’s skin.

“Jungkook! Please-“

“Yes, my love!”

“Please!” you groan, his thrust begins to dig deeper into your cervix you were sure he was bulging out at your stomach.

His hands are everywhere. Pulling at your hips, your hair, your ass, your thighs, your swaying breasts; tracing every inch of you in compensation for the length of time he has to wait to touch you again. And you always dreaded that part. Above most things, you dreaded that you couldn’t freely walk around with whom you were sure is the love of your life. But for now, you’d settle for stolen moments and hurried kisses if it means you can keep both your dignities. However, at this moment alone, the lewd sounds of your tryst echoing off the walls with your needy pleas and his shallow grunts for release and his grunts for very much the same thing, sneaking around had its utmost peaks; and you were savoring this exact one.

“Jungkook! Fuck! Baby!”

“Cum,” he growls, every vibration against your neck pulsating down your body to your weeping cunt. Release just frighteningly close that you send a small prayer for your lover to finish you right then and right there and God does he know all the right spots.

“Take. Every. Last. Drop!”

You moan abidingly, as your thighs begin to tremble, shaking as spurts of cum fill you slowly yet surely, your own release cathartically reducing you to tears as you clench tighter around his cock, making sure to take his souvenir for keepsakes, keeping your pussy drenched for days. You like to revisit your trysts later when you’re alone in your bed, dipping your fingers into your hole and feeling his load still warm and moist inside you.

~

Jin thought it strange that his wife-to-be wasn’t in her usual recreation chambers as early as she usually liked to be. So initially he thought that maybe she wasn’t feeling well. But then he thought that surely, she would’ve said something. But then again, he wondered if it was more than that, especially since after asking her maids whether this was some new routine she had taken to. They merely shrugged and mentioned her often late arrivals in the past few weeks, and it wasn’t something they usually bothered to think about. But then again there was that sordid idea his betrothed had conjured up, dismissing her guard’s when it was not ideal, especially for the protection of the Princess; and he was itching for a rather scalding conversation with the youngster’s brother very, very soon.

Anyhow, he’d visit his betrothed this morning, only to find that not one of her assigned guards were stationed at the entrance to her chambers. Suspiciously he narrowed his eyes and pushed through the thick doors and to his chief shock and surprise, finds the nation’s only worthy head of guards in her living room, shirtless and albeit, locking lips with the princess’ cunt as he strokes his own shaft.

A sight for sore eyes they were; he only wished they had retrieved him sooner. He has always loved sharing his things.

“Jin!” you squeal, noticing his wide shoulders push through the doors and stood stoic against the gold crested doors.

“Oh don’t mind me darling, the little brother and I like to share.”

He especially loves the look of pure shock on your face, as Jungkook releases your swollen pussy lips with a smack, rising from his bent position. The action blocks your sight of the handsome prince at the door, and with a grin on the guards’ own lips you feel another pair of hands caress the bottom of your feet.

~

fin.

[thetravelerwrites]

Blue: The Dry Run

Rating: General Audiences Additional Tags: Monster Lover, Gender Neutral Reader, Asexual, Agender Demon, Demon Friend, Reader-Insert, SFW Words: 2135

Blue is anxious about going out among people openly for the first time, so their partner suggests a trial to help them feel less nervous: a petting zoo.

The Traveler's Masterlist

“But what if they don’t like me?”

You sighed at Blue in exasperation. You were trying to convince them to come with you to one of your classes. Your young students often dealt with feelings of being different in a world that didn’t understand them, and you knew Blue understood that feeling very well.

“You’re blue and fuzzy, hon, they’ll love you. You’re like a giant teddy bear.”

“What if they’re frightened? I’m a demon, a creature, a… a thing. Won’t they be scared of me?”

“Of course not. You haven’t been out in hundreds of years, Blue. The world is a different place now. All kinds of creatures walk among humans these days. You’re not the only non-human out there. A handful of my kids are half-human. Orcs, werewolves, dragons, nagas, even other demons. Hell, my boss’s assistant is an incubus, for fuck’s sake. Openly! Like everyone knows he’s an incubus; he doesn’t even try to hide it. Everyone has to have a job these days, you know. And I think the kids would really like you.”

They were sitting scrunched up on the bed, twisting their tail in their lower pair of hands and looked down at themselves. “But… I’m naked.”

You folded your arms and smirked at them. “Now your grasping at straws, Blue,” You said. You turned and looked into your closet. “But if it’ll make you feel better…” You riffled through the rack with your lips pursed. “Hmm…you’re too tall for most of my clothes…” You said. “Oh, here we go.” You pulled out a long, pale pink sundress with yellow flowers. “My sister left this last time she stayed over. I’ve been meaning to send it back to her, but…”

You bid Blue to stand, and they stood up straight. You’re glad you made the decision to move to an apartment with vaulted ceilings so that they could stand at their full height. Their constant crouching was painful, even for you.

