#A: honestly? less than a month. i'm so close to being done and then i can take a break from it to finish off syzygy

[sometimes-love-is-enough]

and now back to your ir/regularly scheduled sanders sides programming.

[noxtivagus]

damn it's been a while since i've been on tumblr

[fuckyeahdindjarin]

Ravel

A Seams Christmas special oneshot | Moodboard

{ Part IV: Notch | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist }

Rating: T

Summary: Joel swings by yours with a little something before Christmas dinner at Tommy and Maria's.

Warnings: Unapologetic fluff and softness, inspired by this ask from @casssiopeia from the beginning of the year, no use of Y/N, very lightly edited

Word count: 2k

Notes: I'm so proud of writing up this little drabble. I've been in such a weird place with my writing, I'm just happy to end the year on a creative high. Obviously, I'm a few days late to Christmas, but better late than never!

There is a voice in my head telling me that this isn't good enough, that it doesn't hold up to what I was writing earlier this year. But I need to rewire my brain. There is no such thing as 'good' or 'bad' when it comes to fanfiction. All fanfiction is good fanfiction. This is our hobby, not our jobs, and we need to be kind to ourselves.

I am posting this at 11:59pm on New Year's Eve. Happy new year y'all, I hope Joel and Pin can bring you some festive cheer ❤️

Joel is this close to have a fucking breakdown.

He would measure out how close this is between his thumb and index finger if they were not currently tangled in webs of yarn, rapidly unravelling from from the bottom of what is supposed to be a sweater.

Your sweater.

The book that Lucy lent him months ago lies on the table before him, the pages yellowed and dogeared, open at the the easiest pattern of the lot to knit - a simple pullover in chunky yarn, in your favourite colour.

Well, it was supposed to be easy, anyway.

Despite Lucy basically holding his hand throughout the whole project, he’s had far less time than anticipated to work on it. Too many nights he finds himself at Tommy and Maria’s, elbow deep in dirty baby’s clothes and diapers, making himself useful for whatever needs to be done around the house. 

Even Ellie chips in without being asked, often bringing back food from the canteen and making sure the severely sleep-deprived adults are eating, if not well fed. Joel honestly doesn’t remember how he did it with Sarah as a clueless twenty-something, with an even more clueless younger brother.

As he attempts to free himself from the quagmire of wool, he grimaces at the stiffness all over his body, feeling it especially in his back after sleeping in an armchair all night with a rapidly growing two-month old.

He’s too old for this shit - but there’s no saying no to the little rascal with Tommy’s nose and Maria’s eyes.

The knitting needles clatter to the floor when he jumps at the front door opening and slamming shut, a frustrated fuuuuuuck slipping past his gritted teeth. 

Ellie’s voice rings out loud and clear as she scampers up the stairs, getting progressively louder until she’s outside his study. ‘Hey! Did you remember to put the potatoes in the oven? We have to leave for Tommy’s in an hour - dude, what the fuck is happening?’

‘What do you think is happenin’?’ he growls.

Crossing her arms, Ellie leans against the doorframe wearing a far too amused expression. ‘Maria said no gifts.’

Joel rolls his eyes. ‘It’s not for Maria.’

The teenager squints, perplexed, at the bits of wool in his hands. ‘What is that meant to be?’

‘... A sweater.’

Ellie bites her bottom lip, holding in a poorly concealed giggle. ‘I think a sweater is meant to have sleeves.’

‘You think?’

‘Want me to go get Lucy?’

With a heavy sigh, he mutters, ‘Fine.’

At the arch of her half-eyebrow, Joel adds begrudgingly, ‘Please.’

Ellie grins, sneakers skidding on the floorboards as she takes off. ‘Hang in there, old man!’

Despite the cold, his palms are sweaty, sticking to the kraft paper wrapped haphazardly around the even more haphazard package clutched tightly in his right hand. 

The night air mists before him in puffs of white as he shuffles a path through the falling snow. His ears are tingling from the cold, and flexing the stiff, frozen tips of his fingers, Joel knows he should’ve worn his gloves. They weren’t in their usual place by the door though, and he was so frazzled that he barely got his shoes tied up before dashing out the door, sending Ellie ahead with the potatoes (that are definitely undercooked) to his brother’s.

Your cottage glows yellow and orange in the darkness, and your stairs no longer creak when he trudges up them, having fixed them just in time before the first snowfall.

He hears your footsteps come from deep within this house when he knocks. Your eyes are wide when your door cracks open tentatively, but then your lips curve into a smile - the smile that he takes with him and keeps him warm when he has to leave Jackson for days-long patrols.

‘What are you doing here?’ you ask, ushering him inside, not batting an eye at the snow he tracks inside. ‘I thought we were meeting at Maria’s.’

Pressing a kiss to your lips, he softens at the way you lift your face towards him to catch it, careful to keep the parcel out of sight behind his back. ‘Yeah, we were, but thought I’d see if you need a hand with anythin’.’

‘Such a gentleman,’ you tease. 

A low fire burns in the hearth, the wood he chopped for you in the fall stacked in a tidy pile next to the mantelpiece. Sweeping his eyes across the living space, he spots the book with the cracked spine that he reads when he’s here on the coffee table, next to yours. On the other side of the couch is the Christmas tree that he cut for you, and he watched you dress it up in tinsel and fairylights one night after a quiet dinner and before hot cocoa under thick blankets.

He likes seeing himself at your home. In the things he does for you; in his things, casually scattered around - like they belong in your space.

‘The pies are in the kitchen, could you please put them in a bag?’ you ask. ‘I’ll just grab my coat and we can go.’

‘Sure, sweetheart,’ he answers, waiting until you’ve disappeared into the bedroom before setting down the present under the tree.

He’s leaning against the back of the couch when you pop back in, a few layers deeper than when you left him, the pies nestled safely in a carrier bag by his boots. 

‘Shall we?’ you ask brightly.

Joel hesitates, wondering if he should wait until after dinner to tell you about the present. It only takes his eyes darting to the foot of the tree for the briefest moment for you to catch on. The slow smile that stretches your cheeks and lights up your eyes warms him from the inside out.

You cock your head to one side, playing coy. ‘What’s that, Joel?’

He shrugs, feigning cool. ‘Why don’t you go ahead and find out?’

His chest physically swells at the way you dash towards the tree, landing on your knees in uncharacteristic recklessness, the impact only softened by the rug underneath. You cradle the lumpy package to your chest like something precious. ‘You got me a present.’

He settles on the end of the couch next to you, his heart beating harder in his ribcage than he’d like to admit. ‘Don’t get your hopes up, sweetheart.’

You frown at him. ‘Why?’

‘You’ll see, but I wanted to give it to you anyway.’

You open the package carefully, as if it was wrapped in the fancy paper people used to buy at the shop. Joel holds his breath when you peel it away to reveal what’s inside.

He’s far too inside his own head to hear your inhale that sounds a lot like wonder. You pick up the sweater gently, shaking it out, and Joel winces when he sees it in the flicker of the firelight.

Disastrous doesn’t begin to cover it. Lucy managed to connect the sleeves to the shapeless body in a last-ditch salvage attempt, but one is clearly longer than the other. The stitches are untidy, some have obviously caught onto something and pulled loose. Rough around the edges is putting it kindly.

Joel wants to reach out, grab it, chuck it into the fire and let the flames swallow it whole.

Finally, the silence gets the better of him, and he blurts out. ‘I’m sorry.’

You stare at him, stunned. ‘What?’

Under his whiskers, his cheeks flush in embarrassment, and he rambles, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinkin’. You deserve better sweetheart, here, let me -’

You almost lose your balance keeping the sweater out of his reach. ‘Don’t you dare, Joel Miller.’

Confused, he watches you rise to your feet, shucking your outer coat and another layer. ‘What are you doin’?’

Grabbing the sweater, you slide it over your head and thread your arms through the sleeves. The soft knit drapes over your curves, too big over your shoulders and the hem falling unevenly, higher on the right side than the left. One sleeve is long enough to cover half your hand, while the other sits right on the wrist.

And yet. 

You’re beaming like you just picked up something at Bloomin’dales or whatever the fuck those department stores were called back then. 

‘I love it,’ you declare, no trace of irony in your voice, as hard as he’s trying to find it.

He scoffs in disbelief. ‘C’mon, sweetheart, you’re just sayin’ it -’

You surprise him, grabbing him by the scruff of his collar and dragging him towards you to plant a firm kiss on his lips. 

‘I love it,’ you repeat slowly, with conviction, as if willing him to believe you. ‘Thank you.’

He doesn’t quite still, but he smiles and kisses you back. ‘Merry Christmas, sweetheart.’

‘Since we’re doing this -’ you trail off, sliding out of his grip to reach around the back of the tree, pulling out a neatly wrapped gift. ‘This is for you.’

Joel pauses. 

For him.

For the longest time, nothing had been for him unless it was soul-crushing grief and pain.

And yet here it is - his name on the tag written in your neat handwriting. Something he can hold in his hands. For him.

His fingers tremble when he reaches out. The package is soft, and the paper crackles under his grip. He all but tears it open, uncaring of the way the wrapping falls to the floor.

A laugh bubbles out of his throat, and you look relieved at his reaction. ‘You like it?’

It’s not quite a Santa hat. It’s a chunky dark red beanie with a white brim folded back, and topped with a white pompom. 

‘My ears were so cold walkin’ over. It’s perfect,’ he says, pulling it over the crown of his head. Of course, it fits just right, sliding soft and warm over his ears. He adds with a wink, ‘Y’know what, I might just shimmy down some chimneys after dinner.’

