#I don't think I practiced drawing a fall background this year?

[screwpinecaprice]

Of course they'd be jumpin on a pile of leaves, it's basically mandatory.

[dumplingsfordays]

you're so pretty, you're so popular

albedo x gn!reader [university au]

genre - fluff

summary - albedo has a little (not really) crush on a semi-popular kid at his school.

cw!: jealousy, albedo's obsessed with you (in a good way I promise), professor ships you two

note - i used to simp for albedo so hard and then I stopped playing genshin... he's still pretty boy in my book though. feel like they did his hair dirty though, it's supposed to be so fluffy and they just massacred it :(

and as always, thank you for reading!

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Albedo was jealous of your friends. That was the one simple truth that he never wanted to admit to himself. He'd see you laughing along with them after you'd shown them a funny video and wish that he was the one that was holding you from falling backwards onto the grass as you shook from incessant, adorable giggles, that he was the one whose face hurt from smiling at your radiant expression everyday.

As much as he loved truth, he couldn't bring himself to face it.

And he'd sit on a bench in the shade of an oak tree during lunch, whose relatives sparingly dotted the small field on which you were talking with your friends, and in a sketchbook he would draw you and him on that same grass, blanketed in sunshine as you talked about anything you'd want to. After all, hearing your voice was enough for him to break an uncommon smile.

Albedo did this day after day, and luckily for him, you'd sit on that grass with your friends consistently from midday to 1:30. It was a nice break from the otherwise monotonous existence he led - study, eat, study, walk, draw, work, eat, sleep.

Oddly enough, almost every activity on that list somehow related back to you. The margins of his notes were occasionally occupied by studies of your eyes and hair; when he'd eat, his meals were inspired by what you ate for lunch; his walks were accompanied by music that you'd recommended to him some time ago; and when he slept, his brain would sometimes conjure up images of you hugging him, saying that he'd need to hold out just a little longer and maybe when he has the chance, he'll ask you out. Drawing brought him passion and he did use it as a side source of income, but lately they'd been plagued by splintered fragments of your soul.

He did it automatically, really - he'd add in a dash of your favorite color, draw a person in the background with the same hairstyle that you usually wore, and one time, when Albedo had been painting a portrait for his art midterm, he sketched out a scarily accurate representation of your countenance, usual accessories and all.

He immediately erased it, of course. You were in the same class as him and if he brought the canvas to the professor in front of you, there was no way that you wouldn't be weirded out by him. Who does that, anyway? He'd be better off painting his little cousin, Klee, who was a ray of sunshine and was bound to earn him a hundred.

The stars aligned in such an unpredictable way for him towards the end of the year after a particularly tiring lecture. You, in all your bright, angelical beauty, walked right up to him as he was about to leave and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, 'Bedo!" you smile as he whips his head around to face you. You don't know what you do to him when you call him by his nickname - he practically melts each time.

"Hey." He's panicking - it's obviously not a bad thing, you're smiling, you don't think he's creepy or annoying or anything, so everything's okay, as long as he plays it cool and-

"So, I've been thinking," you start, averting your eyes to look at the floor and then back to him. "We haven't really hung out in a bit. Do you want to grab a bite somewhere sometime? It's okay if you can't, I know you're super busy and all but I found this super nice place that just opened nearby and I thought that it'd be nice to try it out."

He swallows. "Y-yeah, that would be nice-"

"Great!" Albedo blinks at your rather loud interruption and you clear your throat awkwardly. "Um, I mean, um, yeah! So, I think you have my number, so just text me when you're free and and we'll figure it out."

You'd never tell it to anyone but you find his small, shy grin so endearing. He stutters a little when he replies but you think it's cute - he'd never know that unless you told him straight to his face though.

"Sounds- sounds good, yeah."

"So, we're set?"

He nods and grabs his bag, offering to walk with him. You accept with a smile, to which his face reddens, and as you walk out together the professor sighs.

"Young love," he chuckles. "Guess they'll be sitting together from now on."

[pyjamaart]

Year 4 of submitting art for the SiIvaGunner Art Gallery!! >:]

For the fourth time now, I can proudly present my entry for this years SiIvaGunner Birthday Gallery! I had to put up with a lot of obstacles this year, like starting in June when I normally always started in early May, my parents and my brother visiting during the exact time frame I wanted to work on this, a crippling addiction to playing Dragon Quest Monsters and many more.

But as you can see, I really locked in at the end and finished it exactly one day before the deadline (17th June).

Now to explain my vision for this piece: I'll have to admit, since starting my new job in February, I didn't have any time to keep up with the loads of SiIvaGunner rips that are uploaded each day, since I always listened to them at my old workplace while I took care of my mountains of scientific journals. At my new job, I don't have anything to do with journals anymore. I mostly talk to students at the counter all day. Can't really listen to YouTube videos when someone wants something from you every minute. I also do a lot of things related to facility management in between (our library buildings are practically falling apart in some places...), so even when I'm not at the counter, I have way too much stuff to do to listen to rips. Sigh. Sometimes, I miss my old job.........

But I'll try my best to catch up some time in the future. At the very latest in September. My first vacation days in 7 months... Anyway, let's get back to the image at hand:

In the foreground, there's obviously my beloved dynamic duo of besties: Woodman and Nozomi. Woodman has been missing from the channel for 1 and a half years. Please bring him back. I miss my wife, Tails...

For this piece, my theme was centered around my favorite SiIvaGunner joke from the past few months (or has it been years?): The raft ride. I wanted something fun and summer-y, so I decided to put all the characters I drew in cute little sailor outfits. For Woodman, I just drew him in something simple that I thought of myself, which complimented and incorporated his usual armor.

Next we have Nozomi, who dons her outfit from μ's fifth single "Wonderful Rush". I had a few water themed outfits to chose from with her (and Honoka, for that matter), but I chose Wonderful Rush for Nozomi since it just fit with the aesthetic I was going for.

Next to those two is Coraline from the 3DS street pass game "Ultimate Angler", which is also prominently featured on the channel. For her outfit, I just modified her usual attire a little to fit in with the sailor vibe. I also turned her sun visor around because I could for the life of me not figure out how to draw it properly at this angle. Uhhh... I mean, I turned it around because I thought it looked cool.

I hope you can see that I had an absolute breakthrough in Gimp. I think I already talked about it on my Buck fanart, but I finally discovered layer modes. After 4 years of working with Gimp. Spectacular, I know. If you don't notice it here, you'll definitely notice it on the next image in queue for the robot master quest I have going on. I can already spoil you who it's gonna be this time: Tornadoman! I honestly couldn't believe what I was drawing. I think I was possessed by something for a few hours. It was honestly a little scary. But I think you'll see what I mean once you see the actual image, it's really different from the usual stuff I draw.

Getting back to the topic of this picture, let's talk about the background now. I decided to draw a little ship with lots of familiar faces making up the crew.

The ships captain is Honoka, who is standing on the very left of the deck. I took her outfit from μ's single "Heart to Heart!", which also fit into the aquatic theme quite nicely.

Right next to her, under a rainbow flag that's fluttering in the wind above them, is Aquaman. My beloved. Since I drew him into last years birthday gallery image, I decided to do the same this year. I also put a little starfish on his hat because I think it looked cute ;)

Standing epicly and mysteriously on the top of the boat is Meta Knight. I don't know if you can see it when it's zoomed out so far, but he's holding some kind of folded map in his right hand. Maybe they're looking for treasure??

And on the very right of the ship are Tito Dick and Robbie Rotten, reenacting that one famous scene from the Titanic movie.

After that, we shift our focus to the left of the image, where we can see Fluttershy flying over the island from Tomodachi Life.

And that's it for this image folks. I hope I'll finish my Mega Man Fully Charged art before the weekend ends, so stay tuned for that next! And after that, we're going right back to the robot master grind. ;)

Until then, this has been Jenny Pyjamakama, signing off. ;)

[beyond-far-horizons]

The Promise of Shonen...Part 1

the-ancient-dragon-of-the-north I totally get the feeling about feeling disappointed by a Shonen that showed promise. Happened with Naruto, and while I never watched Bleach or Fairy Tale, my friends still talk about how disappointingly they ended. What would you personally like to see in a Shonen and its ending?

This is such a great question so I decided to make a separate post if you don't mind?

What would you personally like to see in a Shonen and its ending?

I wanted to explore this more fully because it might take us to the heart of the problem and also I don't like criticising something without mentioning possible solutions. But please skip to the end to get an actual answer as this good quite longwinded! [Edit: I've had to make this 2 parts because Tumblr doesn't like long posts anymore.]

Background

Anyone who follows this blog knows what a fantasy and sci-fi enthusiast I am. I've loved the fantastical since I heard my first fairytale and Greek myth. I followed that thread to anime via a variety of paths - dubs of animes like Pokemon and Yugioh before I knew what they were as a child and then via Studio Ghibi, but it was really my friend showing me Fruits Basket that got me hooked on anime as a storytelling medium. From there I danced around Shojo and Shonen mainly, always following that thread of the fantastical and mythic. That led me to Naruto almost 15 years ago and that's when I really became aware of Shonen as a genre, its highlights and its less than desirable tropes. I fell in love (and hate) with Naruto and Bleach and later One Piece and at the same time got hooked on Attack on Titan until it hit its Marley reveal whereupon the story lost its edge for me and I eventually dropped it all together. I check in now and then with One Piece and go through revivals of Dragonball Z and Yugioh Duel Monsters which I've always had a soft spot. After Naruto and Bleach ended and the rather unsatisfying conclusion to One Piece's Dressrosa arc I found myself falling out of love with Shonen, until last winter where I caught sight of some AMVs of Jujutsu Kaisen's (JJK) heartbreaking Hidden Inventory arc and against my will found myself investing in it despite everything I'd heard about the harrowing events in the story and the increasingly choppy writing. JJK has just ended in a rather unsatisfactory manner and it's got me reflecting on what keeps drawing me back to the genre and why I keep getting turned off by it.

What I love about Shonen

I think what I specifically love about Shonen is the combat. I love fight scenes and warriors combined with myth, magic and the search for meaning. Shonen, specifically Battle Shonen, really scratches that itch, especially with its East Asian roots it almost always combines martial arts with weaponry and magical combat where as Western media often doesn't do this as well. Plus I love the varied worldbuilding which often takes inspiration from Eastern mythologies and philosophies. Eastern philosophies and religions are a major inspiration to my own spiritual practice, although I also draw on Western traditions as well, however I tend to find Eastern philosophies more advanced so storytelling and life lessons drawn from them can be more profound. There's also an interesting dialogue between Japan and the West which continues to be explored through manga and anime, so witnessing how countries inspire and comment on each other and their art styles is cool.