You put the dress up to their long, spindly body and considered it. “I think this would look good with your coloring,” You said. “It’s supposed to be ankle length, but I think it’ll be just over your knee. Would this make you feel better?”

They shrugged noncommittally.

You sighed. “Look, why don’t we try a dry run?”

“Dry run?”

“Yeah. Just go out. Nothing big. Maybe the petting zoo.”

“Petting zoo?”

“Yeah, it’s full of cuddly animals you get to play with.”

They gave you a flat expression. “I know what a petting zoo is, my love.”

You laughed. “I take my class there all the time. It’s great for trauma relief. The proprietor is a friend of mine, I can get her to let us in on the weekend.”

“What purpose would that serve?”

“You can play with the animals. Animals are a great judge of character. If they’re not scared of you, then the kids, who are old enough to be reasoned with, won’t be either. Come on, please? It’ll be like our first real date. We’ve never actually had one, for all the time we’ve been together. Please?”

You pressed your hands together as if praying and pouted a little. Blue squatted and sighed, taking the dress and pulling it over their head. Luckily, both sets of arms fit through the armholes. They looked silly and adorable in it.

“If it’s for you…” They signed reluctantly. “But I can’t promise I’ll enjoy it.”

“If you don’t, we’ll come home and I’ll never bring it up again. I want you to be comfortable, but I also think you’d really enjoy yourself.” You took their face in your hands and gently kissed where their nose would have been, if they had one. “There’s no reason to hide, Blue. This world is as much yours as it is mine and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have everything you want from it.”

“I have you. What else could I want?”

You smiled and hugged them. “I love you too. But…” You sighed. “You’re immortal. Or, at least, you’ll live much longer than me. I want you to have something after… after I’m gone. I don’t want you to disappear again.”

They couldn’t argue with that, as much as they disliked the thought. They had been summoned to protect others before you, and had lost them all long ago. Despite never having revealed themselves to any of their prior charges, Blue always felt the losses deeply and had receded to the void after their deaths, waiting to be summoned again. Blue believed their only purpose for existing was to protect, but you were hoping to give them more than that this go round. They were more to you than a bodyguard or a guardian, they were part of your soul now. You loved them.

Blue couldn’t kiss you, as they had no mouth, but they nuzzled their face to your neck before pulling back and signing, “Okay. I’ll go.”

“You’ll love it. I promise.” You said, running a finger down the middle of their face. They did that strange smile that only involved their eyes.

That Saturday, late in the evening, you had made arrangements with your friend Lizzie for her to open the petting zoo for you simply so she could meet the elusive Blue you were always going on about. She admitted to you that she kind of thought you had made them up.

It was nearly midnight when you managed to get Blue, wearing the sundress, out of the front door. You promised to take all the back ways, so that they would be seen by as few people as possible. You assured them that it wasn’t necessary, that no one would scream or run from them, but they were still wary.

“Don’t look so worried, honey,” You told them, taking them by the hand and pulling them down the sidewalk in the dark just outside of the light of the streetlamps. “It’ll be fine.”

Blue allowed themselves to be lead by their hand, skulking behind you with their eyes darting to and fro.

“Lizzie is very nice, I promise. I’ve already told her all about you, so she knows what to expect,” You said.

“I doubt that,” Blue said.

“Blue, her husband is an onikuma and her best friend since childhood is a horned forest guardian. She’s really not going to be all that surprised by you.”

Blue shrugged and continued to follow you.

You walked up the steps of the community center and ignored the front door. All the lights were off except for the annex building where the petting zoo was kept in back. You skipped a little and pulled Blue forward, as they had stopped when they saw the light ahead.

“Come on!” You said excitedly. If they could have groaned, they would have.

Silhouetted against the open door was your friend, Lizzie, waving an arm over her head in enthusiasm.

Blue faltered in their steps, but you used your momentum to carry them forward. Blue was very strong despite the preternatural thinness of their body and extremities; if they really wanted to wrench themselves from your grasp, they absolutely could have. The fact that while reluctant, they were still complying, spoke to the level of trust they had placed in you. You hoped you weren’t betraying that trust.

“Hey, guys!” Lizzie called. Blue tensed but didn’t retreat.

“Hey, Lizzie!” You said in return, rushing up the stairs to give her a hug. You looked back and saw Blue lingering just outside of the light. “Blue, come on, she’s not going to bite you.”

“Unless you ask nicely,” Lizzie said with a grin.