‘As long as you shimmy down mine too,’ you retort, not hearing the euphemism.

Joel quirks an eyebrow at that, one large palm squeezing your backside through the layers. ‘That an open invitation, sweetheart?’

You duck your head, more out of habit than actual shyness, with mischief in your smile. ‘Don’t be so crude, Joel Miller.’

Adjusting his new hat so that it sits comfortably, he points at the pompom and jokes, ‘Shame I can’t wear this on patrols.’

Right on cue, you hold up a finger. ‘Funny you should say that.’

He chuckles when you pull out a second, plain black beanie, as if out of thin air. ‘You really thought of everythin’, sweetheart.’

You shrug playfully. ‘I’m smart like that.’

‘I know you are,’ he smiles.

‘Merry Christmas, Joel.’

His lips find yours again in a slow, lingering kiss that has you leaning into him for more when he pulls back. ‘Thank you. For everythin’.’

You hold his gaze - heavy with meaning, light with joy. It wouldn’t take more than a tilt of the head towards the bedroom to derail your evening plans, and you both know it.

In the end, you’re the one who stays strong. Taking one step back from his warmth, you reach for your coat. ‘We’re late, we should go.’

His eyes widen. ‘Wait - you’re not wearin’ that to dinner are you?’

‘Of course I am,’ you say, buttoning up your coat over the sweater.

‘You don’t have to, sweetheart,’ he almost pleads with you.

You grin, heading for the door, blowing out candles as you go. ‘Too bad, I’m never taking it off.’

Joel shakes his head with a wry huff. ‘Well, I hope not never -’

You have one foot out the door when you suddenly remember. ‘I almost forgot - you left your gloves here last time. They’re in the cupboard by the door.’

Ah, that’s where they went. He opens the drawer and pulls them on, one after the other, the leather, worn smooth with age, creaking as he wraps his fingers around the handles of the carrier bag.

Joel is about to follow you out the door when he pauses over the threshold. Glancing down at the black beanie in his grasp, he reaches up and hooks it on the coat rack, nestled among your clothes.

He hopes that when the time comes for him to wear it for the first time - maybe on a patrol that will take him away from you for a few days - it will smell like you.

Gorgeous dividers by @firefly-graphics ❄️

More notes: I hope I will return to the main series in the new year. I've missed these two lovebirds, I hope you enjoyed this little interlude! ❤️

[chris-hallelujah]

Oh My My My... | m.s.

Summary: This is the story of your relationship with your childhood best friend, Matt, progressing through your lives.

Warnings: none ! lots of fluff, slight angst

Word Count: 1.2k

My Master List 

Be added to my tag list

A/N: The lack of motivation to write is REAL y'all. All I want to do is play dti lmao. But I have been wanting to do this story for a while. I am sure that someone in the fandom has done this before, but I have not seen it. With that being said, all ideas are my own and I do not give consent for them to be reposted, rewritten, or shared on this platform or any other.

<3 - Billie

╚═*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═╝

seven and nine

It was the summer before second grade for you, fourth grade for the triplets. The four of you had been inseparable since you were toddlers as your parents were all close friends. There was something special between you and Matt that was different than how things were with Nick and Chris. You followed Matt everywhere. You looked at him like he had strung the stars, in your childhood mind, he did. At this point, Matt saw you as his shadow.

"Quit followin' me! I'm gonna beat ya up, kid," Matt teased sticking his tongue out. This elicited a squeal and a trail of giggles to leave your mouth as he chased you around the backyard. You knew he'd never actually hurt you, but you were happy to have him giving you some sort of attention.

"I have a feeling we're gonna have trouble keeping them two apart 'for too long," Your dad chuckled sipping his beer which caused Matt's dad to laugh and nod.

twelve and fourteen

Many of your summer days were spent with the triplets in between your neighboring backyards. The four of you played endless games of pretend or hide and seek. Finally, your dads thought it was about time you all had somewhere to play and they built you all a tree house in the tree between your houses.

The four of you sat in the treehouse playing truth or dare. As you both grew, you only became more inseparable. "Chris, truth or dare," you spoke above the pop music playing from the stereo in the corner.

"Dare," Chris said with a grin.

"I dare you to eat that grasshopper!" Nick yelled pointing at a bug on the wall. While this wasn't Chris' finest moments, he would never turn down a dare...

After you all had settled back down, Chris turned to Matt, "Matt, truth or dare."

"Dare, obviously," Matt scoffed, a slight lisp from his braces.

"I dare you to kiss y/n," Chris smirked causing Nick to bust out laughing. Matt looked at you, both of your faces the color of cherries.

"You'll have to catch me first!" you exclaimed quickly climbing out of the treehouse. Matt followed fast behind you as he chased you around the house. He caught up to you along the side of the house, now out of view of the boys in the treehouse. You were both out of breath from nerves and the chase. Matt's bright blue eyes met yours as your faces grew closer. Little did you know then, he would be your first and only kiss.

sixteen and eighteen

Matt had spent most of the summer busy working. You honestly had not seen him the whole two and a half months. Chris and Nick worked less so you still saw them often. The four of you reunited the group the night before school started with a bonfire in the boys' backyard. You made your way over wrapped in a blanket to protect you from the chilly night air. Matt stopped in his tracks. How could someone change so much in just a few months? Your hair was long and flowing, your acne had cleared, and you were no longer an awkwardly lanky preteen. It was as if he was seeing you in a whole new light.

"Hi Matt!" you smiled, thrilled to see him after all this time. He was still stunned as he pulled you into a hug. The night flew by as he continued to stare at you, barely contributing to the conversation, he took it all in.

As many predicted, the two of you got together the beginning of your sophomore, his senior, year of high school. It was a beautiful relationship built on friendship, trust, and love. If people thought you were inseparable before you started dating, they should see you now. Matt was the one who taught you to drive and was there when you took the ACT for the first time. You helped him sort through college acceptance letters and even visited some schools with him.

Then came the first fight, who knows what it had started from, all you knew was now you were yelling at each other in your childhood bedroom. "I can't stand you, Matt!" you yelled. With a huff he walked out slamming your bedroom door behind him. A puddle of tears, you collapsed onto your bed as you hugged your pillow wishing it was him.

Matt sat in his bedroom at the house next door. He paced around his room trying to send you texts and calls, all which were left unanswered. He made his way to your porch and texted you, "Im outside." Hoping beyond hope that you would come down and let him in. Before he knew it, his eyes were fluttering open and greeted with bright sunlight and your mom's empathetic face.

"You sweet boy, get in here," she said wrapping him in a throw blanket. He gave her a small smile and fell back asleep in the hallway outside your bedroom. He gave you your space, but was ready to be there when you were.

twenty one and twenty three

The two of you sat up in the treehouse, surprised it was still standing. You had just graduated college and couldn't be more excited to start your new job. The stereo in the corner played soft music as you and Matt danced around slowly, just happy to be in each other's presence. He spun you around and when you turned back to him, he was on one knee. A gasp left your lips as you bent down to meet him at his level. Nodding your head, he slipped the ring onto your finger and stood up to kiss you.

twenty two and twenty four

Church bells rang as your eyes met Matt's. You floated down the aisle to him and connected your hands. It was a small intimate wedding of your closest family and friends, but none of that mattered. All you saw was Matt in that moment. Everyone cheered as you said your 'I dos' and sealed it with a kiss. He carried you back down the aisle as you saw your moms dabbing their eyes.

The reception was the event of the year. So many old and new friends getting together. You all danced the night away until you and Matt disappeared to the honeymoon suite at a nice hotel downtown.

twenty five and twenty seven

You walked carefully as you carried a pink bundle in your arms, following Matt who had your toddler on his hip. It was the first time you were bringing your daughter home to the house you and Matt had bought from your parents. Chris and his wife (a/n its me) bought Matt's parents' old house. Nick and his husband lived in the house across the street. It was like some things had never changed. The two of you sat on the porch swing watching your son play in the yard while you held your daughter. "Can you believe this is where it all started?" you smiled up at your husband, who you'd love since you were a child.

eighty seven and eighty nine

That house was where the two of you had stayed. It earned some renovations but so much of your relationship was intertwined in its bones, you could never leave. Matt sat next to you on that same porch swing holding your hand as you both watched the stars. You looked at him as if he had strung them, because in your mind, he had.

[sk3tch404]

How do you feel about yan jojo characters using there stand to harm there darling ? Or use it to there advantage.I like to imagine some characters like jotaro, jolyne , Joseph using there stands to kidnap or threaten their darling

YES!! I LOVE THIS QUESTION!!!

I really hate it, but sort of love the idea because of the power imbalance it brings. Especially if darling isnt a stand user themselves.

I'm pretty sure darling would have a mental break because how the fuck is an invisible force dragging them up by the ankle?? Gravity?? Hello? Not to mention being HURT BY IT? Yeah ur all checked out.

Using the Joestar bloodline specifically for this was diabolical, thank you.

Jotaro would be one to use Star Platinum to intimidate his darling-- as if he himself wouldn't already be enough-- but he would never use Star to hurt them. Only if it were necessary. Afterward, he'd feel obligated to treat his darling be it tending to their wounds or gifts to make it up if they deserve it. He's a pretty closed off guy, so showing remorse face-to-face is a hard thing. Younger Jotaro would have a lot more difficulty with saying sorry. He'd say things he didn't really mean, "Then don't be a pain." Okay, he kind of meant it, but that's just his default response. Jotaro would make it up in some way or another to get rid of that cold shoulder of yours.

That's only if you're ballsy enough to even let him loom over you in dead silence for more than a few seconds.