In terms of art style and visual characterisation, Shonen can have some beautiful to downright outrageous character designs! I have a real weakness for beautifully drawn male characters like the Uchihas from Naruto, Byakuya Kuchiki from Bleach and lately Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru from JJK, but you also get gorgeous female characters too. One Piece's designs are always varied and interesting, like I couldn't imagine myself falling for a 10 ft tall, sadistic dude dressed like a flamingo, but Doflamingo is so fantastic from his backstory to his voice acting that you just get swept along. I particularly recall Bleach as having some stunning panels too, Tite Kubo really knew how to make a manga look good.

But really it's the visuals combined with the storytelling that draws me to Shonen. It's hard to quantify how much it's inspired me as a writer/creator, but I love how archetypal it is. With its focus on differing ideals, fascinating magic systems and bonds, Shonen often for me physicalises the emotional conflicts of life. I'm particularly drawn to stories that try to tackle the hard questions like Naruto's focus on the cycle of hatred or JJK's reflections on humanity's negative emotions being like cursed spirits. How bonds and rivalries can positively and negatively affect such dynamics and how we as readers and fans can potentially learn from these relationships and their interactions with the world around them. As someone trained in Jungian psychology, the mythological symbolism is often writ big, especially in common tropes like the rival or the villain being the main character's 'shadow' and how coming to terms with them is often about coming to terms with unacknowledged aspects of oneself. Naruto in particular was very good at this - Talk no Jutsu gets a lot of slack, some of which is valid, but I still find Naruto an excellent counter to some toxic tropes that dictate boys and men can't talk through their problems. I liked how Yuji - JJK's MC has a similar sort of empathy.

Continued in Part 2....

[stardewspellshed]

Jk I have an actual ask now: how do you go about actually making your spells in stardew? With it not being entirely up to the player where you can place things and what you can pick up and what not, how do you come up with ideas as to what you can do? (My uncertainty is probably to do with the fact that I haven’t the slightest clue what the mechanics actually are save from what I hear from my friends feral rants about the supermarket and eels)

So this ended up being a suuuper long post and I am so sorry lmao. Tried to break it up into sections to make it a little easier to read!

GET TO KNOW THE GAME

The first step to coming up with spells was to learn my medium, to put it in art terms. I played the game purely for the sake of playing the game for a while, and more or less completed several files before I decided to figure out spellcasting. By then I'd had the mechanics memorized enough that everything is second nature now, which means I actually don't really know how to explain it very well in a way that makes sense to other people!

In a nutshell, I'd sorted out how decorating the farm works, what crops I like/don't like growing (which helps for associations!), etc., but also the negative mechanics like "leaving Jack o Lanterns outside on the last night of fall means they'll turn into rotten glurge on the first day of winter" and "villagers walking through your stuff can break or uproot it so be careful where you put stuff if you're sticking things in town".

GET TO KNOW YOUR SPELL ITEMS

So the first solid step I took when I decided to start branching out into using the game for tech magic was to start sorting out my associations/correspondences for villagers and items. This is a massive work in progress because of how much stuff there is in the game and I'm nowhere close to done with actually transcribing it all, but for items I generally use a combination of traditional correspondences and what feels Correct to me.

(This is probably where I'd suggest anyone looking to get into Stardew as a method of casting start—like, at least sort out a few things you think you're going to use a lot— because your process for forming associations is inherently going to be different than mine!)

HOW THE SPELLCRAFTING PROCESS GENERALLY GOES DOWN FOR ME

(Heads up that my practice frequently relies on sympathetic magic and energy work and has since the early days of starting to work with magic. That was five years ago now, so at this point I'm by no means an expert but I have enough practice that I have a comparatively easy time using things that aren't physically there in spellcraft— this may be something that requires a fair bit of practice for other peeps. Adding this warning because I don't want to assume everybody shares my background!)

So when I craft a spell I work backwards. I figure out my goal, what timing (real world and/or in game), villagers, or items would assist in my goal if necessary, draw up a rough plan for what I want to happen in the spell itself then I just... fuck around with each step independently before casting.

I do test runs for each step I want in a spell without actually casting it to make sure it's something I can pull off, sort of like a series of miniature dress rehearsals. If I don't like how it feels or if the mechanics won't let me pull it off, I rework that step on the spot. I will do this as many times as I need to with as many steps as I need to until I have a spell that I feel flows smoothly. This is why I recommend a rough guide, because sometimes things just won't work the way you want them to and you have to rework.

On a final note I do most of my spellwork on my farm because you're pretty free of restrictions and don't run into nonsense like the villager pathing issue I mentioned earlier as often lmao.

I feel like this was incredibly rambly and didn't answer your question but it's the best explanation I've got, I'm so sorry if this wasn't helpful!

[ooops-i-arted]

It's the last day of June but I have one more post in me for @jedijune but it's a little different. The goal of Jedi June is to appreciate the Jedi, but this time I'm appreciating them in a more meta sense.

I saw Attack of the Clones in 2002 as a wee lil preteen and as soon as I laid eyes on the Jedi, I instantly wanted to be one. I wanted a cool lightsaber and space adventures like many a kid, of course. But I was also hitting those awkward teenage years and all that comes with it and I had no words for it, but I knew I was experiencing it different than my peers. I only heard "gay/queer" as an insult or an opportunity to be bullied or even murdered. I wouldn't hear "asexual" until after college. But I knew that more than anything I wanted to imagine being a Jedi because then I would never have to get married. (Also: they had girls. My sister and I watched the AotC VHS over and over and over again and memorized every single frame that had Aayla and Shaak Ti and Bultar Swan and Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee. Even though you had to be a thin, pretty girl, girls still got to be Jedi.)

And on top of all of that, I was supposed to be too old for toys but I still wanted to make stories. So I took my happy ass and my allowance money to Borders and bought this:

This, here, is Baby's First Fanfiction and Fanart. I wouldn't fall in love with LotR until January 2003. So this is where I got my start as a writer and artist of characters. (I drew all the time since I could hold a pencil, but mostly dinosaurs and animals.) I loved writing and drawing before, but it was the Jedi that first catapulted me into what I've become as a fan artist and fanfic writer now.

So for fun I dug out Baby's First Jedi OCs and decided to draw them with twenty-one more years of art skills:

For a little background, 2002 Preteen Me had a Very Grand Plan of writing a novel, submitting it to Lucasfilm, and getting it published. It would be about Derran Kanis, My Most Wonderful Jedi OC and her life and her adventures, and the very last scene would be choosing her Padawan, whose final line would be "Yoda, my name is." (Preteen Me was confident that since we don't actually see Yoda in action this wouldn't break George Lucas' rule of not revealing Yoda's species or background. The focus would be all on My Wonderful Jedi OC anyway.)

A little Yoda is a lot easier to draw now after all the practice with Grogu! Should I call Favroni and tell them it was my idea first? XD

I was obsessed with the Jedi Apprentice series most of all, so of course there had to be more characters for them to get into Shenanigans with for both generations.

Leronna was Derran's friend, a wise and serious Jedi Master. Derran was the Qui-Gon of the relationship and more of a risk-taker, while Leronna was more solemn to balance her out.

Their other friend was Mukdon, because I thought a Hutt Jedi would be really cool and unique. To contrast Hutt stereotypes, he was rather un-confident and a worrywart.

Of course Yoda needed a friend to get into trouble with, so he had Leronna's Padawan Te-Mon Zeyon. Te-Mon was the serious and play it safe one to contrast Yoda being more reckless (I figured he couldn't be that wise and solemn yet but that cheerfully mischievous side had been there the whole time.) Now that I look at him, I think I accidentally designed a Light Side version of Kylo Ren's TFA outfit.

Last of all my redraws was Tama Ci, a posthumous character and Leronna's first Padawan. Losing her to an illness made Leronna reluctant to take another Padawan and contributed to Te-Mon being more cautious, since he didn't want to risk himself and force his Master to face another loss. I don't remember for sure but I strongly suspect her design was influenced by Aayla Secura, since she's my sister's favorite Jedi and we often tracked down any content or merch of her together.

No I will not post any of the fanfiction... it's baaaaaad. It was written by a preteen and it shows. (No offense to any of you in that age range - just that as an adult, I've learned a lot more since then.) But like favorite dolls you take off the shelf and play with now and then, all these characters hold a special place in my heart. Derran, as my first and most dearest - the core of my first grand plan for a long fic - is very special to me and my oldest "active" OC, now existing as a character in SWTOR.

The Jedi were escapism and a refuge for me as a kid, just like Din Djarin and his friends are for me now. So that's what I really appreciate most. That even as a preteen/teenager, in all those awkward years, I still had a place to mentally escape and pretend I was a badass space monk who never had to get married and could live in a cool building with a huge library.

[londonfoginacup]

rambling talk of fan art and art appreciation under the cut

(update from me who has gotten halfway through this post --- this ends up just being me waxing poetic about Eiichiro Oda. You've been warned)

Okay SO I said like a week or more ago that I really wanted to make One Direction fan art in the style of One Piece. Or maybe I just said that I wanted to draw them as the Straw Hat pirates. REGARDLESS. I haven't done it. And it would be SO EASY to just draw them as pirates, maybe dress them up in their little pirate costumes (Harry's practically dressed as Brook on stage anyway) but like. I've been thinking about it ever since I made that post, and just drawing them as pirates is not actually what I want! What I want is, like, so much more.

I read One Piece for the first time when I was in 5th grade and got a copy of Shonen Jump magazine from the Scholastic book catalog. Like, that was... 2003? So it's been 20 years. And through middle and high school i LOVED One Piece, even came back to it a few times during college. I've always been a bit of a manga nerd, but there's something magical specifically about OP, that I think can be expressed through these books--

(look, you can even see me writing this post in the background)

Like, honestly, what Eiichiro Oda does with art is what I want to do. He's a fucking inspiration. These books are what I was talking about when I said I wanted to draw One Direction in this style.

Like!!!! These books are all of his large color spreads that he does, and each one of them are so full of movement and color and life!! This is what art is about!! Seeing something and feeling the life force inside of it!

There are so many things that I struggle with in making art, and one is that I seriously neglect backgrounds for the sake of focusing only on the character. And Oda just so perfectly incorporates his characters into a scene

Like!!! Imagine a One Direction piece like this! All of the movement, the expressions, the wind! The domesticity!!

When I say I want to draw 1D in the style of One Piece, I mean the way that characters are so clearly at the front and back of the scene! The way everyone is alive and breathing and doing things!! And come on Louis would look cool as hell smoking like that

It's the way everyone's personalities are so clearly shown in their expressions and what they're doing!! The way the scenes don't make any logical sense but they make logistical sense! I want to draw One Direction like THIS!

THE FOUND FAMILY ASPECT!!!! The way they're all together, having fun being with one another!! I want to draw fetus 1D!!! I want them all around a heated table!!! I want to draw the feelings I get from this!!!