Blue came forward slowly, fidgeting with their tail nervously.

“Wow, so this is Blue, huh?” Lizzie said, taking a few steps forward and putting out a hand. Blue eyed her warily, but took her hand in one of theirs and shook delicately. “I really did think you made them up, you know,” Lizzie added to me.

“Told you so,” I said.

“Yeah, you did,” Lizzie said, smiling brightly at Blue.

“Nice to meet you,” Blue signed after you nudged them.

“You, too,” Lizzie replied. “Well, ready to pet some animals?”

Blue nodded, the cascade of their hair shivering as they did so, and They followed you and Lizzie into the building.

Inside there was a miniature pony, a few pigs, a llama, some lambs, a goat, and a pen full of little rabbits.

“Ooh! Look, Blue! Bunnies!” You said, pulling them toward the pen. Picking one up, you set it in Blue’s upper pair of hands. Blue cradled it carefully, waiting for it to fight them or freak out, but it didn’t. It simply sat placidly in Blue’s grasp, nose twitching.

You took one of Blue’s lower hands and pulled it up, showing them how to stroke the bunny. When you let go, Blue continued on their own.

“See? Not so bad, right?”

Blue didn’t answer, just scratched the bunny behind its ear. They then knelt down and put their hand out, and the other bunnies came over and sniffed it curiously.

“Here,” Lizzie said, holding a cabbage in her hands and breaking off some of the leaves for Blue to feed to the rabbits. Blue took the leaves and held them out, and the bunnies flocked to them, much to their delight. Blue then sat cross-legged in the pen, surrounded by rabbits as if they were the bunny messiah.

“Cute dress Blue’s wearing,” Lizzie said in an undertone after you had retreated to give Blue some space.

“Yeah, it was my sister’s. I just forgot to give it back.”

“So, Blue’s a girl?”

“Nope.”

“A boy?”

“Neither,” You replied.

Lizzie scrunched up her face in confusion. “Well, I know you call them ‘they’ and all,” She said. “But… what have they got going on… you know… downstairs?”

“They’re an eldritch horror borne of the void, Lizzie, they don’t need to have anything ‘going on downstairs,’” You told her in a sniffy tone. “Besides, the only person who needs to be concerned about that is them.”

“Well, you’re together, aren’t you? Wouldn’t it concern you, too?”

“I’m a sex-repulsed asexual, Lizzie; it doesn’t make a difference to me what they may or may not have… physically. Blue is what they are and they don’t need to be anything else. It’s not complicated; they’re happy, I’m happy, and that’s what matters.”

Lizzie shrugged. “If you say so.”

Blue sprung up to their feet and trotted over to you, a small procession of bunnies following in their wake, and they smiled their eye-smile. They still had a rabbit on their shoulder.

“I want to pet the horse now,” they said.

It took another three trips to the petting zoo before Blue decided they felt confident enough to greet your class. You had also experimented with different articles of clothing, but Blue decided they liked the sundresses best. It allowed for freer movement, and they liked the way the fabric fell around their body. Halter top dresses worked best with their four arms.

While going to put away Blue’s new clothes, you hand touched a bag that you had stowed away in the closest nearly a year ago, the one with the bits of the bunny, Blue’s vessel.

“Whoa,” You said, holding it if for them to see. “I’d forgotten about this. Why did you rip this to pieces?”

“To get out,” They said. “Demons are physically trapped within the confines of their vessels. We literally have to ‘break’ free of them. I had no reason to do so before that night, but when I couldn’t discern why you were so distressed, I freed myself to try and comfort you better, though I seemed to have had the opposite effect.”

“Aw,” You said, hugging them around the middle. They’re lower set of arms wrapped around your waist while the upper pair settled on your shoulders. “It’s all good now. You’re a huge comfort to me, Blue.” You pulled up and looked at their face, frowning slightly. “I do wonder what you get out of staying with me, though.”

“I get love,” they said with their eye-smile. “That’s all I need.” They’d brushed their forehead against yours affectionately and you kissed their face.

The next day, Blue picked out the white sundress with the roses on it, their favorite, and shyly accompanied you to the school. They walked scrunched up at first, but when they saw other creatures, like demons, orcs, and beast-people, walking among humans, they straightened out a little and seemed a bit more eager.

When you got to the school, you introduced Blue to your colleagues, who greeted them warmly, which was surprising to Blue.

Outside your first class, you turned to Blue.

“Ready?”

They smiled and nodded.

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My Masterlist

The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist

[stimtoybox]

Tangle Mods and Care Guide

I’m putting everything I know into one post I can then link to on the Links Page (where I’ve archived other useful posts) as a one-stop resource. And, yes, this post is over three thousand words long...