Older Jotaro using his stand to hurt his darling is reserved for worst case scenarios only as well. He has more resources and has come a long way since his teenage years. He doesn't expect for his darling to magically get comfortable around him instantly or even in several months following the revelation of his yandere tendencies. He finds that using violence to get ones way doesn't really get what people want in the end, so its useless to him. It only applies if his his darling is actively running or trying to kill him.

Something he'd do in general with Star to intimidate his darling is scare tactics. Jotaro is pretty straightforward and tells it how it is, but he isn't above telling a few lies to get you on his side. He sees no point in hurting himself or you for some brownie points, so he does the obvious. Break shit around you. Though, not in some fit or tantrum. Rather, just to showcase the control he has in each situation. It seems to be way easier to crack a table in half, leaving concern for splinters around you two, (not that he cares much), and have you willingly be smart than grabbing you by the arm and dragging you away kicking and screaming. So damn annoying. It'd stress him out, and again, he hates screaming.

Jotaro would 100% use the help of Star to kidnap his darling. He utilizes Star well and gets the job DONE. Not to mention having the Speedwagon Foundation backing him up as well.

Old Joseph would use Hermit Purple occasionally. Assuming he had a falling out with Suzie, he wants to appear as best as he can for his darling. He'd be a gentleman. Well, as gentlemanly as an eccentric elder who's main focus is breaking and talking to screens can get. Joseph wouldn't use Hermit Purple to teach his darling a lesson or scare them at all. The only times he'd feel inclined to whip his stand out is to restrain his darling if they decide to attempt escaping, or to... do what old people do. Yeah.... But anyway, those are the only two most likely scenarios that come to mind if he were to ever use ol' H.P on his darling. Joseph would rather focus on wooing and winning over his darling rather than forcing them into submission all the time.

I do want to be like, "He would put pedal to the metal," or, "A little elbow grease does the trick," but honestly, that belongs to Young Joseph. Same guy basically, just more unhinged and less wise. Young Joseph would intentionally push his darling, but would suffer the unintentional consequences. He just wants some luv 💔 "Oh no! I made my darling cry because I kept dragging them away from the people they love and continuously pushed their boundaries! I tried to do everything right, how could this happen?" WHY ARE YOU DENSE SIR. GEEZ LA WHEEZ.

Jolyne would use Stone Free to mess with the stuff in her darling's life so they come running to her instead of scaring them into submission. She's a romantic at heart, but her darling doesn't make it easier by pushing her away. In the usual prison setting, she'd whisk away your stuff so you have to come asking if she has any commissary to spare. Other times, she's petty enough to mess with others in front of you if she feels threatened by them. Although, she'd either make sure to be low-key about it, or brush it off if you really have an issue with it, "So what? It's not like they're our friend right? This ain't a daycare or whatever. And besides, its not even a big deal. Don't worry about it." Gets sort of defensive, but always backs her "claims" up in some way. A bit foolish, but quick thinking.

She tries to tone it down usually due to there being potential hundreds of stand users that could get back at her for something stupid she did. If her darling ever caught on to her antics, (probably because the crazy shit always gotta happen around her), she'd deny it HARDCORE at first, but would feel bad eventually and confess because what's a relationship without communication and trust? She'd never want to lie and snowball that into something she can't control anymore. Jolyne might get emotional, but her drive outweighs the doubt in her. She'd make it up to you in any way she can, and with her friends, she can make prison life a whole lot easier or harder. Darling's choice.

[justheblueberry]

handbinding of A Study in Scarlette by kittebasu

There are people who want to live forever, and then there is Shinichi, who just wants to live a little longer than this.

this bind has been in my head since i first read the fic like, three years ago. i dreamed up so many ideas for it, for so long, and now it's finally done! the typeset was actually done in early 2022, back when i was still using google docs, but it went through a few iterations because i was just. so. fiddly. with every aspect of this book. it needed to be perfect (as close to perfect as i, an amateur bookbinder out of my depth, can get) and it had to be absolutely over the top, to reflect the insane amount of love and care that the author put into the fic itself.

the first time i read this fic, i barely knew what detective conan was, much less all of the intricate plot details; i was just along for the ride, but by the end i was completely invested. i went back and watched through the anime as well as a few movies (it took me six months) and then read the fic again. and then a few more times. kaishin and the world of dcmk has utterly gripped me. it's 100% this fic's fault and i love it so, so, much.

i went through a few iterations of visual designs and i'm really happy with the little details i managed to squeeze in.

the entire color scheme is based around red, because 1) it's a murder mystery, 2) for scarlette shinamoto (and the title of the fic as well as the original holmes novel it references), and 3) the irony of "lady red" actually being red. the secret fourth reason is that i think red/gold is a super sexy color combo.

i sewed the textblock with red thread to reference holmes' "scarlet thread of murder".

another detail i love is the five yen coin bookmark, it was one of my first ideas and it turned out even better than i thought.

i wanted the endpapers to evoke a sense of the white marbled floor of the ballroom, with the glow-in-the-dark kaitou kid caricature being the luminol on the floor, and the little pops of red looks like blood that's been mixed in. i lucked out in that the other side of the endpaper was like a lavender-purpley color, i like to think of it as a little wink wink nudge to the color of the actual Lady Red.

the chapter pages got a few reworkings, but i'm happy with the illustrations i ended up doing for each of them. the chapter titles are one of my favorite things about the fic, each one has so much meaning packed into it and flows so beautifully, and i wanted to put as much care into making them pop as possible.

the cover was a linocut carving i designed and carved, which i then printed onto the bookcloth, and ironed on htv on top.

i also threw in a couple of my drawings of my favorite scenes.

this is getting way too long, so i'll end it here. i'll have a separate post detailing the process every step of the way, if anyone wants to take a closer look. this fic is kind of directly responsible for getting me into fanbinding, so it's safe to say it altered the course of my life. i now spend way too much time (and money) looking at book stuff.

kittebasu, if, somehow, you see this and would like an author copy, i would be honored to make one and ship it to you; i would be overjoyed to gift you with any art i have the ability to make, because the fics you wrote have irreversibly altered my brain chemistry, and being able to give back in any capacity would be a dream. (thank you.)

a few postscripts:

i am not selling any copies of this fic. partially because i believe in the gift economy of fandom as well as firmly keeping fanbinding a hobby that will stay unmonetized, but also because it took me months (years, if we are counting when i first finished the typeset) to finish this and i do not have the strength.

however, if you are also a fan of this fic and would like a copy, i honestly, fervently, encourage you to give fanbinding a try! renegade publishing and its discord server are an absolutely wonderful and free resource. i knew nothing about bookbinding and had zero materials when i first started, but i've learned so much thanks to the lovely people there. if you're still apprehensive about getting started, i'd be willing to share my typeset of this fic as well as answer any questions about the making of this book if you DM me.

[bairdthereader]

Charlie Spring, An Appreciation: Part 1, Courage

Nick Nelson gets a lot of love, and justifiably so; I'll be the first to admit that he's amazing (see my many Nick-related posts as evidence). But I hear all too often that Charlie is leveling up by being with Nick, or that Nick is too good for Charlie. I beg to differ—vehemently—and here's why, part 1 (of 3, maybe?).

I often find myself in awe of Charlie during some of the quietest and least dramatic parts of the Heartstopper show and comics, because his bravery, resilience, and tenacity are displayed in ways that seem inconsequential, but are actually incredibly meaningful and telling. This boy has a thread of steel running through him, whether it's obvious at first glance or not.

We see this almost from the very beginning, when Charlie is assigned to a new form and told that he'll be sitting next to Nick, "one of the rugby boys," and, "I'm sure you'll get along swimmingly." Here is not only Charlie's worst personal nightmare, but also a teacher who is blithely unaware of the terrible position he's just put Charlie in--being placed in close, daily proximity to the type of person Charlie associates with the darkest time of his life. But we don't see fear on his face, or even that much dread—this tells us so much about him in just a nanosecond. There's resignation and bitterness, yes, but Charlie knows he can withstand this, because he's been there before and survived. This is borne out in later conversations with Nick where Charlie assures him that "I'm used to it." This is a horrifying injustice, one Nick rightly calls out, and it shows Charlie's resilience in the face of a degree of cruelty that many people never experience.

This little moment outside of the changing room is another revealing scene. Charlie knows exactly what he's walking into, exactly the kinds of comments and sly bullying he's going to experience in that room. He knows he will have to have his guard up every second, that he will have to prove himself to this group, even though he shouldn't have to. He also knows he'll be fighting his own self-doubt, and so this experience will be a battle on two fronts. (Three fronts, if you include trying to hide his feelings for Nick.) But he does it anyway. Sure, you could argue he's doing it solely to be near Nick, but I think this is also his way of making sure that those boys don't dictate his actions or his life. This is Charlie taking a stand. And this is just one example—he does this over and over and over again, in many different settings and situations.

Case in point, calling it off with Ben. Charlie has been the victim of what is essentially brainwashing and abuse from Ben for months. Ben has told Charlie verbally and shown him physically that Charlie means less than nothing to Ben, and that Charlie can never expect anyone to ever want him or care for him. And Charlie often, tragically, believes him. That Charlie is able to break free of this vicious cycle and take the steps to distance himself from Ben shows his immense inner strength. You can see on Charlie's face (thanks to Joe Locke's inimitable talent) that he can't even believe he's done it. And we have to keep in mind that this happens long before Nick is a real possibility, so we can't say Charlie does this for Nick. He does it for himself.