Do you KNOW how HARD action is to draw? THIS is what I want! The waves and the wind and the way they're all so full of LIFE! What would it be like to be able to replicate this?

Okay last one I promise but also one of my favorites (That's a lie they're all my favorites).

I just. I long to be able to produce this with my own hand. I want to draw fetus direction exploring a magical world. I want to draw 2014 direction scattered around a kotatsu studying for exams. I want to draw 2023 direction on a lad's holiday in the sky.

And why don't I? Because I don't think big enough and because I'm scared. If I were to try to replicate the feeling of this art right now? It would look, in comparison, absolutely terrible. It would fall so short. And I would cringe and want to throw it away.

It's so hard to try to convince myself that that's okay. That drawing with the abilities that I have right now is just fine, because art is about the act of creation, about loving the process and making something that represents my heart. It's not about being as good as Oda. It's about the joy of expression.

I just. Want to draw this so bad. I want to quit my life and get a cabin by the seaside and draw this all day. I want to draw them all fighting and all cuddling and all fishing and catching tiny guppies and giant sea monsters. I want to put life into my drawings like this. That's what I mean when I say I want to draw like One Piece.

Anyway. Why, you are thinking, did I write this post? Mostly because I didn't know until I made this exactly what I wanted. I think I do now.

And my art isn't going to be good. But going in knowing what I want is important. I want to take a step toward imbuing true life into my work.

Guess now is as good a time to start as any.

[shinxeysartgallery]

how do i get better at arting

Well, like basically every other artist will tell you, practice more!

Although, a lot of people don't really say what that means or HOW to practice, so there are a few things I can suggest regarding that.

1.) One important thing is to realize where your deficiencies are or what you're trying to improve. If it's several things, narrow them down a bit. If you don't do this, it can make things much more overwhelming and make the task seem a lot more daunting, which makes you less likely to want to do anything with it, or leave you with a feeling that you just CAN'T improve because it's too much. Start small. What do you want to improve? Anatomy? Shading? Coloring? Hair? Something else? Once you have that narrowed down, look up some tutorials on how to improve on it! You can refine the tutorial search from "How do I get better at art" to more specific terms like "how do I shade better?", which will often yield more helpful results! Most digital drawing software also has online tutorials for how to use it and its tools, so I also recommend checking those out if you're a digital artist! (Even MS Paint has tutorials online for stuff, so you don't even need anything fancy!)

2.) Use references! I promise it's not cheating; even professional artists use references! And this doesn't apply to just "oh use this image of [character] to learn how to draw them", either. Use references for things like poses, hands, and even backgrounds! Use Google (or another preferred search engine) to look up bases or even stock images to use for pose references. This site here is EXCELLENT for hand refs! I use it a lot! And if you can't find a good hand or pose reference, the thing I do then is take a picture of myself in the pose/angle I need to use as a reference instead. I definitely recommend doing that if you need better references or refs at precise angles. For backgrounds, use photos! Want to draw a waterfall? Look up images of waterfalls to use! A forest? Look up forest pics instead!

3.) Remember that it's a slow process! You probably won't see a ton of improvement overnight, but that's okay! Don't beat yourself up about it if you're not seeing much improvement at first. It can be real easy to fall into a mindset of thinking that you're a failure or that you'll never improve because of how long it can take before you start seeing noticeable results, but just remember: no artist got as good as they are overnight. It took me several years to get to where I'm at, skill-wise. Just keep working at it and remember to love yourself. :)

Those are some things that come to mind, off the top of my head, but yeah.

[jimothy-g-brooks]

Korra Fanfic Idea

I had a Villain Stu rattling in my head for a long while now:

Nero, young disciple to Zaheer, as in about 5-10 years older than Korra. When the Red Lotus Four fail to kidnap Korra and end up in prison, Nero drops off the radar and resurfaces in Republic City years later. He takes on the persona of the Blue Spirit, playing the part of a violent vigilante using a combination of Zaheer's teachings, both moral and practical, and what he's picked up himself in the intervening years.

He makes friends with a pair of orphans, Mako and Bolin, developing a crush on the latter because fucking have you seen Bolin? Bolin doesn't play on that side of the court though so things don't pan out. Nero does substitute in for Bolin during a match; he can't bend but the ref rules that if the Fire Ferrets are willing to accept a handicap in filling a slot. He's able to hold his own by tanking every hit.

He also falls under the influence of Amon and the Equalist Movement. He has his own motivations for this, not believing in the cause itself but that the attempt itself will bring about necessary change, still retaining Zaheer's influence.

The dissolutions of the Council and the Elected President is a win in his book. He does panic when Amon's secret is exposed, thinking it will undermine the revolution and is pleasantly surprised when nothing seems to come of it, at least not in the way he thought it would fall apart. He is exposed as an Equalist, and as the Blue Spirit, souring his relationship with the Fire Ferrets, but that's a sad but acceptable loss.

Throughout the season, we are shown Nero's skills, using spiritual energy to empower his physical form. He even gets that Avatar eye glow when he's able to "power up" for a few hot seconds. He has a series of tattoos on his back lining up with his chakras that light up as he draws on his chi.

Season 2 rolls around: While everything is happening with Unalaq, wanted convict Nero is tooling around in the background, putting together a posse of societal rejects, benders and non-benders alike that he calls the Black Lotus, possibly while patting himself on the back a little too hard. Their goal is incredibly vague, which seems to be the point, to fight against "the oppressors" and all forms of societal injustice, violently.

They end up becoming third-party antagonists throughout the mess with Water Tribe Civil War and Unalaq. Nero seems to know what's going on with Unalaq and drops some cryptic warnings on the Fire Ferrets, whom he still refers to as the Fire Ferrets. Oh, and he kills Unalaq.

He kills Unalaq before he can permanently bond to Vaatu and convinces the Dark Spirit that this clearly makes him a superior choice and merge with him instead. Once bonded, Nero makes two choices: First, dub himself as the Anathema. Second, help Korra re-bond with Raava. He gives a couple reasons for this, in part to justify it to the obviously livid Vaatu.

One, a ten thousand year conflict between the Avatar and the Anathema would be the ultimate expression of chaos. Two, the two of them together will be balancing forces to each other- the Anathema can destroy what is wrong in the world and the Avatar can rebuild. That their push and pull will prevent stagnation or utter destruction.

At least, that's how Nero presents it, not that Korra is on board with the idea. She justifiably thinks he is a power mad lunatic, especially when he decides to go to Republic City to kill President Riko because clearly the man isn't doing a good enough job and assassination is the answer. Korra stops him but he gets away again.

When she decides to up-end the status quo by opening the spirit portals, he is floored and it shows that his preconceived notions of the Avatar being a force of preservation alone might be shaken.

Third season, Riko is loathe to banish Korra this time around, because she might be the only thing standing between him and Nero. However, his poll numbers are tanking because of this and he might end up ousted in the next election protecting her. Somewhere, Nero is patting himself on the back as if that's what he planned all along.

Nero proves how far he has drifted from Zaheer's teachings in Ba Sing Se. Not over killing the Earth Queen, Nero was 100% down for that and in fact might be the one that does it himself, but over tearing down the wall and encouraging the citizens to riot. Zaheer accuses him of only attacking the symptom of a broken system while ignoring the root cause and Nero accuses him of becoming overly attached to an ideal state while he lets injustices persist so long as it adheres to his philosophy.

The Fire Ferrets and the Black Lotus have to team up against the Red Lotus, and doing so probably shakes up the whole ending, with Korra not getting as fucked up as she did. This means how season four shakes out might be very different. I had the idea of Nero having originally helped Kuvira, out of a misplaced sense of responsibility while Korra was on the mend and partly inspired by Korra opening the portals. He'd turn on her eventually, as her tyranny became intolerable, and also pissed at Suyin for not stepping up earlier. But if Korra is not fucked up, Kuvira might not even become a thing, so I dunno.

~

I also had a couple side ideas:

I debate whether or not Nero still beats the past lives out of Korra, that way the Anathema and the Avatar will start on even footing. It would give Korra plenty more reason to hate his ass still.

That the Anathema doesn't work on reincarnation. Instead, it works like Exaltation: The Anathema Spirit will seek out a "fully" grown host, someone who matches Nero's ideal of a rebel hero, and grant that person his powers. It means that no organization, like any of the Lotuses, can seek out a baby Anathema and see to it that they're raised "properly".

[thebuckblogimo]

A jumble of thoughts on a "Monday Moanin.'"

April 3, 2023

People my age--in Michigan, at least--will remember the late Detroit Free Press columnist Bob Talbert. At the start of each week he wrote a piece called "Out of My Mind on a Monday Moanin.'" Here's my attempt at something similar:

Why is it that screw manufacturers persist in making fasteners with "star" heads and other odd shapes. Seems to me they should be "standardized," i.e., able to be turned with either a Phillips head or flat-head screwdriver.

Phrases such as "Dear Valued Customer" or "team members" (when referring to employees) don't ring true for me.

I've always been envious of people with prominent eyebrows. Wish I had them.

I've tried all sorts of body wash products. However, a good old-fashioned bar of Ivory soap still smells the cleanest to me. After all, it's "99 and 44/100 percent pure."

For some reason I still have trouble when trying to properly use the word "existential." Same for "fraught" and "co-opt."

Another tune I've never heard a bad version of is "Stranger On The Shore." Originally recorded by clarinetist Acker Bilk in 1962, my favorite interpretation is by tenor saxophonist Houston Person.

I wonder why people don't do "calisthenics" any more. They were the staples of football practice when I was in grade school and high school: trunk rotations, neck rotations, bridges, shoulder rolls, running in place, jumping jacks and sit-ups while someone holds your feet to the ground.

Back when you could hold a newspaper in your hands, I rarely spotted typos in stories and editorials. Now I see them daily in the online versions I monitor.

When I was a kid I thought it was the coolest thing when I first noticed a party invitation that said, "8:00 p.m. until ?" Loved the mischief that conjured up in my mind.

There is a whole category of words that sound cool to me. Three examples: "shiitake," "charcuterie," and "Kamchatka." (Sort of like the sounds I make when I sneeze.)

I take credit for inventing the "foot shake," as when the sole of the shoe of one person meets the sole of the shoe of another person, after one of them says, "Slip me some sole."

My favorite craft brew is Bell's Two Hearted; my favorite "water beer" is Yuengling (not the light version).

I have no problem with twisting the top off a bottle of beer, but I much prefer using a bottle opener.

When it comes to mass produced domestic beer, I generally prefer "high octane" types as opposed to "light beer." But when I do drink light beer my favorites are, in this order: LaBatt Blue Light, Busch Light, Coors Light, Miller Lite and the late, great Old Milwaukee Light. But never Bud Light. (Stay thirsty, my friends.)