Releases

Tangles produced by Tangle Creations have slightly thicker connector pegs and pieces, are smoother, usually have tighter joins and smoother mould lines, and are much sturdier, in my experience. I prefer these over the Zuru Tangles, because while they initially looked and felt similar, the Zuru Tangles don’t hold up to wear as well as the Tangle Creations Tangles. Even when worn loose, these will still hold a coil, and I have few problems with loose pegs. I’ve only broken one Tangle Creations Tangle (two pieces sheared) and this was my very first, very-used Tangle.

Tangle Creations Tangles can usually be found at specialist toy shops, specialist stim toy and therapeutic item shops, and Amazon. They also have the largest range of specialist and therapeutic Tangles.

Zuru Tangles are licensed from Tangle Creations but produced by Zuru. They have slightly thinner pieces and connector pegs, are a bit creakier and plastic-feeling, and are more prone to loose pegs: I’ve already got some, after light use, with pegs that just keep popping out. They’re cheaper than Tangle Creations Tangles and easier to find. Zuru Tangle pieces will connect with Tangle Creations pieces, although the fit might be a little tight or loose.

Zuru Tangles can be found at department stores like K-Mart and Walmart.

Knock-off Tangles, produced by a variety of manufacturers, run the gamut from being recasts of Tangle pieces to new moulds. Some pieces will connect with Zuru or Tangle Creations Tangles, but many won’t. While some are usable immediately (like the HoTangles) most will be so stiff as to be unusable brand-new and will need lubrication. Many will not hold a coil, and they often feel looser and floppier than a well-used branded Tangle. They’re also often significantly lighter and creakier, and it is very common for pieces to not fit flush together but instead have gaps between them. Pegs easily pop out of the sockets. However, these can usually be purchased for $2 USD or less.

Knock-offs are usually found on eBay, Wish and Aliexpress, but also in some dollar shops. There’s a wide range of colour combinations, and even variants—like glow-in-the-dark—not available in either licensed range, but often little or no ability to choose colours.

Under the cut: information on bulking up pegs, taking a Tangle apart, cleaning, lubricating, storage and why I don’t recommend sealants as a fix to chipping Tangle Metallics.

Loose Pegs

If a Tangle starts popping apart—the peg falling free from the socket—the simplest way to improve this is to coat the peg in clear nail polish. This gives the peg a little more grip. PVA glue also works a little, but it will wear away more quickly. I suspect a brush-on varnish or sealant safe for use on plastics will also be suitable. Please note that this isn’t a permanent solution and the coating will need replacing periodically. It also works better on Tangle Creations Tangles, not Zurus or fakes: the fixed Zuru Tangles need refreshing much sooner than my Tangle Creations ones, even under similar use.

Make sure to let the peg dry completely before putting the Tangle back together, and to dry completely between coats if you need to do more than one. This technique won’t work as well if you don’t.

It has been suggested that you could also coat the pegs in a thin layer of thermoplastic, which I have not yet tried. I fear that it’d be difficult to get the layer thin enough to work, and it’s less simple to get the supplies and then use them without prior preparation. While it is imperfect, I find the clear nail polish preferable in terms of ease of use.

Pulling a Tangle Apart / Putting a Tangle Back Together

If you must pull a Tangle apart for lubrication, cleaning or custom Tangle making, and you’re worried about pegs shearing because they won’t easily come apart or clip back together, wrap the Tangle inside a wheat heat bag you’ve warmed in the microwave and leave it for a few minutes. The warmed-up ABS plastic is a little more pliable and less likely to snap.

If you’re trying to fit Zuru pieces to Tangle Creations pieces and they won’t quite fit, this might also help. Warm up both pieces in a heat bag for a few minutes and then try. Same goes for knock-off pieces that almost but don’t quite fit.

Please note that if you connect pieces with the aid of a heat bag because you cannot connect them without the bag, do not pull them apart again without heating the plastic first. Pulling hard on a peg and socket connected this tightly runs a real risk of the peg snapping.

If you don’t have a heat bag, put the Tangle inside a bowl or mug filled with kettle-boiled water and leave to sit for a few minutes. Use tongs or the end of a spoon to fish out the Tangle, and then leave it to sit for a minute or so until it’s cooled enough that you can handle it without burning yourself.

When pulling apart or putting a Tangle back together, try to use steady pulling/pressing motions without twisting or turning, as any sideways moment puts more stress on the pegs.

Please note that knock-off/fake Tangles are usually made from a poorer grade of ABS and are more prone to snapping when being pulled apart or put back together. This is a risk you must be prepared to take when doing so, as you can do everything right and still break your Tangle. I’ve had a fair few pegs break unexpectedly for this reason.