I do have to include one of the more iconic scenes, because this ⬇️is Charlie's clarion call, his hope, his banner, for the rest of this story. He knows he has a lot of problems to work through, that he's complicated and sometimes hard to interpret, so it's easy to see this scene and think Charlie's words come from a place of insecurity (and of course that is some of what's happening here). But he's strong enough to both acknowledge it and ask honestly that Nick not let those parts of Charlie become the focus of their relationship. He requests, even during this moment of almost brutal honesty and vulnerability, that Nick see him completely, as the whole person he can be, because Charlie knows that person is there inside himself. The self awareness and bravery this takes is enormous.

There are a million other moments like this that I could write about, both big and small:

But I'll end this already lengthy post with this: When one considers the amount of sheer courage Charlie has to exert just to live his daily life, it almost defies understanding. Charlie Spring is a gladiator of the mind and heart, completely worthy of any good thing.

[cartierre]

CAMERA SHY | ln4

SOCIAL MEDIA!AU lando norris x fem!albon!reader

part two: photogenic

♡ liked by landonorris, pierregasly, daniel3.jpg and 293,004 others

lando.jpg had a personal photographer for this one

view all 872 comments

user1 uhm... are we not going to talk about the third slide? ⤷ user2 i was just thinking the same ⤷ user3 he can have female friends without it meaning anything

alex_albon ... ⤷ user4 ALEX?? ⤷ user5 why is his comment worrying me. what does it mean??

♡ liked by landonorris, lilymhe, y/n_albon and 254,309 others

tagged: lilymhe, y/n_albon

alex_albon more or less quality family time (i'm thirdwheeling)

view all 739 comments

y/n_albon i should become a photographer ⤷ lilymhe y/n.jpg when

user6 alex saying he's thirdwheeling with lily and y/n has me wheezing

user7 why does y/n lowkey look like the girl in lando's post ⤷ user8 hold on- ⤷ user9 just because they both have black hair? we couldn't even see the girl's face. ⤷ user10 the delusion is delusioning

♡ liked by pierregasly, daniel3.jpg, carlossainz55 and 376,002 others

lando.jpg monaco tourist guide for the weekend

view all 1,109 comments

user11 okay so him posting on this account more often than usual means he obviously wants us to speculate, right? ⤷ user12 thoughts are being thunk

user13 okay so he's showing someone around in monaco which means she's not from monaco or lives in monaco. you know who fits that description? y/n fucking albon. she lives in london. case closed ⤷ user14 maybe you should put more thoughts into studying and not sticking up your nose like that in other people's businesses ⤷ user15 my girl y/n doesn't even follow lando, nor does he follow her

♡ liked by lilymhe, alex_albon and 12,391 others

y/n_albon monaco, une belle âme (monaco, a beautiful soul)

view all 55 comments

lilymhe rue, when was this? ⤷ y/n_albon had my own photographer ⤷ lilymhe oh, so you're cheating on me?

user16 i just know they're taunting us at this point

user17 how come i never realised how pretty alex's sister is??

alex_albon your frenglish is annoying me ⤷ y/n_albon just because i speak more french than you do even though you literally live in a french-speaking country. envy doesn't suit you brother

♡ liked by landonorris, oscarpiastri, charles_leclerc and 398,102 others

lando.jpg cameras cameras cameras

view all 3,204 comments

user18 i'm sick. i'm tired. i'm done

user19 at this point, they're taunting us ⤷ user20 it's no fun anymore i just want a reveal

user21 i just know for a fact they love torturing us

♡ liked by lilymhe, alex_albon and 15,203 others

y/n_albon guess i'm someone's new muse

view all 89 comments

lilymhe whoever wants to claim you need to fight me first ⤷ y/n_albon he has no chance against you, dw baby

alex_albon idk how i, as your big brother, should react to all this ⤷ y/n_albon then don't

user22 props to lando because my boy captures y/n in such a beautiful way ⤷ user23 she's naturally very pretty

user24 are we even sure this is lando's work because they still don't follow each other like... ⤷ user25 i'm honestly not buying the rumour

♡ liked by charles_leclerc, mickschumacher, estebanocon and 398,406 others

lando.jpg club, dance, groove

view all 4,395 comments

user26 omg he's back! ⤷ user27 literally our boy hasn't posted in months ⤷ user28 probably because everyone kept conspiricing because of that girl who might've been y/n albon ⤷ user29 omg it's been so long i forgot about that whole rumour

user30 i'm not detecting any girl so i think lando's either single again or never dated someone the past months anyway

―

landonorris started following y/n_albon y/n_albon started following landonorris and lando.jpg

[exhausted-archivist]

Honestly, watching how this fandom (and just fandoms in general) treats creators, both dev and fan artists/creators, is really demotivating when it comes to creating much less creating something original. I'm just going to be musing below the cut so feel free to ignore this.

While there is always a place for criticism, critique, and discussion. The fact that harassment is expected with the territory of creativity, that death threats can be triggered over something as minor as a poorly worded interview, which is my understanding as prior to this morning where I returned to finding devs having closed their accounts.

The main conflict being over the interview contents about Davrin, which there was elaboration that they thought of other companions for the act 3 choice but ruled that the emotional stake for their audience (us. the players) was that Lucanis was too dependent on an act 1 choice that it was better to have Davrin. That yes, the audience would find it harder to choose between Harding and Assan. I have my own critiques and opinions on this. I also agree that it shouldn't have been presented that way in the interview. Couple the fact that they reworked the entirety of act 3 in March, and thus were refitting things based on choices they could not expand, build on, ect. The writing room has problem, yes. The interview could have had better wording, yes. But to harass and send death threats is just unfathomable.

I've never been so involved in a fandom before, much less one this size, so I'm not used to seeing the inherent negativity that comes with everything. Even in spaces like the wiki. There is this immediate response of bad faith accusations of the devs, that they're lazy and/or uncaring.

I went to school for games and animation. I've done work in the game industry and dabbled in other aspects of the industry. I have always wanted to create a world and share stories. It is largely a part of what drew me to Dragon Age and the community. It is why I love breaking down the world building, exploring and critiquing what I feel is and isn't strong aspects of its story telling.

But this community has also killed a lot of motivation for me to share any story. It has hampered a lot of desire to share my long fic or even my ocs. Especially as I've gotten harassment and have received threats in my ask box over just sharing the model heights of da characters because I ruined their headcanons and such.

It is honestly a weird place to be at this moment. It is little over a month after launch, devs are already being fired again. The community seems to be more hostile and negative than I was prepared for (and people tried to prepare me, and I've seen the stuff from soon after dai's release).

On a personal level I'm finding it increasingly hard to want to engage here or anywhere for that matter much less create. And it sucks because I want to create, I want to share stories with other fans, and I want to interact with the devs to ask questions and hear what they have to say about their work. To get inspired. But, yeah. Long-winded way of just saying I'm tired and at a loss.

[dfortrafalgar]

I'm Losing You

Having a family isn't always as easy as fairy tales make it seem.

Warnings: READ CHAPTER 1 FOR WARNINGS. This is the last chapter before shit starts getting real

Taglist: @phsycochan | @mirillua

Chapter 5

[Prev] [Next]

Law’s work schedule kept him on his toes which he usually didn’t mind, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t just the slightest bit disappointed at having to miss the big announcement to Penguin and Shachi.  You reassured your husband, however, and promised to send him the perfect video of the scene so he could view it on his down time at the hospital.

You moved two large, opaque containers on the kitchen counter in such a way that your phone could stand up against them, having them parted just enough so your camera could view the room from in between the jars.  You faced the camera towards the kitchen table, where you had set up the chairs similar to an intense job interview.  You had texted the two men in the morning to drop by your apartment at exactly noon without explaining why, and you started recording at 11:59.

The two men knocked at 12:01.  Bepo barked once, a deep, bellowing boof that was less of a threatening display and more of an invitation to come in as long as he could immediately get scratched between the ears.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm your nerves, you briskly paced to the door and pulled it open, smiling at your two friends.  Bepo forced himself between your legs, excited to greet his dog uncles.

“Hey, happy Sunday!” announced Penguin, pulling you in for a hug as if he hadn’t seen you in months.  You laughed, hugging him back.

“Come in, sit at the table,” you ushered, quickly closing the door behind them.  Bepo followed the two men directly on their heels until they sat at the kitchen table.

You sat directly across from them and folded your hands, resting them on the table.  You stared at Shachi, then at Penguin, then at Bepo’s beady eyes trying to peer over the top of the table.

The silence was palpable, but you were barely containing your smile.  

You had just opened your mouth to make the announcement when Shachi’s brown eyes went wide and he uttered, “You’re pregnant.”

Penguin stood up in a startled bolt.  “WHAT?!”

“Shachi!  I wanted to say it!” you chastised, but you really couldn’t care less.  The excitement of even being able to tell your friends that, after countless months of trying to conceive, you had finally done it.  “But, yes, I’m pregnant.”  Your smile was all teeth, your eyes creasing.  You were truly elated.

Shachi sprinted from around the table to scoop you into a hug.  Penguin followed suit, squeezing you in between them as he cheered for you.

“I’m so happy for you, seriously so happy!” Penguin announced, his own smile reaching his eyes.  “Oh my god, are we going to be uncles?”

You nodded.  “Uncle Shachi and Uncle Penguin.”

Shachi squealed, a sound akin to a school girl getting a love letter from her crush.  “We’re going to be uncles!  Uncles, Penguin!”

“You know,” Penguin began, finally releasing you from his embrace.  “I always thought that pregnancy announcements were kinda weird, like, ‘Hey, we fucked and procreated!  Get hype!’  But now I can see why it’s so exciting.”

You felt your face warm with his words, but there was barely anything to hide from the two of them.  Hell, back in your undergrad days Shachi walked in on you and Law actively having sex.  Playing naive to the situation was simply juvenile.