When my favorite football or basketball team is playing on the tube, I prefer watching an important game alone, as opposed to with a large group of people. I see more, notice more that way.

Going all the way back to fifth grade basketball, I can't recall a single kid who wore "0" on his jersey. Maybe that's why today I still can't get used to seeing it on football and basketball uniforms.

I love the numbers 26, 84, 90 and 95 (with a special shout-out to number 59) on football jerseys. My college friends will know why.

I dislike seeing an athlete wearing number 1. I interpret it as saying, "Hey, look at me."

Whoever selects the musical interludes between stories broadcast on NPR has amazing taste. If only I were quicker on the draw to Shazam them so that I could identify the name of each song and it's artist.

I heard the Who's "Pinball Wizard" over the speakers at the gym the other day. I still think it's an ATT--"all-time-terrible."

Last year while visiting my daughter in Chicago, I purchased one chocolate covered glazed donut at Do-Rite Donuts for $3.45. Last fall, while perusing my high school's 1963 year book, I noticed an ad for Golden Boy Donuts with a sign in the background that indicated a dozen donuts cost 75 cents.

I was never one to win spelling bees in grade school, but I eventually got pretty good at spelling words. Now, I seem to be as crappy at it as I ever was.

During the years before retirement, Debbie and I owned three wonderful dogs (Angela, Erma and Wanda). Now, sometimes we walk our kids' dogs (Gadget, Rambo, Gonzo and Paya). It kills me when they try to back-kick grass onto their deposits after doing their duty.

[doodlboy]

I was in a mood today

[basket-of-radiants]

Weapon of choice: falling.

[hobbitsnapes]

YOU GUYS ARE DATING

Corpse x MGK!sister reader

(Found this image on Pinterest so all credit goes to artist, if you know who it is please comment below so I can credit them)

A/N: this was requested by @heyitssab

Tree is tall of sex in this, but it’s more in a joking matter, plus corpse has stated he doesn’t mind as long as you are not a minor or send or tag him. I’m literally 2 years younger than him, and have no intentions of ever tagging him or sending him any of my work XD

Summary: how many idiots does it take to tell the brother and friend they’re dating? Apparently takes 2 very forgetful people, who kept their relationship secret without knowing it.

It had just been by chance, a small chance that he had been scrolling through his tags. liking and reposting art, when he saw a tag from someone he followed. He wrecked his brain for when he had followed her, coming up empty. She was cute, no denying the beauty she had as she laughed in the video. It was a clip from a stream that he didn’t know she had, as he couldn’t even remember her name, wearing his merch as it fit her snug. It fit her perfectly in fact, the large hood covering her face, hiding the flush to her face from her rather large chuckles that left her body. He couldn’t help but like the photo, and he couldn’t help but to press message either.

It was first only small likes to posts, an Occasional message, and a view on their livestreams, but that all changed when he spoke of the song he was working on with her older brother.

It all started that night, when both lay in their beds as they talked, laughed, and felt their hearts flutter each time they heard one another speak.

Her phone rang violently in her bag, nearly making her drop the to go bag all over the ground as she walked. “Hello?” She asked, as she held both bags with her hands as her shoulder gripped the phone as if it’d fall down a cliff. “Hey bug!” He exclaimed, making her chuckle as she heard the booming sound of his voice. She had always detested the nickname, as he gave it to her as kids due to her horrendous fear of the creatures. But, it brought more joy to her, as it reminded her of their youth. Having been adults for years, it was fun to hear such a childish name that’s stuck.

“Hey mopey.” She chuckled, as that was the name she gave him when he was in his emo phase that he never outgrew.

Both talked as she walked towards the elevator, mainly about how his day had gone as she silently listened.

She had always been this way, always the shyer of the two, the one to listen to others first before she said a word. He had teased her for it most of their childhood and teen life, but he had grown to love it, as he could let loose or rant to her about anything, and he knew she’d be there just to listen to him.

“So what’re you doing right now?” He asked, as she got into the elevator. “Just grabbed some dinner a few minutes before you called and nearly made me shit.” A smile painted on her face at his boisterous laughter.

“Are you at home?” He asked, as he heard the sound of the elevator beeping in the background. “No, I’m spending the night with my boyfriend.”

She had mentioned about a month prior that she was seeing someone, the joy it brought him to hear the excitement and joy in her tone as she gushed about their first date.

If this was 7 or 8 years prior, he would be bombarding her with questions about the man, who he was, where he lived, where he could meet him to find his intentions with his baby sister. But, in the last few years, he found himself feeling calmer whenever she’d mentioned her love life. He knew she was smart, and would never date a man who treated her poorly. The few breakups she had, they always ended amicably, her head still high as she told him. So, he never asked her any questions about the man, as he could tell from the few times she mentioned him, he could feel the love this man had for her, and Vice versa.

The strong barreling of her phone alerted them awake, both groaning out as she reached for her phone without lifting her head from his shoulder. “Hello?” She mumbled, voice slurred as the saliva was thick in her mouth, barely awake as she fought to listen in on who dares to wake them up.

“Hey!” He exclaimed, making her equally exhausted lover groan. She shifted off of him, laying on her back as he turned away from her, as to hopefully shut his eyes and fall back asleep. She was used to her brother's large voice, as it hardly phased her after growing up with him. “Colson, why are you calling me this ungodly hour?” “Oh come on, it’s not that early.” “Col its-“ She pulled her phone from her ear, eyes shutting violently as the bright light blinded her “5 o’clock in the morning. So again, I’m going to ask you, why did you call me at the asscrack of dawn?” “You don’t remember?” He asked, making her irritation grow. “No, that’s why I’m asking.” She says, as she rubbed her sleep crusted eyes. “You were coming up today to hang out with casie, remember?” Her hand stopped rubbing her face, as she felt her heart stop momentarily. “Wait, you mean today? I thought I was coming Friday?” “No, both of you settled on today, remember I told you that’s perfect because I have a day off?” She felt her heart pain as she heard the sadness in his tone, knowing he’s expecting her to bail. “Yeah sorry, I thought you meant Friday so I mixed it up, let me get ready and I’ll be out the door okay? Love you” she said, as she hung up the line.

Before she could even move, she felt his arm wrap around her body. A tired groan leaving his lips. “Nooo stayyyy.” He groaned, pulling her body to his. She smiled as she looked down at him, wrapping her arm on his chest and the other behind his neck. “I wish I could live, but I can’t.” Planting a soft kiss against his lips. “Stay in bed for a few more hours, please?” Her heart pulled at his tone, hearing just how tired he was. “I can’t, casies wanted me to come up for weeks now. And it takes a good 3 hours to get there. I wanna spend as much time as I can with them before it gets dark so I can get back safely.” He groaned at this, wrapping his arms around her. “Yeah but it’s only 5, it wouldn’t be safe to drive since we went to bed like, 2 hours ago.” “Yeah, and whos fault was that mister?” She teased, “hmm, sorry but I just couldn’t keep my hands to myself after not seeing you for a few days.” He mused, pulling her body closer to his, planting his lips against hers. A small hum left her lips as he pulled her thigh over his, grabbing the flesh harshly as their lips cascaded together. “Mm, no no no, you’re not gonna convince me to stay here just to go another round.” She said, as she got off from his warm body, throwing his large hoodie over her bare body. “Oh come on babe, are you sure about that?” He said, making her turn around to him. A small gasp left her lips as her eyes took in his milky white complexion. His honey brown eyes looking back at her with a small smile etched onto his face. His hair a tousled mess that resembled a bird's nest, some pieces falling onto his face. “Honey, I’ve been wanting to see my family for weeks now, I see you almost everyday and practically live here. I’ll be back tomorrow so I can grab more clothes from my place okay?” She placed a kiss to his lips, both holding one another in their arms. “I don’t know why you don’t just say fuck that place and just move in.” He mumbled, making her chuckle and heart warm. “Don't you think it’s a little soon though? I mean we’ve only been together a few months love.” “Yeah, but you’ve practically lived here since we got together, you literally just go there to get more clothes that you end up leaving here.” She looked into his eyes as she thought about his words. “Hm, I’ll think about it today okay?” She mused, planting a kiss to his lips. A soft okay leaving him as she got up.

“And babe, remember if you live here, we can have all the sex we want and not have to worry about driving to get one another.” He exclaimed, laughing at the loud honey she screamed from the bathroom.

She couldn’t help but laugh out as she watched, as her niece tried her hardest to braid her fathers grown out hair. It was near impossible not to, as pieces would fall out, resulting in her pulling them harsher, nearly pulling his eyelids back due to the tension from his temples. “Okay okay you’re gonna fuckin scalp me.” He chuckled , as all three bursted out in large laughter.

“So how’s school going this year?” She asked her, as she delicately painted her nails. Both of the girls had found themselves on the floor in front of the nice coffee table, as colson sat and chatted with them. “It’s going really well.” “Oh yeah? Make any new friends?” She teased. “I mean, kinda.” She couldn’t help but hear the wavering in her tone, spotting the faint blush dusting her skin. “Ohh, so there’s a someone eh?” She teased to her, making the preteen hide her face as to conceal the flush. “His names Garrett, and we both take social studies together. He always sits next to me at lunch, and we’ll draw on my notebook.” She gushed, making her smile. “Soo, do you think he likes you?” “I mean, that’s what everyone keeps saying.” “Yeah well don’t worry about it to much cas, you’re not dating anyone for many more years. You’re still a kid.” Her das said, making the young girls face fall.

Y/N knew he was only saying this to protect her, as he said the same thing to her growing up. “Hey, don’t be bummed out about it. He is right, you both are only 12 and should focus on school. But don’t worry, he’ll come around. He was just like that with me up until my current boyfriend.” She whispered, making the young girl chuckle.

“Speaking of which, how are you guys doing?” He asked, as she hadn’t mentioned hun to her in a while. He didn’t think it’d hurt to ask. “Great actually, we’re thinking of moving in together actually.” “That’s great! I’m really happy that y’all met.” “Yeah, I am too.” She hummed, a flush dusting her cheeks.

Both men laughed as they chatted on the phone, talking about anything that would come to mind. What was once only a collaboration for a song, turned into an amazing friendship that caused both of them to call at late hours just to shoot the shit.

A yawn left his lips, as he listened to colson ramble on about another song he was making. “Woah, you tired man?” Colson asked, shocked to hear the sound. “Yeah sorry, was up most of the night last night.” He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “Were you feeling alright?” He asked, worry laced in his tone. He knew all about his friends illnesses, even once being on the other end of the phone during a bad spell one day.” “Oh yeah yeah yeah, was just, up with the misses last night.” He chuckled, a flush blooming on his cheeks. “Ohhh yeah? And how was it?” This shocked him, nearly feeling his heart stop. Like, does he usually know about his sisters sex life? He didn’t think much of it, as he knew just how close both were. “It was absolutely fucking amazing. Like I thought we’d be done for the night, fully tapped out but after like 5 minutes she’d be right back on me for another round.” He chuckled, his flush even worse than before. “Ayyyeee good for you corpse, glad to hear that puss is bussin.” He laughed at this, throwing his head back. “Yeah, it’s bussin bussin.”