Cleaning / Oil Coating

Because a Tangle is made from ABS plastic, there’s a variety of ways you can clean it:

Wipe over with a baby wipe

Wipe over with a damp cloth

Wash with water and liquid hand soap

Wash with water and dishwashing liquid

Wash with a cloth dunked in water and soap or dishwashing liquid

Rinse under running water

Wipe over with a wet cloth and cream cleanser (for really sticky and dirty Tangles)

A Tangle Jr Fuzzy can be gently rinsed with water or soapy water and left to dry without too much fear of the flocking lifting, if it doesn’t rub or scrape against anything. (I boiled a Fuzzy once and it only lifted the flocking a little, but it didn’t clean it as much as I hoped.) Dust can be removed with a clean, dry, new toothbrush. Unfortunately, once the yellow sections go greyish, this is difficult to reverse. For this reason, I’d store the Fuzzies inside a pouch or container where they cannot be exposed to dust between uses, as this slows (significantly) the discoloration.

(It occurs to me that soaking the dirty Fuzzies in a bowl of laundry enzyme soaker might help, as I’ve used this to clean flocked toys. It doesn’t remove all stains, but it often does improve the toy’s colour.)

Skin cells, oils, dust and fluff will accumulate between the pieces, specially for Tangles used frequently or Tangles that have been lubricated. This forms a slightly tacky greyish dust bunny forming a circle around the peg or caught inside the socket. This can be removed by dipping the end of a cotton bud/q-tip in water, squeezing out the excess and wiping the bud inside the socket and around the peg.

If you want to remove the logo or any other painted design, tea tree oil on a cloth, tissue or cotton bud will do this easily, but don’t get the oil on your skin.  Likewise, if there’s anything sticky or gunky on a hard plastic Tangle (or stim toy) that dishwashing soap or clean cleanser won’t remove, or rub marks that won’t come off, or some ink marks, tea tree oil is your best bet for removing these. Rinse the Tangle immediately afterwards.

If using a water-soluble lubricant on your Tangle, any cleaning process may remove it, so be prepared to replace the lubricant if it stiffens up after cleaning.

Zuru Tangles have been arriving with a lubricant or sealant applied, leaving oily, greasy marks on the skin after use as the grease is applied to the whole Tangle. Many stimmers will need to remove this, and if you want to completely strip the Tangle, you’ll need to wash it in dishwashing liquid and water as baby wipes or liquid hand soap do not completely remove it. How well it is removed depends on your washing liquid and the amount you use.

Some Tangles may stiffen up after cleaning and need a replacement lubrication.

Loosening Tangles / Lubrication

If a Tangle is too stiff to easily or comfortably manipulate it, you can lubricate it, and this will be a necessity for many knock-offs.

I’ve used RP7, petroleum jelly and graphite powder; other stimmers have had success with coconut oil and bike chain lubricant. Lubricants designed for use on plastics, like a silicone-based lubricant, will be your safest bet, but I’ve had Tangles lubricated with RP7 for months now and there’s been no damage or deterioration to the Tangle. If you’ve got a lubricant for metal at hand and want to try it, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t (although I wouldn’t use it on Metallic Tangles, the Artist’s Collection Tangles and any Tangle coated in silicone, just to be safe).

None of my lubricated Tangles have needed a second application once lubricated.

I don’t recommend graphite powder because it stains: it works well, but it’ll only be unnoticeable on black Tangles. It also takes considerable effort to work the powder into the peg and socket. Oils and sprays are easier to spray or drip into the joins between pieces. You do this, twist the links to disperse the lubricant, and then move onto the next section, wiping the Tangle over with a damp cloth when done. Spray cans with the fine straw nozzle are easiest to use, but I’ve done this with a regular spray-head, too. If using an oil or spray lubricant, I also recommend using something that is light-coloured or clear to avoid staining on light-coloured Tangles.

My RP7-lubricated Tangles do pick up more black, greasy dust between pegs despite the RP7 being clear.

Additionally, oil and spray lubricants smell. Apply these outside, wearing a mask if necessary, wipe the Tangle clean when done, and leave the Tangle outside for a couple of days to air. I will say that the smell of the RP7 fades to nothing after a couple of weeks.

The most effective and accessible lubricant is clear petroleum jelly, available inexpensively from supermarkets and chemists. Simply open up one piece, dip the connector peg into the jelly until there’s a slight smear of jelly coating the peg, clip it back into place, and repeat for all the pegs. The jelly is scentless, meaning the Tangle is usable immediately, but the danger here is that, unlike the lubricant sprays, it’s very easy to over lubricate, creating a Tangle that won’t stay together. Unless the Tangle is very stiff, you want a smear of jelly verging on the microscopic. Keep in mind that it’s easier to add more jelly than it is to remove too much; you cannot be too safe here.