Shachi was laughing.  “Holy shit, this is seriously incredible.  Do you know how far along you are?”

You shook your head.  “Honestly, no.  I can guess no more than four weeks, but I had to call my doctor again to inform them and get a quicker appointment, so I’ll find out more next week!”

The three of you, much to Bepo’s relief, settled down after that.  You sneakily grabbed your phone from the counter, ending the video with a smirk, excited to send it to Law.  Sitting back down, you began discussing the logistics of the matter.

“Trust me, Law and I have been thoroughly prepared for the day this might happen.  He has a plan in place for every possible situation,” you explained.  “If you want proof, I can get his notebook.”

The two men shook their heads in rapid succession.

“I believe you one hundred percent,” muttered Penguin.  “That sounds like Law, all right.”

You laughed.  “It’s definitely odd, but it makes me feel a lot better.  I know at least one of us is at least slightly prepared for any potential situation.  He has an entire page dedicated to our genetic history.”

Shachi snorted.  “Are you serious?”

You nodded confidently.  “Dead serious.”

Penguin leaned forward on his elbows, genuinely interested.  “Any horrific genetic mutations?”

“A 25% chance of colorblindness if we have a son.  How horrifying!” you stated, joking sarcastically at the prospect of a colorblind child, which, obviously, would not be life ruining at all.

Shachi scratched his chin.  “Did Law get genetic testing?  Considering, you know, the whole orphan thing.”

You nodded once more.  “He actually got genetic testing a few years ago.  He wanted to know if he was predisposed to degenerative diseases, so he got an entire genetic evaluation done.”

“He did that just because?”

“Yup.”

Penguin groaned.  “That guy is so fucking weird sometimes.”

You chuckled.  “He might be, but clearly having that information makes him a bit more secure!  And at least we know he’s unlikely to develop muscle or neural degeneration when he gets old.”

“He’s rubbing off on you,” Shachi muttered.

“That’s what happens when you’re married to a doctor,” you groaned back.

Your conversation carried on for well over an hour, jumping from your pregnancy to the latest college basketball game that, according to Shachi, ended in an ‘upset so bad I swore I pissed my pants.’  The afternoon was flying by, and for the first time in months, you truly felt happy.

—

Law took a long sip of his lukewarm coffee as he hunched over his desk, computer in front of him with a long report only halfway done with being written.  Earlier in the day, his unit had dispatched a child to the nearby children’s hospital with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia that lead to near-heart failure, and, due to the fact that his hospital’s cardiology ward had yet to see such a case, Law was left to write the report.

His fingers were quickly starting to cramp up as his eyes consistently glazed over the words ‘adrenaline induced arrhythmia.’  He could almost feel himself start to nod off until his phone buzzed beside him.  His face immediately lifted when his screen illuminated with your name and an incoming text message.

Wifey

Telling them went well, Im sending the video!  Miss you, see you later tonight!!!

Wifey

Also, let me know if you want something for dinner, Im not in the mood to cook but I can get takeout for when you get home

Wifey

[One new Video message]

Wifey

Also, can you stop by the pharmacy and grab a small bottle of toilet cleaner on your way back???  Thank you, I love you!!! <333

Law smiled, reaching for his phone and unlocking it to open his texts and view the recording.  His grin never ceased as he watched Shachi and Penguin, his two best friends since childhood, embrace you in pure excitement as you announced the incredible news.  He truly felt so lucky to have those two in his life and have them welcome his wife into their little family as easily as they had done to Law all those years ago.  Seeing the three of them interact made it seem like they had also been friends since 13 years old.

“Law, how’s that report coming along?”  A sudden voice behind him made him close his phone and lay it face-down on the desk.

“Hey, Chopper, it’s… it’s going,” Law responded blankly.  

The younger doctor, Dr. Tony, pulled up a seat alongside Law to scan the very rough draft of his colleague’s report.  The kid (relative to Law’s self-described ‘ancient age’) was a genius by definition, whizzing through medical school at the top of his class and joining Law’s cardiology ward on his rotation before finally graduating residency and joining his unit as a permanent member.  While he wasn’t a surgeon like Law was, he was an incredible asset in terms of diagnosing and effectively treating the various ailments presented to their team.  The young doctor was a hidden master with pharmaceuticals, but liked treating patients in-person more than standing behind a lab counter compounding pills.

Law still had no idea where he got the nickname ‘Chopper’ from, however.  He didn’t even know his real name, that wasn’t his surname ‘Tony.’  Oh well, topic for another time.

“Hey, are there any definitive studies about the percentage of children diagnosed with CPVT?” Chopper asked, pulling Law’s attention away from his own thoughts.  “It’s quite troubling that that child was rapidly approaching heart failure.  You said he hadn’t been diagnosed formally with that disease until today, right?”

“That’s right,” Law clarified.  “It’s thought to be an inherited cardiac disorder, passed down genetically.  My theory is that all of that child’s former experience with exercise was chalked up to asthma or something similar, until it was almost too late.”  Law’s voice was always so calm and collected, despite discussing the near-death experience of a child no older than 10.  In his mind, dealing with the lives and deaths of patients was part of the job.

Chopper hummed, his eyebrows knitted with concern.  “Poor thing, I’m happy he was sent to the children’s hospital, though.  They have much better medicine for him there.”

“Agreed,” Law replied, nodding his head.

“Anyway,” Chopper piped up.  “I came by to see if you wanted something from the break room.  I’m getting a protein bar.”

Law tossed a faint smile to his colleague.  “Sure, I’ll have those unsalted pretzels.”

“Unsalted?” the younger man asked.

“Unsalted,” Law affirmed.

Any passing comment about how truly strange Law could be on occasion was brushed aside as Chopper left the small office area and proceeded to the break room for the aforementioned snacks.  Law was still pretty tired, but he hoped the light refreshment would help him power through the rest of his shift so he could go home and cuddle with you in his warm bed.

His eyes glanced over his report once more before opening a new tab on the computer and filing through the hospital’s research database.  He bit the inside of his cheek, reading a few abstracts about the rare condition.  He ran through his memory of his own genetic testing, as well as the genetic testing he had you do in the genealogy clinic before starting to try to conceive.  Neither of you had preexisting or a predisposed risk of heart conditions, which was one of Law’s biggest concerns.  Although he could breathe a sigh of relief in that aspect, he had a nagging feeling in his gut that something wasn’t quite right.

[snowdropluck204]

How They React To Their SO Getting Stalked

PART 1

Sero Hanta

I feel like Sero would be the person to immediately comfort you, screw the person following you for right now! His baby is upset and he needs to take care of you!

~ Sero was out with the guys, they were hanging out at the mall after school, he got kind of sad sometimes knowing that you didn't go to UA, but he also knew that being a hero was dangerous and he didn't want you to get hurt. ~ He and his friends were laughing and messing around, when he got a call, looking at the screen, he saw My Love was calling him, he gave a bright grin to his phone, answering promptly. ~ "Hey darlin'! What's up with my angel today?" He asked cheerfully. ~ "Hanta..." You were whispering, sounding close to tears, the smile left Sero's face in less than a second. ~ "What's going on angel?" His voice was hard and tense, causing his friends to look up at him, the smiles leaving their faces too. ~ "Someone's following me, I just needed to hear you, I'm freaking out right now!" You were still whispering, but he could hear just how frightened you were. Could hear your walking speed up. ~ "Okay honey, take it easy, are you nearly home, turn on your location and I will be there, I promise." ~ He lived up to that promise, he met you just as you were walking up the street near your home, he saw a guy wearing dark clothing following fairly closely behind you, using his quirk, he wrapped the guy up in tape and called the police. ~ You looked up at him, surprised and grateful that he was there. You ran to him, jumping into his arms and attaching yourself to him like a koala. ~ "I'm so glad you're here," You whispered in his ear, trying your hardest to hold back a river of stressed tears. ~ Sero held you close to him, running a hand up and down your back, "I'm here angel, everything's gonna be okay," He kept his voice down and took you inside and up to your room. ~ Making sure you were comfortable and cosy in a mountain of blankets and cushions, he then went to different rooms of the house and collected what he though you could use. ~ "Alright gorgeous! I have some snacks, a hot water bottle, some of your favourite movies and this!" Sero told you, leaving a trail of things on your bed. In his hand, he held a warm face cloth that he brought to your red, tear stained face. ~ "My poor angel, I know today was scary, but I'm always going to keep you safe."

Shinso Hitoshi

Shinso wouldn't take any chances in a situation where you had been stalked. He would be attached to your hip at all times, to the point where it was annoying to every other person involved.