Both men talk as they read from their phones, eyes wide in absolute awe of the love they received from the song. They had just dropped it a few days prior, not expecting the cry of joy from both fan bases.

He didn’t even look up from it when she walked in, until she bent down to plant a kiss to his forehead. “Sorry I had completely forgot about the tea I made you an hour ago, but I put it back on the stove to heat it up so if it’s twisting funky just tell me okay?” Before he could even thank her, both their heads whipped towards the loudness from the other line. “Y/N? Is that you? What in the hell are you doing there with corpse!” He didn’t sound angry, more shocked than anything, both of them looking at the phone in confusion. “I, I love here? Remember I told you like a month ago I was moving in with him?” “WHAT!” Both jumped at the loud scream. “Wait so you guys are dating!?” Both we’re even more perplexed, until it dawned on both of them. Their eyes wide as they turned their heads to one another slowly. “Wait you didn’t tell him?” “No? He’s one of your best friends so I thought you did!” “He’s your brother! So I thought you did!” Both whisper, until all three lay silent. That was until, the large cry of laughter that leaves the two, leaving colson even more confused. He wasn’t mad, not at all actually. More shocked and confused than anything. Until he started thinking, it does make sense, all the times they spoke about one another without him knowing, all the times they mentioned-“OH GOD!” He yelled, gagging violently, making them stop their laughing fit. “What's wrong? Why are you yelling?” She asks “like a month ago corpse was talking about how he was tired cause he was up all night having sex AND I HAD NO IDEA HE WAS TALKING ABOUT YOU! OH GOD WAS THAT WHY YOU WERE LIMPING THAT DAY WITH CAS AND I!” Both laugh even harder, as they listen to his ever growing gags.

“So yeah,. That’s literally how we had no idea we were keeping the relationship secret from her brother.” He laughed, as he red the comments and listened to his friends' laughter. She sat beside him, head laying on his shoulder as he told the story. She couldn’t help but to look back up into his eyes, as he glanced down at her, planting a soft kiss to her lips. “Keep it pg guys.” Colson said from the other line, making them chuckle.

[wasabito]

➽ corruption collab masterlist — hosted by @ultimate-astridwriting and @bummie ♥️

➽ note: definitely gonna come back and edit this a bit more because threesomes are hard as fuck, no pun intended lmao happy v-day everyone!

➽ word count: 3.2k

➽ cw/tags: polyamory + body worship + threesome + praise kink + public sex + choking + handjobs/fingering + vaginal sex + squirting + established relationship

➽ pairing: akaashi x fem!reader x bokuto

💿 1. nasty — ariana grande || 2. come on — jhene aiko

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, it becomes rather apparent that love and romance are in the air. Storefronts are decorated in bubblegum pinks and reds. Flower shops promote their special bouquet arrangements at discounted prices. Even your favorite hole in the wall coffee shop has fallen prey to the spirit of cupid as they announce their new strawberry shortcake dessert and heart-shaped scones.

In lieu of staying home for the third night this week, your boyfriends escort you to dinner at an upscale restaurant in the city. They treat you to a five-course meal and a bottle of wine even pricier than the dinner itself. One would think, after three years of dating, you would no longer be caught unawares by their spontaneity. And yet, here they are, once again pulling the rug from underneath your four-inch heels.

Your gaze flickers from Akaashi's tranquil smile to Bokuto's wide grin.

Adjusting the napkin in your lap, you open your mouth to speak, then pause as the right words fail it come. Brain short-circuiting instead, you let out a confused, "Huh?!"

"We're taking you to Italy!" Bokuto repeats, about ready to hop out of his seat with excitement. He looks to Akaashi, "Three nights in Venice, right 'Kaashi?"

"Yes, we decided on Venice after you told us you'd always wanted to visit. Remember Koutarou's birthday last year?"

"But that was like months ago! Did you two honestly hold onto that drunk little confession this entire time?"

"Of course."

"Yup!!"

It's in moments like these when you are reminded of their history together, first as teammates playing volleyball, and eventually close friends. Not much longer after that, you'd met and fallen for Akaashi, then Bokuto, and thus began the relationship of today. While you find it a little ridiculous, it seems neither of them has any qualms about this trip.

After all, you are their lovely girlfriend. Why wouldn't they want to make your wishes come true?

Bokuto claps his hands, eyes sparkling. "Everything's already planned out, babe, so don't worry your pretty little head, okay?"

You can't argue with that. Reaching over, you take Bokuto's hand in your right and Akaashi's in your left. "Alright, since you two went to all this trouble for me, I guess I'll just sit back and enjoy it."

♥️

Venice is just as beautiful as you imagined.

It looks as if it's floating upon blue-green waters with lots of sunshine, beautiful architecture, and a vibrancy that makes it feel like the city has a life of its own. You are grateful you didn't come by yourself. There is no way you would've enjoyed it without Akaashi and Bokuto at your side.

"We're about a ten-minute walk from Piazza San Marco," Akaashi says as he taps his glasses. His sharp gaze is locked on the map in his hands, likely committing most landmarks and details to memory. "Would you like to check it out?"

"Yeah! Let's do it."

"Off we go, go, go!"

Thus, a majority of your first day in Venice is spent sightseeing.

The three of you take a gondola ride through Canale Grande, then have a peek into the Gallerie Dell'Accademia at Akaashi's insistence, though naturally, you wouldn't have come all the way to Italy and not visited at least one art museum. Afterward, the three of you go to the Le Mercerie shopping district and buy gifts for your friends before finally taking a pit stop for the most delicious gelato in the city.

The sunsets sooner than expected, casting the entire block in deep red hues. Bokuto's mood is greatly influenced by it, and the jetlag certainly doesn't help. He props himself against you, nuzzling you in a way that says he's itching for a kiss.

"Tired, Kou?"

Bokuto hums. "A little... More hungry than anything."

He leans in and pecks your lips with a sated smile. "Maybe I should eat you. I mean, how is it my girl's so damn cute? Not fair, I can't resist."

You snort at Bo's silliness but can't help shivering a little at the tiny implication of his words. He always did like to lay his head on your thighs, leaving a trail of kisses and love bites where he could.

So, the thought of him eating you out made you squeeze your thighs together.

Akaashi approaches with your frozen treats held between his long fingers; having overheard Bokuto earlier, he tucks his wallet back into his pocket.

"We'll get some dinner after we drop off these shopping bags. How does that sound?"

You eagerly take your gelato from him with a smile.

"Sounds like a plan."

Akaashi nods, standing at your other side, close enough to brush elbows though not as close as Bokuto, who was nearly hovering.

The three of you are in one of the narrow, maze-like streetways, basking in the warm, early evening glow. The sweet taste of fruit and cream on your tongue fills you with so much contentment, especially while being with your favorite people. You aren't sure if anything could top the way you currently felt, and the trip has just barely started.

Upon arriving at your temporary place of residence, a quaint little villa on the waterfront just along the shore of Punta Sabbioni Beach, Bokuto immediately kicks off his sandals, dumps the bags, and promptly falls asleep on the couch.

"It's so weird seeing Kou like this." You remark. "On any normal day, he's brimming with almost too much energy, but now he's all tired."

"Well, he did stay up an entire twelve hours on the plane. It was only a matter of time before fatigue caught up to him." Akaashi picks up Bokuto's shoes with practiced ease and places them by the others.

There is a fond smile running along the edges of his mouth as he tucks a throw around the man's larger frame. You help him adjust a spare pillow under Bo's head and then set off to explore the rest of the area.

It seemed like everything about Venice was taken straight out of a romance film, with its cobblestone paths, gothic cathedral architecture, crisp ocean waters, and authentic Italian cuisine. It is no wonder the city's known to draw hapless souls together in romance. Even you fell subject to it, and by each passing moment, you crave to be with your boyfriends.

You are standing at the balcony overlooking the beach, satisfied with your inspection of the villa when Akaashi comes to stand behind you. He holds onto the railings, caging you in his arms, and rests his chin on your shoulder.

"He was right, you know." He murmurs. "You do look good enough to eat."

Blunt as ever. Apparently, something's never change.

Though one might say that Akaashi is as he's always been after high school and college, there is no denying his boost in confidence. After all, he had landed not one but two rather attractive partners.

He kisses your cheek, then your jaw, before latching onto your neck.

The sun's scenic view on the horizon, reflecting upon the beach sands of gold and shimmering orange waves, makes for an excellent backdrop.

You turn to face Akaashi and pull him into a heated kiss. His lips convey a sense of devotion to you, and with each press of them against yours, you can feel just how bad he's yearning for more.

"Kei," you whisper. "Let's go inside."

In a moment, Akaashi whisks you off your feet quite similar to how Bokuto would, though you both don't even make it to the bedroom.

Your other partner had sat up on the sofa, hair flat on one side, scrubbing his eyelids.

"Guys, I'm freaking starving!" Bokuto groans. "Let's get some food or something."

He doesn't even notice how you and Akaashi are breathing heavy or how your clothes are sporting wrinkles that were not previously there. Regardless, Akaashi has food delivered while you went ahead to shower the day's journey away. There are still two days left. You'd get your chance with them at some point.

♥️

Sadly, the entirety of day two is spent indoors. Heavy sheets of rain continue to fall, muddying the shoreline. The three of you huddle on the sofa wrapped in blankets with subtitled movies playing in the background.

Even though you would've much rather been out exploring in the city, just sharing in your boyfriend's warmth would suffice for now. Akaashi hands you a steaming cup of something rich in both color and smell.

"What's this?"

"Just espresso." He takes the empty seat beside you.

You savor the taste while leaning against his shoulder. "Mm, nice."

Bokuto keeps his head on your lap, loving how you thread your fingers into his hair.

It is a tranquil kind of peace that soon lulls you to sleep.

Later, when you finally wake up, it's dark, and you're alone. A blanket had been tucked around your shoulders to shield you from the sudden chill. At some point, the television had been shut off along with every light in the room. You might've been a little scared if not for the voices coming from the second floor. Slowly, you creep up the winding staircase, dragging along the blanket around your shoulders.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Bokuto chuckles. "You're finally up!"

His hair is down, wet from his shower, and he holds a thin towel together around his waist. In his hand is a cellphone, and he doesn't hesitate to shove the screen into your face. "Say hi, Tetsu!"

"Hi Y/N, how's it going?"

You blink slowly, still trying to wake yourself up.

"Kuroo, hey… I'm well. How are you?"