The downside to petroleum jelly is that you must pull the Tangle apart to apply it, but it has no scent, is perfectly clear, and better resists the greasy dust marks caused by the RP7. I’d use this alone for translucent Tangles, as there’s less risk of discolouration being seen through the Tangle.

You’ll need to dip a cotton bud into rubbing alcohol to completely remove petroleum jelly from the peg and socket if you over apply it. (Be cautious when doing this on Tangles with painted designs or flocking, though!) If you use acetone-containing nail polish remover, rinse the Tangle pieces immediately after application. Don’t use pure/100% acetone, as it can melt and eat away at plastics!

For further reading, please check out the lubricants tag.

Stiffening Tangles / Boiling

Fakes that are too loose to hold a coil, as is common for Tangle knock-offs, are not able to be fixed as far as I know. Most of them arrive like this, even before lubrication, being an unusual mix of too stiff to rotate while also flopping out of a coil. Lubrication tends to worsen this floppiness. Personally, I don’t consider this a huge problem, as it doesn’t stop me from using the Tangle, and I’d much prefer a too-loose Tangle over a too-stiff one, but if you prefer or need stiffer Tangles, I’d avoid knock-off Tangles altogether.

I’ve heard it said that boiling a Tangle worn to looseness will tighten it, but I’ve tried this on a much-used Tangle Creations Tangle and only noticed a marginal difference, to the point that I haven’t bothered trying it again. (The slight increase in stiffness soon wore off after using the Tangle.) This may also run the risk of causing the Tangle to squeak when worked successfully, but I haven’t been able to boil a Tangle tight enough to notice this effect.

If boiling in a pot, make sure the Tangle doesn’t brush against the sides, especially for knock-offs since there’s no way of knowing what the plastic contains. (I wouldn’t use a pot used for food for this job, especially with knock-off Tangles. Who knows what chemicals might leech into the water.) You don’t want to run the risk of anything melting or—more likely—warping. Leave the Tangle whole and clipped together while boiling it, as this way the plastic will loosen and tighten proportionally to the pegs. If you boil it broken up and the boiling causes shrinkage or warping of the socket, the peg may no longer fit inside it once cool.

Tangle Storage

Tossing a Tangle into a bag or pocket won’t be a problem for most not-totally-worn Tangle Creations Tangles, if you’re willing to risk the logo being worn away more quickly than usual. I’d only recommend it for a solid, sturdy Zuru or knock-off Tangle Jr, however. If your Tangle is prone to popping apart, I’d keep it inside its own zip pouch or box, just to keep it from being rubbed against wallet and keys or banged around inside your bag. I’ve noticed that this tossing of the Tangle into my bag hastens the wear of a Tangle already prone to falling apart.

Fuzzies and any of the silicone-covered Tangles (Therapy, Relax Therapy, Tangle Hairy, etc) will collect dust, fluff and lint. Always store them in their own plastic container or zip pouch.

To keep my Fuzzies free of dust, which turns them grey, I house them in this plastic compartment box which allows me to place one Tangle Jr in each compartment. These are usually available in department, craft, camping, fishing stores, and even many dollar shops, although it may be difficult to find a box this large with this many compartments, and some boxes may be designed such that two Tangles have to share a compartment.

Tangles with a metallic coating or printed designs (Artist’s Collection and knock-offs) should be stored so they cannot rub against other Tangles or toys. If they’re being moved around in a portable stim kit or backpack, where they might bang or rub against other toys or personal items, I’d wrap them inside a handkerchief or piece of soft cloth for protection, tucking the loose ends of the cloth inside the coil. Or place them alone inside a cloth drawstring bag or pouch!

Tangles can be attached to a keychain by opening the Tangle and clipping it closed around the split ring or cord, but only do this with a sturdy Tangle that isn’t prone to popping apart. I’ve lost a few Tangles by having these pop open when I was too busy or distracted to notice them fall away from my bag or lanyard. Because knock-offs and Zurus tend to do this easily, I’d only use a Tangle Creations Tangle this way, and even then only a stiffer, newish one.

Sheared Tangle Pieces

If a connector peg breaks, don’t throw out both pieces. You can throw out the piece from which the peg broke off, unless you want to try building up a peg from something like a two-part epoxy putty. (I think for most of us it’s easier just to get a new piece or even a whole new Tangle than to get the putty and shape it into something as tiny and precise as a Tangle piece connector peg, though.)