~ About a month ago, you and Hitoshi were going through some hard times, everything between the two of you was great! But unfortunately something bad happened to you. ~ Someone from school had begun following you, from school to home, to work and when you went out with friends. Then there were pictures and threatening, creepy messages, not only to you, but to Hitoshi and your parents! ~ Eventually, the stalker was caught but a lot of damage had already been done, your family was forced to move and you didn't want to be alone at any point. ~ Honestly, the dorm programme came at a perfect time, your parents jumped at the opportunity to move you into the dorms, protected by pro heroes and in the safe hands of your boyfriend (your parents loved him). ~ Hitoshi trusted you more than anybody and he knew you would be a fantastic hero, but he wanted to take care of you in what can only be described as a vulnerable situation that only you, him and your family knew about. ~ So after that incident, Hitoshi was with you at all times. Which was originally fine, until it got in the way of classes. You couldn't leave him for battle training, the two of you had joined your desks together and had to be touching at all times. Your boyfriend was either holding your hand, or playing with your hair, had a hand on your knee or your back. ~ Aizawa had had enough, this was in the way of the two of you learning and eventually, if it continued, could tank your careers! ~ "Shinso." Aizawa called, separating the two of you, keeping him behind after class. ~ Hitoshi looked back at you, leaving you with a kiss on the cheek, "Stay in the hall, I'll be right there." ~ Turning back to his mentor, he watched the tired man sigh. Hitoshi was getting nervous, tapping his feet, scratching his neck and running his hand through his hair, he needed to be with you. ~ "Shinso, you need to be less codependent with (l/n), it's becoming tedious." Aizawa began. ~ Shinso snapped. ~ "Tedious? Tedious!? My partner was stalked for over two months! Their life was uprooted, they felt scared and unsafe every time they left the house and trying to protect them is tedious to you!? I'm terribly sorry teach!" His voice was rife with sarcasm. ~ Aizawa was shocked. He didn't know something so awful had happened to one of his students, or that it was affecting the life of his protegee... He felt guilty, angry and... Useless. ~ Aizawa didn't really know how to apologise, so he simply placed a (hopefully) reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder, guiding him to the door of the classroom, where you were stood patiently, but were so obviously nervous. ~ He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed, that the massive change in one of his best student's behaviour had gone under his nose. ~ You were stood against the wall, eyes flitting constantly, monitoring the hall for any kind of danger, you were nervously wringing your hands and playing with your fingers, you seemed to almost be in tears. ~ "Go and help them, I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious and extra security will be placed around the dorm." Aizawa spoke quietly, not wanting you to realise he knew, he was under the impression that, if you wanted him to know, you would have spoken to him about it. ~ Hitoshi looked at his mentor, grateful that now he could at least sleep soundly knowing his partner had more security. ~ Once he left the room, you were on him instantly, hand around his and an arm around his waist, both of which he reciprocated. ~ He whispered in your ear that everything would be okay. ~ "I'll never let you get hurt, you believe that, right?" ~ You nodded, of course you did.

Tokoyami Fumikage

Tokoyami would be a slightly different situation, he knew you could handle yourself and you did, but the idea of it happening again made him terrified, so he went overboard with his security measures and actually winds up annoying you (in a sweet way?).

~ You loved your boyfriend and Dark Shadow, but this was getting ridiculous! ~ You were a very logical person, so when you began getting creepy messages and pictures of yourself at times when you weren't aware you were being photographed, yes, you were scared, but you were also determined to be strong and fix it. ~ Obviously you told Fumikage that the stalking was happening, he was the first person you'd told, but you asked him not to go to anyone, that you had a strong feeling you knew who it was and how to handle it. ~ He had reluctantly agreed. ~ Dark Shadow was adamant that you needed help! He was begging Fumikage to check on you, help you, keep you out of sight and away from anyone who wanted to hurt you, or worse. ~ But he was your boyfriend, he trusted you, the way he wanted you to continue trusting him! If he took over and ignored what you'd asked of him, he was worried he would lose that trust. So he left you to it. ~ Less than a week later, police were outside the school, arresting a student who had admitted to sending you threatening messages, as well as other people in the school. ~ You were so smart, you followed the text messages, hacking and just being a genius and finding whose phone sent them. ~ You involved the police and Principal Nezu, who quickly looked over your evidence and made the correct assumption, calling the police and having the guy arrested. ~ You felt a lot safer now and were considered a bit of a saviour for the other students the boy was frightening, but Fumikage couldn't get it out of his mind that something similar could happen again. ~ Without you knowing, he placed tiny cameras outside your dorm room window and in the hallway (obviously he wasn't going to put cameras in your room, cause creepy), he wanted to make sure you were alright. ~ But you weren't stupid, as he now realised when you burst into his dorm room, holding his devices. "What the hell is this!?" You shouted. ~ Fumikage went silent, shocked that you'd even seen the cameras, he tried to explain but just released sputtered apologies. ~ "I-I just wanted to m-make sure you were safe!" ~ You looked shocked now, looking at your boyfriend who was now looking down at the floor, Dark Shadow curled up on the bed behind him, looking forlorn. ~ "Someone was following you and I didn't know, you're the most important person in the world to me, if something happened to you again and I could have stopped it, I would never forgive myself." ~ Looking calmer and sympathetic for the poor boy, you sat next to him on the bed, cupping his face and tilting his head to look at you. ~ "I know this was hard for you, but I'm safe and I can handle myself, you know that. But I know for a fact, you would never let anything happen to me, if you think this was a dangerous situation, then you feel free to take all the crazy security measures you need to. But I'm fine." ~ Your voice was practically a whisper, as you leaned in and left a soft kiss on Fumikage's feathered cheek. Then on Dark Shadow's, because he got jealous.

Shigaraki Tomura

This one seems pretty obvious, Shiggy would go nuts! Screw All Might and the plan, he had a new target to deal with, someone hurt his darling and there is no way in hell he was going to let them get away with it!

~ When Tomura got back to the bar, he was expecting the usual greeting, he had his gloves on already, preparing to be jumped on by his beautiful little love, but as he entered through the door, you weren't there. ~ He searched through the building, almost ready to tear off his gloves and disintegrate walls on the slight chance you were inside of one! ~ But then he heard you sniffling, he knew it was you, you cried that way when you were reading or watching one of your favourite shows, it was coming from Toga's room. ~ Bursting through the door, he saw you, being cradled by Toga and Dabi, he would have been upset that Dabi was anywhere near you, but he was more focused on the fact that you were crying hysterically. ~ Trying to get close to you, he stood on one of the many pictures he hadn't realised were strewn across the floor, they were of you. ~ Of you at work. Of you at the store. Of you out to dinner with your parents. That dinner had happened two nights ago. ~ "Where did these come from?" He asked, voice slightly raspy after his assault on the building. ~ Toga was the one who responded, for once, her crazed smile was missing, replaced with a scared frown. "Someone slid it under her apartment door, with this." She handed Tomura an envelope that had writing on it. ~ 'YoUr'E MinE' ~ The writing was scrawled and messy, the person who sent this, who took the pictures was obviously deranged. ~ You were being stalked. ~ Rage filled Tomura, who dared to come close to you, to believe you were theirs!? Hell no! You were his! His darling! ~ But he pushed the anger down so he could look after you. ~ Once you realised he had come home, you reached out for him, desperate to feel close to him, to feel safe. ~ He scooped you up, sitting next to the other League members as he cradled you in his lap. ~ "My poor baby," He whispered, leaving kisses on the crown of your head as you buried your head in his shirt. ~ "Kurogiri, you know what to do." ~ He did know what to do, he was under the command to follow you around, keeping you safe and find the stalker. ~ Tomura would have the joy of taking care of them...

[mochatune]

I really love your characterization, I feel like you're really true to the source material whenever possible ❤ you're good at making cute moments without sugarcoating the unpleasant parts of characters!

I'm curious.. how would Peter/YB react to the reader confronting him about not actually loving them? Reader having been very accepting of him and having a sort of revelation when his Perfect Boyfriend facade slips. (I mean he'd absolutely just cut his losses and go full murder mode but I think it'd be interesting if he actually had any level of introspection.)

If the goal was to flatter me then it worked, like shit, what a beautiful compliment 😂❤️ I got you rn. There is a lot of ways to interpret this hc so I’m hoping what is written is what you were asking for.

——

- Peter had a lot of red flags you’d had looked past. He was perfect and went above the bar when it came to past men who had entered your life. He remembered your birthday, the anniversaries, even those cheesy days like national hug day and he spared no expense into making it special for you even when there was nothing to celebrate.

- this was honestly a big part in why you were so accommodating when he was less than savory to be around, you yourself are surprised with how much of a pushover you were in the past. Guess it shows just how low the bar is for you.

- things eventually just started connecting as you got to know him. The possessiveness being a big part, it felt like ever since getting to know him your social life sort of…. changed. It suddenly felt like there was less time for the other people you cared about, even your family wasn’t spared when it came to him. Everyone was a challenge for him.

- neither of you really ever really established a relationship, you always thought you two were just really close friends I mean … sure there were some moments where it felt like something more but it wasn’t something you were barely even beginning to consider after past relationships left you feeling drained. You were okay with this sort of situationship for the the time being you just hadn’t noticed how much he had really wanted.

- He was always the guy there for you to talk shit with when you were frustrated or the shoulder to cry on, he was practically your best friend ever since Lucy had passed. You still blamed yourself for everything despite no consecutive reports on the case for months now but hey atleast you had someone to help you grieve and move past the tragedy that had happened at that diner. He was always there for you, he said it himself and had done more then enough to prove it through his actions towards you.

- one day he just changed. It’s like the guy you’ve been building trust with for almost half a year now just turned around and showed you a side he’d been forcing himself to hide from you.

- suddenly seeing those eyes that made you feel like prey, it was weird and quite frankly you didn’t like it. You didn’t like how he was treating you like a piece of meat, like any other guy would. It felt like you were beginning to see him for who he was.

- all a guy had done was catcall you, it wasn’t anything. You ignored it and kept it pushing like you always do but he just couldn’t let it go.

- he didn’t do anything, not while you were watching anyways but you saw that change in demeanor. He’s done it before though it was always a flash of an emotion you could not name, it always intimidated you but never for long as he was back to his same old lovable self.

- he sort of just dumps everything on you, everything he’d been keeping in all those nights working up the nerve at the mere thought of embracing you as more than just a friend. All those times you had cried to him but not because of him, it infuriated him that the relationship he’d been making up in his head since practically forever with you was nothing more than a mere delusion he’d created to cope with never actually being with you. That was going to change. Tonight.