"Great, just about to head out for a late lunch. I hear it's almost ten pm over there."

"Yeah, it's an eight-hour time difference."

You and Kuroo continue to chat while Bokuto towels off his hair and puts on clothes. Afterward, you let Bokuto resume his conversation and join Akaashi on the bed. The man had gone full editor-mode with his glasses propped up in his hair as he read through some work documents.

When you approach, he greets you with a kiss on the cheek. "You look well-rested."

"Is that your way of telling me I have drool on my cheek, Keiji?"

He cracks a tiny smile, eyes taking in your features, then he pokes your cheek with his index finger. "Perhaps."

You scrub the corners of your mouth with your sleeve and drape yourself over Akaashi, work be damned. This was supposed to be a special weekend for relaxing.

"I really wanted to go to the beach today." You pout.

Akaashi interlocks his fingers with yours. "Maybe we still can. It stopped raining a few hours ago."

"Really?!"

You hop off the bed and head for the window. He's right, the rain had long stopped, and the beach lay bare, lit by only the moonlight.

Maybe a short walk to the beach would do you some good.

♥️

The grains of sand feel cold against your feet without the sun to beat down on them, but you don't complain. The air is humid enough on its own that you forgo wearing actual clothes and instead wear a swimsuit along with Bokuto's old Fukurōdani windbreaker.

You walk along the shore, toes digging into the sand, letting the ocean waves lap at your feet to wash them clean again.

At first, it's so eerily quiet without a soul around except you, but even that doesn't last long. You hear Bokuto's voice bellow into the night as he jogs towards you in nothing but swim trunks. Behind him, Akaashi trails slowly after with a blanket in hand.

"We thought you might want some company." He says and spreads the cover on the sand several feet away from the water, content with just watching.

Bokuto grabs your hand and you go running to the water with him, but a second later, you both come sprinting back.

"It's freezing!"

"S-So co-co-cold!"

You collapse on top of him, fingers splayed across his bare chest. However, when you try to sit up, Bokuto has other plans. He keeps you pressed to his chest with both arms around your waist.

"Let me keep you warm, baby!"

You know he meant it in the most innocent way, but you can't help but think other thoughts. Your nerves fray at the image that blooms in your head and spreads like wildfire.

And as Akaashi strokes your back, you know he's probably read your mind.

It's the way your eyes seem to glitter with want that gives it away. Akaashi has always been rather observant, and so your silent cues are something he's always been privy to.

His nimble fingers curve around the nape of your neck, and he tilts his head to capture your lips in a kiss. This one is unlike the one from yesterday. There is no rush, no desire to quicken his haste; instead, he savors the taste of you like it's something to be thoroughly enjoyed.

Underneath you, Bokuto stirs, growing aroused at the sight of his two lovers' kiss. He can't decide whether he wants to join in or sit back and watch. But his large hand comes down to stroke your ass, resulting in a moan you breathe directly into Akaashi's mouth.

"You're not usually so forthcoming, Keiji," you whisper against his lips. "Eager, are we?"

Akaashi pulls away just enough to pepper your face in feathery kisses. "Can you blame me? When I have such a lovely girlfriend here."

As if confirming his words, he slips a hand under your jacket and cups your breast. The pads of his thumb brush along the seams of your bathing suit, caressing your nipple.

"Kou, let's show Y/N just how much we love her, yes?"

Bokuto didn't need to be told twice. He had been in entranced by you and Akaashi, completely taken by the way your lips danced upon one another. But now, he wanted more than anything to touch you, kiss you, hold you.

Bokuto cradles you in his lap, propping your legs open with his knees so Akaashi can kneel in front of you. It didn't take much for him to relieve you of your clothing, namely your swimming bottoms. But the second the air hits your bare cunt, you feel tense.

You aren't sure what it was, but the atmosphere is different. Both Akaashi and Bokuto are so focused on you, it feels like you're under a spotlight.

"You're so pretty, so beautiful," Bokuto says while squeezing your thighs. His warm breath tickles your ear as he presses his nose into your neck. Next, his lips follow suit. "Wanna fuck you, so bad baby. You'd like that, right?"

His words earn him a chuckle from Akaashi, who merely licks two of his fingers, wetting them and sliding into you. Your mouth parts, shaky breaths barely expelled from your lungs. You're hyper-aware of the fact that you're literally being fingered on a beach in the middle of the night, and you can't bring yourself to care. It feels good to be pampered by the two men you love.

For every moan, Akaashi gives you double for your efforts, thrusting his fingers just right, curving them in such a way that has your back arching off Bokuto, who has also taken to fondling your nipples. With every roll of his hips, you feel his cock against your ass, and it pushes you further into Akaashi's fingers.

Your impending orgasm sweeps by so close and yet so far away. All you can do is rock yourself faster.

"Please," you whimper. "W-Wanna come."

Akaashi crooks his fingers, pressing into the perfect spot that sends you hurtling over the edge. Your cunt spasms around his fingers, clenching in intervals you have no control over until his hand is coated with your wet, slick juices that keep coming the more you squirt all over him.

"She's so wet 'Kaashi. Look at our pretty girl."

Akaashi places a chaste kiss on your forehead with a smile.

"She's doing well, so far. Let's see if she can keep going."

Bokuto shimmies his shorts off enough to free his hard cock. He had been uncharacteristically patient until now, but that was soon to change as he lines himself up with your cunt, teasing you with just the tip.

Your whining is unintelligible, but both men understand you more or less.

"Give the pretty girl what she wants," Akaashi says. He strokes his own hard-on at the sight of Bokuto's pushing past your wet folds. "I know she can take more than that."

Bokuto has always been girthy, and it takes you more than a few seconds to adjust to his size, but when you finally do, it feels like heaven.

The position you're in gives Bokuto all the power to thrust into you like a ragdoll. But it's only when you make eye contact with Akaashi that you realize that it's, in fact, the other way around for him in particular. From where he sits, stroking his cock with flushed cheeks and choked moans, you see just how much control you have over him.

"Kiss me." You moan.

Akaashi doesn't let you repeat yourself. He kisses you long and hard even as you grip his throat with one hand and his hair with the other. He kisses you until his lips are red and bruised.

"Good boy. Both of y-you."

Bokuto groans loudly. "Say it again. Keep saying it!"

"Y-You're both so good. I-" your hips stutter against Akaashi's fingers that are rubbing circles into your clit. "Good, so good-"

That's all it takes to take Bokuto over the edge, blowing his load. "Perfect, so fucking perfect."

You can feel another orgasm swelling up inside your belly. You try to tell them but can't, too overcome by the feeling of your body tingling with desire. It's too much, overwhelmingly so; your vision blurs with unshed tears as Bokuto continues to pound into sopping pussy. Pleasure floods every fiber of your being until you're limp and every nerve in your body is set alight.

Bokuto slips out of you easily, a string of his semen following.

You can only look on in a drowsy haze as Bokuto leans over and kisses you and then Akaashi, working him over with a tight fist.

♥️

The following morning, you’re the first to wake, but only because there’s a limb jammed into your back and a heavy weight on your chest. It takes you a moment to realize, but it’s Bokuto’s elbow poking you and Akaashi’s head resting on you.

All three of you are a tangle of limbs in bed, but you aren’t sure how you’d gotten there.

“G’mornin’” Bokuto breathes. His lips caress the column of your neck.

“Morning.”

You shift into a more comfortable position. Though doing so presses Akaashi’s morning wood against your thigh.

“Keiji, you awake yet?”

“Mmm barely.” Akaashi looks up at you through his lashes, then smiles and nuzzles closer into your chest.

Bokuto, content with being your big spoon, reaches over to touch Akaashi, hands cupping his cheek. “It’s Valentine’s Day!”

“That’s true, should we do something special.”

Thinking about the previous night, you feel desire stirring in your gut. “Could we just... do it again?”

Both men look to each other then back at you, sporting matching smiles.

“Why not?”

[nugnthopkns]

gonna keep this love if you let me

word count: 4.0k

warnings: explicit!fem reader, slight innuendo, alcohol consumption, cursing, a lot of wedding talk

recommended listening: burning | maggie rogers

series masterpost: here

a/n: found this during my google docs purge and decided to finish it!! guess that means hiiapl is tentatively back, but updates will most certainly be sporadic. also i know literally nothing about st. louis or the blues so pls don't come for me

Life would be completely different without Colton.

It’s crazy to think so, but it’s true. Had you not met him nearly five years ago at a bar in New York, you’d be in a totally different situation – probably married to the Wall Street douchebag you were with at the time and struggling to find your sense of self. Instead, you’re happy in St. Louis with the best chosen family you could ever dream of. Colton is a lighthouse in your storm, keeping you steady and providing hope.

Marriage has never been off the table, but it hasn’t exactly been on it either. Both you and Colton are young, barely into life itself, and you know he wants to enjoy his youth. Tyler tells you that you’re being ridiculous, that Colton is more than ready to settle down, but you’re scared to broach the topic. You’ve never handled rejection well, and Colton wielding that sword would be too much for you to bear. It doesn’t stop you from fantasizing about what your wedding would be like – you want it to be small, just close family and friends, and maybe on a lake. One day you’ll gather the courage to ask him what he thinks about spending the rest of his life with you.

“Babe, have you RSVPed to Scandella’s wedding yet?” Colton asks you as he slips his dress shoes on. It’s early May, and the Blues are trying desperately to make it out of the first round.

“No,” you draw out, slightly confused. “We didn’t get an invitation.”

“It’s on the fridge, under the grocery list. I put it there like a week ago.”

You roll your eyes and laugh. “How was I supposed to find it, Colt? I’ll do it as soon as you leave. Have fun in Denver.”

He kisses you gently, promising to score you a goal, and pats your dog on the head before wheeling his suitcase out the door and into the trunk of Tyler’s car. You wave to your boyfriend’s teammate and watch as they turn the corner. Once inside, you dig around on the fridge until you find the invitation. It’s a little crumpled, a clear indication Colton shoved it in his pocket after practice and left it there for a while, but it still looks gorgeous. Celeste, Marco’s fiancée, has a timeless style that is perfect for the wedding she’s no doubt deep into planning. Flipping the card over, you see the deadline to RSVP is in two days, so you rush to pull up the website and input your details.

Not even five minutes after saving your seats you get a text from Celeste. Cutting it pretty close to the wire, wouldn’t you say? followed by Please know I’m kidding, and I’m ecstatic you and Colton can make it.

You laugh, typing out a reply that explains your lateness. He never told me about it, just put the invite on the fridge after letting it sit in his jacket for a week. We can’t wait to be a part of the big day :) x

The two of you chat for a while longer, exchanging details about the wedding, before you take Perseus on his long walk and comfortably fall into the routine you keep when Colton isn’t around. Despite trying your best to dream of other things, you spend the night picturing what your boyfriend’s face will look like if you ever walk down the aisle.