Save the piece that has the peg broken off in it, because if you own (or have access to a friend or family member with one) a fine drill bit, you can place the piece in a clamp and drill into the broken peg. Done so carefully, the broken peg will pop right out of the slot, meaning you’ve only lost one piece, not two of them. There’s a chance of breaking the piece if you drill too hard, fast or far, but you might be able to save it instead of just throwing it away.

Please note that the clamp may leave scratch marks on the piece. Mine did!

Sealants /Metallic Finishes

The Tangles with metallic finishes (Metallics, Textured Metallics, Sparkles) will scratch and chip, and there is no cheap, quick, simple, easy way to stop this. Thoughtful storage and careful use is the best, most affordable way to minimise this.

The least harmful “easy” way is to coat the Tangle with PVA glue. This won’t damage the Tangle, but it will peel off very easily, to the extent that I believe it a waste of your time and effort to apply the glue. Do not use clear nail polish, as this will wear and chip as well, but it may also turn yellow and I cannot confirm that it won’t peel away the metallic coating underneath. It’s just not designed for sealing large plastic surfaces like a Tangle.

Mod Podge will be the most affordable non-toxic brush-on sealant, but based on my reading, it is likely to crack if there’s any kind of movement, impact or flexing, so I don’t think it’s durable enough for Tangle usage.

I would recommend (not having tried it myself, however) a sealant designed for use on plastics or commonly used for plastics like Mister Super Clear, Warhammer’s Munitorum Varnish, Testor’s Dullcote or Krylon. However, these are expensive to buy, and the spray versions must be used with appropriate respiratory protection, adding to the expense. For this reason, I don’t recommend sealants as a solution, as getting the equipment may far exceed the cost of the Tangle.

If you seal anyway, pull apart the Tangle and seal each piece separately, so the sealant doesn’t crack when you rotate the Tangle. I’d wedge each peg into a block of foam or hold it in a clamp via the peg and then spray or apply a brush-on sealant with a makeup sponge (to avoid the streaking left by a brush). Let pieces dry completely between coats. Depending on your skill, the Tangle may look obviously coated afterwards, and I do not know how these sealants might dull or change the metallic finish.

If you wish to customise a Tangle with painted designs, purchase paints designed for use on plastics, not regular acrylics. I’d look at the Warhammer range as a starting point, because you can get small pots in a large variety of colours. Seal the Tangle afterwards (spray sealants will work best for this) to ensure the paint doesn’t rub off under use.

To lessen the chance of chipping and peeling, spray the Tangle with a coat of sealant before painting on it: this will give the Tangle “tooth” on which the paint can better grip.

[stimtoybox]

hey! mods get a lot of asks so feel free to ignore, but lately ive been really stressed out and my need to sensory input skyrocketed. i really like soft things, and rn for that i have a minky blanket and a cat that i love to pet, but ive been looking for public acceptable soft textured stims. do you have any suggestions?

There’s a lot of asks, yes, but I don’t want to ignore anything, so if folks don’t mind waiting a bit or a lot, I promise we’ll get to it eventually. I mean, people are asking under the belief that we can help (or try to help) so to ignore that, I think, would be a disservice to the people who support us. Not to mention the fact that I’d be surprised if there isn’t at least one other person who is helped out by someone who asks and gets an answer, no matter how odd or unnecessary the ask might seem. Informative posts help people know something exists; asks often ask me to put together toys by category or need, or provide care/safety information, all things posts about a cute squishy or a sale Tangle don’t accomplish. So to me, anyway, they’re pretty important!

I’ve actually got quite a lot of soft textured sims, some small enough to hide in a coat pocket or handbag/satchel, some that won’t draw too much attention and some that don’t even look like stim toys:

Image description under read more cut at end of post!

Subtle/Easily Hidden Toys:

- Keychains (Fluffy, Pompom, Plush, Tassel): These are the biggest in “stimmy objects attached to a bag or satchel that nobody will consider an obvious stim” toys. If you choose more muted colours, especially if you’re female, feminine or seen as female by society, nobody will think anything of these: I’ve seen plenty of professional-appearing women with a dark pompom keychain attached to their handbags. If you’re a little quirky, punk, goth, counter-culture or unconventional, you can get away with any colour and style you like without anyone realising what they’re actually for.

Try the accessories sections of department stores (K-Mart, Target) and accessories stores (Claire’s, Lovisa) as well as markets (Queen Victoria Market) for the more unusual and funky items. There’s all sorts of things on eBay (none of them expensive) under the search plush keychain.

- Purses and Pouches: again, it helps to be a little unconventional here, since most of the really stimmy ones tend to be brightly coloured. I’ve got two very soft plush coin-style purses shaped like a frog head and a watermelon slice; I’ve also got a chenille coin purse with all the lovely fronds for running hands through.