- he knew, he just knew you wanted to be with him as much as he did with you so when you told him you were put off by his behavior and that you did not feel for him even a fraction of what he felt for you, hearing that “you wanted some time away from him” threw him through a loop. Not a pretty one either.

- those eyes again, the ones he has flashed at the man earlier. The ones that had you feeling helpless. A wolf in sheep’s clothing.

- it was like a gust of wind when he grabbed you with all his might, a meaty vein pulsing trough his forearm and the eyes of a killer gaping into your soul. A screaming fit paired with it, words along the lines of “why can’t you just accept that you love me” the words of a delusional freak that you know in your bones you should have never even given a single benefit of the doubt. That all this time that gut feeling in back of your mind was true all along.

- you’re in so much distress that it’s all a blur. The over-exertion of your muscles trying to fight back against the agonizing grip of a grown man paired with the ringing in your head from the screams, the wet on your face from the spittle of the man screaming intensely in your face. There’s a thud and suddenly everything is just black.

- you find yourself with a pounding headache and foggy vision bound against a soft surface, most likely a mattress. You try to move but you find your wrist cold from a handcuff keeping you fastened against the bed post. Everything from last night comes back and you’re reliving everything, a panic attack hits you before you calm down again having hope that there may be a way out of this.

- your captor, the person you thought you’d see comes walking in with a slight hop in his step. Almost as if last night never even happened, he has a tray of food. You aren’t sure what it is but you know you want no part in it immediately readying your voice to try and talk your way out of this predicament.

- there’s a stool by the bed your bound to, he sits on it and puts the tray on the bedside table right by your head.

- he tells you good morning in a sickly sweet voice you wish you’d never hear, almost as sickening as the deep purple bruise left on your arm after the mere grip put on you last night.

- you don’t offer a kind response back (who would let’s be honest) but it doesn’t seem like he minds. That flips a switch when the next words fly out of your mouth, almost as if you didn’t even think about who you were talking to before you spoke.

- nasty words continuously come out of your mouth begging him to let you go all the while barking like a chihuahua as if you were trying to hit a nerve. Who could take anyone seriously while they were tied down though?

- he laughs it off, this is why he loves you so much. You have a quality that can’t be copied, your spirit is so pure to him. He can’t help but communicate how much he loves you with a breathy voice and an ethereal stare.

- you’re next words were your biggest mistake, the ones that sealed your fate. You just couldn’t say you loved him back.

- his reaction, it’s not as bad as last night but still terrifying nevertheless. He understands it’s a process in a relationship but to spout such nonsense is enough to rile him up all over again.

- he’s more than offended at being told that he doesn’t really love you and only like the idea of you, you’re more than that to him. You’re essence, the mere presence of you is enough to blow him away. He huffs it away with a smirk, you don’t mean that.

- you’re too weak to fight the cloth clogging your airways, the all to familiar blackness coming back into the corner of your eyes slowly drowning your vision in it as your brain goes numb.

- begging to leave it just won’t work, he knows you really love him and that you want to stay here. You just need time and he’s more than willing to take care of anyone else who seems to think they knows what’s best for you and him.

- just like he did with Lucy.

- overall the guy is fucking delusional, say goodbye to the possibility of him having even a single moment of clarity when it comes to you.

[goodolddumbbanana]

Let's move the VA's out of the equation.

Like they say, they are literally the creators of the shows, not the cops or anyone who has responsibility or authority to stop or do anything other than voice their voice.

And honestly, I am sick of the backlash they keep receiving anytime they interfere.

Like that time and still now, Davis's image is still getting badly affected on Tiktok and even on Tumblr, that people accused him of being ablest.

(Which is wrong but because they are minors and don't know better, people not only believe them more, but also refuse the evidence Davis collects that proving that Davis, in fact, totally not ablest and people only like to twist his words.)

What I'm trying to say is, everything happens on Tumblr, stay on Tumblr. We are literally old enough to search the internet, I believe we are old enough to find the common solution without dragging the VA's in.

Sure people get harassed, and some shits are horrible, and we literally find some new methods to do the witch hunt thingy like every week.

But that doesn't mean we need to drag more people who are totally not involved like the VA in it.

It is tiring, even for people who just start joining the fandom and people who stay too long at the fandom to watch this shit burn down, because for sure people would forget about the damage they done for like several months.

The big blogs can be these jerks with someone and friends with someone, (I don't really pay attention to them, suit me.) they can work very closely with the show or something.

But their words have no more weight than us. Because in the end, from the moment they joined the fandom, they became fans, no more no less.

If you don't like them, block them, or post the things you don't like about them on your blog because sure it messes up, but it is your blog. You get totally controlled over that because everyone has their own opinions. But to the point when DM and messaging? Not cool and it can slowly turn into crime.

And same with the VA, they just create things, they are not as responsible to fix things, either if the person who causes it their friends or not. And we shouldn't take The VA talk for granted, because like I said, the fandom handles things the fandom did, not the opposite.

What fans do is shipping and shit. (Harry potter, DSmp, Danny phantom, DCU, marvel, TMNT,...) I don't understand why in this fandom, things can get so intense about these topics like that.

[beanghostprincess]

Don't know if you've ever read about this ship but: Portgas D. Rouge x Sora.

Garp helps Rouge run away to the East Blue and lives in Dawn Island and Ace is born here. She lives on a small house on the jungle, between Foosha and Dadan's house and Garp sends money (Rouge doesn't like to depend on him but until her boy is a little older it will have to be this way). Sora kills Judge poisoning him and runs away, stoping at Dawn Island while still pregnant. She has some money to live until she's able to get a work.

Both women meet at some months after Sora gives birth to the quadruplets. They discover they houses are near and, well, they have kids and maybe they can meet each other and play, even. Rouge and Sora get really along. At time pass they start to go together buy things for their houses, talk a lot, falling in love. Rouge think the only one she would be in love with was Roger, but oh well, she was wrong. Sora never was in love with Judge and this was a arranged marriage, so she's discovering just now she is a lesbian and in love with this beautiful woman.

When Ace is 3, the quadruplets 2 and Reiju 5, Garp arrives asking Rouge to raise Luffy. It's... chaotic. But at the end Rouge stays with baby Luffy, because PLEASE, she knows better than let a baby in the man's hands. Garp leaves sure Rouge is having "something" with Sora.

Ace and Luffy grow up together as brothers since the beggining, with Reiju + 1234ji as friends. They don't start dating until Ace is 8 yo, Luffy 5 yo, the quadruplets 7 yo and Reiju 10 yo. Since Ace and Sabo meet at the age of 5 or 6 (if I am right), I can see Ace taking Sabo to meet his 2/3 years old baby brother and his friends. Rouge asks were his parents are to Sabo and he says he doesn't have none. Rouge adopts him after less than a month.

ASL love their mother and they like Sora a lot! She is kind and likes them all very much! Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, Sanji and Yonji also love Rouge, their mommy is happier around her! The 8 kids have a a strong friendship and they all get along a lot. Sabo and Sanji get close and along quick. (Can't let the chance to put childhood friend to lovers Sabosan in this)

(I am really thinking about if Sabo stays with them and Dragon take him to Rouge and if Ace lives on Marineford but- things will stop before the angst, 'kay?)

I HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT AND I LOVE IT SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! (I have a weak spot for sapphic rareships/crackships they're my favorite thing ever)

I'm loving the whole thing about them raising the kids on their own (even if Rouge has some help) because I genuinely think they would've done such an amazing job as moms if they had the chance :(( Also, Sora finally being able to take care of her kids the way she wants to (with real love) and Rouge showing Ace that he deserves to live and be happy.

The headcanon of Sora being a lesbian has always been one of my favorite things because I adore stories about queens/princesses being forced to marry men and then realizing they didn't want that at all in the first place and their real happiness isn't with a man... Sora and Rouge falling in love and Sora realizing that she can be so much more than just a wife and being appreciated by someone who will treat her right and make her feel both loved and valued. While Rouge, even if still obviously loving Roger, has the power to move on and love again.

So this story about the kids being raised with love by these two sweet and powerful women is just beautiful to me. They would've been so happy... Rouge would've taken care of ASL so well and they would've been able to grow up without the need to survive on their own (I mean, I believe they would do the exact same things they do in canon. Ace and Luffy are the typical "we need to be strong to protect mom too", but this time they have a cozier place to call home and Ace has his mom with him). In this world, Ace would still resent his father a bit, honestly, because the comments about him wouldn't cease, but Rouge would tell him stories about Roger anyway and would try to make him see that he is loved despite the rest of the world hating the idea of him. Sabo's fate is basically the same even if he's being taken care of by Rouge, but in the meantime, being so loved by a mom and having more friends would have helped him in so many ways. Same thing with Luffy, honestly, his abandonment issues would still be there even if there's just a bit more of a peaceful environment around him. I need to mention that I'd like Dadan to be here too helping Rouge more than Garp does and being also kind of like a caretaker for ASL because I believe that she deserves that too. She loves them so much that I don't want to take that away from her even in this world.

On the other hand, Sora raising the kids and them turning out... Normal (as normal as these kids can be) is just so sweet to me. They'd be so loved. And even if they were born with these abilities, there wouldn't be more experiments after that, so perhaps Sora can help them deal with it. Sanji would have a decent dynamic with his siblings... Imagine the Vinsmokes actually being sweet to him. Going insane with this one. And Sora would probably hide that they're royalty, honestly, I don't think she would want them to know. But they would be raised with so much care and love... If you wanna add some angst you can always say they find out about Judge, but I'm focusing on fluff mostly here.