☼☼☼☼

It’s chillier than you thought it would be, but with Colton’s suit jacket wrapped around your shoulders the warmth will soon return to your body. Marco and Celeste elected to have an evening wedding, and the setting sun makes the venue even more beautiful. Montreal is a beautiful city, with a wonderfully rich history, and the distant sound of boats on the St. Lawrence provide serene background noise.

The arm that is resting comfortably on the back of your chair shifts slightly to pull you closer to Colton. “When can we start drinking?” he whispers as you wait for the bride to make her entrance. “You look exceptionally good in that dress, and I need an excuse to have my hands all over you.”

“Colton Parayko,” you chide, “We’re in public!”

“When has that ever stopped me?”

Before you can reprimand him the music starts and the crowd rises. You follow suit, peering over Colton’s shoulder to catch a glimpse of Celeste. She looks stunning, all smiles as she makes her way towards her soon-to-be husband. The ceremony leaves you both in tears, with Colton’s teammates laughing hysterically at you. It’s the first time you don’t hear Colton defend himself when chirps are thrown.

The drinks flow freely throughout dinner, and by the time the dance floor opens you’ve consumed one too many gin and tonics. You can’t convince Colton to participate in the silly group dances so you’re with the group of wives, dancing up a storm and having the life of your life. Eventually he makes his way to the floor, stealing you away for a slow dance to some overplayed Ed Sheeran song. You rest your head on his chest as he sways you in small circles, sealing it with a kiss as the music fades into a song he can’t resist bopping along to. Both of you spend the rest of the night dancing with your friends and making memories you hope to duplicate as more of the team gets married.

It’s after midnight when the remaining guests send the newlywed couple on their way in a flurry of applause and bubbles. The hotel you’re staying at is only a short walk from the venue, so you and Colton make your way there at a leisurely pace. Much of it has to do with your inability to walk fast. Despite your boyfriend’s suggestion to wear a comfortable pair of sandals, you wore the highest pair of heels you own, and the pain you feel makes the journey longer than it needs to be.

“Hold up for a sec,” you whine slightly when Colton gets too far ahead of you for your liking, “‘M gonna take my shoes off.”

He looks at you like you’ve grown three heads. “Don’t do that Y/N, you’ll tear your feet to shreds. This isn’t even a real sidewalk.” He has a point – the path you’re on has you walking on a gravel shoulder.

“Don’t care. ’M tired and want to get home faster,” you mumble, bending over to undo the ankle straps.

A deep sigh rumbles from his chest, but Colton backtracks to stand in front of you. “Hop on.”

You do so with little protest and spend the rest of the walk clinging to Colton’s back. The hotel staff don’t bat an eye when the two of you enter the lobby, no doubt having encountered stranger things than a piggyback ride. It takes him a second to open the door but the latch eventually clicks, and Colton tosses you playfully on the bed. The two of you work quickly to complete some sort of nighttime routine, exhaustion hitting both of you hard. You want nothing more than to curl into Colton’s chest and sleep for at least fourteen hours.

Sleep has almost overcome you when Colton whispers a question into your hair. “Do you think we’ll have as much fun at our wedding?”

You try hard not to let your surprise be visible, but your heart is racing. “You want to get married?”

“Of course,” he says. “I knew you were the one a long time ago.”

A smile makes its way onto your features, though he can’t see it due to the position you’ve situated yourselves in. “I’d like to marry you one day,” you whisper back. The hum he emits reverberates in your chest, and you go to bed with your mind made up. You’re going to propose to Colton as soon as possible.

☼☼☼☼

It’s unconventional, you proposing to your boyfriend instead of the other way around, but your relationship has always been like that. Colton’s never been one to do things on other people’s timelines and neither are you, so many moments have been ‘too rushed’ for some family members’ liking. However, you do spend the rest of the summer debating on whether to go through with your plan or not. What if he says no because it’s too weird? The thought plagues you throughout your vacation to Alberta, and when Colton notices how off you are you chalk it up to feeling under the weather. He buys it and never brings it up again. Life has returned to normal, the season is underway, and you’ve finally committed to asking Colton to marry you.

Tyler points out how unorthodox the situation is when you pick him up to go ring shopping.

“In any other relationship I’d be doing this with Colt, not you.”

You laugh as he settles in your passenger seat and buckles up. “Since when has this been any old relationship? I moved across the continent for him.”

“Fair enough,” he shrugs. “Do you know what you’re looking for?”

The two of you spend the ride to the jewellers discussing what you think Colton would like. You argue that he’d want something simple – relatively thin and plain gold. Tyler insists that his friend wants an intricately carved ring that takes up a great deal of space on his hand, but you know he’s only doing so in an effort to make Colton look ridiculous. The bickering only stops when Tyler kindly opens the storefront door for you.

“Hi! Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?” the salesperson asks. He’s charming in the way salespeople usually are, all perfectly placed hair and dazzling smile.

“We’re just looking for rings,” you explain, eyes scanning for the display case that holds rings large enough to fit Colton’s finger.

The employee smiles, undoubtedly glad he’ll be making a nice commission off the sale. “You’re a smart man sir,” he nods to Tyler, “Bringing her in to make sure she likes it. Congratulations.”

The brunette looks at you in confusion for a moment before clueing in. “Oh,” he mutters, “We aren’t together. I’m just here for moral support.”

You nod. “Could you please point us in the direction of the men’s rings?”

Though more than a bit embarrassed, the employee leads to that section of store before leaving you to your own devices. Clearly it isn’t a common request, and Tyler chuckles a little before turning his attention to the elegant rings in front of him. There are a lot more options than you thought there would be and you feel a little lost. You know what Colton likes, so you whittle out anything you know he would hate. Tyler tries to sneak in a few rather garish choices but settles down once he sees how overwhelmed you are.

“Don’t stress so much. Colt’s going to love it regardless because it’s from you, and it means the two of you are getting married,” he insists.

You aren’t convinced. “What if he hates it?”

Tyler scoffs. “That’s going to be damn near impossible. He practically worships that ground you fucking walk on.”

The nerves settle enough for you to actually be productive and eventually you settle on one that looks strikingly similar to what you were describing to your friend in the car. Unsurprisingly they don’t have Colton’s size in store, but let you know when you place the order that it should be in by the end of the week. On the way home you pick up some dinner before dropping Tyler off in front of his house. “Thanks for coming with me today,” you say sincerely to which he just nods his head.

Colton’s back from his physiotherapy session when you slip through the front door. “How was your day with Bozak?” he asks as he takes the bag of takeout from your arms and sets it on the counter.

“It was fine,” you sigh, “But I’m glad to be home.”

“What did he need help with?”

You freeze. Though you assumed Colton would ask about the details of your day, you never actually cobbled together a white lie to tell him. “Uh, he wanted a second opinion of some art he wants to buy,” you stutter, “And I took that art history course in college. He just needed me to tell him it was a replica and that the seller was overcharging him.”

He buys it, and you feel a little bad about lying. It’s one of the few times you’ve ever done it throughout your entire relationship but you really don’t want him figuring out your plans. The rest of the night is spent pressed comfortably against his side on the couch, eating Chinese food and laughing at the contestants on the reality show the two of you are currently obsessed with.

☼☼☼☼

The ring box is burning a hole in your pocket. The jeweller called while you were at work, so on your way home you stopped by to pick it up. It’s perfect, just as beautiful as you remember when you picked it out a few days ago. You don’t have a plan, no elaborate yet endearing way to ask, but you know you won’t be able to keep the secret for long. Every fibre of your being wants to be engaged to Colton.

Your house is empty when you arrive home, save for the large dalmatian that comes bounding towards you at the sound of the door opening.

“Hi Perce,” you coo, letting the animal jump a few times in greeting before settling him down. Perseus soon becomes bored of watching you take off your shoes and wanders off, no doubt to find a toy to chew on.

The Blues have a game tonight, and it’s one of the few Friday night home games you can actually attend. Your office has a terrible reputation for scheduling mandatory team dinners on Fridays to ‘improve work flow and connection’. It’s mostly bullshit, but you can never get out of them for fear of getting reprimanded – your bosses take them very seriously. However, more than half the office was away at a professional development conference this weekend, meaning the rest of you were off the hook. You got home with just enough time to eat a quick meal and change into more comfortable clothing, including a much too large Parayko jersey. Perseus follows you to the door and whines as you say goodbye, but stops when you mention Colton returning in a few hours. The dog may have been yours originally but there’s no way anyone would know if you didn’t occasionally bring it up – Perseus is attached at the hip with your boyfriend, possibly soon to be fiancée. They do everything together and Colton is the one he drags out of bed in the morning to go to the bathroom.

By the time you get to the arena the stands are packed. There’s no way you’re getting down to the glass to possibly spare a moment with Colton, so you continue on your way, weaving through people and giving the occasional wave when someone recognizes you enough to call your name. Warmups are finished by the time you make it to the family and friends box and you settle in beside some of the other girls to watch the game unfold. The ring box sitting on the kitchen counter is all you can think about, especially when someone mentions how they recently had a sister get engaged and pass around pictures of the ring. You know you won’t have one, that it will be Colton with something on his left hand, but you don’t care. You just want to spend the rest of your life with him.

The game passes in the blink of an eye. Truthfully you didn’t pay any attention, too focused on imagining a future with Colton. All you know is the Blues won, and that knowledge is in your brain only because everyone else in the box screamed about it. Colton put up four points, meaning he has to speak to the media, and he sends you a text not to wait for him. You drive home listening to a top-forty station tapping absentmindedly at the wheel. Something in your gut tells you that you have to propose tonight. It doesn’t matter that there’s no plan that there’s a chance Colton could say no. You’ve kept it inside long enough and now that you have the ring in your position you’re only going to become more spaced out waiting for the ‘perfect’ time to propose. Life is messy and unconventional, and you’ll be damned if you go through one more moment of it without being engaged to Colton.

Things move in slow motion as you wait for Colton to get home. Perseus is upset when you return sans large blonde man, but perks up when you give him a treat and take him outside to let off some steam. It’s warm enough that you don’t need a jacket, and you perch lazily on a patio chair. Your mind is moving a mile a minute, wondering what you’re going to do if you even do anything at all. Despite your haste to propose, you find yourself wondering if you’ll be able to vocalize those feelings. So many things could go wrong that you’re debating if the whole idea was good in the first place. You’re so caught up in your internal monologue that you don’t hear Colton come home, and only recognize his presence after he lets out a grunt when Perseus runs at him with full force.

“Perce, come on man. You know you’re too big to charge me like that,” Colton laughs, turning to press a kiss to your temple. “How was work today babe?”