I’ve seen the plush pouches/purses in K-Mart and Daiso, so again think the accessory sections of department stores. Or you can try eBay under the search plush coin purse, as there’s loads of awesome purses for $2 USD or less. The chenille ones are harder to find, but I’ve seen the Yoobi-branded ones here in Officeworks and they’ve been found in the US, I believe, at Target.

- Makeup Blending Sponges: soft but with a little cellulose-like texture. Available in most department stores. You might not want to be seen holding this, but they easily fit into a coat pocket or bag.

(I also glued two makeup sponges together around a slide clip to make a crackling squishy, as in this tutorial you sent in to us, and sewed the sponges into a small flannelette bag, making a tiny, fabric-textured cracking squishy - the purple star-print rectangle in the photo above.)

- Disney Mini Tsum Tsum Plush: soft, has a variety of gentle textures, readily squishable, available at Target and Disney Stores. Also easily hidden in a coat pocket or bag, and I should know, because I have one in my satchel that’s easily stimmed with just by sliding a hand inside said satchel.

(There’s a lot of similar mini plushies as well - you might prefer Puchimaru, Teeny Tys or any of the handmade plush toys made by many of the autistic crafters on this list.)

- Crocheted Stress Ball: the crocheted thread is soft and non-scratchy, and the ball easily slips into a pocket. This is a noisy toy, though, as the ball contains crinkle paper, so for this reason it’s not terribly stealth. The best place I know for purchasing these for non-Australians is Stimtastic.

- Mini Bean Bags: can be made from flannelette, fleece, minky fleece, faux fur. Anything soft and strokeable. If you’re DIYing this or ordering it (several of the sellers on our autistic crafters list make these sorts of bean bags) just have it made small enough to fit in a pocket.

(Note: you can also buy small pieces of these fabrics from a craft store like Lincraft or Spotlight, cut them up into portable swatches and keep a piece in your pocket or bag. You can hem or blanket stitch the edges for neatness, but it isn’t required, and it gives you something soft to stroke, like a minky blanket, wherever you are.)

Less Subtle/More Obvious Toys:

- Tangle Jr Fuzzy: this one really isn’t subtle, but for soft texture seekers, they’re absolutely divine. You will look like you’re stimming (although for some reason, nobody has commented when I use a Tangle on the bus, as opposed to other toys) but they’re too perfect for the soft aspect of this ask for me to ignore them. They’re still easily carried in a pocket or bag, though!

- Marble Maze and Marble Loops: made from flannelette, they’re absolutely wonderful just for stroking, and I make this even better by using a layer of minky fleece for the back. Again, you will look like you’re stimming, but even out and about there’s usually places where you can pull out a toy for private stimming/calming, and the maze can easily be folded up to fit in a pocket. The loop, being much smaller, is far more subtle and even easier to keep on your person.

I hope this gives you some ideas, @abandonedshops, and if anyone has any ideas that I’ve forgotten to include, please comment away!

- Mod K.A.

[image description: a photo of several soft, fabric stim toys sitting on a round red and green watermelon slice pillow and a tree-on-night-sky silhouette quilt cover in black, blue and white. The pillow is sitting on the quilt cover, covered by toys, with a single line of toys sitting underneath the pillow.

Toys from left to right, top to bottom:

- a dark blue, turquoise and yellow wool pompom keychain;

- a white and peach plush ball keychain;

- a red plush heart-shaped keychain;

- a square pink Yoobi chenille coin purse;

- a cream, lemon and aqua Disney Tsum Tsum mini plush Elsa;

- a round-with-bulging-eyes frog face plush coin purse;

- a red, yellow, green, purple, blue and purple striped crocheted stress ball;

- a black, white and grey leopard-print faux-fur bean bag;

- a green, blue, purple and pink round plush ball keychain;

- a red, white, green and black watermelon slice plush coin purse;

- an orange, yellow, light pink, dark pink and purple embroidery thread tiered tassel keychain;

- a pink, orange and yellow tassel leather keychain;

- a fluro yellow, pink, green, purple and blue cord tassel keychain;

- an aqua owl-print marble maze with pink fleece backing;

- a mini purple and full-size orange teardrop-shaped makeup blending sponge;

- a solid red flocked Tangle Jr Fuzzy;

- a red, yellow, green, purple, dark blue and light blue flocked Tangle Jr Fuzzy;

- a rectangular-shaped white-star-on-purple flannelette-covered DIY cracking squishy;

- a white-spot-on-red flannelette marble maze;

- a lemon and light blue stripped bunny plush keychain.]