And please please please!!!!!! Childhood best friends to lovers Sabosan mentioned??!!?!?!?!??!? It's one of my favorite things ever. I just know they'd be the ones to get along the most. I have talked about this before but there is no way ASL isn't fighting for Sanji's attention since he probably learns to cook at a very young age and the three of them adore his cooking. Although Sabo is actually down bad for him for other reasons that aren't just that-- I would talk about this more, but I think I have mentioned this AU too many times already to come up with something new that isn't "They fall in love and Sabo dies and then they reunite etc etc".

What you say in the end makes sense. I mean- Perhaps this is just a good timeline where nobody actually dies and there's no Marineford and no Whole Cake Island, buuut I love angst and I believe Ace's death to be one of those things you cannot change no matter the plot. So there would be angst, but let's not talk about it (mentioning the Vinsmokes going to help Ace too tho. That'd be great). And as per WCI...... Idk how this could even happen but I swear that you just need imagination and you can come up with something. No amount of love can fix Sanji's mental stability imo he's always a bit messed up and I love him for that.

Anyway!!!!!!!! This is a wonderful concept. I just love the idea of these two women taking care of the kids on their own and giving them the love they deserve despite the world constantly going against them. Perhaps what these kids actually needed were two sapphic moms and a bit of a better childhood to be less depressed and fucked in the head... I would love to see this, honestly. Sora and Rouge also deserve the world and I hope they're happy in this timeline (when the kids grow up and go in their own separate ways, they stay living together in their house and grow old together as cottage-core sapphics) (maybe Rouge takes Sora and they go sailing together for a little while) (pirate x ex-queen my beloved).

[nejackdaw]

Baton update: the Finale

Guys I have done it. I strapped on my wax wings and unlike Icarus did not crash and burn. The baton. Is finished. And so is the base. Finished them both today. I might not have ever been much of a crafts guy but I am INCREDIBLY pleased with the final results. This started out as a pipe dream and now it's reality. Don't let your dreams be dreams etc etc

Showing her off first 💞💞💞 I'll add the rest of the images below a cut so this post isn't a mile long but AHHHHHH IT'S FINALLY DONE!!!! Guys I've been working on this since May but I was determined to finish it before the year let out

Here's the baton itself. What a beautiful pain in my ass. It's a regular 12" conductors baton so trying to turn it into Zelda's definitely not 12" Glorious Baton was. Awkward. I winged this entire thing. The grip/spiral is a rubber band. (Two, actually.) It's held together by sheer determination and super glue. I colored those pink roses with marker. The tail parts are made out of cardboard (half from a non corrugated bit off a package flap and half from a graham cracker box.). I couldn't find a wired ribbon to use for the end so I just cut a length of wire and fucking sewed it to the ribbon. Improvise, adapt, overcome.

The display base was simultaneously more and less of a hassle than the baton. Much less fine, close quarter work, much more difficulty getting things to stay put (this is a callout post for the garland, I'm looking directly at you.) Initially I made the actual display holder, which is 100% just painted wooden skewers, then I took MORE package cardboard and used that as the base. If I was a little more insane I'd add tiny lights somehow so the triforce could light up. The garland was. An absolute pain just 100% from having to decide which leaf extensions to remove to positioning them to trying to attach the damn thing (challenge: nearly impossible.) BUT it is surprisingly sturdy for what amounts to a piece of cardboard and some tiny sticks. I just now added that central support piece and the extra flowers today, because unfortunately the baton is top heavy and without it it just... Well. Spun itself upside down. The foam flowers themselves added a shocking amount of weight to it, but it's the baby's breath that really weighs it down. Not that it's heavy--it's very nice to hold in the hand, but again, it likes to spin itself around if only supported at the ends.

It kinda doesn't feel real. I still honestly feel like I should wake up tomorrow and go "I'm gonna work on my baton today!" I think my brain is in denial lmao. Been working on this thing for seven months, man. This year has DEFINITELY been my introduction to crafting year, and I had a blast. After all that time, and it's finally complete. Thank you to the Legend of Zelda for always being a massive inspiration to me throughout my life. Wow. Reality really can be whatever I want. I made myself a prop/display piece out of random materials and a dream

[gortash-did-nothing-wrong]

Enver Gortash Musings 7

Warnings: a somewhat sad conversation between Enver and his wife less than a year into their arranged marriage.

When you first married Enver Gortash, you were only shown the same side of him the public saw. The man who dined with high society, treating guests to his private chef and full table. The man who used his utensils delicately and properly, like a born and raised gentleman. The man who had impeccable table manners and restraint.

It wasn't until well over half a year into your marriage, when you had become pregnant, that Enver was around you a little more. You found the baby to be quite restless at night, and the sound of Enver's workshop seemed to calm your still growing child.

"This is soothing to them?" Enver asked, hammering somewhat gently at a bit of copper.

You sat on a chaise lounge that you had the servants bring into his workshop. Your hand rested on your ever swelling belly, "All I know is that all day your child has been kicking, fussing, rolling, acting like they're in a gods damned war, and the second I walk in here and am surrounded by the sounds of your anvil, they go still."

Enver stopped, putting his hammer down and smirking at you. "I've never heard you curse before, my darling wife."

The exhaustion of the day catching up with you, you close your eyes, taking a slightly trembling breath. "I've never been so tired in my life."

When you open your eyes again, Enver has come to sit with you on the chaise. His hands encircle your baby bump, rubbing and soothing the tight skin. "Tell me."

"I can't sleep." You admit tearfully. "They keep me awake with their moving. It honestly feels like they're trying to run sometimes! Just so much movement I feel I may tear open at times."

Enver nodded, stroking your belly and smiling sympathetically. "And?"

"And my shoes don't fit." You cry, wiping your face. "none of my shoes fit! Not even the ones I had made last month. All I can wear are slippers and those still hurt my feet! My mother wore heels and a corset for every pregnancy, I don't understand what I'm doing wrong!"

He reaches his hand up, petting your hair while smiling sweetly. "All babies are not the same, this I'm sure you already know, my darling. Even still, I can have the doctor check your progress in the morning? If you truly feel there's something wrong."

You hesitated, "Nothing wrong with a check up I suppose..."

Enver puts his hands on your waist, massaging gently. "There we go, that's my girl."

You couldn't help the smile that he pulled from you. Your husband was a distant man in most regards, never really letting you into his more complex affairs nor opening up about his past. As far as noble husbands went, Enver was definitely one of the better to have. He wasn't gambling away your fortune, or squandering your dowry. He saw you almost every day, and was interested in your life. And if he was having affairs, which you doubted his schedule allowed for, word never reached your ears. So if he was having affairs, he was being discreet about it. Which is more than most noblemen did. Your friends could recall their husband's mistresses by name.

For all of his faults, he wasn't shy about telling you that he found you beautiful. Sometimes the lines felt a bit practiced, like he had rehearsed them... Or used them on someone else. But simple little bits of praise that he effortlessly slipped into conversation felt genuine.

You moved on the chaise, sitting up and holding his hands. "I... Enver, are you happy?"

Enver stared down at you, a puzzled look on his face that quickly gave away to a smirk. "Is this one of those feminine verbal traps?"

"No." You said quickly. "I'm just asking, and I'd like total honesty, please."

Enver's smirk vanishes. "What brought this on?"

"Enver, please?"

He sighs, moving his hands to rub your back. "I'm quite happy with you and what you bring to my life. There. Does that satisfy you?"

"Partially." You said softly.

He huffed, "Oh? Not quite done?"

You chuckled, "I believe you're content with me. I do. I'm asking whether or not you're happy with everything. With your whole life right now."

Enver stares down at you. "You are aware that if I am not happy, there's nothing you can do to fix that? Correct?"

You frown, the fact making you quite upset.

Enver sighs. "And you don't like that. Why bother yourself with it? Do I not give you enough to keep you content?"

You put a hand on his chest, "No, no, you do! I'm very content, I'm boundlessly happy- except the crying earlier, just ignore that bit!"

You see him pinch his lips together to keep from laughing, but you ignore it. "It's just... If I was unhappy, and I came to you to tell you that I was unhappy, you'd fix whatever was upsetting me."

"I would." He agrees.

"But if you were unhappy... I don't think you'd ever tell me?" You guessed.

Enver's gaze softens. "You want me to tell you? Do you want me to debrief you whenever the council drones on and on for hours about property taxes? Or argue about import and export tariffs? Or perhaps you'd like me to go over the blueprints of my latest design and get your input on the schematics?"

You shrank back from him a bit. "Don't mock me."

Enver takes a deep breath, before situating himself on the chaise and gently guiding you into his lap. "My darling wife, your role in this marriage is very specific. We discussed this before our wedding in dept. Other than you providing me with an heir, that I am extremely grateful for, your duties are relegated to keeping up my relations with the nobles at court through their wives. You're to head charity events that I haven't the time for. You informed me that you'll be the primary caretaker of our children, to which I have acquiesced quite quickly. No wet nurses, as you demanded. Minimal nursing staff, as you demanded. Despite my reservations that this will exhaust you." He said. His voice was firm, yet patient. A voice one might use on a child but without any condescension. A nearly loving tone that was meant to prevent her feelings from being hurt.

"... I just..." You felt more tears spring to your eyes, the words for your feelings having vanished. "I adore you."

Enver leaned down, pressing his lips to your own in a firm and reassuring kiss. "I am fond of you. Perhaps in time, that fondness will grow stronger. I cannot say. Regardless, you will always be my wife and the mother of my child. Respect as such will always be given to you."

You leaned your head on his chest, listening to the strong pulse of his heart beneath his ribs. "Alright... Is... Is it alright if I want to love you, though?"

Enver rubs your back, reassuringly. "I'd be flattered, my darling."