You smile at his enthusiasm and give in, detailing the monotonous work you had gotten up to at the office and mentioning how nice it was that everyone was out of town. Colton agrees, saying it was nice to see you at a game without the worry on your face of missing important work-related things. The two of you converse in hushed tones, not wanting to wake the neighbours because it’s well past midnight, until Perseus decides he’s had enough of running around and heads to the door. You follow him inside but stop in the kitchen, Colton nearly running into you because you stop so suddenly.

On the counter, beside the sink and in plain view, is the box housing Colton’s engagement ring. You must have left it there in your rush to get to the game, and forgot it was even out to begin with. How he didn’t see it when he came home is beyond you.

“What’s wrong?” Colton asks, concern lacing his voice. You aren’t one to freeze up and the fact that you did is unnerving for him.

You shake yourself out of it, not wanting to alert him to the presence of the foreign object in the room. “Nothing,” you sigh, “Just tired and sore from the game. You know those seats hurt my back.”

He doesn’t buy it and is quick to let you know. “I call bullshit. The patio chairs bother you more and you were fine. Just talk to me baby, I just want to help.” You’re sheepish, knowing you’ve been found out, and just keep staring at the box in silence because you don’t know what else to do. Colton scans the kitchen to figure out what has you so spooked and eventually lands on the black box that nearly caused you to have a heart attack. “What’s that?”

It’s as if a dam breaks inside of you. “It’s a fucking ring box, with a ring inside it. For you. I want to get married and I know you’re not pressed because we have all the time in the world but I love you and I want to officially spend the rest of my life with you as soon as possible. So I went and bought a ring with Tyler the other day because I decided I was just going to propose to you because fuck tradition you know? I love you so much that it hurts and I want to be with you for as long as you’ll have me. And I was going to think of a cute way to ask but I left the stupid thing on the counter when I got home and here we are.”

Shock, followed by amusement and wonder, take shape on Colton’s face, but he does a good job at recovering for your sake. You can’t believe your emotions came out like that, and want to curl into a ball and never see daylight again. “I’m just gonna go to bed,” you mumble, but Colton stops you from leaving with a gentle hand on your wrist.

“Wait babe, let’s talk about this.” That’s truly the last thing you want to do, but know it’s the adult approach. You sigh and turn back to face the man you love more than life itself.

Colton immediately pulls you into a hug, providing reassurance that what you said and how you feel is valid. You clutch the back of his t-shirt tightly, not wanting to ever let go because it means you have to face the gravity of the situation. Though it’s obvious Colton wants to talk he doesn’t push, which you greatly appreciate. Minutes pass before you pull away, pulling at the hair elastic on your wrist out of nervous habit.

“You want to marry me?” The question tumbles from Colton’s lips in a rushed manner like he can’t believe it. You nod while giggling, finding it funny that he could be so shocked. “Well then,” he smiles, “Let’s see the ring.”

With a bit more encouragement you leave his side and pad around the island, grabbing the box and making your way back to Colton. You hand the sleek black box to him, and cover your eyes while he opens it. If he hates it you’d rather not know, considering you poured your heart and soul into this decision. It’s silent for a few moments and you know Colton has opened the box. Going against yourself, you peek through your hands to see him crying.

“It’s beautiful,” Colton breathes, the words catching in his throat from the tears.

Unsure what to do you reach up to wipe the tiny water droplets from his face. “Don’t cry Colt,” you whisper, but your words are watery because you’re crying too. Before you can speak again he’s filling the silence with the one word you wanted to hear more than anything in the world.

“Yes.”

Tears flow freely from your eyes now, and if someone were to see the two of you through a window they’d be concerned. You know you look a mess but the only thing that matters to you is putting that ring on Colton’s finger and making it official.

“Yeah?” The question barely makes it past your lips before Colton is picking you up and slamming his lips against yours. You return the kiss instantly – giggling and trying your hardest to show him just how much you love him. It’s messy, all teeth as excitement gets the better of you both.

It feels like hours pass while you kiss Colton, legs wrapped around his waist as he supports the two of you. Eventually you pull away, too excited to see the ring on his finger, and jump down. Wordlessly he passes you the box and you slide the gold band onto the fourth finger on his left hand. The sight of it shining takes your breath away and a giddiness fills your soul.

“We’re getting fucking married,” you squeal, wrapping your arms around Colton again because you can’t contain your joy.

He laughs, big and loud and hearty, and meets your gaze with a fondness that is indescribable. “I think it’s the best idea you’ve ever had.”

You couldn’t agree more.

[natto-axolotl]

idk if u still do this anymore but do u have anymore brawlhalla hcs to share? special for Ember, Dusk, & Jaeyun? haha if u don’t just ignore this ask

ahh sorry for getting to this so late!!! and i always have hcs i just dont have a good place to share em wkdnbdkwn (readmore cause it got too long HAHA)

Ember

she's deeply empathetic, and also a great problem solver!!! a miracle worker when it comes to defusing conflict. now if only that would work on whatever the hell diana and mordex have

eats trail mix, has not been able to shake the habit of sporadic snacking in lieu of actual meals

T A L L (stolen from someone on twitter)

doesn't 100% forgive nor blame dusk. due to (in my hcs) being left at the fangwild's mercy as its guardian since she was 7, ember knows only bits about the conflict between the aesir and the elves, so to her dusk just kinda jumped out of the blue all riled up. after learning about his background it somewhat mitigates her righteous anger at Being Killed, and all that

has a sort of 6th sense when it comes to distortions in the fabric of the universe (having lived in one her whole life)

semicanon but does recurve archery!!!

good with a knife and knowledgable about hunting, neither picky with her food nor squeamish about live slaughter

can and will eat bugs

dumbest stunt done post-death is probably trying to hookshot using diana's bow and falling

fairly uninvolved with the gossip mill of the tournament, only tunes in if it's relevant to her desire to go home or if ragnir and the rest of the fangwild gang are also involved

sees ragnir as a brother, dusk as a mildly annoying but fun companion at best and asshole at worst, and arcadia as a peer and weirdly enough, a teacher (despite arcadia technically being her junior)

fangies (bmg fight me on this)

eager to learn about novel technology but often can't seem to find a use for it. and then someone got her into photography

lots of scars, but the permanent one that killed her is a bruise on her chest, in a swirl the same shape as the one on dusk's orb

val, mordex and dusk are the people she dislikes the most

dusk

let's get it out of the way, there's a lot wrong with this man but the most pressing one is that he has a frankly bruised beyond repair ego and that's what makes him so insufferable

high metabolism and abuses it to the point where he has drank nothing but coffee once and. paid the price dearly!!!

also related, but faints and gets dizzy easily due to the whole "in prison for 400+ years" shtick. grody scars as well

easier to say who he likes than who he doesn't. tolerates ember, tries to actively avoid arcadia, will draw blood over simple conversation with ragnir. him and ulgrim have bitter, bitter emotions between each other.

would be heavily susceptible to victor frankenstein's entire story arc

tolerates hanging around the "evil" legends, but everyone there knows that they don't really like each other and are just using other people to further their own goals. miserable people all the way down!!!

was not aware of how sexy his sideboob was until someone pointed it out after he died.

is generally unaware he's considered attractive. styles his hair like this out of habit not because it makes him look like a bad boy type

regards kor with a weird mix of pride, disgust, shame, hope, and genuine love. kor's basically his son, but he's also a machine of war that was designed for one goal, which it failed, and that technically makes kor defective. but dusk can't really bring himself to call kor that, not when he's found his niche.

has tried to take val apart multiple times. in an alternate universe (maybe after the world ends) dusk would've ended up in robotics

before his imprisonment, dusk's hair was long and worn in a variety of styles. now it's too short to be braided with practicality in mind.

his orb doubles as a massage gun, bluetooth speaker, hot water bottle, keyboard, night light, morse signaler, and metal detector, among other things. think nautica's wrench from mtmte, and he's always adding more shit to it.

dumbest stunt was openly shittalking thor when he joined the tournament and registered with orb. dusk had to be picked out of the cracked concrete for the next 5 days.

wrists are pretty fucked from 200+ years id manacles, and the Killing Scar is a cut running from dusk's collarbone to his left thigh, left by orma (arcadia's sword)

hss taken to baking (much to kaya, cassidy and zariel's glee). secretly finds it enjoyable. don't tell anyone.

once drank so much coffee he died from a heart attack

knowledgable on older asgardian legislature, history and culture, which gets him the affectionate title of nerd

prev hc ties into a bigger hc where nix and Asgard are locked in a legal battle to see if they can loophole a way for the reaper to safely reao nai, whereas asgard wants to stress and strengthen the pan-pantheon protection it has in its einherjar. like legally blonde but with dead people and 1 blonde

likes seasoned porridge. still working uo spice tolerance, he ate something too pungent and started crying.

ignores the rumor mill as much as possible. if it were up to dusk the only thing he would like to hear about is the intrinsic working of the divintiy of asgard, but instead he gets hot goss abour whether or not two people are snogging.

Jaeyun

actually not too great of a person. if we're looking at it practically, makes sense as he's a merc, he's gotta be able to take any job for some cash. and he has murdered or attempted to before???

was once part of the civil service before calling it quits and becoming a soldier. not as good at law and boring bureaucratic work as some other legends, but knows the basics and would like Not to go back, please!!!

knows a fair bit of ambient magic manipulation, but nothing bigger than moving rocks and creating wind.

one of the most prolific betters among the legends and almost perpetually broke. do not let him find out about gacha games.

high wis low int. clever as hell but can be dumb as balls.

due to his habit of taking odd jobs jaeyun knows random bits of knowledge and is a very empathetic person; after you've seen so much you start to find patterns and bright spots in the lives of people around you, big or small

looooves grilled and street food: cheap, easy to eat on the go, filling, and flavorful. sundae with tteokbokki after a long day of work is jaeyun's ideal of a comfort meal.

jajeongmyeon might not have been introduced when jaeyun was alive but you bet your ass he loves it when he finds it in valhalla

prolific tax evader and embezzler in life, will take ur mammoth coins after dying

compared to dusk and ember jaeyun is not hung up about being dead at all. it's a natural part of life, and though he is a bit sad the fact that he's done so much in kife to be considered notable for valhalla is enough to keep him happy.

a decent bargainer and reasonably charismatic. not as good as mordex or Caspian, but he does have a definite pull to his personality that you can't help but overlook his war crimes and bad money habits for

hates cats. terrified of asuri. thinks butterscotch is secretly helping fait as part of a greater coalition of cats against him.

very awkward with Jiro like "heyyy howsit been since i tried to kill you" awkward

hes Big and its not just all muscle im sick and tired of people drawing him skinny. LET JAEYUN BE CHUBBY

has tried to snowboard on his sword. fell, broke his nose, stayed inside the rest of the day

embezzles out of habit, not the worst liar bit he does jump to half-true coverups most of the time